Prelims Focus 10th September 2025

10/09/2025

141 2 minutes read

Earthquake Strikes Near Evia Island

In News: A strong magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck central Greece on September 9, 2025, with its epicenter located near the town of Nea Styra on Evia Island, about 45 kilometers northeast of Athens.

The quake occurred around 12:27 a.m. local time at a shallow depth of approximately 13.6 kilometers.
Tremors were strongly felt in the capital city Athens and across the Attica region, causing residents in some areas to spend the night outdoors out of caution.
Several aftershocks followed the initial quake, although they were of lower magnitude, with authorities warning residents to stay calm as aftershocks might continue.
There have been no immediate reports of casualties or significant structural damage, and emergency services remain on alert in the affected regions.
This region experiences moderate and frequent seismic activity due to tectonic fault lines, with Greece regularly affected by earthquakes .

Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) 2025

In News: The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) 2025 in Kolkata, West Bengal, on September 15, 2025. The three-day conference will run from September 15 to 17 and carries the theme “Year of Reforms – Transforming for the Future.”

It is an apex-level forum that brings together the top civil and military leadership of the Armed Forces to discuss key aspects of India’s defence strategy.
The conference will focus on three main areas: reforms, transformation and change, and operational preparedness.
It underscores the Armed Forces’ commitment to institutional reforms, deeper integration, technological modernization, and maintaining multi-domain operational readiness.
Key attendees will include the Defence Minister, National Security Advisor, Chief of Defence Staff, Defence Secretary, secretaries from other ministries, and officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Integrated Defence Staff .

International Earth Sciences Olympiad

In News: The Indian team’s winning students at the “International Earth Sciences Olympiad” (IESO-2025), which took place in China, were congratulated by the Minister for Earth Sciences.

- In addition to a 3rd place finish in the International, Team India also won a total of seven medals: one gold, four silver, and two bronze. The Reporter category of the Geoscience Youth Movement (I-GYM).
- Every year, the Ministry supports students for IESO by holding the Indian National Earth Science Olympiad (INESO) at 300 locations throughout India.

International Olympiad in Earth Sciences
- The International Geoscience Education Organization (IGEO) founded it in 2003.
- It is one of the dozen International Science Olympiads.
- It is a worldwide yearly contest for high schoolers in grades nine through twelve.
- India has been involved since 2007, and in 2013, Mysore hosted the tenth iteration.
Goal: To raise public understanding of Earth Sciences and improve geoscience education globally.

Universal Postal Union (UPU)

In News: The 28th Universal Postal Congress, which is the highest decision-making body of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), began in Dubai.

- Established: 9 October 1874 (Treaty of Bern).
- UN Organization: Gained status as a specialized UN organization in 1948.

Objective: coordinates international postal services and policies.

Established a “single postal territory” to ensure uniform international mail rates and equal treatment for domestic and foreign mail.
It is one of the oldest and biggest international organizations, with 192 member nations.
India became a member of the UPU in 1876.