January 2016 current affair’s

·         The World Bank has extended a loan of 50 million dollar for 'Nai Manzil Education and Skills Training for Minorities' project. The project will help the disadvantaged youth from minority communities to complete their education. It will also provide hands-on vocational training and post-placement support to assist them in finding sustainable employment.

 

·         The Union Government has constituted a committee headed by filmmaker Shyam Benegal for holistic interpretation of the provisions of the Cinematograph Act. The recommendations of this Committee are expected to provide a holistic framework and enable those tasked with the work of certification of films to discharge their responsibilities keeping in view this framework. The panel, which would submit its report in two months, includes filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, adman Piyush Pandey and film critic Bhawana Somaaya.

 

·         Recently, the Government of India (GoI) has set up a one-man committee to examine the wage structure and service conditions of the Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) in the Department of Posts. The committee will be headed by Kamlesh Chandra, a retired member of the postal services board. The committee will review the existing facilities, the service discharge benefit scheme and other social security benefits of GDS. It also has a mandate to examine and suggest any change in the method of engagement, minimum qualification for engagement for GDS and their conduct and disciplinary rules, particularly keeping in view the proposed induction of technology in rural post offices.

 

·         The DAVA (Drug Authentication and Verification Application) project of Department of Commerce has won the 2015 eASIA Award. The eAsia Award is announced by AFACT (Asia Pacific Council for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business) in Tehran, Iran. The DAVA project was launched on June 29, 2015 to create an integrated platform for implementation of the track and trace system both for exports and domestic markets of drugs and pharmaceuticals.

 

·         Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has suspended the 2016 InSight Mars mission due to vacuum leak in critical seismometer instrument. It was scheduled to lift off in March 2016. The acronym of space craft InSight is 'Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport'. The mission was designed to help scientists to learn more about the formation of rocky planets, including Earth. Mars InSight lander designed to examine the geology of Mars in depth.

 

·         The German-born American software engineer, Ian Murdock (42) was passed away recently. He was the founder of the Debian GNU/Linux distribution project, one of the Linux's most popular open-source operating systems. The Debian GNU/Linux is a particular distribution of the Linux operating system, that supports many hardware platforms. It is free to use and redistribute.

 

·         Virat Kohli has won the BCCI Cricketer-of-the-Year 2015 award. The award is named after former India captain and all-rounder Polly Umrigar. Mithali Raj was picked for the top women's award by BCCI. Karnataka all-rounder Robin Uthappa has been picked for the Madhavrao Scindia Award for being the highest run-scorer in Ranji Trophy.

 

·         South Indian classical vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyam has been conferred with 2015 Sangita Kalanidhi award. The prestigious award was bestowed upon him by renowned mathematician Manjul Bhargava at 89th annual conference of the Madras Music Academy in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Sangita Kalanidhi award is a prestigious award bestowed annually upon an expert of Carnatic Music by the Madras Music Academy.

 

·         Music maestro Ilaiyaraja has been selected for Kerala Tourism's Nishagandhi Puraskaram 2016 for his artistic excellence and contribution to the Indian film music industry. The award carries a purse of Rs 1,50,000, citation and a statuette.

 

·         Recently, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has launched an EU-inspired economic bloc – ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The economic bloc is formed to boost the region's trading clout and attracting more investment. The vision for the bloc is a single market with a free flow of goods, capital and skilled labour, which should help the region compete with the likes of China for foreign investment. 

 

·         By launching e-Vahan Bima, Telangana became the first state in the country to formally recognize electronic motor insurance policies. Telangana government started this initiative in collaboration with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India and the Insurance Information Bureau of India (IIB).

 

·         On 2 January, the Andhra Pradesh government has launched the 'Janma Bhoomi – Maa Vooru' (My native place – My village), an intensified campaign to focus on welfare schemes across the state. The main theme of the Janma Bhoomi – Maa Vooru programme is 'Smart Village, Smart Ward (SVSW) towards Smart Andhra Pradesh' in all the Gram Panchayats and Wards.

 

·         The 103rd edition of the Indian Science Congress is inaugurated by Prime Minister in Mysuru on January 3. The event will end on January 7. The theme of this year's Congress is "Science and Technology for Indigenous Development in India." The Prime Minister has given a new mantra comprising five Es – Economy, Environment, Energy, Empathy and Equity.

 

·         India has clinched the 2015 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship after defeating the defending champions Afghanistan by 2-1 at Trivandrum International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram. From Indian side, the first goal was scored by Jeje Lalpehlua and then Indian captain Sunil Chhetri scored a goal to help India to won the title. It is the 7th time that India has won the SAFF title.

 

·          Recently, Indian mountaineer, Arunima Sinha has conquered Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, South America. With this, she has become the first female amputee in the world to climb 5 Mountains of the world. Arunima Sinha is already the first female amputee and also the world's first amputee to climb Mt. Everest. Till date, the world's five highest peaks has been climbed by her. These are as follows: Mt. Everest (Asia), Mt. Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mt. Elbrus (Europe), Mt.Kosizko (Australia) and Mt. Aconcagua (Argentina). Mt. Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside Asia, at 6,960.8 metres, and by extension, the highest point in both the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.

 

·         Recently, the Tamil Nadu government has launched Amma Seeds scheme to provide certified quality seeds to farmers with a view to increase agricultural production in the State. These seeds would be sold through Amma Service Centres at a reasonable price. The motive of the scheme was to encourage farmers to use certified seeds.

 

·         The Raja Rani Music Festival is one of the famous festivals of Odisha. It is organized at the Rajarani Temple every year from January 18 to 20 by the Government of Odisha. The Rajarani Temple is a 11th-century Hindu temple located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The temple focuses on classical music and all three styles of classical music 'Hindustani, Carnatic and Odissi' are given equal importance. The musicians from different parts of the country perform during the three-day festival.

 

·         The veteran Communist Party of India (CPI) leader, Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan (92) passed away recently. He was a leading figure of the trade union movement and left politics in Maharashtra and had played a key role in maintaining the space for Communists in national politics.

 

·         The 21st International Conference on Frontiers in Yoga Research and its applications was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India at Jigani, Bengaluru. The theme of the Conference is "Yoga in Integrated Healthcare System dealing with Diabetes, Oncology, Cardiology and Mental Health". It is organised by the Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (VYASA).

 

·         Atul Sobti has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of state-owned power equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for a period of 5 years. He succeeded Mr. B P Rao, who was the first PSU head to receive a two year extension after retirement on January 1, 2014. Prior to this, Sobti was the director on the board of BHEL, where he headed two crucial portfolios of Power and Finance.

 

·         The British writer, Kate Atkinson has won the 2015 Costa novel award for her novel "A God in Ruins", the companion novel to 'Life After Life'. With this, she became the first author to receive a Costa prize three times viz. A God in Ruins (2016), Life After Life (2013) and Behind the Scenes at the Museum (1995). The other winners are as follows: a) Costa biography award: Andrea Wulf for 'The Invention of Nature: The Adventures of Alexander Von Humboldt, The Lost Hero of Science', b) Costa children's book award: Frances Hardinge for The Lie Tree, c) Costa Poetry Award: Don Paterson for 40 Sonnets and d) Costa First Novel Award: Andrew Michael Hurley for The Loney. 

 

·         Hungarian-American cinematographer, Vilmos Zsigmond (85) passed away recently. He was best known for his work on 'The Deer Hunter' and 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'. Zsigmond also won an Oscar for his achievement on Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind'.

 

·         India's third largest IT services exporter, Wipro Limited has appointed Abid Ali Neemuchwala as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the board of the company. Abidali hails from Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh. He will succeed T.K. Kurien, who has been appointed as the new executive vice chairman of the company. Both the appointments would be effective from February 1, 2016. Kurien will continue to be a member of the Board until March 31, 2017. Prior to this, Neemuchwala was serving as the chief operating officer (COO) of the company since April 2015. Before joining Wipro, he worked with India's largest IT exporter Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for 23 years.

 

·         Recently, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched Jeevan Labh scheme, a limited premium paying, non-linked, with-profits Endowment Assurance plan on January 4, 2016. The Plan is available from ages 8-59. The plan is designed to meet long-term saving with less premium paying term.

