NATIONAL:
1. Martyrs Day 2023
Why in news – India celebrated the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi as Martyr's Day on Jan 30, 2023.
Key Points –
• PM Modi paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his 75th death anniversary.
• At the age of 78, Mahatma Gandhi was killed on January 30, 1948 by Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte.
• It is observed to pay tributes to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives in the service of the nation.
• Godse was sentenced to death in 1948 by a special court set up in Delhi’s Red Fort. The trial took place before Special Judge Atma Charan.
• Both men were hanged on November 15, 1949, in Ambala jail.
• “Why They Killed Gandhi: Unmasking the Ideology and the Conspiracy” author - Ashok Kumar Pandey.
2. Lala Lajpat Rai
Why in news – The 158th birth anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai was celebrated on Jan 29, 2023.
Key Points –
• He was popularly known as Punjab Kesari.
• He died at Lahore in 1928 after he was attacked by police during a protest rally against the Simon Commission.
• In 1885, he established the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic School in Lahore.
• In 1913, Rai set out for a lecture tour to Japan, England, and the United States.
• He founded the Indian Home Rule League of America in New York City in 1917.
• He was elected President of INC during its Special Session in Kolkata in 1920.
• His works include - ‘The Arya Samaj’, ‘Young India’, ‘England’s Debt to India’, ‘Evolution of Japan’, ‘India’s Will to Freedom’, ‘Message of the Bhagwad Gita’, ‘Political Future of India’, ‘Problem of National Education in India’ etc.
3. Amrit Udyan
Why in news – The iconic Mughal Gardens at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi have been renamed Amrit Udyan.
Key Points –
• Charbagh style - Four gardens e.g., Humanyun’s tomb (Delhi), Nishat Bagh (Srinagar) etc.
• A defining feature of these gardens is the use of waterways.
• William Mustoe planted the garden in 1928-29.
• Book “Gardens of the Great Mughals” (1913) author - Constance Villiers-Stuart.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. Petr Pavel
Why in news – Petr Pavel has become the new president of the Czech Republic.
Key Points –
• He defeated Andrej Babis in a run-off vote.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES:
1. Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0
Why in news – EPFO launched a district outreach program on Jan 27 to create awareness and reach out to stakeholders.
Key Points –
• It is a platform for grievance redressal as well as for information exchange between employers and employees.
• It would be conducted on 27th of every month starting from January 2023.
• In the year 2015, Bhavishya Nidhi Adalat was rechristened as Nidhi Aapke Nikat.
SCIENCE- TECH:
1. Aditya-L1
Why in news – ISRO is set to launch a scientific mission to study the sun in June or July, 2023.
Key Points –
• Visible Line Emission Coronagraph (VELC) - Primary payload on board Aditya-L1.
• VELC is the first scientific mission of India for studying the sun.
• VELC is prepared by Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru.
• Aditya L1 is India's first space-based mission aimed at studying the sun.
• It is a planned coronagraphy spacecraft to study the solar atmosphere (solar corona - outermost part).
2. OpenAI
Why in news – Microsoft Corporation is making a $10 billion investment over several years in OpenAI.
Key Points –
• OpenAI is the pioneering artificial intelligence research lab behind ChatGPT and DALL-E.
• DALL-E - Generate realistic images based on a handful of words.
• ChatGPT - Create astonishingly human-like conversational text in response to prompts or queries.
• ChatGPT has also been called a potential threat to Google’s core search business.
APPS & PORTALS:
1. National Logistic Portal (marine) (NLP)
Why in news – Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated The National Logistics Portal (marine) in New Delhi on Jan 27, 2023.
Key Points –
• It is a one stop marketplace where all logistic stakeholders are integrated for easier, speedier & competitive services thereby promoting trade and growth.
• The NLP-M is based on four core tenets — carrier, cargo, banking and finance, and regulatory bodies and Participating Government Agencies (PGAs).
ENVIRONMENT:
1. Yellow Band Disease
Why in news - Scientists found that corals of eastern Thailand are getting affected by yellow band Disease.
Key Points –
• Affected region - Samsae San Island in eastern Thailand.
• It is a bacterial infection causing discolored bands of pale-yellow or white lesions along the surface of an infected coral colony.
• It has caused widespread damage to the reefs in the Caribbean.
AWARDS & HONOURS:
1. Michelle Yeoh (Malaysia)
Why in news - Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian to bag Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
Key Points –
• She acted in ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’.
• Yeoh has also got accolades from the Saturn Awards and Hollywood Critics Association.
IMPORTANT DAYS:
1. World Leprosy Day 2023
Why in news - Globally, the last Sunday of January is observed as World Leprosy Day (WLD).
Key Points –
• In India, the day is marked on 30 January, to coincide with the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• Theme 2023 - “Act Now. End Leprosy.”
• It is also known as Hansen's disease.
• It is an infectious disease that is caused by Mycobacterium leprae.
• In India, National Leprosy Eradication Programme was introduced in 1983.
SPORTS:
1. Australian Open Mixed Doubles
Why in news - The Australian Open mixed doubles title final was held at Melbourne Park.
Key Points –
• The Brazilian pair of Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos beat India's Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna on January 27, 2023.
• It was Mirza's last match at a Grand Slam tournament before she retires.
• Mirza has won 6 Grand Slam doubles championships — 3 in mixed, including the 2009 Australian Open.
2. Hockey World Cup 2023
Why in news – Germany won the Hockey World Cup for the third time in their history.
Key Points –
• They defeated Belgium in the penalty shootout 5-4.
• Venue – Bhubaneshwar.
3. U19 T20 World Cup
Why in news – India beat England by 7 wickets to become world champion.
Key Points –
• India created history by winning the inaugural ICC Women's U-19 T20 World Cup.
• Indian Captain - Shafali Verma.
BIHAR:
1. Brass Hub
Why in news – Bihar's Pareb village to become country's brass hub.
Key Points –
• Pareb is located in Bihta block of Patna district.
• It would be developed on the lines of Moradabad in UP.
• Also, a raw material bank would be established in Parab itself so that utensils can be made according to the demand.
• The state government has given shape to an action plan of Rs 960 lakh for Parev village of Bihta block.
POINTERS:
• Which country announced the launch of the Debbie Hockley Medal to honour an outstanding woman cricketer - New Zealand.
• Asif Sheikh has been named the recipient of the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award 2022. To which country does he belong – Nepal.
• Under the Smarak Mitra scheme announced by the Ministry of Culture, how many monuments will the government hand over to the private sector for their maintenance – 1000.
• In which state a Hero Stone belonging to the Hoysala period and dating to the early 13th century was discovered near the city of Pandavapura – Karnataka.
• When is International Holocaust Remembrance Day observed - 27 January (Theme - 'Home and Belonging').
• Who has recently introduced 'Ideal Train Profile' - Indian Railways.
• Which team has become the number-1 ODI team in the recently released International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings - India.
• Which country has unveiled the first commercial oil production drilling programme – Uganda.
• UNESCO has designated which country's Odesa as an endangered World Heritage site – Ukraine.
• Which union territory has launched a project to revolutionize the food processing sector - Jammu and Kashmir.