Daily Current Affairs and GK | 26 and 27 January 2025
Main Headlines:
- 1. Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Goa are among the top performing states in NITI Aayog's Fiscal Health Index.
- 2. Jay Shah has been elected as a new member of the Marylebone Cricket Club.
- 3. Handloom Conclave ‘Manthan’ will be inaugurated by Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh.
- 4. India and Indonesia have announced new initiatives to deepen bilateral cooperation.
- 5. The government officially announced the implementation of the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS).
- 6. Dr. KM Cherian died recently on January 25, 2025.
- 7. Madison Keys of the United States won the women's singles Australian Open title.
- 8. Arshdeep Singh has been named ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year.
- 9. On 26 January, the Chief Minister’s Mobile Operation Theatre launched by the Governor of Nagaland, La Ganesan.
- 10. Indore and Udaipur joined the list of wetland accredited cities.
- 11. Uttarakhand will implement the UCC on January 27, 2025.
- 12. Four welfare programs were introduced by the Telangana Government.
- 13. Rakesh Sharma’s re-appointment as MD & CEO of IDBI Bank has been approved by the bank’s board.
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Topic: Reports and Indices/Rankings
1. Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Goa are among the top performing states in NITI Aayog's Fiscal Health Index.
- The first Fiscal Health Index (FHI) report, released by NITI Aayog on January 24, 2025, has listed Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Goa, and Jharkhand as top-performing 'achievers' among the States.
- The report titled 'Fiscal Health Index 2025' ranked states for 2022–23.
- It covers 18 major states that drive the Indian economy in terms of their contribution to India's GDP, demographics, total public expenditure, revenue, and overall fiscal sustainability.
- According to the report, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Kerala were the worst performing states in the Fiscal Health Index (FHI).
- The report listed them in the 'aspirational' category.
- The aim of the report is to develop an understanding of the fiscal health of the states in the country and has listed Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka in the 'Front Runners' category.
- Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Haryana were placed in the category of ‘Performers’.
- According to the report released by 16th Finance Commission Chairman Arvind Panagariya, Odisha has excelled in fiscal health with the highest composite index score of 67.8.
- The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the fiscal health of 18 major States, based on five key sub-indices: Quality of Expenditure, Revenue Mobilisation, Fiscal Prudence, Debt Index, and Debt Sustainability, along with insights into state-specific challenges and areas for improvement.
Topic: Sports
2. Jay Shah has been elected as a new member of the Marylebone Cricket Club.
- On 23 January, former BCCI secretary and current ICC chairman Jay Shah has been elected as a board member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Advisory Board.
- Shah is one of the 13 founding members of the new World Cricket Connects Advisory Board, which will be chaired by former Sri Lanka captain and MCC president Kumar Sangakkara.
- The new advisory board has replaced the World Cricket Committee, which was formed in 2006.
- In 2024, Jay Shah was absent when MCC inaugurated the World Cricket Connects Forum.
- Other founding members include former India captain Sourav Ganguly, former South Africa opener Graeme Smith, former England director of cricket Andrew Strauss, England women's captain Heather Knight, and Jiostar CEO (Sports) Sanjog Gupta.
- Recently, the MCC announced that the second World Cricket Connects Forum will be held later this year on June 7 and 8 at Lord's, ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final.
- Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC):
- The MCC serves as the custodian of the Laws of Cricket and promotes the spirit of the game around the world.
- MCC, founded in 1787, is based at Lord's Cricket Ground, St John's Wood, London.
- MCC took responsibility for the Laws of Cricket in 1788.
- Its governance functions were transferred to the ICC and the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB) in 1993.
Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings
3. Handloom Conclave ‘Manthan’ will be inaugurated by Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh.
- The Handloom Conclave ‘Manthan’ will be inaugurated on 28 January at Dr Ambedkar International Centre Janpath, New Delhi.
- The main aim of the conclave is to bring various stakeholders to one place to share best practices, innovations, and strategies for growth in the handloom sector.
- The conclave will be attended by almost 250 stakeholders comprising 21 panelists, and 120 handloom beneficiaries.
- This event will also act as an interactive workshop for Handloom weavers, manufacturers, retailers, buyers, designers and academicians among others.