 

·         Kiran Doshi is the author of the book – Jinnah Often Came To Our House. He is an Indian Foreign Service Officer and former ambassador to Austria. The book is about Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The book has shed a light on his personal life which hasn't been highlighted much before.

 

·         The World Braille Day is observed every year on January 4 across the world to commemorate the birth anniversary of Louis Braille. Louis Braille invented the Braille language which helps blind people to read as well as write. The day helps people to feel the importance to produce works in the Braille language to allow blinds to read the works.

 

·         Jharkhand has become the first state to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Union Government for the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) reforms for state-owned power distribution companies. The tripartite agreement is signed between Jharkhand state government, power distribution companies and the union power ministry. The UDAY scheme has been launched by Union Government to improve financial and operational efficiencies of power distribution companies. It envisages to reduce interest burden, cost of power and AT&C losses. The scheme is optional and operationalised through signing of MoU between state governments, state discoms and Centre.

 

·         The 14-km long Zojila tunnel will be constructed by the IRB Infrastructure Developers in Jammu & Kashmir state. After completion, it will be the longest tunnel of South Asia. The tunnel will provide all weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh region.

 

·         The Indian Army has successfully completed user-assisted trials of Pinaka II, a multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) system, at Pokhran field firing range in Rajasthan, India. The trials are conducted by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune, a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory. The system features six launcher vehicles with 12 rockets each.

 

·         The Supreme Court-appointed Justice R M Lodha panel had submitted its report to the Supreme Court registry. It suggested for suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for two years from participating in IPL. The report, which deals with various aspects relating to the functioning of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), will be considered by the bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur at a later stage.

 

·         Recently, the 600-MW Kakatiya thermal power plant Stage-II has been commissioned at Bhoopalapally in Warangal, Telangana. This is the first major power plant to be commissioned after the formation of the new State of Telangana in June 2014. The power plant is one of the coal based power plants of Telangana Power Generation Corporation Limited (TSGENCO).

 

·         Italian diplomat, Filippo Grandi has become the new chief of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He succeeded Antonio Guterres, who was high commissioner for refugees since 2005. Prior to this, Grandi was the head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA from 2010 to 2014. He was also deputy envoy to the UN aid mission in Afghanistan. The UNHCR organisation works worldwide to protect, assist and find solutions for refugees, internally displaced people and stateless populations.

 

·         The Mumbai cricketer, Pranav Dhanawade (15) has become the first batsman to score 1009 runs in an innings in any form of cricket in an officially recognised match. Dhanawade broked a 116-old cricketing record held by the English school boy A. E. J. Collins since 1899, of 628 not out. The match is played between K. C. Gandhi High School and Arya Gurukul School in a Bhandari Cup tournament. The tournament is an under-16 inter-school event organised by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for the benefit of suburban schools.

 

·         Apurvi Chandela has won the gold in the women's 10 metre air rifle event at the Swedish Cup Grand Prix with a score of 211.2 points. In this event, Chandela also broked the world record of Chinese gold medallist Yi Siling, who held the world record of 211 points. The silver and bronze went to Swedish shooters Astrid Steffensen and Stine Nielsen.

 

·         The Union Government has launched Ganga Gram Yojana at Village Puth in Hapur district, Uttar Pradesh. Under the programme, 1600 villages will be developed. In the first phase of the yojana, 200 villages have been selected. In these villages open drains falling into river Ganga will be diverted to alternative arrangements for sewage treatment. The villages will have toilets in every household. It is proposed to incur an expenditure of Rs 1.0 crore on every village. These villages will be developed under the Sichewal model. It may be noted that Sichewal is situated in Punjab where villagers cooperation has been solicited for the water management and waste disposal is a meticulous way.

 

·         Recently, the Union Government has launched the Stand Up India Scheme to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST and women entrepreneurs through banks. In it, every bank branch, including private sector, has to provide credit facilities to at least one SC/ST and one women entrepreneur at lower rates. Under the scheme, the loans are for greenfield enterprises in the non-farm sector and will range between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1 crore. These bank loans would be repayable up to 7 years. The scheme will be a refinance window through Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) with an initial amount of Rs.10,000 crore.

 

·         Harper Lee's second novel – Go Set a Watchman topped the US bestseller list in 2015, selling 1.6 million copies more than half a century after her Pulitzer-winning first book was published.

 

·         The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) is an economic indicator of business activity, is published by Markit Limited. The index is a survey-based measure in the manufacturing and services sectors. The index figure above 50 denotes expansion in business activity and anything below 50 denotes contraction. The Markit limited is a leading global diversified provider of financial information services. It provides independent data, trade processing of derivatives, foreign exchange and loans, customised technology platforms and managed services.

 

·         The unique architectural structure "fountain of oneness" has been opened by the Sant Nirankari Mission in Nirankari Sarovar Complex at Burari Road, Nirankari Chowk in Delhi (North). The visitors can experience a divine show of music, light and water in evening time on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The fountain gives the message of the oneness of mankind and the four pathways of the architecture depict people from varied religions, cultures and languages to come together at one place and join hands with love, affection and brotherhood.

 

·         Star Wars is a science fiction franchise comprised of movies, books, comics, video games, toys, and animated shows. It is a fictional universe created by George Lucas.

 

·         The Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) is the apex forum which is responsible for coordination, strategy and information-sharing amongst the government agencies responsible for intelligence and control of economic offences like smuggling, money laundering tax evasion and fraud. The chairperson of the council is the Finance Minister of India. It was formed in 1990. 

 

·         The world's largest blue star sapphire stone has been found in the southern Sri Lankan city of Ratnapura, which is known as the city of gems. The 1,404.29-carat blue star sapphire is worth up to $100 million, is nicknamed as the Star of Adam. The star sapphires get their name from the six-pointed star-shaped reflection that appears on their surface once they are polished.

 

·         The well-known Gujarati poet, playwright and story writer, Labshankar Jadavji Thakar (80) passed away recently. He was modernist author of Gujarati literature with influence of existentialism challenging traditional literature styles. Excerpts of his works are Kalagranthi, Akasmat , Malela Jeevni Samiksha and Inner Life, etc. He got many awards and honours like Sahitya Akadami Award (1991) for his poetry 'Tolan Aawaz Ghunghat' , Kumar Chandrak (1962), Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak (1981),

 

·         According to the recently released Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings, Indian Shuttler Siril Verma (16) has been ranked World No. 1 in the junior men's singles category. He is followed by Toma Junior Popov (France) and Chirag Sen (India).

 

·         The Country of First Boys is Amartya Sen's intellectual journey through the past and present to seek an understanding of India's history and the demands of its future. In this collection, Sen examines justice, identity, deprivation, inequalities, gender politics, education, the media, and the importance of getting your priorities right.

 

·         Dr. Achyuta Samanta has been appointed as the President of the 105th Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) for 2017-18. Presently, Dr. Samanta is also serving as member of ISCA's executive committee. He is the noted educationist and founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KIS), Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.

 

·         The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed (79) passed away recently. He served twice as the Chief Minister of J &K, for three years from November 2002 till November 2005 and then again from March 2015 until his death in January 2016. He was the founder of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (JKPDP) that he founded in 1999 to persuade the Indian government into an unconditional dialogue with the Kashmiri people. He became the first Muslim Minister for Home Affairs in the Union Cabinet of India in 1989.

 

·         According to the study conducted by international real estate consultant JLL , Delhi and Mumbai are in the list of world's top-30 most powerful, productive and connected cities. Mumbai has been ranked 22nd while Delhi is placed at No. 24. The list is topped by Tokyo along with New York, London and Paris, are named the world's top four 'super cities'. The Top-30 global cities account for 64% of the total cross-border investment into the 'Global 300 cities'. Mumbai is also ranked in the top-10 "improvers" list.

 

·         Louise Richardson, a prominent academic specialising terrorism and security studies, has taken over as the first woman vice-chancellor in the 900-year history of the University of Oxford on January 1. Born in Ireland, Richardson taught courses at the University of St Andrews and Harvard on terrorism, international security, and American and comparative foreign policy. She takes over from Andrew Hamilton.

 

·         Rajasthan is the first state to brought minimum qualification of Class X for contesting the zilla parishad or panchayat samiti polls, Class VIII to contest sarpanch elections, and Class V for scheduled areas. The minimum education qualification set by the Haryana law to contest panchayat polls is Class X for general candidates, Class VIII pass for women and Dalits, Class V for Dalit women.

