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(VERY USEFUL FOR IBPS PO/IBPS
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OTHER GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY, RRB EXAMS)
1st
(&) 2nd January 2019.
100% Houses in
25 States Electrified Under Saubhagya Yojana
The country achieved yet another
milestone in the power sector with the completion of electrification in 100%
households in 25 states at year end. Now, only about 10.48 lakh households are
left to be electrified in 4 states - Assam, Rajasthan, Meghalaya and
Chhattisgarh. These states are also taking all concerted efforts to achieve, at
the earliest, saturation of household electrification.
Government Sets
Up Export Promotion Cell For MSMEs
The MSME ministry has established an
export promotion cell to create a sustainable ecosystem for micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSMEs). The ministry has also proposed to formulate a
governing council that will be chaired by the secretary of the MSME ministry. The
benefits likely to accrue from the setting up of the cell include integration
MSMEs into global value chain, evaluation of readiness of MSMEs to export their
products and services, and recognition of areas where improvements are required
in order to be able to export effectively and efficiently.
Minister
Launches 100 Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin Units in Odisha
Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister,
Dharmendra Pradhan launched 'Ujjwala Sanitary Napkins' initiative saying it
will go a long way in making Odisha's 2.25 crore women empowered and self-reliant.
Under the novel initiative, which will cover 93 blocks in 30 districts of
Odisha, oil marketing companies (OMC) will set up 100 manufacturing units at
the Common Service Centres (CSC) at an estimated cost of Rs 2.94 crore.
Qatar Withdraws
From OPEC
Qatar has withdrawn its membership from
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The country had sent
an official notification to the OPEC expressing its wish to pull out and to
focus on its liquefied natural gas production in December. Qatar has been in
OPEC for 57 years. The decision came amid the ongoing diplomatic and economic
blockade imposed on the country by its Persian Gulf neighbours and several Arab
states.
US, Israel Quit
UNESCO Citing Bias
The United States and Israel officially
quit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) with the close of 2018. The countries had announced their decisions in
2017 of withdrawing from the agency, accusing it of bias against Israel. America
has demanded fundamental reform in UNESCO, which was co-founded by it after
World War II to foster peace. Israel joined the agency in 1949.
France
Introduced GAFA Tax On Global Internet, Technology Firm
The finance minister of France Bruno Le
Maire announced that France will introduce its own tax on large internet and
technology companies from January 1. France has been pushing hard for a new
so-called “GAFA tax” -- named after Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon -- to
ensure the global giants pay a fair share of taxes on their massive business
operations in Europe.
Amitabh Chaudhry
Takes Charge As Axis Bank MD & CEO
Axis Bank announced its Managing
Director and CEO Shikha Sharma has retired from the post and Amitabh Chaudhry
will be the new managing director and CEO of the bank with effect from January
1, 2019. Chaudhry, the former MD and CEO of HDFC Standard Life Insurance
Company, was in September named the MD and CEO of Axis Bank for a period of
three years.
V K Yadav
Assumes Charge of New Railway Board Chairman
Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani
retired, despite strong indications that the Narendra Modi government could
grant him an extension. General Manager, South Central Railway, V K Yadav has
been appointed the national transporter’s senior-most bureaucrat by the
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
Jair Bolsonaro
Takes Oath As New President of Brazil
Jair Bolsonaro was sworn in as Brazil's
President in a ceremony at Brazil's National Congress Building. Bolsonaro is a
former Army captain and admirer of the country's 1964-1985 military
dictatorship. Bolsonaro, 63, was a seven-term fringe congressman who rode a
wave of anti-establishment anger to became Brazil's first far-right president
since a military dictatorship gave way to civilian rule three decades ago.
Justice TBN
Radhakrishnan Sworn In As 1st Chief Justice of Telangana High Court
Justice Thottathil Bhaskaran Nair
Radhakrishnan was sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the Telangana High
Court. The oath to the office was administered to Justice Radhakrishnan by
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan at a ceremony held at Raj
Bhavan. With this, the state of Telangana will have its first independent high
court.
Allahabad Bank,
SBI Life Join Hand For Bancassurance Partnership
Allahabad Bank and SBI Life Insurance
came together and signed a bancassurance pact, to offer a holistic financial planning
solution to consumers. This will empower the consumer to address their complete
financial needs under one roof. The tie-up, one of the largest Bancassurance
partnerships in the country, will see 3,238 branches of Allahabad Bank across
the country offer SBI Life's range of protection, wealth creation, and savings
products to its customers.
Government
Infused Rs 10,882 crore in 4 Public Sector Banks
The government has infused 10,882 crore
Rupees in four public sector banks, including UCO Bank and Syndicate Bank. It
is a part of 28,615 crore rupees capital infusion to be done in about half a
dozen public sector lenders. UCO Bank has received 3,074 crore rupees in the
equity by way of preferential allotment yesterday. Besides, Bank of Maharashtra
got 4,498 crore rupees, Syndicate Bank 1,632 crore rupees and Central Bank of
India 1,678 crore rupees.
RBI Lifts Six
Month Ban From Paytm Payments Bank
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
allowed Paytm Payments Bank to restart opening new accounts for its consumers
after almost six months of the ban. Paytm Payments Bank stopped enrolling new
customers in June 2018, following an audit by the RBI, which made certain
observations about the process the company follows in acquiring new customers
and its adherence to know-your-customer (KYC) norms.
RBI Provides For
One-Time Restructuring Of Loans To MSMEs
Reserve Bank allowed a one-time
restructuring of existing debt up to Rs 25 crore for the companies which have
defaulted on payment but the loans given to them have continued to be
classified as standard assets. The decision will help the micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSMEs) which are facing a cash crunch in the wake of
demonetization and GST implementation.
RBI Releases The
Financial Stability Report
The Reserve Bank of India has released
the 18th issue of the Financial Stability Report (FSR). The FSR reflects the
collective assessment of the Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and
Development Council (FSDC) on risks to financial stability, as also the
resilience of the financial system. The Report also discusses issues relating
to the development and regulation of the financial sector.
CII Forecasts
India’s Economy To Grow 7.5% In 2019
In its ‘Growth Outlook for 2019’,
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) stated that the GDP growth will be in
the range of 7.5% in 2019. A settled
goods and services tax (GST), improving credit availability and capacity
expansion from increasing investment in infrastructure are among seven key
drivers that will help Indian economy grow 7.5% 2019.
Jasprit Bumrah
Becomes Highest International Wicket-Taker in 2018
The 25-year-old fast bowler Jasprit
Bumrah became the highest international wicket-taker across formats in 2018. He
took a total of 78 wickets in the calendar year. Bumrah surpassed South
Africa's Kagiso Rabada's tally of 77 wickets to reach the milestone. While on
the third position is Bumrah's countryman Kuldeep Yadav who took 76 scalps.
Veteran
Actor-Writer Kader Khan Passes Away
Veteran actor-writer Kader Khan passed
away in Canada at the age of 81. Kader Khan made his acting debut in 1973 with
Rajesh Khanna’s “Daag”. Before becoming an actor he had written dialogues for
Randhir Kapoor-Jaya Bachchan’s “Jawani Diwani”.
3rd
January 2019
Cabinet Approves
Setting Up HLC for Implementation of Assam Accord
The Union Cabinet took several key
decisions including setting up of a high-level committee (HLC) to implement
Clause 6 of Assam Accord to hold discussions with all stakeholders on the
quantum of reservation of seats in Assam Legislative Assembly and local bodies
for Assamese people among other decisions. Union Cabinet has approved the
setting up a high-level committee for implementation of clause 6 of the Assam
Accord and measures envisaged in the Memorandum of Settlement, 2003 and other
issues related to Bodo community.
RBI Forms Expert
Panel On MSMEs Under Ex-SEBI Chief UK Sinha
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set up
an expert committee under former Sebi chairman U.K. Sinha to suggest long-term
solutions for the economic and financial sustainability of the MSME sector. RBI
has announced the panel a day after it allowed a one-time restructuring of existing
debt up to INR 25 crore for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)
which have defaulted on payment but the loans given to them have continued to
be classified as standard assets.
Veer Savarkar
International Airport in Port Blair Declared As Authorized Immigration Check
Post
Veer Savarkar International Airport in
Port Blair has been declared as an authorized Immigration Check post for entry
into/exit from India with valid travel documents for all classes of passengers.
The announcement was made by Information, Public Relations and Tourism Division
of Andaman and Nicobar Administration. This decision of the Union Government
will open up the Port Blair Airport for direct international flight and
immigration facilities.
PM Modi
Inaugurated 106th Indian Science Congress At Jalandhar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has
inaugurated the 106th Indian Science Congress (ISC-2019) at Jalandhar, Punjab.
The ISC is an annual congregation that witnesses deliberations by top
scientific minds of the country. ii. The theme for which is 'Future:
India-Science and Technology'. This will be his 5th address to Indian Science
Congress after assuming office as Prime Minister.
West Bengal
Government Announced 2 Initiatives for Farmers
The West Bengal government announced two
welfare initiatives for farmers. Both initiatives, which are part of the
‘Krishi Krishak Bondhu’ scheme, will come into effect from 1st January 2019. The
first of the two initiatives will provide Rs 2 lakh to the family of a deceased
farmer. Under the second initiative, farmers would get Rs 2,500 twice a year
for growing a single crop on one acre of land.
Centre Approves
Renaming Of Allahabad As Prayagraj
Days before Kumbh Mela, the Union Home
Ministry has approved the Uttar Pradesh government’s proposal to rename
Allahabad as Prayagraj. In October 2018, the Yogi Adityanath-led government had
proposed the change in name of Allahabad to Prayagraj. A No Objection
Certificate (NOC) from the MHA will now ensure that names of other institutes
in the district, including railway station, High Court and university, are also
changed.
Important
Cabinet Approvals: 2nd January 2019
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The important
Cabinet Approvals are given as follows:
The
Cabinet has approved-
1.
Apprised of MoU between India and Morocco on Cooperation in the area of Cyber
Security.
2.
Apprised of Progress under NHM and Decisions of Empowered Programme Committee
and Mission Steering Group of NHM.
Complaints With
Bank Ombudsman Surge 25% In FY18: RBI Report
The number of complaints registered at
banking ombudsman offices have seen a 25% increase in the fiscal year 2018,
with the majority of these complaints coming from urban centres owing to increased
awareness and poor internal redressal mechanisms of banks. "The banking
ombudsman offices in tier-1 cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata,
Bengaluru and Hyderabad accounted for more than 57% of the total complaints
received by all BO offices," the RBI Report on Trend and Progress of
Banking in India has stated.
Saurabh Kumar
Appointed As Chairman Of Ordnance Factory Board
Saurabh Kumar has been appointed as the
Director General of Ordnance Factories (DGOF) and chairman of the Ordnance
Factory Board (OFB). Kumar, a 1982-batch Indian Ordnance Factory Service
officer, is an M-Tech in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT), Kanpur. An expert in the manufacture of ordnance, Kumar was
on deputation to the Ministry of Defence as the director of planning and
coordination from 2002 to 2009.
Hemant Bhargava
Appointed LIC’s Acting Chairman
The government has appointed Hemant
Bhargava, Managing Director, Life Insurance Corporation of India, as the Acting
Chairman. The move comes after VK Sharma retired from the top job at LIC on
December 31. While traditionally the senior-most MD is appointed the chairman,
Bhargava is due to retire in July 2019.
Cabinet Approves
Merger of Vijaya Bank & Dena Bank With Bank of Baroda
The cabinet has approved the merger of
Vijaya Bank & Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda. After this merger, Bank of
Baroda will become the third biggest public sector bank. The merger will be
effective from April 1. This is also the first ever three-way merger in Indian
banking. Bank of Baroda (BoB) finalised the share swap ratio for the merger of
Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with itself. As per the Scheme of Amalgamation,
shareholders of Vijaya Bank will get 402 equity shares of BoB for every 1,000
shares held. In case of Dena Bank, its shareholders will get 110 shares for
every 1,000 shares of BoB.
Sachin’s Coach
Ramakant Achrekar Passes Away
Veteran cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar,
who trained Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli, among others,
passed away following a heart attack. He was 87 and breathed his last at his
home in Dadar. Achrekar, honoured with Padma Shri in 2010 and Dronacharya Award
in 1990, was instrumental in shaping the careers of Tendulkar, Kambli and over
a dozen other top cricket stars.
Veteran Kannada
Actor CH Loknath Passes Away
Veteran
Kannada actor CH Lokanath passed away after suffering cardiac arrest. He was
91. Lokanath was in the Kannada film industry for nearly six decades and was
affectionately addressed as 'Uncle Lokanath' by his fans. He had acted in over
600 movies and more than 1,000 plays. His famous movies are Bhootayyana Maga
Ayyu, Minchina Ota, Nagarahaavu, Nodi Swami Navidru Heege, Katha Sangama and
Kittu Puttu.
4th
January 2019
Parliament
Passes Right Of Children To Free And Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill,
2018
The Indian Parliament passed the Right
of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018 that seeks
to do away with the no-detention policy in schools. The legislation is
significant as it brings accountability in the elementary education system. The Bill seeks to amend the Right to Education
(RTE) Act to abolish the “no-detention” policy in schools. Under the current
provisions of the Act, no student can be detained up to class VIII.
Parliament
Passes National Council For Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018
The Indian Parliament passed the
National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018, following the
approval of the Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha had already passed the Bill. The
Bill seeks to amend the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act,
1993. The bill aims to grant retrospective recognition to Central and State
institutions which had conducted teacher education courses without approval by
the Council. This will ensure that the future of about 17 thousand students
having degrees from such institutions is secured.
Trump Signs Asia
Reassurance Initiative Act Into Law
U.S. President Donald J. Trump signed
into law the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA), which passed the U.S.
Senate earlier in December. According to the White House, the act establishes a
multifaceted U.S. strategy to increase U.S. security, economic interests, and
values in the Indo-Pacific region. Specifically, the ARIA will authorize $1.5
billion in spending for a range of U.S. programs in East and Southeast Asia and
develop a long-term strategic vision and a comprehensive, multifaceted, and
principled United States policy for the Indo-Pacific region, and for other
purposes.
Arunima Sinha
Becomes World's 1st Female Amputee To Scale Antarctica's Highest Peak
Arunima Sinha, the first female amputee
to have conquered Mt Everest, created yet another record as she became world's
first woman amputee to climb Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica. Apart
from Mount Everest, the 30-year-old has climbed the highest peaks of five
continents and plans to do so in all seven.
HDFC MF
Surpasses ICICI Prudential MF to Become Largest AMC in India
HDFC Mutual Fund has pipped ICICI
Prudential MF to become the country's largest asset management company after a
gap of over two years. As of December-end, HDFC MF manages assets to the tune
of Rs 3.35 lakh crore, while those of ICICI Prudential MF stood at Rs 3.08 lakh
crore, as per the latest data available with Association of Mutual funds in
India (Amfi).
Syndicate Bank
And SBI Life Insurance Signed
Bancassurance Pact
Syndicate Bank and SBI Life Insurance
signed a bancassurance pact aiming to offer a comprehensive financial planning
solution to its customers. The pact was signed between Syndicate Bank MD &
CEO, Mrutyunjay Mahapatra and MD and CEO of SBI Life, Sanjeev Nautiyal. Through
the pact, Syndicate Bank will provide penetration in the market with its 3,000
branches and SBI Life’s diverse range of protection, wealth creation and
savings insurance products will be brought to the table to the customers.
