Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
The Prime Minister will launch ‘Mission Mausam’ on the 150th foundation day of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The mission aims to make India a ‘Weather-ready and Climate-smart’ nation by advancing weather and climate science. It has a budget of Rs 2,000 crore over two years and will be implemented by India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting. It focuses on improving forecasting accuracy, real-time local weather updates, and weather management technologies. The program includes cutting-edge technologies like high-resolution observations, next-gen radars, satellites, and high-performance computers. It addresses climate change, improves air quality data, and prepares citizens for extreme weather events.

Notes:
Neeraj Chopra was named the best javelin thrower of 2024 by the US-based Track and Field News. He won the silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a throw of 89.45m. He narrowly beat Anderson Peters of Grenada for the top spot in the rankings; Peters won three Diamond League events in 2024. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who threw 92.97m to win Olympic gold, ranked fifth due to limited appearances. Track and Field News, founded in 1948, is highly respected in athletics.

Notes:
Google-backed Pixxel launched India’s first private satellite constellation, marking a milestone for the country’s private space sector. The satellites use hyperspectral imaging technology to capture detailed data across light bands for agriculture, mining, environmental monitoring, and defense. This technology can help improve crop yields, track resources, monitor oil spills, and provide better details than existing technology. Three more satellites are expected to be deployed by mid-2025. The global satellite imagery market is projected to reach $19 billion by 2029.

Notes:
Union Home Minister launched the Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Program (FTI-TTP) at seven major Indian airports: Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Ahmedabad. The program, part of the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision, was first introduced in Delhi in June 2024. FTI-TTP aims to provide seamless, secure, and world-class immigration facilities for travellers.

Notes:
Bahadur Singh Sagoo was elected as the new president of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), succeeding Adille Sumariwalla. Sumariwalla served as AFI president for over a decade, from 2012 to 2024. Sagoo, an Asian Games gold medallist (2002) and two-time Olympian, brings vast experience to the role. Sandeep Mehta was elected as the new secretary of the federation. India will host its first World Athletics Continental Tour event, the “Indian Open,” on August 10, 2025, in Bhubaneswar.

Notes:
Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka is renowned for its rich biodiversity and thriving spotted deer population, with around 28 spotted deer per square kilometer. Formerly called Rajiv Gandhi National Park, it is named after the ‘Nagarahole’ river, meaning ‘Serpent River’. It is located in Karnataka. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, one of the largest and oldest conservation areas in India, backed by the Brahmagiri Mountains. The reserve connects tigers and elephants to other Western Ghats areas through Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary and to the Eastern Ghats via Bandipur Tiger Reserve. Nagarahole is a key site for conservation under Project Tiger and Project Elephant.

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:
Tungabhadra River water turned green near villages in Mundargi taluk, Gadag district, Karnataka, causing panic. It is a major tributary of the Krishna River, sacred to Hindus, and mentioned as “Pampa” in the Ramayana. The river originates from the Tunga (147 km) and Bhadra (178 km) streams in the Western Ghats and runs 531 km to meet the Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh. It passes through Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and forms an interstate boundary.

Notes:
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended capping Internet tariffs for Wi-Fi service providers under the Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) scheme at twice the rate of retail broadband. The PM-WANI scheme was launched in December 2020 by the Department of Telecommunication. The scheme aims to expand public Wi-Fi hotspots, especially in rural areas. It seeks to enhance digital infrastructure, increase employment for small entrepreneurs, and provide low-cost internet to underserved urban and rural households. The scheme encourages local shops to offer Wi-Fi for last-mile delivery without requiring a license or registration fee.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved a Third Launch Pad (TLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. TLP will support ISRO’s Next Generation Launch Vehicles (NGLV) and human spaceflight missions. It will serve as a backup for the Second Launch Pad (SLP) and support LVM3 vehicles with advanced stages. The project costs ₹3984.86 crore and is expected to be completed in four years. TLP will boost launch frequencies, enabling India’s space goals, including the Bharatiya Antariksha Station by 2035 and crewed lunar landing by 2040. It enhances India’s capacity for heavier and advanced launch vehicles.