Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 14th January 2025

Indravati National Park : Five Maoists Were Killed

Five Maoists, including two women, were killed in an encounter with security forces inside Indravati National Park in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district recently.

• Indravati National Park is located in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
• It was established in 1981 and declared as a tiger reserve in 1983 under the Project Tiger of India.
• The park derives its name from the Indravati River, which flows from east to west and forms the northern boundary of the reserve with Maharashtra.
• It mainly comprises undulating hilly terrain with altitudes ranging between 177 to 599 m above sea level.
• Three major forest types are recognized in Indravati are Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest with Teak, Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest without Teak, and Southern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest.
• Some common species include teak, achar, karra, kullu, shisham, semal, haldu, arjun, bel, and Jamun.
• It is home to one of the last populations of rare wild buffalo.
• Other animals include Nilgai, Black Buck, Sambar, Gaur, Tiger, Leopard, Chital, Sloth bears, etc.

Neptune Missile:

During a joint operation of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ukrainian Navy, an ammunition storage depot in the Rostov region, Russia, was hit using the Neptune missile recently.

• An R-360 Neptune is a Ukrainian-developed subsonic cruise missile initially designed as an anti-ship missile and later modified for land attacks.
• The design of this missile is based on a Russian Kh-35 cruise missile which goes by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) name of AS-20 Kayak.
• The system entered service with the Ukrainian Navy in March 2021.
• The missile weighs 870 kg and is 5.05 meters long.
• The missile travels at speeds of up to 900 km/h and can fly at altitudes ranging from 10 to 300 meters, dropping to just three meters during its final approach to avoid enemy air defenses.
• It has a maximum range of 400 km and a combat weight of 350 kilograms (150 kg in the anti-ship version).
• A satellite positioning system was installed to guide the missile during the flight’s marching phase.
• In the final part of the flight, the missile is guided by an infrared homing system.

Universal Account Number:

The Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has extended the deadline for activating Universal Account Numbers (UAN) and linking Aadhaar with bank accounts

• Universal Account Number (UAN) is a number allotted to all salaried employees, who contribute a part of their income towards the Employee Provident Fund (EPF).
• It is a 12-digit number that each member of the EPF is allotted against his/her name.
• It is generated and allotted by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and authenticated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.
• This number is the same throughout an employee’s professional life.
• When an employee changes his job, his EPF account number and Member Identification Number (Member Id) change, but UAN remains the same.
• If a member has already been allotted a UAN, then s/he may provide the same to the new establishment/employer, which in turn will mark the new allotted Member Id to the UAN.
• The UAN will act as an umbrella for the multiple Member Ids allotted to an individual by different establishments.
• This will help the member to view details of all the Member Ids linked to it.
• It is useful for EPFO to track multiple job switches of the employee.
• Employee Provident Fund (EPF) is the fund established under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Act, 1952.
• It is administered by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization(EPFO)

Neduntheevu Island : Indian Fishermen Arrested

As many as 17 Indian fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy while fishing near the Neduntheevu island recently.

• The Neduntheevu, sometimes known as Neduntivu, is the largest island falling in the Palk Strait in the northern parts of Sri Lanka.
• This is known as Delft Island also, as it was so called by the Dutch colonials.
• The island’s area is 50 sq.km. Its length is 8 km, and its maximum width is about 6 km.
• It happens to be the biggest of the seven inhabitable islands in the region.
• A unique feature of this island is that it is flat and oval-shaped, which is wind-swept at almost all times, which makes the place very soothing.
• There are no streams on the island. The major source of freshwater is surface water, which is collected in natural depressions and artificial ponds.
• On the island there are varied kinds of dry shrubs and semi-arid tropical plants. This island also has tall palm trees, which add to the overall beachy feel of the island.
• A Dutch fort made of dead coral chunks is also located on this island.
• It is home to a population of 4,800 Tamil people, living in compounds only in the northern half of the island.

Pink Fire Retardant To Tackle From Wildfire:

As multiple wildfires continue to torch Southern California, authorities are using planes to drop a large amount of bright pink fire retardant to curb the blaze.

• Fire retardant is a mix of chemicals used to extinguish or slow down the spread of fires.
• There are different types of fire retardant but to tackle wildfires in the US, authorities most commonly use Phos-Chek, a brand of fire retardant, which mostly contains an ammonium phosphate-based slurry.
• It is made of salts such as ammonium polyphosphate, which does not evaporate easily like water and stays for longer.
• Colour is usually added to the fire retardant to ensure that firefighters can see it against the landscape.
• This helps them create fire lines around the fire retardant, potentially saving lives and property.

