Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF Download (11th to 17th January 2020)

By Priyanka Priya - Feb 01 2020

Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of  Important Weekly Current Affairs of 2nd week  January 2020. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBI Clerk 2020 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

National Youth Day

  • National Youth Day is celebrated on 12 January being the birthday of Swami Vivekananda.
  • In 1984 the Government of India declared this day as National Youth Day and since from 1985 the event is celebrated in India every year.

Indian Army Day

  • India is celebrating 72nd Army Day on January 15, 2020.
  • This day is celebrated every year on this day because Field Marshal KM Cariappa took command of the Indian Army from General Francis Butcher on the same day in 1949.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

DPIIT launches paperless licensing process for petroleum road tankers

  • The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), has launched paperless licensing process for road tankers for transportation of petroleum. This is a significant move towards paperless and green India that will provide simpler mechanism, ease of living and business to the petroleum road tanker owners.

Four Indian airports receive international recognition for reducing carbon emissions

  • Four AAI airports – Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata; Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar; Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi and Trivandrum International Airport have met all the necessary requirements to upgrade to level 2: ‘reduction’, by constituting Carbon Management Plan and reducing the carbon emissions at airports as per the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) Program.

Citizens can soon file grievances on CPGRAMS portal in Indian languages

  • Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr Jitendra Singh has stated that efforts are on to help citizens lodge their grievances on the Centralized Public Grievance Redress And Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) portal in Indian languages

Home Minister Amit Shah dedicates National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to nation 

  • Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and also dedicated National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to the nation. This state-of-the-art Centre is located in New Delhi.

Mangaluru Junction railway facility gets IMS certification

  • The Carriage and Wagon Depot at Mangaluru Junction railway station, which is capable of examining freight train formations for rail worthiness, has obtained Integrated Management System (IMS) certification
  • The IMS certification covers ISO 9001-2015 for quality management, ISO 14001-2015 for environment management, and ISO 45001-2018 for occupational health and safety, and is valid up to December 2022.

PM Modi launches projects worth 600 crore rupees on 150th year celebrations of Kolkata Port Trust

  • The Kolkata Port has been renamed as Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port. The Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi announced this in Kolkata on the occasion of 150th years celebrations of the Kolkata Port Trust. Mr. Modi launched several Port led development projects worth Rs 600 cr rupees to mark the day.
  • The projects include upgraded Ship repair facility at Netaji Subhash Dry Dock, upgraded railway infrastructure of Kolkata dock system of the Kolkata Port for smooth cargo movement and river front development scheme.

Dharmendra Pradhan unveils Mission Purvodaya to develop eastern region into a integrated steel hub

  • Union Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has stated, the eastern belt has the potential to add over 75 percent of the country’s incremental steel capacity envisioned by the National Steel Policy.
  • It is expected that out of the 300 Million Tonne capacity by 2030-31, over 200 Million Tonne can come from this region alone. while launching Mission Purvodaya in Kolkata .

Raisina Dialogue to begin in New delhi.

  • India’s flagship global conference on geopolitics and geo-economics Raisina Dialogue will begin with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the inaugural session. Seven former heads of state or government will share their views on important challenges facing the world.

Smriti Irani launches Yashaswini Scheme for Women entrepreneurship in Goa

  • Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Textiles, Smriti Irani launched Yashaswini Scheme for Women entrepreneurship in Goa. The event was held at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium at Taleigao near Panaji. Swasthya Sakhi Project and breast cancer screening initiative were also inaugurated on the occasion
  • Under Yashaswini scheme, women self-help groups will be given interest free loans of upto Rs Five lakh for business

Centre to set up panel to examine issues on royalty rates for major minerals

  • The Centre has decided to set up an 11-member panel including mines secretaries from various states, to examine issues pertaining to the revision of rates of royalty for minerals. The members of the panel includes mines secretaries from the states like Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.

CARA celebrates 5th Annual Day

  • Central Adoption Resource Authority(CARA) has celebrated its 5th Annual Day in New Delhi.
  • Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is a statutory body of Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India.

PM Modi welcomes agreement to permanently settle Bru-Reang refugees in Tripura

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed the agreement to permanently settle the Bru-Reang refugees in Tripura saying it will greatly help them, the Bru-Reang refugees will benefit from numerous welfare schemes of the government.

Mega campaign on fuel conservation ‘Saksham’ inaugurated in New Delhi

  • Secretary, Petroleum and Natural Gas MM Kutty has called for putting earnest efforts for petroleum conservation to bring down the huge import burden for energy requirements. Mr Kutty inaugurated fuel conservation mega campaign – Saksham of Petroleum Conservation Research Association, PCRA in New delhi.

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DPIIT:

  • The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is a central government department under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
  • Headquarters location: New Delhi
  • Founded: 1995
  • Parent agency: Ministry of Commerce and Industry

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

Second largest Muslim Congregation in the world Bishwa Ijtema begins in Bangladesh

  • The first phase of the world’s second largest Muslim congregation after Haj began on the outskirts of Dhaka . Thousands of devotees from Bangladesh and abroad are thronging the bank of river Turag at Tongi near Dhaka to participate in the congregation called Bishwa Ijtema. The Ijtema began with the ‘aam bayan’ and will end on January 12 with the final prayers ‘Akheri Munajat’.

Sri Lanka to buy 500 buses from India for USD 15 million

  • Sri Lanka will purchase 500 buses from India for USD 15 million by utilising the line of credit extended to it during President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s visit to New Delhi.

Dhaka International Film Festival begins

  • The 18th Dhaka International Film Festival was inaugurated by the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen.
  • The festival kicked off with the screening of the Spanish-Greek film Window to the Sea, directed by Miguel Angel Jimenez, at Bangladesh National Museum (BNM). During the festival 220 films from 74 countries will be screened across various venues in Dhaka between 11-19 January

Chinese navy commissions first fourth generation destroyer

  • China commissioned its first fourth generation guided-missile destroyer, which is expected to accompany aircraft carriers in new battle groups.
  • The warship named Nanchang was commissioned by People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in the port city of

UK-based Big Innovation Centre opens office in Hyderabad

  • Big Innovation Centre (BIC), headquartered in the United Kingdom, which provides research and consulting services for the corporate, public institutes to address economic challenges and innovation capabilities, has opened its India office in

India-Bangladesh I&B Ministers’ Meet 2020 to be held in New Delhi 

  • India – Bangladesh Information and Broadcasting Ministers’ Meet 2020 will be held in New Delhi . Bangladesh Information Minister Muhammad H Mahmud arrived in New Delhi .

World Bank predicts Sri Lanka’s economic growth at 3.3 pct for 2020

  • The World Bank has forecast Sri Lanka’s economic growth at 3 per cent for 2020 saying the growth is likely to remain below four per cent in next three years. The bank stated, in its latest report of World Bank’s January 2020 Global Economic Prospects, that for 2021 and 2022, it maintains the same forecast of 3.7 per cent of economic growth in Sri Lanka.

Nepal to make yoga education compulsory for schoolchildren

  • The Nepal government has decided to make yoga education compulsory for school children to promote healthy lifestyle among students.The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has completed designing courses on yoga for Grades IX, X, XI and XII.
  • Through integrated approach certain topics about yoga will be included as part of the compulsory subjects such as English and Nepali.

Ahead of Beijing 2022, China launches driverless bullet train

  • Ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China has launched a new driverless train capable of travelling at 350kmph.
  • The high-speed bullet train, which connects Beijing with Zhangjiakou — two of the main host cities of the Winter Olympics — slashes the journey time from three hours to just 47 minutes.

Qatar scraps unpopular exit permits for domestic workers    

  • Qatar scrapped mandatory exit permits for migrant domestic staff and other groups, as part of efforts to boost rights for guest workers amid scrutiny of its record.
  • Previously all foreigners working permanently in the gas-rich country required authorisation from bosses to leave, but now only military personnel will routinely require such a dispensation.

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Country Capital Currency President/Prime Minister
Bangladesh Dhaka Taka Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina
Sri Lanka Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Sri Lankan Rupee President: Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Prime minister: Mahinda Rajapaksa
China Beijing Renminbi President: Xi Jinping
Nepal Kathmandu Nepalese rupee Prime minister: KP Sharma Oli
Qatar Doha Qatari Rial Prime Minister

Abdullah bin Nasser

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

A uniform, standard health cover from April 1

  • The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has made it mandatory for general and health insurers to come up with a standard individual health insurance product, which can cater to the basic health needs of a customer, with a maximum sum insured of Rs 5 lakh and minimum of Rs 1 lakh. So far, the only standardised insurance product had been the motor insurance.
  • The insurers are mandated to offer the product from April 1, 2020, onwards and need no pre-approval from IRDAI for this. The minimum entry age is fixed as 18 years and maximum

Rs 4.7 trillion farm loans waived in 10 years

  • Various states have written off Rs 4.7 lakh crore worth of farm loans in the last 10 years, though this is still below the total amount of bad loans from industries, stated a report by SBI Research.
  • Even though the agriculture NPAs (non-performing assets) were only Rs 1.1 lakh crore or 12.4 per cent of the overall NPAs in FY19, if we accounted for Rs 3.14 lakh crore worth of farm loan waivers announced in the last decade, agri NPAs burden for the exchequer banks could be a staggering Rs 4.2 lakh crore.

