Daily Current Affairs and GK | 24 January 2025
Main Headlines:
- 1. Rules for verified radar equipment to boost traffic enforcement notified by the Centre.
- 2. Notices over differential pricing issued to Ola and Uber by the CCPA.
- 3. UP government approved aerospace and defence policy.
- 4. Neeraj Parakh has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Reliance Power.
- 5. India will deploy its first human-operated underwater submersible.
- 6. Madhya Pradesh has banned liquor sale at 17 religious sites.
- 7. India’s oldest book fair ‘boi mela’ will start in Kolkata.
- 8. India will host the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 from October 31 to November 27.
- 9. A digital financial services platform launched through a collaboration between Bajaj Finance and Airtel.
- 10. With JD Vance being sworn in as US Vice President, Usha became the first Indian-American Second Lady.
- 11. National Girl Child Day 2025: 24 January
- 12. India’s digital economy will constitute nearly a fifth of overall GDP by 2030: ICRIER.
- 13. 6th International Millets Festival was held in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
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Topic: National News
1. Rules for verified radar equipment to boost traffic enforcement notified by the Centre.
- On 23 January, Rules for radar equipment for measuring the speed of vehicles were notified by the government under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011, to help traffic personnel measure speed limits effectively.
- These guidelines will come into effect from July 1 to help the concerned industries comply with the provisions of the rules.
- Verified and stamped radar equipment is vital for applications such as traffic enforcement to prevent accidents and wear and tear on roads.
- Verified radar equipment will significantly enhance the effectiveness and reliability of law enforcement officers in traffic enforcement.
- A committee was constituted under the chairmanship of the director, Indian Institute of Legal Metrology (IILM), Ranchi, which submitted the preliminary draft rules.
- The draft rules were presented to State Legal Metrology Departments, RRSL officials, manufacturers, and VCOs to explain their requirements.
- The rules will also ensure accurate measurement of speed, distance, and other relevant parameters.
- Speed measurement devices work by detecting the time it takes a vehicle to travel between two points or by measuring the change in position over time using radar, laser, or other technologies.
Topic: Corporates/Companies
2. Notices over differential pricing issued to Ola and Uber by the CCPA.
- Union Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said that notices have been issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to cab aggregators Ola and Uber over alleged discrepancies in pricing based on the type of smartphone used by consumers.
- The CCPA's action comes after consumers observed "markedly different pricing" associated with their use of iPhones or Android devices.
- Joshi said, "The Department of Consumer Affairs has issued notices to major cab aggregators Ola and Uber through the CCPA and sought their response."
- The issue came to light after several consumers complained that fares for the same routes varied depending on the smartphone model.
- Clarifications regarding pricing algorithms and factors influencing fare variations have been demanded from Ola and Uber by the CCPA.
- The purpose of the investigation is to protect consumer rights and enforce fair dealing between digital platforms.
Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh
3. UP government approved aerospace and defence policy.
- Uttar Pradesh government approved a new Aerospace and Defence Unit policy.
- It will create jobs for more than 1 Lakh people and will attract Rs 50,000 crore of investments.
- The state government has also approved an FDI policy to accelerate the state's development.
- The Aerospace and Defence Unit and Employment Promotion Policy 2024 was introduced by the UP government to become a leader in the sector.
- It aims to make Uttar Pradesh a leading aerospace and defence hub, accelerating indigenous capabilities, fostering innovation, and promoting global collaboration.
- The state Cabinet also approved the new FDI Policy to boost the setting up of foreign industries in Uttar Pradesh.
- Under this policy, the state government will offer up to 80 per cent subsidy on land to foreign firms investing in the state.
Topic: National Appointments
4. Neeraj Parakh has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Reliance Power.
- Neeraj Parakh was appointed on January 20 for a period of three years.
- Neeraj Parakh joined the Reliance Group in June 2004 as an additional manager in the Central Technical Services team at Reliance Infrastructure.
- He focused on planning, project monitoring, technical services, and project execution.
- He served in operations and maintenance roles in both Reliance Power and Reliance Infra.
- This appointment has been made by the company’s Board of Directors.
Topic: Science and Technology
5. India will deploy its first human-operated underwater submersible.
- As part of the Deep Ocean Mission, India will deploy its first human-operated underwater submersible.
- The submersible has been designed to reach up to a depth of 500 meters.
- The government is planning to extend its reach to 6,000 meters by 2026.
- The Deep Ocean Mission aims to explore underwater resources and improve knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems.
- The main objective is to identify critical minerals, rare metals, and undiscovered marine biodiversity.
- The Deep Ocean Mission will also contribute to sustainable fisheries and biodiversity conservation, providing long-term benefits to India’s scientific community and economy.
Topic: State News/ Madhya Pradesh
6. Madhya Pradesh has banned liquor sale at 17 religious sites.
- Madhya Pradesh government has banned the sale of liquor at 17 religious sites across the state to combat social and economic problems.
- The liquor sale has been banned at Lord Krishna and Lord Ram has set their foot in Madhya Pradesh.
- The sale of liquor could be banned at Ujjain, Orchha, Salkanpur, Chitrakoot, Omkareshwar, Maihar, Amarkantak and Maheshwar.
