Current Affairs of January 2025

Here you will be able to find the compilation of monthly current affairs of Assam, India, International events etc. for the month of January, 2025. We covering important national, international, economic, environmental, and sports events. The current affairs compilation will help you for preparation APSC Exam, ADRE Exam and various other Assam Govt. competitive recruitment exams.

Current Affairs of January 2025

Gana Silpi Surjya Das passes away
- A prominent figure in the Assam Agitation and a cultural nationalist.
- Famous for his songs reflecting Assamese nationalism, humanism, patriotism, and justice, including Manuh Dekhiso Aji and Tumi Bishnu Rabha.
- Earned the title ‘Gana Silpi’ for being a voice of the masses, connecting with people’s hopes and struggles.
- Published two poetry books: Tez Akon man Diba Neki and Nangolor Phalot Tezor Sekura.
Sahitya Akademi Awards 2024
- Poet Sameer Tanti won the award in Assamese for his poetry book Pharingbore Bator Katha Jaane.
- Prof Dipak Kumar Sharma, a Sanskrit scholar, was recognized for Bhaskaracaritam, based on the life of Kumar Bhaskar Varma, a historic Assamese monarch.
- Aron Raja received the award in Bodo for his novel Swrni Thakhai.
Day against Superstitions:
- The Assam Government has declared May 13 as the ‘Day against Superstitious Beliefs’ to honor the contributions of renowned social reformer Birubala Rabha.
The river Dikrong is drying up:
- The river Dikrong is drying up in an unprecedented manner in Mer Beel near Bihpuria in Lakhimpur district, reportedly due to the Panyor Hydroelectric Dam in Arunachal Pradesh.
Silpi Award 2025:
- Anima Choudhury: Renowned playback and folk singer from Nalbari (b. February 28, 1953).
- Mukul Rabha: Noted folk artiste and cultural writer from Assam (b. December 1, 1955).
- Nat Surya Phani Sharma Award 2024:
  - Recipient: Reba Phukan, a veteran Assamese actress.
- Sahityacharjya Atul Chandra Hazarika Award:
  - Recipient: Hira Neog, actress and cultural contributor.
- Bhimbor Deori Award:
  - Recipient: Jaleswar Brahma, a renowned social worker.
- Books released:
  - Two books, Batayan and Kala Bikshan, authored by eminent storyteller and art critic Dr. Moushumi Kandali, focus on visual arts.
- Charaideo Maidam, the Ahom dynasty’s mount burial system, was officially recognized as India’s 43rd UNESCO World Heritage Site on January 13, 2025, during a ceremony in Paris.
- Festival- Pakke:
  - The Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival is an annual event held in Seijosa, located in the Pakke Kessang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
  - The festival is named after the Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis), which is the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala.
- Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office to APSC Chairman Deboraj Upadhyay (IPS Retd.) and members Bhaskar Phukan (IAS) and Mrigesh Narayan Barua (ACS) on January 13, 2025.
- Charaideo Maidam, the Ahom dynasty’s mount burial system, was officially recognized as India’s 43rd UNESCO World Heritage Site on January 13, 2025, during a ceremony in Paris.
- Assam’s agri-horticultural exports have seen a significant surge, with an 85% increase since 2019.
  - This growth is expected to continue, with projections of exports reaching around Rs 10,000 crore in the next three years.
- Digitisation of Assamese Literature: Over 1.28 million pages of rare Assamese literature have been digitized, including Orunudoi, Bahi, Ramdhenu etc.
- Asian Water Bird Census:
  - A total of 12,245 birds were recorded across 105 species at Deepor Beel.
  - The census was conducted by the Guwahati Wildlife Division of the Assam Forest Department using the visual encounter survey methodology.
- Encroachment on tribal lands: State Government has constituted 17 Nos. of Tribal Belt and 30 Nos. of Tribal Blocks.
  - Section 160(2): Empowers the Assam Government to notify specific classes of people (referred to as “protected classes”) who are entitled to own and settle land within the tribal belts and blocks.
  - Section 163(2): Stipulates that land within tribal belts and blocks cannot be transferred or settled with anyone outside these notified classes.
    - Protects these regions from land alienation by restricting ownership and settlement rights to the designated groups.
  - Chapter XII has been introduced to protect lands within a 5-kilometer radius of iconic structures that are at least 250 years old, such as Batadrawa Than and Barpeta Satra.
- Festival- Pakke: The Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival is an annual event held in Seijosa, located in the Pakke Kessang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
- Jonaki Cinema Hall: Assam’s First Cinema Hall Establishment, established in 1937, is located in Tezpur, Assam.
  - The hall was built by Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, the visionary behind Assamese cinema and the creator of Assam’s first film, Joymoti (1935).
  - The first movie screened at Jonaki was an English film, Elephant Boy (1937), featuring Indian actor Sabu Dastagir.
- Milestone in Assam’s Electoral History:
  - Positive shift in the gender representation of voters and empowerment of women in the electoral process.
  - Total voters: 2,48,61,979.
  - Women voters: 1,24,43,967.
  - Men voters: 1,24,17,622.
  - Women voters exceed men by 26,345
  - Gender ratio in the electoral roll is now 1,000 women per 1,000 men.
  - Of the 126 Assembly constituencies, 71 constituencies report more women voters than men.
- Aronai is the Bodo/Bodo traditional Muffler/Scarf worn by both men and women. Beautifully textured scarf /Muffler/Stole is stylish yet practical and provides comfort and protection.
- Permanent Judges:
  - Article 217 of the Constitution: It states that the Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President.
- The National Health Mission (NHM), Assam, signed MoUs with the management of 354 tea garden hospitals to upgrade them into Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
  - Ayushman Arogya Mandir: 1.5 lakh Health Wellness Centres would be created in the country by transforming existing sub health centres and primary health centres.
- The Bongaigaon Refinery (BGR) in Assam has successfully produced and launched E-20 (20% ethanol blended petrol), marking a significant step in achieving the Government of India’s National Biofuels Policy targets.