 

·         The former Gujarat cadre IAS officer, Devender Kumar Sikri has been appointed as the new chairman of Competition Commission of India (CCI). He succeeded Ashok Chawla. The main objective of CCI is to make market work for the benefit and welfare of consumers and also prevent activities that have adverse effect on competition in India.

 

·         The World's first slum museum will be set up in Dharavi, Mumbai. The museum will showcase some of the myriad of objects that are produced every year in Dharavi, one of Asia's biggest slums and the setting for Danny Boyle's hit 2008 movie.

 

·         The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan has been conferred with the 2016 Central Banker of the Year Award (Global and Asia Pacific) by the Financial Times Group's monthly publication 'The Banker'. This award has been given to Rajan in recognition of RBI's contribution towards India weathering the capital outflow and currency storms in emerging markets, rupee remaining stable and a clear financial market liberalisation path in attracting foreign and making the country's financial markets more sophisticated.

 

·         Veteran poet Balkrishna Garg was honoured with the second Harikrishna Devsare Baalsahitya Award 2015 for his collection of poems for children, titled 'BaalGeet'. Harikrishna Devsare was one of the foremost writers of Hindi children's literature, devoted his entire life in creating children's literature in Hindi. He passed away in 2013.

 

·         The senior IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, Sailesh has been appointed as Registrar General and Census Commissioner for a period till July 28, 2017. He succeeded C Chandramouli. Prior to this, he was the additional secretary in the Home Ministry.

 

·         China is the Guest of Honour country at the 2016 New Delhi World Book Fair. The 43rd edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair, touted as the largest in Asia, is hosting about 30 countries in which a series of programmes including panel discussions, dramas, classical and folk dances, workshops, discussions, authors' meets, conferences, seminars and cultural programmes will be held. The fair is held from 9th January to 17th January.

 

·         Recently, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) for web- based monitoring of watershed projects. Under the MoU, the Hyderabad-based NRSC will create a separate page for NABARD on Bhuvan web-portal and develop customised software tool and mobile application for real time monitoring, online comparison and visualisation with respect to activities implemented in the projects sanctioned by NABARD. The web-based monitoring of Indo-German Watershed Development (IGWDP) projects will happen in three states, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Telangana.

 

·         The Union Government has reappointed Urjit Patel as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a second time for a three-year term. He looks after the critical function of monetary policy at the central bank of India. Patel is a doctorate from Yale University, also had a stint at IMF. He is the 4th deputy governor, the other three being HR Khan, R Gandhi and SS Mundra. The re-appointment of Patel assumes significance as in recent past, none of the deputy governors got a second term.

 

·         Chinese state-owned power company Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC) will develop the Kohala Hydropower Project in Pakistan. It is part of the implementation of $ 46 billion China—Pakistan Economic Corridor connecting the two countries through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

 

·         Recently, the union government has issued a notification to permit jallikattu, Tamil Nadu's traditional bull-taming sport, ahead of the Pongal festival. The notification overturns a 2011 notification that prohibited the exhibition or training of bulls, and some other animals, as performing animals. The Supreme Court had in 2014 upheld the 2011 government order. The present order permits jallikattu and bullock cart races in Maharashtra, etc.

 

·         According to the recently released World Bank (WB) report titled "Global Economic Prospect", Indian economy growth rate is projected at 7.8%in the Financial Year (FY)17, while it's outlook for China's growth in 2016 is 6.7%. For FY18, India is predicted to grow at 7.9% against China's growth of 6.5% in 2017 and 2018. The WB also predicted that India will be the fastest growing economy in the world in the next three years and would outpace China.

 

·         The 8-day counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency joint exercise 'Shakti-2016' has started between India and France in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. This is the 3rd edition in the series of bilateral exercises under this banner. The joint exercise will undergo a training schedule aimed at combating conditioning, infantry tactical operations in a counter-terrorism environment and planning of joint operations under the United Nations (UN) mandate. It will round off in a tactical exercise encompassing clearing of pockets of terrorists in rural and urban environment.

 

·         Recently, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R.K. Dhowan commissioned INS Kadmatt, the second of the four indigenous stealth anti-submarine warfare corvettes, at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. The ship, with about 90 per cent indigenisation, incorporates improvements over INS Kamorta. It is built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd.

 

·         Priyanka Chopra has won the Favourite Actress in a New TV series award at the People's Choice Awards 2016 for her leading role in American TV thriller series 'Quantico'. She is the first South Asian actress to win a People's Choice Awards.

 

·         Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on January 9 every year in India. The day marks the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa in the year 1915 on January 9. It also acknowledges the contribution of Indian community living abroad in the development of India. Last year, the government had decided to hold larger version of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) after every two years and that limited version of the event will be organised in the intervening year. This year, the first limited edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is launched.

 

·         According to the Hurun India Philanthropy List 2015, Azim Premji, chairman of Wipro, is the most generous Indian of the year for the third time in a row. He is followed by Nandan Nilekani and wife, Rohini Nilekani, while Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy stood third.

 

·         Recently, the Reserve Bank has relaxed norms for the units of banks operating from International Financial Services Centres (IFSC) and permitted them to open foreign currency current accounts. As per the existing norms, IFSC Banking Units (IBUs) were not allowed to open any current or savings accounts. They cannot issue bearer instruments or cheques. All payment transactions must be undertaken via bank transfers.

 

·         Martina Hingis hails from Switzerland. Recently, the Indo-Swiss pair of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis clinched the women's double title of the $1 million Brisbane International.

 

·         Yadgar-e-Taqseem, or the Memories of Partition museum, is the brainchild of Kishwar Desai, writer and former media professional. It will be opened in Amritsar in early 2017, the 70th anniversary of Independence. The collaborative effort will draw on individuals, institutions and resources in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the U.K. The Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust, registered in India, will run the museum.

 

·         For fast track implementation of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, the centre has set up a high-level panel headed by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya to sort out bilateral issues with a similar committee set up by Japan.

 

·         The first female Formula One driver, Maria Teresa de Filippis (89) passed away in Italy. She is the first woman to compete in a world championship Formula One grand prix, but scored no championship points. Though largely unsuccessful in her Formula One racing career, she won races in other series and is remembered as a pioneer in the sport.

 

·         Telangana has become the first Indian state to make gender education compulsory at the graduate level and has introduced a bilingual textbook titled "Towards a World of Equals" on pilot basis in engineering colleges affiliated to the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU-Hyderabad). The book points out gender in its composite form without limiting itself to crime against women.

 

·         The renowned Hindi writer and journalist, Ravindra Kalia (78) passed away recently. He was known for his works like 'Nau Saal Chotti Patni' and 'Ghalib Chutti Sharab', etc.

 

·         The 11th World Hindi Day has been observed on January 10, 2016. Beside this day, the National Hindi Divas is celebrated in India on September 14 every year to mark the day on which the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the Official Language of the Union.

 

·         Recently, Gujarat Chief Minister inaugurated the 28th edition of International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad. As many as 98 kite flyers and enthusiasts from 29 different countries have come to take part in this festival. The festival is celebrated every year in Gujarat.

 

·         Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a book titled "Maru Bharat Saru Bharat "(My India Noble India) written by Jain Acharya Ratnasundersuriswarji Maharaj. This is the 300th book of Acharya, that highlights various social evils, deficiencies prevailing at individual level. The book will be available in four languages – English, Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi.

 

·         China's country code domain ".cn" has become the world's most commonly used in the internet by surpassing Germany's '.de' domain. The '.cn' domain is also the world leading in domain resolution service, security and the ratio of benign uses. According to the data released by the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC), which manages the domain, '.Cn' had 16.36 million users by the end of 2015.

 

·         Google's Project Tango, a technology platform first revealed in 2014, gives a form of computer vision to mobile devices. Recently, Chinese computing giant Lenovo said it has partnered with Google to launch a new smartphone that can see and map out surroundings with help from the US-based company's 3D technology named Project Tango.

 

·         Asia's oldest stock exchange BSE will get its own postage stamp. BSE had recently become the world's fastest stock exchange clocking a median trade speed of six micro seconds. It has also cemented its position among the largest exchanges of the world in terms of total market capitalisation of listed firms, after hitting a milestone of Rs 100 lakh crore.

