NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Over 1500 farmers invited to witness Republic Day
parade at Kartavya Path: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has
invited over 1500 farmers to witness the 75th Republic Day Parade at Kartavya
Path. These farmers are beneficiaries of various central government schemes
such as Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee
Yojana. During their stay, the farmers will also undergo training on key
government schemes like the Agri Infrastructure Fund, National Seeds
Cooperation, and Per Drop More Crop.
2. IICF To Build ‘Masjid Muhammed Bin Abdullah’ Mosque In
Ayodhya: The Indo-Islamic Cultural
Foundation (IICF) has announced the commencement of the construction of a grand mosque in Ayodhya, starting
this May. Haji Arfat Shaikh, the head
of the development committee of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) that
is overseeing the mosque project. The mosque, named “Masjid Muhammed bin
Abdullah” after Prophet Muhammad, aims to foster unity and goodwill among
people, transcending religious differences. Hindu zealots razed a 16th-century
mosque in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya in 1992, saying that it was built
over an ancient temple on the site that marked the birthplace of Hindu god-king
Ram.
3. PM Modi Launched ‘PM Suryodaya Yojana’: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has launched the ‘Pradhan
Mantri Suryodaya Yojana’, a government scheme under which one crore
households will get rooftop solar power systems. According to the Ministry of
New and Renewable Energy’s website, solar power installed capacity in India has
reached around 73.31 GW as of December 2023. Meanwhile, rooftop solar installed
capacity is around 11.08 GW as of December 2023. In 2014, the government
launched the Rooftop Solar Programme that aimed to achieve a cumulative
installed capacity of 40,000 megawatts (MW) or 40 gigawatts (GW) by 2022 — watt
is a unit of power and is calculated as the amount of energy used over time,
specifically one Joule per second. However, this target couldn’t be achieved.
4. Tarun Khulbe appoints as CEO of Jindal Stainless: Tarun Khulbe has been appointed as Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of Jindal Stainless Ltd. He has been serving as
the Whole Time Director of the company since May 2018. He will continue to hold
the post besides that of the CEO. Khulbe has around 35 years of industry
experience in business development, supply chain management, people practices,
and IT enablement. Khulbe joined JSL as a general manager for the cold rolling
mills at Hisar, Haryana, in October 2004. Part of O P Jindal Group, Jindal
Stainless is India’s largest stainless-steel manufacturer.
5. 24 January – National Girl Child Day: National Girl Child
Day is observed every year on 24 January. Objective- To raise awareness of the difficulties
that girls in Indian society endure. The day promotes equal opportunities in
education, healthcare, and nutrition while raising awareness of the injustices
that girls face. Every year on January 24, people celebrate National Girl Child
Day, which commemorates the inaugural anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Scheme (Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl
Child) on January 22, 2015. The Ministry of Women and Child Development
launched this day in 2008.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. World’s Tallest Ambedkar Statue Unveiled In Andhra
Pradesh: World’s tallest statue of
Dr BR Ambedkar, who is known as the architect and developer
of the Indian Constitution, was unveiled
in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh by the state government. It is going to be
the tallest statue of Ambedkar. One of the tallest Ambedkar statues outside
India is situated in Maryland, US. This Ambedkar statue is called the Statue of
Justice and it is around 206 feet from the ground. This Ambedkar statue in
Andhra Pradesh is under the list of top 50 tallest statues around the world, in
which Statue of Unity tops. The height of the Statue of Justice is around 125
feet and the pedestal where this statue stands is 81 feet, thus the total
height of the statue becomes 206 feet from the ground.
2. WHO certifies Cabo Verde as malaria-free: The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Cabo Verde as a malaria-free country,
marking a significant achievement in global health. With this
announcement, Cabo Verde joins the
ranks of 43 countries and 1 territory that WHO has awarded this
certification. Cabo Verde is the third country to be certified in the WHO
African region, joining Mauritius and Algeria which were certified in 1973 and
2019 respectively.
Malaria
burden is the highest on the African continent, which accounted for
approximately 95% of global malaria cases and 96% of related deaths in 2021. Cabo
Verde, an archipelago of 10 islands in the Central Atlantic Ocean, has faced
significant malaria challenges. Before the 1950s, all islands were affected by
malaria.
3. North Korea conducts test of underwater nuclear
weapons system: North
Korea has conducted a test
of its underwater nuclear weapons system in a protest against joint
military drills by South Korea, the United States, and Japan. The test of the “Haeil-5-23” system, a
name North Korea has given to its nuclear-capable underwater attack drones, was
carried out by the defence ministry’s think tank in the waters off its east
coast. Dubbed “Haeil”, which means tsunami, the new drone system was first
reportedly tested in March 2023. it was intended to make sneak attacks in enemy
waters and destroy naval strike groups and major operational ports by creating
a large radioactive wave through an underwater explosion.
