Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
The Pangsau Pass International Festival was recently celebrated in Nampong, Arunachal Pradesh. Pangsau Pass, at 3,727 feet, lies on the India-Myanmar border in the Patkai Hills. It is named after Pangsau, a Burmese village 2 km from the pass, and serves as an easy route to Burma from Assam. Historically, it was the route of the 13th-century Ahom invasion and gained fame during WWII as a key obstacle in General Stilwell’s effort to build a route to China. The nearby “Lake of No Return” in Myanmar is visible from the pass. The pass is also known as “Hell Gate” for its challenging terrain.

Notes:
The International Solar Conference celebrated the 125th anniversary of the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory. The observatory, established in 1899, is currently owned and operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. It is located in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, in the Palani range of hills, chosen for its proximity to the equator and dust-free high-altitude setting. The observatory’s objective is to gather data on how the sun affects Earth’s atmosphere and to better understand monsoon patterns.

Notes:
The corpse flower bloomed in Sydney, Australia for the first time in over a decade. It is known for its infamous rotting smell when in bloom. The plant is found in the wild in Indonesia, where it is called “bunga bangkai.” It has the largest flowering structure of any plant in the world, reaching up to 3 meters in height. The corpse flower typically blooms once every few years, and its bloom lasts only about a day. The plant is listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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Nepal organized its first three-day International Pashmina Festival to highlight Chyangra Pashmina, sourced from Pashmina goats. Nepal is a major producer of authentic Pashmina, known for its high quality. The wool is hand-combed, hand-spun, and woven using traditional methods with natural dyes and embroidery. The exhibition featured 150 stalls, including 40 showcasing pure Nepali Pashmina. Nepali Pashmina competes internationally, with strong markets in the US, Japan, and Europe. Challenges include raw material supply and the need for policy improvements to expand the market. Fake and blended Pashmina pose a challenge globally, especially in India.

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The Koraga tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), is facing a declining population. They primarily reside in Dakshin Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka and Kasargod district of Kerala. Koragas speak Tulu, but have their own distinct language. The tribe is divided into 17 exogamous clans or “bali.” Traditionally, they are agriculturists and depend on forest produce for basketry. Their culture involves folk dances, rituals, and songs to appease deities and ensure good harvests. The Koraga practice a matrilineal system with equal inheritance between sons and daughters. They worship Bhuta deities through rituals like Bhuta Kola.

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The 76th Republic Day of India, celebrated on January 26, 2025, featured the theme “Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas” (Golden India: Heritage and Development). This theme highlighted India’s cultural heritage and progress in various sectors. Fifteen states and Union Territories, including Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat, showcased elaborate tableaux on Kartavya Path. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was the chief guest, marking 76 years of India-Indonesia diplomatic ties. The parade featured Armed Forces contingents and diverse cultural performances reflecting the theme.

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The Government of Tripura signed an MoU with Digital India Bhashini Division (DIBD) under MeitY to promote regional languages in governance. Bhashini, part of the Digital India initiative, enables real-time translation, speech-to-text, and voice-to-voice communication in 22 Indian languages. Bhashini will integrate with CM Helpline, eVidhan, Kisan Sahayata App, e-Districts, Amar Sarkar, and CCTNS for multilingual governance. Tripura becomes the first northeastern and eastern Indian state, and the eighth overall, to sign an MoU with Bhashini.

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China has developed DeepSeek AI models named DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1 These models compete with ChatGPT and other leading AI systems DeepSeek is a free AI-powered chatbot created by Chinese entrepreneur Liang Wenfeng It was built at a lower cost than OpenAI models as it uses fewer advanced chips DeepSeek-R1 is trained on accurate sources but includes a censorship layer It outperforms AI models from Google Meta and Anthropic in quality DeepSeek is faster than GPT-4 and better at understanding regional idioms and cultural contexts

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Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have officially left ECOWAS due to diplomatic tensions. ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) was founded in 1975 to promote economic cooperation and development. Citizens of ECOWAS can live, work, and move freely across member states. After the withdrawal, ECOWAS now has 12 members: Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

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Bihar became the first state to launch a Rural Cricket League. Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) under President Rakesh Tiwari is organizing the Bihar Rural League (BRL). The league is for players who haven’t played at district or state levels. Players aged 13 to 23 from villages, schools, and colleges can participate. Talent hunts will be held in all districts, forming 16 teams per district. 570 district-level matches will be played in a knockout format. Top players will enter the Super League with 38 teams and 79 matches. A total of 649 matches will be played with 10,000 participants.