• National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is observed every year on January 11^th to raise awareness about the plight of the victims and the practices that can be regularised in order to save these lives.
• In 2007, the United States Senate declared January 11 as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

• Russia said recently that its military would do everything possible to stop the Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod, a border town where hundreds were evacuated after fatal bombardments.
• Belgorod has suffered an uptick in fatal shelling attacks in recent weeks that prompted city officials to recently evacuate hundreds and extend a closure of schools.
• Itis located on the Seversky Donets River, approximately 40 kilometers north of the border with Ukraine.

• The Indian Navy has deployed a P-8I aircraft at Guam, USA for navy’s participation in the fourth edition of Ex Sea Dragon 24.
• The Sea Dragon is an annual, multinational anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise conducted by the United States Navy.
• Ex Sea Dragon 24 fosters collaboration and interoperability among the navies of the US, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and India.
• The annual exercise launched in 2014.

• World Bank released its latest “Global Economic Prospects 2024” report recently.

Major findings

• Global growth is forecast to slow for the third year in a row in 2024, dipping to 2.4% from 2.6% in 2023.
• Global trade growth in 2024 is expected to be only half the average in the decade before pandemic.
• Risks –
  • The recent conflict in the Middle East, Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine, has heightened geopolitical risks which could lead to surging energy prices, with broader implications for global activity and inflation.
  • Other risks include- financial stress related to elevated real interest rates, persistent inflation, weaker-than-expected growth in China, further trade fragmentation, and climate change-related disasters.

• The over-a-century old Yakshagana mela, the Kateel Durgaparameshwari Prasadita Yakshagana Mandali, in Dakshina Kannada will revert to all-night shows from January 14, after the High Court of Karnataka gave the go-ahead for it subject to adherence to noise pollution rules.
• The HC allowed the mela to perform from dusk to dawn adhering to the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.

ABOUT THE MELA

• It refers to a traditional form of theater performance known as Yakshagana, which is predominantly found in the state of Karnataka, India.
  • “Kateel” refers to the town of Kateel in Karnataka, which is known for its own unique troupes or ‘Melas’ performing this art form.
• It is mainly based on stories from Hindu epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
  • Devi Mahatme is the most popular prasanga (episode) preferred by many.
• They are usually performed on open-air stages at night and can last up to several hours.
• Most shows of the mela are “harake” (hosting the Yakshagana show for God fulfilling a wish)
• The troupes mainly tour in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasaragod (Kerala) districts.

• Indian Navy’s Fast Attack Craft INS Kabra arrived at Colombo, Sri Lanka recently.
• The visit strengthens the bilateral cooperation and camaraderie between the two Navies in keeping with the Prime Minister’s vision of SAGAR.

ABOUT INS KABRA

• INS Kabra is a naval vessel named after an island of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.
• It belongs to the Car Nicobar class of high-speed offshore patrol vessels which are built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) for the Indian Navy.
• Kabra was eighth in a series of 10 Fast Attack Crafts.
• The vessels are designed as a cost-effective platform for patrol, anti-piracy and rescue operations in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

• The Central government has launched a new solar scheme worth Rs 515 crore for electrification in Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) habitations and villages under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) programme during 2023-24 to 2025-26.
• It will be disbursed over three years, starting with Rs 20 crore in the current financial year, Rs 255 crore in 2024-25, and Rs 240 crore in 2025-26.
• It aims to cover the electrification of one lakh un-electrified households in PVTG areas identified by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• These areas are spread across 18 states and Union Territories (UT): Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, and the UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• Components
  • Electrification of 1 Lakh PVTG households (HHs) through Off-grid solar power through
    • Solar Home Lighting Systems for scattered households
    • Solar Mini-grids for a cluster of households
  • Solarization of multi-purpose centers (MPCs) by installation of Off-grid Solar power pack with battery bank.
• The respective DISCOMs in PVTG area will be the implementing agency.

• The country’s first Healthy and Hygienic Food Street ‘Prasadam’ was inaugurated in Neelkanth Van, Mahakal Lok, in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
• This street will provide pure and clean food to the devotees.
• The newly launched food street is designed to provide various facilities including a kids’ play area, drinking water facility, CCTV surveillance, parking, public conveniences and seating spaces.
• Spread over an area of 939 square metres with a total number of 17 shops, ‘Prasadam’ offers convenient and culturally rich dining options for the 1-1.5 lakh devotees who visit the Mahakaleshwar Temple.

ABOUT MAHAKALESHWAR TEMPLE

• Mahakaleshwar(‘Lord of time’), refers to Lord Shiva.
• As per Hindu mythology, the temple was constructed by Lord Brahma and is presently located alongside the holy river Shipra.
• The shrine is revered as one the 18 Maha Shaktia Peeth in India.
• Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain is one of the 12 jyotirlingas considered the most sacred abodes of Shiva.
• It is the only jyotirlinga facing the south, while all the others face east.
  • This is because the direction of death is believed to be the south.
• The temple in its present form was built by the Maratha general Ranoji Shinde in 1734 CE.

• National Centre for Seismology recently reported an earthquake of 3.9 magnitude , with its epicenter near Kishtwar in J&K.
• There were no reports of any loss of life or damage to property.

ABOUT NATIONAL CENTRE FOR SEISMOLOGY

• National Center for Seismology (NCS) is the nodal agency of the Government of India for monitoring earthquake activity in the country.
• It is an attached office of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES).
• NCS maintains the National Seismological Network of 155 stations each having state of art equipment and spreading all across the country.
• NCS monitors earthquake activity all across the country through its 24×7 around-the-clock monitoring center.
• NCS also monitors earthquake swarm and aftershock by deploying a temporary observatory close to the affected region.

FACT

• The first seismological observatory of the country was established at Alipore (Calcutta) on 1 December 1898 after the great Shillong plateau earthquake of 
• Earthquake measurement- The earthquake events are measured either according to the magnitude or intensity of the shock.
• The magnitude scale is known as the Richter scale which relates to the energy released during the quake. The magnitude is expressed in absolute numbers, 0-10.
• The intensity scale is named after Mercalli, an Italian seismologist. The intensity scale takes into account the visible damage caused by the event. The range of intensity scale is from 1-12.

• Lily Gladstone recently became the Golden Globes’ first Indigenous winner of best actress in a drama.
• She won for her role as Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorsese’s epic Killers of the Flower Moon.
• During her acceptance speech, she spoke to the live TV audience in the Blackfeet language.
  • Blackfoot is an Algonquian language spoken in the Blackfeet Nation in Montana in the USA, and in the Piikani, Siksika and Kainai Nations in southern Alberta in Canada.
  • As of 2016, it had about 2900 native speakers.