Website translator for SMEs launched

  • Pune-based Language Tech Company, Lingua Sol, has launched the Website Translator 1.0, a cost-efficient software solution for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to localise their websites and applications.
  • The Website Translator 1.0 addresses the need for a comprehensive translation partner for businesses through an intricately designed subscription-based language translation solution that is catered exclusively to SMEs.

SEBI defers deadline by 2 years for top 500 firms to separate roles of chairman and MD

  • Markets regulator SEBI has deferred by two years till April 2022 its directive for companies to separate the roles of chairman and managing director in view of demand from the corporates and to keep compliance cost lower amid slowing economy.
  • Under the Sebi norms, the top 500 listed entities by market capitalisation were mandated to comply with the requirement of separation of the roles of chairperson and managing director (MD) or chief executive officer (CEO) with effect from April 1, 2020.

Govt appoints Michael Patra as RBI Deputy Governor

  • The government appointed Michael Debaprata as the deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The appointment of Patra, who is currently an executive director at the central bank, comes nearly six months after former deputy governor Viral Acharya’s pre-mature resignation.
  • Patra will serve as the deputy governor for three years from the time of his appointment.

Retail inflation jumps to about 5-yr high of 7.35 pct in Dec 2019

  • Retail inflation rose to about five-and-half year high of 7.35 per cent in December 2019, surpassing the RBI’s comfort level, mainly due to rise in prices of vegetables as onions.
  • As per the data released by National Statistical Office (NSO) the spike in inflation in the vegetable segment was 60.5 per cent during the month compared to December 2018.

WPI surges to 2.59 pct in December 2019

  • Wholesale prices based inflation surged to 59 per cent in December 2019, as against 0.58 per cent in November due to increase in prices of food articles like onion and potato.
  • The annual inflation, based on the monthly wholesale price index (WPI), was at 46 per cent during December a year ago.

RBI asks issuers to provide facility to switch on, off cards to prevent frauds

  • Reserve Bank has asked banks and other card-issuing companies to provide facility to customers to switch on and off their debit or credit cards, a move aimed at enhancing security for digital transactions.
  • The RBI stated that at the time of issue or re-issue, all cards (physical and virtual) should be enabled for use only at contact based points of usage [ATMs and Point of Sale (PoS) devices within India.

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SEBI

  • Founded: 12 April 1992
  • Sector: Securities market
  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • Chairperson: Ajay Tyagi

IRDAI

  • Founded: 1999
  • Headquarters: Hyderabad
  • Chairperson: Subhash Chandra Khuntia

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

UP to build Rs 234-crore zoo named after Ashfaqullah Khan

  • The UP Cabinet approved a proposal to set aside Rs 234 crore for construction of a zoological garden named after Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan in Gorakhpur. The zoo will come up across over 121 acres.
  • Freedom fighter Ashfaqullah Khan was sentenced to death along with Ram Prasad Bismil for the Kakori train robbery, commonly known as the Kakori conspiracy of 1925.

TN names two state-run varsities after Jayalalithaa

  • Tamil Nadu Assembly passed two Bills to name a fisheries university and a music varsity after late Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa.
  • The Tamil Nadu Fisheries University and The Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University have been rechristened “The Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University,” and “The Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University.”

Arunachal assembly adopts new logo

  • The Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly adopted a new logo, reflecting the distinct identity and culture of the state.
  • The new logo consists of the national emblem and foxtail orchid (Rhynchostylis Retusa), the state flower.

PM Modi to re-dedicate three restored colonial structures to Kolkata

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to visit Kolkata, will “re-dedicate three recently restored iconic buildings” to the people of Kolkata.
  • Currency Building, Meltcalfe Hall and Belvedre House are the heritage buildings that have been restored and made vibrant with the intervention of the Ministry of Culture.

J&K likely to have SMS-based taxi aggregator scheme

  • In Jammu and Kashmir, the LG administration is mulling to bring Application and SMS based Taxi Aggregator Scheme to ensure quality of services, safety, vehicle profile, drivers’ credentials, and regulation of fares and arrangement of services.

National Youth Festival 2020 begins at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh

  • On the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, 23rd National Youth Festival 2020 started with a grand inauguration ceremony in Lucknow .

INTACH Efforts to Protect Buddhist Site

  • The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), heritage lovers and officials have almost stopped the stone-pelting ritual at Bojjannakonda, a famous Buddhist site at Sankaram, near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
  • The Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has already appealed to the authorities to ensure better protection of Buddhist sites by taking up the declaration of Bavikonda, Thotlakonda, Pavurallakonda and Bojjannakonda as heritage sites by UNESCO.

