1 Sports Award announced, 4 players including Manu Bhaker, D. Gukesh, Paralympic Praveen Kumar awarded Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna Award
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the Khel Ratna award for Manu Bhaker , who won two medals in the Olympics , D. Gukesh , the world champion of chess at the age of 18 , hockey team captain Harmanpreet and Paralympic gold medalist Praveen Kumar in the high-jump competition of the T64 category . The President will present the award on 17 January 2025. Apart from this, the Sports Ministry has released a list of a total of 32 athletes who will be awarded the Arjuna Award. These include 17 para athletes. Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna Award National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports. ‘Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna Award’ is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a player in the last four years. 2. Launch of the book “Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh – Through the Ages”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah , while launching the book ” Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh – Through the Ages ” in New Delhi, said that after the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, there has been a significant decrease in terrorist activities. He said that since then there has been a 70 percent reduction in terrorist activities. This book covers three thousand years of history of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Published in Hindi and English, this book is the result of a joint effort of the National Book Trust India and the Indian Council of Historical Research .
3 18-member working group constituted to revise the base year of Wholesale Price Index to 2022-23
The central government has constituted an 18-member working group headed by Professor Ramesh Chand of NITI Aayog to update the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) base year to 2022-23 . The working group constituted under the chairmanship of Professor Ramesh Chand includes 17 other representatives from various government departments, economic advisory bodies and non-official experts. The working group has been asked to submit its final report to the Office of the Economic Adviser within 18 months of the issuance of the notification. According to an official release issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Thursday, the 18-member working group constituted under the chairmanship of Professor Ramesh Chand, member of NITI Aayog, includes representatives from various government departments, economic advisory bodies and non-official experts. The annual inflation rate based on the Wholesale Price Index stood at 1.89 percent (provisional) in November 2024, while it was 2.36 percent in October and 1.91 percent in September.
has been constituted. The working group constituted under the chairmanship of Professor Ramesh Chand includes 17 other representatives from various government departments, economic advisory bodies and non-official experts. The working group has been asked to submit its final report to the office of the Economic Adviser within 18 months of the issue of the notification. According to an official release issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Thursday, the 18-member working group constituted under the chairmanship of NITI Aayog member Professor Ramesh Chand includes representatives from various government departments, economic advisory bodies and non-official experts. The annual inflation rate based on the Wholesale Price Index was 1.89 percent (provisional) in November 2024, while it was 2.36 percent in October and 1.91 percent in September.
4 Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is serious about improving Delhi’s transport system, announced projects worth Rs 12,500 crore
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced projects worth Rs 12,500 crore to improve Delhi ‘s transport system and reduce congestion and pollution in the city . He also announced Rs 1200 crore for Delhi from the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund . This project will provide direct connectivity to the Delhi-Katra Expressway and vehicles coming from Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab will be directly connected to the Indira Gandhi International Airport and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway . Apart from this, an alternative route from Dwarka Expressway to Indira Gandhi International Airport will be available for those coming from Dehradun and the travel time will be reduced from one and a half hours to just 45 minutes.
In India, the total greenhouse gas emissions in the year 2020 decreased by 7.93 per cent as compared to the year 2019. India’s report in the fourth edition of the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change states that carbon gas emissions continue to decline along with economic growth. India’s fourth biennial update report (BUR-4) was submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 30 December 2024. The report also includes information about India’s national conditions, mitigation actions, barriers, gaps, analysis of related finance, technology and capacity building needs. According to the report, the emission intensity of India’s GDP has decreased by 36 percent between 2005 and 2020. As of October 2024, the share of non-fossil sources in installed power generation capacity was 46.52 percent. An additional carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide was created through forest and tree cover during the year 2005 to 2021. According to the report, the energy sector contributed the most to the total emissions, accounting for 75.66 percent of the total, followed by agriculture (13.72 percent), industrial process and product use (8.06 percent), and waste (2.56 percent).
The dream of direct train service from Delhi to Kashmir is now going to become a reality, with the Government of India preparing to set up a new railway division in Jammu . Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) office on January 6. The move will end the dependence of Jammu and Kashmir , Himachal Pradesh , and Pathankot region of Punjab on the Ferozepur division and make railway operations in these areas more effective. Additional Divisional Railway Manager Rajiv Kumar Singh said, “The Railway Board has issued a notification to set up a new railway division in Jammu. A final detailed project report will be prepared for this new railway division, which will then be submitted to the Railway Board. After this, a final decision will be taken regarding its jurisdiction. In this context, a virtual inauguration by Prime Minister Modi is proposed on January 6 at the circulating area of Jammu Railway Station.
7 Union Carbide waste removed 40 years after Bhopal gas tragedy
337 metric tonnes of toxic waste from Bhopal ‘s Union Carbide factory was removed after 40 years . Union Carbide’s chemical waste will be burned at the Ramky Enviro Factory located in Ashapura village of Pithampur (Dhar district) near Indore . The Ramky Enviro plant is operated as per the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) . Earlier, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had set a deadline of January 6 to remove the waste. The government has to submit a report to the High Court on Friday, January 3, 2025. On the night of December 2 and 3, 1984, toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory . About 5479 people died in this incident.
India is the sixth largest exporter of textiles and apparel in the world. India’s share in the global trade of textiles and apparel is 3.9 percent. The share of textiles and apparel (T&A), including handicrafts, in India’s total exports is expected to increase to a remarkable 8.21 percent in the year 2023-24.
9 New Year, New Beginning: Namami Gange’s Big Step Towards Niranjana River Revival.
Namami Gange Mission has launched a new initiative for the conservation and revival of the Niranjana (Phalgu) river, Bihar ‘s cultural and spiritual heritage . In a meeting chaired by Shri Rajiv Kumar Mittal, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga, strategies based on scientific approach, community participation, and sustainable development were discussed. The project includes works to revive the flow of the river in Gaya and Chatra districts, conserve water sources, and create awareness among local communities. The revival of the Niranjana river will not only be a symbol of environmental improvement but also a cultural renaissance. This river, which originates from Chatra in Jharkhand and flows through Gaya in Bihar , is not just a stream of water, but a symbol of spiritual faith and cultural identity for the followers of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism .
Ladakh Ski and Snowboard Association in Ladakh has invented a machine for making snow in Kargil . This will promote winter tourism and sports in Ladakh. In recent years, there has been uncertainty in the duration of snowfall in Kargil. The invention of this machine will help in making snow and deal with this situation. This machine has been designed by Sadiq Ali and his team and its parts are easily available, using which this machine can be easily made. The machine can make an inch thick layer of snow in an area of 15 feet long and five feet wide within just one hour . This will be sufficient for training in ski resort and other winter sports.
