CURRENT AFFAIRS 08-01-2025

APPOINTMENTS

Bahadur Singh Sagoo has been elected as president of Athletics Federation of India.

• Bahadur Singh Sagoo has been elected as the new president of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

• The Asian Games gold medalist succeeds Adille Sumariwalla, who served as AFI president for over a decade.

• Sagoo took over the role at the Annual General Assembly meeting in Chandigarh.

• Adille Sumariwalla's leadership spanned from 2012 to 2023.

• Sandeep Mehta has been appointed as the new secretary of the Athletics Federation of India.

• The AFI's leadership change marks a new chapter in Indian athletics.

• A bronze-level Continental Tour athletics event will be held in Bhubaneswar.

• The event in Bhubaneswar is expected to attract top athletes from across the region.

V Narayanan as chairman of ISRO and secretary of the Department of Space.

• V Narayanan appointed as Chairman of ISRO and Secretary of the Department of Space.

• He will take office on January 14, succeeding S Somanath.

• Narayanan is currently the Director of ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Valiamala, Kerala.

• He is an expert in rocket and spacecraft propulsion.

• Narayanan joined ISRO in 1984.

• S Somanath, the current Chairman, assumed office on January 14, 2022.

• Somanath is the 10th Chairman of ISRO.

24 members appointed to NCLT's Principal Bench in New Delhi on January 7.

• 24 Judicial and Technical Members have been appointed to the NCLT’s Principal Bench in New Delhi.

• Appointees include 11 Judicial Members and 13 Technical Members.

• They will serve a tenure of five years or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier.

• Judicial Members include Justice Jyotsna Sharma, Sunil Kumar Aggarwal, and others.

• Technical Members include Reena Sinha Puri, Siddharth Mishra, and others.

• The appointments aim to reduce case backlog and speed up resolutions.

• NCLT addresses issues related to Indian companies.

• It is a quasi-judicial body established on June 1, 2016.

• The tribunal's headquarters is located in New Delhi.

• Chief Justice (Retd) Ramalingam Sudhakar is the current President of NCLT.

NATIONAL NEWS

Marathi language was officially given classical status.

• On January 8, Marathi was officially granted classical language status via a Government Resolution (GR).

• Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat handed over the recognition to Maharashtra’s Marathi Language Minister Uday Samant in Delhi.

• The Union Cabinet had approved Marathi’s classical status alongside Assamese, Bengali, Pali, and Prakrit on October 3, 2024.

• The official notification was delayed until January 8 for formal acknowledgment.

• Uday Samant called the recognition a "dream come true" for Marathi speakers globally.

• The Maharashtra government plans to submit a proposal to the central government detailing the benefits for classical languages.

• The classical status offers benefits according to established rules for such languages.

• Union Minister Shekhawat will attend the Marathi World Conference in Pune from January 31 to February 2.

• Tamil was the first language to receive classical status in 2004, followed by Sanskrit in 2005.

• The recognition of Marathi enhances its cultural and academic prominence worldwide.

Government launched India’s first organic fish cluster in Sikkim.

• India’s first organic fish cluster was inaugurated in Sikkim by Union Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister Ranjan Singh.

• Located in Soreng District, the cluster aims to enhance farmer incomes and support sustainable aquaculture practices.

• The initiative focuses on producing and selling fish free from antibiotics, chemicals, and pesticides.

• Ranjan Singh also launched 50 key projects worth ₹50 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

• The organic fish cluster promotes an ecologically sustainable farming system.

• The cluster avoids the use of harmful chemicals, antibiotics, and pesticides in fish farming.

• It aims to reduce environmental pollution and protect aquatic ecosystems.

• The project will contribute to the development of sustainable fish production practices.

Government approved memorial for former President Pranab Mukherjee.

• Government has allocated a designated site in the Rashtriya Smriti complex for a memorial to former President Pranab Mukherjee.

• The Rashtriya Smriti complex is part of the Rajghat precinct.

• Pranab Mukherjee passed away on August 31, 2020, after testing positive for COVID-19.

• He served as India's 13th President from 2012 to 2017.

• Mukherjee was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019 by President Ram Nath Kovind.

• He received the Padma Vibhushan in 2008 for his contributions.

• Before his presidency, he was preceded by Pratibha Patil and succeeded by Ram Nath Kovind.

• Pranab Mukherjee also served as Finance Minister twice and earned global recognition, including being named Best Finance Minister in 1984 and Finance Minister of the Year for Asia in 2010.

BANKING, ECONOMY AND FINANCE

India’s GDP will likely to grow 6.4% in 2024-25.

• India’s GDP is projected to grow by 6.4% in 2024-25, according to the Ministry of Statistics.

• This growth rate is lower than the 8.2% GDP growth recorded in 2023-24.

• Nominal GDP for FY 2024-25 is expected to grow by 9.7%.

• The agriculture and allied sectors are estimated to see a 3.8% growth in Real GVA, up from 1.4% last year.

• The construction sector’s Real GVA is forecasted to increase by 8.6%.

• Financial, real estate, and professional services are expected to grow by 7.3%.

• Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) at constant prices is projected to rise by 7.3% in FY 2024-25, compared to 4.0% last year.

• The overall economic outlook for 2024-25 reflects steady growth across multiple sectors.

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