• National

Southern Railway won number one for cleanliness

• The Southern Railway has bagged the number one position for cleanliness in all the 17 railway zones in the country.
• This achievement was under the category of other than Premium Category trains in the recent Trains Cleanliness Survey conducted by IRCTC on all India level.
• The survey is conducted once a year to periodically monitor the progress of ‘Swachh Rail Swachh Bharat’ mission.
• Two private companies (IRCLASS Systems and Solutions Pvt. Ltd and IPSOS Research Private Limited) were engaged to conduct the survey on behalf of IRCTC.

• National

Beating Retreat ceremony held at Vijay Chowk, New Delhi

• Beating Retreat ceremony held at the historic Vijay Chowk (the victory square) in New Delhi.
• This year, 15 Military Bands, 15 Pipes and Drums Bands from Regimental Centres and Battalions are participating in Beating the Retreat ceremony.
• The event will end with the ever-popular tune of ‘Sare Jahan Se Acha’.
• The ‘Beating Retreat’ ceremony is held here every year on 29th January, marking the culmination of the four-day-long Republic Day celebrations.

• International

India Replaces Japan To Become Second-Largest Crude Steel Producer

• India has replaced Japan as the world’s 2nd largest steel producing country, while China is the largest producer of crude steel, accounting for more than 51% of production, according to the World Steel Association.
• The global steel body, in its latest report, stated that China’s crude steel output jumped 6.6% to 928.3 million tonnes in 2018 from 870.9 MT in 2017.
• China’s share increased from 50.3 percent in 2017 to 51.3% in 2018.
• India’s crude steel production in 2018 was at 106.5 MT, up 4.9% from 101.5 MT in 2017. Japan produced 104.3 MT in 2018, down 0.3% compared to 2017.

• International

Tornado hits Cuba

• A huge tornado hit the Cuban capital, Havana, had left four people dead and 195 injured.
• It is the strongest tornado to hit Cuba in nearly 80 years.
• Miguel Angel Hernandez of the Cuban Center for Meteorology said the tornado was a Category F3, with winds between 155 and 199 miles per hour, produced when a cold front hit Cuba’s northern coast.
• Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

• International

Suman Kumari Pak 1st Hindu woman judge

• Suman Kumari has become the first Hindu woman in Pakistan to be appointed as a civil judge.
• She hails from Qambar-Shahdadkot, will serve in her native district.
• The first judge from the Hindu community was Justice Rana Bhagwandas, who served as the acting chief justice for brief periods between 2005 and 2007.

• Economy and Business

GST On Haj Reduced From 18% To 5%

• Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi stated that GST on Haj has been reduced from 18% to 5% and this will significantly lower the airfare thus saving Haj pilgrims’ 113 crore rupees this year.
• Naqvi also stated that for the first time since the independence 2,340 women from India will go on 2019 Haj without Mehram.

• Awards

Numaligarh Refineries receives 'Best Miniratna PSU' award

• The ‘Numaligarh Refinery Limited’ (NRL) has been awarded the best Miniratna PSU (public sector undertaking) in strategic performance (Financial Category).
• The award was presented to S K Barua (MD of NRL) by Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari and Poonam Dhillon at an award function held in New Delhi.
• The company was awarded for its efforts in the country’s growth and strategic performance.

• Awards

‘Kisan Gandhi’ tableau wins first prize.

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research tableau in the Republic Day Parade has won the first prize for its Kisan Gandhi theme.
• The ICAR tableau with the theme “Mishrit Kheti, Khushiyon Ki Kheti” portrayed Gandhi with goats and a cow and Kasturba engaged with charkha and caring animals.
• The tableau showcased a view from Bapu Kuti at Wardha Ashram.

• Important Days

Data Protection Day: Jan 28

• The Council of Europe had launched a Data Protection Day to be celebrated each year on 28 January, the date on which the Council of Europe’s data protection convention, known as “Convention 108”, was opened to the signature.
• Data Protection Day is now celebrated globally and is called Data Privacy Day outside Europe.
• The data protection convention, which is the only international treaty in this field, is being updated to ensure that its data protection principles are still in line with today’s needs.

• States

India’s second Tulip garden to come up in Uttarakhand

• Uttarakhand Government has obtained the permission to develop the Tulip garden in Pithoragarh district.
• It will be the second Tulip garden (first in Srinagar, J&K) in the country.
• The site was selected under the 13 districts, 13 new destinations’ scheme, to attract more tourists to Uttarakhand.
• It will be developed by ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation), under its CSR program in over 50 hectares of forest land near Chandak hilltop in Pithoragarh district at a cost of Rs. 50 cr.

• States

First Astro Turf Football Pitch inaugurated

• Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio inaugurates state’s first Astro Turf Football Pitch at Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima on the occasion of 100th Birth Anniversary of the legendary footballer, Dr. T. Ao
• The project was conceived in the year 2013-14 with total cost of 498 lakh rupees.
• The Astro turf has been installed following specifications of FIFA.
• The size of the play field is 105×66 meters.