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GK Update

Fri 17 Jan, 2025

National News

Chief Guest at the 76th Republic Day

  • President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, will be the Chief Guest at the 76th Republic Day celebrations.

Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, the largest mobility expo in India, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
The theme of this Expo is "Beyond Boundaries: Co-creating Future Automotive Value Chain".

State Special

Green Mahakumbh

  • The Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, will host Green Mahakumbh on the 31st January.

Mahakumbh Mela

  • Date: 13 January- 26 February 2025
  • Held once every 12 years at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and Sarasvati rivers in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
  • UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: Kumbh Mela in 2017

SHE COHORT 3.0

  • In Punjab, SHE COHORT 3.0 (Startups Handholding & Empowerment- Cohort 3.0) was launched at Mohali, to empower aspiring female startups and students to build and scale technology-based ventures.

Punjab

  • Foundation Day: 1 Nov 1966
  • Major Rivers: Sutlej, Ravi and Beas
  • CM: Bhagwant Mann
  • Bordering States: Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
  • Governor: Gulab Chand Kataria

Economy and Banking

MoU between RBI and Central banks of the UAE, Indonesia and Maldives

  • The RBI has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the central banks of the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Maldives to encourage cross-border transactions in local currencies, including the Indian rupee.

RBI

  • Recommendation: Hilton Young Commission (1926)
  • Statutory basis: RBI Act, 1934
  • Estb: 1st April, 1935
  • HQ: Mumbai
  • Nationalised: 1949
  • First Governor: Osborne Smith (1935-37)
  • First Indian Governor: C.D. Deshmukh (1943-49)
  • Current Governor: Sanjay Malhotra

India provided 508 million Sri Lankan rupees to Sri Lanka

  • India has provided a grant of 508 million Sri Lankan rupees to Sri Lanka, to set up 60 smart classrooms in plantation regions on the island.

Sri Lanka

  • Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
  • Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee
  • Official Religion: Buddhism
  • Palk Strait: Between India and SL

PRABHAAV Factbook

  • Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) launched PRABHAAV Factbook (Powering a Resilient and Agile Bharat for the Advancement of Visionary Startups).
  • PRABHAAV Factbook is the ultimate guide to India’s thriving startup ecosystem and its growth story from 2016-2024. PRABHAAV captures the achievements of every region.

World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects

  • The World Bank projects India’s economy to grow by 6.7% in FY 2025-26.
  • The World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects estimated the current fiscal year’s growth rate at 6.5%.

World Bank

  • Estb: 1944
  • President: Ajay Banga
  • HQ: Washington D.C
  • Reports: Global Economic Prospects, Global Financial Development Report, Poverty and Shared Prosperity, World Development Reports Remittance Report, Universal Health Coverage Index

8th Central Pay Commission

  • The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of the 8th Central Pay Commission to revise salaries and benefits for central government employees.
  • The 7th Central Pay Commission was initiated in 2016 and is set to complete its term in 2026.

Science and Tech

New Glenn Rocket

  • Blue Origin successfully sent a prototype satellite into orbit through the first test flight of the New Glenn rocket, from Florida.

Blue Origin

The 7th Central Pay Commission was initiated in 2016 and is set to complete its term in 2026. 

Third Launch Pad

  • The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of the Third Launch Pad (TLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre of ISRO at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

ISRO

Estb: 15 Aug 1969 HQ: Bengaluru Chairman: V Narayanan

Ghost Riders in the Sky

  • SpaceX successfully launched two spacecraft, Blue Ghost and Resilience landers dubbed as "Ghost Riders in the Sky," on a mission to explore the Moon from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

SpaceX

Founded: 14 March 2002 HQ: Hawthorne, California, United States Founder: Elon Musk

Environment and Biodiversity

2024: Hottest Year Ever in India

  • The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has officially announced that the year 2024 has been the hottest year ever recorded in India.

IMD

Estb: 1875 HQ: New Delhi Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences

Defence

MR-SAM

  • The Union Defence Ministry signed a ₹2,960-crore contract with Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (BDL) for medium-range surface-to-air missiles (MR-SAM) for the Indian Navy.

