Daily Current Affairs and GK | 21 January 2025
Main Headlines:
- 1. ASI Archaeologists found a 1,200-year-old Buddhist monastery at Ratnagiri Buddhist site in Jajpur district.
- 2. SIAM’s 3rd International Conference on Sustainable Circularity was held in New Delhi.
- 3. A new standing external advisory committee has been formed by RBI.
- 4. Nigeria has become a BRICS partner country.
- 5. The government has launched Entity Locker after DigiLocker's success.
- 6. National Critical Mineral Mission would be launched by the Centre, said Union Minister G Kishan Reddy.
- 7. India is currently the world's seventh-largest producer of coffee.
- 8. 3rd National Mining Ministers’ Conference was organized by the Mines Ministry.
- 9. Karnataka clinched the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the fifth time.
- 10. The Uniform Civil Code manual approved by the Uttarakhand Cabinet.
- 11. Pankaj Mishra released his latest book 'The World After Gaza.'
- 12. Indian Navy took part in the La Perouse multilateral exercise.
- 13. India is expected to grow by 6.7%, which is more than the 2.7% world growth rate, according to World Bank projections.
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Topic: Art and Culture
1. ASI Archaeologists found a 1,200-year-old Buddhist monastery at Ratnagiri Buddhist site in Jajpur district.
- During excavations, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) discovered a Buddhist monastery complex, stone sculptures of Bhagwan Buddha, votive stupas, inscribed stones, pottery, beads, stone pillars, and an ancient brick wall.
- A remarkable five-foot monolithic elephant sculpture has also been discovered at the site.
- A colossal Buddha head and sculptural fragments of Buddhist deities have been also discovered at the site.
- The excavation was started in December 2024 and was supervised by ASI Deputy Superintendent Prajnaprati Pradhan.
- The main aim of the excavation is to uncover more artefacts that provide insights into the rich history and cultural influence of Buddhism in Odisha.
- Ratnagiri's decline started in the 13th century CE due to invasions by Muslim rulers.
- Ratnagiri, known as the “Hill of Jewels,” was first documented in 1905 by Manmohan Chakravarty.
Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings
2. SIAM’s 3rd International Conference on Sustainable Circularity was held in New Delhi.
- Union Minister Bhupender Yadav addresses the Special Ministerial Session of the 3rd International Conference on Sustainable Circularity.
- It has been organized by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
- The theme of the conference is ‘Nature Positive Recycling’.
- The conference brought together key stakeholders from the automotive industry to discuss sustainable development and circularity.
- Union Minister Bhupender Yadav highlighted the three-fold benefits of circularity:
- Economic Growth: Reducing reliance on raw materials and lowering production costs.
- Environmental Sustainability: Minimizing ecosystem damage and emissions.
- Social Impact: Creating green jobs and promoting sustainable practices.
Topic: Committees/ Commissions/ Taskforces
3. A new standing external advisory committee has been formed by RBI.
- Applications for small financing banks (SFBs) and universal banks will be assessed by this committee.
- There are five members of the committee, which is chaired by former RBI deputy governor M K Jain.
- The committee will operate for a period of three years.
- Hemant G. Contractor, N. S. Kannan, Revathy Iyer, and Parvathy V. Sundaram are other members.
- The RBI's Department of Regulation would provide the committee with secretarial support.
- The first committee was set up in March 2021 for three years.
- This committee was headed by former Deputy Governor Shyamala Gopinath.
Topic: International News
4. Nigeria has become a BRICS partner country.
- Nigeria joined Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan as the ninth partner country of the BRICS.
- Brazil, Russia, India, and China founded BRICS in 2009, and South Africa joined in 2010.
- It was established as a counterbalance to the leading industrialized nations of the Group of Seven (G-7).
- Saudi Arabia has been invited to join BRICS, which was expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates in 2023.
- Malaysia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey have all submitted formal applications to join the BRICS.
- Nigeria is the sixth most populated country in the world and the most populous in Africa.
- Last year, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on the BRICS countries if they did anything to weaken the US dollar.
Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives
5. The government has launched Entity Locker after DigiLocker's success.
- This is a new digital platform designed to make managing and verification of organizational and business documents easier.
- This has been developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's National eGovernment Division.
- Organizations, including corporations, micro, small, and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs), trusts, startups, and societies, are served by this safe, cloud-based platform.
- Aadhaar-authenticated role-based access, consent-based procedures for safe information exchange, real-time access to government databases, and legally binding digital signatures are some of its main characteristics.
- Additionally, 10 GB of encrypted cloud storage is offered to users for safe document handling.
- The technology ensures a more seamless approach for companies of all sizes by streamlining corporate yearly filings.
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Topic: Miscellaneous
6. National Critical Mineral Mission would be launched by the Centre, said Union Minister G Kishan Reddy.
- The goal of this mission is to promote offshore mining auctions, increase domestic output, and lessen reliance on imports.
- The minister called on governments to work together to support long-term mining operations.
- He inaugurated the 3rd National Mining Ministers' Conference in Konark.
- Telangana deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, Bihar deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, and Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi were also present.
- The mission will receive receive Cabinet approval, according to Reddy.
- In her Union Budget 2024–25 speech, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made an announcement regarding the mission.
- Reddy added that there is no longer any import taxes on essential minerals.
- Reddy added that 24 of the 48 crucial mineral blocks that India has put up for auction had been successfully allotted.
- During the conference, Reddy and Mohan Charan Majhi jointly introduced the Mining Tenement System (MTS).
- Additionally, Reddy and Majhi gave out prizes for excellence in mining block auctions.