4. India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise
‘Khanjar’ commences in HP: The 11th edition of India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise Khanjar started at the Special Forces Training School in Himachal
Pradesh’s Bakloh. The exercise
is being conducted from January 22 to February 3. The exercise will
provide an opportunity for both sides to fortify defence ties while addressing
common concerns of international terrorism and extremism. The Indian Army
contingent, comprising 20 personnel, is being represented by troops from The
Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), according to the press release. Meanwhile,
the Kyrgyzstan contingent comprising 20 personnel is represented by the
Scorpion Brigade.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. India, Egypt begin 2nd edition of joint exercise
‘CYCLONE’: The Indian Army contingent comprising
25 personnel reached Egypt to take part in the 2nd edition of a joint exercise called
‘Cyclone’ between special forces of India and Egypt. The exercise
will be conducted at Anshas, Egypt
from 22nd January to 1st February 2024. The first edition of the
exercise was conducted last year in India. The exercise is aimed to acquaint
both sides with each other’s operating procedures in the backdrop of special
operations in desert/semi-desert terrain under chapter VII of the United
Nations Charter. The exercise will involve the planning and execution of special
operations in the sub-conventional domain and conducted in three phases.
The
first phase will include military exhibitions and tactical interactions.
SPORTS
1. Ravi Shastri received lifetime achievement award: World Cup-winning former India all-rounder and ex-head coach Ravi Shastri has received
the prestigious lifetime
achievement award in the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) Awards in
Hyderabad. While Shubman Gill
received the Polly Umrigar Award for the best men’s cricketer of
the year for 2023. Jasprit Bumrah won the honour in 2019, a year after making
his Test debut. Gill scored 2154 runs in international cricket, most by any
batter in 2023. He hit 7 hundred, including an ODI double-hundred and his
maiden T20I century.
Ravi
Shastri played 80 Tests and 150 ODIs for India, scoring 6938 runs in
international cricket, including 15 hundreds. He picked 280 wickets for India
at the highest level. The left-arm spinner was part of India’s World Cup
triumph in 1983 and the 1985 Champions of Champions triumph.
2. Tai Tzu Ying clinches first women’s singles title at
India Open: Tai
Tzu Ying (Taiwan) secures her maiden women’s singles India Open title, defeating
Chen Yu Fei in a dominant straight-game victory. The former world number one
from Chinese Taipei is set to retire after this season. The summit clash
rematch of the Tokyo Olympic final sees Tai Tzu Ying prevail 21-16, 21-12,
highlighting her status as one of the game’s greatest players.
3. Madrid to host Spanish F1 GP from 2026: Madrid will become the new host of the Spanish Grand Prix starting from 2026. This decade-long commitment
will see the heart of Spain’s capital transformed into a thrilling F1 racing
venue, with the action set to unfold around IFEMA Madrid’s exhibition center. The
announcement heralds a fresh era for the prestigious event, which has been
traditionally held at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona since 1991. The
transition will see Madrid hosting the Grand Prix for 10 years, from 2026 to
2035, introducing a brand-new circuit to the world of Formula 1. The new
circuit in Madrid, designed around the IFEMA exhibition centre, will feature a
mix of street and non-street sections, spanning 5.47 kilometres with 20
corners.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Japan achieved a historic soft moon landing with SLIM
Mission: Japan has become the 5th country to
achieve a soft moon landing with the successful deployment of
the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft. The mission,
led by Japan’s space agency JAXA, marks a significant leap in precision landing
technology with potential applications for future lunar exploration. Japan’s
Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (Slim) spacecraft successfully touched down
on the lunar surface on Friday, making Japan the fifth nation to achieve a soft
landing on the Moon. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has
confirmed the landing of the spacecraft equipped with a variety of instruments,
including a camera, a laser altimeter, and a magnetometer, which will be used
to study the Moon’s geology, environment, and resources
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Karpoori Thakur to be awarded Bharat Ratna
posthumously: Former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur,
known for championing the cause of the backward classes, will be awarded the
Bharat Ratna posthumously. Karpoori Thakur, a name synonymous with social
justice and the championing of backward classes in North India. In November
1978, he implemented a 26 per cent reservation for backward classes in Bihar. Thakur's
journey from humble beginnings in Pitaunjhia village, now known as Karpoorii
Gram.
2. UP Govt to Honour Dr. Ritu and Naveen with ‘UP Gaurav Samman’: The government of Uttar Pradesh has announced the prestigious ‘UP Gaurav Samman’ award for two distinguished personalities – eminent scientist Ritu and renowned entrepreneur Naveen. This award highlights the government’s commitment to acknowledging excellence and inspiring future generations. Ritu Karidhal Srivastava, who resides in Lucknow, played a crucial role in the development of India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalyaan. She also served as the Deputy Operations Director for this mission. Mangalyaan was one of ISRO’s greatest achievements, making India the fourth country in the world to reach Mars.
No comments:
Post a Comment