Daily Current Affairs- 16th January 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 16th January 2025

NATIONAL

Amit Shah inaugurated Archaeological Experiential Museum, Prerna Complex, and Vadnagar Sports Complex in Gujarat

• Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the Archaeological Experiential Museum, Prerna Complex, and Vadnagar Sports Complex in Vadnagar, Gujarat, on Thursday, January 16, 2025. 

PM Modi inaugurates the Sri Sri Radha Madanmohanji Temple of ISKCON

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sri Sri Radha Madanmohanji Temple, an ISKCON project in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. The Sri Sri Radha Madanmohanji Temple, an ISKCON project in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai is spread over nine acres, includes a temple with several deities, a Vedic education centre, proposed museums and auditorium, healing center, among others. 

1st astronomical Observatory of Eastern India inaugurated in Bengal

• The first astronomical observatory of Eastern India and the sixth in the country under the Department of Science and Technology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology has been inaugurated atop the Panchet Hill in the Garpanchkot area of Purulia district in West Bengal.
• It is the sixth such observatory in India after Ladakh, Nainital (Uttarakhand), Mount Abu (Rajasthan), Girbani Hills in Pune, and Kavalur in Tamil Nadu. 

Union Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme

• Union Home Minister and Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the ‘Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme’ at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Cochin and Ahmedabad airports. This will provide world-class immigration facilities to travellers, making international travel seamless and secure. 

Indian Army to conduct 'exercise devil strike' from January 16-19

• The Indian Armed Forces are set to conduct Exercise Devil Strike from January 16 to 19, a joint exercise involving the elite airborne soldiers from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. The exercise will occur at the training areas and firing ranges, validating critical drills and enhancing operational readiness in a challenging environment. 

SPORTS

Smriti Mandhana scores fastest hundred in women's ODI by an Indian batter

• Star Indian batter and stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana created history as she scored the fastest century ever by an Indian women's batter in ODIs during the third and final match against Ireland at Rajkot. Mandhana reached her century in just 70 balls, breaking the previous record set by her regular captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, who took 87 balls for her century against South Africa last year. 

Indian women cricketers overtake men with highest ODI score

• The Indian women’s cricket team notched up a significant milestones in the third one-day international (ODI) against Ireland in Rajkot Wednesday—setting a national record for the highest ODI score by an Indian team, both men’s and women’s, The Indian women’s team has now crossed the men’s highest ODI score – 418/5 against West Indies in Indore back in 2011. 

SCIENCE & TEHNOLOGY    

Google-backed Pixxel launches India's first private satellite constellation

• Pixxel, a Bengaluru-based space technology company backed by Google and building the world’s highest-resolution hyperspectral satellite constellation, has successfully launched the first three satellites of its Firefly constellation.
• The Firefly constellation also marks a watershed moment in India’s space journey as the nation’s first commercial satellite constellation. The satellites were integrated via Exolaunch and launched aboard the Transporter-12 rideshare mission with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Startup Day: India

• National Startup Day is celebrated on 16 January every year. The day honours the creativity, determination, and spirit of startup founders. With over 99,000 registered firms and an ecosystem worth $500 billion, India is the world's third-largest startup cluster. 

SUMMITS & MOUs

About the 28th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference

• India is set to host the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments of Commonwealth Countries (CSPOC) in January 2026. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced this during the CSPOC Standing Committee Meeting in Guernsey. The conference will focus on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and social media into parliamentary processes, reflecting India’s commitment to technological advancement and modern governance.