 

·         Amid protests actor Gajendra Chauhan took charge as the chairman of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). He was in controversy because many students of the Film and Television Institute of India have protested against his appointment as the chairman.

 

·         The Nati folk dance of Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh had made it to the Guinness World Records Book as the largest folk dance in the world. Kullu Dussehra is a centuries-old festival i.e. dedicated to the girl child. It begins on Vijaya Dashami, the day when the festivities end in rest of the country. In the colourful Kullu folk dance (Nati), 20,000 dancers performed at Dhalpur ground during Kullu Dussehra festival on October 26, 2015 to spread the message of 'Beti Hai Anmol' (Girl child is precious).

 

·         The 20th National Youth Festival has started in Naya Raipur, the new capital city of Chhattisgarh. The mascot for the event is the state animal of Chhattisgarh – Wild Buffalo, in famous dancing pose of Bastar tribals. The mascot symbolises strength, gives message of physical fitness to youth of nation and its dancing pose signifies festive zeal. The mascot has been named as 'Sangi', which means "friend". The National Youth Festival is celebrated to mark the commemorate the birth anniversary of youth icon Swami Vivekananda. It is held in a different state each year during National Youth Week, 12 to 16 January every year.

 

·         Kerala has become the first Indian state to achieve 100% primary education. This has been achieved through the primary education equivalency drive of the state literacy mission "Athulyam". The programme was meant to provide primary school education to people aged between 15 and 50. The mission also focused on deprived sections viz. the financially weak, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, physically and mentally disabled among others.

 

·         Wrestler Vijay Chaudhari has won the 2016 Maharashtra Kesri title by winning the 59th Maharashtra Kesri Wrestling Championship in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The Maharashtra Kesari, an Indian-style wrestling championship, was established in 1961.

 

·         Sachin Bansal, who is the co-founder of Flipkart, has stepped down as CEO to take on the role of Executive Chairman of the company. Other co-founder Binny Bansal, will take the reins from Sachin as the Chief Executive Officer of Flipkart. He was earlier the COO of the company.

 

·         Barcelona FC forward Lionel Messi has won the 2015 Ballon d'Or award for the world's best football player for a record fifth time. Earlier, he won the award in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The USA's World Cup-winning midfielder Carli Lloyd won the women's world player of the year award.

 

·         Andhra Pradesh government has organised the Flamingo Festival from 9-10 January. The State government has been organising the festival for the past 10 years aiming at creating awareness on conservation of these rare species. The festival provides a good opportunity for the people, environmentalists and bird watchers to study the bio-diversity of Pulicat lake and Nellapattu Bird Sanctuary and initiate measures to conserve the bio-zones for future generations. Pulicat lake, which is spread over an extent of 460 square km, and thousands of birds (nearly 240 species) visit the lake during winter.

 

·         The Hopman Cup is an annual international team indoor tennis tournament held in Perth, Western Australia in early January every year. It was founded in 1989. In the recently held tournament, Australia won the cup for the first time in 17 years.

 

·         Stan Wawrinka from Switzerland has won the 2016 Chennai Open title of tennis. In the final match at Nungambakkam tennis stadium in Chennai, he defeated the Borna Coric (World No. 33) of Croatia by 6-3, 7-5 score. This was his third consecutive ATP Chennai Open title for Wawrinka (won in 2014, 2015 and 2016) and overall fourth, first won it in 2011.

 

·         Border Security Force (BSF) has launched 'Operation Cold' along the international border in Rajasthan covering Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Barmer and Jaisalmer. It will continue till January 30. It was launched to contain any infiltration or intrusion from Pakistan in fog and cold wave weather conditions in the western desert.

 

·         Recently, the union government has set up a high-powered panel headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha to process the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission which will have bearing on the remuneration of 47 lakh central government employees and 52 lakh pensioners.

 

·         The Indian Army Day is celebrated on 15 January every year in India. It is celebrated in recognition of Lieutenant General K. M. Cariappa who took over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on January 15, 1949.

 

·         Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the crop insurance scheme 'Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojna' to boost the farming sector. The scheme will offer more insurance with less premium and lead to rise of purchasing capacity of farmers. The new Crop Insurance Scheme replaced the existing National Agricultural Insurance Scheme. Under the new scheme, farmers will have to pay a uniform premium of two per cent for all kharif crops and 1.5 per cent for all rabi crops. For annual commercial and horticultural crops, farmers will have to pay a premium of 5 per cent. The remaining share of the premium will continue to be borne equally by the Centre and the respective state governments.

 

·         The Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has won the National Award on e-Governance 2015-16 for launching the Universal Account Number (UAN). The organization won the gold award in the 'innovative use of technology in e-governance' category and the retirement body will get a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh. The UAN facility enables workers to transfer their provident fund deposits while switching jobs anywhere in India easily.

 

·         The Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho Gaucho will inaugurate the Nagjee International Club Football Tournament in Kerala, which is being revived after a gap of 21 years. The tournament will kick off on February 5, 2016 and the final is scheduled to be on February 21.

 

·         Indian Army Lieutenant General (retired) Jacob-Farj-Rafael (JFR) Jacob (92), who was one of India's most celebrated military officers, passed away recently. He is best remembered for his role in India's victory in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 and the liberation of Bangladesh. Later, he served as the governor of the Indian states of Goa and Punjab.

 

·         The Mohammedan Sporting Football Club has bestowed life-time membership to Amitabh Bachchan. The football club is one of the oldest and leading football clubs in India. It was founded in 1891 at Kolkata.

 

·         The 66th Senior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women is hosted by Mysuru from 9-16 January. The championship returned to Mysuru after a gap of 29 years.

 

·         Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali received the World Peace and Prosperity Foundation Award for the year 2016 from Prince Mohsin Ali Khan, Founder-Chairman of World Peace and Prosperity Foundation, London. The foundation said Md.Mahmood Ali displayed exemplary leadership in bringing about change in the lives of the underprivileged populations and propagating peace and harmony in the Telangana State.

 

·         A T Kearney's 2016 Global Services Location Index (GSLI) rated India as number one out of the total 55 countries analysed. According to the study, India is the world's biggest outsourcing destination in terms of financial attractiveness and business environment. India is followed by China, Malaysia, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, and The Philippines. The GSLI, launched in 2004, helps companies make key location decisions for offshoring and industry development projects with objective guidance.

 

·         The former England football captain, David Beckham has been honoured with the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Leadership award at the sixth edition of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Ball in Los Angeles for his tireless work to save and improve the lives of children around the world. He is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005 and also launched "7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund" to create a personal commitment to use his voice, influence and connections to raise vital funds and rally for lasting change for children.

 

·         Sikkim has become India's first fully organic state by implementing organic practices on around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land. The organic cultivation is free of chemical pesticides and chemical fertilisers as it tries to strike a harmonious balance with a complex series of ecosystems. In the long term, organic farming leads in subsistence of agriculture, bio-diversity conservation and environmental protection. The sustainable farming will also help in building the soil health resulting in sustainable increased crop production. Besides, it will also boost the tourism industry in the state.

 

·         The renowned Hollywood actor Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (69), who was a classically trained stage star and screen villain, passed away in London, England. He was known for his movies viz. Harry Potter, Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Galaxy Quest, etc.

 

·         Recently, the Vice president Hamid Ansari has conferred the Sree Chithira Tirunal National Award to T.P. Sreenivasan, who is former Ambassador and vice chairman of the Kerala Higher Education Council . The award was set up by the Sree Chithira Thirunal Trust in the memory of the Maharajah Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma in 2006. It carries a purse of Rs. 1 lakh and a citation and honours those individuals who have made exceptional contributions in fields such as science, technology, literature, art, medicine, cinema and education.

 

·         Madhya Pradesh has been conferred the Centre's prestigious Krishi Karman Award for the 4th consecutive year in maximum food grains production category for year 2014-15. The state had also received this award in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. The state will get an amount of five crore rupees along with Krishi Karman award.

 

·         Jharkhand is set to make a mark by flying the world's largest Tricolour atop the India's tallest flagpole at the Pahari temple in Ranchi. The 293 feet tall flag pole will be 53 feet taller than the Qutub Minar. 

