January 2025

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Contents
1. GA IN NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 6
PIB IN NEWS ............................................................................................................................................. 6
FIRST IN NEWS ..................................................................................................................................... 6
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES .............................................................................................................. 8
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 10
MOUs AND AGREEMENTS ................................................................................................................ 11
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ................................................................................................................ 12
DEFENCE EXERCISES/ INITIATIVES/ TECHNOLOGY ...................................................................14
SPORTS ................................................................................................................................................ 15
AWARDS .............................................................................................................................................. 15
BOOKS AND AUTHORS...................................................................................................................... 19
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS ...................................................................................................................... 19
PLACES IN NEWS ............................................................................................................................... 20
DAYS IN NEWS .................................................................................................................................... 21
MISCELLANEOUS .............................................................................................................................. 24
OTHER NEWS ......................................................................................................................................... 25
FIRST IN NEWS ................................................................................................................................... 25
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES ............................................................................................................ 30
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 32
MOUs AND AGREEMENTS ............................................................................................................... 32
BANKING AND FINANCE ................................................................................................................... 33
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................................................... 34
DEFENCE EXERCISES/ INITIATIVES/ TECHNOLOGY .................................................................. 35
ENVIRONMENT................................................................................................................................... 36
SPORTS ............................................................................................................................................... 36
AWARDS ............................................................................................................................................. 39
APPOINTMENT....................................................................................................................................41
PERSONS IN NEWS ............................................................................................................................ 43
BOOKS AND AUTHORS..................................................................................................................... 44
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS ..................................................................................................................... 45
PLACES IN NEWS ............................................................................................................................... 45
DAYS IN NEWS ................................................................................................................................... 46
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 MISCELLANEOUS .............................................................................................................................. 46
2. GA + ESI ........................................................................................................................................ 49
PIB IN NEWS ........................................................................................................................................... 49
SOCIAL SECTORS - HEALTH ........................................................................................................... 49
2.1 Genome India Project............................................................................................................... 49
SOCIAL SECTORS - EDUCATION.................................................................................................... 50
2.2 Anusandhan National Research Fellowship .......................................................................... 50
2.3 Draft UGC Regulations 2025................................................................................................... 53
EMPLOYMENT GENERATION IN INDIA .......................................................................................... 54
2.4 3 years of ONDC ...................................................................................................................... 54
SOCIAL JUSTICE ............................................................................................................................... 55
2.5 Aspirational district programme ............................................................................................. 55
2.6 BAANKNET portal ..................................................................................................................... 56
2.7 Centralized Pension Payments System (CPPS) ................................................................... 57
2.8 Rashtriya Karmayogi ................................................................................................................ 58
2.9 E-shram Portal .......................................................................................................................... 59
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES .............................................. 60
2.10 India's 4th Biennial Update Report ..................................................................................... 60
2.11 Wetland City Accreditation (WCA) .......................................................................................... 61
2.12 Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme ......................................................................... 62
GENDER ISSUES ................................................................................................................................. 63
2.13 Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)......................................................................... 63
INDIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM ............................................................................................................ 63
2.14 eSankhyiki .............................................................................................................................. 63
2.15 Lokpal of India ....................................................................................................................... 64
MULTICULTURALISM ....................................................................................................................... 64
2.16 BHASHINI, or the BHASHa INterface for India .................................................................. 64
GLOBALIZATION ............................................................................................................................... 65
2.17 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting ....................................................... 65
2.18 UN Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science for Official Statistics (UN-
CEBD) 66
2.19 BIMSTEC ................................................................................................................................ 67
MEASUREMENT OF GROWTH ......................................................................................................... 67

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 2.20 Working Group for the revision of the current series of Wholesale Price Index (Base
2011-12)................................................................................................................................................ 67
2.21 Government e Marketplace (GeM) ..................................................................................... 68
EXPORT-IMPORT POLICY................................................................................................................ 69
2.22 Enhanced Certificate of Origin (eCoO) 2.0 System .......................................................... 69
INDIAN AGRICULTURE ...................................................................................................................... 69
2.23 Coffee Production in India ................................................................................................... 69
CHANGES IN INDUSTRIAL AND LABOUR POLICY, SINCE REFORMS OF 1991 ........................ 70
2.24 Occupational Shortage Index (OSI) .................................................................................... 70
OTHER NEWS ......................................................................................................................................... 70
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES .............................................. 70
2.25 Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) .......................................................................... 70
SOCIAL JUSTICE ................................................................................................................................ 71
2.26 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) .................................................................... 71
INDIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM ............................................................................................................ 72
2.27 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) .................................................................................... 72
GLOBALIZATION ............................................................................................................................... 72
2.28 BRICS...................................................................................................................................... 72
2.29 Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)................................................................................. 72
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA ........................................................................................ 73
2.30 E-Way Bills ............................................................................................................................. 73
2.31 Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) ............................................................. 74
REGIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATIONS ...................................................................................... 75
2.32 Indonesia joins BRICS bloc as full member........................................................................ 75
2.33 European Council .................................................................................................................. 76
BALANCE OF PAYMENTS ................................................................................................................ 77
2.34 RBI adds 8 tons gold to its reserves in Nov 2024: WGC ................................................. 77
EXPORT-IMPORT POLICY................................................................................................................ 78
2.35 Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA) ............................................................. 78
3. GA + FINANCE ............................................................................................................................. 79
PIB IN NEWS ........................................................................................................................................... 79
FINTECH .............................................................................................................................................. 79
3.1 Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) and FASTag ................................................................ 79

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 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN FINANCIAL SECTOR ....................................................................... 81
3.2 National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) ...................................................................... 81
3.3 RMBS Development Company Limited (RDCL) .................................................................... 82
3.4 Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) ....................................................................... 82
OTHER NEWS ......................................................................................................................................... 83
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY MARKET .......................................................................................... 83
3.5 'PRUDENT' approach ............................................................................................................... 83
3.6 Small and Medium Real Estate Investment Trust (SM-REIT) .............................................. 84
3.7 SCORES (SEBI Complaints Redress System) Platform ........................................................ 85
3.8 Dharohar .................................................................................................................................... 86
BANKING SYSTEM IN INDIA ............................................................................................................. 86
3.9 Micro-Finance ........................................................................................................................... 86
3.10 M K Jain Committee ............................................................................................................. 87
3.11 NBFC Upper Layer List for Year 2024-25 ............................................................................. 87
FUNCTIONS OF RESERVE BANK OF INDIA .................................................................................... 88
3.12 RBI's New 15-Day Credit Reporting Rule ........................................................................... 88
3.13 Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 .......................................................... 88
3.14 Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS) .............................................. 89
3.15 RBI's Liquidity Measures ...................................................................................................... 90
FINTECH ............................................................................................................................................... 91
3.16 Unified Payment Interfact (UPI) ........................................................................................... 91
3.17 Payment Aggregator-Cross Border (PA-CB) .................................................................... 92
3.18 Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) ............................................................................... 92
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN FINANCIAL SECTOR ...................................................................... 93
3.19 eBKray Auction Platform ...................................................................................................... 93
3.20 Health Insurance Premium for Senior Citizens .................................................................. 94

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 1. GA IN NEWS
PIB IN NEWS
FIRST IN NEWS
[Link] News Key Facts

• The Prime Minister of India inaugurated the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut

Namo Bharat corridor.

Additional Information

• India’s metro network now exceeds 1,000 km (spanning 11 states and

First Namo Bharat Corridor 23 cities), making it the third-largest globally after China and the US.
1. in Delhi • India’s first metro rail system: Kolkata Metro (started in 1984).
• India’s first under-water metro tunnel located in Kolkata.
• Kochi, the first city in India to launch a Water Metro Project.
• India launched its first-ever driverless metro service on Delhi Metro’s
Magenta Line.
• India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) was inaugurated in
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
• India also surpassed Japan in Metro Rail Projects

• Foundation stone laid by the Prime Minister of India.

The first Green Hydrogen • Location: Pudimadaka, near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
2. Hub under the National
Green Hydrogen Mission Note: National Green Hydrogen Mission will be covered under
SchemesTap.

• First Indian Genomic Data Set (Genome India Project)

o Led by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
o 10,000 whole genome samples from diverse Indian populations,
archived at IBDC, are now accessible globally for research.
o Aim: To advance personalized medicine, genetic studies, and
healthcare innovations.
o Target: Sequencing 10 million genomes to accelerate India’s
India’s first Indian Genomic
advancements in genomics and personalized medicine
Data Set and the Indian
3. • IBDC: Enable researchers to access comprehensive genetic
Biological Data Centre
information effortlessly, allowing them to study genetic variations and
(IBDC) Portals
develop precise genomic tools.
• First Framework for Exchange of Data (FeED)
o Launched under the Biotech-PRIDE Guidelines (2021) to ensure
transparent and ethical sharing of genomic data
o Promotes the development of genomic tools specific to the Indian
demographic.
• The initiatives were launched during the Genome India Data Conclave

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 Additional Information

• India is the largest vaccine producer and third-largest startup

ecosystem.
• India’s bioeconomy is expected to reach $300 billion by 2030.

• INS Surat, INS Nilgiri, and INS Vaghsheer commissioned at Naval

Dockyard, Mumbai.
The first-ever tri- • INS Surat: The fourth and final ship of the P15B Guided Missile
commissioning of a Destroyer Project with 75% indigenous content
4.
destroyer, frigate, and • INS Nilgiri: The first ship of the P17A Stealth Frigate Project, designed
submarine in Indian history by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.
• INS Vaghsheer: The sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene
Project, constructed in collaboration with France’s Naval Group.

India’s first Archaeological

5. • Inaugurated at Vadnagar, Gujarat.
Experiential Museum

India’s First Council of

Scientific and Industrial • Inaugurated at Mumbai, Maharashtra.
6.
Research Innovation • First innovation-cum-incubation facility in India.
Complex (CSIR-IC)

• Conducted by the Defence Research & Development Laboratory

(DRDL), a Hyderabad-based laboratory of Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO).
India’s first-ever 120-second • For the first time in India, DRDL and industry collaboratively developed
7. ground test of an active endothermic scramjet fuel, which improves cooling and ignition
cooled scramjet combustor efficiency.
• The successful ground test marks a crucial milestone in developing a
long-duration Supersonic Combustion Ramjet or Scramjet powered
Hypersonic technology. .

India’s first-ever Left

Ventricular Assist Device • Performed at Army Hospital (Research & Referral), Delhi Cantt.
8. (LVAD) implantation using • A landmark achievement for the Armed Forces Medical Services.
the HeartMate 3 device in a • The HeartMate 3 LVAD is also known as a ‘mechanical heart’.
government institution

• The Government of India and the Republic of Korea conducted signing

of Exchange of Notes for NCERT’s Technical Cooperation Project titled
First-ever project with Korea ‘Strengthening Vocational Education and Training in Mechatronics in
International Cooperation India’.
9.
Agency (KOICA) assistance • Implementing Bodies: NCERT and KOICA.
in India • Significance: Strengthens bilateral relations under the Special
Strategic Partnership between India & Republic of Korea established
in 2015.

• Hosted in Uttarakhand for the first time.

10. 38th National Games 2025 • The Games' torch, Tejaswini, was flagged off recently
• Inaugurated in Dehradun
• Theme: Green Games.

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 • Sports Disciplines: 35 sports, including Yoga and Mallakhamb, which
have been included for the first time.
• Special Initiative: "Sports Forest", Over 10,000 saplings to be planted.

• Tripura became the first North-Eastern state, the first in Eastern India,
and the eighth state in India to sign a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Bhashini.
• Signatories: Government of Tripura and the Digital India Bhashini
Division (DIBD) of the Ministry of Electronics and Information
First in the North East to sign Technology (MeitY).
11. an
MoU with Bhashini About Bhashini (Bhasha Interface for India)

• The National Language Technology Mission (NLTM).

• Launched in 2022.
• Aim: To bridge the digital divide by providing real-time translation,
speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and voice-to-voice translation
between 22 scheduled Indian languages and English.

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
[Link] Initiative Key Facts

• Developed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

• Strengthen international crime investigations and connect Indian law
enforcement with INTERPOL's network across 195 countries.
BHARATPOL Portal
• Key Modules: Connect, INTERPOL Notices, References, Broadcast,
1.
and Resources, enabling real-time data sharing and swift international
cooperation.
• Key Feature: Facilitates Trial in Absentia under new criminal laws to
prosecute fugitives in their absence.

• Established at Nizamabad, Telangana.

• First Chairperson: Palle Ganga Reddy.
Objectives

• Focus on the welfare of turmeric farmers across 20 states, including

Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Meghalaya.
• Promote research and development, value addition of turmeric
2. National Turmeric Board products, and increase exports.
• Create awareness about the medical properties of turmeric and
enhance logistics and supply chains to access newer markets.

Additional Information

• India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of turmeric in the

world.

• Launched by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry during the Bharat

Bharat Cleantech Climate Forum 2025 held in New Delhi.
3.
Manufacturing Platform • Aim: To enhance India’s cleantech value chains across solar, wind,
hydrogen, and battery storage sectors.
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 Additional Information

• India achieved installing 200 Gigawatts of renewable energy by 2022,

8 years ahead of schedule, and set a target of 500 Gigawatts of clean
energy by 2030.

• Inaugurated at the Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad,

Cochin and Ahmedabad airports.
• Initially launched from the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in
New Delhi in 2024.
o Phase 1 of the program covers the above mentioned eight airports.
• Nodal Agency: Bureau of Immigration (BoI) under the Ministry of Home
Affairs.
• Part of the ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’ vision to make India a developed
nation by 2047.
• Objective: To provide faster, smoother, and more secure immigration
Fast Track Immigration –
clearance for international travellers.
4. Trusted Traveller Program
• Scope: To be launched at 21 airports.
(FTI-TTP)
• Features:
o Free of cost for Indian citizens and OCI cardholders in the first
phase.
o Foreign travellers will be included in the second phase.
o Includes e-Gates for automated immigration clearance, minimizing
human intervention.
o Biometric data capture at
Foreigners Registration Office (FRRO) offices or airports.
o Registration validity: Till passport validity or 5 years, whichever is
earlier, with options for renewal.

• Organized by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) in

collaboration with the Goa State AIDS Control Society (GSACS).
5. National Red Run 2.0 • Venue: Miramar Beach, Panaji.
• Aim: To raise awareness about HIV prevention through sports and
community engagement.

• Launched by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

• An extension of the Sanchar Saathi portal, launched in 2023.
• Objectives
o To enhance telecom security and empower citizens to combat
cyber fraud and suspicious communications.
6. Sanchar Saathi Mobile App o To provide a convenient platform for reporting fraudulent calls and
SMS, managing telecom connections, and ensuring mobile device
authenticity.
• Key Feature
o Chakshu - Reporting Fraud Communications: Allows users to
directly report suspicious calls or messages.

• Developed by: National eGovernance Division (NeGD) under the

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
7. Entity Locker • Part of: Digital India Programme.
• Objective: To streamline the management, storage, sharing, and
verification of business documents.
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 • Key Features
o Real-time access and verification of documents via integration with
government databases.
o 10 GB of encrypted cloud storage.

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

[Link] Summit/Conference Key Outcomes

• Organizer: National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) under the aegis of

the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
‘Capacity for Change: • Venue: New Delhi.
1. Forging Sustainable • Initiatives launched
Futures’ Conference o Urban Learnathon 2.0: Challenge for innovative urban solutions
through collaboration.
o NULP 4.0: On-demand skilling platform for urban practitioners.

• Venue: Guernsey, United Kingdom.

• Chairperson: Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Standing Committee
Meeting of the Conference Additional Information
2. of Speakers and Presiding
Officers of the • India to host the 28th CSPOC in 2026.
Commonwealth (CSPOC) • India previously hosted the event in 1970-71, 1986, and 2010.
• Focus Areas: Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Social Media
in the Working of Parliaments

• Organized by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

• The Ministry has set up a target to register 10,000 Geographical
Indication (GI) products by 2030, up from the current 605.

About Geographical Indication (GI) Tag

3. GI Samagam • Official markers given to products with a specific geographic origin and
distinct qualities.
• Awarded under Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration &
Protection) Act, 1999 (implemented in 2003).
• GIs are recognized under the Paris Convention and WTO's Trade-
Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement.

• Venue: Patna, Bihar.

• Theme: ‘75th Anniversary of Constitution: Contribution of Parliament
and State Legislative Bodies in Strengthening Constitutional Values.’
• Five Resolutions Adopted at the Conference
85th All India Presiding o Paying homage to the founding fathers and mothers of the
4. Officers’ Conference Constitution.
(AIPOC) o Commitment to uphold constitutional values in legislative
proceedings.
o Promoting barrier-free, orderly debates in legislatures.
o Running campaigns to celebrate 75 years of the Constitution with
active participation from all democratic stakeholders.

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 o Adoption of modern digital technology, including AI, in legislative
processes.
• The NeVA (National e-Vidhan Application) Seva Kendra was
inaugurated at the Bihar Legislature Complex to enhance legislative
digitization.
• Conference preceded by the 61st Conference of Secretaries of
Legislative Bodies, focusing on the use of modern technologies in
legislative bodies.

• Organizer: Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).

The conference on ‘Sun,
• Venue: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
5. Space Weather, and Solar-
• The conference commemorated the 125th anniversary of the
Stellar Connections’
Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KSO) in Tamil Nadu, established in 1899.

• Organizers: Department of Administrative Reforms and Public

Grievances (DARPG) and the Government of Gujarat
National Conference on
6. • Venue: Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Good Governance 2025
• Focused on emerging technologies and governance strategies for
enhancing public service delivery.

MOUs AND AGREEMENTS

[Link] Signing Entities Key Facts

• Objectives: To enhance the semiconductor skilling ecosystem in India,

National Institute of To establish skill centers and develop diploma and certification
Electronics & Information programs in Semiconductor Assembly, Testing, Marking, and
1. Technology (NIELIT) and Packaging (ATMP) technologies.
Tata Electronics Private
Limited (TEPL) About NIELIT

• An Autonomous Scientific Society under Ministry of Electronics & IT

• Objective: To empower women entrepreneurs in Mira Bhayandar

through the ‘Faral Sakhi’ initiative.
• MoU signed under the Award to Reward initiative of WEP.

Women Entrepreneurship About ‘Faral Sakhi’ initiative

Platform (WEP) & Mira
• Offers extensive training and support to empower women
Bhayandar Municipal
entrepreneurs in traditional snack production, enabling them to grow
2. Corporation (MBMC),
their businesses sustainably and efficiently.
Maharashtra
About WEP

• Incubated in NITI Aayog in 2018 as an aggregator platform.

• Transitioned into a public-private partnership in 2022.
• Aim: Empower women entrepreneurs by addressing information gaps
and offering support across finance, market access, and training.

