Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
January 01-02, 2019
DRDO day: 1 January
The DRDO was established in 1958 with just 10
laboratories to enhance the research work in
defence sector. Talking to AIR News, DRDO
Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy said that the
country is self reliant in areas of missiles, radars,
sonars and torpedoes and many other systems. Mr
Reddy said, the Organisation has been working over the years to develop state of the art
weapon system for the country's armed forces.
DRDO HQ: New Delhi
Motto: ; "Strength's Origin is in Science" (Sanskrit)
School students in Gujarat will now say 'Jai Hind', 'Jai Bharat' to mark attendance
Students in Gujarat schools will answer roll calls
with ‘Jai Hind’ or ‘Jai Bharat’ instead of the current
‘yes sir’ and ‘present sir’ from January 1 in order to
‘foster patriotism’, a notification issued on 31st
December 2018 stated. The notification issued by
state says that students of Class 1-12 in government,
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Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
grant-in-aid and self-financed schools will have to respond to the attendance call with “Jai
Hind” or “Jai Bharat,” starting January 1.
Kerala: 620-km-long 'Women's Wall' formed to uphold gender equality
Lakhs of women in Kerala took a pledge to
protect the renaissance value as they formed a
620-km “wall” from Thiruvananthapuram to
the northern district of Kasaragod on 1st
January. 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, however, the
content of the women’s pledge has no reference to the shrine.
Madhya Pradesh to get 'spiritual department'
The Congress-led Madhya Pradesh
Government said on December 29 that it is
going to create an Adhyatmik Vibhag
(spiritual department) by merging several
existing departments. The Congress had
promised to form such a department before the
last month's Assembly elections. The 'Anand Vibhag' (Department of Happiness) set up by the
previous BJP government, a first in the country, would be incorporated into the new
department.
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Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
Women on wheels: Female cops to now patrol the streets in Hyderabad
In a unique initiative "Women on Wheels"
by the Hyderabad Police, female police
officers will now be patrolling the streets to
prevent crime against women. Elaborating
about the newly launched initiative of city
police, Hyderabad Additional
Commissioner (Crime and SIT) Shika Goel told ANI, "The main purpose of launching 'Women
on Wheels' was to empower women including our women constables.
Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched Ujjwala sanitary napkin initiative in Odisha
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
on 30th December 2018 launched the Ujjwala
Sanitary Napkin initiative in Bhubaneswar, which
will expand women’s access to hygiene products
and provide them with employment opportunities
in every district of the state. 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.
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Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
18th edition of India’s Fiscal Stability Report was released by RBI
On 31st December 2018, the central bank of
India, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released
18th Fiscal Stability Report of India.
The following states the important findings of
the report:
India’s financial system remains stable,
Banking sector shows signs of improvement, with the gross non-performing assets
(GNPA) ratio of Scheduled Commercial Banks declining from 11.5 percent in March
2018 to 10.8 percent in September 2018.
GNPA ratio may decline from 10.8 percent in September 2018 to 10.3 percent in March
2019.
Credit growth of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) has improved between March
2018 and September 2018, driven largely by private sector banks (PVBs).
GST collection drops to Rs. 94,726 crore in December 2018
GST collection dropped to Rs. 94,726 crore in
December 2018, lower than Rs. 97,637 crore collected
in the previous month. The total number of sales
returns or GSTR-3B filed till 30 December 2018 is
72.44 lakh, the finance ministry said in a statement.
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Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
YES Bank launches ‘YES SCALE’ 2018 accelerator programme with top Agritech startups
Agritech startups were already seen as a
sunrise sector and a number of startups in the
segment have been getting favourable
responses from venture capitalists for fund
raising as well. And the efforts at sourcing
clean energy need no emphasis. YES Bank
has stepped in and launched a dedicated accelerator programme called YES SCALE. The bank
has selected 14 startups from these sectors screening over 1000 applications received for
participation. These startups will now be put through a 15-month long programme. YES Bank
claims it has looked at technologies and models that can be replicated across the country and
will have long-term benefits to these sectors.
Karnataka Bank launches ‘KBL Mobile Plus’
As part of its digital initiative, Karnataka
Bank has launched an integrated mobile
banking application called “KBL Mobile
Plus” with enhanced features. The App
will be available on Google Play Store and
Apple App Store.
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Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
Sudhir Bhargava takes oath as chief information commissioner of CIC
Sudhir Bhargava took oath as the chief information
commissioner of the Central Information
Commission (CIC) 1st January. Four information
commissioners also took the oath of office, officials
said. Bhargava was administered the oath of office by
President Ram Nath Kovind at a ceremony in
Rashtrapati Bhavan, a statement issued by the
President’s office said.
Vinod Kumar Yadav appointed as Railway Board Chairman
General Manager of South Central Railway, Vinod
Kumar Yadav, has been appointed as Chairman of
Railway Board and ex-officio Principal Secretary to
Government of India.
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Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
Justice T B N Radhakrishnan sworn in as Chief Justice of Telangana HC
The Telangana High Court has come into being
with justices taking oath on 1st January. Justice T
B N Radhakrishnan was sworn in as the Chief
Justice of the Telangana High Court this morning.
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L.
Narasimhan administered oath of office to him.
Justice AK Sikri nominated as Executive Chairman of NALSA
Justice AK Sikri was nominated as the Executive
Chairman of National Legal Services Authority
(NALSA). President Ram Nath Kovind nominated
Justice Sikri as Executive Chairman of NALSA
with effect from December 31, 2018. The post got
vacant after the retirement of Justice Madan B
Lokur.
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Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
Hemant Bhargava appointed LIC interim chairman
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on 1st
January gave Hemant Bhargava additional
charge as chairman. The announcement to
appoint Bhargava, who is currently a managing
director, comes after the retirement of VK
Sharma on December 31.
D.V. Prasad appointed CMD of Food Corporation of India
Additional Chief Secretary to the Karnataka
Government D.V. Prasad has been appointed as
Chairman and Managing Director, Food
Corporation of India, on Central deputation.
According to an official communication, Mr.
Prasad has been relieved from the State
government with effect from December 31, 2018, to take up the central assignment.
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Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
Axis Bank MD & CEO Shikha Sharma retires, Amitabh Chaudhry takes charge
On 31st December, private sector lender Axis Bank
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) Shikha Sharma retired from the
services of the bank and Amitabh Chaudhry will be
the new MD and CEO of the Axis bank from 1st
January 2019.
Smriti Mandhana named ICC Women’s Player of the Year 2018
India’s Smriti Mandhana won the prestigious
Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for the best player
of the year as well as the ODI Player of the Year
at ICC Women’s Awards. New Zealand’s Sophie
Devine and Pakistan bowler Sana Mir came
second and third in the ODI Player of the Year
category. She became the 2nd Indian woman to win an ICC award after fast bowler Jhulan
Goswami, who was named the ICC Women’s Player of the Year in 2007.
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Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
Punjab Gets ‘Jaivik India Award’ For Promoting Organic Farming
Punjab honoured as second best state amongst
states of north and north-east India for extensive
promotion and implementation of organic farming
and bagged prestigious 'Jaivik India Award'.The
Union Minister for Commerce and Industries Suresh
Prabhu conferred the coveted 'Jaivik India Award'
upon the state, which was received by Managing Director Punjab Agro Sibin C, IAS in a
function held here at Delhi.
Anindita gets National Nritya Shiromani Award 2019
US-based Kathak exponent Anindita Neogy
Anaam will be honoured with the National
Nritya Shiromani award for promoting the
dance form across the world. The award would
be conferred on her in Cuttack on the opening
day of the 10th Cuttack Mahotsav:
International Dance and Music festival in Cuttack on January 2, according to the organisers.
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Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
Federer wins historic clash against Serena in Perth
Roger Federer emerged triumphant from a
historic first meeting with Serena Williams in
the Hopman Cup on 1st January, but tennis was
the true winner as two of the game's greats
treated fans worldwide to an unforgettable
evening. Defending champions Switzerland
sealed a 2-1 victory over six-times winners United States that left them bottom of Group B but
the result mattered little to over 14,000 fans in Perth and millions around the world who had
eagerly awaited the contest.
Kohli, Rabada maintain top spot in year-end ICC Test Player Rankings
It turned out to be a glorious 2018 for India captain
Virat Kohli and South Africa fast bowler Kagiso
Rabada. Kohli enjoys a 34-point lead over nearest
rival Kane Williamson of New Zealand despite
dropping three points. Rabada, who split the top
ranking with England's seasoned fast bowler James
Anderson during the year, is just six points ahead of his adversary.
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Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
Bangladesh election: PM Sheikh Hasina wins landslide in disputed vote
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's alliance won
Bangladesh's election with a thumping majority,
the country's Election Commission said on 31st
December 2018, giving her a third straight term
following a vote that the opposition rejected as
rigged.
Brazil's Bolsonaro takes oath as President
Jair Bolsonaro was sworn in as Brazil's
President on 1st January in a ceremony at
Brazil's National Congress Building.
Addressing a joint session of Congress minutes
after taking the oath of office, Bolsonaro, a
former Army captain and admirer of the
country's 1964-1985 military dictatorship, vowed to adhere to democratic norms.
Capital: Brasília
Currency: Brazilian Real
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Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
US, Israel quit UNESCO citing bias
The United States and Israel officially quit the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with the
close of 2018. The countries had announced
their decisions in 2017 of withdrawing from the
agency, accusing it of bias against Israel.
Qatar will cease to be a member of OPEC from 1st January 2019
Qatar will cease to be a member of the
Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries today. The country had sent an official
notification to the OPEC expressing its wish to pull
out and to focus on its liquefied natural gas
production in December.
Capital: Doha
Currency: Qatari Riyal
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Current Affairs: January 01-02, 2019
France introduced GAFA tax on global internet, technology firms
From 1st January 2019, France introduced a
new “GAFA tax” named after the large
internet and technology companies Google,
Apple, Facebook and Amazon to ensure the
global giants pay a fair share of taxes on their
massive businesses in Europe.
Veteran actor-writer Kader Khan passes away in Canada
Veteran actor-writer Kader Khan passed away in
Canada yesterday. His son Sarfaraz confirmed the
sad demise of the 81-year old comedian and
character artist. Born in Kabul, Khan made his
acting debut in 1973 with Rajesh Khanna's "Daag"
and has featured in over 300 films. He wrote
dialogues for over 250 movies. Before becoming an actor he had written dialogues for Randhir
Kapoor-Jaya Bachchan's "Jawani Diwani".
