Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
Gujarat government launched the Har Ghar Connectivity (Fibre-to-Home) initiative to provide rural households with affordable high-speed internet. The project is under the state’s Science and Technology Department. The pilot phase aims to deliver 25,000 Fibre-to-Home (FTTH) connections with multiple value-added services. Services include Wi-Fi, cable TV (free and paid channels), OTT platforms, and gaming. The initiative will expand after the pilot phase to benefit more rural households.

Notes:
The Flamingo Festival 2025 returns to Andhra Pradesh after a four-year break, celebrating migratory birds, especially flamingos, at Pulicat Lake and Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary. The event covers five key locations: Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, Atakanithippa, BV Palem (Pulicat Lake), Sullurpet’s Government Junior College, and Sri City. More than 200 bird species, including flamingos, grey pelicans, and open-bill storks, are expected to migrate to the region. Activities include birdwatching, eco-friendly biodiversity sessions, boating, cultural programs, and stalls at Sullurpeta.

Notes:
Ayodhya will host the Pratishtha Dwadashi festival from January 11 to 13, marking the first anniversary of Ram Lalla’s installation in the grand temple. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will perform Ram Lalla’s ‘abhishek’ on January 11 and inaugurate a cultural programme at Angad Tila. A three-day Shri Ram Raag-Seva programme will feature music, dance, and instrumental performances near the temple’s sanctum. Renowned artistes like Usha Mangeshkar, Rakesh Chaurasia, and Shobhana Narayan will perform throughout the festival.

Notes:
The UK announced the world’s first sanctions regime to combat people smuggling and block illicit finance supporting such crimes. The sanctions focus on irregular migration and organized immigration crime. Authorities can now target individuals and entities enabling dangerous journeys, such as smuggling vulnerable people via sea crossings in Europe. The regime is expected to be implemented within the year.

Notes:
India will host the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments (CSPOC) of Commonwealth Countries in 2026. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced this at the CSPOC Standing Committee Meeting in Guernsey. The event will focus on artificial intelligence, social media, and their role in parliamentary processes. India previously hosted CSPOC in 1970-71, 1986, and 2010, showcasing its cultural heritage and modern development.

Notes:
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) conducted the engine ground run of the Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) Warrior on January 11, 2025, ahead of Aero India 2025. Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) is an Indian unmanned and manned combat aircraft teaming system. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) developed this system. The system enhances surveillance, strike capabilities, and reduces human error.

Notes:
The INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development) project, backed by ₹100 crore, enhances natural rubber quality in Northeast India and parts of West Bengal. It aims to develop skills among rubber growers and establish model infrastructure. Supported by major tyre companies – Apollo, Ceat, JK, and MRF – it showcases agriculture-industry collaboration. The project is overseen by the Rubber Board of India, it involves direct engagement from tyre manufacturers. In four years, 1,25,272 hectares of rubber plantations have been established across 94 districts. The project uses digital platforms to train farmers in effective rubber tapping and processing for quality improvement.

Notes:
National Startup Day is celebrated on January 16 to honor the entrepreneurial spirit of startup founders in India. India is the third-largest startup hub with over 99,000 registered firms and a $500 billion ecosystem. The Startup India Scheme, launched in 2016, fostered a supportive environment for startups with financial incentives and simplified procedures. In 2022, PM Modi declared January 16 as National Startup Day.

Notes:
Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) and IIT Delhi signed an agreement to develop THz communication front ends for 6G under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF). TTDF is established under the Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF), now called Digital Bharat Nidhi, by the Department of Telecom. The fund supports research, design, prototyping, testing, and manufacturing in telecommunications. It aims to foster rural-specific communication technologies, promote technology ownership, and encourage indigenous manufacturing. TTDF seeks to boost exports, reduce imports, enhance co-innovation, and support Intellectual Property creation in the telecom sector.

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.