• Objective: To harness artificial intelligence (AI) for inclusive

3. IndiaAI & Microsoft development, economic transformation, and to position India as a
global leader in AI.
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 • Key Targets
o Train 500,000 individuals, including students, educators,
developers, government officials, and women entrepreneurs, by
2026.
o Establish AI Productivity Labs in 20 NSTIs/NIELIT centers across 10
states, targeting 20,000 educators and 100,000 students in 200
ITIs.
o Establish "AI Catalysts," a Center of Excellence, to promote rural AI
innovation in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
o Equip 100,000 AI innovators and developers through hackathons,
community building, and an AI marketplace.
o Provide benefits to 1,000 AI startups under Microsoft’s Founders
Hub.
• MoU aligns with the Ind AI Mission.

Additional Information

• IndiaAI is an Independent Business Division (IBD) under the Digital India

Corporation

Department for Promotion • Objectives: To promote entrepreneurship and innovation in India, To

4. of Industry and Internal accelerate startup growth, technological advancement, and market
Trade (DPIIT) & ITC Limited opportunities for startups.

IREDA, SJVN Ltd., GMR • Objective: To develop the 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydro-electric
5. Energy Ltd. & Nepal Project in Nepal to enhance regional energy security and promote
Electricity Authority (NEA) renewable energy growth.

• Objective: To establish a Centre of Excellence for Energy Transition

Bureau of Energy Efficiency
(CoEET) at TERI's Institute of Energy Transition (IoET) campus in
(BEE) & The Energy and
Hyderabad.
6. Resources Institute (TERI)
• Aimed at fostering research, innovation, and collaboration to
accelerate the adoption of clean energy and support the global
transition to a low-carbon economy.

• MoUs signed during the State visit of President of Indonesia to India in

the following areas
o Health Cooperation
o Maritime Safety and Security Cooperation between Indian Coast
7. India and Indonesia
Guard and BAKAMLA, Indonesia
o Traditional Medicine
o Digital Development
o Cultural Exchange Program (2025–28).

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

[Link] Technology in News Key Facts

• India joins the UN-CEBD, a global body aimed at leveraging Big Data and
1. UN Committee of Experts Data Science to enhance official statistics and support Sustainable
on Big Data and Data Development Goals (SDGs).
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 Science for Official
About UN-CEBD
Statistics (UN-CEBD)
• Set up in 2014 under the aegis of United Nations Statistical Commission
(UNSC).
• Created to further investigate the benefits and challenges of Big Data,
including the potential for monitoring and reporting on the sustainable
development goals.
• Total Members: 31 member states (including India) and 16 international
organizations

• ISRO’s SpaDeX mission was successfully completed recently.

• A cost-effective technology demonstrator mission.
• Mission Goals
o Develop and demonstrate technology for rendezvous and docking
using two small spacecrafts.
o Showcase controllability in the docked condition.
o Demonstrate the potential for extending the life of the target
Space Docking Experiment spacecraft.
2.
(SpaDeX) Mission o Test power transfer between docked spacecraft.
• Two spacecrafts of the mission: SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target).
• India became the 4th country in the world to achieve successful space
docking operations.
• The mission lays the groundwork for future interplanetary explorations,
satellite servicing, and space station operations.
• Future missions enabled by SpaDeX technology include Gaganyaan,
Chandrayaan-4 & Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS).

• Launched By: Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY)

in association with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI).
• Objective: Strengthen India’s cybersecurity capabilities, promote
innovation, and support startups with mentorship, capability-building,
and market access.
Cyber Security Grand
3. • Participants in the Grand Challenge are tasked with developing solutions
Challenge 2.0
addressing six key problem areas:
o API Security, Data Protection, Privacy and Security for Wearable
Devices, Mitigation of Clone and Fake Apps, AI-based Threat
Detection and Incident Response, and Security for Next-Generation
Biometric Systems.

• The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of Third Launch Pad
(TLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
• Objectives
o Establish launch infrastructure for Next Generation Launch Vehicles
Third Launch Pad (TLP) at
4. (NGLV) and as a standby for the Second Launch Pad (SLP).
Sriharikota
o Enhance capacity for Indian human spaceflight missions and space
exploration.
o Support heavier class launch vehicles with advanced propulsion
systems.

• Launched by IndiaAI Mission, in collaboration with Indian Cybercrime

IndiaAI CyberGuard AI
5. Coordination Centre (I4C).
Hackathon
• Aim: Developing AI-driven solutions for cybercrime prevention.
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 About India AI Mission

• Implemented by ‘IndiaAI’ Independent Business Division (IBD) under

Digital India Corporation (DIC).
• It will establish a comprehensive ecosystem catalyzing AI innovation
through strategic programs and partnerships across the public and
private sectors.
• Budget outlay: Rs.10,371.92 crore.
• Components:
o IndiaAI Compute Capacity
o IndiaAI Innovation Centre
o IndiaAI Datasets Platform
o IndiaAI Application Development Initiative
o IndiaAI FutureSkills
o IndiaAI Startup Financing
o Safe & Trusted AI.

• The UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia and MeitY, in partnership
with Ikigai Law, hosted a two-day consultation on the AI Readiness
Assessment Methodology (RAM) in India.
• This consultation marked the second in a series of five
consultations under the AI RAM initiative.
AI Readiness Assessment
6. Methodology (RAM) About AI RAM Initiative
Initiative
• Initiative of UNESCO & Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY).
• Aim: To craft a comprehensive, India-specific AI policy report by
assessing the country's AI readiness across infrastructure, legislation,
and key stakeholders.

DEFENCE EXERCISES/ INITIATIVES/ TECHNOLOGY

[Link] Exercise/Technology Key Facts

• Ministry of Defence declares 2025 as ‘Year of Reforms’.

• Objectives: Transform the Armed Forces into a technologically
Year of Reforms advanced, combat-ready force capable of multi-domain integrated
1. operations, to facilitate rolling out integrated theatre commands to
bolster synergy among the three services.
• Focus Areas: cyber and space, emerging technologies like artificial
intelligence, machine learning, hypersonic and robotics.

SURYA KIRAN (18th Edition) • Joint Military Exercise between India and Nepal.
2.
• Venue: Saljhandi, Nepal.

• To be organized by Defence Exhibition Organisation (DEO), Ministry of

Aero India 2025 (15th edition) Defence.
3. • Venue: Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Theme: ‘The Runway to a Billion Opportunities’.
• Asia’s biggest aero show.

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 • Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) developed for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
• Third and fourth vessels in a series of eight FPVs being constructed
4. Amulya and Akshay
by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).
• The first two FPVs, Adamya and Akshar, were launched in 2024.

• Field Evaluation Trials conducted at Pokhran Field Range.

• Indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development
5. Nag Mk 2
Organisation (DRDO).
• A third-generation Anti-Tank Fire-and-Forget Guided Missile.

• Initiative of Eastern Naval Command.

• Organized as a part of 37th anniversary celebrations of INS Ranvijay.
‘Dare Square’ Motorcycle
6. • The expedition was from Visakhapatnam to Ayodhya.
Expedition
• Promotes the Chief of the Naval Staff's message of 'Mental Health and
Wellness'.

• Second of the two Multi-Purpose Vessel built by L&T Shipyard for the
Indian Navy.
7. Utkarsh
Additional Information

• SAMARTHAK- First Multi-Purpose Vessel built by L&T Shipyard.

• A new Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS).

SANJAY • Jointly developed by the Indian Army and Bharat Electronics Limited
8.
(BEL) under the Buy (Indian) category.
• Part of the Ministry of Defence's ‘Year of Reforms’ for 2025.

SPORTS
[Link] Sport Event and Venue Key Facts

PD Champions Trophy 2025

• The Indian Physical Disability (PD) Cricket Team won title, defeating
1. Venue: Colombo, Sri Lanka England in the final.
• Captain: Vikrant Keni.

AWARDS
[Link] Award/Milestone Key Facts

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (Highest sporting honour of India,
National Sports Awards honours exceptional sports performance over the last four years)
2024
• Manu Bhaker
1. o Double Olympic medalist in 10m air pistol individual and mixed team
events.
o First Indian athlete to win two Olympic medals in a single edition.
• D Gukesh

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 o Youngest-ever World Chess Champion, Helped India win a historic gold
in the Chess Olympiad.
• Harmanpreet Singh
o Captain of the Indian men's hockey team, leading them to their second
consecutive Olympic bronze medal.
• Praveen Kumar
o Won the T64 high jump gold at the Paris Paralympics.
Arjuna Award (Acknowledges consistent excellence in sports, leadership, and
discipline over the previous four years)

• 32 awardees, including a record 17 para-athletes recognized for their

success at the Paris Paralympics (29 medals including 7 gold).
Arjuna Awards (Lifetime)

• Sucha Singh (Athletics) & Murlikant Rajaram Petkar (Para-Swimming).

Dronacharya Awards (India's highest sports honor for coaches)

• Lifetime Category: Former India football manager Armando Colaco and

badminton coach S Muralidharan.
• Regular Category: Subhash Rana (Para-Shooting), Deepali Deshpande
(Shooting), Sandeep Sangwan (Hockey).
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy (Top performing university in Khelo
India University Games)

• Overall winner: Chandigarh University.

• First runner up: Lovely Professional University, (PB)

About National Sports Awards

• Awarded by: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

• Awarded to Professor Urbasi Sinha, faculty at the Raman Research

Institute (RRI), Bengaluru.
• One among the eight awardees of the award to celebrate its 25th
Gates-Cambridge
2. anniversary.
Impact Prize 2025
• Awarded for her significant contributions to quantum computing and her
leadership in advancing quantum technologies globally.
• Awarded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation at Cambridge, UK.

• Total: 139 (Padma Vibhushan- 7, Padma Bhushan-19 & Padma -113)

• Padma Vibhushan Awardees:

Awardee Category About the Awardee

Padma Awards 2025 • Renowned gastroenterologist.
3. Duvvur Nageshwar • Chairman of the Asian Institute of
Medicine
Reddy Gastroenterology (AIG) in
Hyderabad.
• Former Chief Justice of India,
Justice (Retd.) Public known for his role in significant
Jagdish Singh Khehar Affairs verdicts, including the triple talaq
case.

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 Kumudini Rajnikant
Art • Kathak dancer.
Lakhia
Lakshminarayana
Art • Violinist.
Subramaniam
Literature
M. T. Vasudevan Nair
and • Malayalam writer and filmmaker.
(Posthumous)
Education
Trade
Osamu Suzuki • Former Chairman of Suzuki Motor
and
(Posthumous) Corporation.
Industry
Sharda Sinha • Folk singer known as the "Voice of
(Posthumous) Art Bihar," celebrated for popularizing
Bhojpuri and Maithili folk music.

• Key Padma Bhushan Awardees

Awardee Categor About the Awardee

y

Anant Nag Art • Kannada Actor.

Literatu
Bibek Debroy re and
• Economist, scholar, and translator.
(Posthumous) Educati
on
Jatin Goswami Art • Sattriya dancer and choreographer.
Manohar Joshi Public
• Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
(Posthumous) Affairs
Nandamuri
Art • Telugu Actor.
Balakrishna
• Former Indian hockey captain,
instrumental in India’s Olympic success,
P. R. Sreejesh Sports
including the bronze medal in Tokyo
2020.
Trade
Pankaj Patel and • Chairman of Zydus Lifesciences.
Industry

Pankaj Udhas
Art • Ghazal singer.
(Posthumous)

S. Ajith Kumar Art • Tamil Actor.

Shekhar Kapur Art • Filmmaker.

Shobana
Art • Bharatanatyam dancer and actress.
Chandrakumar
Sushil Kumar
Public • Former Rajya Sabha Member & Former
Modi
Affairs Deputy CM of Bihar.
(Posthumous)
Science • Indian-American engineer, entrepreneur,
Vinod Dham and and venture capitalist.
(USA) Enginee • Known as the "Father of the Pentium
ring Chip," he played a significant role in

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 advancing semiconductor technology
and promoting Indian talent globally.

• Key Padma Shri Awardees

Awardee Category About the Awardee

• India's second-highest wicket-

Ravichandran Ashwin Sports taker in Test cricket with 537
dismissals.
• An iconic footballer known as the
I.M. Vijayan Sports
“Black Buck” of Indian football.
• Paralympics gold medallist
Harvinder Singh Sports • First Indian to win a Paralympic
gold in archery.
• A dedicated coach who trained
Paralympian Praveen Kumar,
Satyapal Singh Sports
leading to his gold medal victory
at the Paris Paralympics.
Arijit Singh Art • Playback singer.
• A 100-year-old freedom fighter
Social who co-founded an underground
Libia Lobo Sardesai
Work radio station, ‘Voz da Liberdade’,
to rally against Portuguese rule.
Bhimavva
• First women to practice Togalu
Doddabalappa Art
Gombeyaata (leather puppetry).
Shillekyathara
Others- • Farmer from Himachal Pradesh.
Hariman Sharma
Agriculture • The Apple Man of India.

About Padma Awards

• Instituted in 1954; India's highest civilian Award

• Announced annually on Republic Day eve.

• Categories
o Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service)
o Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of high order)
o Padma Shri (distinguished service in any field).

• Awarded to Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services

(INCOIS), Hyderabad, in the Institutional Category.
• Recognized for its outstanding contributions to disaster management.

Subhash Chandra Bose

About the Award
4. Aapda Prabandhan
Puraskar-2025 • Instituted by the Government of India to honor individuals and
organizations for their selfless service in disaster management.
• Announced annually on Parakram Diwas
Note: Parakram Diwas discussed in Days in News section.

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 BOOKS AND AUTHORS
[Link] Book Title Key Facts

‘Jammu Kashmir &

• Editor: Prof. Raghuvendra Tanwar, Chairman of the Indian Council of
Ladakh Through The
Historical Research (ICHR).
1. Ages: A Visual Narrative
• Initiative of National Book Trust, India, and the Indian Council of Historical
of Continuities and
Research.
Linkages’

"Indian Renaissance:
2. • Edited by Dr. Aishwarya Pandit.
The Modi Decade"

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

[Link] Fair/Festival Name Key Facts

• Organizers: Department of Financial Services (DFS) and National Bank for

Grameen Bharat Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
Mahotsav 2025 • Venue: New Delhi.
1.
• Theme: 'Building a Resilient Rural India for a Viksit Bharat 2047’.
• Motto: “ग ांव बढ़े , तो द़े श बढ़े ”.
• Aim: To celebrate Rural India’s entrepreneurial spirit and cultural heritage.

• Being held at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

• Held every 12 years, also known as Purna Kumbh.
Key Highlights

• PhonePe and ICICI Lombard have launched the first ever insurance policy
for devotees attending the MahaKumbh Mela.
• Kumbhvani (103.5 MHz), a special FM channel, and Kumbh Mangal Dhwani
were launched by the All India Radio (Prasar Bharati).
• Initiatives by the Ministry of Tourism to promote the event
Maha Kumbh 2025 o Setting up of Incredible India Pavilion.
2. o Special hashtags such as #Mahakumbh2025 and #SpiritualPrayagraj.
(Kumbh Mela)

About Kumbh Mela

• The world's largest peaceful congregation, symbolizing spiritual

purification through holy river baths.
• Held every 12 years, sequentially at Haridwar on the Ganga, Ujjain on the
Shipra, Nasik on the Godavari and Prayagraj, where the Ganga, Yamuna
and Saraswati meet.
• The Ardh Kumbh Mela occurs every six years at Haridwar and Prayagraj,
while the Maha Kumbh Mela is held every 144 years.

Indusfood 2025 (8th • Asia’s premier Food and Beverage (F&B) Trade Show.
edition) • Organized by the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) with support
3.
from the Department of Commerce.
• Venue: Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

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 • Venue: Messe Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
• India had the largest country participation at the fair, showcasing
4. Heimtextil 2025
innovation, sustainability, and global partnerships in the textile industry
through the India Pavilion.

• Venue: Bharat Mandapam & Yashobhoomi, New Delhi; India Expo Center &
Bharat Mobility Global Mart, Greater Noida.
5.
Expo 2025 • Coordinated by Engineering Export Promotion Council India (EEPC India).
• India’s largest & the second largest automotive expo in the world.

• Organizing Body: IFEMA, Madrid, Spain.

FITUR 2025 • Venue: Madrid, Spain.
(International Travel
6. Trade Exhibition) Additional Information

• 2026 will mark the Dual Year of Culture, Tourism, and Artificial Intelligence
to commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and Spain.

PLACES IN NEWS
[Link] Place in News Key Facts

600 MW Omkareshwar • Location: Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh.

1.
Floating Solar Park • India's largest floating solar project

• Inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India.

• Location: Ganderbal district, central Kashmir.
Z-Morh Tunnel
2. • Ensures year-round connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg.
(Sonamarg Tunnel)
• Part of the Srinagar-Leh National Highway, alongside the under-
construction Zojila Tunnel.

National Institute of • Inaugurated at Sehore, Madhya Pradesh.

3. Mental Health • Established under the aegis of the Department of Empowerment of
Rehabilitation (NIMHR) Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD).

• The iconic cultural center in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, built with Indian assistance,
has been named ‘Thiruvalluvar Cultural Center’.
Thiruvalluvar Cultural
4. • Symbolizes the deep cultural, linguistic, historical, and civilizational bonds
Center
between the people of India and Sri Lanka.
• Pays homage to the revered Tamil poet and philosopher, Thiruvalluvar.

• The foundation stone for a Model Resilient Village was laid at Sil/Sunani
Village, Bawasni Gram Panchayat, Baddi, District Solan, Himachal Pradesh.
• Aim: Rebuilding and strengthening disaster resilience in the region, which
5. Model Resilient Village
was severely impacted by a cloudburst-induced landslide.
• A collaborative effort of CSIR, Government of Himachal Pradesh, Bal
Raksha Bharat, and Zee Entertainment.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port, • Several developmental projects were inaugurated at Jawaharlal Nehru
6.
Mumbai Port to expand its capacity.

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 Additional Information

• Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) Special Economic Zone is India’s

first port-based operational multi-product SEZ.

DAYS IN NEWS
[Link] Day in News Key Facts

About DRDO
67th Foundation Day of
1. DRDO • The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was
(January 1) established in 1958.

About NIMHANS

• Established in 1974
Golden Jubilee Celebrations • The apex center for Mental Health and Neuro Science education in
of the National Institute of India.
2. Mental Health and • First NABH accredited hospital among all the Institutes of National
Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Importance.
Bengaluru • Ranked among the top 200 hospitals in the world.
• Honored with the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion by
WHO.

World Braille Day • Theme: Honoring Inclusion, Innovation, and Independence.

(January 4) • Celebrates the birthday of Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille, a tactile
3.
script enabling blind and partially sighted individuals to access
education and opportunities.

Key Highlights

• Launch of indigenously developed paracetamol technology by CSIR,

aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.
• Technology transfers between CSIR and MSME units under Laghu
Udyog Bharati 100 days 100 technology Program was highlighted.
40th Foundation Day of DSIR
4. (January 4) About Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR)

• Established on January 4, 1985.

