• World's largest national flag, Indian Tricolor made from Khadi, was displayed along India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan's Longewala, on 74th Army Day.
• Longewala is the western part of the desert state's Jaisalmer district and was the site of Battle of Longewala in 1971
• It is 225 feet long, 150 feet wide and weighs around 1,400 kg, while Ashoka Chakra in the center has a diameter of 30 feet.
• Monumental National Flag is created by Khadi and Village Industries Commission

• PM Narendra Modi will virtually deliver State of the World special address at World Economic Forum’s Davos Agenda
• Davos Agenda summit is a 5-day summit and will kick off on 17th January 2022
• During the event, several Heads of State and Govt will address the forum.
• The event will also witness the participation of top industry leaders, international organizations, and civil society.
• They will deliberate on critical challenges being faced by world.

• A young Lavni artist from Maharashtra, Sumit Bhale of Fulbari taluka has won a gold medal at the International Folk Art Festival in Dubai.
• Lavani is a genre of music popular in Maharashtra and is a combination of traditional song and dance, which is particularly performed to the beats of Dholki, a percussion instrument.
• It is noted for its powerful rhythm and has contributed substantially to the development of Marathi folk theatre.

• National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi has organized unique art workshop Kala Kumbh for painting gigantic scrolls of 750 meters in size.
• These paintings on gigantic scrolls, represents the tales of valor of unsung heroes of Indias freedom movement.
• It will form an integral part of the Republic day celebrations this year.
• Kala Kumbh organized under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav reflects the essence of unity in diversity.

• Jammu and Kashmir is set to have two whole genome sequencing labs after which samples of Covid positive persons will be tested in the region.
• During the second wave of Covid, UT administration decided to set up two genome sequencing labs one in GMC Jammu and other in GMC Srinagar/SKIMS Soura
• All details were shared with Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL) for procurement of machines required for installing in two labs.

• Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray has virtually inaugurated two football pitches, developed by City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) at the Centre of Excellence in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai.
• It will be used by the teams, which will be competing in the upcoming AFC Women's Asian Cup
• Kharghar will soon evolve as a sports city, while Maharashtra will be the 1st state to provide facilities for all sports
• The stadiums will have a seating capacity of 40,000 visitors

• Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has released commemorative Postal Stamp on COVID-19 Vaccine to mark the 1st anniversary of India's National Covid-19 Vaccination program.
• The commemorative stamp features a healthcare worker inoculating senior citizen with COVID-19 vaccine, along with an image of ‘COVAXIN’ vial.
• This stamp signifies the remarkable work done by our frontline healthcare workers and scientific community in protecting the people against COVID.

• Former West Indies Captain Clive Lloyd received Knighthood from Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge at Windsor Castle, for his services towards the game of cricket. On the same day, England’s world cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan was awarded with CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) by Prince William for his services towards the game of cricket. The CBE is the highest-ranking Order of the British Empire award, followed by OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) and then MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire).

• Reserve Bank of India has released the Annual Report of the Ombudsman Schemes for 2020-21, which has been prepared for the 9-month period (July 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021) in alignment with the change in the Financial Year of RBI from ‘July – June’ to ‘April – March’ with effect from July 1, 2020.
• The Annual Report covers the activities under the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006 (BOS), the Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies, 2018 (OSNBFC) and the Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions, 2019 (OSDT).

• Legendary Kathak dancer, Pandit Birju Maharaj has passed away at the age of 83. A recipient of the country’s second-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan, he was fondly called Pandit-ji or Maharaj-ji by his disciples and legions of followers and was one of India’s best-known artistes.
• Birju Maharaj was a descendant of the Maharaj family of Kathak dancers, which includes his two uncles, Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj, and his father and guru, Acchan Maharaj. Birju Maharaj was also a singer par excellence, having command over Thumri, Dadra, Bhajan and Ghazal.

Download Daily GK PDF of 17 January 2022