Current Affairs from 18th January to 26th

January , 2024.

1. Nagara Style of Temple Architecture.

The Ram temple was inaugurated on 22nd January, 2024.
Chandrasekhar Sompura and his Son Ashish have
designed the complex in Nagara Style of Temple
Architecture.

Two Major style of Temple Architecture in India.

A) NAGARA STYLE
B) DRAVIDIAN STYLE.

Nagara Style.
. The Nagara style of temple Architecture emerged in the 5th
century, during the late Gupta period in northern India.
. Nagara temples are built on a raised platform, with garbha griha (
Sanctum Sanctorum) where the idol of the deity rests- the most
sacred part of the Temple
. Towering over the Garbha Griha is the Shikhara ( literally
mountain peak), the most distinguishable aspect of Nagara style
temples.
. The Mandapa or assembly hall lies in front of the Garbha Griha.
. Depending on the period and geography, there is a large
variation what a Shikhara looks like. There are five modes of
Nagara temple Architecture - Valabhi, Phamsana, Latina,
Shekhari and Bhumija

Comparison to Dravida Style.

The Dravida Counterpart to the shikhara is the Vimana.
In the Dravida Style temples, Vimana are typically smaller.
. The great gatehouse or gopurams which are the most
immediately striking architectural elements in a temple complex.
Some example of Nagara style temples- Sun temple in Konark,
Sun temple in Modhera, Jagannath temple in puri.
Some examples of Dravidian temple – Gangaikondacholapuram
temple, Bridheshwar temple, Ellora.
2. Cabinet approves creation of Posts for
16th Finance Commission.
The Union Cabinet has approved the creation of three
posts at the level of Joint Secretary i .e two posts of Joint
Secretary and one post of Economic Advisor for the
Sixteenth Finance Commission.
The newly created posts are required to assist the
Commission in Carrying out its functions. All other posts
in the Commission have already been created as per the
delegated powers.
The Finance Commission is a Constitutional body
responsible for deciding how tax revenues are divided
between the Central Government and the States.
The recommendations of the Sixteenth Finance
Commission will be in effect from April 1, 2026 to March
31, 2031.
As per Article 280 of the Constitution, the Commission is
required to make recommendations on the distribution of
net proceeds of taxes between the Centre and the States.
The Commission also suggests the principles which
should govern the grants in aid of the revenue of the
States out of the Consolidated fund of India.

3. PM announces Solar Rooftop Scheme

for 1 crore households.
PM Narendra Modi announced a Scheme to electrify one
crore household with solar electricity.
 The Government will launch Pradhanmantri Suryodaya
Yojna with the target of installing rooftop solar on one
crore houses.
This will not only reduce electricity bill of the poor and
middle class but will also make India self reliant in the
field of energy.
The Scheme will be launched under The Ministry of New
And Renewable Energy.
There are estimates that there are fewer than 10 lakh
households with rooftop solar installation.

4. Nominees for the year Sport star of the

Year ( Male) Awards.
The Nominees for the Sport star of the Year ( male)
Awards.
Neeraj Chopra- First Indian to win a gold medal at the
World Athletics Championship.

Virat Kholi – had a dream World Cup outing with an all

time high tournament aggregate of 765 runs including
nine 50 plus scores in 11 innings and three hundreds. He
also notched up a record 50th ODI ton, the most by any
player going past Sachin Tendulkar Tally of 49.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty- won India’s

first ever badminton gold medal at the Asian Games in
Hangzhou. The two became the first Indian pair to win
gold at the Badminton Asia Championship.
 R Praggnanandhaa became the youngest Chess world
cup finalist ever.

Sumit Antil- is the world record holder in men’s javelin.

The Paralympics champion clinched the gold medal at the
Hangzhou Asian Para Games with a world record of 73.29
m.

5. ‘Oppenheimer’ , ‘Poor things' lead

Oscar Race.
Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer emerged as the top
Contender at the 96th Academy Awards nomination where
it is closely followed by Yorgos Lanthimo's Poor things
and Martin Scorsese directed Killers of the flower Moon.
Though India's Official Entry 2018 is out of the
International feature film race, To kill a tiger secured
nomination in documentary feature category at the
Academy Awards.

6. Central Government Launches

‘Anuvadini’ App for Multilingual
Education.
The Central Government has introduced the Anuvadini
App, an artificial intelligence based platform. The
initiative aims to make study materials for all school and
higher education courses available in digital form,
specifically in the Indian languages listed in the 8th
Schedule of the Indian Constitution. This step aligns with
 the NEP 2020 emphasising the importance of studying in
one's mother tongue.

7. Cabo Verde Achieves Malaria Free

Certification by WHO
The WHO has recently certified Cabo Verde as a malaria
free country . It is the 3rd African nation after Mauritius
and Algeria to achieve this status. Cabo Verde's
certification adds to the list of 43 countries and 1 territory
globally that have been recognized as malaria free by the
WHO. Maldives and Sri Lanka have also achieved this
status.