About Laghu Udyog Bharati 100 days 100 technology Program

• CSIR signed an MoU with Laghu Udyog Bharati (LUB).

• Objective: Transfer of 100 CSIR technologies to Micro and Small
Entrepreneurs (MSMEs) under LUB within 100 days.

About BIS
78th Foundation Day of
Bureau of Indian Standards • The statutory national standard body of India.
5.
(BIS) • Established under the BIS Act, 2016 for standardization, marking, and
(January 6) quality certification of goods.
• Initially established as the Indian Standards Institution (ISI) in 1947.

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 • Operates under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public
Distribution.

• Theme: "Diaspora's contribution to a Viksit Bharat" (Developed India).

• Venue: Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
• First PBD to be held in Eastern India.
• Chief Guest: Christine Carla Kangaloo, President of Trinidad and
Tobago.
• Commemorates Mahatma Gandhi's return to India on January 9, 1915,
from South Africa.
18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas • Celebrated biennially to honor the contributions of the Indian diaspora.
(PBD) (January 9) & PBD • The flagship event of the Ministry of External Affairs.
6. Convention Key Highlights

• Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was organized by Ministry of External

Affairs and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Affairs.
• The inaugural journey of the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special
tourist train under the Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana, was flagged
off.

Additional Information

• The 17th PBD was held in 2023 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

• Celebrated annually to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami

Vivekananda.
Key Highlights

• The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2025 was held at New
National Youth Day Delhi.
7.
(January 12) o a Reimagination of the National Youth Festival.
o Aim: To provide a unique platform for youth to present innovative
solutions for Viksit Bharat.
o Aligns with the Prime Minister's Independence Day vision of
involving 1 lakh youth in non-partisan politics and offering them a
national platform to turn their ideas for Viksit Bharat into reality.

Highlights

• Unveiling of IMD Vision-2047: Outlines a roadmap for weather

resilience and climate change adaptation as India approaches 100
years of independence in 2047.
• The Srinagar Meteorology Centre has completed over 100 years and
is designated as a Centennial Centre by the World Meteorological
150th Foundation Day of the
Organization.
8. India Meteorological
• Establishment of a Regional Meteorological Centre in Jammu.
Department (IMD)
(January 15) About India Meteorological Department (IMD)

• Established in 1875.

Additional Information

• IMD was the first organization in India to implement a message

switching computer for supporting global data exchange.
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 • India became the first developing country to launch its own
geostationary satellite, INSAT, for continuous weather monitoring and
cyclone warnings.
• The first meteorological observatory was established in 1785 in
Kolkata (then Calcutta).

• Celebrated at Pune, Maharashtra for the first time.

• This was the third Army Day Parade held outside Delhi.
• Theme: ‘Samarth Bharat, Saksham Sena’ (Capable India, Empowered
Army).
• Significance: Marks the day in 1949 when General K M Cariappa (later
Field Marshal) became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the
Indian Army, taking over from General Sir F R R Bucher, the last British
77th Army Day
9. Commander-in-Chief.
(January 15)
Key Highlights

• First-ever participation of the Nepali Army Band in the Army Day

Parade, symbolizing Indo-Nepal relations.
• Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan App:
o Initiative of Ministries of Defence and Tourism and Indian Army.
o Launched to enable people to explore historical war zones.

• The Indian Navy declared 2024 as the ‘Year of Naval Civilians’ to

10. Year of Naval Civilians enhance the administration, training, and welfare of Naval Civilians.
• The celebratory event was held recently.

• Commemorated 128th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra

Parakram Diwas 2025 Bose.
11.
(January 23) • Celebrated at Barabati fort in the historic city of Cuttack in Odisha, the
birthplace of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

National Girl Child Day 2025 • Theme: "Empowering Girls for a Bright Future"
12. (January 24) • Observed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• Initiated in 2008.

• Theme: "Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure".

• Marks the 15th National Voters’ Day (NVD), commemorating the
foundation of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on 25 January
1950.
• Celebrates the success of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, the world's
National Voters' Day 2025 largest democratic exercise.
(January 25) Highlights
13.
• National Electoral Awards 2024-25 were announced.
o Best Electoral Practices Award 2024-25 in best Government
department for Voter education & electoral participation was
awarded to Indian Railways.
o ECI Media Award for Voter Awareness (Electronic Media - TV
category) awarded to Doordarshan; recognised for its coverage,
including the "Chunav Ka Parv Desh Ka Garv" series during the Lok
Sabha Elections 2024

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 • Theme: ‘Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas’
• Celebration held at Kartavya Path, New Delhi.
• Chief Guest: Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia.
• Key Focus Area: 75 years of the enactment of the Constitution.
Highlights

• First-ever Tri-services Tableau displaying joint military operations

with the theme ‘Shashakt aur Surakshit Bharat’.
• Best Tableau (States/UTs):
o 1st Place – Gujarat (Swarnim Bharat: Virasat Aur Vikas)
o 2nd Place – Uttar Pradesh (Mahakumbh 2025 - Swarnim Bharat:
76th Republic Day
14. Virasat aur Vikas)
(January 26)
o 3rd Place – Uttarakhand (Uttarakhand: Cultural Heritage and
Adventure Sports)
• Best Tableau Award (Central Ministries/Departments)
o Winner: Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Recognized for its culturally rich
tableau based on "Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh", commemorating the
150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
• Bharat Parv 2025
o Organized by the Ministry of Tourism as a part of Republic Day
celebrations to showcase India’s diverse culture, heritage, tourism,
cuisine, and handicrafts.
o Theme: "Dekho Apna Desh".

MISCELLANEOUS
[Link] News Key Facts

Coal production in 2024 reached an all-time high of 1,039.59 MT, growing

by 7.28% compared to 2023's 969.07 MT..
1. Coal Sector Achievements
Coal dispatches hit a record 1,012.72 MT in 2024, an increase of 6.56%
from 2023's 950.39 MT.

• India is the 6th largest exporter worldwide in 2023.

India's Textile and Apparel • India’s share of global trade in textiles and apparel stands at 3.9%.
2.
Trade • The share of textile and apparel (T&A) including handicrafts in India’s
total exports stands at a significant 8.21% in 2023-24

• Aadhaar Face Authentication crossed the 100-crore transaction mark,

doubling from 50 crore in just five months.
• Aadhaar Face Authentication was introduced in October 2021, an
AI/ML-based solution.
Aadhaar Face Authentication
3. About Aadhaar
Achieves a New Milestone
• A 12-digit unique identity number issued by UIDAI to residents of
India.
• Serves as a proof of identity and address for availing various
government and non-government services.

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 Global Ranking

• Refined Petroleum Products Exports: 7th

• Ethanol Blending in Petrol: 2nd (After Brazil).
• Biofuel Production: 3rd
Key Targets:

• Ethanol Blending in Petrol: 20% by 2025-26.

4. India's Petroleum Industry • Green Hydrogen Production: 5 MMTPA by 2030.
• Exploration Acreage Expansion: 1 million sq. km by 2030
• Reduction in Fossil Fuel Imports: ₹1 lakh crore savings by 2030
• Green Hydrogen Export Target: 10 MMT per annum by 2030
• CO₂ Emission Reduction: 50 MMT per annum by 2030

Additional Information

• India’s first oil well drilled in Digboi, Assam, in 1867.

OTHER NEWS
FIRST IN NEWS
[Link] News Key Facts

First Indian state to integrate

forest ecosystem services
1. into the calculation of Green • State Name: Chhattisgarh.
Gross Domestic Product
(Green GDP)

India's First Coastline and

2. • Conducted at Marine National Park and Sanctuary, Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Waders Census

• Lisa Blunt Rochester (Delaware) and Angela Alsobrooks (Maryland)

became the first two Black women to serve in the U.S. Senate
First-Time Appointments in
3. simultaneously.
the US Senate
• Sarah McBride- the first openly transgender person in the U.S.
Congress.

• Name: Relocatable Robotic Manipulator-Technology Demonstrator

(RRM-TD).
• Conducted onboard PSLV-C60's (PS4-Orbital Experiment Module)
POEM-4 mission, part of ISRO's SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment)
mission.
India's First Robotic Arm • Developed indigenously by ISRO's Inertial Systems Unit (IISU).
4.
Operates in Space
Note: SpaDeX Mission and POEM-4 discussed in CurrentTap December
2024.

Additional Information

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 • CROPS (Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant
Studies) experiment is part of POEM-4.
• Developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
• An automated system for studying seed germination and plant
sustenance in extraterrestrial environments.
• Aim: to grow eight cowpea seeds in a controlled environment with
active thermal control, demonstrating the feasibility of sustainable
space agriculture.
• Achieved successful germination of cowpea seeds in just four days
under microgravity conditions.

First airport in India to

achieve Level 5
• Name: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA),
accreditation from the
5. Mumbai.
Airports Council International
• CSMIA is the third airport in the world to receive the accreditation.
(ACI) for 'Customer
Experience’

• Manufacturer: Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd., manufactured at their

First Made-in-India Uttarpara facility in West Bengal.
6.
driverless trainset • Handed over to Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation's (BMRCL) yellow
line.

• Joint production will be carried out by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)

First Partnership between
and U.S.-based Ultra Maritime (UM) in Vishakhapatnam.
India and the US for co-
• Objective: To develop and manufacture sonobuoys for submarine
production’ of U.S.
7. detection, leveraging high-end technology optimized for the Indian
sonobuoys for Undersea
Ocean's unique environment.
Domain Awareness for the
• Announced under the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging
Indian Navy
Technologies (ICET) launched in May 2022.

• Purpose of Silver Notice: Trace and recover criminal assets linked to

serious offenses like fraud, corruption, drug trafficking, and
environmental crime.
• First Silver Notice was requested by Italy, , seeking information on
INTERPOL has published its assets belonging to a senior mafia figure.
8. • Pilot Phase: Involves 52 countries and territories, running until
first-ever Silver Notice
November 2025.

About INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization)

• HQ: Lyon, France.

• Fund Name: WhiteOak Capital Quality Equity Fund.

India’s first actively managed • Launched by: WhiteOak Capital Mutual Fund.
9. quality factor theme mutual • An open-ended equity scheme following the Quality Factor theme
fund • Focusing primarily on companies with strong fundamentals.
• The scheme is benchmarked against BSE Quality TRI.

The first year in history when • The mean global temperature in 2024 was 15.1 degrees Celsius,
10. the mean global temperature making it the warmest year in global temperature records, which date
crossed the threshold of 1.5 back to 1850.

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 degrees Celsius above pre- • The hottest day ever recorded was July 22, 2024, with a temperature
industrial levels of 17.16 degrees Celsius.
• Additionally, the period from 2015 to 2024 saw each year ranked as
one of the 10 warmest years on record.
• Insights provided by Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

• Established at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute

South India’s first Infectious
(BMCRI) by the ICMR.
11. Disease Research and
Diagnostic Laboratory (IRDL) • Part of a larger plan to establish seven proposed IRDLs across the
country to enhance research and diagnostics for infectious diseases.

• Held in New Delhi.

• Co-chairs: Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Adviser, and Raja Dato
First India-Malaysia Security Nushirwan Bin Zainal Abidin, Director General of Malaysia’s National
12.
Dialogue Security Council.
• Key Areas of Discussion: counter-terrorism, deradicalisation, and
maritime security.

• Donald Trump became the 47th President of the United States,

succeeding Joe Biden.
• The first President to hold office while being convicted on 34 felony
counts related to falsifying business records.
Historic Firsts of Donald • The only U.S. President to face two impeachment proceedings.
13.
Trump’s Presidency • At 78 years old, Trump is the oldest person ever elected President,
surpassing Joe Biden’s record.
• The second U.S. President after Grover Cleveland (132 years ago) to
serve non-consecutive terms, having previously served as the 45th
President from 2016 to 2020.

• Name: Smriti Mandhana.

• Milestone achieved during an ODI match against Ireland at the
Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot.
o Surpassed Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu (9 centuries).
First Asian Woman to Smash • It is also the fastest century by an Indian woman in ODIs in just 70
14.
10 ODI centuries balls.
o She broke the previous record held by Harmanpreet Kaur, who
scored a century in 87 balls against South Africa in 2024.
• She now ranks third in the list of most centuries in women’s ODIs,
behind Australia's Meg Lanning and New Zealand's Suzie Bates.

• Name: Firefly
• Initiative of: Pixxel, a Bengaluru based space technology company
backed by Google.
India’s first private satellite • The first three satellites of Firefly constellation were launched aboard
15.
constellation the Transporter-12 rideshare mission with SpaceX from Vandenberg
Space Force Base, California.
• Firefly includes the world’s highest-resolution commercial
hyperspectral satellites.

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 Additional Information

• Bengaluru-based Digantara also launched its SCOT (Space Camera

for Object Tracking) satellite aboard the Transporter-12 mission.
• SCOT is designed for space surveillance.

• Name: PRSC-EO1.
• The first in a series of three optical remote sensing satellites, joining
PRSS-1 and PakTES-1A in orbit.
• Launched by China , using the Long March-2D carrier rocket.
• Designed to boost Pakistan’s ability to monitor and manage natural
resources, improve urban planning, respond to disasters, and enhance
agricultural development.
First home-made
16. observation satellite of Additional Satellites launched during the same mission
Pakistan
• China’s Tianlu-1 and Lantan-1were also carried on the same Long
March-2D rocket.

Additional Information

• PRSS-1 (Pakistan's first optical remote sensing satellite) and PakTES-

1A (smaller observation satellite) were also launched by China.

• Held at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.

• Winners: India defeated Nepal in both Men’s Team & Women’s Team
Kho Kho World Cup event respectively.
17.
(First Edition) • Official mascots: Tejas and Tara, a dynamic duo of gazelles.
• Co-Brand Ambassadors: Salman Khan and Tiger Shroff.
• Featured 20 men's and 19 women's teams.

• Seven tribal products from Andaman & Nicobar Islands have received
Seven GI Tags Awarded for
Geographical Indication (GI) tags in a single instance.
18. products from a Union
• Facilitated by Padma Shri awardee Rajni Kant, also known as the "GI
Territory for the First Time
Man of India."

• Name: PV Sindhu.
• This mark PUMA’s official entry into badminton.
First badminton player to be
19. appointed as the Brand Additional Information
Ambassador of PUMA
• PV Sindhu is a two-time Olympic medalist and the first Indian to win
five badminton world championship medals.

India’s first private • To be set up by Indichip Semiconductors Limited in partnership with

20. semiconductor Yitoa Micro Technology Limited (YMTL) of Japan at Orvakal Mega
manufacturing facility Industrial Hub, Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.

First astronomical • Launched by: Satyendra Nath Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences
21. observatory in Eastern India (SNBNCBS).
and the sixth in India • Location: Garpanchkot Hills, Purulia district, West Bengal.

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 • Name: Bhargavastra.
India’s First Indigenous • Test fired recently.
22.
Micro-Missile System • Developed By: Economic Explosives Ltd.
• Designed to counter swarm drone threats.

• Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam visited India to

commemorate the 60th anniversary of India-Singapore diplomatic
relations.
• During his visit, India and Singapore signed two skill development
First Visit to India by any agreements.
23. Singapore president in 10
years. Additional Information

• India- Singapore ties eevated to a Comprehensive Strategic

Partnership in September 2024.
• Singapore is India’s largest trade partner in ASEAN.

• Name: Janet Petro.

First woman to serve as
24. • First woman to lead NASA since its founding in 1958.
acting NASA Administrator
• She replaces Bill Nelson, the 14th NASA Administrator.

• Name: Shunya.
India’s first electric flying taxi • Unveiled by Sarala Aviation, a Bengaluru-based startup at the Bharat
25.
prototype Mobility Global Expo.
• Expected to be launched in 2028 in Bengaluru.

• Name: Usha Vance.

First Indian-American and • Her husband, J.D. Vance, was sworn in as the 50th Vice President of
26. Hindu Second Lady of the the United States.
United States • Usha Vance is the daughter of Telugu immigrants.
• She is a lawyer by profession.

Moon added to the World

• Moon has been included in the WMF's list of threatened cultural
Monuments Fund (WMF) list
27. heritage sites due to mounting risks from accelerating lunar activities
of threatened cultural sites
and the lack of adequate preservation protocols.
for the first time

• Name: Kerala Warnings, Crisis and Hazard Management (KaWaCHaM)

India’s First Fully Integrated Disaster Risk Warning System.
28.
Disaster Warning System • Developed by Kerala Government, with support from National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA) and the World Bank.

World's first commercial

• Name: Space Camera for Object Tracking (SCOT).
29. satellite for space situational
• Launched by Digantara Aerospace.
awareness

• Held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

First-ever International • Organized to promote Chyangra Pashmina, a high-quality,
30. Pashmina Festival cum government-certified wool product from Nepal.
Exhibition
Additional Information

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 • In India, Handwoven Pashmina is produced in Ladakh, Jammu, and
Kashmir.
• Machine-woven Pashmina is manufactured in Amritsar.

• Name: Uttarakhand.
• Passed as the Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code Act, 2024.

About Uniform Civil Code

First State to Implement • Uniform Civil Code (UCC) refers to a single set of personal laws
31. governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption for all citizens,
Uniform Civil Code (UCC)
regardless of religion.
• It is mentioned under Article 44 of the Directive Principles of State
Policy (DPSP) in the Indian Constitution.
• Objective: To ensure equality and uniformity in personal civil laws and
eliminate discrimination based on religion, caste, or gender.

• Host: India.
• Venue: Rashtriya Raksha University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• Objectives:
First-ever International o To position India as a key player in the Olympic ecosystem.
32. Olympic Research o Focus on financial sustainability, strategic planning, and
Conference collaborative networks to support India’s bid for the 2036
Olympics.
• Significance: First such conference in South Asia, strengthening
India’s role in Olympic research and sports development.

• Name: CheQ Wisor.

India's first AI-powered • Developed by: CheQ, a leading credit management platform.
33.
credit card expert • Specifically designed for users aged 25-45 to make smarter financial
decisions.

• Winner: Odisha Warriors.

• Runner-up: Soorma Hockey Club.
• Venue: Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Hockey
Inaugural Women’s Hockey
34. Stadium, Ranchi.
India League
• Player of the Tournament: Jyoti (Soorma Hockey Club).
• Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Savita Punia (Soorma Hockey
Club).

• Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) has launched

India’s First B-School To BIMCOIN is a blockchain-based digital currency.
35.
Launch Crypto • Developed in partnership with Kalp Decentra Foundation, a non-profit
focusing on digital innovation.

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
[Link] Initiative Key Facts

1. ODK (Open Data Kit) Toolkit • Developed and used by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India
(CAG).

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 • Used for designing and conducting beneficiary surveys to gather
evidence and identify problem areas for further review.
• Objective: Enhance transparency in public spending and accountability
in the delivery of government schemes.

• Launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

• E-student Visa: For foreign students registered on the Study in India
(SII) portal, Valid for up to five years, with extensions possible in India.
• E-student-x Visa: Issued to dependents of e-student visa holders.
• Eligibility: Students must have admission offers from recognized
E-student visa and e- institutions offering undergraduate, postgraduate, Ph.D., or
2. student-x visa for certification programs.
international students • Mandatory Registration on the SII portal to obtain a unique SII ID.

About Study in India (SII) Portal

• A flagship initiative by the Ministry of Education.

• Aims to simplify the admission and visa processes for foreign nationals.

• Odisha Government announces a monthly pension of ₹20,000 to honor

individuals imprisoned during the Emergency period (1975-77) under
Monthly Pension and Free
Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), Defence of India Act
3. Healthcare for Emergency
(DIR) , or The Defence and Internal Security of India Rules (DISIR) .
Prisoners
• Similar schemes exist in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and
Rajasthan, offering varying financial benefits.

• Entities Involved: Department of Consumer Affairs, National Physical

Laboratory (NPL) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• Objectives:
o Mandate the use of Indian Standard Time (IST) across all sectors
to ensure uniform timekeeping.
o Reduce dependence on foreign time sources like GPS and
strengthen national security.
o Enable real-time synchronization for critical sectors such as
navigation, telecommunications, banking, power grids, and 5G
technologies.
• Implementation and Regulation:
4. One Nation, One Time o A high-powered inter-ministerial committee led by the Secretary of
Consumer Affairs oversees the transition.
o Draft Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025 released
for public consultation
• IST Synchronization Framework:
o Establishment of five Legal Metrology laboratories across India for
time dissemination.
o NPL in Faridabad will receive data from NavIC and distribute
reference time through optical fiber to regional centers in
Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, and Guwahati.
o Adoption of Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Precision Time
Protocol (PTP) for government offices and public institutions.

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 SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES
[Link] Summit/Conference Key Outcomes

• Organizers: Dalberg & Council for Inclusive Economic Understanding

(CIEU)
• Venue: New Delhi.
• Themes:
Bharat Climate Forum o Clean energy generation and storage
1.
o Manufacturing for Net-Zero
o E-mobility and green transportation
o Climate finance and investment mobilization
o Industrial decarbonization and clean energy transition
o Building partnerships for climate action and leadership

MOUs AND AGREEMENTS

[Link] Signing Entities Key Facts

• Objective: To launch Financial Literacy Programme for Delivery

Partners.
• Specific emphasis on onboarding 1 lakh women delivery partners by
1. Swiggy and NSE Swiggy by 2030.
• Aligns with Swiggy’s broader efforts, such as She the Change and
Swiggy Skills, aimed at empowering women and promoting financial
inclusion.

• Objective: To collaborate on Project VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated

System to Access Agricultural Resources).
IIT Madras & Ministry of
Agriculture and Farmers’ About Project VISTAAR
2.
Welfare • Developed by the Centre for Research on Startups and Risk Financing
at IIT Madras, along with its incubatee startup YNOS Venture Engine.
• Aim: To enhance the digitalisation of agricultural extension services.

Uttarakhand Government • Objective: To collaborate on the exploration and development of

3. and Iceland-based Verkis geothermal energy in Uttarakhand.
Consulting Engineers

• Signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty to strengthen

bilateral ties amid Western sanctions.
4. Russia & Iran
• The agreement covers trade, military cooperation, science, education,
and culture.

• Objectives: Amend the India-Oman Double Taxation Avoidance

Agreement (DTAA) to align with international standards on cross-
5. India and Oman
border taxation, Simplify tax procedures and promote greater
cooperation in tax matters.

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 Additional Information

• India already has a similar agreement with the UAE.

• Oman is India's third-largest export destination in the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC).

BANKING AND FINANCE

[Link] Program/Initiative Key Facts

• Merger of The National Co-operative Bank Ltd., Bangalore (Karnataka)

National and Cosmos Co-
1. with Cosmos Co-operative Bank Ltd., Maharashtra approved by the RBI
operative Bank Merger
under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

• Launched by the State Bank of India (SBI).

• SBI Patrons: A specialized fixed deposit scheme tailored for senior
citizens aged 80 years and above.
Har Ghar Lakhpati and SBI • Har Ghar Lakhpati:
2.
Patrons o A pre-calculated recurring deposit scheme designed to help
customers accumulate ₹1 lakh or its multiples.
o Accessible to minors, promoting early financial planning and
savings.

HDFC Bank's Stake • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) granted approval for HDFC Bank to
3. Acquisition in AU Small acquire up to 9.5% of AU Small Finance Bank's paid-up share capital or
Finance Bank voting rights.

• Launched by the State Bank of India (SBI).

• Enables NRIs to open Non-Resident External (NRE) and Non-Resident
TAB-Based Digital Ordinary (NRO) accounts, including savings and current accounts,
4. Onboarding Process for through a digital platform.
NRIs • Accessible via the YONO mobile application
• Provides real-time account activation, eliminating the need for physical
documentation.

• BharatPe plans to sell 10%-25% stake in Unity SFB, depending on buyer

Stake Sale in Unity Small
5. interest, to comply with RBI's requirement of reducing its stake to 10%
Finance Bank (SFB)
by 2028.

• Rebranded as Truhome Finance.

Rebranding of Shriram • The company was earlier acquired by Warburg Pincus and its co-
6.
Housing Finance investors, including the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).
• Shriram Finance sold its 84.44% stake in Shriram Housing Finance.

• Launched by: TATA AIG General Insurance Company.

7. CyberEdge • Objective: To protect businesses of all sizes against diverse cyber risks
while capturing 25% of the cyber insurance market by 2030.

• Launched by: IDFC FIRST Bank in collaboration with RuPay.

FIRST EA₹N RuPay Credit
8. • Objective: To provide a UPI-enabled, FD-secured credit card designed
Card
for first-time credit card users, offering convenience and rewards.
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 • Launched by: Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (Jio).
• A free-for-life feature for JioBharat users.
• Provides instant, multilingual audio confirmations for UPI payments
9. JioSoundPay
without requiring a separate sound box.
• Eliminates the need for merchants to pay ₹125 per month for a sound
box.

• Aim: To accelerate digital payments adoption and commerce solutions

Expansion of Strategic for merchants across India.
10. Alliance Between SBI
Payments and Pine Labs Additional Information

• SBI Payments is a joint venture of SBI and Hitachi Payment Services.

• Launched by: Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) (a subsidiary of the

Reserve Bank of India) & IIMA Ventures (startup incubator of IIM
Ahmedabad).
11. Swanari TechSprint 3.0
• Objective: To support fintech startups in developing innovative,
gender-inclusive financial solutions to advance women’s financial
inclusion in India.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

[Link] Technology in News Key Facts

• To be launched by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) in

collaboration with Space Kidz India (SKI) and IN-SPACe (Indian National
Space Promotion and Authorization Center).
• Aim: Promoting all-girls participation in space science.
• Focus Area: Providing hands-on experience to students in designing,
curating, and launching satellites for the lunar orbit.
1. Mission ShakthiSAT
• 12,000 girls from 108 countries involved in the initial phase.
• 108 girls (one from each country) will be selected based on performance
and brought to Chennai for training in satellite building and payload
development.
• Scheduled for launch in 2026 using ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV).

• China is facing a surge in HMPV cases.

• HMPV, discovered in 2001, part of the Pneumoviridae family, also
Human Metapneumovirus
2. including Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
(HMPV) Outbreak
• Present globally for over 60 years, causing upper and lower respiratory
diseases.

• Initiative of Blue Origin.

• Launched successfully on its inaugural test flight.
3. New Glenn Rocket
• The mission deployed an experimental platform for satellite operations.
• Named after the first American to orbit Earth.

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 • Banks and other regulated entities (REs) must use the 1600xx series for
transactional and service calls and the 140xx series for promotional
voice calls to prevent financial fraud.
• Monitoring Customer Databases: REs are required to monitor and clean
their customer databases and utilize the Mobile Number Revocation List
RBI Directive on Numbering
4. (MNRL) via the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) developed by the
Series
Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• Fraud Prevention Measures: Develop Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs) for fraud risk monitoring, including updating registered mobile
numbers (RMNs) after verification.
• The instructions must be implemented by March 31, 2025.

• The President of the United States signed an executive order to

withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO),
citing mishandling of global health crises like COVID-19 and alleged
political influence from member states.

World Health Organization About WHO

5.
(WHO)
• WHO was established in 1948.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Top 3 Contributors to WHO Funds:
o USA, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) & GAVI Alliance.
• India ranks 14th in terms of contribution to WHO funds.

DEFENCE EXERCISES/ INITIATIVES/ TECHNOLOGY

[Link] Exercise/Technology Key Facts

• Designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development

HIMKAVACH Multi-Layer Organisation (DRDO).
1.
Clothing System • Provides optimal protection for military operations in extreme cold
weather conditions.

• A high-intensity joint military exercise conducted by the Indian Army.

2. Exercise Devil Strike • Participants: Indian Army's airborne troops and the Indian Air Force.
• Held across Training Areas and Firing Ranges.

• A multilateral naval exercise hosted by France.

• Nine Participants: India, France, Australia, Canada, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Singapore, United Kingdom, and United States.
3. La Perouse
• Venue: straits of Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok, connecting the Indian
Ocean and Pacific Ocean.
• INS Mumbai represented Indian Navy.

• A bilateral naval exercise between India and France.

4. Varuna (42nd edition)
• Held at Goa and Kochi.

• India has officially joined the Eurodrone programme as an observer

5. Medium Altitude Long state.
Endurance Remotely Piloted • India is the second official observer state, after Japan.
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 Aircraft System (MALE
About Eurodrone
RPAS) – Eurodrone
• A four-nation defence initiative involving Germany, France, Italy, and
Spain.
• Managed by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation
(OCCAR) and led by Airbus Defence and Space.
• Aims to develop a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Remotely
Piloted Aircraft System.

ENVIRONMENT
[Link] News Key Facts

• Donald Trump, The President of the United States (POTUS) has signed
an executive order to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
• This marks the second time Trump has directed the U.S. withdrawal
from the Paris Agreement.

About Paris Agreement

• A legally binding international treaty on climate change.

• Adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21)
in Paris, France in 2015.
1. Paris Agreement
• Came into force in 2016.
• Aim: To limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial
levels, with efforts to cap warming at 1.5°C.
• Operates on a five-year cycle of progressively ambitious climate action
plans called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Additional Information

• The top two carbon dioxide-emitting countries are China and the
United States.

• Declared by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

International Year of
2. Organization (UNESCO) & World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Glaciers' Preservation 2025
• March 21 designated as the annual World Day for Glaciers.

SPORTS
[Link] Sport Event and Venue Key Facts

• West Bengal defeated Kerala to clinch their record-extending 33rd

title.
Santosh Trophy 2024-25
1. • Finals Venue: GMC Balayogi Stadium, Hyderabad.
(Football)
• Robi Hansda (West Bengal) won Tulsidas Balaram Player of the Match
and Peter Thangaraj Player of the Tournament awards.

World Blitz Chess • Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi created history by sharing
2.
Championship the title after three inconclusive sudden-death matches.

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 • First time six women are included in the nine-member panel, marking
a step towards gender parity.
• Chairperson: Anju Bobby George, 2003 World Championships bronze
Athletics Federation of medalist and Senior Vice-President of AFI.
3. India's (AFI) Athletes • Members: Jyotirmoyee Sikdar (Runner), Krishna Poonia (Discus
Commission 2025 Thrower), M.D. Valsamma (Hurdler), Sudha Singh (Steeplechaser),
Sunita Rani (Runner), Anju Bobby George (Long Jump), Neeraj Chopra
(Javelin Thrower), Avinash Sable (Steeplechaser) & Bahadur Singh
Sagoo (Shot Put).

• Winner: Australia (3-1 series win); Runner-Up: India.

• Australia's first series win over India in the last 10 years, with their
previous win being in the 2014-15 series.
• Australia qualified for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
• India, for the first time, missed qualifying for the WTC final since its
inception in 2019.
• Player of the Series: Jasprit Bumrah.
o The first Indian in history to win a Player of the Series (POTS) in
Test Matches against SENA Nations (South Africa, England,
Border-Gavaskar Trophy Australia and New Zealand.
4. 2024-25 (Cricket) o Bumrah equaled the record for the most wickets in an India vs.
Venue: Australia Australia Test series, matching Harbhajan Singh's tally of 32
wickets.
Highlights and milestones

• Rishabh Pant scored the second-fastest Test fifty by an Indian.

• Pant’s fifty is also the fastest by a visiting batter in Australia, breaking
the previous record held by England's John Brown and West Indies'
Roy Fredericks.
• Rishabh Pant set a new record for most dismissals by an Indian wicket-
keeper in a Test series by breaking his previous record.

Titled Tuesday Blitz Chess • Winner: Arjun Erigaisi (India); Runner-Up: Hikaru Nakamura (USA).
5.
Competition • Organized by: [Link].

• Men's Singles: Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu

India Open 2025 Badminton (Hong Kong) to claim his third India Open title.
6.
Tournament • Women's Singles: An Se-young (South Korea) defeated Pornpawee
Chochuwong (Thailand), her second India Open women's singles title.

• Men’s World Champion: Jannik Sinner (Italy).

o Won Australian Open and U.S. Open, marking his first two Grand
International Tennis
Slam titles.
7. Federation (ITF) World
• Women’s World Champion: Iga Swiatek (Poland)
Champions 2024
o Won her fourth French Open title.
o Earned a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

• To be hosted by India.
8. FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 • India's first major international chess tournament since the 2022
Chennai Chess Olympiad.

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 Additional Information

• R. Praggnanandhaa won silver in the 2023 edition, losing to Magnus

Carlsen in the final.
• Viswanathan Anand remains the only Indian to win the FIDE World Cup,
securing titles in 2000 and 2002 under the round-robin format.

• Karnataka clinched their record-extending fifth title by defeating

Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-
9. Vidarbha by in the final at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara.
25 (Cricket)
• Player of the series: Karun Nair (Vidarbha).

• Former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke became the 64th

Australian Cricket Hall of inductee into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
10.
Fame • Michael Clarke is the only cricketer to score a Test triple-century at the
Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

• Men’s Singles
o Winner: Jannik Sinner (Italy).
✓ Sinner became the 11th man in the Open Era to retain the
Australian Open title.
✓ He is the youngest man to win multiple Australian Open titles
since Jim Courier (1992–93).
o Runner-Up: Alexander Zverev (Germany)
• Women’s Singles
o Winner: Madison Keys (USA, her maiden Grand Slam Title).
✓ Second-oldest woman to claim her first Australian Open singles
title in the Open era after China’s Li Na
Australian Open 2025 o Runner-Up: Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus, Two-time defending
11.
(Tennis) champion).

Additional Information

• Novak Djokovic holds the record for most Australian Open men’s
singles titles with 10 wins.
• Novak Djokovic became the all-time leader in Grand Slam singles
matches played with 430 matches, surpassing Roger Federer’s record
of 429.
• Serena Williams (423 matches) is now third on the list.
• Novak Djokovic is also the first male player over the age of 30 to
achieve 150 Grand Slam wins.

• Venue: Leh, Ladakh

• Event: Ice Sports viz Ice Hockey and Ice Skating.
• Ladakh topped the medal tally with seven medals (four golds).
• Tamil Nadu secured three golds in speed skating.
5th Khelo India Winter Games • Maharashtra won the highest number of medals (10) but finished third
12. overall with only two golds.
(KIWG) 2025 Phase 1

Additional Information

• Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025 Phase 2 will be held in Gulmarg,
Jammu & Kashmir for Snow Sports.

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 • Winner: Australia (led by Captain Alyssa Healy).
• Australia’s third consecutive title, having won the championship in
ICC Women’s Championship 2014-16 and 2017-20.
13.
2022-2025
Additional Information

• ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 will be held in India.

AWARDS
[Link] Award/Milestone Key Facts

• Best Motion Picture (Drama): The Brutalist

• Best Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy) & Best Motion Picture (Non-English
Language): Emilia Pérez
• Best Animated Film: Flow
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama): Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)
• Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama): Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here)
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy): Sebastian Stan (A
Different Man)
Golden Globe Awards
• Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy): Demi Moore (The
1. 2025 (82nd edition)
Substance).
• Best Director: Brady Corbet for The Brutalist

Additional Information

• Payal Kapadia was nominated for Best Director & Best Non-English
Language Motion Picture for “All We Imagine As Light”.
• Payal Kapadia is only the third Asian woman & the first Indian ever
nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globes.
• All We Imagine As Light won the Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival 2024.

• Awarded to the following beaches in Kerala

o Chal Beach, Kannur.
o Kappad Beach, Kozhikode (renewed certification).

About the Award

• An international recognition given to beaches, marinas, and boating

2. Blue Flag Certification
operators meeting 33 criteria, including sustainability and safety practices.
• Awarded by Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), Denmark.

Additional Information

• Chandrabhaga Beach in Odisha became Asia's and India’s first beach to

receive the Blue Flag certification.

• Awarded to: Tarun Das, former Director General of the Confederation of

Honorary Citizen Award Indian Industry (CII).
3.
• Awarded for his outstanding contribution to Singapore’s growth and
development.

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 • He is the second Indian to receive this award, the first being the late Ratan
Tata.

About the Award

• Singapore's highest recognition for non-Singaporeans.

• Awarded to Aparna Sen.

Satyajit Ray Lifetime • Awarded for her remarkable work in the Indian film industry and her role in
4.
Achievement Award shaping Bengali cinema.
• Awarded by West Bengal Film Journalists Association (WBFJA).

Men's Cricket

• Men’s Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) and Men’s Test
Cricketer of the Year: Jasprit Bumrah (India)
o First Indian pacer to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.
o The fifth Indian to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s
Cricketer of the Year, after Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, R. Ashwin,
and Virat Kohli.
o Joins Rahul Dravid (2004), R. Ashwin (2016), and Virat Kohli (2018) as
the only Indians to win both the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy and ICC
Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year award in the same year.
• Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year: Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan).
International Cricket o First Afghanistan cricketer to win this award.
5. Council (ICC).Awards • Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year: Arshdeep Singh (India)
2024 • Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year: Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka).
Women’s Cricket

• Women’s Cricketer of the Year (Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy): Amelia Kerr
(New Zealand).
o First New Zealander to win this award.
• Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year: Smriti Mandhana (India)
o The second cricketer to win the ICC Women's ODI Player of the Year
award twice (after Suzie Bates).
o Only Indian women's cricketer to have ever received the award.
o First won the award in 2018.
• Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year: Amelia Kerr (New Zealand).
• Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Annerie Dercksen (South Africa).

• City Union Bank (CUB), for the second year in a row, won all the seven
IBA Banking Technology categories.
6.
Awards 2025 • Awarded at 20th Annual Technology Conference, Expo, & Citations 2024
in Mumbai by the Indian Banks' Association (IBA).