Eighth Edition Of National Programme For Organic Production (NPOP):

The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry released the eighth edition of National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).

National Programme for Organic Production:

• Launched in 2001, it is a key government programme that laid the foundation of systematic development of organic agriculture sector in India, through promoting sustainable farming practices and opening new opportunities for farmers and exporters.
• By setting high standards for organic products, NPOP enhances India’s competitiveness in the global organic market, while helping farmers adopt eco-friendly and economically viable practices.
• The programme involves the accreditation of Certification Bodies, standards for organic production, promotion of organic farming and marketing etc.
• The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce & Industries, is implementing this programme.

Highlights of the 8th Edition of NPOP:

• It introduced key amendments aimed at promoting ease of operations and enhancing transparency for stakeholders, including farmers.
• Certification requirements for organic grower groups have been simplified, and these groups are now granted legal status in place of the Internal Control System (ICS).
• Many portals launched in this edition:
  • NPOP portal:The dedicated portal for the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) will provide more visibility and ease of operations for Organic stakeholders.
  • Organic Promotion Portal:Farmers, FPOs and exporters can showcase their certified organic products, generate Trade
  • Leads and connect with global buyers. This will also include online Training and capacity building sessions for operators on Organic production and also information on Organic Trade events.
  • TraceNet 2.0: The upgraded online Organic traceability system for seamless operations and enhanced tools for regulatory oversight.
  • APEDA portal:Redesigned and revamped APEDA portal with enhanced user experience and information for the benefit of Agri and Processed food products’ stakeholders.
  • AgriXchange portal: Redesigned and revamped AgriXchange portal enables more user-friendly data analysis and generation of reports & data of Agricultural exports making it accessible for the general public.

United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects 2025:

According to the United Nations (UN) flagship report, World Economic Situation and Prospects 2025 Indian economy is expected to grow by 6.6 per cent in 2025 and 6.7 per cent in 2026.

United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects 2025:

• It was produced by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), in partnership with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the five UN regional commissions.

Key points about the report:

• It projects that global growth will remain at 2.8 per cent in 2025, unchanged from 2024.
• The report highlighted that capital expenditure on infrastructure development is expected to have strong multiplier effects on growth in the coming years.
• Expansion in the manufacturing and services sectors will continue to drive the economy, while strong export growth in services and certain goods categories, such as pharmaceutical and electronics, will bolster economic activity,
• It also noted that favourable monsoon rains in 2024 have improved summer-sowing areas for all major crops, boosting agricultural output expectations for 2025.
• The UN report said that economic growth in South Asia is expected to remain robust in 2025, primarily driven by strong performance in India.
• The region is projected to grow at 5.7 per cent in 2025 and 6 per cent in 2026.
• It also highlighted the opportunity for resource-rich developing countries, such as India, to boost growth, create jobs, and increase public revenues for investment through rising demand for critical minerals.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy:

Researchers have developed an efficient nano catalyst which can be used in in environmental remediation, nanoscale electronics, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).

• Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy or surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a surface-sensitive technique that enhances Raman scattering by molecules adsorbed on rough metal surfaces.
• It enhances the Raman scattering signals of molecules close to nanostructured metallic surfaces, typically gold or silver.
• It provides the same information that normal Raman spectroscopy does, but with a greatly enhanced signal.
• It has become a powerful tool in chemical, material and life sciences, owing to its intrinsic features.
• Raman spectroscopy is a spectroscopic technique used in condensed matter physics and chemistry to study vibrational, rotational, and other low-frequency modes in a system.
• It depends on the inelastic scattering, or Raman scattering of monochromatic light, usually from a laser in the visible, near-infrared or near-ultraviolet range of electromagnetic spectra.

Sovereign AI:

The government is investing in semiconductors and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ensure AI sovereignty as India’s digital economy is aiming for USD 1 trillion by 2028.Sovereign AI refers to a nation’s ability to develop, control, and deploy artificial intelligence using its own infrastructure, data, workforce, and business networks.

Harvest Festivals 2025:

The President of India has greeted citizens on the eve of Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal and Magh Bihu.These are harvest festivals celebrated in diverse forms across the various regions of India.They are celebrated to mark the end of the harvesting season across India under various names e.g., Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Magh Bihu, Lohri, etc. It marks the transition of the Sun into the Capricorn (Makara) zodiac sign and the start of the Sun’s northward journey (Uttarayan).It represents the shift from winter to warmer months, symbolizing the end of inactivity.Unlike festivals based on the lunar cycle, it follows the solar cycle, resulting in a fixed date of 14th January.

