Daily & Latest Current Affairs in 2025

Correct Answer :   China

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Breathtaking patterns of giant trees appeared on the frozen Qiantang River in east China's Zhejiang Province amid a continuing cold wave.

About Qiantang River :

* It is a southeast Chinese River that originates on the borders of Anhui and Jiangxi provinces.

* It runs for 459 kilometers through Zhejiang, passing through the capital city - Hangzhou and Yanguan Town, Haining, Jiaxing City before flowing into the East China Sea via Hangzhou Bay.

* The river is also the southern terminal of the ancient Grand Canal that links five major rivers in China from north to south, enabling traffic north to Beijing from Hangzhou via the Canal.

* It is encircled by a group of economically booming cities, including Shanghai, the leading industrial and commercial hub of the country, and Ningbo, one of China's leading port cities.

* The spectacular Qiantang River Tidal Bore is known as one of the largest tidal bores in the world. The highest tidal bore can reach up to 9 meters (30 feet) high..

Source : CGTN

Correct Answer :   Deepika Padukone

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* TECNO has announced Deepika Padukone as its brand ambassador.

* As the brand ambassador, Deepika will take centre stage, representing TECNO across the board and strengthening their vision of making innovative and stylish tech accessible to everyone.

* Commenting on the new collaboration, Deepika Padukone, said: “I’m excited to join TECNO, a brand synonymous with innovation and stylish smartphones. TECNO's lifestyle-tailored approach seamlessly blends innovation, style, design, and accessibility, resonating with the spirit of the new generation. I look forward to this partnership and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.”

* Speaking about the recently formed partnership, Arijeet Talapatra, CEO, TECNO Mobile, said, "We are thrilled to announce Deepika Padukone as TECNO's brand ambassador. Deepika's charisma, coupled with TECNO's innovation focus, creates a powerful synergy that will strengthen our brand perception and resonate with younger audiences. Beyond being a smartphone brand, TECNO aspires to be a lifestyle companion. We anticipate the association will enhance our brand image and engage a diverse audience, fostering our pursuit of excellence and 'Stop at Nothing' brand philosophy. With Deepika, we look forward to a year of ground-breaking launches, captivating campaigns, and a partnership reflecting the essence of TECNO – where technology meets style to redefine the smartphone experience.”..

Source : Exchange4media

Correct Answer :   Odisha

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Forest department personnel in Odisha recently arrested four poachers and two timber smugglers from Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district during patrolling.

About Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) :

Location :

* STR is located within the Mayurbhanj District, in the northernmost part of Odisha.

* It was declared a 'Tiger Reserve' in 1956 and included under the national conservation programme 'Project Tiger' in 1973.

* It is surrounded by high plateaus and hills, the highest peak being the twin peaks of Khairiburu and Meghashini (1515m above mean sea level).

* The STR, along with a 'transitional area' of 2250 sq. km, was included as a part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO in 2009.


Terrain :

* The terrain is mostly undulating and hilly, interspersed with open grasslands and wooded areas.

* The inclined plateau has risen abruptly from the low coastal plains. The steep side faces the Bay of Bengal and runs northwards to finally merge with Chhota Nagpur.

* The water level is high, and the tract is woven with perennial water sources converging into rivers like Budhabalanga, Salandi, and many tributaries of the Baitarani River flowing from the Reserve.

Vegetation :

* It is a mix of different forest types and habitats, with Northern tropical moist deciduous dominating some semi-evergreen patches.

* It is the only landscape in the world that is home to melanistic tigers.

* The region around STR is home to a variety of tribes, including Kolha, Santhala, Bhumija, Bhatudi, Gondas, Khadia, Mankadia, and Sahara.


Flora :

* An astounding 1078 species of plants, including 94 species of orchids, are found here.

* Sal is the dominant tree species here.

* Fauna: Leopard, Gaur, Elephant, Langur, Barking and Spotted Deer, Sloth Bear Mongoose, Flying Squirrel, Porcupine, Turtle, Monitor Lizard, Python, Sambar, Pangolin etc.

Correct Answer :   Uttar Pradesh

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Marking the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated UP’s first intra-district helicopter service from Bateshwar in Agra to Goverdhan in Mathura.

Based on the private-public partnership (PPP), the helicopter service is to be run by a private player from Uttrakhand. A helicopter service will cover a distance of 65 km between Agra city and Mathura.

“The chief minister inaugurated the first helicopter service today, marking the beginning of the helicopter service from one district to another in the state,” said Avinash Chandra Mishra, Joint Director of the Uttar Pradesh Tourism department.

During the ceremony, UP CM Yogi Adityanath also unveiled a statue of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary in his native village Bateshwar in Agra district.

UP CM also laid the foundation stone of projects worth ₹100 crore, which are aimed at bringing new life to Bateshwar, a historical village located amid the ravines of Chambal across the borders of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh..

Source : Financial Express

Correct Answer :   Maharashtra

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Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar is scheduled to release a special postal cover commemorating the 100th anniversary of the late Justice Konda Madhav Reddy, Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai High Courts and former Governor of Maharashtra, on 27th December 2023. The event will be held at the AV College in Gagan Mahal.

The event, hosted by the Justice Konda Madhav Reddy Foundation, will be presided over by the Governor D. Tamilisai Soundararajan. The guests include Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court Alok Aradhe; former judge of the Supreme Court of India Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, Chief Postmaster General, Telangana Circle, P.V.S. Reddy and chairman of Apollo Hospitals group Dr Prathap C. Reddy..

Source : Deccan Chronicle

Correct Answer :   Angola

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The south-western African country Angola has decided to withdraw from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) with effect from January 1, 2024.