• Indian Short Film ‘Anuja’ Earns Oscar Nomination.

• Nominated in the Best Live Action Short Film category.
• Produced by Priyanka Chopra and Guneet Monga, Directed by Adam J
Academy Awards
7. Graves.
(Oscars) 2025
• Guneet Monga’s third Oscar nomination, following The Elephant
Whisperers and Period: End of Sentence, both of which won Academy
Awards.

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 Additional Information

• Anuja previously won the top honor at the HollyShorts Film Festival.

APPOINTMENT
[Link] Person in News Key Facts

1. Mike Johnson • Reappointed as the speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

• Appointed as the Secretary General of Associated Chambers of Commerce

and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
• Predecessor: Deepak Sood.
2. Manish Singhal
About ASSOCHAM

• India’s oldest apex chamber; a non-governmental trade association.

• Establishment: 1920. Headquarters: New Delhi

• Appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Unique Identification

Authority of India (UIDAI).
o Predecessor: Amit Agrawal (Secretary of the Department of
Pharmaceuticals).
Bhuvnesh Kumar • Continues to serve as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and
3. Information Technology (MEITY).

About UIDAI

• A statutory authority established under the Ministry of Electronics and IT.

• Issues Aadhaar/ Unique Identification Numbers (UID) to all residents of
India.

• Devjit Saikia: New Secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• Predecessor: Jay Shah, independent chairman of the International Cricket
Council (ICC).
4. Devjit Saikia
About BCCI

• Establishment: 1928; Headquarters: Mumbai.

• Richest cricket board in the world

• Appointed as the new Space Secretary, Chairman of ISRO, and Chairman

of the Space Commission.
5. Dr. V. Narayanan • Tenure: Two years; Predecessor: S. Somanath.
• Served as the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC),
ISRO, Valiamala.

• Elected as the new president of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

Bahadur Singh Sagoo
• Predecessor: Adille Sumariwalla.
6.
• Sagoo is an Asian Games gold medallist shot-putter and Padma Shri
awardee.

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 • Appointed as the Chair of the Advisory Board for the ID verification and
data-sharing platform Equal, as well as for account aggregator firm
Retired Justice B.N.
7. OneMoney.
Srikrishna
• Chaired the first committee formed by the Union Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology to draft India’s data protection law in 2018.

• Named the international event ambassador for the Mumbai Marathon 2025.
• First man in history to retain the 5000m and 10000m titles at both the
Olympics (London 2012, Rio 2016) and World Championships (Moscow
8. Mo Farah
2013, Beijing 2015).
• Four-time Olympic and six-time world champion long-distance runner from
the United Kingdom.

• Appointed as the Ombudsman and Ethics Officer of the Board of Control

9. Justice Arun Mishra
for Cricket in India (BCCI).

• Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, has

been appointed as the Chairman of The Atomic Energy Commission
10. Ajit Kumar Mohanty (AEC).
• The AEC is responsible for formulating policies for the Department of
Atomic Energy.

• Appointed as the President of the Institute of Company Secretaries of

11. Dhananjay Shukla
India (ICSI).

• Appointed to the newly formed Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Global

Advisory Board.
• Jay Shah currently serves as the Chair of the International Cricket Council
(ICC).

About MCC Global Advisory Board

12. Jay Shah
• Replaces the former World Cricket Committee.
• Chairperson: Kumar Sangakkara.

Additional Information

• Kumar Sangakkara was the first non-British individual to hold the role of
MCC President.

• Announced as the ambassador for the 25th anniversary celebration of

13. Ayushmann Khurrana
FICCI Frames, a media and entertainment convention.

• Re-appointed as the Managing Director & CEO of IDBI Bank for three years.
14. Rakesh Sharma • The re-appointment comes as LIC (49.24%) and GoI (45.48%) are in the
process of disinvesting their stake in IDBI Bank.

Micheál Martin
• Elected as the Prime Minister of Ireland for the second time.
15.
• Predecessor: Simon Harris.

16. Nicolás Maduro • Sworn in as President of Venezuela for a new six-year term.

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 PERSONS IN NEWS
[Link] Person in News Key Facts

• Resigned from the role of the Prime Minister of Canada & the Leader of the
Justin Trudeau liberal party.
1.
• Served as Prime Minister since 2015.
• Second-youngest Prime Minister in Canadian history, after Joe Clark.

• President of Indonesia.
• Accepted Govt. of India’s invitation to be the chief guest for the 2025
Republic Day parade.
2. Prabowo Subianto
Additional Information

• India’s first Republic Day guest in 1950 was President Sukarno of Indonesia.

• A 117-year-old Brazilian nun, recognized as the world’s oldest living person,

Sister Inah Canabarro according to LongeviQuest
3.
Lucas • Currently ranks as the 20th oldest documented person in history, with
Jeanne Calment holding the record at 122 years.

• Announced his retirement from international cricket.

4. Martin Guptill
• The first New Zealand player to score an ODI century on debut.

• Became India's highest wicket-taker in T20 Internationals during a match

against England in Kolkata.
5. Arshdeep Singh
• Now holds 97 T20I wickets in 61 matches, breaking Yuzvendra Chahal's
record (96 wickets in 80 matches).

OBITUARIES

[Link] Person in News Key Facts

• Noted botanist from Kerala.

• Founding president of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy
(IAAT).
Dr. K.S. Manilal • Awards:
1. o Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau from the Netherlands (2012),
the first Asian to receive this honor.
o Padma Shri (2020) for contributions to botany.
• Translated Hortus Malabaricus, a 17th-century Latin manuscript
documenting Kerala's medicinal plants.

• Renowned nuclear scientist and physicist from Tamil Nadu.

Dr. Rajagopala • Former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.
2. Chidambaram • Longest-serving Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Indian government
(2002-2018).
• Honoured with Padma Shri (1975) and Padma Vibhushan (1999) for his
exceptional contributions to science and technology.
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 • Played a pivotal role in India's nuclear tests: 1974 ‘Smiling Buddha’ Test &
1998 Operation Shakti.

• Recognized as the world's oldest person by Guinness World Records.

• Hailed from Japan; passed away at the age of 116.
• Became the world's oldest person in 2024, after the demise Spain's Maria
Tomiko Itooka Branyas Morera.
3.
Additional Information

• Brazilian Inah Canabarro Lucas, aged 116, is now believed to be the world's
oldest person.

• A celebrated poet, writer, filmmaker, magazine editor.

Pritish Nandy • Former Rajya Sabha Member from Maharashtra.
4.
• Padma Shri Awardee.
• Co-founded People for Animals and championed animal rights.

• Renowned playback singer.

5. P. Jayachandran • Recipient of the J.C. Daniel Award, Kalaimamani Award, National Award, five
Kerala State Awards, and four Tamil Nadu State Awards.

Havaldar Baldev Singh • A revered Indian Army war veteran.

6.
(Retired) • Fought in four Indo-Pak wars.

Dr. K.M. Cherian • Renowned Indian cardiac surgeon.

7.
• He was known for performing India’s first coronary bypass surgery in 1975.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

[Link] Book Title Key Facts

• Author: Amitabh Kant, Sherpa for India’s G20 Presidency in 2023 and
How India Scaled Mt Former CEO of NITI Aayog.
1. G20: The Inside Story • The book provides an insider’s account of India’s presidency of the G20
of the G20 Presidency summit in 2023, detailing the intense negotiations and challenges faced
in achieving consensus on the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration (NDLD).

• Author: Amitav Ghosh.

• The book explores climate change, societal challenges, and the
emergence of "political monsters" in the modern era.

2. Wild Fictions (Essays) Additional Information

• Amitav Ghosh has won the following notable awards:

o Jnanpith Award: India's highest literary honor.
o Erasmus Prize: Recognizing his contribution to literature and culture.

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 FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
[Link] Fair/Festival Name Key Facts

1. Kagyed Dance Festival • Celebrated at Tsuklakhang Palace, Gangtok, Sikkim.

• Locally known as Magho ko Tyohar.

2. Boda Tyohar Festival
• Celebrated by Hatti tribes in Trans-Giri region, Himachal Pradesh.

Kolkata Book Fair (Boi • The oldest book fair in India.

3.
Mela) 2025 • Country of Focus: Germany.

• Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award awarded to Late. Yash Chopra,

Jaipur International Film filmmaker.
4.
Festival (JIFF) 2025 o Tribute to Late. Shyam Benegal, a pioneer of Indian parallel
cinema.

PLACES IN NEWS
[Link] Place in News Key Facts

Asia’s largest shallow

• Commissioned by the IIT Madras.
wave basin research
• The facility was established by the National Technology Centre for Ports,
1. facility to advance
Waterways, and Coasts (NTCPWC), the technology arm of the Ministry of
marine science and
Shipping.
engineering

• Musi River Historic Buildings, Hyderabad, Telangana & Bhuj Historic Water
Systems, Gujarat are featured on the 2025 World Monuments Watch by the
Indian sites featured on World Monuments Fund (WMF).
2. the 2025 World
Monuments Watch list Additional Information

• The World Monuments Watch is a biennial program highlighting sites at risk

due to factors like climate change, tourism, and natural disasters.

• An expressway tunnel constructed in Xinjiang region of China.

Tianshan Shengli • To boost connectivity between Central Asia and eastern China under the
3.
Tunnel Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
• Expected to be the longest expressway tunnel of its kind.

• It is expected to vanish by 2040s.

• It is the only glacier in the Himalayas included in the Global Glacier Casualty
List, a project launched in 2024.

Yala Glacier, Nepal About Global Glacier Casualty List

4.
• A collaboration between organizations such as Rice University, University
of Iceland, WMO, UNESCO, and others.
• Another glacier in Asia, Dagu Glacier in China, is also categorized as
“critically endangered” and is expected to disappear by 2030.
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 Additional Information

• The United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of

Glaciers’ Preservation to highlight the importance of glaciers.
• March 21 will be observed annually as World Day for Glaciers, starting in
2025

• The Government of the United States has announced the renaming of:
o The Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
o Alaska’s peak Denali back to Mount McKinley.
5. Gulf of Mexico & Denali • Mount McKinley is the tallest peak in North America.

Additional Information

• William McKinley was a former President of the United States.

DAYS IN NEWS
[Link] Day in News Key Facts

World Hindi Day 2025 • Theme: “A Global Voice of Unity and Cultural Pride”.
1. (January 10) • Marks the first use of Hindi in the United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) in 1949.

• Theme: “AI and Education: Preserving Human Agency in an Automated

World”.

International Day of Additional Information

2. Education • Education is recognized as a human right under Article 26 of the
(January 24) Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Education is crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4
(SDG 4), which aims for inclusive and equitable quality education and
lifelong learning opportunities by 2030.

National Tourism Day 2025

3. • Theme: "Tourism for Inclusive Growth".
(January 25)

• Theme: "Unite. Act. Eliminate.".

World Leprosy Day • Observed every year on the last Sunday of January.
4.
(January 26) • In India, it is observed on 30 January every year, coinciding with the
death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

MISCELLANEOUS
[Link] News Key Facts

Reward for Deciphering • The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has announced a $1 million prize to
1.
Indus Valley Script decode the Indus Valley Civilization script.

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 • Announced a ₹2-crore grant to establish a chair in the name of
archaeologist Iravatham Mahadevan to advance Indus Valley
research.
• Announcement made during the international conference in Chennai
to commemorate the centenary of the discovery of the Indus Valley
Civilisation starting in 1921.

Additional Information

• The first excavation of the Indus Valley civilization was led by Sir John
Marshall in 1921.

• The new railway division of the Indian Railways, headquartered in

Jammu.
• Indian Railways now operates 17 zones and 69 divisions across India.

2. Jammu Railway Division Additional Information

• Udhampur railway station has been renamed as Martyr Captain

Tushar Mahajan Railway Station, marking the first time in India’s
history a station is named after a martyr.

10-Minute Ambulance • Launched by Blinkit in Gurugram, with plans to expand to major cities
3.
Service in India within two years.

• Replaces the Aircraft Act of 1934.

• Objectives:
Bharatiya Vayuyan o Enhance passenger rights protection.
4.
Adhiniyam 2024 o Create an efficient regulatory framework for safe and effective air
operations.
• Simplify policy to encourage investment in the aviation sector.

• Two Indian facilities, CEAT Sriperumbudur and HUL Tinsukia, joined

the Global Lighthouse Network (GLN) for innovative manufacturing
practices.

Global Lighthouse Network About GLN

5.
(GLN) • Launched in 2018 by World Economic Forum and McKinsey &
Company.
• GLN includes 25 Sustainability Lighthouses focusing on customer
centricity, supply chain resilience, sustainability, and talent
development.

• Indian Rare Earths, Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Centre (IGCAR),

and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) have been removed
from the US Entity List.
• Aim: Strengthening bilateral energy collaboration and advancing
6. U.S. Entity List
nuclear and scientific cooperation.
• The U.S. has added eleven Chinese entities to the Entity List for
alleged involvement in technology transfers and surveillance
activities that pose national security threats.

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 About U.S. Entity List

• A compilation by the U.S. government that includes foreign

individuals, companies, and organizations considered a national
security risk, making them subject to export controls and licensing
requirements for specific technologies and goods.
• Published by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) approved Tripura's newly

designed official state emblem.
New State Emblem of
7. • The emblem consists of the national emblem at the center, an outline
Tripura
of Tripura’s map within a saffron-colored circle & the words "Tripura
Government" written below.

• A World Bank-appointed Neutral Expert sided with India regarding

disputes over the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects under
the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
• Background: Pakistan challenged India’s hydroelectric projects on the
western rivers, leading to the Neutral Expert siding with India.

About Indus Water Treaty

Indus Water Treaty Dispute • Signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan, brokered by the World
8.
Bank.
• Governs the water-sharing arrangement of the Indus River and its five
tributaries between the two nations.
• The treaty allocates the three eastern rivers (Beas, Ravi, Sutlej) to
India and the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to
Pakistan.
• India can use the western rivers for non-consumptive purposes like
hydroelectric projects under specified conditions.

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2. GA + ESI
PIB IN NEWS
SOCIAL SECTORS - HEALTH
2.1 Genome India Project

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The Genome India Project, launched in 2020 under the Department of Biotechnology,
aims to advance India’s genomics and precision medicine capabilities.
❖ Phase 1 successfully sequenced 10,000 genomes from 99 population groups, with the
database housed at the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) in Faridabad, Haryana,
accessible to researchers worldwide.
❖ In Phase 2, the project aims to sequence 1 million genomes, covering all 4,635
identified population groups and collecting samples from every state and union
territory.

Why in News
• The Genome India Project, after
DID YOU KNOW
completing its first phase with 10,000
India now ranks 12th globally in biotech and
healthy genome sequences, has
3rd in the Asia-Pacific region.
entered its second phase, targeting the
sequencing of genomes of individuals
with specific diseases. KEY TERMS
Key Highlights Genome Sequencing
• Phase 1 Completion:
o Successfully sequenced 10,000 The process of determining the complete DNA
genomes from healthy sequence of an organism's genome to
individuals. understand genetic variations.

o Covered 99 population groups.

• Phase 2 Objectives: KEY TERMS
o Expand the database to 1 million
Precision Medicine
genome sequences across
India's 4,635 identified
A form of medicine that uses information about
population groups.
a person's genes, proteins, environment, and
lifestyle to prevent, diagnose, or treat disease.

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 o Include samples from all states
and union territories.
DID YOU KNOW
• Research Goals:
o Enable personalized and • In 2024, the Indian government has
precision medicine. sanctioned 1000 crores to accelerate
innovation in biotechnology.
o Trace ancestry and evolutionary
• India is home to the second-largest number of
history.
USFDA-approved manufacturing plants
o Prepare for pandemics and outside the United States.
advance scientific research.

Genome India Project

• Launch Year: 2020.

• Nodal Department: Department of Biotechnology.
• This ‘Genome India’ database will be available to researchers across the world for
investigations and is housed at the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC), in Faridabad,
Haryana.
• Target: Sequencing 10 million genomes to accelerate India’s advancements in genomics and
personalized medicine.

SOCIAL SECTORS - EDUCATION

2.2 Anusandhan National Research Fellowship

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The union minister has briefed about Anusandhan National Research Fellowship.
• Set up at the cost of Rs 50000 crore for five years 2023-28.
• Repealed the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) and subsumed
it into NRF.
• NRF serves as an apex body providing strategic direction for research,
innovation, and entrepreneurship.
• Ex officio President of Governing Body is the Prime Minister of India.
• Executive Council to be chaired by Principal Scientific Advisor to the
Government of India.
❖ He has also talked about India's pivotal role in the global biotechnology revolution
and its first biotechnology policy, BIO-E3.

Why in News

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 • The Minister of Science and Technology has highlighted the India’s significant strides in
biotechnology and the nation’s growing global leadership in Biotechnology highlighting the
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF).
• The minister has also highlighted the newly approved BIO-E3 Policy (Biotechnology for
Economy, Employment, and Environment) aimed at driving sustainable growth, creating
jobs, and boosting India's bio-economy.
Key Highlights
• India’s biotechnology sector has experienced extraordinary growth, skyrocketing from a
$10 billion industry in 2014 to over $130 billion in 2024, with projections to reach $300
billion by 2030.
• HPV vaccine:
o India developed the world’s first indigenous HPV vaccine in 2024 to prevent cervical
cancer.
o Created by the Serum Institute of India with the Department of Biotechnology,
offering an affordable alternative to imported vaccines.

Bio- E3 policy

• The BioE3 Policy, led by the Department of Biotechnology, aims to foster high-performance
biomanufacturing.
• Focuses on producing bio-based products across sectors like medicine, materials, farming,
and food using advanced biotechnological processes.
• Promotes innovation-driven R&D and entrepreneurship in thematic sectors.
• Plans to establish biomanufacturing hubs, bio-AI hubs, and biofoundries to accelerate
technology development and commercialization.
• Prioritizes regenerative bioeconomy models for green growth, expanding the skilled
workforce, and boosting job creation.
• Strategic focus areas include: High-value bio-based chemicals, biopolymers and enzymes,
smart proteins and functional foods, precision biotherapeutics, climate-resilient agriculture,
carbon capture and utilization and marine and space research.
•

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Telegram @Rishiwos
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2.3 Draft UGC Regulations 2025

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ Union Minister for Education has released the draft UGC (Minimum Qualifications for
Appointment & Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges
and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025
aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
❖ It aims to give flexibility to universities in appointing & promoting teachers and academic
staff in their institutions.

Why in News
• The Draft UGC regulations 2025, introduced by the education minister, streamline the
Vice-Chancellor selection process for universities nationwide.
• A mandatory Search-cum-Selection Committee, constituted by the Chancellor or Visitor,
will include three experts to oversee appointments in universities established under
Central, Provincial, or State Acts.

