Today’s Top News: 14th January, 2021 (GPN):

NATIONAL NEWS:

😀HAPPY🔥 LOHRI-PONGAL-SANKRANKTI✨💐🔥

1. Celebrations have begun for the festival of harvest across the country. The harvest festival is referred to different names in different parts of the country such as Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Makara Sankranti in Gujarat, West Bengal, and Karnataka and Bihu in Assam. The festival of harvest, Lohri, is being celebrated today in North India especially in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Chandigarh.
2. President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have extended their greetings and wishes to the citizens on the occasion of Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bhogali Bihu, Uttarayan and Paush Parva.
3. Magh Mela to begin in Prayagraj from Makar Sankranti; which is one of the world’s biggest religious congregations that takes place at the ‘Sangam’ in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.
4. Basic tax exemption limit may be raised in Budget 2021 . The exemption limit for an individual income tax payee to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 2.50 lakh.
5. Bird flu: Sale of chicken, egg-based dishes banned at restaurants in parts of Delhi
6. PM Modi to launch COVID-19 vaccination drive is all set to launch the mega vaccination drive virtually on January 16. PM Modi will also be launching the CoWIN application on the same day. States to get 1.1 cr COVISHIELD, 55 lakh COVAXIN doses by Jan 14
7. The Supreme Court has put a stay on the implementation of three new farm laws until further orders. “The implementation of the three farm laws 1) Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; (2) Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020; and (3) Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020,
8. The Centre has also accepted the fact that Khalistan supporters have infiltrated the farmers’ protest against the three farm laws.
9. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday spoke on the completion of five years of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojana . The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016, with an aim to provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers suffering.
10. Madhya Pradesh hooch tragedy : Atleast six more people died after consuming spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district on Wednesday (January 13, 2021), taking the total death toll to 20. While Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a review meeting on the situation on Wednesday and issued orders for the removal of the collector and superintendent of police.
11. Public and Private Health Facilities across the country were on January 12, 2021 felicitated with Centre’s Kayakalp award for high standards of Sanitation and Hygiene. The government had launched a National Initiative ‘Kayakalp’ on 15th May 2015 to ensure hygiene, sanitation and cleanliness in Public Health Facilities in the country.
12. Union Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, who is currently under treatment at Goa Medical college after meeting with an accident, has been taken off from ventilator support and shifted to high flow nasal oxygen. Union Minister of State for Defence, had met with an accident near a village in Ankola Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka on Monday.
13. Seer Swami Harshanandaji Maharaj of the Ramakrishna Math at Basavanagudi, Bengaluru, dies aged 91, PM Narendra Modi shares condolence message.
14. Cold wave grips Delhi, mercury dips to 3.2 degrees Celsius
15. Delhi govt allows schools to reopen for classes 10, 12 from January 18 . The schools have been asked only to call students with the consent of the parents and follow all the Covid-19 precautions.
16. Government of Odisha has waived the examination fees for matriculation students of the ongoing academic session.
17. In a big boost for the Indian Air Force and PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, the Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday cleared the purchase of Light Combat Aircraft Tejas from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The Rs 48,000 crore deal will be the biggest ever in the indigenous military aviation sector.
18. Women will be inducted as pilots in the Army Aviation Corps from next year, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said
19. DRDO develops India’s first indigenous machine pistol ASMI , it is set to replace 9 mm pistols of Indian Army.
20. ‘Shakti’: Indian Army major makes world’s first flexible bulletproof vest for both male and female combatants.
21. 150-m crossborder tunnel detected by BSF along IB in J&K during an anti-tunnelling operation in Bobiyaan village of Hirnagar sector.
22. Suspected Militants Lob Grenade at CRPF Party In Srinagar’s Rainawari Area, No Casualty Reported.
23. Coronavirus Cases:10,502,332
    Deaths: 151,670
    Recovered: 10,135,046