Angola became a member of OPEC in 2007. Earlier, Ecuador in 2020 and Qatar in 2019 had left this organization.

OPEC, an organization of permanent petroleum exporting countries, was established in Baghdad in 1960. Its headquarters is in Vienna, Austria. 

Correct Answer :   Rs.13,000 crore

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The objective of the PM Vishwakarma Scheme is to enable / provide support to artisans and craftspeople who work with their hands, using tools, in the 18 trades covered through:

* the recognition of artisans and craftspeople as Vishwakarma, making them eligible to avail all the benefits under the Scheme;
* skill upgradation to hone their skills and make relevant and suitable training opportunities available to them;
* support for better and modern tools to enhance their capability, productivity, and quality of products and services;
* providing the beneficiaries an easy access to collateral free credit and reduced cost of credit through interest subvention;
* incentives for digital transactions to encourage digital empowerment of Vishwakarmas; and
* a platform for brand promotion and market linkages to help them access new opportunities for growth.

The financial outlay for the scheme from FY 2023-2024 to FY 2027-28 is Rs.13,000 crore.  Year wise funds allocation is given below:

As per guidelines of the PM Vishwakarma scheme, the eligibility criteria for availing the benefits of the PM Vishwakarma Scheme are as under;

* An artisan or craftsperson working with hands and tools and engaged in one of the 18 family-based traditional trades, in the unorganised sector, on self-employment basis, shall be eligible for registration.

* The minimum age of the beneficiary should be 18 years on the date of registration.

* The beneficiary should be engaged in the trade concerned on the date of registration.

* The beneficiary should not have availed loans under similar credit-based schemes of Central Government or State Government for self-employment/business development e.g. PMEGP, MUDRA and PM SVANidhi in the past 5 years. However, beneficiaries of MUDRA and PM SVANidhi who have fully repaid their loan will be eligible under PM Vishwakarma.

* The registration and benefits under the Scheme shall be restricted to one member of the family. For availing benefits under the Scheme, a ‘family’ is defined as consisting of the husband, wife and unmarried children.

* A person in government service and her/his family members shall not be eligible under the Scheme.

* As on 18.12.2023, as per PM Vishwakarma Portal, 57,815 applications have been registered for availing the benefits of the PM Vishwakarma Scheme.


As informed by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 177 candidates have completed the Basic training and 133 candidates have been assessed and certified as on 17.12.2023. The payment of stipend to the Basic Training certified Vishwakarmas is currently under process in Public Finance Management System (PFMS).  State-wise details of Trained and Assessed/Certified candidates are given at Annexure.


Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

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The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways recently said 1467 projects of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have been brought under the Bhoomi Rashi Portal.

About the Bhoomi Rashi Portal :

* It is an e-Governance initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

* The portal intends to expedite the process of land acquisition for National Highways.

* It acts as a single-point platform for the online processing of land acquisition notifications to accelerate highway infrastructure development projects in India.

* This portal would enhance the efficiency of the land acquisition process, ensure transparency and accountability, and result in the e-transfer of benefits directly to the accounts of the beneficiaries.

Features :

* The portal has been integrated with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) of the Ministry of Finance for depositing compensation in the accounts of affected/ interested persons on a real-time basis.

Correct Answer :   IndiGo

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In a first, India’s largest airline IndiGo on Monday (18 December 2023) announced that it had made history by “becoming the first Indian airline to carry 100 million passengers in a single calendar year.”

This remarkable milestone solidifies IndiGo’s position in the aviation industry and underscores its significant contribution to air travel in the country. With this development IndiGo has joined a select group of carriers globally.

“In CY (calendar year) 2022, the airline welcomed 78 million passengers on board (slightly above pre Covid-19 levels). IndiGo recently achieved another first for India, by becoming the first airline to operate more than 2,000 flights a day. Today, IndiGo operates to 118 destinations, including 32 international destinations,” the airline said in a statement.

* The airline had previously welcomed 78 million passengers onboard in the calendar year 2022, slightly surpassing pre-COVID-19 levels.


2,000 daily scheduled flights :

* In addition to this significant passenger milestone, IndiGo recently set another record for India by becoming the first airline to operate more than 2,000 flights a day.

* Presently, the airline serves 118 destinations, including 32 international destinations, reflecting its widespread operational reach, as mentioned in a statement released by IndiGo.

IndiGo’s commanding market presence :

* As of November, IndiGo maintained a dominant position in the domestic aviation market, boasting a robust market share of 61.8%, a staggering six times more than its closest competitor, Air India. In the international segment, IndiGo continued to assert its influence with a significant market share of 18.5% during July-September, solidifying its standing among all international airlines operating flights to and from India.



IndiGo’s expansion plans :

* The airline is expanding both its network and fleet and has rrecently made history with the largest-ever aircraft order, securing 500 Airbus A320 family planes. Combined with pending deliveries from previous orders, IndiGo has an impressive total of nearly 1,000 planes on order, and the planned deliveries extend well into the next decade.

* “Over the last 6 months, IndiGo has added more than 20 new international routes to its network while strengthening domestic connectivity. Over the next few months, the airline aims to further add destinations like Bali, Indonesia, and Medina, Saudi Arabia to its network and deliver growth in the most financially and environmentally sound way possible,” IndiGo said..


Source : Financial Express

Correct Answer :   Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar

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Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy under National Sports Awards 2023 will be awarded to Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar this year (2023).

The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy is awarded every year for outstanding performance in inter-university tournaments.

The first runner up award will be given to Lovely Professional University, Punjab and the second runner up award will be given to Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra.