1 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Clean Temple’ campaign across the country with the aim of making pilgrimage sites clean.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the ‘ Swachh Mandir ‘ campaign across the country with the aim of making pilgrimage sites clean . Before the consecration of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22 , Prime Minister Modi started this campaign. In a video shared on Instagram, Prime Minister Modi called on citizens to come together to make Ayodhya the cleanest city in India. The Prime Minister urged people across the country to start the cleanliness drive at small pilgrimage sites from Makar Sankranti, January 14, and continue till January 22. While addressing the people of Ayodhya, Prime Minister Modi said that people from all over the country will now come to Ayodhya regularly, hence the people of Ayodhya should take a pledge to make Ramnagari the cleanest city of India. Emphasizing on the inclusive nature of the initiative, Mr Modi said that Lord Ram belongs to everyone and when Lord Ram is coming, not a single temple or pilgrimage site should remain dirty.
2 Indian Railways completed electrification of 6,577 route kilometers in the calendar year 2023.
Indian Railways has completed the electrification work of six thousand five hundred and 77 route kilometers in the year 2023 . The Railway Ministry said on Monday that by December 2023, sixty one thousand five hundred eight route kilometers have been electrified, which is ninety-three point eight three percent of the total broad gauge route of sixty five thousand five hundred and 56 kilometers . With a view to make rail transport environment-friendly, fast and energy-efficient, Indian Railways is moving towards 100 percent electrification of broad gauge tracks.
3 According to SBI Research Report, there has been a significant reduction in personal income inequality in the country in the last 8 years.
State Bank of India has released an economic research report for the period between financial years 2013-2014 and 2021-2022 . According to this report, there has been a substantial reduction in personal income inequality in India . In recent years, this has become possible due to increase in people’s income and strengthening of the position of the middle class. According to this report, 36.3 percent taxpayers moved from lower income to higher income tax bracket, resulting in 21.3 percent additional income . The report shows that during this period, income inequality among people earning less than Rs 3.5 lakh reduced from 31.8 per cent to 15.8 per cent.
4 Directorate General of Civil Aviation makes major changes in fatigue risk management system for aircrew
Directorate General of Civil Aviation-DGCA has increased the weekly rest period for flight crew from 36 hours to 48 hours . As per the revised flight duty period rules issued by DGCA, night duty will now be from midnight to 6 am as compared to earlier. The maximum duty period for night flight operations has been limited to 8 hours and for day flight operations the maximum duty period has been limited to 10 hours. DGCA has said that its objective is to bring changes in the fatigue risk management system system. The Directorate General said this has been done to reduce pilot fatigue, enhance overall flight safety and balance the growth in the aviation sector.
5 Piyush Goyal inaugurates Indus Food 2024 exhibition on India’s vibrant and diverse food eco-system
Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles inaugurated the Indus Food 2024 exhibition on India’s vibrant and diverse food eco-system which is being organized at India Exposition Mart, Greater Noida . In his inspiring address at the inauguration of this exhibition, he praised India’s diverse food industry and emphasized its potential to attract global markets. Regarding India’s food processing sector, Shri Goyal said that in the last nine years a growth of 150% was recorded in processed food exports. He highlighted that India’s agricultural exports total about US$53 billion.
6 ONGC begins oil production from major deepwater project in Krishna Godavari Basin in the Bay of Bengal
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation -ONGC has started oil production from its major deepwater project in the Krishna Godavari Basin in the Bay of Bengal . ONGC has started production from Cluster-2 project of KG-DWN-98/2 block . The corporation will gradually increase its production. In a social media post, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that oil production has started from the first difficult block. Shri Puri said that oil production is expected to be 45 thousand barrels per day and gas production is expected to be more than 10 crore cubic meters per day. This project is expected to increase the current national oil production by seven percent and national natural gas production by seven percent. It is located on the banks of the Godavari River delta in the Bay of Bengal. This project is located at a distance of 35 kilometers from the coast of Andhra Pradesh at a depth of three hundred to three thousand two hundred meters. The discovery of the block has been divided into three clusters Cluster-1, 2 and 3. First of all production is being done from Cluster-2.
7 India named among the source markets of tourism in Sri Lanka in the year 2023
India has been named among the source markets for tourism in Sri Lanka in the year 2023 . Last year, 14 lakh 87 thousand tourists came to Sri Lanka, out of which twenty percent were from India. A total of three lakh Indian tourists arrived in Sri Lanka in 2023. The second place was taken by Russia , from where 1 lakh 97 thousand tourists came. The tourism sector plays an important role in earning foreign exchange in the Sri Lankan economy. There has also been an increase in air services between India and Sri Lanka.
