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MANTHAN
A General Awareness Weekly

27th January to 2nd February, 2025

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A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 1

PREFACE

Dear Students,

The ‘Current Affairs’ section is an integral part of any examination. This edition of Manthan has been developed by our
team to help you cover all the important events of the Week. This comprehensive bulletin will help you prepare the
section in a vivid manner. We hope that our sincere efforts will serve you in a better way to fulfill aspirations.

Happy Reading

Team CL

Page : 2 A General Awareness Weekly, 2024

 POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
National

Indore and Udaipur joined the list of 31 Wetland Accredited Cities in the world
· Indore and Udaipur have become the first two Indian cities to make it to the global list of accredited
wetland cities under Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi congratulated
Indore and Udaipur on joining the list of 31 Wetland Accredited Cities in the world. Indore: Sirpur Lake
(Ramsar Site) recognised for water bird congregation and is being developed as a bird sanctuary. Udaipur:
Surrounded by five major wetlands, namely, Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, and
Doodh Talai.
Wetland City Accreditation (WCA) is a voluntary Accreditation system that provides an opportunity for cities
that value their natural or human-made wetlands to gain international recognition and positive publicity for
their efforts. It was approved at Uruguay in COP12 of Ramsar Convention (2015). It is valid for 6 years, after
which it must be renewed, providing that it continues to fill each of the 6 criteria.

NITI Aayog launches the “Fiscal Health Index 2025” in New Delhi
· The Hon’ble Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, Dr. Arvind Panagariya, launched the inaugural
issue of NITI Aayog’s report titled “Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2025” in New Delhi, in the august presence of
Shri Suman Bery, Hon’ble Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog; Dr. Arvind Virmani, Hon. Member, NITI Aayog; Shri
BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog; Dr. Anoop Singh, Distinguished Fellow, NITI Aayog and other senior
officials. 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. The FHI aims to
throw light on the fiscal status at the sub-national level and guide policy reforms for sustainable and resilient
economic growth.
· Top Performers: Odisha leads with the highest overall FHI score of 67.8, followed by Chhattisgarh (55.2),
Goa (53.6), Jharkhand (51.6), and Gujarat (50.5), with strengths in Debt Index, Revenue Mobilization, and Fiscal
Prudence. Revenue Mobilization: Goa, Telangana, and Odisha lead in Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal
Prudence. Odisha, Jharkhand, Goa, and Chhattisgarh excel in non-tax revenue, with Odisha heavily relying
on mining-linked premiums and Chhattisgarh benefiting from coal block auctions. Punjab and West Bengal lag in
Revenue Mobilization, highlighting disparities in fiscal management and economic resilience.
· Aspirational States like Punjab, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala face significant fiscal
challenges. Punjab and Kerala struggle with Debt Sustainability and Quality of Expenditure, while Andhra
Pradesh faces high Fiscal Deficits.
· Capital Expenditure: Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh allocate 27% to
Capital Expenditure, enhancing long-term investments. States like West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and
Rajasthan allocate only 10%, impacting long-term growth. Debt Management: Top states like Odisha and Goa
manage debt effectively, with low risk of default, while bottom states like West Bengal and Punjab show growing
debt burdens, raising concerns about debt sustainability.

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 The National Institution for Transforming India, also called NITI Aayog, was formed via a resolution of the
Union Cabinet on January 1, 2015. It was established to replace the Planning Commission which followed a
top-down model. The Planning Commission was an institution in the Government of India, which formulated
India’s Five-Year Plans, among other functions. After India achieved independence, a formal model of planning
was adopted, and accordingly the Planning Commission, reporting directly to the Prime Minister of India, was
established on 15 March 1950, with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as the Chairman. Authority for creation of
the Planning Commission was not derived from the Constitution of India or statute; it is an arm of the Central
Government of India. The first Five-Year Plan was launched in 1951, focusing mainly on development of the
agricultural sector. NITI Aayog is the premier policy ‘Think Tank’ of the Government of India, providing both
directional and policy inputs. The current Chairman of NITI Aayog is Shri Narendra Modi, current Vice
Chairman is Suman Bery and the current Chief Executive Officer is Sh. BVR Subrahmanyam.

Union Minister Manohar Lal inaugurates 1st 24-Hour Drinking Water Supply Project
· Union Urban Affairs and Power Minister Manohar Lal Kattar inaugurated a 24-hour water supply project
in Karimnagar in Telangana. The project is the first such project to supply 24-hour drinking water supply. The
pilot project initiated in 5 divisions of Karimnagar, has been taken up for 18 crore rupees. About 6 thousand water
connections will provide a 24-hour drinking water supply. Mr Kattar who reached Karimanagar earlier from
Hyderabad has inaugurated a Multipurpose building constructed for 12.35 crore rupees and a sports school
complex for 22 crore rupees in the city.
India accounts for about 2.45% of world’s surface area and 4% of the world’s water resources. India holds
18% of the world’s population but only 4% of the world’s water resources. Approximately 80% of India’s area
receives rainfall of 750 millimetres (30 in) or more annually. World Water Day is an annual United Nations
(UN) observance day held on the 22nd of March that highlights the importance of fresh water. The day is used to
advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Utkarsh Odisha Conclave

· Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the two-day Utkarsh Odisha-Make in Odisha conclave-2025,
the flagship Global Investment Summit hosted by the Odisha government. The conclave was held at Janata
Maidan in Bhubaneswar. The Utkarsh Odisha conclave aims to position Odisha as the anchor of Purvodaya
Vision, a leading investment destination and industrial hub in India. The conclave will bolster the state
government’s efforts to achieve the target of Samrudh Odisha by 2036 and Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The modern state of Odisha was established on 1 April 1936, as a province in British India. The ancient
kingdom of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in 261 BCE resulting in the Kalinga
War, coincides with the borders of modern-day Odisha. Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century CE sun temple at
Konark about 35 kilometres northeast from Puri on the coastline of Odisha, India. The temple is attributed to
king Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty about 1250 CE. Mohan Charan Majhi is currently serving
as the 15th Chief Minister of Odisha.

SANJAY Battlefield Surveillance System

· In a major step toward modernizing the Indian Army’s surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS) in New Delhi. Named
SANJAY, the advanced automated system is designed to integrate data from various ground and aerial sensors.
· These inputs are processed to ensure accuracy, eliminate redundancy, and provide a unified surveillance picture of
the battlefield via the Army Data Network and Satellite Communication Network. The system will significantly
improve battlefield transparency, giving the Army’s Command and Headquarters an accurate, real-time view to
support decision-making through a centralized web application. Equipped with cutting-edge sensors and state-of-
the-art analytics, SANJAY is capable of monitoring vast stretches of land borders, preventing intrusions,
and delivering unparalleled situational awareness. The system will act as a crucial force multiplier in
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations, enhancing the Army’s ability to operate in both
conventional and sub-conventional operations within a network-centric environment.

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 · The SANJAY system has been indigenously developed in a joint collaboration between the Indian Army
and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), aligning with the government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-
reliant India) initiative. It follows the Indian Army’s declaration of 2025 as the ‘Year of Technology
Absorption,’ further cementing India’s technological prowess. The system is set to be rolled out to operational
Brigades, Divisions, and Corps of the Indian Army in three phases between March and October 2025, which the
Ministry of Defence (MoD) has designated as the ‘Year of Reforms.’ The project has been developed under the
Buy (Indian) category at a total cost of Rs. 2,402 crore.
The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The
President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of
Army Staff (COAS), who is a four-star general. Two officers have been conferred with the rank of field
marshal, a five-star rank, which is a ceremonial position of great honour. Sam Manekshaw was the first field
marshal of India, and was conferred the rank on 1 January 1973. The second was Kodandera M. Cariappa,
who was conferred the rank on 15 January 1986. The Indian Army was formed in 1895 alongside the long
established presidency armies of the East India Company, which too were absorbed into it in 1903. General
Upendra Dwivedi is a serving four star general officer of the Indian Army. He is the current and 30th Chief of
the Army Staff. He took over as the 30th COAS succeeding General Manoj Pande on 30 June 2024.

Soreng District Becomes India’s 1st Organic Fisheries Cluster

· In Sikkim, the Soreng district has started producing organic fish, becoming the country’s first organic
fisheries cluster. Union Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh launched this initiative
recently. The organic fisheries cluster focuses on ecologically healthy fish farming systems avoiding the use of
harmful chemicals, antibiotics and pesticides.
Sikkim is a state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and
northeast, Bhutan in the east, Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siliguri
Corridor, which borders Bangladesh. Sikkim’s capital and largest city is Gangtok. Almost 35% of the state is
covered by the Khangchendzonga National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1975, after the Indian
Army took over the city of Gangtok, a referendum was held that led to the deposition of the monarchy and
Sikkim joining India as its 22nd state. Prem Singh Tamang is the current Chief Minister of Sikkim. Pawan
Kumar Chamling was the former Chief Minister of Sikkim. Chamling’s 24.4 year stint (December 1994 to May
2019) is the longest ever by a chief minister of any Indian state, surpassing Jyoti Basu’s 23 years in West
Bengal. Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya is currently governor of the state of Sikkim. In 2015, Sikkim became
the India’s first “organic state”.

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy Inaugurates Experium Park, Emphasizing Eco-Tourism, Temple

Tourism, Medical Tourism
· Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has inaugurated the Experium Park, emphasising the
government’s commitment to developing eco-tourism, temple tourism and medical tourism in the state. He
highlighted the state’s natural and cultural heritage and announced plans to introduce a comprehensive tourism
policy soon.
· The Chief Minister stressed the need to promote temple tourism along with ecotourism, stating that Telangana is
home to architectural marvels like the Ramappa Temple and the Thousand Pillar Temple as well as
natural wonders like the Nallamala Forests. Stating that many people travel to other states to visit temples and
forest areas, the Chief Minister asserted that Telangana has the resources to become a prime tourism destination.
Telangana is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan
Plateau. On 2 June 2014, the area was separated from the northwestern part of Andhra Pradesh as the newly
formed state with Hyderabad as its capital. It is a land locked state in India. Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhar Rao
has served as the first Chief Minister of Telangana since 2014 to 6 December 2023. Revanth Reddy is the
current Chief Minister of Telangana. Jishnu Dev Varma from Tripura is serving as the 3rd and current
Governor of Telangana since 31 July 2024.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 5

India’s first artificial intelligence (AI) university
· Maharashtra government is poised to establish India’s first artificial intelligence (AI) university, aligning
with India’s “Viksit Bharat 2047” mission and the aspiration to become a $5 trillion economy. This initiative
follows chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ renewed emphasis on AI implementation in governance. India’s AI
sector anticipates exponential growth, with a significant gap between demand and supply of skilled professionals.
Through this AI-focused university, the govt aims to address this disparity by cultivating the next generation of
AI engineers, researchers, and entrepreneurs. The institution will facilitate industry-driven research and
development, establishing a foundation for innovation, policy research, and ethical AI advancement.
Maharashtra is India’s second-most populous state and third-largest state by area. Nagpur is Maharashtra’s
second capital and hosts the winter session of the state legislature. Pune is its cultural capital. Shiv Sena
President Uddhav Thackeray was former Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Uddhav Thackeray was the first of
his family to be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. His father Bal Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena over five
decades ago. Eknath Sambhaji Shinde served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Devendra Fadnavis is
currently serving as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra since 5 December 2024 with Eknath Shinde and Ajit
Pawar as his deputies, and previously held this position for two terms from 2014 to 2019.

