Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sonamarg tunnel and dedicated it to the nation

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1 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sonamarg tunnel and dedicated it to the nation

Prime Minister  Narendra Modi  inaugurated   the   iconic  Sonamarg Tunnel in Ganderbal district  of  Kashmir and dedicated it to the nation. The Prime Minister also inspected the project by going inside the tunnel. The Sonamarg Tunnel will reduce the travel time between Gagangir and Sonamarg in Ganderbal district  to just 20-25 minutes. This is a big change for the people of this region, which will provide a better connectivity between Gagangir and Sonamarg. The work on this project  started in May 2015  and was completed last year. After this, travel to Ladakh region will become even easier by road. This will also give a boost to the trade and tourism sector. This tunnel will also boost domestic and international tourism in Sonamarg.   The cost of  the Sonamarg Tunnel project, about 12 km long,  has come to more than  Rs 2,700 crore . Located at an altitude of 8,650 ft above sea level, the tunnel will enhance  all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg  on the way to Leh bypassing   landslide and avalanche routes  and ensure safe and unhindered access to the strategically important Ladakh region. 

2 ‘Mahakumbh 2025’ started

The world’s largest spiritual and cultural gathering Mahakumbh 2025 ‘  began on 13 January  . This year Mahakumbh is being organized in Prayagraj  from 13 January to 26 February  . This year’s Mahakumbh is being organized in a rare astronomical coincidence in 144 years. On the first day, more than 1 crore devotees took a dip at 44 ghats.

3 DRDO launched new uniform for soldiers deployed in extreme cold

The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO)  on January 11  launched a new uniform for soldiers deployed in  extreme cold on   the Siachen and Ladakh border  . Himkavach  is designed to work at temperatures ranging from 20°C to -60°C. Himkavach is a clothing system, which has been prepared by combining dresses of many layers. All the layers have been designed according to the insulation system to generate heat. The Himkavach system has been designed modularly, due to which the soldiers can remove and add layers according to the weather. Currently, soldiers deployed on the border in minus degrees  wear uniforms made of  three-layer Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS).  It  was developed by DRDO’s Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIFAS) .

4th International Kite Festival begins

Chief Minister  Bhupendra Patel  on  January  11 inaugurated the ‘ International Kite Festival’ by flying a kite at the Sabarmati Riverfront   in  Ahmedabad  ,   Gujarat  . 143 kite flyers from 47 countries and 52 from 11 states of the country have arrived to participate in this kite festival. 417 kite flyers from 11 cities of Gujarat are also showcasing their skills in this festival. This year ambassadors of 11 countries have joined this festival. This festival is being celebrated simultaneously at many places in Gujarat including Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Dhordo, Shivrajpur Beach and Statue of Unity. This festival will continue till January 14.

India’s total installed renewable energy capacity exceeds 209 GW by 5 December 2024

India’s  total renewable energy installed capacity  has crossed two hundred nine gigawatts by December 2024,  marking a growth of 15.84 per cent over the previous year  . According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy- MNRE, as of December 2024, the total capacity added during the year was 28.64 gigawatts, marking a growth of 119.46 per cent over the 13.05 gigawatts added in 2023. Solar power has played a key role in driving this expansion. The sector witnessed an addition of 24.54 gigawatts in 2024, taking its cumulative installed capacity to 97.86 gigawatts – an impressive growth of 33.47% from 73.32 gigawatts in 2023. Meanwhile, wind power contributed 3.42 GW to the total capacity addition, taking its total installed capacity to 48.16 GW, representing a 7.64% increase over the previous year. Bioenergy also showed solid growth, with its installed capacity increasing from 10.84 GW in December 2023 to 11.35 GW in December 2024, representing a 4.70% increase. Small hydropower projects contributed marginally to the expansion of the sector, with a marginal increase in installed capacity from 4.99 GW to 5.10 GW, representing a 2.20% increase.

6 Successful test of third generation indigenous anti-tank missile ‘Naag’

 Field evaluation   of  indigenously  developed  third generation anti-tank fire-and-forget guided missile Nag MK 2 was successfully conducted at Pokhran Field Range   in  Rajasthan . This missile is based on ‘fire-and-forget’ technology, that is, it does not require re-guiding after firing. Nag missile is capable of operating in all weather conditions and can destroy enemy tanks with precision. It has infrared technology, which locks the target before launch and destroys it rapidly. Its range is up to 4 km. This missile, light weight and with accurate aim, can destroy enemy tanks and other military vehicles in seconds. Nag missile   has been developed by DRDO at a cost of Rs 300 crore. Its  first successful test  was done in 1990.

