Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of Jan 15th to 21st Jan 2025. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2025 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

Weekly Current Affairs January 15th to 21st PDF Download

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• Army Day is celebrated on 15 January every year in India, in recognition of Lieutenant General Kodandera M. Cariappa's (later who became Field Marshal ) taking over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Francis Roy Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on 15 January 1949.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared January 16 as National Startup Day in the year 2021. 
• Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya Foundation Day is observed on the 21st January.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

• India is considering reducing its ownership in 5 state-run banks, including UCO Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, and Punjab and Sind Bank, through stake sales or allowing the banks to sell shares to large investors.
• Bank of Baroda (BoB) raised Rs 5,000 crore through a 10-year infrastructure bond at a coupon rate of 7.23%.
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has expanded the scope of its regulatory sandbox framework to encourage innovation, improve efficiency, and ease of doing business.
• Bank of India is raising its first dollar syndicated loan since 2012, with a target amount of $400 million.
• According to a report by GlobalData, a leading data analytics and research company, 3 Indian banks -HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and State Bank of India (SBI) ranked in the top 25 global banks by market capitalization for Q4 2024:

• HDFC Bank: Ranked 13th with a market cap of $158.5 billion.

• ICICI Bank: Ranked 19th with a market cap of $105.7 billion.

• SBI: Ranked 24th with a market cap of $82.9 billion.

• As per data provided by Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), The monthly mutual fund SIP (Systematic Investment Plan) crossed the Rs 26,000 crore mark for the first time in December 2024, reaching Rs 26,459 crore, up from Rs 25,320 crore in November 2024.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced liberalised norms on January 16, 2025 to encourage the use of the Indian Rupee (INR) and other local/national currencies for settling cross-border transactions.
• PNB MetLife has entered into a bancassurance partnership with Saraswat Co-operative Bank, one of India's largest urban co-operative banks.
• MobiKwik Systems has entered into a strategic partnership with Piramal Capital & Housing Finance (Piramal Finance) to provide personal loans to MobiKwik customers.
• Tata Sons, the holding company of Tata Group, remains on the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) list of upper-layer non-banking finance companies (NBFC-UL), despite its ongoing application to deregister itself from this category.
• Punjab & Sind Bank (PSB) plans to launch a cash-flow-based digital MSME loan product of up to ₹25 lakh by the end of January 2025.
• Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) plans to raise Rs 2,500 crore through a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) in FY26 to support business growth and reduce government holding to 75%.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has partnered with the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) to launch an e-learning course on municipal bonds.
• Shriram Housing Finance (SHF) has rebranded itself as Truhome Finance following its acquisition by Warburg Pincus and its co-investors, including QIA (Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund), from Shriram Finance.
• Groww Mutual Fund has launched the Groww Nifty India Railways PSU ETF, the first exchange-traded fund (ETF) focused on the Indian railway sector.
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has refuted claims about the "Jumped Deposit" scam, stating that no fraud incidents related to UPI transactions have been found.
• Bank of Baroda (BoB) has launched an innovative alternative to traditional Fixed Deposits (FDs) called bob Liquid Fixed Deposits.
• According to Swiss Re's latest insurance market outlook report, India's insurance market is poised for rapid growth, with the country projected to lead the G20 nations in premium expansion at an average rate of 7.3% annually between 2025 and 2029.
• HSBC India has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to open 20 new branches in key cities across the country.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has instructed banks and other regulated entities (REs) to use the '1600xx' phone numbering series exclusively for making transactional calls to customers. 
• The Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) and the National Housing Bank (NHB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance coordination and information exchange in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing.
• On a review of current and evolving liquidity conditions, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to conduct Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auctions on all working days in Mumbai with reversal taking place on the next working day, until further notice.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) tightened rules for initial public offerings (IPO) of small and medium enterprises, and tweaked the framework for merchant bankers and custodians by raising their minimum net-worth requirements.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the list of Non-Banking Financial Companies - Upper Layer (NBFC-UL) for the financial year 2024-25, maintaining the same 15 entities as in the previous year (2023-24).
• Business correspondents (BCs)-who process thousands of crores of rupees daily in domestic remittances-have urged the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to relax the restrictions it had imposed on monthly and daily transfers 14 years ago. 
• Tata Capital Limited, an diversified Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), raised $400 million through a Fixed Rate Senior Unsecured Reg S Bond offering in the international bond market.
• NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international arm of India’s National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has partnered with UAE-based payment solution provider Magnati to expand QR-based Unified Payments Interface (UPI) merchant payments in the Middle East.
• Punjab & Sind Bank plans to raise ₹2,000 crore through Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) during the current quarter.
• Kazuo Ueda, Governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ), will evaluate the need to raise interest rates during the upcoming meeting.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) sold a record $20.2 billion in the foreign exchange market in November to stabilize the rupee and contain volatility against the US dollar.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS 