Festival of harvest, Lohri being celebrated in North India

  • The festival of harvest, Lohri is being celebrated in North India especially in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Chandigarh.
  • Lohri marks the end of the long nights of winter and welcomes the longer days of summer, as the Sun begins its journey to the Northern Hemisphere.

Population of ‘mugger’ crocodile species increases in Odisha

  • The number of muggers, an endangered crocodile species, in Ghodahada irrigation reservoir and adjoining waterbodies in Odisha’s Ganjam district has increased.
  • The number of the crocodile species in and around the reservoir was counted at 65 in the three-day-long census

Kaziranga records 96 species of wetland birds

  • Kaziranga National Park and avian specialists conducted the second wetland bird count.
  • The teams counted a total of 19,225 birds belonging to 96 species under 80 families.
  • The first waterfowl census in 2018 had yielded 10,412 birds covering 80 families from 21 families.

Andhra Pradesh likely to have four Regional Zones

  • As it attempts to repeal the Capital Region Development Authority (CDRA) of Amaravathi, the Andhra Pradesh Government is contemplating to bring out a law that proposes decentralised development of all regions.
  • The Jaganmohan Reddy Government, whose decision to relocate the executive capital to Visakhapatnam and the State’s High Court to Kurnool, is working on a Decentralisation and Equal Development of All Regions Act, 2020, according to sources.

Fresh investment proposals worth Rs 6608 cr approved in Tamil Nadu

  • In Tamil Nadu, fresh investment proposals worth 6608 crore rupees have been approved. They have been cleared by the higher-level committee on industrial guidance and single window system, led by the state  chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy

Cultural exchange programme to be organised in Bihar under Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat

  • A cultural exchange programme will be organised in February in Gaya, Bihar under Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat with youths of paired state, Tripura, as well as
  • Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat (EBSB) programme is proving better platform of mingling of societies of different states.

Telangana’s Peddapalli district gets fourth consecutive national award for sanitation

  • Peddapalli district received another distinction at the national level, as it bagged the ‘Swacchatha Darpan Award 2020’ by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. This is the fourth national award in a row received under the Swacch Bharat Mission (SBM) that the district had received.

‘Parshuram Kund Mela’ begins in Arunachal Pradesh

  • In Arunachal Pradesh, the famous Parshuram Kund Mela Devotees from across the country visit the sacred place to take a holy dip in the Kund on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.
  • More than 12,000 footfalls of pilgrims are recorded so far who have come to the Mela this year

Rojgaar Sangi- app to connect trained candidates with jobs

  • Recently, the Chhattisgarh State Skill Development Authority (CSSDA) has launched a mobile phone app – ‘Rojgaar Sangi’.
  • The mobile application aims to connect trained candidates with the jobs.It will also help start-up companies to hire an office staff.
  • The app has been developed with the help of National Informatics Centre (NIC).

Arunachal to start red-listing of orchids

  • Arunachal has become the first state in the country to initiate the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) ‘red listing’ at the state level after it inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the IUCN.
  • The IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity

34,000 Bru refugees to be settled in Tripura

  • Union Home Minister Amit Shah presided over the signing of a quadripartite pact of MHA with the State governments of Tripura, Mizoram and leaders of Bru community to permanently settle around 34,000 internally displaced people in Tripura.
  • Reangs or Brus are the second largest ethnic group in Mizoram

Maha CM launches first girder of India’s longest sea-bridge

  • Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray launched the first girder for the country’s longest sea-bridge, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL).
  • The girder weighing 1,000 tonnes was set off by a 1,400-tonnes ‘launching girder’ and mark the erection of the first span in the civilian works of the MTHL.

MP govt to set up Gandhi chairs, pillars in universities & colleges

  • In Madhya Pradesh, the state government has decided to set up Gandhi chairs and Gandhi pillars dedicated to father of the nation in universities and colleges across the state. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath will inaugurate the Gandhi Chairs at a symbolic function on January 30, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
  • The ‘Gandhi Chair’ will be set up under the political science department of the universities.

