Current Affairs Pointers of the past

week for UPSC

December 30, 2024 to January 5, 2025

Learn about the Parker Solar Probe, Tamu Loshar, HMPV, winter Char
Dham circuit, and more.
You can also test your knowledge by solving MCQs.

The four pilgrim sites part of the yatra are Yamunotri and Gangotri in Uttarkashi and
Kedarnath in Rudraprayag and Badrinath in Chamoli districts.

(dono haath jod kar naman karo baba ji k dhaam ko)

 POLITY

 PMFBY and RWBCIS

— The Union Cabinet on January 1, 2025, approved the continuation of two crop insurance
schemes — the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Restructured
Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) until 2025-26.

— PMFBY was launched in 2016 to replace the existing National Agricultural Insurance
Scheme (NAIS) and the Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (MNAIS). The
scheme was initially compulsory for loanee farmers; in February 2020, the Centre revised it
to make it optional for all farmers.

— Under the PMFBY, a farmer is required to pay as a premium 2% of the sum insured or
actuarial rate, whichever is less, for all kharif foodgrain and oilseed crops; 1.5% of sum
insured or actuarial rate, whichever is less, for all rabi foodgrain and oilseed crops; and 5%
for horticultural crops.

— While PMFBY is based on yield, RWBCIS is based on proxies. Farmers are provided
insurance protection against adverse weather conditions such as excess rainfall, wind, and
temperature. The number of insured farmers under RWBCIS is relatively low.

 FIAT
— The government approved the creation of the Fund for Innovation and Technology (FIAT)
with a corpus of Rs.824.77 crore.

— The FIAT would be used towards funding technological initiatives under schemes such
as Yield Estimation System using Technology (YES-TECH), Weather Information and
Network Data Systems (WINDS), etc, as well as research and development studies.

— YES-TECH uses Remote Sensing Technology for yield estimation with a minimum 30
per cent weightage to technology-based yield estimates. Nine states — Andhra Pradesh,

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Assam, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu,
and Karnataka — are implementing it.

— WINDS, the statement said, envisages setting up Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) at
the block level and Automatic Rain Gauges (ARGs) at the Panchayat level. “Under WINDS,
a 5 times increase in current network density is envisaged to develop hyper-local weather
data. Under the initiative, only data rental costs are payable by Central and State
Governments,” it said.

 Good Governance Index

— The Centre has decided not to release the Good Governance Index 2023, the biennial
ranking of states and Union Territories (UTs) scheduled to be released during Good
Governance Week (December 19 to December 25), and is now planning to publish the next
edition in 2025.

— It was launched on December 25, 2019 on the birth anniversary of late prime minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee which is observed as Good Governance Day.

— The index covers over 50 indicators across sectors, including agriculture, economic
governance, public health, and citizen-centric governance.

— Tamil Nadu and Gujarat got first place among big states in the 2019 and 2021 rankings,
respectively.

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 ENVIRONMENT

 2024 was India’s warmest year

— According to the India Meteorological Department, India experienced its warmest year
since 1901, beating the previous temperature record of 2016.

— The annual mean land surface temperature averaged over the country was up by 0.65
degrees Celsius, making 2024 the warmest in 123 years. Globally also, the year gone by was
racing to become the warmest ever, but the official announcement in this regard is awaited.

— IMD’s temperature data (long period average based on 1991 – 2020) suggested that the
top five warmest years have been : 2016 (0.54 degrees Celsius), 2009 (0.40 degrees Celsius),
2010 (0.39 degrees Celsius) and 2017 (0.38 degrees Celsius).

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

 SpaDeX Mission
— SpaDeX mission was lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on
December 30 by PSLV-C60 and successfully placed two satellites in the desired lower earth
orbit.

— The SpaDeX or Space Docking Experiment is key to ISRO’s future missions – sample
return from the Moon, an Indian on the Moon, the building and operation of the Bharatiya
Antariksh Station (BAS).

— The success of this mission will make India the fourth country in the world with space
docking technology – after Russia (the former USSR), US and China.

— Two small satellites– the SDX01 Chaser and SDX02 Target, injected in a 475-km
circular orbit after the launch, will demonstrate the docking.

— The Chaser satellite has a high resolution camera on board – a miniature version of a
surveillance camera. The Target is carrying a multispectral payload that will be used for

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monitoring natural resources and vegetation along with a radiation monitor that will study
space radiation and create a database.

— The fourth stage of the launch vehicle will be used as POEM – or PS4 Orbital
Experiment Module – to demonstrate 24 technologies, including 10 technologies from start-
ups and educational institutions.

— This will be the first time an ISRO mission will carry a biological experiment.
The CROPS (Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies) experiment will see
the germination of seed and sustenance of a plant up to a two-leaf stage.

