Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
The Indian High Commission launched Sri Lanka’s first Hindi Certificate Course through open and distance learning on World Hindi Day 2025. The launch occurred during the Bharat-Sri Lanka Hindi Sammelan, organized by the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC). The initiative marks the 50th anniversary of World Hindi Day celebrations. A collaboration between the Open University of Sri Lanka and SVCC, the course aims to make Hindi learning accessible across the country. This programme highlights the growing demand for Hindi as a global language and strengthens academic ties between India and Sri Lanka.

Notes:
Five Maoists, including two women, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Indravati National Park, Bijapur, Chhattisgarh. Indravati National Park is located in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh. It was established in 1981. It became a tiger reserve in 1983 under India’s Project Tiger. The park is named after the Indravati River, which flows east to west and forms its northern boundary with Maharashtra.

Notes:
Russia’s atomic agency has shipped the reactor vessel for the sixth unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant to India. The Kudankulam plant, located in Tamil Nadu, is India’s largest nuclear power plant with six reactors and a total capacity of 6,000 MW. The reactor vessel, weighing 320 tonnes, was manufactured by Rosatom’s division Atommash and shipped from Novorossiysk at the end of 2024. The reactor vessel will travel 6,000 miles by sea to reach the construction site.

Notes:
The Union Culture Ministry has created a Kalagram, a 10.24-acre cultural village near Prayagraj station, as part of Mahakumbh 2025. Kalagram, located 2 km from the station, offers free entry and showcases Indian art, heritage, food, and performances. The entrance features a 635-foot-wide façade depicting the 12 Jyotirlingas.

Notes:
Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav launched the Swami Vivekanand Yuva Shakti Mission in Bhopal on National Youth Day. National Youth Day has been celebrated to honor Swami Vivekanand’s birth anniversary. Chief Minister inaugurated the world’s largest 3-D rangoli depicting Swami Vivekananda at Shaurya Smarak, Bhopal. The mission aligns with PM Modi’s GYAN principle, focusing on the poor, youth, farmers, and women. The Chief Minister also launched the Swami Vivekananda Yuva Shakti Mission Portal and theme song.

Notes:
The ASEAN Secretary-General, Kao Kim Hourn, leads the ASEAN Secretariat’s delegation to the 5th ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting (ADGMIN) in Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand hosts the meeting as the ADGMIN chair for 2025. The meeting will focus on advancing ASEAN as a digital community and economic bloc, aligning with the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025.

Notes:
Russia has formed an emergency task force to address an oil spill in the Kerch Strait. The Kerch Strait links the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov and separates Crimea from Russia’s Taman Peninsula. It is 3 km long, 15 km wide, and 18 meters deep, with its narrowest point being 3-5 km. Kerch city is situated on the Crimean side of the strait. The Kerch Strait is a crucial global shipping route.

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:
The ISRO mission that successfully germinated lobia seeds (also known as cowpea seeds) in space is called the “CROPS” experiment, which stands for “Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies”. The seeds sprouted on the fourth day, with leaves visible by the fifth day, marking a major milestone in space research. The experiment aims to develop sustainable food sources for long-term space missions and test plant growth in microgravity and controlled environments. Success supports astronauts by enabling food growth, oxygen generation, and CO₂ recycling in space. It highlights India’s capability in managing complex life-support systems and contributes to global space farming initiatives.

Notes:
The Halda Festival is celebrated in January in Lahaul-Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. It honors Shiskar Apa, the Goddess of Wealth, to seek blessings for prosperity and a good harvest. Celebrations are most prominent in the Pattan, Gahar, and Chandra valleys.