Draft UGC regulations 2025

Key Highlights of the Regulations:

• Flexibility: Allows NET/SET-qualified candidates to teach beyond their degree specialisations,
prioritising Ph.D. expertise.
• Indian Languages: Promotes their use in academic publications and programmes.
• Holistic Evaluation: Replaces score-based short-listing with a focus on broader qualifications
and notable contributions.
• Diverse Talent Pool: Opens recruitment for experts in arts, sports, and traditional disciplines.
• Inclusivity: Welcomes accomplished sportspersons, including those with disabilities, into
teaching roles.
• Enhanced Governance: Expands Vice-Chancellor eligibility with a transparent selection
process.
• Broadened criteria: The regulation broadens eligibility for Vice-Chancellor posts to include
professionals from industry, public policy, administration, and PSUs, moving beyond the
traditional focus on academicians.
• Simplified Promotions: Prioritises teaching, research, and academic contributions.
• Professional Development: Advocates continuous learning through faculty development.
• Transparency: Ensures clarity in recruitment, promotions, and grievance redressal.

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 UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION

• Established in 1956 under the UGC Act, the UGC is a statutory body of the Government
of India headquartered in New Delhi.
• Mandate includes
o Promote and coordinate university education.
o Ensure standards in teaching, examination, and research.
o Frame regulations on minimum education standards.
o Monitor higher education developments and disburse grants.
o Advise Central and State governments on improving university education.

EMPLOYMENT GENERATION IN INDIA

2.4 3 years of ONDC

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The Prime minister has lauded ONDC for transforming e-commerce and empowering
small businesses.
❖ ONDC is launched in 2022 by Quality Council of India and Protean eGov Technologies
Limited.
❖ Authorized capital of Rs. 500 crores.
❖ Objective: To democratize digital commerce via an open, inclusive, and interoperable
platform.

Why in News
• The Prime Minister of India praised the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) for its
transformative impact on e-commerce and support for small businesses.
• ONDC is in collaboration with Bhashini (Digital India BHASHINI, is India's Artificial Intelligence
(AI)-led language translation platform) to improve app development and e-commerce in Indic
languages

Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)

• Incorporated as a non-profit in December 2021 but launched in April 2022.

• Implementing Agency: DPIIT under Ministry of Commerce.

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 • Objective: To democratize digital commerce via an open, inclusive, and interoperable
platform.
• Founding members: Quality Council of India and Protean eGov Technologies Limited.
• Authorized capital of Rs. 500 crores.
• The ONDC model seeks to replicate UPI’s success in digital payments by simplifying the
entire online shopping process, just as UPI facilitates mobile payments through different
payment apps.
• Working of ONDC:
o Decentralized Architecture: Unlike traditional platforms, ONDC does not own or operate
e-commerce services. It acts as an enabler for interconnectivity.
o Open Protocols: Based on open standards, ONDC ensures that any seller or buyer
platform adhering to these protocols can participate.
o Role Segregation: Participants are classified into roles such as Buyer Applications, Seller
Applications, and Logistics Providers, ensuring clear delineation of responsibilities.

SOCIAL JUSTICE
2.5 Aspirational district programme

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The Union Minister highlighted the Aspirational Districts Programme during a visit to
YSR Kadapa.
❖ Aspirational Districts Programme, launched in 2018, it aims to boost development in
lagging districts.
• Evaluates performance across five key sectors:
o Health & Nutrition: 30%
o Education: 30%
o Agriculture & Water Resources: 20%
o Financial Inclusion & Skill Development: 10%
o Basic Infrastructure: 10%
❖
Why in News
• The Union Minister, during his visit to YSR Kadapa, highlighted the Aspirational Districts
Programme's role in fostering sustainable development through scheme convergence,
data monitoring, and community participation.
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 Aspirational Districts Programme

• The Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), launched by the Government of India in January
2018
• Coordinated by NITI Aayog, aims to transform 112 underdeveloped districts nationwide.
• The programme evaluates performance across five key sectors, each with assigned
weightage:
o Health & Nutrition: 30%
o Education: 30%
o Agriculture & Water Resources: 20%
o Financial Inclusion & Skill Development: 10%
o Basic Infrastructure: 10%
• These sectors encompass 49 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor progress.
• The ADP operates on the principles of Convergence (integrating Central and State schemes),
Collaboration (among Central, State, and District officials), and Competition (fostering a spirit
of competitive federalism through district rankings).
• The programme's objective is to improve the quality of life and economic productivity in these
districts, thereby ensuring inclusive growth and development across the nation.

2.6 BAANKNET portal

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The Ministry of Finance has launched the revamped ‘BAANKNET’ e-auction portal
for e-auction of properties as one-stop destination.
❖ The BAANKNET e-auction portal offers a diverse range of assets, including
residential properties (flats, houses, plots), commercial properties (shops,
buildings), industrial assets (land, machinery), vehicles, and agricultural and non-
agricultural land.

Why in News
• The Ministry of Finance has launched the revamped BAANKNET e-auction portal, a
centralized platform that simplifies the process for buyers and investors to discover and
participate in property e-auctions.
• It supports PSBs in recovering distressed assets and improving balance sheets.

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 • The DFS has already provided training on features of ‘BAANKNET’ portal to executives of
all PSBs and to all Recovery Officers in DRTs to ensure effective and efficient utilization of
the portal.

BAANKNET Portal

• Ministry: Managed by the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of
Finance.
• Objective:
o A one-stop destination offering a diverse range of assets, including residential
properties (flats, houses, plots), commercial properties (shops, buildings), industrial
assets (land, machinery), vehicles, and agricultural and non-agricultural land.
• Enhanced features:
• Simplified Processes: It covers pre-auction, auction, and post-auction stages within a
single application.
• Integrated Payment Gateway: Users can make payments easily with an automated system.
• KYC Tools: Integrated tools ensure quick and secure identity verification.
• Open APIs: The platform uses a microservices-based architecture to enable third-party
integrations.
• Dashboard and Reports: Users can access spend analytics and management information
system (MIS) reports with a click.
• Customer Support: A dedicated helpdesk and call center provide assistance, including
callback request options.

2.7 Centralized Pension Payments System (CPPS)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has fully implemented the
Centralized Pension Payments System (CPPS) under the Employees’ Pension Scheme
1995, enhancing ease of living for millions of pensioners across India.
❖ Under (CPPS) Pensioners can receive their pensions from any bank or branch across
India without physical verifications at banks.

Why in News
• The Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has implemented the Centralized
Pension Payments System (CPPS), enabling the pensioners to access their pensions from
any bank branch nationwide without the need for physical verifications.

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 Centralized Pension Payments System (CPPS)

• Implemented by: Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)

• Features:
o Nationwide Access: Pensioners can receive their pensions from any bank or branch across
India.
o Streamlined Process: Eliminates the need for physical verifications at banks; pensions are
credited immediately upon release.
o Seamless Transfers: No requirement to transfer Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) when
relocating or changing banks/branches.
o Improved Efficiency: Shifts from a decentralized system with limited bank agreements to
a unified, centralized platform.
o

Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)

• It is a statutory body under the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Act, 1952.
• It is under the administrative control of the Union Ministry of Labor and Employment.
• EPFO operates the following three schemes:
o Employees’ Provident Funds Scheme, 1952 (EPF)
o Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 (EPS)
o Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, 1976 (EDLI)
• The EPFO schemes cover Indian workers and international workers from countries with
whom EPFO has signed bilateral agreements.
• The EPFO schemes are administered by the Central Board of Trustees; representatives from
the Government (Central and State), employers, and employees. The Union Minister of
Labour and Employment chairs the Central Board of Trustees.

2.8 Rashtriya Karmayogi

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ Recently the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions has initiated the
training of Rashtriya Karmayogi for Central Government employees to instill a spirit of
public service (seva bhaav) and a deeper sense of purpose (svadharma).

Why in News
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 • The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions has initiated the National
Karmayogi Seva Bhaav Program, aiming to instill a spirit of public service (seva bhaav) and
a deeper sense of purpose (svadharma) among Central Government employees.
Key highlights
• Launched by: Capacity Building Commission (CBC) under Mission Karmayogi.
• Training Scale: Phase 1 targets capacity building for officers across all 93 Ministries and
Departments within three months.
• Focus: Emphasizes mindset transformation to enhance citizen-centric governance.
• Implementation: Utilizes nominated Deputy Secretaries and Directors as trainers to provide
relevant context and experience.
• Coverage: Phase I of the ‘Rashtriya Karmayogi’ program, aims to cover 10,000 central govt.
employees at the Centre, while in Phase II the program will be expanded nationwide, aiming
to engage over 7,00,000 central government employees.

About Capacity Building Commission (CBC)

• The Capacity Building Commission (CBC), established in 2021 by the Department of
Personnel and Training (DoPT), operates as an independent body with full executive and
financial autonomy.
• Composition: CBC comprises three members from diverse backgrounds, including state
governments, public and private sectors, and academia, ensuring a broad representation of
perspectives.
• Core Purpose: To build credibility and shape a uniform approach to capacity building on a
collaborative and co-sharing basis.

Mission Karmayogi

• The National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB)- Mission
Karmayogi aims to create a competent civil service rooted in Indian ethos, with a shared
understanding of India’s priorities, working in harmonization for effective and efficient
public service delivery.
• Six Key Pillars Under Mission Karmayogi are Policy Framework, institutional Framework,
competency Framework, digital Learning Framework (iGOT-Karmayogi), electronic Human
Resource Management System (e-HRMS) and monitoring and Evaluation Framework.

2.9 E-shram Portal

Why in News
• Union Minister of Labour & Employment has launched the multilingual functionality on e-
Shram portal.

Key Highlights
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 • The portal will now be available in all 22 Scheduled Languages, making eShram a ‘One-
Stop-Solution’ and more User-Friendly and User-Centric.
o The previous version was available only in English, Hindi, Kannada and Marathi.

About Bhashini (National Language Technology Mission (NLTM)

• Launched in July 2022
• It provides language technology solutions as digital public goods through the BHASHINI
platform.
• Aim: To transcend language barriers, ensuring that every citizen can effortlessly access
digital services in their own language.
• The approach is to create large datasets in the Scheduled Indian Languages to train AI
models for translation and conversion of speech to text and vice versa.
Note: e-shram portal is covered in CurrentTap of December 2024.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL

ISSUES
2.10 India's 4th Biennial Update Report

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ India submitted its 4th Biennial Update Report (BUR-4) to the UNFCCC.
❖ GHG Emissions decreased by 7.93% in 2020 compared to 2019, with the energy sector
being the largest contributor, followed by agriculture, industrial processes, product
use, and waste.
❖ Emission Intensity reduced by 36% of GDP between 2005 and 2020.
❖ India’s forest and tree cover constitutes 25.17% of its geographical area, while its
historical share of global GHG emissions between 1850 and 2019 remains low at 4%.

Why in News
• India submitted its 4th Biennial Update
Report (BUR-4) to the United Nations
DID YOU KNOW
Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC), reflecting progress
on India’s Nationally Determined • India’s forest and tree cover currently
Contributions (NDCs). constitutes 25.17% of the country’s
geographical area.
Key Highlights
• India’s historical share of cumulative
• GHG Emissions: global GHG emissions is annual
o Emissions decreased by 7.93% in 4%, despite having around 17% of the
2020 compared to 2019. world’s population between 1850 and
2019.
• Sectoral Contributions:
o Energy, followed by Agriculture, Industrial Processes and Product Use and Waste.
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 • Emission Intensity:
o Reduced by 36% of GDP
between 2005 and 2020. KEY TERMS
• National Circumstances:
Emission Intensity
o The report highlights India’s
focus on sustainable The volume of GHG emissions per unit of
development under the principles GDP, reflecting a country's efforts to
of CBDR-RC (Common but decouple economic growth from carbon
Differentiated Responsibilities emissions.
and Respective Capabilities) and
the Paris Agreement.

2.11 Wetland City Accreditation (WCA)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ Indore and Udaipur have been recognized as Wetland Accredited Cities under the
Ramsar Convention, making them the first Indian cities to receive this international
recognition.
❖ With this accreditation, they join the list of 31 Wetland Accredited Cities worldwide,
which acknowledges urban areas committed to conserving and sustainably managing
their wetlands.
❖ The Ramsar Convention introduced the Wetland City Accreditation (WCA) system in
2015 as a voluntary initiative to recognize cities making exceptional efforts to protect
urban wetlands.

Why in News
• Indore and Udaipur were recently in January 2025 recognized as Wetland Accredited
Cities under the Ramsar Convention, making them the first Indian cities to receive this
international recognition.
Key Highlights
DID YOU KNOW
• Indore and Udaipur are now part of
the 31 Wetland Accredited Cities
Ramsar Convention, in 2015, approved a
worldwide.
voluntary WCA system, which recognizes
• This accreditation acknowledges cities which have taken exceptional steps to
urban areas that are committed to safeguard their urban wetlands.
conserving and sustainably
managing their wetlands. .

• China has the highest number of accredited cities (22), followed by France (9).
• India submitted 3 nominations for WCA of Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya
Pradesh) & Udaipur (Rajasthan) for the first time.

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2.12 Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The CCEA has approved the revised ethanol procurement price for Public Sector
OMCs under the EBP Programme for ESY 2024-25 to ensure price stability and
remunerative returns for ethanol suppliers.
❖ Launched in 2003 under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the EBP
Programme aims to reduce crude oil import dependency, promote renewable fuels,
and support agriculture, with the government advancing the 20% ethanol blending
target to ESY 2025-26 and aiming for 18% blending in ESY 2024-25.

Why in News
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the revised ethanol
procurement price for Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) under the EBP
Programme for Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2024-25.
Key Highlights
• The revision is aimed at price stability and providing remunerative prices for ethanol
suppliers.

Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme

• Launch Year: 2003.

• Ministry: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• Implementing Agency: Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
• Objective: To reduce import dependency on crude oil, promote the use of renewable fuels, and
support the agriculture sector through the promotion of ethanol production.
• The government has brought forward the target of 20% ethanol blending in petrol from 2030
to ESY 2025-26 and plans to achieve 18% blending during ESY 2024-25.
• Ethanol Supply Year (ESY): The period used to measure ethanol blending, typically from 1st
November to 31st October of the following year.

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 GENDER ISSUES
2.13 Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ WEP of NITI Aayog launched "EmpowHER Biz – Sapno Ki Udaan" with New Shop under
its ATR program to empower women entrepreneurs.
❖ It covers Delhi NCR, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and
Gujarat.

Why in News
• The WEP of NITI Aayog launched "EmpowHER Biz – Sapno Ki Udaan" in partnership with
New Shop (India’s largest 24/7 convenience retail chain) under its Award to Reward
(ATR) program.

Key Highlights
• EmpowHER Biz Initiative:
o Aims to empower women entrepreneurs by providing skills and resources to
succeed in the organized retail sector.
o 50 participants aged 18–35 will be selected based on an online application
process.
o Top 20 participants will receive a 100% waiver on New Shop franchise fees.
• Coverage Area:
o Delhi NCR, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and
Gujarat.
Note: Kindly refer to CurrentTap 1st to 31st October 2024 (Article 2.32) for more information on
WEP.
Note: Kindly refer to CurrentTap 1st to 30th November 2024 (Article 2.32) for more information
on ATR program.

INDIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM

2.14 eSankhyiki

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ eSankhyiki, launched in 2024 by MoSPI, has surpassed 134 million records as a
statistical data dissemination platform.
❖ It offers a centralized repository for statistical data dissemination and for evidence-
based policymaking.

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Why in News
DID YOU KNOW
• eSankhyiki, the statistical
data dissemination platform,
eSankhyiki, launched in 2024 by MoSPI, is a
has surpassed 134 million
centralized platform for statistical data dissemination
records in its repository.
to support evidence-based policymaking.
2.15 Lokpal of India

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The Lokpal of India celebrated its 1st Foundation Day on 16th January 2025,
established under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
❖ It was launched in 2014 as an independent statutory body to address corruption and
ensure transparency in governance.

Why in News
• The Lokpal of India celebrated its 1st Foundation Day on 16th January 2025, marking the
establishment of the institution under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.

Lokpal of India

• Launch Year: 2014.

• Ministry: Functions as an independent statutory body under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act,
2013 to investigate allegations of corruption against public officials.
• Appointed by the President of India.
• Chairperson: Either the Chief Justice of India, a Supreme Court judge, or an eminent person.
• Tenure: 5 years or until the age of 70, whichever is earlier.
• Members: Up to 8 members, with 50% being judicial members and the remaining 50%
representing SC/ST/OBC, minorities, or women.

MULTICULTURALISM
2.16 BHASHINI, or the BHASHa INterface for India

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ BHASHINI, launched in 2022 by MeitY, is being used at Maha Kumbh 2025 to provide
multilingual support in 11 Indian languages.

Why in News
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 • BHASHINI is being utilized at
the Maha Kumbh 2025 in DID YOU KNOW
Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, to
address linguistic diversity BHASHINI, launched in 2022 by MeitY and implemented
by providing multilingual by Digital India Corporation, aims to democratize access
support in 11 Indian to digital content across India's linguistic diversity.
languages. .

GLOBALIZATION
2.17 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The 55th WEF Annual Meeting will take place in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, with the
theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age".
❖ It will have 5 priorities: reimagining growth, investing in people, rebuilding trust,
industries in the intelligent age, and safeguarding the planet.
❖ The WEF Annual Meeting has been held annually in Davos since 1971.

Why in News
• The 55th WEF Annual Meeting will be held in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, focusing on the
theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age."

Key Highlights
• The programme will be oriented around 5 thematic priorities:
o Reimagining growth
o Investing in People DID YOU KNOW
o Rebuilding trust India surpassed $1 trillion in FDI inflows since
o Industries in the Intelligent Age April 2000.

o Safeguarding the Planet

• Indian Delegation:
o Includes representatives from 6 Indian states: Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala.
• Key Session: "AI (Artificial Intelligence) and FDI (Foreign Direct Investment): Challenges
and Opportunities for Sustainable Investment," co-organized by Invest India & World
Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) with support from the World
Investment for Development Alliance (WIDA).

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 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting

• Launch Year: Held annually in Davos, Switzerland since 1971.

• Organized By: World Economic Forum (non-profit organization).
• Objective:
o To promote international cooperation and address global challenges.
o To foster economic and social progress through dialogue among political, business,
and academic leaders.

WIDA

• Launched at WEF Summit 2022.

• Objective: A global platform of 13 organizations, to focus on promoting sustainable and
inclusive investment.

2.18 UN Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science for Official Statistics
(UN-CEBD)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ India joined the UN-CEBD.
❖ UN-CEBD, launched in 2014 under the United Nations Statistical Commission, has 31
member states, including India, and focuses on using Big Data for monitoring
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
❖ The United Nations Statistical Commission, established in 1947, is the highest global
statistical body, with 24 members.

Why in News
• India has joined the UN-CEBD.
Miscellaneous Points
• India has been elected in United Nations Statistical Commission as a member for a term
of 4 years starting Jan 2024 (after two-decades of vacuum).

