National News

1. Pramod Sawant inaugurates the Sci-FI Science Film Festival of India

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has inaugurated the 10th Sci-FI Science Film Festival of India in Panaji.
The annual Sci-FI Science Film Festival of India is organised by the Goa government every year to foster curiosity, scientific temperament, and enthusiasm amongst the students.
The festival will inspire the youth of the state to pursue a career in science and play a crucial role in making India a developed country by 2047.
The theme of the 10th Sci-FI Science Film Festival of India is the Green Revolution. It is a tribute to the father of the Indian Green Revolution Dr M S Swaminathan. About Goa
Formation – 30 May 1987
Capital – Panaji
Chief Minister – Pramod Sawant
Governor – S. Sreedharan Pillai

2. KPI Green Energy signs ₹1,311 crore solar project deal with Coal India

KPI Green Energy Limited has signed a agreement with Coal India Limited to develop a 300 MW AC grid-connected solar PV plant in Gujarat’s Khavda region.
The project, valued at ₹1,311.40 crore, will be installed at GIPCL’s Solar Park and includes operation and maintenance services for five years.
The project demonstrates the ongoing transition in India’s energy sector, with traditional fossil fuel companies like Coal India increasingly investing in renewable energy infrastructure.

3. Garuda Aerospace commits ₹100 crore for developing India’s f irst drone city in Andhra Pradesh

Chennai-based Garuda Aerospace, a drone manufacturer, has announced an investment of ₹100 crore for the development of Andhra Pradesh as India’s first ‘Drone City’.
The project aims to foster drone innovation, research, and development, transforming the nation into a global hub for drone technology.
Founder & CEO of Garuda Aerospace – Agnishwar Jayaprakash

4. Govt forms GoM on financial viability of Discoms

The Government of India has set up a Group of Ministers to address issues related to the viability of the electricity distribution utilities in the country. Union Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy, Shripad Yesso Naik, is the Chairman of the Group of Ministers.

The Group of Ministers will analyze and make recommendations to the government on the following issues –

Analyze the debt of the Electricity distribution boards in key states of India.
Identify parameters that need to be monitored to ensure borrowings by electricity distribution utilities are productive.
Identify States that are in urgent need of liquidity support (cash) and suggest a fiscal discipline program to enable them to avoid a debt trap.
Recommend guidelines for investment plans concerning capital expenditure targeted at overall improvement.
Suggest measures for improvement in the overall health of the electricity distribution sector to attract further investment from private participants.

Economics News

5. Mission for manuscript conservation launched

The Union Budget 2025-26 announced a special mission for the survey, documentation, and conservation of India's manuscript heritage, launched as the 'Gyan Bharatam Mission'. This initiative aims to cover more than one crore manuscripts.
The 'Gyan Bharatam Mission' will focus on the "survey, documentation and conservation" of India's manuscript heritage held by academic institutions, museums, libraries, and private collectors, Union Finance Minister mala Sitharaman said in her Budget speech.
Sharp hike
To support this initiative, the Budget allocation for the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) has been increased from 3.5 crore to ₹60 crore. The NMM aims to identify and document manuscripts and make them accessible across the country.
The Hindu had reported last October that the Union Ministry of Culture planned to "revive and re-Nir-launch" the NMM and was mulling forming an autonomous body to help preserve ancient texts in India. Currently, the National Mission for Manuscripts is a part of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts. Established in 2003, it had not taken off as anticipated.
Welcoming the move, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that the new mission "announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sithara-man will enable Bharat to preserve and protect the invaluable wisdom and knowledge held by these manuscripts found across the country".
The overall allocation for the Culture Ministry has been increased by approximately 100 crore with a total outlay of ₹3,360.96 crore as against the revised estimate of *3,260.93 crore in the current fiscal.

6. Budgetary allocation for MEA hiked by 15.45%

The Union Budget has increased the allocation for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) by 15.45%. The total allocation of *20,516.61 crore made for the annual requirements of the MEA is, however, without the EXIM bank provisioning that is also part of the MEA's annual Budget plans.
The Ministry has received 6,750 crore comprising 33% of the overall Budget for development partnerships.
A total of 4,320 crore has been allocated for immediate neighbours which is meant for infrastructure projects such as hydroelectric plants, housing, roads and bridges in the South Asian neighbourhood.

Banking and Financial News

7. IRDAI caps senior citizen health premium hike at 10% annually

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has stepped in to curb steep health insurance premium hikes.
Insurers can no longer raise premiums for policyholders aged 60 and above by more than 10% per year without prior approval, which will ensure accessibility of health insurance to those who are the most vulnerable to medical inflation.

Appointment News

8. Hisashi Takeuchi re-appointed as Maruti Suzuki’s MD and CEO

Maruti Suzuki India has re-appointed of Hisashi Takeuchi as the company’s Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Takeuchi’s term has been extended for a period of three years from April 1, 2025 till March 31, 2028.
Takeuchi took charge as Maruti Suzuki’s MD and CEO on April 1, 2022, after Kenichi Ayukawa completed his term on March 31, 2022.
Maruti Suzuki’s Board has also recommended the re-appointment of Maheswar Sahu as an Independent Director for a further period of five years, from May 14, 2025, to May 13, 2030.

