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Current Affairs 26 January 2019
India Observes 70th Republic Day on January 26, 2019
- India is celebrating its 70th Republic Day on January 26, 2019 with the main function organized at Rajpath in the New Delhi.
- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the Chief Guest this year.
- Some major highlights of the programme:
- President Ram Nath Kovind unfurled the Tricolour, which was followed by the national anthem with a 21 gun salute.
- Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani of Jammu and Kashmir was posthumously conferred with the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, by President Kovind.
- Republic Day Parade, dance performances were some major takeaways of the day.
- Republic Day 2019 marks the 150th birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and so the theme of tableaux was Gandhi.
- 22 tableaux from 16 States and Union Territories and 6 Ministries and Departments participated in the parade
- The grand finale of the parade was a spectacular flypast by the Indian Air Force.
- The ceremony culminated with the national anthem and release of colourful balloons.
Fourth Edition of Bharat Parv Culminates in New Delhi
- The 4th edition of ‘Bharat Parv’ showcasing the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat began at Red Fort in Delhi on January 26, 2019.
- The 5-day event will end on January 31 and has been organised by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with other central Ministries.
- It is a part of Republic Day celebrations with an objective to generate a patriotic fervour, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country and ensure wider participation of the general public to popularise the idea of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
- The event will be open for public from 12 Noon to 10 PM on all the five days and entry will be free.
‘Nari Shakti’ announced as Oxford Dictionaries’ Hindi Word of the Year 2018
- Oxford Dictionaries has announced ‘Nari Shakti’ as its Hindi Word of the Year for 2018. The announcement was made at the Jaipur Literature Festival.
- Nari means ‘woman’ and Shakti means ‘power’. The Hindi Word of the Year was chosen by the Oxford Dictionaries team in India with the help of an advisory panel of language experts including Ashok Kumar Sharma, Kritika Agrawal and Namita Gokhale among others.
Chhattisgarh CM waives irrigation tax worth Rs 207 Crore
- Chhattisgarh, chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on January 26, 2019 announced that the Irrigation Tax (Sinchai Kar) for farmers in the states till October 2018 will be waived off. This will amount to Rs 207 crore.
- This will benefit around 15 lakh farmers and waive of irrigation loans pending from around 15 years.
MP Government launches ‘Yuva Swabhiman Yojana’ for urban poor youth employement
- Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has announced the launch of the ‘Yuva Swabhiman Yojana’ for employment of youths from the economically weaker sections in urban areas on the occasion of 70th Republic Day of India.
- Under this scheme, 100 days of employment will be provided to youths from economically weaker sections in urban areas. They will also be given skill training.
India 6th in GDPR readiness index: CISCO
- Global networking leader Cisco has said that India is the sixth leading nation globally in the GDPR readiness index. Nearly 65 per cent of Indian organisations are better prepared for the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- The GDPR focuses on increasing protection for EU residents’ privacy and personal data and came into force in May 2018 and organisations globally have been working steadily towards getting ready for it.
- Top- Spain
President Ram Nath Kovind confers Ashoka Chakra 2019 on Nazir Wani Posthumously
- Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani, a militant-turned-soldier, was awarded the Ashoka Chakra 2019 posthumously by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 26, 2019 for sacrificing his life in a counter-terror operation against six terrorists in Hirapur village near Batgund in Shopian in Kashmir in November 2018.
- The India’s highest peacetime gallantry honour was received by Wani’s wife and mother at the Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath.
- Wani is the first Kashmiri to be conferred the Ashoka Chakra.
- Ashoka Chakra is the highest peacetime military decoration for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield.
Former Prez Pranab Mukherjee Honored with Bharat Ratna 2019
- Former President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has been conferred with the highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna 2019.
- Additionally, late Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika and late social activist Nanaji Deshmukh have also be awarded with the Bharat Ratna, posthumously.
List of Padma Awards 2019
- Padma Awards is one of the highest civilian Awards in India. They are conferred in three categories namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
- The awards are announced every year on the occasion of Republic Day on January 26.
- The 2019 Padma Award winners list comprises 4 Padma Vibhushan, 14 Padma Bhushan and 94 Padma Shri Awards.
- Of the total winners, 21 are women,11 persons are from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, 3 Posthumous awardees and 1 transgender person.
- Click here for the complete list of winners
Naomi Osaka Clinches 2019 Australian Open Grand Slam Singles
- Japan’s Naomi Osaka defeated Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-4 in the women’s single final to win 2019 Australian Open title at Melbourne.
- This is her second major Grand Slam title. She also won the 2018 US Open title where she defeated Serena Williams.
- Historic Records of Naomi Osaka with this win
- She has become the first Japanese player to win the Australian Open title.
- Additionally, she is also the first player from an Asian country to claim the world number one ranking replacing Romania’s Simona Halep.
- She has also become the youngest women’s world number one at 21 year since 2010. Dane Caroline Wozniacki, was 20 when she topped the rankings in 2010.
- She is also the first player since 2001 to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles. Jennifer Capriati in 2001 won the next Grand Slam after her maiden major title.
International Customs Day: January 26
- The International Customs Day (ICD) is observed every year on January 26 to recognize the role of custom officials and agencies in maintaining border security.
- It focuses on the working conditions and challenges that customs officers face in their jobs.
- The World Customs Organisation (WCO) is dedicating 2019 to the swift and smooth cross-border movement of goods, people and means of transport.
- The slogan for 2019 ICD is “SMART borders for seamless Trade, Travel and Transport.”
Oscar-winning French Music Composer Michel Legrand Passes Away
- French musical composer and jazz pianist, Michel Legrand passed away on January 26, 2019 in Paris. He was 86.
- Legrand won three Oscars. His received his first Oscar award in 1969 for the song ‘The Windmills of Your Mind’ from the film ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’.
- Legrand wrote over 200 film and TV scores, as well as songs.