Current Affairs of January 2025

COOPERATIVES:
- Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation and Prime Minister of India inaugurated the UN International Year of Cooperatives 2025 (IYC 2025)
- Theme: “Cooperatives Build a Better World”
- Constitutional Status: 97th Amendment, 2011 granted constitutional status to the Cooperative Societies with following provisions
  - Fundamental Right: Added “cooperative societies” in Article 19(1)(c).
  - Directive Principle: Inserted Article 43B to promote cooperatives.
  - New Part IXB: Added Articles 243ZH to 243ZT for cooperative governance.
- 10 YEARS OF NITI AAYOG(January 1, 2015):
  - On January 1, 2025, National Institute for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog celebrated its 10th year of foundation.
  - NITI Aayog is an advisory body (think-tank) to the government, established through a Union cabinet resolution, replacing the erstwhile Planning Commission.
  - It is neither a Constitutional nor a statutory body.
- ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA (ECI):
  - Election Commission of India (ECI) celebrated 75th Years of its establishment and also observed 25th January as National Voters Day.
  - Genesis: ECI is a permanent Constitutional Body established in on 25th January 1950.
  - Constitutional Provision: Part XV of the Constitution entailing Articles 324 to 329.
  - Statutory provisions: The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023 regulates their appointment, service conditions, tenure, etc.
- DESIGNING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR HOLISTIC ACCESS TO JUSTICE (DISHA) SCHEME:
  - Launch: Launched in 2021 by Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice for a period of 5 years (2021-2026).
  - Aim: To secure “Justice” to the people of India as enunciated in the Preamble & under Articles 39A, 14 and 21 of the India Constitution.
- PANCHAYAT SE PARLIAMENT 2.0:
  - Lok Sabha Speaker has inaugurated Panchayat Se Parliament 2.0.
  - Aims to empower elected women representatives from Scheduled Tribes from Panchayati Raj institutions and enhance their knowledge of constitutional provisions, parliamentary procedures, and governance to foster effective leadership.
- VIKSIT PANCHAYAT KARMAYOGI’ INITIATIVE:
  - Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions launched ‘Viksit Panchayat Karmayogi’ Initiative on Good Governance Day.
  - Good Governance Day is celebrated on 25th December to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
  - Aim: To enhance the capacity and competence of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) by equipping elected representatives and officials with the tools and knowledge required for effective governance and participatory planning.
- PAY COMMISSION:
  - Constitution: by central government
  - Since 1947, seven Pay Commissions have been constituted
- MINILATERALISM AND MULTILATERALISM:
  - Recent adoption of Cybercrime Treaty by UN General Assembly is not only a breakthrough for a fractured cyber governance system but also a major victory for multilateralism.

