Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
India has joined the Eurodrone programme as an observer state. Eurodrone, a twin-turboprop UAV, is designed for Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) missions. It has a payload capacity of 2.3 tonnes, endurance of up to 40 hours, and operates in diverse environments, including severe weather. Conceived in 2022, it passed its preliminary design review in 2024 and aims to enter service by 2030. The drone supports ISTAR, maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, and airborne early warning missions. Eurodrone is Europe’s effort for collective defense, reducing reliance on US and Israeli platforms. The members are Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

Notes:
BSF has launched ‘Operation Sard Hawa’ along the Pakistan border in the western Rajasthan to prevent infiltration during foggy winters, running from January 22 to 29. This operation enhances vigilance with ultra-modern weapons, advanced instruments, and intensified patrols by vehicles and camels in inaccessible areas. Officers and soldiers, including those from headquarters, are deployed near the fencing to monitor activities continuously. BSF’s intelligence wing actively coordinates with other agencies to track suspicious activities. Key objectives include boosting border security, increasing soldier deployment, enhancing surveillance, and maintaining day-night dominance along the border.

Notes:
Haryana minister Shruti Choudhry launched the ‘Samman Sanjeevani’ app on National Girl Child Day 2025. The app tracks benefits under the ‘Mahila Evam Kishori Samman Yojana’. Sanitary napkins are distributed to BPL women and girls aged 10-45 years via Anganwadi centers and schools. The app ensures timely delivery, collects beneficiary data, and updates monthly benefits. The Women and Child Development Department celebrates 10 years of ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’.

Notes:
The 2nd edition of ‘Lok Samvardhan Parv’ is organized from January 27 to February 2, 2025, by the Ministry of Minority Affairs in New Delhi. 90 artisans from across India showcases diverse crafts, such as Ajrak Print, Banaras Brocade, Cane & Bamboo, Channapatna Toys, Kantha Stitch, and more. The event demonstrates the Ministry’s inclusive development program benefiting minority communities.

Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh government approved the Aerospace and Defence Unit and Employment Promotion Policy 2024. The Aerospace and Defence Unit and Employment Promotion Policy 2024 aims to make UP a leader in the sector. The policy targets ₹50,000 crore in investments and 1 lakh direct jobs. The policy strengthens the Defence Industrial Corridor, fosters startups, promotes innovation, and builds a hi-tech aerospace and defence ecosystem.

Notes:
Odisha Warriors won the inaugural Women’s Hockey India League on January 26 at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium, Ranchi. They defeated Soorma Hockey Club 2-1 in the final match. Rutuja Dadaso Pisal scored both goals for the Warriors in the 20th and 56th minutes. Penny Squibb scored for Soorma in the 28th minute, but Rutuja’s late strike sealed the victory.

Notes:
Manush Shah won the men’s singles title at the Senior National Table Tennis Championships 2025, defeating Payas Jain 4-1 in the final. Payas Jain earlier beat Olympian Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in the semifinals. Diya Chitale claimed the women’s singles title, overcoming two-time champion Sreeja Akula in a thrilling 4-3 final. Diya and Sreeja also won the women’s doubles gold, beating Suhana Saini and Prithoki Chakraborty 3-2. Akash Pal and Poymantee Baisya won the mixed doubles title 3-0 against Jash Modi and Taneesha Kotecha. PB Abhinand and Preyesh Raj Suresh clinched the men’s doubles title with a 3-1 win. The event was organized by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), founded in 1926, headquartered in New Delhi.

Notes:
Christine Carla Kangaloo, President of Trinidad and Tobago, was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award for her contributions to public affairs and promoting India’s global prestige. She served as the chief guest at the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in January 2025. Kangaloo highlighted the deep historical ties between India and Trinidad, dating back to 1845 with the arrival of Indian indentured workers. She praised India’s global contributions in education, medicine, and mathematics, and acknowledged the Indian diaspora’s impact worldwide.

Notes:
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

Notes:
India has finalized a Rs 3,800 crore deal to export BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to Indonesia after supplying them to the Philippines. The BrahMos missile is a joint venture between India and Russia. The missile is developed by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Russian Federation’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. It is named after the Brahmaputra River in India and the Moscow River in Russia. The base version has a 290 km range while the extended range (ER) version reaches 800-900 km