GK Update
 
  • Mobile Menu
HOME
LOG IN SIGN UP

Sign-Up IcanDon't Have an Account?


SIGN UP

 

Login Icon

Have an Account?


LOG IN
 

or
By clicking on Register, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions.
 
 
 

or
 
 




GK Update

Wed 22 Jan, 2025

National News

National Tribal Health Conclave 2025

  • The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, held the National Tribal Health Conclave 2025 on January 20 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

Articles related to Tribals

  • Article 243D: Reservation of Seats for Scheduled Tribes in Panchayats.
  • Article 330: Reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha.
  • Article 332: Reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes in Legislative Assemblies of the States
  • National Commission for STs: Article 338A
  • 89th Constitution Amendment Act, 2003: inserted Article 338A
  • Composition of NCSTs: Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and 3 other Members who are appointed by the President

7th Maritime Cooperation Dialogue between India and France

  • India and France held their 7th Maritime Cooperation Dialogue in New Delhi, to develop a joint assessment of threats to maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

 

India assumed chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in 2025 for two years.

India's first cable-stayed bridge

  • Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated India's first-ever cable-stayed bridge built on a curve in Goa.

Additional Info

India's longest bridge and longest sea bridge: Atal Setu  India's highest bridge and World's highest railway bridge: Chenab Rail Bridge, Jammu and Kashmir India's Longest rail-cum-road bridge: Bogibeel Bridge on the Brahmaputra River, Assam

State Special

Telangana signed MoUs at World Economic Forum

  • Telangana signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Skyroot Aerospace, Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) etc, relating to investments in energy and space sectors during the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Telangana

  • Founded: 2 June 2014
  • Highest Peak: Doli Gutta
  • Longest River: Godavari
  • State Animal: Jinka (Deer)
  • State Bird: Palapitta
  • Shares Border: 4 States
  • Governor: Jishnu Deb Barman
  • Major Tribes: Savara, Konda Dora, Gadaba, Gonda, Manne Dora, Mukha Dora and Koya etc.
  • National Parks: Mrugavani, Mahavir Harina Vanasthali, Kasu Brahmananda Reddy
  • Famous Folk Dances: Perini Sivatandavam, Lamadi, Dhimsa Dance, Gussadi dance, Dappu dance etc.
  • Lakes: Hussain Sagar, Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, Durgam Cheruvu, Pakhal Lake, Mir Alam Tank

Kavacham

  • In Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated advanced disaster risk warning system "Kavacham", developed by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the World Bank, in Thiruvananthapuram, to strengthen disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.

Kerala

  • Statehood: 1 November 1956
  • Highest Peak: Anamudi
  • Governor: Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site: Western Ghats
  • Longest River: Periyar
  • Longest Lake: Vembanad Lake
  • Ramsar Sites: Sasthamkotta Lake, Vembanad Kol Wetland
  • National Parks: Eravikulam, Silent Valley, Pampadum Shola, Mathikettan Shola, Anamudi Shola

Maharashtra signed MoUs at World Economic Forum

  • Maharashtra has signed multiple MoUs worth 38,750 crore rupees at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Maharashtra signed MoU with Aim/Field

Maharashtra signed MoU with Aim/Field
Kalyani Group Covers the defence, steel, and electric vehicle sectors.
Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. Worth 16,500 crore rupees in Defence sector.
Balasore Alloys Ltd. Worth 17,000 crore rupees and focuses on the steel and metals industry.

Calendar for 2025 by Jammu and Kashmir

  • In Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah unveiled the calendar for the year 2025 and trekking maps created by the Department of Tourism.

Jammu and Kashmir

  • Major Rivers: Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Shyok
  • State Animal: Kashmiri Stag
  • Abrogation of Article 370: 5th August, 2019
  • Became UT: 31st October 2019
  • Major Festivals: Hearth Festival, Tulip Festival, Gurez Festival, Shikara Festival
  • Major National Parks: Dachigam, Kishtwar, Salim Ali
  • Located between Ranges: Great Himalayas and Pir Panjal Ranges
  • Ramsar Sites in J&K: Wular Lake, Tsomoriri Lake, Surinsar-Mansar Lakes etc.

International News

Grow Well SG

  • Singapore has introduced stricter regulations on-screen use for children under the “Grow Well SG” health initiative.
  • Preschools will ban screen use for children under 18 months and limit it to educational purposes for those aged 18 months to 6 years.

Singapore

Capital: Singapore city Currency: Singapore Dollar Singapore is known as the port of call 

Sagarmatha Sambaad

  • Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli announced the Sagarmatha Sambaad (Dialogue), to be held in Kathmandu on May 16-18, 2025.
International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP): 2025

Cancelling the provision of “citizenship by birth” by US

  • U.S. President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order cancelling the provision of “citizenship by birth”.

Government Schemes

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme

  • Government celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

  • Launched: 2015
  • It aims to address the issue of declining child sex ratio (CSR).
  • Jointly run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Economy and Banking

India’s space economy

  • Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh has said that India's space economy has grown to eight billion dollars and is projected to touch forty-four billion dollars in the next 10 years.

Science and Tech

Scramjet Combustor ground test

  • Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad demonstrated a cutting-edge Active Cooled Scramjet Combustor ground test for 120 seconds for the first time in India.

 

Hypersonic missiles are a class of advanced weaponry that travel at speeds greater than Mach 5 i.e., five times the speed of sound or more than 5,400 km/hr.

Defence

Contract to procure 47 Tank-72 Bridge

  • The Ministry of Defence has signed a ₹1,560.52 crore contract with Heavy Vehicles Factory to procure 47 Tank-72 Bridge Laying Tanks for the Indian Army.

Indian Army

Motto: "Service Before Self" Army Day: 15 Jan Chief: Gen Upendra Dwivedi

Books and Authors

How India Scaled Mt. G-20

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant for his book "How India Scaled Mt. G-20".

G20

  • Estb: 1999
  • No Permanent Secretariat
  • Structure: Sherpa Track and Finance Track
  • Brazil: G20 presidency from December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024.
  • Represent around 85% of the world's GDP, more than 75% of world trade and around two-thirds of the world's population.
  • India is part of the G20 Troika along with Brazil and South Africa.
  • Members: Argentina, Australia, Brasil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Russia, Türkiye, UK, USA, African Union and European Union.

The World After Gaza

  • Award-winning author Pankaj Mishra released his new book 'The World After Gaza'.

Reports and Indexes

4th edition of ‘Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers’

  • The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released the fourth edition of ‘Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers’.

Highlights

  • In 2022, International Migrants (IM) made up 4.7% (167.7 million) of the global labour force.
  • The share of IM men in the total employment for males globally was estimated at 4.7% and that of IM women at 4.4%.
  • Between 2019-2022, the rate of growth dipped annually to less than 1%, influenced among other factors by the pandemic.

'Takers, not Makers'

  • According to Oxfam International's latest flagship global inequality report titled 'Takers, not Makers', the United Kingdom (UK) extracted USD 64.82 trillion from India over a century of colonialism between 1765 and 1900.

Appointments

Marco Rubio

  • Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been sworn in as the next U.S. Secretary of State.

Justice Alok Aradhe

  • Justice Alok Aradhe sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.

High Court

  • There are 25 High Courts in the country
  • Articles 214 to 231 in Part VI: Provisions related to the High Courts.
  • 7th CAA Act of 1956: Common High Court for two or more States or for two or more States and a Union Territory.
  • Judges appointed by the President
  • Resignation by writing to the President.
  • Writ Jurisdiction: Article 226
  • Court of Record
  • Composition: Chief Justice and such other Judges as determined by the President.

Latest Courses