✈INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1. BSF to erect High Tech ‘BOLD-QIT'(Smart Fence) on Indo-Bangla border along North Bengal.
2. India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Wednesday made a previously unannounced visit to Afghanistan for talks on strategic issues with the leadership in Kabul against the backdrop of a spike in violence blamed on the Taliban.
3. India, Turkmenistan agree to deepen Cooperation In UN, Multilateral Arena.
4. Bangladesh Armed Forces delegation in India to participate in Republic Day parade
   A contingent of 122 members of Bangladesh Armed Forces have reached Delhi yesterday to participate in the 2021 Republic Day parade there in commemoration of Bangladesh’s 50th anniversary of independence. Together We Fought, Together We March, proud of 50 years of a friendship beyond strategic partnership.
5. The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently announced that the new Foreign Trade Policy. 2021-26 is to come into effect from April 1, 2021 The policy will aim to boost exports.
   It will enhance ease of doing business.
6. India, Vietnam hold security dialogue, commit to elevate engagement between their armed forces .
7. India and Turkmenistan on Wednesday reviewed bilateral ties and agreed to enhance cooperation in the UN and multilateral arena . The 4th round of Foreign Office Consultations were held between India.

🌎WORLD NEWS🌍

1. United States cancels its UN ambassador’s controversial trip to Taiwan
2. A tripartite meeting between Bangladesh, Myanmar and China for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees will be held on January 19 in Dhaka.
3. No contact with the 22 workers trapped underground in an under-construction gold mine in Qixia city in East China’s Shandong Province even after 70 hours of the incident.
4. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made a former astronaut his new foreign minister in a Cabinet reshuffle , sparked by the sudden resignation of high-profile Indian-origin Canadian Sikh minister Navdeep Bains.
5. US House begins debate on impeachment of President Donald Trump: A week after President Donald Trump`s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, the House of Representatives began debate on Wednesday as lawmakers considered impeaching him for his role in an assault on American democracy that stunned the nation and left five dead.
6. Coronavirus Cases:
   92,305,259
   Deaths: 1,977,678
   Recovered: 66,035,726

🚣🚴🏇🏁🏊Sports:

1. Kidambi Srikanth, Saina Nehwal on Wednesday advanced into the second round of the ongoing Thailand Open Super 1000 tournament.
2. Union sports Kiren Rijiju meets Sports Goods and Equipment manufacturers, suggest two-pronged method to strengthen industry presence within sports ecosystem.
3. The Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee President Yoshiro Mori said that Tokyo Olympics will be held on July 23 this year with or without COVID-19 as planned. The Games will not be put off to 2024 or even 2032 as the rumors said

USD 262.18 💷GBP 192.45 SRI LANKAN RUPEE comparison.

     _In srilanka_

🥇Gold Rs.112,740.00 LKR@10 gm 24 (Krt)
🥈 Silver 125,370.00 LKR@ Kg
⛽ Petrol LKR 161.000
⛽ Diesel LKR 104.000

🇮🇳Facts about India🇮🇳

Sankranti संक्रान्ति means transmigration of the Sun from one Rāshi (constellation of the zodiac in Indian astronomy) to the next. Hence, there are 12 Sankrantis in a year.

Lohrdi is a popular winter time Punjabi folk festival, celebrated primarily by Sikhs and Hindus from the Punjab region. Many people believe the festival commemorates the passing of the winter solstice. Lohrdi marks the end of winter season, and is a traditional welcome of longer days and sun’s journey to the northern hemisphere.

Pongal is a Tamil harvest festival. It is same as Thanksgiving Day. In an agriculture based civilization, harvest plays an important role. The farmer cultivating the land depends on his cattle, timely rain and the Sun. The first day of this month is a festival day known as ” Pongal Day “. Pongal means the “boiling over” of milk and rice during the month of Thai.

😀Thought of the day

Positive anything is better than negative nothing.

Joke of the day

Shaadi mein Pappu bahut der se khana kha raha tha…kisi ne pucha kab tak khaoge ?

Pappu – Main toh khud pareshan hoon …..par card me likha hai,

“Dinner 7 to 12pm”

😇GK Today💤

Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, AC (born 13 January 1949) is a former Indian Air Force pilot who flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984 with the Soviet Interkosmos programme. He is the only Indian citizen to travel in space, although there have been other astronauts with an Indian background who were not Indian citizens

😳Why❓❓❓

Why foods like jaggery, gajak, til ki chikki are offered to the fire on Libro/Boghi 🔥🙏🏻

as a way of paying gratitude to nature.*

On this Lohri festival, It is believed that these food ingredients help cleanse the body, bringing renewed energy for the New Year. Til and Gur both are winter food items, have a long shelf life and sweets made using them last long.

