Suryadevara Prasanna Kumar Appointed as Advisor to Telangana Legislature

• Suryadevara Prasanna Kumar was appointed as adviser to the Telangana State Legislature Secretariat.
• Previously, he held the position of Officer on Special Duty to the Lok Sabha Speaker.

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Indian Army Day 2024

• Indian Army Dys is annually observed on 15^th January.
• The day commemorates the historic event in 1949 when Field Marshal Kodandera M Cariappa took over the command of the Indian Army, succeeding General FRR Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief.
• The celebrations for this year will be held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

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P.K. Veeramanidasan Received Harivarasanam Award 2024

• Tamil playback singer P.K. Veeramanidasan received the Harivarasanam award 2024.
• This award includes a purse of ₹1,00,000 along with a citation.
• The award was presented by Devaswoms Minister K. Radhakrishnan at Sannidhanam auditorium, Sabarimala.
• He has sung over 6,000 devotional songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Sanskrit.

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Indian Army Launched Operation Sarvashakti

• Indian Army launched the Operation Sarvashakti in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The primary objective of this operation is to eliminate terrorists who have carried out ambushes on Indian troops in the Rajouri and Poonch regions.
• Sarvashakti is based on the Operation Sarpvinash of 2003, which was launched against terrorists south of the Pir Panjal range.

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Indian Basmati Titled as Best Rice in World for Year 2023-24

• Indian Basmati has been recognized as the 'Best Rice in the World' for the year 2023-24 by Taste Atlas.
• This long-grain aromatic rice has been cultivated for centuries in the Himalayan foothills of the Indian subcontinent.
• The rice commonly used in India and Pakistan is known for its distinctive characteristics, including a soft and fluffy texture after cooking.

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Maharashtra Pench Tiger Reserve Becomes India's First Dark Sky Park

• The Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra becomes India's first Dark Sky Park, marking its position as the fifth in Asia.
• This recognition is aimed at preserving the pristine night sky and mitigating light pollution, creating an optimal environment for astronomy enthusiasts.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) underscores the importance of the night sky as a natural, cultural, and historical resource.

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One Vehicle One FASTag Initiative by NHAI

• National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced the 'One Vehicle, One FASTag' initiative.
• This initiative is designed to discourage the practice of using a single FASTag for multiple vehicles or linking multiple FASTags to a single vehicle.
• Its goal is to improve the effectiveness of the Electronic Toll Collection system and ensure smooth passage at Toll Plazas.