SEBI Allows
Custodial Services In Commodity Market
Markets regulator Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has allowed custodial services in the commodity
derivatives market. The move is aimed at enabling the participation of
institutional investors such as mutual funds and portfolio managers in the
commodity derivatives market. Under the new framework, existing custodians will
be permitted to add commodities as an asset class and provide physical delivery
of both the securities and commodities.
Veteran Bengali
Writer Dibyendu Palit Passes Away
Renowned Bengali writer and Sahitya
Akademi awardee Dibyendu Palit passes away due to age-related ailments. He was
79-year-old. Palit was conferred the Sahitya Akademi for his novel ‘Anubhab’ in
1998. He was awarded the ‘Bankim Purashkar’ for ‘Dheu’ in 1990 and ‘Ananda
Purashkar’ in 1984 for ‘Sahojoddha’.
5th
January 2019
Government
Launches ‘Swachh Survekshan 2019’
Union Housing and Urban Affairs
Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, launched the ‘Swachh Survekshan 2019’, the fourth
edition of the annual nationwide cleanliness survey of urban India in New
Delhi. The Swachh Survekshan 2019 aims to evaluate the achievements in the
cleanliness level in urban areas of the country. It is launched as a part of
‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’.
6 Monuments
Declared Of National Importance In 2018 By ASI
The Ministry of Culture announced that
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) declared 6 monuments as ‘protected and of
national importance’ under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and
Remains Act, 1958, in 2018.
These
sites are:
125-year-old
Old High Court Building in Nagpur, Maharashtra,
The
Group of Temples in Ranipur Jharail in Bolangir district of Odisha,
2
Mughal era monuments in Agra- Haveli of Agha Khan and Hathi Khana,
The
Neemrana Baori in Alwar district of Rajasthan,
The
Vishnu Temple in Kotali, Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand.
New Delhi World
Book Fair Begins
The 27th New Delhi World Book Fair has
begun at Pragati Maidan. Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar
inaugurated the 9-day annual event. The theme of this year is 'Readers with
Special Needs'.
Indian Panorama
Film Festival Begins In New Delhi
Indian Panorama Film Festival has begun
at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi. Information and Broadcasting Secretary
Amit Khare Inaugurated the Festival. A total of 26 Feature Films and 21
Non-Feature Films will be screened during the festival. The festival is being
organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting.
NGT Imposes Rs
100 Cr Fine On Meghalaya Govt
The National Green Tribunal has imposed
a fine of 100 crore rupees on Meghalaya government for its failure to curb
illegal coal mining in the state. The amount of the fine has to be deposited
with the Central Pollution Control Board within two months. The action comes
after a high-level committee submitted an adverse report to a bench headed by
NGT chairperson AK Goel.
National Table
Tennis Championship Begins In Cuttack
The 80th National Table Tennis
Championship began at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack. As many as 35
teams, including 550 players from different parts of the country are participating
in the mega championship.
ICICI Bank, SBFC
Joined Hands To Provide Loans Worth Rs. 1 Crore To MSMEs For 15-year Tenure
ICICI Bank, in a first-of-its-kind
programme, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Small Business
FinCredit India Pvt. Ltd. (SBFC), a systemically important Non-Banking Finance
Company for entrepreneurs, to jointly provide credit worth up to Rs 1 crore to
MSMEs for a tenure of 15 years. Under this arrangement, ICICI Bank will
co-originate loan against property with SBFC at a mutually agreed ratio.
Andhra Tops
ACI's Ease Of Doing Business Index
Andhra Pradesh emerged on top of Asia
Competitiveness Institute (ACI), Singapore's 2018 Ease of Doing Business (EDB)
Index ABC rankings for economies of 21 states of India, while Maharashtra and
Delhi came in second and third place, respectively. EDB index is based upon
three parameters called ABC - Attractiveness to Investors, Business
Friendliness and Competitiveness Policies. Andhra Pradesh rose from the 5th
rank in 2016 to the top spot in 2018.
Vijay Mallya
First Tycoon To Be Named "Fugitive Economic Offender"
Vijay Mallya became the first tycoon to
be charged under a new anti-fraud law, with a court in Mumbai naming him as an
offender under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018. According to the new
law, a fugitive economic offender is a person against whom an arrest warrant
has been issued for his or her involvement in economic offenses involving at
least Rs. 100 crore or more and has left India to avoid prosecution.
6th (&)
7th January 2019
Cabinet Approves
10% Job Quota For ‘Economically Weaker’ Upper Castes
The Union Cabinet approved a 10%
reservation for ‘economically backward’ upper castes in government jobs. Ahead
of the General Elections this year, the government has announced reservation in
jobs for those belonging to the upper castes and earning less than Rs 8 lakh
per year. A bill to amend Article 15 and 16 of the constitution will be moved
in Parliament to this effect.
Govt Allocates
Rs 10,900 Cr For Development Of 40 Satellite Launch Vehicles
Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) Chairman Dr. K Sivan stated that the Union Government has allocated
10,900 crore rupees for the development of 40 satellite launch vehicles in the
next 4 years. Dr. Sivan also stated that Chandrayan Mission will be launched
within three months. It will land in one part of the Moon which is still
unexplored. He also said that the human spaceflight Gaganyaan is planned to be
launched by 2022, the 75th anniversary of Independence.
AAI Signs MoU
With SAMEER For Boosting Communication
Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed
MoU with Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research
(SAMEER) for joint research programs in the field of Communication Navigation
and Surveillance (CNS). The MOU, on the one hand, will provide for the transfer
of skill by SAMEER experts in the areas of Radio Frequency, Millimetre Wave and
Antenna-related solutions to AAI domain experts, while on the other hand, it
will pave way for exposure for the SAMEER researchers to the challenging
Aviation field.
Odisha CM Naveen
Patnaik Announces Interest Free Loans For Women SHGs
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
announced interest-free loans of up to Rs. 3 lakh for women self-help groups
(WSHGs) in the state. There are around six lakh WSHGs in Odisha. The initiative
will benefit about 70 lakh women. During the convention, Mr. Patnaik launched a
scheme to distribute Rs. 15,000 seed money per group to three lakh new
self-help groups. The chief minister announced incentives of Rs. 500 per month
for Anganwadi workers and Rs. 200 for helpers.
Norwegian PM
Erna Solberg In India On 3-Day Visit
Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg
has arrived in New Delhi on a three-day state visit to India. She was
accompanied by senior officials from her government and a large business
delegation. She will participate in the Indo-Norwegian Business Conference. The
Norwegian Prime Minister will deliver the Inaugural address at the Raisina
Dialogue. The visit of PM of Norway will provide an opportunity to review the
progress in bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
HRD Ministry
Constitutes Task Force To Look into Suicides of JNV Students
The Union Human Resource Development
Ministry constituted a task force to look into the issues of suicides of the
students in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. The task force has been constituted
under the Chairmanship of Psychiatrist, Dr Jitendra Nagpal. The task force will
look into the circumstances leading to the suicidal deaths of students residing
in the hostels of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas residential schools. It will also
suggest ways and means to arrest the trend of suicides by students.
High-level
Committee Headed By MP Bezbaruah Notified on Assam Accord
The government had notified a High-Level
committee for implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord. Retired IAS officer
M.P. Bezbaruah is chairman of the 9-member Committee. The committee will
examine the effectiveness of actions since 1985 to implement Clause 6 of the
Assam Accord. The clause envisaged that appropriate constitutional, legislative
and administrative safeguards, should be provided to protect, preserve and
promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the people of
Assam.
Ramnath Goenka
Excellence in Journalism Awards: Complete List Of Winners
Home Minister Rajnath Singh presented
Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism awards in 18 categories across print,
broadcast, and purely-digital for outstanding work done in 2017. The Express
Group instituted the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2005 as
part of the centenary year celebrations of its founder, Ramnath Goenka.
Golden Globe
Awards 2019 Announced: Complete List of Winners
The 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards were
announced at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in California, the USA. These annual
awards honour the best in Motion Pictures and Television for the year 2018.
This year’s event was hosted by actors Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh, who took
over from 2018 host, comedian Seth Meyers.
Pentagon Chief
of Staff Kevin Sweeney Resigns
In the United States, Department of
Defence, Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Kevin Sweeney has resigned, a month after
Defence Secretary James Mattis announced his departure. He is now the third
senior Pentagon official to announce his resignation since President Donald
Trump announced US forces would leave Syria.
Hopman Cup:
Roger Federer & Belinda Bencic Retain Title For Switzerland
Switzerland's Roger Federer and Belinda
Bencic secured victory over Germany's Angelique Kerber and Alexander Zverev to
win the Hopman Cup for the second year in a row. In a rerun of 2018 final,
Federer beat Zverev to give the Swiss an early 1-0 lead. Wimbledon champion
Kerber then overcame Bencic to level the tie. However, the Swiss claimed a
tight win in the mixed doubles to claim their fourth Hopman Cup title.
Government
Amalgamates 3 RRBs Into A Single Bank
The government has amalgamated three
Regional Rural Banks - Punjab Gramin Bank, Malwa Gramin Bank and Sutlej Gramin
Bank - into a single RRB. The sponsor banks of the RRBs are National Bank for
Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the Government of Punjab and Punjab
National Bank, State Bank of India and Punjab and Sind Bank.
8th
January 2019
106th Session of
Indian Science Congress Concludes in Jalandhar
The 106th session of Indian Science
Congress (ISC), 2019 concluded in Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar,
Punjab. The five-day session was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi and attended
by Union Science & Technology Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan. As a part of the
Indian Science Congress, Women’s Science Congress was held which was
inaugurated by Union Minister for Textiles & Industry Smt. Smriti Zubin
Irani. The major attractions were the 55-feet, 25-ton massive robot ‘Metal
Magna’ installed at the entrance gate.
4th Edition Of
Raisina Dialogue Held In New Delhi
The fourth edition of the Raisina
Dialogue has begun in New Delhi. Norway Prime Minister Ms. Erna Solberg
delivered inaugural address in presence of PM Narendra Modi and External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The theme of the Dialogue this year is “A World
Reorder: New Geometries; Fluid Partnerships; Uncertain Outcomes”.
HRD Ministry
Introduced a 70-Point Grading Index To Assess The Quality Of School Education
The HRD ministry has introduced a
70-point grading index to assess the quality of school education offered by
states. A state performance grading will be done wherein the states will be
marked out of 1,000 scores on 70 parameters. HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar
stated that it will give the correct picture of where every state stands. There
will be a fair competition to improve each other's performances.
In A Historic
Move, Private FM Channels Permitted to Carry All India Radio News
Union Minister of State (IC) for
Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, Col.
Rajyavardhan Rathore (Retd.) launched the sharing of All India Radio News with
private FM broadcasters. This will be done free of cost, on trial basis
initially till 31st May, 2019. Any Private FM broadcaster which intends to
broadcast the news bulletins will first have to register with News Services
Division: All India Radio.
1st Ever Global
Aviation Summit To Be Held In Mumbai
In a first, the 2-day long Global
Aviation Summit 2019 with the theme “Flying for all” will be organized by the
Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in collaboration with FICCI from January
15-16, 2019 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The summit is supported by International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Federal Aviation Administration of US
(FAA), International Air Transport Association (IATA), CiviI Air Navigation
Services Organisation (CANSO), Airports Council International (ACl) and
Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
Sheikh Hasina
Sworn-In As Bangladesh PM For 4th Term
Sheikh Hasina sworn-in as the Bangladesh
Prime Minister for the fourth term. It is her third consecutive term after her
victory in the 11th Parliamentary elections. President Mohammad Abdul Hamid
administered the oath of office to Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka. This is the first
time Hasina is forming a cabinet with the members of her own party.
Malaysia’s King
Muhammad V Becomes 1st Monarch To Resign Before Completing Tenure
Malaysia’s King Muhammad V abdicated
after two years on the throne, the first time a monarch has stepped down before
completing their five-year tenure. The king’s resignation took effect
immediately. A week ago, the king, 49, had resumed duties after spending two months
on medical leave.
Kumar Rajesh
Chandra Appointed Director-General of SSB
Civil Aviation Security head and senior
IPS officer Kumar Rajesh Chandra was appointed as the director general of the
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Chandra, a 1985-batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre, is
at present the director general of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security
(BCAS). He has been appointed as SSB DG up to December 31, 2021, i.e., the date
of his superannuation, the order said.
Alok Verma
Reinstated As CBI Chief By Supreme Court
Alok Verma has been reinstated as the
CBI chief by the Supreme Court, three months after the government divested him
of his powers and sent him on forced leave. Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh
Asthana were both sent on leave in October amid a bitter feud between the CBI's
top two. Supreme Court strikes down CBI Chief Alok Verma's removal. However, at
present, Alok Verma cannot take any major policy decisions. Supreme Court
stated that the High Power Committee under the DSPE Act needs to act within a
week to consider Alok Verma's case.
Jim Yong Kim
Resigns As President Of The World Bank
World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim has
made the surprise announcement that he is stepping down after six years in the
post. His resignation will take effect from 1 February. Mr. Kim, 59, was not
due to leave until 2022 after he was re-elected for a second five-year term in
2017.
CSO Forecasts
Indian Economy To Grow At 7.2% In 2018-19
Releasing the first advance estimates of
National Income for 2018-19, Central Statistics Office (CSO) stated that the
growth in GDP during 2018-19 is estimated at 7.2% as compared to the growth
rate of 6.7% in 2017-18, mainly due to improvement in the performance of
agriculture and manufacturing sectors. Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash
Chandra Garg described the 7.2% GDP growth projection as very healthy. Mr. Garg
stated that India continued to remain the fastest growing economy in the world
and at current prices, GDP grows by 12.3% rising to 188. 41 lakh crore.
Per Capita
Income Doubled In 7 Years: CSO
The income earned by an average Indian
doubled in 7 years, from Rs 63,642 per year in 2011-12 to Rs 1.25 lakh in
2018-19, the first advance estimates of national income released by the Central
Statistics Office (CSO) show. The year-on-year growth in per capita income had
touched its bottom in 2017-18 under the current national accounts series (the
base year 2011-12) at 8.6 %. In 2018-19, it has bounced back to 11.1%. Per
capita net national income in nominal terms has been taken as an indicator
representative of the average income per person.
9th
January 2019
Citizenship
Amendment Bill 2019 Passed in Lok Sabha
The Citizenship Amendment bill seeking
to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from Bangladesh,
Pakistan, and Afghanistan was passed by Lok Sabha. The Bill provides for Indian
citizenship to such immigrants after six years of residence in India instead of
12 years currently. Home Minister Rajnath Singh moved the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Lok Sabha and was passed after a discussion. The Bill
seeks to amend the Citizenship Act of 1955 in order to grant citizenship to
Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh,
Afghanistan and Pakistan if they have lived in India for six years.
RBI Forms
Committee To Boost Digital Payments
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
constituted a High-Level Committee on Deepening of Digital Payments to
encourage digitisation of payments and enhance financial inclusion. The
five-member committee will be headed by UIDAI’s former Chairman Nandan
Nilekani. RBI stated that the committee
will review the existing status of digitisation of payments and suggest ways to
bridge any gaps in the ecosystem if any.
