Fiscal Measures and Infrastructure Developments 2025

Fiscal Deficit Reduction

• Central government aims to reduce fiscal deficit to below 4.5% of GDP by FY26, continuing FY22 budget's fiscal consolidation.
• FY25 Fiscal Deficit target is 5.9% of GDP (3% in terms of GDP).

Green and Sustainable Infrastructure

• Government of India (GoI) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $500 million loan agreement to support green and sustainable infrastructure projects, aligned with India's climate commitments.
• Loan will be provided to the India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL).

Republic Day 2025 Theme

• 2025 Republic Day Tableaux theme is "Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas" (Golden India: Heritage and Progress).
• Highlights the nation's rich heritage and forward-looking development.

Port Authority Investment

• Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority proposed a Rs 20,000 crore investment for the development of the Vadhvan Port and the surrounding ecosystem.

Income Threshold for Admissions

• Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena approved increasing the income threshold for economically weaker sections (EWS) and disadvantaged groups to ₹5 lakh for school admission.

No Detention Policy

• Central Government has eliminated the "no detention policy" for classes 5 and 8, allowing failing students to be retained in the same grade.
• This removes a provision under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

Transportation Costs for Farmers

• Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced a plan to develop a scheme to reduce transportation costs for farmers by the central government.

Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA)

• India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) signed the TEPA in March 2024 to boost trade and investment.
• EFTA has committed to invest $100 billion in India over 15 years, creating 1 million jobs.

US Visit by External Affairs Minister

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit the United States from December 24-29, 2024, marking the first high-level visit from India after Donald Trump's US presidential election win.

Border Solar Village in Gujarat

• Masali, a village in Banaskantha district, Gujarat, has become India's first "border solar village".
• Solar rooftop installations have been completed in all 199 houses under the Pradhan Mantri Surya scheme.

GST Registration for Businesses

• Small businesses may receive GST registrations within 3 working days.

Electric Vehicle Launch

• Lohia Auto launched the 'Youdha' electric vehicle brand.
• They aim to manufacture and sell 3 lakh electric vehicles by 2027.

International Electoral Award

• Santosh Ajmera, an Indian Information Service officer, won an international Electoral award for effectively engaging citizens during India's general elections.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)

• Former Supreme Court judge V. Ramasubramanian was appointed as the new chairperson of the NHRC.

Auto Industry Mergers

• Honda Motor Company, Nissan Motor, and Mitsubishi Motors announced plans to merge. Aiming to create a third-largest global auto group.

Orbital Launch

• India is expected to complete its first orbital launch by 2025.
• Skyroot and Agnikul are leading the way for sub-orbital launches.

Space Research Organisation Test

• ISRO conducted the sea-level hot test of its CE20 cryogenic engine.

Good Governance Day

• Good Governance Day is observed on the 25th of December 2024.

Overseas Education Solutions

• DBS Bank launched overseas education solutions for non-resident Indians (NRIs) and high-net-worth individuals (HNIs).
• Aim: To ease the challenges of overseas education

Reserve Bank of India's Rupee Defense

• RBI spent $44.5 billion to defend the rupee in October 2024. This was a combined intervention in forward and spot currency markets.

World Economic Forum 2025

• The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025 will be held in Davos, Switzerland from January 20-24, 2025.

National Highway Project

• India's first National Highway was constructed using bio-bitumen in Nagpur.
• Nagpur-Mansar Bypass project, a segment of this highway, was inaugurated Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Finance Commission Grants

• Central government released the 15th Finance Commission grants for Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh for rural development.
• Uttar Pradesh: 1,598 crore rupees
• Andhra Pradesh: 446 crore rupees

Powerful Women List

• Forbes unveiled its 21st annual list of the world's 100 Most Powerful Women.
• Nirmala Sitharaman (Finance Minister of India) ranked, and highlighted other key influential Indian women.

Youth Innovation Challenge

• AIM, UNDP, and Citi Foundation launched the 7th edition of the Youth Co:Lab National Innovation Challenge for 2024-2025, focused on innovations for persons with disabilities.

Ken-Betwa River Linking Project

• PM Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Ken-Betwa river linking national project. It is the country's first interlinking of rivers project under the national perspective plan.
• This will provide irrigation support to many districts in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Railway Station Renovation

• A 136-year-old historic Bhilai railway station is undergoing renovation.

Top Companies With Great Managers

• SMFG India Credit and Grihashakti were named among the top 50 companies with Great Managers in 2024.

Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Award

• Jaishankar received the Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati award for leadership from the South Indian Education Society.

Justice A.N. Grover

• Justice A.N. Grover's legacy was celebrated, with a book launch and acknowledgment of contributions.

IIT Madras Research Center

• IIT Madras launched an AMOLED research center focused on next-generation display technologies.

Vijay Hazare Trophy Run

• Vijay Hazare Trophy cricket player Anmolpreet Singh made the fastest century by an Indian.