Uttar Pradesh’s Tableau “Mahakumbh 2025” Adjudged As Best, J&K Rifles Wins Best
Marching Contingent Award
· Uttar Pradesh’s tableau based on the theme ‘Mahakumbh 2025 – Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas’, has
won the best tableau award at the Republic Day Parade held on 26th January at Kartavya Path in New Delhi.
While, Tripura’s ‘Eternal Reverence: The worship of 14 Deities in Tripura – Kharchi Puja’ themed tableau
has been adjourned 2nd and Andhra Pradesh’s tableau depicting ‘Etikoppaka Bommalu – Eco-Friendly
Wooden Toys’ won the 3rd prize.
· Amongst the Central Ministries and Departments, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh’
won the best tableau award. Meanwhile, the best Marching Contingent award was won by the Jammu and
Kashmir Rifles Contingent among Services, while the Delhi Police won the best marching contingent award
in the CAPF/auxiliary forces category.
· Additionally, two special prizes were awarded—one to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for
its tableau themed “75 Years of the Constitution of India” and another to the ‘Jayati Jai Mamah
Bharatam’ dance group for its performance during the parade.
· In addition, Gujarat won the best tableau award for its ‘Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas’ tableau in the
Popular Choice Category, after an online poll was conducted on the MyGov portal for citizens to vote for their
favourite tableau and Marching Contingents. Uttar Pradesh was the runner-up, while Uttarakhand’s ‘Cultural
Heritage and Adventure Sports’ tableau won the 3rd spot. The Signals Contingent won the Best Marching
Contingent among Services, and the CRPF Marching Contingent won among CAPFs and other auxiliary forces.
Republic Day honours the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950
replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of India and thus, turning the nation into
a newly formed republic. The Constitution was adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly on 26 November
1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950 with a democratic government system, completing the country’s
transition towards becoming an independent republic. 26 January was chosen as the date for Republic day because
it was on this day in 1929 when the Declaration of Indian Independence (Purna Swaraj) was proclaimed by the
Indian National Congress as opposed to the Dominion status offered by the British Regime.

Telangana Launches 4 Schemes, Benefiting Over 6.15 Lakh Citizens

· The Telangana state government has launched four major schemes including Rythu Bharosa, Indiramma
Atmiya Bharosa, Indirmma Indlu and New Ration cards, directly benefiting over 6 lakh 15 thousand
eligible citizens across the state. The government released over 570 crore rupees for the beneficiaries of these
schemes through BDT. The schemes were implemented simultaneously in 561 villages across all mandals
providing financial assistance to farmers, farm labourers, and the homeless poor.

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Centre Approves National Critical Mineral Mission Essential for Promoting Green Technologies
· The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the launch of the
National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) with an expenditure of Rs.16,300 crore and expected
investment of Rs.18,000 crore by PSUs, etc. There is a need to establish an effective framework for India’s self-
reliance in the critical mineral sector. In line with this vision, the Finance Minister announced the setting up of the
Critical Mineral Mission in the Union Budget for 2024-25 on 23rd July 2024.
· Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the importance of critical minerals for the
development of the economy. He said critical mineral technologies are vital for energy transition,
agriculture, defence, electronics, telecommunications, transport, aerospace, nuclear and other sectors. The
sugarcane feedstock includes C-heavy molasses, B-heavy molasses, sugarcane juice, sugar, and sugar syrup.
Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, has been amended in 2023 to increase
exploration and mining of critical minerals. Consequently, the Ministry of Mines has auctioned 24 blocks of
strategic minerals. Further, Geological Survey of India (GSI) has undertaken 368 exploration projects for critical
minerals over the past three years, with 195 projects currently underway in FS 2024-25. Further, for FY 2025-26, GSI
is going to take up 227 projects for various critical minerals.

Gujarat village’s inland mangrove to be state’s first Biodiversity Heritage Site

· The 32.78 hectare area of Guneri village in Lakhtar tehsil of Kutch district, Gujarat which is a natural
inland mangrove site, has been declared as the first Biodiversity Heritage Site of Gujarat. The Gujarat
government made the announcement after considering a recommendation from the Gujarat Biodiversity Board.
· This will ensure conservation and enrichment of the flora and fauna in the area “through a management plan,” a
government release said. “A local Biodiversity Management Committee will manage the area which will include
office bearers of local institute of self-governance. So far, there was no framework to formally conserve the area
and anybody could do anything there,” said a senior forest department official. The announcement has been
done under the provisions of The Biodiversity Act, 2002. The Act empowers the state government to notify
an area as a BHS after consulting concerned local bodies. Mangroves are typically sighted at the sea coast
which is sludgy and accessed by seawater at least once every day.
Tripura becomes first North East State to sign MoU with Bhashini for Multi-lingual Governance
· The Government of Tripura, has signed a MOU agreement with Digital India Bhashini Division (DIBD) of
the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, under the esteem
guidance of Hon’ble Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha, marking a significant milestone in the state’s efforts to
increase the usage of the rich regional languages of Tripura and to facilitate citizen’s digital participation by using
these languages in governance.
· Bhashini is a revolutionary initiative under the Digital India program, to ensure seamless communication
and internet accessibility for all Citizens in 22 Indian languages. With Voice as a medium, Bhashini aims to
bridge digital as well as the literacy divides. The workshop outlined Bhashini’s vision for Digital Inclusivity,
showcasing its software capabilities such as real-time translation, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and voice-to-
voice translation between Indian Regional Languages and English.
· It highlighted the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) for high
accuracy translations and emphasized the State’s, DIBD’s roles and responsibilities in the mission.
Additionally, strategies for promoting regional languages on digital platforms and software applications for the
Government of Tripura were discussed to reduce the digital divide and increase inclusivity for diverse linguistic
communities in Tripura.
India Adds 4 New Ramsar Sites, Taking Total To 89
· The Centre has announced the addition of four new Ramsar sites in India, taking the tally to 89. The
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said that ahead of World Wetlands Day, the government
announced that Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary and Therthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu,
Khecheopalri Wetland in Sikkim, and Udhwa Lake in Jharkhand have been included in the list of Ramsar
sites in the country.

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 · In the post, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav shared that India still stands as the country with the
highest number of Ramsar sites in Asia and third in the world. He congratulated Tamil Nadu for becoming
the state with the maximum number of Ramsar sites, with a tally of 20. He also termed this a special achievement
for Sikkim and Jharkhand, which have added their first Ramsar sites.
World Wetlands Day is observed on 2nd February every year worldwide to commemorate the signing of the
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in 1971. India is a party to the Convention since
1982. India has recently increased its tally of Ramsar sites (Wetlands of International Importance) to 89 by
designating four more wetlands as Ramsar sites. Udhwa Lake in Jharkhand, Theerthangal and Sakkarakottai
in Tamil Nadu and Khecheopalri in Sikkim. These are the first Ramsar Sites of Sikkim and Jharkhand. With the
addition of these wetlands to List of Wetlands of International Importance, the total area covered under Ramsar sites
is now 1.358 million ha. Tamil Nadu continues to have maximum number of Ramsar Sites (20 sites) followed by
Uttar Pradesh (10 sites).

UIDAI notifies rules for private entities to perform Aadhaar authentication

· The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) outlined a process for private entities to gain access
to Aadhaar authentication: namely, the firms will have to refer their use case to a Union or State
government Ministry or department, which will then have to refer the proposal to the UIDAI.
· The Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, and Knowledge)
Amendment Rules, 2025 make these additions to a brief framework originally published in 2020. Language
in the earlier rules that described their purpose as in the “interest of good governance, preventing leakage of
public funds” has been removed with amendment.
Aadhaar (foundation) is a twelve-digit unique identity number that can be obtained voluntarily by all residents
of India, based on their biometrics and demographic data. The data is collected by the Unique Identification
Authority of India (UIDAI), a statutory authority established in January 2016 by the Government of India,
under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, following the provisions of the
Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, benefits and services) Act, 2016. Aadhaar is the
world’s largest biometric ID system. Considered a proof of residence and not a proof of citizenship, Aadhaar
does not itself grant any rights to domicile in India. On 23 September 2013, the Supreme Court issued an
interim order saying that “no person should suffer for not getting Aadhaar”, adding that the government cannot
deny a service to a resident who does not possess Aadhaar, as it is voluntary and not mandatory.

Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt Nirmala Sitharaman presented Union
Budget 2025-26 in the Parliament
· Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget
2025-26 in Parliament. Here is the summary of her budget speech; Together, we embark on a journey to unlock
our nation’s tremendous potential for greater prosperity and global positioning under the leadership of Hon’ble
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Quoting Telugu poet and playwright Shri Gurajada Appa Rao’s famous
saying, ‘A country is not just its soil; a country is its people.’ - the Finance Minister presented the Union
Budget 2025-26 with the theme “Sabka Vikas” stimulating balanced growth of all regions.

In line with this theme, the Finance Minister outlined the broad Principles of Viksit Bharat 2047 to encompass the
following:

· Zero-poverty.
· Hundred per cent good quality school education.
· Access to high-quality, affordable, and comprehensive healthcare.
· Hundred per cent skilled labour with meaningful employment.
· Seventy per cent women in economic activities; and
· Farmers making our country the ‘food basket of the world’.

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Budget Estimates 2025-26
· The total receipts other than borrowings and the total expenditure are estimated at ₹34.96 lakh crore and
₹50.65 lakh crore respectively.
· The net tax receipts are estimated at ₹28.37 lakh crore.
· The fiscal deficit is estimated to be 4.4 per cent of GDP.
· The gross market borrowings are estimated at ₹14.82 lakh crore.
· Capex Expenditure of ₹11.21 lakh crore (3.1% of GDP) earmarked in FY2025-26.
· The Union Budget 2025-2026 promises to continue Government’s efforts to accelerate growth, secure inclusive
development, invigorate private sector investments, uplift household sentiments, and enhance spending power of
India’s rising middle class. The Budget proposes development measures focusing on poor (Garib), Youth,
farmer (Annadata) and women (Nari).
· The Budget aims to initiate transformative reforms in Taxation, Power Sector, Urban Development, Mining,
Financial Sector, and Regulatory Reforms to augment India’s growth potential and global competitiveness. Union
Budget highlights that Agriculture, MSME, Investment, and Exports are engines in the journey to Viksit
Bharat using reforms as fuel, guided by the spirit of inclusivity.

The Union Budget of India also referred to as the Annual Financial Statement in Article 112 of the
Constitution of India, is the annual budget of the Republic of India. The Government presents it on the first day of
February so that it could be materialised before the beginning of new financial year in April. Until 2016 it was
presented on the last working day of February by the Finance Minister in Parliament. The budget, which is presented
by means of the Finance bill and the Appropriation bill has to be passed by Lok Sabha before it can come into effect
on 1 April, the start of India’s financial year. The first union budget of independent India was presented by R. K.
Shanmukham Chetty on 26 November 1947. Total revenues stood at ₹171.15 crore, and the fiscal deficit was
₹24.59 crore. The total expenditure was estimated at ₹197.29 crore with Defense expenditure at ₹92.74 crore. Union
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman created a record of presenting the highest number of consecutive Union budgets
on February 1. Morarji Desai has presented 10 budgets which is the highest count followed by P
Chidambaram’s 9 and Pranab Mukherjee’s 8. Yashwant Sinha, Yashwantrao Chavan and C.D. Deshmukh
have presented 7 budgets each while Manmohan Singh and T.T. Krishnamachari have presented 6 budgets

50,000 Atal Tinkering labs in government schools in next 5 years

· While presenting the Union Budget 2025-26 in the Parliament, the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate
Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman proposed various development measures for nurturing innovation. The
Union Finance Minister announced to set up Fifty thousand Atal Tinkering Labs in Government schools in
next 5 years to cultivate the spirit of curiosity and innovation, and foster a scientific temper among young minds.
The Union Budget also proposes to provide Broadband connectivity to all Government secondary schools and
primary health centres in rural areas under the Bharatnet project.
· On higher education, the Union Budget 2025-26 states that total number of students in 23 IITs has increased
100 per cent from 65,000 to 1.35 lakh in the past 10 years. Additional infrastructure will be created in the 5
IITs started after 2014 to facilitate education for 6,500 more students. Hostel and other infrastructure capacity at
IIT, Patna will also be expanded.
· With the aim to help students understand their subjects better, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman has proposed to
implement a Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme to provide digital-form Indian language books for school
and higher education. The Union Finance Minister also announced to set up five National Centres of
Excellence for skilling with global expertise and partnerships to equip youth with the skills required for
“Make for India, Make for the World” manufacturing.

