DAILY GK 16-18 JAN 2025
1.
INDIA
TEST FIRED MICRO-MISSILE SYSTEM NAMED BHARGAVASTRA
·
Economic
Explosives Limited (EEL), a subsidiary of Nagpur, Maharashtra-based
Solar Industries India Limited, successfully test-fired India’s first
guided micro-missiles as part of its ‘Bhargavastra’ counter-drone system.
·
The
new micro-missile system, developed for the Indian Army, successfully hit
virtual targets over 2.5 km away.
·
This
system, developed to counter the rising threat of loitering
munitions and weaponized drones, uses micro-missiles to effectively target and
destroy enemy drones at an affordable cost.
·
The
Bhargavastra system, designed for the Indian Army (IA), is a multi-layered
defense option that can detect small flying objects up to 6
kilometers (km) away.
·
It
is capable of firing over 64 micro missiles at once, making it
a cost-effective alternative to expensive surface-to-air missiles.
·
It
has been designed to operate across various terrains, including
high-altitude areas, and can be mounted on a mobile platform for quick
deployment.
·
The
system’s multi-missile salvo capability offers an edge over global
counterparts, effectively countering
drone swarms beyond conventional methods like jamming or spoofing.
·
The
system focuses on countering drone attacks by utilizing an
advanced radar and fire control system to detect and track Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
·
The
system is designed to operate at altitudes of up to 5,000 meters.
·
The
radar in the command control center can detect medium to large drones at a range of 10 km and small drones at 6 km.
2.
FIELD
TRIALS OF NAG MARK 2 MISSILE
·
The
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO),under the
Ministry of Defence (MoD), successfully conducted field trials of the Nag
Mark 2, an advanced Anti-Tank
Fire-and-Forget Guided Missile.
·
The
trials took place at the Pokhran Field Range in Jaisalmer,
Rajasthan.
·
The
Nag Mark 2 is a third-generation anti-tank missile, developed indigenously by
DRDO.
·
It
incorporates fire-and-forget technology, enabling operators to lock
onto a target before launch and strike it with high accuracy.
·
It
travels at 230 metres per second and destroys enemy tanks up to 4 kilometers away within 17-18 seconds.
·
It
weighs approximately 45 kg and measures 6 feet 1 inch.
·
DRDOChairman– Sameer VenkatapathyKamat, Established–
1958, Headquarters- New Delhi
3.
SINGAPORE's
HONORARY CITIZEN AWARD
·
Singapore
has awarded Tarun Das, former Director General of the Confederation
of Indian Industry (CII), the Honorary Citizen Award for
his outstanding contributions to Singapore and Singapore-India
relations.
·
The
award was presented by Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam
·
Tarun
Das is the second Indian to receive Singapore’s honorary
citizenship after late Ratan Tata, former chairman of the Tata
Group who was conferred the same award in 2008.
·
It
is the highest form of national
recognition for a non-Singaporean.
4.
MARTIN
GUPTILL RETIRES FROM INTERNATIONAL CRICKET
·
New
Zealand cricketer Martin Guptill announced his retirement from
international cricket.
·
He
played 367 games for New Zealand in total and scored 13,463 runs in his 14-year
international career.
·
He
became the first New Zealand cricketer
to score an ODI double-century achieving an unbeaten 237 in the
International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup 2015 quarter-final
against the West Indies at Wellington Stadium, New Zealand.
5.
TAMIM
IQBAL KHAN RETIRES FROM INTERNATIONAL CRICKET
·
Bangladesh left-handed batsman TamimIqbal
Khan announced his retirement from all forms of International Cricket.
·
This
marks his second departure from the game; he initially retired in July 2023 but
reversed the decision within 24 hours after intervention by Bangladesh’s –
Prime Minister (PM), Sheikh Hasina.
·
He
became the first Bangladeshi player to reach 50 half-centuries in ODIs.
·
He
is the only Bangladeshi cricketer to score centuries in all three formats of
the game.
6.
28TH CSPOC TO BE HOSTED IN INDIA IN 2026
·
The
28th Conference of Speakers and
Presiding Officers of Parliaments of Commonwealth Countries (CSPOC) is set
to be hosted in New Delhi India in 2026.
·
The
announcement was made by Om Birla, Speaker
of LokSabha at the CSPOC Standing
Committee Meeting held in Guernsey.
·
India
had earlier hosted the CSPOC in 1970-71, 1986, and 2010.
7.
SPANISH SUPER CUP FOOTBALL
·
FutbolClub(FC) Barcelona, defeated Real Madrid by
5-2 to win the 41st edition
of Spanish Super Cup(also known as Supercopa de
España) Clasico final held at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
·
Barcelona has won the Spanish Cup for
the 15th time after this win which is two more
than Real Madrid (13).
8.
KERALA WINS SENIOR NATIONAL MEN’S
HANDBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
·
Kerala
achieved a historic milestone by winning their first-ever Senior National Men’s
Handball Championship title.
·
They
triumphed over Chandigarh with a 34-31 victory in a thrilling final.
