- South Korean film Parasite has created history by becoming the first foreign-language film to win the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture.
- Peter Dinklage won the ‘Best Actor’ award in a drama series at the SAG Awards 2020 for his role as Tyrion Lannister in the popular TV show, Game of Thrones. The show also won the SAG award for best action in television stunt ensembles.
- The Andhra Pradesh state government has introduced a new bill in the state assembly to create three state capitals- legislative capital in Amaravati, executive capital in Visakhapatnam and judicial capital in Kurnool.
- Jagat Prakash Nadda has been elected as the 11th National President of the BJP, succeeding Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Nadda was appointed as the working President of the party in June 2019.
- India successfully test-fired K-4 ballistic missile on January 19, 2020 off the coast of Andhra Pradesh. The missile with a strike range of 3500km is a nuclear capable ballistic missile, which will enhance India’s capabilities to hit enemy targets from submarines.
- AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched a ‘Guarantee Card’ on January 19, 2020. The card comprises 10 guarantees for Delhi residents including 24×7 drinking water supply and power supply, affordable homes for the poor, free public bus travel for students and appointment of Mohalla marshals to ensure safety of women.
- The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to launch a unique scheme, under which it will provide stalls to the divyangs for opening of shops at the prime locations such as bus stops. The move aims to help the people live an independent life with dignity.
- The dearly Coronavirus has spread widely in China with 139 confirmed new cases. The virus was first reported in Wuhan in late December 2019. Since then, a total of 198 cases have been reported, raising concerns regarding the containment of the virus.
- India has been ranked very low at 76th place out of 82 countries on a new Social Mobility Index compiled by the World Economic Forum, while Denmark has topped the charts. The report, released ahead of the 50th Annual Meeting of the WEF, also lists India among the five countries that stand to gain the most from a better social mobility score that seeks to measure parameters necessary for creating societies where every person has the same opportunity to fulfill his potential in life irrespective of socioeconomic background.
