1. The 42nd Indian Social Science Congress (ISSC-2018) was inaugurated by Manipur governor Dr Najma Heptulla at KIIT University campus in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on December 27. The theme of the Congress was 'Human Future in Digital Era'. The ISSC is the annual meet of social scientists organised by Indian Social Science Academy (ISSA). It is a multidisciplinary national forum, which promotes integration of Science of Nature-Humans-Society through intra, inter and multi disciplinary appraisal of current research and theory.
2. Stylish left-handed Indian opener, Smriti Mandhana has won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year and also been named as the ICC Women's ODI Player of the Year. She scored 669 runs at an average of 66.90 in 12 ODIs and 622 runs at a strike-rate of 130.67 in 25 T20Is during the voting period, which ran from 1 January to 31 December 2018. Beside her, Australia's wicketkeeperbatter Alyssa Healy voted ICC T20I Player of the Year. England's Sophie Ecclestone named ICC Emerging Player of the Year. Mandhana is only the second Indian woman to win an ICC award after fast bowler Jhulan Goswami who was named the women's player of the year in 2007.
3. As per 2nd schedule of the RBI Act of 1934, the ESAF Small Finance Bank (SFB) Ltd has got approval from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a scheduled bank. This makes ESAF the fifth scheduled bank from Kerala after Federal Bank, South Indian Bank, Catholic Syrian Bank, and Dhanlaxmi Bank. Being a scheduled bank, ESAF can step up resource mobilisation through the issue of certificate of deposits and inter-bank borrowings at competitive rates of interest. The bank can also seek funds from trusts, associations, religious institutions and mutual funds. It will also enable the bank to avail higher refinance facility. It will also assume more responsibility for the implementation of government schemes and Aadhaar enrolment services. ESAF has a presence in urban, semi-urban, rural and unbanked rural areas with a network of 432 banking outlets across 13 States. The headquarters of ESAF is located at Thrissur, Kerala.
4. Sudhir Bhargava, a former Secretary to the Ministry of Social Justice, has taken charge as new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) on January 1. Beside him, President Ram Nath Kovind has also appointed four new members as Information Commissioners - ex-IFS officer Yashwardhan Kumar Sinha, former IRS officer Vanaja N Sarna, former IAS Neeraj Kumar Gupta and former Law Secretary Suresh Chandra. Now,the only woman in the CIC will be ex-IRS officer Vanaja N. Sarna. The CIC is the highest appeal body under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The authority deals with grievances related to RTI requests, and has jurisdiction over all central public authorities.
5. Norman Gimbel (91), the Oscar & Grammy-winning American lyricist has passed away in New York on December 17, 2018. His lyrics graced hit songs such as Roberta Flack's "Killing me softly with his song" and Jim Croce's "I got a name". He also wrote the English lyrics to the Brazilian bossa nova melody 'The Girl from Ipanema'.
6. Rishabh Pant became the first Indian wicket-keeper to claim 20 catches in Test series, during the final day of the 'Boxing Day Test' in Melbourne against Australia on December 30. He surpassed former cricketers Naren Tamhane and Syed Kirmani who had recorded nineteen dismissals in 1954-55 and 1979-80 respectively. Brad Haddin from Australia holds the record for taking most catches in a Test series (29). In 'Boxing Day Test', India beat Australia by 137 runs to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the fourmatch series. India took a giant stride towards winning their first ever test series on Australian soil in seven decades.
7. Recently, the Delhi High Court has ruled that Section 354A of Indian Penal Code (IPC) can be used by transgender persons to register complaints of sexual harassment. The Section 354A of the IPC deals with sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment. The development came after a transgender student's complaint of sexual harassment was not entertained by the police. The Delhi University student wanted to lodge a complaint against male students who allegedly sexually harassed her on the college campus. According to the police, there was a lack of an appropriate penal section under which they could register such a complaint. In it, the HC bench also allowed the petitioner to maintain anonymity and directed that the cause title would read, Anamika versus Union of India & Ors. The bench also stated that the Supreme Court's National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA) judgment of 2014 was gender neutral.
8. Justice (retd) H L Dattu, the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has recently launched a toll-free number -- 14433 -- and also a facility to file complaints through Common Service Centre (CSC) at the Manav Adhikar Bhawan, New Delhi. The toll-free number would be available only during the office hours of the NHRC. The commission has shortlisted 750 CSC with at least one each in a district. The service will be expanded to all the CSCs in a phased manner. The NHRC is an autonomous public body constituted on 12th October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance of 28 September 1993. It is responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights, defined by the Act as "rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants".
9. President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoye has recently announced 2019 as the 'Year of Active Investment and Social Development' in the backdrop of proposed investments from India to boost economy of this Central Asian country, in his annual address to the Parliament. The President stated that concrete measures will be taken on creating an open economy, radically improving the business environment and investment climate, reducing the state presence in the economy. Activities on improving the health of the population will continue at a new level. He further stressed that investment was the driver of economy, new technologies, advanced experience and highly qualified specialists come with investments into all sectors and regions.
10. A government committee, headed by IIT-Hyderabad chairman B V R Mohan Reddy, has advised the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to stop setting up new colleges from 2020 and review the creation of new capacity every two years after that. The panel has also suggested that no additional seats should be approved in traditional engineering areas such as mechanical, electrical, civil and electronics and that institutes should be encouraged to convert current capacity in traditional disciplines to emerging new technologies. This recommendation has been justified on the ground that current capacity utilisation in traditional disciplines is just 40% as opposed to 60% seat occupancy in branches such as computer science and engineering, aerospace engineering and mechatronics. For the same reason, the committee has urged the AICTE to introduce undergraduate engineering programmes exclusively for artificial intelligence, blockchain, robotics, quantum computing, data sciences, cyber security and 3D printing and design.
11. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has recently launched Samwad with Students as part of its outreach programme. The Indian Space agency will engage youngsters across the country in activities concerning space science under this programme. The new conversation mission will inspire students cutting across schools and colleges. During the inauguration in Bengaluru, 40 students and 10 teachers from select schools interacted with ISRO Chairman Dr. K Sivan about the Indian Space Programme and their benefits to the common man.
12. Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan has taken charge as first Chief Justice of Telangana High Court. Governor ESL Narasimhan administered the oath to him at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan. The separate High Court for Telangana came into existence on 1st January 2, 2019 after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. Later, Governor Narasimhan administered oath to Justice Chagari Praveen Kumar as the first Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court in Vijayawada on the same day. With this, the separate high courts for Telugu states became functional.
13. In Kerala, around 50 lakhs of women assembled under the aegis of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to create an almost unbroken human wall that stretched 620 km from Kasaragod in north Kerala to Thiruvananthapuram in the south on 1st January 2019. Marshalled by the Kerala government and a section of Hindu organisations, the wall was organised against the backdrop of the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala. The programme ended with a joint pledge to harness the power of renaissance principles to insulate society against revanchist forces that sought to push Kerala back to the dark ages of casteism and discriminatory religious practices. The event was organised by the ruling CPI(M) along with over 176 other socio-political organisations, including the CPI, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam and the Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha.
14. On 1st January 2019, Jair Bolsonaro has been sworn-in as new president of Brazil for a four-year term. He is a member of the Social Liberal Party (PSL) and succeeded Michel Temer. Bolsonaro won the presidential election by a wide margin against Fernando Haddad of the left-wing Workers Party on 28 October 2018.
15. 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 cofounded by it after World War II to foster peace UNESCO also works to improve education for girls, promote understanding of the Holocaust's horrors, and to defend media freedom. The withdrawals will not greatly impact UNESCO financially since it has been dealing with a funding slash ever since 2011 when both Israel and the US stopped paying dues after Palestine was voted in as a member state. . Israel joined the agency in 1949. It is best known for its World Heritage program, which designates cultural sites and aims to preserve traditions.
16. India has slashed import taxes on crude and refined palm oil sourced from Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries after a request from suppliers. According to the official notification, the duty on crude palm oil was lowered to 40% from 44%, while the tax on refined palm oil was cut to 45% from 54% if imported from Malaysia and to 50%, if purchased from Indonesia or other member-nations of ASEAN. India imports 60% — 15.5 million tonnes annually — of its edible oil requirements, largely from Malaysia, Indonesia, Argentina and Ukraine. The reduction will lead to higher imports of palm oil by the world's biggest edible oil buyer in coming months as it would narrow the difference between the tropical vegetable oil and competitors such as soyabean oil and sunflower oil.
17. On January 2, US-based Kathak exponent Anindita Neogy Anaam has been honoured with the National Nritya Shiromani award for promoting the dance form across the world. The award was conferred on her in Cuttack at the 10th Cuttack Mahotsav : International Dance and Music festival in Odisha. The fest is organised by Utkal Yuva Sanskrutik Sangh (UYSS) in association with Cuttack district administration. Anindita Anaam is also recipient of prestigious national awards like Jayadev Rashtriya Puraskar and Bidagdha Nartaki Samman for her outstanding achievement in the preservation and promotion of Indian art in India and abroad.
18. Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has recently launched the Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin initiative in Bhubaneswar to improve female hygiene and health and employability of rural women. Under the new initiative, 100 manufacturing units will be set up at Common Service Centres (CSCs) covering 93 blocks in the State at an estimated cost of Rs 2.94 crore. Each manufacturing unit will employ five or six Ujjwala beneficiaries with an aim to provide employment to nearly 600 women across all districts. The women will first receive training in manufacturing and sale of sanitary napkins. Each facility will have the capacity to produce 1200-2000 pads per day and will have a sterilisation room to ensure that the napkins are sterilised before they are packed for use. The sanitary napkins will be priced at Rs 42 per pack of eight pads. This initiative will provide women with an opportunity to earn between Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000 per month. Thus, the Central scheme will be a counter to the Odisha government's Khushi scheme, in which sanitary napkins are provided free of cost to female students of government and government-aided schools in the state.
19. Recently, German authorities approved an $8 billion rail and road tunnel linking Denmark and Germany, despite environmental objections. The project comprises a fourlane motorway and a two-track railway. It is part-funded by the European Union (EU). The 19 km Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link is a planned immersed tunnel that is proposed to connect the Danish island of Lolland with the German island of Fehmarn. It was due to be completed in 2024, but has been delayed by environmental protests in Germany. The link would cross over the Fehmarn Belt in the Baltic Sea – 18 km wide – hence providing a direct link by railway and highway between northern Germany and Lolland, and thence to the Danish island of Zealand and Copenhagen. Once completed, it will become the world's longest road and rail tunnel, and will open new socio-economic opportunities on both sides of the border.
20. Vinod Kumar Yadav, the South Central Railway (SCR) general manager, has been appointed as Chairman of the Railway Board under the Ministry of Railways and exofficio Principal Secretary to the Government of India. He succeeded Ashwani Lohani. Yadav led SCR to a creditable performance during his tenure as General Manager. The Zone recorded its best ever financial performance in the fiscal year 2017-18, grossing Rs 13,673 crore of originating earnings. SCR won the highest number of performance efficiency shields (six) among all Zones in 2017-18, thereby earning recognition with the highest honour, Pandit Gobind Vallabh Pant Shield for overall performance. Commencing his career on Indian Railways as Assistant Electrical Engineer in February 1982, he held several important executive and managerial positions in Indian Railways.
21. France has recently introduced a new "GAFA tax" - named after the large internet and technology companies viz. Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon - to ensure the global giants pay a fair share of taxes on their massive businesses in Europe. The so-called GAFA tax targeting major digital firms comes into force on 1st January 2019. Some other EU member states such as Britain, Spain and Italy are also working on national versions of a digital tax, with Singapore and India also planning their own schemes.
22. Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has become the highest international wicket-taker all formats in the calendar year 2018. He took 48 wickets in 9 Tests, 22 wickets in 13 ODIs and 8 wickets in 8 T20I matches. Hence, a total of 78 wickets in 2018 was taken by Bumrah. He 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.
23. The 106th Indian Science Congress (ISC-2019) has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Jalandhar, Punjab from 3rd January 2019. The theme of the 5-day science congress is 'Future India: Science & Technology'. Approx 30,000 delegates, including 300 top scientists and Nobel Laureates from across world are attending the congress. In it, around 100 plus conferences and events of scientific and technology origin will also be held, where eminent personalities from DRDO, ISRO, DST, AIIMS, UGC, AICTE, and many elite universities of the USA, UK, India and other countries will participate. The event will play a pivotal role in stimulating scientific research effort and raising the scientific temperament in the country and the world. There will also be four parallel mega events, including the children's science conference; women's science conference; science communicators' meet; and, science exhibition. The exhibition will see participation from the national and international science companies, especially from the US, Australia, Germany and Switzerland.
24. On 2nd January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda (BoB). With the merger, BoB will become the third largest bank after State Bank of India and ICICI Bank. The move will help create a strong globally competitive bank with economies of scale and enable the realization of wideranging synergies, leveraging of networks and low-cost deposits and substantial rise in customer base and operational efficiency. The scheme will come into effect from 1st of April this year. The pay and allowances and services of the employees of all three banks will remain same as earlier. As per the Scheme of Amalgamation, the 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.
25. The Union Cabinet has recently approved amendment to the Trade Unions Act of 1926 to make provisions regarding Recognition of Trade Unions. The amendment provides for insertion of section 10A in the principal Act to power centre and state governments to recognize trade unions and federation of Trade Unions at Central as well as State level. The proposed bill will also provides for insertion of clause (ba) in Section 29(2) of the Act, which empowers the centre and states to make regulations for manner of recognition of trade unions and deciding disputes in this regard. After the amendment Act is passed, the manner of recognition will be prescribed in the regulations. The present act provides for only registration of trade unions. Currently, there is no provision for recognition of unions in the Act.
26. The 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. It was declared under sub-rule (b) of rule 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules of 1950. This decision of the Union Government will open up the Port Blair Airport for direct international flight and immigration facilities. For this purpose, the Superintendent of Police (CID), Andaman and Nicobar Police has been appointed as the 'Civil Authority' at Port Blair airport for the purpose of the immigration check post. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory and comes under the administrative control of the home ministry. Recently, the three islands of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago have been renamed as a tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. These are as follows: the Ross Island was renamed as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, the Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep and the Havelock Island as Swaraj Dweep.
27. President Ram Nath Kovind nominated Justice AK Sikri as the Executive Chairman of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) with effect from December 31, 2018. The post got vacant after the retirement of Justice Madan B Lokur. The NALSA was constituted on 5th December 1995 under the authority of the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987. Its purpose is to provide free legal services to the weaker sections of the society and to organise Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes. The Chief Justice of India is the Patron-in-Chief, while second seniormost judge of Supreme Court of India (SCI) traditionally takes over as the Executive Chairman of the Authority. The prime objective of NALSA is speedy disposal of cases and reducing the burden of judiciary.
28. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed an 8-member expert committee headed by former SEBI chairman U.K. Sinha to comprehensively review and propose longterm solutions for the economic and financial sustainability of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. The MSME sector has been facing stress due to the demonetisation exercise and implementation of GST. The panel would review the current institutional framework in place to support the MSME sector, and examine the factors affecting the timely and adequate availability of finance to the sector. The panel will also review existing MSME-focussed policies and their impact, and study the global best practices with respect to MSMEs and recommend their adoption in India. The committee will submit its report by the end of June 2019.
29. Prof. Manoj Das, an eminent English and Odia Litterateur, received the Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja National Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature. This ceremony was instituted by the Berhampur University, Odisha. During the 53rd foundation day ceremony, the university also honoured noted folk dance guru Nabaghana Parida with Dakshin Odisha Loksanakruti Samman.
30. The West Bengal government has launched Krishak Bandhu scheme to provide financial assistance to farmers and landless labourers. The state government will give an annual financial assistance (cash dole) of Rs 5,000 per acre in two instalments – one during kharif and another during rabi – for a single crop. Farmers can take the financial assistance at one go too. Farmers can take the financial assistance at one go too. Under the scheme, the state government also announced a life insurance cover of Rs 2, 00,000 in case of death, irrespective of the cause, of an earning family member (farmer) aged between 18 and 60 years. Farmers need not pay any premium for availing this life insurance cover. The registration of farmers and share-croppers under this scheme will start February onwards. Benefits will accrue from January 1, 2019.
31. Saurabh Kumar, a 1982-batch Indian Ordnance Factory Service officer, has taken charge as new Director General of Ordnance Factories (DGOF) and chairman of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) in Kolkata. An expert in the manufacture of ordnance, Kumar was on deputation to the Ministry of Defense as the director of planning and coordination from 2002 to 2009. During this period, he was involved in drafting the Indian offset policy for defence purchases and the 'Make' procedure in the Defence Procurement Procedure of 2003-04. He was also instrumental in piloting the proposals and obtaining the approval of the government for setting up two new greenfield ordnance factories at Nalanda and Korwa in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh respectively.
32. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) hosted third edition of the National Entrepreneurship Awards (NEA) in New Delhi on January 4, 2019. The awards aim to recognize and honor outstanding young first-generation entrepreneurs and those who have contributed immensely in building the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Total of 43 awards will be presented this year. These include 39 awards for Young Entrepreneurs in different sectors and four awards for Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builders. The winners will receive trophy, certificate and cash prizes ranging from Rs. 5 to 10 lakhs. There are special awards for women, persons with disability, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and entrepreneurs from areas with limited opportunities. The NEA is a platform focused on driving innovation, ushering in a positive change for youth in entrepreneurship across all the industries. The awards will inspire and promote growth of entrepreneurs in India.
33. The World Braille Day (WBD) is observed every year on January 4 to remember the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille - for the people with visual disabilities. Louis Braille was born on 4th January 1809 in the town of Coupvray in northern France. At the age of just 3, he lost his both eyes in an accident. This resulted into the invention of the 6 dots- which is popularly known as braille. The day is also observed to raise awareness on the importance of Braille for approximately 1.3 billion people living with some form of distance or near vision impairment. It is a means of realizing fully the human rights of visually-impaired and partially-sighted people, and bringing written language to the forefront as a critical prerequisite for promoting fundamental freedoms. Around the world, 39 million people are blind, and another 253 million have some sort of vision impairment.
34. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the introduction of a Bill to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs) of Arunachal Pradesh. Now, the bill - Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2018 - will be introduced in the Parliament for certain amendments in the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950. The bill proposes deletion of the Abor tribe from the state's ST list "as it is the same as Adi" tribe. The bill seeks to include the MishmiKaman (Miju Mishmi), Idu (Mishmi) and Taraon (Digaru Mishmi) tribes in the list. It also proposes inclusion of "Monpa, Memba, Sartang, Sajolong in lieu of the Momba" tribe. The Nocte, Tangsa, Tutsa and Wancho tribes would replace the words "any Naga tribe" in the state's ST list. As there is no tribe called "Khampti", the bill replaces it with "Tai Khamti" on the list.
35. Prof. Jayanta Kumar Ghosh of IIT Roorkee was conferred with ISRS National Geospatial Award for Excellence-2017 (Life Time Achievement Award) at the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad. He won the award for his contribution towards the development of geospatial science and applications. The award comprised a citation, a medal and Rs 1 lakh. The Indian Society for Remote Sensing (ISRS) is an organization known in the area of space science, remote sensing and geo-spatial technology.
36. The Indian Panorama Film Festival (IPFF) has started at Siri Fort Auditorium II, New Delhi from 4th January. The 10-day Festival is being organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B). The directors of the opening feature film 'Olu' and of the opening non-feature film 'Kharvas' viz. Shri Shaji N Karun and Shri Aditya Suhas Jambhale were presented at the inauguration of the fest. All the films selected under the Indian Panorama section in the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2018) will be screened during the Festival. The entry for the Festival is free and seating is on the first-come-first-served basis.
37. Hemant Bhargava, the senior-most MD at LIC, has been appointed acting Chairman of LIC. The move comes after VK Sharma retired from the top job at LIC on 31st December 2018. In order to select new chairman and one MD, selection process will be conducted by Banks Board Bureau (BBB) and 8 officials will be interviewed for both the posts on January 4 in Delhi. One MD post was vacant since Usha Sangwan retired on September 30. The top management of LIC consists of chairman and four MDs.
38. C. H. Lokanath (91), a noted Indian Kannada language veteran stage and cine artist, has passed away in Bengaluru, Karnataka on 31st December 2018. He had acted in more than 1000 plays and 650 films. He is affectionately addressed as "Uncle Lokanath" or "Uppinakayi" by the industry people. Some of his noted characters he has played are: Galileo in "Galileo", Rajaram in "Aspota", Dr. Faustus in "Dr. Faustus", Dushtabudhi in "Chandrahasa" and many such plays. His most famous films include "Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu", "Collegu Ranga", "Hosa Neeru" and Mane Mane Kathe. He has even acted in several episodes of Malgudi Days.
39. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) declared six structures to the list of monuments of national importance in 2018. These are – the 125-year-old Old High Court Building in Nagpur (Maharashtra), two Mughal-era monuments in Agra — Haveli of Agha Khan and Hathi Khana, the ancient Neemrana Baori in Rajasthan's Alwar district; the Group of Temples at Ranipur Jharail in Odisha's Bolangir district; and the Vishnu Temple in Kotali, Pithoragarh district, Uttarkhand. According to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958, an "Ancient Monument means any structure, erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription or monolith which is of historical, archaeological or artistic interest and which has been in existence for not less than 100 years". There were 3,686 centrally protected monuments/sites under the ASI in the country; the number has now increased to 3,693. Uttar Pradesh (745 monuments/sites), Karnataka (506) and Tamil Nadu (413) have the highest number of ASI-maintained sites.
40. On 2 January 2019, President Arif Alvi appointed Justice Asif Saeed Khosa as the new Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). Khosa will succeed Mian Saqib Nisar on 18th January and will remain at seat till December 20, 2019. The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) is the head of the court system of Pakistan (the judicature branch of government) and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He is responsible for supervising federal judicial policies, and conducting judicial business in the Supreme Court.
41. In Thailand, Tropical storm Pabuk caused floods and blackouts leaving nearly 30,000 people in evacuation shelters across the southern part of the country on January 5, 2019. Pabuk packed winds of up to 75km an hour and brought heavy rains and storm surges as it lashed the entire south of the kingdom. It is expected to be the worst storm to hit the region in 30 years. The storm was downgraded to a depression early today as it moved into the Andaman Sea. Meanwhile, 'yellow' alert has been issued for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. As per the latest data, no warning has been issued for Odisha but due to cyclonic activities near the Andaman Islands, weather in the eastern Indian state will be cloudy and dry. IMD has predicted heavy rainfall over the Andaman Islands from the evening of January 5. People in the Andaman Islands have been advised to remain in safe places and IMD has advised fishermen to stay out of the sea.
42. The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has recently approved the establishment of a Centre for Classical Language at the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University in Tirur, Kerala. The Ministry has communicated the decision to the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru. In view of this, the State government would be required to prepare a detailed project report and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry. The aim of the proposed centre is to study and research and other aspects of Malayalam language & will prove beneficial in implementing various projects for Malayalam language development. The centre would also assist the Malayalam University in its various initiatives.
43. Parliament has passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018, with the Rajya Sabha approving it on 3rd January 2019. The bill seeks to amend a law to abolish the 'no detention policy' till Class VIII by enabling state governments to allow schools to fail students. The Lok Sabha had already passed the bill seeking to further amend the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009 to abolish the no-detention policy in schools on July 2018. Under the current provisions of the RTE Act, no student can be detained till class 8 and all students are promoted to the next grade. As per the amendment, it would be left to the States to decide whether to continue the no-detention policy. HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar assured the Rajya Sabha that no child will be excluded from school in case he or she fails. The Bill provides for a regular examination in classes V and VIII and if the child fails, he or she shall be given additional opportunity for re-examination in two months' time.
44. U.S. President Donald J. Trump has recently signed the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA) into law. The act seeks to establish a multifaceted U.S. strategy to increase U.S. security, economic interests, and values in the Indo-Pacific region. Specifically, the ARIA authorises a spending of US$1.5 billion over a five year period to enhance cooperation with America's strategic regional allies in East and Southeast Asia. The act will pave the way to develop a long-term strategic vision and a comprehensive, multifaceted, and principled United States policy for the Indo-Pacific region, and for other purposes. Hence, the act is designed to counter the encroaching influence and growing threat from China, and to reinvigorate US leadership in the region.
45. Indian mountaineer Dr. Arunima Sinha has become the world's first female Amputee to scale Antarctica's Highest Peak - Mount Vinson on 4th January 2019. Apart from this, she was also the world's first woman amputee to climb Mount Everest in 2013. Sinha was a national level volleyball player who was pushed from a running train by some robbers in 2011 while she was resisting them. As a result, one of her legs had to be amputated below the knee. Now, her aim is to climb all the continents' highest peaks and hoist the National Flag of India. She has already scaled five peaks — Mt Everest, Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt Ebrus, Mt Kosciuszko and Mt Aconcagua.
46. HDFC Mutual Fund has surpassed ICICI Prudential MF to become the India's largest Asset Management Company (AMC). As per the latest data available with Association of Mutual funds in India (Amfi), HDFC MF manages assets worth Rs 3.35 lakh crore, while ICICI Prudential MF stood at Rs 3.08 lakh crore as of December 2018. MFs are investment vehicles made up of a pool of funds collected from a large number of investors and invest in stocks, bonds and money market instruments, among others.
47. Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently allowed custodial services 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. Currently, the regulation on the custodian of securities provides safekeeping of securities, gold or gold related instruments, title deeds of real estate and incidental services. However, it is not applicable for protection of goods, which are underlying assets of commodity derivatives. To enable participation of institutional investors in commodity derivatives market, the regulator has made necessary amendments in the custodian regulations so as to provide for requisite custodial services. The responsibility of custodians will not be limited to holding of securities but would also include holding of goods. The move is aimed at enabling the participation of institutional investors such as mutual funds and portfolio managers in the commodity derivatives market.
48. Dibyendu Palit (79), the renowned Bengali writer and Sahitya Akademi awardee, has passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal on 3rd January 2019. Born in Bhagalpur in Bihar in 1939, Palit had studied comparative literature in Jadavpur University and his first short story 'Chhandopatan' was published in 1955 in the Sunday edition of Anandabazar Patrika. It was followed by his first novel 'Sindhu Baroan' published in 1959. He was awarded the 'Bankim Purashkar' for 'Dheu' in 1990 and 'Ananda Purashkar' in 1984 for 'Sahojoddha'. He was conferred the Sahitya Akademi for his novel 'Anubhab' in 1998.
49. The 13th edition of Global Healthcare Summit (GHS-2019) will be held in Hyderabad, Telangana from July 21 to 24. The summit is being organized in partnership with the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin. It would have over a 100 speakers, who would share their expertise on clinical practice. The summit would have an international research competition for which the American Association of Physicians with Indian Origin (AAPI) would work in collaboration with a leading academic medical college in Hyderabad. The competition would be for medical students, residents, fellows and junior doctors. It would have five categories for abstract submission, including basic sciences, hospital administration, innovation, AYUSH and clinical science and patient-based research. A medical quiz competition for medical students would also be held during the summit. Winners would be given Rs. 5 lakh, Rs. 3 lakh and Rs. 1 lakh for first, second and third prizes respectively. More than 500 physicians are expected to attend the summit.
50. The 80th National Table Tennis Championship began at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack on January 4, 2019. As many as 35 teams, including 550 players from different parts of the country are participating in the mega championship. Medal winners at Commonwealth Games and Asian Games Manika Batra, Senior players like Sharath Kamal, Madhuriba Patkar, Olympian Ankita Das are some of the key players who will be in the limelight during the event. Odisha State Table Tennis Association (OSTTA) is hosting the championships after a gap of 18 years. The event will conclude on January 9.
51. The Union cabinet has recently approved a 10% reservation in educational institutions and government jobs for economically backward sections in the general category. The constitutional amendment bill will be tabled in Parliament on 8th January 2019, the last day of the Winter Session. The proposed reservation will be over and above the existing 50% reservation enjoyed by the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), taking the total reservation to 60%. For this, the government will amend Articles 15 and 16 - which are on discrimination and equal opportunity - of the Constitution to implement it. Among the major castes to benefit from the proposed law are Brahmins, Rajputs (Thakurs), Jats, Marathas, Bhumihars, several trading castes, Kapus and Kammas among other upper castes. It would also benefit the poor in other religions. The move is being seen as a step to consolidate upper caste votes just ahead of the general elections. Most Opposition parties called it an election gimmick but are not likely to oppose it.
52. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has 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 SAMEER is an autonomous Research and Development (R & D) institute under MeitY. The MoU will provide a platform for Collaborative Research for both the Organizations to work together. Both the organizations will strive to arrive at a beneficial solution for CNS Systems related R and D activities in the country. The MoU will also 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.
53. The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has constituted the Task Force to look into the issues of suicides of the students in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNU). 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. Besides, the Ministry has sent a proposal to engage two full time counselors (one male and one female) in each of the 630 functional JNVs to the Department of Expenditure for approval.
54. S. Vijay Kumar, Senior Deputy Editor with The Hindu in Chennai, was presented the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award for Investigative Reporting (Print category) for his reports on how taxmen alerted officials about payoffs in the Tamil Nadu gutka scam – but were ignored. The award was presented by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at a ceremony in New Delhi on January 7. The award for Investigative Reporting in the broadcast category was won by Anand Kumar Patel of India Today TV. The awards for Political Reporting went to Brajesh Rajput of ABP News Network and Sushant Kumar Singh of the Indian Express. The award in the Environmental Reporting category were presented to Sushil Chandra Bahuguna of NDTV and Sandhya Ravishankar of the online magazine The Wire.
55. The Swiss team of Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic has won the 31st edition of the Hopman Cup tournament 2019 in Perth, Australia. They defeated German team of Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber 4-0 1-4 4-3 (5-4) in the deciding mixed doubles final. Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Federer is the first player to win three Hopman Cups - twice with Bencic and once with Martina Hingis, in 2001. Beside this, Switzerland became the first team to defend the Hopman Cup. It has been reported that the Hopman Cup will be replaced by an ATP tournament from next year.
56. In Maharashtra, the 2nd edition of Khelo India Youth Games 2019 will be held in Pune, known as the city of students on January 9. It has already been announced that Youth Olympic Gold Medallist in shooting Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhari, as well as weight lifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga will be among the cream of India's youth sporting talent competing at these games.Three 10-year-old athletes including footballer Pratima Kumar from Jharkhand, hockey player Laltlanchhungi from Mizoram and West Bengal's 10m air rifle shooter Abhinav Shaw, will pick up their first experience of competing in a large-scale multi-discipline event.
57. The Government of India (GoI) has amalgamated three Regional Rural Banks (RRB) -- Punjab Gramin Bank, Malwa Gramin Bank and Sutlej Gramin Bank -- into a single RRB with effect from January 1. The sponsor banks of the RRBs are National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the Government of Punjab and Punjab National Bank (PNB), State Bank of India (SBI) and Punjab and Sind Bank.
58. Prof. Gita Gopinath, the John Zwaanstra professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard University, has joined International Monetary Fund (IMF) as its first female Chief Economist. The 11th chief economist of the IMF, Gopinath succeeded Maurice (Maury) Obstfeld as Economic Counsellor and Director of the IMF's Research Department. With this, Gopinath became the 2nd Indian after former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan to be appointed to the position.
59. The All India Radio National Poets Conference will be held in Chennai on January 10, 2019. It will be inaugurated by the Tamil Nadu Governor Bunwarilal Purohit. This is the first time the city would be hosting the Sarva Basha Kavi Sammelan since its launch in 1956. In it, 22 poets representing as many languages included in the eighth schedule of the Constitution would be presenting their poems. Scholars in Hindi and Tamil will present the translated version of the poems in the Conference itself. The programme will be aired on the 25th of this month.
60. On January 7, the Lok Sabha passed 'The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018', which seeks removal of leprosy as a ground for divorce from various Acts governing marriage in India. The Bill seeks to amend five Acts: the Divorce Act of 1869, the Dissolution of Muslim Marriage Act of 1939, the Special Marriage Act of 1954, the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, and the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act of 1956. Presently, leprosy is completely curable and can be treated with multi-drug therapy. However, old legislative provisions discriminating the persons affected by leprosy continued in various laws. If passed by Rajya Sabha and eventually made an Act, the Bill will go a long way in detaching the social stigma associated with the disease.
61. On 8th January 2019, the 4th edition of the Raisina Dialogue started in New Delhi with theme "A World Reorder: New Geometries; Fluid Partnerships; Uncertain Outcomes". The 3-day Raisina Dialogue is India's flagship annual geopolitical and geostrategic conference. The Dialogue brought together over 600 delegates from 93 countries, including influential political leaders, strategic thinkers, policy practitioners, technology innovators, business representatives and academics on a common platform where they will offer their vision and propose solutions that will serve all in the decades ahead. The discussions will seek to address issues arising from ongoing global transitions and changes to the world order, triggered by unique leaders, innovative partnerships and new technologies.
62. The first-ever Global Aviation Summit (GAS-2019) with the theme "Flying for all" is scheduled to be held in Mumbai from January 15-16, 2019. Organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation along with FICCI, the GAS-2019 will discuss how to ride this strong tailwind of growth and pave the way forward for the aviation sector. It will provide a platform to the aviation fraternity to showcase the challenges in newly developing growth spots and understand how technology-driver innovations will change air travel in future.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).
63. Kumar Rajesh Chandra, A 1985 batch IPS officer, has been appointed the new DirectorGeneral of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and will hold the post till 31st December 2021 i.e. date of his retirement on superannuation or until further orders. He succeeded S.S. Deswal. Prior to this post, Chandra was DG at Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). The SSB is one of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India and is currently under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Its headquarters is located at New Delhi and its motto is'Service, Security and Brotherhood'.
64. The Malaysian King, Sultan Muhammad V has become the Malaysia's first monarch to step down from the throne before completing his five-year tenure on 6th January 2019. No reason was given and palace officials did not respond to requests for comment. Malaysia is the only country in the world to have a rotational monarchy, in place since the country became independent from Britain in 1957. Here, the king assumes a largely ceremonial role, his assent is needed for the appointment of a prime minister and various other senior officials. The country has nine royal households, who typically take turns to sit on the throne. The selection of the next king can be decided by a vote in the Council of Rulers, made up of all nine royal households.
65. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has introduced a 70-point grading index to assess the quality of school education offered by states. Here, the states will be marked out of 1,000 scores on 70 parameters to assess quality of education. The move will reportedly provide a correct picture of each state's performance. The minister has also ensured that there will be fair competition to improve upon each other's performances. The school curriculum will also be reviewed to ensure holistic education in which there will be time for physical education, value education, life skill education and experiential learning.
66. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), also known as Non-Resident Indian Day, is observed every year on 9th of January to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards the development of India. The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9 January 1915.
67. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed a 5-member committee headed by Nandan Nilekani to suggest ways to improve digital payments. The committee will review the existing status of digitisation of payments in the country, identify the current gaps in the ecosystem and suggest ways to bridge them and assess the current levels of digital payments in financial inclusion. It will also suggest measures to strengthen the safety and security of digital payments and provide a road map for increasing customer confidence and trust while accessing financial services through digital modes. Further, it will suggest a medium-term strategy for deepening of digital payments and other related items. The committee will submit its report in 90 days from its first meeting.
68. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) pavilion received 'Exhibitor of the Year Award' at 106th Indian Science Congress (ISC-2019) held at Lovely Professional University (LPU), Phagwara, Punjab. The pavilion narrated the saga of self-reliance & national pride with the 'Make in India' spirit, which gained a lot of attention from visitors who also got an opportunity to interact with DRDO's scientists. The DRDO also showcased various Life Sciences Products like Portable Chemical Agent Detector, Full body protector for women, underwater breathing apparatus for T-90 tank crew and Ready-to-Eat Packaged Foods. Further, the DRDO pavilion also provided information on the pan India online competition, 'Kalam's Vision; Dare to Dream'.
69. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has recently released the First advance estimates of National Income for the current fiscal FY 19, under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. In it, Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.2% in FY19, against 6.7% in FY18, due to improvement in the performance of agriculture and manufacturing sectors. However, the CSO estimate is a bit lower than 7.4% growth projected by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the current fiscal. According to the estimates, farm sector is set to grow at 3.8% against 3.4% last year, at constant or inflation-adjusted prices. At current prices, the sector expected to grow at an identical 3.8%, which could be emblematic of an agri-commodity price crash across wholesale mandis.
70. The 6th 'Women of India Organic Festival 2019 will be hosted by Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) at Leisure Valley in Chandigarh from 12th to 14th January to celebrate and promote women farmers and entrepreneurs in the organic sector from the remotest parts of India. The purpose of the festival is to encourage Indian women entrepreneurs and farmers to connect with more buyers and thus, empower them through financial inclusion, while promoting organic culture in India. Over 100 women are coming together at Leisure Valley, which will become the epicentre of an organic extravaganza. The Festival will showcase over 1,000 varied organic products, including fabric, wellness, grains, seeds, jewellery, bakery items and a lot more.
71. The World Bank has recently released 2019 Global Economic Prospects report titled "Darkening Skies", which forecasted that India's GDP is expected to grow at 7.3% in the fiscal year 2018-19, and 7.5% in the following two years. While, China's economic growth is projected to slow down to 6.2% each in 2019 and 2020 and 6% in 2021. It said India will continue to be the fastest growing major economy in the world. The World Bank said in its latest report that in India, the growth has accelerated, driven by an upswing in consumption, and investment growth has firmed as the effects of temporary factors wane. Domestic demand has strengthened as the benefits of structural reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) harmonisation and bank recapitalisation take effect.
72. On January 8, the Lok Sabha has passed the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 that seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It will pave way for the religious minorities --the Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis -- from these countries to get Indian citizenship. According to Union Home Ministry, the purpose of the bill is to provide Indian citizenship to those who had been forced to seek shelter in India because of religious persecution or fear of persecution in their home countries. The Bill provides for Indian citizenship to such immigrants after six years of residence in India instead of 12 years currently. The bill will apply to all States and Union Territories of the country and the beneficiaries of Citizenship Amendment Bill will be able to reside in any state of the country. Hence, the Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act of 1955 to make illegal immigrants from these countries eligible for Indian citizenship. The bill will now be tabled in the Rajya Sabha for discussion.
73. Pranav R Mehta has become the first Indian to head the Global Solar Council (GSC) on 01 January 2019. He is a visionary in the field of Solar Energy and the chairman of National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI). The GSC, founded in 2015, is an international non-profit association of the national, regional and international associations in solar energy and the world's leading corporations. It is headquartered at Washington D.C., USA. The NSEFI is an umbrella organization of all solar energy stakeholders of India. This apex solar organization works in the area of policy advocacy and is a national platform for addressing all issues connected with solar energy growth in India.
74. The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations will be hosted by Egypt between 15th June and 13th July, after original host nation Cameroon was stripped of due to delays in preparations and concerns over security. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Ahmad Ahmad has recently made the announcement in Senegalese capital Dakar. With this, the North African nation will host the competition for the fifth time and it will be the first time 24 teams will take part. It will use 8 stadiums during the tournament, hosting in five different cities: Alexandria, Ismailia, Port Said, Suez and the capital Cairo.
75. On 9th January, the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has launched an online campaign, '#www : Web- WonderWomen'. The purpose of the campaign is to discover and celebrate the exceptional achievements of women, who have been driving positive agenda of social change via social media. The Ministry in collaboration with Twitter India and Breakthrough India (a human rights organization) has started this campaign. It aims to recognize the fortitude of Indian women stalwarts from across the globe who have used the power of social media to run positive & niche campaigns to steer a change in society. This Campaign will recognize and acknowledge the efforts of these meritorious Women. The Campaign invites entries from across the world till 31st of January 2019. Indian-origin women, working or settled anywhere in the world, are eligible for nomination. The shortlisted entries will be open for public voting on Twitter and the finalists will be selected by a specialized panel of judges.
76. On 9th January 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a series of development projects worth Rs. 2900 Crores for the Agra city and the adjoining areas during his second visit to the city. He launched Gangajal project, which will provide Agra with better and more assured water supply. The aim of the Gangajal project is to bring 140 cusecs of Ganga water to Agra. This will help meet the drinking water demands in the city. He also laid the foundation stone for an Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) for the Agra Smart City project. In this project CCTVs will be installed throughout Agra City for monitoring and surveillance for the purpose of safety and security. The smart city project is meant to develop the tourism destination as a modern world-class city. Besides, the SN Medical College in Agra will be upgraded with a 100- bed maternity wing. During his first visit in November 2016, he had launched a housing project, the PM Awas Yojana (Gramin). Under this scheme, 65 lakh houses have been constructed so far, including 9.2 lakh in Uttar Pradesh.
77. Chief Minister Pema Khandu has recently inaugurated India's longest 300-meter singlelane steel cable suspension bridge over River Siang in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China. The suspension bridge - also known as Byorung bridge - was built at a cost of Rs 4,843 crore and funded by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) under Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) scheme. It will reduce the distance from Yingkiong to Tuting town by almost 40 km. The earlier road length was 192 km. The Byorung bridge will benefit about 20,000 people residing on both sides of the bank of Siang river and will also boost military preparedness.
78. The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) ruled government has recently decided to include UBI in its manifesto ahead of 2019 state assembly polls and aims to implement the scheme by 2022. If everything goes according to the plan, it will be the Indian first state to roll out UBI scheme aimed at providing a fixed monthly income to residents irrespective of their economic, social status. The Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a programme for providing all citizens of a country or other geographic area/state with a given sum of money, regardless of their income, resources or employment status. The main idea behind UBI is to prevent or reduce poverty and promote equality among citizens. As per Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), the essential principle behind UBI is the idea that all citizens are entitled to a livable income, irrespective of the circumstances they're born in.
79. The first-ever India-Central Asia Dialogue at the level of Foreign Ministers is scheduled to be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on January 12 and 13. will be co-chaired by External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj and the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan, 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. The foreign ministers of Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan and the first deputy foreign minister of Kazakhstan will represent their respective countries. The dialogue is expected to strengthen India's engagement, including political, economic, development partnership and cultural, with all the Central Asian countries and take it to a new level.
80. India has been ranked at 41st at the 11th edition of EIU Democracy Index 2018, which provides a snapshot of the state of world democracy for 165 independent states and two territories. The report explaining the index titled 'Democracy 2018: Me too? Political Participation, Protest & Democracy' was particularly damning of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Despite the criticism, the report pointed that in India, the image of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi resonates with an aspiring middle class, and he has also maintained the support of business. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)'s index rank nations on five parameters – electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties. Among all these parameters India fared the worst when it came to political culture. The index is topped by Norway, followed by Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand and Denmark.
81. On January 11, an agreement for Renukaji Dam Multipurpose Project was signed in New Delhi among 6 States - Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. 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. These include Lakhwar project on river Yamuna in Uttarakhand, Kishau on river Tons in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and Renukaji on river Giri in Himachal Pradesh. These three projects were identified as National Projects in 2008 under which 90% funding of the cost of irrigation & drinking water component will be provided by the Govt. of India (GoI) as central assistance and the rest 10% cost of the irrigation and drinking water component will be borne by the beneficiary states. In addition to this, a concession agreement was also signed for Namami Gange projects for the city of Prayagraj under Hybrid Annuity Mode and One City One Operator Concept.
82. Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen has appointed Su Tseng-chang as the island's new Prime Minister, during a Cabinet reshuffle following the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)'s heavy losses in local elections. Su's appointment follows the widelyexpected resignation of William Lai, the second premier to quit since Tsai took office in 2016, in line with a practice of leaders quitting when their party loses a major election. Su is a former premier appointed in 2006 by then-President Chen Shui-bian and was a chairman of Tsai's DPP for two terms.
83. President of the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF), Birendra Prasad Baishya has been named as India's Chef de Mission for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. it is for the first time that the sport of Weightlifting has been accorded with the honour of Chef de Mission for the Olympics. Baishya is also one of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Vice Presidents. He is a former Union minster and a former Rajya Sabha Member from Assam. The Japanese capital –Tokyo - will host the Games for the second time in 2020 after having organised it 56 years back in 1964.
84. As per 2019 Henley and Partners Passport Index, the Indian passport has been ranked as the 79th most powerful in the world. The Henley index ranks world's passports based on how many countries they can get the holder access to without a prior visa. An Indian passport holder can visit 61 countries without a pre-travel visa. Japan tops the list and its passport gives holders access to 190 countries. Singapore and South Korea come 2nd with access to 189 countries each while France and Germany share the third spot with access to 188 countries each. The US passport gives its citizens access to 185 countries without the need for a prior visa and shares the sixth spot with UK, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium and Canada. The Henley Passport Index is based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. It is updated in real time throughout the year, as and when visa policy changes come into effect.
85. Ace Indian pugilist Mary Kom from Manipur has been ranked No.1 in the Light Fly (45-48kg) category by the International Boxing Association (AIBA), after scoring 1700 points. Earlier, Kom won the historic sixth gold medal at the 2018 Women's World Boxing Championship by defeating Hanna Okhota of Ukraine in the 48kg category in New Delhi. She also won gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Silesian Open Boxing Tournament in Poland.
86. IIT Kharagpur will launch a six-month course on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning for working professionals and engineering students. The aim of the certified programme is to strengthen India's talent pool in Machine Learning and AI. The course will begin from March 2019 & will be offered at institute units in Kharagpur, Bangalore and Kolkata and possibly in Hyderabad. The course will comprise 16 one-credit modules and one capstone project. The course modules have been carefully designed to cover mathematical and algorithmic foundations, artificial intelligence fundamentals and several modules on statistical and machine learning methods.
87. On January 10, Union Environment Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched the muchawaited National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to combat air pollution. The NCAP is a pollution control initiative that was launched with the intention to cut the concentration of coarse (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5) by at least 20% in the next five years, with 2017 as the base year for comparison. The NCAP will be a mid-term, five year action plan with 2019 as the first year. The plan includes 102 most-polluting cities, across 23 states and Union territories, which were identified by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the basis of their ambient air quality data between 2011 and 2015. Apart from experts from the industry and academia, the programme is expected to be a collaboration between the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Ministry of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, NITI Aayog, and CPCB.
88. The book titled 'We are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World' has been authored by Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and Pakistani activist. In it, the author is charting her experiences travelling the world and visiting refugee camps. Here, Malala not only explores her own story of adjusting to a new life while longing for home, but she also shares the personal stories of some of the incredible girls she has met on her various journeys - girls who have lost their community, relatives and often the only world they've ever known.
89. Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently constituted a Research Advisory Committee (RAC) to strengthen its research function and enhance its linkage to policy making. It will be headed by Dr. Sankar De. The RAC will assist in formulating policy to undertake research relevant for development and regulation of capital markets. Among the other functions of the committee will be defining objectives, scope and direction of research relevant for development and regulation of capital markets in the country with focus on "linkage of research to policy making".
90. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has recently released its latest report titled 'Future of Consumption in Fast-Growth Consumer Market – India'. The report stated that India is set to become the world's third largest consumer market behind only USA and China by 2030. As per the report, consumer spending in India is expected to grow from $1.5 trillion at present to $6 trillion by 2030. With the annual GDP growth rate of 7.5%, India is currently the world's sixth largest economy. The report noted that growth of the middle class will lift nearly 25 million households out of poverty. As per the report, growth in income will transform India from a "bottom of the pyramid economy" to a middle class-led one. The report produced in collaboration with Bain & Company builds on consumer surveys conducted across 5,100 households in 30 cities and towns in India, and draws from more than 40 interviews with private and public-sector leaders.
91. The Election Commission (EC) appointed Committee has submitted its report on digital media and campaigning during last 48 hours before polls to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora. The Committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Sr. Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha. The panel was mandated to review and suggest modifications in the provisions of Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act dealing with campaigning in the last 48 hours and related provisions of the Model Code of Conduct. The report stated that apart from the regulation by law and ECI instructions, proactive support and sustained effort by all stakeholders including political parties, will be necessary to contain the evil impact. No campaigning is allowed in the last 48 hours so that voters can think independently. This period is also called silence period. The recommendations of Committee, will be considered by the Commission in detail for follow up action.
92. On January 12, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the 25th edition of Partnership Summit 2019 in Mumbai. This edition of the Summit will showcase India in the present landscape of an emerging "New India", the "New Global Economic Address". The 2-day summit is expected to build new partnerships and explore investment opportunities in sectors like Artificial Intelligence, big data, food processing, defense, aeronautics, renewable energy and tourism. It will see New India in active engagement and collaboration within the country and with the world. The summit is a global platform for dialogue, debate, deliberation and engagement among Indian and global leaders on economic policy and growth trends in India.
93. Indian skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri has received the honorary membership of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) for their contribution to the sport of cricket. Recently, The Indian team defeated Australia 2-1 in the four-match Test series, ending the country's 71-year-old wait for a rare series win Down Under. Apart from Kohli and Shastri, the only other international cricketers to be granted the honorary membership of the SCG are Sachin Tendulkar and Brain Lara of the West Indies.
94. Narasimhan Ram, chairman of THG Publishing Private Limited, has been appointed president of the Alliance for Media Freedom (AFMF), a cross-media advocacy and action group of media organisations, promoters and journalists. The Alliance is dedicated to work for the cause of media freedom, media independence and the safety of the last journalist. It has adopted a charter that underlines the importance of creating enabling conditions to safeguard free speech guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.
95. Bihar left-arm spinner Ashutosh Aman broke the 44-year old record of most wickets in a single Ranji Trophy season by finishing the 2018-19 tournament with 68 wickets. He break the previous record of 64 dismissals set by former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi in the 1974–75 tournament. Aman now holds the record for most wickets taken in a Ranji Trophy season by any bowler. He is employed with the Indian Air Force (IAR) and hails from Bihar's Gaya.
96. Industrialist and Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej 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. The 3rd CSR Excellence Awards went to GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, Tata Power Co Ltd and Ambuja Cements Ltd in Emerging, Medium and Large categories respectively.
97. The 2019 National Youth Day (NYD) has recently celebrated in India on January 12 to mark the 156th birth anniversary of social reformer, philosopher and thinker Swami Vivekananda. Born in Kolkata on 12th January 1863 as Narendra Nath Datta, he was one of India's most revered spiritual leaders. He was considered a major force in the revival of Hinduism in India and bringing it to the status of a major world religion in the late 19th century. He became popular in the western world after his famous speech at the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. He was the chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna and founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission. In 1984, the Government of India (GoI) declared the day as the National Youth Day (NYD) and since 1985 the event is celebrated in India every year.
98. The 29th biennial Indian Paint Conference has started in Agra, Uttar Pradesh from 11th January 2019. It is organized by the Indian Paint Association (IPA), the apex body of the country's paint industry. This would be the largest trade show of the estimated Rs. 500 billion (50,000 Crore) Indian Paints & Coatings industry. The 3-day Conference will witness knowledge sharing sessions from leading paint industry stalwarts and subject matter experts from India and abroad.
99. Nicolas Maduro has been sworn-in for a second term as Venezuela's president on 10th January 2019, despite international criticism that his re-election was illegitimate. The result was denounced as fraudulent by many neighbouring countries, including Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Canada and the United States, as well as organizations such as the European Union, and the Organization of American States. This resulted in widespread condemnation, the National Assembly invoking a State of emergency, and nations removing their embassies from Venezuela. With their belief that his election was illegitimate, they claimed that by retaking power, Maduro was converting Venezuela into an illegal de facto dictatorship. At present, Venezuela is enduring a historic crisis following two decades of socialist rule, with residents struggling to afford basic goods as inflation soars, driving mass migration.
100. On the occasion of National Youth Day (NYD- 2019), Union minister Col Rajyavardhan Rathore (Retd) launched the National Youth Parliament Festival 2019. It is organised on the theme of "Be The Voice of New India" and "Find solutions and contribute to policy". Youth in the age bracket of 18-25 years are invited to participate in the District Youth Parliaments. This is done in order to hear the voice of youth in this age bracket who are allowed to vote but cannot contest in elections. The fest will be conducted at three levels: District, State and National. The best three speakers at the National Youth Parliament will be awarded Rs. 2 Lakhs, Rs. 1.50 Lakhs and Rs. 1 Lakh respectively by the Prime Minister. The festival will also encourage the youth to engage with public issues, understand the common man's point of view, form their opinion and express these in an articulate manner. Relevant and effective voices on Vision of New India in 2022 would be captured and documented to make these available to policy makers and implementers to take it forward.
101. The Gujarat Government has recently announced that the benefits of 10% quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of general category in educational institutions and government jobs will be applicable from 14th January 2019 midnight. It is clarified that the eligibility of the new quota will be applicable only for which the announcement for jobs and admissions have been made but the process has not yet begun. In such cases, the ongoing process will be suspended for time being and fresh process will begin after incorporating the 10% additional quota. However, it is pertinent to mention here that the benefits of the fresh quota will not be applicable for which the process had begun before January 14, 2019, like for which the process of written, oral, computer proficiency or preliminary tests have already been conducted. The Centre had taken the decision under Article 46 of Guiding Principles of Constitution of India after Amendment of the Articles 15 and 16, incorporating 10 per cent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections.
102. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has drafted a five-year action plan to address the problem of drug and substance abuse in the country. The aim of the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (for 2018 to 2023) is to employ a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue. It involves education, de-addiction and rehabilitation of affected individuals and their families. The plan focuses on preventive education, awareness generation, counselling, treatment and rehabilitation of drugdependent people, besides training and capacity-building of service providers through collaborative efforts of the Centre, state and NGOs. Plans are also afoot for awareness generation through social, print, digital and online media, and engagement of celebrities, besides strengthening the national tollfree helpline for drug prevention. The move comes after the Ministry withdrew the draft National Drug Demand Reduction Policy from the Cabinet. It had been pending for more than five-and-half years and was redrafted twice during the period.
103. On January 14, the first-ever Annual Disarmament and International Security Affairs Fellowship Programme has started at the Foreign Services Institute in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by the United Nations under-secretary-general and high representative for disarmament affairs Izumi Nakamitsu and foreign secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale. Young Diplomats from 27 countries are participating in the Fellowship Programme, which will continue till 1st of Feb 2019. The purpose of the programme is to equip participants with knowledge and perspectives on various issues related to disarmament, non-proliferation, arms control and international security. The Programme covers a range of issues relevant to disarmament and international security such as global security environment, weapons of mass destruction, certain conventional weapons, space security, maritime cooperation, security of cyberspace, export controls, emerging technologies etc.
104. The 352nd birth anniversary of Guru Govind Singh has recently celebrated as Prakash Utsav with religious fervour and gaiety in various parts of the country. The main function is organised at Takhat Sri Harmandir Sahib Gurdwara, Patna Sahib, where thousands of pilgrims across the globe are offering prayers. Born at Patna Sahib in Bihar on 5th January 1666, Guru Govind Singh was the 10th Sikh guru. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur Singh as leader of Sikhs at the age of just nine. The 10th Sikh Guru was a spiritual leader, philosopher, poet and master warrior. He is considered as the eternal guru by his followers because of his contribution to Sikhism. He founded the Sikh warrior community called 'Khalsa Panth' at Anandpur Sahib in 1699, and introduced the Five Ks, the five articles of faith that Khalsa Sikhs wear at all times.
105. The Andaman and Nicobar Command is the first and only Tri-service theater command of the Indian Armed Forces, based at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The archipelago is straddled strategically near the mouth of the Malacca Straits which is an important Sea Lane of Communication used by the navies of several countries. Recently, it is in news because Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman witnessed a joint military drill involving the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, the Navy and the Indian Coast Guard in the A&N Islands on January 14. In her 2-day visit to Islands, she will also witness three exercises - general survival exercise, amphibious drill and a joint drill.
106. National award-winning filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the West Bengal Film Journalists Association (WBFJA). The award is in the name of the late Satyajit Ray. He was awarded the award in the third edition of the 'Cinemar Samabartan' ceremony on January13, 2019. Dasgupta is a big name in the parallel cinema. He is known for his political films like "Dooratwa" (Distance) and "Grihajuddha" (Crossroads). As a director, he has won the National Film Award for Best Direction twice, for "Uttara" (2000) and "Swapner Din" (2005).
107. The first edition of Bhopal Literature and Art Festival (BLF) was held at the Multi Art Centre of the Bharat Bhawan in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh from January 12 to 14, 2019. The festival is a brainchild of former bureaucrat Raghav Chandra. over 70 writers and artists participated in the literary event. In it, 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. The newly-instituted award recognizes the best work of fiction by a woman author and comes with a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh.
108. Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has recently launched 'One Family, One Job' scheme which entitles one government job for every family in the state. Though, the employment will be awarded only to members of those families which do not have a government job at present. As per scheme, CM Chamling handed over appointment letters to over 12,000 unemployed youths at a "Rojgar Mela" (employment fair) at the Paljor stadium, Gangtok. The task of providing employment was entrusted to the Department of Personnel. He also declared that all loan debts in the farming and agriculture sector would be revoked. As of now, the state government has over 1 lakh regularised employees on its rolls from a population of just 6.4 lakh. Sikkim is the only state in the country that gives the highest salaries to state government employees.
109. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi will head the 7-member Group of Ministers (GoM) to look into the revenue shortfall being faced by states following the roll out of Goods and Services Tax (GST). The GST Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, had decided to set up the GoM at its meeting on 22nd December 2018. As per a GST Council notification, the committee will suggest steps for augmenting collections. It will undertake data analysis and suggest measures for course correction. Several states, including Bihar, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha and Gujarat are facing revenue shortfall.The states have faced revenue shortfall in the range of 14 to 37% in the April to November period. Among the Union Territories, Puducherry is facing maximum shortfall of 43%. Of the 29 states, only Andhra Pradesh and five north eastern states -- Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Sikkim and Nagaland -- have recorded revenue increase post the GST roll out.
110. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award in New Delhi for his outstanding leadership for the nation. According to the award citation , under his leadership, India is now identified as the centre for innovation and value added manufacturing (Make in India), as well as a global hub for professional services such as information technology, accounting and finance. 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.
111. The 71st Army Day is celebrated across the country on 15th January 2019 to commemorate the day when Lieutenant General (later Field Marshal) Kodandera M. Carriappa (C-in-C) took over the command of Army from General Sir FRR Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief in 1949 and became the first Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army post Independence. KM Cariappa is one of only two Indian Army officers to hold the five-star rank of field marshal; the other being Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. The day also remembers the glory of Indian Army and to salute the valiant soldiers, who have sacrificed their lives for the Nation.
112. The United States has launched a new innovation initiative titled 'Fair Value for Innovation' at the 4th edition of the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi. The initiative was launched by the Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) of United States Chamber of Commerce. It will examine economic underpinnings that would enable breakthrough innovation, and explore how policymakers can harness innovation capital in India and around the globe through research, advocacy, partnerships, and programs.
113. Bengaluru Raptors have won their first-ever Premier Badminton League (PBL) title at Bengaluru on 13th January 2019. In the title clash played, 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.
114. Shakil Ahmed, who is Asian Cup gold medallist and noted oarsman, has set up a world record in indoor rowing by completing one lakh metres in above-40 years category in Kolkata. A FISA level one coach, Shakil began his record-setting indoor rowing feat in Salt Lake stadium complex at 8 am on 13 January 2019 and achieved the milestone of covering 1,00,000 metres of simulated distance in 10 hours. He also has the record of completing 50,000 metres of simulated rowing in four hours and 13 minutes which is already in the Limca Record Book.
115. In Maharashtra, the 9th International Micro Irrigation Conference (IMIC) will be held at Aurangabad on 16th January 2019 with theme "Micro Irrigation in Modern Agriculture". The 3-day event will be a multi-disciplinary dialogue in the form of a conference discussing issues related to micro irrigation for modern agriculture and various related issues like new techniques in micro irrigation for increased crop productivity, micro irrigation in cluster level farming etc. The conference is being organized by the Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation in association with International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), Indian National Committee on Surface Water (INCSW) and WAPCOS Limited, a CPSE under the Union Ministry. The event will aim to address problems of developing as well as developed nations in the context of present-day challenges.
116. On 15th January 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the 13 km, 2 lane Kollam bypass on NH-66 in Kerala. Constructed at a cost of Rs 352 core, this highway has three major bridges over Ashtamudi Lake. The Kollam bypass project will ease traffic congestion around Kollam town and reduce the travel time between Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram. The importance of the Kollam bypass is, it touches 3 major National Highways - NH 66, NH 183 and NH 744 - passing through the state of Kerala. Some of the landmark ongoing National Highways projects in the state include the Thiruvananthapuram Bypass, Thalassery-Mahe Bypass, Kuthiran Tunnel along Wadakkanchery –Thrissur section of NH-544, Alappuzha bypass on NH66. These projects, on completion, will create new socio- economic opportunities for the people and boost trade and tourism in this region.
117. On 13th January, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the India's largest startup ecosystem -named as 'Integrated Startup Complex (ISC)' - with a 1,000-seat capacity in Kalamassery, Kochi. The 8-floor facility, which is spread across 1.82 lakh sqft area, is set up by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM). The ISC houses ultra modern facilities of Maker Village that promotes hardware startups, Bionest that promotes medical technologies, BRINC which is the country's first international accelerator for hardware startups, BRIC which is country's first cancer technology incubator developing solutions for cancer diagnosis and care, and a Centre of Excellence set up by industry majors. The Kochi facility has beaten the status of Jaipur-based Bhamashah Techno Hub, as South Asia's largest startup hub. In future, it will beat Station-F of Paris to emerge as the world's biggest technology hub after its full expansion in 13 acres. It is built to provide top quality infrastructure for incubation and acceleration for the state's startups.
118. Puducherry government has decided to impose a ban on the production, sale, and use of single-use plastic products in the Union Territory from 1st March 2019. The massive drive would also be launched to create awareness among the merchants and the public on the necessity of the ban. The decision has been taken to keep the environment clean. The ban on non-biodegradable bags will open up a new market for canvas/cotton, denim and jute bags. Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government had announced ban on manufacture, sales, storage and usage of disposable plastic on 2018 World Environment Day (WED), with effect from 1st January 2019. Beside this, in March 2018, the Maharashtra Government also issued a notification imposing a ban on manufacture, use, sale, and distribution of all plastic materials like bags, spoons, Disposable utensils.
119. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the first-ever Global Aviation Summit (GAS-2019) in Mumbai on January 15. The two-day summit, with a theme 'Flying for all-especially the next 6 Billion', is being organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation in association with FICCI. It offers stakeholders an opportunity to explore, deliberate and understand how technology-driven innovations will change air travel in the decades to come. The event will host experts and CEOs from Global Aviation Fraternity emphasizing upon the latest trends, futuristic aircraft and cutting-edge technologies. It also gives the opportunity to highlight latest concepts like drones, air taxis, volocopters, new jets and ultra-light aerial electric vehicles etc. It will also entail discussions on airports of future, innovations, safety & security, financing & leasing, sustainability and growth drivers - cargo, logistics.
120. Lenin Rajendran (67), an eminent Malayalam filmmaker and chairman of the Kerala Film Development Corporation (KFDC), has passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on 14th of January 2019. Known for his unique style of filmmaking, Rajendran had entered tinsel town by directing the movie 'Venal' during the early 1980s. A multiple state award winner, Rajendran helmed a number of critically acclaimed movies including "Swathi Thirunal", "Daivathinte Vikrithikal", "Mazha", "Kulam" and "Idavapathi".
121. Abhinav Shaw (10) has become the youngest gold medallist in shooting at the Khelo India Youth Games 2019 in Pune. He teamed up with Mehuli Ghosh to help West Bengal win the 10m air rifle mixed team event. Delhi's Devanshi Rana bagged gold in Under-21 girls 25m pistol event. In overall medals tally, Home state Maharashtra is leading in Medal tally of the event with 177 Medals including 64 Gold. Delhi is on No. 2 with 121 medals including 47 Gold and Haryana is on No.3 with 110 Medals including 37 Gold.
122. The Government of India (GoI) has constituted a 7-member Group of Ministers (GoM) to boost the real estate sector under the GST regime. Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel will be the convener of the GoM. The panel will analyse tax rate of GST and suggest a composition scheme for residential construction units. It will also look into the issue of the legality of inclusion or exclusion of land or any other ingredient in the composition scheme and suggest valuation mechanism. It will also examine various aspects of the GST levy on Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) and Development Rights in a joint Development Agreement and suitable model. Currently, GST on the under-construction flats and houses is 12% whereas ready-to-move-in flats with a completion certificate attract no GST. There are also complaints about the builders not passing on the benefit of input tax credit to the consumers. The Council's law and fitment committee will assist the panel. The officers from the Centre and states can also be invited in the committee for inputs, if required.
123. In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Kamal Nath launched the Rs 50,000-crore farm debt-waiver scheme named 'Jai Kisan Rin Mukti Yojana' on January 16, 2019. It would benefit 55 lakh small and marginal farmers. Under this scheme, Farmers who have registered themselves to pay GST and are paying income tax cannot avail benefits.
124. The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has recently given its approval for the Trishna Gas project of ONGC to extract Natural Gas from Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS) in Belonia subdivision of Gomati district of Tripura. ONGC has discovered 10- 12 gas bearing wells in the sanctuary. The gas extracted from the Sanctuary would be transported to the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) owned 100 MW gas-based thermal power project at Monarchak in Sonamura subdivision of Sipahijala district. The Tripura unit of ONGC would provide Rs 25 crore to the state government for carrying out Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. The NBWL is a statutory organization constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and is chaired by the Prime Minister. It is an apex body to review all wildlife-related matters and approves projects in and around national parks and sanctuaries. It is chaired by the Prime Minister.
125. Sarfaraz Ahmed, the current captain of the Pakistan cricket team, has set a new wicketkeeping record during the final Test match against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on January 13. He took 10 catches in the on-going Test match and surpassed Australia's Adam Gilchrist and former Indian captain, MS Dhoni, to become the only wicket-keeper captain with the most number of catches in a match. Furthermore, the Pakistani captain has also made another record; taking five catches in each innings of a Test match.
