1.The Odisha government announced a monthly pension of Rs 20,000 and other benefits for people jailed during Emergency nearly half a century ago.

2.The rupee logged its steepest single-day fall in nearly two years and ended the session 66 paise down at its historic low of 86.70 against the US dollar Monday.

3.Odisha became the 34th state to join the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), seven months after the BJP came to power in the state.

4.Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the strategically important Z-Morh tunnel in the Sonamarg area of Jammu and Kashmir which will make the tourist resort accessible round the year.

5.The Orissa High Court Monday upheld its earlier order that validated a policy requiring matriculation as the minimum qualification for grant of licence to those undertaking photography business on the Sun Temple premises at Konark.

6.A 66-yearold tusker engaged in protecting timber and tigers in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district, has died during treatment, a senior Forest department official said Monday.

7.The cold intense and the waters freezing as the Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest gathering, began Monday with 1.65 crore people taking a dip in the Sangam in their quest for ‘moksha’ and the belief it will cleanse their sins.

8.Patna High Court Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran was Monday elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court.

9.The UGC-National Eligibility Test (NET) scheduled for January 15 has been postponed on account of festivals, including Makar Sakranti and Pongal, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced Monday.

10.President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam will be on a five-day visit to India beginning Tuesday with an aim to give new momentum to the ties between the two countries. It will be Shanmugaratnam’s first visit to India as Singapore president.

11.The Army Day Parade this year will see participation of an all-girl marching contingent from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and showcasing of four thematic tableaux, including one based on the force’s Mission Olympics Wing.

12.Asset management companies launched 239 new fund offerings (NFOs) mobilising Rs1.18 lakh crore in 2024, with sectoral or thematic equity funds emerging as the top choice of investors, according to a report by Germinate Investor Services Research.

13. Retail inflation declined to a four month low of 5.22 per cent in December, mainly on account of easing of prices in the food basket, including vegetables

14.The net direct tax collection grew 15.88 per cent to about Rs 16.90 lakh crore so far this fiscal, according to government data released Monday.

15.A 17-yearold girl from Bolangir, who lost both her arms and legs after coming in contact with a high-voltage electric wire while working as a migrant labourer outside the state, has brought laurels for Odisha by becoming the champion at the Sixth National Para Archery Championship held in Jaipur, Rajasthan.