Today's Current Affairs 24th January 2023

NATIONAL

President Draupadi Murmu confers Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 

• President, Draupadi Murmu conferred this year's Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar to the awardee children and their parents in New Delhi on January 24, 2023. 
• The prizes were given to 11 youngsters for their outstanding achievements in six categories: art, culture, bravery, innovation, social service, and sports. Six boys and five girls from 11 states and union territories received awards. 
• Each awardee got a medal, a one lakh rupee cash prize, and a certificate from the President.

After Co-Win, Govt Launches U-WIN To Digitise Universal Immunisation Programme

• Named U-WIN, the programme to digitise India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) has been launched in a pilot mode in two districts of each state and Union Territory.
• The platform will be used to register and vaccinate every pregnant woman, record her delivery outcome, register every newborn delivery, administer birth doses and all vaccination events thereafter.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann launches Schools of Eminence Project

• Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched Schools of Eminence in Mohali and said it is a revolutionary step for ensuring golden future of the students. Inspired by Delhi’s Schools of Specialized Excellence, in the first phase, 117 existing government schools will be upgraded as ‘Schools of Eminence’.

IndiGrid to acquire 100% stake in Khargone Transmission for Rs 1497 crore

• India Grid Trust will acquire a 100 per equity stake in Khargone Transmission at an enterprise value of about Rs 1,497.5 crore. The acquisition will be for a cash consideration of an enterprise value not exceeding Rs 1,497. 5 crore. The Khargone Transmission was incorporated on November 28, 2015. The transmission project was awarded by the Ministry of Power for 35 years.

Business 20 inception meeting began in Gujarat; Minister Piyush Goyal asks businesses to adopt sustainable & green business

• Several policymakers, including Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal besides business leaders and senior executives represented businesses of the G20 countries are participating in the three-day B20 India inception meeting. The Business 20 is amongst the most prominent official engagement groups in G20. The three day B20 inception meeting was held in Gandhinagar.

 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Indian Army launched a joint training exercise Cyclone-1 with Egypt

• The first-ever combined exercise between the Indian Army's special forces and the Egyptian Army, dubbed "Exercise Cyclone-I," has been underway at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, since January 14, 2023.
• The exercise intends to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation by focusing on the exchange of professional skills and interoperability of Special Forces in a desert environment while conducting counter-terrorism, reconnaissance, raids, and other special operations.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

National Girl Child Day 

• National Girl Child Day is marked on January 24 to celebrate the girl child. The day, an initiative of Ministry of Women and Child Development, has been celebrated in India every year since 2008. It was celebrated for the first time with an aim to raise awareness about the inequalities faced by girls and women in society at various levels.

 International Day of Education  

• The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as the International Day of Education with an aim to emphasise the role of education for peace and development. The theme for 2023 is 'To Invest in People, Prioritize Education.' UNESCO has dedicated this year's International Education Day to women of Afghanistan who are being deprived of their right to education.