Important Day

• Theme for ‘International Day of Education 2021’ (24 January) – ‘Recover and Revitalize Education for the COVID-19 Generation’.

Defence

• Andaman and Nicobar Command conducted the first-ever Tri-Services Para Jumping and Freefall skydiving training course at – Air Force Station Car Nicobar.

Environment

• Name of the two new species of ant genus ‘Ooceraea’ with ten-segmented antennae that have been discovered in Kerala and Tamil Nadu – Ooceraea joshii (named after Prof. Amitabh Joshi).

International

• India will organise the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) defence ministers’ conclave on 4 February 2021 under the theme of – ‘Enhanced Peace, Security and Cooperation in the Indian Ocean’.
• According to data from the US-based the National Science Foundation (NSF), India’s rank globally in terms of the number of scientific publications over the last 10 years – Third (after China and the US)

National

• Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and ____ signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for continuation of Ministry Professorial Chair focusing on research and development, teaching and training in the area of Development of Highway Infrastructure – Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee.

State Current Affairs

• The Gujarat government has announced to set up new industrial estates under the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) in – Jalotra in Banaskantha district, Shekhpat in Jamnagar district, Kadjodra in Gandhinagar district, Patan & Nagalpar in Rajkot district, Anand and Mahisagar districts.
• The Maharashtra government will start ‘jail tourism’ in the state from – Pune’s Yerawada prison.
• Winner of the Tripura Bibhusan Award 2021, conferred by the Tripura government – Dipa Karmakar (artistic gymnast).
• Winner of the Tripura Bhusan Award 2021 – Arshiya Das (chess player).
• This state government approved a whopping Rs. 976 crore ‘Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS)’ project aimed at improving the quality of education and governance of such institutions in the state and the scheme will run for a period of five years – Maharashtra.

General Knowledge

• Constitutional provision that deals with “All-India services” – Article 312.
• Constitutional provision that deals with “Transitional provisions” – Article 313.
• Constitutional provision that deals with “Public Service Commissions for the Union and for the States” – Article 315.
• Constitutional provision that deals with “Superintendence, direction and control of elections to be vested in an Election Commission” – Article 324.
• Constitutional provision that deals with “No person to be ineligible for inclusion in, or to claim to be included in a special, electoral roll on grounds of religion, race, caste or sex” – Article 325.
• Constitutional provision that deals with “Elections to the House of the People and to the Legislative Assemblies of States to be on the basis of adult suffrage” – Article 326.