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 UN-CEBD

• Launch Year: 2014 with Australia as its first Chair.

• Implementing Agency: United Nations Statistical Commission.
• Members: 31 member states (including India)
• Objective:
o To further investigate the benefits and challenges of Big Data, including the potential
for monitoring and reporting on the sustainable development goals.

United Nations Statistical Commission

• Established in 1947 as the highest body of the global statistical system.

• it serves as the Functional Commission of the UN Economic and Social Council.
• Members: 24

2.19 BIMSTEC
Why in News
• The second meeting of the BIMSTEC Expert Group on Cyber Security Cooperation took
place to formulate an action plan aimed at strengthening cyber security in the region.

Note: Kindly refer to CurrentTap 1st to 30th November 2024 (Article 2.61) for more information
on BIMSTEC.

MEASUREMENT OF GROWTH
2.20 Working Group for the revision of the current series of Wholesale Price Index
(Base 2011-12)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The Government of India has decided to establish a Working Group to revise the
Wholesale Price Index (WPI) base year from 2011-12 to 2022-23.
❖ Headed by: Ramesh Chand.

Why in News
• The Government of India has decided to constitute a Working Group for base revision of
the current series of Wholesale Price Index (WPI).
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 About the Panel:
• Headed by NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand.
• The 18-member working group will look towards base revision of the current series of
Wholesale Price Index (WPI) from base 2011-12 to 2022-23.
The Terms of Reference for the Working
Group KEY TERMS

• Recommending the commodity basket

Wholesale Price Index (WPI)
for WPI and PPI (Producer Price Index)
with a base year of 2022-23,
considering structural economic The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) tracks
changes. price changes of goods at the wholesale
• Determining the computational level, reflecting inflation trends in primary
methodology for WPI and PPI. articles, fuel, and manufactured products.
• Evaluating the methodology for
compiling PPI, as approved by the
Producer Price Index (PPI)
Technical Advisory Committee, and
proposing enhancements in
- PPI measures the average change in the
compilation and presentation while
price a producer receives for his
outlining a roadmap for transitioning
goods/services sold in the domestic
from WPI to PPI.
market/exports.
• Reviewing and suggesting changes, if
- WPI does not cover services and
necessary, to the method for
whereas PPI includes services.
computing the linking factor.
• Proposing additional improvements to enhance the reliability of WPI and PPI.
Other terms include
• The Chairman of the Working Group may co-opt experts or representatives from other
agencies as needed.
• The Working Group is required to submit its final report to the Office of the Economic
Adviser within 18 months of the notification.

2.21 Government e Marketplace (GeM)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The GeM has surpassed ₹4 lakh crore in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) within 10
months of FY 2024-25, with the services segment contributing 62%, the products
segment 38%, and the Ministry of Coal emerging as the top procurer.

Why in News
• GeM has surpassed ₹4 Lakh Crore in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) within 10 months
of FY 2024-25.

Key Highlights
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 • The services segment accounted for 62% of the total GMV, and the products segment
contributed 38%.
• Ministry of Coal has emerged as the top procurer.
Note: Kindly refer to CurrentTap 1st to 31st December 2024 (Article 2.13) for more information on
GeM.

EXPORT-IMPORT POLICY
2.22 Enhanced Certificate of Origin (eCoO) 2.0 System
Why in News
• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade
KEY TERMS
(DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry, has launched the enhanced Back-to-Back Certificate of Origin
Certificate of Origin (eCoO) 2.0 System,
introducing new features such as Back-
A certificate issued for goods not originally
to-Back Certificates of Origin, multi-user
from India but intended for re-export, trans-
access, and Aadhaar-based e-signing to
simplify trade certification. shipment, or merchanting trade from India.

INDIAN AGRICULTURE
2.23 Coffee Production in India

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ India has become the 7th-largest coffee producer globally, with Karnataka, Kerala,
and Tamil Nadu being the top coffee-producing states.
❖ India primarily produces Arabica and Robusta beans, with major export markets
including Italy, Belgium, and Russia.

Why in News
• India has become the 7th-largest coffee producer globally.

Key Highlights
• Top Buyer Countries: Italy, Belgium, and Russia.
• India’s coffee production primarily consists of Arabica and Robusta beans, with three-
fourths of production dedicated to these beans.
• Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are the top coffee-producing states in India.

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 CHANGES IN INDUSTRIAL AND LABOUR POLICY, SINCE
REFORMS OF 1991
2.24 Occupational Shortage Index (OSI)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The Ministry of Labour and Employment launched State-Specific Microsites under the
e-Shram initiative and the Occupational Shortage Index (OSI), which, based on ILO
methodology and PLFS data, aims to address skill gaps and enhance employment
opportunities for unorganised workers.

Why in News
• Ministry of Labour and Employment launched State-Specific Microsites under the e-
Shram initiative and the Occupational Shortage Index (OSI).

Key Highlights
• State-Specific Microsites were launched to ensure unorganised workers have seamless
access to welfare programs and employment opportunities.
• The OSI is based on International Labour Organization (ILO) methodology and quarterly
PLFS (Periodic Labour Force Survey) data.
• OSI will help policymakers, training institutions, and businesses address skill gaps in
high-demand sectors.
Note: Kindly refer to CurrentTap 1st to 31st December 2024 (Article 2.15) for more information on
e-Shram portal.

OTHER NEWS
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES
2.25 Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The GPAP, developed by the WEF in 2018, has achieved its goal of establishing 25
national partnerships by 2025, making it the largest global initiative tackling plastic
pollution and impacting 1.5 billion people across 25 countries, including Maharashtra
from India.

Why in News

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 • The GPAP has achieved its target of establishing 25 national partnerships by 2025,
making it the largest global initiative addressing plastic pollution.

Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP)

• Launch Year: 2018 at Sustainable Development Impact Summit of WEF.

• Developed by: World Economic Forum (WEF).
• Aim: Serves as a multi-stakeholder platform aimed at converting commitments to reduce
plastic pollution into actionable measures
• Coverage: Currently spans 25 countries (Including Maharashtra from India), impacting 1.5
billion people.

SOCIAL JUSTICE
2.26 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ Nasscom Foundation, in partnership with NITI Aayog, has launched a digital
empowerment initiative to bridge the digital divide in 60 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal
Groups (PVTG) blocks, aiming to impact one lakh lives through digital literacy and e-
governance access.

Why in News
• Nasscom Foundation, in partnership with NITI Aayog, has launched a digital empowerment
initiative aimed at bridging the digital divide in 60 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups
(PVTG) blocks across India.
Key Highlights
DID YOU KNOW
• Nasscom Foundation is digitally
empowering one lakh lives in India’s According to the Tribal Development Report
Aspirational Blocks. 2022, the literacy rate among PVTGs is just
• The initiative focuses on digital literacy 47.7%, far below the national average of
training and providing access to e- 77.3%.
governance services. • .
• The initiative will eventually expand to other aspirational blocks.

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 INDIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM
2.27 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The 8th CPC was approved, likely effective from January 1, 2026.
❖ CPCs review pay and pensions every 10 years; the 7th CPC was implemented on
January 1, 2016.

Why in News
DID YOU KNOW
• It was recently
approved by the
Central Government, • CPCs, established every 10 years, review pay and
with implementation pensions for central government employees.
likely from January 1, • The 7th CPC, constituted in 2014 and chaired
2026. by Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur, submitted its report in
2015, and its recommendations were implemented
starting January 1, 2016.

GLOBALIZATION
2.28 BRICS
Why in News
• Nigeria is now the ninth partner country in BRICS, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan,
Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.

Note: Kindly refer to CurrentTap 1st to 31st October 2024 for more information on BRICS.
2.29 Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ Sanjiv Ranjan has been appointed as the next Secretary General of the IORA.
❖ Established in 1997, IORA promotes economic cooperation and regional security
among 23 member states, with observer status at the UN and African Union.

Why in News
• Sanjiv Ranjan was recently appointed as the next Secretary General of the IORA.

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 IORA

• Established in 1997.
• Objective: To promote economic cooperation, sustainable development, and regional
security among countries bordering the Indian Ocean.
• Members: 23 member states, including India, Australia, Indonesia, and South Africa, and is
supported by 12 dialogue partners, such as China, the European Union, and the United
States.
• In 2015, IORA was granted observer status at both the United Nations General Assembly and
the African Union.

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA

2.30 E-Way Bills

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ E-way bill generation in December 2024 reached its second-highest level in two
years.
❖ Launched in 2018 under the Ministry of Finance, E-way bills ensure seamless goods
movement, compliance, and reduced tax evasion under the GST Act.
❖ Mandatory for consignments worth over ₹50,000, E-way bills include a 15-digit Unique
Transporter ID and are valid for one day per 100 km of transport.

Why in News
• E-way bill generation in December 2024 reached its second-highest level in 2 years.
Key Highlights
• December's figures were second only to October 2024's.
• E-way bills serve as an early indicator of demand and supply trends in the economy.

E-Way Bills

• Launch Year: 2018.

• Ministry: Ministry of Finance.
• Objective:
o To facilitate the seamless movement of goods within and across states.

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 o To ensure compliance and reduce tax evasion.
• Features:
o Mandatory for consignments worth over ₹50,000 as mandated under Goods and Services
Tax Act.
o Registered users on Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) portal get a 15 digit Unique
Transporter Id.
o Validity of the e-way bill depends upon the distance the goods have to be transported.
The validity is one day upto 100 km and for every 100 km or part thereafter it is one
additional day.
2.31 Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS)
o Acts as a digital tool for tracking logistics and supply chain activities.
o Territorial Coverage: Applicable for both intra-state and inter-state goods transport.
QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ KredX received RBI approval to launch its TReDS platform, DTX, making it the fifth
approved TReDS platform.
❖ RXIL, India’s first TReDS platform, launched in 2016, is promoted by SIDBI and NSE,
supported by SBI, ICICI Bank, and YES Bank.

Why in News
• KredX, a Bengaluru-based supply chain DID YOU KNOW
platform, received final approval from the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to launch its • KredX was founded in 2015 as India’s first
Trade Receivables Discounting System supply chain finance platform.
(TReDS) platform under the brand name DTX • RXIL launched India's inaugural TReDS
(Domestic Trade Exchange). platform in 2016.
Key Highlights
• KredX’s DTX became the fifth platform to receive RBI approval to operate TReDS.
o The other four are: Receivables Exchange of India (RXIL), M1 Exchange, Invoice
Mart and C2FO Factoring Solutions.

KEY TERMS KEY TERMS

Trade Receivables Discounting System Bill Discounting

(TReDS)Intensity
An electronic platform for financing and A short-term financing solution where
discounting MSMEs' trade receivables businesses sell their trade receivables at a
through multiple financiers. discount to raise immediate funds.

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 RXIL

• RXIL is a joint venture promoted by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and
NSE (National Stock Exchange).
• Supported by State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, and YES Bank.

REGIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATIONS

2.32 Indonesia joins BRICS bloc as full member

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ Recently, Indonesia has officially joined the BRICS group as the 10th member, effective
from January 2025.
❖ Acronym ‘BRIC’ was coined by economist Jim O'Neill in 2001
❖ BRICS is an intergovernmental informal grouping of 10 emerging economies of the world.
❖ Members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, United Arab
Emirates and Indonesia.

Why in News
• Indonesia has formally joined the BRICS group, a bloc of emerging economies featuring
India, Russia, China and others, viewed as a counterweight to the West.

BRICS

• BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation comprising ten countries – Brazil, Russia, India,

China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
• The acronym ‘BRIC’ was coined by economist Jim O'Neill in 2001.
• Founding countries of BRIC: Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
• First formal BRIC summit: Held in 2009 in Yekaterinburg, Russia
• South Africa joined BRIC in 2010, transforming BRIC to BRICS.
• 3 Pillars of Co-operation: Political and Security Cooperation, Financial and Economic
Cooperation and Cultural and People to People Cooperation.
New members:
• In 2024, four new members- Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates - joined
BRICS as full-time permanent members.
• In 2025, Indonesia was admitted as a full member of the BRICS.
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2.33 European Council

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ Prime Minister has congratulated Antonio Costa on the assumption of charge as the
president of the European Council.
❖ The European Council is the European Union’s institution responsible for defining the
general political direction and priorities of the EU.

Why in News
• Prime Minister has congratulated Antonio Costa on the assumption of charge as the
president of the European Council.

European Council

• Establishment: Formed as an informal forum in 1974; formalized by the Maastricht Treaty.

• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.
• Composition: Includes the heads of state or government of the 27 EU member states, the
President of the European Council, and the President of the European Commission.
• Meetings: Convenes at least four times a year in Brussels, with additional meetings as
needed.
• Decision-Making: Generally, operates by consensus; certain decisions require unanimity or
qualified majority voting.
Functions:
• Strategic Direction: Sets the EU's overall direction and political priorities without enacting
legislation.
• Complex Issue Resolution: Addresses intricate or sensitive matters unresolved at lower
intergovernmental levels.
• Foreign and Security Policy: Establishes the EU's common foreign and security policy,
considering strategic interests and defense implications.
• High-Level Appointments: Nominates and appoints candidates to prominent EU roles, such
as the European Central Bank and the European Commission.

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 BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
2.34 RBI adds 8 tons gold to its reserves in Nov 2024: WGC

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ According to the World Gold Council (WGC), The Reserve Bank of India added 8 tonnes,
increasing its total gold holdings to 876 tonnes.
❖ The National Bank of Poland was the largest buyer, adding 21 tonnes.

Why in News
• According to the World Gold Council, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) added 8 tonnes of
gold to its reserves in November, 2024.
• In 2024 Central banks, mostly from the emerging markets, were keen gold buyers, driven
by the need for a stable and secure asset amid global economic uncertainties.
About RBI’s Forex reserves
• Foreign Exchange (Forex) Reserves are assets readily available to the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) for:
o Financing Balance of Payments (BoP): Addressing shortfalls in BoP.
o Forex Market Intervention: Managing exchange rate volatility, such as selling dollars to
curb rupee depreciation.
• Accumulation of Forex Reserves:
o BoP Surplus: In periods of BoP surplus, the RBI purchases excess dollars from the market,
thereby building forex reserves.
o BoP Deficit: Conversely, a BoP deficit can lead to a depletion of these reserves.
• Legal Framework:
o The Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 designates the RBI as the custodian of India's forex
reserves.
• Components of Forex Reserves:
o Foreign Exchange Assets (FEAs): Includes foreign currencies, foreign government
securities, deposits with other central banks, and deposits with overseas branches of
commercial banks.
o Monetary Gold: Gold holdings maintained by the RBI as part of the forex reserves.
o Special Drawing Rights (SDRs): International reserve assets allocated by the International
Monetary Fund (IMF).
o Reserve Position in the IMF: India's reserve tranche position, representing its quota
contribution that can be utilized for financial transactions with the IMF.

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 World Gold Council (WGC)

• About: A nonprofit association of 33 leading gold producers, mainly gold mining companies.
• Formation: Established in 1987 to promote gold demand and usage.
• Headquarters: London, UK.
Objectives:
o Promote and sustain gold demand through marketing, research, and advocacy.
o Set industry standards and ensure sustainability and fairness in gold mining.
o Maximize industry growth by monitoring and supporting gold consumption.
• Major Contribution: Developed the first gold exchange-traded fund.
• Global Impact: Covers markets representing about 75% of global annual gold consumption.

EXPORT-IMPORT POLICY
2.35 Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The Income Tax Department has issued new guidance on the Principal Purpose Test
(PPT) for claiming benefits under Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs),
confirming that grandfathering provisions in the India-Cyprus, India-Mauritius, and
India-Singapore DTAAs will remain unaffected.

Why in News
• The Income Tax Department has issued a fresh guidance note on the applicability of the
Principal Purpose Test (PPT), which will now apply prospectively for claiming benefits
under DTAAs.
Key Highlights KEY TERMS
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes
Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement
(CBDT) confirmed that the (DTAA)
grandfathering provisions in the India-
A tax treaty between two or more countries
Cyprus DTAA, India-Mauritius DTAA, to avoid the double taxation of income
and India-Singapore DTAA will remain earned in those countries, typically by
unaffected by the new PPT provision.
granting tax credits or exemptions.

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 KEY TERMS
KEY TERMS
Principal Purpose Test (PPT)
Grandfathering Provisions
A test introduced in tax treaties to ensure
that treaty benefits are not claimed for Provisions that allow the continuation of
arrangements that have a primary purpose of certain benefits or rights under the previous
obtaining those benefits without fulfilling the agreements even after the introduction of
legitimate purpose of the treaty. new rules or regulations.

3. GA + FINANCE
PIB IN NEWS
FINTECH
3.1 Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) and FASTag

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ IMPS, launched in 2010 by NPCI, offers secure, real-time 24x7 electronic fund
transfers.
❖ FASTag, launched in 2014 and made mandatory in 2021, utilizes RFID technology for
seamless toll payments, with a validity of 5 years.
❖ NPCI, established in 2008 under RBI and IBA, operates retail payment and settlement
systems in India as a not-for-profit entity.

Why in News
• Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) and DID YOU KNOW
National Electronic Toll Collection
(NETC) FASTag were in the news for a IMPS, launched in 2010 by NPCI, enables
significant rise in digital payments in secure, real-time, 24x7 electronic fund
India. transfers.

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 FASTag

• Launch Year: 2014 and made mandatory

for every vehicle in 2021.
• Ministry: Ministry of Road Transport &
Highways.
• Developed by: National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI).
• Implementing Agency: National Highways
Authority of India (NHAI).
• Objective: To enhance the efficiency of the
Electronic Toll Collection system and
ensure seamless movement at Toll Plazas.
• Technology Utilization: Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) technology.
• Validity Period of FASTag: 5 years.

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 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN FINANCIAL SECTOR
3.2 National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The NFRA released Part 1 of its Auditor-Audit Committee Interaction Series on Audit
of Accounting Estimates and Judgments, focusing on ECL under Ind AS 109.
❖ Established in 2018 under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the NFRA is a statutory
body responsible for recommending, monitoring, and enforcing accounting and
auditing standards.

Why in News
• The NFRA has released the first part of its Auditor-Audit Committee Interaction Series
titled Audit of Accounting Estimates and Judgments – Part 1: Expected Credit Losses
(ECL) under Ind AS 109.
Key Highlights
• The series emphasizes enhancing communication between auditors and audit
committees to improve audit quality and protect investor interests.

National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA)

• Launch Year: A statutory body constituted in 2018.

• Ministry: Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• Objective:
o Recommend accounting and auditing policies and standards to be adopted by companies
for approval by the Central Government.
o Monitor and enforce compliance with accounting standards and auditing standards.
o Oversee the quality of service of the professions associated with ensuring compliance
with such standards and suggest measures for improvement in the quality of service.

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3.3 RMBS Development Company Limited (RDCL)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ RDCL, established by NHB, has received the CoR from RBI to commence operations.
❖ With a paid-up capital of ₹500 crore and its registered office in Mumbai, RDCL aims
to develop the RMBS market in India by creating investment avenues for long-term
institutional investors.