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State Capital Chief Minister Governor
Telangana Hyderabad K. Chandrashekar Rao Tamilisai Soundararajan
Odisha Bhubaneswar Naveen Patnaik Ganeshi Lal
Andhra Pradesh Amaravati Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy Biswabhusan Harichandan
Uttar Pradesh Lucknow Yogi Adityanath Anandiben Patel
 

Tamil Nadu

  

Chennai

  

Edappadi K Palanisamy

  

Banwarilal Purohit
Arunachal Pradesh Itanagar Pema Khandu B.D. Mishra
Madhya Pradesh Bhopal Kamal nath Lalji tandon
Maharashtra Mumbai Uddhav Thackeray Bhagat singh koshyari
Tripura Agartala Biplab Kumar Deb Ramesh Bais
Chhattisgarh Raipur Bhupesh Baghel Anusuiya Uikey
Bihar Patna Nitish kumar Phagu Chauhan
Assam Dispur Sarbananda Sonowal Jagdish Mukhi
West Bengal Kolkatta Mamtha banerjee Jagdeep dhankar

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU

Indian Railways signs MoU with RailTel for Phase 2 of e¬ Office execution

  • Indian Railways has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RailTel, a miniratna PSU under Ministry of Railways, for implementing Phase 2 of e¬Office execution.

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Indian Railways:

  • Headquarters: New Delhi, India
  • Piyush Goyal (Minister of Railways)
  • Suresh Angadi (Minister of State for Railways)
  • Vinod Kumar Yadav (Chairman, Railway Board)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

PayU to acquire PaySense for $185 mn

  • Payment and fintech company PayU has decided to acquire a controlling stake in digital credit platform PaySense, including its assets, in a deal valued at $185 million.
  • As part of the transaction, PayU’s consumer lending businesses, LazyPay and PaySense, will merge their business operations to build a full-stack digital lending platform in India

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

Uttam Agarwal resigns as independent director of Yes Bank

  • Uttam Prakash Agarwal,an independent director and chairman of YES Bank’s Audit Committee, has resigned citing corporate governance failure.

Samiya Naseem of Indian origin has been appointed as the judge of Chicago

  • Samiya Naseem of Indian origin has been appointed as the judge of Chicago. She will soon take the charge.
  • US Attorney General William Barr appointed her on the post of the judge of Chicago.

Tsai Ing-wen wins second term as Taiwan president 

  • Taiwanese voters re-elected Tsai Ing-wen with the highest vote count ever seen in the country’s presidential elections.
  • Ms Tsai defeated her more China-friendly challenger Han Kuo-yu with 57.1 per cent of the vote.

Lt Col Yuvraj Malik appointed director of National Book Trust

  • Lt Col Yuvraj Malik has been appointed the Director of the National Book Trust (NBT).
  • Malik, who has taken over from Sahitya Akademi-awardee writer Rita Chowdhury, joined the NBT on deputation from the Indian Army on January 8.

Hyderabad scientist Dr Saha elected as Bureau Member of IUPAC

  • Dr Bipul Behari Saha, a city-based scientist was elected as the Bureau Member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) for 2020-23.
  • In the 100 years history of the union, this is the second time an Indian scientist is elected as a Bureau Member, after Bharat Ratna Prof. CNR Rao in 1979.

The New Sultan of Oman Haitham Bin Tariq Al

  • HM Sultan Haitham bin Tariq bin Taimour has taken the oath of allegiance as the new Sultan of Oman after the death of longtime ruler HM Sultan Qaboos bin.
  • Sultan Qaboos, who ruled the Gulf country since 1970, passed away at the age of 79 after a long battle with illness

Robert Abela wins election to be prime minister of Malta

  • Robert Abela is set to become Malta’s new prime minister after being elected Labour Party Leader.
  • The election came after Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was forced to resign last month.

Senior IPS officer A.P. Maheshwari appointed Director General of CRPF

  • The Central Reserve Police Force was assigned its new director general, P. Maheshwari, a 1984 batch IPS officer, following the superannuation of its previous DG, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar.
  • Maheshwari take over the charge from ITBP Director General S.S. Deswal who was given the additional charge to head the country’s largest paramilitary force, CRPF, after Bhatnagar retired last month.

Harish Salve appointed Queen’s Counsel for courts of England & Wales

  • Senior Advocate Harish Salve has been appointed the Queen’s Counsel for the courts of England and Wales. This was announced by the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice Department.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev submits resignation

  • Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has resigned. Medvedev submitted his resignation to President Vladimir Putin

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CRPF

  • Headquarters: New Delhi
  • Minister responsible: Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs
  • Director General: A.P. Maheshwari

Malta

  • Capital: Valletta
  • Currency: Euro
  • President: George Vella.

Oman

  • Capital: Muscat
  • Currency: Omani Rial

National Book Trust

  • Headquarters location: New Delhi
  • Parent organisation: Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India
  • President: Govind prasad sharma
  • Location: New Delhi, India
  • Founded: 1 August 1957

Yes Bank

  • Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
  • MD & CEO: Ravneet Gill
  • Tagline: Experience our Expertise

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE

23rd National Youth Festival-2020 to be organized from 12th to 16th January, 2020

  • Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and State Government of Uttar Pradesh are jointly organizing 23rd National Youth Festival (NYF) 2020 at Indira Pratishthan, Lucknow from 12th to 16th January, 2020.

