Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
INS Mumbai, an indigenously built guided missile destroyer, is participating in the fourth edition of Exercise LA PEROUSE. The exercise involves navies from Australia, France, the UK, the US, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Canada. It focuses on enhancing maritime situational awareness, surveillance, interdiction, air operations, and information sharing. The exercise highlights India’s naval synergy, interoperability, and commitment to a rules-based maritime order. It aligns with India’s SAGAR vision to ensure security and growth in the Indo-Pacific region.

Notes:
The Commissioner of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) recently distributed Dogri-language PM SVANidhi plates to street vendors in Jammu and Kashmir. PM SVANidhi, launched by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under Atma Nirbhar Bharat, provides micro-credit loans to street vendors. The scheme aims to improve livelihoods by encouraging regular repayments and digital transactions. Street vendors were advised to avoid placing carts on footpaths or roads, use designated vending zones, and follow guidelines for smoother traffic flow and public convenience.

Notes:
Tropical Cyclone Sean, currently Category 3, is affecting Western Australia, expected to weaken further by January 22, 2025. It peaked as a Category 4 cyclone, forming on January 20, 2025, due to warm sea temperatures and favourable atmospheric conditions. Karratha recorded its heaviest daily rainfall at 274 mm, causing flooding and infrastructure disruptions. Floodwaters impacted roads and homes; emergency services are managing rescues and power outages. The cyclone, now offshore about 400 km, poses no direct threat to the mainland. Authorities urge vigilance, though no additional cyclones are forecasted in the region.

Notes:
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai launched the ‘Deendayal Upadhyay Bhoomiheen Krishi Majdoor Kalyana Yojana’ in Raipur. More than 5.62 lakh landless agricultural labourers, including Baigas and Gunias, will get Rs 10,000 annually under the scheme. Rs 562 crores were disbursed to beneficiaries during the launch.

Notes:
IIT-Madras has launched a zero-waste bioplastics initiative supported by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers. The initiative aims to develop biodegradable, microplastic-free, and cost-effective alternatives to conventional plastics. Third-generation bioplastics use agricultural residues, algae, and waste materials, avoiding food security concerns linked to earlier food-based bioplastics. These bioplastics fully decompose, leaving no harmful particles behind, reducing the environmental footprint. The centre is also exploring bioplastics for food packaging and medical textiles, including biodegradable implants from agricultural waste.

Notes:
Mount Ibu, a stratovolcano in Indonesia, has erupted frequently in January 2024. Stratovolcanoes are cone-shaped volcanoes built from layers of lava and ash. They are known for their explosive eruptions due to the thick, slow-moving lava. Mount Ibu is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of high volcanic activity. It is characterized by frequent eruptions, including lava flows and ash plumes.

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Researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory discovered an unusual black hole that might illuminate the development of supermassive black holes. Chandra X-ray Observatory is NASA’s most powerful X-ray telescope, offering eight times greater resolution and detecting sources over 20 times fainter than its previous X-ray telescope. It was launched on July 23, 1999. It is designed to detect X-ray emissions from extremely hot areas in the Universe, including exploded stars, galaxy clusters, and matter near black holes.

Notes:
The 15th National Voters’ Day (NVD) is celebrated on January 25, 2025. It commemorates the Election Commission of India’s foundation on January 25, 1950. NVD raises electoral awareness and encourages active participation in democracy. It focuses on enrolling new voters, particularly the youth, and honors them with Elector Photo Identity Cards (EPIC). Celebrations occur nationwide at all levels: national, state, district, constituency, and polling booth. This year’s theme, “Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure,” highlights the importance of voting and pride in participation.

Notes:
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) marks 10 years of encouraging investments in daughters’ futures. It was launched in 2015 under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign. It allows guardians to open a savings account for a girl child at banks or India Post. NRIs are not eligible. SSY promotes financial inclusion and aims to secure the future of girl children by fostering savings.

Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics and IT released a report titled “Estimation and Measurement of India’s Digital Economy.” India’s digital economy was 11.74% of national income in 2022-23, expected to rise to 13.42% by 2024-25. It may grow twice as fast as the overall economy, contributing nearly 20% of national income by 2029-30. The digital economy employed 14.67 million workers (2.55% of the workforce) in 2022-23. India is the second-largest market for 5G and mobile subscriptions globally. India led global contributions to AI projects (23%) on GitHub and had 1644 billion digital payments in FY 2023-24.