Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
Researchers discovered two rare Neuroptera species, Indophanes barbara and Glenochrysa zeylanica, in Kerala. Indophanes barbara, an antlion from the Myrmeleontidae family, does not build pits like other antlion larvae and lives in loose soil for protection. Adult Indophanes barbara resemble damselflies but can be identified by their long antennae and belong to holometabolous Neuroptera insects, unlike hemimetabolous damselflies. Glenochrysa zeylanica, a green lacewing from the Chrysopidae family, was rediscovered in Wayanad after 111 years and reported for the first time in India. Neuroptera, commonly called lacewings, are terrestrial insects with complex wing vein patterns.

Notes:
India’s passport ranking has dropped to 85th in the Henley Passport Index 2025, down from 80th in 2024. The index evaluates passports based on visa-free access to global destinations. India now allows visa-free travel to 57 countries. The top-ranking passport belongs to Singapore, which offers access to 195 destinations. Over the past two decades, India’s ranking has fluctuated significantly, peaking at 71st in 2006. The index relies on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to assess travel access.

Notes:
Joseph Aoun, Lebanon’s army chief, was elected President on 9 January 2025, filling a two-year vacancy since Michel Aoun’s term ended. His election signals reduced influence of Hezbollah, following its war with Israel, and revived Saudi and international involvement in Lebanon. Aoun pledged to ensure state control over arms, rebuild areas affected by war, and prevent Israeli attacks. Aoun’s presidency aims to revive governance and tackle Lebanon’s economic crisis.

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath launched the All India Radio Kumbhvani FM channel (103.5 MHz) for Maha Kumbh 2025 at Circuit House, Prayagraj. The channel will bring Mahakumbh to remote areas, providing live commentary for those unable to attend. It aims to spread the ambience of the Mahakumbh globally, promoting India’s religious traditions and providing vital information to devotees.

Notes:
The Himachal Pradesh government approved renaming the Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) to Dr. Manmohan Singh Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration. This honors Dr. Singh’s contributions to national and state development. The Cabinet acknowledged his transformative role during his tenure as Prime Minister and Union Finance Minister.

Notes:
China launched the world’s largest Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) project, “Nengchu-1”. It has begun full operation in Yingcheng, Hubei Province, China. It marks a milestone in China’s energy storage technologies and is the largest CAES facility globally. CAES stores electrical energy as potential energy by compressing air into sealed spaces like underground mines or salt rock caverns. Energy is stored during off-peak hours and released to the grid during peak demand.

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:
IIT Roorkee researchers developed a method to degrade plasticizers like diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) using bacterial enzymes. DEHP is found in plastics and personal care products, posing health risks. Esterase enzyme from Sulfobacillus acidophilus breaks DEHP into mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) and 2-ethyl hexanol. The enzyme was structurally studied using X-ray crystallography and remains active for about a month. Researchers used four additional enzymes from Comamonas testosteroni to complete the degradation process. Integrating enzymes into bacteria ensures prolonged activity and continuous degradation without needing fresh batches. Plasticizers enhance flexibility and shine in products but can be absorbed through the skin, posing health dangers.

Notes:
A new study highlights gaps in understanding the Clouded Leopard’s habitat, fragmentation, and connectivity, offering a conservation roadmap. The Clouded Leopard is a wild cat found in dense forests of the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, and South China. There are two species: the mainland Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) and the Sunda Clouded Leopard (Neofelis diardi). They are ancient cats but neither true great nor small cats, as they cannot roar or purr. Clouded Leopards prefer tropical rainforests but can also be found in woodlands and mangrove swamps. They are found in India’s northeastern states and are the state animal of Meghalaya. Both species are classified as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN Red List.

Notes:
Rajasthan received an additional 5,000 MW allocation under the PM-KUSUM (Component A) scheme. The scheme targets commissioning projects by December 31, 2025, before sunsetting in March 2026. The scheme was launched in 2019. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme aims to reduce diesel usage in farming and boost farmers’ income. It supports India’s goal of achieving 40% installed power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy oversees implementation, requiring progress updates via the PM-KUSUM portal.