Current Affairs One - Liner : 1st February 2025

• National:
• The CCS approved a project worth over Rs 10,000 crore on January 29, 2025, for procuring ammunition for the Indian Army's Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL). This includes Area Denial Munitions and Pinaka Enhanced Range rockets. The ammunition will be produced by Solar Industries and Munitions India Limited (MIL).

• Air India and Kenya Airways have entered into a codeshare partnership to enhance global connectivity. Announced on January 30, 2025, this partnership allows both airlines to place their designator codes on each other's flights, providing passengers with seamless travel options between India and Africa
• Shubhanshu Shukla will become the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) on NASA's Axiom Mission 4. The announcement was made on January 30, 2025. The mission is scheduled to launch in spring 2025 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
• India added four new Ramsar sites on January 31, 2025, bringing the total to 89. The new sites are Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary and Therthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, Khecheopalri Wetland in Sikkim, and Udhwa Lake in Jharkhand.
• On January 31, 2025, the Indian government expanded Aadhaar authentication to both government and private entities. This move aims to enhance service delivery, promote good governance, and ease of living for residents. Various sectors, including e-commerce, travel, and healthcare, can now use Aadhaar for customer verification.
• IIT Indore, in collaboration with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), launched AgriHub on January 27, 2025. This Center of Excellence (CoE) for agritech aims to foster innovation, startup incubation, and industry collaboration in agriculture. AgriHub leverages AI, ML, and DL to address critical agricultural challenges.
• International:
• India announced on January 31, 2025, that it will host the BRICS Youth Council Entrepreneurship Working Group Meeting in New Delhi from March 3-7, 2025. The event focuses on "Youth Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Growth", with around 45 youth representatives from BRICS countries attending.
• On January 29, 2025, the WHO confirmed that Guinea has successfully eliminated the gambiense form of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness.
• Niger has become the first African nation to eliminate onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness. This achievement was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 30, 2025. Onchocerciasis is a parasitic disease transmitted through black fly bites.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended replacing regular table salt with potassium-enriched, lower-sodium salt substitutes on January 30, 2025. This guidance aims to reduce sodium intake and improve heart health, particularly in countries with high sodium consumption and low potassium intake.
• Mount Taranaki in New Zealand was recognized as a legal person on January 30, 2025. This decision grants the mountain rights similar to those of a human being, rooted in Māori traditions.
• Sunita Williams set a new record for the longest spacewalk by a female astronaut during the 92nd US spacewalk on January 30, 2025. She surpassed Peggy Whitson's total spacewalk time, logging 62 hours and 6 minutes. Williams and astronaut Butch Wilmore conducted maintenance on the ISS and collected samples for scientific analysis.
• On January 29, 2025, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger officially withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). This decision was driven by their dissatisfaction with ECOWAS's support in combating terrorism and insecurity. They have since formed the Alliance of Sahel States and strengthened alliances with Russia, Turkey, and Iran.
• Tshego Gaelae from South Africa made history on January 31, 2025, by becoming the first Black woman to win the Mrs. World title. This victory marks a significant milestone in the pageant's 40-year history. Gaelae is not only the first South African to win in nearly a decade but also the first Black woman to wear the crown.
• Banking:
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved Renew Exim DMCC's acquisition of a majority stake in ITD Cementation India on January 28, 2025. This deal involves Renew Exim DMCC, a subsidiary of the Adani Group, acquiring up to 72.64% of ITD Cementation's equity share capital.
• On Jan 29 (UNI) To cater to the evolving demands of high-net-worth individuals, Canara Bank, one of India's leading public sector banks, launched the 'Canara Crest' Membership program, offering a personalized and premium banking experience.
• On January 29, 2025, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company (KMAMC) launched India's first Kotak MSCI India ETF. The ETF tracks the MSCI India Index, providing exposure to large and midcap companies. The NFO period ended on February 12, 2025, with continuous trading starting on February 27, 2025.
• The RBI injected USD 5.1 billion of liquidity through an FX swap auction on January 31, 2025. The auction was oversubscribed with bids totaling USD 25.59 billion from 253 participants. The RBI accepted 28 bids, setting the premium cut-off at 96.81 paisa. This measure aims to infuse 1.5 trillion rupees of liquidity into the banking system.
• The Avaada Group partnered with Casale to develop India's largest green ammonia plant in Gopalpur, Odisha, announced on January 31, 2025. The plant will produce 1,500 tonnes of green ammonia per day, powered entirely by renewable energy. This project aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions and support India's net-zero ambitions.
• On January 28, 2025, Finvasia partnered with YES Bank to launch Jumpp, an AI-driven financial super app. This app integrates banking, saving, payments, investing, and borrowing into a seamless platform. It aims to enhance financial inclusion and supports multilingual conversational AI in English and Hindi.
• On January 31, 2025, SEBI announced a new combo product combining mutual funds (MFs) with term life insurance (TLI). This product aims to provide an affordable investment and insurance solution, focusing on financial inclusion.
