Daily Current Affairs (25 – Jan – 25)
1. 15th National Voters’ Day 2025 –
• The 15th National Voters’ Day (NVD) on 25th January 2025, marks 75 years of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and follows the successful 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, the world’s largest democratic exercise.
• Significance of NVD: Celebrated annually on 25th January since 2011 to commemorate the establishment of the ECI on 25th January 1950, a day
before India became a Republic. Aims to promote voter awareness, inspire participation, and honor new voters.
• Theme for 2025: “Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure” to emphasize the importance of voting and pride in electoral participation.
• Electorate Milestone: India’s voter base nears the 100 crore mark, with 99.1 crore registered voters, including 21.7 crore young electors (18-29 age group) and an improved Electoral Gender Ratio (from 948 in 2024 to 954 in 2025).
• Highlights of the 15th NVD: The President of India will present the Best Electoral Practices Awards.
• The Best Electoral Practice Award acknowledges excellence in election management, with awards for District Election Officers, Superintendents of Police, and states demonstrating exceptional performance.
• The ECI Coffee Table Book “India Votes 2024: A Saga of Democracy” and the publication “Belief in the Ballot: Human Stories Shaping India’s 2024 Elections” will be presented to the President.
2. The CBI has filed an appeal before the Calcutta HC seeking enhancement of life imprisonment to the death penalty for the convict in the rape and murder of the doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital –
• The Kolkata sessions court has ruled the case as not being “rarest of rare”. The court has denied the death penalty to prime accused, despite public
outcry and sentenced him for life imprisonment.
Comments of the Court-
• The judiciary’s primary responsibility is to uphold the rule of law and ensure justice based on evidence, not public sentiment.
• It is of prime importance that the court maintain its objectivity and impartiality by focusing solely on the facts and evidence presented during the trial.
• The court must consider the rights and circumstances of the accused, as well as the broader implications of its decisions.
• Capital Punishment
• Capital punishment refers to the process of sentencing convicted offenders to death for the most serious crimes (capital crimes) and carrying out that sentence.
• The specific offenses that determine if a crime is eligible for a death sentence are defined by Law (e.g. IPC/BNS, UAPA, TADA etc).
Some convicts who have been awarded the death penalty-
• Ajmal Kasab (2012): For involvement in the 2008 Mumbai Terror Attacks (26/11).
• Afzal Guru (2013): He was involved in the 2001 Indian Parliament Attack.
• Yakub Memon (2015): Involvement in the 1993 Bombay Bombings.
• Dhananjoy Chatterjee (2004): Murder of the Basu family in Kolkata in 1990.
• Nirbhaya convicts (2020): Four convicts of the Delhi rape and murder case in 2012.
3. Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) Notified, To be Effective from April 1, 2025 –
• The Finance Ministry has officially
notified the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) under the National Pension System (NPS), which will come into effect from April 1, 2025.
• This new scheme has the potential to benefit approximately 23 lakh government employees by providing enhanced pension benefits and a comprehensive retirement package.
• The scheme will apply to government servants who joined the service on or after January 1, 2004, or those joining after April 1, 2025. A one-time switch from NPS to UPS will be available.
• State Governments can opt for UPS on a voluntary basis for their employees.
4. Operation Sard Hawa: BSF Intensifies Vigil on Pakistan Border –
• Ahead of Republic Day, the Border Security Force (BSF) has heightened its vigilance along the India-Pakistan border at Jaisalmer to prevent any potential infiltration attempts.
• The BSF has initiated a special operation named ‘Operation Sard Hawa’, starting on January 22, aimed at foiling infiltration efforts by taking advantage of the reduced visibility caused by the dense winter fog.
• The operation will continue until January 29, with a focus on strengthening security along the border during this critical period.
5. ISRO Set To Launch Its 100th Satellite On Jan 29 –
• India’s space agency, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), is preparing to make history with the launch of its 100th satellite. This milestone mission is set to take place on January 29 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, with the GSLV-F15 NVS-02 mission.
• This achievement marks a significant step for India in space exploration and satellite technology, reinforcing the country’s growing space capabilities.
MCQ Quiz
Q1. In order to combat the threat posed by swarm drones, India successfully tested Bhargavastra, its first indigenously developed micromissile system. How many kilometers away are the threats that the system is intended to counter with swarm drones ?
a) >1.5km
b) >1.0km
c) >2.5km
d) >2.0km
Q2. In a historic 20-year cooperation agreement, which country’s president Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian president Vladimir Putin have signed, signifying the strengthening of ties between two countries that have been heavily sanctioned by the West ?
a) Iraq
b) Indonesia
c) Iran
d) France
Q3. Recently, the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, which is situated in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in China, itwas the longest expressway tunnel in the world. How many minutes will the tunnel cut down a three-hour trip, providing commuters with a huge convenience ?
a) 10minutes
b) 15minutes
c) 20minutes
d) 25minutes
Q4. With reference to India’s advancements in hypersonic technology, consider the following statements:
• Hypersonic missiles travel at speeds of Mach 5 or higher and can evade most existing air defense systems.
• The scramjet engine, a critical component of hypersonic vehicles, requires moving parts to handle airflow at hypersonic speeds.
• Bramhos is a hypersonic missile developed jointly by India and Russia.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
a) 1 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3
Explanation-
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has issued fresh guidelines on the applicability of the Principal Purpose Test (PPT) under Double Tax Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs).
These provisions will apply prospectively and clarify India’s approach to tax treaty benefits, excluding specific treaty commitments with Cyprus, Mauritius, and Singapore.
Statement 1 is correct: The PPT is an anti-abuse rule aimed at ensuring that tax treaty benefits are not granted if the main purpose of a transaction or arrangement is to gain undue tax advantages.
Statement 2 is incorrect: While the PPT is part of the BEPS Action Plan 6 and recommended for inclusion in tax treaties, its implementation depends on bilateral agreements and is not automatically binding on all signatories.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The PPT is not designed to apply retroactively; it is applied prospectively as per the terms of the tax treaty.
Q5. With reference to the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme, consider the following statements:
• The BBBP scheme was launched in 2015 as a tri-ministerial initiative involving the Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare, and Human Resource Development.
• Since 2021-22, the BBBP scheme has been subsumed under the Mission Shakti program.
• The scheme includes direct cash incentives to individual beneficiaries to promote girl child education and empowerment.
• The scheme aims to improve the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) by 2 points annually.
How many of the above given statements are incorrect ?
a) Only one
b) Only two
c) Only three
d) All Four
Explanation-
On January 22, 2025, Prime Minister marked the 10th anniversary of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) movement, celebrating it as a transformative, people-driven initiative that has made significant strides in addressing gender biases and empowering girl children in India.
About BBBP:
The BBBP scheme was launched on 22nd January 2015 at Panipat, Haryana, as a tri-ministerial initiative involving the Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare, and Human Resource Development. Hence Statement 1 is correct.
Since 2021-22, the BBBP scheme has been subsumed into the Mission Shakti-Sambal sub-scheme to streamline its implementation. Hence Statement 2 is correct.