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Current Affairs: January 03, 2019
January 03, 2019
Important Union Cabinet Decisions on 2nd January
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister
Shri Narendra Modi has approved the following:
First-ever three way merger in Indian
Banking with amalgamation of Vijaya, Dena and
Bank of Baroda
Restructuring of National Health Agency
as "National Health Authority" for better implementation of Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya
Yojana
MoU between India and Morocco on Cooperation in the area of Cyber Security
Progress under NHM and Decisions of Empowered Programme Committee and Mission
Steering Group of NHM
High level committee to implement Clause 6 of Assam Accord Several Longstanding
demands of Bodos also approved
Amendment to the Trade Unions Act, 1926 to make provisions regarding Recognition of
Trade Unions
Ex post facto approval to India's Approach for COP 24, Katowice, Poland (2-15 December
2018)
Continuation of Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram Scheme for the Period 2017-18
to 2019-2020
Continuation of Umbrella scheme for "Family Welfare and Other Health Interventions"
during 2017-18 to 2019-20 https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 03, 2019
Inclusion of merchant exporters under Interest Equalisation Scheme (1ES) for Pre and Post
Shipment Rupee Export Credit
Vice President presents LPG connections to Ujjwala beneficiaries to mark 6 crore connections
Handing over LPG connection to a woman
beneficiary, that marked a milestone of six
crore such connections under the Pradhan
Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, the Vice President,
Shri M Venkaiah Naidu hailed it as a
revolutionary scheme that transformed the
lives of women from poor families. “In short,
this is a spectacular achievement by any government in such a short time”, he observed.
Krishak Bandhu: Mamata Banerjee announces sops for farmers
Dubbed as ‘Krishak Bandhu’, the scheme bears
similarity to the Telangana government’s
flagship ‘Rythu Bandhu’ in terms of providing
financial assistance to farmers and landless
labourers. Against the Telangana government’s
promised Rs. 8,000 an acre, the West Bengal
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. The West Bengal government’s scheme has gone a step
further, and announced a life insurance cover of Rs. 2,00,000 in case of death, irrespective of the https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 03, 2019
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.
Purchase of new vehicles, ACs banned for government departments: Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath
On December 31, 2018, Chief Minister of the
Congress led government of Madhya Pradesh,
Kamal Nath, banned the purchase new vehicles and
air conditioners (ACs) by the government
departments due to huge debt of the state.
RBI sets up panel under ex-SEBI chief U K Sinha to suggest measures for MSMEs
The Reserve Bank on 2nd January set up an expert
committee under former Sebi chairman U K Sinha
to suggest long-term solutions for the economic
and financial sustainability of the MSME sector.
The RBI has announced the panel a day after it
allowed a one-time restructuring of existing debt
up to Rs 25 crore for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which have defaulted
on payment but the loans given to them have continued to be classified as standard assets. https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 03, 2019
MoU for setting up Centre of Excellence in Oil, Gas and Energy signed between IIT Bombay and PSU Oil Companies
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for
setting up Centre of Excellence in Oil, Gas and
Energy was signed between Director, IIT Bombay
and CMDs of PSU Oil Companies and EIL. Union
Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill
Development & Entrepreneurship Shri
Dharmendra Pradhan and Secretary, Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas Dr M.M. Kutty graced the occasion.
Saurabh Kumar takes over as chairman of Ordnance Factory Board
Saurabh Kumar took over as the Director General of
Ordnance Factories (DGOF) and chairman of the
Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) in Kolkata, a statement
said. Kumar, a 1982-batch Indian Ordnance Factory
Service officer, is an M-Tech in mechanical engineering
from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, the
statement said. https://examprep.talentsprint.com 4
Current Affairs: January 03, 2019
RBL Bank appoints Pankaj Sharma as Chief Operations Officer
RBL Bank, one of India's fastest growing private sector
banks, has announced the appointment of Pankaj
Sharma as Chief Operations Officer. Pankaj will
oversee RBL Bank's operations and corporate services
function.
Sachin Tendulkar's coach Ramakant Achrekar dies in Mumbai
Well-known cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar,
man behind Sachin Tendulkar, has died aged
87. He breathed his last at his Mumbai residence
at 6.30 PM. Achrekar was born in 1932 and
played a key role in shaping up Tendulkar’s
career over the years. Achrekar coached many
young players at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park in Dadar. His most famous pupil, Tendulkar, went on
to become the greatest batsman in the history of the game.
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Current Affairs: January 04, 2019
January 04, 2019
Modi inaugurates 106th the Indian Science Congress at Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar, Punjab
On January 3, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi inaugurated the 5-day long ‘Indian Science
Congress (ISC)-2019’ that will conclude on
January 7, 2018, in Jalandhar, Punjab. 5-day 106th
the Indian Science Congress organized by Lovely
Professional University inaugurated by Prime
Minister, Shri Narendra Modi in Jalandhar,
Punjabi. It will be organized by Lovely Professional University, Punjab. The theme of 106th
edition of ISC-2019, is: ‘Future India: Science and Technology’.
ACI’s Ease of Doing Business Index: Andhra Pradesh bags top spot, Maharashtra, Delhi in 2nd and 3rd position
Andhra Pradesh has topped the survey of Asia
Competitiveness Institute (ACI), Singapore's
2018 Ease of Doing Business (EDB) Index ABC
Rankings for economies of 21 states of India,
while Maharashtra and Delhi came in second
and third place respectively. EDB index is https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 04, 2019
based upon three parameters- Attractiveness to Investors, Business Friendliness and
Competitiveness Policies.
Indian Panorama Film Festival opens on Jan 4
Ten-day Indian Panorama Film Festival will
be thrown open to public from 4th January at
Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi. A total of
26 Feature Films and 21 Non-Feature Films
will be screened during the festival.
Information and Broadcasting Secretary Amit
Khare will inaugurate the festival. The film festival, to continue till 14th is being organized by
the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
RBI scales down printing of Rs 2000 note to minimum: Govt source
The printing of Rs 2000 banknote, introduced
post-demonetisation in November 2016, has
been reduced to the "minimum" by the
Reserve Bank, a top finance ministry official
said on 3rd January. Soon after the sudden
decision to ban old Rs 500/1000 currency notes
by the government, the Reserve Bank had come out with the Rs 2000 currency note along with a https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 04, 2019
new look Rs 500 note as part of its massive demonetization exercise. According to the RBI data,
there were 3,285 million pieces of Rs 2000 notes in circulation at end-March 2017. A year after
(on March 31, 2018), there was only a marginal increase in the number at 3,363 million pieces.
Of the total currency in circulation amounting to Rs 18,037 billion at end-March 2018, Rs 2000
notes accounted for 37.3 percent, down from 50.2 percent at end-March 2017.
HDFC MF surpassed ICICI Prudential MF to become largest AMC in India: AMFI
On 3rd January, as per the latest data of
Association of Mutual funds in India (AMFI),
HDFC Mutual Fund has surpassed ICICI
Prudential MF to become the country’s largest
asset management company (AMC) after a gap
of over two years.
First-ever Kisan Cricket League to commence on Feb 20
In a bid to encourage cricket among rural Indian
aspirants, the first-ever Kisan Cricket League - The
Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Cup of Hope - will
be held from February 20 to March 20. The event
introduces a fresh short format cricket tournament
aimed at engaging rural dwellers between 17-24 https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 04, 2019
years of age to take up the sport. Kisan Cricket League will have eight teams - Mighty
Himalayans, Frontier Gabroos, Awadhi Brothers, Eastern Eagles, Western Tharyans, Oruvan
Thalaivas, Sahyadri Rangers and a special team for tribal youngsters, The Birsa Boys. The
matches will be organised in eight Non-Metro Cities across India and will be telecast live on one
of the principal sports broadcasters in Indian footprint.
World Braille Day: 4 January
World Braille Day is observed in order to raise
awareness of the importance of Braille as a
means of communication in the full realization
of the human rights for blind and partially
sighted people. The first official World Braille
Day is celebrated on 4 January 2019.
Nancy Pelosi elected as Speaker of diverse US House of Representatives
California Democrat Nancy Pelosi has again
been elected as Speaker - the third most
powerful role in Washington - in the US House
of Representatives. She reclaimed the gavel after
the most diverse class of lawmakers was sworn
in and as Democrats took control of the House https://examprep.talentsprint.com 4
Current Affairs: January 04, 2019
after mid-term elections gains.
China becomes First Country to land on Far Side of Moon
China state television announced Thursday that
China's Chang'e 4 lunar explorer, which
launched in early December, "became the first
ever probe to soft-land on the far side of the
moon." The probe touched down at 10:26 Beijing
time on 3rd January, the China Global Television
Network said.
Bengali writer and Sahitya Akademi awardee Dibyendu Palit Passed away
On January 3, 2018, renowned Bengali writer
and Sahitya Akademi awardee Dibyendu Palit
passed away at 79. Palit was conferred the
Sahitya Akademi for his novel ‘Anubhab’ in
1998.
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Current Affairs: January 05-07, 2019
January 05-07, 2019
Bezbaruah committee set up to implement Clause 6 of Assam Accord
Former bureaucrat M.P. Bezbaruah will head a
nine-member high-level committee constituted by
the Union government to look into the
implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord
of 1985 that provides for constitutional guarantees
to protect the state's indigenous communities.
Zero percent interest for loans upto Rs. 3 lakhs for Self Help Groups (SHGs) under the Mission Shakti scheme: Odisha CM
On January 5, 2019, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik announced interest-free loans of up to Rs.3
lakh for six lakh women self-help groups (WSHGs)
benefitting about 70 lakh women in Odisha. The
‘Mission Shakti’ programme was launched in 2001.
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Current Affairs: January 05-07, 2019
Secunderabad Railway Station Hoists Tricolour, South Central Zone's First
Secunderabad Railway Station became the first
railway station of South Central Railway (SCR)
zone to hoist a huge tricolour on a 100-foot tall
pole at its main entrance in Hyderabad on
Wednesday. This is in keeping with the Railway
Board's order to hoist the national flag at A1
category railway stations.
NCR launches 'Rail Kumbh Seva Mobile App’ to help people navigate through Prayagraj city during Kumbh Mela
The North Central Railway, NCR has launched a
mobile application to help people navigate
through Prayagraj city during Kumbh Mela
starting from January 15. Public relation officer of
NCR Amit Malviya said, the 'Rail Kumbh Seva
Mobile App' will also provide information
regarding all the 'Mela special' trains that will be
run during the period.
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Current Affairs: January 05-07, 2019
Overview of PM Narendra Modi’s one-day visit to Palamu, Jharkhand
The following events took place during his visit:
PM Modi witnessed the e-Grih Pravesh of
25,000 beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Awaas
Yojana.
