• National Birds Day is celebrated annually on January 5^th to raise awareness about bird conservation and the importance of protecting their habitats.
• The Indian peacock, with its majestic plumage and captivating dance, is the national bird of India.

• World Day of War Orphans is observed every year on January 6^th to highlight the plight of children orphaned by wars and conflicts.
• The day aims to raise awareness about the trauma experienced by orphans and the social, psychological and physical obstacles they often need to overcome to lead a normal life.
• This day was proposed and started by the French organisation SOS Enfants en Detresses who brought to the notice of the world the amount of suffering and trauma that war orphans go through.
• The theme for the 2024 World Day of War Orphans is “Orphan Lives Matter.

• Rashmi Shukla, a 1988 batch IPS officer, was appointed DGP by the Maharashtra Government recently.
• She has become the first woman Director General of Police (DGP) of the Maharashtra Police.

• Renowned Bengali writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay has been awarded the 2023 Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar.
• He has written more than 90 books, including travelogues and fiction for children.
• The national award, named in honour of the late Kannada poet Kuvempu, celebrates writers who have made significant contributions to any Indian language.
• The esteemed award comes with a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, a silver medal, and a citation.

• 17 products from four States and 1 UT bagged the coveted Geographical Indication tag
• These are
• Odisha
  • Lanjia Saura paintings,
  • Dongaria Kondh shawl,
  • Khajuri Guda,
  • Dhenkanal Magji,
  • Similipal Kai Chutney,
  • Nayagarh
  • Kanteimundi Brinjal,
  • Koraput Kalajeera Rice
• Arunachal Pradesh
  • Handmade Carpets,
  • Wancho Wooden Craft,
  • Adi Kekir (Ginger)
• West Bengal
  • Tangail Saree,
  • Garad Saree,
  • Korial Saree,
  • Kalonunia Rice,
  • Sundarban Honey
• Gujarat
  • Kachchhi Kharek
• Jammu and Kashmir
  • Ramban Anardana

ABOUT GI TAGS

• A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
• It ensures that only the authorised users or those residing in the geographical territory are allowed to use the popular product name.
• A GI tag is covered under Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
• In India, it is issued by the Department of Industry Promotion and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• A registered GI is valid for 10 years.

• The Election Commission of India has revised rules for allocating common symbols to Registered Unrecognized Political Parties, subject to certain conditions.

• ECI announced that RUPPs which have
  • submitted their contribution reports and audited annual accounts for the past three financial years,
  • as well as election expenditure statements for their last two contested elections,
  • will be eligible for ‘concession of common symbol allotment’.
• A newly registered party, a political group that has not attained a certain vote percentage or general elections to be recognised as a state/national party, or one that has not contested elections since its registration, are considered RUPPs.

Note

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) registers political parties for the purpose of elections and grants them recognition as national or state parties on the basis of their poll performance.
• The other parties are simply declared as registered-unrecognised parties.

• Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology have created the world’s first functional semiconductor made from graphene, that is compatible with conventional microelectronics processing methods.

ABOUT GRAPHENE

• Graphene is an allotrope of Carbon.
• Graphene was discovered in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics for this in 2010.
• It is a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb-like pattern.
• It is the thinnest, most electrically and thermally conductive material in the world.
• It is almost perfectly transparent, as it absorbs only 2% of light.
• It is stronger than steel and diamond.
• Uses
  • It can be used to enhance the strength of other materials.
  • It is a great material for making heat-spreading solutions, such as heat sinks or heat dissipation films.
  • Since it is also world’s thinnest material, it also has an extremely high surface-area-to-volume ratio, which makes graphene a viable material for use in batteries and supercapacitors.

• Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, has launched ‘Prerana: An Experiential Learning program’, aiming to offer a meaningful, unique, and inspiring experience to all participants, thereby empowering them with leadership qualities.
• It is a week-long residential program for selected students of class IX to XII.
• It is an experiential and inspirational learning program for students with the best-in-class technology where heritage meets innovation.
• A batch of 20 selected students (10 boys and 10 girls) will attend the program, every week from various parts of the country.
• Prerna Program will run from a Vernacular School, established in 1888, in one of the oldest living cities of India, Vadnagar, district Mehsana, Gujarat.
• The curriculum of Prerana School is prepared by IIT Gandhi Nagar and is rooted in nine value based themes-
  • Swabhiman and Vinay, Shaurya and Sahas, Parishram and Samarpan, Karuna and Sewa, Vividhta and Ekta, Satyanishtha and Shuchita, Navachar and Jigyasa, Shraddha aur Vishwas, and Swatantrata and Kartavya.
• It aims to embody the spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” and foster unity in diversity.

• In order to improve operational capacity of the defence forces in the high-altitude areas along the IndoChina border, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will build bituminous roads using an indigenous technology, “Rejupave”.
• It has been developed by CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), India’s oldest and premier road research organisation.
• The ‘Rejupave’ technology has been successfully utilised by the BRO to produce low-temperature bituminous mixes for the construction of bituminous roads at Sela tunnel and LGG-Damteng-Yangste (LDY) road site at an altitude of 14,000 feet and 18,000 feet.

ABOUT REJUPAVE TECHNOLOGY

• The indigenous technology’s asphalt modifier is a bio oil-based product
• It is developed as a Bio-based eco-friendly product with 100% biooil.
• It brings down the production and rolling temperature of bituminous mixes by 30 degrees Celsius to 400 degrees Celsius
• It also assures negligible heat loss in the bituminous mix during transit, despite long haulage time amid snowfall.
• Using ‘Rejupave’ asphalt modifier in cold climatic regions will have improved long-term durability and better resistance to thermal cracking under low-temperature conditions.
• It also eliminates the problem of increasing road levels due to overlay.

• The Quality Council of India (QCI) and Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) signed an initial pact to enhance quality of the KVIC’s products, train artisans and introduce ‘Made in India’ label for khadi.
• It is aimed at enhancing the overall quality of the khadi ecosystem, ensuring that khadi retains its timeless appeal and becomes a global symbol of quality and sustainability.

ABOUT KVIC

• It is a statutory body established under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act, 1956.
• It functions under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
• The KVIC is charged with the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of programmes for the development of Khadi and other village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.
• At the state level, Khadi & Village Industries Boards were set up to effectively implement the schemes of KVIC in their respective states.

ABOUT QCI

• Quality Council of India (QCI) was established as a National body for Accreditation on recommendations of Expert Mission of EU after consultations in Inter-ministerial Task Force, Committee of Secretaries and Group of Ministers through a Cabinet decision in 1996.
• Accordingly, QCI was set up through a PPP model as an independent autonomous organization with the support of Government of India and the Indian Industry represented by the three premier industry associations-
  • Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM),
  • Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and
  • Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
• QCI is a non-profit organization registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
• The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry is designated as the nodal point for QCI.