 Parker Solar Probe

— NASA scientists announced on Friday (December 28) that the Parker Solar Probe survived
the closest-ever approach to the Sun.

— Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe was developed as part of NASA’s Living With
a Star program to explore aspects of the Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society
on Earth.

— It is designed to make observations of the Sun’s upper atmosphere, known as the corona,
and carries four instrument suites.

 Neutrinos
— Scientists have deployed telescopes under the Mediterranean Sea to detect the high-
energy neutrinos also known as ghost particles. The two telescopes are part of the Cubic
Kilometre Neutrino Telescope or KM3NeT.

— These telescopes are much like the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, which can detect high-
energy neutrinos from deep space but is under the frozen ice in the Antarctic rather than
being in the water

— Neutrinos are tiny particles, very similar to electrons, but without any electric charge.
They are miniscule subatomic particles that hardly interact with anything.

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— They were first detected in 1959, though their existence was predicted almost three
decades earlier, in 1931.

— KM3NeT is a deep-sea research infrastructure in the Mediterranean Sea, comprising a

neutrino telescope with a volume of at least one cubic kilometre. It uses Cherenkov radiation
to study neutrinos.

 Air-to-ground (ATG) technology

— Air India welcomed the new year by announcing the availability of Wi-Fi Internet access
services on domestic and international flights operated by chosen aircraft in its fleet.

— In-flight communication systems rely on ground-based cellular towers, commonly known

as air-to-ground (ATG) technology, and satellite-based connectivity. Both require the
installation of special antennae and other equipment on the aircraft.

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 DISEASES

 HMPV
— The Union Health Ministry has convened a joint monitoring group and has sought timely
updates from the World Health Organisation after reports of increasing cases of respiratory
illnesses likely HMPV in China.

— HMPV or human metapneumovirus is similar to RSV — which is a common pathogen

that leads to common cold — and leads to symptoms such as cough, fever, runny nose, and
sore throat. It may sometimes lead to more severe symptoms like pneumonia among the very
young and the elderly.

 Norovirus
— The stomach infection norovirus is causing alarm in the United States. In India, norovirus
has previously affected people in Kerala, although on a much smaller scale compared to the
numbers in the US.

— Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that is also sometimes referred to as the ‘winter
vomiting bug’. It can be transmitted through contaminated food, water, and surfaces. The
primary route is oral-faecal.

— It is similar to diarrhoea-inducing rotavirus and infects people across age groups. Disease
outbreaks typically occur aboard cruise ships, in nursing homes, dormitories, and other closed
spaces.

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 PERSONS IN NEWS

 Jimmy Carter
— Jimmy Carter, who served as the 39th President of the US, passed away Sunday in his
home in Plains, Georgia, The Carter Center announced. He was 100.
— Carter, who served as the president from 1977 to 1981, lived longer than any president in
the history of the US.

— He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for undertaking peace negotiations,
campaigning for human rights, and working for social welfare.

— The high-point of his presidential term was the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.

 K S Manilal
— Renowned taxonomist K S Manilal, who was conferred with Padma Shri, died in Kerala’s
Thrissur after a prolonged illness. He was 86.

— Among his contributions to botanical research, Kattungal Subramaniam Manilal is best

known for research, annotation and translation of the botanical treatise in Latin, Hortus
Malabaricus, which is the oldest comprehensive printed book on the natural plant wealth of
Asia and medicinal properties of the flora in the Western coast of India, particularly
Kerala, Karnataka and Goa.

— He was the founder of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy and was also
honoured by the Netherlands with the ‘Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassu Award’, one of
the highest civilian awards given by the country.

 Sree Narayana Guru

— The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and BJP have locked horns now over Sree Narayana Guru.
— Sree Narayana Guru (20 August 1856 – 20 September 1928) was a saint, philosopher,
spiritual leader, and a social reformer from Kerala.

— Guru’s teachings and philosophy – dating back to the early part of the last century – have
come to be known as Advaita Vedanta. It is a doctrine of “non-duality”, in which Guru says

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that the “ultimate reality” or “Brahman” is singular and indivisible, and that the “individual
self” or “Atman” is one with this universal essence.

— His teachings call for individuals to turn inwards, recognise their “divine nature”, and
embrace “the interconnectedness of all beings”.

Sree Narayana Guru was one of Kerala’s top social reformers in the early 1900s.

 Dr R Chidambaram
— A former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and a former Principal Scientific
Advisor, Chidambaram passed away at the age of 88.

— The idea to explode a thermonuclear device — the hydrogen bomb — during the 1998
tests could be largely attributed to him.