 

·         The renowned bharatnatyam dancer Subhashini Vasanth has been honoured with the 2015 Neerja Bhanot Bravery Award. Subhashini Vasanth is the founder trustee of Vasantharatna Foundation, started in the memory of her husband, Colonel Vasanth V, who was awarded the Ashok Chakra (Posthumous) in 2008 after he lost his life fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. The Neerja Bhanot Award was instituted in 1991 in the memory of the brave Senior Flight Purser Neerja Bhanot, who saved hundreds of lives while sacrificing her own, during a Pan Am plane hijack at Karachi Airport in September 1986. The award consists of Rs 1.50 lakh in cash, a citation and a trophy and is given every year to those women who show extraordinary courage and bravery. 

 

·         Kiran Bedi's latest book 'Creating Leadership' has illustrations from her top cop years.

 

·         Currently, the cropped area covered under crop insurance scheme in India is 23%. The Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana aims to increase it to 50% cover in the next few years.

 

·         World Bank has published the 2016 World Development Report. The report discusses the importance of advances in information communication technology (ICT) for overall development.

 

·         State Bank of India (SBI) has become the first bank in the country to launch a start-up focussed bank branch. The branch 'SBI InCube' is launched in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The branch will focus on fulfilling the specific financial requirements of the start-ups. It will assist start-ups in cash management, taxation, foreign exchange etc.

 

·         Marat Safin, the former World No.1 tennis player from Russia has been inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame. The official ceremony to induct the Russian tennis player has been scheduled for July 16, 2016. With this, he will become first Russian national to be inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He won a total of 15 ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) in men's singles category.

 

·         Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis have won the 2016 WTA Apia International title in the women's doubles category in Sydney, Australia after clinching their 30th win a row. It was the 11th title together for the Indo-Swiss pair from 2015 when they had won 9 titles and second trophy of the season 2016.

 

·         The Indian Coast Guard and its Japanese counterpart has conducted the 15th edition of joint exercise 'Sahyog-Kaijin' in the Bay of Bengal off the Chennai coast, Tamil Nadu. The focus of exercise is in anti-piracy procedures, search and rescue operations and inter-operability between the two forces and other areas of common professional interest.

 

·         The Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena has won the 2016 Pritzker Architecture Prize, who is best known for his work with "do tank" Elemental, an architecture group that aims to tackle poverty and eliminate slums using a participatory approach that engages local communities in early stages of the design process. With this, he is the first Pritzker laureate from Chile and the fourth from Latin America. He will receive a $100,000 grant and a bronze medal during a ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on April 2016.

 

·         The Delhi-based Journalist-writer, Ankita Anand has won the prestigious 2015 Lorenzo Natali Media Prize in Asia and the Pacific – Amateur category. She earned the award for her sensitive portrayal of life for young women facing the threat of the diktat of khap panchayats in Haryana with the title 'Stirrings beneath the peepul' published in the journal The Equator Linel. The award is organized by the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development since 1992 to journalists for outstanding reporting on development and poverty eradication. The award entails a trophy and a money prize of 5000 euros. The 2015 edition of the Lorenzo Natali Media Prize has launched under the motto "Todays stories can change our tomorrow".

 

·         The first woman Vice Chancellor of Kerala, Dr Jancy James has been selected for the prestigious 2016 Prof MV Pylee Award for the best academician of India. Dr Jancy was the former VC of Mahatma Gandhi University and founder Vice Chancellor of Central University of Kerala. She is an author, literary critic, researcher and translator, who also served as member of Kendra Sahitya Akademi and as the National President of the Comparative Literature Association of India. The award is instituted by Cochin University of Science and Technology, which carries an amount of Rs. 1 lakh and a citation.

 

·         The noted Indian filmmaker and screenwriter Anil Ganguly (82) passed in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He worked in Hindi cinema from the 1970s to the 90s and is best known for his movies viz. "Kora Kagaz", "Tapasya", "Saaheb", " Trishna", "Khandaan", "Humkadam", "Pyar Ke Kabil", "Balidan" , "Dushman Devta", etc.

 

·         The Indian government has signed a loan agreement with World Bank for the Neeranchal National Watershed Project. The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development over a six-year period from 2016 to 2021. The Neeranchal project was approved by the cabinet with a total budget outlay of Rs.2142 crore with the Government share of Rs.1071 crore and the rest 50% by the World Bank.

 

·         Magh Bihu is a harvest festival of Assam and it marks the end of the harvesting season. Magh Bihu is observed on the first day of Magh month as per Bengali Panjika. Magh Bihu is also known as Bhogali Bihu and Maghar Domahi.

 

·         Indian writer Anuradha Roy has won the prestigious 2016 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for her novel 'Sleeping on Jupiter' at the Galle Literary Festival in Sri Lanka. Ms. Roy was awarded the $50,000 prize and a unique trophy by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in the ceremony.

 

·         Tsai Ing-wen (59) has been elected as the first female President of Taiwan. She is the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which favours independence from China. Her victory is the biggest mandate ever won by a DPP president and is only the second-ever victory for the DPP since Taiwan split with China in 1949.

 

·         The Nandi Natakotsavam', the prestigious state-organised theater festival, has begin at Mahati auditorium in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh from January 18, 2016. The 12-day event will have 43 plays and play lets will be performed in social and mythological themes.

 

·         The Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) is located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. To reconstruct the park as it got heavily damaged during cyclone Hudhud 2014, World Bank in- principle has sanctioned $250 million. The fund is used for its restoration and development as a world-class international ecological park. This is for the first time that the World Bank is funding a zoo.

 

·         As per the report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), India's GDP growth forecast for 2016 has been downgraded to 7.5 % from 8.2 % estimated earlier, due to slow progress in implementing reform policies. In ESCAP report, China is expected to grow at 6.5 % in 2016, lower from 6.8 % estimated earlier.

 

·         A poet, novelist and children's writer, Easterine Kire from Nagaland has won The Hindu Literary Prize 2015 for her novel 'When the River Sleeps'. The book is about a lone hunter seeking a heart stone in a faraway sleeping river and fighting all odds to get it.

 

·         Dinesh Sharma, Additional Secretary of Union Ministry of Finance, has been elected to the 12-member board of the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). This is the first board of directors of AIIB in which 57 nations are founding members including India. The inaugural meeting of the board of the governors of the AIIB also held in Beijing after its formal launch by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is the designated governor of the AIIB from India.

 

·         The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog has collaborated with the IDFC Bank Ltd to conduct an enterprise survey of manufacturing firms including start-ups, across India to assess the ease of doing business. The primary objective of this survey is to assess the business regulatory environment in each State and Union Territories (Uts) and identify policy and regulatory hurdles faced by businesses in the States/Uts.

 

·         The World Economic Forum says large-scale involuntary migration and extreme weather events are top two risks for world in 2016. The Global Risks Report 2016 has been published ahead of its major annual meeting between January 20 and January 23 this year in Davos, Switzerland.

 

·         IFC, a member of the World Bank Group has announced a tie-up with the Madhya Pradesh government to set up a 750-Mw Rewa ultra-mega solar power project. This will be the largest single-site solar power project in the world.

 

·          India has been ranked 89 out of 109 countries in the 2015-16 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI). The list is topped by Switzerland i.e. followed by Singapore, Luxembourg, the United States and Denmark . The other countries in the list are China (48), South Africa (57), Sri Lanka (83), Iran (98), Pakistan (103), etc. The theme 'Talent Attraction and International Mobility' has focused on the significant correlation between movement of talent and economic prosperity. The GTCI is released by INSEAD business school in partnership with Adecco Group and the Human Capital Leadership Institute of Singapore.

 

·         The French President Francois Hollande has recently declared a state of economic and social emergency to redefine country's economic and social model. To tackle the emergency, he has set out a €2bn (£1.5bn) job creation plan. France's unemployment rate is 10.6%, against a European Union average of 9.8% and 4.2% in Germany. To revive long-stagnant economic growth and reduce chronic unemployment, the government has proposed series of economic measures. Under a two-year scheme, firms with fewer than 250 staff will get subsidies if they take on a young or unemployed person for six months or more. Additionally, approx. 500,000 vocational training schemes will be created.

