MLC Daily Current Affairs – 21 January 2025

Today in History ( January 21^st,1793)

In 1793, Louis XVI, the last Bourbon king of France, was tried for treason, convicted, and executed by the guillotine in Paris during the French Revolution.

Let’s Revise

Q.1) Which organization released the ‘Global Risks Report 2025’?
A) International Monetary Fund
B) World Economic Forum
C) United Nations Development Programme
D) United Nations Environment Programme
Answer: B
Rationale: The World Economic Forum published the Global Risks Report, first introduced in 2006, identifying extreme weather as an “environmental risk.” The 2024-2025 edition is based on the Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) and evaluates risks over short-term (1-2 years) and long-term (10 years) periods.

Q.2) The Nord Stream Pipeline runs under which Sea?
A) Red Sea
B) Baltic Sea
C) Arabian Sea
D) Black Sea
Answer: B
Rationale: A study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) revealed that the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions led to the largest human-induced methane release ever recorded. The Nord Stream pipeline is a critical natural gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea, connecting Vyborg, Russia, to Lubmin near Greifswald, Germany.

Q.3) Which country recently conducted Exercise Devil Strike?
A) India
B) Nepal
C) China
D) Bhutan
Answer: A)
Rationale: The Indian Armed Forces held Exercise Devil Strike from January 16 to 19, involving elite airborne soldiers from the Army and Air Force. The exercise took place in training areas and firing ranges, focusing on refining logistics and sustaining troops in challenging environments.

Q.4) Kokborok is the official language of which Indian state?
A) Meghalaya
B) Sikkim
C) Nagaland
D) Tripura
Answer: D
Rationale: The Tripura Student Federation (TSF) protested in Agartala, demanding the use of the Roman script for Kokborok. Kokborok, the language of the Borok people, was officially recognized in Tripura on January 19, 1979.

Q.5) Which institution created the Central Suspect Registry?
A) Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
B) Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)
C) Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
D) National Investigation Agency (NIA)
Answer: B
Rationale: The online ‘Central Suspect Registry’ has helped prevent six lakh fraudulent transactions, saving ₹1,800 crore. This registry enhances fraud risk management by cataloging cybercriminal identifiers and was established using the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP).

Summary of Today’s News

Trump takes oath as the 47th President of the U.S

Donald J. Trump took oath for a second term as the 47th President of the U.S. on January 20.

• He delivered a fiery inaugural address and announced significant changes, stating that the “golden age” of America had begun.
• Trump referred to January 20 as “liberation day” and declared that “America’s decline is over” with rapid changes to follow.
• He promised that America would reclaim its position as the greatest, most powerful, and respected nation on Earth, inspiring awe and admiration globally.
• Trump returned to the White House with a strongman persona and vowed to reset U.S. policies aggressively in areas such as immigration, tariffs, and energy.
He listed immediate actions to be taken, including:
• Declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

Taking back the Panama Canal.

• In terms of immigration, Trump stated:
• All illegal entry will be halted immediately.
• The process of returning criminal aliens will begin.
• Troops will be sent to the southern border.
• He promised that the U.S. would flourish and be respected again, becoming the envy of every nation.
• Trump pledged to prioritize America first, and his leadership would make the country a peacemaker and unifier.
• He declared that the American Dream would thrive like never before.
• Trump announced plans to stop censorship and bring back free speech in the U.S. through an executive order.
• He issued a series of executive orders targeting:
• Diversity programs.
• Gender identity policies.
• Trump declared that the official policy of the U.S. government would be that there are only two genders: male and female.
• He also vowed to end government efforts to socially engineer race and gender in public and private life, referring to it as a “revolution of common sense”.
• At the Capitol, Vice President J.D. Vance was sworn in first, followed by Trump.
• Chief Justice John Roberts administered Trump’s oath using:
• A family Bible.
• The Bible used by President Abraham Lincoln in 1861.
• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended the ceremony as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special envoy, bringing a letter for Trump.

• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sent best wishes to Trump for his new mandate.

• A number of billionaires and tech titans attended the ceremony, including:
• Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, Elon Musk.

Planet Parade

Recently, an extraordinary sight occurred as four planets in our solar system—Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars—aligned to form a stunning arc across the night sky, creating a rare event known as a ‘planet parade.’
• This refers to a phenomenon when multiple planets in our solar system are visible simultaneously in the night sky.
• This planetary alignment, also called a conjunction, causes the planets to appear in close proximity or even appear to touch in the Earth’s night sky.
• The occurrence is more of a visual illusion than the planets being in an exact alignment in space.
• Planets follow different paths in the sky, moving at varying speeds compared to the stars.
• Not all planets are visible every night, but sometimes their positions align so that many, or even all, can be seen at the same time or within a short window.
• According to NASA, such events, particularly those involving four or more planets, are significant and do not happen every year.