TODAY NEWS ON January 25, 2025

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: THE HINDU

News HeadLines
 

• Republic Day 2025: 70 paramilitary companies, 15,000 cops to be deployed, says Delhi Police
• Pralay, India’s first ballistic missile for conventional strikes, to be showcased at Republic Day parade
• Myanmar conflict to feature in India-Indonesia talks
• Putin says Ukraine conflict could have been avoided had Trump been in office
• Parliamentary panel meet on Waqf begins on stormy note; ten opposition members suspended
• U.P. temple gets FCRA nod without request
• Hindu families must have 3 children: VHP
• Eight dead, five injured in Bhandara ordnance factory blast; SIT formed
• Next Indian envoy to Israel is MEA’s point-person for Iran, Pakistan, special envoy to Afghanistan
• Bihar CM felicitates Olympians, Paralympic athletes
• Haryana former MLA’s plea on EVMs to be heard by CJI
• Farmers’ body to step up protests against draft agri marketing policy
• M.P. bans liquor in 17 religious places; CM says move to be implemented across State gradually
• Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Goa among top-performing States in NITI Aayog’s fiscal health index
• Sri Lanka revokes power purchasing deal with Adani, say reports 
• ICC Test team of 2024: Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Yashasvi Jaiswal named 
• Mandhana, Deepti in ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year, no Indian in men’s side
• Amul cuts milk prices for one-litre packs by ₹1 across India
• WHO chief to cut costs, reset priorities after U.S. exit, document shows
• JSW Steel net profit declines 70% to ₹719 crore in Q3
• Patanjali Foods recalls four tonnes of red chilli powder; urges customers to return product, claim refund

Headlines in detail
 

Republic Day 2025: 70 paramilitary companies, 15,000 cops to be deployed, says Delhi Police

“Over 70 companies of paramilitary forces and more than 15,000 police personnel are set to be deployed across the capital for Republic Day celebrations,” an official said on Friday (January 24, 2025). “The city will be monitored by drones and CCTV surveillance and cyber-specialist officers will be deployed to oversee operations,” a senior police officer said.

Pralay, India’s first ballistic missile for conventional strikes, to be showcased at Republic Day parade

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is set to showcase the indigenous short-range quasi-ballistic missile Pralay at this year’s Republic Day parade. The missile, which is meant for the Army and Air Force, will be the first ballistic missile in India’s missile arsenal meant for conventional strikes. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday flagged off the Battlefield Surveillance System ‘Sanjay’, which marked the handing over of the system to the Army and will also be see on Kartavya Path on Sunday.

Myanmar conflict to feature in India-Indonesia talks

The raging conflict in Myanmar will feature prominently in discussions between visiting Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the weekend, sources said. Mr. Subianto, who will be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations, began his official meetings by calling on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and meeting industry bigwigs on Friday (January 24, 2025).

Putin says Ukraine conflict could have been avoided had Trump been in office

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday (January 24, 2025) echoed U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim the conflict in Ukraine could have been prevented had he been in the White House in 2022. He also said Moscow is ready for talks with the U.S. on a broad range of issues.

Parliamentary panel meet on Waqf begins on stormy note; ten opposition members suspended

The meeting of the parliamentary committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill began on a stormy note on Friday (January 24, 2025), with opposition members claiming they were not being given adequate time to study the proposed changes to the draft legislation. Ten opposition members attending the parliamentary panel meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill were suspended for a day on Friday (January 24, 2025). The Joint Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill, chaired by BJP member Jagdambika Pal, is scheduled to hear the views of a delegation led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the religious head of Kashmir.

U.P. temple gets FCRA nod without request

The Union Home Ministry has granted registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010 to the famous Banke Bihari temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Vrindavan, enabling it to receive donations from foreign countries for “religious” activity. The temple’s priests, however, said they had never applied for the registration.

Hindu families must have 3 children: VHP

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), an off-shoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), on Friday (January 24, 2025) claimed that the main reason for the decreasing birth rate of Hindu society is the imbalance in the population of the community. The organisation asked Hindu families to raise at least three children “as it is an important responsibility to protect the existence of Hindu society”.

Eight dead, five injured in Bhandara ordnance factory blast; SIT formed

A massive explosion ripped through an ordnance factory in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district on Friday (January 24, 2025) morning, leaving eight people dead and five injured. A Special Investigation Team has been set up by the Bhandara district administration and the Superintendent of Police, to ascertain the cause of the blast, and the factory has also set up an inquiry committee.

Next Indian envoy to Israel is MEA’s point-person for Iran, Pakistan, special envoy to Afghanistan

India has named Jitendra Pal Singh — currently the point-person for Iran and Pakistan as well as the Special Envoy to Afghanistan — as its next Ambassador to Israel.

