Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh flagged off ‘SANJAY – The Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS)’ on January 24, 2025, in New Delhi. SANJAY integrates ground and aerial battlefield sensor inputs to produce a Common Surveillance Picture via secured networks. It enhances battlefield transparency, supports the Army’s Decision Support System, and enables commanders in conventional and sub-conventional operations. It has been indigenously developed by the Indian Army and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) under the Buy (Indian) category for ₹2,402 crore. The system will be inducted across operational Army units in three phases (March–October 2025). It aligns with ‘Aatmanirbharta’ and the MoD’s ‘Year of Reforms’.

Notes:
India is deploying its first human-operated underwater submersible under the Deep Ocean Mission. Initially operating at 500 meters, it will later reach depths of 6,000 meters. It aims to explore underwater resources, identify critical minerals, rare metals, and marine biodiversity, and enhance the blue economy. The Deep Ocean Mission, launched on September 7, 2021, by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is a Central Sector Scheme.

Notes:
India celebrated its 76th Republic Day with a colorful parade in New Delhi, showcasing military strength, with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto as the guest of honor. Indonesia was also India’s chief guest on its first Republic Day in 1950. India and Indonesia signed pacts on maritime security, health, traditional medicine, and are working on a defense cooperation framework. This includes technology sharing for surface-to-surface missiles, air defense systems, and submarine construction. India welcomed Indonesia’s decision to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure early.

Notes:
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment honored 400 students from 21 states on the eve of Republic Day 2025. These students are beneficiaries of the PM Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India (YASASVI). The scheme aims to empower Other Backward Class (OBCs), Economically Backward Class (EBC), and Denotified Nomadic Tribes (DNT) students educationally, socially, and economically. These students were invited as special guests for the Republic Day Parade 2025.

Notes:
US President Donald Trump proposed a 10% tariff on Chinese imports, citing fentanyl trafficking via Mexico and Canada. Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid, 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin. Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is used for pain relief and anesthesia but is highly addictive. Overdose effects include stupor, blue skin, coma, and respiratory failure. Opioids, derived from the opium poppy plant, block pain signals but can cause euphoria, addiction, and fatal breathing issues.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
The State Board of Wildlife has conditionally approved the Sharavathy Pumped Storage Project in the Sharavathy Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary. The sanctuary is in the Sharavathi River Valley, Sagar taluk, Shivamogga District, Karnataka. It lies in the Western Ghats, with evergreen and semi-evergreen forests in valleys and grassy patches on hilltops. It was formed by merging Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Aghanashini Lion-Tailed Macaque Conservation Reserve, and adjoining reserve forests. It shares its southwestern boundary with Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary.

Notes:
The central government approved the Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme (MCGS-MSMEs) for micro, small, and medium enterprises. The scheme guarantees loans up to ₹100 crore with 60% coverage by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC). Eligible MSMEs must have a valid Udyam Registration Number. At least 75% of the loan must be used for equipment or machinery. Loans up to ₹50 crore have an 8-year repayment period with 2 years moratorium. Higher loan amounts get extended repayment and moratorium periods. 5% upfront contribution is required at the time of application. No annual guarantee fee in the first year; 1.5% for three years, then 1% annually. The scheme is valid for four years or till ₹7 lakh crore in guarantees are issued.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved the revision of ethanol procurement prices for Oil Marketing Companies (OMCS) for the Ethanol Supply Year 2024-25 (Nov 1, 2024 – Oct 31, 2025). The Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme aims to reduce pollution, conserve foreign exchange, and support the sugar industry in clearing cane price arrears for farmers. The EBP programme, launched in 2003 by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, promotes the use of environment-friendly alternative fuels.

Notes:
South Africa’s MeerKAT telescope discovered a new giant radio galaxy (GRG) named ‘Inkathazo,’ meaning ‘trouble’ in Xhosa and Zulu. The galaxy spans 3.3 million light-years, 32 times the size of the Milky Way, and is 1.44 billion light-years from Earth. GRGs are massive structures that emit jets of hot plasma powered by supermassive black holes. These jets glow at radio frequencies and stretch millions of light-years into space. Once considered rare, GRGs are now being discovered frequently due to advanced radio telescopes like MeerKAT in South Africa’s Northern Cape.