Current Affairs Quiz — 02 January 2025
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Which chess player was named for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024 announced on 2 January 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Gukesh D
PIB (Sports): the Khel Ratna 2024 awardees are Gukesh D (Chess), Harmanpreet Singh (Hockey), Praveen Kumar (Para-Athletics) and Manu Bhaker (Shooting).
Praveen Kumar, one of the four Khel Ratna 2024 awardees, represents which discipline?
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Correct answer: B — Para-Athletics
PIB (Sports): Shri Praveen Kumar was named for the Khel Ratna 2024 in Para-Athletics.
On which date were the National Sports Awards 2024 to be presented by the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan?
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Correct answer: C — 17 January 2025
PIB (Sports): the awardees will receive their awards from the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 17 January 2025 (Friday) at 1100 hours.
Consider the following pairs of Arjuna Award 2024 winners and their disciplines: 1. Jyothi Yarraji — Athletics 2. Abhay Singh — Squash 3. Sajan Prakash — Swimming How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
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Correct answer: D — All three
PIB (Sports): the Arjuna list has Jyothi Yarraji (Athletics), Abhay Singh (Squash) and Sajan Prakash (Swimming), so all three pairs are correct.
Who was sworn in as Governor of Bihar on 2 January 2025?
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Correct answer: C — Arif Mohammed Khan
Raj Bhavan Bihar; The Hindu; Hindustan Times: Arif Mohammed Khan was sworn in as Governor of Bihar on 2 January 2025, succeeding Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
Who administered the oath of office to Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on 2 January 2025?
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Correct answer: D — Patna High Court Chief Justice K. Vinod Chandran
The Hindu; Hindustan Times: Patna High Court Chief Justice K. Vinod Chandran administered the oath at Raj Bhavan.
Who headed the Selection Committee for the National Sports Awards 2024?
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Correct answer: D — Justice (Retd.) V. Ramasubramanian
PIB (Sports): the applications were considered by the Selection Committee headed by Justice (Retd.) V. Ramasubramanian, Supreme Court of India.
Consider the following statements about the National Sports Awards 2024: 1. Murlikant Rajaram Petkar received the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) in para-swimming. 2. Armando Agnelo Colaco received the Dronacharya Award in the lifetime category for football. 3. The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar was given to a State sports department. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 and 2 only
PIB (Sports): Petkar — Arjuna (Lifetime), Para-Swimming; Colaco — Dronacharya (Lifetime), Football; the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar went to the Physical Education Foundation of India, so statement 3 is wrong.
What change did the NSO make in the sample design of surveys starting January 2025?
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Correct answer: A — The district was made the basic stratum for sample selection
PIB (MoSPI): as an enabling provision for district-level estimates, NSO modified the sample design with the district as a basic stratum for all surveys starting January 2025.
Which subject is covered by the NSS 80th Round's Social Consumption survey running from January to December 2025?
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Correct answer: B — Health
PIB (MoSPI): NSS 80th Round — Survey on Social Consumption: Health (Jan to December 2025); Education is part of the Comprehensive Modular Survey (April–June 2025).
Consider the following statements about the surveys starting January 2025: 1. PLFS will provide monthly estimates of key labour force indicators at the all-India level. 2. District-level estimates are to be produced by the respective State governments. 3. ASUSE will continue to give only annual estimates. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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Correct answer: C — 1 and 2 only
PIB (MoSPI): PLFS will give monthly all-India estimates and States will produce district-level estimates; ASUSE will now give quarterly estimates along with annual ones, so statement 3 is wrong.
Who was sworn in as Governor of Kerala on 2 January 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
Kerala Gazette; The Hindu; Indian Express: Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar entered upon the office of Governor of Kerala on 2 January 2025, succeeding Arif Mohammed Khan.
Before becoming Governor of Kerala in January 2025, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was Governor of which State?
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Correct answer: B — Bihar
The Hindu; Indian Express: Arlekar, until recently Governor of Bihar, replaced Arif Mohammed Khan, who was transferred to Bihar.