• • The Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2025 Event will be held on February 15-24, 2025.
  • Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurated the National Turmeric Board in New Delhi.
  • The India Meteorological Department (IMD), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is celebrating a historic milestone of 150 years of dedicated service to the nation. 
  • India Energy Week (IEW) 2025, the government’s flagship oil and gas sector conference, will be held in New Delhi from February 11-14, 2025.
  • The government has re-constituted the Atomic Energy Commission. T V Somanathan and Manoj Govil are among the new members. 
  • The Z-Morh Tunnel is a vital component of the Zojila Tunnel Project, aimed at providing year-round connectivity between Srinagar and Ladakh.
  • The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the establishment of the 8th Pay Commission to revise salaries and allowances for central government employees and pensioners.
  • To promote tourism and highlight India's military heritage, the government has opened significant battlefields to visitors. 

• As of July 2024, only 2,07,642 hotspots had been deployed, far below the target of 50 lakh by 2020 and 1 crore by 2022. 

• The International Labour Organization (ILO) reported that global unemployment will remain at a historically low 5% in 2024, marking a steady recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• The Protection and Enforcement of Interests in Aircraft Objects Act, 2024 aims to reduce the leasing and financing costs of aircraft for Indian airlines, ultimately resulting in lower airfares. 
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the establishment of the Third Launch Pad (TLP) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. 
• Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia announced that the Cabinet has approved the refarming of 687 MHz of spectrum from various government ministries to support the deployment of 5G and future 6G services. 
• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has introduced two landmark initiatives—National Broadband Mission (NBM) 2.0 and the Sanchar Saathi mobile application—to advance India's digital infrastructure and strengthen telecom security.
• The National Health Authority (NHA) has requested the National Medical Commission (NMC) to instruct all medical colleges, government, and private hospitals to actively register patients for the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Account (ABHA ID). 
• Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah participated as the Chief Guest at the 20th Raising Day ceremony of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
• Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal outlined the Indian government's ambitious export goals, with a target of $1 trillion in exports by 2030. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• The Russian government-owned company Rosatom has shipped the 6th and final unit  of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant being set up in Kudankulam, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, on board a specialised ship from the seaport of Novorossiysk.
• Indonesia has been admitted as a full member of the BRICS bloc of developing economies, the group's presiding country Brazil announced. 
• China has completed the construction of the world’s longest expressway tunnel, known as the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, located in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.
• The United States Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) removed three Indian organizations from its Entity List.
• Indian Entities Removed:

• Indian Rare Earths
• Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Center (IGCAR)
• Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, India

• Negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and Oman began in November 2023 and concluded in March 2024, but a request for review by Oman delayed its signing. 
• On January 17, 2025, the Brazilian government, under its pro tempore presidency of BRICS, formally announced Nigeria’s inclusion as a partner country. 
• Southern states are intensifying efforts to attract global investors at the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

• Odisha became the 34th state to implement AB PM-JAY after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Health Authority (NHA) and the Government of Odisha.
• The Odisha government has announced a monthly pension of ₹20,000 for people who were imprisoned during the 1975 Emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
• The Andhra Pradesh (AP) government has declared Ratha Saptami as a State festival to be celebrated over three days at the Sri Suryanarayana Swamy temple in Arasavalli, Srikakulam district.
• The Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) launched the 'Kreeda App', a first-of-its-kind mobile application in India, aimed at modernizing and streamlining sports management in the state.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• India's wholesale inflation rose to 2.37% in December 2024, up from 1.89% in November 2024.
• Reliance Jio has successfully deployed the first-ever 5G site in the Siachen Glacier, marking a significant achievement for both the telecom company and the Indian Army.
• According to the World Economic Forum's Chief Economists Outlook, most economists predict weaker global economic conditions in 2025. 
• According to a World Bank report on South Asia's growth estimates, India's economic growth is projected to remain steady at 6.7% per year for the next two fiscal years, beginning April 2025. 
• The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) Economic Outlook Survey projects India's GDP growth at 6.4% for the financial year 2024-25, reflecting a slowdown from the previous forecast of 7% and the 8.2% growth in 2023-24. 
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has maintained its growth projection for India at 6.5% for FY25 and FY26, despite noting a sharper-than-expected slowdown in economic activity. 
• The Indian government aims to establish 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) by the end of FY25, five years after the launch of the central sector scheme for their formation. 
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a penalty of ₹40 lakh on Goldman Sachs (India) Alternative Investment Management Private Limited (GS AIMPL) for not notifying its investment in Biocon Biologics Limited (Biocon) under the Competition Act, 2002. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• Justice Upadhyay, the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. 
• Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has appointed Nawaf Salam, a prominent diplomat and judge, as Lebanon's new Prime Minister after securing majority support from the Lebanese parliament.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a reshuffle in the portfolios of its three remaining Deputy Governors on January 14, as Dr. Michael Debabrata Patra's term is set to end on January 15.
• The Ministry of Communications is likely to reappoint Robert Jerard Ravi as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).
• President Droupadi Murmu appointed Justice Krishnan Vinod Chandran, the Chief Justice of Patna High Court, as a judge of the Supreme Court on January 13, 2025.
• The government has appointed Ashok Chandra as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Binod Kumar as the MD and CEO of Indian Bank. 
• Justice Arun Mishra was appointed as the Ombudsman and Ethics Officer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• Former Army Chief V.K. Singh has been sworn in as the 25th Governor of Mizoram.
• Vineet Joshi (IAS) has assumed the role of Secretary of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education (MoE), at Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi.
• Sanjiv Ranjan, a senior Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer from the 1993 batch, has been appointed as the next Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
• Alok Kumar Agarwal has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zurich Kotak General Insurance.
• The Centre has appointed Gyanendra Pratap Singh as the Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), according to a Personnel Ministry order issued on January 18, 2025.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS & HONOURS

• Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam presented the Honorary Citizen Award to Tarun Das in New Delhi.
• Professor Urbasi Sinha, a distinguished faculty member at the Raman Research Institute (RRI) in the Light and Matter Physics theme, has been honored with the Gates-Cambridge Impact Prize 2025 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Cambridge, UK.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS & AUTHOR

• Ghosh unveils his book “Wild Fictions (Essays)” with former foreign secretary, Shyam Saran, at India International Centre (IIC).

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• The Competition Commission of India has approved Ashoka Buildcon's (ABL) acquisition of 34% equity shareholding in Ashoka Concessions Limited (ACL) and certain convertible instruments of ACL by ABL and Viva Highways (Viva).

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAM) for the Indian Navy.
• The Indian Armed Forces are set to conduct Exercise Devil Strike from January 16 to 19,2025, a joint exercise involving the elite airborne soldiers from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.
• The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mumbai, an indigenously designed and built guided missile destroyer, is participating in the 4th edition of the Multinational Exercise La Perouse.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi commissioned three advanced naval combatants: INS Surat, INS Nilgiri, and INS Vaghsheer at a ceremony held at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUs & AGREEMENTS

• Google has agreed to purchase 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide removal credits from Indian startup Varaha, its first such deal with a carbon project in India and the largest involving biomass-produced biochar (also called horticultural charcoal or “black gold” for soils).
• The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) of India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development of derivatives and commodity products in Sri Lanka. 
• President Droupadi Murmu and Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam unveiled a joint logo on January 16, 2025, in New Delhi to commemorate 60 years of diplomatic ties. 
• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a landmark 100-year partnership agreement with Ukraine during an unannounced visit to Kyiv.
• The Odisha government has entered a landmark partnership with ITE Education Services (ITEES), a subsidiary of Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education, to enhance the state's technology and skill development ecosystem.
• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin have signed a landmark 20-year cooperation pact, signaling deepening ties between two nations heavily sanctioned by the West. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• Google has announced a significant advancement in quantum computing as it unveiled its next-generation chip called 'Willow'.
• India successfully tested its first domestically developed micro-missile system, Bhargavastra, aimed at countering swarm drone threats.
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted field evaluation trials of the Nag Mark 2, a third-generation fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile, at the Pokhran field range in Rajasthan.
• The New Glenn rocket is a heavy-lift launch vehicle which has been named after John Glenn, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut who was the first American to circle the Earth in 1962.
• Pixxel and Digantara launched satellites onboard a SpaceX rocket, marking a new era for private space firms in India.
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has launched a major maritime security operation called “Baltic Sentry” in response to a series of suspicious incidents targeting critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
• A new observatory has been set up by the S.N. Bose Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBCBS), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, atop Panchet Hill in the Garpanchakot area of Purulia  district, West Bengal. 
• India is bolstering its Pinaka multi-launch artillery rocket systems with significant orders, totaling Rs 10,200 crore for ammunition, which are expected to be cleared soon. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• The Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) retained their title at the 8th Elite Men’s National Boxing Championship, claiming their third consecutive championship victory.
• Former Saurashtra cricketer Sitanshu Kotak has been appointed as the batting coach for the Indian team for the upcoming India-England limited-overs series at home.
• Jasprit Bumrah has been honored with the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for his stellar performances during India’s tour of Australia in December 2024. 
• Novak Djokovic cemented his place in tennis history by playing his 430th Grand Slam match, surpassing Roger Federer’s previous record of 429 matches. 
• India made history by winning both the men’s and women’s titles at the first-ever Kho Kho World Cup 2025, held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. 
• Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium marked its 50th anniversary with a star-studded celebration, featuring Indian cricket legends like Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sunil Gavaskar. 
• At the India Open Super 750 badminton tournament held in New Delhi, Viktor Axelsen and An Se-young clinched the men’s and women’s singles titles. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

• 1964 Ballon d'Or Winner & Manchester United's 3rd Highest Goal Scorer Denis Law Dies At 84.
• David Lynch, the iconic director renowned for his surreal and haunting vision of America, has passed away.