• North Korea on Jan 30  fired what appeared to be the most powerful missile it has tested since US President Joe Biden took office, possibly breaching a self-imposed suspension on the testing of longer-range weapons as it revives its old playbook in brinkmanship to wrest concessions from Washington and neighbors amid a prolonged stalemate in diplomacy.
• The Japanese and South Korean militaries said the missile was launched on a lofted trajectory, apparently to avoid the territorial spaces of neighbors, and reached a maximum altitude of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) and traveled 800 kilometers (497 miles) before landing in the sea.
• The flight details suggest the North tested its longest-range ballistic missile since 2017, when it twice flew intermediate-range ballistic missiles over Japan and separately flight-tested three intercontinental-range ballistic missiles that demonstrated the potential range to reach deep into the American homeland.
• Jan 30 's test was the North's 7th round of weapons launches this month. The unusually fast pace of tests indicates North Korea’s intent to pressure the Biden administration over long-stalled nuclear negotiations as pandemic-related difficulties unleash further shock on an economy broken by decades of mismanagement and crippling US-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons program.
• South Korean President Moon Jae-in called an emergency National Security Council meeting where he described the test as a possible "midrange ballistic missile launch" that brought North Korea to the brink of breaking its 2018 suspension in the testing of nuclear devices and longer-range ballistic missiles.

• The Economic Survey report estimates 8-8.5% real GDP growth in 2022-23 even as it sees the country’s GDP growing at 9.2% in the current financial year.

• "Growth in 2022-23 will be supported by widespread vaccine coverage, gains from supply-side reforms and easing of regulations, robust export growth, and availability of fiscal space to ramp up capital spending. The year ahead is also well poised for a pick-up in private sector investment with the financial system in a good position to provide support to the revival of the economy," the Economic Survey Report said in its growth outlook for 2022-23.

• The prediction comes with a caveat.

• "This projection is based on the assumption that there will be no further debilitating pandemic related economic disruption, monsoon will be normal, withdrawal of global liquidity by major central banks will be broadly orderly, oil prices will be in the range of US$70-$75/bbl, and global supply chain disruptions will steadily ease over the course of the year," says the report.

• The World Bank and Asian Development Bank have recently forecast that the real GDP growth of India would be 8.7% and 7.5% respectively for 2022-23.

• As per the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) growth projections released on 25th January, 2022, India's real GDP is projected to grow at 9 per cent in both 2021-22 and 2022-23 and at 7.1 per cent in 2023-24.

Key highlights:

• Indian economy in good position to witness GDP growth of 8-8.5%

• Economy well placed to take on challenges in 2022-23

• Govt finances to witness consolidation in 2021-22, after uptick in deficit and debt indicators during pandemic year FY21

• Private sector investment to pick with financial system in good position to provide support to revival of economy

• Robust export growth and availability of fiscal space to ramp up capital spending to support growth next fiscal

• Growth in FY23 to be supported by widespread vaccine coverage, gains from supply-side reforms and easing of regulations

• The “Special Ks” show at the Australian Open ended on a high after Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis claimed their first major title by defeating compatriots Max Purcell and Matt Ebden in the men’s doubles final on jan 29.
• Kyrgios and Kokkinakis, nicknamed the “Special Ks” as juniors, entertained the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena with a 7-5 6-4 victory under the lights.
• They are the first wildcard team to win the Australian Open men’s doubles title in the professional era.

• The Supreme Court on Jan 28  set aside the one-year suspension of 12 BJP MLAs from the Maharashtra Assembly and said this could only have been in place for the monsoon session in July 2021. The court also termed the suspension unconstitutional and arbitrary.

• The 12 BJP MLAs were suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly for a year after the state government accused them of misbehaving with Presiding Officer Bhaskar Jadhav in the Speaker’s chamber on the first day of the monsoon session, on July 5, 2021.

• The Supreme Court on Jan 28 has  refused to "lay down any yardstick" for granting reservation in promotion to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government jobs saying determination of their inadequate representation is the discretion of the State.

• The top court said it is neither legal nor proper for the Courts to issue directions or advisory sermons to the executive in respect of the sphere which is exclusively within their domain under the Constitution.

• The apex court said it should leave “the decision-making to other branches of government after directing their attention to the problems rather than itself entering into the remedial field.”

• The top court said the percentage of posts reserved for Backward Classes, as prescribed by the State, has to be strictly followed and cannot be varied or changed simply because some members of the Backward Class have already been appointed/promoted against the general seats.

• The vacancies arising in the cadre, after the initial posts are filled, will have to be filled from amongst the category to which the post belonged in the roster, it said.

• The bench said that it had observed in earlier judgements that the appropriate Government has to apply cadre strength as a unit in the operation of the roster to ascertain whether a given class/group is adequately represented in the service.

• It said before providing for reservation in promotions to cadre, the State is obligated to collect quantifiable data regarding the inadequacy of representation of SCs and STs.

• Attorney General K K Venugopal had referred to the apex court judgements right from the Indra Sawhney verdict of 1992, popularly known as the Mandal Commission case to the Jarnail Singh verdict of 2018.

• The Mandal judgement had ruled out quota in promotions.

• Venugopal had said that till 1975, 3.5 per cent SCs and 0.62 per cent of STs were in government employment and this is the average figure.

• In 2008, the figure of SCs and STs in government employment rose to 17.5 and 6.8 per cent respectively, which are still low and justified such quota, he had said.

• A freight train chugged into the Rani Gaidinliu Railway Station in Goinanglong of Tamenglong district, thereby putting Manipur on the country’s railway map.

• The 111 km long and Rs 14,000-crore project from Jiribam to the state capital of Imphal was sanctioned in 2013. The railway track traverses the hill districts of Noney and Tamenglong.

• There will be altogether 46 tunnels and 153 bridges. The Noney bridge (141 metres) will be the world’s tallest when construction gets completed.

• The Kaimei Railway Station was renamed as the Rani Gaidinliu Railway Station to honour the legendary freedom fighter, who had revolted against the British.

• The North-East Frontier Railway has operated its first leased Parcel Cargo express train from Azara (Guwahati) to Vasco de gama in Goa transporting consignments of mosquito repellents, varieties of tea, broom and other things.

• According to an official statement by chief spokesperson of North-East Frontier Railway Guneet Kaur, in a first, the AVG Logistics operated a leased parcel cargo express train for covering a distance of 3,358 km between Azara and Vasco Da Gama in Goa.

• The Parcel Cargo Express Train (PCET) started on Jan 29 , will operate on round trip basis with a schedule of originating from Nazara on every Wednesday at 6 pm for reaching Vasco Da Gama on Sunday at 8:30 am.

• The railways has given a rake of 15 van parcels 24 tons capacity each and 1 brake van for the first six months. After the first six months of start of this train,the railways will enhance the numbers of parcel vans from 15 to 20 up to next 6 years.

• Senior BJP leader and former Punjab minister Madan Mohan Mittal has joined the SAD in the presence of party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal .

• Mittal was upset after his son, Arvind Mittal, was denied a ticket by the BJP from Anandpur Sahib assembly seat.

• Mittal had served as minister of parliamentary affairs, and health and family welfare in the Parkash Singh Badal-led government in Punjab.