Current Affairs - January 8, 2025 Current Affairs

The national gender ratio on electoral rolls improved from 940 in 2023 to 948 in 2024. This highlights progress in gender representation among voters. Additionally, four Northeastern states—Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh—have surpassed this national average, showcasing significant strides in achieving gender parity in electoral participation.

India’s GDP growth rate for 2024-25 is projected at 6.4%, as per the National Statistical Office (NSO). Although this represents a slowdown from the 8.2% growth recorded in 2023-24, India continues to be the fastest-growing major economy globally. The projected growth underscores the resilience of sectors like construction, expected to grow by 8.6%, and financial services, forecasted at 7.3%. Additionally, improved private and government consumption expenditure indicates robust economic activity. The revised estimates emphasize the need for targeted policy interventions to sustain momentum in agriculture, infrastructure, and consumption-driven growth.

The e-Shram portal, aimed at helping unorganised workers access welfare schemes, has expanded to support all 22 scheduled languages in India. This upgrade, facilitated by the Bhashini project, makes the portal more accessible, allowing workers to register and obtain information in their native languages. Previously available only in English, Hindi, Kannada, and Marathi, this multilingual expansion significantly enhances the platform's reach and utility, fostering greater engagement with unorganised workers. The portal's ability to serve in 22 languages demonstrates the government's commitment to improving accessibility and inclusivity.

Sanjeev Kumar Sharma has been named the CFO of Signature Global, effective January 7, 2025. He is a Chartered Accountant with nearly 30 years of expertise in finance, M&A, taxation, and strategic decision-making. He has held leadership roles at major organizations like Brookfield Properties, Blackstone, BPTP, M3M India, and ICICI, making him highly qualified for this role.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has accepted India's invitation to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade in 2025. This visit is a significant step towards strengthening the ties between India and Indonesia, reflecting India's Act East Policy. The visit will focus on enhancing strategic cooperation, defence ties, and economic engagement between the two countries. India and Indonesia share a long history of cultural and commercial ties, and this visit aims to further solidify their modern strategic relationship, especially in defence and maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

The AFC Asian Cup 2027 will be hosted by Saudi Arabia across cities like Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar from January 7 to February 5. Matches will be held in premier venues such as Riyadh's King Fahd Sports City and Jeddah's King Abdullah Sports City, with plans for a new stadium in Al Khobar. This marks a significant moment for Saudi Arabia in showcasing its sports infrastructure on an international stage.

Anahat Singh, a 16-year-old rising squash star from India, secured the U-17 Girl's Singles title at the British Junior Open 2024 by defeating Egypt's Malika El Karaksy in a closely contested 3-2 final. This victory adds to her impressive record, with previous British Junior Open titles in the U-11 (2019) and U-15 (2023) categories. Additionally, Anahat has achieved remarkable success, including nine PSA Challenger titles in 2023, solidifying her position as a promising talent in the world of squash.

Microsoft has announced a significant $3 billion investment to boost AI and cloud infrastructure in India, a move aligned with the Prime Minister's vision for a developed India by 2047. This initiative focuses on multiple areas, including skilling 10 million Indians in AI by 2030, fostering innovation through partnerships that support 5,000 startups, and expanding data centre capabilities. The investment will enhance India's technological landscape, with a new data centre region set to be operational by 2026. Microsoft's commitment highlights India's growing importance as a hub for global technology innovation and AI development.

V. Narayanan has been appointed as the new chairman of ISRO, succeeding S Somanath. Starting January 14, 2025, he will also serve as the Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of the Space Commission. With extensive experience in solid propulsion for rockets and critical contributions to ASLV and PSLV missions at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Narayanan has proven expertise in India's space program. Currently the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Valiamala, he is well-suited to lead ISRO into its next phase of advancements.

Bahadur Singh Sagoo, an Asian Games gold medalist in shot put and a Padma Shri awardee, has been unanimously elected as the new president of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) during the Annual General Meeting in Chandigarh. He replaces Adille Sumariwalla, who stepped down after three consecutive terms as president. Sagoo's election marks a new phase for AFI, with several key initiatives planned to promote athletics in India, including a major javelin competition and hosting international events. His leadership is expected to drive further growth in Indian athletics.

The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is scheduled to be held in Bhubaneswar from January 8-10. Organized in partnership with the Odisha state government, the event celebrates the contributions of the Indian diaspora. Held biennially since 2017, the convention's theme for this edition is "Diaspora's Contribution to a Viksit Bharat,” emphasizing the role of overseas Indians in shaping a developed India.

The first U.S. human death from the H5N1 bird flu in 2025 occurred in Louisiana. The deceased was over 65 years old and had underlying health issues, which likely contributed to the severity of the illness after exposure to infected wild and backyard birds. This fatality highlights the ongoing threat of zoonotic diseases like avian influenza. Although there have been numerous cases of H5N1 infections in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains that the public health risk remains low, as there has been no person-to-person transmission identified.