Daily Current Affairs Quiz: January 7, 2025

Notes:
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention takes place in Bhubaneswar from January 8 to 10, 2025. The theme is ‘Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat’, celebrating the diaspora’s role in India’s development. Prime Minister Modi inaugurates the event on January 9, and President Christine Carla Kangaloo of Trinidad & Tobago addresses virtually. More than 50 countries’ diaspora members participate, and Modi flags off the Pravasi Bharatiya Express tourist train.

Notes:
The Odisha government launches the Shahid Madho Singh Haath Kharcha Scheme to promote education among Scheduled Tribe (ST) students. The scheme aims to reduce dropout rates by providing a one-time incentive of ₹5,000 to ST students enrolling in Class IX and Class XI. It is implemented for the 2024-2025 academic year and targets students with annual family incomes below ₹2,50,000. The incentive is available only for ST students in government and government-aided schools within the state. Eligible students receive ₹5,000 directly in their bank accounts, with applications processed through the Odisha State Scholarship Portal.

Notes:
Lok Sabha Speaker inaugurates ‘Panchayat Se Parliament 2.0’ at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan. It is organised by the National Commission for Women (NCW) with the Lok Sabha Secretariat and Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The event commemorates the 150th birth anniversary of tribal leader Bhagwan Birsa Munda. It gathers 502 elected women representatives from Scheduled Tribes across 22 states and Union Territories. Its primary focus is to empowering women representatives by enhancing their knowledge of constitutional provisions, parliamentary procedures, and governance.

Notes:
The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways announces the completion of the 2.35 km Banihal Bypass on NH-44 in Jammu & Kashmir. Built at a cost of ₹224.44 crore, it is a four-lane bypass addressing traffic bottlenecks in Banihal town. The bypass eliminates congestion caused by roadside markets and shops, ensuring smoother traffic flow. It significantly reduces travel time for tourists and defense vehicles heading to the Kashmir Valley.

Notes:
Union Minister of Education launched Sashakt Beti and e-Drishti projects at the University of Delhi’s Samarpan Samaroh event. Project Sashakt Beti empowers orphaned and single-parent female students with family incomes under ₹4 lakh by providing laptops. Project e-Drishti supports visually impaired students by providing tablets to improve their learning and research capabilities.