Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
Indian Grandmaster Iniyan Panneerselvam, 22, won the 9th Johor International Open chess tournament in Malaysia on January 24, 2025. He scored 8.5 points in nine rounds, outperforming 84 participants from 8 countries, including 4 International Masters and 1 Grandmaster. Iniyan secured his victory with a decisive final-round win against Vietnamese Grandmaster Nguyen Van Huy. He finished 1.5 points ahead of his closest competitor, showcasing a dominating performance.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Udaipur (Rajasthan) are the first Indian cities accredited as wetland cities under the Ramsar Convention. The Ramsar Convention promotes conservation and wise use of wetlands globally across 172 member countries. Accreditation recognizes cities valuing and conserving natural and human-made wetlands. The latest round accredited 31 cities, including these two, bringing the global total to 74 wetland cities. India currently has 85 protected wetlands under the Ramsar treaty.

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 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched the MSME Trade Enablement and Marketing (TEAM) initiative to help small businesses adopt digital commerce. It has a budget of ₹277.35 crore for three years and aims to onboard 5 lakh MSMEs onto Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). The initiative focuses on inclusivity, targeting 50% women-led enterprises. MSMEs will get digital storefronts, payment solutions, and logistics support via ONDC. More than 150 workshops will educate MSMEs, especially women-led and SC/ST-led businesses. A dedicated portal will offer training, financial aid, and grievance support. The initiative aligns with India’s digital transformation goals and complements schemes like PM Vishwakarma and Digital MSME.

Notes:
Martyrs’ Day is observed on January 30 every year to honour those who fought for India’s freedom. In 2025, India marks the 77th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. The day serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made for India’s independence. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948, by Nathuram Godse. He was a key leader in the freedom struggle, advocating non-violence against British rule. Gandhi was assassinated on his way to a prayer meeting in Delhi.

Notes:
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha received the Maharaja Hari Singh Award in Reforms and Planning at a grand ceremony in Jammu. The event was organized by Gulistan News Network as part of the Maharaja Hari Singh Peace and Harmony Award 2024-25 celebrations. The award recognized LG Sinha’s contributions to reforms and planning in Jammu and Kashmir. He paid tributes to Maharaja Hari Singh, highlighting his role in J&K’s integration with India. He also honored Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, Pandit Girdhari Lal Dogra, and Shri Devender Singh Rana for their dedication to public welfare. Maharaja Hari Singh was praised as a key architect of modern Jammu and Kashmir for his revolutionary reforms.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
Jasprit Bumrah won the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024. He also won the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year 2024 for taking 71 wickets in 13 matches. He became the fifth Indian to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Award after Dravid, Tendulkar, Ashwin, and Kohli. Bumrah led India to victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, taking 15 wickets at an 8.26 average. He became the fastest Indian pacer to 200 Test wickets with a record-low sub-20 average. He ended the year as the No.1 ICC Test bowler with 907 rating points.

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.