·
Devendar
was named the ‘Best Player of the Championship,’
9.
RAJESHWAR RAO TO
HEAD RBI MONETARY POLICY
·
The
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has redesigned
portfolios of its deputy governors as tenure of Deputy GovernorDr. Michael Debabrata Patra ended
on 14th January 2025.
·
The
central bank has reshuffled its 33 departments among the three deputy
governors -RajeshwarRao, T Rabi Sankar and Swaminathan Janakiraman.
·
M
RajeshwarRao will handle 11 portfolios .
·
Rabi
Sankar will
look after 13 departments,
·
Swaminathan Janakiraman will look after 9 departments
·
The Monetary
Policy department was given to Deputy Governor M Rajeshwar Rao.
·
The
RBI has four deputy governors, an
economist to oversee the monetary policy department, one commercial banker, and
two from within the ranks.
10. RBI INTRODUCES CHANGES TO FEMA
·
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced new
measures under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA)
1999, to encourage the use
of the Indian Rupee (INR) and other local
currencies for international trade.
·
These changes are the result of a detailed
review of FEMA regulations 1999,
conducted in collaboration with the Government of India (GoI).
·
Overseas branches of Indian banks can now open INR accounts
(A/C) for individuals or entities outside India.
·
These
accounts include: Special Non-Resident Rupee Accounts (SNRR),
Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVA)
·
Additionally, the
balances in these accounts can be used for investments, such as
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in non-debt
instruments.
·
Indian exporters will now have the flexibility to
open accounts in foreign currencies abroad.
·
These
accounts can be used to receive export payments and pay for imports,
simplifying trade settlements.
·
To
promote trade in local currencies, the RBI has signed agreements (MoUs) with the central banks of the United
Arab Emirates (UAE), Indonesia, and the Maldives.
·
SNRR Account is a bank account in India that allows individuals and
entities based outside India to hold funds in Indian Rupees.
·
Any
person or entity residing outside India with business interests in
India can open this account provided they comply with the rules
and regulations of the FEMA Act.The account’s duration cannot exceed seven
years.
·
Nationals
or entities from Pakistan and Bangladesh
need prior approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to open an SNRR
account.
·
SRVAIn July 2022, the RBI launched Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVA) to
boost the use of INR for international
trade. This account is held by a domestic bank for a foreign bank in the
domestic currency.
·
Banks
from partner countries need to approach an authorized domestic dealer bank to
open an SRVA.
·
Domestic
banks must ensure that the correspondent bank is not
from a high-risk or non-cooperative country listed by the Financial Action Task
Force (FATF).
11. NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK 2025 –
JANUARY 11 TO 17
·
National
Road Safety Week,
organised by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), is
annually observed across India from January 11-17 every year
to raise awareness about road safety.
·
2025
marks the observance of the 36th National Road Safety Week.
·
National
Road Safety Month (RSM) is
an annual observance introduced by the MoRTH to sensitize citizens and road
users about the severity of the challenges of road safety.
·
In
2025 the National RSM is being observed from January 1-31, 2025.
·
Theme
for the
Road Safety Month, 2025 is "Sadak Suraksha Jeevan Raksha
12.
NATIONAL
YOUTH DAY 2025 – JANUARY 12
·
National
Youth Day, also known
as ‘Rashtriya Yuva Divas’ in
Hindi and ‘Vivekananda Jayanti’, is
observed annually across India on 12th January to commemorate
the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu spiritual leader,
Philosopher, and social reformer in India, who played a crucial role in shaping
modern India.
·
12
January 2025 marks the 162nd birth anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda.
·
In
1984, the Government of India (GoI) declared the birth anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda as National Youth Day to honour his teachings and ideals.
13. 9TH INDIAN ARMED FORCES VETERANS’ DAY
– JANUARY 14
·
Armed Forces Veterans’ Day is
annually celebrated across India on 14 January to
honour and recognise the service of Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa,
the 1st Indian Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Indian Armed
Forces, who retired on this day in 1953 and led Indian
forces to victory in the 1947 war.
·
Minister of Defence– Rajnath Singh (Constituency –
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, UP)
14.
77TH
INDIAN ARMY DAY – 15 JANUARY
·
Indian
Army Day is
celebrated every year on 15th January across the globe to
honor the courage and dedication of the Indian Army (IA) soldiers.
·
It
is also known as Bhartiya Sena Diwas, the day commemorates the
appointment of Field Marshal KM Cariappa as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief
of the Indian Army in 1949.
·
On
the occasion of Indian Army Day 2025, Prime Minister (PM) of India NarendraModi
commissioned three significant naval
combatants—Indian Naval Ship (INS) Surat, INS Nilgiri, and INS
Vaghsheer—at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
·
The Nepali Army Band
participated for the first time in the Parade held in Pune, Maharashtra.
15.
BOOK
- ‘HOW INDIA SCALED MT G20: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE G20 PRESIDENCY’
·
Book
titled ‘How India scaled Mt G20: The inside story of the G20
Presidency’ written by Amitabh Kant was released.
·
Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa of India, served as the Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog,
the Government of India (GoI).
