28 January 2025

• History: Lala Lajpat Rai's 160th birth anniversary. Known as Punjab Kesari and part of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio.
• History: Libia Lobo Sardesai, who ran the "Voice of Freedom of Goa" radio station during the liberation movement, was honoured with Padma Shri.
• Environment: Wetland City Accreditation (WCA): Indore and Udaipur became India's first cities to receive WCA under the Ramsar Convention.
• Economy: eCoO 2.0 System: DGFT made electronic Certificates of Origin mandatory from 1 January 2025.
• International: Storm Eowyn, a bomb cyclone, caused widespread damage in Ireland and Scotland.

GS area: Modern Indian History

Lala Lajpat Rai's 160th birth anniversary was observed on 28 January 2025.

• Born: 28 January 1865, Dhudike village, Ferozepur district, Punjab.
• Known as: "Punjab Kesari" (Lion of Punjab).
• Lal-Bal-Pal trio: Lala Lajpat Rai (Punjab), Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Maharashtra), and Bipin Chandra Pal (Bengal). They represented the extremist wing of the Indian National Congress that demanded Swaraj through assertive methods.
• Institutions founded: Punjab National Bank (1894), Hindu Relief Movement (1897), Servants of People Society (1921).
• Simon Commission (1928): Led protests against the all-white Simon Commission sent to review the Government of India Act 1919. Lathi-charged by British police during the protest.
• Death: 17 November 1928, from injuries sustained in the lathi charge. Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru later assassinated British officer J.P. Saunders to avenge Lala Lajpat Rai's death.
• Arya Samaj connection: A follower of Swami Dayananda Saraswati's Arya Samaj reform movement.

Static linkage: Indian freedom struggle, extremist wing (Modern History, GS Paper 1).

GS area: Modern Indian History

Libia Lobo Sardesai (born 25 May 1924) received a Padma Shri at the age of 100.

• "Voice of Freedom of Goa": She ran an underground radio station that broadcast in support of Goa's liberation from Portuguese rule.
• Operation period: 1955 to 1961. Broadcasts were made from the Western Ghats at Amboli and Castle Rock.
• Goa Liberation: India integrated Goa on 19 December 1961 through Operation Vijay.
• Significance: Libia Lobo announced Goa's liberation on the radio on 19 December 1961. Her broadcasts sustained the morale of the Goan liberation movement.
• Goa's status: Goa remained under Portuguese control for 14 years after Indian independence (1947-1961). It became a state in 1987.

Static linkage: Indian freedom struggle, Goa Liberation (Modern History, GS Paper 1).

GS area: Environment (Wetlands)

Indore and Udaipur became India's first cities to receive Wetland City Accreditation.

• Framework: Introduced at Ramsar Convention COP12 in 2015.
• Validity: 6 years with renewal option.
• Requirements: A city must satisfy six international criteria related to the conservation and wise use of urban wetlands, and demonstrably integrate wetlands into urban planning.
• India context:
  • Indore: Sirpur Lake as the key urban wetland.
  • Udaipur: Five interconnected lakes (Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, Dudh Talai).
• Amrit Dharohar initiative: India's national programme linking WCA aspirations to Ramsar site conservation.

Static linkage: Wetlands, Ramsar Convention, urban ecology (Environment, GS Paper 3).

GS area: Economy (International Trade)

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) made electronic Certificates of Origin mandatory for non-preferential CoOs from 1 January 2025.

• Certificate of Origin: A document certifying that exported goods originate from a specific country. Required by importing countries to determine tariff treatment.
• Non-preferential CoO: Used for standard trade; does not confer any preferential tariff benefit under a trade agreement.
• Preferential CoO: Certifies origin for goods traded under Free Trade Agreements, allowing lower tariffs.
• eCoO 2.0 features: Multi-user access, Aadhaar-based e-signing, and back-to-back certificates for re-exports.
• CAROTAR 2020: The Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020, which eCoO complements by ensuring origin genuineness.

Static linkage: Trade policy, FTAs, export governance (Economy, GS Paper 3).

GS area: Geography, Disaster Management

Storm Eowyn struck Ireland and Scotland on 24 January 2025, causing the UK and Ireland's worst storm in decades.

• Bomb cyclone: A rapidly intensifying cyclone characterised by a pressure drop of at least 50 millibars in 24 hours. Storm Eowyn dropped by 50+ millibars.
• Origin: Formed on 22 January 2025 off the eastern US coast.
• Peak gusts: 114 mph (183 km/h) at Mace Head, Ireland. Jet stream winds exceeding 200 mph steered and intensified it.
• Path: Crossed 2,000 miles from formation to western Scotland and Ireland in approximately two days.
• Impact: Power outages affecting over a million homes, flight cancellations, and infrastructure damage.

Static linkage: Extratropical cyclones, disaster management, geography of Europe (GS Papers 1 and 3).

• Lezim Dance (Maharashtra): Traditional folk dance involving a handheld wooden instrument with metallic jingles (the lezim). Performed during Ganesh Chaturthi and marriage processions. Associated with Maratha military training in akhadas (wrestling grounds) and popularised during Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's reign as a physical fitness exercise.
• Lake Victoria: World's second-largest freshwater lake by area (after Lake Superior). Spans Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. Feeds the White Nile. Produces over 1 million tonnes of fish annually, making it the world's largest inland fishery. Threatened by cyanobacteria algal blooms.