Daily Current Affairs Quiz: January 23, 2025

Answer: B

Celebrated annually on 24 January to raise awareness about the rights and issues of girl children in India.

• Aims to address gender-based inequalities and promote gender equality.
• Focuses on improving education, nutrition, legal rights, healthcare, and safetyfor girls.
• Highlights the importance of eliminating practices like female infanticide, child marriage, and gender discrimination.
• Initiated by the Ministry of Women and Child Developmentin 2008.

Answer: C

Observed annually on 24 January to promote inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all.

• Established by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)in 2018.
• Focuses on the role of education in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education).
• Encourages transformative actions to address global education challenges like accessibility and inequality.

Answer: B

The 2025 Chilika Lake Bird Census recorded 1,127,228 birds from 196 species, including 1,087,226 migratory birds from 109 species and 40,002 resident birds from 87 species.

• There was a slight decline in the number of visiting birds compared to previous years, but the variety of species increased.
• Experts attribute the decline to factors like climate change and changing water levels.
• Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, spans 1,165 square kilometers and serves as a crucial wintering ground for migratory birds.
• Located on the eastern coast of India, it spans across the Khurda, Ganjam, and Gajapati districts in Odisha.
• The lake is a hotspot for biodiversity, home to over 200 species of birds, including migratory species.
• It is a critical wintering ground for birds migrating along the East Asia-Australasia Flyway.
• The lake was designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 1981.

Answer: D

ISRO successfully demonstrated the restart capability of the Vikas liquid engine on January 17, 2025, at the Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri.

• This is a step toward developing reusable launch vehicle technologies to reduce space mission costs.
• The Vikas engine is designed by ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC).
• It powers the PSLV (second stage), GSLV Mark I/II (boosters and second stage), and LVM3/GSLV Mk-III (core stage).
• It uses UDMH (fuel) and N₂O₄ (oxidizer) as a hypergolic combination.
• PSLV is India’s first launch vehicle with liquid stages and is a four-stage vehicle with multi-orbit capability.
• Restart capability enables precise satellite placement and stage recovery, aligning with ISRO’s goals for cost-effective missions.

Answer: B

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order for the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO and suspended all foreign aid for 90 days.

• The U.S. cited mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of independence, and financial disparities as reasons for leaving the WHO.
• The U.S. contributed around $1.3 billion to the WHO from 2020 to 2023, accounting for 15% of its funding.
• The withdrawal requires a 12-month notice period and could reduce U.S. influence in global health policies.
• The 90-day suspension of foreign aid aims to reassess its alignment with U.S. foreign policy objectives.
• WHO, established in 1948, is a specialized UN agency responsible for international public health.
• Its headquarters is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

Answer: C

China has completed the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world’s longest expressway tunnel, spanning 22.13 kilometers.

• Construction began in April 2020 and was completed in December 2024.
• The tunnel is part of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, connecting Urumqi in northern Xinjiang to Yuli County in the south.
• Once operational, it will reduce travel time through the Tianshan Mountains from approximately three hours to about 20 minutes.

Answer: A

Nigeria was admitted as a partner country to the BRICS bloc, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.

• BRICS, established in 2009, originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010.
• In 2024, BRICS expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as full members.
• The three pillars of BRICS cooperation are:

1. Political and Security
2. Economic and Financial
3. Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges

• BRICS nations represent approximately 40% of the global population and an estimated 37.3% of global GDP.
• India has hosted the BRICS Summit three times: in 2012 (4th Summit), 2016 (8th Summit), and 2021 (13th Summit).

Answer: D

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated its 20th Raising Day on January 19, 2025.

• Established in 2006 under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the NDRF specializes in responding to natural and man-made disasters.
• The NDRF operates under the general superintendence, direction, and control of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
• Its primary function is to conduct rescue and relief operations during calamities such as landslides and floods.
• The NDRF comprises 16 battalions drawn from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), including the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and Assam Rifles.