Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2025

Notes:
Scientists discovered a new species of ‘supergiant’ sea bug in Vietnam, named Bathynomus vaderi, due to its resemblance to Darth Vader’s helmet. This species can grow up to 32.5 cm and weigh over a kilogram, making it one of the largest isopods. These sea bugs have become a delicacy in Vietnam, raising concerns about overfishing due to their slow reproduction rate.

Notes:
ISRO launched the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket carrying the NVS-02 satellite for the NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) navigation system. NVS-02 is the second of five second-generation satellites to replace older ones in India’s navigation constellation. It weighs 2,250 kg, has a 3 kW power capacity, and includes navigation payloads in L1, L5, S, and C bands. The satellite features a Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard for precise timekeeping and has a 12-year lifespan.

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:
Punjab National Bank (PNB) becomes the first Indian bank to integrate Clari5’s National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) solution. The solution was developed with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to automate cybercrime complaint processing. It works across all retail banking channels like Internet and Mobile Banking, ATMs, UPI, and NEFT/RTGS. Features include automated lien marking, intelligent account freezes, and customizable whitelisting to protect customers. Rivi Varghese, CEO of Clari5, praised PNB’s leadership, calling the integration a new benchmark for Indian banking innovation.

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:
World Leprosy Day is observed on the last Sunday of January, and in 2025, it falls on January 26. The day raises awareness, celebrates those affected, and fights stigma and discrimination. The 2025 theme is “Unite. Act. Eliminate.”, calling for global action to eliminate leprosy. “Unite” urges collaboration among governments, NGOs, and communities. “Act” emphasizes early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. “Eliminate” aligns with WHO’s goal to eradicate leprosy.

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:
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.

Notes:
Andhra Pradesh launched ‘Mana Mitra’ with Meta to offer governance via WhatsApp. Minister Nara Lokesh initiated the service to bring government services directly to citizens. 161 civil services are available in the first phase, expanding to 360 in the second. An official WhatsApp number, 9552300009, has been assigned for access. 36 government departments are connected to the platform. Certificates come with QR codes linking to the AP government website to prevent fraud. Blockchain technology and AI-powered bots will be integrated in the next phase. The initiative aims to make governance seamless and accessible.