Daily Current Affairs Quiz: January 15, 2025

Notes:
Fifteen Tamil Nadu fishermen were reportedly detained near Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) for crossing the maritime boundary. Diego Garcia is a coral atoll, the largest and southernmost island in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean. It covers 44 sq. km with a V-shaped cay and an open lagoon. The UK leased Diego Garcia to the US in 1966 for a military base, displacing its inhabitants.

Notes:
Larsen & Toubro launched the second multi-purpose vessel, INS Utkarsh, for the Indian Navy at Kattupalli Shipyard near Chennai. INS Utkarsh, meaning “Superior in Conduct,” is built by L&T Shipbuilding Limited. The vessel is 106m long, 18.6m wide, with a displacement over 3,750 tonnes, and a maximum speed of 15 knots. It will enhance maritime surveillance, patrolling, and disaster relief capabilities of the Navy. The launch follows the first MPV, INS Samarthak, within three months. This aligns with India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives, showcasing indigenous shipbuilding progress.

Notes:
São Tomé and Príncipe Prime Minister Ilza Amado Vaz resigned after her proposed cabinet list was publicly leaked before informing President Carlos Vila Nova. Amado Vaz, a former justice minister, was appointed prime minister following the dissolution of Patrice Trovoada’s government. São Tomé and Príncipe is a small archipelago in the Gulf of Guinea, covering just over 1,000 sq. km.

Notes:
A flagship river-link irrigation project in Rajasthan will submerge 37 sq. km of Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (RTR), dividing it into two sections. It is situated at the junction of the Aravallis and Vindhyas ranges in Rajasthan. It was once a royal hunting ground for Jaipur’s Maharajas and is now one of northern India’s largest tiger reserves. The reserve is ideal for tiger monitoring due to its unique climate and vegetation. It is bordered by the Chambal River in the south and the Banas River in the north. The Ranthambhore Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies within the reserve.

Notes:
Raksha Mantri congratulated DRDO on the successful Field Evaluation Trials of the Nag Mk 2 missile. The Nag Mk 2 is a third-generation, indigenously developed Anti-Tank Fire-and-Forget Guided Missile. It is developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It features fire-and-forget technology for precision targeting with minimal operator intervention. The missile can neutralize modern armored vehicles with explosive reactive armor (ERA). The Nag Missile Carrier version-2 was also field evaluated, and the weapon system is now ready for induction into the Indian Army.