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A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 9

 International

Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s interim president

· Islamist former rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has been appointed as Syria’s interim president after his
Islamist group led a lightning offensive on December 8 that toppled Bashar al-Assad. The appointment of
Ahmed al-Sharaa, who was once aligned with al-Qaeda, came after a meeting of the former insurgent factions in
Damascus, the Syrian capital. Sharaa has been Syria’s de facto leader since leading the offensive that deposed
Assad after more than 13 years of civil war.
Syria is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the
Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east and southeast, Jordan to the south, and Israel and
Lebanon to the southwest. It is a republic under a transitional government and comprises 14 governorates. Damascus
is the capital and largest city. Syrian pound or lira is the currency of Syria. Mohammed al-Bashir serves as the
current Prime Minister of Syria. Since 10 December 2024, he has led the Syrian transitional government, which
was formed after the fall of the Assad regime, and succeeded Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali in his role.

Pete Hegseth Appointed As Next U.S. Defence Secretary

· In USA, the Senate has confirmed appointment of Pete Hegseth as the next U.S. Defence Secretary. The
confirmation for appointment of Hegseth came after a 50-50 vote in the Senate, when Vice President JD
Vance broke the tie in his role as president of the Senate. This is considered a major victory for President
Donald Trump as Hegseth’s nomination was fiercely opposed by Democrats and some Republicans on the ground
of multiple misconduct allegations. Pete Hegseth is facing allegation of sexual assault, infidelity and drinking.
DeepSeek, and why is it disrupting the AI sector
· Chinese startup DeepSeek’s launch of its latest AI models, which it says are on a par or better than
industry-leading models in the United States at a fraction of the cost, is threatening to upset the technology
world order. The company has attracted attention in global AI circles after writing in a paper in December 2024
that the training of DeepSeek-V3 required less than $6 million worth of computing power from Nvidia H800
chips. DeepSeek’s AI Assistant, powered by DeepSeek-V3, has overtaken rival ChatGPT to become the top-rated
free application available on Apple’s App Store in the United States.
DeepSeek (formally Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd.) is a
Chinese artificial intelligence company that develops open-source large language models (LLMs). It is based in
Hangzhou, Zhejiang. It is owned and funded by Chinese hedge fund High-Flyer. Its co-founder, Liang Wenfeng,
established the company in 2023 and serves as its CEO. The DeepSeek-R1 model provides responses comparable to
other contemporary large language models, such as OpenAI’s GPT-4o and o1. Its training cost is reported to be
significantly lower than other LLMs.

Trump vows tariffs on nations that ‘harm’ US; names India, China as high-tariff countries
· The United States will impose tariffs on the countries that “harm” America, President Donald Trump has
said, as he named China, India and Brazil as high-tariff countries. Mr. Trump underscored that it was time for
the U.S. to return to the system that made it “richer and more powerful than ever before.” The President said that
the U.S. will support companies building plants in America, particularly in industries like pharmaceuticals,
semiconductors, and steel.

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Serbian PM Milos Vucevic Resigns amid Protests over Fatal Train Station Collapse
· Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic announced that he was resigning, following months of mass
demonstrations over the fatal collapse of a train station roof in November of last year. At least 15 people were
killed in the northern city of Novi Sad in the accident. Vucevic’s resignation came a day after Serbian students
and farmers staged a daylong blockage of a major traffic intersection in Belgrade. The Prime Minister had been in
office for less than a year.
Serbia is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Southeast and Central Europe, located in the Balkans and
the Pannonian Plain. It borders Hungary to the north, Romania to the northeast, Bulgaria to the southeast, North
Macedonia to the south, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the west, and Montenegro to the southwest. Serbia
claims a border with Albania through the disputed territory of Kosovo. Serbia has about 6.6 million inhabitants,
excluding Kosovo. Its capital Belgrade is also the largest city. The dinar is the currency of Serbia.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed Declares 2025 as ‘Year of Community’

· UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced 2025 as the Year of Community,
launching a national initiative aimed at fostering unity and inclusion across society. Under the slogan
“Hand in Hand,” the campaign reflects the UAE leadership’s vision to build a cohesive and empowered
community. The UAE is home to over four million Indians, who form a vital part of the country’s diverse
population. President Sheikh Mohamed’s announcement reinforces the leadership’s commitment to creating a
harmonious and inclusive society.
Denmark to infuse €2 billion in Arctic security amid Trump’s Greenland threats
· Denmark has announced that it will put in close to €2 billion in enhancing its military presence across the
Arctic and North Atlantic region, country’s Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said amid US President
Donald Trump’s repeated demands of buying or taking control of Greenland.
· Denmark’s Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said, “There are serious challenges regarding security and
defence in the Arctic and North Atlantic,” adding that three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range
surveillance drones and satellite capacity will be included in the package. Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette
Frederiksen is poised to meet NATO members, including Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz, France
President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in an effort to keep “unity” on the
issue and sovereignty of Greenland, which is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
Denmark is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the most populous and politically central constituent of
the Kingdom of Denmark, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the autonomous territories of the Faroe
Islands and Greenland in the North Atlantic Ocean. The krone is the official currency of Denmark, Greenland,
and the Faroe Islands, introduced on 1 January 1875. Copenhagen is the capital city of Denmark.

Abu Dhabi set to become the world’s first fully AI-Powered government by 2027
· The Abu Dhabi government hopes to become the first in the world to run a government entirely on
artificial intelligence by 2027. They have launched their Digital Strategy 2025-2027 to fulfill that dream. The
program plans to spend Dh13 billion ($3.5 billion) between 2025 and 2027 to improve its digital infrastructure,
automate all its government processes, and integrate sovereign cloud computing into all its operations. It will be
under the Department of Government Enablement (DGE) of Abu Dhabi in collaboration with other
government entities in the Emirates.
Abu Dhab is the capital and the second most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (the most populous
being Dubai), and also capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the largest of the UAE’s seven emirates. United
Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federal sovereign absolute monarchy in Western Asia. Mohamed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan is the current President of the United Arab Emirates. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is Prime
Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai. United Arab Emirates
dirham is the currency of the United Arab Emirates. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the west and south and
by Oman to the east and northeast. The land border with Qatar in the Khawr al Udayd area is a source of
ongoing dispute.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 11

WHO verifies Niger as the first country in the African Region to eliminate onchocerciasis
· The World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates Niger for having met the criteria for onchocerciasis
elimination, making it the fifth country globally and the first country in Africa to be acknowledged by
WHO for interrupting transmission of the parasite Onchocerca volvulus. Eliminating a disease is a
significant achievement that requires tireless dedication,” stated Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO
Director-General.
· Onchocerciasis, commonly known as “river blindness”, is caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerca
volvulus. The parasite is spread and transmitted to humans by the repeated bites of infected blackflies that breed
in rapidly flowing rivers. Symptoms include severe itching, disfiguring skin conditions, and visual impairment,
including permanent blindness. The disease primarily affects rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa, and Yemen,
with smaller endemic areas foci found in parts of Latin America.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for
international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as “the attainment by all peoples of
the highest possible level of health”. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it has six regional offices and 150
field offices worldwide. The WHO was established on 7 April 1948. The first meeting of the World Health
Assembly (WHA), the agency’s governing body, took place on 24 July of that year. The current director-
general is Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia.

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Gov for U.S. Agencies

· Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence OpenAI has introducedChatGPT Gov, a specialised version of its
widely recognised AI model tailored for use by U.S. government agencies. TheChatGPT Gov offering allows
agencies to deploy the model securely within their own Microsoft Azure commercial cloud infrastructure. It also
provides access to many of the advanced features available inChatGPT Enterprise, including the ability to
customise GPTs. OpenAI emphasised that the product has been developed with special considerations for
government applications, adhering to its established usage policies to ensure responsible and ethical deployment
of AI technologies.
Dubai International Airport, busiest for world travel, sees record 92.3 million passengers in 2024
· Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, saw a record 92.3 million
passengers pass through its terminals in 2024. In 2023, the airport, known as DXB, had 86.9 million
passengers. Its 2019, traffic was 86.3 million passengers. It had 89.1 million passengers in 2018 — its previous
busiest-ever year before the pandemic, while 66 million passengers passed through in 2022. In 2024, India
remained the top destination market for DXB, with 12 million passengers.
Lieutenant General Batoo Tshering, Chief Operations Officer of the Royal Bhutan Army,
commenced an official visit to India
· Lieutenant General Batoo Tshering, Chief Operations Officer, Royal Bhutan Army, concluded his official
visit to India, marking a key step in further strengthening the defence relations between Bhutan and India.
The visit, which took place from February 1st to 6th, 2025, enhanced bilateral military cooperation and laid the
groundwork for new avenues of collaboration, particularly in training and capability enhancement.
· Lieutenant General Tshering visited Gaya, New Delhi and Kolkata during his stay in India. While in Gaya,
he visited the Officers Training Academy and several Buddhist landmarks. These visits reflected the deep-rooted
military and cultural ties between Bhutan and India. Discussions at the Officers Training Academy centered
around enhancing Bhutanese military training modules and expanding the scope of officer exchange programmes
between the two armies. While in New Delhi, the General laid wreath at the National War Memorial, and received
a Guard of Honour at the South Block.

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 ECONOMY AND FINANCE

Economic Survey 2025: India’s economy expected to grow at 6.3%-6.8% for FY26
· “The global economy grew by 3.3 per cent in 2023. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects global
growth to average around 3.2 per cent over the next five years, which is modest by historical standards”, says
the Economic Survey 2024-25 tabled by Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala
Sitharaman, in the Parliament today.
· The Survey highlights that, despite global uncertainty, India has displayed steady economic growth. India’s
real GDP growth of 6.4 per cent in FY25 remains close to the decadal average. From an aggregate demand
perspective, private final consumption expenditure at constant prices is estimated to grow by 7.3 per cent, driven
by a rebound in rural demand.
· On the supply side, the real gross value added (GVA) is estimated to grow by 6.4 per cent. The agriculture
sector is expected to rebound to a growth of 3.8 per cent in FY25. The industrial sector is estimated to grow by
6.2 per cent in FY25. Strong growth rates in construction activities and electricity, gas, water supply and other
utility services are expected to support industrial expansion. Growth in the services sector is expected to remain
robust at 7.2 per cent, driven by healthy activity in financial, real estate, professional services, public
administration, defence, and other services. Keeping in mind the upsides and downsides to growth, the Survey
expects the real GDP growth in FY26 to be between 6.3 and 6.8 per cent.
The Economic Survey of India is an annual document of the Ministry of Finance. The Department of Economic
Affairs, Ministry of Finance presents the Survey in the Parliament every year, just before the Union Budget. It is
prepared under the guidance of the Chief Economic Adviser of India. This document is presented to both Houses of
Parliament during the Budget Session. The first Economic Survey of India was presented in 1950-51 as part of the
Union Budget. After 1964 it was separated from the Budget and presented each year during the Budget Session
before the presentation of the budget. The document is non-binding. Nevertheless, is constructed and presented
each year due to its significance. The Survey has been tabled by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on January
31 that details the state of the economy ahead of the government’s Budget for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2023.
Dr V Anantha Nageswaran is the current Chief Economic Adviser.