Interim Budget
To Be Presented on 1 February
The interim budget for 2019 will be
presented on 1 February during the budget session of the parliament. The budget
session of the Parliament to be held from 31 January to 13 February. The
decision was taken in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.
NHAI
Collaborates with Oil Marketing Companies for Issuance of FASTags
To ensure easier availability of
FASTags, Indian Highways Management Company Ltd. (IHMCL), a company promoted by
NHAI, has signed MoUs with state-run Oil Marketing Companies (IOCL, BPC, and
HPC). It will ensure availability of FASTags at petroleum outlets across India.
In the first phase, the tags will be available across 50 Fuel Station in Delhi
NCR, which will subsequently be expanded to outlets across India.
MoU On
'India-Norway Ocean Dialogue' Exchanged
Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg
and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks in New Delhi. Prime
Minister Modi said that both the countries have vibrant trade ties. MoU were
exchanged on India-Norway Ocean Dialogue. Erna Solberg also called on President
Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. She also delivered the
Inaugural address at the Raisina Dialogue and addressed India-Norway Business
Summit in New Delhi.
MoU Signed
Between Indian Army And PNB
An MoU was signed between the Indian
Army and Punjab National Bank on the Defence Salary Package. The signing
ceremony was chaired by the Adjutant General, Lt Gen Ashwani Kumar. Salient
features of the improved and updated MoU are free ‘RAKSHAK PLUS’ Scheme for
serving pers and veterans, overdraft facility range from Rs 0.75 to 3.0 lakhs,
multicity ‘At Par’ cheques, instant credit of outstation cheques, preferential
allotment of lockers at concessional AMC and free SMS alerts.
World Bank Pegs
India’s GDP Growth At 7.3 % in 2018-19
India’s GDP is expected to grow at 7.3%
in the fiscal year 2018-19, and 7.5% in the following two years, the World Bank
has forecast, attributing it to an upswing in consumption and investment. India
will continue to be the fastest growing major economy in the world, according
to the World Bank. China’s economic growth is projected to slow down to 6.2%
each in 2019 and 2020 and 6% in 2021, according to the January 2019 Global
Economic Prospects report released by the World Bank.
Pranav R Mehta
Becomes 1st Indian to Head Global Solar Council
A visionary in the field of Solar Energy
and the chairman of National Solar Energy Federation, Pranav R Mehta, has taken
over as the president of Global Solar Council (GSC). He has become the first
Indian to head the GSC. The Global Solar
Council (GSC) was launched on December 6, 2015, following the historic United
Nations Climate Change Conference (UN COP 21).
Egypt to Host
2019 African Cup of Nations
Seven-time champions Egypt have won the
hosting rights for the 2019 edition of the African Cup of Nations. Egypt beat
South Africa by 16 votes to one at the Confederation of African Football's
(CAF) Executive Committee.
Sydney and
Brisbane Chosen To Host $15 million ATP
Cup In 2020
Australian cities Sydney and Brisbane
have been announced as the first two host locations for the newest team event
in men’s tennis for the multi-million dollar ATP Cup from 2020. The third
Australian city for the tournament is yet to be determined. The tournament will
comprise more than 100 players from 24 nations with $15 million in prize money
and 750 ATP Ranking points.
2nd Edition Of
Khelo India Youth Games Begins In Pune
The second edition of Khelo India Youth
Games has officially begun in Pune, Maharashtra. Sports Minister Rajyavardhan
Rathore and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended a virtual torch ceremony
at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex. Prime Minister Narendra Modi
addressed the event through a video message. More than 9,000 players from different
states will participate in 18 different events.
10th
January 2019
PM Modi Launched
Various Development Projects in Solapur
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched
development projects worth Rs 1,100 cr at Solapur in Maharashtra. Referring to
the passage of The Constitution (One Hundred And Twenty-Fourth Amendment) Bill
in the Lok Sabha, PM, Modi described it as a landmark moment in the nation’s
history. PM Modi also laid the
foundation stone for an over 1800 crore rupee housing project of 30,000 units
under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. It will benefit the homeless poor like
rag pickers, rickshaw pullers, textile and beedi workers.
Rajya Sabha
Passes Reservation Bill Granting 10% Quota For Upper Caste EWS
The 124th Constitution Amendment Bill,
2019 to award 10% reservation to economically weaker sections was passed with a
majority in Rajya Sabha. It was already passed in Lok Sabha. The Constitution
(124rd Amendment) Bill has passed the Rajya Sabha test with 165 'Yes' and 7
'No' votes. This was brought to the Upper House after the sitting of the House
was extended by a day.
Government
Launched Web- Wonder Women Campaign
The government launched Web-Wonder Women
Campaign to celebrate the exceptional achievements of women who have influenced
and impacted society through social media. The Campaign aims to recognize the
fortitude of Indian women stalwarts from across the globe who have used the
power of social media to run positive campaigns to steer a change in society.
Andaman To Be
First Island To Operate Seaplanes Under UDAN-3
According to the Ministry of Civil
Aviation, islands in Andaman will soon be connected by seaplanes that can land
on or take-off from the water. To facilitate the same, the government has
approved flight operations on 13 water aerodrome routes under the Ude Desh ka
Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme. The government had opened bidding under the third
phase of its regional connectivity scheme, UDAN-3, in November, and had
received a total of 111 proposals by 15 airlines.
Polavaram
Project Enters Guinness Book of World Record For Concrete Pouring
The Polavaram project of Andhra Pradesh
entered the Guinness Book of World by pouring 32,100 cubic meters of concrete
in a matter of 24 hours. While the staff of Navayuga Engineering company
performed the task, project, and state government officials remained at the
site until the goal was completed. The entire event was witnessed by the
representatives of Guinness Book of World Record with the help of drone
cameras.
UGC To Set Up
CARE To Strengthen Research Publication
The University Grants Commission (UGC)
has approved a list of journals, in that the UGC has decided to establish a
Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (CARE). The good quality Research
Journals in disciplines under Social Sciences, Humanities, Languages, Arts,
Culture, Indian Knowledge Systems etc., will be maintained by CARE and referred
to as ‘CARE Reference List of Quality Journals’. This will be used for all
academic purposes. UGC has constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of
Prof. P. Balram, to review its quality mandate relating to promotion of
Research and to review the existing M.Phil/ Ph.D Regulations.
SEBI Constitutes
Research Advisory Committee Headed By Sankar De
Market regulator Security and Exchange
Board of India (SEBI) has constituted a "Research Advisory" committee
which will assist in formulating policy to undertake research relevant for
development and regulation of capital markets. According to SEBI, the committee
would comprise prominent financial economists and market practitioners. It will
be headed by Sankar De. Another key task of the committee will be to maintain
databases relevant for capital market regulation research.
‘National
Consultation on Child Protection’ Held in New Delhi
The First ‘National Consultation on
Child Protection’ for 2019 was held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi under
the Chairmanship of the Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development. The
meeting was organized to follow up on the exercise of monitoring of the CCIs by
States/UTs, to deliberate upon various aspects of child protection and to take
stock of the efforts made by States/UTs regarding improvements in the Child
Care Institutions.
BEE and CPWD
Sign MoU On Promoting Energy Efficiency In Buildings
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) signed an MoU, kick-starting
cooperation in building energy efficiency. According to the MoU, BEE and CPWD
will cooperate on promoting designs and construction of Energy Conservation
Building Code (ECBC) compliant new buildings, star rating of CPWD managed
buildings across the country with no registration or renewal fee, awareness of
energy efficiency in the building sector and support for capacity building of
CPWD officials in ECBC.
Sri Lanka’s
Central Bank Gets USD 400 Million Swap From RBI
Sri Lanka’s Central Bank announced that
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has agreed to provide USD 400 million under a
swap arrangement to boost the island nation’s reserves. It stated that a
further request to the RBI for another SWAP arrangement of USD 1 billion is
“under consideration”. These are to be made available under the SAARC SWAP
facility. The RBI has agreed to provide the funds under its SAARC (South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation) Swap Facility.
India Allows
Iran's Bank Pasargad To Open Branch in Mumbai
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has
announced that India has allowed an Iranian bank, Pasargad Bank, to open a
branch in Mumbai. The move is aimed at circumventing US trade and investment
sanctions as India builds a strategic port in the West Asian country. Iran’s
Pasargad Bank has received the necessary clearances to open its branch in
Mumbai. Alongside, India’s UCO Bank will open a branch in Iran.
IRCTC Partners
With Bharti AXA General Insurance
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
Corporation (IRCTC), the Railways’ subsidiary, will offer insurance of up to
INR50 lakh for free for air passengers who book their tickets through its
portal. IRCTC has tied up with Bharti-Axa for the offer. IRCTC’s service charge
of INR59 is the cheapest compared with travel websites. IRCTC has tied up with
Galileo, a computer reservation system, for powering the flight search engine.
India To Become
World’s 3rd Largest Consumer Market By 2030: WEF
A report by World Economic Forum stated
that India is set to become the world’s third largest consumer market behind
only USA and China by 2030. The report was titled as ‘Future of Consumption in
Fast-Growth Consumer Market – India’. As per the report, consumer spending in
India is expected to grow from 1.5 trillion US dollar at present to six
trillion US dollar by 2030. With the annual GDP growth rate of 7.5%, India is currently
the world’s sixth largest economy.
Malala Pens New
Book On Refugee Girls Titled We Are Displaced
Nobel
Peace Prize winner and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai pens a new book,
titled 'We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the
World,' charting her experiences traveling the world and visiting refugee
camps.
Mohamed Salah
Named African Footballer Of The Year
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has been named
as the 2018 Confederation of African Football Player of the Year. For the
second consecutive year he has won the award. Egypt forward Salah, 26, beat
Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane of Senegal and Arsenal and Gabon striker
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to the title. Houston Dash and South Africa forward
Thembi Kgatlana was named Women's Player of the Year.
World Hindi
Day:10 January
World Hindi Day is celebrated on January
10 every year, marking the anniversary of first World Hindi Conference which
was held in 1975. The first World Hindi Conference was inaugurated by the then
prime minister Indira Gandhi. World Hindi Day was first observed on January 10,
2006. World Hindi Day and National Hindi
Diwas are completely different. National Hindi Diwas is celebrated every year
on September 14. On that day in 1949, the constituent assembly adopted Hindi,
written in Devanagari script, as the official language of the Union.
11th
January 2019
India's Longest
Single Lane Steel Cable Bridge Opened in Arunachal Pradesh
India’s longest 300-meter single lane
steel cable suspension bridge was inaugurated by Arunachal Pradesh Chief
Minister Pema Khandu. He also laid the foundation stone for a district
secretariat building. The bridge across the Siang river at Yingkiong in Upper
Siang district has been named Byorung Bridge. It is built at a cost of
Rs48.43-crore provided by the DONER (Department for Development of North
Eastern Region) Ministry. The Bridge will reduce the distance from Yinkiong to
Tuting by almost 40 km. The Centre had
sanctioned 268 road projects worth Rs3,800-crore under the Prime Minister’s
Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). Mr. Khandu also announced Rs10-crore for a project
to check river erosion at Yingkiong and Tuting.
Important
Cabinet Approvals: 11th January 2019
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The important
Cabinet Approvals are given as follows:
The
Cabinet has approved-
1.
MoU on Maritime issues between India and Denmark.
2.
MoU between India and Japan on Development of Advanced Model Single Window.
Centre launches
5-yr Plan To Combat Pollution In 102 cities
The Environment Ministry launched the
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) aimed at reducing toxic particulate matter
in 102 Indian cities by 2024. The NCAP will be a mid-term, five-year plan with
2019 as the first year, while 2017 will be the base year for comparison of
concentration. An amount of INR300 crore has been sanctioned for this purpose.
25th Edition of
Partnership Summit Held in Mumbai
The 25th edition of Partnership Summit
2019, a global platform for dialogue, debate, deliberation and engagement among
Indian and global leaders on economic policy and growth trends in India was
held in Mumbai. The two-day event was inaugurated by the Vice President of
India, M Venkaiah Naidu. The Summit was organized by the Department of
Industrial Policy and Promotion, State Government of Maharashtra and
Confederation of Indian Industry.
29th Indian
Paint Conference 2019 Started in Agra
The Indian Paint Association (IPA), the
apex body of the country's paint industry announced that the 29th biennial
Indian Paint Conference started in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. The theme of the
Conference is 'Paints Pe Charcha - Naye Aayaam'. This is the largest trade show
of the estimated INR 500 billion (50,000 Crore) Indian Paints & Coatings
industry.
Maduro Sworn In
As Venezuela President for 2nd Term
Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a second
term as Venezuela's President amid the economic and humanitarian crisis faced
by the Latin American country. Maduro was re-elected last year. The US, EU and
13 other countries have stated that they would not recognise Maduro's
Presidency.
IWF President
Named As Chef de Mission for Tokyo Olympics
President of the Indian Weightlifting
Federation (IWF), Birendra Prasad Baishya, has been named Chef de Mission for
the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It is for the first time that the Weightlifting has
been accorded with the honor of Chef de Mission for the Olympics. Baishya is
also one of the Indian Olympic Association Vice Presidents.
India Ranks
79th, Japan Tops List Of Most Powerful Passports
According to the Henley Passport
Index, India jumped two positions from
81st in 2018 to 79th in 2019. Japan retained its top spot as the world's most
travel-friendly passport. China jumped almost 20 places in just two years, from
85th in 2017 to 69th this year. The Henley Passport Index is based on data
provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and covers 199
passports and 227 travel destinations.
Harendra Singh
Discontinued as Indian Men's Hockey Team Coach
Indian men's hockey coach Harendra Singh
was removed from the position and offered the task of helming the junior squad
by the national federation. Harendra Singh was brought in as men's coach in May
2018 after Sjoerd Marijne was moved back to the women's camp. Hockey India
stated that it will be inviting applications for the position of chief coach
and in the interim, the team will be overseen by Hockey India High-Performance
Director David John and current Analytical Coach, Chris Ciriello.
Mary Kom Attains
No. 1 Position in AIBA Rankings
M C Mary Kom has attained number one
position in the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) latest world
rankings. She became the most successful boxer in world championships’ history
when she claimed the 48kg category top honors in Delhi in November 2018. In the
51kg category list, Pinki Jangra is placed eighth. Asian silver-medallist
Manisha Maun is placed eighth in the 54kg category. In the 57kg division,
former world silver-medallist Sonia Lather was placed at the second spot.
12th
January 2019
6 States Sign
Agreement For Renukaji Multipurpose Dam Project
An agreement for Renukaji Dam
Multipurpose Project was signed in New Delhi among the States of Uttar Pradesh,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand in the presence of
Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Nitin
Gadkari. All the six Chief Ministers were present on the occasion. Under the
agreement, three storage projects are proposed to be constructed on the river
Yamuna and two of its tributaries – Tons and Giri in the hilly regions of
Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
India's 1st
Manned Mission To Space By December 2021: ISRO
ISRO Chairman Dr. K Sivan has announced
that the organization is well prepared to meet the targets of launching
Gaganyaan manned mission to outer space by December 2021. Under Gaganyaan
project, India is planning to send three astronauts to outer space for seven
days and bring them back. 332 launches are planned this year. Important among
them are Chandrayaaan -2 mission to the moon in mid-April. GSAT-20 Satellite
for high bandwidth connectivity to be launched in September-October.
