Current Affairs for NDA 2025: The fourth week of January 2025 witnessed significant national and international developments. Important Days included Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti (23rd Jan), National Voters Day (25th Jan), and Martyrs’ Day (30th Jan).
In National News, India launched the Entity Locker for digital business documentation, celebrated the 10th anniversary of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and introduced Diamond Imprest Authorization (DIA) Scheme to boost the diamond sector. International News saw India joining the Eurodrone Programme, while the UAE declared 2025 as the Year of Community. In Defence, the Ministry of Defence signed a ₹1,561 crore contract for T-72 Bridge Laying Tanks, and India successfully tested the Pralay quasi-ballistic missile.
Awards and Honours included President Droupadi Murmu conferring gallantry awards to 93 Armed Forces personnel, and the Oscars 2025 announcing Emilia Pérez as the leading film. Appointments featured Usha Vance making history as the first Indian-American and Hindu Second Lady of the U.S., while Donald Trump took oath as the 47th U.S. President. In Science & Technology, ISRO prepared for its 100th launch with NVS-02 satellite, and India tested its first micro-missile system, Bhargavastra. These developments highlight India’s advancements in governance, defense, science, and global engagement.
JANUARY 4TH WEEK CURRENT AFFAIRS: NDA
IMPORTANT DAYS
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti (23rd January) – Observed to honor the birth of Netaji Subhas Chandra
Bose. - International Day of Education (24th January) – Declared by the UN in 2018 to recognize the importance of
education. - National Girl Child Day (24th January) – Established in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child
Development to address gender discrimination. - National Voters Day (25th January) – First observed in 2011 to encourage electoral participation, with the 2025
theme: “Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure.” - National Tourism Day (25th January) – Highlights the significance of tourism in India’s economy.
- International Day of Clean Energy (26th January) – Declared by the UN in 2023 to promote clean energy and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. - World Leprosy Day (26th January) – Observed on the last Sunday of January to raise awareness about leprosy.
- International Customs Day (26th January) – Established by the World Customs Organization (WCO) in 1983 to
promote customs cooperation. - International Holocaust Remembrance Day (27th January) – Established by the UN in 2005 to honor the victims
of the Holocaust. - Birth Anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai (28th January) – Commemorates the life of freedom fighter and social
reformer Lala Lajpat Rai. - Data Protection Day (28th January) – Established by the Council of Europe in 2006 to promote awareness
about data privacy and security. - The World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2025is celebrated every year on the 30th of January 2025
- Martyrs Day 2025 is observed on the 30th of January 2025.
NATIONAL NEWS
- 3rd National Mining Ministers’ Conference held in Konark, Odisha, with participation from Union Minister Shri
G. Kishan Reddy and Odisha CM Shri Mohan Charan Majhi. - Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration 2024launched on 20th January 2025.
- Entity Locker, a digital platform for business document management, launched by MeitY.
- Smriti Iraniand Shekhar Kapur join reconstituted Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society.
- Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority launches ₹2,000 crore expansion projects, including solar-powered
boats and tugs. - Livestock Conclave in Shillong inaugurated by Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh.
- Diamond Imprest Authorization (DIA) Scheme introduced to boost India’s diamond sector, effective April 2025.
- India prepares for eVTOL air taxi trialsto address urban congestion.
- 10th anniversary of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme celebrated, aligning with Viksit Bharat 2047
- India aims for 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030.
- Draft e-commerce self-regulation guidelinesintroduced to protect consumers.
- Indian Sustainable Natural Rubber (iSNR)initiative launched in Kottayam, Kerala.
- National Health Mission (NHM)drives progress toward health-related SDGs by 2030.
- Competition Commission of India’s Monetary Penalty Guidelinesnominated for global antitrust award.
- India showcases inclusive growth hand digital transformation at World Economic Forum 2025.
- UNESCO and MeitY collaborate on AI Readiness Assessment to align with global ethical standards.