- CM Mohan Yadav stated that the state government would develop the places associated with Lord Ram and Lord Krishna in Madhya Pradesh as pilgrimage sites.
- This announcement was made by CM Mohan Yadav at a Pro-kabaddi tournament in Gotegaon town in Narsinghgarh district.
Topic: Miscellaneous
7. India’s oldest book fair ‘boi mela’ will start in Kolkata.
- The 48th International Kolkata Book Fair 2025 is scheduled from 28 January to 9 February 2025 at Salt Lake City, Kolkata.
- It holds a uniquely special place in the hearts of Bengalis.
- It is organised by the National Council of Education (NCE).
- India’s first-ever book fair was held in 1918 at College Street in Calcutta.
- This book fair is the source of inspiration for several notable figures, including economist Benoy Kumar Sarkar.
- It is the world's largest non-trade book fair, Asia's largest book fair and the most attended book fair.
- The book fair was started on a small scale in 1976 by the Kolkata Publishers and Booksellers Guild.
Topic: Sports
8. India will host the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 from October 31 to November 27.
- All India Chess Federation (AICF) official confidently stated that FIDE had already informally confirmed India's hosting rights as early as January or February 2024.
- India last hosted the FIDE World Cup in 2002 in Hyderabad, where chess legend Viswanathan Anand won the title.
- The specific state or city to host the World Cup is yet to be selected and will be finalised at the AICF meeting next month.
- The race to get a spot in the Candidates Tournament won't be easy as the number of competitors is huge, with reportedly 206 players taking part in the tournament.
- The FIDE Women's World Cup 2025, featuring a separate competition for female players, will be held in Batumi, Georgia, in July this year.
Topic: MoUs/Agreements
9. A digital financial services platform launched through a collaboration between Bajaj Finance and Airtel.
- Bajaj Finance has partnered with Bharti Airtel to create a digital platform for financial services.
- With this agreement, the telecom company will offer most of the retail financial offerings of the non-banking financial company (NBFC) to all its 370 million customers.
- The platform will serve Bajaj Finance's diverse portfolio of 27 product lines across 375 million customers and Airtel's over 1.2 million strong distribution networks.
- It will utilise the distribution capacity of over 5,000 branches and 70,000 regional agents.
- Airtel will initially make Bajaj Finance's retail financial products available on its Airtel Thanks app.
- This is meant to provide a seamless and secure experience to customers, and will later be made available through its nationwide network of stores as well.
Topic: Personality in News
10. With JD Vance being sworn in as US Vice President, Usha became the first Indian-American Second Lady.
- Usha Vance became the first Indian-American and Hindu Second Lady when her husband J.D. Vance was sworn in as the 50th Vice President of the United States on January 20.
- Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh administered the oath to D. Vance.
- She is the youngest second (Second) lady, after 38-year-old Jane Hadley Barkley, wife of former President Harry Truman's Vice President Alben Barkley.
- Ms Usha had also worked as a clerk for Supreme Court Justices Kavanaugh and John Roberts.
Topic: Important Days
11. National Girl Child Day 2025: 24 January
- Every year, National Girl Child Day is observed on January 24.
- The day is observed to raise awareness about the inequalities girl’s encounter.
- It also advocates equal opportunities for girls in education, healthcare, and nutrition.
- It is also observed to mark the anniversary of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 January 2015.
- The government's main aim is to emphasize the principles of equality and dignity for every girl child.
- National Girl Child Day was launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development launched this day in 2008.
- National Girl Child Day aligns with various campaigns and programs run by the Indian government, including Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.
Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking
12. India’s digital economy will constitute nearly a fifth of overall GDP by 2030: ICRIER.
- India’s digital economy will contribute 13.42% in national income by the end of 2024–25. In 2022-23, its contribution was 11.74%.
- A report regarding the size of the digital economy was prepared by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).
- ICRIER in its report included the Digital share of traditional industries like trade, banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) and education in the Digital Economy.
- Under this framework, the digital economy in 2022–23 was ₹28.94 lakh crore in Gross Value Added (GVA)] and ₹31.64 lakh crore (~$402 billion) in GDP.
- As per the report, Information and communications technology firms, telecom activities, and electronics manufacturing contributed 7.83% to the national GVA.
- As per the report, the contribution of sectors like e-commerce and digital-only services is currently limited.
Topic: Agriculture and allied sectors
13. 6th International Millets Festival was held in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- As part of the festival, a conference called "Transformation of agrifood systems through agri-ecology: A Global Perspective" was organised.
- International organisations like GIZ Germany and FiBL Switzerland collaborated to host the event.
- The symposium featured experts from more than ten nations, including Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Australia, Kenya, Tanzania, Italy, Peru, and England.
- One of the leading producers of nutri cereals is Karnataka, which hosted the inaugural International Millets Festival in 2017.
- In the state, millets are cultivated on more than 18.37 lakh hectares (ha).
- Of the main millets, 8.27 lakh hectares are planted to ragi, 8.11 lakh hectares to jowar, and 1.68 lakh hectares to bajra.
- Minor millets namely fox millets, kodo millets and proso millets are cultivated in about 0.31 lakh ha in the state.
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