• Economy:
• On January 27, 2025, it was announced that new investment announcements in India surged by 39% year-on-year from April to December 2024, reaching over Rs 32 lakh crore. This growth reflects strong momentum in investment activities from both the government and private sectors.
• In the week ending January 24, 2025, India's foreign exchange reserves saw a significant increase of $5.57 billion, bringing the total to $629.55 billion. Foreign exchange reserves are assets held by a central bank in foreign currencies, which can include bonds, treasury bills, and other government securities.
• Reports:
• The Air Passenger Market Analysis December 2024 report, released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on January 31, 2025, reveals that India achieved the highest passenger load factor on domestic flights globally in 2024 at 86.4%. India's aviation sector carried 163 million passengers on domestic flights, contributing to a global record high load factor of 83.5%.
• Apps & Portals:
• The Ministry of Railways (MoR) launched the SwaRail SuperApp for beta testing on January 31, 2025. Developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), the app integrates various railway services like ticket bookings, train inquiries, and more into a single platform.
• MoUs:
• On January 29, 2025, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Apollo Micro Systems Limited (AMS) signed an MoU in Hyderabad to jointly develop advanced defense and aerospace systems. This collaboration aims to enhance India's indigenous capabilities in underwater weapons, vehicles, mines, communication systems, and air defense systems.
• Sports:
• The official logo and mascot for the 23rd National Para Athletics Championship 2025 were unveiled on January 29, 2025. The championship will take place in Tamil Nadu from February 17 to 20, 2025, featuring over 1,700 para-athletes from across the country.
• Military Exercises:
• TROPEX 25 was conducted from January 30th to 31st, 2025, off India's western coast. The exercise involved the Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and the Indian Coast Guard. Senior military leaders, including Lieutenant General Johnson P Mathew, Vice Admiral K Swaminathan, Air Marshal SP Dharkar, and Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani, participated and witnessed the operations.
• Defence:
• The Indian Navy launched the 9th Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile (ACTCM) Barge, LSAM 23, on January 31, 2025, at M/s Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, Thane. The ceremony was attended by Cmde R Anand, AGM (COM)/ ND (Mbi), as the chief guest. This barge is part of the Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, designed to enhance the Navy's logistics capabilities.
• Committees:
• The 11th India-Oman Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was held on January 27-28, 2025, in Muscat, Oman. It was co-chaired by Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Oman's Minister Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef. The meeting aimed to enhance bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, technology, food security, and renewable energy.
• Summits & Conferences:
• The first Raisina Middle East Conference took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on January 28-29, 2025. Organized by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, it was chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. The theme was "Strengthening India-UAE Relations: Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Perspectives", aiming to enhance trade, strategic partnerships, and regional integration.
• Important Days:
• Indian Coast Guard Day is celebrated on February 1, 2025, honoring the establishment of the Indian Coast Guard in 1977. The theme is "Honouring bravery, service, and maritime security", highlighting their dedication to maritime security. This day recognizes the bravery and significant contributions of ICG personnel.
• Appointments & Resignations:
• Ahmed al-Sharaa was appointed as Syria's interim president on January 29, 2025, following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Al-Sharaa will oversee the formation of a temporary legislative council and the transition period.
• Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned on January 28, 2025, amid large-scale protests against corruption and the deadly collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad last November.
• Hero MotoCorp announced on January 31, 2025, that Vikram Kasbekar will be the Acting CEO effective May 1, 2025. This follows the current CEO, Niranjan Gupta's decision to step down.
• Awards & Honours:
• Noel Naval Tata was honored with an honorary doctorate by the University of Sussex on January 30, 2024. The award was presented during a private ceremony in Mumbai, recognizing Tata's exceptional contributions to global business leadership and commitment to ethical practices and social impact.
• Books:
• The book titled "The New Icon: Savarkar and the Facts" by Arun Shourie was published on January 30, 2025. In this book, Shourie delves deep into the life and legacy of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, addressing various controversies and questions surrounding his actions and beliefs.
• Obituaries:
• Sir Julius Chan, former Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, passed away on January 30, 2025, at his home in Huris, New Ireland Province. Aged 85, he had been serving as the Governor of New Ireland since 2007.

Questions:

1. What percentage of ITD Cementation India’s equity share capital is Renew Exim DMCC acquiring?

• A) 51.23%
• B) 60.45%
• C) 72.64%
• D) 80.12%

Answer: C) The deal involves Renew Exim DMCC acquiring up to 72.64% of ITD Cementation India’s equity share capital.

2. Who was appointed as Syria’s interim president on January 29, 2025?

• A) Maher al-Assad
• B) Ahmed al-Sharaa
• C) Walid Muallem
• D) Bashar al-Assad

Answer: B) Ahmed al-Sharaa was appointed as the interim president of Syria on January 29, 2025, following the removal of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.