Daily Current Affairs- 4th January 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 4th January 2025

INTERNATIONAL

MoU between India & Indonesia on Non-Basmati White Rice Trade

• The Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Union Ministry of Cooperation and the Ministry of Trade of Indonesia. The approval was given in a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. 

Romania and Bulgaria fully join Europe’s borderless travel zone

• Romania and Bulgaria have become full members of the European Union's border-free Schengen area after scrapping land border controls in the bloc, The Bulgarian and Romanian interior ministers symbolically removed a barrier on the Danube Bridge, Schengen area has now 25 of the 27 EU member states, excluding Cyprus and Ireland. 

NATIONAL

CM Mohan Yadav inaugurated 31^st National Children’s Science Congress and more

• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated the 31st National Children’s Science Congress at the Ravindra Bhawan in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on 3rd January 2025. The Chief Minister also inaugurated the automation of the Varahmihira Astronomical Observatory which will allow the common citizens to use the observatory’s telescope while sitting at home. 

PM Modi inaugurated the Grameen Bharat Mahotsav 2025 in New Delhi

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Grameen Bharat Mahotsav 2025 on 4th January, at around 10:30 AM, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, Celebrating Rural India's entrepreneurial spirit and cultural heritage, the Mahotsav will be held from 4th to 9th January with the theme 'Building a Resilient Rural India for a Viksit Bharat 2047’ and moto - Gaav bhadey to desh bhadey. 

SCIENCE & TEHNOLOGY   

Bacteria developed by IIT Bombay to combat soil pollution and boost agriculture

• Researchers from IIT Bombay have developed a bacterial cocktail that eliminates toxic pollutants from the soil and produces nutrients beneficial to the crops at the same time, The bacterial cocktail has been developed after extensive research into microbes that feed on toxic chemicals. 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai Appointed as DGCA Director General

• Senior IAS officer Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, a 1996-batch officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the new Director-General (DG) of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). His appointment, approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, fills the position left vacant after his predecessor, Vikram Dev Dutt, was elevated and transferred to the Ministry of Coal. Kidwai now faces key challenges, including resolving disputes over pilot duty and rest norms. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Braille Day

• World Braille Day is an international day on 4 January and celebrates awareness of the importance of braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and visually impaired people, The date for the event was chosen by the United Nations General Assembly via a proclamation in November 2018, and marks the birthday of Louis Braille, creator of this writing system. 

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Sai Paranjpye to Receive Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award

• Sai Paranjpye, a legendary director and writer in Indian cinema, is set to be honored with the Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival (AIFF) 2025. 

Odia Poet Prativa Satpathy to Receive Gangadhar National Award

• The Gangadhar National Award for Poetry 2023 will be conferred upon the renowned Odia poet Prativa Satpathy by Sambalpur University on its 58th foundation day on January 5. The award, instituted in 1989, recognizes excellence in the field of poetry and is named after the eminent Odia poet Gangadhar Meher.   

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2025 to honor diaspora pioneers

• The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA), the highest honor conferred on overseas Indians, will be presented at the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention.

The following are the recipients of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2025:

• Ajay Rane, Australia – Community Service
• Marialena Joan Fernandes, Austria – Education
• Philomena Ann Mohini Harris, Barbados – Medical Science
• Swami Sanyuktanand, Fiji – Community Service
• Saraswati Vidya Niketan, Guyana – Community Service
• Lekh Raj Juneja, Japan – Science & Technology
• Prem Kumar, Kyrgyz Republic – Medical Science
• Soukthavy Chowdhury, Laos – Business
• Krishna Savjani, Malawi – Business
• ‘Tan Sri’ Dr. Subramaniam K.V. Sathasivam, Malaysia – Politics
• Sarita Boodhoo, Mauritius – Community Service
• Abhaya Kumar, Moldova – Business
• Ram Niwas @ Hla Tun, Myanmar – Education
• Jaggannath Shekhar Asthana, Romania – Business
• Hindustani Samaj, Russia – Community Service
• Sudha Rani Gupta, Russia – Education
• Syed Anwar Khursheed, Saudi Arabia – Medical Science
• Atul Arvind Temurnikar, Singapore – Education
• Robert Masih Nahar, Spain – Community Service
• Kaushik Laxmidas Ramaiya, Tanzania – Medicine
• E. Christine Carla Kangaloo ORTT, Trinidad & Tobago – Public Affairs
• Ramakrishnan Sivaswamy Iyer, UAE – Business
• Bonthala Subbaiah Setty Ramesh Babu, Uganda – Community Service
• Baroness Usha Kumari Prashar, UK – Politics
• Sharad Lakhanpal, USA – Medicine
• Sharmila Ford, USA – Community Service
• Ravi Kumar S., USA – Business (IT & Consulting) 

• The 2025 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention will be held from January 8 to January 10 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The awards will be presented during the Valedictory Session by the Honorable President of India.