National:
72nd Republic Day of India:
- On 26 January 2021, India celebrated its 72nd Republic Day. The Tricolour was unfurled at Delhi’s Rajpath in presence of President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other dignitaries including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The Constitution of India came into force on this day in 1950, which declared India to be an independent republic.
New institute of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research:
- On 14 January 2021, the Union Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated a new institute of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research i.e. CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research, in New Delhi.
The new institute, CSIR-NIScPR has been established consequent to the merger of two prestigious institutes of CSIR namely, CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources, and CSIR-National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies.
CSIR-NISCAIR and CSIR-NISTADS are institutes working at the interface of science and technology, society and science communication and policy research.
Director of CFTRI:
- Senior scientist Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh has taken over as director of the CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru.
51st IFFI’s Indian Personality of the Year Award:
- The 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India, Goa has conferred Shri Biswajit Chatterjee, veteran actor, producer, director and singer of Hindi and Bengali cinema, with the Indian Personality of the Year Award, in Goa, on January 24, 2021. Biswajit Chatterjee is known for his roles such as, Ramesh Kumar in Mere Sanam, Raja Amit Kumar Singh in musical drama ‘Kohra’, Ashok in romantic film ‘April Fool’, etc.
Important Day:
- The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh celebrated its 50th Statehood Day on 25 January 2021.
- The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh celebrated its Statehood Day on 24 January 2021.
National Voters’ Day:
- The National Voters’ Day has been celebrated all across the country on January 25 every year since 2011.
11th National Voters’ Day Celebration was organised by the Election Commission of India on January 25, 2021. During the event, the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind conferred the National Awards for the year 2020-21. He also launched the Web Radio of Election Commission of India: “Hello Voters”, an online digital radio service.
This day marks the foundation day of Election Commission of India i.e. 25 January 1950.