TODAY NEWS ON January 08, 2025

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: THE HINDU

National News

• India’s real GDP expected to rise 6.4% in FY25
• Pranab Mukherjee memorial: Centre allots site at Rajghat
• Students’ body, teachers question new UGC draft regulation on faculty appointments
• Home Minister Amit Shah launches ‘Bharatpol’ for international police assistance
• Same-sex marriage review listed for January 9
• V. Narayanan appointed new Space Secretary and ISRO chief
• Inter-ministerial committee needed to strengthen AI governance, says Centre’s IndiaAI Mission
• 10 trade unions threaten to call a general strike if Centre notifies new labour codes
• R&D loses relevance if it does not meet timelines, says Air Chief
• Remarks at VHP event: Allahabad High Court dismisses plea against Justice Shekhar Yadav’s impeachment motion
• Supreme Court Collegium recommends Patna High Court Chief Justice to the top court
• No surge in respiratory illnesses says Union Health Ministry; advises States to strengthen awareness on HMPV
• Delhi to vote on February 5, counting on February 8: CEC Rajiv Kumar
• Assam coal mine mishap: Three feared dead; Army, Navy deep divers deployed to rescue trapped miners
• India, U.S. to jointly make sonobuoys for Indian Navy
• PM Modi to visit Sri Lanka in 2025, says Indian High Commissioner
• 2013 rape case: SC grants interim bail to Asaram on medical grounds till March 31
• Air India flight makes emergency landing after engine shuts off midair

International News

• Sri Lanka President Dissanayake to visit China from January 14
• Bangladesh revokes Sheikh Hasina’s passport
• Trump renews his offer of making Canada 51st state of U.S. after Trudeau resigns
• England urged to boycott Champions Trophy game against Afghanistan over Taliban suppression of women’s rights

Headlines in Detail

India’s real GDP expected to rise 6.4% in FY25

India’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to rise 6.4% in this financial year, slowing from 8.2% in 2023-24, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said in its first advance estimates of GDP for 2024-25. GDP growth slowed to 6% in the first half of this financial year. The real Gross Value Added (GVA) in the Indian economy is reckoned to rise 6.4% as well, relative to a 7.2% uptick in 2023-24, with Agriculture GVA growth surging to 3.8% from 1.4% last year.

No surge in respiratory illnesses says Union Health Ministry; advises States to strengthen awareness on HMPV

States across India have been advised to strengthen awareness among masses regarding preventive measures against the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) while also advising that Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) surveillance be strengthened. The direction were issued following a virtual meeting of chaired by Union Health Ministry Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava recently with States and Union Territories to review the present situation of respiratory illnesses in India and the status regarding the HMPV cases following media reports of surge in HMPV cases in China, and the public health measures for their management.

Delhi to vote on February 5, counting on February 8: CEC Rajiv Kumar

Assembly polls in Delhi will be held on February 5 and the votes counted on February 8, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced. The last date to file nominations is January 17 and the scrutiny of nominations will be done by January 18. Candidates will be able to withdraw their nominations till January 20.

Pranab Mukherjee memorial: Centre allots site at Rajghat

The Centre has earmarked a designated site at the Rashtriya Smriti complex, a part of the Rajghat precinct, for erecting a memorial for the late President Pranab Mukherjee.

Students’ body, teachers question new UGC draft regulation on faculty appointments

Left-leaning Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has said in a statement on Tuesday (January 7, 2025) that it rejects the Draft University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025, released on Monday. The SFI said the regulation was yet another attempt to “centralise and corporatise” campuses.

Home Minister Amit Shah launches ‘Bharatpol’ for international police assistance

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said it was time Indian investigation agencies use modern technology and techniques to nab fugitives as he launched the ‘Bharatpol’ portal to facilitate faster international assistance for agencies.

Sri Lanka President Dissanayake to visit China from January 14

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will visit China from January 14 to 17, the Cabinet Spokesman announced on Tuesday (January 7, 2025), confirming the Sri Lankan leader’s second state visit abroad, a month after he visited India.

Same-sex marriage review listed for January 9

A new five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice B.R. Gavai is scheduled, on January 9, to hear petitions seeking a review of an October 2023 judgment that refused to legalise same-sex marriage.

