Current Affairs 1st to 31st January

1st January 2021

1. Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Light House projects (LHPs) at six sites across six States through video conference on 1st January 20.Under the programme, over 1,000 houses would be built.  The LHPs will be implemented at Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Rajkot (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).  The project is being constructed under the Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC)-. It has been conceptualised by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. 2. Extension of the term of ISRO Chairman K Sivan, for a period of one year  The Central Government has approved the extension of the term of ISRO Chairman K Sivan, for a period of one year. He was due to retire on January 14, 2021.  Sivan will now continue as ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space up to January 14, 2022. He joined ISRO in 1982, has been the chairman of the space agency since January 2018.  ISRO chief has imminent knowledge in Aerospace engineering, Space Transportation Systems Engineering, Launch vehicles, mission simulation software design and many other operations related to Space programs. 3. UNDP and PCMC join hands for ‘first social impact bond’  Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, Pune has recently signed an MoU with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India to co create India’s first Social Impact Bond (SIB).  This is the first time that a government body will act as the ‘outcome funder’ in a bond, whereas traditionally most government-funded public projects require large and early investments by the government with a substantial gestation period of outcomes and involve various kinds of risks.

4. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) observed the 63rd Foundation Day of its establishment on January 01, 2021.  DRDO was established in 1958 with just 10 laboratories to enhance the research work in the Defence sector. At that time, it was tasked with designing and developing cutting edge defence technologies for Indian Armed Forces.

2nd January 2021

1. The Ministry of Defence recently signed an agreement with the Bharat Electronics Limited to supply ten LYNX U2 GFCS. 2. China has recently deployed underwater drones called Sea Wing Glider in the Indian Ocean region. The Sea Wing Glider Drone is used for Naval surveillance. It can operate for months under the sea. 3. Argentina recently became the largest Latin American country to legalize abortion.  Under the new law Argentina has legalised abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy. In India, abortion is legal till 24th week of pregnancy according to medical termination of pregnancy (Amendment) act, 2020. Earlier it was 20 weeks. 4. The Reserve Bank of India recently released the Digital Payments Index to measure the growth in cashless transactions in India. 5. The Assam assembly recently passed the Assam Ease of Doing Business (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The bill makes amendments to the Assam ease of doing business act, 2016. The amendment will avail 0.25% additional borrowing from the centre. 6. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas recently announced that more than 14 crores of free of cost cylinders have been provided under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana to the beneficiaries of the scheme during covid-19 crisis. 7. The Uttar Pradesh Government is to launch Kisan Kalyan mission.  The Kisan Kalyan mission aims to double the farmer income covering all the Assembly constituencies of the state of Uttar Pradesh. This is to be achieved

through campaigns that create awareness among farmers on how to reduce agricultural caused by using fertilizers in a balanced manner.  The mission will also encourage farmers to time their cultivation of crops according to the demand of the market.  The mission aims to create agricultural diversification.  Under the mission several programmes such as exhibition of agriculture and associate sector including products of MSME missions and livelihood missions are to be launched.  The mission will act as a unified platform for several state government departments such as Mandi Parishad, animal husbandry, Horticulture, sugarcane food and supply, fisheries and Panchayati Raj.  The mission will provide contemporary information about saving the Rabi crop. It will also provide solutions on preventing the next crops from damage.  The mission will also distribute Kisan credit cards.

3rd January 2021 1. India has been chosen as the co-chair of the IUCN-supported Asia Protected Areas Partnership (APAP) for a period of three years till November 2023. India will replace South Korea, which held the post for 3 years until November 2020. 2. Reserve Bank of India has launched a Digital Payments Index (DPI) to capture the extent of digitization of digital/electronic payments across the country. This RBI-Digital Payments Index (DPI) has 5 broad parameters that will be used for the measurement of deepening and penetration of digital payments. 3. Goa’s 14-year-old Leon Mendonca has become India’s 67th chess Grandmaster by winning the third and final norm at a tournament in Italy.

4th January 2021

1. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India recently announced that all edible refined oils, vegetable fat spreads, Vanaspati, margarines, Bakery shortening and mixed fat spreads can contain only 3% or less trans fats. This is to be implemented by January 2021. By January 2022, this is to be further reduced to 2%. 2. The United States recently passed the Malala Yousafzai Act for Pakistani Women. The Act requires the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to award at least 50% of scholarship to Pakistani women between 2020 and 2022. 3. World Braille Day is observed globally on 4th January since 2019. The day is celebrated to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and partially sighted people.  The day is marked remembering the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille – for people with visual disabilities. Louis Braille was born on 4th January 1809 in the town of Coupvray in northern France. 4. Ace mountaineer Colonel Narendra ‘Bull’ Kumar, who helped India secure the Siachen Glacier, passed away.  He was responsible for the success of Operation Meghdoot in 1984. He was the first Indian to climb Mount Nanda Devi.  He climbed Mount Everest in 1965, Mount Blanc( highest peak in the Alps), and later Mount Kangchenchanga. He earned the nickname ‘Bull’ for relentlessly charging into everything he did.  Col Kumar, who was awarded the Kirti Chakra, Padma Shri, Arjun Award and the McGregor medal, carried out multiple expeditions in the Siachen glacier area in the late 1970s and early 1980s. 5. Delhi government Department of Art, Culture, and Language has set-up a Tamil academy to promote the language and culture of the southern state of Tamil Nadu. 6. The Indian Space Research Organization recently released the plan for the decade. The plan included reusable satellite launch vehicle, heavy lift rocket and semi-cryogenic engine. 7. The TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India) operating under Ministry of Tribal Affairs signed a memorandum of understanding

with Akhil Bhartiya vanvasi Kalyan Ashram to setup TRIFOOD parks in Madhya Pradesh.