States yet to use Rs. 70,744 cr. funds for welfare of construction workers
· The welfare boards for building and other construction workers of various States have not yet used the cess
worth Rs. 70,744.16 crore they collected from the employers for the welfare of the workers. Since the
implementation of the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of
Service) Act in 2005, the boards have collected Rs.1,17,507.22 crore as cess from the employers and allocated Rs.
67,669.92 crore with the workers.
· The Act, passed in 1996, empowers the Construction Workers’ Welfare Board constituted by State
governments to levy cess from employers “at such rate not exceeding 2%, but not less than 1%” of the cost
of construction incurred by an employer. As many as 5,73,48,723 workers have registered with 36 State
Welfare Boards till September 30, 2024. There have been complaints that the Centre and the State governments
did not help the construction workers during the exodus to villages soon after the COVID lockdowns announced
in March, 2020.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 13

PNB Pioneers India’s First Real-Time NCRP Integration for Enhanced Cybercrime Resolution
· Punjab National Bank (PNB) has become the first bank in India to go live with Clari5’s cutting-edge NCRP
Integration Solution, a breakthrough in real-time complaint management for the Indian Cyber Crime
Coordination Centre’s (I4C) National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). This milestone sets a new gold
standard in fraud prevention and automated complaint resolution, reaffirming PNB’s leadership in technological
innovation and commitment to safeguarding customer interests. The Clari5 NCRP Integration Solution is a state-
of-the-art platform that empowers banks to process cybercrime complaints seamlessly across all retail banking
channels.
India to Launch Indigenous AI Model at Affordable Cost
· The Government has announced that India is all set to launch its own safe and secure indigenous Artificial
intelligence (AI) model at an affordable cost. Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology
Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that compared to global models costing 2.5 to 3 dollars per hour usage, India’s AI
Model will cost less than 100 rupees per hour after 40 per cent government subsidy.
RBI Plans Rs. 1.1 Lakh Crore Liquidity Infusion in Banking System
· The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a plan to inject an additional Rs. 1.1 lakh crore into the
banking system through various measures, including open market purchase auctions of Government securities
and a variable rate repo auction.
· Additionally, a $5 billion dollar-rupee swap auction will be conducted to enhance liquidity. This decision
follows a review of current liquidity and financial conditions. The open market operations will involve the
purchase of Government of India securities worth Rs. 60,000 crore in three tranches of Rs. 20,000 crore each.
These tranches are scheduled for January 30, February 13, and February 20, 2025.
· A 56-day Variable Rate Repo auction for Rs. 50,000 crore will take place on February 7, while the dollar-rupee
swap auction of USD 5 billion for a tenor of six months will be held on January 31, according to the RBI
statement. Detailed instructions for each operation will be issued separately, the statement added.
· The RBI stated that it will monitor liquidity and market conditions and undertake measures as needed to
ensure orderly liquidity management. The move comes as liquidity in the banking system remains tight, with a
deficit of over Rs. 3 lakh crore reported last week despite daily variable repo rate auctions.
Fintech firm Cred joins Indian central bank’s digital currency project
· Tiger Global and Peak XV backed Indian firm Cred has become the first fintech platform to roll out access
to India’s central bank digital currency. The Reserve Bank of India had started a pilot for the e-rupee,
which is a digital alternative to the physical currency, in December 2022. Initially, the central bank had
permitted only banks to offer access to the digital currency but in April 2024 said it will allow payment firms to
offer e-rupee transactions. Alphabet’s GooglePay, Walmart-backed PhonePe, AmazonPay and MobiKwik were
among the payment firms seeking to join the digital currency pilot, Reuters reported in August 2024. Cred will
roll out access for its e-rupee wallet to a select set of users and the issuance of e-rupee tokens into the wallets will
be facilitated by YES Bank.
RBI Publishes Payment System Report for Dec 2024
· The Reserve Bank of India has published the Payment System Report, December 2024. The report analyses
the trends in payment transactions carried out using various payment systems in India during the last five calendar
years up to CY-2024. It also covers important developments in the payment ecosystem and provides an in-depth
analysis of UPI. Henceforth, the Report will be published on the RBI website on half yearly basis.
Lufthansa Will be the First Airline in World to Operate Boeing 777X
· American Aerospace Giant Boeing Company announcement naming Lufthansa (LH) as the inaugural
operator of the 777-9 (777X) aircraft marks a pivotal development in the aviation industry’s evolution. The
German carrier’s path to receiving the first 777-9 involves navigating specific seat certification requirements
unique to their aircraft configuration. Despite these technical considerations, Boeing maintains its commitment to
the 2026 delivery timeline for the initial aircraft.

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SEBI Introduces iSPOT Portal for Reporting Technical Glitches
· The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has launched a web-based portal, Integrated SEBI
Portal for Technical Glitches (iSPOT), for reporting technical issues faced by stock exchanges and other
market infrastructure institutions (MIIs). This new system aims to streamline the submission of preliminary
and final Root Cause Analysis (RCA) reports and establish a centralised repository for such incidents. Previously,
MIIs, including stock exchanges, clearing corporations, and depositories, were required to submit reports on
technical glitches via a dedicated email ID. With the introduction of iSPOT, SEBI has moved to a structured
web-based reporting system.
McDonald’s to set up its first GCC in India
· Global fast-food giant McDonald’s is setting up its Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Hyderabad,
marking a significant addition to the city’s growing reputation as a hub for global innovation and
corporate activity. The company has leased two floors spanning 2 lakh square feet at RMZ Nexity Tower 20 in
the city. At a rental rate of around Rs. 90 per square foot, the facility is set to begin operations by mid-2025.
‘Dream Of The Desert’: Saudi Arabia’s First Luxury Train Unveiled
· Saudi Arabia’s “Dream of the Desert” luxury train will begin its inaugural journey by the end of 2026,
traversing the country’s stunning desert landscapes. The 1,300-kilometer route, utilising existing railway
lines, will depart from Riyadh and travel north to Al Qurayyat, near the Jordanian border. Produced by the Italian
hospitality company Arsenale Group and commissioned by Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR), Dream of the Desert
will feature 14 carriages housing 34 luxurious suites.
BIMTECH launches block chain-based currency BIMCOIN
· Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) has introduced a block chain-based digital
currency, ‘BIMCOIN’, which is designed exclusively for the BIMTECH’s ecosystem. The block chain
platform facilitates secure, transparent, and instant transactions among students, vendors, and administrators.
· Unlike traditional systems, BIMCOIN operates on a block chain, offering decentralisation, transparency,
and programmable features like smart contracts. “BIMCOIN streamlines payments, promotes transparency,
and introduces advanced financial tools, ensuring enhanced security, fraud protection, and ethical practices. More
than a payment solution, BIMCOIN serves as an educational tool, providing students with hands-on experience in
block chain technology, digital currencies, and real-world financial systems,”.
Household Consumption Expenditure Survey: 2023-24
· The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) published the summary findings of the
second of the two consecutive surveys on household consumption expenditure planned to be conducted
during 2022-23 and 2023-24 in the form of a factsheet.
· Prior to this, the detailed report and the unit level data of the survey of 2022-23 was released in June 2024. The
detailed report of the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey: 2023-24 (HCES:2023-24) along with
the unit level data is being released now.
· HCES is designed to collect information on consumption and expenditure of the households on goods and
services. The survey provides data required to assess trends in economic well-being and to determine and update
the basket of consumer goods and services and weights used for the calculation of the Consumer Price Index.
· Data collected in HCES is also used to measure poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. The Monthly Per
Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) compiled from HCES is the primary indicator used for most
analytical purposes.
· The estimates of MPCE of 2023-24 are based on the data collected from 2,61,953 Households (1,54,357 in
rural areas and 1,07,596 in urban areas) in the central sample spread over all States and Union Territories
in the country. As in HCES:2022-23, in HCES:2023-24 also two sets of estimates of MPCE have been generated:
(i) without considering imputed values of items received free of cost by the households through various social
welfare programmes and (ii) considering imputed values of items received free of cost by the households through
various social welfare programmes.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 15

Railway Ministry releases ‘SwaRail’ SuperApp for testing
· The Railway Ministry has released an application called SuperApp, a one-stop solution offering multiple
public-facing services, on Google Play Store for testing. The app provides easy access to services like reserved
and unreserved ticket bookings, platform and parcel bookings, train inquiries, PNR inquiries, help through
RailMadad and more.
No income tax on annual income upto rs. 12 lakh under new tax regime
· Reaffirming Government’s commitment to the philosophy of “trust first, scrutinize later”, the Union Budget
2025-26 has reposed faith in the Middle class and continued the trend of giving relief in tax burden to the
common tax–payer. Presenting the Budget in the Parliament today, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate
Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman proposed an across-the-board change in tax slabs and rates to benefit all tax-
payers.
· Giving the good news to tax payers, the Finance Minister stated, “There will be no income tax payable upto
income of Rs. 12 lakh (i.e. average income of Rs.1 lakh per month other than special rate income such as
capital gains) under the new regime. This limit will be Rs.12.75 lakh for salaried tax payers, due to
standard deduction of Rs. 75,000.” Tax rebate is being provided in addition to the benefit due to slab rate
reduction in such a manner that there is no tax payable by them, she added. uoting Verse 542 from The
Thirukkural, the Finance Minister stated, “Just as living beings live expecting rains, Citizens live expecting good
governance.” Reforms are a means to achieve good governance for the people and economy.
FDI limit for insurance sector raised from 74 to 100 per cent
· Budget 2025-26 aims to initiate transformative reforms across six domains which will augment our growth
potential and global competitiveness during the next five years, the Union Finance & Corporate Affairs
Minister said while presenting the Union Budget 2025-26 in the Parliament today. One of these domains is
Financial Sector which encompasses sectors like Insurance, Pensions, Bilateral Investment Treaties (BIT) and so
forth. Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman informed that the FDI limit for the insurance sector will be raised from 74 to 100
per cent. This enhanced limit will be available for those companies which invest the entire premium in India. The
current guardrails and conditionalities associated with foreign investment will be reviewed and simplified.
India is the sixth-largest exporter of textiles and apparels: Economic Survey
· In its assessment of the textile sector, the Economic Survey highlights that India is the sixth largest exporter
of textiles and apparel globally, contributing significantly to the Gross Domestic Product of the country,
industrial production and exports. The sector is also one of the largest employment generators, with over 45
million people employed directly, including many women and the rural population. As further evidence of the
inclusive nature of this sector, nearly 80 % of its capacity is spread across Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSME) clusters in the country.
· The Survey stated that India exported textile items worth USD 34 billion in 2023, with apparel constituting
42% of the export basket, followed by raw materials/semi-finished materials at 34% and finished non
apparel goods at 30%. Europe and the US consumed nearly 66% of India’s apparel exports, 58% of finished
non-apparel goods and 12% of raw materials/semi-finished materials. Other prominent destinations include the
UK (8%) and the UAE (7%). The Survey points out that textile exports remained resilient throughout the COVID-
19 period (2020 to 2022).
· The Survey concludes that Government programs like PM MITRA through creating textile parks with world-class
plug-and-play infrastructure would support integrated supply chains, and also attract foreign direct investments
into the textile sector. It adds that as MMF products require heavy research and development suited to
different use cases, the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) has been approved with an outlay of
₹1,480 crore with research as a key component.