LEARN Sanskrit🙏🏻

COMPLETE GURU ASHTAKAM IN SANSKRIT WITH MEANING

शरीरं सुरुपं तथा वा कलत्रं
यशश्चारू चित्रं धनं मेरुतुल्यम्
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम्

sharlram surupam tatha va kalatram
yashashcaru citram dhanam merutulyam |
manashcenna lagnam guroranghripadme
tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim ||

Meaning (English)
1. One’s vesture may be superb, one’s consort likewise, one’s reputation resplendent and renowned, and one’s riches like unto Mount Meru; but if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?

Meaning (Hindi)यदि शरीर रुपवान हो, पत्नी भी रूपसी हो और सत्कीर्ति चारों दिशाओं में विस्तरित हो, मेरु पर्वत के तुल्य अपार धन हो, किंतु गुरु के श्रीचरणों में यदि मन आसक्त न हो तो इन सारी उपलब्धियों से क्या लाभ?

---

कलत्रं धनं पुत्रपौत्रादि सर्वं
गृहं बान्धवाः सर्वमेतद्धि जातम्
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम्

kalatram dhanam putrapautradi sarvam
griham bandhavah sarvametaddhi jatam |
masashcenna lagnam guroranghripadme
tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim ||

Meaning (English)2. Wife, wealth, sons, grandsons and all such; home and kindred; the host of all these things may be there; but if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?

Meaning (Hindi)सुन्दरी पत्नी, धन, पुत्र-पौत्र, घर एवं स्वजन आदि प्रारब्ध से सर्व सुलभ हो किंतु गुरु के श्रीचरणों में मन की आसक्ति न हो तो इस प्रारब्ध-सुख से क्या लाभ?

---

षडंगादिवेदो मुखे शास्त्रविद्या
कवित्वादि गद्यं सुपद्यं करोति
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम्

sadangadivedo mukhe shastravidya
kavitvadi gadyam supadyam karoti |
manashcenna lagnam guroranghripadme
tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim ||

Meaning (English)3. The Vedas with their six limbs and the knowledge of all sciences may be on one’s lips; one may possess the poetic gift and may compose fine prose and poetry; but if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?

Meaning (Hindi)वेद एवं षटवेदांगादि शास्त्र जिन्हें कंठस्थ हों, जिनमें सुन्दर काव्य-निर्माण की प्रतिभा हो, किंतु उसका मन यदि गुरु के श्रीचरणों के प्रति आसक्त न हो तो इन सदगुणों से क्या लाभ?

विदेशेषु मान्यः स्वदेशेषु धन्यः
सदाचारवृत्तेषु मत्तो न चान्यः
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम्

videsheshu manyah svadesheshu dhanyah
sadaccaravritteshu matto na canyah |
manashcenna lagnam guroranghripadme
tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim ||

Meaning (English)
4. I am honoured in other lands and I am prosperous in my homeland; in the paths of righteous conduct there is none who surpasses me; thus one may think; but if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?
Meaning (Hindi)जिन्हें विदेशों में समादर मिलता हो, अपने देश में जिनका नित्य जय-जयकार से स्वागत किया जाता हो और जो सदाचार-पालन में भी अनन्य स्थान रखता हो, यदि उसका भी मन गुरु के श्रीचरणों के प्रति अनासक्त हो तो इन सदगुणों से क्या लाभ?

---

क्षमामण्डले भूपभूपालवृन्दैः
सदा सेवितं यस्य पादारविन्दम्
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम्

kshamamandale bhupabhupalavrindaih
sada sevitam yasya padaravindam |
manashcenna lagnam guroranghripadme
tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim ||

Meaning (English)
5. One may be constantly extolled and one’s presence highly honoured by hosts of emperors and rulers of this world; but if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?
Meaning (Hindi)जिन महानुभाव के चरणकमल पृथ्वीमण्डल के राजा-महाराजाओं से नित्य पूजित रहा करते हों, किंतु उनका मन यदि गुरु के श्री चरणों में आसक्त न हो तो इसे सदभाग्य से क्या लाभ?

