Daily & Latest Current Affairs in 2025

Correct Answer :   France

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French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has resigned, the French presidency said, as President Emmanuel Macron prepared to unveil a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle in an attempt to give a new impetus to his presidency.

* “Ms Elisabeth Borne today (8th Jan 2024) submitted the resignation of the government to the president, who accepted it,” the presidency said in a statement on Monday (8th Jan 2024).

* Macron thanked Borne for “work in the service of our nation that has been exemplary every day”, in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

* Borne, appointed in May 2022, was only the second female prime minister in French history. She will act as caretaker until a new government is named.

* The president had fuelled speculation of a government reshuffle in December by promising a new political initiative. This came after the year 2023 was bookended by political crises prompted by highly contested reforms of the pension system and immigration laws.

* The move comes just five months before European Parliament elections, with Eurosceptics expected to make strong gains at a time of widespread public discontent over surging living costs and the difficulties European governments face in curbing migration flows.

* Opinion polls show Macron’s party is trailing that of far-right leader Marine Le Pen by around eight to 10 points ahead of the June vote.

What next?

Among those cited as potential candidates to replace Borne are 34-year-old Education Minister Gabriel Attal and 37-year-old Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, either of whom would become France’s youngest-ever prime minister.

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and former Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie have also been mentioned by pundits as possible options.

The change in prime minister will not necessarily lead to a shift in political tack, but rather signal a desire to move beyond the pension and immigration reforms and focus on new priorities, including hitting full employment.

Macron and his government, led by Borne, have struggled to deal with a more turbulent parliament to pass laws since losing their absolute majority shortly after Macron was re-elected for a second mandate in 2022.

The French president’s advisers say he has managed to pass the most challenging parts of his economic manifesto in the first year and a half of his second mandate, despite the lack of an absolute majority, and that future reforms, on education and euthanasia for instance, would be more consensual.

But Macron’s decision to use executive powers last year to pass a contested increase in the pension age to 64 triggered weeks of protests.

The reshuffle is likely to intensify the race in Macron’s camp to succeed him in the next presidential election in 2027, with Le Maire, former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, and current Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin all seen as potential candidates..


Source : Aljazeera

Correct Answer :   Guwahati

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A two-day Regional Conference on the theme “e- Governance” organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in collaboration with Government of Assam began in Guwahati today. Governor of Assam, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria and Union MoS Dr. Jitendra Singh graced the inaugural event.

Addressing the gathering in the inaugural session, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space said that, PM Modi's governance reforms have helped in mainstreaming the Northeast. Path-breaking decisions were taken by this government for the development of Northeast, that are visible in the quality of life of the people of this region. “Northeast today is being cited as an example of Modi’s development model,” he said.

The Minister further said that the reforms were brought in by the Union government for ease of governance and ease of delivery of services. “The Prime Minister’s Awards were brought in. An objective criteria was made based on flagship schemes. The idea was to let all the districts compete. As a result, now we have participation of more than 750 districts and we have received some of the best excellence awards from NE.”

The Minister said that mainstreaming has to happen on the level of thoughts and the best practices. “We started the Swacchata campaign and 1162 crore rupees was raised by just selling garbage. The initiative brings positive changes across the country,” he informed.

Dr. Singh also spoke on the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). “It is not only a means of involving citizens but also a means of binding the entire country,” he said adding that initiatives such as the Civil Services Day, Good Governance Index, regional conferences have given a massive outreach to NE.

Dr. Singh asserted that the regional conference on e-Governance serves as an important platform to transfer knowledge and practices that can be mutually beneficial. Under the leadership of Prime Minister, the government is taking several strides in the field of IT and new age technologies for better delivery of good governance to citizens, he added.

Dr. Singh said that fulfilment of the objective of self-reliant India that requires working towards Vision 2047, which includes major parts of technological enhancements and drawing optimum solutions, our focus would be developing capabilities of officers during early years of their career, so that they have about 20-25 years to contribute towards building a glorious and self-reliant India during Amrit Kaal of next 25 years, he added.

Shri Paban Kumar Borthakur, Chief Secretary, Government of Assam and Shri V. Srinivas, Secretary, DARPG also addressed the inaugural session. During the session, a booklet on the Journey of 25 Regional Conferences and e-journal MGMG (July – Dec, 2023 edition) on e-Governance Initiatives was released.

The main objective of the Conference is to bring national and state level public administration organizations on the same platform to share experiences in innovations in public administration, transforming future public solution for improving quality of life, good governance, e-Governance, Digital Governance, etc. The Conference is a two-day event in which representatives/ DM/DC of States are invited to make presentation on PM Awarded initiatives/e-governance Awarded initiatives /select good governance practices of the States for wider dissemination & possible replication..


Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Manipur

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Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh launched the College Fagathansi Mission at a grand function organized at the Moirang College in Bishnupur District 6th Jan 2024.

The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stones and inaugurated various development projects taken up in Moirang Assembly Constituency.