Indian Navy

  • Estb: 26 Jan 1950
  • Navy Day: 4 December
  • Motto: “Sam no Varunah”
  • Chief: Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi

Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan

  • “Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan” app, an initiative of the Ministries of Defence and Tourism, as well as the Army, was launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, so that civilians can visit battlefield locations along India’s borders.
Highest Battlefield in the World: Siachen Glacier

Sports

Most Grand Slam Matches

  • Novak Djokovic recorded the most Grand Slam matches played in tennis history by reaching 430 at the Australian Open.

Grand Slams 2024 Winners

Grand Slam Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open
Men's Singles Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner
Women's Singles Aryna Sabalenka Iga Swiatek Barbora Krejcikova Aryna Sabalenka

Art and Culture

21st edition of the Third Eye Asian Film Festival

  • The 21st edition of the Third Eye Asian Film Festival was held at Movie Max Cinemas in Mumbai.

Awards and Awardees at Festival

  • Asian Cinema Culture Award: Javed Akhtar
  • Satyajit Rai Memorial Award: Rafiq Baghdadi
  • Special award for film writing in memory of Sudhir Nandgaonkar: Anil Jhankar
  • The film ‘Gypsy’ won the best film award in the Marathi films category.
Indian Cinema Category
  • Best Film: ‘Juiphool’
  • Best Director: Samik Roy Chaudhary for the film ‘Beeline’ and Jadumoni Dutta for the film ‘Juiphool’.
  • Best Actor Award: Gaurav Ambre
  • Best Actress: Jayashree

Sanskriti ka Mahakumbh

  • Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya inaugurated the "Sanskriti ka Mahakumbh" at the Maha Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj.

Uttar Pradesh

  • First Chief Minister of the state: Govind Ballabh Pant
  • First woman Chief Minister of the state and country: Sucheta Kripalani
  • Present CM: Yogi Adityanath
  • Highest Peak: Amsot Peak
  • Total Districts: 76
  • Present Governor: Anandiben Patel
  • Uttar Pradesh Day: 24 January
  • First woman governor of the state and country: Sarojini Naidu
  • Largest District: Lakhimpur Kheri
  • Most Populous District: Prayagraj
  • Least Populous District: Mahoba

Awards and Honours

BBC ‘Indian Sportswoman of the Year’ Award

  • Golfer Aditi Ashok, Indian cricket team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, Paris Olympics double medallist Manu Bhaker, two-time Paralympics champion Avani Lekhara and wrestler Vinesh Phogat are among five athletes nominated for the BBC ‘Indian Sportswoman of the Year’ award.

PM's Award

  • ACS Anurag Srivastava won the Prime Minister Award for Excellence in Public Administration for solar-powered water schemes.
Government of India has instituted a scheme in 2006 namely, The Prime Minister Awards for Excellence in Public Administration, to acknowledge, recognize and reward the extraordinary and innovative work done by Districts/ Organizations of the Central and State Governments.

Reports and Indexes

QS World Future Skills Index

  • The QS World Future Skills Index 2025 has ranked India 2nd for Digital Skills, ahead of Canada and Germany.

Other Ranks of India in Index

  • Skills Fit: 37th
  • Academic Readiness: 26th
  • Future of Work: 2nd
  • Economic Transformation: 40th
  • Overall: 25th
  • Artificial Intelligence and Green Skills: 4th

Prospects for Children in 2025: Building Resilient Systems for Children’s Futures

  • According to the report "Prospects for Children in 2025: Building Resilient Systems for Children’s Futures", published by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), warned that the coming year will usher in a new and escalating period of crises for children globally.
  • Climate change, economic instability, conflict and digital inequality are disrupting children's lives and limiting their prospects.

UNICEF

Founded: 11 December 1946 HQ: New York, United States Executive Director: Catherine Russell

Global Risks Report 2025

  • According to Global Risks Report 2025, released by World Economic Forum (WEF), Extreme weather events have emerged as the most severe long-term risk.

WEF

  • Founded: 1971
  • Founder: Klaus Schwab
  • HQ: Cologny, Switzerland
  • Reports: Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, Global Competitiveness Report, Global Environment Performance Index, World Power Language Index, Inclusive Development Index, Global Information Technology Report, Human Capital Index, Global Gender Gap Index

Appointments

Justice Arun Mishra (retd)

  • The former Supreme Court judge Justice Arun Mishra (retd) has been appointed as the Ombudsman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

BCCI

Estb: 1928 HQ: Mumbai President: Roger Binny

Vineet Joshi

  • Vineet Joshi assumed charge as Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

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