Guinea has successfully eliminated the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, becoming the first country to do so.

• This milestone was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO)on January 29, 2025, ahead of Neglected Tropical Diseases Day observed on January 30.
• Sleeping sickness is transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly and has two stages:

• The hemolymphatic stage involves symptoms like fever, headaches, joint pain, and itching.
• The neurological stage leads to confusion, sleep disturbances, and other severe neurological symptoms

• Other countries, including Togo, Benin, Uganda, and Equatorial Guinea, have also made progress toward eliminating this disease.

On January 29, 2025, a tragic stampede occurred at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, leading to at least 30 fatalities and over 60 injuries.

• The stampede was caused by overcrowding as millions of devotees gathered for the ritual bath at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers.
• A three-member panel was set up by the Uttar Pradesh government under Clause 3 of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952 to investigate the incident.
• The commission members include Justice Harsh Kumar(retired High Court judge), K. Singh (retired IAS officer), and V.K. Gupta (former DGP).
• The Maha Kumbh Mela is a major Hindu pilgrimage that occurs every 12 years at four locations: Allahabad (Prayagraj), Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik.
• The 2025 festival was a Maha (Great) Kumbh Mela, which occurs only every 144 years.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah released the book “Indian Renaissance: The Modi Decade” on January 30, 2025, at the NDMC Convention Center in New Delhi.

• The anthology, edited by  Aishwarya Pandit, is published by Westland Non-Fiction.
• It features contributions from 27 distinguished authors, exploring political, economic, social, and cultural transformations in India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure from 2014 to 2024.

Indian Railways launched the ‘SwaRail’ SuperApp on January 31, 2025, for beta testing.

• The app aims to provide a one-stop solution for railway services, eliminating the need for multiple applications.
• The app offers ticket booking (reserved/unreserved), PNR inquiries, train schedules, platform and parcel bookings, and grievance redressal (Rail Madad).
• Single Sign-On feature allows users to access all services with one login.
• Secure authentication through m-PIN and biometric login ensures user safety.
• The app is designed with a user-friendly interface for seamless navigation.
• Currently available to 1,000 users for testing, with feedback being used for improvements before a full rollout.

The first Raisina Middle East Conference was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on 28-29 January 2025.

• India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, was the chief guest at the conference.
• The event was co-hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and ORF Middle East, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UAE, and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
• The conference aimed to strengthen India-UAE relations, discuss regional and global geopolitical and geoeconomic issues, enhance trade, investment, and strategic partnerships, and promote regional integration with the global economy.
• Discussions focused on trade and connectivity, finance and investment, technology and innovation, geopolitics and security, energy, and green imperatives.

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.