V. Narayanan appointed new Space Secretary and ISRO chief

Dr. V. Narayanan has been appointed the new Space Secretary. Dr. Narayanan, who is currently the Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), will also be the new ISRO Chairman and he will take over from incumbent S. Somanath from January 14.

Inter-ministerial committee needed to strengthen AI governance, says Centre’s IndiaAI Mission

In a recognition that artificial intelligence (AI) has impacts on a wide range of fields, a Union government panel mandated to develop AI guidelines has recommended that an inter-ministerial committee be set up to enforce AI rules and ensure effective governance of the country’s emerging AI ecosystem.

10 trade unions threaten to call a general strike if Centre notifies new labour codes

A platform of 10 central trade unions from the Opposition camp has warned the Centre that it will call a general strike if the Centre notifies the four labour codes.

Bangladesh revokes Sheikh Hasina’s passport

Bangladesh on Tuesday (January 7, 2024) revoked the passport of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 96 others in connection with their role in the crackdown against protesters during the uprising of July-August 2024.

R&D loses relevance if it does not meet timelines, says Air Chief

Research and Development loses relevance if it does not meet timelines, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal (ACM) A.P. Singh said on Tuesday (January 7, 2025), pointing that the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was conceived in 1984 and today in 2025, they still do not have the first 40 aircraft. His comments come amid the crisis the IAF is facing, in terms of depleting fighter strength and huge delays in development and delivery of indigenous fighters.

Remarks at VHP event: Allahabad High Court dismisses plea against Justice Shekhar Yadav’s impeachment motion

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday (January 7, 2025) dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition against the impeachment motion submitted in the Upper House of Parliament over the communal speech delivered by Justice Shekhar Yadav at an event organised by the legal cell of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

Supreme Court Collegium recommends Patna High Court Chief Justice to the top court

The Supreme Court Collegium on Tuesday (January 7, 2025) recommended Patna High Court Chief Justice K. Vinod Chandran for appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court.

Assam coal mine mishap: Three feared dead; Army, Navy deep divers deployed to rescue trapped miners

Rescue workers spotted three bodies inside a water-filled coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district where nine miners have been trapped for more than 24 hours. A combined team of the Army, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, and Assam police began rescue operations early in the morning after reaching the mine at 3 Kilo, close to the district’s border with Meghalaya.

India, U.S. to jointly make sonobuoys for Indian Navy

In a significant development, India and the U.S. announced cooperation on co-production of U.S. sonobuoys for Undersea Domain Awareness (UDA) for the Indian Navy, a high-end technology that allows tracking submarines in the deep seas and oceans. This is the latest in a series of cooperation measures between the two countries as both grow wary of the rapid expansion of Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region.

PM Modi to visit Sri Lanka in 2025, says Indian High Commissioner

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Sri Lanka within this year, the Indian High Commission announced in Colombo. However, the dates are yet to be decided by the two sides. “We are in the process of working out a propitious timing for the visit,” Santosh Jha, the Indian High Commissioner, told reporters.

2013 rape case: SC grants interim bail to Asaram on medical grounds till March 31

The Supreme Court granted interim bail to 86-year-old godman Asaram Bapu on medical grounds till the end of March, while restricting him from meeting his followers. The self-styled godman was convicted by the Special POCSO court at Jodhpur and sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a teenage girl in his ashram. He is serving a life sentence in Central Jail, Jodhpur.

Air India flight makes emergency landing after engine shuts off midair

A Delhi-bound Air India flight made an emergency landing after one of its engines shut off midair, sources in the airport said. According to sources, the flight 2820 took off on Sunday evening at about 7 p.m. from the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.

Trump renews his offer of making Canada 51st state of U.S. after Trudeau resigns

Hours after the resignation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump renewed his offer of making Canada the 51st state of the United States. Mr. Trudeau, 53, announced his resignation Monday as his ruling Liberal Party forced him amidst his growing unpopularity.

England urged to boycott Champions Trophy game against Afghanistan over Taliban suppression of women’s rights

England should refuse to play the Champions Trophy cricket match against Afghanistan next month according to a letter signed by more than 160 U.K. politicians. The politicians want the England and Wales Cricket Board to take a stand against the Taliban regime’s assault on women’s rights and boycott the men’s one-day international against Afghanistan in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 26.