Daily Current Affairs and GK | 3 January 2025

Topic: Miscellaneous

1. India’s first glass bridge over the sea has been inaugurated in Kanniyakumari.

• India’s first glass bridge over the sea, connecting Tiruvalluvar Statue and Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanniyakumari has been inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
• It has been built at a cost of ₹37 cr. It is a 10-metre-wide bridge that is 77 metres long.
• After the development of this bridge, visitors will walk safely between the two iconic landmarks while watching the sea underneath.
• The bowstring arch on the glass bridge has been designed to withstand the saline breeze from the sea and high humidity.
• This initiative aligns with broader efforts to develop Kanyakumari as a premier tourist destination.

Topic: Sports

2. West Bengal won the Santosh Trophy for the 33rd time.

• West Bengal won the Santosh Trophy by defeating Kerala by 1-0 in the finals.
• Robi Hansda scored the only goal of the match in the added time of the second half of the final match.
• This was the 12th goal of Robi Hansda, who also emerged as the top scorer of the tournament.
• Kerala had defeated West Bengal in the 2017-18 and the 2021-22.
• Santosh Trophy:
  • The Santosh Trophy is a state-level national football competition.
  • It is played by government institutions and state associations under the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

Topic: New Development

3. Bacteria developed by IIT Bombay to combat soil pollution and boost agriculture.

• A groundbreaking solution to tackle soil pollution has been developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.
• According to an official release, bacteria capable of consuming toxic pollutants in the soil and producing essential nutrients as byproducts have been identified by researchers.
• The research team is studying bacteria that rely on dangerous chemicals and pollutants to combat the increasing pollution of natural resources.
• In their recent study, published in the journal Environmental Technology and Innovation, the team took advantage of specific bacterial species to remove organic pollutants from soil.
• These bacteria help break down harmful substances and also enhance plant growth by increasing growth hormones, preventing the growth of harmful fungi, and making vital nutrients more accessible to plants.
• Soil contamination with aromatic compounds – organic chemicals with a structure similar to benzene – is a major challenge for the agricultural sector.
• These toxic compounds, commonly found in pesticides, herbicides and industrial byproducts, can interfere with seed germination, inhibit plant growth, reduce yields and accumulate in plant biomass.
• Researchers at IIT Bombay found that bacterial species belonging to the Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter genera were particularly effective at breaking down aromatic compounds.
• These bacteria were isolated from contaminated soil and agricultural fields.
• They absorb pollutants, breaking them down into simple, harmless, non-toxic compounds, effectively acting as natural cleaners of polluted environments.

(Source: DD News)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

4. The National Sports Awards 2024 were announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports on 2 January 2025.

• The awards will be presented to the awardees by the President of India at a specially organized function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 17th January, 2025.
• The President will present the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award to World Chess Champion D Gukesh, Double Medalist in Paris Olympics Manu Bhaker, Indian Hockey Team Captain Harmanpreet Singh, and Gold Medalist in Paris Paralympics Praveen Kumar.
• Arjun Award will be given to 32 players.
• These include athletes Jyoti Yaraji and Annu Rani, boxers Nitu and Sweety, chess player Vantika Agarwal, hockey players Salima Tete, Abhishek, Sanjay, Jarmanpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh.
• Para-archer Rakesh Kumar, para-athletes Preeti Pal, Jeevanji Deepti, Ajeet Singh and Sachin Khilari will also receive the Arjuna Award.
• The Arjuna Award (Lifetime) will be presented to veteran athlete Sucha Singh and veteran para swimmer Murlikant Petkar.
• The Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches in sports and games in 2024 in the regular category will be given to Mr. Subhash Rana (Para-shooting), Ms. Deepali Deshpande (Shooting) and Mr. Sandeep Sangwan (Hockey).
• In the lifetime category, the Dronacharya Award will be given to Mr. S. Muralidharan (Badminton) and Mr. Armando Agnelo Colaco (Football).
• The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar will be given to the Physical Education Foundation of India.
• The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy will be given to Chandigarh University, Lovely Professional University, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.
• Former Supreme Court Judge Justice (Retd.) V. Ramasubramanian headed the Selection Committee for the awards, along with eminent sportspersons, individuals with experience in sports journalism, and sports administrators.

