Today’s Top News: 18th January, 2021 (GPN):

NATIONAL NEWS:

1. The Health Ministry on Sunday released details of COVID-19 vaccination schedule in all states. It said all big states have been asked to conduct vaccinations on any four days every week, while smaller states like Goa will hold vaccination session on any two days since their population is lesser.
2. Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched several projects in Bagalkot district of Karnataka. : On his two-day visit to Karnataka, the Union Home Minister inaugurated the expansion project of a Sugar Mill and the 75th branch of Vijaya Bank.
3. Earthquake Of 3.5 Magnitude Hits Near Nashik In Maharashtra
   The epicentre of the earthquake was 101 km west of Nashik. The earthquake struck at 10:00 PM at a depth of 5 km from the surface.
4. Janata Dal (United) student wing leader Alok Tejashwi was allegedly shot at by criminals in Bakhtiarpur area of Patna on Sunday . He has been admitted in a hospital,His condition is said to be critical.
5. Bird Flu: Centre reassures eating chicken, eggs safe: Poultry meat cooked at more than 70 degree Celsius for 30 minutes inactivated the virus and is safe to consume, Centre’s guidelines say.
   The Ministry of Fisheries, in its latest report on Bird Flu, requested state governments to ‘rethink’ their decisions to impose a ban on the sale of poultry products and urged them to allow sale of poultry items sourced from the non-infected areas/states.
6. Eastern Railways to begin E-Catering Services at select soon which were suspended as a measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.
7. Case Filed After Misleading Pamphlets On Covid Vaccine Shots Appear In UP : The pamphlets, found in posh Rajendra Nagar locality in Bareilly, appealed to a particular community to avoid taking the vaccines.
8. Reigniting the border war between Karnataka and Maharashtra, CM Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday, paid tribute to the martyrs of the border war, stating that bringing back the Marathi-speaking areas of Karnataka into the state was the only befitting tribute. Asserting his commitment to solve the ‘border dispute’, Thackeray added promised to fulfill it. He referred to Belgaum as ‘Karnataka-occupied-Maharashtra’ in Assembly the regional issue in December 2019.
9. Agri laws protests: Supreme court hearing on Monday Agitating farmer unions on Sunday remained firm on holding a tractor rally on the Republic Day and vowed to continue their stir till the agri laws are repealed. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar urged them to discuss alternatives to scrapping the legislation at the next meeting scheduled for January 19.
10. Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Sunday finalised the route for ‘Kisan Tractor Parade’ to be scheduled on January 26 and announced that the ‘parade’ will be organised on Outer Ring Road in the national capital.
11. 103-year-old casts vote in Himachal panchayat polls : Shyam Saran Negi — believed to be India’s oldest voter at 103 years of age, who also participated in the 1951-52 general election which was the country’s first — cast his ballot on Sunday at Kalpa in the high Himalayas in the first phase of Panchayati Raj polls in Himachal Pradesh.
12. The Shiv Sena has decided to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal, party MP Sanjay Raut said on Sunday.
13. Ayodhya Mosque Project Begins On Jan 26 With Raising Flag, Planting Trees : The mosque truest said they discussed the programme and issues like the delay in getting clearances from the Income Tax Department and those for receiving foreign contributions.
14. The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust Ayodhya is conducting a mass contact and contribution campaign for the construction of the grand temple in Ayodhya which began on January 15 and will go on till February 27. President Ramnath Kovind on Friday donated Rs 5,00,100 as a contribution towards the construction of Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya.
15. Bollywood star Akshay Kumar on Sunday sent out a call to fans to contribute for the Lord Ram temple being built in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya following the landmark Supreme Court verdict in the decades-long dispute over the site. The Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) trust, which will build the mosque on a five-acre plot.
16. Aari Arjuna was announced as the winner of Bigg Boss Tamil Season 4 on Sunday . Aari beat Balaji Murugadoss to lift the trophy of Bigg Boss Tamil 4.
17. PM Narendra Modi Condoles Death Of Music Great Ghulam Mustafa Khan. He was passed away on Sunday afternoon at his Mumbai home. He was 89.
18. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) 41st Battalion has started organising internet based classes for local school children in naxal affected Chhattisgarh’s Kondagaon District. They also educated students about maintaining social distance, proper sanitization & hygienic methods.
19. As the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive began on January 16, Indian Navy officers received their first shot in Visakhapatnam. Navy officers cherished the historical moment.
20. Coronavirus Cases:
    10,567,355
    Deaths: 152,383
    Recovered: 10,205,087

