Daily Current Affairs and GK | 28 January 2025

Topic: State News/ Uttarakhand

1. Uttarakhand became first state to implement Uniform Civil Code.

• Uttarakhand became the first state to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
• The UCC seeks to establish a uniform and equal set of rules on marriage, divorce, succession, and inheritance for all citizens except the scheduled tribes.
• It has made registration of all marriages and live-in relationships mandatory.
• Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's portal has been launched and issued a notification marking the adoption of the civil code.
• The UCC was drafted after extensive consultations with experts, locals and representatives from various communities.
• UCC will also ensure live-in relationships to ensure equal property rights and protect children’s rights.
• UCC states that only mentally capable individuals aged 21 (for men) or 18 (for women), who are not already married can marry.
• Marriages can be performed according to religious customs.

Topic: Sports

2. Smiriti Mandhana won the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year award.

• Smriti Mandhana became the first Indian to win the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year award for the second time.
• She was the highest run-scorer in the ODI format in 2024.
• She is the first batter in women's ODIs to hit four hundred in a calendar year.
• In 2024, She scored 794 runs, including four hundred, at an average of 57.46 in 13 matches.
• Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu, South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt and Australia's Annabel Sutherland were also in the race.
• Jasprit Bumrah has been named the winner of the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year award.

Topic: Indian Economy

3. Credit card number has become more than double in 5 years: RBI Payment System Report.

• The number of Credit cards has doubled to 10.80 crore in the last five years. In 2019, the number of Credit Cards was 5.53 crore cards.
• Digital payments in India have grown exponentially in the last decade.
• In the CY 2013, there were 222 crore digital transactions valued at Rs 772 lakh crore.
• In CY- 2024, it has increased 94 times in volume and more than 3.5 times in value to over 20,787 crore transactions valued at Rs 2,758 lakh crore.
• Digital payments in India have increased 6.7 times in volume and 1.6 times in value.
• The Reserve Bank of India has been working towards enhancing cross-border payments by linking UPI with the fast payment systems of other countries.
• The fast payment systems of India and Singapore (PayNow) were linked in February 2023.
• RBI has also joined Project Nexus to enable instant cross-border retail payments by interlinking domestic fast payment systems of multiple countries.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

4. Doordarshan has been recognized for the “Chunav Ka Parv Desh Ka Garv” series.

• Doordarshan has received an award in the Electronic Media category for its comprehensive campaign on Voter Awareness and Education.
• The Doordarshan has been recognised for its coverage during Lok Sabha Election 2024, including the “Chunav Ka Parv Desh Ka Garv” series.
• Doordarshan Director-General Kanchan Prasad received the honour from President Droupadi Murmu.
• Under this campaign, Doordarshan fostered an informed and active citizenry.
• It encompassed the development and broadcast of 30 voter education short films.

Topic: Banking System

5. RBI will fund the banking system with Rs 1.1 lakh crore.

• A variable rate repo auction and open market operations will be used to fund the banking system. 
• Three tranches of Government securities valued at Rs 60,000 crore would be purchased through open market operations. 
• January 30, February 13, and February 2025 are the dates of the tranches of open market purchase. 
• On February 7, 2025, a 56-day Variable Rate Repo auction for Rs 50,000 crore will take place. 
• On January 31, 2025, a $5 billion, six-month dollar-rupee swap auction will take place. 
• Due to a reported deficit of more than Rs 3 lakh crore last week, the financial system is experiencing liquidity shortage.
• Banks have asked for a deferment because they are worried about how the increased liquidity coverage norms will affect credit flow. 
• On April 1, banks will be required to keep additional cash in accordance with the new liquidity coverage norms. 
• Banks' proposal to include cash reserve ratios to the list of high-quality liquid assets under the new rules was denied by the RBI. 
• To achieve the requirements for liquidity coverage, banks will have to spend more than Rs 4 lakh crore on government bonds.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. Hariman Sharma received the Padma Shri for his contributions to Indian agriculture.

• He is known as the ‘Apple Man of India.  He developed the HRMN-99 apple variety.
• This self-pollinating, low-chilling apple variety grows well in tropical and sub-tropical regions. 
• HRMN-99 enables apple cultivation in regions having summer temperatures of 40-45°C.
• These areas include plains and regions spread over 29 Indian states and Union Territories. 
• In his garden, Sharma planted left over apple seeds in Paniala, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. 
• Through grafting, Sharma refined the HRMN-99 apple variety. 
• In 2012, the variety was validated by National Innovation Foundation. HRMN-99 was then adopted across India. 
• Sharma has won many awards, including the National Award for Grassroots Innovation (2017) and the National Innovative Farmer Award (2016). 

Topic: India and its Neighbourhood

7. An agreement reached between India and China on the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

• A slew of measures was agreed upon during the meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism to stabilize and rebuild bilateral ties between India and China.
• The new understanding includes resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, restoration of direct flights between the two countries, and sharing of cross-border river data, etc.
• The meeting was attended by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who was on a two-day visit to China.
• The Ministry of External Affairs said the relevant mechanisms will discuss modalities for resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra as per the existing agreements.
• An early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism was also agreed upon by the two sides to resume the provision of hydrological data and discuss other cooperation related to trans-border rivers.
• They agreed to promote people-to-people exchanges, including interactions between media and think-tanks, and to resume direct air services between the two countries.
• The year 2025 is the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China.
• Both sides agreed to use the anniversary of diplomatic relations to enhance public diplomacy, rebuild mutual trust and hold commemorative activities.

