NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. 18th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival to begin from January 30: The 18th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival, the world’s largest literary event, will be held from 30 January to 3 February 2025.One of the key highlights of the festival is the prestigious Kanhaiya Lal Sethia Award for Poetry, which will honor eminent Hindi poet Badri Narayan. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2022 for his collection Tumdi ke Shabd.The 2025 edition will also explore the theme “Fractured World,” with sessions addressing current geopolitics, war and conflict, alongside topics like theatre, dance, music, cinema, sports, food, and climate change.
2. Cabinet approves MSP for Raw Jute for 2025-26 Season: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of Raw Jute for Marketing season 2025-26.The MSP of Raw Jute (TD-3 grade) has been fixed at Rs.5,650/- per quintal for the 2025-26 seaso This would ensure a return of 66.8 per cent over the all-India weighted average cost of production.The approved MSP of raw jute for Marketing season 2025-26 is in line with the principle of fixing MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times all India weighted average cost of production as announced by the Government in the Budget 2018-19.
The MSP of Raw Jute for Marketing season 2025-26 is an increase of Rs.315/- per quintal over the previous Marketing season 2024-25.Government of India has increased MSP of Raw jute from Rs.2400 /-per quintal in 2014-15 to Rs.5,650/- per quintal in 2025-26, registering an increase of Rs. 3250/- per quintal (2.35 times).
3. ICSI elects Dhananjay Shukla as president for 2025: The Institute of Comapny Secretaries of India (ICSI) has elected Dhananjay Shukla as the president for 2025.He is a commerce and law graduate and a fellow of ICSI and is a practising company secretary in Gurugram.On the other hand, Pawan G Chandak has been appointed as the vice president for this, and he has a specialization in labour laws and labour welfare.
4. Reliance Power appoints Neeraj Parakh as CEO for three years: Reliance Power has appointed Neeraj Parakh as Chief Executive Officer. His appointment is effective for a period of three years.Parakh joined the Reliance Group in June 2004 as an additional manager in the Central Technical Services team at Reliance Infrastructure (Reliance Infra).
5. 23 January – Parakram Diwas: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti, also known as ‘Parakram Diwas’ or Courage Day, is celebrated annually on 23 January to honour one of India’s most prominent freedom fighters, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. This year marks the 128th birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose.From establishing and leading the Indian National Army to forming alliances against the British during World War II, Netaji was among the key figures to lay the foundation for the modern Indian state.Born on 23 January 1897 in Cuttack, Odisha, Subhas Chandra Bose was the ninth child of Janakinath Bose and Prabhavati Devi. Growing up, he was a bright student who completed his BA in Philosophy from the Presidency College in Calcutta (today known as Kolkata). His father also sent him to England to appear for the Civil Services Examination. He scored the highest marks in English and placed fourth overall.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Maharashtra secures 54 MoUs worth ₹15.70 lakh crore at WEF Davos 2025: Maharashtra government has signed 54 MoUs worth 15.70 lakh crore rupees during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos.These agreements are expected to generate approximately 16 lakh jobs across various sectors. One of the key agreements involves MSN Holdings Ltd, which plans to establish an advanced lithium battery and cell manufacturing project under the state’s ‘Ultra Mega Project’ initiative.The project, requiring an investment of 14,652 crore rupees, aims to create 8,760 direct and indirect jobs, with a focus on development in the Vidarbha region.The largest MoU signed is with Reliance Group, which has committed 3.05 lakh crore rupees for investments across petrochemicals, polyester, renewable energy, bioenergy, green hydrogen, retail, telecommunications, data centres, hospitality, and real estate.
2. Accenture, TCS, Infosys, HCLTech top 2025 Brand Finance IT Services ranking: India has secured the second position, contributing 36 per cent of the total brand value, a significant achievement fuelled by a 14 per cent increase in brand value, according to Brand Finance 2025 ranking. India follows the US, which maintains its dominant position in IT services brand value, holding 40 per cent of the total brand value.The collective brand value of the top 25 IT Services brands stands at $163 billion in 2025. 15 out of the top 25 brands have seen an increase in their brand values, underscoring the continued importance of IT services in the ever-evolving digital landscape.While Accenture leads the list, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) retains its position as the world’s second most valuable IT services brand for the fourth consecutive year. Its brand value rose 11 per cent to $21.3 billion.Accenture’s brand value soared 2 per cent to $41.5 billion, as it led as the world’s most valuable IT services brand for the seventh year running.
