CURRENT AFFAIRS – 01-02-2025

POCKET INFO

1. The International Pashmina Festival has been organized in the

country of Nepal. The festival is being attended by artisans, traders
and buyers associated with the Pashmina industry.

2. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukku has

approved the Goodwill Legacy Affairs Resolution Plan 2025. The
scheme aims to settle 3500 cases and generate a revenue of Rs.10
Crore.

3. The Government of India has approved the National Critical

Minerals Mission for 2024-25 to 2030-31 (7 years). The aim is a
encourage exploration of these minerals within India.

4. The 11th session of the India-Oman Joint Commission Meeting

was held in Oman’s capital Muscat. Piyush Goyal attended the
meeting on behalf of India.

5. US President Donald Trump has announced the creation of a

30,000-capacity migrant detention center at the US Naval Base at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

6. Goa Chief Minister Pramad Sawant has inaugurated the 10th India
Sci-Fi Science Film Festival in Panaji on 29 January 2025.
7. ‘LapataLadies’ has been selected for the Best International
Category at the Japan Academy Film Awards 2024.

8. India has officially joined the Medium Altitude Long Endurance

Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (MALE RPAS) or Eurodrone
programme as an observer.

9. The 86th Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis

Championship 2025 has been organized at Pandit Deendayal
Upadhyaya Indoor Stadium in Surat, Gujrat.

10. American long jumper Greg Bell has died at the age of 94. Greg
Bell was the oldest Olympic gold medalist in athletics.

List of Nicknames of Indian Cities

Name of Cities Nicknames
Manchester of South India / Pump
Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu)
City of India
Darjeeling (West Bengal) Queen of the Hills

Dehradun (Uttrakhand) Indian City of Love

Dhanbad (Jharkhand) Coal Capital of India

 QUIZ
1. Rishi Dhawan has announced his retirement recently. He is related to
which sport?
A. Football
B. Kho Kho
C. Hockey
D. Cricket

Ans – D

Exp –
 Rishi Dhawan announces retirement from Indian limited-overs
cricket.
 Allrounder Rishi Dhawan has announced his retirement from
Indian limited-overs cricket. Dhawan’s announcement comes after
the final day of the Vijay Hazare Trophy’s group stage phase with
Himachal Pradesh not making it to the next stage.
 However, Dhawan’s retirement announcement on his social media
handle has specifically mentioned limited overs cricket, which
suggests he will be available to play for Himachal in the remainder
of the Ranji season.
 The 34-year-old has represented India four times at the
international level, with all four outings coming in the year 2016.
He has also been a part of Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings and
Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL previously but went unsold in the
recent auctions.

2. Which organization has developed the technology to produce

Paracetamol indigenously in India?
A. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
B. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
C. National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)
D. Department of Biotechnology (DBT)

Ans – B

Exp –
 CSIR develops Paracetamol drugs indigenously.
  Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has
developed the technology to produce Paracetamol indigenously.
 This was announced by Dr. Jitendra Singh at the 40th Foundation
Day of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
(DSIR) in New Delhi on 5 January 2025.
 The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is a part of
the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.
 The Director General of the CSIR is the Secretary of the DSIR.
The current Secretary of DSIR Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, and Professor
A.K. Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the government of India
were also present on the occasion.

3. Who has been elected as the new President of the Athletics Federation of
India (AFI) in 2025?
A. Milkha Singh
B. Adille Sumariwalla
C. Neeraj Chopra
D. Bahadur Singh Sagoo

Ans – D

Exp –
 Bahadur Singh Sagoo elected as President of Athletics Federation
of India.
 Asian Games gold medallist Bahadur Singh Sagoo elected as the
new President of Athletics Federation of India (AFI).
 The Asian Games shot put medallist succeeded Adille
Sumariwalla, the outgoing president, during the Annual General
Assembly Meeting of the federation in Chandigarh.
 With Sagoo’s arrival, Sumariwalla’s tenure as AFI president,
which lasted more than a decade, comes to an end. The 67-year-old
had been serving as the AFI president since 2012.
 Sagoo, a one-time Asian medallist and two-time national
champion, won a gold medal in the shot put at the 2002 Busan
Asian Games. He also competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics.
His best attempt of 20.40m came in 2004 in Koncha-Zaspa, Kyiv.
4. Where has the Central Government approved the establishment of a
memorial dedicated to former President Pranab Mukherjee?
A. India Gate
B. Rashtrapati Bhavan
C. Rashtriya Smriti Complex
D. Parliament House

Ans – C

Exp –
 Centre approves site for Pranab Mukherjee’s memorial at Raj Ghat.
 The Central Government has approved the establishment of a
memorial dedicated to former President Pranab Mukherjee in the
Rashtriya Smriti complex, situated in the Rajghat area of New
Delhi.
 Pranab Mukherjee, who served as the 13th President of India from
2012 to 2017, had a political career spanning five decades. A
senior leader of the Indian National Congress, he held key
ministerial portfolios, including Finance Minister from 2009 to
2012, before his election as President.
 Mukherjee was conferred with India’s highest civilian honour, the
Bharat Ratna, in 2019 by his successor, President Ram Nath
Kovind.

5. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has

launched a new scheme to provide cashless treatment to road accident
victims. What is the maximum financial assistance provided under the
new cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims?
A. Rs. 1 lakh
B. Rs. 1.5 lakh
C. Rs. 2 lakh
D. Rs. 75,000

Ans – B

Exp –
 Nitin Gadkari announces cashless treatment scheme for road
accident victims.
  Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has
launched a new scheme to provide cashless treatment to road
accident victims.
 Once the police are informed within 24 hours of the accident, the
scheme will immediately provide for the victim’s cost of treatment
for 7 days or a maximum of Rs. 1.5 lakh.
 In case of death in a hit-and-run case, the immediate family of the
deceased person will receive Rs. 2 lakh.
 Gadkari also highlighted road safety as a top priority. In 2024, 1.8
lakh people lost their lives in road accidents across India. Among
these, around 30,000 deaths were due to the non-use of helmets.

6. In January 2024, the e-Shram portal has been upgraded in how many
languages?
A. 5
B. 6
C. 12
D. 22

Ans – D

Exp –
 e-Shram portal now available in 22 languages.
 The e-Shram portal has been upgraded and it will now be available
in all 22 scheduled languages so that unorganised workers from
different regions of the country can access it and avail of
government benefits.
 The previous version was available only in English, Hindi,
Kannada and Marathi.
 Union Minister of Labour and Employment Dr. Mansukh
Mandaviya has launched the multilingual e-Shram portal which is
in line with the vision of making it a ‘One-Stop-Solution’ website
for all unorganised registered workers to avail benefits of various
government schemes designed to support their welfare, livelihood
and well-being.

7. On which date is Earth’s Rotation Day observed every year?

A. January 5
 B. January 6
C. January 8
D. January 9

Ans – C

Exp –
 Earth’s Rotation Day is observed every year on January 8.
 The day encourages awareness about the Earth’s 24-hour rotational
period, which forms the basis for the concept of time and the
division of hours, minutes, and seconds.
 The Earth’s Rotation Day celebrates the anniversary of French
physicist Leon Foucault’s 1851 proof that the Earth rotates on its
axis. The day also honours Foucault’s first public demonstration in
Paris.
 The Earth’s diameter is 12,714 kilometres (7,900 miles) from the
North toward the South Poles and 12,756 kilometres (12,756 miles)
via the equator (7,926 miles).

8. Which Small Finance Bank has launched a comprehensive solution

“Liquid Plus” Fixed Deposit with attractive interest rate of 6.75% p.a. for
tenures ranging from 7 to 180 days?
A. AU Small Finance Bank Limited
B. Capital Small Finance Bank Limited
C. Suryoday Small Finance Bank
D. Jana Small Finance Bank

Ans – D

Exp –
 Jana SFB introduces “Liquid Plus Fixed Deposit”: A
Comprehensive Solution to Manage Short Term Liquidity Needs.
 Jana Small Finance Bank, one of India’s leading small finance
banks, has launched a comprehensive solution “Liquid Plus” Fixed
Deposit with attractive interest rate of 6.75% p.a. for tenures
ranging from 7 to 180 days.
 The rate is applicable for the minimum deposit amount of INR 10
Lakhs for retail deposits up to INR 3 Crores and above INR 3
Crores to INR 200 Crores for bulk deposits per customer.
  The liquid plus fixed deposit makes short term deployment of funds
extremely easy and attractive with higher returns. The Bank has
taken this step based on the feedback from customers seeking
placement of short-term funds.

9. In September 2024, Which insurance company formed a strategic

agreement with BLS E-Services to provide vital insurance products to a
wider spectrum of customers across India?
A. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance
B. Bharti AXA General Insurance
C. SBI General Insurance
D. Royal Sundaram General Insurance

Ans – C

Exp –
 SBI General Insurance joins hand with BLS E-Services to
Streamline Access to Insurance Across India.
 BLS E-Services has tied up with SBI General Insurance to offer a
range of insurance products directly to customers across India.
 This tie up is aimed at broadening access to key insurance
offerings, such as ‘Hospicash’, vehicle insurance, personal accident
insurance, and shop insurance, leveraging BLS’s extensive
network.
 This collaboration represents a pivotal moment in our journey
towards financial inclusion. By bringing insurance products, we are
not just facilitating transactions – we are empowering individuals
and businesses also to secure their futures with confidence.

10. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the reappointment of V.
Vaidyanathan as MD and CEO of IDFC First Bank for how many years?
A. one year
B. two years
C. three years
D. 3 months

Ans – C
Exp –
 RBI approves re-appointment of V. Vaidyanathan as IDFC First
Bank MD & CEO.
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment
of V. Vaidyanathan as MD and CEO of IDFC First Bank for a
period of three years effective from December 19, 2024, to
December 18, 2027.
 The bank’s board had initially approved the re-appointment on
April 27, 2024, before Vaidyanathan’s current term expires in
December 2024.
 Previously, he worked with Citibank from 1990 to 2000 and joined
ICICI Bank in 2000, where he set up its Retail Banking division.
He also served as the MD and CEO of ICICI Prudential Life
Insurance in 2009.
 Vaidyanathan took over as MD and CEO of IDFC First Bank in
December 2018, following the merger of IDFC Bank and Capital
First.