7 India’s greenhouse gas emissions reduced by 7.93 percent: Report

According to  the fourth biennial update report (BUR-4)   of  the United Nations Framework Convention  on  Climate , India  is making significant progress in its journey towards climate resilience and recorded  a 7.93% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020 compared to 2019.  This reduction underlines India’s commitment to a sustainable and low-carbon future, in line with its pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 made during the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in 2021. This information was given by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. This achievement reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to combine economic progress with meaningful climate action.

8 Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla visits BAPS Neasden Mandir in London

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla  visited  the famous  BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir  in London  . It  is also known as   Neasden Temple . Om Birla’s visit on January 11 was part of his official UK tour, which was held at the invitation of Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle  . BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is an international spiritual organization,  recognized by the United Nations  . It aims to uplift spiritual, cultural and social in the world. More than 80,000 volunteers and 5,025 centers are associated with this institution, which serve millions of people. Under the leadership of Mahant Swami Maharaj, BAPS strives to create a society that is based on peace, harmony and morality. The institution is based on the teachings of the Vedas and  the ideology of Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781-1830)  . Also, it  is inspired by the inspiration of Swami Maharaj (1921-2016)  , who taught: “ Our happiness is in the happiness of others. ” In the UK, BAPS is considered one of the largest and most active Hindu communities. The Neasden temple is internationally renowned and is an important part of BAPS’ identity.

9 5th ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting in Bangkok

The 5th ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting (ADGMIN)  began  in  Bangkok  on  13 January . The theme of the meeting this year is ‘ Secure, Innovative, Inclusive: Shaping ASEAN’s Digital Future ‘. Important topics such as cross border privacy framework, digital identity verification and artificial intelligence (AI) will also be discussed in the meeting.  Representatives of Timor-Leste and the ASEAN Secretary General, including  all 10 ASEAN countries,   will participate in the meeting. ASEAN is a regional group that promotes economic, political and security cooperation. Its 10 member countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Apart from these,  Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand  are partner countries. It was established  in August 1967  in Bangkok, Thailand with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the founders of ASEAN i.e. Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. It is chaired annually by member nations in order of the English words.

10 Mumbai’s Ira Jadhav became the highest run scorer in the history of Women’s Under-19 ODI Trophy

 In the history of  Women’s Under-19 One Day Trophy in domestic cricket,  Mumbai  ‘s  Ira Jadhav   has become  the highest run scorer.  In the One Day Trophy played at Alur Cricket Stadium  in  Bengaluru, Ira played a brilliant innings of  346 not out off 157 balls with 42 fours and 16 sixes against Meghalaya  . With the help of 14-year-old Ira’s record-breaking innings, Mumbai scored 563 runs for 3 wickets in the stipulated 50 overs. With this, Ira  has broken the record of  Smriti Mandhana  , who  had scored 224 runs in just 150 balls  while playing for Maharashtra against Gujarat  in 2013 .

11 American magazine declared Neeraj as the world’s best male athlete in javelin throw

On January 11 , the famous American magazine ‘ Track and Field News ‘   has declared  Indian player Neeraj Chopra  as  the world’s best male athlete in javelin throw in the year 2024. Chopra was also at the top of the 2023 men’s javelin throw rankings. He surpassed two-time world champion  Anderson Peters  of the Caribbean country Grenada  . Track and Field News magazine has been published since 1948. It publishes world and American rankings every year. Nadeem is at the fifth place in this list because apart from the Olympics, he participated in only one other competition, the Paris Diamond League, in which he finished fourth.

12 Devjit Saikia became the secretary of BCCI

Devjit Saikia   has become the secretary of BCCI , while  Prabhtej Singh Bhatia  has  been elected treasurer  . Apart from Saikia and Bhatia, no one else had filled the nomination form. Saikia   took over from  former secretary Jai Shah on December 6, 2024. He was made the interim secretary. Jai Shah has been made the chairman of ICC  , due to which he left the post of BCCI secretary. Saikia  is a part of the Assam Cricket Association  . At the same time, Bhatia  is a part of the Chhattisgarh Cricket Association  and will take over the post of treasurer in place of Ashish Shelar.

13 Haryana defeated Uttarakhand in  Junior National Kabaddi

 On  January 12, Haryana  ‘s  men’s Kabaddi team  won  the gold medal  and  the women’s team  won  the silver medal  in  the Junior National Kabaddi Championship  . In the final match, Haryana  defeated Uttarakhand’s team  by a margin of 51-21 and won the gold medal.