Daily Current Affairs and GK | 18 January 2025

Topic: National Appointment

1. Justice Krishnan Vinod Chandran took oath as Judge of the Supreme Court.

• On January 16, the oath of office was administered to Supreme Court’s new judge, Justice Krishnan Vinod Chandran, by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna.
• Justice Chandran was earlier the Chief Justice of Patna High Court.
• His appointment brings the number of judicial members in the Supreme Court to 33, one less than the full sanctioned strength.
• On January 7, Justice Chandran was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium to the Union Government for appointment as an apex court judge.
• In November 2011, Justice Chandran was appointed as a Judge of the Kerala High Court and was appointed as the Chief Justice of Patna High Court on March 24, 2023.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives  

2. On National Startup Day 2025, the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge was launched by Piyush Goyal.

• On January 16, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal launched the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge for entrepreneurs to mark the completion of nine years of the government's Startup India programme.
• Bharat Startup Grand Challenge will give an opportunity to startups and innovators to face challenges in different sectors in collaboration with 20 large corporations.
• This includes renewable energy, agritech, healthcare, robotics, cleantech, blockchain, semiconductor, social commerce etc.
• To bridge the gap between corporates and startups, the Challenge will provide procurement opportunities, cash prizes, funding and mentoring as well as capacity building measures for startups.
• The government aims to launch 75 challenges across sectors by the 2026 anniversary of the Startup India programme to boost innovation in the country.
• The updated Prabhaav guide, a nine-year factbook on DPIIT’s Startup India program highlighting India’s entrepreneurial journey and the rise of women entrepreneurs, was also launched by Goyal.
• National Startup Day announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022 to mark the Startup India initiative launched by the government on January 16, 2016, underlines the growth of Indian startups over the past decade and more.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

3. India has developed the world's most powerful hydrogen train engine.

• The hydrogen fuel-run train engine developed by the Indian Railways is the most powerful in this category.
• Indian hydrogen train engine has an output of 1,200 horsepower.
• The first trial run for this engine is planned on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana.
• Only four countries in the world have hydrogen-powered trains. These train engines have output between 500 to 600 horsepower.
• India's indigenous technology of hydrogen-powered trains will also pave the way for adapting the innovative way to develop power trains for trucks, tugboats, and other applications.
• India's first hydrogen-powered train has been developed by the Integral Coach Factory in Tamil Nadu.

Topic: National Appointments

4. Ashok Chandra has been appointed as MD and CEO of PNB and Binod Kumar as MD and CEO of Indian Bank.

• Both Ashok Chandra and Binod Kumar have taken charge on 16 January 2025.

• Chandra was an executive director at Canara Bank. He has been appointed for a three-year term.
• Binod Kumar was an executive director at PNB. He has been appointed for a three-year term.
• He will be eligible for an extension of up to two more years.
• The posts of MD and CEO at PNB and Indian Bank became vacant after the tenures of Atul Kumar Goel and SL Jain, respectively, ended on December 31.