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1. India and Japan signed Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation: India and Japan will enhance cooperation in the field of telecom security, 5G technologies, submarine optical fiber cable system to islands of India, smart cities, spectrum management, high altitude platform for broadband in unconnected areas, public safety and disaster management.
2. India conducts world’s largest COVID-19 vaccine drive, : As India commenced the massive COVID-19 immunization drive on Saturday, 191,181 individuals received the first shot of the vaccine on day one of the inoculation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the pan-India rollout of COVID-19 vaccination drive via video conferencing.
3. India condemns attack against UN peacekeepers in Mali : A Burundian peacekeeper from the UN mission in the Central African Republic (C.A.R) was killed Friday during an attack perpetrated by a rebel group, following which, another peacekeeper from Egypt was killed in Mali’s northern Kidal region the same day.
4. Nepal requests early provision of COVID-19 vaccines, India assures priority : Nepal has lauded India over its vaccination drive saying that India is a frontrunner in starting vaccinating people against COVID-19 and this has given Kathmandu “great hope”. On January 15 (Friday), Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali had said that Nepal too will be availing the COVID-19 vaccines.
5. Britain to host G7 summit at Cornwall in June. : UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in the first in-person G7 summit in almost two years to be held in the Cornwall region from June 11 to 13.

WORLD NEWS

1. Bangladesh will create a fund of Tk 1000 crore to provide concessional financing for building cineplexes and cinema halls for the people of the country . Bangladesh PM Shaik Haseena said.
2. Attack against UN peacekeepers in Mali : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday strongly condemned the attack and said attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes.
3. US President-elect Joe Biden will wait for a recommendation from his intelligence advisers on whether to share classified information with President Donald Trump after the Republican leaves office, Biden`s top aide said on Sunday.
4. US state capitals, Washington on alert for possible pro-Donald Trump armed protests : The FBI warned police agencies of possible armed demonstrations outside all 50 state capitol buildings starting Saturday through President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, fuelled by supporters of President Donald Trump who believe his false claims of electoral fraud.
5. The novel coronavirus was found on ice cream cartons produced in China’s eastern region which prompted a recall of the product. The city government in a statement informed that the Daqiaodao Food Co, Ltd in Tianjin, was sealed and the employees were being tested for COVID-19. There was no indication anyone had contracted the virus from the ice cream.
6. Coronavirus Cases:
   95,190,015
   Deaths: 2,035,297
   Recovered: 67,955,970

Sports:

1. BORDER-GAVASKAR TROPHY, 2020/21, 4TH TEST

Australia 369 (115.2) , 204/5 (56.3)
Australia lead by 133 runs with 8 wickets remaining
India 336 (111.4)

2. Team India cricket all-rounder Hardik Pandya came forward and paid an emotional tribute to his father Himanshu after he passed away on Saturday due to a heart attack .

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Facts about India

Vivekananda Rock Memorial is a popular tourist monument in Vavathurai, Kanyakumari, India. It was built in 1970 in honour of Swami Vivekananda who is said to have attained enlightenment on the rock. According to local legends, it was on this rock that Goddess Kumari performed austerity. A meditation hall known as Dhyana Mandapam is also attached to the memorial for visitors to meditate. The design of the mandapa incorporates different styles of temple architecture from all over India. The rocks are surrounded by the Laccadive Sea. The memorial consists of two main structures, the Vivekananda Mandapam and the Shripada Mandapam.

Thought of the day

To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind.

Joke of the day

Interviewer : What is skeleton?
Pappu : Skeleton is a person who started dieting but forgot to stop it..!!!

Why

why our skin becomes oily

Oily skin is the result of the overproduction of sebum from sebaceous glands. These glands are located under the skin’s surface. Sebum is an oily substance made of fats. Sebum isn’t all bad since it helps protect and moisturize your skin and keep your hair shiny and healthy

LEARN Sanskrit

Saliva लाला:/ उद्गार

How it works 

How do bones develop and grow?

As you grow, the cartilage in your bones grows. Over time, it slowly gets replaced by bone with the help of calcium. This process is called ossification. During ossification, layer upon layer of calcium and phosphate salts begin to accumulate on cartilage cells.

GK TODAY

ISRO built India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, which was launched by the Soviet Union on 19 April 1975. It was named after the mathematician Aryabhata. In 1980, Rohini became the first satellite to be placed in orbit by an Indian-made launch vehicle, SLV-3.

 VEDIK GNAN

Yaa Devi Sarva-Bhutessu Shakti-Ruupenna Samsthitaa |
Namas-Tasyai Namas-Tasyai Namas-Tasyai Namo Namah ||

To that Devi Who in All Beings is Abiding in the Form of Power,
Salutations to Her, Salutations to Her, Salutations to Her, Salutations again and again.

 HEALTH CARE: HOME REMEDIES

( Note : These home tips followed in villages/ancient traditions, it is up to you to use it or not)

Benefits of Morning human Saliva

It can be used as a natural ointment for external wounds, a cure for pimples, acne or marks on the face, boils that occur during summers and also for lubricating eyes.

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