Daily Current Affairs and GK | 15 January 2025

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

1. An agreement signed between C-DOT and IIT Mandi for “Developing Semiconductor Chip of Wideband Spectrum Sensor for Dynamic Spectrum Access.”

• An agreement has been signed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) with the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Jammu (IIT Jammu).
• This agreement focuses on the development of a "Wideband Spectrum-Sensor ASIC-Chip for Enhancing the Spectrum Utilization," marking a significant step towards creating indigenous next-generation telecommunications technology.
• This has been signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme of the Department of Telecommunications.
• This scheme is designed to provide financial support to Indian startups, academia and R&D institutions to design, develop and commercialize telecom equipment and its solutions.
• Its objective is to make broadband and mobile services affordable thereby bridging the digital divide across India.
• The project aims to develop a wideband spectrum sensing (WSS) algorithm and hardware to improve spectrum efficiency by utilizing underused bands, targeting rural broadband services.
• This initiative will enable scanning of more than 2 GHz spectrum with minimal sensing time, thereby boosting the throughput of cognitive radio networks.
• In addition, it will demonstrate wideband cognitive radio modules in the 6 GHz satellite band (5.925-7.125 GHz) for spectrum sensing and communication.
• These designs will be initially simulated in a field-programmable gate-array (FPGA) environment and later integrated with application-specific integrated-circuit (ASIC) semiconductor-chips to provide improved spectrum efficiency.
• Gate array is a semiconductor technology that uses prefabricated chips to design and manufacture application-specific integrated circuits.
• The project will also generate intellectual property (IP) for wideband spectrum sensing technology, a key component of dynamic spectrum sensing.

Topic: Defence

2. The third-generation anti-tank missile ‘Nag Mk-2’ successfully tested by India.

• On 14 January, the field test of the indigenously developed third-generation anti-tank guided missile ‘Nag Mark 2’ (Nag Mk 2) was successfully conducted by India.
• According to the Defence Ministry, it is a third generation 'anti-tank fire-and-forget guided missile'.
• The trials were carried out at the Pokhran Field Range by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the presence of senior officers of the Indian Army.
• The missile demonstrated its precision during the trials by accurately destroying targets at maximum and minimum ranges, validating its firing capabilities.
• During the trials, the 'Nag Missile Carrier' (Version 2) was also evaluated.
• With these successful trials, the entire weapon system is now ready to be inducted into the Indian Army.
• The Nag Mark 2 missile developed by DRDO is specially designed to counter modern armoured threats.
• Its fire-and-forget technology allows operators to lock on to targets before launch, ensuring precision strikes even in complex battlefields.
• In 2024, India successfully had also launched Agni 4, a medium-range ballistic missile.

Topic: State News/ West Bengal

3. New initiatives to attract pilgrims to Gangasagar Mela announced by the Bengal government.

• The organisers of the Gangasagar Mela, held at the confluence of the Ganga with the Bay of Bengal in West Bengal, announced several initiatives on January 12, 2025.
• These include providing a certificate for pilgrims participating in the annual pilgrimage.   
• State Energy Minister Arup Biswas announced the 'Bandhan' initiative, under which pilgrims will be given certificates in three languages.
• Other initiatives include e-Anusandhan (pilgrims can access facilities at the mela ground) and e-Parichay (QR code-enabled identity bands) so that people do not get lost in the mela ground.
• Elaborate arrangements have been made to transport pilgrims from different parts of the state to Sagar Island, including about 2,500 government and private buses, 21 jetties, nine barges, 32 ships, and 120 launches.

Topic: Important Days

4. Indian Army Day 2025: 15 January

• Every year on 15 January, Indian Army Day is celebrated to remember the sacrifice of our soldiers to protect India and its citizens.
• The day is also celebrated to commemorate the moment when Lieutenant General KM Cariappa took over from Francis Butcher as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army on 15 January 1949.
• Francis Butcher was the last British Commander-in-Chief of India.
• This year, the 77th Army Day celebration organized in Maharashtra's Pune.
• Pune, renowned for its rich military heritage, hosted the prestigious Army Day Parade for the first time on 15 January 2025.
• For the first time this year, Indian Army has introduced a digital system 'ADP 25 App' for booking seats, making it easy and accessible for all citizens.