Current Affairs Quiz 13th January 2025 Quiz

Exp. IBBI mandates eBKray auction platform to sell assets under liquidation

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has mandated that all auctions for the sale of assets under the liquidation process must be conducted exclusively on the eBKray auction platform starting April 1, 2025.

This directive aims to streamline the auction process, enhance transparency, and improve recovery rates in liquidation cases.

Additionally, the insolvency regulator has instructed insolvency professionals (IPs) to list all unsold assets in ongoing liquidation cases on the platform by March 31, 2025.

Further, the board emphasised that all auctions for such assets would be conducted exclusively through the platform starting from April 1. The interface is running on a pilot basis.

According to the IBBI, 210 assets have already been listed on the platform, with 25 auctions conducted or scheduled.

Based on the platform’s initial usage, further improvements will be implemented to enhance its functionality. With this move, the insolvency regulator aims to further its objectives of creating an efficient and accountable insolvency ecosystem.

Exp. Centre releases tax devolution of Rs 1.73 lakh crore to states

The Centre has released tax devolution of Rs 1.73 lakh crore to the state governments to accelerate capital expenditure and finance welfare activities.

The Union government has released tax devolution of Rs 1,73,030 crore to state governments, as against the devolution of Rs 89,086 crore in December 2024.

Currently, 41 per cent of taxes collected by the Centre is devolved in instalments among states during a fiscal year.

Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Bihar have received the largest shares of funds, with allocations of ₹31,039.84 crore, ₹17,403.36 crore and ₹13,017.06 crore, respectively.

Exp. ICMR’s first infectious disease research, diagnostic lab to come up in Bengaluru

Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) has been chosen by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to establish South India’s first Infectious Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (IRDL).

This initiative aims to enhance the diagnostic and research capabilities for infectious diseases in the region. The laboratory will focus on diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, and parasites, facilitating faster diagnosis and improving healthcare outcomes. This project is part of a larger national effort to build specialized labs in medical colleges across India.

Exp. Piyush Goyal launches Bharat Cleantech Manufacturing Platform

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal has unveiled the ‘Bharat Cleantech Manufacturing Platform’, which the Centre described as an “initiative designed to enhance India’s cleantech value chains in the solar, wind, hydrogen, and battery storage sectors”.

The unveiling came as part of the Bharat Climate Forum 2025 organised in New Delhi.

The launch of the Bharat Cleantech Manufacturing Platform will provide an opportunity for the Indian firms to collaborate, to co-innovate and will help provide a platform for financing, to share ideas, technologies and resources. This will help India become an attractive business case and a global leader in the sustainability and cleantech sector.

Exp. National Waterways will get Rs 50,000 crore in investment over the next 5 year

An investment of Rs 50,000 crore will be made to boost infrastructure along national waterways in the next five years. According to the statement, the investment proposals were announced in Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) meeting at Kohora in Kaziranga.

IWDC was organised by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency for development of waterways under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW).

A major policy initiative in the form of Riverine Community Development Scheme was mooted at the IWDC meet to improve the socio-economic well-being of coastal communities by developing infrastructure.

IWDC, which was set up in 2023, is an exercise to derive the maximum economic potential out of the inland water bodies. It requires exceptionally coordinated centre-state relationship, collaborations and cooperation in the spirit of cooperative federalism.

Exp. Bangladesh cricketer Tamim Iqbal announces retirement from International Cricket

Tamim Iqbal has announced his retirement from international cricket.

This is the second time he has called time on his career, having previously retired in July 2023 in an emotionally charged press conference, only to reverse the decision within 24 hours after intervention from Bangladesh’s then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Tamim concluded his career with 15,192 runs for Bangladesh, the second-highest in the country’s history after Mushfiqur Rahim. The 35-year-old scored 5134 runs in 70 Tests, 8357 runs in 243 ODIs, and 1758 runs in 78 T20Is.