Bihar CM felicitates Olympians, Paralympic athletes

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar felicitated athletes and para-athletes for their achievements and contributions to their respective sporting disciplines, during the Sportstar Focus Bihar Conclave held at the Taj City Centre in Patna on Friday (January 24, 2025).

Haryana former MLA’s plea on EVMs to be heard by CJI

A petition filed by five-time former MLA Karan Singh Dalal, who contested the Haryana Assembly election in 2024, seeking directions to the Election Commission of India to lay down a policy for verifying the original burnt memory/microcontroller of electronic voting machines will be heard by a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna.

Farmers’ body to step up protests against draft agri marketing policy

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha has rejected the Union Agriculture Ministry’s draft National Policy Framework for Agricultural Marketing (NPFAM) and decided to hold maha panchayats, or massive gatherings of farmers in every State, to protest the policy. They will also hold mass protests in front of MPs’ offices and residences on February 8 and 9 to request them to stand with farmers. The decision was taken at a general body meeting of the SKM in New Delhi on Friday (January 24, 2025).

M.P. bans liquor in 17 religious places; CM says move to be implemented across State gradually

The Madhya Pradesh government on Friday (January 25, 2025) decided to ban liquor in 17 cities, towns and villages of religious significance across the State, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced after a Cabinet meeting held in Khargone district’s Maheshwar.

Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Goa among top-performing States in NITI Aayog’s fiscal health index

Mineral-rich Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Goa and Jharkhand have emerged as top-performing ‘achievers’ among the States listed in NITI Aayog’s first Fiscal Health Index (FHI) report released on Friday (January 24, 2025).

Sri Lanka revokes power purchasing deal with Adani, say reports 

Sri Lanka has revoked a 2024 power purchase agreement with Adani Green Energy — for a proposed wind power plant in the island’s Northern Province — following corruption allegations, news agency AFP reported on Friday (January 24, 2025). “The government has revoked the power purchase agreement, but the project is not cancelled. A committee has been appointed to review the entire project,” the report said, quoting an unnamed senior official from the Energy Ministry.

ICC Test team of 2024: Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Yashasvi Jaiswal named 

Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal deservedly found a place in the ICC’s Test Team of the Year 2024 that featured four Englishmen with Australian Pat Cummins as its captain. The team also had two New Zealanders, including the redoubtable Kane Williamson. Cummins was the lone Australian to make the all-star XI. Bumrah was nothing short of magical in 2024, dominating every team and every batter he bowled to. He became the first bowler to average under 20 with a minimum of 200 wickets in Test cricket, solidifying his place in history.

Mandhana, Deepti in ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year, no Indian in men’s side

Star batter Smriti Mandhana and all-rounder Deepti Sharma were on Friday (January 24, 2025) named in the ICC women’s ODI Team of the Year 2024 but none of their male counterparts found a place in the men’s side that was dominated by Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The women’s all-star team has three players from England, two Australians, two South Africans and one each from Sri Lanka and West Indies, besides the two Indians. Meanwhile, the absence of any Indian in the men’s all-star team could be attributed to very less number of matches the country played last year. India played only three ODIs — an away series against Sri Lanka —, losing two of them while the third one ended in a tie.

Amul cuts milk prices for one-litre packs by ₹1 across India

Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets dairy products under the Amul brand, has reduced milk prices by ₹1 per litre across India. However, the reduction in prices is only for one-litre packs. “We have reduced the prices of one-litre packs by ₹1 per litre across India,” GCMMF managing director Jayen Mehta told PTI.

WHO chief to cut costs, reset priorities after U.S. exit, document shows

The World Health Organization (WHO) will cut costs and review which health programmes to prioritise after the U.S. announced its exit, its chief told staff in an internal memo seen by Reuters. U.S. President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal on the first day of his second term earlier this week, alleging that the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.

JSW Steel net profit declines 70% to ₹719 crore in Q3

JSW Steel on Friday (January 24, 2025) reported over 70% fall in consolidated net profit to ₹719 crore in December quarter, mainly due to higher expenses. It had posted a net profit of ₹2,450 crore in the year-ago quarter, the company said in an exchange filing. Total income during the latest third quarter also trimmed to ₹41,525 crore from ₹42,134 crore a year ago.

Patanjali Foods recalls four tonnes of red chilli powder; urges customers to return product, claim refund

Patanjali Foods Ltd has recalled four tonnes of red chilli powder from markets following the direction from food regulator FSSAI. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) asked Patanjali Foods to recall a specified batch of packed red chilli powder due to non-conformity with food safety norms. “Patanjali Foods has recalled small batch of four tonnes of ‘Red Chilli Powder (200 gram pack),” the company’s CEO Sanjeev Asthana said in a statement.