National
Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards - 2021
⇒ The President of India has approved the conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards – 2021 on 51 persons which includes Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 06, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 16 and Jeevan Raksha Padak to 29 persons. Five awardees are posthumous.
The Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given to a person for meritorious act of human nature in saving the life of a person.
Official link to view the list of winners of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards-2021
Pictorial book on India’s Women Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle
⇒ Union Minister of State for Culture Smt Meenakashi Lekhi released a pictorial book on India’s Women Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle as part of Azadi ka Mahotsav, in New Delhi on 27 January 2022.
- The book has been released in partnership with Amar Chitra Katha which is a household name in India.
- The book contains story of Accamma Cherian, an inspirational leader of the freedom movement in Travancore, Kerala, she was given the name ‘Jhansi Rani of Tranvancore’ by Mahatma Gandhi.
- The book also contains the story of Bishni Devi Shah, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Durgawati Devi and many others.
» Ministry of Culture has decided to release pictorial books on 75 Unsung Heroes of the Freedom Struggle in partnership with Amar Chitra Katha.
- The second edition will be on 25 unsung Tribal Freedom Fighters which is under process and will take some time. The third and final edition will be of 30 unsung heroes drawn from other areas.
Paschim Lehar (XPL-2022)
⇒ A joint maritime exercise Paschim Lehar (XPL-2022) conducted by the Indian Navy off the West Coast was concluded on 25 January 2022. The exercise was conducted under the aegis of FOC-in-C, Western Naval Command.
Objective:
The exercise was conducted over a duration of 20 days with an objective to validate operational plans of the Western Naval Command and enhance Inter-Service synergy among the Indian Navy, IAF, Indian Army and Coast Guard.
About:
- The intra-theatre exercise included mobilisation and participation of over 40 ships and submarines of the Indian Navy.
- In addition, the IAF deployed SU 30 MKI & Jaguar maritime strike aircraft, Flight Refuelling Aircraft and AWACs, alongside the Indian Navy’s maritime reconnaissance aircraft P8i, Dorniers, IL 38 SD, unmanned aerial systems and MiG 29K strike aircraft.
- After a long gap, many OPVs, FPVs and Air Cushion Vessels of the Coast Guard also participated in exercise Paschim Lehar.
Sports
2022 India Open Badminton Tournament
⇒ The 2022 India Open (Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022) was a badminton tournament held at the K. D. Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi, India, from 11 to 16 January 2022.
The tournament was organized by the Badminton Association of India with sanctions from the Badminton World Federation.
Winners:
Men’s Singles:
Lakshya Sen (India) defeated Loh Kean Yew (Singapore)
Women’s Singles:
Busanan Ongbamrungphan (Thailand) defeated Supanida Katethong (Thailand)
Men’s Doubles:
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (India) and Chirag Shetty (India) defeated Mohammad Ahsan (Indonesia) and Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia)
Women’s Doubles:
Benyapa Aimsaard (Thailand) and Nuntakarn Aimsaard (Thailand) defeated Anastasiia Akchurina (Russia) and Olga Morozova (Russia)
Mixed Doubles:
Hee Yong Kai Terry (Singapore) and Tan Wei Han (Singapore) defeated Chen Tang Jie (Malaysia) and Peck Yen Wei (Malaysia)
Important Day
National Tourism Day 2022
⇒ National Tourism Day is celebrated in India every year on 25 January to celebrate the diversity of the country.
The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India observed National Tourism Day on the 25th of January 2022, under the aegis of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
Theme:
The theme of National Tourism Day 2022 was ‘Rural and Community Centric Tourism’.
This day is marked with a motive to appreciate India’s beauty and spread awareness of the importance of tourism and its impact on the Indian economy.
52nd full Statehood Day of Himachal Pradesh
⇒ Himachal Pradesh celebrated its 52nd full statehood day on 25th January with fanfare and enthusiasm across the state.
On this day in the year 1971, Himachal was carved out as an 18th state and got full statehood.
Death
Noted environmentalist and 'Save Silent Valley' campaigner Prof M K Prasad
⇒ Noted environmentalist and ‘Save Silent Valley’ campaigner Prof M K Prasad passed away on 17 January 2022. He was 89.
He was a prominent figure in the historic grassroot level movement to save the evergreen tropical rain forests in Kerala’s Silent Valley from destruction. He also served on the United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Board for five years.
The Silent Valley forests were declared as a national park by the Union Government on November 15, 1984.