UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 04-01-2025

One Liners 04-01-2025

Social Issues

Digitalisation of Schools in India

• Functional computers – only 57.2% of schools in the country.
• Internet access – Only in 53.9% of the schools.

PMAY-G program

• Nodal ministry - Ministry of Rural Development
• Extension – It aims to construct 2 crore additional houses by 2029, with revised eligibility rules.
• The budget for housing schemes for 2024-25 is the highest at Rs 54,500 crore.
• Sanctioned houses – As of December 2024, only 31. 65 lakh houses had been sanctioned against a target of 42 lakh.

Economy

Quality Control Order (QCO) for Steel

• Standardization – Uniform specifications, testing methods, and manufacturing processes for steel production.
• Manufacturers are required to obtain BIS license for manufacturing.
• So far, 151 such steel standards formulated by BIS, have been incorporated in the QCO.

Agriculture

National Bureau for Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR)

• Established in – 1983.
• Umbrella organisation - Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• Aim – To undertake research related to the conservation of fish germplasm resources of the country.

Environment

Black-collared yellow catfish

• Endemic to - Chalakudy River in Kerala.
• IUCN Status – Endangered
• Captive breeding programme – Began in 2020.

Security

2025 as Year of Defence Reforms

• Aim – To revamp its armed forces.
• Key focus – On implementing integrated theatre commands to improve collaboration among the Army, Navy, and Air Force, making the military more advanced and ready for combat.

Integrated Theatre Commands

• It seeks to combine the strengths of all three services within a unified operational framework.
• Each theatre command will include units from the Army, Navy, and Air Force to tackle security challenges in specific regions.

Science

K2-18 b

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has observed that K2-18 b may have conditions suitable for liquid water and possibly life.

• It is an exoplanet found in a habitable zone.
• Discovered by - Kepler Space Telescope in 2009
• Features – It is about 124 light-years away from Earth, with a radius 2. 6 times that of Earth and a mass 8. 6 times greater.

MeerKAT radio telescope

• It is a 64-dish array.
• Located in – Karoo semi-desert in South Africa  
• Built and operated by – South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO).
• Precursor to – The Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which is expected to be the world's most powerful radio telescope when it's fully operational.
• Significance – It is the largest radio telescope in the Southern Hemisphere

Miscellaneous

Awardees from Indian Railways

• They have the largest number of awardees of government for any single organization in India.
• Awardees - 183 Arjuna, 28 Padma Shri, 12 Dhyan Chand, 13 Dronacharya and 9 Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awardees.
• Sports wing in railways - Railway Sports Promotion Board

Railway Sports Promotion Board

• Started in - 1928
• Affiliation – With 28 National Sports Federations and with USIC (World Railways Sports Association).
• Sportsperson – More than 9000 sportspersons are on roll of Indian Railways in 29 game disciplines of whom about 3000 are active sportspersons,