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Bring you this year’s first Current Affairs article- General Awareness January 2021 blog. Find out all the recent news and development that took place in India in the month of January 2021. Let’s get started…

General Awareness January 2021

1- India’s first-ever driverless train operations have started on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line.

2- The Madhya Pradesh cabinet approved the Religious Freedom Bill 2020, which provides for a prison term of up to 10 years and fine of Rs 1 lakh for conversion through marriage or by any other fraudulent means.

3- The Delhi Police have set up a solar energy-enabled “Modern Beat Booth”, which is also water, fire and vandalism proof, at the iconic India Gate.

4- According to market researcher Omdia, Samsung Electronics to remain the world’s leading TV vendor for the fifteenth straight year.

General Awareness January 2021

5- The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has extended the validity of vehicular documents like DLs, RCs, permits etc till March 31, 2021, in the need to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

6- India women’s hockey team player Namita Toppo was conferred with the prestigious ‘Ekalavya Puraskar’ for her contribution to the game.

7- The legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named captain of ICC’s ODI and T20 International teams of the decade.

8- Virat Kohli stamped his preeminence in world cricket after being voted the skipper of the Test team of the decade.

General Awareness January 2021

9- Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has been nominated by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) as a member on the GAVI Board.

10- A meteorological centre was inaugurated in the Union Territory of Ladakh which would provide localised weather forecasts thus strengthening weather-related early warning system for the region.

11- India’s first pollinator park with over 40 species of butterflies, honeybees, birds and insects has been developed over four acres at Nainital’s Haldwani.

12- DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT) has developed a Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) which detects random quantum events and converts those into a stream of binary digits.

General Awareness January 2021

13- The DRDO along with the Indian Navy has conducted a successful maiden trial of the SAHAYAK-NG air-droppable container from an IL-38SD aircraft off the coast of Goa.

14- V.K. Yadav, Chairman & CEO, Railway Board, Ministry of Railways has been conferred with the prestigious “Eminent Engineer Award for the Year 2020’.

15- Umesh Sinha has been appointed as the deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India.

16- Sivan K has been given a one-year extension, till January 14, 2022, as the Secretary, Department of Space.

General Awareness January 2021

17- Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane received a Guard of Honour at Republic of Korea Army Headquarters at Gyeryong.

18- The World Health Organization says it has cleared the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for emergency use.

19- The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has extended the deadline for 100% collection of toll charges on the National Highway network through FASTag till February 15, 2021.

20-  Rohit Sharma was appointed the vice-captain of the Indian Test team for the first time in his career, replacing Cheteshwar Pujara (vice-captain in the second test).

General Awareness January 2021

21- The 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was organised from 16th to 24th January in Goa.

22- Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg’s “Another Round”, starring actor Mads Mikkelsen, will be the opening film at the upcoming 51st edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

23- The Bharat Electronics Limited signed a contract with the Indian Navy to supply 20 laser dazzlers, a non-lethal weapon for warning and stopping suspicious vehicles, boats and aircraft.

24- India’s drugs regulator approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive.

General Awareness January 2021

25- Lt Gen Tarun Kumar Aich on Friday took over as Director-General, National Cadet Corps.

26- Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Kiren Rijiju launched the Assam Rifles Public School (ARPS) in Shillong as a Khelo India Sports School.

27- The year 2020 was the eighth warmest since 1901 but it was “substantially lower” than the highest warming observed in 2016, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

28- Sanjay Kapoor was elected president of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) while Bharat Singh Chauhan retained the secretary”s post in the polls held online.

General Awareness January 2021

29- In a first of its kind initiative to promote the education of girl child, Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said every school-going girl student will get Rs 100 per day for attending classes.

30- Arup Kumar Goswami was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court.

31- Former India cricketer Pravin Amre has joined Delhi Capitals as an assistant coach for the upcoming two seasons of the Indian Premier League.

32- In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre has merged J&K cadre for all India Services Viz; IAS, IPS and IFS officers with that of Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT), also called the Union Territory cadre, through an ordinance.

General Awareness January 2021

33- A coffee table book filled with over hundreds of photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his “107 overseas and bilateral visits” was released on the eve of the 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD).

34- ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) announced a five day national fair from February 8, through online and offline mode, to reach out to maximum farmers across the country with new technologies and innovations.

35- Indian universities and colleges with the Institutions of Eminence (IOEs) tag, which include several IITs, will now be able to set up campuses in foreign countries with the University Grants Commission (UGC) issuing fresh guidelines on the same.

36- India’s fiscal deficit is expected to be around 7.5 per cent of the GDP for the current fiscal owing to moderation in revenue collection due to the COVID-19 crisis, experts said.

