Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

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:
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:
Major Wall Street banks have exited the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, a prominent group in global finance. The Alliance, led by banks and convened by the UN, commits members to align lending, investments, and capital activities with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) convenes the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA). It is governed by a Steering Group, including member banks, UNEP FI Secretariat, and the UN. Banks in the alliance commit to transitioning GHG emissions in their portfolios and setting 2030 and 2050 targets with updates every five years. Members must annually publish emissions data. No Indian bank is currently part of this alliance.

Notes:
Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan inaugurated the 8th edition of Indusfood 2025 in Greater Noida on January 8. The event is organized by the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) with Department of Commerce support. Indusfood is Asia’s largest annual food and beverage trade show. The event features 2,300+ exhibitors from 30+ countries across 120,000 square meters and expects 7,500 international buyers and 15,000 Indian visitors.

Notes:
A male tiger from Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, traveled 500 km to Solapur, an unusual journey. Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Yavatmal district, Maharashtra. It is called as the “Green Oasis” of southern Maharashtra. It is irrigated by rivers like Purna, Krishna, Bhima, and Tapti, providing abundant water. The sanctuary lies in a basalt region formed by ancient lava activity.

Notes:
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated annually on January 9th to honor the contributions of the Overseas Indian community. It marks Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa on January 9, 1915, starting a pivotal movement in India’s freedom struggle. The diaspora has played a key role in India’s development in sectors like business, technology, and policy-making. It started in 2003 and is now celebrated every two years since 2015. The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention held from January 8-10, 2025, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, with the theme “The Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat.”

Notes:
India and the U.S. agreed to co-produce sonobuoys for the Indian Navy’s Undersea Domain Awareness (UDA). Sonobuoys are electro-mechanical acoustic sensors used to detect submarines and ships underwater. They are dropped by naval helicopters or aircraft, deploy automatically upon hitting water, and use inflatable systems for surface communication. Sensors descend to a specific depth to relay underwater acoustic data. Sonobuoys can be used in active or passive modes for tracking. Deploying multiple sonobuoys in a pattern allows precise location tracking of submarines, enhancing naval capabilities.

Notes:
The government shifted revenue secretary Arunish Chawla to the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) ahead of the Union Budget. Tuhin Kanta Pandey, the DIPAM Secretary, is now appointed as the new revenue secretary and designated finance secretary. Chawla, a 1992-batch IAS officer from Bihar, was previously Secretary in the Department of Pharmaceuticals. Pandey, a 1987-batch IAS officer from Odisha, is known for his role in the disinvestment of Air India and Neelanchal Ispat Nigam Ltd to Tata Group. Chawla will also handle additional responsibilities as Secretary of the Department of Public Enterprises.

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 ‘Maa Ki Rasoi’ initiative, inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, offers a full meal for just ₹9 to economically weaker sections in Prayagraj. The initiative is operated by Nandi Sewa Sansthan at Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital. This initiative reflects the government’s commitment to social welfare, especially during the auspicious Mahakumbh festival.