Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
Karnataka government announced a ₹100 crore plan to develop Yadgir Fort under the “One District, One Spot” initiative to boost tourism. ₹33 crore comes from the MLA grant, and ₹67 crore from the state government. Yadgir Fort is located in Yadgir district, one of the largest forts in Karnataka. The fort is built on a monolith, measuring 850m in length, 500m in width, and 100m in height. It has inscriptions from various dynasties like Kalyana Chalukyas, Yadavas, Bahmani Sultans, and others.

Notes:
Russia has introduced a new tourist tax, replacing the previous resort fee, effective today. Travelers will pay an additional 1% of their lodging costs to support regional tourism infrastructure. The tax was added to the Russian Tax Code in July 2024 under a new chapter, “Tourist Tax.” Regional authorities can implement the tax as a local levy, with many regions already adopting it. The tax starts at 1% in 2025 and will increase to 3% by 2027.

Notes:
Romania and Bulgaria became full members of the EU’s Schengen area on January 1, 2025. Previously, both countries held partial membership in the Schengen area. The Schengen area operates as a single jurisdiction with a common visa policy for international travel.

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The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions issued guidelines for the 28th National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2025. The NAeG is one of the most prestigious awards for digital governance in India. The National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) scheme aims to promote excellence in e-Governance initiatives. The awards include a Trophy, Certificate, and cash incentives—Rs 10 lakh for Gold Awardees and Rs 5 lakh for Silver Awardees. 16 awards will be given this year, with 10 Gold and 6 Silver. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions is the nodal ministry.

Notes:
Tripura recorded the Banded Royal butterfly (Rachana jalindra indra) for the first time in Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a lycaenid butterfly found in South and Southeast Asia, including forests in Northeast India. Three subspecies exist in India: macantia (Southwest India to Goa), tarpina (Andamans), and indra (Orissa to West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Jharkhand). Males have deep purple sheen; females are brownish with white markings. The underwings are pale brown with white bands, giving a “banded” look.

Notes:
Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, has a thicker icy crust than previously thought, possibly limiting access to its subsurface oceans. It is the smallest of Jupiter’s Galilean moons, discovered by Galileo in 1610, with a diameter of 3,130 km, slightly smaller than Earth’s Moon. Europa’s surface is smooth ice, and a saltwater ocean lies beneath, containing twice the water of Earth’s oceans. The moon might harbor conditions suitable for life with key chemical elements present. NASA’s Europa Clipper, launched on October 14, 2024, aims to explore Europa’s potential for supporting life.

Notes:
Amit Shah chaired the 7th Island Development Agency (IDA) meeting in New Delhi, reviewing development initiatives in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. The focus was on achieving 100% renewable energy generation through solar panels and windmills. The ‘PM Surya Ghar’ scheme will install solar panels in all households across both island groups. The Union Government established the Island Development Agency (IDA) on June 1, 2017. The agency focuses on the development of islands.

Notes:
Union Minister of Education launched Sashakt Beti and e-Drishti projects at the University of Delhi’s Samarpan Samaroh event. Project Sashakt Beti empowers orphaned and single-parent female students with family incomes under ₹4 lakh by providing laptops. Project e-Drishti supports visually impaired students by providing tablets to improve their learning and research capabilities.

Notes:
National Bird Day is celebrated annually on January 5 to raise awareness about bird conservation and their ecological importance. It was established in 2002 by the Avian Welfare Coalition. It highlights issues like bird extinction, habitat destruction, and the illegal pet trade. The day aligns with the birth of the wild bird preservation movement in the early 20th century. It promotes efforts to conserve bird populations in the wild and improve the welfare of birds in captivity. The day commemorates conservation achievements, including saving endangered species like the Bald Eagle and California Condor from extinction.

Notes:
India has the third-largest operational metro rail network globally, after China and the USA. India’s metro network serves over 1 crore passengers daily, surpassing Japan in metro projects by 2022. Metro development in India began in 1969 with the Metropolitan Transport Project. PM Modi launched metro projects worth over ₹12,200 crore in Delhi on January 5.