Ministry of Communications launched Cell Broadcast System (CBS). 

About CBS

• It is a telecom-enabled public warning system that enables authorities to broadcast simultaneous, geo-targeted alerts to mobile devices within a defined area. 
  • It is integrated with the CAP-based SACHET platform.
• It is an indigenous technology developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
• It overcomes the limitations of traditional SMS-based systems, ensuring that critical information can be disseminated quickly and efficiently to large populations within targeted areas.

External Affairs Minister begins official visit to Jamaica, Suriname,Trinidad and Tobago

• These nations have a special bond with India due to the Girmitiya communities.

About Girmitiyas

• Girmitiyas were Indian indentured labourers who migrated to British colonies in the mid-to-late 19th century.
  • They filled the labour shortage caused by the British Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.
  • The term Girmit is a mispronunciation of Agreement, referring to their migration contracts.
• Distribution: Mauritius, Fiji, West Indies, Mauritius, South Africa, Caribbean (mostly Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, and Jamaica).
• Source Regions: Mostly from the eastern United Provinces and Bihar.
• Significance: Deepen bilateral ties, enhance Soft power diplomacy etc.

Indian Army contingent departs to Cambodia for 2nd edition of India-Cambodia Bilateral Military (CINBAX) Exercise. 

About CINBAX Exercise

• Overview:  Joint military exercise with Royal Cambodian Army.
• Objective: To enhance interoperability, coordination and operational synergy between the two contingents.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has declared 21 people as fugitive economic offenders (FEOs) over the past seven years, according to its annual report.

About FEO:

• Meaning: FEO is an individual against whom an arrest warrant has been issued for committing scheduled economic offenses exceeding ₹100 crore, who has left India to avoid prosecution or refuses to return to face trial.
• It is defined under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018.
• Some of the offences listed in the act are:
  • Counterfeiting government stamps or currency.
  • Cheque dishonour.
  • Money laundering.
  • Transactions defrauding creditors.

ADB launches $70 billion plan for energy, digital infrastructure in Asia-Pacific

• It includes the Pan Asia Power Grid Initiative and the Asia-Pacific Digital Highway, connecting economies through energy and technology.

About Asian Development Bank (ADB)

• Overview: It is a multilateral development bank that supports sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth across the Asia-Pacific.
• Present Members: From 31 members at its establishment in 1966 to 69 members, of which 50 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside.
• Key Shareholders: Japan and the USA (each with 15.6% of total shares), China, India, and Australia. (As of 31 December 2024)
• HQ: Manila, Philippines.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has appointed a new Chairman of Prasar Bharati.

About Prasar Bharti

• Overview: It is an autonomous statutory body that serves as India’s public broadcaster.
  • It operates Doordarshan and Akashvani for domestic and international coverage.
• Mission: To provide a fair and balanced information on matters of public interest, free from opinion or bias
• Focus Areas: Education, literacy, agriculture, rural development, environment, health, and science. 

AIIMS Delhi has introduced India’s first portable bedside Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system.

About MRI System

• MRI is a medical imaging technique that uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of the organs and tissues in your body.
• MRI is a non-invasive way for a medical professional to examine your organs, tissues and skeletal system. 
  • It produces high-resolution images of the inside of the body that help diagnose a variety of conditions.

Nepal has officially objected to India resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Lipulekh Pass, a territory it claims based on the 1816 Sugauli Treaty.

• India dismissed these claims as unjustified and historically unfounded, stating Lipulekh has been a long-standing yatra route.

About Lipulekh Pass:

• Location: It is a high-altitude mountain pass located in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, near the trijunction of India, Nepal, and China.
• Connects: It connects the Indian state of Uttarakhand with the Tibet region of China.
• Altitude: It lies at an altitude of approximately 5,334 meters (17,500 feet).