4th Meeting of
CTDP Held In New Delhi
Union Minister for Commerce &
Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, chaired the 4th meeting of the
Council for Trade Development and Promotion (CTDP) in New Delhi. Suresh Prabhu
informed in the meeting that the Government of India has formulated an
Agricultural Export Policy for the first time with a focused plan to boost
India’s agricultural exports to USD 60 billion by 2022.
MEA Sushma
Swaraj On 2 Day Visit To Uzbekistan
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
embarked on a two-day visit to Uzbekistan. Mrs. Swaraj will be in Samarkand for
the First India-Central Asia Dialogue which she will co-chair with Uzbekistan’s
Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov. The Foreign Minister of Afghanistan will
participate in the Dialogue as a special invitee for the session dedicated to
connectivity issues in the region.
Yes Bank Appoints
Brahm Dutt As Non-Executive Part-Time
Chairman
Yes Bank, India’s fourth-largest private
sector bank, announced the appointment of Brahm Dutt as non-executive part-time
chairman up till July 4, 2020. Brahm Dutt has been on Yes Bank’s board since
July 2013 as an independent director and contributed to almost all the
sub-committees of the board over the past five and a half years.
Ashok Chawla
Resigned As NSE Chairman
Ashok Chawla resigned as chairman of the
National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) with immediate effect “in light of
recent legal developments”. Chawla’s resignation came on a day the Central
Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a special court in Delhi that it has
obtained the sanction of the ministries concerned to file charges against him
and four other former bureaucrats in the Aircel-Maxis case.
Su Tseng-chang
Appointed PM of Taiwan
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has
appointed Su Tseng-chang as Prime Minister, during a Cabinet reshuffle
following the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's heavy losses in local
elections. Su is a former premier appointed in 2006 by then-President Chen
Shui-bian and was a chairman of Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party for two
terms.
National Youth
Day: 12 January
The National Youth Day is celebrated across
the country on 12th January. NYD 2019 is the 156th birth anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda. Since 1985, his birth anniversary has been celebrated as National
Youth Day. Vivekananda died at the young age of 39, attaining Mahasamadhi in
1902.
GST Registration
Threshold Limit Increased To Rs 40 Lakh
The 32nd Meeting of GST Council was
concluded in New Delhi. The Limit of annual turnover for composition scheme
increased to 1.5 crore rupees effective from April 1, 2019. The Council has
decided to increase the GST registration threshold limit to 40 lakh rupees from
20 lakh. The Taxpayers who are giving Services of up to Rs 50 lacs per annum
will be taxed under 6% under Composition Scheme.
EIU Democracy
Index 2018: Norway Tops, India Ranks 41st
The 11th edition of EIU Democracy Index
2018 was released by the Economist Intelligent Unit compiling the state of
democracies in 167 countries in the world. In the list, Norway topped and India
ranked 41st place on the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual Global Democracy
Index. The Index was started in 2006. The top 3 performing countries on the
Democracy Index 2018 are:
1. Norway
2.
Iceland
3.
Sweden.
Adi Godrej
Conferred ICSI Lifetime Award
Industrialist and Godrej Group Chairman
Adi Godrej was conferred the ICSIs Lifetime Achievement Award for 'Translating
Excellence in Corporate Governance into Reality'. The awards were instituted by The Institute of
Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), which is celebrating its golden jubilee.
The 18th ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governance were
bagged jointly by Cipla Ltd and Dabur India Ltd and five others: ACC Ltd,
Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Indian Oil Corp, Tata Metaliks Ltd and Indian Hotels Co
Ltd.
Albie Morkel
Retires From All Forms Of Cricket
Albie Morkel, the South African
all-rounder, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Morkel, who
played for close to 20 years of professional cricket, made his first-class
debut for Easterns against Northerns in the 1999-00 domestic season. Morkel
earned a call-up into the South African ODI set-up for the series against New
Zealand in 2004 after snaring 12 scalps in List A games in the 2003-04 season.
13th
(&) 14th January 2019
Gujarat Becomes
The First State To Implement 10% Quota For General Category
Gujarat has become the first state to
implement the 10% reservation for economically weaker sections of the general
category. This comes a day after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to
the bill. Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani stated that it will also be applicable to
jobs for which announcement has been made but the procedure is yet to commence.
Sushil Modi To
Head Committee On GST Revenue Shortfall Faced By States
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi
will head the 7-member committee to look into revenue shortfall being faced by
the states after the GST roll-out and suggest steps for augmenting collections.
The GST Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising state
ministers, had on December 22, 2018, decided to set up a group of ministers
(GoM) to analyze reasons for the shortfall in revenue collections by the states
since July 2017.
Sikkim CM
Launched ‘One Family, One Job’ Scheme
Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar
Chamling launched the ‘One Family One Job’ scheme, under which for every family
one government job has been allotted, in Gangtok. New recruits were taken for
Group C and Group D posts in 12 departments. Thus, Sikkim became the first
state in the country to carry out such a programme for the people entitling
them to state government employee benefits. He also declared that all loan
debts in the farming and agriculture sector would be revoked.
Rajyavardhan
Rathore Launched 'National Youth Parliament Festival 2019'
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports,
Col Rajyavardhan Rathore launched the National Youth Parliament Festival 2019
at a function in New Delhi. The theme of the festival is- 'Be the Voice of New
India and Find solutions and contribute to policy'.
India, US Hold
2+2 Inter-Sessional Meeting in New Delhi
A 2+2 Inter-Sessional meeting between
the United States and India took place in New Delhi, focusing on the progress
of defence and foreign policy issues between the two countries. The Indian
delegation was led jointly by Joint Secretary (AMS) from the Ministry of External
Affairs Gourangalal Das, and Joint Secretary (PIC) from the Ministry of
Defence, Shambhu S Kumaran.
US Launches
'Fair Value for Innovation' At Raisina Dialogue
The Global Innovation Policy Center
(GIPC) of United States Chamber of Commerce launched a new innovation strategy
at Raisina Dialogue, 2019 in New Delhi. The Initiative is titled as “Fair Value
for Innovation”. The Initiative will examine economic underpinnings in order to
enable breakthrough innovation and explore the opportunities to harness innovation
capital in India and around the globe through research, advocacy, partnerships,
and programs.
Namita Gokhale
Wins Sushila Devi Literature Award
Writer Namita Gokhale has won the
Sushila Devi Literature Award for her novel “Things to Leave Behind”. She was
awarded in the ‘Best Book of Fiction Written by a Woman Author’ category at the
inaugural edition of Bhopal Literature and Art Festival (BLF).
Presidential
Award Presented to PM Narendra Modi
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi,
received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award, in New Delhi. The
Award focuses on the triple-bottom-line of People, Profit, and Planet. It will
be offered annually to the leader of a Nation. Prof. Philip Kotler is a
world-renowned Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg
School of Management. Owing to his ill-health, he deputed Dr. Jagdish Sheth of
EMORY University, Georgia, USA, to confer the award.
TCS Appoints
Daniel Callahan As Independent Director
India’s largest software exporter Tata Consultancy
Services has appointed Don Callahan as an additional and independent director
for a period of 5 years, based on the recommendations of the Nomination and
Remuneration Committee. He was the Chief Administrative Officer and Head of
Operations and Technology at Citigroup and was a member of Citi’s Operating
Committee earlier.
Khelo India
Youth Games Concludes: Maharashtra Tops Medal Tally
Maharashtra topped the medal tally with
37 golds at the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune. It had 111 medals in its kitty
with 37 gold, 31 silver and 43 bronze. Delhi was at second position with 35
gold and Haryana too maintains its third position with 29 gold. 10-year old
Abhinav Shaw became the youngest gold medallist in the shooting. He teamed up
with Mehuli Ghosh to help West Bengal win the 10m air rifle mixed team event.
Kartik Singh
Becomes Youngest Indian to Win Junior World Title
Gurgaon’s 8-year-old Kartik Singh has
won the under-8 category at the Kids' Golf World Championship organized by US
kids Golf in Malaysia, which makes him the youngest Indian to win the title.
Bengaluru
Raptors Won 1st Ever PBL Title
Bengaluru Raptors have won their first
ever Premier Badminton League, PBL title. In the title clash played at
Bengaluru, Bengaluru edged out Mumbai Rockets, with a 4-3 win. Star player
Kidambi Srikanth, Vu Ji Trang and the Men’s Doubles pair of Mohammad Ahsan and
Hendra Satiawan won their matches for Bengaluru guiding them to victory.
15th
January 2019
Government Launched 2 National Level
Initiatives in Field Of Science Communication. The Department of Science and
Technology (DST) along with Doordarshan (DD), Prasar Bharati launched two
science communication initiatives, DD Science and India Science. The
initiatives were inaugurated by Union Science & Technology Minister, Dr.
Harsh Vardhan. While DD Science is an one-hour slot on Doordarshan National
channel, India Science is a internet-based channel, which is available on any
internet-enabled device, and will offer live, scheduled play and
video-on-demand services.
India's Largest
Startup Ecosystem Inaugurated in Kerala
India got its largest startup ecosystem
when Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated a 1.8-lakh-square-feet
facility housing incubation set-ups across a string of segments in modern
technology. The Integrated Startup Complex under the Kerala Startup Mission
(KSUM) includes the ultra-modern facilities of Maker Village that promote
hardware startups, the BioNest that promotes medical technologies, BRINC which
is the country's first international accelerator for hardware startups.
Government
Launches ‘Womaniya on GeM’ Initiative
Government e Marketplace (GeM) has
launched “Womaniya on GeM”, an initiative to enable women entrepreneurs and
women self-help groups (WSHGs) to sell handicrafts and handloom, accessories
and many other products. The initiative seeks to develop women entrepreneurship
on the margins of society to achieve gender-inclusive economic growth.
Government e-Marketplace is a 100% government owned company set up under the aegis
of Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Madras HC Forms Committee To Weed Out Invasive Plant
Species
The Madras High Court has set up an
expert committee to find a solution to root out invasive species of plants from
the Western Ghats. The committee shall be headed by Cherukuri Raghavendra Babu,
the chairman of the expert committee on invasive species in Chennai National
Biodiversity Authority. It has also directed the panel to file a report on the
ways to weed out such species within two months.
Macedonia
Renamed As 'The Republic Of Northern Macedonia'
The Parliament of Macedonia has passed
the resolution to amend the constitution of the country to rename it as the
Republic of Northern Macedonia. The name change will help resolve a
decades-long dispute with neighboring Greece opening the way for Skopje to join
NATO and the European Union.
Ananth Narayanan
Steps Down As Myntra-Jabong CEO
Ananth Narayanan has stepped down as CEO
of Myntra and Jabong to pursue external opportunities. Amar Nagaram has been
named as Head, Myntra and Jabong, reporting to Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO of
Flipkart Group. Amar, who recently moved to Myntra from Flipkart, has been with
the group for around seven years and has played a pivotal role in making
shopping accessible and affordable on connected devices.
ICICI Bank
Appoints B Sriram, Rama Bijapurkar Independent Directors
Private sector ICICI Bank inducted
former SBI Managing Director B Sriram and management consultant Rama Bijapurkar
on its board as independent director. Both are appointed for 5 years, subject
to the approval of shareholders, ICICI Bank stated in a regulatory filing on
stock exchanges. Sriram retired as the managing director of IDBI Bank in
September 2018.
Indian Army Day:
15 January
Army Day is observed on January 15 in
India. On this day in 1949, Field Marshal Kodandera M Cariappa took over as the
first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher,
the last British Commander-in-Chief. Army day is dedicated to the soldiers who
fought to safeguard the country's honour. This is the 71st celebration of the
Indian Army Day.
Shakil Ahmed
Sets World Record In Indoor Rowing
Asian Cup gold medallist Shakil Ahmed
has set up a world record in indoor rowing by completing 1 lakh meters in above-40
years category in Kolkata. Shakil began his record-setting indoor rowing feat
in Salt Lake stadium complex and achieved the milestone of covering 1 lakh
meters of simulated distance in 10 hours.
Fields
Medal-Winning Mathematician Passes Away
Sir Michael Atiyah, a British
mathematician who received the 1966 Fields Medal, also known as the 'Nobel for
Mathematics,' passed away at the age of 89. Atiyah was best known for his
co-development of a branch of mathematics called topological K-theory and the Atiyah-Singer
index theorem. Atiyah was also the President of the Royal Society from
1990-1995.
16th
January 2019
1st National
EMRS National Sports Meet 2019 Held in Hyderabad
The 1st National Level Sports Meet for
the students of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) was inaugurated by
Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs at G.M.C
Balayogi Stadium, Hyderabad. The Minister also launched an app ‘EMRS Sports
Meet’ dedicated on the occasion. The event had participation of 1777 students
comprising of 975 boys and 802 girls representing 20 States of the country.
9th
International Micro Irrigation Conference Held in Aurangabad
In order to promote Micro irrigation
amongst farmers, Ministry of Water resources and River development has
organized 9th International Micro irrigation conference in Aurangabad,
Maharashtra. The conference focused on the theme of “Micro Irrigation and
Modern Agriculture”. Union Minister for water resources and river development
Shri Nitin Gadkari officially inaugurated the event.
'Global Aviation
Summit 2019' Begins in Mumbai
Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu
inaugurated the 'Global Aviation Summit 2019' in Mumbai. The summit is a union
and it will address the problems being faced. The summit, with a theme 'Flying
for all-especially the next 6 Billion', is being organized by Ministry of Civil
Aviation in association with FICCI.
Important
Cabinet Approvals: 16th January 2019
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The important
Cabinet Approvals are given as follows:
The
Cabinet has approved-
1.
MoU between India and Australia on the safety in Mines, Testing and Research
Station.
2.
Regularisation of Pay Scales of below Board Level Executives in NHPC Ltd.,
North East Electric Power Corporation, THDC India Ltd. and SJVN Ltd. w.e.f.
1.1.97.
Government
Constitutes 7-Member GoM to Boost Real Estate Sector Under GST Regime
The government has constituted a
seven-member Group of Ministers (GoM) to boost the real estate sector under the
GST regime. Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel is the convener of the
GoM. Finance Ministers of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab and Uttar
Pradesh and the Panchayat Minister of Goa are the members. The committee will
examine legality of inclusion and exclusion of land or any other ingredient, in
composition and suggest valuation mechanism.
India's 1st CWG
Boxing Gold-Medallist Mohammed Ali Qamar Appointed Women's Team Coach
Mohammed Ali Qamar, the man who won
India's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in boxing, has taken over as the
chief coach for the country's female boxers. He has replaced veteran Shiv
Singh. Qamar, who is set to turn 38, is also the youngest person to land the
job. Qamar's CWG gold came in the 2002 Manchester edition in the light
flyweight category.
Manu Sawhney
Appointed New ICC CEO
The International Cricket Council (ICC)
announced that Manu Sawhney has been appointed as the organization's new Chief
Executive Officer (CEO). Sawhney, the former CEO of Singapore Sports Hub and
Managing Director of ESPN Star Sports, will join the organization before
formally taking over the reins from David Richardson in July following the ICC
World Cup 2019.
Stephen
Constantine Resigns As Coach Of Indian Football Team
Indian football team head coach Stephen
Constantine has stepped down after the team’s shock 0-1 defeat to Bahrain which
led to its exit from the Asian Cup. The Anglo-Cypriot coach took over the reins
of the team in 2015 for a 2-year tenure. He was given one-year contract
extension twice. It was his second stint as India coach after serving as the
coach in 2002-05.