 

·         Haryana off-spinner, Ajit Chandila has been given a life ban from all forms of cricket by the BCCI for his involvement in 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal, while Mumbai batsman Hiken Shah has given a 5-year suspension for making a corrupt approach to a fellow player. Though, the committee, headed by BCCI president Shashank Manohar has deferred a decision on Chandila's co- accused Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf till February 12, giving him a final deadline of February 9, 2016 to file his reply.

 

·         The book titled " She Will Build Him A City" has been authored by Raj Kamal Jha, who is the Chief Editor of the daily newspaper The Indian Express and an internationally acclaimed novelist. The book is concerned with the metropolitan coexistence of health and sickness, poverty and wealth.

 

·         The noted journalist, author and historian, Dr. Aroon Tikekar (72) passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He authored over 20 books in Marathi and English. He is the recipient of several literary and journalism awards, and was a adjunct professor in the Department of Journalism and Communications, University of Pune.

 

·         The 4th All India Police Archery Championship has started at Nagaland Armed Police Training Centre, NAPTC Stadium, Chumukedima in Nagaland. In the 5 day event, total of 24 state police and central police organization teams are participating.

 

·         In a recent terrorist attack at a Burkina Faso hotel, several people are killed. Burkina Faso is a Western Africa nation. Its capital city is Ouagadougou.

 

·         In the updated report on 'World Economic Outlook (WEO)' , the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has kept India's growth projection unchanged at 7.3 % in the current fiscal and 7.5 % in the FY17. Though, the neighbour China's growth would slow to 6.3 % in 2016 and further to 6 % in 2017. The IMF has also forecasted the world economic growth at 3.4 % for 2016 and 3.6 % for 2017.

 

·         Recently, state- run BHEL has commissioned the second 660 MW supercritical unit of Lalitpur Super Thermal Power Project (STPP) in Uttar Pradesh. The main plant of the 3×660 MW Lalitpur STPP is being executed by BHEL. Located in Lalitpur in Bundelkhand district of Uttar Pradesh, Lalitpur STPP is being developed by Lalitpur Power Generation Company Limited (LPGCL)- promoted by the Bajaj Hindustan group.

 

·         The veteran Kannada filmmaker and lyricist, Lakshman Rao Mohite, was better known by his pen-name 'Geethapriya' (84) passed away in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He has penned lyrics for over 250 songs and directed 40 films including one in Hindi movie 'Anmol Sitaare'.

 

·         The Sahara Force India Academy racer, Jehan Daruvala has won the 2016 Lady Wigram Trophy motor race, which is one of New Zealand's most prestigious events. It is the Daruvala's maiden victory in Formula cars since making the switch from karting in 2015.

 

·         The Government of India (GoI) has signed financing agreement with World Bank for US$ 250 million for Bihar Kosi Basin Development Project. The objective of the project is to enhance resilience to floods and increase agricultural production and productivity in the targeted districts in the Kosi River Basin and to enhance Bihar's capacity to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or emergency.

 

·         Recently, the Rajasthan government has inaugurated the state's second biological park 'Machia Biological Park' in Jodhpur. The new park will have a food store, cafeteria, interpretation centre, ticket window, visitors and service roads and will be opened for public in March 2016. The park is spread over 41 hectare and is the house of lions, tigers, jackals, hyenas, desert cats and desert foxes, etc.

 

·         The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently released a book named "The Z Factor: My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time". The book is the autobiography of Essel Group Chairman Dr. Subhash Chandra. Dr Chandra is referred to as the Media Moghul of India, revolutionised the television industry by launching the country's first satellite Hindi channel Zee TV in 1992 and later the first private news channel, Zee News.

 

·         India will host a seven-day military exercise "Exercise Force Eighteen" that to be held on March 2 to 8, 2016 in Pune, Maharashtra. The focus of the exercise on humanitarian mine action and peace keeping operations and to allow the armies of these countries to develop a common understanding in handling any complex situation. The exercise is part of a concerted attempt by India towards constructive joint efforts of ASEAN Plus militaries to enhance the peace and security of the region. In the exercise, 18 ASEAN Plus countries, including Japan, China, South Korea and the US, will take part in the exercise.

 

·         The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has set up a 12-member committee on Yoga Education in Universities, which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Yoga guru Prof. H.R. Nagendra. Prof. Nagendra is the Chancellor of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana, Samsthana, Bengaluru. The committee will identify Yoga courses to offer and the syllabus for conducting NET in Yogic Art and Science.

 

·         The Russian chess grandmaster, Ivan Popov has recently won the 14th Parsvnath Delhi International Open Chess Title, after edging out on tiebreak Attila Czebe and Valeriy Neverov, after all three players finished on 8/10 points.

 

·         The 2016 World Economic Forum (WEF)'s 46th annual conference has been started at the Swiss ski resort of Davos, Switzerland. The official theme is "Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution". In this edition of WEF meeting, approx. 2,500 top business leaders, international political leaders, selected intellectuals and journalists would discuss the most pressing issues facing the world like outlook of the global economy, measures to fight terrorism, inequality, etc.

 

·         Noted danseuse and Padma Bhushan awardee, Mrinalini Sarabhai (97) passed away in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. She was the wife of renowned Indian scientist and the father of India's space programme Vikram Sarabhai. She was a trained Bharatanatyam, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam dancer.

 

·         On January 20, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) successfully put the IRNSS-1E in orbit using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-31. The 1,425 kg satellite was the fifth to be launched as part of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) which will consist of a constellation of seven satellites.

 

·         Recently, Uttar Pradesh team has clinched Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy with a thumping 38- run win over two-time champions Baroda in the final under lights at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

 

·         Maharashtra has become the first state in the country where women employees in government jobs can avail up to 180 days maternity leave, while having a baby through surrogacy.

 

·         Delhi Acers team won against Mumbai Rockets in the summit clash to clinch the revamped Premier Badminton League (PBL) title. The season was held from 2–17 January 2016. This is second edition of the Premier Badminton League. The second edition was renamed from the Indian Badminton League to the Premier Badminton League.

 

·         Rahul Thakkar, the Person of Indian Origin (PIO), has won the 2016 Scientific and Technical achievement award given by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, famously known as Oscar Awards. He will share the honour with Richard Chuang for "ground breaking design" of the DreamWorks Animation Media Review System. He will receive the award at the Academy's annual Scientific and Technical awards presentation on February 13, 2016 in Beverly Hills. With this, he joined the club of other PIOs who have won Oscar Awards. They are Bhanu Athaiya, Satyajit Ray, Resul Pookutty, A.R. Rahman and Gulzar.

 

·         The 19th edition of National Conference on e-Governance has started in Nagpur, Maharashtra. This edition of conference has been organised by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in in association with the Government of Maharashtra.

 

·         The leading digital payments company, TranServ has launched 'Udio' India's first Social Mobile Wallet. The Udio Wallet integrates a social, community-driven aspect with anytime, anywhere accessibility to digital P2P (peer-to-peer) transactions via its secure and seamless payment structure, creating a ubiquitous ecosystem for both consumers and brands. It enables squaring of dues, sharing dinner bills or a cab ride a hassle free task.

 

·         Tata Motors has appointed Guenter Butschek as chief executive and managing director of all its operations in the country and international markets. Butschek, formerly with Airbus, the world's second largest aircraft manufacturer, will succeed Karl Slym at Tata Motors, who passed away in January 2014. Butschek was chief operating officer at Airbus before he quit in December 2014.

 

·         The noted environmentalist Ravi Chellam has been appointed as the executive director of Green peace India. He has succeeded Samit Aich, who had resigned in June 2015 following an internal review of the organisation's handling of two sexual harassment cases. Chellam is a wildlife biologist and conservation scientist by training.

 

·         To give boost to the start-up companies in India, the union government announced Start-up Action Plan. Under the plan, Start-up profits to be tax-free for 3 years and also no labour inspections for 3 years of launch of the venture. Tax exemption to be provided on capital gains if money is invested in another start up.

 

·         Andhra Pradesh Government has launched Giriputrika Kalyana Pathakam Scheme to support the tribal women in their quest for livelihood. The scheme seeks to reduce rampant infant mortality and child marriages among tribal people. The scheme is designed to provide a onetime financial assistance of 50,000 rupees to each tribal woman who gets married.

