NATIONAL:
1. 7th Vande Bharat Train
Why in news - Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the 7th Vande Bharat train.
Key Points –
• It would connect Kolkata and New Jalpaiguri.
• It is the first Vande Bharat Express to operate in West Bengal and in the Eastern parts of the country.
2. Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti
Why in news - The 356th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj was celebrated on Dec 29, 2022.
Key Points –
• He is the 10th guru of the Sikhs.
• He was born as Gobind Rai in Patna on December 22, 1666.
• He fought against the Mughals in the battle of Muktsar in 1705.
• His literary works - Jaap Sahib, Benti Chaupai, Amrit Savaiye, etc.
3. Central Detective Training Institute (CDTI)
Why in news - Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of the Central Detective Training Institute (CDTI) at Devanahalli in Karnataka.
Key Points –
• Aim – to curb narcotics, fake notes, hawala business, organizations spreading frenzy, terrorism, infiltration etc.
• Other CDTI centers - Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ghaziabad and Rajasthan.
4. Zuari Bridge
Why in news - Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the first phase of the New Zuari Bridge across River Zuari in Goa.
Key Points –
• It connects Bambolim in North Goa to Verna junction in South Goa.
• The bridge is the second longest cable-stayed bridge in the country.
• It is a 13.20-kilometer eight-lane bridge.
5. National Institute of Water and Sanitation
Why in news – PM Modi inaugurated the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS) in Kolkata.
Key Points –
• SPM – NIWAS has been set up at a cost of around Rs. 100 Crores.
• National conference on ‘Drinking Water Quality– Issues & Challenges’ was organized by Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) at Kolkata.
6. "Mission-929"
Why in news – The Election Commission (EC) has launched "Mission-929".
Key Points –
• It focuses on 929 polling booths across Tripura, setting a target of 92% voter turnout in the assembly elections.
• The EC is also working on 'Mission Zero Poll Violence' to make the assembly elections peaceful.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. Filtering Micro-Plastics
Why in news – South Korea has developed a new water purification system that can effectively remove microplastics from water.
Key Points –
• Microplastics - Tiny plastic particles that are less than 5 mm in size.
• They are found in water bodies, soil, air, and have even made their way into human blood.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES:
1. ‘SMART’ Program
Why in news – Ministry of Ayush has launched ‘SMART’ (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research in Teaching Professionals) program.
Key Points –
• It was launched by National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) under M/o Ayush.
• Aim - to boost scientific research in priority healthcare research areas through Ayurveda colleges and hospitals.
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES:
1. Indian Library Congress
Why in news – KL CM Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated Indian Library Congress in Kannur.
Key Points –
• It was organized by was People’s Mission for Social Development and Library Council.
2. 108th Indian Science Congress (ISC)
Why in news – PM Modi inaugurated the 108th Indian Science Congress (ISC) being held in Nagpur via video conferencing.
Key Points –
• Theme - ‘Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment’.
• Special attraction - Mega expo “Pride of India".
• The first session of the Indian Science Congress was held in 1914 at the Asiatic Society in Calcutta.
ENVIRONMENT:
1. Hydrogen Trains
Why in news – Indian Railways plans to roll out hydrogen-powered trains on its narrow gauge heritage routes by December 2023.
Key Points –
• A prototype of a hydrogen fuel-based train would be test-run on the Sonipat-Jind section in Haryana.
• The heritage routes include Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Kalka Shimla Railway, Matheran Hill Railway, Kangra Valley, Bilmora Waghai and Marwar-Devgarh Madriya.
• The newly-built hydrogen-powered trains would be called Vande Metro.
• Germany became the first nation to operate hydrogen-powered trains.
• China launched Asia's first hydrogen-powered train.
IMPORTANT DAYS:
1. World Braille Day 2023
Why in news – It is observed every year on January 4 in honor of Louis Braille.
Key Points –
• Louis Braille invented a reading and writing system for the blind and visually challenged.
• Louis Braille published his braille code in 1829.
PERSON IN NEWS:
1. Sumitra Sen
Why in news – Eminent Rabindra Sangeet exponent Sumitra Sen died in Kolkata.
Key Points –
• Her memorable songs - ‘Megh Bolechhe Jabo Jabo’, ‘Tomari Jharnatalar Nirjone’, ‘Sakhi Bhabona Kahare Bole’ and ‘Achhe Dukho Achhe Mrityu’.
BIHAR:
1. Jal Jeevan Hariyali Divas
Why in news – Hon’ CM Nitish Kumar inaugurated the program organized on Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Divas on Jan 3, 2023.
Key Points –
• Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan was started in the year 2019.
• It has 11 components.
• It has been extended for 2 years till 2025.
• Under it, water conservation and tree plantation are promoted.
• A subsidy of Rs 75,500 is given to the farmers and the farmers would make ponds around their fields.
POINTERS:
• On which day millet delicacies will be served by the Government of India as a part of International Year of Millets (IYOM) - Republic Day 2023.
• Government employees of which state can now choose either the old or the new pension scheme – Chhattisgarh.
• Which state government's Kalasa-Banduri project has got approval from the central government – Karnataka.
• Which union territory/state government has approved the draft of its Solar Policy 2022 - Delhi.
• Who became the MD and CEO of Bombay Stock Exchange - Sundararaman Ramamurthy.
• Which novel has been written by India's youngest writer Abir Bhardwaj - The Mysterious World.
• Who has been appointed by China as its new Foreign Minister - Qin Gang.
• Who has been honored with the 'Rabindranath Tagore Literary Award' for social achievement - S K Rai.
• When is the 51st death anniversary of 'Vikram Sarabhai' observed – December 30, 2022.
• Which state has included the contributions of Fatima Sheikh, the first female Muslim teacher of India and social reformer, in Class VIII textbooks - Andhra Pradesh.