Current Affairs January 26, 2019

In this post, GKToday presents Current Affairs of January 26, 2019 in Short Notes form for preparation of IBPS, Banking, CLAT, SSC, Railway, UPSC, IAS/PCS, UPPSC, BPSC, MPPSC, RPSC, TNPSC, MPSC, KPSC and all other competitive examinations of India.

1. The first-ever UN’s International Day of Education is observed on January 24 to highlight the role of education for peace and development. Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility. The day recognizes the importance of ensuring inclusive quality education & access to lifelong learning opportunities for all. The right to education is enshrined in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Today, 262 million children and youth still do not attend school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school and some four million children and youth refugees are out of school. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable. Hence, UNESCO calls on governments and all partners to make universal quality education a leading priority. In India, National Education Day (NED) is observed on November 11 to commemorate the birth anniversary of the first education minister of independent India — Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

2. Krishna Sobti (94), the famous Hindi fiction writer and essayist, has passed away in New Delhi on January 25, 2019. She had won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1980 for her novel Zindaginama and was awarded the Jnanpith in 2017 for her contribution to Indian literature. Sobti is best known for her 1966 novel Mitro Marajani, an unapologetic portrayal of a married woman's sexuality. Some of her notable works are as follows: Daar Se Bichchuri, Surajmukhi Andhere Ke, Yaaron Ke Yaar, Zindaginama. Some of her well-known short stories are Nafisa, Sikka Badal gaya, Badalom ke ghere.

3. The new naval air base ‘INS Kohassa’ has recently commissioned by Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba into the Indian Navy at the Shibpur Naval Air Station in Diglipur, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as part of efforts to expand operational presence in the Indian Ocean where China has been increasing its military presence. This is the India’s fourth air base and the third naval air facility in the region that overlooks key sea lanes of communication and strategic points. INS Kohassa has been named after a White-Bellied Sea Eagle, which is a large bird of prey, endemic to A&N islands. The new airbase will be used for both Defence and civil aircraft. Earlier, Naval Air Station at Shibpur was manned by utilizing the manpower from INS Utkrosh. Now, the airbase will function as an independent unit. The airbase will be used to handle operations of helicopters and small aircraft like the Dornier.

4. IIT Ropar has launched an android app ‘Roshni’ to help the blind in recognizing the denomination of the currency notes, using image processing and analytics. At present, notes of Rs 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 2,000 are in circulation, which the blind people find it difficult to recognize due to their size and the tactile marks. The app can recognize both old and new notes and gives audio information as to which note you are holding in your hands. The user has to bring the currency note in front of phone camera and the app would provide audio notification intimating the currency notes denomination to the user. The app uses the patterns and features embedded on the notes to differentiate and determine the currency denomination. The app is developed by assistant professor Dr Puneet Goyal and his students — Mandhatya Singh, Joohi Chauhan, and R Ram.

5. The Union cabinet has approved the landmark amendment to Article 280 of the Constitution to increase the financial and executive powers of the 10 autonomous councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the Northeast Region (NER). The amendment would impact a population of about 1 crore tribals living in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. The Finance Commission would be mandated to recommend devolution of financial resources to the councils. Till now, the autonomous councils have depended on grants from Central Ministries and the State governments for specific projects. As per the proposed amendment, there will be State Election Commissions (SECs) for holding elections to the autonomous councils, village and municipal councils in the areas of Assam, Mizoram and Tripura. At least one third of the seats would be reserved for women in the village and municipal councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of Assam, Mizoram and Tripura. Here, Meghalaya has for the time being opted out of the provision for elected village and municipal councils and one-third reservation for women.

6. ISRO has successfully launched a military satellite ‘Microsat-R’ and a student satellite ‘Kalamsat-V2’ into their designated orbits from PSLV-C44 launch vehicle. The launch was the 46th flight of the PSLV which lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. PSLV-C44 is the first flight of PSLV-DL, a new variant of PSLV with two strap-on motors. With this launch, India also becomes the first country to use the fourth stage of a space rocket as an orbital platform for microgravity experiments. The PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle with alternating solid and liquid stages.

7. In China, the world’s longest 3D-printed concrete bridge has recently opened across a canal on the Wenzaobang River in Shanghai. The bridge is The newly-opened bridge is 26.3 metre-long and 3.6-meter-wide, and is designed by Professor Xy Weiguo from Tsinghua University in China. Its design was inspired by an ancient Chinese bridge named “Anji Bridge” in Hebei Province. The system is cost-efficient uses smart technology and digital design to print 3D concrete blocks. A total of 44 hollowed-out 3D printed concrete blocks were used to lay the bridge while 68 concrete units made the handrails. The bridge has sensors that collect displacement data which will be used to improve the design of future bridges constructed using 3D printing.

8. The Telangana government has decided to set up an armed “State Tiger Protection Force” (STPF) to save the Big Cat population in the State. The 112-member-armed STPF will be headed by anAssistant Conservator of Forests to protect tiger populationin Amarabad and Kawal Tiger Reserves. The State and Central government will share the cost of the force on 40:60 basis. The cases under the Preventive Detention Act would be registered against violators.

9. The Kerala Sahitya Akademi Awards for the year 2017 have been announced on 23rd January 2019. In it, ‘Nireeswaran’ by V.J. James has been adjudged the best novel of 2017, while Aymanam John’s Ethara Characharangalude Charitra Pusthakam has secured the award for the best short story. Mindaprani, written by Veerankutty, is the best poetry. The award is given each year by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy) to Malayalam writers for their outstanding books of literary merit.

10. Aparna Kumar has become the India’s first woman Indian Police Service (IPS) DIG and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officer to successfully complete the South Pole expedition. She unfurled the National and the ITBP flags at the South Pole on 13th January 2019 after covering 111Km of walking on the snow. Aparna will now attempt to conquer the North Pole this April. She has covered six of the highest peaks across continents including the Mount Everest. The one left for her to scale is the Mount Denali in Alaska.The ITBP is a Central Armed Police Force which is primarily deployed to secure the icy Himalayan borders of the nation since its Inception in 1962.


Leave a Reply