- Rajasthan took first place, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, for their exceptional role in holding the most auctions during the fiscal year 2023–2024.
- Critical minerals include lithium, cobalt, copper, nickel, and rare earth elements.
Topic: Agriculture and allied sectors
7. India is currently the world's seventh-largest producer of coffee.
- India’s exports of coffee reached 1.29 billion dollars during the last fiscal year.
- According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, this is almost twice as much as the 719 million dollars in exports in 2020–21.
- Italy, Belgium, and Russia were India's top importers of the 9,300 tonnes of coffee that the country sold in the first half of this month.
- India's main export is unroasted coffee beans.
- The country's export boom is being further fuelled by the rising demand for roasted and instant coffee.
- With 248,000 metric tonnes produced in 2022–2023, Karnataka tops in coffee production, followed by Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
- According to the Ministry, domestic consumption grew from 84,000 tonnes in 2012 to 91,000 tonnes in 2023.
- Higher disposable incomes, the emergence of cafe culture, and India's growing preference towards coffee over tea are all factors contributing to this.
Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings
8. 3rd National Mining Ministers’ Conference was organized by the Mines Ministry.
- Mines Ministry in association with Odisha Government organized the 3rd National Mining Ministers’ Conference in Konark.
- During this conference, the Mining Tenement System (MTS) has been launched.
- This digital platform has been designed to streamline processes, enhance transparency, and improve efficiency in mineral resource management.
- The conference also marked the launch of the Fifth Tranche of Critical Mineral Block Auctions.
- Under this, 15 blocks across eight states will become available for auctions.
- The conference provided a platform for State Mining Ministers to share their visions for the mining sector in their respective states.
Topic: Sports
9. Karnataka clinched the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the fifth time.
- Karnataka won the Vijay Hazare Trophy by defeating Vidarbha by 36 runs.
- The final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy was held at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.
- Karnataka finished the group stage with just one loss in seven matches. It defeated Baroda and Haryana in the knockouts.
- Karnataka first won the tournament in the 2013-14 season.
- Apart from Karnataka, only Tamil Nadu (3), Mumbai (2), and Saurashtra (2) have won this title.
- The Vijay Hazare Trophy, also known as the Ranji One-Day Trophy, was started in honour of Vijay Hazare.
Topic: State News / Uttarakhand
10. The Uniform Civil Code manual approved by the Uttarakhand Cabinet.
- The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) manual was approved during a cabinet meeting held on 20 January at the State Secretariat under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
- This approval has been given after thorough scrutiny by the Legislative Department, which had already reviewed the manual.
- On UCC, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that the promises made before the 2022 elections have been fulfilled by their government.
- He stated that implementation dates will be announced soon.
- The UCC Bill was introduced by the BJP government during a special session of the Uttarakhand legislative assembly on February 6, 2023.
- The Uniform Civil Code Bill was passed by the Uttarakhand Assembly in February, and President Draupadi Murmu signed it on March 13, paving the way for Uttarakhand to become the first state in India to enact a Uniform Civil Code.
- The aim of the Uniform Civil Code is to establish a set of uniform personal laws that apply to all citizens, regardless of their religion, gender, or caste.
- This will cover aspects such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, and succession.
Topic: Books and Author
11. Pankaj Mishra released his latest book 'The World After Gaza.'
- The book 'The World After Gaza' written by Pankaj Mishra is a treatise on the ongoing war in the troubled Palestinian strip.
- This book published by Juggernaut Books in India.
- This book is a timely read, helping to understand the nuances of this war that has been condemned as having destroyed the idea of human rights and opening the door to a downward spiral of moral degradation in the world.
- Mishra is an award-winning essayist and author of nine fiction and non-fiction books.
- In 2014, he was awarded the Windham-Campbell Prize for non-fiction, and the Weston International Prize in 2024.
Topic: Defence
12. Indian Navy took part in the La Perouse multilateral exercise.
- A multilateral exercise, La Perouse, was hosted by France.
- Navies of nine Indo-Pacific countries took part in this exercise.
- The exercise was conducted in the strategic straits of Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok, between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
- INS Mumbai of the Indian Navy has been deployed for this exercise. The exercise was led by the French Carrier Strike Group (CSG) headed by the carrier Charles de Gaulle.
- The Straits of Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok are the entrances and exits to the Indian Ocean region.
- Australia, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the U.K. and the U.S. took part in this exercise.
- The main aim of the exercise is to strengthen interoperability.
- All navies will be trained in the use of IORIS, a communication and coordination system dedicated to the exchange of information.
- Surface warfare, anti-air warfare, air defence, cross-deck landings and tactical manoeuvres are part of this exercise.
Topic: Indian Economy
13. India is expected to grow by 6.7%, which is more than the 2.7% world growth rate, according to World Bank projections.
- India is expected to dominate the world economy, according to the World Bank's World Economic Prospects report (WEP), which was released in January 2025.
- According to the report, for the next two fiscal years, India will continue to be the large economy with the quickest rate of growth.
- A flourishing services sector and a revived manufacturing base are credited by the with this exceptional momentum.
- Government policies, which range from tax simplification to infrastructure modernisation, are boosting domestic growth and establishing India as a pillar of international economic stability.
- Additionally, the report predicts that China's economic growth will slow to 4% in the upcoming year.
- According to the report, manufacturing WEP report activity is predicted to increase while the country's services sector is predicted to continue growing strongly.
- A healthier employment market, easier access to finance, and declining inflation are all expected to boost private consumption in the nation.
- For the fiscal years 2025 and 2026, the IMF predicted that India's growth would continue to be strong at 6.5%.
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