1. *PM Modi will visit Kolkata to address the ‘Parakram Diwas’ celebrations on 23rd January, 2021, to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary year of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose* . Prime Minister will also visit Jerenga Pathar in Sivasagar, Assam to distribute 1.06 lakh land pattas/allotment certificates.
2. *A major milestone in DMRC’s Phase 4 work was achieved on Thursday as the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) of this phase started its drive to bore a 1.4 kilometer long tunnel from Vikaspuri to Krishna Park Extension on the Janakpuri West* – R K Ashram Marg corridor in the presence of DMRC’s Managing Director, Dr. Mangu Singh.
3. Two parallel circular tunnels for up and down movement will be constructed on this stretch which is a part of the 2.2 kilometre long underground section from Janakpuri West to Keshopur. The lowering and assembling process of this giant 73 metre long machine was started in October last year.
4. *The second round of meeting between the police and farmer unions regarding the proposed January 26 tractor rally by them remained inconclusive* yesterday as the farmers stuck to their demand of taking out the rally on Delhi’s busy Outer Ring Road.
5. *Andhra Pradesh High Court yesterday gave the green signal for the conduct of elections to gram panchayats in four phases from February 5.*
6. *Five people were killed in a fire that tore through India’s Covid-19 vaccine producer Serum Institue of India in Pune*
7. *Farmers reject govt proposal to put farm laws on hold for 1.5 yrs*
8. *9.99 lakh healthcare workers got COVID JAB till Thursday:*
9. *The political corridors in Hyderabad are abuzz with rumours about a change of guard in Telangana as chief minister* and TRS founder K Chandrashekar Rao, may give up his chair for his son KT Rama Rao.
10. *The Gujarat Govt is to patent the Dragon Fruit in the name of “Kamalam”.* it is a cactus variety fruit. Dragon flowers bloom only at night. It occurs only once in a year in summer. In India, Dragon fruits are consumed for their taste and health benefits.
11. *The Union Cabinet recently approved the Ratle Hydropower Project of 850 MW.* The cabinet has nodded to an investment of Rs 5,281.94 crores in the project. The project is located in River Chenab, J&K.
12. *The Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa recently launched Avalokana software.* The software will enable the state government to access data on expenditures and sanctions incurred on 1,800 programmes. It is a transparent e-governance tool that will provide Assembly constituency wise release of government grants and allocations to different government programmes. This will help the government to decide on releasing funds based on the expenditure incurred by the department.
13. *Karnataka topped India Innovation Index of NITI Aayog* . Maharashtra ranked second and Tamil Nadu ranked third respectively.
14. *Launching a new political front in West Bengal, Furfura Sharif cleric Abbas Siddiqui on Thursday announced the ‘Indian Secular Front (ISF)’* : AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi announced that his party will contest the upcoming state assembly elections along with prominent Muslim leader Abbas Siddiqui.
15. *Former Tamilnadu AIADMK leader VK Sasikala tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Thursday* :Sasikala’s speculated re-entry on the Tamil Nadu political scene ahead of the Assembly polls might be delayed further. Serving a 4-year jail term in the Rs.66 crore disproportionate assets case, she is scheduled to be released from the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison on January 27.
17. *Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday lashed out at Director-General of Police (DGP) Gautam Sawang and demanded his resignation for what he claimed as illegal arrests of its TDP leaders*
18. *Budget 2021 to be announced on February 1* : The Pandemic-hit middle class is pinning its hopes on the upcoming Union Budget, that the announcement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman may help them emerge from the impact of COVID-19 crisis.
19. *Amid Tandav row, Supreme Court issues notice to Mirzapur makers & Amazon on complaint PIL. SC issued notice to the makers of the web series over ‘poor’ portrayal of the district* for allegedly hurting religious, social, and regional sentiments and damaging social harmony. It also alleges that the series hurts religious beliefs by focusing on abusive and illicit relationships.
20. *PM Modi will address the 18th Convocation of Tezpur University, Assam* on Friday at 10:30 AM through video conferencing. The event will witness the conferring of degrees and diplomas upon 1218 students who passed out in 2020.
21. COVID impact: *Total outstanding dues of major domestic airlines to Airports Authority of India (AAI) as of January 1 stand at Rs 137.16 crore.* Charges airlines for using air navigation services, landing, parking among other facilities.
22. *Coronavirus Cases:10,623,920*
Deaths: 153,013
Recovered: 10,279,357
*✈INTERNATIONAL NEWS*
1. *One million doses of coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine Covishield, which were dispatched on day-2 of India’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative,* reached Kathmandu on Thursday. In Maldives and Bhutan, the first two countries to receive the vaccines from India under its ‘neighbourhood first’ policy.
2. *UAE Air Force to help 3 Rafale fighters reach India,* 7 more in April
India and the UAE are expected to take bilateral ties to the next level with the two countries, along with France, discussing conducting trilateral military exercises.
3. *India to kick off major drills in Andaman Sea to sharpen military synergy* : The Indian military will carry out complex drills off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands next week to fine-tune joint war-fighting capabilities and sharpen operational synergy between the three services, with the high-tempo exercise involving fighter jets, transport aircraft, helicopters.
4. *Foreign fighters involved in Syrian conflict have moved to other places as mercenaries* : India underlined that it is ready to play a constructive role in the Security Council to help realise the objective of the West Asian country reclaiming its place in the comity of nations.
5. *India’s IndiGo has emerged as one of the world’s biggest airlines by capacity,* aided by a swift recovery in the domestic aviation market to nearly 80% of pre-pandemic levels and the financial strength to boost market share as rivals struggle.
6. *The Indian Navy’s P-8I maritime patrol aircraft taking part in a multilateral anti-submarine warfare exercise Sea Dragon-2021 in Guam.* Along with India, America, Japan, Canada and Australia are taking part in the drills which would involve tracking submarines.
7. *C-Voter Tibet Poll Survey .* Amid Ongoing India-China Tensions, Nearly 80 % Indians Support Free Tibet.
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