Why in News
KEY TERMS
• The RMBS Development Company
Limited (RDCL), set up by the National RMBS
Housing Bank (NHB), has received the
Certificate of Registration (CoR) from the A process where housing loan portfolios are
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to commence pooled together and sold as securities to
operations. investors, allowing financial institutions to
free up capital for further lending.

RMBS Development Company Limited (RDCL)

• RDCL was established by NHB, a statutory body under the Government of India.
• Objective: To function as a commercially sustainable market intermediary to facilitate the
growth of the Residential Mortgage-Backed Securitisation (RMBS) market in India.
• Aim: To create investment avenues for long-term institutional investors such as insurance
companies, pension funds, and provident funds.
• RDCL has a paid-up capital of ₹500 crore, and its registered office is in Mumbai.

3.4 Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The IFCI board has approved a ₹500 crore capital infusion through a preferential
issue of shares to the Government of India, increasing the government's stake
beyond 71.72%.
❖ Established in 1948 as India's first DFI under the Ministry of Finance, IFCI is
undergoing a consolidation plan approved in November 2024.

Why in News

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 • The IFCI board has approved a ₹500
crore capital infusion through a KEY TERMS
preferential issue of shares to the
Government of India. Preferential Issue of Shares
Key Highlights
A method by which companies issue shares
• The government's stake in IFCI is
to specific investors, often government or
expected to increase beyond 71.72%,
its holding as of September 2024. institutional investors, rather than the public.

Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI)

• Launch Year: July 1, 1948, as India’s first development financial institution (DFI).
• Ministry: Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
• Aim: To provide long-term financial support for industrial development in India.
• In November 2024, the Finance Ministry approved a plan to consolidate the IFCI Group,
including:
o Merger of StockHolding Corporation of India Ltd, IFCI Factors Ltd, IFCI Infrastructure
Development Ltd, and IIDL Realtors Ltd with IFCI Ltd.
o StockHolding Services Ltd, IFCI Financial Services Ltd, IFIN Commodities Ltd, and IFIN
Credit Ltd to be merged into a single entity under IFCI.
o StockHolding Document Management Services Ltd, StockHolding Securities IFSC Ltd,
IFIN Securities Finance Ltd, IFCI Venture Capital Funds Ltd, and MPCON Ltd to
become direct subsidiaries of the consolidated IFCI.

OTHER NEWS
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY MARKET
3.5 'PRUDENT' approach

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to adopt 'PRUDENT' approach in 2025.

Why in News
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to DID YOU KNOW
adopt 'PRUDENT' approach in 2025.
The E-Nivaran portal is an integrated
• PRUDENT stands for:
grievance redressal platform launched
o P: Professionalism by the Central Board of Direct Taxes
o R: Responsible and Responsive (CBDT).

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 o U: Understanding Transactions and Businesses
o D: Dedication and Due Diligence
o E: Effective Enforcement
o N: Non-intrusive Administration
o T: Technology-based Tax Administration
Additional Information
• Over 2.4 lakh grievances resolved, including 1.75 lakh via the E-nirvan platform in 2024.

3.6 Small and Medium Real Estate Investment Trust (SM-REIT)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ Strata received a SEBI license to launch its SM-REIT.
❖ In 2024, SEBI amended the REIT Regulations 2014 to introduce SM REITs, targeting
assets valued between ₹50 crore and ₹500 crore and covering both commercial and
residential properties.
❖ SM REITs aim to facilitate fractional ownership under a regulated framework, with
units listed on stock exchanges for enhanced transparency and accessibility.

KEY TERMS
KEY TERMS
Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)
Fractional Ownership

A company that owns, operates, or finances

A method of investment where multiple income-generating real estate, offering a
investors collectively own a fraction of an way for individuals to invest in real estate
asset. portfolios.

Why in News
• Strata received a license from Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to launch its
SM-REIT.

Small and Medium Real Estate Investment Trust (SM-REIT)

• SEBI issued regulations in 2024 to amend the REIT Regulations 2014, establishing guidelines
for the creation of SM REITs, which include assets valued between ₹50 crore and ₹500 crore.
• Objective: To facilitate retail and institutional investments in commercial real estate.
• The SM REIT framework brings fractional ownership platforms (FOPs) within the regulatory
umbrella, covering both commercial and residential properties.
• SM REITs are fully regulated by SEBI, with units of each scheme listed on the stock exchanges.

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Key Highlights of 2024 Amendments
• Amendments introduce SM REITs for both commercial and residential properties, with a
fundraising start from ₹50 crore for a minimum of 200 investors.
• SM REITs are allowed to raise funds from both Indian and foreign investors.
• Investment Manager Requirements: An investment manager applying for SM REIT registration
must have a net worth of at least ₹20 crore and at least 2 years of experience in real estate or
real estate fund management.
• At least 95% of SM REIT assets must be fully developed and revenue-generating at the time
of listing, different from the 80% requirement for larger REITs.
• Minimum subscription amount of ₹10 lakh per investor.
o No unit holder shall enjoy superior voting or any other rights over another unit holder
within the same scheme.
• If the SM REIT fails to make an initial offer within 3 years from the date of registration, it must
surrender its certificate of registration and cease operations.
• Minimum public offer and allotment in each scheme: At least 25% of the total outstanding units.

3.7 SCORES (SEBI Complaints Redress System) Platform

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ SEBI is resolving investors’ complaints through the SCORES platform, launched in 2011
to address investor grievances.
❖ SCORES 2.0, introduced in 2024, includes standardized complaint resolution timelines
of 21 calendar days and a two-tier review process for unresolved complaints.

Why in News
• SCORES platform was in the news.

SCORES Platform

• Launch Year: 2011.

• Implementing Agency: Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• Objective:
o Facilitate online lodging of complaints by investors against companies, intermediaries,
and market infrastructure institutions.
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 o Enhance transparency and accountability in resolving investor grievances.
• Features:
o Upgraded to SCORES 2.0 in 2024, adding new features.
o Standardized timelines for complaint resolution set at 21 calendar days.
o A two-tier review process (Designated Body at 1st level and SEBI at 2nd) for unresolved
complaints.

3.8 Dharohar
o
Why in News
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) launched a digital knowledge
repository, Dharohar, to showcase the milestones in the Indian securities market.

BANKING SYSTEM IN INDIA

3.9 Micro-Finance

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The MFIN deferred its cap on lenders per borrower to April 2025.
❖ MFIN and Sa-Dhan, as self-regulatory organizations (SROs), work to implement
guidelines and enhance microfinance sector standards.

Why in News
• The Microfinance Industry Network (MFIN) has deferred the implementation of its cap on
lenders to each borrower to April 2025, originally set to be enforced in January 2025.

Key Highlights
• Proposed Changes: KEY TERMS
o MFIN plans to limit the number
Micro-Finance
of lenders per borrower to
three, reduced from the current
Micro-finance refers to small loans, provided
limit of four.
to individuals or businesses, especially in
o MFIN also recommended to cap underserved areas, to promote financial
the indebtedness of a MFI inclusion.
borrower to Rs 2 lakh.
o MFIN has also told its members to stop lending to delinquent customers who have
overdue loans for more than 60 days with an outstanding amount exceeding Rs
3,000.
• Key Stakeholders:

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 o MFIN and Sa-Dhan serve as self-regulatory organizations (SROs) for the
microfinance sector.
o They work to implement guidelines and improve industry standards.

3.10 M K Jain Committee

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ RBI has formed a 5-member committee chaired by M K Jain for a 3-year term to
evaluate applications for universal and small finance banks.
❖ The first such committee, headed by Shyamala Gopinath, was established in 2021.

Why in News
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up DID YOU KNOW
a new 5-member standing external
advisory committee for 3-year term, The first external advisory committee for
chaired by M K Jain, to evaluate evaluating banking licenses was formed in
applications for universal banks and small 2021 and was headed by former Deputy
finance banks (SFBs). Governor Shyamala Gopinath.
.
3.11 NBFC Upper Layer List for Year 2024-25

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ RBI released the NBFC Upper Layer List for 2024-25.
❖ The list identifies significant NBFCs for enhanced regulatory measures under the SBR
framework for at least 5 years.

Why in News
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released DID YOU KNOW
the list of Non-Banking Financial
Companies (NBFCs) classified in the upper The RBI introduced NBFC upper, middle, and
layer (UL) segment for the year 2024-25. base layers as part of its scale-based
regulation (SBR) framework in 2021 to
Key Highlights streamline regulatory requirements based on
• The list includes Tata Sons Private Ltd, risk levels.
Bajaj Finance Ltd, LIC Housing Finance
Ltd, and Aditya Birla Finance Ltd, Shriram Finance Ltd, Mahindra & Mahindra Financial
Services Ltd, Tata Capital Ltd, PNB Housing Finance Ltd, HDB Financial Services Ltd,
Sammaan Capital Ltd, Muthoot Finance Ltd, Bajaj Housing Finance Ltd, L&T Finance,
Piramal Capital & Housing Finance Ltd and Cholamandalam Investment and Finance
Company Ltd.
• Objective of Upper Layer:
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 o To identify significant NBFCs based on size, interconnectedness, and systemic
importance.
o To apply enhanced regulatory and supervisory measures to these entities for at
least a period of 5 years.

FUNCTIONS OF RESERVE BANK OF INDIA

3.12 RBI's New 15-Day Credit Reporting Rule

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The RBI mandated lenders to update credit bureau records every 15 days starting
January 2025, replacing the earlier monthly updates.

Why in News
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) implemented a new mandate requiring all lenders to update
credit bureau records every 15 days, effective January 2025.
Key Highlights
• Changes in Reporting:
KEY TERMS
o Previously, updates to credit
bureaus occurred monthly, Credit Bureau
causing delays in reflecting
borrowers' repayment behavior.
An organization that collects and maintains
• Impact on Borrowers: financial records of individuals and
businesses, providing credit reports to
o Timely repayment updates will
lenders for decision-making.
reflect positively on credit
scores faster.
• Impact on Lenders:
o Provides a clearer and more current assessment of borrowers’ credit risk.
o It will stop 'evergreening,' where borrowers take new loans to repay old ones,
creating unsustainable debt cycles.

3.13 Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ RBI amended FEMA guidelines in January 2025 to encourage cross-border INR
transactions, including opening INR accounts for non-residents and enabling INR
balances for legitimate transactions.
❖ Initiatives like SRVA, introduced in 2022, and MoUs with the UAE, Indonesia, and
Maldives aim to promote the use of INR in international trade and settlements.

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Why in News
• Recently in January 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reviewed and amended
guidelines under the FEMA, to further encourage cross-border transactions in INR.
Key Highlights of Amendements Include
• Allowing authorised dealer banks’
overseas branches to open INR DID YOU KNOW
accounts for non-residents.
• Permitting non-residents to use INR • The SRVA, introduced by RBI in 2022,
balances in their Special Non- facilitates cross-border INR transactions
resident Rupee Account (SNRA) or by enabling foreign banks to open
Special Rupee Vostro Account (SRVA) accounts with Indian banks for local
for legitimate transactions. currency settlements.
• Enabling Indian exporters to open • The RBI has also signed MoUs with the
foreign currency accounts abroad to central banks of the UAE, Indonesia, and
settle trade transactions. the Maldives to promote cross-border
• Residents outside India can use their transactions in local currencies.
repatriable INR account balances for
foreign investments, including Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in non-debt instruments.
Additional Information
• The updated Foreign Exchange Management Regulations in 2023 allowed cross-border
transactions in all foreign currencies, including local currencies of trading partners and
INR.
3.14 Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS) resolved 95% of
complaints in FY24.
❖ Launched in November 2021, RB-IOS integrates three earlier Ombudsman Schemes:
o Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006
o Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), 2018
o Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions, 2019
❖ It ensures a centralized, cost-effective complaint resolution process, requiring
customers to first approach the regulated entity before filing a complaint with RBI.

Why in News
• The RB-IOS resolved 95% of complaints in FY24.

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 RB-IOS

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) integrated its three earlier Ombudsman Schemes:
o Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006
o Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), 2018
o Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions, 2019
into a unified scheme known as the Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme
(RB-IOS, 2021).
• The scheme came into effect on November 12, 2021, with the objective of simplifying and
streamlining the grievance redress mechanism at the RBI.
• It enables customers of banks, NBFCs, Payment System Participants (PSPs), and Credit
Information Companies to file complaints at one centralized reference point for quick and
cost-effective resolution.
• A complaint to the RBI Ombudsman will not be accepted under RB-IOS, 2021 if it is filed
without first complaining to the Regulated Entity (RE) or before 30 days of lodging the
complaint with the RE without receiving a response.

3.15 RBI's Liquidity Measures

Why in News
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
introduced daily Variable Rate Repo KEY TERMS
(VRR) operations and dollar-rupee buy-
Variable Rate Repo (VRR)
sell swaps to address the ongoing
liquidity deficit in the banking system.
A short-term liquidity tool where RBI provides
KEY TERMS funds to banks at a variable interest rate
through an auction process.
Dollar-Rupee Buy-Sell Swaps

KEY TERMS
RBI buys US dollars from banks in exchange
for Indian Rupees (INR), injecting rupee Liquidity Deficit
liquidity into the system. After a
predetermined period, RBI sells back the US
A situation where banks face a shortfall in
dollars to banks and absorbs the excess
funds, impacting their ability to meet short-
rupee liquidity.
term obligations.

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 FINTECH
3.16 Unified Payment Interfact (UPI)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ NIPL partnered with UAE-based Magnati to enable UPI merchant payments for Indian
travelers in the UAE.
❖ UPI, launched in 2016 by NPCI, provides instant real-time payment systems, while
Project Nexus aims to link FPSs across five countries by 2026.

Why in News
• NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), the DID YOU KNOW
international arm of the National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI), partnered with UPI was launched in 2016 by NPCI to provide
UAE-based fintech firm Magnati to enable a real-time payment system for instant
UPI merchant payments for Indian travelers transactions.
in the UAE.

About BIS
• Established in 1930, the BIS is owned by 63 central banks.
• Headquarters: Basel, Switzerland
• Objective: To support central banks' pursuit of monetary and financial stability through
international cooperation, and to act as a bank for central banks.

Project Nexus

• A multilateral international effort conceptualized by the Innovation Hub of the Bank for
International Settlements (BIS).
• Objective: To link fast payment systems (FPSs) of India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and
Thailand. (founding members and first mover countries of this platform)
• The platform is expected to be operational by 2026, with plans for global expansion.
• Indonesia is a special observer of the project.

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3.17 Payment Aggregator-Cross Border (PA-CB)

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ Bengaluru-based cross-border payments company Skydo has received in-principle
authorization from RBI to operate as a Payment Aggregator-Cross Border (PA-CB)
entity, joining other PA-CB entities like Cashfree Payments, Amazon Pay, BillDesk, and
Adyen India.

Why in News
DID YOU KNOW
• Skydo, a Bengaluru-based cross-
border payments company, recently
PA-CB facilitates cross-border payment
received in-principle authorization
transactions for import and export of goods
from the RBI to operate as a PA-CB
and services under the direct regulation of
entity. the RBI. Other PA-CB Entities: Cashfree
3.18 Central Bank Digital Currency Payments, Amazon Pay, BillDesk, and Adyen
(CBDC) India.

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ MobiKwik and Cred have become the first non-banking entities to offer CBDC by
launching e₹ wallets in collaboration with RBI and Yes Bank.
❖ The e₹ wallet allows transactions via UPI-linked bank accounts, with a daily limit of
₹50,000, a per transaction limit of ₹10,000, and denominations ranging from 50
paise to ₹500.
❖ CBDC, launched by RBI in 2022, is the digital form of fiat currency, aimed at
promoting digital transactions and reducing reliance on physical cash, with India
being one of 36 countries piloting the initiative.

Why in News
• Fintech platforms MobiKwik and Cred have become the first non-banking entities to offer
the CBDC, launching e₹ wallets in collaboration with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Yes
Bank.
Key Highlights
• The e₹ wallets allow users to send, receive, and pay via UPI-linked bank accounts and
transfer funds to other CBDC wallets.
• Onboarding process: Users can create and load their e₹ wallets via Unified Payments
Interface (UPI) after completing video-based Know Your Customer (KYC) verification.

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 Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)

• It is the digital form of a country’s fiat currency.

• Launch Year: Wholesale CBDC (November 2022), Retail CBDC (December 2022).
• Developed by: RBI in collaboration with banks and fintech companies.
• Aim: To promote digital transactions and reduce reliance on physical cash.
• India is among 36 countries currently piloting CBDC initiatives.
• Currently, e-rupee (e₹) wallet has a daily transaction limit of Rs 50,000, per transaction limit
of Rs 10,000, and currency denominations of 50 paise, ₹1, ₹2, ₹5, ₹10, ₹20, ₹50, ₹100, ₹200,
and ₹500 are available in e-rupee.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN FINANCIAL SECTOR

3.19 eBKray Auction Platform

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ The IBBI mandated the exclusive use of the eBKray Auction Platform, now called
BAANKNET, for selling unsold assets under the liquidation process, effective April 1,
2025.
❖ Established in 2016 under the IBC, 2016, the IBBI regulates insolvency professionals,
agencies, and processes, overseeing corporate and individual insolvency, liquidation,
and bankruptcy.

Why in News
• The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has mandated the exclusive use of
the eBKray Auction Platform, now known as the Bank Asset Auction Network
(BAANKNET), for selling unsold assets under the liquidation process, starting from April 1.

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI)

• Established in: 2016 under the IBC, 2016 as a regulating authority.

o Implements IBC for time-bound insolvency resolution of individuals, partnerships, and
companies.
• Functions:
o Regulates insolvency professionals, agencies, entities, and processes.
o Oversees corporate and individual insolvency, liquidation, and bankruptcy processes.

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Note: Kindly refer to CurrentTap 1st to 7th January 2025 for more information on eBKray or
BAANKNET platform.

3.20 Health Insurance Premium for Senior Citizens

QUICK SYNOPSIS
❖ IRDAI has capped the annual increase in health insurance premiums for senior
citizens at 10% to prevent excessive cost hikes.
❖ Insurers cannot withdraw existing policies for senior citizens without prior IRDAI
approval.

Why in News
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has capped the
annual increase in health insurance premiums for senior citizens at 10% and mandated
that insurers cannot withdraw existing policies without prior approval.
Key Highlights
• IRDAI’s directive applies to general and
health insurers offering indemnity-
KEY TERMS
based individual health insurance to
senior citizens (aged 60 years and
Indemnity-based Health Insurance
above).
• Insurance companies must seek IRDAI A type of policy where the insurer reimburses
approval before withdrawing existing medical expenses incurred by the
policies for senior citizens. policyholder, subject to policy terms.
• The GST Council is considering a
potential reduction in the 18% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on health insurance
policies.

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