COURSES
Quick Links
- TODAY NEWS ON January 17, 2025
TODAY NEWS ON January 17, 2025
News Headlines for CAT, CALT and IPM aspirants
Source: THE HINDU
National News
- Government announces 8th Pay Commission for central government employees
- Dalai Lama Charitable Trust gets FCRA nod
- 12 Maoists killed by security personnel in Chhattisgarh
- Govt. launches app to promote battlefield tourism
- Pannun inquiry report is a ‘positive first step’, but process not done yet, says U.S. Ambassador Garcetti
- Congress moves Supreme Court to defend Places of Worship Act
- Republic Day parade: Triservice tableau in place of individual service tableau
- V.K. Singh sworn in as Mizoram Governor
- ISRO’s SpaDex mission advances lunar exploration, sample return missions and other objectives: ATL
- Delhi Assembly Elections: Congress promises ₹500 LPG cylinder, free ration, electricity
International News
- Israel strikes Gaza and accuses Hamas of backtracking on deal
- ‘Twin Peaks’ creator and filmmaker David Lynch dies at 78
- Singapore aiming to build semiconductor ecosystem in India, says President Tharman Shanmugaratnam
- Hamas says ‘no basis to Netanyahu’s claims’ on group backtracking on ceasefire deal
- World Economic Forum recognition for HUL’s Assam plant
- UK’s Starmer arrives in Ukraine for security talks with a pledge for a ’100-year partnership’
Headlines
Government announces 8th Pay Commission for central government employees
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (January 16, 2025) approved the 8th Central Pay Commission for all central government employees. The decision to set up the 8th Pay Commission was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. It has been set up to revise salaries of central government employees and allowances of pensioners.
Dalai Lama Charitable Trust gets FCRA nod
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has granted a Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration to ‘His Holiness the Dalai Lama Charitable Trust’ for “religious” purposes, among others. FCRA registration is a mandatory requirement to receive foreign funds. An official with the Trust said that the NGO is not directly linked with the spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, but is associated with the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), which looks after the welfare of the Tibetan community in India. The CTA is headquartered in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamsala.
Israel strikes Gaza and accuses Hamas of backtracking on deal
Israel carried out fresh air strikes on Gaza on Thursday (January 16, 2025) and accused Hamas of backtracking on parts of a fragile ceasefire and hostage release deal ahead of an expected vote by its cabinet .The truce, announced by mediators Qatar and the United States on Wednesday, would take effect on Sunday and involve the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, after which the terms of a permanent end to the war would be finalised.
12 Maoists killed by security personnel in Chhattisgarh
In the biggest anti-Maoist operation in Chhattisgarh since the beginning of the year, at least a dozen Maoists were gunned down by the security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur on Thursday (January 16, 2024), said the police. Carried out ten days after the IED blast in Bijapur that left eight security personnel dead, the operation was reported in the South Bastar region. This region spread across Bijapur, Dantewada and Sukma districts is considered a stronghold of the Maoists but many new security camps have come up there in the past one year.
Govt. launches app to promote battlefield tourism
Civilians can soon visit battlefield locations along India’s borders, thanks to a newly introduced app and website .An initiative of the Ministries of Defence and Tourism, as well as the Army, the “Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan” app was launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday (January 15, 2025) coinciding with Army Day celebrations. Locations of the 1962, 1971, and 1999 (Kargil) conflicts, Siachen base camp, and even the site where the Galwan clash of 2020 took place, will be accessible for tourists.
‘Twin Peaks’ creator and filmmaker David Lynch dies at 78
David Lynch, the American filmmaker, writer and artist who scored best director Oscar nominations for “Blue Velvet,” “The Elephant Man” and “Mulholland Drive” and co-created the groundbreaking TV series “Twin Peaks,” has died at age 78, his family said on Thursday (January 16, 2025). “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” a statement on Lynch’s Facebook page said. “There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’”
Singapore aiming to build semiconductor ecosystem in India, says President Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Singapore is exploring new initiatives like manufacturing of semiconductors and building a semiconductor ecosystem in India apart from participating in the creation of new generation of technological solutions, the city-State’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Thursday. The visiting dignitary recounted his 2022 visit to India as the Senior Minister of Singapore when he toured Assam and announced that this time he is focusing on Odisha.