To which new base year is the Wholesale Price Index proposed to be revised by the Working Group constituted in January 2025?
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Correct answer: B — 2022-23
PIB (Commerce): the Working Group is for base revision of WPI from base 2011-12 to 2022-23.
Who chairs the Working Group constituted for revising the base of the Wholesale Price Index?
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Correct answer: C — Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog
PIB (Commerce): Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog, is the Chairman of the Working Group.
Consider the following statements about the WPI base-revision Working Group: 1. Its terms of reference include recommending a roadmap for switching over from WPI to a Producer Price Index (PPI). 2. A Deputy Director General of DPIIT is its Member Secretary. 3. It is chaired by the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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Correct answer: D — 1 and 2 only
PIB (Commerce): the ToR include a roadmap for switch over from WPI to PPI and the DDG, DPIIT is Member Secretary; the Chairman is Prof. Ramesh Chand of NITI Aayog, while RBI only sends a representative.
Which hormone did INST Mohali researchers nano-formulate as a potential therapy for Parkinson's disease?
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Correct answer: B — Melatonin
PIB (S&T): scientists proved that a nano-formulation of melatonin, the hormone produced in response to darkness, could be a potential therapeutic solution for Parkinson's disease.
Which nanocarrier did the INST Mohali team use to deliver melatonin to the brain?
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Correct answer: C — Human serum albumin
PIB (S&T): the team used a biocompatible protein (human serum albumin, HSA) nanocarrier for delivery of melatonin to the brain.
Consider the following statements about the nano-melatonin study: 1. Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland. 2. The nano-melatonin induced mitophagy through upregulation of the epigenetic regulator BMI1. 3. The study was carried out at an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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Correct answer: D — 1, 2 and 3
PIB (S&T): melatonin is a neurohormone secreted from the pineal gland; mitophagy was induced through upregulation of BMI1; INST Mohali is an autonomous institute of DST.
How many help desks did DoT set up across the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 area for citizen-centric telecom services?
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Correct answer: A — 53
PIB (Communications): 53 help desks have been set up across the Mela area; 78 is the number of transportable towers and 150 the number of small cells.
Which facility did DoT install at the Maha Kumbh 2025 to send emergency alerts and disaster warnings?
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Correct answer: B — Cell Broadcast Alert facility
PIB (Communications): a Cell Broadcast Alert facility has been installed to send emergency alerts, disaster warnings and general public awareness messages.
What was the record monthly coal production from captive and commercial mines in December 2024?
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Correct answer: D — 18.40 MT
PIB (Coal): December 2024 witnessed the highest ever monthly production from captive and commercial mines, with 18.40 MT.
By what percentage did coal production from captive and commercial mines grow during April–December 2024 over the same period of the previous year?
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Correct answer: A — 34.20%
PIB (Coal): production between 1 April and 31 December 2024 reached 131.05 MT, a 34.20% increase from 97.665 MT; 30.75% is the rise in December's daily average.
How much immediate relief assistance did India announce for Vanuatu on 2 January 2025?
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Correct answer: A — USD 500,000
MEA: the Government of India extends a relief assistance of USD 500,000 to support relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in Vanuatu.
Under which forum did MEA describe Vanuatu as India's close friend and partner while announcing the earthquake aid?
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Correct answer: B — Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation
MEA: India extended the assistance as a close friend and partner under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC).
How many Indian fishermen were to be repatriated by Bangladesh under the mutual release announced on 2 January 2025?
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Correct answer: C — 95
MEA: 95 Indian fishermen were handed over by Bangladesh authorities to the Bangladesh Coast Guard for handing over to the Indian Coast Guard on 5 January 2025; 90 Bangladeshi fishermen were to be released by India.
Where was the India–Bangladesh fishermen exchange of January 2025 to be concluded?
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Correct answer: D — At sea between the two Coast Guards
MEA: the mutual release and repatriation operation will be concluded at sea between the respective Coast Guard authorities.