General Awareness January 2021

37-  A high school student from Gurugram- Aryan Jain, is among the winners of an app development challenge organised by NASA.

38- Digital consulting firm Adrosonic has entered into a partnership with UK-based SaaS insurance software platform Instanda to accelerate the ongoing digital transformation in the insurance industry.

39- The Indian Navy conducted a two-day mega defence exercise covering the country’s 7516 km coastline and exclusive economic zone.

40- Senior Indian shooter Tejaswini Sawant upstaged Punjab’s Anjum Moudgil in a battle of two Olympic quota holders to win the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions T1 trials at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting range.

General Awareness January 2021

41- US President-elect Joe Biden named Indian-American Sumona Guha as senior director for South Asia and Tarun Chhabra as senior director for Technology and National Security.

42- Supreme Court has put a stay on the implementation of the three farm laws.

43- India skipper Virat Kohli was pushed to the fourth spot by Australia’s batsman Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen, but India’s middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara gained four places to be number six and Ajinkya Rahane to number eight.

44- Telecom company Bharti Airtel and National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) have teamed up to drive the digital transformation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India.

General Awareness January 2021

45- The National Stock Exchange (NSE) launched derivatives on the Nifty Financial Services Index, which will give more flexibility to institutional as well as retail investors to manage their hedge.

46- Kerala has become the 8th state in the country to successfully undertake Ease of Doing Business reform stipulated by the Finance Ministry.

47- Total 11 private Indian firms have made it to the list of 500 most valuable companies across the world, and the country is ranked 10th on the chart.

48- Declining vegetable prices brought down the retail inflation to a 15-month low of 4.59 per cent in December, government data showed.

General Awareness January 2021

49- Incoming First Lady Jill Biden has named Indian-American Garima Verma as her digital director and Michael LaRosa press secretary.

50- An expert on energy and climate change, Sonia Aggarwal, was named by President-elect Joe Biden as the senior advisor for climate policy and innovation.

51- US President-elect Joe Biden has nominated former US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power as administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

52- Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals announced the appointment of Mike Fordham as its Group Chief Executive Officer.

General Awareness January 2021

53- Google has completed its USD 2.1 billion acquisition of fitness-gadget maker Fitbit.

54- US-based Electric car maker, Tesla has incorporated a fully owned subsidiary in Bengaluru as a first step to set up an R&D unit and a manufacturing plant for its electric vehicles in the country.

55- India has the largest diaspora population in the world with 18 million people from the country living outside their homeland in 2020, according to a report by the United Nations.

56- Earth Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the doppler weather radars in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh that will improve forecasts in the hilly states and also for Char Dham and Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimages.

General Awareness January 2021

57- Major Ketan Sharma who sacrificed his life fighting a hardcore Pakistani terrorist was among 15 Army personnel awarded the Sena Medal for their exceptional courage and bravery on Army Day.

58- The country’s first Labour Movement Museum, showcasing the history of the world labour movement, would be launched in Kerala’s houseboat tourism hub, Alappuzha.

59- Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of Rs 1,000-crore ‘Startup India Seed Fund’ to support startups and help budding entrepreneurs pursue innovative ideas.

60- US President-elect Joe Biden has nominated at least 20 Indian-Americans, including 13 women, to key positions in his incoming administration.

General Awareness January 2021

61- Army marksman and Olympian Gurpreet Singh won the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol T1 trials at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting range.

62- Troops of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have launched an internet tools-based learning centre for school-going children in Naxal violence-affected district of Chhattisgarh.

63- United Kingdom has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the G7 Summit to be held in June this year.

64- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced it has been selected by Three UK, one of the UK’s leading mobile network carriers, to help the latter configure its mobile network for its ongoing rollout of 5G services.

General Awareness January 2021

65- Adani Group said global energy major TOTAL has acquired a 20 per cent equity stake in Adani Green Energy Ltd.

66- Striker Dungdung scored a hat-trick as the Indian junior women”s hockey team thrashed its Chilean counterparts 5-3 in a high-scoring match to make a successful return to competition following a year-long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

67- Union Government has decided to celebrate the birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as ‘Parakram Diwas’ on 23rd of January every year.

68- The newly inducted Rafale fighter aircraft featured in India’s Republic Day parade on January 26 and culminate the flypast by carrying out the ‘Vertical Charlie’ formation.

General Awareness January 2021

69- Prime Minister Narendra Modi was appointed the new chairman of the trust which manages the world-famous Somnath Temple at Prabhas Patan town in Gujarat’s Gir-Somnath district.

70- The Noida Commissionerate signed an agreement with the Microsoft company to curb cybercrimes in Noida.