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 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Inventions/Discoveries
Nearly a quarter of a billion children’s schooling was disrupted by climate crises in 2024 –
UNICEF
· At least 242 million students in 85 countries had their schooling disrupted by extreme climate events in
2024, including heatwaves, tropical cyclones, storms, floods, and droughts, exacerbating an existing learning
crisis, according to a new UNICEF analysis released.
· For the first time, Learning Interrupted: Global Snapshot of Climate-Related School Disruptions in 2024 –
released on International Day of Education – examines climate hazards that resulted in either school
closures or the significant interruption of school timetables, and the subsequent impact on children from pre-
primary to upper secondary level.
· Heatwaves were the predominant climate hazard shuttering schools last year, with over 118 million
students affected in April alone, according to the data. Bangladesh and the Philippines experienced widespread
school closures in April, while Cambodia shortened the school day by two hours.
Germany Approves World’s First Submarine Active Defense System
· The German government has approved the development and qualification of an active defense system for
submarines. The Interactive Defence and Attack System for Submarines (IDAS) system is being jointly
developed by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Diehl Defence.It is a wire-guided anti-aircraft missile that
engages aerial threats from a submerged position.
· The Interactive Defence and Attack System for Submarines consists of a missile, a launching container, and
combat system integration. Once a potential threat is identified by the submarine crew, the system is ready for
launch.
India Set To Launch First Human Submersible under Deep Ocean Mission
· India is gearing up to deploy its first human-operated underwater submersible as part of the Deep Ocean
Mission. The submersible, designed for a depth of up to 500 meters, is expected to launch this year, with plans
to extend its reach to 6,000 meters by next year.
· The Deep Ocean Mission aims to explore underwater resources, improve knowledge of deep-sea
ecosystems, and advance India’s blue economy. The mission’s objectives include identifying critical minerals,
rare metals, and undiscovered marine biodiversity, which have economic and environmental implications. It will
also contribute to sustainable fisheries and biodiversity conservation, providing long-term benefits to India’s
scientific community and economy.
ISRO Successfully Launches NVS-02 Satellite from Sriharikota
· The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its new generation satellite NVS-02
from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F15) carrying the
NVS-02 lifted off. This launch marks a remarkable milestone for ISRO commemorating the 100th launch
from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 17

 · NVS-02 is the 2nd satellite in the series of 2nd generation satellites of the Navigation with Indian
Constellation (NavIC). The NavIC system is made up of 7 operational satellites in orbit (3 in Geostationary
Orbit and 4 in Geosynchronous Orbit). NavIC provides accurate position, velocity, and timing to users in
the Indian sub-continent and regions up to 1,500 km beyond.
· The GSLV-F15 is the 17th GSLV flight, and 11th with an Indigenous Cryogenic stage. The first launch from
SDSC took place in August 1979 carrying the Rohini Technology Payload (partially successful). Key
Launches of ISRO include Chandrayaan-1 (2008), Mars Orbiter Mission (2013), PSLV-C37 (2017, World record:
104 satellites launched), Chandrayaan-2 (2019), and Chandrayaan-3 (2023), Aditya-L1 (2023).
DeepSeek’s launch of its latest AI models
· Chinese startup DeepSeek’s launch of its latest AI models, which it says are on a par or better than
industry-leading models in the United States at a fraction of the cost, is threatening to upset the technology
world order. The company has attracted attention in global AI circles after writing in a paper in December 2024
that the training of DeepSeek-V3 required less than $6 million worth of computing power from Nvidia H800
chips. DeepSeek’s AI Assistant, powered by DeepSeek-V3, has overtaken rival ChatGPT to become the top-
rated free application available on Apple’s App Store in the United States.
· The release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022 caused a scramble among Chinese tech firms, who rushed
to create their own chatbots powered by artificial intelligence. But after the release of the first Chinese
ChatGPT equivalent, made by search engine giant Baidu, there was widespread disappointment in China at the
gap in AI capabilities between U.S. and Chinese firms. The quality and cost efficiency of DeepSeek’s models
have flipped this narrative on its head. The two models that have been showered with praise by Silicon Valley
executives and U.S. tech company engineers alike, DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1, are on par with OpenAI and
Meta’s most advanced models.
‘Ankurita Asom’ Agriculture Awards 2025 to be held in Guwahati
· The Ankurita Asom initiative, aimed at fostering a self-reliant Assam by promoting indigenous culture and
trade, has announced its upcoming Ankurita Asom Agriculture Awards 2025. These awards, set to be held
on March 9 at the auditorium of the Veterinary College, Khanapara, will honour exemplary farmers across six
categories, including Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries, Veterinary, Agri Entrepreneurs and Handloom and
Textiles.
· Recognizing the immense potential of Assam’s fertile soil, Ankurita Asom strives to empower farmers and
promote self-sufficiency. Through various initiatives such as seed and fertilizer distribution, the organization has
been actively supporting farmers across the state. These awards aim to acknowledge their contributions and
inspire others to follow their path.
Timber Residence in Goa is India’s first home built using mass-timber technology
· Architecture Discipline has designed India’s first residence built with glulam — glue laminated timber —
in Goa. It is the first residence in India to be built in mass timber. The home is situated among verdant
landscapes adjacent to the Chapora River with views of the Arabian Sea. The design consists of a single linear
block composed of 11 glulam portal frames, sitting lightly on the site supported on stilts and retaining walls.
Elephant recorded in India’s Namdapha Tiger Reserve after 12 years
· An elephant has been camera-trapped in India’s easternmost tiger reserve after 12 years, fuelling
conservation hopes. The 1,985 sq. km Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve in the Changlang district of
Arunachal Pradesh said an adult male elephant was recorded in the Kathan region of Namdapha’s northwestern
part.
First coastal bird census
· The first coastal bird census carried out by forest department officials and birdwatchers has found 3.43
lakh birds, including 69,000 waders, on the Gulf of Kutch coast from Okha to Navlakhi. Several threatened
species were also found, and their documentation will help forest officials strengthen conservation efforts. The
three-day survey was jointly conducted by Marine National Park and the Bird Conservation Society of Gujarat
(BCSG), with over 100 birdwatchers joining it.

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Building blocks of life found in samples from asteroid Bennu
· Rock and dust samples retrieved by NASA from the asteroid Bennu exhibit some of the chemical building
blocks of life, according to research that provides some of the best evidence to date that such space rocks
may have seeded early Earth with the raw ingredients that fostered the emergence of living organisms.
· The US space agency’s robotic OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in 2020 collected the samples from the near-Earth
asteroid, a rocky remnant of a larger celestial body that had formed near the dawn of the solar system roughly 4.5
billion years ago.
· The samples were delivered to Earth in 2023 by parachute inside a capsule released by OSIRIS-REx that
landed in the Utah desert. Present in the samples were 14 of the 20 organic compounds called amino acids that
are used to make proteins – complex molecules that play indispensable roles in the structure, function and
regulation of living organisms. Present also were all five nucleobases – the genetic components of DNA and RNA
in all life on Earth.
Tigers sharing space with about 6 crore people, occupied 30% more area between 2006-2018
· Tigers in India occupied 30 per cent more area between 2006 and 2018 and they shared space with about 6
crore people in 45 per cent of the tiger-occupied habitats. The study, which focussed on evaluating trends in
tiger occupancy in the context of socio-economic and political factors, said that people-free, as well as shared
spaces, were necessary for sustaining the recovery of tigers in India.
· The researchers used tiger population estimation datasets from the four estimation cycles between 2006 to
2018 to evaluate tiger occupancy, socio-ecological characteristics of local extinctions, and colonisation and
persistence of tigers in India.
Project Aims to Drive Drone Innovation and Manufacturing in Andhra Pradesh
· Garuda Aerospace has unveiled plans to invest Rs. 100 crore (approximately $11.55 million USD) to
develop Andhra Pradesh as India’s first ‘Drone City.’ The announcement took place during a strategic
meeting with India’s Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Ram Mohan Naidu Ji. The initiative is designed to position
India as a global hub for drone technology by fostering innovation, research, and development in the sector.
· Garuda Aerospace’s CEO highlighted the company’s role in national development and its alignment with
‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra.’ The discussion also covered Garuda Aerospace’s ongoing contributions to the
‘Namo Drone Didi’ initiative, which empowers rural women through drone technology. The company’s rapid
expansion across India and into global markets was another key focus, underscoring its ambitions for growth and
international competitiveness.
CDFD scientist elected as Fellow of Indian Academy of Sciences
· Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) has announced that staff scientist and head of the lab
of cell signalling Rashna Bhandari has been elected as a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences.
· The fellowship is awarded to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to science and have
demonstrated sustained excellence in research. Dr. Bhandari’s work in the study of cellular signaling pathways
and their role in disease mechanisms has significantly advanced the understanding of cellular processes and their
implications for therapeutic applications.
IAF Officer Shubhanshu Shukla to Become First Indian Astronaut to Take India to ISS
· Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to make history as the first Indian
astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). He will embark on this journey aboard a SpaceX
Dragon spacecraft from Florida as part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a collaboration between NASA and the
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
· The mission is scheduled for launch no earlier than the spring of 2025, as announced by NASA. Shukla, who
has been designated as the pilot for the Ax-4 mission, expressed his excitement about representing India in
space. He stated that he looks forward to sharing his experiences with fellow Indians and plans to take items
symbolizing India on his spaceflight.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 19

DRDO successfully conducts successive flight-trials of Very Short-Range Air Defence System off
the Odisha coast
· Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted three successive flight-
trials of Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) from Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
These tests were carried out against high-speed targets flying at very low altitude. During all the three flight-tests,
the missiles intercepted and completely destroyed the targets having reduced thermal signature mimicking low
flying drones at different flying conditions. The flight-tests were carried out in final deployment configuration
where in two field operators carried out weapon readiness, target acquisition and missile firing.
· The flight data captured by various range instruments like Telemetry, Electro-Optical Tracking System
and Radar deployed by Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, confirmed the pin-point accuracy and established
the unique capability of VSHORADS missile system in neutralizing drones along with other classes of aerial
threats. The flight-tests were witnessed by senior officials of DRDO, Armed Forces and development and
production partners.
· VSHORADS is a Man Portable Air Defence system designed and developed indigenously by Research
Center Imarat in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Development cum Production Partners.
The missile system has the capability to meet the needs of all the three branches of the Armed Forces, viz. Indian
Army, Navy and Air Force. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO, Armed Forces and the
industries for the successful flight tests, terming it as a great success. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D
and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat also congratulated the entire DRDO team, users and the
industry partners.
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is an agency of the Republic of India, charged with
the military’s research and development, headquartered in New Delhi, India. It was formed in 1958 by the
merger of the Technical Development Establishment and the Directorate of Technical Development and
Production with the Defence Science Organisation. Dr. Samir V Kamat is the current Chairman of DRDO.

Niger Achieves Historic Milestone: First African Nation to Eliminate Onchocerciasis

· On January 30, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Niger has become the first
country in the African region to officially eliminate onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, as a
public health threat. This remarkable achievement places Niger alongside just four other countries globally—
Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico—that have successfully halted the transmission of the parasitic
disease. It marks a significant moment in public health, especially for sub-Saharan Africa, where onchocerciasis
has long been a major concern. According to WHO, Niger’s success reflects the progress made in controlling and
eliminating neglected tropical diseases.
Onchocerciasis is caused by a parasitic worm and is transmitted through the bite of infected blackflies. It
primarily affects rural communities living near fast-flowing rivers, where these blackflies breed. The disease can lead
to severe symptoms such as intense itching, skin rashes, and in severe cases, blindness.

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 SPORTS

Sports Personalities in News

Jannik Sinner defeats Alexander Zverev to clinch back to back Australian Open title
· Jannik Sinner successfully defended his Australian Open crown when he defeated Alexander Zverev in a
rather lopsided finale. Sinner had clinched the crown after he defeated Daniil Medvedev in a marathon 5-
setter contest. The World No.1 blasted past his German challenger 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 as he raced through the three
sets with a dominant performance. The 23-year-old Italian is also the youngest man to leave Melbourne Park
with the trophy two years in a row since Jim Courier in 1992-93.
Odisha Warriors wins first-ever Women’s Hockey India League title
· The 5,000-seater Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Stadium was packed to the rafters to witness history unfold
as Odisha Warriors took on JSW Soorma Hockey Club in the summit clash of the inaugural season of the
only commercial women’s hockey league in the world. The teams didn’t disappoint, trading blows in equal
measure, but it was eventually Rutuja Pisal who ensured the Warriors got their name engraved on the glitzy
Women’s Hockey India League trophy with a thrilling 2-1 win.
Smriti Mandhana Named ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for Stellar 2024
Performances
· India’s star batter Smriti Mandhana has been crowned the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for
her outstanding performances in 2024. The elegant left-handed opener dominated the 50-over format, amassing
runs with remarkable consistency and flair, solidifying her reputation as one of the best in the game.
Australian Open: Top Seeded Taylor Townsend & Kateřina Siniaková Clinch Women’s Doubles
· In Australian Open Tennis, top seeded duo Taylor Townsend of US and Czech player Kateřina Siniaková
clinched the Women’s Doubles title at the Melbourne Park’s iconic Rod Laver Arena. They defeated third
seed pair of Latvia’s Jeļena Ostapenko and Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan by 6-2, 6-7, 6-3.
PM Modi Inaugurates 38th National Games In Dehradun
· Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 38th National Games in Dehradun, the capital of
Uttarakhand. Athletes from across the country participated in the vibrant Athletes Parade, showcasing unity and
sportsmanship. The highlight of the event was the handing over of the National Games torch, Tejaswini, which
completed an inspiring 4,000-kilometer journey across 13 districts. The torch was presented to Prime Minister
Modi by Olympian Lakshya Sen.
Jasprit Bumrah Wins Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy as ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024
· Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been honoured with the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy
for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024, recognising his exceptional performances across all formats.
Bumrah becomes the first Indian pacer to win this award, joining an elite list of Indian cricketers that
includes Rahul Dravid (2004), Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Ravichandran Ashwin (2016), and Virat Kohli
(2017, 2018).