126. On 14th January 14 2019, the 2nd edition of India-Myanmar bilateral Army exercise 'IMBEX 2018-19' has commenced at Chandi Mandir military station in Haryana that houses the headquarters of the Western Command of the Indian Army. The purpose of this joint training event is to train the Myanmar delegation for participation in UN peacekeeping operations. The exercise includes participation of 15 officers from Myanmar Army and 15 officers from Indian Army who shall jointly train for over a period of six days. During the exercise, focus will be on training the Myanmar Army on tactics, procedures, expertise and methodology required by the contingent of the member nations for serving in UN peacekeeping operations.
127. Prof. Sir Michael Atiyah (89), the noted British mathematician has passed away in United Kingdom on 11th January 2019. He was best known for his co-development of a branch of mathematics called topological K-theory and the Atiyah-Singer index theorem. His research also involved deep insights relating to mathematical concepts known as "vector bundles". Sir Michael was also a recipient of the Abel Prize (2004) and Fields Medal (1966), and was the former president of the Royal Society in London. He was one of the foremost mathematicians whose work encompassed topology and geometry, and worked with several Indian mathematicians such as Indian-American mathematician Harish-Chandra and Vijay Kumar Patodi, during his career.
128. The Madras High Court has expressed serious concern over the exotic invasive species that have stifled the growth of the native shola forests and grasslands on the Western Ghats. It observed that such species are the second largest cause of biodiversity loss in the world and impose high costs to agriculture, forestry, and aquatic ecosystems. Hence, for this burning issue, the court has constituted an expert committee to suggest ways and means to remove the alien plants species and rehabilitate the forests. Here, a division bench of justices M M Sundaresh and N Sathish passed the interim order on a batch of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petitions seeking to restrain the Tamil Nadu government from cultivating eucalyptus trees in Western Ghats for commercial purpose. It has also directed the committee to file a report on the ways to weed out such species within two months. The committee will be headed by Cherukuri Raghavendra Babu, the chairman of the expert committee on invasive species in Chennai National Biodiversity Authority.
129. The State of Palestine has launched the historical phase by presiding Group of 77 (G77) for 2019 on January 15. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas succeeded Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with a promise to confront "assaults" on multilateralism and a pledge to seek a peaceful two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 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. For this, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in 2017 adopted a resolution granting the observer-state of Palestine additional rights to act as chair of the G-77. The bloc - which through an expanding membership is now comprised of 134 countries - rotates chairmanship duties each year to different members. The G-77 is the global body's largest intergovernmental organisation of developing countries including India. It is established in 1964 by 77 developing countries in Geneva. It claims to provide the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the UN system and promote South-South cooperation for development.
130. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has recently launched 'Ama Ghare LED' scheme, under which about 95 lakh families in the State will each get four LED bulbs free of cost. Under the scheme, each beneficiary registered under National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) will be provided four LED bulbs of 9 watt each free of cost. To implement the scheme, the bulbs will be distributed at Panchayat offices as well as PEETHA (People's Empowerment— Enabling Transparency and Accountability of Odisha Initiative) camps across the state. The beneficiaries will have to produce biometric authentication to get the benefits of the scheme.
131. On 14th January 2019, the 1st National Level Sports Meet for the students of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) was held at G.M.C Balayogi Stadium in Gachibowli, Hyderabad. The event has a participation of 1777 students comprising of 975 boys and 802 girls representing 20 States of the country. The striking feature of Sports meet has been the platform made available to tribal students studying in EMRS from the remote corners of North East India to Himachal Pradesh in North to Kerala in South and Gujarat in West to exhibit their latent talent in sports which would otherwise not be possible in normal course. The three day event had competitions in 13 different disciplines of track and field that includes Hockey, Wrestling, Football, Archery, Volley Ball, Kabaddi, Handball, Kho Kho and Athletics.The scheme of EMRSs is one of the flagship intervention of the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs introduced in the year 1997-98 to ensure tribal students get access to quality education in the remote tribal areas.
132. Mohammed Ali Qamar, India's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in boxing, has been named as the chief coach for the Indian women boxers. With this new role, he became the youngest ever person to get the top job. Ali Qamar replaced veteran Shiv Singh as the women's coach. Prior to this, Ali Qamar was an assistant coach in the national camp for more than a year. Ali Qamar had created history in the 2002 Manchester edition of the Commonwealth Games, when he became the first Indian ever to win a Commonwealth Boxing Gold.
133. Detained Chinese lawyer, Yu Wensheng has won the Franco-German Human Rights Award for his exceptional contribution to the protection and promotion of human rights. His wife, Madam 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 at an event organised by the German embassy in Beijing on January 14, 2019. Wensheng is best known for suing the Beijing government over the city's once chronic pollution - was detained in January 2018 and charged with "inciting subversion of state power". Prior to his arrest, he had circulated an open letter calling for five reforms to China's constitution, including the institution of multi-candidate presidential elections.
134. D Gukesh from Chennai has become the 2nd youngest Grandmaster (GM) in the world and the youngest Indian to achieve the feat at 12 years, seven months and 17 days. He erased the mark set by his state-mate R Praggnanandhaa in June 2018. He achieved his third and final GM norm at the ongoing 17th Delhi International Open Chess tournament in Delhi after beating compatriot D K Sharma in the ninth round. Gukesh becomes India's 59th Grand Master. Sergey Karjakin from Ukraine holds the record for the world's youngest- ever grandmaster, having qualified for the title at the age of 12 years and 7 months in 2002
135. Manu Sawhney, a veteran media professional, has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He will join the organisation in February and take formal charge of his position in July, once incumbent David Richardson steps down following the 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. Sawhney is the former CEO of Singapore Sports Hub and Managing Director of ESPN Star Sports.
136. In a first, the government of Delhi has proposed a specialised treatment facility for birds in the National Capital Territory, as part of its Animal Health and Welfare Policy 2018. It aims to strengthen overall animal health cover through prevention, control and eradication of various disease conditions, disease monitoring, surveillance and extension of veterinary services. It also aims to animal welfare through sensitization of public, rehabilitation of animals, crisis/disaster management for animals, infirmary for sick or injured, hostel facility for farm, stray or abandoned animals.
137. The 10th edition of the India Rubber Expo (IRE-2019) has been inaugurated by Union Minister Suresh Prabhu at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre in Mumbai on January 17. The IRE will showcase the latest technological developments in rubber industry and also talk about the current market status, facilities and services on R&D and quality control. It provides a platform for the Indian companies to meet and collaborate with overseas companies. The 3-day event offers a unique opportunity for Indian companies to meet and collaborate with overseas companies. The India Rubber Expo is Asia's largest rubber expo.
138. Yohei Sasakawa, who is Goodwill Ambassador of the WHO for Leprosy Eradication, has been conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2018. The award will be given to Sasakawa in recognition of his work towards eradication of the disease in India and across the world. The Ministry of Culture has also announced the Gandhi Peace Prize for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. These are as follows: Ekal Abhiyan Trust has been chosen for the award for year 2017 while Akshaya Patra Foundation and Sulabh International will share the award for 2016. Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari bagged the award for 2015. Vivekananda Kendra will be awarded for its contribution in rural development, education, development of natural resources. The annual award was instituted by the Government of India in 1995 during the commemoration of 125th Birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The award carries an amount of Rs 1Crore, a Citation in a scroll, a plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item.
139. In pursuance of decision in the 32nd Meeting of GST Council held on 10th January 2019 at New Delhi, a Group of Ministers (GoM) on issues relating to lottery has been constituted. The 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. Under GST, state-organised lottery falls under the 12% tax slab while state-authorised lottery attracts 28% tax. According to the terms of reference, the panel will decide whether the disparity in tax structure on the same product needs be continued or a uniform rate be prescribed for both. The panel will also examine any other issue related to enforcement, including the legal frame work, in order to curb evasion of tax on lottery and suggest appropriate tax rate to address the problem. The GoM for lottery will submit its report to GST Council in next its meeting for approval.
140. Saksham 2019 is an annual high intensity one-month long people-centric mega campaign, which is organised by Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The purpose of the Saksham (Sanrakshan Kshamta Mahotsav) is to sensitize the masses about conservation and efficient use of petroleum products which will lead towards better health and environment. The campaign seeks to promote effective utilization of petroleum products, something that will lead to environmental protection.
141. Ace Indian female wrestler Vinesh Phogat from Haryana has become the first Indian athlete to receive a nomination in the prestigious Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award. Vinesh 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. She has been nominated alongside US Tour Championship winner Tiger Woods, who won his first tournament in five years. The Awards will be presented in Monaco on the 18th of February 2019. Monaco is a tiny independent city-state on France's Mediterranean coastline.
142. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced a 'Shaurya Award' to students in the name of 71 martyrs of state police force who laid down their lives in the line of duty while protecting society and maintaining law and order in the state. It was announced by the state government while organizing the first state-level function at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi to honour the families of all 71 policemen who died in various attacks and encounters since the formation of the state in 1966. Under this award, a prize money of Rs 11,000 in memory of a police martyr will be given to a student for courageous deeds every year in a village block where the school is located and where a martyr studied during his childhood.
143. Prabhat Singh, a 1988 batch IPS officer of Jharkhand cadre, has been appointed as new Director General (Investigation) in the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Singh is at present Special Director in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). He has been appointed to the post for a period up to April 30, 2020, the date of his superannuation. The NHRC is an autonomous public body constituted on 12th October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance of 28 September 1993. It was given a statutory basis by the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 (TPHRA). Apart from him, S N Pradhan has been appointed Director General of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
144. On 18th January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 9th edition of Vibrant Gujarat global investors' summit- 2019 at Mahatma Mandir Exhibition cum Convention Centre in Gandhinagar. The main theme of the 3-day summit is "Shaping a new India". More than 30 thousand international and Indian delegates including the 5 Heads of States from from Uzbekistan, Rwanda, Denmark, Czech Republic and Malta are participating in the summit. Apart from this, 11 international organizations are participating as partner organizations for the Summit. The summit will provide a forum for discussion on Global, National and State-level agendas with a sharp focus on all round economic development for a 'New India'.
145. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has decided to organize an event named Shehri Samridhi Utsav from 1st -15th February 2019 all over the country focusing on urban livelihoods. The purpose of the event is to extend the outreach of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) to the poorest of poor and the most vulnerable.
146. The Union Ministry of Finance has started 'Know Your Budget' fortnight series on its Twitter handle to educate general public about the budgetary process. The series would explain the importance of Union Budget and its making, and would continue for about a fortnight. In the first series of tweets, the Ministry explained the terms - Union Budget and Vote on Account. These are as follows: The Budget is the most comprehensive report of the government's finances in which revenues from all sources and outlays for all activities are consolidated. The Budget also contains estimates of the government's accounts for the next fiscal year called Budget estimates. The Vote on Account is defined as a grant made in advance by Parliament for expenditure for a part of the next financial year.
147. Mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta conquered the highest point Antartica 'Mount Sidley' on 19th of January 2019. With this feat, he became the first Indian and youngest man to climb the seven highest peaks and volcanic summits across all continents. According to the in-Reach Satellite, Communicator Satyarup was carrying, he summited Mount Sidley at 6. 28 in the morning Indian Standard Time (IST) at a temperature of minus 40- degree Celsius. He achieved the feat at the age of 35 years and 262 days. Australia's Daniel Bull had done it at the age of 36 years 157 days. Last year, Satyarup had scaled the highest volcanic peak in North America, Pico de Orizaba. Satyarup hails from Haridevpur in South Kolkata and is a software engineer by profession.
148. The Japan Prize Foundation has recently announced the laureates of the 2019 Japan Prize, who have pushed the envelope in their respective fields of "Materials and Production" and "Biological Production, Ecology". Indian-born Dr. Rattan Lal, a soil scientist at The Ohio State University, has been awarded the 2019 Japan Prize for his outstanding contribution to sustainable soil management. Lal is the first Ohio State scientist and the first soil scientist to ever receive the prize. Apart from Lal, Dr. Yoshio Okamoto, Professor Emeritus at Nagoya University in Japan, has also been chosen for the award. To honor Drs. Lal and Okamoto, the Japan Prize Foundation will host an award ceremony on April 8, 2019 in Tokyo. Each laureate will receive a certificate of recognition and a commemorative gold medal. A cash award of 50 million Japanese yen (approximately $450,000 USD) will also be given to each prize field.
149. In Maharashtra, the 2nd World Orange Festival (WOF-2019) has started in Nagpur from 19th January, which will continue till to 21st of this month. 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.
150. The world's first television channel dedicated to human rights has been launched in London with a promise to deliver hidden stories ignored by mainstream media into people's living rooms. The International Observatory of Human Rights (IOHR) stated that its web-based channel would bring human rights issues to audiences in over 20 countries across Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Topics will include refugees, press freedom and the incarceration of journalists, extremism, women's rights, LGBT+ issues and the plight of the world's stateless people. Broadcasts can be viewed via the netgem.tv interactive platform and will shortly be available via a mobile app.
151. On 19th January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) in Mumbai, Maharshtra. The state-of-the-art Museum has been built at a cost of over Rs 140 crore. The objective of the Museum is to take its visitors through an absorbing journey of over a century of Indian cinema in a story telling mode with the help of visuals, graphics, artifacts, interactive exhibits and multimedia expositions. The Museum is housed in two buildings - the New Museum Building and the 19th century historic palace Gulshan Mahal in the Films Division campus in Mumbai. The New Museum Building has four Exhibition Halls which encapsulate Gandhi and Cinema, Children's Film Studio, Technology, creativity and Indian Cinema and Cinema across India. The museum will not only cater to the needs of film critics and enthusiasts but also enthral visitors through visuals, graphics, interactive exhibits and multimedia expositions about India's century-long cinematic journey.
152. The Government of India (GoI) has approved setting up of three new naval air squadrons in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu as part of efforts to bolster the Indian Navy's overall strength. Besides this, the Central Government has also sanctioned manpower towards manning additional aircraft in existing Dornier Surveillance Squadrons in Kerala and Andaman Islands. A contract for procurement of 12 Dornier aircraft was signed with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) two years back and their delivery is commencing soon. The new Dornier 228 maritime surveillance aircraft to be delivered to the Navy are fitted with improved 'state of the art' sensors and equipment which includes glass cockpit, advanced surveillance radar, optical sensors and networking features. The aircraft will enhance maritime domain awareness of Indian Navy through round the clock sensor based surveillance and provide targeting data in areas of operation to ward off terror and other threats from sea.The addition will further strengthen Indian Navy's efforts at Coastal Security of India's vast coastline of over 7 thousand kilometres.
153. The German parliament has recently adopted a draft law that classifies the North African states of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco as well as Georgia as safe countries of origin. The move is meant to deter migrants from those countries and streamline the handling of asylum applications. Once the law is approved by the German Federal Council, asylum procedures for people arriving from these countries will be accelerated. The return procedure of rejected applicants to their home country will also be sped up. According to the German constitution, safe countries of origin are countries in which there is neither political persecution nor inhuman or degrading punishment and treatment. The law has yet to be approved by the German Federal Council.
154. In Sweden, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has been elected for a second term on 18th January 2019 after an agreement was struck between the Social Democrats, Greens, Liberals, and Centre Party, and after the Left Party agreed to abstain from voting against Lofven. He is expected to formally present his new government and its full programme on 21st January 2019. It will be one of the weakest administrations in Sweden in 70 years, with just 32.7% of voters having cast ballots for the two parties. Sweden's inconclusive legislative elections in September 2018 had not left either main parliamentary bloc with a majority.
155. After Gujarat and Jharkhand, the Uttar Pradesh government has approved 10% reservation in jobs and educational institutions for economically backward in the general category. The decision was taken at the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow. Recently, President Ram Nath Kovind cleared the landmark Constitution (124 Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by parliament, which will provide 10% reservation in government jobs and college seats for people outside high income brackets. Now, the Act empowers all individuals of the General category whose family's combined annual income is less than Rs 8 lakh, and who hold less than five acres of agricultural land.
156. In Arunachal Pradesh, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has inaugurated the Diffo Bridge over Diffo river in Lower Dibang Valley district on 18th January 2019. The bridge is 426 mts long Pre Stressed Concrete Box Girder type bridge on Roing-KoronPaya road in the state. It would provide uninterrupted access between Dibang valley and Lohit valley region of Eastern Arunachal Pradesh and an all-weather Road to the troops deployed on the China Border. The construction work was done by Project Udayak, Border Roads Organization (BRO) in this region.
157. The 7th ASEAN-India Tourism Ministers was held in Ha Long City, Viet Nam on 18th January 2019. Here, Union Tourism Minister of India, K J Alphons co-chaired the Tourism Ministers' meeting with the Vietnamese minister, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thien. As a follow up to the Summit, the Ministers launched the ASEAN-India Tourism Cooperation Year 2019, and looked forward to enhancing cooperation with a view to increasing two-way tourist visits and promoting greater people-to-people exchanges between ASEAN and India. The Ministers' meeting agreed to further enhance ASEANIndia cooperation in tourism under the framework of the '2012 Memorandum of Understanding between ASEAN and India on strengthening tourism cooperation with intensified efforts and activities. The Tourism Ministers of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand also attended the meeting.