He laid the Foundation Stone for the revival
of North Koel (Mandal Dam) project, Kanhar Sone
pipeline irrigation scheme.
Union Minister for HRD Shri Prakash Javadekar inaugurates 27th Edition of New Delhi World Book Fair in Pragati Maidan with Sharjah as Guest of Honour
On 5th January, the 27th edition of the New Delhi
World Book Fair (NDWBF), which has the UAE‘s
third largest emirate Sharjah as its 2019 guest of
honour, inaugurated in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
The event will conclude on 13th January. To promote
the idea of inclusive learning through a series of
exhibitions of audio, silent, tactile and Braille books, the Book Fair’s theme is “Books for
Readers with Special Needs”.
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Current Affairs: January 05-07, 2019
Arunima Sinha, First Female Amputee To Scale Mt Everest Now Climbs Mt Vinson In Antarctica
Setting a first-of-its-kind record, Indian
mountaineer Arunima Sinha became the first
female amputee to climb Mount Vinson, the
highest peak of Antarctica. She was also the
world’s first woman amputee to climb Mount
Everest in 2013.
Vijay Mallya first businessman to be declared 'Fugitive Economic Offender'
Weeks after a UK court ordered his extradition,
former liquor baron Vijay Mallya, accused of
defaulting on loans of over Rs 9,000 crore, received
another blow as a Mumbai court on 5th January
declared him a “fugitive economic offender” (FEO).
Mallya became the first businessman to be declared
an FEO under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act,
which came into existence in August 2018.
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Current Affairs: January 05-07, 2019
Total value of BHIM UPI transactions crosses Rs 1 Lakh cr mark in December 2018
The total value of BHIM-UPI transactions
crossed 1 Lakh Crore Rupees mark in December
2018. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
informed via tweet that the app-based payments
touched 1,02,594 crore rupees mark in December
last year. It was 82,232 crore rupees in November
and 74,978 crores in October 2018. Bharat
Interface for Money is a mobile app developed by National Payments Corporation of India,
based on the Unified Payment Interface.
Government amalgamated three Regional Rural Banks-Punjab Gramin Bank, Malwa Gramin Bank and Sutlej Gramin Bank into a single Bank
With the effect from 1st January 2019, the three
Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) – Punjab Gramin Bank,
Malwa Gramin Bank and Sutlej Gramin Bank has
been amalgamated into a single RRB by the
Government.
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Current Affairs: January 05-07, 2019
Viswanathan Anand appointed Asian Continental Assistant to world chess body chief
Indian Chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand,
a former World Chess Champion, has been
appointed as Asia's Continental Assistant to
World Chess Federation (FIDE) President Arkady
Dvorkovich. FIDE President Dvorkovich has
appointed three more Continental Assistants viz.,
former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik (for
Europe), Fidel Gonzalez -- President of Venezuela Chess Federation (for Americas), and
Tshepiso Lopang -- Vice President of the African Chess Confederation (for Africa).
Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards
Home Minister Rajnath Singh presented awards to
29 winners in 18 categories — across print,
broadcast and purely-digital — for outstanding
work done in 2017. The Express Group instituted
the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism
Awards in 2005 as part of the centenary year https://examprep.talentsprint.com 6
Current Affairs: January 05-07, 2019
celebrations of its founder, Ramnath Goenka. The awards aim to celebrate excellence in
journalism, recognise courage and commitment and showcase the outstanding contributions of
journalists from across the country.
India scripts history, wins first ever test series in Australia
India has won a test series in Australia for the
first time when the rain-disrupted fourth
match petered out in a draw with no play
possible at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 7th
January. Wins in Adelaide and Melbourne had
given Virat Kohli's side a 2-1 lead going into
the final test and a draw was enough to secure a breakthrough that had eluded all previous
Indian touring parties for 71 years.
Bengaluru Bulls win their first Pro Kabaddi League title
The final of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season
6 was to be a Bengaluru Bulls vs. Gujarat
Fortune Giants contest. After the game, one
could be forgiven for thinking it was, instead,
Pawan Kumar Sehrawat vs. the Gujarat
Fortune Giants. Sehrawat capped off his PKL https://examprep.talentsprint.com 7
Current Affairs: January 05-07, 2019
season the way he began it - by racking up points in quick, unstoppable fashion to finish 5th
January's final with 22 points from 25 raids, carrying the Bulls to a 38-33 win and their first PKL
title in their second final.
Nishikori, Pliskova win Brisbane International titles
Kei Nishikori won his first ATP title since
Memphis in 2016 with a dominating final set to
beat Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in the
Brisbane International final on 6th january.
Earlier, Karolina Pliskova won her second
Brisbane title, beating Lesia Tsurenko 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
after coming within just two points of defeat.
Rishabh Pant becomes first Indian wicketkeeper to score Test Century in Australia
Rishabh Pant scored a brilliant century, the
second of his career, to pile more pressure on
Australia on Day Two of the fourth Test at the
Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The 21-year-old
left-hander smashed eight boundaries in his
composed 137-ball knock, building on 193 from
Cheteshwar Pujara to steer India to 511 for six in
the final session of the day.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 8
Current Affairs: January 05-07, 2019
Sultan Muhammad V steps down as Malaysia's king
Malaysia’s king has abdicated, royal officials have
said, ending weeks of speculation about his future.
The announcement on 6th December follows a leave
of absence by the head of state and rumours he had
married a former Russian beauty queen. Sultan
Muhammad V’s decision marks the first time a
king has abdicated in the Muslim-majority country since Malaysia gained independence from
Britain in 1957.
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Currency: Malaysian Ringgit
China develops its own Mother of All Bombs: Report
Last year, while waging war against militants
in Afghanistan, the US military dropped a
GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast
(MOAB) weapon, more commonly known as
the "Mother of All Bombs," on the Islamic
State. Although China is using the same
nickname for its bomb, said to weigh several tonnes, the Chinese weapon is smaller and lighter
than its American counterpart.
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Current Affairs: January 08, 2019
January 08, 2019
Cabinet approves 10% quota for economically backward upper castes
Union Cabinet has approved 10%reservation in
direct recruitments and for admission in higher
educational institutions for the economically
backward section in the general category. Sources
said, the reservation benefit is likely to be availed by
those whose annual income is below Rs 8 lakh and
have up to five acres of Agricultural land. The government is likely to bring a constitutional
amendment bill in Parliament on Tuesday as the quota will be over and above the existing
50%reservation. Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution will have to be amended for
implementation of the decision.
Norwegian PM arrives in New Delhi for a 3-day visit to India
Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg has
arrived in New Delhi on a 3-day state visit to India.
She was accompanied by senior officials from her
government and a large business delegation. She
will participate in the Indo-Norwegian Business
Conference.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 08, 2019
Indian economy expects to grow at 7.2% in 2018-19
Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.2% in
2018-19 against 6.7% in the previous fiscal mainly
due to improvement in the performance of
agriculture and manufacturing sectors. Releasing
the first advance estimates of National Income for
2018-19, Central Statistics Office (CSO) said, the
growth in GDP during 2018-19 is estimated at 7.2%as compared to the growth rate of 6.7% in
2017-18. Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg described the 7.2% GDP growth
projection as very healthy.
Sheikh Hasina sworn-in as Bangladesh PM for 4th term
Sheikh Hasina took oath as Bangladesh Prime
Minister on Monday for the third consecutive
term following her party's sweeping victory in
the 11th Parliamentary elections. President
Mohammad Abdul Hamid administered the
oath of office to Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka on
Monday afternoon. Aiming to inject fresh blood in new Government, Sheikh Hasina this time https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 08, 2019
has not chosen any representatives from the Awami League allies for her new cabinet as she did
previously.
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim to step down on Feb 1
In a surprise move, World Bank President Jim
Yong Kim announced that he will step down
from his position on February 1 - much before
the end of his term in 2022. Kim, 58, has been in
this position for over six years now. In a
statement, the World Bank said he will join a firm
and focus on increasing infrastructure investments in developing countries.
Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank CEO, will assume the role of interim President effective 1st
of next month. The president of the Washington-based World Bank has always been an
American citizen nominated by the United States, which is the largest shareholder of this
multilateral financial institution.
India takes over operations of Chabahar port in Iran
India has taken over operations of the strategic
Chabahar port in the Sistan-Balochistan
province of Iran's southern coast. This is the first
time India will be operating a port outside its
territory. The Shipping Ministry in a statement in
New Delhi today said that the Government of
India took over the operations of a part of Shahid Beheshti Port, Chabahar, in Iran during the
Chabahar Trilateral Agreement meeting held there on December 24, 2018. https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 08, 2019
Maharashtra to host 2nd edition of Khelo India Youth Games
Maharashtra is all set to host the second edition of
Khelo India Youth Games which will officially
begin tomorrow in Pune. More than 9000 players
from different states will participate in 18 different
games at Khelo India Youth Games. 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.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 4
Current Affairs: January 09, 2019
January 09, 2019
4th Raisina Dialogue to held in Delhi
Norway Prime Minister Erna Solberg has
delivered inaugural address in presence of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj. Ministry of External
Affairs in partnership with Observer Research
Foundation is organizing the flagship annual
geopolitical and geostrategic conference. The theme of the Dialogue this year is "A World
Reorder: New Geometries; Fluid Partnerships; Uncertain Outcomes”.
SC reinstates Alok Verma as CBI Chief
The Supreme Court on 8th January reinstated
Alok Verma as the CBI chief. However, the
Court said, the committee constituted under the
Delhi Special Police Establishment Act will have
to consider the matter afresh and that Mr. Verma
cannot take any major policy decisions until then.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 09, 2019
Kallakurichi announced as 33rd district, after bifurcating Villupuram: Tamil Nadu Govt
On January 8, 2019, Tamil Nadu chief minister
Edappadi K Palanisamy announced the
formation of a new district Kallakurichi by
bifurcating Villupuram district which is one of
the large districts in the State.
Governor: Banwari Lal Purohit
RBI appoints Nandan Nilekani as chairman of Digital Payments Panel
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 8th January
announced formation of a high-level panel to
assess digitisation of payments in the country.
The Committee on Deepening of Digital
Payments will be chaired by Nandan Nilekani,
the RBI said in a statement. The committee, which
will have four other members, will review the existing status of digitisation of payments in the
country and assess the current levels of digital payments in financial inclusion, according to the
RBI.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 09, 2019
Jana Small Finance Bank launches Current Account with Unique Auto-Sweep Facility
Jana Small Finance Bank has launched Current
Account with Auto-Sweep facility. The facility
will enable bank's existing and potential new
customers to auto sweep-in and sweep-out the idle
funds in the current account to Sweep Fixed
Deposit and earn high interest. For a tenor of 365
days on sweep deposit, the customers will be able
to earn interest of 8.5%.