8. PepsiCo India Appoints Marketing chief

Jagrut Kotecha as new CEO.
PepsiCo India , has appointed Jagrut Kotecha as its new
CEO, succeeding Ahmed El Sheikh. Kotecha, currently the
Chief Commercial Officer for PepsiCo in Africa, Middle
East and South Asia is set to take the helm of operations
in March 2024.

9. Man Singh Clinches Gold at Asian

Marathon Championship 2024 in Hong
Kong.
The Asian Marathon Championship 2024 marked a
historic moment for Indian Athletes as Man Singh , a 34
year old marathon runner from India, clinched the gold
medal. He is the 2nd Indian to claim the title of the Asian
 Marathon champion, following Thonakal Gopi's
achievement in 2017.

10 . Free Trade Agreement signed

between India and Switzerland.
Switzerland and India have signed a Free trade Agreement
after 16 years of negotiations. The agreement is expected
to create jobs in India. FTA are treaties between countries
that aim to reduce or eliminate barriers into trade and
investment. They also aim to strengthen commercial
trade ties between participating countries.
FTA allow partners to gain easier market access into each
others market by eliminating tariffs and some non tariff
barriers. Exporters prefer FTA over multilateral trade
liberalization because they receive preferential treatment
over competitor from non FTA members.

11 . MPLADS e – SAKSHI Mobile Application.

Recently, the MPLADS e Sakshi Mobile Application was
launched by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation. It will bring forth a myriad of benefits,
revolutionize the way MPs engage with and manage development
projects in their constituencies.
It would offer convenience and accessibility, allowing MP to
propose, track and oversee the projects at their fingertips.
It will also promote transparency by providing MPs with instant
updates on the status and progress of their proposed projects.
12. SAMAVESHA PROJECT
The I – STEM ( Indian Science, Technology, and Engineering
facilities Map) has launched the Samavesha Project at IIsc ,
Bengaluru.
Key Highlights.
It aims to promote research collaboration in India by improving
access to facilities and laboratories.
. IT will link researchers with scientific institutes via an online
portal.
. The platform facilitates the connection of researchers and
industries with institutions possessing the necessary equipment,
allowing it to lease for experiment.
. IT will provide access to cutting edge research infrastructure for
new age researchers , start-ups and industries nationwide,
thereby facilitating innovation.

13. Padma Awards 2024.

The Padma Awards , among India's highest Civilian honours
Are given in three categories , Padma Vibhusan, Padma
Bhushan and Padma Sri. These awards recognize outstanding
service in various areas like arts, social work, public affairs,
science , trade, medicine , education, sports and civil service.
The Padma Vibhushan is for exceptional Service.
The Padma Bhushan is for high order Service.
The Padma Sri is for distinguished service in any area.
Sl no Awardee Field State
Name
1 Vyjantimala Art Tamil Nadu
Bali
2 Shri Konidela Art Andhra
Chiranjeevi Pradesh
3 Shri M Public Andhra
Venkaiah Affairs Pradesh
Naidu
4 Shri Social Bihar
Bindeshwar work
Pathak
5 Ms Padma Art Tamil nadu
Subramanian

14. Cabinet Approval for India – Oman IT

Cooperation MoU.
The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi has given the green light for the signing of Memorandum of
Understanding between India and Oman in the field of
Information Technology.
The initiative aims to foster comprehensive collaboration through
mutual support, technology sharing , information exchange and
investment in IT. The MOU is set to be effective from the date of
signing and will remain in force for three years. The Government
encompasses both Government to Government and Business to
Business collaboration in IT sector.
 15. World's First Black Tiger Safari .
World's first black tiger Safari near Simplipal Tiger
Reserve in Maurbanj is set for establishment. This project aims to
provide tourists and visitors with a rare glimpse of the melanistic
tigers, commonly known as black tigers.
Melanistic tigers, have a dark stripe pattern set against a
backdrop of white or golden fur. The Simlipal Tiger Reserve has
exclusive natural habitat for melanistic tigers. The chosen site
approximately 15 km from the reserve, mirrors the landscape of
Simlipal, providing a suitable environment for these rare
creatures.

16. HDFC Bank Surpasses 20 Million Credit

Card Milestone, Leading Indian Market.
HDFC Bank , India's largest private sector bank has emerged as
the nation's first lender to reach 20 million active credit cards. Tha
Bank , dominating a quarter of the overall card market,
commenced its credit card operations in 2001 and previously
attained the 10 million mark in 2017.

17. Japan becomes the 5th Country to land on

the Moon.
Japan achieved a significant milestone as its spacecraft ,
Smart Lander for Investigating Moon ( SLIM) successfully landed
on the Lunar Surface on January 20, 2024 making it the fifth
country in history to reach the moon.
SLIMS’s mission priority was to achieve a pinpoint landing , a
technology promising greater control than previous landings. The
lightweight spacecraft , about the size of a passenger vehicle,
utilized precision landing technology, aiming for a target of just
100 meters, a world’s first if successful.