Yu Wensheng Wins
Franco-German Human Rights Award
A detained Chinese rights lawyer Yu
Wensheng has won a Franco-German human rights award for his 'exceptional
contribution' to the protection and promotion of human rights. Yu Wensheng, who
is in pretrial detention on subversion charges, has been held incommunicado by
authorities in Jiangsu's Xuzhou city for more than a year. His wife Xu Yan
received the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law on her
husband's behalf from the French and German ambassadors to China.
Chennai’s Gukesh
Crowned India's Youngest Grandmaster
Tamil Nadu lad D Gukesh became the 2nd
youngest Grand Master in the world and the youngest Indian to achieve the feat
at 12 years, 7 months and 17 days, erasing the mark set by his state-mate R
Praggnanandhaa in June 2018. Gukesh becomes India's 59th Grand Master.
Ukraine's Sergey Karjakin remains the youngest-ever GM, having achieved the
feat at the age of 12 years and 7 months in 2002.
Malayalam
Director Lenin Rajendran Passes Away
Malayalam director and screenwriter
Lenin Rajendran has passed away at 67. He was a five-time recipient of the
Kerala State Film Awards and also received the International Federation of Film
Critics Award for the best Malayalam film for his film ‘Makaramanju’.
17th
January 2019
PM Dedicates
Kollam Bypass in Kerala to Nation
PM Narendra Modi has dedicated the
Kollam Bypass on the National Highway-66 to the nation. It reduces travel time
between Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram. This is the first National Highway
project in the country taken up on a 50:50 Centre-State partnership. He also
launched development projects worth over Rs 1,500 cr in Odisha.
MP CM Launches
Rs 50,000 cr Farm Loan Waiver Scheme
‘Jai Kisan Rin Mukti Yojana
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath
launched his government's Rs 50,000-crore farm debt-waiver scheme named 'Jai
Kisan Rin Mukti Yojana'. It is expected to benefit 55 lakh small and marginal
farmers. The eligibility cut-off date has been extended to December 12, 2018,
from March 31, 2018. Only those farmers who have not registered themselves to
pay GST and income tax can avail benefits under this scheme.
Maharashtra
FM-led GoM To Look At Issues Related To Lottery Under GST
A ministerial panel headed by
Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar will examine uniformity of
taxation on lottery under GST or other issues arising out of it. Uder GST, state-organized
lottery falls under the 12% tax slab while state-authorized lottery attracts
28% tax. The GoM for the lottery will submit its report to GST Council in the
next meeting for approval.
India-Myanmar
Joint Training Exercise Begins In Chandimandir
The second edition of the India-Myanmar
bilateral army exercise, IMBEX 2018-19, commenced at Chandimandir Military
Station, that houses the headquarters of the Western Command, Chandigarh. The
aim of this joint training programme, spread over six days, is to train the
Myanmar delegation for participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations
under the UN flag.
India’s Satyarup
Becomes World’s Youngest Mountaineer To Climb 7 Peaks, 7 Volcano Summits
Mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta conquered
Antartica's highest point, Mount Sidley. With this feat, he became the first
Indian and youngest man to climb the 7 highest peaks and volcanic summits
across all continents. He achieved the feat at the age of 35 years and 262
days. Satyarup hails from South Kolkata and is a software engineer by
profession.
Palestine Takes
Reins At UN's Group G77
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has
pledged to protect the interests of all 134 countries in the UN's Group of 77,
as Palestine took the chairmanship of the group from Egypt for 2019. The G77
group was originally founded by 77 members in 1964 but has expanded to 134
mainly developing nations. The decision to elect Palestine as the 2019 Chair of
the G77 was taken in September 2018 by the foreign ministers of the Groups’ member
states.
Gandhi Peace
Prize Conferred for Last 4 Years
The Gandhi Peace Prize for the years
2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 has been conferred on the following: For 2015:
Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari for their contribution in Rural Development,
Education , Development of natural resources. For 2016: Jointly to Akshaya
Patra Foundation for its contribution in providing mid-day meals to millions of
children across India and Sulabh International for its contribution in
improving the condition of sanitation in India and emancipation of manual
scavengers. For 2017: Ekal Abhiyan Trust for their contribution in providing
Education for Rural and Tribal Children in remote areas pan India, Rural
Empowerment, Gender and Social Equality. For 2018: Shri Yohei Sasakawa for his
contribution in Leprosy Eradication in India and across the world.
Cabinet Approves
Recapitalization of Export-Import Bank of India
The
Union Cabinet has approved the recapitalization of EXIM Bank.
The
details are as follows:
1.
Issuance of Recapitalization Bonds by the Government of India to the tune of
Rs.6,000 crore for capital infusion in Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank).
2.
The equity will be infused in two tranches of Rs. 4,500 crore in FY 2018-19 and
Rs.1,500 crore in FY 2019-20 respectively.
3.
The Cabinet also approved an increase in the authorized capital of Exim Bank
from Rs. 10,000 crore to Rs. 20,000 crore.
18th
January 2019
PM Modi 3-Day
Visit to Gujarat: Complete Highlights
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a
3-day visit to Gujarat. He attended/inaugurated various initiatives at the
different venues. Here are the complete highlights of the visit of PM Modi to
Gujarat: PM Modi Inaugurates the Ahmedabad Shopping Festival-2019 PM unveils
Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show in Gandhinagar. PM Modi to inaugurate 9th
edition of Vibrant Gujarat Summit today
BES EXPO 2019
Begins In New Delhi
Information and Broadcasting Secretary
Amit Khare and TRAI Chairman RS Sharma inaugurated the 25th International
conference and exhibition on terrestrial and satellite broadcasting, BES EXPO
2019 in New Delhi. The theme for this exhibition is Next Gen Broadcasting in
the IT World. Nearly 300 companies from 25 countries are displaying their
products at the Expo.
Dr. Jitendra
Singh Inaugurated UNNATI Programme of ISRO in Bengaluru
Minister of State in Department of
Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the UNNATI (Unispace Nanosatellite
Assembly & Training) programme organized by ISRO in Bengaluru, Karnataka. UNNATI,
a capacity building programme on Nanosatellite development, is an initiative by
ISRO to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first United Nations conference
on the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space (UNISPACE-50).
2nd World Orange
Festival Begins In Nagpur
The second World Orange Festival has begun in
Nagpur. The festival, while offering its famed oranges to the world, will also
showcase and brand the exquisite fruit in order to boost its export.
Agricultural experts and scientists from various countries will participate in
the workshops and guide farmers.
Suresh Prabhu
Inaugurates 10th Edition of India Rubber Expo 2019
Union Minister for Commerce and
Industry, Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the 10th edition of the India Rubber Expo –
2019 in Mumbai. The three-day event being held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre
is one of the most anticipated events in the rubber industry’s calendar.
Vinesh Phogat
Becomes First Indian Athlete To Be Nominated In Laureus World Comeback of Year
Award
Ace Indian female wrestler Vinesh Phogat
has become the first Indian athlete to receive a nomination in the prestigious
Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award. She has been nominated alongside US
Tour Championship winner Tiger Woods, who won his first tournament in five
years. The 24-year-old Vinesh from Haryana made a sensational comeback after
battling a long injury lay-off to win a gold medal at the Gold Coast
Commonwealth Games and Jakarta Asian Games.
Dr. Rattan Lal
Honoured With 2019 Japan Prize
The Japan Prize Foundation announced
India born professor Dr. Rattan Lal, University Professor of Soil Science at
The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A, as the recipient of the
2019 Japan Prize for his contributions in the field of “Biological Production,
Ecology”. Dr. Yoshio Okamoto was announced to be the recipient of the 2019
Japan Prize on of “Materials and Production” field. A cash award of 50 million
Japanese yen (approximately $450,000 USD) will also be given to each prize
field.
Reliance Retail,
Jio to Launch New e-Commerce Platform
Reliance Industries Ltd Chairman and
managing director Mukesh Ambani announced that group companies Reliance Retail
and Reliance Jio Infocomm would jointly launch a new e-commerce platform in the
country. Gujarat would be the first state to get it. The announcement was made
at the inauguration of the three-day Vibrant Gujarat summit.
GDP To Be A Tad
Higher To 7.5% In FY20: India Ratings
India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), a
Fitch Group Company, estimated India's GDP growth could touch 7.5 % in the
financial year 2019-20 as against 7.2 % during current fiscal i.e. 2018-19. India
Ratings believes investments are slowly but steadily gaining traction with
gross fixed capital formation growing 12.2 % in FY19 and projected to clock
10.3 % in FY20.
The Global Risks
Report 2019 Released By World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum released the
14th edition of its annual Global Risk Report, 2019. The report’s findings are
based on the annual Global Risks Perception Survey, in which nearly 1,000
decision-makers from the public sector, private sector, academia, and civil
society assess the risks facing the world. The report was released ahead of the
World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos. Trade tensions, cyber and
technological threats, rising geopolitical and geo-economic tensions, and
environmental degradation dominated the list.
India 1st Away
Team To Win Bilateral Series in All Formats in Australia
India defeated Australia in the third
ODI today to clinch the three-match series 2-1. With this, India became the first
visiting side to win a bilateral series (two or more matches) in all three
formats in Australia.
19th
January 2019
PM Narendra Modi
Launches National Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated
the National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) in Mumbai. The development of the
Museum was guided by the Museum Advisory Committee headed by Shyam Benegal. An
innovation Committee headed by Prasoon Joshi provided an upgrade to the NMIC.
Built at a cost of Rs 140.61 crore, the museum depicts the journey of over a
century of Indian cinema in a story telling mode.
India To Host
14th Session Of The Conference Of Parties To UNCCD
India will host the 14th session of the
Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD) to address the issue of land degradation and
desertification which will have participation from over 100 countries. It is
likely to be held in October 2019. The UNCCD, established in 1994, has 197
parties working towards maintaining and restoring land and soil productivity
and mitigating the effects of drought.
Tripura Launches
Project For Sustainable Catchment Forest Management
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb launched
a project for Sustainable Catchment Forest Management at State Forest Academy
Ground in West Tripura and stated that the project would help develop the
quality of forestlands and livelihood of forest dwellers in the state. The
project is jointly funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
and Government of India. JICA is providing Rs. 1,000 crores for a span of 10
years.
India’s 2nd
Defence Innovation Hub to come Up In Nashik
Nashik in Maharashtra will be the site
of the country’s second defence innovation hub after Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Union
Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre stated that the defence innovation
hub at Nashik will help local industries and entrepreneurs in the country’s
defence sector.
Saksham 2019 Launched
By Petroleum Ministry In New Delhi
‘Saksham’, an annual high intensity
one-month long people-centric mega campaign of Petroleum Conservation Research
Association (PCRA) was launched by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. ‘Saksham’
Cycle Day in 200 cities, Cyclothons, Workshops for drivers of commercial
vehicles, Nationwide campaign through Radio, TV, Digital Cinemas, Outdoor media
etc. will be conducted, with a focus on reaching out to various segments of
fuel users.
India Signs Long
Term Contract With Uzbekistan For Supply of Uranium
India has signed a long-term contract
with Uzbekistan for supply of uranium ore concentrates to widen its source base
for the nuclear fuel. Uzbekistan is the seventh largest exporter of uranium in
the world. The Exim Bank signed an agreement with Uzbekistan to extend a
200-million US dollar line of credit for financing housing and social
infrastructure projects.
Japan Launches
Satellite For World's 1st Artificial Meteor Shower
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has
launched Tokyo-based startup Star-ALE's mini-satellite aimed to deliver the
world's first artificial meteor shower. The satellite carries 400 tiny balls,
will be enough for 20-30 events, that will glow as they rush down the
atmosphere on being released. ALE plans to deliver its first show in Hiroshima
in early 2020.
BHEL and LIBCOIN
To Build India’s 1st Lithium Ion Giga Factory
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
and Libcoin are in dialogue to form a world-class consortium to initially build
1GWh lithium-ion battery plant in India. Its capacity will be scaled up to
30GWh in due course. With this, India has finally taken steps into its energy
security and clean energy commitment to the world.
HDFC Standard
Life Insurance Renamed To HDFC Life Insurance
HDFC Standard Life Insurance has changed
its name to HDFC Life Insurance following the receipt of relevant approvals
from regulatory authorities. The change in name is effective right off the bat
and the company will henceforth operate under the name HDFC Life Insurance
Company Ltd.
Prabhat Singh
Appointed DG In NHRC
The Department of Personnel &
Training, Government of India has appointed Senior IPS Officer Prabhat Singh as
Director General (Investigation) in the National Human Rights Commission. Singh,
a 1985 batch IPS Officer of AGMUT cadre is at present Special Director, Central
Reserve Police Force (CRPF). He has been appointed to the post for a period up
to April 30, 2020
Pulitzer
Prize-Winning Writer Mary Oliver Passes Away
Mary Oliver, the Pulitzer Prize-winning
poet passed away. She was 83. The cause of death was lymphoma. Oliver — author
of more than 15 poetry and essay collections — wrote brief, direct pieces that
sang of her worship of the outdoors and disdain for greed, despoilment and other
human crimes.
20th
(&) 21st January 2019
15th Pravasi
Bhartiya Divas Begins At Varanasi
The 15th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya
Divas begins at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The 3 day event is being organized
in Varanasi for the first time. The theme this year is, 'Role of Indian
Diaspora in building New India'. Several world leaders of Indian origin,
including the Chief Guest Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of
Mauritius, will take part in the event and share their insights on the theme.
India and JICA
Sign Loan Agreements on Loan to India
India and Japan-India Cooperative
Actions (JICA) signed the loan agreements under the Japanese Official
Development Assistance Loan Program in New Delhi. The agreements under the
Japanese Official Development Assistance Loan were signed for two projects.
These are:
(a)
Project for the Construction of Chennai Peripheral Ring Road (Phase 1) for
Japanese Yen 40.074 billion (around Rs 2470 Crore), and
(b)
Program for Japan-India Cooperative Actions towards Sustainable Development
Goals in India for Japanese Yen 15.000 billion (around Rs 950 Crore).
UK Sinha-Headed
Working Group To Suggest Suitable Framework
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of
India (IBBI) has set up an 11-member working group under the Chairmanship of
former SEBI chief UK Sinha to go into the concept of ‘Group Insolvency’ and
suggest a suitable framework. This Working Group has been tasked to submit a
report within two months recommending a complete regulatory framework to
facilitate insolvency resolution and liquidation of corporate debtors in a
Group.
2-Day Agri
Vision 2019 Conference Concludes in Hyderabad
The 2-day Agri Vision 2019 Conference on
envisioning Agro solutions for Smart and Sustainable Agriculture was held in
Hyderabad. It was inaugurated by Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu. The
conference was jointly organized by Professor Jayashankar Telangana State
Agricultural University (PJTSAU), Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) and
Cornell University, USA.
IIT-H Launches
Full-Fledged B.Tech In Artificial Intelligence
Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad
(IIT-H) has announced the launch of a full-fledged bachelor's programme in
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology from the new academic session, a first
for the country and only the third globally. Besides IIT, Carnegie Mellon
University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), both of which are
in the US, offer full-fledged B.Tech programmes in AI. The new course will have
20 seats and the eligibility is clearing the JEE-Advanced test.