Headquarters: Bengaluru
MD & CEO: Ajay Kanwal
Tagline: Likho Apni Kahaani
India born Gita Gopinath joins IMF as Chief Economist
India born Gita Gopinath has joined
International Monetary Fund as its chief
economist. She has first woman to occupy the top
IMF post. Gopinath succeeds Maurice (Maury)
Obstfeld as Economic Counsellor and Director of
the IMF's Research Department. Obstfeld retired https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 09, 2019
on December the 31st.
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., USA
CEO: Christine Lagarde
Solar Man of India, Pranav R Mehta, became the first Indian to Head Global Solar Council, USA
On January 8, 2019, the chairman of National Solar
Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), Shri Pranav R
Mehta, has taken over as the president of Global Solar
Council (GSC) from January 1, 2019. He is dubbed as
the Solar Man of India.
Vikram Misri takes charge as new Indian ambassador to China
On January 8, 2019, India’s new ambassador to
China, Vikram Misri, took charge of the post.
Vikram Misri, took charge as India's new envoy to
China. He reported to Hong Lei, Deputy Director
General of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in Beijing. He is a 1989-batch Indian Foreign
Service (IFS) officer, and replaced Gautam Bambawale who retired in November 2018.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 4
Current Affairs: January 09, 2019
USA cricket approved as ICC’S 105th member
In USA Cricket’s biggest milestone to date,
the International Cricket Council (ICC) has
announced USA Cricket was approved as an
Associate Member to become the ICC’s
105th Member. Started in 2017 upon the
expulsion of the United States’ previous ICC
recognized National Federation, USA Cricket has continued to work towards a unified U.S.
cricket community and the ICC’s recognition will only help to further the unification efforts.
Headquarters: Dubai, UAE
Chairperson: Shashank Manohar
We are Displaced: Malala's book on refugee girls to hit stands
Nobel Peace Prize winner and Pakistani activist,
Malala Yousafzai, is coming up with a new book,
charting her experiences travelling the world and
visiting refugee camps. Titled 'We are Displaced',
the book will hit the stands in India on 9th January.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 5
Current Affairs: January 10, 2019
January 10, 2019
Parliament passes Constitution 124th Amendment Bill, 2019
Parliament has passed the Constitution
124th (Amendment) Bill, 2019 with the
Rajya Sabha approving it on 9th January.
The Lok Sabha has already passed it on 8th
January. The legislation provides for 10%
reservation in government jobs and
admission in educational institutions to economically backward people among upper castes.
PM launches Gangajal Project to Provide Better and More Assured Water Supply in Agra
The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation,
Gangajal project, which will provide Agra with
better and more assured water supply, at an
estimated cost of Rs.2880 crores. Gangajal project
aims to bring 140 cusecs of Ganga water to Agra.
This will help meet the drinking water demands in
the city.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 10, 2019
Women and Child Development Ministry launches “Web- Wonder Women” Campaign
The Ministry of Women and Child
Development, Government of India, has
launched an online campaign, ‘#www : Web-
Wonder Women’. The Campaign aims to
discover and celebrate the exceptional
achievements of women, who have been driving
positive agenda of social change via social media.
Sikkim to become first state to roll out Universal Basic Income (UBI)
Sikkim will be the first state to roll out Universal
Basic Income (UBI) and has started the process to
introduce the unconditional direct cash transfer
scheme. Sikkim’s ruling party, the Sikkim
Democratic Front (SDF), has decided to include
UBI in its manifesto ahead of the Assembly
election in 2019 and aims to implement the scheme by 2022.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 10, 2019
Uttarakhand Govt. announces 5% reservation for orphanage children in govt jobs
Children residing in the state-owned orphanages
in Uttarakhand will get five percent reservation in
government jobs in the Bharatiya Janata Party-
ruled state, the cabinet decided on 9th January. As
many as 1,000 children will benefit from the same,
said Uttarakhand government spokesman Madan
Kaushik.
7th edition of National Level Pollution Response Exercise held in Mumbai
The seventh edition of the National Level Pollution
Response Exercise (NATPOLREX-VII) to validate
and reinforce response mechanism for oil Pollution
incidents and enable the Indian Coast Guard to fine
tune the actions required in such eventualities was
conducted on 9th January off Mumbai harbour.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 10, 2019
India’s GDP expected to grow at 7.3% in 2018-19: World Bank
On 9th January 2019, World Bank projected India’
GDP, expected to grow at 7.3% in the fiscal year
2018-19, and 7.5% in the following two years. The
Bank said India will continue to be the fastest
growing major economy in the world. In India, the
growth has accelerated, driven by an upswing in
consumption, and investment growth has firmed as
the effects of temporary factors wane, the World Bank said in its latest report.
India to become world's third largest consumer market by 2030: WEF
A report by World Economic Forum said that
India is set to become the world's third largest
consumer market behind only USA and China
by 2030. The report said consumer spending in
India is expected to grow from 1.5 trillion US
dollar at present to six trillion US dollar by
2030. The report said that with the annual GDP growth rate of 7.5 percent, India is currently the
world's sixth largest economy.
World Economic Forum HQ: Cologny, Switzerland
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Current Affairs: January 10, 2019
India’s GDP set to eclipse US’ by 2030: Standard Chartered
On 08th January 2019, Standard Chartered released
its long term forecast which states that India will
surpass the U.S to become the world’s second
largest economy by 2030 while China will be at
First Position.
Standard Chartered HQ: London
NABARD through its venture capital entity NABVENTURES Ltd will provide early stage capital to agriculture and rural enterprises
On January 8, 2019, NABVENTURES Ltd,
the venture capital entity incorporated by
NABARD under the Companies Act, will
launch its maiden early stage capital fund
offer to agriculture and rural enterprises.
This would support the agriculture and rural
enterprises and fill the gap of adequate institutional support to them.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 5
Current Affairs: January 10, 2019
IRCTC tied up with Bharti AXA General insurance company to offer free travel insurance for air travelers
On 9th January 2019, IRCTC tied up with Bharti
AXA General insurance company to provide free
travel insurance to the air travelers. This insurance is
applicable to only those who book ticket in the
official website of air ticketing irctc, IRCTC Air –
air.irctc.co.in.
AP signs MoU with Adani Group to set up World’s first 100% renewable powered data centre park in Visakhapatnam
Diversified conglomerate Adani group will invest
Rs 70,000 crore over the next 20 years to build
solar powered data centre parks of up to 5
gigawatts in and around Visakhapatnam in
Andhra Pradesh, its single largest investment till
date.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 6
Current Affairs: January 10, 2019
Sharath Kamal wins record-breaking ninth national table tennis title
Veteran Sharath Kamal broke Kamlesh Mehta’s
long-standing record of most national titles by
winning his ninth crown following a grueling final
against India teammate G Sathiyan here on 9th
January. An exciting final was on the cards with
world number 30 taking on 31st ranked Sathiyan. And
what a final it turned out to be with Sharath securing it 4-3.
Egypt named as the hosts of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations
Egypt will host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations,
the Confederation of African Football (Caf)
has announced. Egypt has just five months to
prepare for the expanded 24-team finals, which
kick off in June. It will be the fifth time Egypt,
which won the tournament when it last hosted
in 2006, has staged the tournament.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 7
Current Affairs: January 10, 2019
Mohamed Salah: Liverpool and Egypt forward named Caf African Player of the Year
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is the 2018
Confederation of African Football Player of the
Year - the second consecutive year he has won
the award. Egypt forward Salah, 26, beat
Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane of Senegal and
Arsenal and Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang to the title.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 8
Current Affairs: January 11, 2019
January 11, 2019
Global Skill Summit 2019 held in Ranchi
Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Petroleum and
Natural Gas, & Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship today attended the Global Skill
Summit 2019 held in Ranchi, Jharkhand today,
organised by the State Government. On this
occasion, in total 1,06,619 youths of Jharkhand
were given symbolic offer letter for jobs in the private sector, surpassing the target of giving
jobs to 1,00,000 youths.
Union Cabinet Decisions on 10th January
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has approved the following:
MoU on Maritime issues between India
and Denmark
MoU between India and Japan on
Development of Advanced Model Single
Window
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 11, 2019
MoU between India and France on technical bilateral cooperation in the field of new
and renewable energy
Signing of the TOR provide tax assistance to Swaziland
Bilateral Swap Arrangement between India and Japan
Creation of the post of Vice Chancellor for National Rail & Transport Institute (Deemed
to be University) set up in Vadodara, Gujarat
Government launches National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
Air pollution is one of the biggest global
environmental challenges of today. A time bound
national level strategy for pan India
implementation to tackle the increasing air
pollution problem across the country in a
comprehensive manner in the form of National
Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was today launched by Union Minister of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi.
India’s longest single lane steel cable suspension bridge opens in Arunachal Pradesh
On 10th January 2019, Arunachal Pradesh Chief
Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated India’s
longest 300-meter single- lane steel cable
suspension bridge over Siang River in Upper Siang
district of state bordering China.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 11, 2019
Selection Committee chaired by PM removes Alok Verma as CBI Chief
CBI Director Alok Verma, who was reinstated to
the post by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, has
been transferred. He was on 10th January
appointed Director General, Fire Services, Civil
Defence and Home Guards. The Appointments
Committee of the Cabinet said M Nageswar Rao,
presently Additional Director, CBI will look after the duties of the Director.
GST exemption limit doubled to give relief to small businesses
On 10th January, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
raised the annual turnover for availing
composition scheme to Rs 1.5 crore from Rs 1
crore effective from April 1, 2019 to provide
relief to small businesses under Goods and
Services (GST) regime.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 11, 2019
Six States sign agreement for Renukaji Multipurpose Dam Project
An agreement for Renukaji Dam Multipurpose
Project will be signed today among the states of
Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi,
Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. The project is aimed at
meeting the drinking water needs of these states.
The agreement will be signed in the presence of
Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Nitin Gadkari in New
Delhi. All the six Chief Ministers will also be present on the occasion.
Sri Lanka’s Central Bank gets USD 400 million Swaps from RBI
On January 9, 2019, the Reserve bank of India has
agreed to disbursed sri lanka’s loan amount of
USD 400 million to boost the nation’s reserve.
RBI has agreed to issue the fund under the
SARRC SWAP facility system. It is also said that
another request of currency swap USD 1 billion is
under process .
