Jan 21, 2025 | Current Affairs for UPSC, State PCS & other Govt. Exams

The Tribal Students’ Federation (TSF) has revived its protest in Tripura, calling for the adoption of the Roman script for the Kokborok language. The TSF has long advocated for question papers to be prepared in both Bengali and Roman scripts. Kokborok is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Borok people of Tripura.

Pankaj Mishra wrote The World After Gaza, on the ongoing war in the beleaguered Palestinian strip.

According to Forbes' World’s Billionaires List 2025, Elon Musk leads as the richest person, followed by Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Ellison. The United States tops the list with 813 billionaires, followed by China with 473, and India securing the third spot with 200 billionaires.

In the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2024-25 final, Karnataka emerged victorious by 36 runs against Vidarbha on January 19, 2025, at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. This win marks Karnataka’s fifth Vijay Hazare Trophy title.

India has successfully tested its first domestically developed micro-missile system, engineered to counter swarm drone threats. The testing included two successful firings at the Gopalpur Seaward Firing Ranges in Odisha in January 2025.

The new micro-missile system, being developed for the Indian Army, successfully engaged virtual targets beyond 2.5 km. It has the capability to detect small aerial vehicles at ranges exceeding 6 km and neutralize them using guided micro munitions. Additionally, the system has a simultaneous launch capability of over 64 micro missiles.

On January 17, 2025, Russia and Iran signed a 20-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty aimed at enhancing economic, military, and cultural cooperation. The treaty includes joint defense efforts, increased trade, energy collaboration, and scientific exchanges.

Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025, marking his return to the White House after four years. At 78 years old, Trump replaces Joe Biden as the oldest president to take the oath of office.

The Department of Science and Technology, under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, has inaugurated the first astronomical observatory in Eastern India atop Panchet Hill in the Garpanchkot area of Purulia district, West Bengal.

It is the sixth astronomical observatory in the country, following observatories in locations such as Ladakh, Nainital (Uttarakhand), Mount Abu (Rajasthan), Girbani Hills (Pune), and Kavalur (Tamil Nadu). The observatory established in the Garpanchkot Hills has been named after the renowned physicist and scientist Satyendra Nath Bose.

ISRO successfully demonstrated the restarting of its Vikas liquid engine on January 17. The engine was fired for 60 seconds before being shut off for 120 seconds. It was then successfully restarted and fired again for seven seconds.

The Vikas engine is a family of hypergolic liquid-fuel rocket engines developed by ISRO. It powers the liquid stages of various launch vehicles, including PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3. The engine was first developed in the 1970s and has undergone several enhancements since.

Shri Sanjiv Ranjan, a senior Indian diplomat, has been appointed as the new Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). IORA is a regional organization comprising 23 member states, including India, Australia, Indonesia, and South Africa.

It also has 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. The association aims to promote economic cooperation, sustainable development, and regional security among Indian Ocean-bordering countries.

China has completed the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world’s longest expressway tunnel at 22.13 kilometers, enhancing connectivity between northern and southern Xinjiang. This project, part of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, significantly reduces travel time across the Tianshan Mountains.

The three-day Flamingo Festival 2025 in Andhra Pradesh concluded on January 20, 2025, with calls to protect the rich biodiversity of the region, specifically in Pulicat Lake and Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary.

Recently, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) resumed excavations at the Ratnagiri Buddhist complex in Odisha after a 60-year hiatus. Recent findings include a colossal Buddha head and other ancient artifacts, shedding light on the region’s rich Buddhist heritage.

The Prime Ministers’ Museum & Library (PMML) society and executive council have been reconstituted, with former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Nripendra Mishra, receiving another five-year term as the organization’s chairperson.

This is the first formal notification for the new society after the name of the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) was changed to PMML in 2023. In 2016, the Modi government had proposed the idea of setting up a museum dedicated to all Prime Ministers of India on the premises, which was the official residence of India’s first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Despite opposition from the Congress, the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was built on the campus and inaugurated in 2022.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is hosting its Annual Meeting from January 20 to 24, 2025, in Davos, Switzerland. This global gathering brings together leaders from business, politics, and civil society to address pressing issues facing the world. Key figures such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang are expected to attend. The WEF was founded in 1971 by Klaus Schwab, a German professor.