5th edition of The Pulses Conclave to be held in Maharashtra

  • India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the nodal body for India’s pulses trade & industry announced that the 5th edition The Pulses Conclave, their biennial global pulses conference will be held from 12th to 14th February, 2020 at Amby Valley City in Lonavala, Maharashtra.

Wings India 2020 To Be Held In Hyderabad From March 12-15

  • Wings India 2020, an international exhibition and conference on civil aviation sector, will be held at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad from March 12 to 15.
  • MOCA and FICCI is organising WINGS India 2020, providing a congenial forum catering to the rapidly changing dynamics of the sector, focusing on new business acquisition, investments, policy formation and regional connectivity.

Global investor meet ASCEND 2020 held in Kochi, Kerala 

  • A two day organised Global Investors Meet – ASCEND 2020 was held in Kochi, Kerala at Lulu Bolgatty International Convention Centre, Grand Hyatt.
  • Wage subsidy scheme was unveiled during the meet . As per the scheme Wage subsidy will be provided for the first 5 years for new ventures getting registered on April 1, 2020.

World Future Energy Summit to begin in Abu Dhabi

  • The World Future Energy Summit will begin in Abu Dhabi.
  • 33,500 participants from 170 countries and 800 specialist exhibitors are expected to attend the four-day annual event.
  • The theme for this year’s summit is “Rethinking Global Consumption, Production, and Investment

Renewable Energy Investors’ Meet organized by Indian Railways

  • Indian Railways and Railway Energy Management Company Ltd (REMCL), a joint venture of Ministry of Railways & RITES Ltd, organized a Renewable Energy Investors’ Meet in New Delhi .
  • The objective of the Investors’ Meet was to disseminate information about the opportunities available under renewable energy in Indian Railways.

Exhibition on Indian Heritage in Digital Space

  • Union MoS Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the exhibition on Indian Heritage in Digital Space and First International Heritage Symposium at National Museum, New Delhi.
  • The exhibition was organized by Ministry of Culture and Tourism in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi

Ladakh hosts first ever Food Processing Summit to attract investors

  • Union Territory Ladakh is hosting the first ever Food Processing Summit to attract investors to the region.
  • With the help of Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, the UT Administration of Ladakh is organizing the Summit

Om Birla inaugurates 7th Conference of CPA India Region in Lucknow

  • 7th Conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association India Region in the legislative assembly building in Lucknow.
  • The main theme of the conference is ‘ROLE OF LEGISLATORS’ and during the Plenary Sessions spread over two days,

Fifth Science Film festival kick-starts in Goa

  • The fifth edition of Science Film Festival of India, SCI-FFI 2020, was kick-started in Goa’s capital city Panaji.
  • The festival that will take place at the Inox Complex and Maquinez Palace in Goa, aims at instilling the knowledge of science among the youth with the help of exhibitions, masterclasses, workshops, and other activities.

The 6th National Standards Conclave

  • The 6th National Standards Conclave is being held in
  • Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has stated that the new BIS Act will relook at all standards for goods and services to balance the interest of consumers.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Indian scientists receive award for remarkable research

  • Indian researchers have received first Merck Young Scientist Award 2019 in Chemical Sciences recently at Bangalore instituted by Merck, a science and technology company operating worldwide. Merck Young Scientist Award is given to researchers with less than ten years of experience with expertise in solving some of the toughest problems in chemical sciences.
    • Dr Sakya Singha Sen, a senior scientist from National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune has been awarded for doing remarkable research in chemical science

Jasprit Bumrah and Poonam Yadav to receive Polly Umrigar Award 

  • Jasprit Bumrah and Poonam Yadav will receive the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for the best international cricketer male and female.
  • Jasprit Bumrah will receive the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for his super performance in international cricket in the 2018-19 season.
  • Poonam Yadav will be awarded the best international cricketer (women).

Odisha’s Puri District receives Swachhata Darpan Awards 2019

  • Puri District receives Swachhata Darpan Awards 2019. The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, organised the ODF Sustainability workshop.
  • Awards were presented by Shri Khan to the best performing districts on key swachhata parameters.

Sindhi writer Vasdev Mohi to be conferred with 29th Saraswati Samman

  • Eminent Sindhi writer Vasdev Mohi will be conferred with 29th Saraswati Samman. He has been selected for this prestigious literary award for his short stories collection- Chequebook. This short stories collection talks about the agonies and sufferings of marginalized sections of the society.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

Narendra Modi fifth biggest geo-political risk of 2020: Eurasia Group

  • India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been listed as the fifth biggest geo-political risk of 2020, by the political risk consultancy – the Eurasia Group.
  • In a list that is topped by elections in the US and followed by events and developments like the US-China technology tug of war on 5G as well as the trade war between Beijing and Washington.

