Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 23rd January 2025

Pralay Missile : Will Be Showcased During Republic Day

Indigenously developed Pralay missile will be showcased during Republic Day Parade for the first time, Defence Secretary stated recently.

• It is an indigenously developed short-range, quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missile.
• It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) based on the Prithvi Defence Vehicle from the Indian Ballistic Missile Programme.
• It has been developed for deployment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LoC).
• It is powered by a solid-propellant rocket motor.
• The missile has a range of 150-500 km and can be launched from a mobile launcher.
• It has a payload capacity of 500-1,000 kg.
• The missile is capable of carrying conventional warheads.
• It is equipped with guidance systems that provide a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of less than 10 meters.
• The missile reaches terminal speeds of Mach 6.1 and can engage targets such as radar installations, command centers, and airstrips.
• It has the ability to change its path after covering a certain range mid-air.

Vaigai River : Plan To Prevent Pollution

Madras high court recently directed the local bodies to file an action plan with a timeline to prevent pollution in the Vaigai river.

• Vaigai River is a 258 kilometres long river in Tamil Nadu.
• It originates from the Varusanadu and Megamalai hills of the Western Ghats.
• It travels through the Pandya Nadu region of Tamil Nadu generally in the south-east direction and rarely causes floods.
• It drains into the Palk Strait near the Pamban Bridge in Ramanathapuram district.
• Vaigai gets major feed from the Periyar Dam in Kerala. Water from the Periyar River in Kerala is diverted into the Vaigai River in Tamil Nadu via a tunnel through the Western Ghats.
• Its main tributaries are Suruliyaru, Mullaiyaru, Varaganadhi, Manjalaru, Kottagudi, Kridhumaal, and Upparu.

Asan Conservation Reserve:

• Asan Conservation Reserve (ACR) is a 444-hectare stretch of the Asan River running down to its confluence with the Yamuna River in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand.
• It was declared as a Conservation Reserve in 2005 under Section 36A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• It was the first Ramsar site in Uttarakhand.
• It is also listed as an Important Bird Area (BNHS and BirdLife International) and is popular for sightings of native and migratory birds.
• Strategically located within the Central Asian Flyways (CAF), the reserve homes 330 species of birds, including critically endangered-white-rumped vulture, Baer’s pochard; endangered-Egyptian vulture, steppe eagle, black-bellied tern; and vulnerable-marbled teal, common pochard, Indian spotted eagle, etc.
• Other non-avian species present include 49 fish species, one of these being the endangered Putitor mahseer.

National Mineral Development Corporation : In News

India’s state-run miner NMDC is expected to extract 6,500 carats of diamonds, worth $3.4 million, this fiscal year from ores in a mine near Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

• Incorporated in 1958 as a Government of India fully owned public enterprise, NMDC is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Steel, Government of India.
• The company was categorised as “NAVRATNA” Public Sector Enterprise in 2008.
• It is engaged in the exploration of a range of minerals, including iron ore, copper, rock phosphate, limestone, dolomite, gypsum, bentonite, magnesite, diamond, tin, tungsten, graphite, and beach sands.
• It is India’s single largest iron ore producer, presently producing over 45 million tonnes of iron ore from its fully mechanized mines in Bailadila Sector in Chhattisgarh and Donimalai in Bellary-Hospet region in Karnataka.
• It is considered to be one of the low-cost producers of iron ore in the world.
• The company sells most of their high-grade iron ore production to the Indian domestic steel market, primarily pursuant to long-term sales contracts.
• It also operates the only mechanized diamond mine in India at Panna, Madhya Pradesh.
• All of the NMDC mining complexes have been rated 5 Star by the Indian Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Mines.
• The registered office is located in the city of Hyderabad, Telangana.

Diamond Imprest Authorisation Scheme:

The Commerce Ministry recently introduced the Diamond Imprest Authorization (DIA) Scheme, aiming to enhance the global competitiveness of India’s diamond industry.

