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Current Affairs Capsule – January 26, 2020

January 26, 2020
Posted by: Team CP
Category: Current Affairs Capsule

European Union named Portuguese diplomat Joao Vale de Almeida as its first ambassador to the post-Brexit United Kingdom after Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 24th January, 2020 signed the agreement to leave the bloc. Vale de has previously served as an ambassador for the European Union in Washington and the United Nations. He has worked as a journalist before joining the European Commission in 1982. He will take charge as the Ambassador to the UK on 1st February, 2020.
Government of India announced 141 Padma Awards for the year 2020 on the occasion of 71st Republic Day. It includes 7 Padma Vibhushans, 16 Padma Bhushans and 118 Padma Shri awards. Among the awardees, 34 are women, 18 are foreigners and 12 persons have been awarded posthumously. Former Union Ministers George Fernandes, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley will be awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously. Boxer MC Mary Kom will also get Padma Vibhushan. Former Chief Minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar to be conferred Padma Bhushan posthumously. Footballer Oinem Bembem Devi, Film Director Karan Johar, Actress Kangna Ranaut are also among the Padma Shri awardees.
Republic Day is celebrated every year on 26th January to commemorate the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect in 1950 replacing the Government of India Act, 1935 as the governing document of India and thus, turning the nation into a newly formed republic. The Constitution was adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly on 26th November 1949 and came into effect on 26th January 1950. The day marks when India declared itself a “Sovereign, Democratic and Republic” state. Republic Day is a national holiday in India.
International Customs Day (ICD) is celebrated every year on 26th January to recognize the role of custom officials and agencies in maintaining the border security. The day commemorates the formation of the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC). The WCO was earlier called as the Customs Cooperation Council and was renamed in 1994. The day was instituted in 1953.
An International Summit on Women in STEM – “Visualizing the Future: New Skylines” was held on 23rd January and 24thJanuary, 2020 at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. It was organised by the Department of Biotechnology with the overall aim to boost the participation of women in the STEM field for development of scientific career. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The summit provided a good platform for young students and researchers to interact and network with leaders in the field, to develop ideas and generate a future action plan for making career in STEM fields.
The first Ganga Volga Dialogue of Civilizations between India and Russia was held in New Delhi on 22nd January, 2020 to provide an interface between the civilizations of two countries. It was inaugurated by the Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan. The theme for the dialogue was ‘Connectivity’. It was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Research Foundation. The dialogue was conceptualized during the October 2018 India-Russia Summit between Russian President Vladmir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
National Voters Day is celebrated every year on 25th January in India to commemorate the foundation day of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in 1950. The theme for this year is ‘Electoral Literacy for a Stronger Democracy’. The day was celebrated for the first time in 2012. The day aims to encourage, facilitate and maximize the enrolment of new voters and active participation of the active voters. The ECI is a constitutional body deriving its authority from Article 324 of the Constitution and Representation of the People Acts.