NBM 2.0 and Sanchar Saathi Mobile App have been launched to enhance telecom accessibility, security, and empowerment across India.

• The National Broadband Mission (NBM) 2.0 aims to enhance telecom infrastructure, accessibility, and digital empowerment in India.
• It builds on NBM 1.0, launched in 2019 under the National Digital Communications Policy, 2018.
• The mission targets extending Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) connectivity to 2.70 lakh villages by 2030, up from 50,000 villages under NBM 1.0.
• Broadband will be provided to 90% of anchor institutions like schools, PHCs, Anganwadi centers, and Panchayat offices by 2030.
• A minimum fixed broadband download speed of 100 Mbps is planned nationwide.
• NBM 2.0 focuses on facilitating 5G rollout and preparing for 6G technology.
• The Sanchar Saathi Mobile App has been launched to improve telecom security and empower users by managing telecom services and reporting fraud.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar launched a book “Parliament: Powers, Functions & Privileges; A Comparative Constitutional Perspective,” authored by Dr. K.S. Chauhan.

• The book highlights Parliament’s powers, functions, privileges, and its role in maintaining government accountability.
• It provides a comparative constitutional perspective and serves as a resource for policymakers, law students, and parliamentarians.

The Swami Vivekananda Yuva Shakti Mission was launched by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on National Youth Day, marking Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary.

• The mission aims to provide employment to over 70% of the state’s youth by 2028 and ensure all youth complete education up to class 12th by 2030.
• It aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s GYAN principle, focusing on the Poor, Youth, Farmers, and Women.
• A dedicated portal has been launched to provide information about the mission to the public.
• The Chief Minister also inaugurated the world’s largest 3-D rangoli at the Shaurya Smarak in Bhopal, created by artist Shikha Sharma Joshi and her team.

The mission’s motto is “Dialogue, Strength, and Prosperity” (Samvad, Samarthya, Samriddhi).

“Will India Get Rich Before It Turns 100?” is a book by Prosenjit Datta, exploring India’s economic growth and its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, the centenary of its independence.

• The book discusses India’s economic trajectory, highlighting challenges in achieving the goal of becoming a rich nation.
• It examines India’s stagnant manufacturing sector, which remains around 14-15% of GDP despite government initiatives like “Made in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

On January 21, 1972, Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya became full-fledged states under the North Eastern Region (Re-organisation) Act, 1971.

• Manipur was a princely state that merged with India in 1949, and achieved full statehood in 1972.
• Tripura was a princely state until 1949 and became a full state in 1972.
• Meghalaya was initially an autonomous state within Assam, formed in 1970, and achieved full statehood in 1972.
• These states celebrate their Statehood Day on January 21 each year, marked by cultural programs, parades, and events.

On January 15, 2025, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched two lunar landers: Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 and ispace’s RESILIENCE.

Blue Ghost Mission 1:

• Objective:Deliver 10 science and technology instruments to the Moon’s surface as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.
• Payloads:Includes instruments for regolith sample collection, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) testing, radiation-tolerant computing, and lunar dust mitigation.
• Landing Site:Mare Crisium, a large basin on the Moon’s near side.
• Mission Duration:Approximately 60 days, including 45 days in transit and 14 days on the lunar surface.

RESILIENCE:

• Objective:Deliver commercial and cultural payloads to the Moon’s surface.
• Payloads:Includes water electrolyzer equipment and a deep space radiation probe.
• Mission Status:As of January 17, 2025, RESILIENCE completed its first orbital maneuver and is en route to the Moon.

Reliance Jio, in partnership with the Indian Army, has deployed 4G and 5G services at the Siachen Glacier, providing high-speed internet connectivity to soldiers stationed in this remote region.

• The Siachen Glacier is located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas, within the union territory of Ladakh, India.
• It is approximately 76 kilometers long, making it the second-longest non-polar glacier in the world, after Tajikistan’s Fedchenko Glacier.
• The glacier’s altitude ranges from 3,620 meters (11,875 feet) at its terminus to 5,753 meters (18,875 feet) at its head near Indira Col on the India–China border.
• Siachen serves as the source for the Nubra River, a tributary of the Shyok River, which is part of the Indus River system.
• Known as the highest and coldest battlefield in the world, India has maintained control over the Siachen Glacier since 1984 through Operation Meghdoot.
• The region experiences extreme weather conditions, with temperatures dropping to -50°C and average winter snowfall exceeding 1,000 centimeters (35 feet).

The Government of India has designated areas surrounding the Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, as Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) to mitigate the effects of urbanization and developmental activities on the protected regions.

• The Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1962, covers an area of 29.94 square kilometers.
• The ESZ encompasses 43 villages: 34 in the Nachan Forest Division and 9 in the Karsog Forest Division.
• The ESZ boundaries extend from 50 meters to 2 kilometers around the sanctuary.
• The sanctuary is named after the goddess Shikari Devi, with a temple dedicated to her within its confines.
• The sanctuary’s vegetation includes Alpine Pastures, Sub-alpine Forest, Moist Temperate Deciduous Forest, West Himalayan Upper Oak/Fir forest, Kharsu Oak Forest, Western Mixed Coniferous Forest, and Ban Oak Forest.
• The sanctuary is recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.

US removed three Indian entities from its restrictive Entity List. These entities are  Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Centre (IGCAR), and Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL)—from its Entity List.

• The Entity List, maintained by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), includes foreign persons, businesses, and organizations subject to specific license requirements for the export, reexport, and/or transfer of specified items.
• Entities are added to the list for activities that pose significant risks to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, such as involvement in weapons of mass destruction programs or supporting terrorism.

The removal of BARC, IGCAR, and IREL from the Entity List is expected to enhance U.S.-India relations and energy cooperation, potentially revitalizing the Indo-U.S. Nuclear Cooperation Agreement of 2008.

On January 15, 2025, during the 77^th  Army Day celebrations in Pune, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan App. 

• The app enables users to virtually visit historical war zones and learn about them.
• The initiative is part of the Ministry of Defence’s ‘Battlefield Tourism’ plan, aiming to provide a one-stop destination for information and clearances for battlefield visits, featuring virtual tours and historical narratives.
• The Indian Army, in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism, has shortlisted several border sites that have witnessed military action in the past, including Kibithoo and Bum La Pass in Arunachal Pradesh, Rezang La and Pangong Tso in Ladakh, and Doklam, the site of the 2017 conflict.