- INCOIS awarded Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2025 for disaster management
contributions.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
- India has officially joined the Eurodrone programme as an observer state, marking its entry into the OCCAR-
managed Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) - Nepal Pashmina Industries Associationand the Confederation of Nepalese Industries hosted the
first International Pashmina Festival in Nepal, showcasing over 150 domestic stalls, including 40 dedicated to
pure Nepali Pashmina. - The Trump administration’s Interior Department announced a rebranding effort. The Gulf of Mexicowas
renamed to the Gulf of America and Alaska’s Denali was renamed back to Mount McKinley. - UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyanannounced 2025 as the Year of Community, aiming to
promote unity and inclusion across the society. - The Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, marks the beginning of the traditional lunisolar Chinese
calendar.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
- The 97th Academy Awards (Oscars 2025) will be held on March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los
Angeles. Leading Film: “Emilia Pérez” - The 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting commenced in Davos, Switzerland, recognizing global
leaders with the Crystal Awards for their contributions to social, environmental, and creative progress. The
2025 awardees include: - Riken Yamamoto: For innovating sustainable architecture.
- President Droupadi Murmuconferred gallantry awards to 93 personnel from the Armed Forces and Central
Armed Police Forces (CAPF), recognising their extraordinary bravery, valiant efforts, and selfless service to the
nation. - On the occasion of the 76th Republic Day, President Smt. Droupadi Murmuhas approved the
prestigious President’s Tatrakshak Medal (PTM) and Tatrakshak Medal (TM) for the personnel of the Indian
Coast Guard (ICG). - Shri Hariman Sharma, a pioneering farmer from Himachal Pradesh, has been awarded the prestigious Padma
Shri (2025) for his revolutionary contributions to Indian agriculture. - Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinhawas conferred with the prestigious Maharaja Hari Singh Award at a grand
ceremony held at Satyam Resort, Jammu - Uttar Pradesh’s tableau,titled ‘Maha Kumbh 2025 – Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas’, has claimed the first place in the People’s Choice Award category, securing 40% of the votes (25,007).
APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)reconstituted the Standing External Advisory Committee (SEAC) to evaluateapplications for universal banks and small finance banks.
- Usha Vance has made history as the 1st Indian-American and Hindu 2nd Lady of the United States. Herhusband J.D. Vance took the oath of office as the 50th Vice President in Washington, D.C.
- Donald Trump,who took oath as the 47th US President on January 20, 2025.
- Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, a 1994-batch IPS officerfrom the Tamil Nadu cadre, has been appointed asthe Additional Director General (ADG) of the Border Security Force (BSF).
- The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI)has announced the election of Dhananjay Shukla asits President for the year 2025.
- DigiHaat, a buyer app launched by Nirmit Bharat, a subsidiary of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), has announced the appointment of Rahul Vijas its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).
- Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martinhas been confirmed as Prime Minister of Ireland after a vote in the Dáil, Ireland’s lower house of parliament.
- Jitender Pal Singh, who has served as India’s point person for engaging with the Taliban since their capture of power in Afghanistan in August 2021, has been appointed as India’s new Ambassador to Israel.
- Ayushmann Khurrana has been appointed as the ambassador of ‘FICCI Frames’.
- Alexander Lukashenkohas been re-elected president of Belarus, securing a 7th five-year term.
RANKING AND REPORTS
- India has emerged as the seventh-largest coffee producer in the world, with its coffee exports reaching $1.29 billion in FY 2023-24, nearly doubling from $719.42 million in 2020-21.
- NITI Aayog released the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) for 18 major states in India, analyzing their fiscal health based on GDP contribution, demography, public expenditure, revenues, and fiscal stability. Odisha topped the index with a score of 67.8, excelling in Debt Index (99.0).
- Chinese AI start up Deep Seekhas made significant strides by overtaking Open AI’s Chat GPT as the most downloaded free app in the on Apple’s App Store.
DEFENCE NEWS
- Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, has developed Supersonic Combustion Ramjet (Scramjet)powered hypersonic technology.
