🇮🇳 National News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 38th National Games in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, with the theme ‘Green Games’, focusing on environmental sustainability in sporting events.
Event Highlights:
- 38th Edition – India’s premier multi-sport event
- Venue – Dehradun, Uttarakhand
- Theme – ‘Green Games’ emphasizing sustainability
- Environmental Focus – Eco-friendly event management
- National Sports Platform – Showcasing India’s athletic talent
The National Games are India’s premier multi-sport event featuring athletes from across states and union territories. Sustainability themes are increasingly integrated into major sporting events globally to promote environmental consciousness.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini inaugurated 324 crèche centers across the state to support working mothers with childcare facilities. The initiative is part of a broader package of women-focused welfare schemes.
Key Initiatives Announced:
- 324 Crèche Centers – Childcare facilities for working mothers
- Women Sarpanches as Ambassadors – For Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign
- Bima Sakhi Yojana – Women earn salary + insurance commissions
- Har Ghar-Har Grihini Yojana – 13.24 lakh families to receive LPG cylinders at ₹500/month
- Women Empowerment – Comprehensive support for economic participation
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao was launched in 2015 to promote girl child welfare. Welfare schemes targeting women empowerment often include subsidized LPG access, childcare support, and economic opportunities to enhance their participation in the workforce.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Utkarsh Odisha – Make in Odisha Conclave 2025’ at Janata Maidan, Bhubaneswar, aimed at attracting investments and promoting industrial growth. The event was attended by CM Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Ministers.
Odisha is positioning itself as Eastern India’s industrial hub, leveraging its mineral resources, ports, and strategic location to attract domestic and international investments.
Tripura became the first Northeastern state to sign an MoU with the Digital India Bhashini Division (DIBD) under MeitY on January 28, 2025, for implementing multilingual governance and enhancing regional language accessibility.
Bhashini supports AI-based language translation tools, enabling government services and digital content to be accessible in multiple Indian languages, promoting digital inclusion.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced four welfare schemes on January 26, 2025 (Republic Day), focusing on farmers, landless laborers, and marginalized groups, fulfilling 2023 election promises.
🌐 International News
India and Oman signed a protocol to amend their Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) and accelerated negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), aiming to boost trade and investment cooperation between the two nations.
Agreement Highlights:
- DTAA Amendment – Preventing double taxation of income
- CEPA Acceleration – Comprehensive trade partnership
- Trade Enhancement – Facilitating bilateral commerce
- Investment Boost – Encouraging cross-border investments
- Economic Cooperation – Strengthening strategic ties
DTAA (Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement) prevents the same income from being taxed in both countries. CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) covers trade in goods, services, and investment, creating a comprehensive framework for economic cooperation.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced 2025 as the ‘Year of Community’ with the theme “Hand in Hand”, promoting volunteerism, unity, and inclusivity across the nation.
The UAE frequently declares thematic national years to focus government efforts and public attention on specific priorities, ranging from tolerance and sustainability to innovation and community building.
India and Indonesia signed five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to enhance bilateral cooperation during Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s visit from January 23–26, 2025, where he served as Chief Guest at India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations.
The choice of Republic Day Chief Guests reflects India’s strategic partnerships and diplomatic priorities. Indonesia is a key partner in India’s Act East Policy and maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
💼 Business & Economy
RBL Bank and Piramal Capital & Housing Finance entered a co-lending partnership targeting middle- and low-income groups in rural and semi-urban areas, expanding formal credit access to underserved borrowers.
Partnership Benefits:
- Co-Lending Model – Combining bank funds with NBFC reach
- Target Segment – Middle and low-income groups
- Geographic Focus – Rural and semi-urban borrowers
- Financial Inclusion – Expanding formal credit access
- Credit Penetration – Reaching underserved markets
Co-lending models combine the low-cost funds of banks with the extensive distribution networks of NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies), promoting financial inclusion by providing affordable credit to previously underserved segments.
Jio launched JioSoundPay, providing multilingual audio confirmations for UPI payments, designed to help small businesses and street vendors with instant payment verification and fraud reduction.
Service Features:
- Audio Confirmations – Instant voice alerts for payments
- Multilingual Support – Accessible in multiple Indian languages
- Small Business Focus – Helping vendors and merchants
- Fraud Prevention – Audio verification reduces risks
- UPI Integration – Works with existing UPI ecosystem
UPI (Unified Payments Interface) was developed by NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India). Audio confirmation features help reduce fraud risks and provide immediate payment verification, especially beneficial for merchants in informal sectors.
The Reserve Bank of India set the interest rate at 6.66% per annum for Government of India Floating Rate Bonds 2035 (GOI FRB 2035), linked to the 5-year government security yield.
Floating rate bonds have interest rates that adjust periodically based on a benchmark rate, protecting investors from interest rate risk by ensuring returns move with market rates.
🔬 Science & Technology
The Magnetic North Pole continues its shift toward Siberia, impacting navigation systems, aviation, and animal migration patterns, requiring updates to global positioning systems worldwide.
Impact Areas:
- Navigation Systems – GPS and compass calibration updates needed
- Aviation – Flight path and instrument adjustments
- Animal Migration – Affecting species that use magnetic fields
- Marine Navigation – Ship routing and positioning systems
- Scientific Monitoring – Ongoing tracking of pole movement
Magnetic north (where compass needles point) differs from geographic north (true north pole). The magnetic north pole moves due to changes in Earth’s molten iron core, and its current drift toward Siberia requires periodic updates to navigation systems worldwide.
ISRO successfully completed its 100th mission on January 29, 2025, launching GSLV-F15 carrying NVS-02 satellite from Sriharikota, enhancing India’s NavIC navigation system.
| Mission Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Milestone | 100th ISRO Mission |
| Launch Vehicle | GSLV-F15 |
| Satellite | NVS-02 |
| Launch Site | Sriharikota (Satish Dhawan Space Centre) |
| Date | January 29, 2025 |
| Purpose | Enhancing NavIC navigation system |
NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) is India’s regional satellite navigation system, providing positioning and timing services across the Indian subcontinent. This 100th mission milestone demonstrates ISRO’s growing capabilities in space technology.
🏆 Awards & Recognition
Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir Manoj Sinha was honored with the Maharaja Hari Singh Award, recognized for his governance and reform efforts in the union territory.
🏆 Sports
Ladakh topped the medal tally at the Khelo India Winter Games 2025 held in Leh, while the Indian Army retained the men’s ice hockey title.
Event Highlights:
- Top Performer – Ladakh dominated medal standings
- Venue – Leh, Ladakh
- Ice Hockey – Indian Army retained championship
- Winter Sports – Showcasing regional talent
- Khelo India Program – Promoting sports across India
Khelo India Winter Games promote winter sports talent in India’s Himalayan regions, providing a platform for athletes in skiing, ice hockey, skating, and other winter disciplines.
📅 Important Days
Indian Newspaper Day is observed annually on January 29 to commemorate the introduction of India’s first newspaper and highlight the role of print media in shaping public discourse and democratic values.
Day’s Significance:
- Print Media Heritage – Celebrating journalism’s role in India
- First Newspaper – Historical milestone in press freedom
- Public Discourse – Media’s role in democracy
- Press Freedom – Honoring journalistic independence
- Information Access – Print media’s continuing relevance
India’s first newspaper was Hicky’s Bengal Gazette, founded by James Augustus Hicky in 1780 in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Indian Newspaper Day celebrates the evolution of print media and its crucial role in informing citizens and holding power accountable.
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