A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 21

 · Bumrah played a crucial role in India’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2024, held in the USA and the West
Indies. He finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 15 scalps, as India defeated South Africa in the
final to lift the trophy. In Test cricket, Bumrah had an equally dominant year, taking 71 wickets in 13 matches, the
highest by any bowler in 2024. His contributions were instrumental in India’s success across formats.
Geoff Allardice To Step Down As ICC CEO
· The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that Geoff Allardice has decided to step down as ICC
Chief Executive. Allardice’s decision comes amid concerns over Pakistan’s readiness to host Champions
Trophy 2025, starting next month.
· Mr Allardice said that he was incredibly proud of the results, from enhancing the global reach of cricket to the
commercial foundation put in place for ICC Members. ICC Chair Jay Shah also thanked Mr Allardice for his
contribution and said his efforts have played a key role in advancing cricket globally. The ICC Board will
now initiate the next steps to identify a new Chief Executive.
Sachin Tendulkar to Receive BCCI’s Lifetime Achievement Award At Annual Gala In Mumbai
· Legendary former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will be honoured with the BCCI’s Lifetime Achievement
Award at the Board’s annual gala in Mumbai. Tendulkar will become the 31st recipient of the prestigious
award, which was instituted in 1994 in honour of India’s first cricket captain, Col. C.K. Nayudu. The 51-year-old
Tendulkar, who played an incredible 664 international matches for India, holds the record for the highest
number of Test and ODI runs in cricket history.
· He amassed 15,921 runs in Tests and a staggering 18,426 runs in ODIs. Tendulkar also holds the record for
the most appearances in both formats, with 200 Test matches and 463 ODIs to his name. Tendulkar was a
pivotal member of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning team, marking his record sixth and final appearance
in the tournament. In 2023, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to former India head coach Ravi
Shastri and wicket-keeping legend Farokh Engineer.
Abhishek blazes India’s second-fastest T20I century
· 135 is the Abhishek Sharma’s score against England. It is the highest individual score for India in men’s
T20Is, going past Shubman Gill’s 126* against New Zealand in 2023. Abhishek’s 135 is also the second-
highest score by any batter against England, behind Aaron Finch’s 156 in 2013.
· 13 Sixes hit by Abhishek during his knock are the most for India in an innings in men’s T20Is. Rohit hit 10
against Sri Lanka in 2017, as did Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma against South Africa in 2024.
· 37 Balls that Abhishek needed to complete his hundred, the second-fastest for India, behind Rohit
Sharma’s 35-ball effort against Sri Lanka in 2017. The 37-ball ton by Abhishek is also the eighth-fastest in
men’s T20Is. 17 Balls needed for Abhishek to bring up his fifty, also the second-fastest for India, behind Yuvraj
Singh’s 12-ball fifty against England in 2007.

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 MISCELLANEOUS
Centre Allocates Rs. 3,027 Cr for Disaster Mitigation
· A High-Level Committee (HLC), chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has approved a substantial
allocation of Rs. 3,027.86 crore for various disaster mitigation projects across different states in India. The
committee, which includes key members such as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Agriculture Minister
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, reviewed and approved a range of projects aimed
at addressing lightning safety, drought-prone regions, and forest fire management. These projects are intended to
strengthen India’s disaster preparedness and reduce the impact of natural disasters.
India Emerges As A Trusted Country That Respects Intellectual Property Rights Says I&B
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
· Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that investors are showing interest in multiple
sectors, including technology, semiconductors, AI, electronics manufacturing, research, and design. Mr
Vaishnaw said that Davos is at a very important juncture in the global geopolitical and geo-economic scenario.
India has emerged as a very trusted country that respects intellectual property rights.
Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM) launched
· The Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM) was launched by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission of UNESCO. This initiative aims to address the critical challenges facing marine environments in
the Caribbean and the North Brazil Shelf. These regions are vital for biodiversity, local economies, and climate
resilience. The OCM seeks to enhance the management of shared ocean resources through collaboration and clear
objectives.
NGT restrains Andhra Pradesh Government from undertaking six infra projects in Kolleru
wetland
· The Southern Zonal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) restrained the Andhra Pradesh (A.P.)
Government from proceeding with the six infrastructure projects in Kolleru wetland area unless they are
carried out in strict conformity with legal requirements and the Water Resources Department (WRD)
obtained the requisite clearances. These clearances are to be secured from the Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), A.P. Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA), A.P. Pollution Control
Board (PCB) and the National Board for Wild Life (NBWL). The projects were proposed to be undertaken in the
name of ‘A.P. Krishna - Kolleru Salinity Mitigation Projects Corporation Limited’ with a total capital outlay of
approximately Rs.2,952 crore.
Yamuna ammonia-level row
· Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and her Punjab counterpart, Bhagwant Mann, met Election Commission (EC)
officials, alleging that the BJP-led Haryana government is deliberately releasing alarming levels of ammonia
into the Yamuna river, endangering Delhi’s water supply. Following the meeting, Ms. Atishi told a press
conference, “We presented our concerns to the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners.
The ammonia levels in the Yamuna have risen to 7 ppm (parts per million), which exceeds the filtration capacity
of Delhi’s water treatment plants. The EC has told us that it will listen to Haryana’s version before taking a
decision that benefits the people of Delhi. We trust the EC for free-and-fair elections.”
International Saraswati Mahotsav begins At Pehowa in Kurukshetra, Haryana
· International Saraswati Mahotsav begins at Pehowa Saraswati Tirth in the Kurukshetra district of
Haryana. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini inaugurated the festival. During this 7-day festival, main cultural
programs will be held till February 2 and Saras Mela will also be organized at the pilgrimage site till February 4.
Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board Vice President, Dhuman Singh said that this year, the Board will
organize programs at all the historical pilgrimages on the route of Saraswati River from Adi Badri to Rthe un of
Kutch.
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A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 23

 AWARDS
139Distinguished Personalities Selected For This Year’s Padma Awards
· President Droupadi Murmu has approved conferment of 139 Padma Awards for Year 2025. The list
comprises seven Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri Awards. 23 of the awardees
are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13
posthumous awardees.
· Indian writer MT Vasudevan Nair, former chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Osamu Suzuki, and
singer Sharda Sinha have been awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously. Singer Pankaj Udhas and
economist Bibek Debroy have been given the Padma Bhushan posthumously. Hockey player PR Sreejesh
has also been conferred with Padma Bhushan.
· All Padma Vibhushan winners 2025: Duvvur Nageshwar Reddy (Medicine), Justice (Retd.) Jagdish Singh
Khehar (Public Affairs), Kumudini Rajnikant Lakhia (Art), Lakshminarayana Subramaniam (Art), MT
Vasudevan Nair (Posthumous, Literature and Education), Osamu Suzuki (Posthumous, Trade and
Industry) and Sharda Sinha (Posthumous, Art).
· Cricketer R Ashwin and football player IM Vijayan have been awarded with the Padmashree. Padma
Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service
of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field.
Hon’ble President Smt. Droupadi Murmu confers the Best Electoral Practices Award 2024-25 for
best Government department for Voter education & electoral participation on Indian Railways
· Hon’ble President Smt. Droupadi Murmu conferred the Best Electoral Practices Award 2024-25 in best
Government department for Voter education & electoral participation on Indian Railways on the occasion
of 15th National Voters’ Day. The award was received by the Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board, Shri
Satish Kumar.
· Indian Railways has been honored with this award for making the best use of its infrastructure and
partnering with the Election Commission of India to enhance voter awareness across the country. This
recognition highlights Indian Railways’ crucial role in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, where it significantly
contributed to voter awareness and logistical support.
J&K: LG Manoj Sinha Honoured With Maharaja Hari Singh Award
· In Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha was honoured with the Maharaja Hari Singh
Award at a ceremony in Jammu. LG attended the ‘Maharaja Hari Singh Peace and Harmony Award 2024-25’
ceremony at Satyam Resort, Jammu, where he was honoured with the award.
· Mr. Sinha highlighted the significant role of Maharaja Hari Singh in integrating Jammu and Kashmir with
India. In another event, the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages hosted the All India
Urdu Mushaira at Abhinav Theatre, Jammu, as part of the 76th Republic Day celebrations. Renowned poets from
Jammu and Kashmir and across the country participated, alongside a gathering of writers and intellectuals.
Indian short film ‘Anuja’ earns Priyanka Chopra, Guneet Monga a nod at the Oscars 2025
· Indian cinema celebrates another Oscar nomination as Anuja, a short film backed by Priyanka Chopra
and Guneet Monga, secures a coveted spot in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 2025
Academy Awards. This nomination places Anuja among five finalists selected from an initial pool of 180
qualifying films. It will compete against Alien, I’m Not a Robot, The Last Ranger, and A Man Who Would Not
Remain Silent. This marks Guneet Monga’s third Oscar nomination, following the success of The Elephant
Whisperers and Period: End of Sentence, both of which won Academy Awards. The film, directed by Adam J
Graves and produced by his wife Suchitra Mattai, is collaboration with the Salaam Baalak Trust, Shine Global,
and Krushan Naik Films.

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 IMPORTANT DAYS
Outreach Programme on the Holocaust
· United Nations General Assembly Resolution established the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach
Programme, also designated 27 January as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of
the victims of the Holocaust – observed with ceremonies and activities at United Nations Headquarters in
New York and at United Nations offices around the world.
· The United Nations Office at Geneva and its partners will mark the International Day of Commemoration in
Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust (27 January) reflecting the theme of this year’s commemoration:
“Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights”.
Data protection day
· Data Privacy Day (known in Europe as Data Protection Day) is an international event that occurs every
year on 28 January. The purpose of Data Privacy Day is to raise awareness and promote privacy and data
protection best practices.
· The theme for Data Privacy Day 2025 was “Take Control of Your Data”. The theme was a reminder for
people to be aware of their data rights and make informed decisions about how their data is used.
World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2025
· World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day is observed every year on 30 January. On World Neglected Tropical
Diseases Day 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on everybody, including leaders and
communities, to unite, act and eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by making bold, sustainable
investments to free the estimated 1.5 billion people, in the world’s most vulnerable communities, from a vicious
cycle of disease and poverty.
· The theme for World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Day 2025 was “Unite. Act. Eliminate.”. The
theme called for a global effort to end NTDs.
Indian Coast Guard Day
· Indian Coast Guard Day, also known as ICG Day, is observed annually on February 1. It is a day to
celebrate the institution that protects India’s coastlines and enforces laws in the nation’s maritime areas. India will
be celebrating the 49th Indian Coast Guard Day this year.
· The ICG is an independent armed force of the Union that was established in 1978. The ICG’s motto is “Vayam
Rakshamah”, which means “We Protect”. The ICG is responsible for protecting India’s maritime zones and
ensuring the safety of seafarers, fishermen, and vessels.