- The Ministry of Defence (MoD)has signed a ₹1,561 crore contract with Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) for the procurement of 47 T-72 Bridge Laying Tanks (BLT) for the Indian Army.
- The Keel Laying of the 7th ship (BY 529, Machilipatnam) under the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft(ASW SWC) project was conducted on 29 Jan 25 in the presence of RAdm Upal Kundu, Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
- India’s 1sttactical quasi-ballistic missile, Pralay, is set to debut at the 26 January, 2025 Republic Day parade.
- India has successfully tested its 1stindigenously developed micro-missile system, Bhargavastra, designed to counter the growing threat of swarm drones.
- Sky root Aerospace has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Telangana government to setup an integrated private rocket manufacturing, integration, and testing facility.
- The ePlane Company, incubated at IIT Madras, has become the first private Indian firm to receive formal acceptance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the Type Certification of its electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the e200X.
- India is set to launch its 1st human underwater submersible (Deep-Sea Manned Vehicle) this year, marking a significant milestone in the country’s scientific capabilities and the blue economy.
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in its 100th launch, is set to send a 2,250-kg navigation satellite, NVS-02, onboard GSLV-F15from Sriharikota on January 29 at 06.23 am.
FAQs on January 4th Week Current Affairs
What are the important days observed in the fourth week of January 2025?
- Some significant days include Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti (23rd Jan), National Voters Day (25th Jan), Martyrs’ Day (30th Jan), International Day of Clean Energy (26th Jan), and Data Protection Day (28th Jan).
What were the major national news highlights?
- India launched Entity Locker, a digital business documentation platform.
- The 10th anniversary of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao was celebrated.
- The Diamond Imprest Authorization (DIA) Scheme was introduced to support the diamond sector.
- India is preparing for eVTOL air taxi trials to address urban congestion.
- India aims to achieve 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030.
What were the key international developments?
- India joined the Eurodrone Programme as an observer state.
- UAE President declared 2025 as the Year of Community to promote unity.
- Nepal hosted the first International Pashmina Festival.
- The Trump administration rebranded Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America and Denali back to Mount McKinley.
What are the latest awards and honors announced?
- The Oscars 2025 will take place on March 2, 2025, with Emilia Pérez as the leading film.
- President Droupadi Murmu conferred gallantry awards to 93 Armed Forces personnel.
- Shri Hariman Sharma, a farmer from Himachal Pradesh, received the Padma Shri 2025.
- Uttar Pradesh’s Maha Kumbh 2025 tableau won the People’s Choice Award.
Who are the latest important appointments and resignations?
- Usha Vance became the first Indian-American and Hindu Second Lady of the U.S..
- Donald Trump took oath as the 47th President of the U.S. on January 20, 2025.
- Jitender Pal Singh was appointed as India’s new Ambassador to Israel.
- Ayushmann Khurrana was named the brand ambassador of FICCI Frames.
What are the major defense updates?
- India developed the Supersonic Combustion Ramjet (Scramjet) hypersonic technology.
- The Ministry of Defence signed a ₹1,561 crore contract for 47 T-72 Bridge Laying Tanks.
- India’s first tactical quasi-ballistic missile, Pralay, is set to debut at the Republic Day Parade 2025.
What are the latest advancements in science and technology?
- India tested its first indigenously developed micro-missile system, Bhargavastra.
- Skyroot Aerospace signed an MoU with the Telangana government for private rocket manufacturing.
- ISRO’s 100th launch, featuring the NVS-02 navigation satellite, will take place on January 29, 2025.
- The ePlane Company received approval from DGCA for its electric eVTOL aircraft, e200X.
What are India’s latest rankings and reports?
- India became the seventh-largest coffee producer in the world, with exports reaching $1.29 billion.
- NITI Aayog’s Fiscal Health Index ranked Odisha as the best-performing state in fiscal management.
- Chinese AI startup Deep Seek overtook ChatGPT as the most downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store.
