Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
The Himachal Pradesh government approved renaming the Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) to Dr. Manmohan Singh Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration. This honors Dr. Singh’s contributions to national and state development. The Cabinet acknowledged his transformative role during his tenure as Prime Minister and Union Finance Minister.

Notes:
Zoological Survey of India scientists recently discovered a new pangolin species, the Indo-Burmese pangolin (Manis indoburmanica), in Arunachal Pradesh. This species is genetically distinct from the Chinese (Manis pentadactyla) and Indian (Manis crassicaudata) pangolins. Genetic analysis shows an 8% difference from the Chinese pangolin, with divergence around 3.4 million years ago. The species is found in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and possibly Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar, at altitudes between 180-1830 meters. It has dark brown and olive-brown scales with a pinkish face, typical of Asian pangolins.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit 2025 in France from February 10 to 11. The summit will be hosted at the Grand Palais in Paris, announced by French President Emmanuel Macron. The event will bring together Heads of State, international leaders, CEOs, academics, NGOs, and civil society members. The summit will focus on five themes: public interest in AI, the future of work, innovation and culture, trust in AI, and global AI governance.

Notes:
US President-elect Donald Trump proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The proposal has sparked debates about its geopolitical and historical implications. Gulf of Mexico borders the southeastern coast of North America, connecting to the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The Gulf is the world’s largest and is often called the “Mediterranean of the Americas.” It formed due to seafloor subsidence and is shallow, with an average depth of 1,615 m. The climate ranges from tropical to subtropical, with severe weather like hurricanes and tornadoes. It holds large petroleum and natural gas deposits in its shallow areas.

Notes:
Russia’s atomic agency has shipped the reactor vessel for the sixth unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant to India. The Kudankulam plant, located in Tamil Nadu, is India’s largest nuclear power plant with six reactors and a total capacity of 6,000 MW. The reactor vessel, weighing 320 tonnes, was manufactured by Rosatom’s division Atommash and shipped from Novorossiysk at the end of 2024. The reactor vessel will travel 6,000 miles by sea to reach the construction site.

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:
Raksha Mantri congratulated DRDO on the successful Field Evaluation Trials of the Nag Mk 2 missile. The Nag Mk 2 is a third-generation, indigenously developed Anti-Tank Fire-and-Forget Guided Missile. It is developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It features fire-and-forget technology for precision targeting with minimal operator intervention. The missile can neutralize modern armored vehicles with explosive reactive armor (ERA). The Nag Missile Carrier version-2 was also field evaluated, and the weapon system is now ready for induction into the Indian Army.

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 Union Minister for Commerce and Industry recently inaugurated the National Turmeric Board in New Delhi. The Board aims to lead turmeric-related matters and enhance coordination with the Spices Board and other government agencies. It will include a Chairperson, a Secretary from the Department of Commerce, members from various ministries, and representatives from top turmeric-growing states. The Board will focus on research, value addition, promoting turmeric’s medicinal properties, improving yield, logistics, and exploring international markets. Quality and safety standards for turmeric production and exports are also key goals. The headquarters is in Nizamabad, Telangana.

Notes:
The World Economic Forum released the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 report in collaboration with Accenture. It highlights how geopolitical tensions, emerging technologies, and cybercrime sophistication are reshaping cybersecurity. Geopolitical conflicts, like the Ukraine war, increase vulnerabilities in critical sectors such as energy and nuclear power. Two-thirds of organizations expect AI to impact cybersecurity, but only one-third have tools to manage AI-related risks. The cybersecurity workforce faces a 4.8 million professional gap, with only 14% of organizations having skilled teams. Supply chain complexities and third-party vulnerabilities hinder cyber resilience for over 50% of organizations. Generative AI is being used for advanced phishing and social engineering, with 42% of organizations facing such attacks in 2024.