Haryana, Karnataka and Kerala top State Energy Efficiency Index 2019

  • Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand and Rajasthan perform worst in their groups
  • Haryana, Karnataka and Kerala have topped the State Energy Efficiency Index 2019. This index tracks the progress of Energy Efficiency (EE) initiatives in 36 states and union territories based on 97 significant indicators

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Gujarat Agro Industries launches imported water-soluble fertilizers

  • In a bid to encourage use of high-grade agri-inputs, the Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation (GAIC) has launched imported water-soluble fertilisers in
  • The state agency, which promotes agro-based industries in Gujarat, has already imported 300 tonnes of water-soluble fertilizers from China.

GSAT-30 Satellite To Be Launched On January 17 Using Ariane-5 Launch Vehicle

  • Communication satellite GSAT-30 is set to be launched on January 17 by Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana.
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the European Space Agency Ariane space will start their space missions for the year 2020 with GSAT-30, which is an operational communication satellite for DTH, Television uplink and VSAT services.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

Indian Navy to continue with Op Sankalp in Gulf region

  • Indian Navy continues to monitor the situation in the Gulf region and is maintaining a presence in the region to ensure the security of our sea-borne trade and the safety of Indian Flag Merchant Vessels transiting through the region.
  • Since June 2019, an Indian warship is deployed in the Persian Gulf for an operation named Op Sankalp

India deploys INS Vikramaditya in Arabian Sea amid China-Pak naval drill

  • India has deployed its aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in the Arabian Sea at a time China and Pakistan are holding a nine-day mega naval exercise in the region.
  • Pakistan and China launched a major drill in the North Arabian Sea with an aim to increase inter-operability and strategic cooperation between their two navies.

Naval version of Tejas successfully takes off from aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in major feat 

  • The naval version of the indigenously-built Tejas light combat aircraft successfully took off from the “ski-jump” deck of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in a big leap in overall development of the jet.
  • The ski-jump is the upwardly curved ramp on the deck of aircraft carriers designed to provide sufficient take-off lift for fighter jets.

‘India aiming at $250 bn maritime economy by 2024’

  • INDIA is looking at a USD 250 billion maritime economy by 2024, which the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has the responsibility to safeguard.
  • India’s exclusive economic zone in the seas along its 7,500-kilometre coastline comprises over 2 million square kilometres.

India to acquire 200 fighter jets for Air Force: Defence secretary

  • The government is in the process of acquiring around 200 aircraft to cope with the depleting aerial inventories of the Indian Air Force, defence secretary Ajay Kumar
  • The contract for HAL-manufactured 83 LCA Tejas Mark 1 A advanced fighter jets are in the final stages.
  • The Air Force has Sukhoi 30 MKIs, Mirage 2000s, Mig 29s and the ageing Jaguars and Mig 21 Bisons in its inventory of fighter jets at present.

Two Coast Guard ships commissioned at Kolkata

  • Two Indian Coast Guard Ships (ICGS) — Annie Besant and Amrit Kaur — were commissioned by Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar at Kolkata.
  • ICGS Annie Besant was named in honour of Annie Besant, philanthropist, theosophist, prolific author and supporter of the Indian freedom struggle.

Captain Tania Shergill to become first woman parade adjutant for Republic Day parade

  • Captain Tania Shergill, an officer with Army’s Corps of Signals, will be the first woman parade adjutant for the Republic Day parade.
  • Commissioned in March 2017 from the Officer Training Academy, Chennai, Shergill is an electronics and communications graduate.

Indian Navy with IOCL launches special fuel with reduced carbon footprints

  • Indian Navy has succeeded in bringing down its carbon footprint by revising the fuel quality standards. The improvement is the result of a successful study which Navy conducted with the Indian Oil Corporation Limited

Japan Coast Guard Ship ‘Echigo’ arrives in Chennai

  • The Japan Coast Guard Ship ‘Echigo’ has arrived Chennai on a five-day goodwill visit. It will be participating in the Annual Joint Exercise ‘Sahyog-Kaijin’ with the Indian Coast Guard off Chennai.
  • This is the 19th such exercise being conducted between the two Coast Guards since 2000. It is being witnessed by Admiral Takahiro Okushima, Commandant, Japan Coast Guard and the Director-General of Indian Coast Guard Krishnaswamy Natarajan.