5th January 2021 1. The is to construct the largest floating solar energy project in the world. The project is to be constructed at Omkareshwar Dam on Narmada river. The project will begin its power generation by 2022 to 2023. 2. On January 5, 2020, the Supreme Court allowed the Central Vista Project to go ahead. The Central Vista project aims to renovate 86 acres of land in the Lutyen’s Garden in New Delhi. It includes Landmark structures of Indian government such as Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament, India Gate and North and South Block. 3. The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Kiren Rijiju recently launched the Assam Rifles Public School as a Sports School. 4. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has addressed the National Metrology Conclave, via video conferencing on January 04, 2021.  National Metrology Conclave 2021 was organised by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi, to mark its 75th year of inception. This year theme: ‘Metrology for the Inclusive Growth of the Nation’.  As a part of this conclave, PM Modi also dedicated ‘National Atomic Timescale’, and ‘Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya’ to the nation, and laid the foundation stone of the ‘National Environmental Standards Laboratory’.  The Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Atomic Scale at the National Meteorology Conclave. Atomic Time provides the exact speed at which the clock ticks. In technical words, it measures the actual length of a second. Atomic Clocks deviate only one second in up to 100 million years.

6th January 2021 1. The Rashtriya Kamadhenu Aayog recently announced that it is to conduct a National-level “Gau-Vigyan” (Cow Science) online exam. This is being done to generate interest among the students and public about the indigenous cow and its benefits. About the Exam The exam is to be held on February 25, 2021. 2. The government of Madhya Pradesh has launched a ‘Launch Pad Scheme’ for the boys and girls coming out of child care institutions and having completed 18 years of age. This scheme has been launched by the Women and Child Development Department of the state with the objective to provide a platform to these youth, through which they will be able to become self-reliant by continuing their education and training. 3. The Journalist Day is observed by Maharashtra state government on 6th January every year in the memory of late journalist Balshastri Jambhekar.  The first newspaper in the Marathi language named ‘Darpan’, was published on January 6, 1832, the date which also marks the birth anniversary of Balshastri Jambhekar.  Balshastri Jambhekar is also known as ‘The Father of Marathi Journalism’, for his efforts in starting journalism in the Marathi language, in the form of first Marathi newspaper and first Marathi monthly. 4. The Union Cabinet recently approved the Memorandum of Understanding between India and Japan on “Specified Skilled Worker”. Under the agreement, India will send skilled labours to Japan. The MoU will set an institutional framework for cooperation between India and Japan for accepting skilled workers.

7th January 2021 1. The New Development Bank (NDB) has signed loan agreements worth USD 646 million with the Government of India for two road projects in Andhra Pradesh. Each project costs USD 323 million.  These projects will improve mobility and connectivity to the socioeconomic centres, enhance transport efficiency, improve road safety and riding quality, and provide all-weather accessibility for the State’s road users. 2. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently flagged off the first double stack long- haul container train from New Ateli in Haryana to New Kishanganj in Rajasthan  The train is to be operated in the 360-km long Rewari-Madar Section of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor.  The train is 1.5 kilo metres long.  It is hauled by Electric traction. 3. The Bombay High Court recently declared that the advertisement of an article using the name of god and claiming that it has Supernatural qualities is illegal. The declaration has been made under the Maharashtra prevention and eradication of human sacrifice and other human, evil and Aghori practices and black magic act.

8th January 2021

1. Indian-American Dr Raj Iyer has taken over as the first Chief Information Officer of the US Army, after the Pentagon created the position in July 2020. Dr Raj Iyer is one of the highest-ranking Indian-American civilians in the US Department of Defence. 2. The Chief Minister of Karnataka, B.S. Yediyurappa flagged off 40 Krishi Sanjeevani vans in Bengaluru.  These vans have been launched by the state Agriculture Department with Central assistance under National Krishi Vikas Yojana to take up this novel programme. 3. The senior-most judge of Delhi High Court, Justice Hima Kohli has been appointed as the new Chief Justice of Telangana High Court. She is the first woman to be sworn in as CJ of Telangana HC.  Justice Kohli was administered the oath of office by Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan. She replaces CJ Raghvendra Singh Chauhan, who has been appointed as the CJ of Uttarakhand HC. 4. Punjab National Bank has partnered with IIT Kanpur and the Foundation for Innovation & Research in Science & Technology (FIRST) to set up a ‘Fintech Innovation Centre (FIC)’ at the institute’s campus.  PNB and IIT Kanpur will jointly work to set up this innovation centre as a vehicle for research and development of technological solutions, with the help of FIRST, to address challenges and explore opportunities in the Banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) space.

9th January 2021 1. Every year the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated on January 9.  Theme: “Contributing to Atma Nirbhar Bharat”.  It is celebrated to mark the contribution of overseas Indian community towards the development of India. 2. Former India striker Abhishek Yadav has been appointed as the first deputy general secretary of All India Football Federation (AIFF) after the sports body decided to create a new post in its hierarchy.

3. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas or NRI Day is celebrated every year on January 9 to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India. The day is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India.  The aim of celebrating the day is to provide a platform for NRI to express their perceptions about India and thereby involve them in Indian developmental activities. The theme of 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2021 is “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat”. 4. Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on January 9, 2021 gave assent to an ordinance which penalizes religious conversions through fraudulent means including those for the sake of marriage. The Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Ordinance, 2020, provides for ten years in jail in some cases.

10th January 2021 1. Union Minister for Earth Sciences, Harsh Vardhan has launched Coastal Research Vehicle (CRV) ‘Sagar Anveshika’ at the Chennai Port.  The vehicle will be used to carry out environment indexing and bathymetric (mapping underwater features) in both coastal and offshore waters.  It will be used for research purposes by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and has been built by Titagarh Wagons, Kolkata, West Bengal. 2. The World Hindi Day is celebrated annually on January 10 since 2006 to promote the language at the global stage.  The day marks the anniversary of first World Hindi Conference which was inaugurated on January 10, 1975, by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.

11th January 2021

1. The World Health Organization recently released a new map. The map differentiated Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from the rest of Indian mainland with a different colour. 2. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will be launching an innovative new paint developed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission.  The eco-friendly, non-toxic paint, called “Khadi Prakritik Paint” is a first-of-its- kind product, with anti-fungal, anti-bacterial properties.  Based on cow dung as its main ingredient, the paint is cost-effective and odourless and has been certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards.

