Daily Current Affairs and GK | 23 January 2025

Topic: Corporates/Companies

1. Sarala Aviation launched prototype for India's first air taxi.

• Sarala Aviation, a Bengaluru-based startup, launched a prototype for India's first air taxi, Shunya.
• Sarala Aviation aims to launch electric flying taxis in Bengaluru by 2028.
• The Shunya prototype air taxi has been designed for 20-30 km and can reach speeds of up to 250 kmph.
• The vehicle can accommodate up to six passengers and carry a maximum load of 680 kg.
• eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) vehicle is currently on the market.
• Sarla Aviation was founded by Adrian Schmidt, Rakesh Gaonkar, and Shivam Chauhan in October 2023.

Topic: Sports

2. Union Sports Minister inaugurated the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025 in Ladakh.

• Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025 has been kicked off in Ladakh at Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Sports Complex.
• 19 teams from across states, UTs, and institutions will participate in this five-day competition.
• The second phase of KIWG 2025 will be focused on snow sports like skiing. It will be held in Jammu and Kashmir from February 22 to 25.
• For the second time, Ladakh is hosting the Winter Games.
• The events are being managed technically by SAI in collaboration with national sports federations.
• Himachal Pradesh leads with the largest contingent of 78 athletes.
• In the 2024 Khelo India Winter Games, Maharashtra topped the table by clinching 20 medals, including six golds. Karnataka finished second and also bagged six golds.

Topic: State News/ Telangana

3. A 10,000-crore investment digital deal for establishing an advanced AI data center signed by the Telangana Government.

• An agreement has been signed by the Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy-led Telangana Rising delegation with CtrlS Datacenters Pvt Ltd, a data center solutions provider, for the establishment of an advanced AI Data Centre Cluster in the state.
• On January 21, the agreement was finalised during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Conference 2025 in Davos, Switzerland.
• The capacity of the proposed AI datacenter cluster will be 400 MW, with an investment of Rs 10,000 crore.
• The project is expected to create 3,600 direct and indirect jobs and contribute significantly to the state's economy through increased tax revenue.
• Sridhar Pinnapureddy, Founder and CEO, CtrlS Datacenters Ltd., said this collaboration with the Government of Telangana is exciting to bring this transformational project to life.

Topic: National Appointment

4. Dhananjay Shukla has been elected as the president of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) for 2025.

• He is a Commerce and Law graduate and a Fellow of ICSI and is working as a company secretary in Gurugram.
• On the other hand, Pawan G. Chandak has been appointed as the Vice President of ICSI for 2025.
• He was also the Vice President of ICSI for the year 2024.
• However, Pawan G. Chandak, who has been appointed as the Vice Chairman, is a company secretary specialising in labour laws and labour welfare.
• Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI):
  • ICSI is a national professional body operating under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.
  • Its primary objective is to promote, regulate and develop the profession of company secretaries across the country.
  • Its headquarters is in New Delhi, with four regional offices in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai. It was formed on 4 October 1968.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

5. Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2025 awarded to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad.

• The Subhash Chandra Bose Disaster Management Award-2025 in the institutional category awarded to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) for its outstanding work in disaster management.
• Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the Government of India has instituted the annual Subhas Chandra Bose Disaster Management Award.
• The award recognizes and honours the invaluable contribution and selfless service of individuals and organizations in the field of disaster management.
• This award is announced every year on 23 January on the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
• Under the award, Rs 51 lakh in cash and a certificate are given to the organization and Rs 5 lakh and a certificate are given to the individual.
• The country has significantly improved disaster management practices, preparedness, mitigation and response mechanisms, resulting in significant reduction in casualties during natural disasters.
• Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS):
  • In 1999, INCOIS was established in Hyderabad, Telangana.
  • INCOIS is an integral part of India's disaster management strategy, specialising in providing early warning for ocean-related hazards.
  • It established the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC), which provides tsunami warnings within 10 minutes, serving India and 28 coastal countries in the Indian Ocean.

Topic: Miscellaneous

6. Indian government has made two decisions related to the agricultural and healthcare sectors.

• For the 2025-26 marketing season, the government has raised the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of raw jute to 5,650 rupees per quintal, an increase of 315 rupees compared to the previous season.

• This increase is expected to benefit around 40 lakh families engaged in raw jute production.
• Further, the Union Cabinet has approved the extension of the National Health Mission for two more years.
• In 2021, the Union Cabinet extended the implementation of the National Health Mission for five years till 2026.
• The mission has contributed significantly to improvements in maternal and child health, disease elimination, and healthcare infrastructure.
• Notably, India's Maternal Mortality Ratio has dropped by 83% since 1990, far outpacing the global decline of 45%.
• Additionally, the country has successfully achieved 97.98% coverage in the measles and rubella vaccination campaign, further bolstering its healthcare achievements.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

7. By January 20, 2025, India's non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity has grown to 217 gigawatts.

• The New and Renewable Energy Ministry reports that in the past year, 3.4 gigawatts of wind power and a record 24.5 gigawatts of solar power have been installed.
• With 47% of all installed renewable energy capacity, solar energy continued to be the leading source of the nation's growth in renewable energy.
• With 71 percent of all utility-scale solar installations in the nation, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu were the best-performing states.
• Within ten months of its start, the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana has enabled seven lakh rooftop solar installations.
• Last year, India installed 3.4 gigawatts of new wind energy capacity, with Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Karnataka leading the way.
• Ninety-eight percent of the new wind capacity increases came from these states.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. Centre introduced Diamond Imprest Authorization scheme.