---

यशो मे गतं दिक्षु दानप्रतापात्
जगद्वस्तु सर्वं करे सत्प्रसादात्
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम्

yasho me gatam dikshu danapratapaj-
jagadvastu sarvam kare yatprasadat |
manashcenna lagnam guroranghripadme
tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim ||

Meaning (English)
6. My repute has travelled in all directions through my philanthropy and prowess; all the things of this world are in my hands as rewards for my virtues; but if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?

Meaning (Hindi)दानवृत्ति के प्रताप से जिनकी कीर्ति दिगदिगान्तरों में व्याप्त हो, अति उदार गुरु की सहज कृपादृष्टि से जिन्हें संसार के सारे सुख-ऐश्वर्य हस्तगत हों, किंतु उनका मन यदि गुरु के श्रीचरणों में आसक्तिभाव न रखता हो तो इन सारे ऐश्वर्यों से क्या लाभ?

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न भोगे न योगे न वा वाजिराजौ
न कान्तासुखे नैव वित्तेषु चित्तम्
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम्

na bhoge na yoge na va vadirajau
na kantamukhe naiva vitteshu cittam |
manashcenna lagnam guroranghripadme
tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim ||

Meaning (English)7. Consciousness cannot be confined to enjoyment or to yoga, nor indeed to multitudes of steeds, neither to the face of the beloved nor to riches; yet if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?

Meaning (Hindi)जिनका मन भोग, योग, अश्व, राज्य, धनोपभोग और स्त्रीसुख से कभी विचलित न हुआ हो, फिर भी गुरु के श्रीचरणों के प्रति आसक्त न बन पाया हो तो इस मन की अटलता से क्या लाभ?

---

अरण्ये न वा स्वस्य गेहे न कार्ये
न देहे मनो वर्तते मे त्वनर्घ्ये
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम्

aranye na va svasya gehe na karye
na dehe mano vartate me tvanarghye |
manashcenna lagnam guroranghripadme
tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim ||

Meaning (English)8. My mind does not dwell upon the forest nor even upon my home, nor in what is to be accomplished, not upon the body, nor upon what is auspicious; yet if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?

Meaning (Hindi)जिनका मन वन या अपने विशाल भवन में, अपने कार्य या शरीर में तथा अमूल्य भंडार में आसक्त न हो, पर गुरु के श्रीचरणों में भी यदि वह मन आसक्त न हो पाये तो उसकी सारी अनासक्तियों का क्या लाभ?

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गुरोरष्टकं यः पठेत्पुण्यदेही यतिर्भूपतिर्ब्रह्मचारी च गेही।
लभेत् वांछितार्थ पदं ब्रह्मसंज्ञं गुरोरुक्तवाक्ये मनो यस्य लग्नम्॥
gurorashtakam yah pathet-punyadehi
yatir-bhupatir-brahmacari ca gehi |
labhedvanchitartham padam brahmasamjnam
guroruktavakye mano yasya lagnam ||

Meaning (English)
9. Whoever, hallowed by holy merit, ponders the above octad extolling the Guru, whose mind is centred upon the words of the Guru, whether such a person be an ascetic, sovereign, student or householder, attains the desired goal, the consummation of union with brahman.

🤔 How it works ⁉

How do crocodiles hold their breath for so long? 🐊

Crocodiles cannot breathe underwater: they breathe air, just like people. When they are not active, they can hold their breath for a maximum of about two hours underwater before drowning. Normally, when underwater, they are active and can hold their breath for a maximum of 20 minutes to one hour.

🛕 VEDIK GYAN

Makara Sankranti or Maghi or simply Sankranthi, is a festival day in the Hindu calendar, dedicated to the deity Surya (sun). … It marks the first day of the sun’s transit into Makara rashi (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.

🧬 HEALTH CARE: HOME REMEDIES🩺
( Note : These home tips followed in villages/ancient traditions, it is up to you to use it or not🙏🏻)

Til ke laddu is with unsaturated fats. It can lower our cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease.

However, if you are adiabetic, do consult your doctor before consuming these too much, as the jaggery in it can boost sugar levels.

🙏PLZ FOLLOW GOVT. NORMS, MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE, KEEP YOURSELF & YOUR FAMILY SAFE🌼