• It has been introduced by the Department of Commerce, Government of India to allow duty-free import of natural cut and polished diamonds, of less than ¼ Carat (25 Cents), for export purposes.
• The Scheme will be implemented with effect from 01.04.2025.
• This scheme mandates export obligation with value addition of 10%.
• All diamond exporters holding Two Star Export House status and above and having US $15 million exports per year are eligible for availing the benefit under this scheme.
• The scheme has been made in response to the beneficiation policies undertaken in a number of natural diamond mining countries like Botswana, Namibia, Angola, etc, where diamond manufacturers are obliged to open cut and polishing facilities for a minimum percentage of value addition.
• Support for MSME Exporters: Designed to create a level playing field for MSMEs, the scheme enables smaller exporters to compete effectively with larger industry players.
• It is aimed towards retaining India’s position as a global leader in the entire value chain of the diamond industry.

Antivenom : Report

A terrible number, estimated 58000 snakebite cases renders India the ‘snakebite capital’ of the world and in this regard antivenoms plays a crucial role.

• Antivenoms are life-saving medicines used to treat snakebites.
• They work by specifically binding to the venom toxins to render them ineffective, allowing the body’s natural defence systems to clear them safely over time.
• Snake venom is one of nature’s most lethal weapons, a complex cocktail of toxic proteins.
• Haemotoxins destroy blood cells and disrupt clotting. Neurotoxins block nerve signals and paralyse.
• Cytotoxins dissolve tissues at the bite site. The effects are often fatal without medical intervention.
• The experts extract these antibodies from the horse’s blood and purify and formulate them as antivenoms.
• The antibodies thus produced are very specific to the type of toxins injected.
• Polyvalent antivenoms (PVAs) target multiple snake species. However, their efficacy varies against less common snakes.

Ratnagiri Buddhist Site : Discovered Buddhist Remains

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered significant Buddhist remains during renewed excavations at the historic Ratnagiri site in Jajpur district adding another chapter to its 1,200-year-old legacy.

• Ratnagiri Site is located 100 km northeast of Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
• The site stands on a hill between Birupa and Brahmani rivers and is Odisha’s most famous and most excavated Buddhist site.
• It is part of the famous Diamond Triangle of Odisha along with Udaygiri and Lalitgiri, translated as the ‘Hills of Jewels’
• Experts date Ratnagiri to the 5th and 13th Century, although the peak period of construction is dated between the 7th and 10th centuries.
• It was a center for Mahayana and Tantrayana (also known as Vajrayana) Buddhism.
• There are some studies that suggest that the renowned Chinese Buddhist monk and traveller, Hiuen Tsang visited here during 638-639 AD.
• So far ASI have unearthed a colossal Buddha head, a massive palm, an ancient wall and inscribed Buddhist relics, all of which are estimated to date back 8th and 9th Century AD.

Scramjet Engine : DRDO

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully carried out a cutting-edge Active Cooled Scramjet Combustor ground test for 120 seconds for the first time.

• It is an upgraded version of the Ramjet and generates thrust through supersonic air flow and combustion.
• It moves at hypersonic speed and performs best at high speeds, greater than Mach 5.
• Hypersonic missiles are a class of advanced weaponry that travel at speeds greater than Mach 5 i.e., five times the speed of sound or more than 5,400 km/hr.
• These advanced weapons have the potential to bypass existing Air Defence Systems and deliver rapid and high-impact strikes.
• Several nations including USA, Russia, India and China are actively pursuing Hypersonic technology.
• The key to hypersonic vehicles is Scramjets, which are air breathing engines capable of sustaining combustion at supersonic speeds without using any moving parts.

Airport Economic Regulatory Authority : In News

Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recently directed the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) to give a detailed reply in writing on the criteria used to calculate User Development Fee (UDF) charged by airport operators, the total revenue earned and and how it is utilised among other things.

• AERA is a statutory body constituted under the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008.
• It was set up on the recommendations of the Naresh Chandra Committee to prepare the road map for the civil aviation sector, which can take care of the interests of the service providers as well as those of the consumers.
• It is an independent regulatory body tasked with overseeing the economic regulation of major airports in India.
• Headquarters: Delhi
• It regulates tariffs and other charges(development fee and passenger service fee) for aeronautical services (air traffic management, landing, and parking of aircraft, ground handling services) at major airports.
• For the remaining airports, tariffs are determined by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
• Its main objectives include creating a level playing field, fostering healthy competition among major airports, promoting investment in airport facilities, and regulating tariffs for aeronautical services.

