Jan 18, 2025 | Current Affairs for UPSC, State PCS & other Govt. Exams

In Maharashtra, the government launched the "Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan" app and website to connect civilians with India's military history. The platform has been developed by the Ministries of Defence, Tourism, and the Indian Army.

Odisha and Singapore have signed a MoU to establish a FinTech Hub in Bhubaneswar, with a focus on InsureTech innovation. This strategic partnership aims to advance financial inclusion and support India’s vision of "Insurance for All" by 2047.

The MoU was signed on January 17, 2025, during the official visit of Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to Odisha. President Tharman is on a State Visit to India from January 14 to 18, 2025.

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has discovered a new species of Indo-Burmese pangolin, Manis indoburmanica, which diverged from the Chinese pangolin about 3.4 million years ago.

China successfully launched Pakistan's first indigenous Electro-Optical Satellite (PRSC-EO1) on January 17, 2025, using the Long March-2D rocket. The satellite aims to enhance Pakistan's capabilities in disaster management, resource monitoring, and urban planning.

The government has approved the Protection and Enforcement of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2024. Currently, the majority of commercial aircraft in India are leased.

If passed, the resulting Protection and Enforcement of Interests in Aircraft Objects Act, 2024 will guarantee lessors the right to repossess their leased equipment.

The Act will also ratify the Cape Town Convention, a global treaty that ensures lessors' rights to repossess their high-value leased equipment, such as aircraft, helicopters, and engines, in case of payment defaults. The legal instrument was adopted during a diplomatic conference held in Cape Town in November 2001.

Notably, while India is a signatory to the convention, it has not yet been ratified by Parliament. This has resulted in local courts' judgments taking precedence over the norms of the convention.

The new Act is expected to boost lessors’ confidence in the Indian civil aviation sector, reduce lending costs, and positively impact airfares.

On January 17, 2025, Novak Djokovic set a new record by surpassing Roger Federer for the most Grand Slam matches played in tennis history.

The debt-laden Visakhapatnam-based public sector company, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), has received a new lease of life after the Central Government, on 17 January 2025, approved a revival package of ₹11,440 crore.

- ₹10,300 crore will be provided as fresh equity infusion. - ₹1,140 crore will be allocated for converting the working capital loan into preferred share capital.

The Union Government, which had previously considered privatising RINL but paused the process due to political opposition, had infused ₹1,650 crore last year to address the company's financial and operational challenges.

In January 2025, Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos, achieved a major milestone with the successful maiden test flight of its New Glenn rocket. The rocket carried a prototype satellite into orbit, demonstrating its capabilities.

Named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, the New Glenn launch represents a significant step forward for Blue Origin in its quest to compete in the commercial space industry.

On January 17, 2025, the Union Minister of Communications, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, launched a suite of citizen-focused initiatives. Key highlights of the event included the launch of the Sanchar Saathi Mobile App, National Broadband Mission (NBM) 2.0, and the inauguration of the Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) Facility at DBN-funded 4G Mobile Sites.

The Sanchar Saathi Mobile App is designed to enhance telecom security. Its key features include:
- Reporting suspected fraud
- Managing mobile connections
- Blocking lost devices
- Verifying handset authenticity

NBM 2.0 aims to connect 1.7 lakh villages by 2030. Building on the success of NBM 1.0, which established 8 lakh towers, its objectives include:
- Achieving a minimum broadband speed of 100 Mbps
- Expanding connectivity to 90% of anchor institutions

The ICR initiative enables multiple telecom service providers to share infrastructure at DBN-funded 4G sites. This collaboration among BSNL, Airtel, and Reliance enhances connectivity for over 35,400 rural villages, providing seamless 4G services while reducing capital expenditure for operators.

On January 17, 2025, the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal Khattar, launched the toolkit for the 9th edition of Swachh Survekshan (SS)—the world's largest urban cleanliness survey—in its new avatar: simpler, sharper, systematic, and all-inclusive.

Initially launched by MoHUA in 2016, Swachh Survekshan has been instrumental in driving urban sanitation improvements through citizen participation and third-party validation.

A new special category, the Super Swachh League, has been introduced, creating a separate league for cities excelling in cleanliness.
- Eligibility: Cities that have been in the top 3 rankings for at least 2 years in the last 3 years (2021-2023).
- 12 cities have qualified for the inaugural SSL.
- Future inclusion: Top 3 ranking cities in each population category will enter the league for subsequent years.
- To retain their position, cities must maintain a score of 85% or higher and will be assessed on additional aspirational indicators.

For the first time, cities have been classified into five population categories:
- Very Small Cities (< 20,000 population)
- Small Cities (20,000 – 50,000 population)
- Medium Cities (50,000 – 3 Lakh population)
- Big Cities (3 – 10 Lakh population) - Million-Plus Cities (> 10 Lakh population)


To foster the integration of Swachhata values in educational institutions, school assessments have been introduced as part of Swachh Survekshan. This initiative aims to inspire young minds to adopt cleanliness and sustainability.

Cities in the Super Swachh League

Category	Cities
Very Small Cities (< 20,000 population)	Panchgani, Patan
Small Cities (20,000 – 50,000 population)	Vita, Sasvad
Medium Cities (50,000 – 3 Lakh population)	Ambikapur, Tirupati, New Delhi Municipal Council
Big Cities (3 – 10 Lakh population)	Noida, Chandigarh
Million-Plus Cities (> 10 Lakh population)	Navi Mumbai, Indore, Surat

According to reports, the so-called "Zombie Deer" disease, scientifically known as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), may pose a risk of infecting humans in the future. This neurological condition primarily affects deer, elk, moose, and reindeer, causing symptoms such as disorientation, excessive salivation, and loss of fear toward humans.

CWD has been detected in at least 33 U.S. states, including Wyoming, Wisconsin, Colorado, and parts of Pennsylvania. Alarmingly, there is no known cure, vaccine, or treatment for the disease.

Researchers caution that CWD could potentially jump to humans, particularly through the consumption of infected meat, raising concerns about its public health implications.

Sri Lanka is set to receive its largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from China, with a $3.7 billion investment in an oil refinery under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The refinery project, led by Chinese state oil giant Sinopec, marks its first large-scale project outside China, furthering China's global ambitions in the energy sector.

The deal, however, poses strategic challenges for India, which competes with China for influence in Sri Lanka's energy market and broader Indian Ocean region. The refinery's location near Hambantota—a port already leased to China for 99 years as part of a debt swap—raises concerns for New Delhi. Hambantota is also the site of a Chinese-backed economic zone, adding to its strategic significance.

Sri Lanka's economic challenges, compounded by debt, including loans from China, have made the country vulnerable to such investments. This has fueled fears of potential debt traps, as seen with the Hambantota port project.

Currently, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), managed by New Delhi, is the second-largest fuel supplier in Sri Lanka, following the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.