Pannun inquiry report is a ‘positive first step’, but process not done yet, says U.S. Ambassador Garcetti
The Modi government’s announcement of the results of its high-level inquiry into the Pannun case was a “positive first step”, but not the end of the U.S.’s expectations of action in the alleged assassination plot, said outgoing U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti in New Delhi on Thursday (January 16, 2025) .In the first official reaction to the government’s statement that it had identified an “individual”, believed to be a former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) official, as responsible for the conspiracy to assassinate Khalistani activist Pannun, Mr. Garcetti welcomed the statement and said it must now lead to a full prosecution. He also called for “systemic change” to ensure this doesn’t “happen again”.
Congress moves Supreme Court to defend Places of Worship Act
The Indian National Congress (INC) through its general secretary K.C. Venugopal moved the Supreme Court to intervene in a pending challenge to the Places of Worship Act of 1991, quoting that secularism was developed in India as a part of nationalism and the Freedom Movement. The INC said the parliamentary Act “reflected the mandate of the Indian populace”. The Central law preserves the character of religious places as they existed on August 15, 1947, when India attained Independence.
Hamas says ‘no basis to Netanyahu’s claims’ on group backtracking on ceasefire deal
Two Hamas leaders on Thursday (January 16, 2025) rejected Israeli allegations that the Palestinian militant group was backtracking on elements of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal announced the day before .Israeli media said the government’s ratification of the agreement may be delayed in part due to disagreements within the ruling coalition. “There is no basis to Netanyahu’s claims about the movement backtracking from terms in the ceasefire agreement,” Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP.
Republic Day parade: Triservice tableau in place of individual service tableau
A single triservice tableau will be present at this year’s Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path instead of three individual service tableaus while the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv will be conspicuous by its absence as the entire fleet remains grounded for checks following the crash of a Coast Guard helicopter on January 5 that killed two pilots and a diver onboard.
V.K. Singh sworn in as Mizoram Governor
Former Army chief V.K. Singh was sworn in as the 25th Governor of Mizoram in the northeastern State’s capital Aizawl on Thursday (January 156, 2024). He replaced Hari Babu Kambhampati, who took over as his Odisha counterpart.
World Economic Forum recognition for HUL’s Assam plant
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has designated an eastern Assam plant of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) as an advanced fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) end-to-end (E2E) value chain ‘Lighthouse’. The factory in Tinsukia district’s Doom Dooma has become Uniliver’s third in South Asia to receive the honour for adopting 4IR technologies, including artificial intelligence, automation, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things at scale.
ISRO’s SpaDex mission advances lunar exploration, sample return missions and other objectives: ATL
Ananth Technologies Limited (ATL), a leading player in India’s space industry functioning from Hyderabad, said that the successful precision docking mission by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reinforces the agency’s unwavering commitment to push the boundaries of space exploration and technological innovation.
UK’s Starmer arrives in Ukraine for security talks with a pledge for a ’100-year partnership’
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Ukraine’s capital on Thursday (January 16, 2025) with a pledge to help guarantee the country’s security for a century, days before Donald Trump is sworn in as U.S. president. The British government says Mr. Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will sign a “100-Year Partnership” treaty in Kyiv covering areas including defense, science, energy and trade.
Delhi Assembly Elections: Congress promises ₹500 LPG cylinder, free ration, electricity
Congress on Thursday (January 16, 2025) said it would give ₹500 LPG cylinder, free ration kits, and free electricity up to 300 units to the city residents if voted to power in Delhi. The announcement was made by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy who was addressing a press conference in New Delhi with AICC Delhi in-charge Qazi Nizamuddin and Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav.
LAST MONTHS G.K.
X