Daily Current Affairs Quiz: January 31, 2025

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh’s Mahakumbh tableau won the best tableau award at the 76th Republic Day celebrations. Tripura’s tableau on Kharchi Puja secured second place, followed by Andhra Pradesh’s tableau on Etikoppaka Bommalu wooden toys. Jammu & Kashmir Rifles won best marching contingent among services, while Delhi Police topped in the CAPF/auxiliary forces category. Ministry of Tribal Affairs won for its Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh tableau. Special prizes were given to Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for its Constitution of India tableau and the Jayati Jai Mamah Bharatam Dance Group.

Notes:
SEBI launched a web-based portal called Integrated SEBI Portal for Technical Glitches (iSPOT) for submitting root cause analysis (RCA) reports on technical glitches. It serves as a centralized repository to streamline reporting by stock exchanges and market infrastructure institutions (MIIs). iSPOT aims to improve data quality, track past glitches, and generate system reports for better compliance monitoring.

Notes:
The central government approved the Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme (MCGS-MSMEs) for micro, small, and medium enterprises. The scheme guarantees loans up to ₹100 crore with 60% coverage by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC). Eligible MSMEs must have a valid Udyam Registration Number. At least 75% of the loan must be used for equipment or machinery. Loans up to ₹50 crore have an 8-year repayment period with 2 years moratorium. Higher loan amounts get extended repayment and moratorium periods. 5% upfront contribution is required at the time of application. No annual guarantee fee in the first year; 1.5% for three years, then 1% annually. The scheme is valid for four years or till ₹7 lakh crore in guarantees are issued.

Notes:
A 2-year-old tigress was found dead in Kanha Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh. Kanha Tiger Reserve, also called Kanha National Park, is the largest national park in Madhya Pradesh. It is located in Mandla and Balaghat districts and lies in the Maikal hills, east of the Satpura range. Established as a national park in 1955, it became a tiger reserve in 1973. The forest in Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book” is believed to be inspired by this region. The Gond and Baiga tribes inhabit the area.

Notes:
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have officially left ECOWAS due to diplomatic tensions. ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) was founded in 1975 to promote economic cooperation and development. Citizens of ECOWAS can live, work, and move freely across member states. After the withdrawal, ECOWAS now has 12 members: Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.