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A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 25

 QUESTIONS
1. Recently, President Droupadi Murmu has approved conferment of _________ Padma Awards for Year 2025.
(a) 101 (b) 124 (c) 139 (d) 145

2. Recently, _________ joined the list of 31 Wetland Accredited Cities in the world.
(a) Lucknow and Darjeeling (b) Nainital and Gurugram
(c) Indore and Udaipur (d) Hisar and Jaipur

3. Who among the following recently launched the inaugural issue of NITI Aayog’s report titled “Fiscal Health Index
(FHI) 2025” in New Delhi?
(a) Dr. Arvind Panagariya (b) Dr. Subhash Kashyap
(c) Dr. Anand Rajdev (d) Dr. Deepak Mehrotra

4. Union Urban Affairs and Power Minister Manohar Lal Kattar recently inaugurated a 24-hour water supply project
in _________.
(a) Telangana (b) Andhra Pradesh (c) Haryana (d) Madhya Pradesh

5. In USA, the Senate has confirmed appointment of _________ as the next U.S. Defence Secretary.
(a) Pete Hegseth (b) David Bottsfield (c) Alex Christgied (d) Luther Martin

6. The welfare boards for building and other construction workers of various States have not yet used the cess worth
_________ crore they collected from the employers for the welfare of the workers.
(a) ₹56,874.16 (b) ₹63,456.16 (c) ₹70,744.16 (d) ₹87,888.16

7. Who recently won the Australian Open Men’s Singles title?

(a) Jannik Sinner (b) Alexander Zverev (c) Thomas David (d) Binen Mustaq

8. Which of the following recently won the first-ever Women’s Hockey India League title?
(a) Odisha Warriors (b) JSW Soorma (c) Delhi SG Pipers (d) Jharkhand Triumph

9. United Nations General Assembly Resolution established the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach
Programme, also designated _________ as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the
victims of the Holocaust.
(a) 23 January (b) 25 January (c) 27 January (d) 30 January

10. At least 242 million students in _________ countries had their schooling disrupted by extreme climate events in
2024, including heatwaves, tropical cyclones, storms, floods, and droughts, exacerbating an existing learning crisis,
according to a new UNICEF analysis released.
(a) 66 (b) 74 (c) 85 (d) 92

11. Name the Indian short film backed by Priyanka Chopra and Guneet Monga, which secures a coveted spot in the
Best Live Action Short Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards.
(a) Anuja (b) Rakhi (c) Jalsa (d) Bharati

12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the two-day _________ in Odisha conclave-2025, the flagship Global
Investment Summit hosted by the Odisha government.
(a) Bharat Odisha-Make (b) Indian Odisha-Make
(c) Utkarsh Odisha-Make (d) Sparsh Odisha-Make

13. In a major step toward modernizing the Indian Army’s surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS) _________ in New Delhi.
(a) SANJAY (b) BHARATI (c) KAUSTUBH (d) INDIANA

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14. Recently, Chinese startup _________ launched its latest AI models, which it says are on a par or better than
industry-leading models in the United States at a fraction of the cost, is threatening to upset the technology world
order
(a) DeepSeek (b) DeepFame (c) DeepKnight (d) DeepMine

15. Recently, _________ has become the first bank in India to go live with Clari5’s cutting-edge NCRP Integration
Solution, a breakthrough in real-time complaint management for the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’s
(I4C) National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
(a) Punjab National Bank (b) State Bank of India
(c) Canara Bank (d) Bank of Baroda

16. The _________ has announced a plan to inject an additional Rs. 1.1 lakh crore into the banking system through
various measures, including open market purchase auctions of Government securities and a variable rate repo
auction.
(a) Niti Aayog (b) Reserve Bank of India
(c) Unified Payment Interface (d) National Payment Corporation of India

17. Which of the following countries has recently approved World’s First Submarine Active Defense System?
(a) Germany (b) France (c) Ireland (d) Finland

18. Recently, India is gearing up to deploy its first human-operated underwater submersible as part of the _________.
(a) Bharat Ocean Mission (b) Deep Ocean Mission
(c) Interior Ocean Mission (d) Indian Ocean Mission

19. Who has been recently crowned the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for her outstanding performances in
2024?
(a) Smriti Mandhana (b) Ellyse Perry (c) Marizanne Kapp (d) Nat Schiver Brunt

20. Recently, In _________ Open Tennis, top seeded duo Taylor Townsend of US and Czech player Kateřina
Siniaková clinched the Women’s Doubles title.
(a) Australian (b) US (c) Wimbledon (d) French

21. Recently, International Saraswati Mahotsav began at Pehowa Saraswati Tirth in the _________ district of Haryana.
(a) Kurukshetra (b) Ambala (c) Hisar (d) Gurugram

22. Which of the following states has started producing organic fish, becoming the country’s first organic fisheries
cluster?
(a) Sikkim (b) Nagaland (c) Tripura (d) Assam

23. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced _________ as the Year of Community,
launching a national initiative aimed at fostering unity and inclusion across society.
(a) 2025 (b) 2026 (c) 2027 (d) 2028

24. Tiger Global and Peak XV backed Indian firm _________ has become the first fintech platform to roll out access to
India’s central bank digital currency.
(a) Fin Le (b) Cred (c) Sert (d) PhonePe

25. Who was recently honoured with the Maharaja Hari Singh Award?
(a) Manoj Sinha (b) Dr Farooque Abdullah
(c) Athar Amir Khan (d) Gulam Rasool Mir

26. Recently, The _________ has published the Payment System Report, December 2024.
(a) Finance Ministry (b) GIFT City (c) Reserve Bank of India (d) NITI Aayog

A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 27

27. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its new generation satellite _________ from
Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
(a) NVS-01 (b) NVS-02 (c) NVS-06 (d) NVS-09

28. Recently, Chinese startup _________ launch of its latest AI models, which it says are on a par or better than
industry-leading models in the United States at a fraction of the cost, is threatening to upset the technology world
order.
(a) OneKnight (b) DeepSeek (c) SeaHawk (d) UNI Call

29. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the _________ National Games in Dehradun, the capital of
Uttarakhand.
(a) 26th (b) 29th (c) 33rd (d) 38th

30. Who among the following sportsperson was recently honoured with the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for
ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024?
(a) Virat Kohli (b) Steven Smith (c) Saud Shakeel (d) Jasprit Bumrah

31. Which of the following states is poised to establish India’s first artificial intelligence (AI) university, aligning with
India’s “Viksit Bharat 2047” mission?
(a) Gujarat (b) Maharashtra (c) Haryana (d) Rajasthan

32. Which of the following state’s tableau based on the theme ‘Mahakumbh 2025 – Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur
Vikas’, has recently won the best tableau award at the Republic Day Parade?
(a) Uttar Pradesh (b) Jharkhand (c) Bihar (d) Haryana

33. Recently, The _________ state government has launched four major schemes including Rythu Bharosa, Indiramma
Atmiya Bharosa, Indirmma Indlu and New Ration cards, directly benefiting over 6 lakh 15 thousand eligible
citizens across the state.
(a) Telangana (b) Andhra Pradesh (c) Madhya Pradesh (d) Chhattisgarh

34. Recently, The government has approved the National Critical Mineral Mission with an outlay of more than
_________ crore rupees.
(a) 23 thousand (b) 28 thousand (c) 34 thousand (d) 44 thousand

35. Who of the following recently became the first in the world to run a government entirely on artificial intelligence
by 2027?
(a) Abu Dhabi (b) Sharjah (c) Dubai (d) Dublin

36. The First Airline in World to Operate Boeing 777X is___________.

(a) Lufthansa (b) Bharathi (c) Samar Craft (d) Alka Craft

37. Data Privacy Day (known in Europe as Data Protection Day) is an international event that occurs every year on
_________.
(a) 23 January (b) 25 January (c) 28 January (d) 31 January

38. Rock and dust samples retrieved by NASA from the asteroid _________ exhibit some of the chemical building
blocks of life, according to research that provides some of the best evidence to date that such space rocks may have
seeded early Earth with the raw ingredients that fostered the emergence of living organisms.
(a) Gastpro (b) Rennut (c) Bennu (d) Mastdren

39. The Ankurita Asom initiative, aimed at fostering a self-reliant Assam by promoting indigenous culture and trade,
has announced its upcoming _________.
(a) Ankurita Asom Agriculture Awards 2025 (b) Bharat Asom Agriculture Awards 2025
(c) Unique Assam Agriculture Awards 2025 (d) Indiana Assam Agriculture Awards 2025

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40. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has recently confirmed that _________ has decided to step down as ICC
Chief Executive.
(a) Nathan Gaught (b) Matthew Pottis (c) Geoff Allardice (d) Alan Knight

41. Tigers in India occupied _________ more area between 2006 and 2018 and they shared space with about 6 crore
people in 45 per cent of the tiger-occupied habitats.
(a) 30 per cent (b) 40 per cent (c) 50 per cent (d) 60 per cent

42. World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day is observed every year on _________.
(a) 27 January (b) 30 January (c) 31 January (d) 2 February

43. Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) has recently introduced a block chain-based digital
currency, _________, which is designed exclusively for the BIMTECH’s ecosystem.
(a) ‘BIMCOIN’ (b) ‘BIOCOIN’ (c) ‘TrimCOIN’ (d) ‘ONECOIN’

44. The World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates _________ for having met the criteria for onchocerciasis
elimination, making it the fifth country globally and the first country in Africa to be acknowledged by WHO for
interrupting transmission of the parasite Onchocerca volvulus.
(a) Niger (b) Angola (c) Zimbabwe (d) South Korea

45. Recently, Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence OpenAI has introduced _________, a specialised version of its
widely recognised AI model tailored for use by U.S. government agencies.
(a) ChatGPT Uni (b) ChatGPT Bharat (c) ChatGPT Gov (d) ChatGPT In

46. The first North East State to sign MoU with Bhashini for Multi-lingual Governance is___________.
(a) Tripura (b) Sikkim (c) Nagaland (d) Mizoram

47. Recently, The 32.78 hectare area of Guneri village in _________, which is a natural inland mangrove site, has been
declared as the first Biodiversity Heritage Site of Gujarat.
(a) Kutch district (b) Jamnagar district (c) Anand district (d) Surat district

48. Recently, who has launched a web-based portal, Integrated SEBI Portal for Technical Glitches (iSPOT), for
reporting technical issues faced by stock exchanges and other market infrastructure institutions (MIIs)?
(a) Life Insurance Company (b) Securities and Exchange Board of India
(c) NITI Aayog (d) Reserve Bank of India

49. Global fast-food giant _________ is setting up its Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Hyderabad, marking a
significant addition to the city’s growing reputation as a hub for global innovation and corporate activity.
(a) Swiggy (b) Dominos (c) McDonald (d) KFC

50. _________ “Dream of the Desert” luxury train will begin its inaugural journey by the end of 2026, traversing the
country’s stunning desert landscapes.
(a) UAE (b) Saudi Arabia (c) Kuwait (d) Jordan

51. Recently, The Centre has announced the addition of four new Ramsar sites in India, taking the tally to _________.
(a) 63 (b) 71 (c) 89 (d) 104

52. Name the former cricketer who will be honoured with the BCCI’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Board’s
annual gala in Mumbai?
(a) Sachin Tendulkar (b) Saurav Ganguly (c) Rahul Dravid (d) VVS Lakshman

53. Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain _________ is set to make history as the first Indian astronaut to travel to the
International Space Station (ISS).
(a) Shubhanshu Shukla (b) Hitakshi Kumar (c) Biplav Madaan (d) Deepak Rajan

A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 29

54. Recently, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) has announced that staff scientist and head of
the lab of cell signalling _________ has been elected as a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences.
(a) Deepa Tehlan (b) Neeta Kulshreshtha
(c) Rashna Bhandari (d) Mala Khetan

55. Recently, _________ the world’s busiest for international travel, saw a record 92.3 million passengers pass through
its terminals in 2024.
(a) Dublin International Airport (b) Dubai International Airport
(c) Hongkong International Airport (d) Singapore International Airport

