NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India's first 'health food street' in MP's Ujjain: Union Health Minister Mansukh
Mandaviya inaugurated 'Prasadam,' India's initial hygienic food
street, in a grand event at Neelkanth Van, Mahakal Lok, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh ‘This
street will provide pure and clean food to the devotees. The ‘PRASADAM’
initiative aims to connect common citizens across the nation with pure and safe
local and traditional food He believes that this effort will align people, both
residents and tourists, to adopt safe and healthy eating habits.
2. DPIIT Organizes Startup India Innovation Week 2024: The Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is organizing the
Startup India Innovation Week 2024 from 10 January to 18 January. This week-long initiative seeks to unite
startups, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and stakeholders to celebrate
and advance the Indian Startup Ecosystem, culminating in the National Startup
Day on January 16th, 2024. The Startup India initiative was launched by the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16th January 2016 to build a strong ecosystem
for nurturing innovation, boosting startups, and encouraging investments in the
startup ecosystem of the country. The Indian startup ecosystem has grown from
strength to strength over the years. It said, the number of recognised startups
has increased to over one lakh 17 lakh thousand from about four hundred
startups in 2016.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Gabriel Attal has been named the Youngest PM in
France: French President Emmanuel Macron (34-year-old) appointed Education Minister
Gabriel Attal as his new Prime Minister of France on 09 January 2024. Gabriel
Attal also became the first gay prime minister of France. French Prime Minister
Elisabeth Borne had to resign from her post on January 8, 2024, due to great
political pressure. Attal, an associate of Macron, had earned much fame as the
government spokesperson during the Covid pandemic.
2. India To Host UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee In
July 2024: India is set to chair
UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee and host its 46th session in New Delhi from July 21 to 31,
2024, marking a historic milestone for our nation. Vishal V Sharma,
India’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, announced this decision. During its
19th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2023), the World Heritage Committee
resolved to hold its 46th session in India. The World Heritage Committee,
comprising representatives from 21 member states, gathers annually to recognize
global cultural and natural heritage. Their work contributes to the prestigious
UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.
3. 2023 Recorded Hottest Year Ever As Earth Nears
Critical 1.5C Limit: Last year was the planet’s hottest on record
by a substantial margin and likely the world’s warmest in the last 100,000 years, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change
Service (C3S). Scientists had widely expected the milestone after
climate records were repeatedly broken. Since June, every month has been the
world’s hottest on record compared with the corresponding month in previous
years. C3S confirmed 2023 as the hottest year in global temperature records
going back to 1850. When checked against paleoclimatic data records from
sources such as tree rings and air bubbles in glaciers, Buontempo said it was
“very likely” the warmest year in the last 100,000 years.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Indian Navy's Elite Marine Commandos effectively
rescue 21 crew members: The Indian Navy's elite marine commandos
successfully rescued 21 crew members, including 15 Indians, from the
Liberian-flagged vessel MV Lila Norfolk. The merchant vessel MV Lila Norfolk
sent a distress message on the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO)
portal, reporting a boarding by five-six unknown armed personnel. The Indian
Navy diverted frontline warship INS Chennai from her anti piracy patrol and it
intercepted the hijacked vessel.
2. Samir Kumar Sinha Takes Over As
DG (Acquisition) In Defence Ministry: Senior
IAS officer Samir Kumar Sinha has
been appointed as Additional
Secretary and Director General (Acquisition) in the Defence Ministry. Sinha,
a 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is currently working
in his Assam-Meghalaya cadre. Bharat
Harbanslal Khera, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh
cadre, has been appointed as Additional
Secretary in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
Chandra Bhushan Kumar will
be Additional Secretary as well as
Mission Director for the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation’s Jal
Jeevan Mission. Puja Singh
Mandol, currently Joint Director General in the Directorate General of
Civil Aviation, has been appointed as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation.