Chinar Tree : Have Been Geo-Tagged

The iconic Chinar trees in Kashmir have been geo-tagged and equipped with QR-code for digital protection of the Valley’s heritage tree.

• Under the geo-tagging process, QR codes are attached to each surveyed tree, recording information about 25 characteristics, including its geographical location, health, age and growing patterns, enabling conservationists to track changes and address risk factors .
• The geotagging of the Chinars have proved that these trees are much older than what were claimed, to be 700 years old. Some are more than 1000 years old.

Chinar Tree:

• Scientific name: Platanus orientalis
• It is also known as Oriental plane tree, maple tree and locally it is called as Boueen, named after the Hindu goddess Bhavani.
• It is the State tree of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is a large, well spreading deciduous tree growing up to a height of 30 meters and girth of 10 to 15 meters at ground level.
• It takes around 30 to 50 years for the trees to reach their mature height and around 150 years for them to grow to their full size.
• It is the only species of the Platanaceae family found in India and grows throughout the Kashmir valley.
• The tree’s leaves change colors with the seasons, transforming from deep green in summer to vibrant shades of red, amber, and yellow in autumn.

Centre Hikes MSP on Jute:

The Centre has made a significant decision to increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for raw jute by Rs 315, setting it at Rs 5,650 per quintal for the 2025-26 marketing season. This move, approved by the Union Cabinet, aims to provide farmers with a return of 66.8 per cent over the all-India weighted average cost of production, thus encouraging farmers to invest in jute cultivation.

Mizoram has become the first Northeast state to distribute property cards under the SVAMITVA scheme:

Mizoram has become the first state in Northeast India to distribute property cards under the Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme. On January 18, 2025, Governor Gen (Dr) VK Singh virtually participated in the distribution event from Raj Bhavan, Aizawl. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also attended, distributing over 65 lakh property cards to beneficiaries across 10 states and two Union Territories. Among these, 1,754 property cardholders from 18 villages in Mizoram received their cards.

RBI’s Strategic Liquidity Infusion to Stabilize Money Markets:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has conducted a series of Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auctions, infusing a substantial ₹76,000 crore into the financial ecosystem. This initiative aims to alleviate the liquidity deficit and stabilize short-term interest rates, particularly the call money rates, which had been trading above the RBI’s repo rate of 6.5%.

RBI Tightens Guidelines for ARCs in Borrower Settlements:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced stricter guidelines for Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) to enhance transparency and accountability in borrower settlements. These revisions aim to standardize procedures and align them with practices of banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).ARCs are now mandated to establish board-approved policies governing borrower settlements

India to Host FIDE Chess World Cup 2025:

India is set to host the prestigious FIDE Chess World Cup 2025, marking a significant milestone for the country as it takes on the role of the host for its first major international chess tournament since the 2022 Chennai Chess Olympiad. This announcement is poised to further elevate India’s stature in the global chess arena, especially considering the country’s growing influence in the sport.

Neeraj Parakh Appointed as CEO and Executive Director of Reliance Power:

Reliance Power Limited has appointed Neeraj Parakh as its Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 20, 2025, for a tenure of three years, subject to shareholder approval.Parakh brings over 29 years of professional experience, with more than 20 years dedicated to the Reliance Group

Justice Alok Aradhe Appointed as Chief Justice of Bombay High Court:

The central government has issued a notification confirming the appointments of Justice Alok Aradhe as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. These transfers aim to strengthen judicial leadership in two of India’s busiest high courts.

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel has launched a scheme providing Rs 10,000 annual aid to 7.5 lakh landless agricultural labourers:

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai has launched a scheme to provide Rs 10,000 annually to landless labourers in the state, continuing his commitment to support vulnerable sections. This initiative is part of a larger series of welfare measures promised during the pre-poll campaign. The scheme aims to benefit approximately 7.5 lakh landless agricultural labourers in Chhattisgarh, reflecting the government’s focus on improving their financial stability. The CM’s announcement builds on past promises made during elections and further strengthens the state’s social welfare framework