12th January 2021 1. The Union government has appointed RS Sharma, former Trai chief, as the chairperson of an empowered committee for the administration of Covid-19 vaccine. A ten-member team has been constituted to be headed by Sharma. 2. Jigmet Dolma from India secured the fourth position in the Dhaka Marathon 2021. Jigmet Dolma is an SPO of Ladakh police. In the marathon, Hicham Lakohi of Morocco came first in the elite competition of the marathon in men’s category while Angela Jim Asunde from Kenya won the women’s category in the same event.  In the full marathon, among the SAARC and local runners, Bahadur Singh of India became the champion in the men’s category and Pushpa Bhandari of Nepal became the champion in the women’s category. 3. National Youth Day is celebrated in India every year on 12 January to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.  The day was declared by the Government of India in 1984 while the event was first celebrated in 1985.  The main aim behind this is to make sure that the students across the country can be encouraged to learn about the life, the ideas and philosophy of Swami Vivekananda and apply them in their lives.

 In 2021, we are observing 158th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand (12 January 1863). The theme for National Youth Day 2021 is ‘Channelizing Youth Power for Nation Building’. 4. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways observes the National Road Safety Week every year in the second week of January.  However, in 2021, the Government has decided to observe National Road Safety Month instead of National Road Safety Week.  Accordingly, the National Road Safety Month will be observed from 18th January, 2021′ to 17th February’ 2021.  During this period nation-wide various activities will be conducted throughout the country in association with the Central/ State Governments/ UT administrations, and other stakeholders. 5. Bangladesh has been chosen as the ‘Country in Focus’ for the 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The festival will be held at Goa from January 16 to January 24, 2021. The Country in Focus is a special segment that recognizes the cinematic excellence and contributions of the country.  The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), is being held annually since 1952, in Goa.

13th January 2021 1. Union Budget 2021, slated to be presented on February 1, is going to be completely paperless in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.  This will be the first time since independence that the budget papers will not be printed. The Centre has received permission for the same from both houses of parliament.  The decision has been taken as several people (approximately 100) would be required to stay at the printing press for around a fortnight amid the COVID-19 fear.

2. The Henley Passport Index 2021 has been released by Henley & Partners, based on the exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). As per the latest report, India has been ranked 85th among 110 countries, in the Henley Passport Index for 2021, with a visa-free score of 58. The index presents the original ranking of the world’s most powerful passports, according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. 3. The Government of France organised the fourth ‘One Planet Summit’, through videoconferencing, which aimed at protecting the world’s biodiversity. The Summit was organised in cooperation with the United Nations and the World Bank. The theme of the Summit was “Let’s act together for nature!”. 4. In Leh, the first-ever Ice climbing festival was celebrated in Nubra valley. The Seven Day event was organized by Nubra Adventure Club. Ice climbing is a popular winter sport abroad. To promote winter tourism in Nubra valley, Nubra Adventure Club, with the help of Social activist Dr Nordan Otzer, has organized the Seven Day Ice Climbing Festival.

14th January 2021 1. The Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik virtually inaugurated a first of its kind ‘Fire Park’, to educate and bring awareness on basic fire safety measures among the people, particularly the students. The ‘Fire Park’ is located inside the premises of the Odisha Fire and Disaster Academy in Bhubaneswar.  The minister also launched an online portal, ‘AgnishamaSeva’ of Odisha Fire Service. The fire park will facilitate demonstrations on use of first aid fire- fighting equipment, rescue and disaster operations, visit the exhibition hall, screening of films and distribution of leaflets on fire safety. 2. NITI Aayog and Flipkart, have come together to launch the revamped Women Entrepreneurship Platform.  The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is a unified access portal which brings together women from different parts of India to realise their entrepreneurial aspirations.

 The idea of the platform was first mooted by Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog who announced the setting-up of a Women Entrepreneurship Platform in NITI Aayog at the conclusion of the 8th Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) held in Hyderabad in 2017, with an overarching theme of ‘Women first, prosperity for all’. 3. Rapidly digitalising India was ranked 4th in “Break Out Economies” in the third edition of the Digital Evolution Scorecard developed by Tufts University’s Fletcher School in partnership with Mastercard. 4. In India, the Armed Forces Veterans Day is observed each year on 14 January since 2017 to acknowledge and honour the selfless devotion and sacrifice of our veterans in the service of the nation. The day was initially called Armistice Day. 2021 marks the 5th Armed Forces Veterans Day.  The day is observed as a mark of respect and recognition of the services rendered by Field Marshal KM Cariappa OBE, the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces who retired on 14 January 1953. 5. Elon Musk-owned electric vehicle (EV) company Tesla has registered a fully-owned subsidiary in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Tesla, the world’s most valued carmaker has incorporated a fully owned subsidiary ahead as a first step to set up an R&D unit and a manufacturing plant for its electric vehicles in the country.

15th January 2021 1. Kerala has become the 8th State in the country to successfully undertake “Ease of Doing Business” reform stipulated by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.  Kerala has become eligible to mobilise additional financial resources of Rs.2,373 crore through Open Market Borrowings. Permission for the same was issued by the Department of Expenditure on 12th January 2021. 2. India’s first indigenous 9mm Machine Pistol has been jointly developed by DRDO and Indian Army.

 Infantry School, Mhow and DRDO’s Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune have designed and developed this weapon using their respective expertise in the complementary areas.  The weapon has been developed in a record time of four months. The weapon is aptly named “Asmi” meaning “Pride”, “Self-Respect” & “Hard Work”. 3. The Army Day in India is celebrated on 15 January every year, to salute the valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect the country and its citizens. This year marks the 73rd Indian Army Day. The Army Day is celebrated at all Army Command headquarters to honour our country’s soldiers who set the greatest example of selfless service and brotherhood, and above all, love for the country.

16th January 2021 1. India started the world’s largest immunization exercise against Covid-19 2. The 73rd Army Day was celebrated on January 15, 2021. The day marks the taking over of Lt Gen K M Cariappa (later Field Marshal) as commander-in-chief of the Indian Army in 1949 from General Francis Butcher, the last British commander-in-chief of India. 3. Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda will virtually receive SKOCH Challenger Award conferred to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for e-Governance on January 16, 2021. The award has been given to the Ministry for its IT-led initiatives and other transformational initiatives leading to outcome-based performance improvement. 4. India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in the field of Information and Communications Technologies on January 15, 2021. The MoU was signed by Minister for Communications, Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Japanese Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Takeda Ryota. It was exchanged through a video conference. 5. The US President Donald Trump has become the first president of the country to be impeached twice. Impeachment of Donald Trump The House of Representatives of the

United States recently voted to charge President Trump with inciting mob attack on US Congress. 6. With the assembly elections are to be held in Tamil Nadu in 2021, Jallikattu, a traditional bull-taming sport of the state has caught the attention of the political parties in the country.  The Jallikattu is a two-thousand-year-old competitive sport and an event that honours bull owners who rear them for mating. It is a violent sport. During Jallikattu, the contestants try to tame the bull for a prize. If the contestants fail, the bull owner wins the prize.  In 2011, the central government added bulls to the list of animals whose training and exhibition were prohibited. Later in 2014, the Supreme Court banned Jallikattu sport. Currently, the state government of Tamil Nadu has legalised Jallikattu events. In 2018, the Supreme court referred the case of Jallikattu to a constitutional bench. The case is still pending.  Concerns were raised under Article 29(1) against ban on Jallikattu. Article 29 (1) provides rights to Indian citizens to preserve their script, language and culture.