3. DRDO Launches ‘Ugram’ Assault Rifle For Armed Forces: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has
launched Ugram, a state-of-the-art
assault rifle of the 7.62 x 51 mm
calibre. It has been indigenously designed, developed and manufactured
in collaboration with a private industry partner. The assault rifle has been
designed for the operational requirements of armed forces, paramilitary and
state police entities. The first operational prototype of the rifle, which has
been named Ugram, which means ferocious, was unveiled at the hands of Dr
Shailendra V Gade, Director General, Armament and Combat Engineering Systems of
the DRDO in Pune. The rifle has an
effective range of 500 metres and weighs less than four kilograms
and has been developed by DRDO’s Pune-based facility Armament Research and
Development Establishments (ARDE) in collaboration with Hyderabad-based Dvipa
Armour India Private Limited.
SPORTS
1. Zverev-Led Germany Beat Swiatek’s Poland To Win United
Cup: Germany defeated Poland 2-1 in a gripping United
Cup final in Sydney. Alexander Zverev emerged as the hero for
Germany, as his performance saved two championship points against Poland’s
Hubert Hurkacz. Zverev and Laura Siegemund defeated Hurkacz and Iga Swiatek
6-4, 5-7, 10-4 in a crucial mixed-doubles match at the Ken Rosewall Arena,
guiding Germany to the United Cup title. Germany had a relatively poor group
stage and just about qualified for the knockouts, but Zverev and Siegemund
formed a formidable pair to rescue their side by winning three deciders in as
many days to lead their team to the title.
2. FIH and Viacom18 Ink Four-Year Media Rights Deal: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has signed a major media rights agreement with Viacom18.
This agreement runs for a four-year cycle (2023-2027) and includes all FIH
events, except the FIH Nations Cup. As part of the partnership, Viacom18
will broadcast and stream the
upcoming FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, the first ever FIH Hockey5s World Cup,
the FIH Hockey Pro League, and the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup on Sports18 and
JioCinema, respectively.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. LG Unveils World’s 1st Wireless Transparent OLED TV: LG Electronics has
unveiled the world’s first
wireless transparent TV. Called LG Signature OLED T, the TV has a glass
for a display that looks as if it disappears when turned off. The TV combines
transparent OLED technology with wireless AV transmission and reception for
viewers to “see beyond the screen and eliminating the need for visible wires
around the screen” The TV has a self-lit pixel technology that enables it to
maintain the picture quality and it has a 4K resolution. LG Signature OLED T
offers two distinctive screen modes: transparent and black. In transparent
mode, those watching the TV can watch content overlapping with what’s behind
it. If you want to watch the TV in the traditional style, you can click on the
remote control to switch the screen to black.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Indusind Bank Introduces The ‘Samman Rupay Credit
Card’: IndusInd Bank has introduced the “IndusInd
Bank Samman RuPay Credit Card“, equipped with UPI functionality, in
partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Tailored
for government sector employees, the card is designed to offer a variety of
exclusive perks, aiming to elevate their banking experience. Combining the
advantages of a conventional credit card with the advanced functionalities of
UPI, the IndusInd Bank Samman RuPay Credit Card presents a seamless financial
instrument. This card comes with a myriad of benefits, such as cashback on
various expenses, complimentary movie tickets, zero fees on cash advances, and
exemptions from surcharges on IRCTC transactions and fuel purchases.
1. World Bank Keeps India’s FY25 GDP Growth Estimate Unchanged At 6.4%: The World Bank kept its FY25 economic growth projection for India unchanged at 6.4 percent, mainly on account of strong domestic demand, rising public infrastructure spending and strong private-sector credit growth. However, it projected that the private consumption growth might taper off due to high food inflation and diminishing pent-up demand. In its biannual ‘Global Economic Prospects’ report, the World Bank said India was likely to maintain the fastest growth rate among the world’s largest economies, but its post-pandemic recovery was expected to slow, with estimated growth of 6.3 percent in FY24, before recovering gradually to 6.5 percent in FY26.
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