Current Affairs Section
- The theme “AI and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation”.
- The first International Day of Education was observed on January 24, 2019.
- Meanwhile, India celebrates its National Education Day celebrated on November 11 to mark the birth anniversary of India’s first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
Category: Important Days
- This Year’s Theme “Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure” is a continuation of last year’s theme emphasizing the importance of participation in the electoral process, and encouraging voters to take pride in exercising their franchise.
- The first copy of the ECI Coffee Table Book titled “India Votes 2024: A saga of democracy” will be presented to the Hon’ble President by Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar
- A short clip of the upcoming docu-drama series “India Decides” produced by Warner Bros Discovery will also be released at the event.
- An ECI publication “Belief in the Ballot: Human stories shaping India’s 2024 elections” will also be presented to the Hon’ble President by the Commission
Category: Important Days
- National Prakram Diwas to be celebrated on 23 January on 128th birth anniversary of Subash Chandra Bose
Category: Important Days
- The day aims to raise awareness about the rights, education, and well-being of girls.
- The theme of National Girl Child Day 2025 is “Empowering Girls for a Bright Future.”
- National Girl Child Day is observed every year on January 24 to foster a positive environment that values and empowers the girl child.
Category: Important Days
- National Youth Day is observed in India every year on January 12 to honour the ideals of Swami Vivekananda who was born on January 12, 1863, in Kolkata.
- 12th of January 2025 marks the 162nd birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, and is celebrated as National Youth Day.
- Literary Works: Wrote books like Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Karma Yoga.
- Death: Passed away on July 4, 1902.
- He preached a philosophy called “neo-Vedanta,” which provided an interpretation of Hinduism through a Western lens.
- Vivekananda believed in the harmony between spirituality and material progress.
- Swami Vivekananda gained global recognition for his remarkable speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893.
- He introduced Hinduism to America and called for religious tolerance and an end to fanaticism at the Parliament.
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose referred to him as the “maker of modern India.”
Category: Important Days
- Upon the death of Gautama Buddha in 400 BC, Buddhism divided into two sects: Mahayana and Hinayana.
- The Mahayana sect, which means ‘Great Vehicle’ in Sanskrit, believed in the divinity of the Buddha. The sect encouraged idol worship in Buddhism.
- The Hinayana sect, meaning ‘Small Vehicle’ in Sanskrit, did not believe in the divinity of the Buddha. It stressed individual salvation through self-discipline and mediation.
- Buddhists all over the world will celebrate Mahayana New Year on January 14 of this year. Various Buddhist philosophies and ideologies are referred to as Mahayana.
- One of Buddhism's two main branches, Mahayana is primarily practiced in Northeast Asia.
- Tibet, Taiwan, Mongolia, China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Mahayana Buddhism is practiced according to customs and traditions unique to each region.
Category: Important Days
- Every year, January 8 is recognized as Earth Rotation Day. Today marks the anniversary of French physicist Leon Foucault's 1851 proof that the Earth revolves on its axis.
- To prove his theory, Foucault suspended a lead-filled brass sphere, now called the Foucault Pendulum from the top of the Pantheon in Paris. He showed that the plane of the swing of the pendulum rotated relative to the Earth’s rotation. You can now see the Foucault Pendulum demonstrating the rotation of the Earth in science museums around the world.
Category: Important Days