Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
LingoSat, a joint project of Japan’s Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, is the first wooden satellite launched into orbit. It uses wood from honoki, a magnolia tree native to Japan, and is assembled using traditional Japanese crafts without screws or glue. The satellite’s name comes from the Latin word “Ligno,” meaning wood. LignoSat 1 is a CubeSat measuring 10 cm on each side and weighing 900 grams. LignoSat 2, a 2U CubeSat, is planned for launch in 2026.

Notes:
The National River Traffic and Navigation System (NRT&NS) was launched on January 11, 2025, by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. National River Traffic and Navigation System aims to ensure safe and efficient operation of inland vessels. The launch took place during the 2nd meeting of the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC). IWDC, established in 2023, serves as an apex platform for policy discussions to promote inland waterways in India.

Notes:
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry launched the Bharat Cleantech Manufacturing Platform at the Bharat Climate Forum 2025 in New Delhi. The initiative aims to strengthen India’s cleantech sectors, including solar, wind, hydrogen, and battery storage. The platform will help Indian firms collaborate, innovate, secure financing, and share technologies. India aims to achieve 500 GW of clean energy by 2030, with 200 GW already in place. India leads globally in renewable energy progress and has the largest interconnected grid.

Notes:
A rare carnivorous plant, Utricularia, has been found in large numbers at Rajasthan’s Keoladeo National Park. Utricularia, or bladderwort, belongs to the family Lentibulariaceae and includes 220 species found in temperate and tropical habitats worldwide. These plants lack roots and have floating stems with simple or divided leaves. They produce small carnivorous bladders that range from dark to transparent and trap tiny animals like insect larvae and water fleas. The trap door mechanism activates within milliseconds, capturing prey efficiently. Utricularia plants are found in lakes, streams, and waterlogged soils, with some species being invasive.

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Larsen & Toubro launched the second multi-purpose vessel, INS Utkarsh, for the Indian Navy at Kattupalli Shipyard near Chennai. INS Utkarsh, meaning “Superior in Conduct,” is built by L&T Shipbuilding Limited. The vessel is 106m long, 18.6m wide, with a displacement over 3,750 tonnes, and a maximum speed of 15 knots. It will enhance maritime surveillance, patrolling, and disaster relief capabilities of the Navy. The launch follows the first MPV, INS Samarthak, within three months. This aligns with India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives, showcasing indigenous shipbuilding progress.

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:
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.

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Around 100 tribal people from Pulicat will receive training in pearl spot culture, crab fattening, and clownfish aquaculture, organized by the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR). NBFGR was established in 1983 under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), focuses on fish germplasm conservation. Its infrastructure was set up in Lucknow in 1999. NBFGR’s vision includes the sustainable utilization and conservation of fish genetic resources. The bureau works on documenting fish diversity, developing databases, genotyping, and genebanking to support fish population health and sustainability.

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.

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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.