VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY - 2021 An ISO 9001 : 2015 Institution | Providing Excellence Since 2011 Head Office Old No.52, New No.1, 9th Street, F Block, 1st Avenue Main Road, (Near Istha siddhi Vinayakar Temple), Anna Nagar East – 600102. Phone: 044-2626 5326 | 98844 72636 | 98844 21666 | 98844 32666 Branches SALEM KOVAI No.189/1, Meyanoor Road, Near ARRS Multiplex, (Near Salem New No.347, D.S.Complex (3rd floor), Nehru Street,Near Gandhipuram bus Stand), Opp. Venkateshwara Complex, Salem - 636004. Central Bus Stand, Ramnagar, Kovai - 9 0427-2330307 | 95001 22022 75021 65390 Educarreerr Location Vivekanandha Educational Institutions for Women, Elayampalayam, Tiruchengode - TK Namakkal District - 637 205. 04288 - 234670 | 91 94437 34670 Patrician College of Arts and Science, 3, Canal Bank Rd, Gandhi Nagar, Opposite to Kotturpuram Railway Station, Adyar, Chennai - 600020. 044 - 24401362 | 044 - 24426913 Sree Saraswathi Thyagaraja College Palani Road, Thippampatti, Pollachi - 642 107 73737 66550 | 94432 66008 | 90951 66009 www.vetriias.com My Dear Aspirants, Greetings to all of you! “What we think we become” Gautama Buddha. We all have dreams. To make dreams come into reality it takes a lot of determination, dedication, self discipline and continuous effort. We at VETRII IAS Study Circle are committed to provide the right guidance, quality coaching and help every aspirants to achieve his or her life’s cherished goal of becoming a civil servant. The class room coaching at VETRII IAS Study Circle is meticulously planned to equip the aspirants with all the relevant facts and fundamentals of the subjects. Further the VETRII IAS Study Circle Study materials aim to support the candidate by providing the most relevant study material in a comprehensive manner. Wishing You All The Very Best !! DIRECTOR (M.Shunmugam) Vetrii IAS Study Circle. Published by VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE F Block New No. 1, 9th Street, 1st Avenue main Road, Chinthamani, Anna Nagar (E), Chennai – 102. Phone: 044 – 26265326 / 9600124042 / 9840097666 www.vetriias.com E-Mail: [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected] Feedback: [email protected] © All rights reserved with the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmit- ted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, will be responsible for the loss and may be punished for compensation under copyright act. INDEX 1 HISTORY 01 . Important Days . Defence National Security and Terrorism . World Organisations – Pacts and Summits . Eminent Persons . Sports and Games . Books & Authors . Awards & Honours . Cultural Panaroma . India & its Neighbours . Latest Terminology . Appointments – Who is who? 32 2 POLITICAL SCIENCE .Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility 35 3 GEOGRAPHY .Policy on Environment and Ecology 37 4 ECONOMICS .New Economic Policy & Govt. Sector 42 5 SCIENCE .Latest Inventions in Science & Technology . Latest Discoveries on Health Science . Mass Media & Communication 49 6 NATIONAL – DIARY OF EVENTS 74 7 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 79 8 TAMIL NADU AFFAIRS 84 9 PRACTICE QUESTIONS VETRII'S CURRENT AFFAIRS, JANUARY - 2021 Important Days History 1.1 Important Days Date Day Theme / Remark To observe in the memory of late journalist Balshastri Jambhekar. Balshastri Jambhekar is also known as ‘The Father of Marathi Journalism’, for his efforts in starting journalism in Marathi language, in the form of first Journalist Day Observed 6-01-2021 Marathi newspaper and first Marathi in Maharashtra monthly. 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. 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 09-01-2021 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India. The theme of 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2021 is “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat”. VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE 1 Important Days VETRII'S CURRENT AFFAIRS, JANUARY - 2021 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 10-01-2021 World Hindi Day then prime minister Indira Gandhi. However, the celebration of first World Hindi Day was commenced on 10 January 2006 by former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. It must be noted that the National Hindi Day is celebrated in India on September 14 every year. 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 12-01-2021 National Youth Day event was first celebrated in 1985. 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‘. 