Topic: Personality in News

5. Famous botanist KS Manilal passed away at the age of 86.

• On January 1, eminent botanist and Padmashree awardee K S Manilal, best known for translating the ancient Latin text "Hortus Malabaricus" into English and Malayalam, passed away due to age-related ailments.
• Kattungal Subrahmanyan Manilal, popularly known as K. S. Manilal, was the former head of the Department of Botany at the University of Calicut.
• His decades of contributions to botany, especially his efforts to translate the 17th-century botany treatise Hortus Malabaricus into English and Malayalam, brought him wide recognition.
• Hortus Malabaricus documents the rich flora of the Malabar region (southwestern coast of India).
• The treatise remains an important resource for researchers, academics, and students studying the botanical history of the region.
• Manilal wrote several books and published over 200 research papers, besides introducing several new plant species.
• In 2020, he was honoured with the Padmashree by the Government for his contributions in the field of science.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

6. IIT Madras and Ministry of Agriculture collaborated on Project VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources).

• The initiative intends to enhance the efficiency and efficacy of the agricultural extension sector through digitisation.
• A Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed by the Ministry of Agriculture and IIT Madras to enhance the VISTAAR platform by adding data about start-ups in the agriculture and related industries.
• This will make it easier for farmers and other stakeholders to take use of these start-ups' capabilities and products.
• Information on more than 12,000 start-ups in the agriculture and farming sectors can be found on the startup information platform created by IIT Madras' Centre for Research on Startups and Risk Financing and its incubatee startup, YNOS Venture Engine.
• Through this partnership, farmers will have easy access to this wealth of knowledge.
• Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare's extension services will become more effective.

Topic: Indian Economy

7. With a 3.9% market share in global trade, India is the sixth-largest exporter of textiles and apparel globally.

• Additionally, 8.21% of India's overall exports come from this sector.
• India's textile and apparel exports were USD 21,358 million in the first half of FY 2024–25, a 7% increase from the previous year.
• With an export value of USD 8,733 million, ready-made garments accounted for 41% of the total export categories.
• About 47% of India's total textile exports go to the US and the EU, making them important markets.
• Exports of cotton textiles increased by 1%, ready-made garments by 12%, and man-made textiles by 5% between April and October 2024.
• Wool and handloom goods exports fell 19% and 6%, respectively.
• In FY 2023–24, India imported USD 8,946 million worth of textiles and apparel, a 15% decrease from the previous fiscal year.
• Compared to the same period last year, imports in the first half of FY 2024–25 fell by 1% to USD 5,425 million.
• At USD 1,859 million, or 34% of total imports, man-made textiles continued to be the largest import category. Cotton textile imports increased by 13%.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

8. India’s first ‘Coastline-Waders Bird Census’ has started at Marine National Park and Sanctuary in Jamnagar.

• The Department of Forest and the Bird Conservation Society of Gujarat (BCSG) are jointly organising a three-day census from January 3 to 5.
• BCSG is a voluntary organization for bird conservation, census activities, and observation.
• This census includes feature expert talks by specialists in forestry and wildlife on the first day, bird counting activities on the second day, and knowledge-sharing sessions followed by a closing ceremony on the final day.
• The Marine National Park and Marine Sanctuary in Gujarat is India’s first designated marine national park.
• Jamnagar district hosts over 300 species of local and migratory birds, including more than 50 species of wader birds.
• This protected area in the Gulf of Kutch has been established to conserve marine biodiversity and mangrove ecosystems.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International News

9. Romania and Bulgaria officially became members of the European Union’s border-free Schengen area.

• After scrapping land border controls, Romania and Bulgaria have become full members of the Schengen area.
• The Bulgarian and Romanian interior ministers symbolically removed a barrier on the Danube Bridge.
• Schengen area has now 25 of the 27 EU member states, excluding Cyprus and Ireland.
• It enables the free movement of more than 425 million EU citizens.
• The Schengen zone is the largest area of free movement in the world.
• Both countries have partially joined the Schengen Area in March 2024, but open travel was restricted to those arriving only by air or sea.