 

·         Recently, Roger Federer became the first man to achieve 300 singles wins at grand slams. Presently, Martina Navratilova holds the all-time record of 306 singles wins at grand slams.

 

·         As per recently released United Nations (UN) World Economic Situation and Prospects 2016 Report, India will be the fastest growing big economy in the world in 2016. The report has projected India's growth rate by 7.3 % in the year 2016 and 7.5 % in 2017 slightly up from an earlier estimated 7.2 % rate in 2015.

 

·         India defeated Pakistan in the final match to win the first-ever Blind T20 Asia Cup at Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi.

 

·         The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) is an independent non-profit organisation working for advancing sustainable development through trade-related policymaking. It was founded in 1996 and its headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland.

 

·         Indian Shuttler P V Sindhu has won the 2016 Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold Badminton title. In the final match played at Penang, she defeated Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour. This was Sindhu's second title in Malaysia Masters Grand Prix which and earlier she had won in 2013. It was overall fifth career Grand prix gold title and first title of the season 2016. Sindhu's other four titles are Malaysia Masters (2013) and hat-trick Macau Open won in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

 

·         The first Ministerial Meeting of Arab-India Cooperation Forum was held in Manama, capital city of Bahrain. The meeting was attended by representatives of 22 Arab League nations. Indian side was represented by Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. At the end of the meeting, both sides issued a joint statement called the Manama Declaration.

 

·         Kolkata cueist Sourav Kothari beat Siddharth Parekh in the final of the National Billiards Championship. It is his second National Billiards title win. He won his maiden crown in 2014.

 

·         Google India and Indian Railways' telecom arm RailTel has launched free Rail Wire Public Wi-Fi service for railway passengers at the Mumbai Central Station. With this, Mumbai Central has become the first railway station in India to have free high-speed Wi-Fi Internet facility.

 

·         Goa government has initiated a process to tag Feni as heritage brew outside the state. It attained the Geographical Indication (GI) status in 2010.

 

·         Former Deputy Speaker of Gujarat Assembly and Social Activist Nirmala Gajwani (87) passed away in Rajkot, Gujarat. She was 87. She was the first lady Deputy Speaker of Gujarat legislative Assembly and was reputed social worker and one of the leading lights of the Sindhi community in the state.

 

·         Indian Army's elite Para Special Forces' commando Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami has been awarded the country's highest peace time gallantry honour, Ashok Chakra, posthumously for saving two colleagues during an encounter with militants in Kashmir last year. The Ashok Chakra is awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It is the peace time gallantry award i.e. awarded for the "most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice" other than in the face of the enemy.

 

·         The noted law professor, journalist, political analyst and pundit, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has won the Presidential Election of Portugal. Previously, he was a government minister and Member of Parliament.

 

·         The National Girl Child Day is celebrated in India on January 24. It is celebrated to encourage the girl's situation in the society, to offer more supports and new opportunities to the girls in the country, to remove different types of social discrimination and exploitation with the girls and to aware them that they have equal rights of the good education, nutrition and health care.

 

·         The Veteran Bollywood actress Rekha has been honoured with the third National Yash Chopra Memorial Award 2016 in recognition of her talent and contribution to the film industry. The award has been instituted by the T.S.R. Foundation of T Subbarami Reddy in the memory of the producer-director, who died in 2012. The Foundation annually honours a distinguished senior film personality for outstanding contribution to film industry with a Gold Medal and a cash prize of Rs.10 lakh. The previous recipients of the award are Lata Mangeshkar and Amitabh Bachchan.

 

·         The noted tabla player Pandit Shankar Ghosh (80) passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal. He was one of the most famous tabla player in the country and belongs to the Farukhabad gharana of Hindustani classical music and followed the Farukhabad gharana of Hindustani classical music.

 

·         The 6th National Voters' Day (NVD) has been celebrated across the country on January 25, 2016 by Election Commission of India (ECI). The theme for this year is 'Inclusive and Qualitative Participation'. The day is also the foundation day of the Commission, which came into existence in 1950.

 

·         For the first time in the history of Republic Day parade, a 76-member French Army contingent took part. The French Army's 35th Infantry Regiment traces its origin back to 1604 when it was raised in Lorraine in France.

 

·         The free-speech organization PEN American Center announced that it is giving its 2016 PEN/Allen award to author J.K. Rowling. Previous recipients of the PEN/Allen Foundation Literary Service Award include Philip Roth, Toni Morrison and Salman Rushdie. PEN is also honouring Hachette Book Group CEO Michael Pietsch. Pietsch joined with several other publishers last year in an informal pledge to combat censorship of translated books in China.

 

·         Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne disease suspected of causing birth defects is likely to spread to all countries in the Americas except Canada and Chile. The virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947.

 

·         Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan has joined a task force of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to study the future of global financial system. Its members include bankers and policymakers from across the world. The task force was formed at the request of Bank of England Governor and Financial Stability Board Chairman Mark Carney and WEF's Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab.

 

·         The Red Panda Winter Festival 2016 was started in Sikkim on 23 January. It ends on 31 January. The festival promises to be a grandiose nine-day event of culture, food, harmony and celebrations.

 

·         The headquarters of the International Solar Alliance will come up on a 5-acre plot on the National Institute of Solar Energy campus in Gurgaon. It is the first time India to have headquarters of an international and inter-governmental organization. India has promised Rs 175 crore for constructing the building, other infrastructure and meeting the recurring expenditure for five years. This is part of the Rs 400-crore pledge that India has made for the ISA.

 

·         The Berlin-based corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI) has ranked India at 76 out of 168 countries in its latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2015. The list is topped by Denmark followed by Finland, Sweden, New Zealand and Netherlands. The ranks of some important countries are as follows: Bhutan (27), China (83), Sri Lanka (83), Pakistan (117), Nepal (130) and Bangladesh (139). The CPI is based on expert opinions of public sector corruption. Countries' scores can be helped by open government where the public can hold leaders to account, while a poor score is a sign of prevalent bribery, lack of punishment for corruption and public institutions that don't respond to citizens' needs.

 

·         Three Indian-origin persons have been awarded Australia's highest civilian honour for their contribution in the fields of physics, engineering and medicine. Chennupati Jagadish, an eminent professor at Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Jay Chandra, an eye doctor in New South Wales, and Sajeev Koshy,a dentist in Melbourne, received Order of Australia medal for the year 2016.

 

·         The Mysuru-Varanasi Express is the first Braille-embedded in India where all reserved coaches have embedded Braille signage. It has been provided with metallic Braille signage indicating berth numbers, location of alarm chains, toilets and emergency windows. There are also instructions on how to operate the emergency exit windows. The Puri-Delhi Purushottam Express was the first train to have a Braille-embedded coach. However, the Mysuru-Varanasi Express is the first train in the country in which all coaches are Braille-embedded.

 

·         The International Customs Day (ICD) has been observed on January 26 every year to recognize the role of custom officials and agencies in maintaining border security. It focuses on the working conditions and challenges that customs officers face in their jobs. The 2016 theme is "Digital Customs – Progressive Engagement".

 

·         The International Kolkata Book Fair (IKBF) is the world's largest non-trade book fair. Bolivia is the theme country of this year. The book fair is open for general public between January 26 and February 7.

 

·         Marvin Minsky (88), the founding father of artificial intelligence, passed away in United States. He was a mathematician, computer scientist, and was the co-founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's AI laboratory and author of several texts on AI and philosophy. 

 

·         Deborah Herold, the 20-year-old cyclist from the Andamans created history by qualifying for the 2016 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Track Cycling World Championships for the first time in India's history. In last December, Deborah had become the first Indian female cyclist to reach the heights of fourth place in the UCI individual world ranking.

 

·         All India Radio (AIR) has launched a non-conventional audio broadcast channel through Internet and 'free dish' with easy accessibility to it for connoisseurs of art, especially classical music- both Carnatic and Hindustani. The Channel, known as 'RAAGAM', is in public domain round the clock with Mobile App.

 

·         The veteran Marathi writer, critic and former President of the All India Marathi Sahitya Sammelan Dr. Dattatraya Bhikaji Kulkarni passed away in Pune, Maharashtra. His books like Dnyaneshwaranche Shrotrusamwad, Parthivteche Udayast, Samikshechi Sarhadda and Pahili Parampara were critically acclaimed by scholars of Marathi language.

