19 January 2025

• International: Donald Trump's inauguration as the 47th US President was scheduled for 20 January 2025. Pre-inauguration coverage dominated global news.
• Culture: Makar Sankranti and Lohri festivals were celebrated across north India. Makar Sankranti marks the Sun's transit into Capricorn.
• Economy: WEF Davos 2025 meetings began. Theme: "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age."
• Science: SpaDeX docking aftermath: ISRO confirmed the experiment's success and outlined next steps.
• Environment: Maha Kumbh first Amrit Snan (Makar Sankranti bath) drew tens of millions of pilgrims to Prayagraj.

GS area: Culture, Geography

Makar Sankranti is a harvest festival and one of the few Indian festivals with an astronomical rather than a lunar basis.

• Astronomical event: The day marks the Sun's transit into Makara (Capricorn) in the sidereal zodiac. This corresponds to the winter solstice in the tropical calendar.
• Date: Falls between January 13 and 15 each year. In 2025, it was on January 14.
• Regional names and customs:
  • Lohri (Punjab): Celebrated the night before Makar Sankranti. Bonfire festival marking the peak of winter.
  • Pongal (Tamil Nadu): Four-day harvest festival coinciding with Makar Sankranti. First day (Bhogi), second day (Surya Pongal), third (Mattu Pongal for cattle), fourth (Kanum Pongal).
  • Uttarayan (Gujarat): Kite-flying festival.
  • Makar Mela (Assam): River bathing at the Brahmaputra.
• Maha Kumbh connection: The first Amrit Snan (royal bath) of Maha Kumbh 2025 falls on Makar Sankranti.
• Agricultural significance: Marks the beginning of the harvest season in north India. Sesame and jaggery (til-gur) are traditional foods, symbolising warmth and togetherness.

Static linkage: Indian culture, seasonal geography, festivals (GS Paper 1).

GS area: International Relations, Economy

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025 opened in Davos, Switzerland.

• Theme: "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age."
• WEF background: Founded in 1971 as the European Management Forum by Klaus Schwab. Renamed in 1987. Headquarters: Cologny, Switzerland.
• Historic role: Facilitated the 1992 meeting between Nelson Mandela and South African President F.W. de Klerk.
• Agenda 2025: AI governance, climate action, global trade fragmentation, and social cohesion.
• India's participation: Senior ministers attended; India positioned as a stable emerging market and a digitally advanced economy.
• Reports released at Davos: Global Risks Report, Global Competitiveness Report, Global Gender Gap Report, Future of Jobs Report.

Static linkage: International organisations, global economic governance (GS Paper 2).

GS area: International Relations

Donald Trump was to be inaugurated as the 47th US President on 20 January 2025.

• Trump's stated priorities: Tariff hikes, restricting immigration, reshaping the NATO and Ukraine relationship, and renegotiating trade deals.
• India's relevance:
  • H-1B visa policy: Trump's previous term restricted H-1B visas. This directly affects Indian IT professionals.
  • Tariffs: The US is India's largest trading partner. Any reciprocal tariff escalation affects India's merchandise exports.
  • Pakistan and Afghanistan: US policy toward Pakistan affects India's security calculus.
  • Trade surplus: India runs a goods trade surplus with the USA, which may attract tariff attention.
• USA as India's largest export destination: Accounts for roughly 18% of India's goods exports.

Static linkage: India-USA relations (International Relations, GS Paper 2).

GS area: Sports

The first-ever Kho Kho World Cup was held in New Delhi in January 2025.

• Venue: Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.
• Organisers: Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) and International Kho Kho Federation (IKKF).
• Results: India won both the men's (defeated Nepal 54-36) and women's titles (defeated Nepal 78-40).
• Format: Seven-a-side competition.
• Kho Kho: An indigenous Indian tag game of great antiquity. Played on a rectangular field with a central pole at each end. One team chases while the other defends.

Static linkage: Indigenous sports, Indian culture (GS Paper 1, Society).

GS area: Culture, Disaster Management

The first Amrit Snan (royal bath) of Maha Kumbh 2025 at Prayagraj drew tens of millions of pilgrims on Makar Sankranti.

• Amrit Snan dates:
  • 14 January (Makar Sankranti): First and largest Snan.
  • 29 January (Mauni Amavasya): Second.
  • 3 February (Basant Panchami): Third.
• Crowd management: The UP government deployed over 40,000 police personnel for this single day. AI-based surveillance systems were used for crowd density monitoring.
• Disaster management preparedness: NDRF teams positioned at the Sangam. A water-tight plan for boats, communication, and medical response was in place.

Static linkage: Indian culture, disaster preparedness (GS Paper 3).

• Asan Wetland: Located in Dehradun district, Uttarakhand at the confluence of the Asan River and the Eastern Yamuna Canal. Created by the Asan Barrage (Dhalipur Lake) in 1967. Declared Uttarakhand's first Ramsar Site in 2020. Hosts 330 bird species and 49 fish species. The annual Asian Waterbird Census is conducted here each January.
• Olive Ridley turtles: The nesting season in India runs from November to March. Olive Ridleys are the smallest sea turtle species. They are listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Appendix I of CITES. India's Odisha coast (Rushikulya, Gahirmatha) is a major nesting ground.