- Giriraj Singh will also launch the Handloom Weavers E-Pehchan Portal and Handloom Awards Online module.
- 3 Technical Sessions will be organized during the conclave, which are as follows:
- Support for the start-up ecosystem in the Handloom Sector.
- Handloom Marketing Avenues and Strategies.
- Modelling Handloom Sector for Young Weavers: Approach and Strategy.
Topic: International News
4. India and Indonesia have announced new initiatives to deepen bilateral cooperation.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto discussed many issues to deepen bilateral cooperation.
- Both sides signed many MoUs in the fields of health cooperation, digital infrastructure, and defence collaboration.
- Both countries agreed to cooperate in cutting-edge technologies, including FinTech, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Digital Public Infrastructure.
- The 2025 year will be celebrated as India-ASEAN Year of Tourism.
- Indonesia was the chief guest country on India's first Republic Day.
- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is the chief guest of this year’s Republic Day celebrations.
- Indonesia is an important partner for India in the ASEAN and Indo-Pacific regions.
Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives
5. The government officially announced the implementation of the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS).
- Government had brought in this scheme for government employees in August of last year.
- Government had brought in the UPS as an option under National Pension System for Central Government employees.
- The scheme will become effective on April 1st of this year.
- According to the notification, UPS will apply to Central Government employees who are covered under the National Pension System and who choose this option under NPS.
- Current and future employees can choose to continue with NPS without the UPS option, or they can choose to take the UPS option under NPS.
- Employees who have exercised the UPS option will be ineligible for any policy concessions, changes, financial benefits, or parity with subsequent retirees, including post-retirement.
Topic: Personality in News
6. Dr. KM Cherian died recently on January 25, 2025.
- He was a world-famous cardiologist.
- He also carried out India’s first successful coronary artery bypass surgery in 1975.
- He carried out India’s first heart-lung transplant.
- In Chennai, he established Frontier Mediville, a medical science park.
- He is regarded as a pioneer of pediatric cardiac surgery in India.
- He was the Indian President's honorary cardiac surgeon.
- He carried out heart surgeries on 20 Iraqi children.
- Dr. KM Cherian recently released his biography in Kerala.
- His biography is titled Hand of God and is written by Priya M. Menon.
Topic: Sports
7. Madison Keys of the United States won the women's singles Australian Open title.
- Madison Keys, a 29-year-old American, won her long-awaited Grand Slam title by defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open women’s singles final at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne.
- Madison Keys' victory made her the first woman since Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2009 to defeat the world’s top two players, and the first to achieve this feat at the Australian Open since Serena Williams in 2005.
- On the other hand, Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patton won the men's doubles final by defeating Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori with a score of 6-7, 7-6, 6-3.
- Australian Open 2025 Winners List:
Category |
Winners |
Runners-up |
Men's Singles |
Jannik Sinner |
Alexander Zverev |
Women's Singles |
Madison Keys |
Aryna Sabalenka |
Men's Doubles |
Harri Heliövaara / Henry Patten |
Simone Bolelli / Andrea Vavassori |
Women's Doubles |
Kateřina Siniaková / Taylor Townsend |
Hsieh Su-wei / Jeļena Ostapenko |
Mixed Doubles |
Olivia Gadecki / John Peers |
Kimberly Birrell / John-Patrick Smith |
Topic: Awards and Prizes
8. Arshdeep Singh has been named ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year.
- On January 25, Indian fast-bowler Arshdeep Singh was awarded the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2024 in recognition of his pivotal role in India’s triumph at the T20 World Cup.
- In 2024, Arshdeep Singh took 36 wickets in 18 matches.
- Earlier, he was also included in the ICC T20I Team of the Year 2024 along with Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya.
- In the T20 World Cup held in the USA, Arshdeep Singh performed brilliantly in the powerplay and death overs and took 17 wickets in eight matches at an average of 12.64.
- Since his international debut in 2022, Arshdeep has consistently emerged as one of India's most reliable pacers.
- The 2024 ICC Awards are the 20th edition of the prestigious event.
- Nominations were based on players' performances between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024.