Defence Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman Inaugurated The Diffo Bridge In Arunachal Pradesh
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
inaugurated the 426 meters long Diffo Bridge over Chipu River in Lower Dibang
Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh. Border Roads Organization (BRO) has
constructed the bridge along Indo-China border. The construction of the bridge
began in 2011. The total cost to build the bridge was Rs 4,847.83 lakh and was
funded by the Union ministry of road transport and highways.
Nepal’s Central
Bank Announces Ban of Indian Notes Above Rs100
Nepal’s central bank has banned the use
of Indian currency notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations, a move
that could affect Indian tourists visiting the Himalayan nation where Indian
currency is widely used. Nepal Rastra Bank issued a circular prohibiting Nepali
travellers, banks and financial institutions from holding or carrying and
trading Indian bank notes higher than Rs 100.
Swedish Prime
Minister Stefan Lofven Reelected For Second Term
The Swedish Parliament approved Stefan
Lofven as Prime Minister for a second four-year term.
Rio de Janeiro
Named As 1st World Capital of Architecture for 2020
The United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has named the Brazilian city of
Rio de Janeiro as the World Capital of Architecture for 2020. Rio will be the
first city to receive the title under a programme launched together by UNESCO
and the International Union of Architects (UIA) in November 2018. The city beat
Paris and Melbourne to get the position.
Arab Economic
And Social Development Summit Held In Beirut
The Arab Economic and Social Development
Summit held in Lebanon’s capital Beirut. The leaders of many Arab countries
took part in the summit aimed to make a joint statement on a 29-item agenda
that ranges from discussions on an Arab free trade zone and the economic effect
of Syrian refugees on host countries.
WEF Annual Meet
Begins in Switzerland
The World Economic Forum (WEF) annual
meet had begun in Davos, Switzerland. The meeting will continue for 5 days. The
theme of the event would be ‘Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture
in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution’.
India To Surpass
UK in World’s Largest Economy Rankings in 2019: PwC
India is likely to surpass the United
Kingdom in the world’s largest economy rankings in 2019, to become the world’s
fifth largest economy, according to a report by global consultancy firm PwC.
PwC’s Global Economy Watch report projects real GDP growth of 1.6% for the UK,
1.7% for France and 7.6% for India in 2019. The US was the world’s largest
economy with a size of 19.39 trillion dollars, followed by China at 12.23
trillion dollars at the second place in 2017.
MP Anurag Thakur
Honoured With Sansad Ratna Award
Himachal Pradesh MP Anurag Thakur has
been bestowed with Sansad Ratna Award for his distinguished performance as a
parliamentarian under Jury Committee Special Award category. Thakur became the
first BJP MP to receive the Jury Committee award. 12 parliamentarians were
honored with the Sansad Ratna award, which was set up in 2010 on the suggestion
of ex-President APJ Abdul Kalam.
Indian-American
Gurinder Singh Khalsa Presented With Rosa Parks Trailblazer Award
The Indian-American Sikh Gurinder Singh Khalsa,
45, who lives in Fishers of Indiana, US was presented with the prestigious 2019
Rosa Park Trailblazer award after being selected for champions of the diversity
by the Indiana Minority Business Magazine.
RBI Approves
Appointment of V Vaidyanathan as MD, CEO of IDFC First Bank
The Reserve Bank of India has approved
the appointment of V Vaidyanathan as MD and CEO of IDFC First Bank for a period
of three years. In December 2018, IDFC Bank and non-banking financial company
Capital First completed their merger, creating a combined loan asset book of Rs
1.03 lakh crore for the merged entity IDFC First Bank.
Ankita Raina
Wins ITF's Tournament In Singapore
India's Ankita Raina has won the
International Tennis Federation's 25,000-dollar Women's tournament in
Singapore. In the Final, Ankita defeated top seed Arantxa Rus of the
Netherlands. She will play two more tournaments before gearing up for the Fed
Cup, starting in the first week of February at Astana, Kazakhstan.
World's Oldest
Man Masazo Nonaka Passes Away At 113
The world's oldest man, Masazo Nonaka of
Japan, has died at the age of 113. Nonaka,
who was officially recognized as the oldest male in the world by Guinness World
Records in April 2018, passed away at his home in the north of Japan's Hokkaido
island.
22nd
January 2019
15th Pravasi
Bharatiya Diwas: All You Need To Know
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi
inaugurated the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Convention at Varanasi, Uttar
Pradesh. For the first time, the three day long convention is being organized
in Varanasi from 21-23 January, 2019. The theme of PBD Convention 2019 is “Role
of Indian Diaspora in building New India”.
India Signs MoU
With Sri Lanka to Modernize Facilities At Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic
Studies in Batticaloa
India and Sri Lanka signed an MoU to
provide modern infrastructural facilities to Swami Vipulananda Institute of
Aesthetic Studies of Eastern University in Batticaloa district of Sri Lanka. The
project involves refurbishment of the auditorium and construction of a modern
building complex with recording cum editing facilities and supply vehicles to
the institute through a grant of over 27 crore Sri Lankan rupees from the
Government of India.
India Steel 2019
Exhibition and Conference Begins in Mumbai
India Steel 2019 Exhibition and
Conference had begun in Mumbai. The three-day event organized by the Ministry
of Steel helped chart out the future growth path of the steel industry. The
event provided an opportunity for all the stakeholders to deliberate and
identify ways to contribute towards building a robust roadmap for the further
growth of the steel sector.
Dell Launches
India’s First PolicyHack for Teachers
Dell, as a part of its three-city
PolicyHack series, hosted an interactive hackathon, where teachers focused on
their learning journey in New Delhi. The initiative allows the teaching
fraternity to come up with solutions for problems faced by teachers inside and
outside the classroom. PolicyHack in India was conducted at two levels. Over 80
schools pan-India took part in it. The maiden hackathon for teachers was won by
the Government Boys Senior Secondary School No 1 Ghonda, Delhi who presented
the most promising and innovative ideas and solutions.
Andry Rajoelina
Sworn In As Madagascar President
Madagascar president, Andry Rajoelina,
has sworn into office after taking the oath in Antananarivo before nine judges
of the High Constitutional Court. He won
nearly 56% to defeat another former president, Marc Ravalomanana.
China's Economy
Grew At 6.6% In 2018, Slowest Rate In 3 Decades
China's economy grew at 6.6% in 2018,
its slowest rate in almost 3 decades. The world's 2nd biggest economy was
grappling with the effects of the current trade war with the US and declining
exports. In the 3 months to December, the economy grew 6.4% from a year
earlier, down from 6.5 % in the previous quarter. China's National Bureau of
Statistics (NBS) stated that last year's growth rate was down from 6.8% in 2017
and was the lowest since 1990 when the growth rate was 3.9%.
Vice President
M. Venkaiah Naidu Presented Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards and SAGY Awards
The Vice President of India M. Venkaiah
Naidu presented the 2nd Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards to students and their
mentors and Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) Awards to institutions at an event
organized by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in New Delhi.
Ranjani Murali
Wins 'Woman’s Voice Award' At AKLF 2019
US Based Indian poet Ranjani Murali was
awarded the “Woman’s Voice Award” at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival
(AKLF). The Objective of the award is to recognize and encourage creative
writing by women in India. The Award carried a cash prize of Rs 1 Lakh along
with a citation. Ranjani Murali’s second book “Clearly you are ESL” won the
Great Indian Poetry Collectives (GIPCs) Editor’s Choice award. Her first book
“Blind Screens” was published in July 2017.
2018 ICC Awards:
Virat Kohli Takes 3 Major Honours
Virat Kohli has become the first player
in history to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year,
the ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year and the ICC ODI Player of the Year awards
following an extraordinary 2018. The International Cricket Council also
announced the men’s Test and ODI teams of the year with Virat Kohli named
captain of both sides.
Bharat Ratna CNR
Rao Chosen For International Prize For
Materials Research
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced
Scientific Research announced that the Centre for Advanced Materials of the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) chose Eminent Scientist and Bharat Ratna recipient
CNR Rao for the first Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Research. The
Award containing a plaque, a medal and a Cash Prize of USD 100000 will be
presented by Sheikh Saud to Professor CNR Rao.
India Among The
Most Trusted Nations Globally: Report
India is among the most trusted nations
globally when it comes to government, business, NGOs and media. The 2019
Edelman Trust Barometer report, noted that the Global Trust Index witnessed a
marginal increase of 3 points to 52. China topped the Trust Index among both
the informed public and the general population segments. India was at the 2nd
place in the informed public category and 3rd place in the general population
category. The findings are based on an online survey in 27 markets covering
over 33,000 respondents.
Microsoft
Launches e-Commerce Platform for Handloom Weavers
Microsoft India has launched a new
e-commerce platform re-weave.in for handloom weavers under its Project ReWeave,
part of its philanthropic initiatives. This e-commerce platform will help
connect artisans to buyers directly, enabling them to expand to newer customers
and markets.
23rd
January 2019
Important
Cabinet Approvals: 23rd January 2019
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The important
Cabinet Approvals are given as follows:
The
Cabinet has approved-
1.
MoC between India and Japan in the field of Food Processing Industry.
2.
Extension of Delhi Metro corridor from Dilshad Garden to New Bus Adda Ghaziabad
3.
MoU between India and Kuwait for cooperation on the Recruitment of Domestic
Workers
4.
Amendment to the ‘Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC Member
Countries’ to incorporate ‘Standby Swap’ amounting to USD 400 million operated
within the overall size of the facility.
5.
Creation of the National Bench of the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal
(GSTAT).
Indian Navy
Coordinates Largest Ever Coastal Defence Exercise: SEA VIGIL
Ten years after "26/11", the
Indian Navy commenced the largest coastal defence exercise off the Indian
coast. Exercise SEA VIGIL, a first of
its kind, is being undertaken along the entire 7516.6 km coastline and
Exclusive Economic Zone of India and is involving all the 13 coastal States and
Union Territories along with all maritime stakeholders, including the fishing
and coastal communities.
Omega Healthcare
Inks MoU With IIIT-Bangalore
Omega Healthcare Management Services has
signed a pact with IIIT-Bangalore for advanced use of the latest technology in
providing healthcare solutions. The MoU is aimed at building industry-grade AI
engines that can be embedded as part of Omega's business solutions to solve healthcare
business challenges.
JNPT Becomes
Only Indian Port To Be Listed Amongst World’s Top 30 Container Ports
The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT),
India’s premier container port got listed amongst the top 30 container ports
globally, as per the latest Lloyds Report. JNPT notched up five spots, to be
28th on the list, compared to its previous ranking. This is a validation of all
the efforts and strategic initiatives being implemented at JNPT in order to
enhance overall port efficiency.
Arunachal
Government Declares Pakke Hornbill Fest As ‘State Festival’
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Pema
Khandu declared Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF) as the “State Festival” at
Seijosa in East Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh. Pakke Paga Hornbill
Festival (PPHF) is only conservation festival of Arunachal Pradesh. He
announced that Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department will fund the festival from
2020 and permanent infrastructure will be constructed for the festival ground.
Andhra Pradesh
Cabinet Decides To Give Quota For Kapus Community, EBCs
Andhra Pradesh cabinet has decided to
cater 5% reservation each for Kapu community and the economically backward
classes (EBCs) among the forward castes. The cabinet approved the decision of
doubling the welfare pensions given under the NTR Bharosa Scheme. Pensions of
Rs 1000 and Rs 1500 are doubled to Rs 2000 and Rs 3000 respectively.The cabinet
decided to give exemption of life tax for autos and quarterly tax for tractors.
Government
Constitutes NITI Aayog-led Committee To Monitor Pricing Of Drugs
The government has constituted a high
power committee to monitor the pricing of medicines and healthcare products.
The committee will be headed by a Niti Aayog member (Health). The Standing
Committee on Affordable Medicines and Health Products (SCAMHP) will be the
recommending body to the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).
President Ram
Nath Kovind Confers Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2019
The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind
conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2019. The awards were
presented to 26 shortlisted awardees including one joint award for National
Child Award (now renamed as Bal Shakti Puraskar) under the category of
innovation, scholastic, sports, art and culture, social service and bravery. Under
National Child Welfare Awards category, 2 individuals and 3 institutions were
awarded. The names of awardees were finalized by the National Selection
Committee under the Chairpersonship of Minister of Women and Child Development,
Maneka Sanjay Gandhi.
Noted Gujarati
Poet Sitanshu Yashashchandra Awarded Saraswati Samman 2017
Noted Gujarati poet Sitanshu
Yashashchandra has been awarded Saraswati Samman, 2017, for his poetry
collection in Gujarati named “Vakhar”. This is the 27th edition of the
prestigious award instituted by K.K.Birla foundation. The award comprises of a citation and a plaque
apart from award money of 15 lakh rupees. Mr. Yashashchandra, recipient of the
Padmashri in 2006, is known for seamlessly blending history with poetry.
Facebook To Set
Up Institute For AI Ethics With Initial Investment Of $7.5 Million
Social media giant Facebook announced
that it will create an independent Institute for Ethics in Artificial
intelligence (AI) with an initial investment of $7.5 million over a period of
five years. Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany will collaborate
with this project which aims to explore fundamental issues affecting the use
and impact of AI.
Vodafone Idea
Board Approves Rights Issue for Rs25,000 crore
India’s largest telecom operator by
subscriber base Vodafone Idea announced that its board had approved a rights
issue of Rs25,000 crore to existing eligible equity shareholders in line with
the recommendations of a capital raising committee it had set up in November
2018. The fund infusion will come at a time when it is critical for the company
to raise resources to compete in the telecom market disrupted by the entry of
Reliance Jio in September 2016, which brought down tariffs, hitting revenue
streams of other operators.
India Ranks 80th
On Global Talent Competitiveness Ranking: Survey
India has moved up one position to rank
80th on the global talent competitive index, but remains a laggard among the
BRICS nations. Switzerland continues to top the list, released on the first day
of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting at Davos by INSEAD business
school in partnership with Tata Communications and Adecco Group.
The
top 3 countries in the list are:
1.
Switzerland,
2.
Singapore,
3.
The United States.
Rishabh Pant
Named ICC Emerging Player Of The Year
Rishabh Pant was named the International
Cricket Council's (ICC) Emerging Player Of The Year following an impressive
show in India's first-ever Test series win in Australia. With an unbeaten
159-run knock in the 4th Test in Sydney, Rishabh Pant became the first Indian
wicket-keeper to score a Test century in Australia.
Mohammed Shami
Becomes Fastest Indian Bowler To Reach 100 ODI Wickets
Mohammed Shami became the fastest Indian
bowler to claim 100 ODI wickets, during the first one-dayer against New Zealand
at Napier. Shami reached the milestone in his 56th match, with the wicket of
opener Martin Guptill. The Indian record was previously held by Irfan Pathan,
who got there in his 59th match, against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2006. The
world record is currently held by Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who
needed only 44 games to reach the mark.
Former Indian
Hockey Player Raghbir Bhola Passes Away
Former Indian hockey player Raghbir
Singh Bhola, a two-time Olympic medallist, has passed away aged 92. In 2000, he
was honored with the Arjuna Award for his achievements in hockey. He served in
diverse roles such as the member of the IHF selection committee, FIH
international umpire, manager of the Indian hockey team, TV commentator and
government observer at the Olympic Games.
