Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
Kerala won their first Senior National Men’s Handball Championship title with a 34-31 victory over Chandigarh. Kerala reached the final after a close semi-final win against Services, 23-21. Chandigarh advanced to the final by defeating Indian Railways 32-30. Kerala’s Devendar was named ‘Best Player of the Championship,’ Rahul won ‘Best Goalkeeper,’ and Sujith was honored as ‘Best Left Wing Player.’ Services and Indian Railways shared third place in the tournament.

Notes:
Sevdalinka, a traditional Bosnian love song, has been included in UNESCO’s National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Originating in the 16th century, it blends South Slavic poetry with Ottoman music, reflecting a melancholic essence. Traditionally passed down through generations during family gatherings, it is often performed a cappella or with instruments like the lute. Younger musicians are revitalizing Sevdalinka, keeping its essence alive while reaching global audiences. UNESCO recognition highlights Sevdalinka’s cultural and historical significance.

Notes:
The ‘Sanskriti Utsava’ is set to celebrate Uttar Pradesh’s foundation day with the theme ‘Uttar Pradesh Parv: Hamari Sanskriti-Hamari Pehchaan’. Scheduled from January 2 to January 26, 2025, the festival aims to promote classical, semi-classical, and folk arts through competitions at various levels. It seeks to discover emerging talents and enrich the state’s cultural heritage, showcasing diverse genres like Khayal, Dhrupad, and various folk music styles, along with classical dance forms such as Kathak and Bharatnatyam.

Notes:
The One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative democratizes access to global scholarly knowledge in India, aligning with NEP 2020 and ViksitBharat@2047 goals. A ₹6,000 crore budget is allocated for its first phase (2025–2027). The primary objective of the One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) is to provide equitable access to scholarly research journals and articles from top international publishers to all eligible students, faculty, and researchers across India. The initiative promotes interdisciplinary research, particularly benefiting Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. A unified portal will streamline digital processes for students, researchers, and faculty. The Department of Higher Education will lead awareness campaigns for maximum user adaptation.

Notes:
Trinidad and Tobago has declared a state of emergency due to increased violence, including gang-related shootings. The capital is Port of Spain. The country is located northeast of Venezuela, south of Grenada, in the Atlantic Ocean. It has significant rivers like the Ortoire, Caroni, and Nariva Rivers. The Northern Range mountain range is in Trinidad, with El Cerro del Aripo being the highest peak at 940 meters.

Notes:
Telangana will implement the Rythu Bharosa scheme, replacing the Rythu Bandhu scheme, starting from Sankranti. The scheme, launched in 2018-19, provides investment support to farmers for agriculture and horticulture crops. It offers Rs. 5,000 per acre per season for the purchase of inputs, with no cap on the number of acres. Eligible farmers must be residents of Telangana, own agricultural land, and have a Record of Forest Rights (ROFR) document if cultivating forest land. Small, marginal, and Scheduled Tribe farmers are eligible, but commercial and tenant farmers are not.

Notes:
Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav inaugurated the 31st National Children’s Science Congress in Bhopal, held from January 3 to 6, 2025. More than 700 child scientists, teachers, and mentors from across India and Gulf countries like Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia participated in the event. The theme of the event is “Understanding Ecosystems for Health and Well-being.” The event aims to inspire children to develop scientific temper and solve societal problems through innovation. Activities include the Chandrayaan Mission Exhibition, Water Rocketry, Robotics, Hydroponics, Environmental Snakes and Ladders, Cheetah Conservation Exhibition, and scientific folk songs.

Notes:
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has fully implemented the Centralized Pension Payments System (CPPS). CPPS allows 7.85 million pensioners to access their pensions from any bank or branch nationwide. It eliminates physical verifications and ensures seamless pension disbursement. The new system replaces the decentralised model, which relied on limited agreements with specific banks. Pensioners no longer need to transfer pension payment orders (PPO) when moving or changing banks. Pension amounts are immediately credited upon release, enhancing convenience and ease of living.

Notes:
Researchers in Kochi developed a captive breeding protocol for the endangered black-collared yellow catfish. This species is endemic to the Chalakudy River in Kerala and has unique genetic traits and a greenish-brown mottled appearance. It coexists with the endangered Horabagrus Nigricollaris and is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List. The breeding program started in 2020, and the first-generation stock was successfully bred. The protocol supports conservation efforts and ensures biodiversity preservation in the Western Ghats.

Notes:
The Export Inspection Council (EIC) has launched a study on food testing infrastructure for exports. It was set up under the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963. It ensures quality control and inspection of Indian exports. EIC is the official certification body for exports, ensuring products meet quality and safety standards for importing countries. It provides mandatory certification for specific food products and voluntary certification for others. EIC operates through Export Inspection Agencies in major cities, with NABL accredited laboratories and 30 sub-offices. It works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.