8 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated Gangasagar Fair today
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the Gangasagar Fair . This fair will continue till January 17 . The royal bath will take place on 15 and 16 January. Inaugurating nine projects here today, Ms Banerjee said the state government has sent a letter to UNESCO to declare the Gangasagar fair as a heritage site. He informed that this year the pilgrimage tax has been waived off for the pilgrims, instead everyone will be given an insurance of Rs 5 lakh. Ministers of the concerned department have been informed for all necessary arrangements. Due to Kumbh Mela not being held during Gangasagar Fair this year, a large number of devotees are expected to come here.
9 Encouragement to revival of Moradabad’s brass ware industry
The construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh has led to an increase in demand for religious idols, especially idols of Lord Rama , which has resulted in the revival of Moradabad’s brass ware industry . Moradabad was founded in the year 1600 by Murad , son of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan , as a result of which the city came to be known as Moradabad. Moradabad is famous for brass material and has established its unique identity in the handicraft industry across the world. Brass utensils are exported to countries like America, Britain, Canada, Germany, Middle East and Asia, hence Moradabad is also called “ Brass City ”. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc which holds historical and enduring importance due to its remarkable strength/hardness and practicality. The industry diversified in the 1980s with the introduction of different metal materials such as brass, iron and aluminium. This expansion brought new techniques like electroplating, lacquering and powder coating to the art industry of Moradabad. Moradabad Metal Craft (Word Mark) has the status of Geographical Indication (GI) tag .
10 Defense Minister Rajnath Singh approved the proposal to create four more National Cadet Corps NCC units in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the proposal to create four more National Cadet Corps NCC units in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh . With this approval, the existing strength of cadets will increase by 12 thousand eight hundred sixty , which is an increase of 46 point one percent. At present, the Directorate has two Group Headquarters, with a total of ten NCC units, covering all the three geographical regions. This expansion will boost the morale of the youth of the region, who will contribute significantly to nation building.
11 International Purple Celebration 2024: A global celebration of inclusivity and empowerment launched in Goa
A much-awaited International Purple Celebration: 2024 is set to commence in Goa , all set to showcase its vibrant celebration of inclusivity and empowerment till 13th January . This festival is being organized by the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities in collaboration with the Directorate of Social Welfare, Government of Goa and with the support of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. The grand inauguration of this festival was done by D.B. It is being done in Maidan, Campal, Panaji, Goa .
12 Ms. Aruna Nair takes charge as Secretary, Railway Board
Ms. Aruna Nair, a 1987 batch Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) officer and level-16 empaneled IRMS officer, has been appointed as Secretary, Railway Board . He has assumed charge on January 6, 2024. Prior to this, she was working as Additional Member (Staff) in Railway Board from May, 2023 and as Principal Executive Director/Staff in Railway Board from February, 2022 to May, 2023.
13 Roche’s Breakthrough Antibiotic
Swiss healthcare giant Roche has discovered Zosurabalpin , a groundbreaking antibiotic targeting Gram-Negative Bacteria . It has demonstrated promising activity against drug-resistant Acinetobacter strains, particularly Carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii ( CRAB), which has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an important Has been classified as pathogenic. The action of Zosurabalpin disrupts the formation of the bacterial outer membrane, specifically targeting the lipopolysaccharide transport system, which is an important barrier in Gram-negative bacteria. Bacteria are classified into two groups: gram-positive or gram-negative, depending on whether they retain a specific colored stain. Gram-positive bacteria retain a purple stain, while gram-negative bacteria appear pink or red. The cell wall of gram-negative bacteria consists of a thin peptidoglycan layer, located between two lipid membranes, which gives them a complex structure. This outer membrane acts as a barrier, making them more resistant to antibiotics.
14 Indian shooter Varun Tomar and Team Isha Singh ensure Paris Olympics quota by winning gold medal at Asian Qualifiers in Indonesia
Indian shooters Varun Tomar won gold medals in team and individual events and Isha Singh won gold medals in 10m air pistol event at the Asian Qualifiers in Indonesia to secure Paris Olympic quota . With this, India has so far secured 15 quota places in shooting for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which is equal to the quota places for Tokyo 2020 . With this, India has equaled its previous best performance of fielding the maximum number of shooters in the Tokyo Games. A total of 16 quota places are at stake for the Paris Olympics. There are four quotas in the 10m air pistol event for men and women, out of which a maximum of three can be won by Indian shooters.
15 Earth Rotation Day 2024
Every year, Earth Rotation Day is celebrated on 8 January . It is a day dedicated to recognizing the important discovery of the Earth’s rotation on its axis. Earth’s Rotation Day is celebrated to honor Leon Foucault ‘s groundbreaking experiment. This ritual gives Foucault’s work priority over other experiments conducted to demonstrate the Earth’s rotation. Foucault’s experiment not only proved the Earth’s rotation but also made the concept more accessible and understandable to the public.