9. Justice Harsh Kumar to head Judicial Commission on Maha Kumbh Stampede

The Uttar Pradesh government of Yogi Adityanath has set up a three-member judicial committee headed by retired judge of the Allahabad High Court Justice Harsh Kumar, to inquire into the stampede incident in Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj on 29 January 2025.
The three-member Inquiry Committee consists of Justice (retd.) Harsh Kumar, former Director General of Police V K Gupta, and retired IAS officer The commission will examine the cause and circumstances that led to the stampede and will recommend measures to prevent such incidentre. The commission has to submit its report to the Uttar Pradesh government within one month.
According to the Uttar Pradesh Government, 30 people were killed and 60 were injured in the pre-dawn stampede at the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh as millions of people rushed to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya (new moon day) on 29 January 2025.

10. Rajesh Nirwan appointed as Director General at BCAS

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Civil Aviation for the appointment of senior IPS Officer, Rajesh Nirwan as the Director General of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Rajesh Nirwan, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Rajasthan cadre from the 1992 batch, brings extensive experience and expertise to his new role.
BCAS, functioning under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is responsible for ensuring the security of civil aviation operations across India. The Bureau plays a pivotal role in maintaining and upgrading aviation security standards in line with international protocols, safeguarding civil aviation operations from acts of unlawful interference.

Recent Appointments

CEO of Vedanta Resources Ltd. – Deshnee Naidoo
CEO of Reliance Power – Neeraj Parakh
President of Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) for 2025 – Dhananjay Shukla as the Chairperson of the Executive Council of the Prime Ministers Museum and Library Society – Nripendra Mishra
Secretary of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education – Vineet Joshi

Books and Author News

11. Amit Shah releases “Indian Renaissance: The Modi Decade” book

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah has released “Indian Renaissance: The Modi Decade” book in New Delhi.
Amit Shah said that in the past 10 years of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s tenure have marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. He emphasized that whenever India’s history is rewritten, even Modi Ji’s staunchest critics will acknowledge these 10 years in golden letters.

Recent Books

Mastering Disruption: A practical Guide to understanding – Ganesh Krishnan

View Finder A memoir – Amol Palekar

How India Scaled MT G20 – Amitabh Kant

Middle Class India: Driving Change in the 21st Century – Journalist Manisha Pande

Will India Get Rich Before It Turns 100 – Prosenjit Datta

Indian The Meteroic Rise of Indian in America – Meenakshi Ahamed

Important day

12. 30 January – World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day

World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day is observed annually on January 30 to raise awareness about neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and mobilize global efforts to eliminate them.
These diseases affect over 1.7 billion people worldwide, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions with poor access to healthcare, clean water, and sanitation.
Theme 2025 – Act. Eliminate.
It was officially recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021.

Obituary News

13. Renowned Sculptor Latika Katt Passes Away

Latika Katt, one of India’s most prolific and celebrated sculptors, passed away at the age of 76.
Over her five-decade-long career, she worked with a variety of mediums, including terracotta, papier-mâché, stone, and bronze, earning numerous national and international awards for her contributions to art.

14. Former Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla passes away at 79

Former Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC) Navin Chawla passed away on Saturday. He was 79.
Mr. Chawla was the 16th CEC from April 21, 2009, to July 29, 2010. He had been Election Commissioner from 2005. He died here at Apollo Hospital where he had been admitted for a brain surgery.
Condoling his death, the Election Commission (EC), in a statement, said: "Shri Chawla, during his tenure, led many reforms including enabling third gender voters to exercise a preference to vote in a new cate-egory of "other", instead of being compelled to vote as "male" or "female". Former CEC S.Y. Qu-raishi posted on X: "Sad to know about the passing on of Shri Navin Chawla, former Chief Election Commissioner of India. May his soul rest in peace."
Mr. Chawla joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1969. In the course of his career, he served in the governments of Delhi, Goa, Puducherry, and Lakshadweep as well as the Ministries of Labour, Home, and Information and Broadcasting. As the Joint Secretary and later as Secretary, he helped to shape the "Open-Sky" policies.
During his tenure as CEC, he successfully completed the general elections in April-May 2009 and initiated several im-portant reforms.
His tenure as Election Commissioner was mired in controversy when then CEC N. Gopalaswami recommended his removal from the EC to the govern-ment. It was the culmina-tion of differences within the three-member com-mission on many crucial decisions.
Mr. Gopalaswami's recommendation, which came about three months before he was to demit office as CEC, was based on a petition by the BJP, which had complained against the "partisan" functioning of Mr. Chawla.
It was, however, rejected by then-President Pratibha Patil. The Supreme Court had also dismissed a lawsuit that sought his removal.
Mr. Chawla had recommended to the Law Ministry that a constitutional amendment be made to bring the process of removal of Election Commissioners at par with that of the CEC, which was by impeachment by two-thirds of MPs present and voting. Mr. Chawla had a long association with Mother
Teresa. In 1992, he wrote her biography, titled "Mother Teresa". His interest in the leprosy condition also resulted in a report on "The vocational rehabilitation and social reintegration of the leprosy affected in India", which was released by Mother Teresa in 1987.

Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 2nd February 2025