Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
São Tomé and Príncipe Prime Minister Ilza Amado Vaz resigned after her proposed cabinet list was publicly leaked before informing President Carlos Vila Nova. Amado Vaz, a former justice minister, was appointed prime minister following the dissolution of Patrice Trovoada’s government. São Tomé and Príncipe is a small archipelago in the Gulf of Guinea, covering just over 1,000 sq. km.

Notes:
Bihar will host the 85th All India Presiding Officers Conference (AIPOC) on January 20-21, 2025. The theme is “75th anniversary of the Constitution: The contribution of the Parliament and state legislatures in strengthening the constitutional values.” Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will preside over the event, with Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh present. Over 264 parliamentarians, legislators, and officials will attend. Bihar last hosted AIPOC in 1982 and before that in 1964. The event will be held at the Bihar Legislative Assembly premises. It aims to enhance coordination and share best practices among legislative bodies.

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:
A Falcated Duck was recently spotted at Sultanpur National Park, Gurugram, Haryana. It is also known as falcated teal. The duck is a gadwall-sized dabbling species, found from eastern Siberia to northern Japan, wintering in Southeast Asia and eastern India. They inhabit freshwater lakes, ponds, and marshes, usually surrounded by forests. Falcated ducks are mainly herbivorous, feeding on plants, seeds, and occasionally small invertebrates. They are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

Notes:
The Government of India has designated areas around Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary as eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) to protect it from urbanization and development. The sanctuary is located in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, in the Himalayan foothills. It covers altitudes between 1,800 and 3,400 m, showcasing a transition from pine forests to alpine meadows. The sanctuary is named after the goddess Shikari Devi, with a sacred temple at 2,850 m above sea level.

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:
Lunar landers by U.S. and Japanese companies launched together on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, showcasing private sector involvement in space exploration. The mission includes two lunar spacecraft: Blue Ghost by Firefly Aerospace (U.S.) and Resilience by ispace-Europe (Luxembourg, Japan). Blue Ghost carries 10 NASA instruments to study Earth’s magnetosphere, lunar dust, and Moon’s thermal properties while testing advanced navigation and computing. Resilience includes the Tenacious micro rover with a high-definition camera and regolith-scooping technology, exploring Mare Frigoris on the Moon’s far north. The mission promotes technological advances, global collaboration, and cost-effective strategies for future lunar sustainability under NASA’s Artemis program.

Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) and Data Security Council of India (DSCI) launched the second edition of the Cyber Security Grand Challenge (CSGC 2.0). The prize pool has been increased to Rs. 6.85 crores from Rs. 3.2 crores. Innovators, startups, and entrepreneurs are invited to address six key cybersecurity challenges, including API Security, Data Security, and AI for Threat Detection. Intellectual property rights for solutions developed will stay with startups. The competition has four stages, with winners receiving Rs. 25 lakh, and the overall winner getting Rs. 1 crore. The initiative supports Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Notes:
India’s economic growth is projected at 6.7% annually for fiscal years starting April 2025, as per the World Bank. The services sector is expected to continue expanding steadily. Manufacturing is set to strengthen due to government efforts to improve the business environment. Investment growth will remain stable, with private investment rising and public investment moderating. For 2024-25, growth is expected to ease to 6.5% due to slower investment and weak manufacturing performance.

Notes:
The World Economic Forum released the Global Risk Report, first published in 2006, categorizing extreme weather as an “environmental risk.” The 2024-2025 report is based on the Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) and assesses risks over short-term (1-2 years) and long-term (10 years) periods. Short-term risks include misinformation, extreme weather events, and state-based armed conflict. Long-term risks include extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and critical earth system changes. Four key spheres shaping global risks are technological, geostrategic, climatic, and demographic, expected to intensify. The report highlights addressing short-lived climate pollutants like black carbon, methane, and hydrofluorocarbons.