Current affairs 26 January 2025

India Ranks 4th in Global Firepower Index 2025.

• India's Position: Ranked 4th globally, consistent with 2024. Score: 0.1184 (ideal score: 0.0000).
• Top 3 Countries:
• USA (Score: 0.0744)
• Russia (Score: 0.0788)
• China (Score: 0.0788)
• Pakistan's Rank: Dropped from 9th (2024) to 12th (2025).
• Publisher: Globalfirepower.com (Annual since 2006).
• Total Countries Ranked: 145.

Indian Oil to Sponsor 38th National Games in Uttarakhand.

• Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has given preliminary consent as a bronze sponsor for the 38th National Games, hosted by Uttarakhand for the first time.
• The game mascot is named Mouli, inspired by the Monal, Uttarakhand's state bird.
• The tagline for the event is Sankalp Se Shikhar Tak, which translates to from resolution to zenith.

Supreme Court Proposes Ad Hoc Judges to Address Case Backlog.

• The Supreme Court proposed temporary appointments of retired judges under Article 224A to reduce the backlog of pending criminal cases in High Courts.
• Appointments require consent from retired judges, the President of India, and approval from the Supreme Court’s collegium.
• Ad hoc judges are appointed when vacancies exceed 20% and over 10% of cases have been pending for 5+ years.

First 24-Hour Drinking Water Project Launched in Karimnagar Smart City.

• Project Overview: Union Minister Manohar Lal inaugurated Telangana's first 24-hour drinking water supply project in Karimnagar, costing ₹18 crore, and providing 6,000 water connections across 5 divisions.
• Additional Inaugurations: Opened a ₹12.35 crore multipurpose building and a ₹22 crore sports school complex in Karimnagar.

Michael Clarke Inducted into Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.

• Michael Clarke, former Australian captain, has been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame on January 23, 2025, as the 64th inductee.
• Clarke scored 17112 international runs, including 28 Test centuries, with a highest score of 329*.
• Key achievements: Winning the 2013/14 Ashes and the 2015 World Cup.