Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
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.

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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.

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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.

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Union Minister of Commerce and Industry launched the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge and PRABHAAV Factbook to boost innovation and mentorship in India. The initiatives highlight India’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem and focus on fostering growth in startups. The government aims to position India as a global leader in technology and entrepreneurship. These efforts reflect India’s commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and driving economic growth through a robust startup ecosystem.

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International Labour Organisation (ILO) has released the World Employment and Social Outlook Report for 2025. The report highlights ongoing global labor market struggles due to geopolitical tensions, climate change costs, and unresolved debt issues. The global jobs gap in 2024 was 402 million, including 186 million unemployed, 137 million temporarily unavailable, and 79 million discouraged workers. The global unemployment rate stood at 5%, with youth unemployment at 12.6%. Low-income countries face challenges creating decent jobs, with informal work returning to pre-pandemic levels. Labour force participation declined in low-income nations but increased among older workers and women in high-income countries, though gender gaps persist.

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India becomes the fourth country to successfully achieve Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), after the US, Russia, and China. The technology allows two satellites to dock in space, enabling the assembly of larger modules and overcoming rocket payload limits. This technology is crucial for long-duration missions, Mars exploration, lunar sample return, and the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station for resupply and crewed missions.

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Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars formed a rare arc in the night sky, called a ‘planet parade.’ A planet parade occurs when multiple planets are visible in the night sky simultaneously. This phenomenon, also known as a conjunction, makes planets appear close together or even touching, though it is a perspective illusion. Planets have unique motions and move at different rates, making simultaneous visibility uncommon. Such alignments involving four or more planets are rare and do not happen annually, as highlighted by NASA.

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Australopithecus had a plant-based diet, as shown by isotope data from 3.5-million-year-old fossils in South Africa. Australopithecus, an extinct genus of primates, lived between 4.4 million and 1.4 million years ago during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs. Fossils were found in eastern, north-central, and southern Africa; the name means “southern ape.” The famous “Lucy” fossil from Ethiopia dates to 3.2 million years ago. They combined human-like traits (upright walking, small canines) with ape-like features (flat nose, small brain, strong arms).

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The Commissioner of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) recently distributed Dogri-language PM SVANidhi plates to street vendors in Jammu and Kashmir. PM SVANidhi, launched by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under Atma Nirbhar Bharat, provides micro-credit loans to street vendors. The scheme aims to improve livelihoods by encouraging regular repayments and digital transactions. Street vendors were advised to avoid placing carts on footpaths or roads, use designated vending zones, and follow guidelines for smoother traffic flow and public convenience.

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Karnataka is hosting the 6th edition of the international millets festival 2025 in Bengaluru from January 23. More than 300 millet product manufacturers and farmer organizations will showcase their products. A symposium on “Transformation of agrifood systems through agri-ecology” will be held, with experts from 10 countries. The event is in collaboration with GIZ Germany and FiBL Switzerland. Karnataka, a major producer of nutri cereals, grows millets on 18.37 lakh hectares. Ragi, jowar, and bajra are the major millets grown in the state, with minor millets covering 0.31 lakh hectares.