Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
The online ‘central suspect registry’ has prevented six lakh fraudulent transactions, saving ₹1,800 crore. It strengthens fraud risk management with a registry of cybercriminal identifiers. It was created using the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). It includes data on 1.4 million cybercriminals. It hs been developed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) with input from banks and financial institutions. Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) , under the Ministry of Home Affairs, coordinates efforts against cybercrime. It also prevents cyberspace misuse by extremist and terrorist groups.

Notes:
Lunar landers by U.S. and Japanese companies launched together on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, showcasing private sector involvement in space exploration. The mission includes two lunar spacecraft: Blue Ghost by Firefly Aerospace (U.S.) and Resilience by ispace-Europe (Luxembourg, Japan). Blue Ghost carries 10 NASA instruments to study Earth’s magnetosphere, lunar dust, and Moon’s thermal properties while testing advanced navigation and computing. Resilience includes the Tenacious micro rover with a high-definition camera and regolith-scooping technology, exploring Mare Frigoris on the Moon’s far north. The mission promotes technological advances, global collaboration, and cost-effective strategies for future lunar sustainability under NASA’s Artemis program.

Notes:
Siachen Glacier now has 4G and 5G services provided by an Indian telecom firm. It is a piedmont glacier in the Karakoram Range, part of the “Third Pole,” containing vast freshwater reserves. It is the world’s second-longest nonpolar glacier after Fedchenko Glacier in Tajikistan. Known as the highest battleground, India gained control in 1984 under Operation Meghdoot.

Notes:
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report “Prospects for Children in 2025” warns of escalating crises affecting children globally. More than 473 million children, or 19%, lived in conflict zones in 2023, facing risks like displacement, starvation, and trauma. Nearly 400 million children are in countries burdened by debt, limiting education, healthcare, and social services. In low-income nations, debt servicing outpaces social spending, deepening poverty for 1.8 billion children. Climate change impacts children, with only 2.4% of climate finance directed to child-responsive initiatives. Digital inequality affects access to essential services, especially for youth in low-income countries and adolescent girls. UNICEF calls for increased financing to protect children’s health, education, and well-being.

Notes:
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), SJVN Ltd., GMR Energy Ltd., and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to develop the 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydro-electric Project in Nepal. The project, located on the Karnali River, is a run-of-the-river hydropower initiative. It will supply electricity to Nepal, India, and Bangladesh for 25 years under a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) model. It will generate 3,466 million units of electricity and reduce two million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

Notes:
The Asan Wetland in Dehradun, Uttarakhand hosted the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) in January 2025. The census recorded 5,225 birds from 117 species. The census is part of the International Waterbird Census (IWC), which is a global program that monitors waterbirds and their habitats. Asan Wetland is located in Dehradun district at the confluence of the Asan River and Eastern Yamuna Canal, near the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border. The wetland was created in 1967 due to the damming of the Asan River during the construction of the Dhalipur powerhouse.

Notes:
The National Tribal Health Conclave 2025 took place on January 20, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. It was organized by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW). The event is part of the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, aiming to address health and well-being challenges of India’s tribal communities. It focuses on improving healthcare access and outcomes for tribal populations facing unique health challenges.

Notes:
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has published the report on Sustainable Nitrogen Management in Agrifood systems. The report highlights the challenges of nitrogen use in agrifood systems. Humans add 150 teragrams (Tg) of reactive nitrogen annually through agriculture and industry, with climate change possibly increasing this to 600 Tg by 2100. Nitrogen loss occurs through ammonia, nitrogen oxides, nitrous oxide emissions, and nitrate leaching, harming ecosystems and contributing to air pollution. Livestock sectors, synthetic fertilizers, land-use changes, and manure emissions are key nitrogen polluters. Judicious nitrogen use boosts crop yields, while excess use worsens global warming and environmental degradation.

Notes:
US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement again, having initially done so in 2017. On his first day in office, he revoked all US climate finance commitments. Trump aimed to reverse climate-friendly energy policies and focus on oil and gas extraction. Joe Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement in 2021. Trump argued that international climate regulations were unfair to the US, as China faced fewer restrictions. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, seeks to limit global warming to below 2°C, with efforts to keep it under 1.5°C.

Notes:
For the first time, a tri-services tableau will feature at the 76th Republic Day Parade on January 26, 2025. The tableau’s theme is “Shashakt aur Surakshit Bharat” (Empowered and Secure India), showcasing joint operations between the Army, Navy, and Air Force. It will highlight key defence platforms like Arjun Tank, Tejas MKII, Advanced Light Helicopter, INS Visakhapatnam, and a Remotely Piloted Aircraft. The tableau reflects India’s aim for ‘Aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) in defence.