17th January 2021 1. 51th International Film Festival of India on 16th January 2021 Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting , Prakash Javadekar announced a new ‘Indian Personality of the Year” :- Veteran Actor, Director and Singer Biswajit Chatterjee.  Lifetime achievement this year was given to:- Italian Cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro. 2. Recently on Army Day (January 15, 2021), the Indian Army displayed its combat drones that are part of the Swarm Technology. Swarm drones are lightweight drones that carry multiple packages to a single destination at a time. In simple words, multiple drones are engaged in a single operation. Here, multiple drones receive commands from a single drone. They overcome single drone’s payload and battery limitations. They work

on swarm intelligence. Swarm Intelligence is the collective behaviour of decentralized and self-organized Systems. 3. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj won the SKOCH Challenger Award under “Transparency in Governance” category for IT-led initiatives and transformational reforms leading to outcome-based performance improvement, better transparency and strengthening of the e-Governance in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across the country. 4. Home Minister Amit Shah on January 16, 2021 laid the foundation stone for establishing a unit of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) at Bhadravati in Shivamogga district of Karnataka. The RAF, the specialised wing of the Central Reserve Police Force, will be the first battalion of its kind in the State. The unit at Bhadravati will cater to the needs of 39 districts spread over Karnataka, Kerala, and Goa. The RAF is specialised in handling riots and other major law and order situations. 5. The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Ordinance, 2020, to ban slaughter of cattle, will come into effect from January 18. The State government issued a notification to this effect on January 16. The Ordinance bans slaughter of cows, bulls, and bullocks of all ages, besides he or she buffaloes aged below 13. 6. President Ram Nath Kovind making the first contribution along with his family, donated a cheque for Rs. 5,00,100 to a delegation of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra for Ram Mandir Construction in Ayodhya. 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16, 2021 announced a seed fund worth Rs 1,000 crore for startups to provide them with initial capital to start and grow their business. Modi made this announcement in his address to the BIMSTEC countries at the 2-day ‘Prarambh: International Summit’, organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). 8. The Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry on January 16, 2021 launched month-long mass awareness campaign ‘SAKSHAM’ to spread awareness about green and clean energy. The pan- India campaign will focus on adoption of cleaner fuels.

9. The United Nations recently released the report “International Migration 2020 Highlights”, India has the largest diaspora population in the world with 18 million people from the country living outside their homeland in 2020, according to a report by the United Nations, which says the United Arab Emirates (3.5 million), the US (2.7 million) and Saudi Arabia (2.5 million) host the largest number of migrants from India. The report titled ‘International Migration 2020 Highlights’ was released by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) released on January 15, 2021. 10. The UN Human Rights Council elected Fiji’s Ambassador as its 2021 President in an unprecedented secret ballot after a diplomatic stand-off blocked the usual consensus decision. Fiji’s Ambassador in Geneva, Nazhat Shameem Khan, who served as the council’s Vice-President in 2020, won with 29 out of 47 votes.

18th January 2021 1. The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently invited PM Modi to attend G7 summit. UK has invited Australia and South Korea as well. Earlier, UK had proposed the idea of D10. D10 includes members of G7 and India, Australia and South Korea. 47th G7 Summit in June 2021 will be Organized by UK, English Region of Cornwall from June 11th to 13th. 2. The Aero India-21 mobile application was recently launched by the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The mobile app will act as a handy interactive interface for all the issues related to Aero India 2021. The application has features to support the attendees, exhibitors and media of Aero India 21 3. The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, is the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference. It is scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 1 to 12 November 2021 under the presidency of the United Kingdom.

4. Disclosure of Interest in Info under RTI is Necessary, Delhi High Court, (Section 6(2) of RTI Act) 5. The Allahabad High Court recently ruled that couples planning to marry under Special Marriage Act shall choose not to publish thirty-day notice before registering their marriage. According to the judgement, the provisions of the act invade the fundamental rights of liberty and privacy. That is, putting a prior notice that provides the details of the bride and groom invades their privacy. 6. On 17th January 2021, Prime Minster Narendra Modi flagged off remotely eight trains connecting 6 states of the country with Kevadia in Gujrat’s Narmada district, where the Statute of Unity is located. Those 8trains are:- 1) 09103/04 Kevadiya-Varanasi Mahamana Express (Weekly), 2) 02927/28 Dadar-Kevadiya Express (Daily), 3) 09247/48 Ahmedabad-Kevadiya Janshatabdi Express (Daily), 4) 09145/46 Nizamuddin - Kevadia Sampark Kranti Express (Bi- Weekly), 5) 09105/06 Kevadia - Rewa Express (Weekly), 6) 09119/20 Chennai - Kevadia Express (Weekly), 7) 09107/08 Pratapnagar-Kevadia MEMU train (Daily) and 8) 09109/10 Kevadiya-Pratapnagar MEMU train (Daily). 7. Bank Credit grew 3.2 percent to Rs 107.05 lakh crore in the first nine months of the current financial year, as against the growth rate of 2.7 percent registered in the corresponding period of 2019-20.

19th January 2021 1. Balance sheet of Bad bank page no. 13 2. The Jammu and Kashmir Government recently sought GI tag (Geographical Indications of Goods) for Gucchi mushroom. The Gucchi mushrooms are highly expensive and are full of health benefits. 500 grams of Gucchi mushrooms cost Rs 18,000. Recently, GI Tag was provided to Saffron of Jammu and Kashmir.

