Current affairs 22 January 2025

Muthoot Finance Launches Free Locker Facility at Maha Kumbh.

• Muthoot Finance introduced Vishwaas Ki Tijori, a free locker facility for devotees at Maha Kumbh Prayagraj 2025, with robust security features.
• The initiative includes other free services like woollen blankets, Rain Basera facility, eco-friendly carry bags, and leak-proof jerry cans.
• The facility aims to enhance the comfort and safety of millions of devotees attending the Kumbh Mela.

China Completed World’s Longest Expressway Tunnel in Xinjiang.

• The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel in Xinjiang, at 22.13 km, became the world’s longest expressway tunnel, completing tunneling on December 30, 2024.
• The tunnel, part of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, will reduce travel time across the Tianshan Mountains from several hours to 20 minutes.
• Built in just 52 months, the project overcame severe environmental and geological challenges at high altitudes.

Adani Group & ISKCON Collaborate for Mahaprasad Seva at Maha Kumbh.

• Adani Group partnered with ISKCON to offer ‘Mahaprasad Seva’ for devotees at Maha Kumbh Prayagraj 2025, providing free meals throughout the event.
• The initiative aligns with the Seva Hi Saadhna Hai philosophy, emphasizing service as a form of prayer.
• The Mahaprasad will be distributed at 40 places in the Mahakumbh area and 2,500 volunteers will be involved in this initiative.

US ban TikTok a day before swearing in of President-elect Donald Trump.

• TikTok users in the United States are no longer able to watch videos on the social media platform as a federal ban on the popular app takes effect.
• The newly US law prohibiting the use of the platform came into effect today, a day before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
• The ban followed months of legal battles and heightened scrutiny over TikTok’s Chinese ownership.

India is now the seventh-largest coffee producer globally.

• India is now the seventh-largest coffee producer globally, with exports reaching 1.29 billion dollars in the last financial year.
• The Commerce and Industry Ministry said in a release that this is nearly double the 719 million dollars worth of exports in 2020-21.
• Meanwhile, Karnataka leads in coffee production, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.