Current Affairs of January 2025

AUKUS:
- AUKUS, a trilateral security and defense partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, has entered its fifth year.
INDUS WATER TREATY:
- Disputed Hydroelectric Projects include 330 MW Kishenganga Project, inaugurated in 2018 and 850 MW Ratle Project, under construction, on the Jhelum and Chenab rivers, respectively.
- Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej) for India’s unrestricted use.
- Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab) are allocated to Pakistan, with India allowed for specific non-consumptive uses like navigation, floating of timber or other property, flood protection or flood control, fishing or fish culture.
- This gives India roughly 30% and Pakistan 70% of the water carried by the Indus River System.
- Dispute Resolution Mechanism (Three Level Graded Mechanism):
  - Permanent Indus Commission (PIC): For questions concerning the interpretation or application of this Treaty or the existence of any fact which might constitute a breach of this Treaty.
  - Neutral Expert: For technical disputes where the PIC cannot reach a consensus.
  - Court of Arbitration: 7-member arbitral tribunal for legal adjudication of disputes if unresolved at lower levels.
- BRICS:
  - It is the 9th BRICS partner country, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.
- WORLD’S LARGEST HYDROPOWER DAM ON BRAHMAPUTRA:
  - China has approved the construction of the world’s largest dam and world’s biggest infra project in Medog region of Tibet.
- PANGSAU PASS:
  - The Pangsau Pass International Festival, a three-day event celebrating border trade and cultural exchange, concluded recently in Arunachal Pradesh.
  - Location: Situated at 3,727 feet (1,136 m) on the Patkai Hills along the India-Myanmar border.
- PHILADELPHI CORRIDOR:
  - Recent ceasefire terms between Israel and Hamas also stipulate Israel’s withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor.
  - Corridor was originally established under the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.
- The Government of India has constituted a Working Group for base revision of the current series of Wholesale Price Index (WPI) from base 2011-12 to 2022-23.
- PANAMA CANAL:
  - It is an 82-km (51-mile) artificial waterway that connects Pacific & Atlantic Oceans through Panama.
- FISCAL HEALTH INDEX REPORT 2025:
  - Recently, NITI Aayog released Fiscal Health Index (FHI) Report 2025 to throw light on fiscal status at the sub-national level and guide policy reforms for sustainable and resilient economic growth.
- HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURE SURVEY (HCES), 2023-24:
  - National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) released the results of the household consumption expenditure survey (HCES).
- Average Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE):
  - Rural: ₹4,122 (₹4,247 with imputed benefits)
  - Urban: ₹6,996 (₹7,078 with imputed benefits)
  - According to the World Bank, India secured 14.3% of Global Remittances in 2024, highest share ever.
- BAANKNET (BANK ASSET AUCTION NETWORK):
  - Ministry of Finance launched a revamped e-auction portal ‘BAANKNET’.
  - It consolidates information on e-auction properties from all Public Sector Banks and offers a one-stop destination for buyers and investors to discover a wide range of assets.
- PROJECT VISTAAR:
  - IIT Madras has partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on Project VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources)
  - It is a “Network” of Networks (Al-augmented) and every State can build their own Agri-Advisory network.
- BANIHAL BYPASS:
  - The pass is 2.35 km road section of NH-44 in Jammu and Kashmir,
  - NH44, also known as the Old NH 7, is the longest national highway in India.
- ANJI KHAD BRIDGE:
  - The Indian Railways has unveiled a monumental engineering achievement with the completion of the Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge.
  - Location: Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir, part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project.
  - Significance: Enhances connectivity between Katra and the Kashmir Valley.
- MINISTRY OF DEFENSE DECLARES 2025 AS ‘YEAR OF REFORMS’
- PIG-BUTCHERING SCAM:
  - Union Ministry of Home Affairs in its annual report of 2023-24 highlighted the new cyber fraud known as the “pig butchering scam” or “investment scam“.
  - It is a global phenomenon and involves large-scale money laundering and even cyber slavery.
- NAVAL COMBATANTS – INS SURAT, INS NILGIRI AND INS VAGHSHEER COMMISSIONED
  - This first tri-commissioning of indigenously developed destroyer, frigate and submarine marks a significant step towards realizing India’s vision of becoming global leader in naval indigenisation and maritime security.
  - INS Surat: 4 th and final ship of the P15B Guided Missile Destroyer Project.
  - INS Nilgiri: 1st ship of the P17A Stealth Frigate Project designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.
  - INS Vaghsheer: 6th and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene Project built by Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Limited.
- ANTI-TANK GUIDED MISSILE (ATGM)- NAG MK 2
- BHARGAVASTRA: India has successfully tested its first indigenous micro-missile system, Bhargavastra, designed to counter the threat of swarm drones.
- Recently, the standing committee of National Board for Wildlife approved a proposal to carry out oil and gas exploration in the eco-sensitive zone of the Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary.
  - Establishment: 1997
  - Other non-human primates found here are Capped Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Assamese Macaque, Pigtailed Macaque & Stump tailed Macaque.