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 PLACES IN NEWS

 Pangong Tso lake

— The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji was unveiled on the banks of the Pangong Tso lake, at
an altitude of 14,300 feet, in Eastern Ladakh on December 26.
— The statue was inaugurated by officers of the Maratha Light Infantry.

 Winter Char Dham circuit

— The Uttarakhand government on December 8 inaugurated the winter Char Dham circuit,
aimed at drawing tourists to the state in the off-season winter months.

— The four revered Hindu shrines or dhams — Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and
Badrinath– collectively known as Char Dham.

— During the winter months, the presiding deities of these temples are brought to shrines at
lower altitudes — Mukhba in Uttarkashi is the winter seat of Gangotri Dham; Kharsali in
Uttarkashi is the winter seat of Yamunotri Dham; Kedarnath’s winter abode is the
Omkareshwar Temple in Rudraprayag’s Ukhimath; and Badrinath’s is at Pandukeshwar in
Chamoli.

— The winter Char Dham is aimed at drawing pilgrims to these shrines, and thus attract
tourist footfall to Uttarakhand during off-season months.

The Char Dham Yatra commenced in April.

(dono haath jod kar naman karo baba ji k dhaam ko)

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 ART & CULTURE

 Takanakuy festival
— This unique annual celebration called Takanakuy takes place in the town
of Chumbivilcas province near Cuzco in Peru on December 25, every year.

— The ancient tradition was inherited from the pre-Hispanic Chanka culture. It said this
tradition serves as a way for community members to resolve conflicts and start the new year
with a clean slate.

— The bouts are typically supervised by local authorities or community elders to ensure they
remain controlled and respectful. After the fights, a crucial component of the festival is the
collective drinking, symbolizing reconciliation and unity.

 Tamu Loshar
— Gurung community in Nepal marks its new year by celebrating Tamu Loshar.

— In the Gurung language, ‘Lho’ means year or age and ‘Sar’ denotes change. Members of
the Gurung community mark the festival by organizing feasts and cultural programs.

MISCELLANEOUS

 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

— Trinidad and Tobago President Christine Carla Kangaloo will be the chief guest at the
18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) programme to be held in Bhubaneswar from January 8
to 10.

— President Kangaloo is a descendent of Indian indentured workers who went to the

Carribean islands in late 1800s.
January 9 was selected as the date when Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South
Africa in 1915.

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 SPORTS

 World Blitz Championship

— R Vaishali won the bronze medal at the World Blitz Championship after reaching the
semi-finals at the year-end event at New York’s Wall Street.

— Ju Wenjun clinched the women’s blitz crown by defeating Lei Tingjie in the final.
Vaishali had lost to Wenjun in the semis and finished behind the two Chinese women.

— In the men’s section, Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi agreed to share the title
after both players won two games each in the final and three tie-break games were drawn.

 Koneru Humpy
— Humpy was crowned FIDE Women’s World Rapid Champion, clinching her second
title in this tournament.

— The 37-year-old from Vijayawada won the women’s World rapid championship after
defeating Indonesia’s Irene Sukandar in the final round. This is the second World rapid title
for Humpy, which she won first in 2019.

India’s Koneru Humpy won the FIDE Women’s World Rapid Champion.

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 National Sports Awards 2024
— Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is given for the spectacular and most
outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over the period of the
previous four years.

— Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in Sports and Games’ is given for good
performance over a period of the previous four years and for showing qualities of leadership,
sportsmanship and a sense of discipline.

— Praveen Kumar, D Gukesh, Manu Bhaker and Harmanpreet Singh will be honoured with
the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The ministry also announced 32 Arjuna
Awardees.

— The Khel Ratna winners receive a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh along with a citation and a
medallion. The Arjuna awardees are given Rs 15 lakh as cash reward, a statuette of Arjuna
and a citation. The award ceremony will be held in New Delhi on January 17.

TERMS MAKING BUZZ

— Generation Beta: It refers to the group of children born between the years 2025 and
2039. It is said that children in this generation will be faster than those in Generation Z (Gen
Z) and Generation Alpha.

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 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

A. Tama Loshar is celebrated by which of the following communities?

(a) Baiga
(b) Gurung
(c) Gonds
(d) Angami

B. In the context of modern scientific research, consider the following statements about
‘IceCube’, a particle detector located at South Pole, which was recently in the news:
1. It is the world’s largest neutrino detector, encompassing a cubic kilometre of ice.
2. It is a powerful telescope to search for dark matter.
3. It is buried deep in the ice.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

C. Consider the following statements about Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD):

1. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated annually on January 9th.
2. The event is organised in India and Trinidad and Tobago to recognize the contributions of
the Indian diaspora.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

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