3. A bird festival is to be organised at Mahananda wildlife Sanctuary in West Bengal. The festival is first of its kind. It is to be organised by Darjeeling Wildlife Division. The Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary has been identified as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area. 4. WE Hub recently announced its partnership with i-Hub. I-Hub operates under Government of Gujarat. WE Hub operates under Government of Telangana. WE Hub WE Hub is Women Entrepreneurs Hub. It is a startup incubator, that is, it provides an environment for the women entrepreneurs to grow their business. 5. The Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) recently developed a bike ambulance called “Rakshita”. The bike ambulance will attend the evacuation needs of the CRPF personnel during emergency or battle injury. The ambulance was developed by INMAS (Institute of Nuclear and Allies Science) operating under DRDO. 6. Bhawana Kanth is to become the first woman fighter pilot to take part in the Republic Day parade. She was one among the first women fighter Pilots inducted in Indian Air Force in 2016. The other fighter pilots inducted into the Indian Air Force were Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh. 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chinese President Xi Jing Ping are to participate in the Davos Agenda Summit. The Davos Agenda Summit is organised by the World Economic Forum. The “Great Reset Initiative” of the World Economic Forum is to be launched during the Davos Agenda Summit.  The theme of the Davos Agenda Summit, 2021 is “Stakeholders for a cohesive and sustainable world”.

20th January 2021 1. Historic Win: India after chasing 328 to win the test series against Australia 2-1, at Brisbane, 19th January 202. It was the first loss for Australia at “Fortress Gabba” 2. The Global Firepower Index ranks the countries based on their potential military strength. India was ranked fourth in the index. The Global Firepower

Index ranked 138 countries. The countries were evaluated based on prolonged offensive and defensive military campaigns. 3. The Government of India recently announced that the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is to be celebrated as “Parakram Diwas”. Parakram Diwas means Courage Day. Netaji was born on January 23, 1897. 4. Thales, a French Multinational Company has signed an agreement with the Bharat Dynamics Limited, a Government of India enterprise to jointly work on STARStreak Air Defence System. The STARStreak is a short-range surface-to-air missile. It was earlier called as the Shorts Missile System. 5. Iran and six other countries have lost their voting rights in the United Nations General Assembly as they had not paid their dues. The other countries that lost their voting rights were Niger, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Congo Brazzaville, Central African Republic and Libya. On the other hand, three other countries such as Comoros, Somalia, Sao Tome and Principe will be allowed to vote despite of their missing dues.  The actions of suspending the members from voting has been taken under Article 19 of the United Nations Charter.

21st January 2021 1. Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was sworn as the 46th President of the United States by Chief Justice John G Roberts Jr. on 20th January 2021.  Kamla Devi Harris was sworn in as Vice President by Justice Sonia Sotomayor.  Harris’s ascension made her the highest-ranking woman in the history of United States  And Fist Black-American and First person of South Asian decent to hold the nation’s second Highest Office.

2. The Italian Police recently recovered a sixteenth century copy of “Salvator Mundi”. Salvator Mundi is the world most expensive painting of Leonardo da Vinci. 3. The Gujarat chief Minister recently announced the “Horticulture Development Mission”. It is also called “Bagayat Vikas Mission”. The main objective of the mission is to double the income of the farmers involved in horticulture and medicinal farming. 4. Tandav became the first OTT web series to edit its content after direct intervention from the government  First such intervention by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry since OTT platforms and News on digital platforms came under its purview on November 11, 2020. Before that no ministry had direct oversight over them.  FIR under section 153A, 295, 505(1)(B), and 469 and Information Technology Act, filed in Lucknow Uttar Pradesh against Ali abbas Zafar, Himanshu Krishna Mehara, Gaurav Solanki , Aparana Purohit and Saif Ali Khan. 5. The NITI Aayog is to launch the second edition of India Innovation Index. The Index ranks states of the country based on how they support innovation. The first edition of India Innovation Index was launched in 2019. Karnataka is the most innovative state for the second year in a row, according to federal policy think tank NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index 2020.  In the second edition of the index, Maharashtra pipped Tamil Nadu to the second spot. Telangana has claimed the fourth place, with Kerala moving up one notch to fifth slot, pushing Haryana to sixth place in the list of 17 major states. Bihar was featured at the bottom of the list.  Himachal Pradesh topped the rankings of hill and North-East states, followed by Uttarakhand, Manipur and Sikkim.  Delhi remained the most innovative among small or city-states and Union territories, followed by Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, and Puducherry.

22nd January 2021 1. On January 21, 2021, Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura celebrated their statehood day. The three states gained their statehood on January 21, 1972.

2. The LongOps Project is a collaboration between UK and Japan. Under the operation, the scientists from Japan and UK will develop new and safe technologies to dismantle old nuclear facilities such as the Fukushima that were severely damaged by tsunamis and earthquakes. 3. The Supreme Court recently upheld the validity of Section 32 A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Under its judgement, the apex court pronounced that the successful bidders for a corporate debtor will be immune from any investigations conducted by an investigating agency (like Enforcement Directorate or other statutory bodies such as SEBI) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. 4. Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Trivendra Singh Rawat will inaugurate the first child- friendly police station of Uttarakhand, which is meant to provide a friendly environment to children associated with crimes. 5. The Karnataka Chief Minister, BS Yediyurappa recently launched Avalokana software. The software will enable the state government to access data on expenditures and sanctions incurred on 1,800 programmes.  The software provides a focused eye view on Sustainable Development goals, Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan, Tribal Sub-plan and Centrally Sponsored Schemes. 6. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has announced the establishment of a Quantum Computing Applications Lab in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS).  The move will give select researchers, scientists access to Amazon’s Bracket cloud-based quantum computing service.  It is to be implemented by the Department of Science and Technology operating under the Ministry of Science and Technology.  The mission focuses on fundamental science, technology development and addresses the issues concerning the national priorities.

