Daily Current Affairs 4th Jan, 2025: Your guide for daily General Knowledge Preparation
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This post contains important current affairs of 4th Jan, 2025. It includes all Major National, International, Business and Sports related current affairs of 4th Jan, 2025. A brief explanation of every current affair is provided to further enhance your general knowledge. Once you have gone through these current affairs we would recommend to you to try 4th Jan, 2025 Current affairs test.
International News
Mike Johnson Re-Elected as U.S. House Speaker
Mike Johnson, a Republican representative from Louisiana, was re-elected as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives during a tense voting session marking the first day of the new Congress. Despite opposition from some hard-right Republicans, Johnson secured the position with support from President-elect Donald Trump. His re-election comes at a critical time, with the GOP navigating internal divisions and preparing for ambitious legislative initiatives under Trump’s leadership.
National News
India Gets Its First Glass Bridge at Kanniyakumari
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, accompanied by various dignitaries, officially inaugurated India’s first glass bridge in Kanniyakumari. This structure links two prominent landmarks, the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and the 133-foot Thiruvalluvar Statue, adding to Kanniyakumari’s status as a top tourist destination. Constructed as part of a ₹37-crore project by the Tamil Nadu government, the bridge aims to enhance the visitor experience and boost local tourism. The inauguration coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Thiruvalluvar Statue, unveiled by former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. The glass bridge is poised to become a major attraction, drawing visitors from across the country and abroad.
EPFO Introduces Centralized Pension Payment System
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has rolled out its Centralized Pension Payment System (CPPS) across all its regional offices in India. This marks a significant upgrade in pension disbursement, benefiting over 68 lakh pensioners. The new system allows pensioners to access their funds from any bank branch nationwide, improving convenience and efficiency.
Chhattisgarh Adopts Green GDP Model
Chhattisgarh has become the first Indian state to integrate its forests’ ecological contributions into its economic metrics by adopting the Green Gross Domestic Product (Green GDP) model. This approach quantifies environmental benefits such as clean air, water conservation, and biodiversity as part of economic growth, ensuring sustainable development while safeguarding natural resources for future generations.
Assam Reports Increase in Elephant Population
Assam’s Elephant Population Estimate 2024 shows a marginal rise in the state’s elephant population, now totaling 5,828. This marks an increase of 109 elephants compared to the 2017 count. The synchronised estimation exercise highlights stability in elephant numbers, despite ongoing challenges such as habitat loss and human-wildlife conflicts. The findings stress the importance of Elephant Reserves and recommend enhanced conservation efforts.
Business News
Committee Formed to Revise WPI Base Year
On January 2, 2025, the Indian government set up an 18-member committee tasked with updating the base year for the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) from 2011-12 to 2022-23. This revision aims to improve the accuracy of factory-gate inflation measures and align them with current economic realities.
India Updates GDP Base Year to 2022-23
In a move aimed at more accurately reflecting the country’s economic landscape, the Indian government announced plans to revise the base year for calculating Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 2011-12 to 2022-23. This update, the first in over ten years, is intended to account for recent structural changes in the economy.
Nomura Revises India’s FY25 GDP Growth Forecast
Nomura has adjusted its projection for India’s GDP growth in fiscal year 2025, reducing it from 6.9% to 6.7%. This revision follows slower-than-expected growth in the April-June quarter, where GDP expansion stood at 6.7%, a decline from 7.8% in the previous quarter.
Schemes News
Expansion of Telangana’s Rythu Bharosa Scheme
The Telangana government has expanded the Rythu Bharosa scheme, providing ₹7,500 per acre of financial assistance to approximately 70 lakh farmers for each crop season. The initiative aims to enhance support for agricultural activities and promote farmer welfare.
Banking News
BharatPe Plans to Sell Stake in Unity Small Finance Bank
BharatPe, a prominent fintech firm, intends to sell up to 25% of its 49% stake in Unity Small Finance Bank, aiming to raise approximately ₹6,500 crore ($800 million). This sale is part of BharatPe’s strategy to comply with RBI’s regulatory guidelines. Rothschild & Co has been appointed to manage the transaction.
RBI Approves National and Cosmos Co-operative Bank Merger
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has sanctioned the merger of National Co-operative Bank (Bangalore) with Cosmos Co-operative Bank (Maharashtra), effective January 6, 2025. This move is part of a broader effort to consolidate the banking sector. Post-merger, branches of National Co-operative Bank will operate under Cosmos Co-operative Bank, addressing financial challenges faced by the former.
SBI Introduces ‘Har Ghar Lakhpati’ and ‘SBI Patrons’ Schemes
The State Bank of India (SBI) has launched two new deposit schemes, ‘Har Ghar Lakhpati’ and ‘SBI Patrons.’ The former is a recurring deposit scheme designed to help customers accumulate ₹1 lakh or more. It is also accessible to minors, promoting early financial literacy.
Appointments News
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai Appointed DGCA Director General
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, a senior IAS officer of the 1996 batch from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Director-General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This position had been vacant since Vikram Dev Dutt’s elevation to the Ministry of Coal. Kidwai’s role involves addressing challenges such as pilot duty and rest norms.
Important DaysÂ
World Braille Day Observed on January 4
World Braille Day, celebrated annually on January 4, honors Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille system. Recognized by the United Nations in 2018, the day raises awareness about the importance of Braille in promoting literacy and inclusivity for visually impaired individuals, emphasizing the need for accessibility in building an equitable society.
