Places in news in the month of January

Ahmedabad nominated for UNESCO heritage city tag

•       The government has decided to nominate Ahmedabad for the UNESCO world heritage city tag of the year.

•       January 30 is the last date for countries to send their nominations to UNESCO for the title, results of which will be announced in June 2017, and the government has confirmed that Ahmedabad, and not Delhi or Mumbai, is its pick.

•       The Delhi government had written to the Culture Ministry to resend Delhi’s nomination, which was abruptly “put on hold” last year. On the other hand, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and actor Amitabh Bachchan wrote to Sharma and PM Narendra Modi, respectively, to push for Mumbai this time. Incidentally, Bachchan is also the ambassador for Gujarat Tourism.

Assam Regiment adjudged Best Marching Contingent on Republic Day Parade 2016

•       The Assam Regiment has been adjudged as the Best Marching Contingent amongst the three Services in the Republic Day Parade.

•       The contingent comprising of 149 soldiers from the seven states of Northeast India was led by Lieutenant Aditya Bisht.

•       The impressive victory comes in the beginning of the Platinum Jubilee year of the Assam Regiment.

•       The Assam Regiment was raised on 15 Jun 1941 and draws its troops from the seven North Eastern states.

IAF Jet Targets ‘Balloon-Like’ Object in Rajasthan

•       Indian Air Force Radar had picked up an unidentified flying object moving easterly in Jaisalmer Area.

•       An Indian Air Force fighter jet intercepted the object which was found to be balloon of about 3 meters diameter.

Parrikar hoists highest tricolour at Ranchi

•       Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar hoisted the largest tricolour in the country atop the tallest pole at Pahari Mandir in Ranchi on the occasion of birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

•       The flag is 66 feet in height, 99 feet in width and it is hoisted on a 293 feet tall pole.

•       Faridabad had the tallest National flag at the height of 246 feet.

Mosquito-borne Zika virus created a panic over thousands birth defects in the Latin America countries

•       •Mosquito-borne Zika virus has created a panic over thousands birth defects in the Latin America countries. New case of child born with the virus has been reported in these countries.

•       However, Brazil is experiencing the largest known outbreak of Zika with most cases in the north-east region.

Jodhpur's Umaid Bhavan Palace Just Got Voted The World's Best Hotel

•       Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, has been declared the world’s best hotel of 2016 by TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice.

•       The palace which was once called Chittar Royal Palace now operates as a hotel.

Endangered olive ridley turtles found dead on India coast

•       Carcasses of over 150 Olive Ridley turtles and a bottlenose dolphin washed ashore were recovered by Forest department officials

•       The carcasses were found on the beach near Pantha Niwas in Puri.

•       Tens of thousands of olive ridley turtles also come to the shores of southern India to lay eggs every year between January and April.

Somnath temple to invest in Gold Monetisation Scheme

•       The Somnath Temple is all set to become Gujarat's first temple to deposit its idle gold in the Gold Monetisation Scheme as its trustees including Prime Minister Narendra Modi have given their nod to invest the yellow metal reserves in the scheme.

•       The trust has around 35 kg of gold and will deposit the gold which is not in day-to-day use of the temple.

International Kolkata Book Fair on Jan 27

•       The 40th edition of the International Kolkata Book Fair – the world’s largest non-trade fair – is all set to bring to life a slice of history. The history of: Kolkata’s love affair with books.

•       In a first of its kind, the Publishers and Booksellers Guild organisers of the International Kolkata Book Fair will organise a ‘heritage walk’ that takes the person through the 39-year-old journey of the fair.

Seven Ancient Buddhist Caves Discovered In Mumbai National Park

•       Seven caves have been discovered in the forests of the sprawling Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivli, on the northern fringes of the city.

·        •The caves are Buddhist 'viharas' (residences for monks) with only one of them showing the remains of a 'harmika' (the top railing of a stupa).

•       They are believed to have been constructed before the Kanheri Caves nearby and probably served as a monsoon shelter for the monks.

•       All 7 caves estimated to have been bulit between 1st century BC and 5th-6th century AD,that is before the kanheri caves.

DoNER Ministry organises joint celebration of 'Lohri', 'Bihu' festivals

•       The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh participated in the joint celebration of twin festivals of “Lohri” and “Bihu”.

•       The event was attended by young students from Jammu & Kashmir and Northeast.

School of Artillery Conducts Exercise ‘Sarvatra Prahar’ at Devlali Field Firing Ranges

•       “Ex Sarvatra Prahar” was conducted by the School of Artillery at Devlali, where a plethora of equipment showcasing the Regiment of Artillery was employed and its firepower displayed.

•       The exercise was conducted through a tactical situation requiring an appreciation of the operation and preparation of an Artillery fire plan in support of the operation.

•       During the exercise the entire range of guns, from the indigenous 120 mm Mortars, 155 mm Soltam, 105 mm Indian Field Gun, 105 mm Light Field Gun, 130 mm Medium Gun to the sophisticated 155 mm FH 77B Bofors and 122 mm Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher GRAD BM 21, demonstrated their destructive power.