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 4
Current Affairs: January 11, 2019
World Hindi Day: 10th January
On 10th January 2019 every year, World
Hindi day celebrated, marking the
anniversary of first World Hindi Conference
which was held in 1975 and inaugurated by
the then prime minister Indira Gandhi,
whereas National Hindi Diwas is celebrated
every year on 14th September, marks the adaption of Hindi, written in Devanagari script as the
official language.
IWF president named as Chef de Mission for Tokyo Olympics
Representational Pic President of the Indian
Weightlifting Federation (IWF), Birendra Prasad
Baishya, has been named Chef de Mission for the 2020
Tokyo Olympics. IWF Secretary Sahdev Yadav said in a
release that it is for the first time that the Weightlifting
has been accorded with the honour of Chef de Mission
for the Olympics.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 5
Current Affairs: January 12-14, 2019
January 12-14, 2019
PM Modi introduces commemorative coin of Rs 350 to mark birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a
commemorative coin of Rs. 350 to mark the
birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the
ten preachers of the Sikh religion.
'One Family One Job' scheme launched in Sikkim
Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar
Chamling on January 12 launched the 'One
Family One Job' scheme which entitles one
government job for every family in the state.
Chamling had announced the scheme last year
during the winter session of the state
Legislative Assembly.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 12-14, 2019
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a new scheme ‘Ama Ghare LED’ to distribute free led bulbs
On 11th January, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik launched the ‘Ama Ghare LED’ scheme,
under which about 95 lakh families in the State will
each get four LED bulbs free of cost.
Chattisgarh withdraws general consent accorded to the CBI to probe cases in the state
On 10 January 2019, Government in
Chhattisgarh withdrew the general consent
accorded to the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) to probe cases in the state.
Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have
already withdrawn the general consent given
to the CBI.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 12-14, 2019
6th Women of India Organic Festival of WCD Ministry held in Chandigarh
On 11th January, Ministry of Women and Child
Development organised the three-day 6th
‘Women of India Organic Festival’ in
Chandigarh, to encourage the women farmers
and entrepreneurs in the organic sector from the
remotest parts of India. This programme is
conducted twice in a year.
National Youth Day: 12 January
Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary, also called
Swami Vivekananda Jayanti, is celebrated on
January 12. The day is also observed as National
Youth Day. In 1984, The government said that "the
philosophy of Swamiji and the ideals for which he
lived and worked could be a great source of
inspiration for the Indian youth" and since then, Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary is
being celebrated as National Youth Day.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 12-14, 2019
IDFC Bank re-named IDFC First Bank
Private sector lender IDFC Bank said its name has been
changed to IDFC First Bank Ltd with effect from 12th
January. IDFC Bank and non-banking financial
company Capital First had announced completion of
their merger on December 18, creating a combined loan
asset book of Rs 1.03 lakh crore for the merged entity.
Following the merger, the board of IDFC Bank had approved the appointment of V
Vaidyanathan, founder and chairman of Capital First Ltd, as managing director and chief
executive officer of the merged entity.
HQ: Mumbai
Sushil Modi to head GoM on GST revenue shortfall faced by states
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi will
head the seven-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).
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 4
Current Affairs: January 12-14, 2019
Retail inflation slows to 18-month low of 2.19% in December
Retail inflation declined to an 18-month low of
2.19% in December 2018 mainly on account of
sliding prices of fruits, vegetables and fuel. The
inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
was 2.33% in November and 5.21% in December
2017.
President confers honorary rank of General of Indian Army on Nepal Army Chief
President Ram Nath Kovind on 12th January
conferred the honorary rank of General of the
Indian Army to General Purna Chandra Thapa,
the Army Chief of Nepal.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 5
Current Affairs: January 12-14, 2019
RBI approves appointment of Brahm Dutt as Yes Bank non-executive chairman
The Reserve Bank of India has approved the
appointment of Brahm Dutt as non-executive part
time Chairman of the board of private sector
lender Yes Bank.
YES Bank HQ: Mumbai
Tagline: Experience our Expertise
Nitin Wakankar appointed new spokesperson of CBI
Senior Indian Information Service officer Nitin
Wakankar will be the new Chief Information
Officer and spokesperson of the CBI, replacing
Abhishek Dayal who has been transferred to the
Publications Division, officials said.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 6
Current Affairs: January 12-14, 2019
Khelo India Youth Games: Abhinav Shaw becomes youngest gold medallist in shooting
At the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune on 13th
January, ten year old Abhinav Shaw became the
youngest gold medalist in shooting. He teamed up
with Mehuli Ghosh to help West Bengal win the 10m
air rifle mixed team event.
Nicolas Maduro Sworn in as new Venezuela President for 2nd Term
On January 11, 2019, Nicolas Maduro was sworn in
as Venezuela’s President for the 2nd term for a new
6-year term.
Capital: Caracas
Currency: Bolivar
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 7
Current Affairs: January 12-14, 2019
Su Tseng-chang appointed as Taiwan PM
On 10th January, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen
appointed 71 years old Su Tseng-chang as the
new Prime Minister of Taiwan during a cabinet
reshuffle following the loss of ruling Democratic
Progressive Party in the local elections.
Capital: Taipei
Currency: New Taiwan dollar
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 8
Current Affairs: January 15-16, 2019
January 15-16, 2019
MP launches Rs 50,000-cr farm debt-waiver scheme ‘Jai Kisan Rin Mukti Yojana’
In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Kamal
Nath launched the Rs 50,000-crore farm debt-
waiver scheme named 'Jai Kisan Rin Mukti
Yojana' on 15th January.
Doordarshan's channel 'DD Science' along with internet-based channel 'India Science' launched today
Science and Technology Minister Dr.
Harshvardhan on 15th January launched DD
Science and India Science channels in New
Delhi. DD Science is Doordarshan's first ever
daily slot on Science and Technology, while India
Science is an internet-based channel.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 15-16, 2019
India's first All-Electric Cab services 'Blu-Smart' launched in Delhi-NCR
India's first all-electric cab services 'Blu-
Smart' has been launched in Delhi-NCR.
Gensol Mobility, part of the Gensol group, is
the company behind Blu-Smart and has
inducted only electric vehicles are part of its
fleet for the national capital region.
Gujarat becomes 1st State to implement 10% EWS Quota
Gujarat becomes the first state in the country to
implement 10% reservation in government jobs
and education to economically weaker sections in
the general category; Fresh examination schedule
of Gujarat Public Service Commission Test to be
announced soon.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 15-16, 2019
Wholesale inflation falls to 3.80% in December
Inflation based on wholesale prices fell to a 8-
month low of 3.80% in December 2018, on softening
prices of fuel and some food items. The Wholesale
Price Index (WPI)-based inflation stood at 4.64% in
November 2018, and 3.58% in December 2017.
7-member GoM constituted to boost real estate sector under GST regime
Government has constituted a seven-member
Group of Ministers (GoM) to boost the real estate
sector under the GST regime. Deputy Chief Minister
of Gujarat Nitin Patel will be the convener of the
GoM.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 15-16, 2019
PM Narendra Modi honoured with first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14 January
became the first recipient of the prestigious
Philip Kotler Presidential award. Prof. Philip
Kotler is a world renowned Professor of
Marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg
School of Management. Owing to his ill-health,
Jagdish Sheth of EMORY University, Georgia, US, was deputed to confer the award.
Manu Sawhney appointed ICC's Chief Executive Officer
The International Cricket Council on 15th January
appointed media professional Manu Sawhney as its
new chief executive officer, replacing incumbent
David Richardson, who will step down after the
World Cup.
ICC HQ: Dubai
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 4
Current Affairs: January 15-16, 2019
Gukesh becomes India's youngest ever Grandmaster
He may have missed out on Russia’s Sergey
Karjakin record of being the youngest Grandmaster
ever in the world, but D Gukesh achieved his third
and final GM norm at the ongoing Delhi International
chess meet on 15th January and has become India's
youngest GM at 12 years, 7 months and 17 days. With
this stupendous achievement, Gukesh has overtaken
city mate R Praggnanandhaa who held the record at 12 years, 10 months.
Bengaluru Raptors win Premier Badminton League title
Bengaluru Raptors have won their first ever
Premier Badminton League title. In the title
clash played at Bengaluru last night, Bengaluru
edged out Mumbai Rockets, with a 4-3 win.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 5
Current Affairs: January 15-16, 2019
British Parliament rejects Brexit deal; May to face No-Confidence Motion
British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a
crushing defeat in Parliament over Brexit deal.
May's bid to get the Withdrawal Agreement,
struck between Britain and European Union,
passed by House of Commons was defeated by a
margin of 202 to 432 - a majority of 230 votes.
This is the biggest defeat ever suffered by a British premier in modern history.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 6
Current Affairs: January 17, 2019
January 17, 2019
9th International Micro irrigation conference was inaugurated in Aurangabad, Maharashtra
On January 16, 2019, Union Water Resources
Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the three-
day long 9th International Micro irrigation
conference at Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The
conference would conclude on January 18, 2019.
Union Cabinet decisions on 16th January
Union Cabinet headed by PM Narendra Modi has
approved the following:
Recapitalization of Export-Import Bank
of India with Rs. 6000 crore
Numaligarh Refinery of Assam capacity
to be expanded from 3 to 9 MMTPA
MoU between India and Australia on the safety in Mines, Testing and Research Station
Regularization of Pay Scales of below Board Level Executives in NHPC Ltd., North East
Electric Power Corporation, THDC India Ltd. and SJVN Ltd. https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 17, 2019
Expenditure sanction for Integrated E-filing and Centralized Processing Centre 2.0
Project
Ex-post facto approval for Agreement on the facilitation of visa agreements signed
between India and Maldives
First National Sports Meet for Tribals organized in Hyderabad
The first National Sports Meet 2019 for Tribals
was organized by the Ministry of Tribal Welfare
at Hyderabad on 16th January. Union Minister for
Tribal Affairs Jual Oram, Minister of State for
Tribal Affairs Sudarshan Baghat, Secretary of
Tribal Affairs Deepak Khandekar and other
officials from various states participated in the
programme.
Suresh Prabhu inaugurates Global Aviation Summit 2019 in Mumbai
On 15th January, the Union Minister for
Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation,
Shri Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the Global
Aviation Summit (GAS) 2019 which is being
organized by Ministry of Civil Aviation in
association with Airport Authority of India
(AAI) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in Mumbai. The
Vision 2040 for aviation sector and the Air Cargo Policy was launched during the summit.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 17, 2019
Last given in 2014, govt confers Gandhi Peace Prize for 2015-2018
The government on 16th January announced the
names of the winners of the Gandhi Peace
Prize for 2015-2018, which were last conferred
to the ISRO in 2014.
Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari
won the award for 2015 for rural development
and education
For 2016, the award has been jointly given to Akshaya Patra Foundation for providing
mid-day meals to children across the country and Sulabh International for its work
towards emancipation of manual scavengers
For 2017, the award was given to Ekal Abhiyan Trust for their contribution to education
for rural and tribal children
For 2018, it was awarded to Yohei Sasakawa for their role in leprosy eradication
India born, Dr. Rattan Lal honoured with 2019 Japan Prize
Central to its deep commitment to honor the most
innovative and meaningful advances worldwide, The
Japan Prize Foundation today announced the
laureates of the 2019 Japan Prize, who have pushed
the envelope in their respective fields of "Materials
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 17, 2019
and Production" and "Biological Production, Ecology".
India’s 1st CWG Boxing Gold-Medallist Mohammed Ali Qamar appointed as Women Team’s youngest Coach: BFI
The 38-year old became the youngest ever to be
appointed in the position. He replaced veteran Shiv
Singh. In addition to this, the BFI also appointed 39-
year-old C A Kuttappa as the chief coach for the men’s
camp.
At 35, Satyarup Siddhanta becomes World's Youngest to climb 7 volcanic peaks
On 16th January, software engineer and
mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta, hailing from
Haridevpur in South Kolkata, became the first
Indian and youngest man to climb the 7 highest
peaks and volcanic summits across all
continents.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 4
Current Affairs: January 18, 2019
January 18, 2019
President inaugurates Gandhian Resurgence Summit at Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj
President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated a three-
day Gandhian Resurgence Summit at Parmarth
Niketan camp at the ongoing Kumbh Mela on 17th
January. About 300 Gandhians from different parts
of the country and organizations are participating
in the Summit.
PM inaugurates SVP Institute of Medical Sciences & Research in Ahmedabad
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Medical
Sciences and Research in Ahmedabad. This is
a state of art, super-speciality public hospital
built by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
and is equipped with all modern amenities,
including an air ambulance.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 18, 2019
IIT Hyderabad launches India's first B.Tech course in Artificial Intelligence
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Hyderabad is launching, in what is claimed
to be, India's first full-fledged B.Tech
(Bachelors of Technology) programme in
artificial intelligence (AI) for the academic
year 2019-20. The institute said it is the 3rd
globally to offer this B.Tech course. Globally, US-based Carnegie Mellon University and
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offer similar courses.
Jitendra Singh inaugurates ISRO's UNNATI programme
Minister of State in Department of Space Dr.
Jitendra Singh inaugurated UNNATI
programme of Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru. UNNATI is
an acronym for Unispace Nanosatellite
Assembly and Training programme launched
by ISRO as part of initiative by United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs that is
commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first United Nations Conference on the Exploration
and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 18, 2019
SBI, other banks agree to finance Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Corridor
A consortium of banks led by State Bank of
India has agreed to provide finance for
Nagpur-Mumbai 'Samruddhi Corridor'
expressway project. Bhushan Gagrani,
Principal Secretary in the Chief Minister's
Office said, SBI has agreed to lend the highest
amount, 8,500 crore rupees. Other lenders include Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank
of Maharashtra as well as the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India.
GST panel led by Maha Finance Minister to study tax rate on lottery
In a bid to study the uniform tax rate on lottery,
the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has
constituted an eight-member Group of
Ministers led by Maharashtra Finance Minister
Sudhir Mungantiwar, said the Finance
Ministry in its official communiqué. As per the
current guidelines, a state-organized lottery attracts 12 percent GST while a lottery authorized
by state attracts 28 percent tax.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 18, 2019
Prabhu inaugurates 10th edition of India Rubber Expo 2019 in Mumbai
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry,
Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the 10th edition of
the India Rubber Expo - 2019 in Mumbai. The
three-day event being held at the Bombay
Exhibition Centre is one of the most
anticipated events in the rubber industry’s
calendar.
Vinesh Phogat becomes first Indian to be nominated for Laureus World Sports Award
Star wrestler Vinesh Phogat on 17th January
became the first Indian to be nominated for the
prestigious Laureus World Sports Award. Vinesh
has been nominated in “Laureus World Sporting
Comeback” category for the year 2019 and will be
competing for the award with golf great Tiger
Woods, Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris,
American alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn, Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Manyu, and Dutch
para-snowboarding star Bibian Mentel-Spee.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 4
Current Affairs: January 18, 2019
World’s first television channel dedicated to human rights launched in London
It would be a web-based channel and
would deliver human rights issues to
audiences in over 20 countries across
Europe, Latin America and the Middle
East. The Human Rights Channel aims to
deliver hidden stories ignored by
mainstream media into people’s living rooms.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 5
Current Affairs: January 20-21, 2019
January 20-21, 2019
PM Modi Inaugurates Country’s First National Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai
On 19th January 2019, Prime Minister of India,
Narendra Modi launched the Country’s First
National Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai,
Maharashtra that seeks to portray over a century-old
journey of movies in India.
PM Modi inaugurates India’s first private Howitzer-manufacturing facility in Gujarat
PM Narendra Modi on 19th January
inaugurated the Armoured Systems Complex
of Larsen and Toubro in Gujarat, the first
private facility in the country where the K9
Vajra self-propelled Howitzer guns will be
manufactured.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 20-21, 2019
Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth arrives in New Delhi
Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar
Jugnauth has reached New Delhi on 20th
January on a week-long visit to India. He will
leave for Varanasi to take part in the Pravasi
Bhartiya Diwas on Monday. During his visit, he
will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
take boat ride followed by Ganga Aarti.
Capital: Port Louis
Currency: Mauritian rupee
Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated
the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor on 20th
January, taking a step forward to boost indigenous
production of defence equipment. Total investments
worth over Rs 3,038 crore in this defence corridor
were announced during the inauguration. The Tamil
Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor — also called the
Tamil Nadu Defence Production Quad as the nodal cities form a quadrilateral with one of them
at the centre — includes Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Coimbatore and Tiruchirapalli as nodes.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 20-21, 2019
Odisha CM launches ‘Sunetra’ scheme for free eye care to all
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday
launched a scheme “Sunetra” that aims at
ensuring free eye care services for all citizens in
the State. During an ‘Ama Gaon Ama Vikas’
programme at the State Secretariat here,
Patnaik said that under the scheme, people
would be provided with various eye care services free of cost at all Government-run hospitals,
including Community Health Centres (CHCs), Sub-Divisional Hospitals (SDHs) and District
Headquarter Hospitals (DHHs) and medical colleges.
Group insolvency: UK Sinha-headed working group to suggest suitable framework
Former Chairman of Securities and Exchange
Board of India ( SEBI), U.K. Sinha will head an 11-
member working group constituted by the
Insolvency and Bankruptcy board of India (IBBI)
to study the concept of ‘Group Insolvency’ and
suggest a suitable framework.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 20-21, 2019
SBI launches ‘YONO 20 Under Twenty’ to celebrate young achievers
With an aim to be the most preferred bank for the
youth, the country’s largest lender, State Bank of
India, announced the launch of 'YONO 20 Under
Twenty’ to recognize and reward young achievers
below 20 years of age across 10 diverse fields. YONO
India’s first and only comprehensive digital platform
that offers lifestyle and banking services has increasingly gained traction amongst India’s
youth.
Bharat Ratna CNR Rao chosen for Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials
Eminent scientist and recipient of Bharat Ratna
C N R Rao has been chosen for the first Sheikh
Saud International Prize for Materials Research
by the Centre for Advanced Materials of the
United Arab Emirates.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 4
Current Affairs: January 20-21, 2019
Khelo India Youth Games: Maharashtra finish top with 228 medals
The Khelo India Youth Games concluded in Pune
on 20th January with the hosts Maharashtra walking
away with the overall trophy. They amassed 228
medals, comprising 85 gold, 62 silver and 81 bronze.
Haryana, were second with 62 gold, 56 silver and 60
bronze for a total of 178 medals, while Delhi were
third with 48 gold, 37 silver and 51 bronze for a total
of 136 medals.
Sweden, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has been elected for a second term
On 18th January 2019, Sweden ended a four-month
political vacuum when lawmakers elected 61 years old
Swedish Social Democratic Party’s leader Stefan
Lofven as the Prime Minister of Sweden for a second
term.
Capital: Stockholm
Currency: Swedish krona https://examprep.talentsprint.com 5
Current Affairs: January 20-21, 2019
Congo Court declares Tshisekedi Elected President
Congo’s Constitutional Court early 20th January
declared the election of Felix Tshisekedi as
president, rejecting challenges to the vote by
runner-up Martin Fayulu, who had alleged
fraud. Tshisekedi, son of the late, charismatic
opposition leader Etienne, is now set to be
inaugurated on 22nd January.
Democratic Republic of the Congo Capital: Kinshasa
Currencies: Congolese franc, Zairean zaire
World’s oldest man dies in Japan at age 113
A 113-year-old Japanese man, Masazo
Nonaka, recognized in April 2018 by Guinness
World Records as the world’s oldest male, died
on 20th January, according to Japanese public
service broadcaster NHK. Nonaka, a resident of
Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, was born
on July 25, 1905.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 6
Current Affairs: January 22, 2019
January 22, 2019
Government begins printing of Budget Documents with "Halwa Ceremony"
With a "halwa ceremony", finance ministry
officials on 21st January kicked off the printing
process of Budget 2019 documents. The
customary ceremony marks the beginning of the
process of printing documents for the Budget.
The event assumes significance as once the sweet
dish is served, a large number of officials and support staff - who are directly associated with
the Budget making and printing process - are required to stay in the ministry and remain cut off
from their families till the presentation of the Budget in the Lok Sabha.
Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya celebrate 47th Statehood Day
Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya celebrated their
47th Statehood Day on 21st January. President Ram
Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi
greeted the people of Manipur, Meghalaya and
Tripura on their Statehood Day. The erstwhile
princely states of Tripura and Manipur were merged
into the Indian Union in October 1949 and became
full-fledged states on January 21, 1972. https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 22, 2019
State Capital Governor Chief Minister
Meghalaya Shillong Tathagata Roy Conrad Sangma
Manipur Imphal Najma Heptulla N. Biren Singh
Tripura Agartala Kaptan Singh Solanki Biplab Kumar Deb
Meghalaya CM launches Whatsapp based grievance redressal
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has
launched the Whatsapp-based grievance redressal
system where people can write to him directly of
their grievances and assured genuine grievances will
be resolved. The Chief Minister said at the launch
ceremony at his chamber that the whatsapp-based
mechanism is an attempt to directly connect with the people.
Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas begins in Varanasi
Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas began at Varanasi in
Uttar Pradesh. The theme for this year Pravasi
Bharatiya Divas is "Role of Indian Diaspora in
building New India". Addressing NRIs, especially
youth who have arrived from different parts of the
globe, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
invited them for investment in the field of education. She said, nowadays India offers limitless
opportunity for those who want to work here. https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 22, 2019
Odisha CM hiked Rs.200 per month under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana scheme
On January 19, Odisha Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik announced in a video
conference on “Ama Gaon, Ama Bikash” a
hike of Rs. 200 per month in the social
security pension under Madhu Babu Pension
Yojana (MBPY).
ICICI Bank launches a premium savings account for men, 'The ONE'
ICICI Bank has announced the launch of a
new range of premium savings account,
christened as 'The One'. The bank in a note
said that this savings account was targeted at
upwardly-mobile salaried and self-employed
men who strived to achieve their goals and
lead an aspirational lifestyle. The savings account also offers a bouquet of benefits for his
families long-term financial needs namely - asset creation, wealth management, life-protection
and investment.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 22, 2019
IMF forecasts India GDP at 7.5% in FY20 and 7.7% in FY21
India will further build its lead as the
world’s fastest-growing major economy
as it picks up pace next year while the
global economy is forecast to slow, the
International Monetary Fund said.
India’s GDP is forecast to expand 7.5% in
FY20 and 7.7% in FY21. China’s growth is seen at 6.2% in both years.
India likely to surpass UK in the world's largest economy rankings: PwC
"India and France are likely to surpass the UK
in the world's largest economy rankings in
2019, knocking it from fifth to seventh place in
the global table," the report said. According to
World Bank data, India became the world's
sixth largest economy in 2017 surpassing
France and was likely to go past the UK which stood at the fifth position.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 4
Current Affairs: January 22, 2019
NCLT approves merger of Tata Teleservices with Bharti Airtel
The National Company Law Tribunal has
approved merger of loss-making telecom firm
Tata Teleservices with Bharti Airtel, according
to an exchange filing on 21st January. The
merger is subject to the approval of the
Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Microsoft's Project ReWeave helps handloom weavers to sell products online
Microsoft India has announced the launch of a new
e-commerce platform here for handloom weavers
under its Project ReWeave, as part of its
philanthropic initiative. The e-commerce platform
would help connect artisans to the buyers directly
enabling them to expand to newer customers and
markets, a press release from Microsoft said.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 5
Current Affairs: January 22, 2019
India signs MoU with Sri Lanka to modernize facilities at Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies in Batticaloa
India and Sri Lanka has signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) to provide modern
infrastructural facilities to Swami Vipulananda
Institute of Aesthetic Studies of Eastern University
in Batticaloa district of Sri Lanka.
China's economy grew 6.6% in 2018, the lowest pace in 28 years
China on 21st January announced that its official
economic growth came in at 6.6% in 2018 — the
slowest pace since 1990. That announcement was
highly anticipated by many around the world amid
Beijing's ongoing trade dispute with the U.S., its
largest trading partner.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 6
Current Affairs: January 22, 2019
Arab Economic and Social Development Summit held in Beirut
On 20th January, the Arab Economic and Social
Development Summit took place in
Lebanon’s capital Beirut in which the Arab
leaders have agreed a 29-item economic
agenda in addition to encouraging the safe
return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
Lebanon Currency: Lebanese pound
Most revered Lingayat seer Shivakumara Swami passes away at 111
The most revered Lingayat seer Shivakumara
Swami, the head pontiff of five-centuries-old
Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru passed away at
11.44 am on 21st January. He was 111 years old.
Doctors said, Swami was battling lung infection
and had been put on ventilator.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 7
Current Affairs: January 23, 2019
January 23, 2019
Indian Navy begins 'Ex Sea Vigil', the largest coastal defence exercise
The Navy, in coordination with the Coast Guard
and other stakeholders, commenced a two-day
defence exercise along the coastline from 22nd
January to test the country's preparedness
against any attack through the sea route.
Codenamed "Sea Vigil 2019", it is the first
exercise on such a large scale.
15th edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas inaugurated by PM in Varanasi
PM Modi has inaugurated the plenary session
of the 15th edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas
at Deendayal Hastkala Sankul in Varanasi on
22nd January. Chief Guest of PBD 2019, Prime
Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth,
Governor of Uttar Pradesh Ram Naik, External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj along with UP CM Yogi Adityanath, CM of Haryana,
Manohar Lal Khattar, CM of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat, Union Minister of State for
Overseas Indian Affairs Retd. General V K Singh and several other dignitaries graced the
occasion. https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 23, 2019
Maharashtra Cabinet Decisions: 100 crore for Bal Thackeray memorial, 'Divyang' in Maharashtra to get Rs 3.75 lakh for eco-friendly mobile vehicle shops
In a major step towards empowering the
differently-abled populace, the Maharashtra
Cabinet on 22nd January approved Rs 3.75 lakh as
financial assistance to every 'Divyang' for an eco-
friendly mobile vehicle shops. Among other
major decision of the Cabinet included the
approval to Rs 100 crore for the construction of a memorial in the respect of Shiv-Sena founder
late Balasaheb Thackeray.
Assam: RPF Women Squad ‘JOYMATI BAHINI’ launched in Guwahati
NSD Logo In Assam, Railway Protection
Force of Lumding Division has taken a
significant step towards enhancing the security
of women in the North-East region. A
dedicated RPF Women Squad named as
‘JOYMATI BAHINI’, comprising women sub-
inspector and constables of the Railway Protection Force was formally launched at Kamakhya
Railway Station in Guwahati.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 23, 2019
Arunachal govt declares Pakke Hornbill Fest as ‘state festival’
On 20th January, Arunachal Pradesh Chief
Minister, Pema Khandu declared Pakke Paga
Hornbill Festival (PPHF) as the “State Festival”
during a valedictory ceremony of the fourth
edition of the festival at Seijosa in East Kameng
district, Arunachal Pradesh.
JNPT becomes the only Indian port to be listed amongst the world’s top 30 container ports
The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT),
India’s premiere container port got listed
amongst the top 30 container ports globally, as
per the latest Lloyds Report. JNPT notched up
five spots, to be 28th on the list, compared to its
previous ranking. This is a validation of all the
efforts and strategic initiatives being
implemented at JNPT in order to enhance overall port efficiency.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 23, 2019
India Steel 2019 Exhibition and Conference inaugurated in Mumbai
On 22nd January 2019, the 4th International
Exhibition & Conference on Steel Industry, India
Steel 2019 Exhibition and Conference was
organised by Ministry of Steel in association with
Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (FICCI) at NSE Complex Goregaon,
Mumbai.
Anushree Jindal launches MFI Svamaan Financial Services
Anushree Jindal has launched her maiden business
venture - Svamaan Financial Services, a
microfinance company. The Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) recently cleared Svamaan’s application to
commence lending operations as an RBI registered
Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)-Micro
Finance Institution (MFI). Svamaan will focus on financial inclusion for women and micro-
enterprises across Karnataka and Maharashtra with plans to enter the eastern markets of Orissa
and Chhattisgarh by 2020.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 4
Current Affairs: January 23, 2019
Facebook invests $7.5 Million to launch AI Ethics Institute in Germany
Facebook is investing $7.5 million USD into
an AI ethics institute in Germany. The TUM
Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence
is based out of the Technical University of
Munich. The institute will explore
fundamental issues affecting the use and
impact of AI.
J-K: Former IAS officer Skandan Krishnan appointed advisor to Governor Satya Pal Malik
Skandan Krishnan, a former IAS officer of the 1982
batch of Tamil Nadu cadre, has been appointed as the
fourth Advisor to Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya
Pal Malik. The appointment was necessitated after one
of the advisors, B B Vyas was made the Member of
Union Public Service Commission. The other three
advisors to the Governor are Vijay Kumar, Khurshid A Ganai and K K Sharma.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 5
Current Affairs: January 23, 2019
Virat Kohli creates history, becomes first player ever to win Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year
Team India skipper Virat Kohli created history
by becoming the first player in history to win
the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC
Cricketer of the Year. The ICC said in a
statement that Kohli also won awards as the
ICC Men's Test Player of the Year and the ICC
ODI Player of the Year. Kohli was also named
captain of ICC's Test and ODI teams of 2018 for a fabulous run in international cricket.
Emerging Player of the Year: Rishabh Pant (India)
ICC Umpire of the Year: Kumar Dharmasena
ICC Fans Moment of the Year: India's triumph in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand in
January 2018
ICC Spirit of Cricket Award: Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
ICC Associate Cricketer of the Year: Calum MacLeod
ICC Men's T20I Performance of the Year: Aaron Finch's (Australia) 172* against Zimbabwe
ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year: Virat Kohli (India)
ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year: Virat Kohli (India)
ICC Test Cricketer of the Year: Virat Kohli (India)
ICC ODI Team captain: Virat Kohli (India)
ICC Test Team captain: Virat Kohli (India)
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 6
Current Affairs: January 23, 2019
Ranjani Murali wins 'Woman’s Voice Award' at AKLF 2019
US-based Indian poet Ranjani Murali received
the 'Woman's Voice Award' at the Apeejay
Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF) here. Murali
received the award on Sunday, the last day of the
literary festival. The award carries a cash prize of
Rs 1 lakh apart from a citation.
Mohammed Shami is the fastest Indian bowler to reach 100 ODI wickets
Mohammed Shami became the fastest Indian
bowler to claim 100 ODI wickets, during the first
one-dayer against New Zealand at Napier on 23rd
January. Shami reached the milestone in his 56th
match, with the wicket of opener Martin Guptill.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 7
Current Affairs: January 23, 2019
Malaysia Masters 2019: South Korea’s Son Wan Ho and Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon clinch Men’s and Women’s title
Fourth seed Son Wan Ho simply continued
from where he left last season by winning the
men’s singles title at the Malaysia Masters. In
a battle of two former top-ranked players, the
Korean got the better of the third seeded
Chen Long 21-17, 21-19 in 55 minutes.
Thailand’s former world champion Ratchanok Intanon started the new season with a bang by
successfully defending her title at the Perodua Malaysia Masters 2019 in Kuala Lumpur. The
sixth seed blew away the fourth seed Carolina Marin in the first game and held her nerves to
stave off a mighty challenge in the second for a 21-9, 22-20 win in 42 minutes.
https://examprep.talentsprint.com 8
Current Affairs: January 24, 2019
January 24, 2019
National Girl Child Day: 24th January
The theme this year is 'Empowering Girls for a
Brighter Tomorrow'. The Women and Child
Development Ministry has organized an event
in Delhi to observe the anniversary of 'Beti
Bachao Beti Padhao' scheme. Women and
Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi
will be the Chief Guest.
