1) Journalist Day Observed in Maharashtra on 6 January
•The Journalist Day is observed by Maharashtra state government on 6th January every year in the memory of late journalist Balshastri Jambhekar. The first newspaper in the Marathi language named ‘Darpan’, was published on January 6, 1832, the date which also marks the birth anniversary of Balshastri Jambhekar.
2) PM Modi inaugurates Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 450-km Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline built at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore via video conferencing. The event marks an important milestone towards the creation of One Nation One Gas Grid. Natural gas pipeline network will be doubled in 5-6 years and CNG stations will be raised to 10,000 from current 1,500.
3) Japan to launch the first wood-based satellite by 2023
•Japan’s Sumitomo Forestry company and Kyoto University aims to launch the world’s first wood-based space satellite by 2023 to combat the problem of space junk. Currently, the initiative is in the nascent stage as several wooden materials are being tested by the research team to find a suitable one for space missions. It is also reported that the team is also working towards developing wooden materials extremely resistant to temperature changes and sunlight.
•According to the European Space Agency (ESA) statistical model, there are more than 130 million pieces of anthropogenic space debris—waste residue due to human activities—smaller than a millimetre around our planet. The debris can travel at a speed of more than 22,300 mph and can impact other satellites.
4) Ramesh Pokhriyal launched Toycathon-2021 to promote manufacturing of toys
•The Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Union Minister WCD and Textiles Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani jointly launched Toycathon-2021 and the Toycathon Portal. Toycathon is being organized to develop India as the global Toy manufacturing hub. Toycathon will provide a platform to conceptualize innovative toys based on the Indian value system which will inculcate the positive behaviour and good value among the children.
The Toycathon will be based on nine themes:
1.Indian Culture, History, Knowledge of India and Ethos;
2.Learning, Education and Schooling;
3.Social and human values;
4.Occupations & specific fields;
5.Environment;
6.Divyang ;
7.Fitness and sport;
8.Out of the box, creative and logical thinking and
9.Rediscovering/redesigning traditional Indian toys.
5) MP Govt launches ‘Launch Pad Scheme’ to make youth self-reliant
•The government of Madhya Pradesh has launched a ‘Launch Pad Scheme’ for the boys and girls coming out of child care institutions and having completed 18 years of age. This scheme has been launched by the Women and Child Development Department of the state with the objective to provide a platform to these youth, through which they will be able to become self-reliant by continuing their education and training.
Under the scheme:
•The District Administration will provide space to these youths for the opening of coffee shops, stationery, photocopying, computer typing and DTP work.
•All the 52 districts of the state have been divided into 5 clusters with headquarters at Indore, Sagar, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Bhopal.
•An amount of Rs 6 lakh will be provided by the Women and Child Development Department for the installation of each launch pad.
6) 40th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica flagged off
•The 40th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica was flagged off on January 05, 2021, from Mormugao Port, Goa. The chartered ice-class vessel MV Vasiliy Golovnin has been chosen for the prestigious 40th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (ISEA) mission journey and will reach Antarctica in 30 days.
7) GoI constitutes high-level group for South Asia energy security
•The Central Government has set up a high-level group to build a South Asia-focused energy security architecture. The high-level group, named the South Asia Group for Energy (SAGE), will be headed by former Union Power Secretary Ram Vinay Shahi. SAGE has been set up under the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)-run think tank Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS).
8) Lt Gen Shantanu Dayal to take charge as Deputy Chief of Army Staff
•Lt Gen Shantanu Dayal has been named the new Deputy Chief of Army Staff (DCOAS). Lt Gen Dayal is the Corps Commander of the Tejpur based 4 Corps. He will take the place of Lt Gen SS Hasabnis who superannuated on December 31 as soon as his replacement arrives. Indian Army has undergone a major reshuffle at the top within the Army Headquarters and at the various other formations including the Corps Commanders, administrative and training institutions witnessing the change of guard.
•The other significant change is in the newly-created Department of Military Affairs (DMA) with Chief of Defence Staff as its first Secretary. Lt Gen Taranjit Singh, the first Army officer to join as the Additional Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) under the Ministry of Defence.
9) FSSAI’s new policy limits trans fats to 2% in all oils & fats by Jan 2022
•The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has capped the amount of trans fatty acids (TFA) in oils and fats to 3% for 2021 and 2% by 2022 from the current permissible limit of 5% through an amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations. It was in 2011 that India first passed a regulation that set a TFA limit of 10% in oils and fats, which was further reduced to 5% in 2015.
•The country’s food regulatory body notified the amendment on December 29, more than a year after it issued a draft on the subject for consultation with stakeholders. The revised regulation applies to edible refined oils, vanaspati (partially hydrogenated oils), margarine, bakery shortenings, and other mediums of cooking such as vegetable fat spreads and mixed fat spreads.