HRD Ministry inaugurates permanent campus of IISER in Thiruvananthapuram

•        Union Human Resource Development Minister Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated the permanent campus (Phase I) of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) at Vithura near Thiruvananthapuram

•        the Department of Higher Education will allow the new IISER Centre to recruit five foreign faculties as part of improving research and international exposure to the students as part of the new Global Initiative of Academic Network (GIAN) of the Ministry.

Constro 2016 to focus on 'Smart City' concept

•        The 2016 edition of the Constro exhibition will be held in Pune from January 14-17 and will focus on the Smart City concept.

•        Organised by the Pune Construction Engineering Research Foundation (PCERF), this is the 14th edition of the bi-annual event which is one of the biggest international fairs on construction machinery, materials, methods and projects.

•        The exhibition will provide an insight of the current state of the modern city and the measures that need to be taken to create a smart city.

20th National Youth Festival inaugurated in Naya Raipur

•        The 20th National Youth Festival was inaugurated in at the upcoming-capital, Naya Raipur of Chhattisgarh.

•        It is an annual gathering of students being jointly organised by Chhattisgarh Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangthan and National Service Scheme.

•        The festival will see the participation of over 6000 youths from across the country except West Bengal.

Kullu folk dance finds place in Guinness book of world records

•        Kullu Dussehra is the renowned International Mega Dussehra festival observed in the month of October in Himachal Pradesh state in northern India.

•        The colourful Kullu folk dance (Nati), which saw participation of 20,000 dancers during Kullu Dussehra festival on October 26 last year, has entered the Guinness book of world records.

•        In the Nati, 10,000 men and women attired in traditional Kullu dress performed at Dhalpur Ground during Kullu Dussehra festival on October 26 last year.

•        The jamboree of over 20,000 people danced to spread the message of Beti Hai Anmol (Girl child is precious).

24th New Delhi World Book Fair opens

•        Human Resource Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the 24th edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair which commenced here with China as the guest of honour country and a theme presentation of the cultural heritage of India.

•        The nine-day fair, touted as the largest in Asia, is hosting about 30 countries

•        China was invited to be the guest country after the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping last year where he signed a memorandum of understanding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

3D Photography of Artefacts in National Museum, New Delhi

•        National Museum has already digitized approximately 15,759 antiquities in 2D format and now with the new vision of the Ministry of Culture,

•        A 3D digitization Pilot project has been initiated to take it to another level.

•        This project once completed will be a pioneering effort in the field of museum experience

World's largest blue star sapphire stone found in sri lanka

•        The world’s largest blue star sapphire, weighing 1404.49 carets and valued at an astonishing $100 million, has been found in a mine in Sri Lanka.

•        Sri Lankan gemmologists say the sapphire was found in the city of Ratnapura, in southern Sri Lanka, which is known as the ’City of Gems.’

•        It has now been valued at $100 million with estimates that it could even be sold at auction for $175 million.

•        The current record for a blue star sapphire is 1,395 carats

Mysuru to get India's first river gallery

•        Karnataka’s Tourism and the National Academy of Sciences of India (NASI) have signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a Cauvery river gallery in Mysuru.

•        The gallery, to be built at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore, is expected to showcase the life, culture and biodiversity along the river from its birth in Kodagu till it reaches the Bay of Bengal.

•        The exhibits at the gallery would also include multimedia features and electronic display to provide the visitors an immersive experience of life and culture along the river.

Scientists discover invasive species of snowflake coral off coast of Thiruvananthapuram

•        Scientists have recently discovered the presence of several colonies of an invasive species of snowflake coral off the coast of Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari.

•        Colonies of snowflake coral ( Carijoa riisei ), an invasive species recently documented off the coast of Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari, could pose a serious threat to the marine ecology of the region.

•        In India, it has been reported from the Gulf of Mannar, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gulf of Kutch and Goa.

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Indian Science Congress in Mysuru

•        Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the five-day 103rd Indian Science Congress (ISC) in Mysore, Karnataka.

•        The theme of Science Congress this year is 'Science and Technology for Indigenous Development in India'

New helicopter manufacturing unit of HAL in Tumkur district

•        The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, unveiled a plaque for the foundation stone of a new helicopter manufacturing unit of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Tumkur district in Karnataka.

•        The first helicopter built in this unit may take flight by 2018.

Terrorist Attack at Air Force Station Pathankot

•        Intelligence inputs had been available of a likely attempt by terrorists to infiltrate into the military installation in Pathankot area. (Punjab)

•        In response, preparatory actions had been taken by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to thwart any such attempt.

Nitin Gadkari inaugurates Capital Dredging of Navigational Channel at Mormugaon Port

•        Union Minister for Road Transport &Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated Capital Dredging of Navigational Channel at Cruise Berth at Mormugaon Port in Goa.