23rd January 2021 1. J&K approves new Land allotment policy 2021-30 for entrepreneurs

2. On January 22, 2021, the Department of Science and Technology announced that India is currently in third position in scientific publications after China and US. According to DST, the initiatives such as National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations have played a crucial role to reach this position. 3. The Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted on July 7, 2017. The treaty entered into force on January 22, 2021. The treaty is the first legally binding international agreement that aim to eliminate nuclear weapons completely. 4. The US President Joe Biden recently proposed to extend New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) Treaty by five years. Russia has welcomed the proposal. The New START Treaty was signed between United States and Russia in 2010 in Prague (capital of Czech Republic). It entered into force in 2011.  The formal name of New START Treaty is “Measures for the further reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms”.  The treaty was signed to reduce nuclear arms production and utilisation by US and Russia.  Under the treaty, the countries will reduce their strategic nuclear missile launchers by half.  The treaty established an inspection and verification regime replacing SORT.  It reduced the number deployable strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550. This was 10% lower than the strategic warhead limit set by Moscow treaty signed by the countries in 2002.  It reduced the number of submarine-launched ballistic missiles, inter-continental ballistic missile launchers, heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments to 800.  It reduced the number of heavy bombers equipped nuclear armaments to 700.  The treaty replaced Treaty of Moscow, also called SORT (Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty). The term Strategic offensive arms means nuclear warheads deployed by Strategic Nuclear Delivery Vehicles.  It is the successor of START I framework signed between the counties in 1991 that limited the warheads of the countries to 6,000 and strategic delivery vehicles

to 1,600. The START II treaty never entered into force and the negotiations of START III treaty never concluded.  The New START Treaty is to lapse in February 2021. 5. The Operation Sard Hawa was launched by the Border Security Force in the western border of Rajasthan. The main purpose of the operation is to check the instances of infiltration due to dense fog in the region. The Operation has also been launched to enhance the security ahead of Republic Day. The operation is to run till January 27, 2021. 6. The MeerKAT Radio Telescope recently discovered two giant radio galaxies. The galaxies were discovered under the MIGHTEE survey. The discovered galaxies are bigger than 93% of any other giants discovered before. They were 62 times the size of Milky Way. Light takes 6.5 million light years to travel from one end to the other. 7. Spain and France have recently signed an agreement to build 590 MW of solar power plant. This will be the largest solar power plant in Europe. The agreement was signed between Iberdola of Spain and Donone of France. 8. Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah has inaugurated the new 4-lane Thaltej-Shilaj- Rancharda railway overbridge in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat through video conferencing. The new overbridge has been built at a cost of Rs 55 crore.  There was a big problem of traffic on more than one lakh railway crossings in the country. Railway gates would open and close more than 100 times a day, due to which the costly fuel and precious time was wasted.

24th January 2021 1. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath has launched the ‘Udyam Sarathi App’ on the occasion of the 71st Foundation Day of the state, on 24 January

2021. The app will enable the youths to get every information related to self- employment and the job industry, across the state.  The Uttar Pradesh Day celebration will run from 24 January to 26 January 2021. The theme of Uttar Pradesh Day 2021 is ‘Respect for self-reliant Uttar Pradesh, women young farmers, development of all’.  Udyam Sarathi App will comprise of a varied range of data regarding business opportunities in different departments and sectors, including the state and Central governments, and anywhere and at any time. It has been launched under the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme.  Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced to institute a new award – UP Gaurav Samman – from this year which will recognise “exceptional people” who have worked to give the state a distinctive name. The award will be given to people from several fields, including technology, culture and sports. The chief secretary will head its selection committee.  The Chief Minister also announced the launch of a statewide free coaching facility for students to help them prepare for various competitive exams like JEE, NEET and UPSC. The “Abhyudaya Coaching” programme will begin from Basant Panchmi, the day when the goddess of learning, Saraswati, is worshipped, the CM said.  In the first phase, the coaching will be imparted — both physically and virtually – across 18 divisional headquarters of the state… In these coaching classes, guidance will be given for various examinations like the NEET, IIT-JEE, NDA, CDS or UPSC examinations.

25th January 2021

1. India observes “National Voters’ Day” every year on January 25 to encourage more young voters to take part in the political process. 2021 marks the 11th National Voters’ Day (NVD).  The theme of NVD 2021 is, ‘Making Our Voters Empowered, Vigilant, Safe and Informed’.  The day has been started from January 25, 2011, to mark the Foundation day of Election Commission of India (ECI), which was established on 25th January 1950. 2. The Indian government established January 25 as the National Tourism Day to raise awareness about the importance of tourism for the country’s economy. 3. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.  The first-ever International Day of Education was celebrated on 24 January 2019 as per the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on December 3rd 2018 to celebrate the role of education in development.  The third International Day of Education will be marked under the theme ‘Recover and Revitalize Education for the COVID-19 Generation’. 4. In India, the National Girl Child Day (NGCD) is observed annually on January 24. The day aims to focus on the inequalities faced by girls, to promote the education, health & nutrition of the girl child, and to spread awareness about the rights of a girl child.  The day was observed for the first time in 2008 as an initiative by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Government of India. 5. Bombay High Curt:- Sexual assault under POCSO needs skin to skin contact under section 8 of POCSO Act. 6. On 24th January 2021, Shristi Goswami, a nineteen-year-old Haridwar-based student, become the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand for one day on National Girl Child Day.  The student of Agriculture Science was the symbolic Chief Minister of Uttarakhand for a day, the move has received the nod of Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.

 The one-day chief minister has administered from Gairsain, the summer capital of the state, and will review various schemes run by the state government that include Atal Ayushman Scheme, Smart City project, Homestay Scheme by the tourism department, and other development projects.  The initiative was taken by Uttarakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights to mark the National Girl Child Day. Officials said they took the cue from Bollywood movie Nayak in which the protagonist, played by actor Anil Kapoor, became CM for a day. The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights in 2014, along with an NGO and a social organisation, started Bal Vidhan Sabha to help children understand governance and democratic processes. Students apply to be selected as legislators. After interviews, the commission selects one legislator from each of the 70 constituencies and those selected vote to elect a CM, ministers and a Leader of Opposition from among themselves for three years. Meetings of Bal Vidhan Sabha are held on issues related to children and the recommendations are sent to the state government. 7. The Finance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman, has launched the “Union Budget Mobile App” ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget on February 1, 2021. The mobile app was launched for hassle-free access of Budget-related documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the public. The budget will completely be paperless for the first time after. This decision was taken in the light of ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 8. India recently made an announcement that it does not support the “Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons” and it is not bound by any of the obligations of the treaty. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had approved the “Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons” in the year 2017. 9. The Oxfam has recently published its report titled “The Inequality Virus”. In its report, the Oxfam finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has deepen the existing inequalities in India and across the world.

