Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

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:
Pune hosts the Army Day Parade for the first time on 15 January 2025. The parade commemorates Field Marshal K M Cariappa’s appointment as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief in 1949. Traditionally held in Delhi, the parade started rotating to other cities in 2023, with Bengaluru and Lucknow hosting it before Pune. Pune, the headquarters of the Indian Army’s Southern Command, was chosen for its historical ties to the Armed Forces. Indian Army Day, celebrated annually on January 15, marks a significant moment of pride for every Indian.

Notes:
Hyderabad is seeing an increase in scarlet fever cases among children aged 5 to 15, along with other viral fevers during winter. Scarlet fever, also known as scarlatina, is a bacterial infection that causes a red rash, sore throat, and fever. It’s caused by group A streptococcus bacteria, also known as strep throat bacteria. Symptoms include a bright red, sunburn-like rash, sore throat, high fever, and peeling skin on hands and feet. Antibiotics can fully treat scarlet fever, but patients must complete the entire course. If untreated, scarlet fever can cause serious complications like kidney damage, heart issues, and pneumonia.

Notes:
The Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development is implementing the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) to develop degraded and rainfed areas. Activities include ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil conservation, rainwater harvesting, nursery raising, and pasture development. WDC-PMKSY 1.0 improved groundwater, surface water, crop productivity, and farmers’ income. In 2021-22, 1150 projects covering 50 lakh hectares were sanctioned under WDC-PMKSY 2.0 with ₹12,303 Crores. 56 new projects worth ₹700 Crores are sanctioned in 10 top-performing states, covering 2.8 lakh hectares to improve farmers’ income, combat land degradation, and enhance climate resilience.

Notes:
The Gaan Ngai festival is celebrated by the Zeliarong community in Manipur after the harvest season. It marks gratitude for a good harvest, prayers for prosperity, and the beginning of the new year. The festival includes music, dance, and spiritual rituals, promoting unity and joy. The Zeliarong community, comprising the Rongmei, Liangmei, and Zeme tribes, is one of Manipur’s prominent tribal groups. Gaan Ngai lasts for five days and is typically celebrated in December or January, with the date varying each year.

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:
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:
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:
Siachen Glacier now has 4G and 5G services provided by an Indian telecom firm. It is a piedmont glacier in the Karakoram Range, part of the “Third Pole,” containing vast freshwater reserves. It is the world’s second-longest nonpolar glacier after Fedchenko Glacier in Tajikistan. Known as the highest battleground, India gained control in 1984 under Operation Meghdoot.

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.