AWARDS

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2025

• Gukesh D, Harmanpreet Singh, Manu Bhaker, and Praveen Kumar received the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for exceptional sports achievements.

• The Khel Ratna Award recognizes athletes with outstanding accomplishments in the last four years.

• Gukesh D made history by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion after defeating China’s Ding Liren in Singapore.

• Manu Bhaker won double bronze in 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team events, making her the first Indian to win two medals in Paris.

• Harmanpreet Singh led the Indian men's hockey team to a second consecutive Olympic bronze medal.

• Praveen Kumar clinched a gold in Paralympic high jump T64, representing Uttar Pradesh.

• The Arjuna Award honored 32 athletes, including 17 para-athletes, for exceptional performance in the past four years.

• Former cyclist Sucha Singh and para-swimmer Murlikant Rajaram Petkar received the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) for their contributions.

• Murlikant Rajaram Petkar is India’s first Paralympic gold medalist, winning gold at the 1972 Summer Paralympics.

• Deepali Deshpande, Sandeep Sangwan, and Subhash Rana were honored with the Dronacharya Award for their coaching excellence.

• Armando Agnelo Colaco (football) and S. Muralidharan (badminton) received the Dronacharya Lifetime Award.

• The Physical Education Foundation of India won the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar, and Chandigarh University, Lovely Professional University, and Guru Nanak Dev University received the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy for excellence in the Khelo India University Games.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

Over 65 lakh property cards under the SVAMITVA scheme distributed by PM Modi.

• PM Narendra Modi distributed over 65 lakh property cards under the SVAMITVA scheme on January 18, marking a significant milestone in rural empowerment.

• The distribution covers over 50,000 villages across 10 states and two Union Territories, including Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

• This event marks the issuance of 65 lakh property cards in a single day, part of a larger plan to distribute 2.25 crore cards.

• The SVAMITVA scheme, launched on April 24, 2020, aims to provide legal property ownership documents to rural residents.

• The initiative offers property owners a 'Record of Rights' and property cards mapped using advanced drone and GIS technology.

• The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, promoting rural economic development and formalizing land ownership.

• It plays a key role in improving governance by recognizing land ownership in rural areas.

• SVAMITVA helps rural communities by ensuring clarity and legal status for their property ownership.

NATIONAL NEWS

Singapore President Shanmugaratnam's visit to India

• President Tharman Shanmugaratnam of Singapore made his first official visit to India from January 14-18, 2025.

• The visit included stops in New Delhi and Odisha, with a focus on strengthening bilateral ties.

• During his visit to Odisha on January 17-18, 2025, eight memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed between Singapore and Odisha.

• The visit coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore.

• India was among the first countries to recognize Singapore upon its independence in 1965.

• At Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Droupadi Murmu and President Shanmugaratnam unveiled a logo to commemorate 60 years of India-Singapore ties.

• President Shanmugaratnam held meetings with key Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• The Singapore President also met senior ministers such as Dr. S. Jaishankar, Nitin Gadkari, Jagat Prakash Nadda, and Nirmala Sitharaman.

India has developed the world's most powerful hydrogen train engine.

• India has developed the world’s most powerful hydrogen-powered train engine.

• The hydrogen train engine, built by Indian Railways, boasts a remarkable 1,200 horsepower output.

• The first trial run for the hydrogen engine will take place on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana.

• India is one of only four countries globally to have hydrogen-powered trains, with other engines producing 500 to 600 horsepower.

• India’s indigenous hydrogen train technology has the potential for broader applications in trucks, tugboats, and more.

• The first hydrogen-powered train in India was developed by the Integral Coach Factory in Tamil Nadu.

• This innovation highlights India’s leadership in developing clean and sustainable transportation solutions.

• India’s hydrogen-powered train engine sets a new global standard in the field of green energy rail technology.

BANKING, ECONOMY AND FINANCE

The IMF has projected India’s growth at 6.5% for the fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.

• India's growth has been kept at 6.5 percent by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the upcoming fiscal years 2025–2026 and 2026–2027.

• This growth forecast is consistent with the IMF's October 2024 prediction, as updated in the World Economic Outlook on January 17, 2025.

• India continues to grow at the fastest rate among the world’s largest economies.

• The IMF forecasts global growth to be 3.3% in both 2025 and 2026.

• This global growth rate is lower than the historical average of 3.7%.

• The 2025 growth projection remains almost unchanged from the October 2024 outlook.

• India's economy remains a key driver of global growth despite a slowdown in other regions.