Current Affairs One - Liner : 25th January 2025

• National:
• On January 20, 2025, NITI Aayog and NASSCOM Foundation announced their partnership to digitally empower one lakh people. The initiative aims to provide digital literacy training and access to e-governance services, focusing on 60 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) blocks and other aspirational blocks.

• The Jammu and Kashmir government began geo-tagging Chinar trees on January 23, 2025. This initiative, part of the Digital Tree Aadhaar program, aims to preserve the heritage and ecological significance of Chinar trees by creating a digital database. Each tree is assigned a unique QR code with information about its location, health, and growth patterns.
• International:
• India and South Korea signed an Exchange of Notes on January 20, 2025, for the "Strengthening Vocational Education and Training in Mechatronics in India" project. Implemented by NCERT at the Regional Institute of Education (RIE), Bhopal, this project is supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and focuses on enhancing vocational education in mechatronics.
• Banking:
• On January 21, 2025, PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited partnered with Truhome Finance to offer Group Credit Life Insurance to their home loan customers. This partnership aims to provide financial security by settling outstanding loan amounts in unforeseen circumstances.
• On January 20, 2025, Jio Financial Services and BlackRock announced the creation of Jio BlackRock Broking Private Limited to enter the stock broking sector. This joint venture aims to democratize investment access and innovate India's financial landscape with tech-driven solutions.
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) imposed a ₹1 crore penalty on Royal Sundaram General Insurance on January 24, 2025. The penalty was for violating norms related to outsourcing activities and insufficient documentation in claims closure
• On January 24, 2025, former President Donald Trump issued an executive order prohibiting federal agencies from creating or supporting central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) within the US. The order cited concerns over financial stability, privacy, and national sovereignty.
• Economy:
• On January 21, 2025, the HSBC Flash India Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global, reported that India's business activity grew at its slowest pace in over a year. The PMI fell to 57.9, the lowest since November 2023, from 59.2 in December.
• On January 23, 2025, Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) India reported that the US remained the leading destination for India's engineering goods exports in December 2024. Exports to the US grew by 5% year-on-year to $1.64 billion. The WANA region also emerged as the top export region, with a 20.8% share in India's total engineering exports.
• Science & Technology:
• On January 21, 2025, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) dispatched the Crew Module for the first uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan (G1) from Bengaluru to Sriharikota. This mission marks a significant step towards acquiring human spaceflight capabilities, with the Crew Module Propulsion System (CMPS) ensuring precise control during descent and re-entry phases.
• Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovered two new goby fish species, Hemigobius hoevenii and Mugilogobius tigrinus, at the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh on January 17, 2025. This is significant as M. tigrinus has been found along India's eastern coastline for the first time.
• Reports:
• The report titled "Dependency and Depopulation: Confronting the Consequences of New Demographic Reality" by McKinsey Global Institute was released on January 21, 2025. It projects that India's share of global consumption will rise to 16% by 2050, driven by the young and growing population, rising incomes, and demographic shifts.
• Sports:
• On January 23, 2024, former Australian captain Michael Clarke was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Clarke, known for his stellar career with over 8600 Test runs and 28 Test centuries, became the 64th member of the Hall of Fame.
• Defence:
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off the Battlefield Surveillance System (SANJAY) from South Block, New Delhi, on January 24, 2025. SANJAY integrates inputs from various sensors to provide a unified surveillance picture, enhancing battlefield transparency and supporting the Indian Army’s decision-making.
• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a Rs 1,561 crore contract with the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) on January 21, 2025, for 47 T-72 Bridge Laying Tanks (BLT). This deal enhances battlefield mobility and supports the Make in India initiative, boosting the economy and creating jobs.
• Govt.Schemes:
• On January 24, 2025, Coal Secretary Shri Vikram Dev Dutt virtually inaugurated digital classrooms in Jharkhand under the 'Digi Vidya' initiative, a CSR project by Coal India Limited (CIL) subsidiaries. This initiative aims to provide quality education to students in mining areas by upgrading schools with smart classrooms and ICT labs.
• The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) was notified on January 24, 2025, and will be effective from April 1, 2025. It aims to provide central government employees with an assured pension, addressing concerns about the market-linked nature of the previous National Pension System (NPS).
• Index & Ranking:
• On January 22, 2025, Forbes released its 2025 Billionaires list, with Elon Musk emerging as the richest individual, boasting a net worth of $433.9 billion. India ranks third on the list with 200 billionaires, following the United States with 813 billionaires and China with 473 billionaires.
• Apps & Portals:
• The Haryana government launched the ‘Samman Sanjeevani’ app on January 24, 2025, to track the delivery of benefits under the Mahila Evam Kishori Samman Yojana. The app ensures timely delivery of services like sanitary napkins to BPL women and girls aged 10 to 45 years, and updates monthly benefits for beneficiaries.
• Important Days:
• National Tourism Day is celebrated in India on January 25 each year. The theme for 2025 is "Tourism for Inclusive Growth". This theme emphasizes tourism's role in economic growth and its benefits to all segments of society through job creation and sustainable practices.
• Appointments:
• On January 23, 2025, Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana was appointed as the brand ambassador for the 25th anniversary edition of FICCI Frames. This year's theme is "RISE: Redefining Innovation, Sustainability, and Excellence".
• On January 23, 2025, IDBI Bank's Board of Directors announced the re-appointment of Rakesh Sharma as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) for a term of three years. This decision received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and is effective from March 19, 2025.
• On January 22, 2025, Amrit Mohan Prasad, Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), was appointed to hold the additional charge of Director General of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) for six months, starting from November 1, 2024.
• On January 24, 2025, Jay Shah, Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), joined the newly-formed Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) advisory board. This board, known as World Cricket Connects Advisory Board, replaces the MCC World Cricket Committee and aims to shape the future of global cricket.
• Obituaries:
• Former El Salvador President Mauricio Funes passed away on January 21, 2025, in Nicaragua at the age of 65. He had been living in exile to avoid criminal charges in El Salvador. Funes served as president from 2009 to 2014 and faced multiple corruption charges.

Questions:

1. Who has been re-appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of IDBI Bank for a term of three years?

• A) Nitin Gupta
• B) Rakesh Sharma
• C) Mahabaleshwara MS
• D) Arun Bansal

Answer: B) On January 23, 2025, the Board of Directors of IDBI Bank announced the re-appointment of Rakesh Sharma as MD & CEO for a term of three years, effective from March 19, 2025.

2. Who was appointed to the World Cricket Connects Advisory Board of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on January 24, 2025?

• A) Nitin Menon
• B) Virat Kohli
• C) Jay Shah
• D) Rahul Dravid

Answer: C) On January 24, 2025, Jay Shah, the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), was appointed to the newly-formed Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) advisory board, called the World Cricket Connects Advisory Board.