Indo-Japanese joint exercise ‘Sahyog-Kaijin’ begins off Chennai Coast

  • Coast Guards of India and Japan took part in a joint exercise ‘Sahyog-Kaijin’ off the Chennai coast as part of strengthening the bond of the two countries.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flags off 51st K9 VAJRA-T gun from L&T complex in Gujarat

  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off 51st K9 VAJRA-T Gun from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Armoured System Complex at Hazira in Gujarat

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Book of Arun Jaitley’s selected writings to hit stands in February

  • The book, “A New India: Selected Writings 2014-19“, is an authoritative account of the policies and decisions made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government during its first stint. It will hit the stands in February.

PAX SINICA: Implications for the Indian Dawn

  • Union External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar launched a book on China titled ‘PAX SINICA: Implications for the Indian Dawn’ authored by Samir Saran and Akhil Deo and published by Rupa Publications India.

Nepali translation of Swami Vivekananda’s ‘Karma Yoga’ among 4 books released in Nepal on Vishwa Hindi Diwas

  • The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu released as many as four books, including the Nepali translation of Swami Vivekananda’s ‘Karma Yoga’, at an event marking the Vishwa Hindi Diwas.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

Rani Rampal nominated for ‘World Games Athlete of the Year’

  • The Indian women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal has been nominated for the ‘World Games Athlete of the Year’ by the sport’s governing body FIH.

BCCI likely to appoint Madan Lal, Gautam Gambhir as Cricket Advisory Committee members

  • The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set to appoint former cricketers Gautam Gambhir and Madan Lal as members of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC).
  • Both Lal and Gambhir have been approached by the board for the role of the advisory committee which will pick selection committees for the next four-year cycle starting 2020.

India finish 2019 as number one shooting nation in world

  • With its sparkling show through 2019, India finished the year as the top shooting nation in the world, leaving behind Olympic heavyweights China and the USA.
  • In terms of overall medals, the tally stood at 21 gold, six silver and three bronze as India topped all the Rifle-Pistol World Cups and Finals in a unforgettable year.

Hyderabad FC appoints Albert Roca as the new head coach

  • The bottom-placed ISL outfit Hyderabad FC named Albert Roca as their new head coach for the 2020-21 season on a two-year deal.
  • According to an ISL media release, Roca, who had earlier coached Bengaluru FC to the AFC Cup finals, will advise the new coaching staff for the remainder of the season and will take full charge from the beginning of next season.

ICC U-19 World Cup Cricket begins in South Africa

  • The ICC Under-19 World Cup Cricket begins in South Africa . Indian team, under the captaincy of Priyam Garg, will look to defend the title when it begins its campaign against Sri Lanka at the Oval, Bloemfontein

MS Dhoni dropped from BCCI’s central contracts list

  • Mahendra Singh Dhoni was dropped from the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s list of centrally-contracted players.
  • The BCCI announced the central contracts for the period of October 2019 to September 2020.

STATIC GK

International Hockey Federation

  • Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
  • President: Narinder Batra
  • Founded: 7 January 1924
  • CEO: Thierry Weil
  • Membership: 137 national associations

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Former MP Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo passes away

  • The titular head of Odisha’s Gajapati dynasty and former parliamentarian, Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo passed away, following prolonged illness. He was 76.
  • Deo had represented the Berhampur parliamentary constituency for two terms as a Congress member. He switched over to the BJP in 1998 and joined the ruling BJD a decade later, in 2009.

Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman passes away at 79

  • Sultan Qaboos bin , the King of Oman passed away  , the Royal Court announced. The Sultan’s death  was announced by the official Oman News Agency. His death follows a years-long struggle with an illness. He was 79.

Veteran broadcaster, academic-poet Obaid Siddiqui passes away

  • Veteran broadcaster, poet and academician Obaid Siddiqui passed away due to health related problems.
  • Siddiqui received higher education at the Aligarh Muslim University and joined the All India Radio at Srinagar station in 1988.

Noted Kannada scholar Chidananda Murthy passes away

  • Veteran Kannada scholar and researcher M Chidananda Murthy passed away at the age of 88.
  • He passed away due to age-related ailments. Murthy was known for his campaign to save the monuments of Hampi, a UNESCO world heritage site.

Veteran PTI journalist Babul Baruah passes away

  • Veteran PTI journalist Babul Baruah, who was associated with the premier news agency for nearly 40 years, passed away following prolonged illness.
  • Baruah also served at PTI’s Silchar office, and then at Shillong from where he retired in 2002.

Caricaturist Thomas Antony passes away

  • Kerala Cartoon Academy secretary and noted caricaturist Thomas Antony (62) passed away due to heart attack.
  • Thomas Antony had bagged several international awards in the caricature field. Known for drawing abstract caricatures, he devised his own style and had bagged World Press Cartoon’s third prize in caricature.
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