24th
January 2019
Global Investors
Summit Held In Chennai
Tamil Nadu Government organised the 2nd
edition of Global Investor summit in Chennai. The state government would soon
unveil e-vehicle policy to give a boost to electric vehicles manufacturing in
the state. In the opening ceremony, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was the
chief guest. Tamil Nadu government has allocated nearly Rs 75 crores to conduct
the event.
PM Modi Launched
Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched
the Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana under which a group of Indian diaspora will
be taken on a government-sponsored tour of religious places in India twice a
year. The first batch of 40 Indian-origin people are at the Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas and from here they will begin their tour.
IAFTX 2019:
India Africa Field Training Exercise Held in Pune
The final planning conference to work
out the modalities for Indian Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX)-2019 was
conducted at Pune, Maharashtra. The joint training exercise is being conducted
with more than a dozen African countries & India. It aims at synergysing
humanitarian mine action and joint peace operations.
Navy Chief
Admiral Sunil Lanba Commissioned New Naval Air Base ‘INS Kohassa’
Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba
commissioned the new Naval Air Base ‘INS Kohassa’ at Diglipur in Andaman and
Nicobar Islands. The airbase will be used to handle operations of helicopters
and small aircraft like the Dornier. The new airbase in the northernmost part
of the Andaman Nicobar Islands will be used for both Defence and civil
aircraft.
2nd World
Integrated Medicine Forum 2019 Held In Goa
Union Minister of State (Independent
Charge) for AYUSH Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, inaugurated the 2nd World Integrated
Medicine Forum 2019 on the ‘Regulation of Homeopathic Medical Products;
Advancing global collaboration’ in Goa. The organizers of the forum are the
Central Council for Research in Homeopathy, under the Ministry of AYUSH.
Venezuela Breaks
Off Diplomatic Ties With The US
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has
announced that he is breaking off diplomatic ties with the United States after
his American counterpart Donald Trump recognized Opposition leader Juan Guaido
as the South American country's interim President. Nicolas Maduro gave all US
diplomatic staff in Venezuela 72 hours to leave the country. The Venezuelan
President accused the US government of attempting a coup d'etat.
Ravneet Gill To
Replace Rana Kapoor as Yes Bank MD and CEO
Yes Bank has appointed veteran banker
Ravneet Singh Gill as its new MD & CEO and the lender has also received the
RBI’s approval for the same.He will join the bank on or before March 1, 2019. Mr
Gill is currently the chief Deutsche Bank’s India operations. Gill joined
Deutsche Bank in 1991 and has worked across different businesses including
corporate banking, capital markets and wealth management.
Piyush Goyal
Named Interim Finance Minister
Piyush Goyal has been named the interim
Finance Minister and interim Minister of Corporate Affairs during Arun
Jaitley's indisposition. Goyal will retain his existing portfolios of coal and
railways. Union Minister Arun Jaitley, 66, had left for the United States for a
regular medical check-up. Jaitley will be designated as a minister without a
portfolio during his period of indisposition.
India's Growth
to Accelerate From 7.4% to 7.6% in FY20: UN Report
With robust private consumption and 7.4%
GDP growth rate in the current fiscal, the Indian economy is expected to
accelerate at a rate of 7.6% in 2019-20, according to a report by the United
Nations titled United Nations' World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP)
2019.
3 Indian expats
From UAE Win Prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award
Three Indian expats from the UAE are
amongst those who won the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award the
highest honor conferred on Indian diaspora. President Ram Nath Kovind conferred
the award on Girish Pant, Surender Singh Kandhari and Dr. Zulekha Daud and
other awardees at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention in Varanasi. Girish
Pant is a social worker, Surender Singh Kandhari is chairman of the Gurudwara
Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh Temple and a philanthropist, businessman, Dr Zulekha is founder and chairperson of Zulekha
Healthcare Group.
National Girl
Child Day: 24 January
National Girl Child Day is celebrated in
India on 24 January. Women and Child Development Ministry celebrated the
National Girl Child Day 2019 at Pravasi Bharti Kendra, New Delhi. The programme
also observed the anniversary of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme. The
theme of National Girl Child Day 2019 was “Empowering Girls for a Brighter
Tomorrow” and celebrating with objectives of generating awareness on the issue
of declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR).
International
Day of Education: 24 January
Today (24th January) is International
Day of Education. On 3 December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly
adopted with consensus a resolution proclaiming 24 January as International Day
of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and
development.
25th
January 2019
ISRO
Successfully Launched PSLV C44 Carrying Kalamsat & Microsat R
The Indian Space Research Organisation
successfully launched the PSLV C 44 carrying Kalam sat and imaging satellite
Microsat R. The satellite was launched from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre
Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Kalamsat is a ten cm cube weighing one-kilogram
communication satellite with a life span of two months.
DRDO Launches
Long Range Surface to Air Missile Off Odisha Coast
The Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) has successfully test fired Long Range Surface to Air
Missile (LR-SAM) from naval warship INS Chennai. The test was conducted off the
coast of Odisha. The LR-SAM hit a low flying aerial target during the test.
Telangana To Set
Up ‘Save Tiger Protection Force’
The Telangana government has decided to
form a 'State Tiger Protection Force' to save the Big Cat population in the
State. The State Forest Protection Committee headed by Chief Secretary S K
Joshi took the decision to form the STPF. The State and Central government will
share the cost of the force on 40:60 basis. Fund amount of 2.25 Cr was also
sanctioned to protect the tigers and to prevent forest fire accidents. The
Committee decided to act tough against those felling forest trees and
committing other related crimes.
Sultan Abdullah
Elected New Malaysian King
Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah was
elected as Malaysia's new king by the members of the country's royal families.
The 59-year-old was earlier appointed the Sultan of the Malaysian state of
Pahang. He replaced Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan, who stepped down recently,
making it the first abdication in Malaysia's history.
IndiGo Appoints
Ronojoy Dutta As New CEO
IndiGo owner InterGlobe Aviation has
appointed Ronojoy Dutta as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company
with immediate effect. Ronojoy Dutta will remain as the company CEO for the
next five years.
Government
Institutes Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar
The government has instituted an annual
award titled Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar. It will be
announced every year on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash
Chandra Bose. The Award carries a certificate and a cash prize of 51 lakh
rupees. This year, 8th Battalion of National Disaster Response Force located at
Ghaziabad has been selected for the Award for its commendable work in disaster
management.
National Voters
Day: 25 January
25 January is celebrated every year as
National Voters Day to spread awareness about the necessity of voting and to
encourage young generation towards the voting rights. National Voters Day Theme
2019 is “No Voter to be left behind”. This is the ninth year of celebrating
National Voters Day. 25th January is the foundation day of the Election
Commission of India (ECI) which came into existence in 1950.
Johan Botha
Announces Retirement From Cricket
Former South Africa all-rounder Johan
Botha has announced his immediate retirement from all forms of Cricket. Botha
played for South Africa in 5 test matches, 78 one-day internationals, and 40
T20 Internationals from 2005 to 2012. Botha captained the Proteas in 10 ODIs
and took the team to the No. 1 ranking after they defeated Australia 4-1 in
Australia in 2009.
Sahitya Akademi
Award Winning Bengali Writer Atin Bandyopadhyay Passes Away
Sahitya Akademi award winning Bengali
writer Atin Bandyopadhyay passed away of brain stroke. Winner of 2001 Sahitya
Akademi award for his compilation of short stories Panchashati Galpo,
Bandyopadhyay had also penned popular fiction pieces like Nilkantha Pakhir
Khonje, Aloukik Jaljaan, Nil Timi, Ekti Jaler Rekha in his illustrious career
spanning over decades. He had also received the Bankim Puraskar (1998) for Dui
Bharatbarsho.
Jnanpith Winning
Hindi Writer Krishna Sobti Passes Away
Eminent Hindi author and essayist
Krishna Sobti passed away in Delhi. She was 93. She was a recipient of many
coveted awards like Sahitya Akademi, Jnanpith awards and was also offered Padma
Bhushan, which she had declined. Some of her celebrated works include Daar Se
Bichhudi, Mitro Marjani, Zindaginama, Dil-o-Danish, Badalom ke Ghere, Ai Ladki
and Gujarat Pakistan Se Gujarat Hindustan.
Pulitzer
Prize-Winning Columnist Russell Baker Passes Away
Russell Baker, the Pulitzer
Prize-winning writer who penned thousands of columns for The New York Times,
and hosted the PBS television program "Masterpiece Theatre," passed
away in Leesburg, Va. He was 93. Baker won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in
1979. It was the first Pulitzer for commentary awarded to a humorist.
26th,
27th (&) 28th January 2019
India’s Fastest
Indigenous Train Renamed As Vande Bharat Express
India’s fastest indigenous train which
will run from Delhi to Varanasi has been named as Vande Bharat Express. Its
previous name was Train 18. The new name has been given after taking
suggestions from the general public. It is a train built completely in India by
Indian engineers in a span of 18 months and it is an example that it is
possible to make world-class trains under Make in India.
Assam Rifles
Creates History By Showcasing “Nari Shakti” At Parade
The all-women Assam Rifles contingent
created history this year by participating for the first time in a Republic Day
(26th January) parade. Contingents of the Navy, India Army Service Corps and a
unit of Corps of Signals were all led by women officers. Capt Shikha Surabhi
from the Corps of Signals became the first woman to perform bike stunts,
alongside her male teammates as part of daredevils. Lt. Bhavana Kasturi, a lady
officer, for the first time led a contingent of the India Army Service Corps
and Capt Bhavna Syal, a third-generation officer in the armed forces, led the
transportable satellite terminal’s contingent.
PM Modi
Dedicates Kochi Refinery Project to Nation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated
Kochi Refinery project and IOCL LPG Bottling Plant to the Nation in Kochi,
Kerala. Prime Minister also laid a foundation stone for Petrochemical Complex. PM
also laid the foundation stone for Skill Development Institute at Ettumanoor.
He laid the foundation stone of AIIMS in Tamil Nadu's Madurai.
Roshni, An
Android App Developed To Help Visually Impaired Identify Notes
The Indian Institute of Technology
(IIT), Ropar, has developed an app Roshni that would help the Visually Impaired
to recognise currency notes. The app can recognise both old and new notes and
gives audio information as to which note you are holding in your hands. This
app was launched in Chandigarh. Roshni is the first Android app, which
recognise INR currency notes.
Ministry of
Defence Launched ‘RDP INDIA 2019' App
As a new initiative in sync with the
Digital India campaign of the Government, Ministry of Defence had launched a
mobile app 'RDP India 2019' on the Republic Day, with the intent of making
available the highlights of the Republic Day event. This app contains
information about the Parade on Rajpath, New Delhi, including Order of the March,
details of the tableaux presented by different States and Ministries, children
cultural performances, fly past and names of recipients of Pradhan Mantri
Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2019.
BFW, Universal
Robots To Co-Create Robots For MSMEs
Bharat Fritz Werner Ltd (BFW), a
Bengaluru-based machining solution provider, has partnered with Universal
Robots, a Danish robot maker and a leader in collaborative robots, to co-create
robots for MSME sector. BFW and Universal Robots plan to redefine the
production processes by deploying the robotic arms through modular, flexible
and user-friendly integration solution platform — Arjun.
IRDAI Sets Panel
Headed By Praveen Kutumbe To Identify Systematically Important Insurers
Insurance Regulatory Development
Authority of India (IRDAI) has set up a panel headed by Praveen Kutumbe, to
identify domestically systematically important insurers (SIIs) and an augmented
regulatory framework is logically established in this regard. Praveen Kutumbe,
Member- Finance and Investment, IRDAI, has been asked to submit the report in
six months.
Nari Shakti Is
Oxford Dictionary’s Hindi Word Of The Year 2018
The Oxford Dictionaries announced ‘Nari
Shakti’ as the Hindi Word of the Year. The Hindi Word of the Year chosen every
year, reflects the conversations, ethos of a particular year. The word this
year, Nari Shakti, has been derived from Sanskrit and when broken down, the
word ‘nari’ means women and ‘shakti’ means power.
Madya Pradesh
Launched Employment Scheme “Yuva Swabhiman Yojana” For Urban Youth
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath
announced the launch of the 'Yuva Swabhiman Yojana' for youths from the
economically weaker sections in urban areas. Under this scheme, 100 days of
employment will be provided to youths from economically weaker sections in
urban areas. They will also be given skill training.
Kerala To
Launch 'Pravasi Dividend Pension Scheme'
The Kerala government has floated a
'Pravasi Dividend Pension Scheme' to provide regular pension to Non-Resident
Keralites on a one-time payment of Rs 5 lakh. Governor P. Sathasivam announced
the scheme during his address to the state Assembly. There are 2.1 million
migrants from Kerala across the world. A non-resident Keralite can invest an
amount ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, as a whole or as 6 installments
paid within 3 years. Each beneficiary will be entitled to receive pensions
ranging from Rs 5,000-50,000 every month, 3 years after the total amount is
deposited, at a dividend rate of 12%.
Sugarcane Juice
Declared As National Drink Of Pakistan
The Pakistan government declared
sugarcane juice as the “national drink” of the country. They came at this
decision after asking People’s opinion in twitter to choose one among orange,
carrot and sugarcane. According to the poll, 7,616 people or 81% cast their
votes favouring sugarcane juice, 15% voted for orange juice while 4% chose
carrot.
Screen Actors
Guild (SAG) Awards 2019 Announced: Complete List of Winners
“Black Panther” took home the top award
for best performance by a cast in a motion picture at the 2019 Screen Actors
Guild Awards. On the TV front, “This Is Us” nabbed the ensemble award for
drama, while “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” won the comedy prize. The award
ceremony was held at the Shrine Auditorium in LA. The 25th annual ceremony
highlights performances across film and television. Among individual acting
awards, Rami Malek was recognized for playing the iconic Queen frontman Freddie
Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Glenn Close won for “The Wife.”
D N Chakraborty
Gets Assam Republic Day Journalism Award
Assam government has conferred the
Republic Day Journalism Award 2019 to veteran journalist and former editor
Dhirendra Nath Chakraborty. Chakraborty has been honored for his lifelong
contribution to journalism in the state. The award comprises Rupees one lakh in
cash, a citation, the Assamese 'xoraai' (the bell metal memento presented as an
honour), 'jaapi' (headgear) and an angavastra.
Bharat Ratna
Awarded to Nanaji Deshmukh, Dr Bhupen Hazarika and Pranab Mukherjee in 2019
The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian
award of the Republic of India. Instituted in 1954, the award is conferred
"in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest
order", without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex.
The
Bharat Ratna Awardees in 2019 are:
1.
Pranab Mukherjee
2.
Bhupen Hazarika (Posthumously)
3.
Nanaji Deshmukh (Posthumously)
India 6th in
GDPR Readiness Index: CISCO
Nearly 65% of Indian organizations are
better prepared for the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation
(GDPR), making the country the sixth leading nation globally in the GDPR
readiness index, global networking leader, according to CISCO. The GDPR, which
focused on increasing protection for EU residents' privacy and personal data,
came into force in May 2018 and organizations globally have been working
steadily towards getting ready for it.
SBI Card And
Etihad Guest Tie-up To Launch Premium Card For International Travel
SBI Card and Etihad Guest, the loyalty
programme of Etihad Airways, have joined hands to launch a travel-specific Visa
credit card for members and Indian travellers. This is the first international
co-brand partnership of SBI Card, the country's second-largest credit card
issuer. The card will be available in two variants, Etihad Guest SBI Card and
Etihad Guest SBI Premier Card, will bring an unmatched value proposition to
Etihad Guest members and international travellers from India.
