1 ‘One Nation-One Subscription’ initiative launched across the country
The central government has launched the ‘ One Nation, One Subscription ‘ (ONOS) initiative from January 1, 2025. Under this, about 1.8 crore students and researchers studying in more than 6,300 government colleges, universities and research institutes in India will be able to get more than 13,000 research journals from 30 major publishers of the world for free . The initiative aims to provide easy access to important research papers and articles from around the world to students, teachers, researchers and scientists. The Prime Minister’s vision is that India should become a self-reliant and developed country by 2047, research will play a major role in realizing this. The Center has allocated Rs 6,000 crore for this scheme for a period of three years from 2025 to 2027. This amount will be used to cover the subscription fees of research journals and to assist Indian researchers to publish their research in international journals. The responsibility of implementing this scheme has been given to INFLIBNET, which is an autonomous center. This institution works under the University Grants Commission (UGC). Inflibnet will provide access to research journals digitally to all these institutions. This initiative will try to ensure that all students and researchers in India, regardless of their field, can access high quality research material.
2 Cabinet approves continuation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
The central government has approved the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) till 2025-26. The objective of these schemes is to provide financial security to farmers on crop loss due to natural disasters. It is worth noting that a total budget of Rs 69,515 crore has been fixed for this from 2021-22 to 2025-26. This decision will benefit farmers across the country, which will provide them financial help in case of crop failure. To further improve this scheme, the government has set up an innovation and technology fund worth Rs 824 crore. This fund will be used to implement advanced technologies in agriculture so that insurance claims can be settled quickly and transparently. The central government has introduced a new system called YES-TECH (Yield Estimation System) to accurately estimate crop production . This system uses satellite and remote sensing technology which will eliminate the need for traditional crop cutting experiments to estimate crop production. So far, 9 states including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have adopted this system. Madhya Pradesh is calculating insurance claims entirely through YES-TECH. Under the new scheme called WINDS (Weather Information and Network Data System), accurate weather information will be provided to farmers. For this, Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) will be installed at the block level and Automatic Rain Gauges (ARG) at the Panchayat level .
3 Defense Minister Rajnath Singh declared 2025 as the ‘year of reforms’
The Defence Ministry has decided to observe 2025 as the ‘Year of Reforms’ to accelerate ongoing and future reforms . The aim is to transform the armed forces into a technologically advanced combat-ready force capable of multi-domain integrated operations. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with all the secretaries of the Ministry of Defence on the eve of New Year to review the progress of various schemes, projects, reforms and the way forward.
4 Chhattisgarh became the first state to start ecosystem assessment for Green GDP
Chhattisgarh has become the first state in the country to launch an initiative to link forest ecosystem services with Green GDP . This initiative will underline Chhattisgarh’s sustainable development by measuring the comprehensive value of ecosystem services. It is noteworthy that the Joint Forest Management Program in the state of Chhattisgarh has further empowered the local communities. With national parks like Guru Ghasidas, Kanger Valley and Indravati , Chhattisgarh has immense potential for nature-based tourism. Local residents are being actively involved in the management of facilities like jungle safaris, nature trails and eco-camping, which has not only promoted socio-economic development but also strengthened environmental conservation efforts. 44 percent of Chhattisgarh’s land area is covered with forest area. It is a strong base for the rural economy of the state and plays an important role in the livelihood of millions of people. These forests provide various direct and indirect benefits.
5 Wearing of burqa banned in Switzerland from today
In Switzerland, a ban has been imposed on women covering their faces completely in public places with hijab, burqa or any other means from January 1. Violating this law will attract a fine of 1,000 Swiss francs i.e. about 96 thousand rupees . Before Switzerland, laws have been made in Belgium, France, Denmark, Austria, Netherlands and Bulgaria. After this law, women will not be able to cover their faces completely in public places like public offices, public transport, restaurants, shops and other places.
6 Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar assumed charge as CEO, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
Mr Bhuvnesh Kumar on Wednesday assumed charge as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) . He is a 1995 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre. A graduate from National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra and a Gold Medalist, Mr Bhuvnesh Kumar has held several important positions both at the Centre and his cadre state. Along with being the CEO of UIDAI, he is also the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. Prior to this, he has also served as Joint Secretary in MeitY.
7 Romania and Bulgaria officially join the EU’s Schengen area
Romania and Bulgaria officially joined the EU ‘s Schengen Area , ending their land border controls with other member states , allowing citizens to travel without passport checks. Austria had vetoed Romania and Bulgaria’s entry into the zone in 2022, but after air and sea border controls were lifted last year and Austria lifted its veto last month, the EU decided to end border controls on both countries. The Schengen Area comprises 29 European countries with no internal border controls between them. Established in 1995, the region is treated as a single country for international travel, with integrated external border controls and common visa policies.
8 Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed a new law banning the death penalty in the country
Zimbabwe ‘s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed a new law to ban the death penalty in the country . President Emmerson has taken this step after the recent vote in the Parliament to abolish the death penalty. Although no one has been hanged in Zimbabwe since 2005 , the country’s courts have been announcing this punishment in cases of serious crimes like murder. Zimbabwe’s Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has described this change as a symbol of the country’s commitment to justice and humanity. President Emmerson was against the death penalty for a long time. In 1960, during the freedom struggle, he was sentenced to death in the case of attacking a train but later it was changed to 10 years imprisonment.
9 Indian Navy will induct three advance corvettes Nilgiri, Surat and Vagsheer into the Navy on January 15
The Indian Navy is set to induct three frontline fleet Nilgiri, Surat and Vagsheer into the Navy. All three combat platforms will be inducted into the Navy on the same day on January 15. The Ministry of Defense has given this information. 15 January 2025 is going to be a historic day in the history of India. The Indian Navy is preparing to induct three frontline combat ships – Nilgiri, the lead ship of the Project 17A stealth frigate class – Surat, the fourth and last ship of the Project 15B stealth destroyer class and Vagsheer, the sixth and last submarine of the Scorpene-class project, simultaneously into the Navy at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. All three platforms have been completely designed and built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai. Nilgiri, the lead ship of Project 17A, is a major advancement over the Shivalik-class frigates, incorporating significant stealth features and low radar signature through cutting-edge technology. The Surat Project 15B destroyers are the culmination of the follow-on class of Kolkata-class (Project 15A) destroyers, with substantial improvements in design and capabilities. Equipped with modern aviation facilities, Nilgiri and Surat can operate a range of helicopters including Chetak, ALH, Sea King and the recently inducted MH-60R during operations both during day and night. Features such as the rail-less helicopter traversing system and visual aid and landing system ensure seamless operations under all conditions.
10 Operation Bullet Raja
Delhi Police launched a special campaign Operation Bullet Raja in the capital on the eve of New Year . Under the campaign, strict action was taken against stuntmen and drunk drivers . Delhi Traffic Police DCP Dinesh Gupta said that action was taken against 35 stuntmen in Jamia Nagar area and a case was registered and their motorcycles were also confiscated.