Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sri Sri Radha Madanmohanji Temple of ISKCON in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, on January 15, 2025. The temple is now the second-largest ISKCON temple in Asia. The design of the temple blends spirituality and knowledge, with various facilities reflecting ISKCON’s mission to serve society.

Notes:
India has developed the world’s most powerful hydrogen train engine with 1,200 horsepower. It was made by Indian Railways using indigenous technology. The first trial run will be conducted on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana. This innovation supports hydrogen-powered trains and can be adapted for trucks, tugboats, and other vehicles.

Notes:
INS Surat, INS Nilgiri, and INS Vaghsheer were commissioned into the Indian Navy for the first time. INS Surat is a stealth-guided missile destroyer, part of Project 15B, known as the Visakhapatnam class. It is India’s first warship equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. INS Surat has a displacement of 7,400 tonnes, a length of 164 meters, and a COGAG propulsion system with four gas turbines. It can achieve speeds over 30 knots (56 km/h) and is armed with advanced surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, and sensors. Designed for high-speed offensive naval operations with superior strike power and maneuverability.

Notes:
Siachen Glacier now has 4G and 5G services provided by an Indian telecom firm. It is a piedmont glacier in the Karakoram Range, part of the “Third Pole,” containing vast freshwater reserves. It is the world’s second-longest nonpolar glacier after Fedchenko Glacier in Tajikistan. Known as the highest battleground, India gained control in 1984 under Operation Meghdoot.

Notes:
India becomes the fourth country to successfully achieve Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), after the US, Russia, and China. The technology allows two satellites to dock in space, enabling the assembly of larger modules and overcoming rocket payload limits. This technology is crucial for long-duration missions, Mars exploration, lunar sample return, and the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station for resupply and crewed missions.

Notes:
The Prime Minister praised Indian space startup Digantara for the success of its Mission SCOT. SCOT (Space Camera for Object Tracking) is Digantara’s first mission for space surveillance and one of the world’s first commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites. It was launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12 mission and deployed in a sun-synchronous orbit. SCOT is designed to track Resident Space Objects (RSOs) as small as 5 cm in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with high accuracy and revisit rates. It addresses gaps in existing systems limited by fields of view, weather, and geography.

Notes:
Nigeria has been admitted as a “partner country” of the BRICS bloc. BRICS was formed in 2009 to counterbalance the G-7 industrialized nations. Nigeria is the ninth partner, joining countries Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. With Africa’s largest population and a major economy, Nigeria aligns with BRICS on South-South cooperation and global governance reform. The bloc is exploring alternatives to the US dollar for international payments.

Notes:
Assam police chief Gyanendra Pratap Singh is appointed as Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The CRPF, India’s premier central police force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, ensures internal security. It was established in 1939 as the Crown Representative’s Police during political unrest in princely states.

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:
The International Labour Organization (ILO) released its fourth edition of Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers, highlighting their crucial role in global economic growth. In 2022, international migrants made up 7% of the global labor force, with 167.7 million workers, an increase of over 30 million since 2013. Migrants face a gender gap, with 38.7% of female migrants employed, compared to 60.8% of male migrants. Most migrants work in the services sector (68.4%), followed by industry (3%) and agriculture (4%). High-income countries host 4% of migrants, with Europe and Northern America as key destinations.