Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant inaugurated the 10th Sci-Fi Science Film Festival of India in Panaji on January 29, 2025.

• The festival is organized by Vidnyan Parishad Goa with support from the Goa Science Council and the Goa Science and Technology Department.
• This year’s theme, “Green Revolution,”honors  M.S. Swaminathan, the father of India’s Green Revolution, and emphasizes the path to a sustainable future.
• The four-day event aims to foster curiosity, enthusiasm, and a scientific temperament among students and young minds.
• The festival was conceptualized by the late Manohar Bhai Parrikar and Jayantrao Sahasrabuddhe, reflecting their commitment to science and innovation.

World Wetlands Day is observed every year on 2nd February to raise awareness about the importance of wetlands.

• This day marks the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on 2nd February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.
• Theme for 2025: “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future”.
• India has 85 Ramsar sites as of December 2024.
• Tamil Nadu has the most Ramsar sites (16), followed by Uttar Pradesh (10).
• First Ramsar sites in India: Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan).

Recently, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), set up its 6th new regional office in Varanasi.
Earlier, IWAI had five regional offices in Guwahati, Patna, Kochi, Bhubaneswar & Kolkata.

• IWAI is a statutory body established under the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act (1985), functioning under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
• It is responsible for the development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation in India.
• The authority undertakes projects for the development and maintenance of IWT infrastructure on national waterways using grants from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.

The Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) for 2023-24, conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), provides key insights into India’s consumption patterns.

Key Findings:

Average Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE):

• Rural Areas:₹4,122
• Urban Areas:₹6,996
• These figures exclude the value of items received free through social welfare programs.

Impact of Social Welfare Programs:

• Including the imputed values of free items, the MPCE increases to:
  • Rural Areas:₹4,247
  • Urban Areas:₹7,078

Urban-Rural Consumption Gap:

• The urban-rural MPCE gap has decreased to 70% in 2023-24, down from 84% in 2011-12, indicating a convergence in consumption patterns.

Consumption Inequality:

• The Gini coefficient, a measure of inequality, has declined:
  • Rural Areas: from 0.252 in 2022-23 to 237 in 2023-24
  • Urban Areas:from 0.314 in 2022-23 to 284 in 2023-24

Expenditure Composition:

• Rural Areas:Non-food items constitute 96% of MPCE.
• Urban Areas:Non-food items constitute 32% of MPCE.
• This shift from staple foods to non-food expenditures reflects changing consumption habits.

State-wise MPCE:

• Highest:Sikkim
  • Rural:₹9,377
  • Urban:₹13,927
• Lowest:Chhattisgarh
  • Rural:₹2,739
  • Urban:₹4,927

The Government of India has launched the National Strategic Plan (NSP) and Roadmap for Leprosy (2023-2027) with the goal of achieving zero transmission of leprosy by 2027

• The National Strategic Plan (NSP) and Roadmap for Leprosy (2023-2027)aims to achieve zero transmission by 2027, three years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goal target.
• The plan focuses on early detection, awareness, and prevention strategies to stop the spread of leprosy.
• India accounts for over half of the global leprosy cases, despite significant progress in disease control.
• Leprosy remains prevalent in five states: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Odisha.
• The Union Health Ministry is implementing a targeted approach after having achieved elimination as a public health problem in 2005.
• A new three-drug regimen(dapsone, rifampicin, and clofazimine) has been introduced to halt transmission by 2027.
• Globally, leprosy affects over 120 countries, with around 200,000 new cases reported annually.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force has been selected as the pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

• The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than April 2025 from Florida.
• Shukla will be the first Indian astronaut to pilot a mission to the ISS, marking a significant milestone in India’s space exploration.
• The Ax-4 mission crew includes veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, Polish astronaut Sławosz Uznański, and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu.
• Shukla is an experienced test pilot with nearly 2,000 hours of flying time on aircraft like the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, and Dornier 228.
• He is also one of the four astronaut-designates selected for India’s Gaganyaan mission, the country’s first human spaceflight program.
• The Ax-4 mission aligns with NASA’s goal of transitioning low Earth orbit operations to commercial ventures while focusing on deep space missions like Artemis to the Moon and Mars.

The Gujarat Biodiversity Board has designated a 32.78-hectare area in Guneri village, Lakhpat taluka, Kutch district, as the state’s first Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS).

• Named ‘Inland Mangrove Guneri,’ this site features a unique ecosystem where mangroves thrive on flat terrain without tidal water inflow, an ecological phenomenon rarely seen worldwide.
• This declaration aims to protect the rare non-tidal mangrove ecosystem and represents a significant step in Gujarat’s commitment to biodiversity conservation.

As part of the Navika Sagar Parikrama II mission, Indian Navy officers Lieutenant Commander Dilna K. and Lieutenant Commander Roopa A., aboard the sailing vessel INSV Tarini, successfully navigated through Point Nemo, the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility.

• Point Nemo, also known as the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility, is the location in the ocean that is farthest from any landmass.
• It is situated in the South Pacific Ocean, approximately 2,688 kilometers (1,670 miles) from the nearest land.

• The Indian Coast Guard celebrates its Raising Day on February 1st every year.
• It was officially established on February 1, 1977, under the Coast Guard Act, 1978.
• It ensures the security of India’s maritime zones by preventing smuggling, piracy, and illegal activities.
• It conducts search and rescue missions to assist vessels and individuals in distress at sea.
• It enforces maritime laws to prevent pollution and protect marine ecology.

The Union Budget of India is presented annually on February 1st by the Finance Minister.

• It outlines the government’s revenue and expenditure plans for the upcoming financial year.
• Since 2017, the budget is presented on February 1stto allow for implementation before the new financial year starts in April.
• Historically, the budget was presented on the last working day of February, but this was changed for better legislative approval.
• Article 112of the Indian Constitution mandates the presentation of the Union Budget.
• Article 113requires the Finance Minister to present the budget in Parliament.
• Article 114outlines the procedure for presentation and approval of the budget.