 

·         To mark the 67th Republic Day, the three-day 'Bharat Parv' festival has been organised by the Union government at the Red fort, New Delhi from January 26, 2016. The fest organised is set to showcase the cuisine and culture of different states of India. The prime objective of organising the event is to generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country and to ensure wider participation of the general public. The event is open to the public and the entry is free.

 

·         The Rajasthan government has recently launched the Mukhyamantri Jal Swavalamban Abhiyan scheme to ensure effective implementation of water harvesting and water conservation related activities in the rural areas using a holistic approach, informed by the values of leadership, moral responsibility, excellence, innovation, partnership and purity.

 

·         Recently, the union government has declared the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS), Leh (Ladakh) as a deemed-to-be-university under the de novo category.

 

·         Bangladesh is hosting the 2016 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup from 22 January to 14 February 2016. It is the 11th edition of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup and the second to be held in Bangladesh, after the 2004 event.

 

·         Anup Kumar and Tejasvini Bai have been named as the captains of the men's and women's team respectively during their title defence in the South Asian Games to be held at Guwahati from February 5 to 16, 2016. It has been announced by the Assistant Secretary of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India, Deoraj Chaturvedi.

 

·          According to the Bangkok based Thai Rice Exporters Association, India has overtaken Thailand as the world's largest rice exporter in the year 2015 by shipping (exporting) 10.23 million tonnes of rice. Vietnam was third globally while China remained the No. 1 importer of rice.

 

·         Abe Vigoda (94), the actor who played Sal Tessio in the classic Godfather film series, has died. Vigoda also found great success on TV playing Detective Phil Fish in seventies sitcom 'Barney Miller'.

 

·         The 2016 Allan Border Medal has been claimed by batsman David Warner, who was also named the Test Player of the Year.

 

·         President Pranab Mukherjee has imposed president's rule in Arunachal Pradesh based on the recommendation of the union cabinet. The decision was taken under Article 356 of the Constitution.

 

·         Indian lawyer and human rights defender, Henri Tiphagne has been selected for the 2016 Amnesty International Human Rights Award for his exceptional commitment to human rights. The award comes with 10000 Euros and will be given to him on 25 April 2016 at the Maxim Gorki Theatre in Berlin, Germany. Tiphagne is the first Indian to receive the Amnesty award. He is the founder of the organization People's Watch, one of the most notable human rights organizations in India.

 

·         Aparna Kumar, a 2002-batch IPS officer from Uttar Pradesh cadre, has become the India's first civil servant to successfully scale Antarctica's highest peak Mount Vinson Massif. She climbed the 17,000-feet-high peak and hoisted the Tricolour and the UP police flag there. Earlier, she had successfully scaled Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

 

·         The noted wild life film maker Naresh Bedi has been conferred with the V Shantaram Life Time Acheivement Award at 14th edition of 2016 Mumbai International Festival (MIFF), Mumbai. He is the first Asian to receive a Wildscreen Panda Award and the first Indian to receive a nomination for the British Academy Film Awards.

 

·         Recently, the Supreme Court of India (SCI) has appointed Justice Sanjay Mishra as the Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh. He is the former judge of the Allahabad High Court. Earlier, SCI has recalled its earlier order of appointing ex-Justice Virendra Singh as the anti-graft ombudsman.

 

·         Recently, Ishika Shah (14) has won the 12th Sub-Junior National Snooker championship title in Indore, Madhya Pradesh by defeating Anushi Sethby 50-2, 50-33 in the final match.

 

·         Top ranked Indo-Swiss pair of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis has won the 2016 Australian Open women's double title. They beat 7th seeded Czech duo of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in the finals by 7-6, 6-3.

 

·         The Padma Vibhushan is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India i.e. given for the "exceptional and distinguished service", without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex. The following are the recipients of Padma Vibhushan award: Yamini Krishnamurthi, Rajinikanth, Girija Devi, Ramoji Rao, Dr. Viswanathan Shanta, Shri Ravi Shankar, Jagmohan, Dr.Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre, Avinash Dixit (Foreigner) and Dhiru Bhai Ambani (Posthumous). Mr. Avinash Dixit is an Indian-American economist and the author of a number of books in economics. Currently, he is John J. F. Sherrerd '52 University professor of Economics Emeritus at Princeton University, distinguished adjunct professor of Economics at Lingnan University (Hong Kong) and senior research fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford.

 

·         Recently, the government of India has announced the list of first 20 cities to be developed as Smart Cities. Bhubaneswar in Odisha topped the city challenge competition. Pune and Jaipur were second and third. The other cities include Surat and Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Kochi (Kerala), Bhopal, Jabalpur and Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Visakhapatnam and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, Solapur (Maharashtra), Davanagere and Belagavi in Karnataka, the New Delhi Municipal Council in Delhi, Chennai and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Udaipur (Rajasthan), Guwahati (Assam) and Ludhiana (Punjab).

 

·         Noted journalist and The Times of India's Managing Editor Arindam Sengupta (61), passed away recently. He had a long and distinguished association with the Times group, which he rejoined in 1991 after a previous stint from 1988 to 1990.

 

·         A former Allahabad high court judge Ashok Kumar Roopanwal was appointed by the Centre to probe circumstances leading to suicide of Rohit Vemula, a Dalit scholar of Hyderabad Central University. The Commission has been asked to submit its report within 3 months.

 

·         The German tennis player Angelique Kerber has won 2016 Australia Open women's single title by defeating Serena Williams in the final at Melbourne park. She became the first German to win this Grand Slam title since Staffi Graff in 1994.

 

·         Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been chosen for the prestigious K Veeramani Social Justice Award for his immense contribution for the cause of social justice especially for upliftment of weaker and marginalised sections of the society. The award carries a plaque and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. The award will be presented by the Periyar International, a Chicago-based voluntary organisation at an award function, the venue of which is yet to be decided.

 

·         Indian author and foreign affairs expert Nisid Hajari has won the 2016 William E. Colby Award for his book "Midnight's Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India's Partition". The book is based on the 1947 partition of India and the violence surrounded that event. The Colby prize is awarded annually by Norwich University to a first-time author in recognition of a work of fiction or non- fiction that has made a major contribution to the understanding of military history, intelligence operations or international affairs.

 

·         The former Vice Chancellor of Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University and renowned Telugu litterateur Nayani Krishnakumari (86) passed away in Hyderabad. She was a pioneer in folklore studies and women literature and is credited with identifying the folk literature as a separate and valuable part of Telugu literature.

 

·         The Brazilian-American racing driver Pietro Fittipaldi has won the 2015-16 MRF Challenge Formula 2000 at Madras Motor Racing Track in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.

 

·         The senior journalist and Editor-in-chief of Asianet News T N GopaKumar (58) passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He was fondly known as TNG, started his journalistic career with Indian Express and went on to work with Mathrubhumi, News Time, Statesman, Independent and India Today. He also contributed to BBC Radio before joining Asianet. Beside this, he also penned books on various subjects, directed a film Jeevan Mashai in 2001 and a serial for Doordarshan Verukkal (Roots).

 

·         According to the recently released data, India's economy expanded 7.2 per cent in the financial year ended March 2015, marginally slower than the previous estimate of 7.3 per cent. Presently, 2011-12 is used as the base year for calculating gross domestic product in India.

 

·         Government has appointed Gurdeep Singh, currently head of Gujarat State Electricity Corp, as the chairman and managing director of NTPC Ltd. Gurdeep Singh will be the first person to be appointed to the top job at a Maharatna company through a search committee route.

 

·         Russia has awarded 'Order of Friendship' to Director of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant (NPP) construction site Ramayah Shanmuga Sundar. It reflects the growing strategic partnership between Delhi and Moscow. The NPP Kudankulam is under construction in India with Russian assistance in accordance with Intergovernmental agreement of 1988. The first 1000 Megawatt Unit of the plant was connected to national power grid in 2013. The second Unit is scheduled for launch in 2016.

 

·         The 34th National Rowing Championship – 2016 was held in Hyderabad at Hussain Sagar Lake from 25 – 31 January 2016. Sandeep Kumar of All India Police has emerged as the winner in senior men category.