2 VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE VETRII'S CURRENT AFFAIRS, JANUARY - 2021 Important Days 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. Armed Forces Veterans The day is observed as a mark of respect 14-01-2021 Day 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. 2021 marks the 5th Armed Forces Veterans Day. Army Day is observed on January 15 every year because it was this day in 15-01-2021 Indian Army Day 1949 when General KM Cariappa took over the charge of Indian Army from British General Sir Francis Butcher. Tamil Nadu celebrates Thiruvalluvar Day on the 2nd day of the Thai month in honour of the Saint Poet Thiruvalluvar. Valluvar’s epic work, Thirukkural, Tamil Nadu celebrates which consists of 1330 kurals or 15-01-2021 Thiruvalluvar Day couplets is translated into many international and Indian languages. Russian Writer Leo Tolstoy was greatly inspired by Thirukkural and so was Mahatma Gandhi. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways observes the National Road 18-01-2021 Safety Week every year in the second National Road Safety to week of January. Month 17-02-2021 In 2021, Government has decided to observe National Road Safety Month instead of National Road Safety Week. VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE 3 Important Days VETRII'S CURRENT AFFAIRS, JANUARY - 2021 . Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will flag off Centre to flag off National 18-1-2021 National Road Safety Month. The Road Safety initiative aims to build awareness about road safety and reduce road accidents in the country. NDRF is an Indian specialized force under the National Disaster 19-1-2021 16th NDRF Raising Day: Management Authority, constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to carry out special response in situation of threatening disaster. 24-1-2021 National Girl Child Day . The theme of NVD 2021 is, ‘Making Our 25-1-2021 National Voters’ Day Voters Empowered, Vigilant, Safe and Informed’. National Tourism Day of 25-1-2021 India . Objective: to recognise the role of customs officials and agencies and focus on the working conditions and challenges that customs officers face in their jobs. Theme 2021: “Customs bolstering Recovery, Renewal and Resilience”. The day was instituted by the World International Customs 26-1-2021 Customs Organization (WCO) to Day commemorate the day in 1953 when the inaugural session of the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) was held in Brussels, Belgium. In 1994 the CCC was renamed World Customs Organization (WCO). World Customs Organization (WCO) headquarter- Brussels, Belgium . Theme 2021: “Beat Leprosy, End Stigma 30-1-2021 World Leprosy Day 2021 and advocate for Mental Wellbeing.” 4 VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE VETRII'S CURRENT AFFAIRS, JANUARY - 2021 Defence, National Security and Terrorism 1.2 Defence, National Security MK IV class vessel ‘IN LCU L-58’ (Yard 2099) to the Indian Navy. and Terrorism LCU L-58 is the final ship in the series of 8 LCUs being manufactured by GRSE for Navy, DRDO conduct a maiden trial of the Indian Navy. air-dropped container ‘SAHAYAK-NG’ DRDO Biodigester Mk II technology Defence Research and Development in metro rail Organisation (DRDO) along with the Government of India’s premier Indian Navy conducted the successful research agency Defence Research and maiden test trial of ‘SAHAYAK-NG’ Development Organisation (DRDO) India’s first indigenously designed and will install its eco-friendly bio-digester developed Air Dropped Container from units across the facilities operated by IL 38SD aircraft (Indian Navy) off the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation coast of Goa. (MAHA–METRO), which help conserve The trial was conducted by the Indian water and protect the environment. Navy to enhance its operational DRDO will provide technical support logistics capabilities and provide critical for the implementation of its advanced engineering stores to ships that are bio-digester Mk-II technology for the deployed more than 2000 kilometres treatment of human waste (night soil) in from the coast. the metro rail network. SAHAYAK-NG is an advanced version of SAHAYAK Mk I. Pan-India Coastal Defence exercise ‘SEA VIGIL-21’ from Jan 12 DRDO Celebrates 63rd Foundation Day on 1st January 2021 The second edition of the biennial pan- India coastal defence exercise ‘Sea The Defence Research and Development Vigil-21’ will be conducted between Organisation (DRDO) observed the 63rd January 12 and 13. Foundation Day of its establishment on The exercise, inaugural edition of which January 01, 2021.