The projected for which foundation stones were laid are Football Ground with Natural Grass at Moirang Kangjeibung Lampak, Construction of Type-II Quarter at Phougakchao Ikhai Police Station under SACI 2023-24, Construction of Prefabricated structures for Accommodation of CAPF Coys at Moirang under SRE (NE), Construction of Type-IV, Type-III and Type-II Quarters at Moirang Police Station under SACI 2023-24, 10 bedded Integrated Ayush Hospital at Moirang, Construction of KGBV Thamnapokpi, Construction of Block Public Health Unit (BPHU) at CHC Moirang, Construction of PHSC Ngangkhalawai, Development of INA Martyrs' War Memorial Complex, Moirang (Museum Component), Development of INA Martyrs' War Memorial Complex, Moirang (Auditorium Component), Construction of OPD, Casualty Block, Ward and IPD Blocks for CHC Moirang, Construction of 20 bedded Paediatric Ward at CHC Moirang and Construction of Football field with RCC Gallery at Moirang Local Ground under Khelo India Scheme.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh maintained that the State Government had been giving priority in the health and education sector since the formation of his government in 2017. The School Fagathansi Mission was introduced to provide better school education in Government schools as everyone, irrespective of their income, wants to get their wards admitted in good schools, he added.

He continued that 60 schools, one from each Assembly Constituency, was taken up under the School Fagathansi Mission to develop the infrastructure in the first phase. Later, another 60 schools were covered, making a total of 120 schools..

Source : India Todayne

Correct Answer :   Assam

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Chandubi Festival :

* It is organised every year for five days starting from the first day of the New Year along the Chandubi lake, which is situated in the state of Assam.

* The main attractions of the Chandubi festival are the local folk culture, ethnic cuisine, local handloom and dresses, boating, etc.

* The major aim of the Chandubi Festival is to promote eco-tourism in this biodiversity hotspot of Assam.

* Preserving the waterbody, the water level of which has rapidly been lowering over the years, has been the motive for organising the festival every year.

* The festival has been providing an opportunity to generate livelihood to different tribes – Rabhas, Garos, Gorkhas and tea tribes – living in the area by selling different food items and homemade beverages, and traditionally woven attire.

Key points about Chandubi lake :

* It was created during a massive earthquake in the year 1897.

* The name Chandubi is derived from two words where Chand means five and Dubi means sinking in Khasi language.

* This freshwater lake was turned into an economically viable water body that would sustain different communities living around the lake.

* It is a very prosperous wetland of the state that houses numerous species of aquatic flora and fauna..


Source : Hindustan Times

Correct Answer :   Kerala

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Kerala women created a Guinness World Record after singing in over 100 languages. Suchetha Satish performed in a total of 140 languages in a Dubai concert on November 24, 2023. The concert is titled Concert for Climate. The video of her performance was shared on Instagram. She could be seen singing melodious songs, and it was a complete treat to ears.

Ms Satish shared the news on her Instagram handle. She captioned, "Happy to share the news that by God's grace, I have set a new Guinness World Record by singing in 140 languages in 9 hours, on Nov 24th 2023, during my concert by climate. Thank you all for your wishes and support."

According to the official Guinness World Records page, Ms Satish broke the record by performing 140 languages raising awareness about climate change at the Indian Consulate Auditorium in Dubai. There are over 140 representing over 140 nations attending the COP 28 summit in Dubai.

The stage was set for the 75th anniversary celebrations of India's independence and the 50th formation of the UAE.

Suchetha Satish is a 16-year-old who attempted the feat during 'Music Beyond Borders' in Dubai on August 19 and broke the record of another Indian who sang in 76 languages in 2008.

Ms Satish sang in 29 Indian languages and 91 international languages. She attempted at 12 oms and with a rendition of a Sanskrit song called "Janki Jane" from Dhwani which is a Malayalam movie. She ended her streak with a Hindi song which is written by her mother, Sumitha Ayilliath, and composed by Bollywood composer Monty Sharma.

Many users commented on her post and applauded her for creating this record.

One of the users,  "Congratulations Suchetha. Incredible! A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. I am proud to be part of this beautiful journey. Well done."

Another user wrote, "Glorious achievement. May you have many more such achievements in the years to come. Kudos."

One of the users praised Sucheta and commented, "That achievement was incredible. The entire mankind would be proud of you Suchetha. My hearty congratulations.".


Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Mamata Banerjee

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West Bengal Chief Minister "Mamata Banerjee" has launched this Yogyasree scheme to help the SC/ST students. This is a free training scheme for the students who want to compete in the various competitive exams. This is a new social welfare scheme ahead of Lok Sabha Polls.

She has also started an anti-ragging toll-free number for the students and asked the university and colleges to circulate this notification.


What is the Yogyasree Scheme?

* The scheme is dedicated to the SC/ST students of the state. The scheme will help the SC/ST students mainly in the state. The Chief Minister has announced this scheme on Monday at an event in Kolkata.

* She has also talked about the benefits and impact of various welfare schemes currently run by the West Bengal government, like- Kanyashree, Yuvasree, Sabujshree, etc.

* Under this scheme, almost 50 training centers will be opened throughout the state, where the SC and ST students can train in any competitive exam free of cost.

* Also, 46 training centers will help the students to prepare for government jobs, civil services, etc.

