Daily Current Affairs and GK | 24 and 25 January 2021

Topic: Important Days

1. Eleventh National Voters Day: 25^th January 2021.

• Eleventh National Voters Day is being celebrated on 25^th January 2021 in New Delhi with the theme “Making our Voters Empowered, Vigilant, Safe and Informed”.
• President of India will participate in the celebration in virtual mode. Electronic Electors Photo Identity Card (e-EPIC) facility will be launched by the Election Commission of India on 11^th National voters Day.
• e-EPIC will be made available to all voters from 1 February 2021. It is a non-editable pdf version of the Elector’s Photo Identity Card. 
• National Voters Day is celebrated annually since 25 January 2011. It marks the day on which the Election Commission of India was formed. Election Commission of India was formed on 25 January 1950.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

2. National Tourism Day: 25 January

• National Tourism Day is on 25 January to make people aware about the importance of tourism for the economy.
• Tourism contributes nearly 5% to the GDP of India as per the 3^rd Tourism Satellite Account, a tool that helps in measuring impact of tourism on GDP and jobs.
• Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSAs) are prepared from time to time at the request of Ministry of Tourism.
• Though the Ministry of Tourism has not celebrated National Tourism Day recently, it annually celebrates World Tourism Day (27 September) of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
• India’s rank in World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) improved from 65^th in 2013 to 34^th in 2019.
• Swadesh Darshan and Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive’ (PRASHAD) are schemes for the development of tourism in India.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

3. Government will give Bal Shakti Puraskar under Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar

• The Government will confer Bal Shakti Puraskar to thirty-two children for their outstanding achievement in the field of innovation, sports, arts and culture, social service and bravery.
• The winners are from 32 districts. Prime minister will interact with the winners of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar of 2021.
• Bal Shakti Puraskar:
  • It was instituted in 1996 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India.
  • It was formerly known as the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement.
  • It is presented every year on the occasion of Republic Day.
  • It is India's Highest Civilian Honour under the age of 18.

Topic: Important Days

4. National Girl Child Day: 24 January

• National Girl Child Day is celebrated every year on 24 January to highlight the issues related to girl children in India.
• Its main objective is to raise awareness about the rights of a girl child and their education, health and nutrition.
• It also celebrated as to mark the anniversary of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme.
• It was started by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2008.
• Government Initiatives for the empowerment of girls:
  • Government has started a Gender Inclusion Fund for the development of girl child. It is set up to provide education to girls.
  • Under the National Education Policy-2020, schools must create a friendly environment for the education of Girls. It will increase the enrollment of girl children in the class.
  • Ministry of Education is running Samagra Shiksha scheme for Girls’ Education.
  • Under the Khelo India Scheme , Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has promoted girls and women to take part in sports activities under the Khelo India Scheme.
  • Government has also launched Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN) Scheme. It aims for empowering women in the science and technology field.
  • The Government has started Program for Gender Advancement in science and technology Institutions in 2020. It will promote women students in STEM.
  • Government has also launched many Skill Development programs for skilling women.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Space and IT

5. SpaceX launched a record 143 satellites from a single rocket.

• SpaceX has set a record of the launch of 143 satellites from a single rocket. It has beaten the ISRO’S record of the launch of 104 satellites.
• SpaceX has used the Falcon 9 rocket for the launch of satellites and the mission has been named as Transporter-1.
• The satellites launched include commercial and government CubeSats, microsats and 10 Starlink satellites. The main objective of these satellites is to provide broadband internet coverage all over the world by 2021.
• SpaceX:
  • It was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk.
  • It is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company.
  • It is known for its reusable rockets and astronaut capsules.
  • Its headquarters is located in California.
  • CEO of SpaceX is Elon Musk.

Topic: India and its neighbourhood

6. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli removed from the ruling Communist Party.

• Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has been expelled from the primary membership of the Nepal Communist Party for his decision to dissolve the Parliament.
• The decision has been taken by the Central Committee of Nepal Communist Party led by Prachanda and Madhav Kumar Nepal for his anti-party activities.
• Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli had recommended for the dissolution of Parliament on 20 December over a tussle for power with Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda.
• CPN-UML and NCP (Maoist Centre) had merged in May 2018 to form a unified Nepal Communist Party.
• Nepal:
  • It is a landlocked nation and shares a border with Indian states, namely Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, and Bihar.
  • Its capital is Kathmandu and the currency is Nepalese Rupees.
  • Bidya Devi Bhandari is the President and Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli is the Prime Minister of Nepal.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

7. Govt announced Subhash Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2021.

• Rajendra Kumar Bhandari and Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) are selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2021.
• Rajendra Kumar Bhandari has been selected in individual Category while SEEDS will receive the award in the institutional category.
• The award has been announced on 125^th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
• Rajendra Kumar Bhandari has laid the foundation of scientific studies on geohazards and SEEDS has worked for disaster readiness, response, and rehabilitation.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. Government included Central Armed Police Forces in Ayushman Bharat health scheme.

• The Government has extended the Ayushman Bharat health scheme to 28 lakh Central Armed Police Forces and their families.
• Union Home Minister has launched the ‘Ayushman CAPF’ scheme. The families and personnel of CAPF, Assam Rifles and National Security Guard (NSG) will be covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
• The National Health Authority (NHA) and the Union Home Ministry have signed an MoU for the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat health scheme for the Central Armed Police Forces.
• Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana:
  • It was launched in 2018 in Ranchi, Jharkhand, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  • The scheme provides a health cover of Rs 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary health care hospitalization.
  • The beneficiary households are identified based on the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 for rural and urban, respectively.
  • National Health Authority is the implementing agency of this scheme.

Topic: Important Days

9. Himachal Pradesh is celebrating the golden jubilee of Statehood Day.

• Himachal Pradesh is celebrating the 50^th anniversary of its foundation day.
• It was formed on 25 January 1971. It was the 18^th state of India.
• Himachal Pradesh:
  • It is a North Indian state situated in the western Himalayas.
  • It shares a boundary with Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
  • State capitals are Shimla (summer) and Dharamshala (winter).
  • Great Himalayan National Park, Pin Valley National Park, Khirganga National Park are located in Himachal Pradesh.
  • Nati is the most famous dance of Himachal Pradesh.
  • Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya, Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur
  • Lok Sabha seats: 4, Rajya Sabha seats: 3

Topic: Important Days

10. Uttar Pradesh celebrated its 71^st foundation day.

• Uttar Pradesh has celebrated its 71^st foundation day 24 January 2021. It was formed on 24 January 1950.
• The theme of this year’s Uttar Pradesh Divas is ‘Self-reliant Uttar Pradesh: Women, youths, Farmers: Development of all, Honour to All- Sabka Vikas Sabka Samman’.
• Government will organize seminars in 75 districts and an exhibition on the theme of ‘One District One Product’ is also being displayed at Gautam Budh Nagar.
• Government has also launched an app of MSME department ‘Udhyam Sarthi’ and distributed prizes in the field of Sports, Agriculture, Dairy, etc.
• Uttar Pradesh:
  • It is the most populous state in India and ranks fourth in terms of area.
  • The Chief Minister of the state is Yogi Adityanath and Governor is Anandiben Patel.
  • Deputy CMs: Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya
  • The capital of the state is Lucknow.
  • The state animal of Uttar Pradesh is Swamp Deer, State Bird is Saras Crane, State Tree is Ashoka and State Flower is Brahma Kamal.

Topic: Space and IT

11. IIIT-Hyderabad researchers develop Crop Darpan app. 

• Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Hyderabad researchers developed Crop Darpan app.
• Crop Darpan helps farmers in getting solutions for the pests and diseases of their crops.
• Crop Darpan app is available in English and Telugu. It presently provides farmers solutions for all diseases of the cotton crop.
• It was developed under an Indo-Japan Joint Research Laboratory Project. The researchers can add other languages and crops at a later stage.
• Researcher Krishna Reddy earlier developed a web-based agriculture extension service called e-sagu.