Daily Current Affairs Quiz: January 22, 2025

Notes:
Taiwan will deploy advanced National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) in North Taiwan to protect Taipei. NASAMS is a medium-range, ground-based air defense system developed by Raytheon (USA) and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (Norway). The system defends against aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, UAVs, and air-to-surface threats. It protects high-value assets and population centers and has been part of the US capital’s air defense since 2005. NASAMS is the first networked short- and medium-range system, integrating with other defense equipment.

Notes:
Karnataka men’s senior cricket team won its 5th Vijay Hazare Trophy by defeating Vidarbha by 36 runs in the 2024-25 final. The final was held on 18 January 2025 at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, Gujarat. This victory ended Karnataka’s five-year title drought in domestic cricket. Vijay Hazare Trophy, organized by BCCI, is a premier 50-over one-day tournament featuring 38 Ranji teams.

Notes:
Australopithecus had a plant-based diet, as shown by isotope data from 3.5-million-year-old fossils in South Africa. Australopithecus, an extinct genus of primates, lived between 4.4 million and 1.4 million years ago during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs. Fossils were found in eastern, north-central, and southern Africa; the name means “southern ape.” The famous “Lucy” fossil from Ethiopia dates to 3.2 million years ago. They combined human-like traits (upright walking, small canines) with ape-like features (flat nose, small brain, strong arms).

Notes:
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved Qartemi, a second “living drug,” which is a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy designed to treat blood cancer. “Living drugs” involve modifying a patient’s cells and reintroducing them into the body. CAR T-cell therapy is an innovative immunotherapy where T-cells are genetically engineered to target cancer cells. T-cells are extracted from the patient’s blood, modified in the lab by adding a gene for a man-made receptor (CAR), which helps T-cells recognize cancer cells. Modified CAR-T cells are then reintroduced to kill cancer cells.

Notes:
The Pralay missile, India’s first tactical quasi-ballistic missile, will be showcased in the Republic Day parade. It is a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 150-500 km, developed to meet the Army’s tactical needs. Pralay can carry a 350-700 kg conventional warhead and strike enemy positions with high accuracy. It was developed by DRDO.