1. The National Girl Child Day is observed across the country on January 24 every year. The day aims to highlight the issues and problems of girls that they face in their daily lives. It was initiated by Government of India in year 2008.
2. The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2020 was conferred to 49 children under various categories by President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 22, 2020.
3. Uttarakhand’s Disaster Mitigation & Management Centre won the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2020 on January 23, 2020 in the institution category. Kumar Munnan Singh won the award in the individual category. The award aims to recognise the excellent work in the field of disaster management.
4. India has climbed eight places in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index-2020. India is ranked 72 in the index this year. It is the seventh edition of the Global Talent Competition Index. Switzerland secured the first place while USA and Singapore got second and third places respectively.
5. India ranked on 80th position in Corruption Perception Index-2019 released by Transparency International. Denmark and New Zealand topped the list with equal score while Somalia and Syria got the bottom positions.
6. The UP government recently launched Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Kalyan Yojana (MKDKY) to provide financial assistance to family members of farmer who passes away or die or handicapped while working in the field.
7. France will be the guest of honour at the New Delhi World Book Fair in January 2022.The announcement was made by the French Ambassador to India, Emmanuel Lenain on January 24, 2020. India was the guest of honour this year at Livre Paris (Paris Book Fair).
8. North Korea will send a delegation to the Munich Security Conference for the first time in 56 years. North Korean vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong is expected to attend the top diplomatic gathering next month.
9. India’s first e-waste clinic has opened in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The clinic would facilitate segregation, processing and disposal of waste from both household and commercial units.
10. The United States has amended visitor visa rules to restrict ‘birth tourism’. The US will no longer issue temporary visitor visas to foreigners seeking to enter the nation for birth tourism. The new visa rules will come into effect from January 24, 2020.