158. India's first PolicyHack for Teachers has been launched by Dell in partnership with the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) and Ignus. As a part of its three-city PolicyHack series, Dell hosted an interactive hackathon where teachers focused on their learning journey. It's first-of-its-kind hackathon for teachers which will create a platform where teachers, school representatives and a cross-sectional group experts related to education can interact with each other.
159. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad will launch India's first full-fledged B.Tech (Bachelors of Technology) programme in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the academic year 2019-20. The course will have an intake of around 20 students and the admission will be done on the basis of the JEE-Advanced score. The course syllabus will comprise of the study of algorithms from the computer science department, signal processing from the electrical engineering department, robotics from mechanical engineering department and mathematical foundations. The course will also focus on application verticals such as healthcare, agriculture, smart mobility, among many others. The aim here is to produce students with a sound understanding of the fundamentals of theory and practice of AI and machine learning. Globally, US-based Carnegie Mellon University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offer similar courses. It must be noted that IIT Hyderabad already offers an M.Tech programme in Artificial Intelligence-Machine Learning.
160. India's First Lithium Ion Giga Factory will be build by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Libcoin. Both the companies 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. This project will bring energy independence by replacing oil imports with abundant renewable. This project also includes "Made by India, for India", with focus on core-cost components manufactured domestically. It will also create integrated manufacturing ecosystem resulting in self-reliance and lower cost.
161. The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro has been named as the World Capital of Architecture for 2020 by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). Rio will be the first city to receive the title under a program launched together by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects (UIA) in 2018. The city will host the 27th edition of the World Congress of the International Union of Architects (UIA) in July 2020, an event that occurs every three years. According to UNESCO, the World Capital of Architecture is intended to become an international forum for debates about pressing global challenges from the perspectives of culture, cultural heritage, urban planning and architecture. As one of the oldest cities in Brazil, Rio has a mix of modern and colonial architecture, with world-renowned sites like the statue of Jesus Christ and contemporary constructions like the Museum of Tomorrow.
162. Shivakumara Swami (111), a revered seer of the Lingayat-Veerashaiva faith, has passed away in Tumkur, Karnataka on January 21, 2019. He was affectionately referred to as Nadedaduva Devaru (Walking God) in the State. He was also the head of 5-centuriesold Sree Siddaganga Matha, which educated and hosted lakhs of students from economically deprived backgrounds. In recognition of his humanitarian work, the Swami was conferred with an honorary degree of Doctor of Literature by Karnataka University in 1965. On his centenary in 2007, the Government of Karnataka awarded Swamiji the prestigious Karnataka Ratna award, the highest civilian award of the state. In 2015 the Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan.
163. The 2nd World Integrated Medicine Forum (WIMF-2019) on the 'Regulation of Homeopathic Medical Products' will be held in Goa from 23-25 January, 2019. The 3- day forum, which will be inaugurated by AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik, will explore and illustrate the potential benefits and pitfalls of bi-lateral/multilateral collaboration and advance global cooperation on a synergistic basis. In it, approx 20 countries are participating.
164. The Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (YPBD-2019) has started at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on January 21. The theme for this year PBD is "Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India". Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate the event tomorrow, with Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth being the Chief Guest. Several world leaders of Indian origin will share their insights into the role of Indian diaspora for a New India.
165. The Government of India (GoI) has decided to induct women in Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) role in Corps of Military Police for the first time ever. The women will be inducted into the military police in a graded manner, and will eventually comprise 20% of its total strength. The decision to induct women in the military police will enhance their representation in the armed forces. Their role would range from probing rape and molestation cases to assisting the Army wherever required. Currently, women are allowed in select areas such as medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army. The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing a breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required.
166. India will host the 14th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP-14) to address the issue of land degradation and desertification. The conference is scheduled to be held in October 2019, and will have participation from over 100 countries. The UNCCD, established in 1994, has 197 parties working towards maintaining and restoring land and soil productivity and mitigating the effects of drought.
167. The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the central bank of Nepal, has recently announced the ban of Indian currency notes with denominations above Rs.100. Under the new rule, Nepali citizens cannot carry these denominations to other countries except India. Similarly, Nepalis are also not allowed to bring such notes from other countries. The central bank has issued a circular prohibiting Nepali traveller, banks and financial institutions from holding or carrying and trading Indian bank notes higher than Rs. 100. The central bank said in its circular that Indian denominations of Rs 2,00, Rs 500 and Rs 2000 cannot be carried and used for trading. The decision to ban these notes has come at a time when the NRB has requested the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to allow Nepal to use currency notes with all denominations. At present, only the notes with a denomination of Rs. 100 and below are freely exchangeable in Nepal.
168. Eminent scientist and recipient of Bharat Ratna, C N R Rao has been chosen for the first Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Research, given by the Centre for Advanced Materials of the UAE. The award includes a plaque, a medal and a cash prize of $100000. The award will be presented to Rao at the International Workshop on Advanced Materials in Ras Al Khaima on February 25. Professor Rao is the National Research Professor, Linus Pauling Research Professor and Honorary President of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR). He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India in 2014.
169. On January 19, the Tamil Nadu government roll out 'Startup & Innovation policy 2018- 2023' with a mission of providing an enabling and innovative ecosystem for startups registered in the State and to make Tamil Nadu a 'Global Innovation hub for startups' by 2023. The mission shall aim for a minimum of 1,00,000 high skilled job creation, direct and indirect, in the Startup ecosystem. For implementing the policy, the State will set up Tamil Nadu Startup Fund with a corpus of Rs 250 crore. The fund will be invested in other SEBI registered Alternative Investment Funds for investment in startups and MSMEs established in Tamil Nadu.
170. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has launched a rocket carrying a satellite capable of delivering an artificial meteor shower into the Earth's atmosphere. This will be the world first artificial meteor satellite if the mission succeeds. The satellite was launched by Epsilon-4 Rocket from the JAXA Uchinoura Space Center. It is carrying the first of two micro-satellites built by Tokyo-based startup Astro Live Experiences (ALE). The satellite is set to release tiny balls from the micro-satellites in the hope of mimicking shooting stars in the night sky above Hiroshima in 2020. The process of producing such simulation is called Plasma Emission. Once the tiny ball is released in the space, it will automatically burn up to ashes so that no risk is posed to the people. The glow will be so much bright that it will be seen even through the lightpolluted Tokyo city. The tiny ball is expected to shine for several seconds before being completely burned up. Apart from this tiny ball, the ALE is also looking forward to introducing disused satellites so that it will produce even brighter glows. Hence, the world's first artificial shooting star project 'Sky Canvas' aims to bring people from all over the world together to witness an unprecedented, collective experience.
171. The insolvency regulator Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has set up a 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 and will recommend a complete regulatory framework to facilitate insolvency resolution and liquidation of corporate debtors in a corporate group within the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). At present, the IBC provides for the resolution or liquidation of only individual stressed companies. So a framework within the IBC is sought to be created for the resolution/liquidation of an entire stressed corporate group having several entities in multiple NCLT jurisdictions.
172. The Arab Economic and Social Development Summit held in the Lebanese capital Beirut, in which the Arab leaders and officials issued a joint statement called Beirut Declaration. The declaration calls for the establishment of an Arab free trade zone. It also urged the International community to support nations hosting Syrian refugees and take steps to minimise the impact of the refugee crisis. The declaration stated that the refugee crisis in Arab countries is the worst humanitarian problem since World War II. It points out that the crisis leads to an economic slowdown, increases the expenditure and deficit, imposes burdens on public sectors and infrastructure and poses risks to the society. At the conclusion of the 2019 summit, Arab leaders have agreed a 29-item economic agenda in addition to encouraging the safe return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
173. An Indian-American philanthropist and entrepreneur, Gurinder Singh Khalsa has been conferred with the prestigious 2019 Rosa Park Trailblazer award for his campaign that forced US authorities to change their policy towards headgear of the Sikh community. In 2007, Khalsa was refused access to board an aeroplane because of his turban. Thereafter Khalsa mobilised more than 67,000 people nationwide for petitions and took the issue to all the way to the US Congress, which forced Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) to change its headgear policy towards the Sikh community. As a result, Sikhs can now wear their turban through airport security in the US. Khalsa natively belongs to village Adhoi in Barara block of the Ambala district.
174. On 20th January 2019, Masazo Nonaka, a Japanese supercentenarian, has passed away in Japan at the age of 113 after living a stress-free life. The Guinness World Records officially recognised Nonaka as the world's oldest living man after the death of 113- year old Spaniard Francisco Nunez Olivera in 2018. Nonaka was born on 25th July 1905, two years after the Wright Brothers launched the first power-driven flight and just months before Einstein published his theory of relativity. Japan has one of the world's highest life expectancies and was home to several people recognised as among the oldest humans to have ever lived.
175. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has recently announced the men's Test and ODI teams of the year 2018. Three players, each from India and New Zealand, were named in Test team while four players, each from India and England, were named in ODI squad. Virat Kohli has been named captain of both sides following a remarkable 2018 as batsman and skipper. The Test team also features his compatriots, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who is the only player apart from Kohli to feature in both sides. The ODI team has opener Rohit Sharma, spinner Kuldeep Yadav and Bumrah from India side. The awards, which honour performances during a calendar year, saw the India captain Kohli walk into both sides which were selected by the ICC Voting Academy comprising former players, members of the media and broadcasters. In the last calender year, skipper Kohli scored more than 2,500 runs in both formats of the game combined with 11 centuries. Kohli also ended 2018 as the topranked Test and ODI batsman in the ICC Player Rankings while his side finished the year as the top-ranked side in Tests and number two in ODIs, behind England.
176. The annual meet of World Economic Forum (WEF) has started in Davos with theme 'Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution'. The aim of the 5-day event is to discuss what's ailing the world amid fears of the global economy sleepwalking into a crisis. Those expected to attend include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Swiss President Ueli Maurer, Japan's Shinzo Abe, Italy's Giuseppe Conte and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu among more than 30 heads of states/government, as also CEOs of global corporations, central bankers, economists, civil society leaders, media heads, celebrities and heads of international organisations like IMF, WTO, OECD and World Bank, among more than 3,000 participants. More than 100 CEOs from India are expected to participate in the meet. Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi and filmmaker Karan Johar are also going to be a part of session which would be open for public.
177. On 19th January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India'first Armoured Systems Complex (ASC) built by a private company - Larsen & Toubro (L&T) - at Hazira in Surat, Gujarat. This is the India's first private facility where the K9 Vajra selfpropelled Howitzer guns will be manufactured. Spread over 40 acres within L&T's 755- acre Hazira Manufacturing Complex, the ASC is executing the K9 Vajra guns programme. The K9 Vajra contract involves delivery of 100 such systems in 42 months, which is the largest contract awarded to a private company by the Ministry of Defence. L&T had signed a transfer of technology contract for guns with South Korean company Hanwha Corporation. The gun weighs 50 tonnes and can fire 47kg bombs at a 43- kilometre distance target. It can turn around at zero radius. The ASC is a state-of-the-art facility to manufacture and integrate advanced armoured platforms such as selfpropelled artillery Howitzers, future infantry combat vehicles (FICV), future ready combat vehicles (FRCV) or future main battle tanks.
178. Raghbir Singh Bhola (92), the former India hockey player, has passed away in New Delhi on January 21, 2019. He represented India in the 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome Olympics, winning a gold and silver medals respectively for the country. His dedication and passion for field hockey continued in various aspects throughout his life and he served in diverse roles such as member of the IHF selection committee, FIH international umpire, manager of the Indian hockey team, TV commentator and government observer at the Olympic Games. He successfully captained the Indian Air Force hockey and Services team from 1954-60 and won the Inter Services Hockey Championship three times and the National Hockey Championship on two occasions. In 2000, he was honoured with the Arjuna Award for his life time achievements in Field Hockey.
179. The states of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura celebrated their 47th statehood day on 21st January 2019. On this day in 1972, all the three states became full-fledged states under the North Eastern Region (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.The erstwhile princely states of Tripura and Manipur were merged with India in 1949 and became full-fledged states in 1972. Meghalaya was a part of Assam before it was carved out as a full-fledged state under the NER Act of 1971.
180. According to recent Union Home Ministry communique, Aadhaar cards are now valid travel documents for Indians under 15 and over 65 years travelling to Nepal and Bhutan. Indians other than those in the two age brackets will not be able to use Aadhaar to travel to the two neighbouring countries, for which no visas are needed. Indian citizens going to Nepal and Bhutan don't need a visa if they have a valid passport, a photo identity card issued by the Government of India (GoI) or an election ID card issued by the Election Commission (EC). Earlier, persons over 65 and under 15 could show their PAN card, driving licence, Central Government Health Service (CGHS) card or ration card, but not the Aadhaar, to prove their identity and visit the two countries.
181. India Steel 2019 Exhibition and Conference has started in Mumbai on January 23. The three-day event organised by Ministry of Steel will help chart out the future growth path of the steel industry. The event will provide 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. Over 250 exhibiting companies from 15 countries, over 200 International buyers and large number of delegates are expected to hold business meetings during this event. More than 10 thousand business visitors both from India and abroad are expected to visit.
182. On 23rd January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Subhash Chandra Bose museum at the iconic Red Fort in New Delhi to mark the leader's 122nd birth anniversary. The Museum on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Indian National Army provides a detailed account of Subhash Chandra Bose and the history of Indian National Army (INA). It also showcases various artefacts related to Subhash Chandra Bose and INA. The artefacts include wooden chair and sword used by Netaji, medals, badges, uniforms and other artefacts related to INA. Beside this, Prime Minister also inaugurated the Yaad-e-Jallian Museum on the Jallianwala Bagh and World War I, the Museum on 1857- India's first war of Independence and Drishyakala-Museum on Indian Art within the Red Fort complex.
183. Andry Rajoelina has been sworn-in as the new President of Madagascar after taking the oath of office in Antananarivo before 9 judges of the High Constitutional Court. He won the 2018 Malagasy presidential election with 56% of the vote.
184. US-based Indian poet Ranjani Murali has been bestowed the ''Prabha Khaitan Woman's Voice Award' at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF-2019). The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a citation. The purpose of the award is to recognise and encourage creative writing by women in India, to create a forum for their work and to support the publication of their writing. It is a joint initiative between Oxford Bookstore and Prabha Khaitan Foundation.
185. Team India skipper Virat Kohli has become the first player-ever in history to win all three of top ICC awards after being named captain of the ICC's Test and ODI teams of 2018 for a fabulous run in international cricket. These are: 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. Kohli scored 1,322 runs at an average of 55.08 in 13 Tests with five hundreds during the calendar year while in 14 ODIs he amassed 1202 runs at an astonishing average of 133.55 with six centuries. He also scored 211 runs in 10 T20Is. He also ended the year at No. 1 in both the rankings for Tests and ODIs. His performance was put into sharper context by the fact that India played most of their cricket in 2018 away from the subcontinent. Among the other major winners were Rishabh Pant, who was named the Emerging Cricketer of the Year. Sri Lanka's Kumar Dharmasena was named the Umpire of the Year, while New Zealand cricketer Kane Williamson won the Spirit of Cricket award.
186. Microsoft India has launched a new e-commerce platform re-weave.in for handloom weavers under its Project ReWeave, as part of its philanthropic initiatives. This ecommerce platform will help connect artisans to buyers directly and enables them to expand to newer customers and markets. The new e-commerce website hosts signature collections created by weaver communities and showcases traditional designs and products created from natural dyes. This e-marketplace will help sell to a broad set of customers, helping weavers to increase their income and earn a sustainable livelihood, while also reviving forgotten Indian art. The Indian handloom industry is the secondlargest employment provider for the rural population in India, with almost 43 lakh weavers. Project ReWeave also aims to help weavers with working capital support through non-profit organisations.
187. The Indian Navy, in coordination with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and other stakeholders, conducted the massive coastal defence exercise codenamed 'SEA VIGIL2019'off the Indian coast on January 22-23, 2019. The exercise, a first of its kind, covered the entire 7516.6 km coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone of India and involves all the 13 coastal States and Union Territories along with all maritime stakeholders, including the fishing and coastal communities. The main goal of the largescale exercise is to comprehensively and holistically validate the efficacy of the measures taken since '26/11'. The exercise also aims to test India's preparedness to thwart any attempt by anti-national elements to carry out an attack on its territory or against its citizens by infiltrating through the sea route.
188. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) has got listed amongst the top 30 container ports globally, as per the latest Lloyds Report. Hence, JNPT has become the only Indian port to be listed amongst the world's top 30 container ports. 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. The JNPT also launched their App service to facilitate better tracking of consignment and ease the trade process for their EXIM partners.
189. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recently released its biannual World Economic Outlook (WEO) update at the World Economic Forum (WEF-2019) in Davos. In it, IMF estimates India's economic growth at 7.3% in 2018-19, 7.5% in 2019- 20 and 7.7% in 2020-21. With the latest outlook, India will remain the fastest-growing economy in the world, at least for the next two years. The IMF report stated that India's economy is poised to pick up in 2019, benefiting from low oil prices and a slower pace of monetary tightening than previously expected as inflation pressures ease. The latest growth projection by the IMF is a tad higher than the Central Statistics Office's (CSO) estimate of 7.2%, but lower than the RBI's estimate of 7.4%. But it is in line with the World Bank's estimate of 7.3%.
190. The Union Cabinet has approved recently the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Kuwait for cooperation on the recruitment of domestic workers. The MOU provides a structured framework for cooperation on domestic workers related matters and provides strengthened safeguards for Indian domestic workers including female workers deployed in Kuwait. The MOU is initially valid for a period of 5 years and incorporates provision for automatic renewal. Around three lakh Indian domestic workers deployed in Kuwait will benefit from the decision. The MOU will promote bilateral cooperation in domestic workers related matters between the two countries.
191. The Arunachal Pradesh government has recently declared the Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF)–the state's only conservation festival, as a "State Festival". The purpose of the fest is to recognise the role played by the resident Nyishi tribe in conserving hornbills in the Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR), to devise alternative sources of income for a region that relies on hunting and logging, and to tell the rest of the country about the wonders of the PTR and its surrounding areas. As part of the festival, visitors are treated to cultural programmes, food stalls, plays, sightseeing, river and village walks, bird-watching, screenings of short films as well as local tribal sports and dances.
192. The Andhra Pradesh government has approved a proposal to grant 5% quota to the Kapu community in the state, after the Central Government recently passed a Bill to provide 10% reservation to Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) from the general category in jobs and education. The decision to ensure that half of the quota under the EBC category be reserved for upper caste Kapus was taken after a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The Kapus are primarily an agrarian community based in the Andhra-Telangana region. It is one of the dominant caste groups with political influence in the state. The Kapu community comprises nearly 26% of the state's five crore people.
193. Noted Gujarati poet Sitanshu Yashashchandra has been awarded the 27th edition of the Saraswati Samman 2017 for his poetry collection in Gujarati named "Vakhar". He received the award by the noted film director and author Gulzar at a solemn function at National museum auditorium in New Delhi. The prestigious award is instituted by K.K.Birla foundation & is given every year to an outstanding work of an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years in any of the languages mentioned in Schedule 8 of the constitution. The award comprises of a citation and a plaque apart from award money of Rs. 15 lakh. Mr. Yashashchandra, recipient of the Padmashri in 2006, is known for seamlessly blending history with poetry.
194. India has been ranked 80th at the Global Talent Competitive Index (GTCI) 2019, according to a report released by INSEAD business school in partnership with Tata Communications and Adecco Group. It was released during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos on 22nd January 2019. The list is topped by Switzerland, followed by Singapore, the US, Norway and Denmark. According to the report, India's biggest challenge is to improve its ability to attract and retain talent. Above all, there is a need to address its poor level of Internal Openness (116th) -- in particular with respect to weak gender equality and low tolerance towards minorities and immigrants and its disappointing showing in lifestyle (112th) indicators. The survey measures how countries and cities grow, attract and retain talent, ranking 125 countries and 114 cities across all groups of income and levels of development.
195. The National Girl Child Day (NGCD) is celebrated every year on January 24 in India to raise awareness against the social stigma and discrimination faced by girl. The day also highlights the need to protect girl child who is prone to sex selective abortions, sexual abuse and trafficking in India. The 2019 theme "Empowering Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow" was celebrated with objectives of generating awareness on the issue of declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and create a positive environment around valuing the girl child. The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) celebrated the NGCD-2019 day at Pravasi Bharti Kendra in New Delhi. The programme also observed anniversary of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme. A booklet on "Innovations under BBBP" was also released on the occasion. The Ministry has compiled 38 Innovative Activities from Districts across the country to set an example for other Districts. These interventions have been categorized according to five themes, which are Survival, Protection, Education, Participation and Valuing Girls.
196. India has been ranked at 54th position in the list of world's most innovative countries, according to Bloomberg 2019 Innovative Index. It is for the first time that India has made it to the rankings. South Korea has topped the Index for the sixth time in a row with a total score of 87.38, followed by Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Israel, Singapore, Sweden, U.S., Japan and France in the top 10. The annual Bloomberg Innovation Index (BII) analyses dozens of criteria using seven metrics, including research and development spending, manufacturing capability and concentration of high-tech public companies. In the 2019 Index, India is among the new entrants from the world's largest emerging economies with a total score of 47.93. Barring India, other nations include Mexico, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia also made a surprise entry. Bloomberg has published top 60 economies out of 95 economies analyzed for the ranking process for the year 2019. Each economy has been assigned a score from 0-100 on the basis of seven equal-weighted metrics.
197. The Indian Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX-2019) will be conducted at Aundh Military Station and College of Military Engineering in Pune from March 18 to 27. The joint training exercise is being conducted with more than a dozen African countries and India to synergise humanitarian mine action and joint peace operations. The IAFTX2019 is a positive step towards growing political and military ties with the member nations of African continent and will boost the already strong strategic cooperation between the countries
198. Bhanu Prakash Singh (90), the former Union minister, ex-Goa Governor and head of the Narsinghgarh royal family, has passed away in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on January 24, 2019. He was elected as an MP from Rajgarh Lok Sabha seat in 1962 as an independent candidate. Singh later became close to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and joined the Congress in 1964. He became a minister in her cabinet. However, when Indira Gandhi abolished privy purses, Singh revolted and resigned from the Congress. In 1991, he became the Governor of Goa.
199. The Government of India (GoI) has recently instituted an annual award titled Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar. The award is to be announced every year on 23rd January on the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. For the year 2019, 8th Battalion of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) located at Ghaziabad has been selected for the award for its commendable work in Disaster Management. The Award recipient will receive a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 51 lakh. The 8th Battalion of NDRF was raised in 2006 and is a highly specialised Rescue and Response Force with large area of responsibility covering National Capital Region (NCR), Uttarakhand, Western UP & Haryana. The battalion has participated in 314 major operations and rescued over 50,000 people. In the devastating Kerala floods in 2018, the battalion had rescued 5,338 victims and evacuated 24,000 people to safety. Other major disasters in which this NDRF battalion participated are Leh cloud burst (2011), Kedarnath floods (2013), cyclone Hudhud (2014), Chennai floods (2015) and Tripura floods (2018).
200. As per latest United Nations' World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report 2019, India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to grow at 7.4% during 2018- 19 and improve to 7.6% in FY20. The report also expected that India's economy to expand by 7.4% in 2020-21. Referring to the global economy, the report said it would continue to grow at a steady pace of around 3% in 2019 and 2020 amid signs that growth has peaked. The report also highlighted that global trade tensions pose a threat to the economic outlook. The 2019 report offers timely warnings about a range of macroeconomic challenges facing policymakers as they aim to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
201. The first-ever UN's International Day of Education is observed on January 24 to highlight the role of education for peace and development. Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility. The day recognizes the importance of ensuring inclusive quality education & access to lifelong learning opportunities for all. The right to education is enshrined in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Today, 262 million children and youth still do not attend school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40% of girls in subSaharan Africa complete lower secondary school and some four million children and youth refugees are out of school. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable. Hence, UNESCO calls on governments and all partners to make universal quality education a leading priority. In India, National Education Day (NED) is observed on November 11 to commemorate the birth anniversary of the first education minister of independent India — Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
202. Krishna Sobti (94), the famous Hindi fiction writer and essayist, has passed away in New Delhi on January 25, 2019. She had won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1980 for her novel Zindaginama and was awarded the Jnanpith in 2017 for her contribution to Indian literature. Sobti is best known for her 1966 novel Mitro Marajani, an unapologetic portrayal of a married woman's sexuality. Some of her notable works are as follows: Daar Se Bichchuri, Surajmukhi Andhere Ke, Yaaron Ke Yaar, Zindaginama. Some of her well-known short stories are Nafisa, Sikka Badal gaya, Badalom ke ghere.
203. The new naval air base 'INS Kohassa' has recently commissioned by Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba into the Indian Navy at the Shibpur Naval Air Station in Diglipur, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as part of efforts to expand operational presence in the Indian Ocean where China has been increasing its military presence. This is the India's fourth air base and the third naval air facility in the region that overlooks key sea lanes of communication and strategic points. INS Kohassa has been named after a WhiteBellied Sea Eagle, which is a large bird of prey, endemic to A&N islands. The new airbase will be used for both Defence and civil aircraft. Earlier, Naval Air Station at Shibpur was manned by utilizing the manpower from INS Utkrosh. Now, the airbase will function as an independent unit. The airbase will be used to handle operations of helicopters and small aircraft like the Dornier.
204. IIT Ropar has launched an android app 'Roshni' to help the blind in recognizing the denomination of the currency notes, using image processing and analytics. At present, notes of Rs 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 2,000 are in circulation, which the blind people find it difficult to recognize due to their size and the tactile marks. The app can recognize both old and new notes and gives audio information as to which note you are holding in your hands. The user has to bring the currency note in front of phone camera and the app would provide audio notification intimating the currency notes denomination to the user. The app uses the patterns and features embedded on the notes to differentiate and determine the currency denomination. The app is developed by assistant professor Dr Puneet Goyal and his students — Mandhatya Singh, Joohi Chauhan, and R Ram.
205. The Union cabinet has approved the landmark amendment to Article 280 of the Constitution to increase the financial and executive powers of the 10 autonomous councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the Northeast Region (NER). The amendment would impact a population of about 1 crore tribals living in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. The Finance Commission would be mandated to recommend devolution of financial resources to the councils. Till now, the autonomous councils have depended on grants from Central Ministries and the State governments for specific projects. As per the proposed amendment, there will be State Election Commissions (SECs) for holding elections to the autonomous councils, village and municipal councils in the areas of Assam, Mizoram and Tripura. At least one third of the seats would be reserved for women in the village and municipal councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of Assam, Mizoram and Tripura. Here, Meghalaya has for the time being opted out of the provision for elected village and municipal councils and one-third reservation for women.
206. ISRO has successfully launched a military satellite 'Microsat-R' and a student satellite 'Kalamsat-V2' into their designated orbits from PSLV-C44 launch vehicle. The launch was the 46th flight of the PSLV which lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. PSLV-C44 is the first flight of PSLV-DL, a new variant of PSLV with two strap-on motors. With this launch, India also becomes the first country to use the fourth stage of a space rocket as an orbital platform for microgravity experiments. The PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle with alternating solid and liquid stages.
207. In China, the world's longest 3D-printed concrete bridge has recently opened across a canal on the Wenzaobang River in Shanghai. The bridge is The newly-opened bridge is 26.3 metre-long and 3.6-meter-wide, and is designed by Professor Xy Weiguo from Tsinghua University in China. Its design was inspired by an ancient Chinese bridge named "Anji Bridge" in Hebei Province. The system is cost-efficient uses smart technology and digital design to print 3D concrete blocks. A total of 44 hollowed-out 3D printed concrete blocks were used to lay the bridge while 68 concrete units made the handrails. The bridge has sensors that collect displacement data which will be used to improve the design of future bridges constructed using 3D printing.
208. The Telangana government has decided to set up an armed "State Tiger Protection Force" (STPF) to save the Big Cat population in the State. The 112-member-armed STPF will be headed by anAssistant Conservator of Forests to protect tiger populationin Amarabad and Kawal Tiger Reserves. The State and Central government will share the cost of the force on 40:60 basis. The cases under the Preventive Detention Act would be registered against violators.
209. The Kerala Sahitya Akademi Awards for the year 2017 have been announced on 23rd January 2019. In it, 'Nireeswaran' by V.J. James has been adjudged the best novel of 2017, while Aymanam John's Ethara Characharangalude Charitra Pusthakam has secured the award for the best short story. Mindaprani, written by Veerankutty, is the best poetry. The award is given each year by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy) to Malayalam writers for their outstanding books of literary merit.
210. Aparna Kumar has become the India's first woman Indian Police Service (IPS) DIG and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officer to successfully complete the South Pole expedition. She unfurled the National and the ITBP flags at the South Pole on 13th January 2019 after covering 111Km of walking on the snow. Aparna will now attempt to conquer the North Pole this April. She has covered six of the highest peaks across continents including the Mount Everest. The one left for her to scale is the Mount Denali in Alaska.The ITBP is a Central Armed Police Force which is primarily deployed to secure the icy Himalayan borders of the nation since its Inception in 1962.
211. The National Voters Day (NVD) is celebrated every year in India on January 25 since 2011 to enhance participation of citizens in the electoral process. The day also marked the Foundation day of Election Commission of India (ECI), which was established on 25th January 1950. The main purpose of the celebration is to encourage, facilitate and maximize the enrollment, especially for the new voters. In view of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, 'No Voter to be Left Behind' has been selected as the theme for the 9th National Voters' Day. During the 9th NVD 2019, the National Awards for the Best Electoral Practices were conferred on Officers for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections. President Ram Nath Kovind was the Chief Guest at the main function being organized by Election Commission in New Delhi.
212. On 26th January 2019, President Ramnath Kovind conferred the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian honour, on former President Pranab Mukherjee, along with social activist Nanaji Deshmukh (posthumous), and Assamese musician Bhupen Hazarika (posthumous). Nanaji Deshmukh was a senior RSS leader who also worked for rural development and welfare of farmers, and was considered a stalwart of the Sangh Parivar. Mr. Hazarika's award appears to be a nod to the importance the North East has been accorded by the current government amid huge unrest following the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill being pushed. Mr. Mukherjee is a Congressman for five decades before he became President (2012-2017) spoke at an annual RSS event in Nagpur in 2018. The last time Bharat Ratnas were conferred was in 2015, when educationalist-politician Madan Mohan Malviya and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee were the recipients.
213. On 70th Republic Day parade 2019, women power displayed at Rajpath, with contingents of the Indian Navy, India Army Service Corps and a unit of Corps of Signals (transportable satellite terminal) were all led by women officers and a woman officer exhibiting stunts on bike. In it, Major Khushboo Kanwar led all-women Assam Rifles contingent has created history by participating for the first time in a Republic Day parade. Capt Shikha Surabhi from the Corps of Signals became the first woman to perform bike stunts alongside her male teammates as part of daredevils, a major attraction every Republic Day. For the first time, a lady officer, Lt. Bhavana Kasturi 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.
214. Sultan Abdullah of Pahang has been elected as the new King of Malaysia, after Malaysian King Sultan Muhammad V step down from the throne before completing his five-year tenure on 6th January 2019. Sultan Abdullah will be sworn-in as the Nation's 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (or head of state) in a traditional ceremony on 31st January 2019. Malaysia is the only country in the world to have a rotational monarchy since the country became independent from Britain in 1957. The country has nine royal households, who typically take turns to sit on the throne. King's constitutional powers include the ability to veto the appointment of key political office holders, including the prime minister. The king also has powers to grant full pardons to citizens convicted in the courts.
215. Atin Bandyopadhyay (85), the renowned Bengali writer, has passed away in Kolkata on 19th January, 2019. Born in 1934 in Dhaka, he had taken up various jobs as a sailor, school teacher, factory manager, journalist to finally became a writer. He won the 2001 Sahitya Akademi award for his compilation of short stories 'Panchashati Galpo'. His masterpiece is considered to be a four-part tetralogy on the Partition: "Nilkantha Pakhir Khonje", "Manusher Gharbari", "Aloukik Jalajan" and "Ishwarer Bagan".
216. Russell Baker (93), the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author , has passed away in Virginia, United States on January 21, 2019. He was the genial, but sharp-witted writer for his humorous columns in The New York Times and a moving autobiography of his impoverished Baltimore childhood and later hosted television's 'Masterpiece Theatre'. He won Pulitzers in 1979 for the 'Observer', the Times column he wrote for 35 years, and in 1983 for his autobiography 'Growing Up'. It was the first Pulitzer for commentary awarded to a humorist.
217. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Swedish aerospace and defence company (Saab) to explore Air Traffic Management (ATM) solutions for airports operating under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme. In the sector of ATM solutions, Saab has a portfolio ranging from Advanced-Surface Movement Guidance & Control System (A-SMGCS) and Surface Movement Radar (SR- 3), to Remote Towers which can be deployed at all types of airports. ATM solutions from Saab can support both single and multiple runway airfields, as well as remote operations and deployable systems. Hence, the MoU with Saab will support AAI's need for ATM solutions and training of its personnel in ATM services. The MoU highlights the efforts of AAI to build infrastructure for the Indian government's UDAN-RCS regional airport development and regional connectivity plan, helping to make air travel more affordable and widespread.