Indonesia
Masters Title 2019: Complete List of Winners
The 2019 Indonesia Masters, officially
the DAIHATSU Indonesia Masters 2019, is a badminton tournament that takes place
at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno in Indonesia and has a total purse of $350,000.
Anders Antonsen won the men's singles title and Saina Nehwal won the women's
singles title. Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal won her first Indonesia Masters title
after three-time world champion Carolina Marin limped out of the final due to a
leg injury.
Australian Open
2019 Concludes: Complete List of Winners
The Australian Open is a tennis tournament
held annually in Melbourne Park, Australia. The 2018 Australian Open was the
107th edition of the tournament. Novak Djokovic from Serbia won the Men's
Singles event and Naomi Osaka of Japan won the Women's singles event. Roger
Federer was the defending champion.
Holder Becomes
1st Top-Ranked Windies Test All-Rounder After Sobers
West Indies captain Jason Holder has
become the first player from the country in 45 years to top the list of
all-rounders in the International Cricket Council Test Player Rankings after
slamming an unbeaten double-century that helped script a memorable 381-run win
over England in the first Test in Bridgetown. West Indies legend Gary Sobers
was at the top last in March 1974 and Holder has now emulated him following his
202 not out off 229 balls in the second innings in Bridgetown, which is the
third highest score by a number eight batsman in Test history after the
Pakistan pair of Wasim Akram (257 not out) and Imtiaz Ahmed (209).
Oscar-Winning
French Composer Michel Legrand Passes Away
Oscar-winning French composer Michel
Legrand has passed away aged 86. During a career spanning more than half a
century, Legrand won three Oscars. His first was in 1969 for the song ‘The
Windmills of Your Mind’ from the film ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’.
29th
January 2019
GST On Haj
Reduced From 18% To 5%
Union Minister for Minority Affairs
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi stated that GST on Haj has been reduced from 18% to 5% and
this will significantly lower the airfare thus saving Haj pilgrims’ 113 crore
rupees this year. Mr. Naqvi also stated that for the first time since the
independence 2,340 women from India will go on 2019 Haj without Mehram.
Odisha Announces
Jiban Sampark Project
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has
announced "Jiban Sampark" project in partnership with UNICEF India to
generate awareness about the development and welfare initiatives of state
government among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups of the state. The announcement was made after Patnaik
inaugurated the annual tribal fair popularly known as "Adivasi Mela".
Uttarakhand's
First Tulip Garden In Pithoragarh
Uttarakhand's first tulip garden will
come up over 50 hectares of forest land in Pithoragarh district at a cost of Rs
50 crore. The state government has obtained the Centre's nod for development of
the garden. To be developed by the ONGC, under its corporate social
responsibility programme, the proposed tulip garden will be the country's
second after the one located in Srinagar (J&K).
Cable-Stayed
'Atal Setu' Inaugurated In Goa
A 5.1-km long cable-stayed "Atal
Setu" on the Mandovi river in Goa, a third such bridge to connect the
state capital with North Goa, was opened to the public by Union Minister Nitin
Gadkari. Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Union AYUSH Minister
Shripad Naik also attended the event to inaugurate the four-lane bridge which
at 2.5 lakh tonnes is equivalent to the weight of 570 Boeing aircraft.
Pakistan
Appoints Its First Ever Female Hindu Civil Judge
Suman Kumari has become the first Hindu
woman to have been appointed as a civil judge in Pakistan after passing an
examination for induction of judicial officers. The first judge from the Hindu
community was Justice Rana Bhagwandas, who served as the acting chief justice
for brief periods between 2005 and 2007.
Poonam Khetrapal
Singh Re-appointed Regional Director Of WHO South-East Asia
Poonam Khetrapal Singh has been
appointed Regional Director for World Health Organization South-East Asia, for
a second five-year term. The WHO Executive Board unanimously endorsed Dr.
Khetrapal Singh, who was earlier also unanimously nominated by 11 Member
countries of the Region for another five years.
India Bags The
Award of Excellence for ‘Best in Show’ At NYTTS 2019
India received the Award of Excellence
for ‘Best in Show’ at the New York Times Travel Show 2019, the largest travel
show in North America. India was honoured during the Closing Bell Ceremony at
the New York Stock Exchange. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
participated as the ‘Presenting Partner’ in the New York Times Travel Show
(NYTTS 2019) organised at Jacob K Javits Centre, New York.
India, China
Sign Protocol For Exports Of Indian Tobacco Leaves To China
India and China have signed the protocol
for exports of Indian tobacco leaves to China. The protocol was signed during
the recent visit of Commerce Secretary, Dr. Anup Wadhawan to Beijing. Dr.Wadhawan
also had the bilateral meeting with Vice Minister of General Administration of
China Customs, Zhang Jiwen for examining market access and quarantine issues
for India’s agriculture and allied products.
Kartik Sharma
Wins New South Wales Men’s Amateur Golf Championship
India's Kartik Sharma won the New South
Wales men's Amateur Golf Championship in Australia. Kartik notched up a
magnificent win over Australia's Nathan Barberie in the scheduled 36-hole final
to emerge as champion.
Rohit Paudel of
Nepal Youngest Batsman To Hit International Half-Century
Nepal batsman Rohit Paudel has become
the youngest male cricketer to score an international fifty at the age of 16
years and 146 days, breaking Sachin Tendulkar's previous mark. He is also the
youngest man to score a one-day international half-century, beating Shahid
Afridi, who smashed a 37-ball century in an incredible first inning against Sri
Lanka aged 16 and 217 days. Indian legend Tendulkar scored his maiden Test
fifty when 16 years and 213 days old.
India Replaces
Japan To Become Second-Largest Crude Steel Producer
India has replaced Japan as the world’s
2nd largest steel producing country, while China is the largest producer of
crude steel, accounting for more than 51% of production, according to the World
Steel Association. China’s share increased from 50.3% in 2017 to 51.3% in 2018.
India’s crude steel production in 2018 was at 106.5 MT, up 4.9% from 101.5 MT
in 2017.
Data Protection
Day: Jan 28
The Council of Europe had launched a
Data Protection Day to be celebrated each year on 28 January, the date on which
the Council of Europe’s data protection convention, known as “Convention 108”,
was opened to the signature. Data Protection Day is now celebrated globally and
is called Data Privacy Day outside Europe.
Former Defence
Minister George Fernandes Passes Away
Former Defence Minister George Fernandes
passed away in Delhi at the age of 88. Fernandes also served as the Railways
Minister in former Prime Minister VP Singh's government. His last stint as a
parliamentarian was as a Rajya Sabha MP between August 2009 and July 2010.
30th
January 2019
National Salt
Satyagraha Memorial Inaugurated At Dandi
In commemoration of the 150th Birth
Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi dedicated
grand and iconic ‘National Salt Satyagraha Memorial’ constructed by the Central
Public Works Department at Dandi, Gujarat to the Nation. This prestigious work
entrusted to CPWD by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India has been completed
by the dedicated team of CPWD in 20 months’ time well within the sanctioned
amount of Rs. 72.23 crores.
UP Government
Approves Construction Of Ganga Expressway
Uttar Pradesh state cabinet has approved
construction of a four-lane Ganga Expressway connecting Prayagraj to Western
Utter Pradesh which would cost about 36,000 crore rupees. Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath stated that this expressway will provide better connectivity to
Prayagraj. Ganga Expressway will be 600 kilometres long and can be expanded to
six-lane in future. Chief Minister also stated that after completion it would
be longest in the world.
RBI To Inject Rs
37,500 Crore Through OMO In February
The Reserve Bank of India has stated
that it will inject Rs 37,500 crore into the system through the purchase of
government securities in February to increase liquidity. RBI stated that it has
decided to conduct the purchase of government securities under Open Market
Operations (OMOs) for an aggregate amount of Rs 375 billion in the month of
February 2019.
FDI Rose 18% In
FY18 To Rs 28.25 Lakh Crore: RBI data
Reserve Bank of India has released a
data on “Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment
Companies, 2017-18” which shows that the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has
increased 18% to Rs. 28.25 lakh crore in FY18. FDI increased by Rs 4,33,300
crore, including revaluation of past investments, during 2017-18 to reach Rs
28,24,600 crore in March 2018 at market value. Overseas direct investment (ODI)
by Indian companies increased by 5% to Rs 5.28 lakh crore.
First Swadesh
Darshan Project Inaugurated In Sikkim
K.J. Alphons, Union Minister for Tourism
has inaugurated the first project under the Swadesh Darshan Project of the
Union Ministry of Tourism at the Zero Point, Gangtok, Sikkim. This project was
sanctioned by the Ministry of Tourism in June 2015 for Rs. 98.05 crores. Swadesh
Darshan Scheme is one of the flagship scheme of Ministry of tourism for
development of thematic circuits in the country in a planned manner.
EPFO's Central
Board of Trustees Notifies 3 New Committees
Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation
has notified three new committees on Finance, Investment and Audit Committee
(FIAC), the Pension and EDLI Implementation Committee (PEIC) and the Exempted
Establishments’ Committee (EEC). All the 3 committees will continue to have
central government representatives as well as 2 representatives each of the
employers and the employees and domain experts.
ICAR Launches
National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP)
Indian Council of Agricultural Research
(ICAR) has launched the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP)
to attract talent and strengthen higher agricultural education in the country. It
is inaugurated at the fourth Convention of 2-day “Agrivision-2019” organized by
Vidyarthi Kalyan Nyas in Pusa, New Delhi.
Dilip
Sadarangani Appointed As Chairman Of Federal Bank
Kerala based private sector lender
Federal Bank has appointed Dilip Sadarangani as the part-time chairman. The
appointment of Sadarangani, who has been on the bank's board since 2013, has
been cleared by the Reserve Bank.
Dubai Airport
Retains Top Position As World's Busiest Airport
Dubai International Airport (DXB)
retained its position as the world's busiest airport for international customer
numbers for the fifth consecutive year with annual traffic for 2018. It
overtook the crown of the world's busiest hub for international travel from
London's Heathrow in 2014.
India Ranks 54th
In 'Bloomberg Innovation Index’ Of 60 Economies
India has been ranked in Bloomberg’s
2019 list of most innovative countries in the world - 2019 Bloomberg Innovation
Index - for the first time ever. India has grabbed the 54th spot with a score
of 47.93 out of 100 in the Innovation Index of 60 economies. South Korea has
topped the Index for the sixth time in a row with a total score of 87.38,
followed by Germany and Finland.
Global
Corruption Index Released, India Ranks 78
Transparency International has released
the Global Corruption Index 2018. India rose by 3 points to 78 in the list of
180 countries in the world with a score of 41. China lagged far behind at 87
and Pakistan ranked 117.
Ministry Of
Textiles Launched 'Artisan Speak'
Ministry of Textiles and Government of
India launched Artisan Speak at Elephanta Caves (UNESCO heritage site) to
strengthen the handlooms and textiles sector of India. The event has been held
to showcase the GI Textiles of India, through a confluence of fashion, music,
and dance.
73-yr-old
Jean-Luc Wins Round-the-World Sailing Race
French sailor Jean-Luc Van Den Heede has
won the round-the-world yacht race after 212 days alone at sea without modern
instruments. The 73-year-old, who completed his sixth circumnavigation of the
globe, became the oldest to complete the 30,000-mile Golden Globe race. Of the
19 sailors who started out in July 2018, only 5 were still in the race.
Civil Aviation
Ministry Launched First GI Store In Goa
The Civil Aviation ministry launched the
country’s first Geographical Indication (GI) store at Dabolim International
Airport in Goa. Union Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu stated that the
GI stores will promote local products made by the artisans and handicrafts at
the airport.
31st
January 2019
Israel Aerospace
Industries Announces Agreement With Indian Navy and Cochin Shipyard
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)
announced entering into agreements worth $93 million this for providing Naval
Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) systems to India. The contracts for
the air defence system were entered with the Indian Navy and the Cochin
Shipyard. Under the contracts, IAI will provide complementary systems for the
air defense system. They involve follow up orders for a range of maintenance
and other services for various sub-systems of IAI’s advanced MSRAM ADS.
Maharashtra
Launched Special Scheme To Curb Infant Deaths
The Maharashtra government launched a
special scheme to curb infant deaths. Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde
distributed baby-care kits to the children born in primary health centers and
government hospitals. The scheme is applicable only for the first child and
will benefit around four lakh women across the state, Women. The cost of the
kit is around Rs 2,000.ne in future.
Scientists
Develop Artificial Pancreas Smartphone App For Diabetics
Scientists have developed an artificial
pancreas smartphone app that will help in regulating blood sugar levels in
diabetes patients. This app is capable of interfacing wirelessly with glucose
monitors, insulin pump devices, and decision-making algorithms. A clinical
trial showed that the artificial pancreas system (iAPS) app is safe. The app is
effective in regulating glucose levels under challenging conditions and is
suitable for use in unconstrained environments.
Italy, UN,
Launch Africa Centre For Climate And Sustainable Development
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte
along with UN representative has launched Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable
development. The new center is located near the Food and Agriculture
Organization headquarters in Rome. The major objective is boosting the
agricultural sectors and promoting rural development in Africa. It will help in
implementing the goals of the UN’s 2030 Agenda and the landmark 2015 Paris
Climate Agreement to stop depending on fossil fuel and cap global warming.
UK Parliament
Approves Brexit Amendment on Replacing Irish Backstop
In Britain, lawmakers voted in favor of
an amendment in BREXIT plan seeking alternative arrangements to replace the
Irish border arrangement known as the Irish backstop. The amendment calls for
the backstop to be replaced with unspecified “alternative arrangements” to
avoid the reintroduction of border checks in Ireland. The backstop is aimed at
keeping an open border between European Union-member Ireland and British-ruled
Northern Ireland after Brexit. Another amendment, rejecting a no-deal Brexit,
also won the support of Parliament.
UAE, Saudi
Central Banks Launch Common Digital Currency Called 'Aber'
The central banks of the UAE and Saudi
Arabia have launched a common digital currency called "Aber", which
will be used in financial settlements between the two countries through
Blockchains and Distributed Ledgers technologies. Through this digital
currency, both the United Arab Emirates Central Bank (UAECB) and the Saudi
Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) are studying the impact on the improvement
and reduction of remittance costs and the assessments of risks.
World Leprosy
Eradication Day: 30th January
30th January 2019, is celebrated as
World Leprosy Eradication Day which stresses the need of eradicating the
disease. It also brings to light the discrimination and stigma that people
suffer from society every day. This year’s theme for World Leprosy Day is
‘ending discrimination, stigma, and prejudice’. Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s
disease is a highly contagious infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium
leprae.
LT Gen Rajeev
Chopra Takes Over as Director General of NCC
Lt Gen Rajeev Chopra assumed the
appointment of Director General of NCC (DGNCC). Commissioned in the Madras
Regiment in December 1980, Lt Gen Chopra is an alumnus of the National Defence
Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. Lt Gen Rajeev
Chopra has commanded an infantry battalion in Operation Rhino (Assam). He has
commanded a Brigade in Eastern Command and was Inspector General of HQ IGAR
(South) in the insurgency-torn state of Manipur.
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