Current Affairs of January 2025

- SHIKARI DEVI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY:
  - Government of India has designated areas around Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary as Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs).
- POLAR VORTEX:
  - The ongoing extreme cold spell in USA & Canada is attributed to arctic blast due to southward expansion of the polar vortex.
  - Definition: It is a large area of low-pressure and cold air that swirls like a wheel (counter-clockwise) around both of the Earth’s poles.
- NANOPORE TECHNOLOGY:
  - Scientists have developed a nanopore based tool that could help diagnose illnesses much faster and with greater precision by analyzing signals from individual molecules.
- CROPS EXPERIMENT:
  - ISRO achieved a milestone as cowpea seeds aboard PSLV-C60’s CROPS experiment sprouted leaves in space within four days.
  - It was ISRO’s first biological experiment in space and part of CROPS (Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies).
- KODAIKANAL SOLAR OBSERVATORY:
  - International solar conference celebrates 125th anniversary of the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory.
  - Kodaikanal, Palani range of hills (Tamil Nadu).
- KALARIPAYATTU:
  - Kalaripayattu has been included in the list of events for demonstration and removed from competition section in 38th national games to be held in Uttarakhand.
- KUMBH MELA:
  - Maha Kumbh 2025 is being held in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
  - It is the world’s largest public gathering.
  - It is a religious pilgrimage that is celebrated four times over a course of 12 years.
  - Site keeps rotating between one of the four pilgrimages:
  - Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Ganges.
  - Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), Shipra River.
  - Nashik (Maharashtra), Godavari River.
  - Prayagraj at the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical invisible Sarasvati.
  - Other key Facts:
  - It has been listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage under UNESCO in 2017.
  - Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang (visited India in the 7th century during the reign of King Harshavardhana) was the first to mention Kumbh Mela in his diary.
  - Saint Shankaracharya gave Kumbh Mela its final shape in 9th century.
- PRADHAN MANTRI FASAL BIMA YOJANA (PMFBY):
  - The Union Cabinet approved continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme till 2025-26.
  - Launch date: 2016 • Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
- BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO SCHEME:
  - The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme on 22 January 2025.
  - Launch date: In 2015 Type: Centrally sponsored scheme with 100% funding by the Central Government in all the districts of the country under Sambal vertical of Mission Shakti.