Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
Experts link the severity of wildfires in the USA to hydroclimate whiplash, intensified by climate change. Hydroclimate whiplash is a rare condition where a wet season is followed by an extremely dry one. This leads to increased hazards like flash floods, wildfires, landslides, and disease outbreaks. It can harm water quality due to harmful algal blooms and excess organic or mineral content. It also affects food security by reducing plant productivity, causing crop failures, and leading to livestock mortality.

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:
The Twipra Student Federation (TSF) protested in Agartala, demanding the Roman script for the Kokborok language. Kokborok is the language of the Borok people, officially recognized in Tripura on January 19, 1979. It is a Sino-Tibetan language with roots traced back to the 1st century AD. Historical records of Tripuri kings in Raj Ratnakar were written in Kokborok. The term “Kokborok” combines Kok (verbal) and Borok (people). As of the 2011 Census, 8,80,537 people in Tripura speak Kokborok, comprising 23.97% of the state’s population.

Notes:
India ranks second after the US in the QS World Future Skills Index 2025 for job market preparedness in AI, digital, and green sectors. India scores highly in the “Future of Work” indicator, trailing the US by less than a point. The country excels in readiness for digital roles alongside Mexico. However, India faces challenges in its higher education system, industry collaboration, and equipping graduates with in-demand skills. Despite strong GDP growth and a youthful population, India lags in sustainability and innovation metrics. To unlock potential, India needs better integration between education and industry.

Notes:
The Future Minerals Forum (FMF) 2025 held in Riyadh with more than 85 countries discussing challenges in the mineral sector. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy joined ministers from 50 nations at the event held at King Abdulaziz International Conference Center. The forum focuses on enhancing mineral supply chains, green technologies, and sustainable practices. The forum focuses on enhancing mineral supply chains, green technologies, and sustainable practices.

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:
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), SJVN Ltd., GMR Energy Ltd., and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to develop the 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydro-electric Project in Nepal. The project, located on the Karnali River, is a run-of-the-river hydropower initiative. It will supply electricity to Nepal, India, and Bangladesh for 25 years under a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) model. It will generate 3,466 million units of electricity and reduce two million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

Notes:
Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India discovered two goby fish species, Hemigobius hoevenii and Mugilogobius tigrinus, in the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh. Goby fish are typically found in estuarine and mangrove areas, playing a vital role in the ecosystem by occupying multiple levels in the food chain and serving as environmental health indicators.

Notes:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) retained India’s growth projection at 6.5% for FY26 and FY27, citing it as “in line with potential.” Growth in India slowed due to an unexpected deceleration in industrial activity, with 5.4% growth reported for the September quarter. The World Bank maintained its higher growth projection for India at 6.7% for FY26 and FY27, predicting it to remain the fastest-growing major economy. The World Bank highlighted growth driven by the services sector, strengthened manufacturing, improved logistics, and tax reforms. NSO’s First Advance Estimates project FY25 growth to slow to 6.4%, below RBI’s 6.6% forecast for FY25.