Topic: National Appointment

10. Bhuvnesh Kumar took charge as CEO of UIDAI.

• On January 1, 2025, IAS officer Bhuvnesh Kumar took over as the CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which administers Aadhaar.
• Mr. Kumar is Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and will continue to hold the same position after this appointment.
• Mr Kumar replaced Amit Agarwal.
• On December 25, Mr Agarwal was appointed secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers as part of a bureaucratic reshuffle.
• As of January 1, 2025, over 1.41 billion individual residents have been cumulatively enrolled in Aadhaar, and 1.07 billion updates and corrections have been made to the enrolment.
• The number of regular Aadhaar authentications for tasks such as marking attendance in government organizations and collecting rations has exceeded 127 billion.
• Aadhaar has been used for electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) over 21.8 billion times.
• Aadhaar was launched in India in 2009 by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

Topic: State News / Chhattisgarh

11. Chhattisgarh became the first state to link the forest ecosystem to green GDP.

• The state of Chhattisgarh has for the first time launched an innovative scheme that links ecosystem services of its forests to Green Gross Domestic Product (Green GDP).
• These measures were aimed at highlighting the direct link between the vital environmental contributions of forests, such as clean air, water conservation, biodiversity, and the economic progress of the state.
• The action plan is designed to ensure that economic development is achieved while preserving the pristine environment for future generations.
• The new approach assesses the often-overlooked benefits that forests provide, such as regulating climate, enriching soil quality, purifying water, absorbing carbon dioxide, etc.
• These services will now be formally included in the state's economic plan.
• 44% of Chhattisgarh's land area is covered with forests, and the natural resources of the state are the basis of livelihood for millions of people.
• Forest products such as tendu leaves, lac, honey, and medicinal plants contribute significantly to the rural economy, while forests also play an important role in mitigating climate change by absorbing carbon.
• Linking these benefits to Green GDP, Chhattisgarh seeks to improve budget planning and formulate policies that prioritise economic growth and ecological sustainability.

Topic: Indian Economy

12. Vehicle retail sales have risen by 9% in India in 2024.

• Vehicle retail sales have crossed the mark of 26 million units in 2024.
• In 2024, EV sales reached 1.95 million units, up from 1.5 million in 2023.
• EV penetration has also increased to 7.5 per cent, compared with 6.39 per cent in the previous year.
• In the electric two-wheeler (2W) segment, Bajaj Auto's market share increased by 3 per cent to 25 per cent in December 2024.
• Maruti Suzuki India recorded a 30 per cent jump in sales to 1,78,248 units in December 2024.
• Kia India reported a 6 per cent rise in total sales at 2,55,038 units in 2024 as compared to the previous year.
• In 2024, Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL)with 6,05,433 registered the highest-ever yearly domestic sales units.

Topic: International News

13. Russia introduced tourist tax from 1 January 2025.

• The Russian government has introduced a new tourist tax from January 1, 2025, to replace the previous resort fee.
• Now, travellers staying in hotels and other accommodations will have to contribute an additional 1 per cent of their lodging costs.
• This is the start of the plan to bolster regional tourism infrastructure.
• The tax was introduced as part of amendments to the Russian Tax Code in July 2024.
• Under the new plan, the tourist tax will begin at a rate of 1 per cent in 2025 and will be increased to 3 per cent by 2027.
• Many regions, particularly those with established or emerging tourism industries, have already adopted this initiative.
• Russia has also officially dropped export duties on anthracite, coking coal, and thermal coal starting January 1, 2025.