56. Indian Coast Guard Day, also known as ICG Day, is observed annually on _________.
(a) February 9 (b) February 5 (c) February 1 (d) February 4

57. Islamist former rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has been appointed as _________ interim president after his Islamist
group led a lightning offensive on December 8 that toppled Bashar al-Assad.
(a) Iran’s (b) Iraq’s (c) Syria’s (d) Pman’s

58. The Government has announced that India is all set to launch its own safe and secure indigenous _________ model
at an affordable cost.
(a) Chat GPT (b) Artificial intelligence
(c) Net Flow (d) Unified Indian

59. Recently, Architecture Discipline has designed India’s first residence built with glulam — glue laminated timber —
in _________.
(a) Nagaland (b) Sikkim (c) Madhya Pradesh (d) Goa

60. The _________ outlined a process for private entities to gain access to Aadhaar authentication: namely, the firms
will have to refer their use case to a Union or State government Ministry or department.
(a) PMO (b) Ministry of Finance (c) NITI Aayog (d) UIDAI

61. How many Atal Tinkering Labs will be set up in the next five years?
(a) 10,000 (b) 25,000 (c) 50,000 (d) 1,00,000

62. What is the new tax exemption limit under the new tax regime for individuals?
(a) Rs.10 lakh (b) Rs.12 lakh (c) Rs.15 lakh (d) Rs.18 lakh

63. What is the FDI limit for the insurance sector as per the Union Budget 2025-26?
(a) 74% (b) 80% (c) 90% (d) 100%

64. India is the _________ largest exporter of textiles and apparel in the world.
(a) Fourth (b) Fifth (c) Sixth (d) Seventh

65. What is the name of the Man Portable Air Defence system developed by DRDO?
(a) Akash (b) VSHORADS (c) Nag (d) Prithvi

66. Who among the following presented the Union Budget 2025-26 in the Parliament?
(a) Rajnath Singh (b) Piyush Goyal (c) Nirmala Sitharaman (d) Amit Shah

67. Which of the following country’s military officer, Lieutenant General Batoo Tshering, is visiting India?
(a) Nepal (b) Sri Lanka (c) Bhutan (d) Bangladesh

68. Against which team did Abhishek Sharma score India’s second-fastest T20I century?
(a) Australia (b) England (c) New Zealand (d) South Africa

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69. Who among the following Indian Ministers chaired the High-Level Committee that approved disaster mitigation
funds?
(a) Nirmala Sitharaman (b) Amit Shah
(c) Rajnath Singh (d) Piyush Goyal

70. Which of the following organizations launched the Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM)?
(a) United Nations Environment Programme
(b) Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO
(c) World Economic Forum
(d) Global Ocean Alliance

A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 31

 ANSWER KEY AND EXPLANATION
1. c President Droupadi Murmu has approved conferment of 139 Padma Awards for Year 2025.

2. c The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi congratulated Indore and Udaipur on joining the list of 31 Wetland
Accredited Cities in the world.

3. a The Hon’ble Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, Dr. Arvind Panagariya, launched the inaugural issue of
NITI Aayog’s report titled “Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2025” in New Delhi.

4. a Union Urban Affairs and Power Minister Manohar Lal Kattar inaugurated a 24-hour water supply project in
Karimnagar in Telangana.

5. a In USA, the Senate has confirmed appointment of Pete Hegseth as the next U.S. Defence Secretary.

6. c The welfare boards for building and other construction workers of various States have not yet used the cess worth
₹70,744.16 crore they collected from the employers for the welfare of the workers.

7. a Jannik Sinner defeats Alexander Zverev to clinch back to back Australian Open title.

8. a Odisha Warriors wins first-ever Women’s Hockey India League title.

9. c United Nations General Assembly Resolution established the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach
Programme, also designated 27 January as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the
victims of the Holocaust

10. c At least 242 million students in 85 countries had their schooling disrupted by extreme climate events in 2024,
including heatwaves, tropical cyclones, storms, floods, and droughts, exacerbating an existing learning crisis,
according to a new UNICEF analysis released.

11. a Indian cinema celebrates another Oscar nomination as Anuja, a short film backed by Priyanka Chopra and Guneet
Monga, secures a coveted spot in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards.

12. c Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the two-day Utkarsh Odisha-Make in Odisha conclave-2025, the
flagship Global Investment Summit hosted by the Odisha government.

13. a In a major step toward modernizing the Indian Army’s surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS) in New Delhi. Named SANJAY, the
advanced automated system is designed to integrate data from various ground and aerial sensors.

14. a Chinese startup DeepSeek’s launch of its latest AI models, which it says are on a par or better than industry-leading
models in the United States at a fraction of the cost, is threatening to upset the technology world order.

15. a Punjab National Bank (PNB) has become the first bank in India to go live with Clari5’s cutting-edge NCRP
Integration Solution, a breakthrough in real-time complaint management for the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination
Centre’s (I4C) National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP).

16. b The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a plan to inject an additional Rs. 1.1 lakh crore into the banking
system through various measures, including open market purchase auctions of Government securities and a variable
rate repo auction.

17. a Germany Approves World’s First Submarine Active Defense System.

18. b India is gearing up to deploy its first human-operated underwater submersible as part of the Deep Ocean Mission.

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19. a India’s star batter Smriti Mandhana has been crowned the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for her
outstanding performances in 2024.

20. a In Australian Open Tennis, top seeded duo Taylor Townsend of US and Czech player Kateřina Siniaková clinched
the Women’s Doubles title at the Melbourne Park’s iconic Rod Laver Arena.

21. a International Saraswati Mahotsav will begin at Pehowa Saraswati Tirth in the Kurukshetra district of Haryana.

22. a In Sikkim, the Soreng district has started producing organic fish, becoming the country’s first organic fisheries
cluster.

23. a UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced 2025 as the Year of Community, launching a
national initiative aimed at fostering unity and inclusion across society.

24. b Tiger Global and Peak XV backed Indian firm Cred has become the first fintech platform to roll out access to
India’s central bank digital currency.

25. a In Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha was honoured with the Maharaja Hari Singh Award at a
ceremony in Jammu.

26. c The Reserve Bank of India has published the Payment System Report, December 2024.

27. b The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its new generation satellite NVS-02 from
Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

28. b Chinese startup DeepSeek’s launch of its latest AI models, which it says are on a par or better than industry-leading
models in the United States at a fraction of the cost, is threatening to upset the technology world order.

29. d Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 38th National Games in Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand.

30. d Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been honoured with the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC
Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024, recognising his exceptional performances across all formats.

31. b Maharashtra government is poised to establish India’s first artificial intelligence (AI) university, aligning with
India’s “Viksit Bharat 2047” mission and the aspiration to become a $5 trillion economy.

32. a Uttar Pradesh’s tableau based on the theme ‘Mahakumbh 2025 – Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas’, has won the
best tableau award at the Republic Day Parade held on 26th January at Kartavya Path in New Delhi.

33. a The Telangana state government has launched four major schemes including Rythu Bharosa, Indiramma Atmiya
Bharosa, Indirmma Indlu and New Ration cards, directly benefiting over 6 lakh 15 thousand eligible citizens across
the state.

34. c The government has approved the National Critical Mineral Mission with an outlay of more than 34 thousand crore
rupees.

35. a The Abu Dhabi government hopes to become the first in the world to run a government entirely on artificial
intelligence by 2027.

36. a Lufthansa will be the First Airline in World to Operate Boeing 777X.

37. c Data Privacy Day (known in Europe as Data Protection Day) is an international event that occurs every year on 28
January.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 33

38. c Rock and dust samples retrieved by NASA from the asteroid Bennu exhibit some of the chemical building blocks
of life, according to research that provides some of the best evidence to date that such space rocks may have seeded
early Earth with the raw ingredients that fostered the emergence of living organisms.

39. a The Ankurita Asom initiative, aimed at fostering a self-reliant Assam by promoting indigenous culture and trade,
has announced its upcoming Ankurita Asom Agriculture Awards 2025.

40. c The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that Geoff Allardice has decided to step down as ICC Chief
Executive.

41. a Tigers in India occupied 30 per cent more area between 2006 and 2018 and they shared space with about 6 crore
people in 45 per cent of the tiger-occupied habitats.

42. b World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day is observed every year on 30 January.

43. a Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) has introduced a block chain-based digital currency,
‘BIMCOIN’, which is designed exclusively for the BIMTECH’s ecosystem.

44. a The World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates Niger for having met the criteria for onchocerciasis
elimination, making it the fifth country globally and the first country in Africa to be acknowledged by WHO for
interrupting transmission of the parasite Onchocerca volvulus.

45. c Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence OpenAI has introducedChatGPT Gov, a specialised version of its widely
recognised AI model tailored for use by U.S. government agencies.

46. a Tripura becomes first North East State to sign MoU with Bhashini for Multi-lingual Governance.

47. a The 32.78 hectare area of Guneri village in Lakhtar tehsil of Kutch district, which is a natural inland mangrove site,
has been declared as the first Biodiversity Heritage Site of Gujarat.

48. b The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has launched a web-based portal, Integrated SEBI Portal for
Technical Glitches (iSPOT), for reporting technical issues faced by stock exchanges and other market infrastructure
institutions (MIIs).

49. c Global fast-food giant McDonald’s is setting up its Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Hyderabad, marking a
significant addition to the city’s growing reputation as a hub for global innovation and corporate activity.

50. b Saudi Arabia’s “Dream of the Desert” luxury train will begin its inaugural journey by the end of 2026, traversing
the country’s stunning desert landscapes.

51. c The Centre has announced the addition of four new Ramsar sites in India, taking the tally to 89. The Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change said that ahead of World Wetlands Day, the government announced that
Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary and Therthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, Khecheopalri Wetland in Sikkim,
and Udhwa Lake in Jharkhand have been included in the list of Ramsar sites in the country.

52. a Legendary former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will be honoured with the BCCI’s Lifetime Achievement Award at
the Board’s annual gala in Mumbai.

53. a Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to make history as the first Indian astronaut to
travel to the International Space Station (ISS).

54. c Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) has announced that staff scientist and head of the lab of
cell signalling Rashna Bhandari has been elected as a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences.

Page : 34 A General Awareness Weekly, 2024

55. b Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, saw a record 92.3 million passengers pass
through its terminals in 2024.

56. d Indian Coast Guard Day, also known as ICG Day, is observed annually on February 1.

57. c Islamist former rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has been appointed as Syria’s interim president after his Islamist
group led a lightning offensive on December 8 that toppled Bashar al-Assad.

58. b The Government has announced that India is all set to launch its own safe and secure indigenous Artificial
intelligence (AI) model at an affordable cost.

59. d Architecture Discipline has designed India’s first residence built with glulam — glue laminated timber — in Goa.

60. d The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) outlined a process for private entities to gain access to
Aadhaar authentication: namely, the firms will have to refer their use case to a Union or State government Ministry
or department, which will then have to refer the proposal to the UIDAI.

61. c The Union Budget proposes to set up 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in government schools to promote innovation.

62. b The new tax regime, no income tax is payable up to an income of ₹12 lakh per year.

63. d The budget raises the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit in the insurance sector from 74% to 100%.

64. c According to the Economic Survey, India is the sixth-largest exporter of textiles and apparel globally.

65. b VSHORADS (Very Short-Range Air Defence System) is an indigenously developed Man Portable Air Defence
system by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat. It successfully intercepted high-speed targets during trials in Odisha.

66. c Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, presented the Union Budget 2025-26 in
Parliament.

67. c Lieutenant General Batoo Tshering, Chief Operations Officer of the Royal Bhutan Army, is on an official visit to
India.

68. b Abhishek Sharma scored 135 runs against England, breaking India’s T20I record for the highest individual score.

69. b Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the High-Level Committee that approved the disaster mitigation fund
allocation.

70. b The Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM) was launched by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission to tackle marine environmental challenges.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2024 Page : 35