Daily Current Affairs and GK | 15 January 2025

By Priyanka Chaudhary | Last Modified: 16 Jan 2025 15:53 PM IST

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Topic: MoUs /Agreements

1. C-DOT and IIT Delhi inked an agreement for “Building Blocks for THz Communication Front Ends” for 6G.

  • For the development of "Building Blocks for THz Communication Front Ends" for 6G, C-DOT and IIT Delhi have signed an agreement.
  • The agreement has been signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) 6G Call for proposal of the Department of Telecommunications.
  • As part of the Bharat 6G vision, this agreement will accelerate research on developing a 6G Eco-system.
  • The aim of this project is the development of basic devices and components which are essential for THz systems envisaged for 6G communications.
  • This will seamlessly lead to the fabrication of THz components at the production level.
  • C-DOT is the implementing agency for this project.

Topic: Sports

2. The first edition of the Kho Kho World Cup was officially inaugurated at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.

  • Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Indian Olympic Association President P. T. Usha and Kho Kho Federation of India President Sudhanshu Mittal, lit the ceremonial torch of World Cup.
  • Teams from 20 countries are participating in the Kho Kho World Cup 2025.
  • Kho Kho World Cup 2025 features 20 men's and 19 women's teams.
  • 15-member squads for both the men’s and women’s categories have been selected by the Kho-Kho Federation of India.
  • Prateek Waikar is captain of the men’s team. Priyanka Ingle will lead the women’s team.
  • Quarterfinals will be held on January 17. The semifinals will be held on January 18, and the finals on January 19.
  • The Indian men’s team and women’s team have been placed in Group A.

Topic: International News

3. Croatia’s President Zoran Milanovic won reelection for another five-year term.

  • Zoran Milanovic defeated candidate from the ruling conservative party in a runoff vote.
  • Zoran Milanovic is a critic of the European Union and NATO.
  • Milanović won over 74% of the vote compared to Dragan Primorac. Dragan Primorac got over 26% votes.
  • Zoran Milanovic is a critic of Western military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
  • Croatia is a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It is located on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.
  • Zagreb is the capital of Croatia. It is surrounded by Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast and Serbia to the east.

Topic: Defence

4. Two naval ships and one submarine dedicated to the nation by PM Narendra Modi in Mumbai on 15 January.

  • For the first time, three ships of the Indian Navy were inducted into the Navy simultaneously.
  • The launch of three naval combat ships is a significant leap towards realising India's dream of becoming a global leader in defence manufacturing and maritime security.
  • The induction of these three leading naval ships into the Navy will strengthen efforts to become a global leader in the field of defence and will enhance efforts towards self-reliance.
  • PM Modi said the launch of destroyer INS Surat, frigate INS Nilgiri, and submarine INS Vagsheer at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on January 15 is "a special day for naval capacities."
  • INS Surat is part of Project-15B or Visakhapatnam-class, which aims to build a new generation of guided-missile destroyers.
  • It is an upgraded version of the Kolkata-class (Project-15A) destroyers, with substantial improvements in design, automation and armament.
  • The frigate INS Nilgiri is the lead ship of Project-17A, a series of stealth guided-missile frigates being built for the Indian Navy.
  • It has better stealth features (low radar signature) and state-of-the-art technology than the existing Shivalik-class frigates.
  • Submarine INS Vaghsheer, the sixth Scorpene-class submarine under the Kalvari-class Project 75, is one of the most silent and versatile diesel-electric submarines in the world. 
  • It is capable of executing diverse missions, including anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, area surveillance, and special operations.

Topic: International News

5. India and Spain will celebrate 2026 as the “dual year," highlighting culture, tourism, and AI.

  • During his official visit to Spain, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced that 2026 will be marked as the ‘dual year’ to celebrate culture, tourism, and advancements in artificial intelligence between India and Spain.
  • Jaishankar described the Indian diaspora as indispensable to foster stronger bilateral relations and noted their contribution to Spain's economy and society.
  • Currently, India and Spain have an annual trade of US$10 billion, which includes cooperation in areas such as railways, clean technology, drones and space exploration.
  • This was Jaishankar's first visit to Spain as Foreign Minister, where his diplomatic activities continued till January 14.
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Topic: National News

6. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sanctioned the formation of two new battalions as part of efforts to bolster the CISF.

  • The expansion seeks to enhance the CISF’s ability to fulfill growing security demands and strengthen internal security throughout critical infrastructure and key installations.
  • The total number of CISF battalions will rise from 13 to 15. Each of the newly sanctioned battalions will consist of 1,025 personnel.
  • Officers of senior commandant rank will lead the new battalions.
  • The expansion also includes the Mahila Battalion, which was approved recently.
  • With this expansion, the CISF’s total strength will rise to nearly two lakh personnel.
  • Central Industrial Security Force (CISF):
    • It was formed on 10 March 1969 under the act of the Parliament. It works under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
    • The CISF provides security to India’s most critical infrastructure facilities like nuclear installations, space establishments, airports, seaports, power plants etc.
    • Its headquarters is in New Delhi. Rajwinder Singh Bhatti is its Current Director-General of CISF. The motto of CISF is “Protection and Security”. 

Topic: Art and Culture

7. 10th Ajanta Verul International film festival started in Maharashtra.

  • The festival celebrates global cinema and offers a platform for film enthusiasts in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra.
  • Secretary, of Information and Broadcasting, Sanjay Jaju inaugurated the festival.
  • He conferred the Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award on Padma Bhushan Sai Paranjape.
  • Paranjape has been awarded in recognition of her exceptional contributions to Indian cinema.
  • The opening film “Little Jaffna” was screened. It is a highly acclaimed French and Tamil language film.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. Union Minister Piyush Goyal launched the National Turmeric Board.

  • Shri Palle Ganga Reddy became the first chairperson of the National Turmeric Board.
  • Nizamabad has been established as the headquarters of the Board.
  • Turmeric is also known as ‘Golden Spice’ and is grown by farmers spread across 20 states, including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, etc.
  • The formation of the Turmeric Board will help increase the income of turmeric producers in the country.
  • The new Board will promote research and development of new turmeric products.
  • The board will also help add value to turmeric-related products for marketing abroad.
  • In 2023-24, 3.05 lakh hectares were under turmeric cultivation in India.
  • India with 10.74 lakh tonnes produces 70% of global turmeric production.
  • India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of turmeric in the world.

National Turmeric Board

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National Appointments

9. Faiz Ahmed Kidwai has been appointed as chief of DGCA.

  • Faiz Ahmed Kidwai has been appointed the new director general of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
  • He is currently working as an additional secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
  • His appointment has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
  • Ashutosh Agnihotri has been appointed as chairman and managing director of the Food Corporation of India.
  • Kamal Kishore Soan has been appointed as additional secretary and mission director of Jal Jeevan Misson in the Department of drinking water and Sanitation.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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.
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