- The winners of ICC Awards till 26 January 2025:
Award |
Winner |
ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year |
Annerie Dercksen |
ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year |
Kamindu Mendis |
ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year |
Esha Oza |
ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year |
Gerhard Erasmus |
ICC Umpire of the Year |
Richard Illingworth |
ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year |
Arshdeep Singh |
ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year |
Melie Kerr |
Topic: State News/ Nagaland
9. On 26 January, the Chief Minister’s Mobile Operation Theatre launched by the Governor of Nagaland, La Ganesan.
- The Chief Minister Mobile Operation Theatre is a pioneering initiative aimed at enhancing healthcare access in the rural and remote areas of the state.
- The launch took place during the state-level celebration of 76th Republic Day at Nagaland Civil Secretariat Plaza, Kohima.
- The mobile operation theatre is designed to deliver advanced surgical and medical services to communities that have limited access to healthcare facilities.
- This mobile unit, equipped with advanced technology and the ability to perform keyhole surgeries, aims to address healthcare disparities and foster health equity, particularly in the underserved areas of Nagaland.
- The facility houses a fully equipped mobile surgical unit as well as portable diagnostic equipment such as ultrasound, X-ray, endoscopy, and blood testing equipment.
- It is also equipped with specialized equipment to perform minimally invasive surgeries.
- A dedicated medical team from Kohimas Hospital, supported by healthcare professionals from both the private and public sectors, will be responsible for providing high-quality medical care to people in need, directly at their doorsteps.
- The aim of these efforts is to improve access to specialized health care for the state's most vulnerable populations.
Topic: Environment and Ecology
10. Indore and Udaipur joined the list of wetland accredited cities.
- Indore and Udaipur have become the first two Indian cities to be included in the global list of accredited wetland cities under the Ramsar Convention.
- Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides a framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
- The accreditation is an international recognition for cities that value their natural and man-made wetlands.
- The convention's independent advisory committee on wetland city accreditation recognized 31 new cities in its latest round, including two from India, taking the global list of such cities to 74.
- The accreditation of Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Udaipur (Rajasthan) was announced by the conference on January 24, ahead of World Wetlands Day to be celebrated on February 2.
- Accreditation is granted only to cities that meet all six international criteria, including adopting measures to conserve wetlands and their ecological services.
- China has the highest number of cities in the global list of 74 recognized wetland cities, with 22, followed by France with nine.
- The International Convention on Wetlands, also known as the Ramsar Convention, was signed on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, and came into force on 21 December 1975.
- India signed the Ramsar Convention on 1 February 1982.
- Currently, 85 wetlands in India are protected under the treaty.
Topic: State News/Uttarakhand
11. Uttarakhand will implement the UCC on January 27, 2025.
- With this, Uttarakhand will become the first state to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
- In order to provide equal rights for all people, the UCC seeks to standardise personal civil laws.
- In personal civil matters, the UCC aims to eradicate discrimination on the basis of gender, caste, and religion.
- The rules and regulations for the implementation of UCC were recently adopted by the state cabinet.
- All citizens, with the exception of scheduled tribes, are subject to the same set of laws under the UCC.
- The same set of laws are regarding marriage, divorce, succession, and inheritance.
- All marriages and live-in relationships must be registered under the UCC.
Topic: State News/Telangana
12. Four welfare programs were introduced by the Telangana Government.
- These programs are intended for farmers, farm laborers, and families living below the poverty line.
- The programs were formally introduced at a village in each block across the state.
- Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy launched these schemes at Chandravancha village in Kosgi Mandal, Narayanpet district.
- Forty lakh families in the state would receive ration cards from the government. These families will also receive fine rice.
- The Gram Sabhas that were recently held throughout the state were referred by the chief minister.
- He said that because officials are accountable to the people for attending Gram Sabhas, the government sent them to the villages.
Topic: National Appointments
13. Rakesh Sharma’s re-appointment as MD & CEO of IDBI Bank has been approved by the bank’s board.
- IDBI Bank’s Board of Directors has approved his re-appointment as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) for a three-year term.
- His term will be starting from March 19, 2025. Sharma has been leading the bank since October 10, 2018.
- Before joining IDBI Bank, he served as the MD & CEO of Canara Bank.
- Earlier, IDBI bank’s major shareholders began the process of selling their shares in October 2022.
- These shareholders were Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), which holds a 49.24% stake, and the Government of India, holding a 45.48% stake.
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