Topic: State News/Odisha

8. On 28 January, ‘Utkarsh Odisha-Make-in-Odisha Conclave’ 2025 inaugurated by PM Modi in Bhubaneswar.

• 'Utkarsh Odisha' is a major global investment summit that is being organized by the Government of Odisha.
• It aims to establish Odisha as the centre of the Purvodaya Vision as well as a leading investment destination and industrial hub in India.
• In January, this was PM Modi's second visit to Odisha.
• He had attended the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations at the same place on the 9th of this month.
• The Make in Odisha Exhibition, highlighting the state's achievements in developing a vibrant industrial ecosystem, was also inaugurated by the Prime Minister.
• The two-day conclave is being held from January 28 to 29.
• It will serve as a platform for industry leaders, investors, and policymakers to discuss the opportunities offered by Odisha as a preferred investment destination.
• The conference will feature CEO and leaders roundtables, regional sessions, B2B meetings, and policy discussions, ensuring targeted engagement with investors from across the globe.

Topic: Sports

9. On 28 January, the 38th National Games inaugurated by PM Modi at Maharana Pratap Stadium in Dehradun.

• It is being organized in Uttarakhand during its silver jubilee year.
• It will be held in 11 cities in 8 districts of Uttarakhand from 28 January to 14 February.
• 36 states and one union territory will participate in the National Games. Competitions in 35 sports will be held in these 17-day games.
• Medals will be awarded in 33 sports, while two sports will be exhibition sports. Yoga and Mallakhamb have been included in the National Games for the first time.
• More than 10,000 athletes from across the country are participating in this event.
• Focusing on sustainability, this year the theme of the National Games is "Green Games."
• The medals and certificates given to the athletes will be made from eco-friendly and biodegradable materials.
• The first National Games in undivided India were held in 1924 in Punjab.
• While the first National Games on the lines of the Olympics were held in 1985 in New Delhi.
• The 37th National Games were held in Goa in 2023. Maharashtra topped the event with 220 medals, including 75 golds.

Topic: National News

10. A licence under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) has been granted to the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan.

• This will make it possible for temple to get funding from overseas.
• A family of priests used to run the temple, which was regarded as private property.
• A committee designated by the court is currently in charge of temple.
• The management committee applied for an FCRA licence under the 2010 Act.
• The approval coincides with recent 2022 changes to the FCRA regulations.
• Key amendments include stricter restrictions on administrative costs for foreign funding, which were previously capped at 50%. These have been lowered to 20%.
• Organisations that want to receive foreign funding are required by law to get FCRA registration.
• This registration is subject to renewal and has a five-year validity.
• Any payments from overseas must go through the appropriate State Bank of India (SBI) branch in New Delhi.

Topic: Important Days

11. International Customs Day: 26 January

• Every year on January 26, International Customs Day is celebrated to honor contributions of customs personnel and agencies.
• In 1953, this date was proclaimed International Customs Day by the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC).
• In 1994, the World Customs Organization replaced the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC).
• Currently, it has 182 member nations worldwide.
• The headquarters of the World Customs Organization are located in Brussels, Belgium.
• Its current secretary general is Ian Saunders.
• "Customs Delivering on its Commitment to Efficiency, Security, and Prosperity" is theme of this year's International Customs Day.

Topic: Sports

12. Odisha Warriors won the inaugural Women's Hockey India League.

• On 26 January, the inaugural women's Hockey India League was won by the Odisha Warriors, who secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over JSW Soorma Hockey Club in the final in Ranchi.
• The 5,000-seat capacity Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Stadium hosted the finals of the inaugural season of the world's only professional women's hockey league.
• Showing her exceptional performance, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal scored two goals in the final in the 20th and 56th minutes for Warriors.
• Penny Squibb scored one goal in 28th minute for Soorma.
• Inaugural Women's Hockey India League Season Awards:

Topic: Important Days

13. National Geographic Day 2025: 27 January

• Every year on January 27, National Geographic Day is celebrated.
• The day is celebrated to commemorate the founding of the National Geographic Society, one of the most renowned organizations in the field of natural sciences, geography, and environmental conservation.
• In 1888, the National Geographic Society was founded by 33 prominent scholars and scientists, an organization dedicated to the “increase and diffusion of knowledge."
• In the same year, the Society launched its official monthly magazine called “National Geographic Magazine” (also known as “Nat Geo”).
• The aim of this magazine was to provide natural, historical, anthropological and many other information to American readers.
• For more than 130 years, the National Geographic Society has funded the best and the brightest individuals dedicated to scientific discovery and understanding the world.
• In 1890, the Society launched its first scientific expedition, led by explorer Israel Russell, to survey and map the Mount Saint Elias region in North America.