10. The government has approved an underwater research project to ascertain the origins of the Ram Setu — a 48-km-long chain of shoals between India and Sri Lanka.  Ram Setu, also known as Adam’s Bridge or Nala Setu, holds religious significance because of the Ramayana.  The central advisory board on archaeology, which functions under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), has approved the proposal for this underwater exploration project. The study — to be conducted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) Goa — will focus on the process behind Ram Setu’s formation and also whether there are any submerged habitations around the structure.  The agency’s research vessel named Sindhu Sadhana will be deployed to collect samples of sediment from 35-40 metres below the water level. Sindhu Sadhana is an indigenous exploration vessel which can stay underwater for up to 45 days. 11. The 51st edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was held from 16 January to 24 January 2021 at Shyamaprasad Stadium near Panaji in Goa.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was held in hybrid mode, there was the physical and virtual screening of 50 films out of 224 films across various categories.  Bangladesh was a country of focus at the festival. Four films of Bangladesh was included in ‘country of focus’ section. The winners of the IFFI awards are listed below: Golden Peacock Award for Best Film: Into the Darkness Silver Peacock Award for Best Actor (Male): Tzu-Chuan Liu, The Silent Forest Silver Peacock Award for Best Actor (Female): Zofia Stafiej, I Never Cry Silver Peacock Award for Best Director: Chen-Nien Ko, The Silent Forest Best Debut Director Award: Cássio Pereira dos Santos, Valentina Special Mention Award: Kripal Kalita, Bridge

Special Jury Award: Kamin Kalev, February ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Award: Ameen Nayfeh’s 200 Meters Indian Personality of the Year Award: Biswajit Chatterjee Lifetime Achievement: Vittorio Storaro (Italian cinematographer). 12. The Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2021 has been conferred upon Dr Rajendra Kumar Bhandari in the Individual category and Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) in Institutional category.

26th January 2021 1. In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched a new scheme ‘PANKH Abhiyan’ on 24 January, to mark the occasion of National Girl Child Day.  The scheme has been launched under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme for the empowerment and growth of the girl child.  The CM also announced scholarships worth Rs 6.47 crore for 26,099 girls under Ladli Laxmi Yojana.  ‘PANKH Abhiyan’ is a year-long programme. The letter in the PANKH scheme stands for: ‘P’ – protection ‘A’ – awareness of their rights ‘N’ – nutrition ‘K’ – knowledge ‘H’ – health. 2. In Uttar Pradesh, a new 3,300-metre-long airstrip has been constructed near Kurebhar on Purvanchal Expressway.  Uttar Pradesh also has an airstrip on Lucknow-Agra Expressway. Airstrips on expressways are designed to facilitate emergency landing and take-off of fighter planes.

 Uttar Pradesh also has an airstrip on Lucknow-Agra Expressway. Airstrips on expressways are designed to facilitate emergency landing and take-off of fighter planes. 3. India has been placed among the top 10 most affected countries by climate change, in the Global Climate Risk Index 2021 published by the Bonn-based environmental think tank Germanwatch. India ranked as the seventh worst-hit country in terms of climate change in 2019. 4. The Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2021 has been conferred upon Dr Rajendra Kumar Bhandari in the Individual category and Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) in Institutional category. 5. The International Customs Day (ICD) is observed on 26 January every year. The day is celebrated to recognise the role of customs officials and agencies and focus on the working conditions and challenges that customs officers face in their jobs.  This year International Customs Day theme: “Customs bolstering Recovery, Renewal and Resilience”. 6. The annual event that celebrates the spirit of India is being organised virtually from January 26, 2021 till January 31, 2021. Bharat Parv is being organised with the overall theme focusing on the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat.

27th January 2021 1. Marking 50 years of 1971 Indo-Pakistan war that led to the liberlisation of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Armed forces participated in the Republic day parade on 26th Januray 2021. This is the third time the Republic day parade has witnessed the participation of military contingent from abroad. French troops marched in 2016 and UAE marched in 2017.  On 72nd Republic day, only 25,000 people were allowed to watch the parade at Rajpath. And approx.. 4,000 tickets were given to general public.

 Rafael fighter jets took over centre stage, with ‘vertical charlie’ manouevre that left everyone in awe. The plane flew from Rashtrpati bhawan at a speed of 900km/hr before pullig up vertically at 90 degree angle.  For the first time parade witnessed a tableau from Ladakh, caleed vision “Vision of the future, a model of The Indian Astronomical Pbservatory was the part of the celebration. The show’s highlight was to make UT Carbon-free in the future.  Atotal of 17 UTs and State, 11 Minitries, dapartments and aparamilitry presented their tableaux. 2. The Senate confirmed Janet L Yellen, a labor economist and former Federal Reserve Chair, to be U.S. Treasury secretory. By vote of 84 of 15, the Senate confirmed Ms. Yellen, making first women to hold the top job at Treasury in its 232-years history. 3. International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust (International Holocaust Remembrance Day) is observed on 27 January every year since 2006 to commemorate the anniversary of the tragedy of the Holocaust that occurred during the Second World War. 4. Recently, the Google workers from all around the globe have formed an international union called the “Alpha Global”. The new union has been named after Google’s parent company Alphabet. The union was formed in coordination with UNI Global Union.  The Alpha Global union comprises of 13 different unions.  These 13 unions represent the workers in 10 countries like United States, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.  The grouping has been formed with the aim to “build a more ethical and accountable company.  It also aims to bring together the direct Alphabet employees besides the temporary, vendor, and contract workers.  For now, Alpha Global will not have a legally binding agreement with the company. 5. The West Bengal Transport Corporation has launched the First Young Readers’ Boat Library. The library has been launched in collaboration with a heritage book store. It has been launched on a boat making it first of its kind initiative.

 The boat library was launched with the motive that one can read books while appreciating the beauty of Kolkata. 6. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) observed the International Customs Day on January 27, 2021. The theme for this year as given by World Customs Organisation (WCO) is “Customs bolstering Recovery, Renewal and Resilience for a sustainable supply chain”.