• The Union government has launched the Diamond Imprest Authorization (DIA) Scheme for the duty-free import of natural cut and polished diamonds.
• It will take effect from April 1 and will offer a streamlined process to facilitate the duty-free import of natural cut and polished diamonds under ¼ carat (25 cents).
• The main aim of the scheme is to promote value addition and enhance export growth.
• The scheme comes with an export obligation that mandates a 10 percent value addition.
• Diamond exporters with Two Star Export House status or higher, and Diamond exporters with annual exports of at least $15 million are eligible for availing the benefit under this scheme.
• The initiative responds to ‘Beneficiation’ policies adopted by several natural diamond mining countries.
• The scheme is designed to provide a level playing field for Indian diamond exporters.
• The diamond industry is currently facing a steep decline in exports and job losses among workers.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. 85th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference concluded in Patna.

• The 85th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in Patna.
• During the two-day conference, dignitaries participated in brainstorming sessions on the '75th Anniversary of the Constitution: Contribution of Parliament and State Legislative Bodies in Strengthening Constitutional Values’.
• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla unveiled the 8th edition of a book titled Sansadiye Padhyati Evam Prakirya.
• He will also inaugurate the Neva Seva Kendra in the Bihar Legislature premises.
• Last time, Bihar hosted the All India Presiding Officers’ Conference in 1982.
• The 84th AIPOC was held at the Maharashtra Legislature premises in Mumbai.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

10. 23 species of blood-sucking flies discovered by ZSI scientists in A&N.

• In a groundbreaking study, 23 species of blood-sucking flies belonging to the Culicoides genus were identified by researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• Among these, 13 species were registered for the first time in India.
• Recently published in the prestigious international journal ‘Parasites and Vectors’, these findings are the first comprehensive survey of these pests in the archipelago.
• These small insects, known locally as "Bhusi flies," though similar in appearance to flies, their feeding habits more closely resemble mosquitoes.
• They drink the blood mainly of livestock such as sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as wild animals such as deer.
• Of particular concern, five species are known to spread the blue tongue disease virus, which can be fatal to livestock and causes significant economic losses to the animal husbandry sector.
• Studies conducted in 2022 and 2023 showed that of the 23 species identified, 17 are known to bite humans, although the researchers assure that no human disease transmission has been reported so far.

Topic: Important Days

11. Parakram Diwas 2025: 23 January

• "Parakram Diwas" (Courage Day) is celebrated on 23 January every year.
• The day is commemorated as the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
• On this day in 1897, Netaji was born in Cuttack, Odisha.
• This year marks the 128th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
• The day is observed to commemorate his outstanding contribution to India's freedom movement. He is known for his selfless service to the country.
• In 2021, the Modi government had announced that January 23rd would be celebrated as "Parakram Diwas".
• The first Parakram Diwas was held in 2021 at Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.
• The three-day event to be held from January 23-25, 2025 at Barabati Fort in the historic city of Cuttack, the birthplace of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, was inaugurated by Odisha CM Shri Mohan Charan Majhi on 23 January.
• This year, the Parakram Diwas celebrations are being organised by the Ministry of Culture

(Source: PIB)

Topic: International News

12. World Bank Neutral Expert said it is competent to resolve the Indus Water Treaty dispute.

• World Bank Neutral Expert has been appointed under the terms of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), 1960.
• It said it is “competent” to decide on differences between India and Pakistan on the design of hydroelectric projects built on the Indus Treaty rivers.
• The Neutral Expert has rejected Pakistan’s request to facilitate the establishment of a Court of Arbitration to resolve the issue.
• A neutral Expert has the right to decide on all seven questions over the Kishenganga, and Ratle projects.
• India welcomed the decision given by the Neutral Expert under Paragraph 7 of Annexure F to the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960
• A neutral Expert and a chairman of the Court of Arbitration regarding the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants were established in 2022.
• Under the Indus water treaty, India has been granted access to the water from the ‘Eastern Rivers’ — the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi — and Pakistan retained rights to the waters from the ‘Western Rivers’ Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

13. 1st Olympic Research Conference will be hosted by Gujarat.

• The event will be held at the Gandhinagar-based Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) campus.
• Officials from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will gather to discuss the strategies and innovative economic models for financing and building “sustainable” sports infrastructure.
• It will help India position itself as a strong contender to host the 2036 Olympics.
• They will also discuss how sustainable sports infrastructure can be built from large events like the Olympics.
• The 1st International Olympic Research Conference will take place from January 27-30.
• It will discuss financing and innovative economic models for hosting the Olympics in India.
• Bharat Centre of Olympic Research and Education (BCORE) is collaborating with government agencies, and sports bodies to organize sports events including the Olympics.