Wildfires in California:

Los Angeles, California, is battling devastating wildfires, with fatalities and structural losses, as authorities deploy pink fire retardants to contain the flames.These wildfires have been occurring with increasing frequency and outside the usual wildfire season, prompting questions about their causes, the role of climate change, and potential solutions. Authorities are using pink fire retardants to control the wildfires.

Cryo-Born Baby Corals:

The world’s first cryo-born baby corals have been successfully introduced into the Great Barrier Reef, marking a groundbreaking achievement in coral restoration and conservation.Australian scientists used cutting-edge cryopreservation to fertilize coral eggs with cryopreserved sperm collected from the Great Barrier Reef.Scientists grew the corals in the National Sea Simulator before transferring them to specially designed ‘coral cradles’ on the Reef. It aims to introduce heat-tolerant corals to protect reefs from climate change and rising ocean temperatures.

Henley Passport Index 2025:

In the latest Henley Passport Index 2025, India’s rank has dropped to 85th, down from 80th in 2024 giving its holders visa free access to 57 countries. India’s ranking showed fluctuations over the years, with its highest being 71st in 2006 and lowest 90th in 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions.Top Rankings: Singapore (195 destinations) leads, followed by Japan (193). Several EU countries and South Korea share 3rd place (192 destinations).Falling Rankings: The US (2nd to 9th), the UK (1st to 5th). Bottom Countries: Pakistan and Yemen (shared the 103rd position) followed by Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

Terrace Tourism:

With the Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti) festival approaching, Old Ahmedabad has become a hub of terrace tourism, where residents rent out their terraces for kite flying and festive celebrations.Renting of residential terraces in Old Ahmedabad during festivals like Uttarayan, offering exclusive vantage points for kite flying and other activities.

Bharat Cleantech Manufacturing Platform:

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, launched the Bharat Cleantech Manufacturing Platform at the Bharat Climate Forum 2025 in New Delhi.A national platform designed to enhance India’s cleantech value chains and enable collaboration in the renewable energy sector. Ministry: Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

Plasticizers Degradation:

Researchers at IIT Roorkee have developed a groundbreaking method to degrade plasticizers, specifically diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP), using bacterial enzymes.A method using bacterial enzymes to break down high molecular weight plasticizers like DEHP, commonly found in plastics and personal care products.Esterase enzyme from Sulfobacillus acidophilus for degrading DEHP into less harmful byproducts. Additional enzymes from Comamonas testosteroni for complete conversion into water and carbon dioxide.

Hoollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary:

The Centre’s National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has approved exploratory drilling for oil and gas in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Assam’s Hoollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary.Hoollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary Situated in Jorhat district, Assam, the sanctuary lies in a secluded region of evergreen forest.

Mining Pact Between India and Mongolia:

India is poised to sign a preliminary agreement with Mongolia to enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of geology and exploration. This agreement focuses on sourcing critical minerals, particularly copper and coking coal, vital for India’s industrial sectors. Mongolia’s rich reserves of these minerals offer India an opportunity to reduce dependence on imports from other nations, particularly in the wake of rising demand for copper, used in power generation, construction, and electric vehicles, and coking coal, essential for steel production

6.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Japan:

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck southwestern Japan, with its epicenter located in the Hyuga-Nada Sea off Miyazaki Prefecture. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami advisory for Miyazaki and nearby Kochi Prefectures, warning of potential waves up to one meter in height. The advisory was later lifted, and no significant damage or injuries have been reported.

Avaniyapuram Jallikattu 2025:

The Avaniyapuram Jallikattu, a cornerstone of Tamil Nadu’s cultural heritage, commenced on January 14, 2025, in Madurai. This annual bull-taming event, celebrated during the Pongal festival, showcases the valor and skill of participants and the deep-rooted traditions of the region

ISRO’s SpaDeX Mission Achieves Satellite Docking Milestone:

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) made a significant leap in space docking technology with its SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment) mission. The mission involves two satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), designed to test and demonstrate spacecraft rendezvous, docking, and undocking technologies. On January 12, 2025, ISRO successfully moved the satellites within three metres of each other and then moved them back to a safe distance for further analysis.

Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme : Urgue To Extend

Amid global economic uncertainties, the industry has urged the government to extend key export-boosting scheme Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) for export-oriented units (EOUs) and special economic zones (SEZs) till September-end.