Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

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:
National Tourism Day is celebrated annually on January 25 to promote responsible, sustainable, and accessible tourism. The 2025 theme, “Tourism for Inclusive Growth,” emphasizes tourism’s role in economic growth while benefiting all segments of society. India established a tourism department in 1948 to preserve heritage and enhance tourist destinations. Tourism is a major industry in India, contributing to economic growth, cultural exchange, and international understanding.

Notes:
At least 12 suspected Maoists were killed in a gunfight with security forces in the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district. The Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve is located in Chhattisgarh. It was formed by merging Sitanadi and Udanti wildlife sanctuaries. The reserve is named after the Udanti and Sitanadi rivers that flow through it. It connects with the Kanker and North Kondagaon forest divisions, forming a corridor to Indravati Tiger Reserve. The reserve covers 1,872 sq.km and has mixed vegetation, including dry deciduous forests and tropical-subtropical plants near streams.

Notes:
Georgia has been certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization. It is located at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia, in the Transcaucasia region. Malaria is a life-threatening fever caused by Plasmodium parasites spread by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is primarily found in tropical countries and is not contagious. The disease cannot spread from person to person; transmission occurs through mosquito bites.

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The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) is a contributory pension plan for central government employees, offering guaranteed retirement benefits. It guarantees 50% of the last drawn basic pay as a monthly pension. The scheme will be operational from April 1, 2025, and regulated by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). Approved by the Cabinet on August 24, 2024, the UPS aims to address concerns over market-linked returns of the NPS and provide financial security after retirement. The Ministry of Finance introduced the scheme to benefit government employees.

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 International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed annually on January 27 across the world. It is observed to honor Jews and others massacred during the Holocaust. It marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on January 27, 1945, ending World War II. The day serves as a reminder of Holocaust atrocities and promotes the fight against hatred, intolerance, and discrimination. It encourages global tolerance and the protection of human rights. The theme for 2025 is “Holocaust remembrance and education for dignity and human rights,” emphasizing its relevance in today’s world.

Notes:
The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 report by Pratham Foundation shows improved literacy and arithmetic in rural areas after the pandemic. The percentage of Class 3 students with basic arithmetic skills increased from 25.9 percent in 2022 to 7 percent in 2024 with more progress in government schools The percentage of Class 5 students reading at Class 2 level increased to 8 percent in 2024 from 38.5 percent in 2022 The National Education Policy 2020 played a key role in strengthening foundational skills in reading and arithmetic Government school enrollment has increased along with better student and teacher attendance Technology access has expanded with 90 percent of teenagers owning smartphones but only 57 percent using them for education Pre-primary enrollment is high in states like Karnataka Gujarat and Kerala

Notes:
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Utkarsh Odisha – Make in Odisha Conclave 2025’ on January 28 in Bhubaneswar. The event was attended by Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Ministers, and business leaders. It is Odisha’s largest business event to date, aimed at promoting investment and industrial growth. The conclave highlighted Odisha’s potential as a key economic hub in Eastern India.

Notes:
A 2-year-old tigress was found dead in Kanha Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh. Kanha Tiger Reserve, also called Kanha National Park, is the largest national park in Madhya Pradesh. It is located in Mandla and Balaghat districts and lies in the Maikal hills, east of the Satpura range. Established as a national park in 1955, it became a tiger reserve in 1973. The forest in Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book” is believed to be inspired by this region. The Gond and Baiga tribes inhabit the area.