Important Dates & Festivities - Current Affairs for January, 2015

On this day in 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated at a prayer meeting.

In the Auschwitz Concentration Camp situated in Poland, where around 1.1 million people, with vast majority of Jews, were killed between 1940 and 1945.

The festival presented a dichotomous mix of a classic all-round music festival that had Live and DJ performances at the same time started a new trend in the Indian festival environment.

The event showcases the vibrant democracy in the country in a colorful photo exhibition, capturing some special moments from the beginning of General elections to the 16th Lok Sabha.

This Award is given annually by the Government of India and Indian Council of Child Welfare. This year, 24 children selected for the awards include 4 awardees who have been rewarded posthumously for their acts of bravery.

Commission came into being on this day in 1950.

The Election Commission of India is celebrating 5th National Voters’ Day (NVD) across the country and the theme for the 5th NVD is ‘Easy Registration, Easy Correction’.

Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, and the Garo Hills on 21st January 1972. Before attaining full statehood, Meghalaya was given semi-autonomous status in 1970.

The Governor inaugurated an exhibition which displayed the development of Tripura since 1972, the year the state attained the status of a full-fledged state.

Manipur was made a Union Territory in 1956 and a full-fledged State in 1972.

Children of less than 5 years age have been given polio drops as part of the Government of India’s drive to sustain polio eradication from the region.

The first NIA Day was celebrated on completion of five years of the agency`s existence, on January 20, 2014. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was set up by the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, which was enacted as India’s law enforcement response to terrorism in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Late Shri R. V. Raju took over as the first Director General of the NIA on January 19, 2009.

The National Disaster Response Force is a specialized disaster response which has proven its worth by rescuing thousands of people in several parts of country.

Makar Sakranti is the beginning of Uttarayan, which is considered to be a Punya kaal.

It was on this day in 1949 when Lt. General (later Field Marshal) KM Cariappa became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army post Independence.

Pongal is a four day festival which usually takes place from January 13 to 16 in the Gregorian calendar i.e., the last day of the Tamil month Margazhi to the third day of Tamil month Thai.

He was a Bengali novelist and short story writer of early 20th century. His works have been made into some fifty films in many Indian languages, particularly his novel Devdas made into sixteen versions, from Bengali, Hindi to Telugu, all versions get huge response.

Swami Vivekananda. It was the 152nd Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. He is best known for his inspiring speech which began, "Sisters and brothers of America, in which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893.