* As other benefits, she said that during her time English as a subject is being taught in every school of the state. Where it was not being taught in every school during the time of other governments that had power in the state.

* The Chief Minister has also said that the government is very eager to set up new English Medium schools in the state.

The objective of the Yogyasree Scheme :

The main objectives of launching this scheme are-

Key features of the Yogyasree Scheme :

Some key features of this scheme are-



Who is eligible for the Yogyasree Scheme?

The eligibility criteria are-

* To get the benefits of this scheme, the students need to belong to the category.
* The students must have a permanent residence in the West Bengal State.

Documents needed for the Yogyasree Scheme :

Here is the list of documents that are needed to apply for this scheme-

How to apply for the Yogyasree Scheme?

To apply for this scheme, you need to visit the official website of this scheme. It is mentioned in the table section. Although the process of applying for the scheme is still not updated on the Website, you can check out that website from time to time and you will get the information once it is updated on the website.

Correct Answer :   PhonePe

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Walmart-owned fintech major PhonePe has appointed former Yes Bank Chief Digital Officer Ritesh Pai as CEO of its international payments business.

Prior to this, Pai was working with cross-border payments firm Terrapay and was based in Dubai. At TerraPay, Pai was responsible for launching and implementing its payment products and solutions globally.


Customer-centric :

“PhonePe has achieved market leadership in India with its unwavering commitment to product innovation and building customer-centric solutions. I am confident that this same focus will help us expand our footprint beyond national borders, taking our payment technology to an international audience,” Pai said.

This appointment comes on the back of PhonePe appointing Chief Executives for each of its different business verticals in November last year. Hemant Gala was made the CEO of the lending business. Vishal Gupta was appointed the Chief Executive of insurance, Vivek Lohcheb became the CEO for e-commerce app Pincode and Ujjwal Jain became the Chief Executive of PhonePe’s wealth offerings Share.Market.

“Ritesh has been an early believer and staunch supporter of the company and was very instrumental in our early UPI success story. I’m delighted that he’s joined us to lead our international growth plans. I would like to wish him the very best in his new role,” said Sameer Nigam, CEO and Founder of PhonePe.

Recently, PhonePe-owned app platform Indus Appstore Co-Founder Rakesh Deshmukh stepped down as CEO after a decade-long stint as Indus Appstore gears up to launch its Android mobile app marketplace in the coming months..

Source : The Hindu Businessline

Correct Answer :   January 9

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Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, also known as NRI Day (Non-Resident Indian), is celebrated every year on January 9. It holds great significance in recognising and honouring the Indian diaspora spread across the globe. NRI Day marks the contribution and achievements of overseas Indians in various fields, fostering a strong connection between the homeland and its diasporic communities.


Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2024 Theme :

* The theme for Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2021 was “Contributing to Atmanirbhar Bharat" and 2023 was "Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India's Progress in Amrit Kaal"

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas History :

* Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was first introduced in 2003 by the then Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on January 9, 1915.
 
* It was celebrated every year from 2003 to 2015. But it was amended in the year 2015, and since then, Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas is celebrated at an interval of every two years. The Ministry of External Affairs has chosen a special theme on this occasion.

Source : Zeebiz

Correct Answer :   Denmark

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At the Global Investors Meet (GIM) 2024, Denmark unveiled the Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI), a pivotal initiative under the Green Strategic Partnership (GSP) signed between India and Denmark in 2020. The GFAI aims to accelerate collaboration in the sustainable energy solutions sector, aligning with the joint global objective of carbon neutrality.


Strategic Alliance for Sustainable Growth :

Led by the Danish Embassy and the Consulate-General of Denmark in India, the GFAI focuses on advancing the green fuels sector, particularly green hydrogen. Nine leading Danish organizations, including Maersk, Novozymes, and Danfoss, commit as founding members, highlighting a strategic approach to fostering innovation and collaboration.

Ecosystem for Collaboration :

The primary goal of the GFAI is to establish an ecosystem promoting collaboration among businesses, government entities, research institutions, and financial stakeholders. This initiative bolsters India’s efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2070, showcasing a commitment to sustainable energy growth.


Advisory Board and Key Partners :

The GFAI’s advisory board includes key entities such as the India Hydrogen Alliance and the Danish Energy Agency. This alliance underscores the commitment to sustainable energy solutions, further cementing the bond between India and Denmark in the pursuit of a greener future.

Correct Answer :   ONGC

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State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has started oil production from its flagship deep-sea project in Krishna Godavari basin in Bay of Bengal.

ONGC has started producing from the Cluster-2 project in KG-DWN-98/2 block and will slowly ramp up output. In a social media post, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, first oil production commences from complex and difficult block.

Mr Puri said, production is expected to be 45 thousand barrels per day and over 10 million standard cubic metres per day of gas. The project is expected to add 7 percent to current national oil production and 7 percent to national Natural Gas production.

It is situated offshore the Godavari river delta in the Bay of Bengal. It is located 35 kilometres off the coast of Andhra Pradesh in water depths ranging from 300-3,200 metres. The discoveries in the block are divided into three clusters -- Cluster-1, 2 and 3. Cluster 2 is being put to production first...

Source : AIR