28th January 2021 1. Follwing the SC direction, five acre land in Dhannipur was provided to the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board to Construct the Mosque. In july 2020 the board had announced that and Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation Trust will construct the Mosque , the entire project will cost Rs. 110 Crore including Rs 100 Crore for Hospital. 2. Kaja Kallas, the leader of the Reform Party will become Estonia’s first female prime minister.

 The Reform Party, led by Kallas, won the 2019 parliamentary election in Estonia with 34 MPs in the country’s 101-seat parliament, Riigikogu.  Estonia would thus currently become the only country in the world where both the president Kersti Kaljulaid and the prime minister are women. 3. Rajasthan has become the 5th state in the country to successfully complete the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) reforms. This was specified by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. 4. The Reliance Jio venture of billionaire Mukesh Ambani has become the fifth strongest brand globally. It now stands behind the brands like Ferrari and Coca- Cola. This venture has achieved this milestone in just four-odd-years.

29th January 2021 1. According to Annual survey on Police, Prisons, Judiciary, and Legal aid, Indian Justice report released on 28th January 2021, at 25.3% Bihar leads the list of 25 States for employing most women in its Police force.  Himachal Pradesh – 19.2%, Tamil Nadu 18.5% 2. Cloris Leachman, an Oscar winner died at 94 on 3. Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar has been awarded to 32 children this year for their tremendous and outstanding accomplishments and exceptional abilities in several fields such as innovation, scholastics, sports, arts, culture, social service, and bravery. 4. Pakistan has received the Geographical Indicator (GI) tag for its Basmati, paving the way for creating a local registry for the particular strain of rice and making a case in the international market, as the country fights a case in the EU against India's move to get Basmati rice registered as its product. 5. The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has released ‘Marine Mega Fauna Stranding Guidelines’ and ‘National Marine Turtle Action Plan’ recently to create a conservation paradigm for the marine mega fauna and marine turtles. 6. Recently, India joined the world and Light Up Qutub Minar as a sign of unity to combat the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NDT). This was done to mark the second annual World NTD Day that will be observed on January 30th.  The World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day highlights the global community’s commitment to end the diseases.  The NDT diseases cause immeasurable suffering among the most marginalized communities of the world.

 On the occasion of World NTD day, 50 landmarks representing the 25 nations of the world will be lit up. They will celebrate how far the world have come together in beating the NTD. 7. The fifth joint meeting of the India-Japan Act East Forum was held between India and Japan on January 28, 2021. The meeting was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and the Ambassador of Japan to India, Suzuki Satoshi. 8. The government has announced for the launch of Start-up India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) on January 29, 2021. The scheme was launched with the aim of providing the financial assistance to start-ups for the product trials, market-entry, proof of concept, prototype development and commercialization.

30th January 2021 1. The Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has bagged a contract worth Rs 1390 crore for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. This project is India’s first such project. L&T has bagged the contract for the project from the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL). 2. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, will inaugurate the Chauri Chaura Centenary celebrations on February 4, 2021. The celebrations will be inaugurated by PM virtually and it will be held in Uttar Pradesh. 3. The Union Sports Minister, Kiren Rijiju, has presented the Republic Day Awards for 2021 Parade Tableaux. Best Tableau Award  The Uttar Pradesh tableau was given the award for best tableau out of total 32.  The theme of the UP tableau was “Ayodhya: Cultural Heritage of Uttar Pradesh”.  The tableau of Tripura was chosen as the second-best tableau.  The Tripura tableau displayed the eco-friendly traditions to achieve the self-reliance in the socio-economic parameters.  The third best tableau award was presented to the tableau of Uttarakhand.

 Uttarakhand Tableau was displayed with the theme of the “Dev Bhoomi– The Land of the Gods”. Other Awards  Out of 9 tableaux of the different ministries, departments, and paramilitary forces, the Department of Biotechnology tableau was chosen for the top award. The department had presented the Tableau with the theme of “ Abhiyan: COVID vaccine development”.  Apart from that, a special prize was given to the tableau of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). CPWD was given the award for paying the tribute to the heroes of the Armed Forces. Theme of the CPWD tableau was ‘Amar Jawan’.  The award for best cultural performance was given to student of Mount Abu Public School and Vidya Bharti School Rohini, Delhi. In their performance they had displayed the vision for Self-Reliant India- Atmanirbhar Bharat. 4. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will address the 125th anniversary celebration ‘Prabuddha Bharata’ which is scheduled to be organized on January 31, 2021. It will be organized by the Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati.  It is a monthly magazine of the Ramakrishna Order.  This magazine was founded in the year 1896 by P. Aiyasami, B. R. Rajam Iyer, G. G. Narasimhacharya, and B. V. Kamesvara Iyer under the guidance of Swami Vivekananda.  Prabuddha Bharata magazine was of great significance in spreading the message of the ancient spiritual wisdom of the country.  The magazine comprises of the articles and translations by monks, scholars and other writers on humanities and social sciences. 5. Recently, R. S. Sharma has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Ayushman Bharat scheme or the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana which is an insurance scheme by the National Health Authority’s (NHA). 6. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced its new citizenship policy. The government has planned to offer citizenship to a select group of foreigners. The UAE has thus become the first Gulf Arab nation that formalized the process of giving expatriates a bigger stake in the economy.

31st January 2021 1. India ranked 10th out of 11 Asia Pacific countries in a newly-launched health index to measure the progress towards personalised healthcare. Singapore(1st), Taiwan (2nd), Japan (3rd) and Australia (4th) also performed well in overall readiness. These include Policy Context, Health Information, Personalised Technologies and Health Services. 2. The Kerala government is all set to launch Rs 300 crore three-tower ‘Gender Park’ in Kozhikode. The park will become functional on the occasion of the second edition of the International Conference on Gender Equality (ICGE-II). The park will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, in between February 11-13 that will also mark the inauguration of the second edition of ICGE-II.  The gender park was established with the aim of creating relevant interventions so as to address a range of gender-based issues. It includes both off-campus and on- campus activities and other projects that work to empower the individuals and communities. 3. A four year old British Sikh girl Dayaal Kaur one of the youngest in UK to be accepted into the elite Mensa club for people with high intelligence quotient (IQ). 4. The last Sunday January is celebrated as the World Leprosy Day every year. The day is observed all across the world. Highlights. The day is celebrated to raise knowledge about the leprosy. It also seeks to propagate the need and importance of eradicating the disease.