3. India ranked 4th on the Global Firepower Index 2025: India has been ranked as having the 4th most powerful military in the world after the United States of America, Russia and China by the Global Firepower Index 2025.Bhutan was ranked at the bottom of the index at 145th position. Pakistan which was ranked 9th in 2024 dropped to 12th position in the 2025 ranking.The Global Firepower Index has been released by a website Globalfirepower.com annually since 2006.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Mahesh Kr Aggarwal appointed as DG of Border Security Force: Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal has been appointed as the Director general of Border Security Force (BSF).The 1994-Batch IPS officer belonging to the Tamil Nadu cadre will be posted as Additional Director-General of Police, BSF, for four years.As ADGP, Mr Aggarwal had served as Commissioner of Police, Chennai, and headed the Operations, Enforcement Bureau and Armed Police units where he launched various schemes, including Drive Against Drugs and Kaaval Karangal. He had also launched a slew of police welfare schemes.
2. SSB chief Amrit Mohan to hold additional charge as BCAS DG: The Central government has entrusted Amrit Mohan Prasad, the Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), with the additional charge of Director General, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).The charge was given to Prasad months after BCAS DG Zulfiqar Hasan retired on October 31 last year.Prasad, a 1989-batch IPS officer of the Odisha cadre, has been given the additional charge for six months with effect from November 1, 2024, or till the joining of the regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is the earliest.Reorganised into an independent department on April 1, 1987, under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, BCAS is the regulatory authority for civil aviation security in India.
SPORTS
1. Gujarat to host 1st Olympic Research Conference: India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympics has taken a significant step forward, as officials from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and experts from diverse fields gather in Gujarat for a pivotal four-day event.The event will be held at Gandhinagar-based Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) campus.This meeting, organized in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, focuses on developing strategies and innovative economic models to build sustainable sports infrastructure, essential for positioning India as a strong contender for hosting the prestigious global event.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. DPIIT partners with Apna to boost startup talent and create job opportunities for youth: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Apna, the country’s jobs and professional networking platform, have entered into an alliance for a talent hunt to equip DPIIT-registered startups with highly skilled manpower thus creating new job opportunities for the unemployed youth.The partnership formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), brings a monetary value of Rs 2000 per entity registered on the Bharat Startup Registry (Bhaskar) platform in hiring credits on Apna’s platform for each of the 7,00,000 entities. This is currently going to be valued at Rs 140 crore.In the country, currently, there are over 1.59 lakh startups recognised by the DPIIT as of January 15, 2025, India has firmly established itself as the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world. As per government data, this vibrant ecosystem, driven by over 100 unicorns, continues to redefine innovation and entrepreneurship on the global stage.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. TATA AIG Introduces CyberEdge, A Cyber Insurance Solution for Businesses: TATA AIG General Insurance Company has unveiled CyberEdge, a cutting-edge cyber insurance solution designed to protect Indian businesses from the growing threat of cyberattacks.Catering to organizations of all sizes, the policy provides financial and operational support, covering areas such as forensic investigations, legal expenses, data recovery, extortion payments, and business interruption losses.With the cyber insurance market rapidly expanding, TATA AIG aims to capture a 25% market share within five years. The launch comes in response to the alarming rise in cyber incidents; a report by Prahar revealed 79 million cyberattacks in India in 2023, with predictions of a surge to 1 trillion annually by 2033.
2. Indian economy projected to grow in range of 6.5-6.8% in FY25: Deloitte: Deloitte India has projected India’s GDP to grow at 6.5-6.8 per cent in the current fiscal and said India will have to adapt to the evolving global landscape and harness its domestic strengths to drive sustainable growth.In its Economic Outlook report, Deloitte India also said the country needs to decouple from global uncertainties and harness its domestic potential.
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