Nation celebrates National Youth Day on January 12

Nation celebrates National Youth Day on January 12

• National Youth Day is celebrated every year on January 12 to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. 
• Every year on this occasion, the government organises National Youth Festival in collaboration with one state willing to host from January 12 to January 16. 
• This year Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurate the festival on January 12 in Huballi, Karnataka.
• The basic objective of National Youth Day is to bring the youth of the country together in an attempt to showcase their talents in various activities to cover almost all socio-cultural aspects of life, providing an opportunity to amateur young artists to express themselves and interact with fellow artists and to further learn the new art forms from experts of various disciplines.
• In the year 1985, the government had declared the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, January 12, as ‘National Youth Day’. 

India Carries Out Test Launch of Indigenously Developed Prithvi-II Missile Successfully

• India successfully carried out a test launch of the tactical ballistic missile Prithvi-II from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha coast. 
• The Prithvi-II missile struck its target with high accuracy. The user training launch successfully validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile.
• It is a tactical surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) of India under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMPD). It is deployed by India’s Strategic Forces Command. 
• The Government of India launched the integrated guided missile development program in 1983.

Avani Chaturvedi, India’s first female pilot, to pilot Sukhoi fighter jet

• First female fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF), squadron commander Avani Chaturvedi, will participate in the inaugural air exercise Veer Guardian 2023. The goal of the exercise is to improve air defence cooperation between Japan and India.
• India’s first female pilot, Avani Chaturvedi, to pilot an Indian Sukhoi fighter jet in aerial wargames in Japan.
• Veer Guardian 2023 will be held in Japan from January 16 to January 26 at Sayama Iruma Air Base, Omitama Hyakuri Air Base, and adjoining airspace.