218. Scientists from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea have developed a system that can produce electricity and hydrogen fuel from carbon dioxide. The Hybrid Na-CO2 system can continuously produce electrical energy and hydrogen through efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion with stable operation for over 1,000 hours. The key to this technology is the easy conversion of chemically stable CO2 molecules to other materials. Much of human CO2 emissions are absorbed by the ocean and turned into acidity. The researchers focused on this phenomenon and came up with the idea of melting CO2 into water to induce an electrochemical reaction.If acidity increases, the number of protons increases, which in turn increases the power to attract electrons. If a battery system is created based on this phenomenon, electricity can be produced by removing CO2. In particular, this system has shown stability to the point of operating for more than 1,000 hours without damage to electrodes. The system can be applied to remove CO2 by inducing voluntary chemical reactions.
219. The International Customs Day (ICD) is observed every year on January 26 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 2019 theme is "SMART borders for seamless Trade, Travel and Transport". This reflects the fact that the expectations of travellers and businesses around the world are changing.
220. Naomi Osaka from Japan has won the women's singles 2019 Australian Open Tennis Tournament. She beat Czech Petra Kvitova in a seesaw Australian Open final by 7-6 (7- 2) 5-7 6-4 to win back-to-back Grand Slams and become the new World No.1. Osaka is known for her multi-ethnic background and her shy, candid personality. On the court, she has an aggressive playing style with a powerful serve.
221. The Southern Railway has bagged the number one position for cleanliness in the country. This achievement was under the category of other than Premium Category trains in the recent Trains Cleanliness Survey conducted by IRCTC on all India level. During the year 2018, Southern Railway's gross earnings also stood at more than Rs six thousand crores rupees which is almost 10% higher than the last year earnings. To cater to the growing demands of passengers, Southern Railway has also introduced 54 trains over past four years.
222. Kartik Sharma from India has 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. Kartik has been playing for India since the age of 10 as part of the National Squad. He had been selected to represent Indian Golf Union for three events in Australia.
223. The South Asian Nitrogen Hub (SANH) is a major international research programme to tackle the challenge that nitrogen pollution poses for environment, food security, human health and the economy in South Asia. The SANH will be established with funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under its Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). 18 Indian research institutions are part of a group of 50 which have received £20 million funding from the United Kingdom Government.The SANH will study the impact of the different forms of pollution to form a coherent picture of the nitrogen cycle. In particular, it will look at nitrogen in agriculture in eight countries – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Maldives. The Hub's recommendations will support cleaner and more profitable farming, as well as industrial recycling of nitrogen, fostering development of a cleaner circular economy for nitrogen.
224. The Indian Railways has named the indigenously manufactured Train 18 as Vande Bharat Express. The train is set to run between Delhi and Varanasi at a maximum speed of 160kmph. The 16-coach train is designed and manufactured by the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at a cost of approx Rs 97 crore. It is regarded as a successor to the 30-year-old Shatabdi Express. Train 18 is also the first locomotive-less train in the country. The fully air-conditioned train will stop at Kanpur and Allahabad and will have two executive chair cars. It has diffused lighting, automatic doors and footsteps besides GPS-based Passenger Information System.
225. Oxford dictionaries has declared "Nari Shakti" as the Hindi word for the year 2018. The announcement was made during a session at the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) at the Diggi Palace. According to the Oxford dictionaries, the word has been derived from Sanskrit and is used today to symbolise women "taking charge of their lives". The word was selected by the Oxford Dictionaries (India) with the help of an advisory panel of language experts, including Namita Gokhale, Randhir Thakur, Kritika Agrawal and Saurabh Dwivedi. Oxford had named 'Aadhaar' as its Hindi word for the year 2017.
226. The Government of Pakistan has recently declared sugarcane juice as the 'national drink' of the country. The announcement came after the government conducted a Twitter poll where people were asked to decide on the country's national drink with two other options -- orange and carrot -- besides 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. Upon securing majority votes, sugarcane juice was declared as the 'national drink' of Pakistan.
227. Jayant Kaikini, renowned Kannada poet short-story writer, columnist and playwright and lyricist, has won the prestigious 2018 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for 'No Presents Please: Mumbai Stories' at the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet. The novel is a collection of short stories set in Mumbai dating back to the 1980s. It offers a finegrained, ground-up view of arguably India's greatest metropolis. The book was originally written in the southern Indian language of Kannada and translated into English by the award-winning translator Tejaswini Niranjana. The $25,000 (£19,100) prize rewards the best writing about south Asian culture from writers of any ethnicity and from all over the world, will be split equally between author and translator. It will be split equally between author and translator. No Presents Please is the first work in translation to win the award in the prize's eight-year history.
228. Novak Djokovic from Serbia defeated Rafael Nadal to win his 7th Australian Open Men's Singles title at Melbourne on 28th January 2019. The resurgent world No.1 outplayed the second-ranked Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in a largely one-sided match. With this, Djokovic has surpassed American legend Pete Sampras to elevate himself to outright third on the all-time Grand Slam title leaderboard. Earlier, In 2019 Women's Singles, Japan's Naomi Osaka clinched her first-ever Australian Open Grand Slam Singles title in Melbourne. With this, Osaka became the first Asian player to achieve the world number one ranking.
229. Malaysia has been stripped of the right to host the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships for threatening to refuse to allow Israeli athletes to take part. The decision was taken by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) after the Malaysian authorities failed to provide the necessary guarantees that Israeli Para swimmers could participate, free from discrimination, and safely in the Championships. IPC President Andrew Parsons said when a host country excludes athletes from a particular nation, for political reasons, then they have absolutely no alternative but to look for a new Championships host. The 2019 championships was a qualifying event for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics & were due to take place in Kuching on July 29-August 4.
230. On 27th January 2019, Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal won her first Indonesia Masters title after three-time world champion Carolina Marin of Spain limped out of the final due to a leg injury in Jakarta. Marin was leading 10-4 in the first game when she developed an injury in the knee.
231. In New Delhi, the Union Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry signed an agreement with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for India's Participation in Programme for International Student Assessment- PISA 2021. The student assessment by PISA will ensure learning outcome through education. Students will be selected by PISA through random sampling. The format for the student assessment will be offline and the question to Indian students will be related to India's perspective only. The PISA test will help reveal where they stand globally as far as learning outcomes are concerned. PISA is a triennial international survey in which students are assessed in reading, mathematics, science and collaborative problemsolving. The purpose of the survey is to evaluate the education system worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students. The CBSE and NCERT will be part of the process and activities leading to the actual test.
232. Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh has been appointed the South-East Asia regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for a second five-year term. Under her leadership, the Region has made remarkable progress. In her first term, she focused on building an increasingly responsive and accountable WHO in the Region, while prioritizing persisting and emerging epidemiological and demographic challenges; promoting universal health coverage and building robust health systems; strengthening emergency risk management and articulating a strong regional voice in global health agenda. In the last five years, four countries eliminated measles and six controlled rubella. Thailand became the first in Asia-Pacific and the first with a large HIV epidemic—to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. Maldives and Sri Lanka were certified malaria free. Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand eliminated lymphatic filariasis, India was declared yaws-free and Nepal trachoma-free.
233. The Ministry of Defence launched a mobile app 'RDP India 2019' to let people watch highlights of the 70th Republic Day event all over the world. 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. It was extremely informative to the spectators witnessing the Parade and was widely appreciated. The app also had the provision for live streaming of the Parade. People who desire to know the theme and ideas depicted in the tableaux and also those who for some reason could not witness the Parade on Rajpath or watch it on TV, can still download the app and gather all information about the event. This new initiative is in sync with the Digital India campaign of the Government.
234. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated Atal Setu — the third Cable bridge across river Mandovi in Panaji, Goa. The new bride is fourlane and 5.1Km long, and is expected to overcome the bottlenecks and curb traffic jams at Panaji Circle and Panaji entrance. It is constructed by the GIDC (Goa Infrastructure Development Corporation) and engineering and construction major Larsen and Toubro. This is the third bridge across Mandovi River. It is named as ATAL SETU in memory of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpeyee.
235. Dhirendra Nath Chakraborty, the veteran journalist and former editor, has been conferred the Assam Republic Day Journalism Award 2019 for his lifelong contribution to journalism in the state. The award comprises a cash prize of Rs.1 lakh, a citation, the Assamese 'xoraai' (the bell metal memento presented as an honour), 'jaapi' (headgear) and an angavastra. Chakraborty is the former editor of Dainik Asom, Dainik Janambhumi and Ajir Batori group of newspaper.
236. On the occasion of 70th Republic Day 2019, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath announced the launch of the 'Yuva Swabhiman Yojana' for youths from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs) in urban areas. The purpose of the scheme is to empower the unemployed youth candidates. Under this scheme, 100 days of employment will be provided to youngsters from economically weaker sections of the society in urban areas. Apart from this, they will also be given skill training by the government.
237. Narthaki Nataraj, a renowned dancer from Tamil Nadu, has become the first Indian transgender to be honoured with Padma Shri, the third highest civilian award of India. She is a Bharatanatyam exponent and specialises in the Thanjavur-based Nayaki Bhava tradition. Born in the temple town of Madurai, Nataraj learned the art under Tanjore Shri K P Kittappa Pillai and gave her on advances to the Tanjore Quartet of Bharatanatyam (Nayaki Bhava tradition) through a dance school she established.
238. Insurance regulator IRDAI has constituted a committee that will not only facilitate in identifying the Systemically Important Insurers (SIIs), but also recommend enhanced supervision measures for them. The committee headed by IRDAI member (finance and investment) Pravin Kutumbe will submit its report within six months. The committee would study the methodology followed by International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) for identification of SIIs and those followed by other financial regulators, particularly by RBI for identification of SIFIs. As per the terms of reference, the panel has also to develop a paper on assessment methodology for SIIs in India and recommend enhanced supervision for them.
239. Suman Kumari has become the first Hindu woman in Pakistan to be appointed as a civil judge after passing an examination for induction of judicial officers. She hails from Qambar-Shahdadkot & will serve in her native district. Suman passed her LLB examination from Hyderabad and did her masters in law from Karachi's Szabist University. This is not the first time that a person from the Hindu community has been appointed as a judge. 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. Hindus make up nearly 2% of Pakistan's total population and Hinduism remains the second largest religion in Pakistan after Islam.
240. On 28th January 2019, Tamil Nadu was declared the 'Best State Overall' for its active participation in the national campaign 'Swasth Bharat Yatra'. The campaign was a 100- day consumer outreach programme of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which was launched on 16th October 2018 to amplify its Eat Right India initiative. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra were adjudged the Best States with population above 3 crore. Punjab, Goa and Delhi were recognised as the Best States having population less than 3 crore. Meghalaya, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttrakhand were given special awards for their participation despite their hilly and difficult terrain. The Yatra saw the involvement of 10 lakh participants and reached to around 2.5 crore people across various States and UTs. It also led to the creation of 21,000 local 'Eat Right Champions' who would sustain this movement in the future.
241. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has recently announced to launch "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 (PVTG) of the state. The announcement was made at the annual tribal fair popularly known as "Adivasi Mela" on 70th Republic Day 2019. The focus areas of the Project will include skill development, empowering communities, cooperation and innovation among the groups. Of 75 tribal communities in the country, 13 PVTGs reside in remote and far-off areas of 12 districts in Odisha.
242. As per latest report of the World Steel Association (WSA), China is the largest producer of crude steel accounting for more than 51% of production. While, India has replaced Japan as world's second largest steel producing country. The crude steel production of India in 2018 was at 106.5 MT. It went up by 4.9% from 101.5 MT in 2017. Japan produced 104.3 MT in 2018, down 0.3% compared to 2017. Global crude steel production reached 1,808.6 MT for the year 2018 from 1,729.8 MT in 2017, a rise of 4.6%. The WSA is the international trade body for the iron and steel industry. Its members represent around 85% of the world's steel production, including over 160 steel producers with 9 of the 10 largest steel companies, national and regional steel industry associations, and steel research institutes.
243. The International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed every year on 27th of January to commemorate the tragedy of the Holocaust that occurred during the Second World War. It commemorates the genocide that resulted in the death of an estimated 6 million Jews and others by the Nazi regime.
244. On 29th January, the 8-member Lokpal search panel hold its first meeting to select members of anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal. The committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, is understood to have discussed modalities related to the appointments of the chief and members of Lokpal. The meeting comes days after the Supreme Court set up a February-end deadline for the search committee to send a panel of names who could be considered for the appointment as chairman and members of Lokpal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection committee. The Lokpal Act, which envisages establishment of the anti-graft body Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants, was passed in 2013.
245. The 3rd International Stock Taking Conference on Tiger Conservation was held in New Delhi on January 28, 2019. The 2-day conference was hosted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in close collaboration with the Global Tiger Forum (GTA) which is an International, Intergovernmental Organization for conserving tigers in the world. In it, the 13 tiger range countries discussed on the status of the Global Tiger Recovery Program (GTRP) besides deliberations on combating wildlife trafficking. This is the second stock taking conference held in India after 2012. The major outcome of the Conference is expected to be course correction in strategies envisaged in Global and National Tiger Recovery Programs (GTRP/NTRP) which shall take tiger conservation forward to the intended goal as outlined in St. Petersburg, Russia.
246. The Delhi government has decided to provide the Capital's farmers a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their crops based on the recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan Committee's report. In its 2006 report, the National Commission on Farmers' chairman Prof. M S Swaminathan suggested the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) to fix MSP at least 50% more than the weighted average cost of production.
247. On 26th January 2019, Nepalese batsman Rohit Paudel created history by becoming the youngest player in men's international cricket to hit a half-century surpassing the likes of batting legends Sachin Tendulkar (in Tests) and Shahid Afridi (in ODIs). He accomplished the feat in the 2nd ODI against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Dubai at the age of 16 years and 146 days. Hence, Paudel overtook the long-standing record held by Tendulkar, who achieved the feat in a Test against Pakistan at the age of 16 years and 213 days. In ODI cricket, the record was held by Shahid Afridi who creamed a maiden 50-over century aged 16 years and 217 days in his maiden international innings against Sri Lanka. Though, the overall record for the youngest player to hit a half-century in international cricket is held by South African female player Johmari Logtenburg who recorded Test and ODI half-centuries at the age of 14.
248. India received the Award of Excellence for 'Best in Show' at the recently concluded New York Times Travel Show (NYTTS-2019). It is the largest travel show in North America which is held from 25th – 27th January at the Jacob K Javits Centre in New York, United States. The Ministry of Tourism (Government of India) participated as the ' Presenting Partner' in the NYTTS 2019 with a view to scale up its tourism promotional efforts in the US, enhance India's visibility and to increase its share of US Outbound travel market. A high-level delegation led by Tourism Ministry Secretary Yogendra Tripathi and a number of stakeholders from India's tourism industry participated in the Show.
249. The Maharashtra government has launched a special scheme to curb infant deaths. The scheme is applicable only for the first child and will benefit around four lakh women across the state, Women. Each kit contains a blanket, a small mattress, a towel, a thermometer, baby oil, shampoo, toys, nail-cutter, gloves, socks, among other things. The cost of the kit is around Rs 2,000. For this cause, Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde distributed baby-care kits to the children born in primary health centres and government hospitals.
250. First time in the history of Kumbh, UP State government's cabinet meeting was held at Prayagraj Kumbh on 29th of January 2019. It is also 2nd time in the history of UP that cabinet meeting held outside the state capital. Here, the State cabinet decided to construct 600 km long Ganga Expressway from Meerut to Prayagraj with a cost of Rs. 36000 crores to provide better connectivity from Western districts to Prayagraj. The expressway is being touted as the world's longest highway. It will be built on a stretch of 6,556 hectares of land. The proposed Ganga Expressway will weave through MeerutAmroha-Bulandshahr-Budaun-Shahjahanpur-Kannauj-Unnao-Rae Bareli-Pratapgarh and end at Prayagraj, earlier known as Allahabad. Yogi Adityanath-led cabinet also approved proposal of Gorakhpur link road project connecting Azamgarh and Ambedkarnagar with Purvanchal expressway. UP Cabinet has also decided to set up statue of Nishadraj at Sringverpur at Prayagraj and develop Ashram of Maharshi Valmiki at Chitrakoot. The Cabinet has also decided to exempt film URI from State GST as film is based on patriotism and sacrifice of soldiers. The first meeting of the Uttar Pradesh cabinet away from Lucknow was held in 1962 in Nainital when Govind Vallabh Pant was the Chief Minister.
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