71- The BCCI announced a Rs 5 crore bonus for the Indian cricket team after the Ajinkya Rahane-led side won the fourth and final Test against Australia to clinch the series 2-1 and retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

72- US President-elect Joe Biden named Indian-American Rohit Chopra as the head of a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

General Awareness January 2021

73- Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala have been ranked as the top five states in innovation in Niti Aayog’s second Innovation Index released.

74- Adani Solar Energy Kutchh One Limited, a subsidiary of Adani Green Energy Ltd, has commissioned a 150 MW solar power project in Kutchh, Gujarat.

75- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is set to establish a Quantum Computing Applications Lab in India, in collaboration with Amazon Web Service (AWS) to accelerate quantum computing-led research and development.

76- Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States and Kamala Harris took oath as the first woman Vice President.

General Awareness January 2021

77- Adani Total Gas and Torrent Gas have become the first strategic investors in IGX (Indian Gas Exchange) by acquiring five per cent stake each, according to the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX).

78- State-run power producer NTPC said 150 megawatts (MW) unit of Kameng Hydro-Electric Project of its subsidiary North Eastern Electric Power Corporation is commercially operational.

79- The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to install Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT) in select government schools for facilitating online education.

80- SAIL with the help of the Centre is planning to set up India’s first gas to ethanol plant at its ferroalloy plant in Chandrapur in Maharashtra.

General Awareness January 2021

81- Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara was appointed as the director of cricket by Rajasthan Royals for the Indian Premier League upcoming season.

82- New ant species discovered from Kerala named after JNCASR researcher, evolutionary biologist Prof. Amitabh Joshi.

83- Gorakhpur became the first district in Uttar Pradesh to begin work for providing free coaching to students for the competitive exams.

84- Rajendra Kumar Bhandari, who laid the foundation of scientific studies on geo-hazards, was selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar for 2021 for his work in disaster management.

General Awareness January 2021

85- Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated an international zoological park in Nagpur on January 26.

86- Indian development economist Jayati Ghosh is appointed by the United Nations to a high-level advisory board that will provide recommendations for the UN Secretary-General to respond to the current and future socio-economic challenges in the post-COVID-19 world.

87- Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched the electronic version of the voter identity card which can be downloaded on a mobile phone or a personal computer.

88- Danish World War II drama “Into The Darkness” won the Golden Peacock award at the closing ceremony of the 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

General Awareness January 2021

89- Chennai”s Sandeep Kumar and Amir Sayed from Kottayam emerged champions in the Formula LGB 4 and Novice Cup category respectively in the 23rd JK Tyre-FMSCI National Racing Championship.

90- Haryana’s Rohit emerged as the champion in the 65kg category while Delhi’s Praveen Chahar took the title in the 86kg event as the men’s freestyle national wrestling championships concluded in Noida.

91- India’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to contract by 8 per cent in 2020-21, according to the latest round of FICCI’s Economic Outlook Survey.

92- Indian-American Sean Desai has been named new defensive coordinator for Chicago Bears, making him the first National Football League (NFL) Coordinator of South Asian and Indian descent.

General Awareness January 2021

93- Subedar Sanjiv Kumar, who died in an anti-terror operation in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir in April last, has been named for Kirti Chakra, India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry awards.

94- Colonel B. Santosh Babu, who led his troops against the “vicious” Chinese attack in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June last year, has been posthumously named for the second-highest military award, Mahavir Chakra.

95- A large-scale tri-service joint amphibious exercise AMPHEX – 21 was conducted in Andaman & Nicobar group of islands from 21 – 25 Jan 2021.

96- Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and late singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam have been honoured with India’s second-highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan this year.

General Awareness January 2021

97- DRDO conducted the successful maiden launch of Akash-NG (New Generation) Missile from Integrated Test Range off the coast of Odisha.

98- India’s senior off-spinner R Ashwin and swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant were nominated for the newly-introduced player of the month awards by the International Cricket Council.

99- The Ayodhya mosque project was formally launched on Republic Day, with the unfurling of the tricolour and a tree plantation drive at Dhannipur, around 24 km from the Ram Janmabhoomi.

100- The Gender Park in Kozhikode, Kerala, will open from February 11-13, 2021 on the occasion of the Second International Conference on Gender Equality (ICGE-II), to explore measures to increase the economic potential of women and transgender people.

For more detailed General Awareness content you can follow here. General awareness topic for December 2020 can be found here. Stay updated to the latest general awareness topics by following my blogs. Do press the like button below if you find the General Awareness January 2021 useful.

Until next time, Happy Reading! Ciao!

Vivek Nair