Recently Retired Players

• Martin Guptill (New Zealand) – International cricket
• Rishi Dhawan (India) – limited-overs cricket.
• Siddharth Kaul (India) – All forms of cricket
• Prajnesh Gunneswaran (India) – Professional tennis
• Wriddhiman Saha (india) – Cricket
• Matthew Wade (Australia) – International Cricket

Exp. Neeraj Chopra named best Javelin Thrower of the year by US Magazine

Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Neeraj Chopra of India has been named the best javelin thrower of the 2024 by the respected American magazine Track and Fields News. Anderson Peters of Grenada was ranked second by the magazine.

27-year- old Neeraj Chopra competed in six international events in 2024, won two and finished runners up in four events.

Neeraj Chopra won a silver medal in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics behind Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan who won the gold medal.

Arshad Nadeem was ranked 6th by the Magazine as he competed in only two international events in 2024.

Exp. PM Modi to attend AI Summit in France

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in France from February 10 to 11.

This summit will allow for an international conversation on AI.

The summit, to be hosted by France at the Grand Palais in Paris, will convene Heads of State and government, leaders of international organisations, CEOs from large and small companies, representatives from academia, NGOs, artists, and members of civil society.

The event will focus on five key themes: public interest in AI, the future of work, innovation and culture, trust in AI, and global AI governance.

Exp. Andhra Pradesh signs MoU with Infosys for skill census pre-validation

To improve employment opportunities for the youth, the Andhra Pradesh government has signed an MoU with software major Infosys to provide technical support for the state’s touted to be the first-ever skill census programme in the country.

Infosys will provide a digital platform powered by generative AI for the pre-validation of candidate’s skills as part of the skill census initiative, without any financial involvement.

As part of the collaboration, Infosys will develop a digital platform for skill pre-validation of the 15-59 age group of 3.59 crore individuals in Andhra Pradesh.

Under this, a comprehensive evaluation of the required skills across various industries would be carried out and current skill levels of the candidates would be assessed and recommendations for further development would be provided.

The initiative will facilitate transparent data-driven evaluations to track progress and outcomes and align with the State’s target to provide 20 lakh jobs over the next five years.

About Andhra Pradesh

• Capital – Amaravati
• Chief Minister – N Chandrababu Naidu
• Deputy CM – Pawan Kalyan
• Governor – Abdul Nazeer

Exp. India to host 28th CSPOC with focus on AI and social media

India will host the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments of Commonwealth Countries (CSPOC) in 2026.

The event will focus on the use of artificial intelligence and social media in parliamentary processes.

The CSPOC platform was described as a space for enhancing cooperation and exchanging parliamentary practices among member countries.

India’s history of hosting the conference in 1970-71, 1986, and 2010, and India invited presiding officers from Commonwealth nations to join the 2026 event in New Delhi.

Exp. India pacer Varun Aaron retires from all forms of cricket

Varun Aaron has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at the age of 35.

Having retired from red-ball cricket at the end of the 2023-24 Indian domestic season, Aaron officially stepped away from representative cricket after Jharkhand’s exit from the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he featured in four matches, picking up three wickets at an average of 53.3.

Aaron’s journey into the limelight began at just 21 during the 2010-11 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where his raw pace turned heads, most notably with a fiery 153kph delivery against Gujarat in the final.

Exp. Nicols Maduro takes oath as Venezuela’s President

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a new term, amid renewed protests and rebukes from the United States and others who believe he stole last year’s vote.

Mr. Maduro’s 2018 reelection was widely rejected as a sham after authorities banned key opponents from running. And Venezuela’s Opposition faction accuse him of outright ballot fraud last year.

About Venezuela

• Capital- Caracas
• Currency- Venezuelan bolívar
• President- Nicolás Maduro
• Official language- Spanish
• Continent- South America

Exp. 12 January – National Youth Day

National Youth Day is celebrated annually on 12th January in India to commemorates the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, a spiritual leader and philosopher.

The main objective of the celebration of this day is to inspire the youth and make them aware about their responsibilities.

Theme 2025 – Youth for a Sustainable Future: Shaping the Nation with Resilience and Responsibility

The celebration was started by the Indian government on 198