Union Cabinet decisions on 23rd January
Union Cabinet headed by PM Narendra Modi
has approved the following:
Creation of the National Bench of the
Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal
(GSTAT)
MoC between India and Japan in the
field of Food Processing Industry
Memorandum of Understanding between India and Kuwait for cooperation on the
Recruitment of Domestic Workers https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 24, 2019
Amendment to the ‘Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC Member
Countries’ to incorporate ‘Standby Swap’ amounting to USD 400 million operated within
the overall size of the facility
Extension of Delhi Metro corridor from Dilshad Garden to New Bus Adda Ghaziabad
PM Inaugurates Subhas Chandra Bose Museum at Red Fort
Remembering the heroes of freedom struggle,
the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi paid
floral tributes and inaugurated the Subhas
Chandra Bose museum at Red Fort on 23rd
January, to mark his 122nd birth anniversary. He
visited the Museum on Netaji Subhas Chandra
Bose and Indian National Army.
2nd World Integrated Medicine Forum 2019 Inaugurated in Goa
On 23rd January, Union Minister of State
(Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shripad Naik
inaugurated 2nd World Integrated Medicine Forum
2019 in Goa. International drug regulators who are
dealing with homeopathic or traditional medicines
from various countries participated in the forum.
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Current Affairs: January 24, 2019
India's GDP likely to grow 7.4% this fiscal, 7.6% in 2019-20: UN report
The Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.4%
in the current fiscal and its GDP growth will rise
to 7.6% in 2019-20, before tapering down to 7.4%
in 2020-21, according to a UN report released on
23rd January. The report United Nations' World
Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2019
said that India's growth continues to be underpinned by robust private consumption, a more
expansionary fiscal stance and benefits from earlier reforms.
India's GDP growth may improve to 7.3% in FY20: CRISIL
India's growth rate is likely to inch up to 7.3% in
2019-20, provided that there are normal rains and a
stable political outcome of the general elections, Crisil
Ratings said on 23rd January. India is expected to
clock a growth rate of 7.2% in the current financial
year, up from 6.7% in 2017-18.
CRISIL Headquarters: Mumbai
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Current Affairs: January 24, 2019
Bihar State GDP Growth outshines nation’s growth: CRISIL
As per a report published by CRISIL (Credit
Rating Information Services of India Limited),
Bihar has been ranked the Top State in terms of
Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) by clocking
a growth rate of 11.3% in financial year 2017-2018.
YES Bank ties up with Maharashtra to onboard fair price shops as BCs
The Maharashtra government has partnered with
private sector lender YES Bank, under its e-PDS
State programme, to onboard fair price shops
(FPS) as Business Correspondent Agents. As part
of the initiative, the lender will engage fair price
shops to provide banking services such as small-
value cash deposits into any bank account, including domestic remittances and withdrawal
from any bank account via Aadhaar-enabled payment system.
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Current Affairs: January 24, 2019
Piyush Goyal named interim Finance & Corporate Affairs minister
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has been given
additional charge of Finance and Corporate Affairs
ministry in view of indisposition of Arun Jaitley, an
official release from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said 23rd
January.
CWG gold medallist weightlifter Sanjita Chanu's provisional suspension revoked
The International Weightlifting Federation has
revoked the provisional suspension on two-time
Commonwealth Games gold-medallist K. Sanjita
Chanu for a failed dope test.
IWF Headquarters: Budapest, Hungary
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Current Affairs: January 24, 2019
India ranked 54th in 'Bloomberg Innovation Index’
India figures at 54th position among the world's most
innovative countries, according to Bloomberg 2019
Innovative Index. South Korea retained the global
crown in the 2019 Bloomberg Innovation Index,
though improvements by Germany in research and
education brought Europe’s largest economy to near-
parity in the annual ranking.
First International Day of Education: 24 January, 2019
On 3 December 2018, the United Nations
General Assembly adopted with consensus a
resolution proclaiming 24 January as
International Day of Education, in
celebration of the role of education for peace
and development. Sustainable Development
Goal 4, in particular, aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote
lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030.
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Current Affairs: January 25 2019
January 25, 2019
ISRO successfully launches Kalamsat & imaging satellite Microsat-R
The Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) launched its 46th flight of Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C44) and put
into space Microsat-R, an imaging satellite
and student-made Kalamsat, a
communication satellite named after former
President Abdul Kalam, from the Satish
Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Chairman: K. Sivan
National Voters’ Day: 25 January
The National Voters’ Day is celebrated all over
the country on January 25 every year since 2011 to
mark the Foundation day of Election
Commission of India, which was established on
25th January 1950. The 9th National Voters’ Day
will be celebrated across the country today for
enhanced participation of citizens in the electoral process. In view of the upcoming Lok Sabha
Elections, ‘No Voter to be Left Behind’ has been selected as the theme for the National Voters’ https://examprep.talentsprint.com 1
Current Affairs: January 25 2019
Day.
Chief Election Commissioner: Sunil Arora
With INS Kohassa, India gets fourth air base in the Andamans
To enhance the operational capability of
Andaman and Nicobar Command, Naval Air
Station (NAS) Shibpur commissioned as INS
Kohassa, a Defence release said. This will be
India’s fourth air base and the third naval air
facility in the region that overlooks key sea
lanes of communication and strategic points. These islands dominate the Bay of Bengal and the
Six Degree and Ten Degree channels with more than 60,000 commercial vessels passing through
each year.
Uttar Pradesh celebrates its 69th foundation day on 24th January
Uttar Pradesh was earlier known as United
Province but through a Gazette notification, it got
its name of Uttar Pradesh on January 24, 1950. To
celebrate the occasion the main function was
organised at Awadh Shilp Gram in Lucknow.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath along with members of state cabinet graced the occasion.
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Current Affairs: January 25 2019
National Women's Party launched in Mumbai
The National Women’s Party (NWP), which
has been formed with the motto of women
empowerment, was launched in Mumbai,
Maharashtra on January 21, 2019. The party
has been founded by Dr Swetha Shetty, a
medical practitioner-cum- activist from
Hyderabad, who would also serve as its President. Announcing its formation, Shetty said that
apart from ensuring empowerment of women, issues like getting 50% reservation for women in
the parliament and state assemblies and the betterment of soldiers and farmers, would be
among their top priorities.
Kashmiri Terrorist-Turned-Soldier To Get Ashok Chakra
A Kashmiri terrorist-turned-soldier who recently
died fighting Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives has
been chosen for the Ashok Chakra, the country's
highest peace-time gallantry award, by the Union
government. Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani was
part of an operation against six terrorists in
Hirapur villager on November 25 when he was killed. President Ram Nath Kovind will
present it to his wife, Mahajabeen, during the Republic Day Parade on January 26. https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 25 2019
RBI okays Ravneet Gill as Yes Bank MD & CEO
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the
appointment of Ravneet Gill as the MD & CEO of
private sector lender Yes Bank. Mr. Gill must join the
bank before March 1, the central bank has said. Mr.
Gill is currently the India chief of foreign lender
Deutsche Bank. The present MD & CEO of Yes Bank
Rana Kapoor’s term ends on January 31.
HQ: Mumbai
Chairman: Brahm Dutt
World’s longest 3D printed concrete bridge opened in China
On January 22, 2019, world’s longest 3D printed
concrete bridge was opened in China. It is located on
the Wenzaobang River in Shanghai. The bridge is of
26.3 metre-long and 3.6-metre-wide and is made out
of 44 hollowed-out 3D printed concrete blocks.
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Current Affairs: January 25 2019
Sultan Abdullah named new Malaysian King
Malaysia on 24th January named Sultan
Abdullah Ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah as the
country’s 16th King. In a statement from the
Keeper of the Ruler’s Seal, Sultan Abdullah will
officially take over as King or Yang di-Pertuan
Agong on January 31, replacing his predecessor
Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan state who resigned on January 6, reports Xinhua news
agency. The 59-year-old Abdullah became Sultan of the Malaysian state of Pahang, succeeding
his father Sultan Ahmad Shah, 88, who abdicated on January 11 due to ill health.
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Currency: Malaysian Ringgit
Krishna Sobti, Jnanpith and Sahitya Akademi award-winning Hindi fiction writer, passes away aged 94
Born in 1925 in Gujarat (in Pakistan’s Punjab
Province), Sobti was known for experimenting with
new writing styles and creating bold and daring
characters in her stories who were ready to accept
all challenges. Her language was highly influenced
by the intermingling of Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi https://examprep.talentsprint.com 5
Current Affairs: January 25 2019
cultures. She was conferred with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1980, Padma Bhushan in 2010
and the Jnanpith Award in 2017.
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Current Affairs: January 26-28, 2019
January 26-28, 2019
Nation celebrates its 70th Republic Day with grand military parade
The nation celebrated its 70th Republic Day on
26th January with a grand military parade and
exhibition of its history, cultural diversity and
strategic weaponry at Rajpath in New Delhi.
Thousands of spectators, including foreign
dignitaries and the country's top political and
military brass, attended the celebrations. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's presence
as Chief Guest was significant in view of the parade highlighting Mahatma Gandhi's
contribution to India's freedom struggle. Gandhiji had joined the struggle after a 21-year stay in
South Africa.
India's fastest indigenous train ‘Trian 18’ renamed as ‘Vande Bharat Express’
India's fastest indigenous train which will run
from Delhi to Varanasi has been named as
Vande Bharat Express. Briefing media in New
Delhi on 27th January, Minister for Railways
Piyush Goyal said, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi will flag off the semi high-speed train
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Current Affairs: January 26-28, 2019
soon. He said, it was named Train 18 and now it has been given a new name after taking
suggestions from the general public.
Ministry of Defence launches ‘RDP INDIA 2019’ app with R-Day highlights
As a new initiative in sync with the Digital
India campaign of the Government, Ministry
of Defence had launched a mobile app 'RDP
India 2019' on the Republic Day, with the
intent of making available the highlights of the
Republic Day event, not only to the spectators
at Rajpath, but also to the general public all over the world.
‘Nari Shakti’ is Oxford Dictionary’s Hindi Word of the Year 2018
On 26th January, the Oxford Dictionaries
announced ‘Nari Shakti’ as the Hindi Word
of the Year. The Hindi Word of the Year
chosen every year, in many ways, reflects the
conversations, ethos of a particular year.
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Current Affairs: January 26-28, 2019
Southern Railway adjudged number one for cleanliness
The Southern Railway has bagged the number
one position for cleanliness in the country. The
Divisional Railway Manager Shirish Kumar
Sinha said, 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.
SR HQ: Chennai
Madya Pradesh launched employment scheme “Yuva Swabhiman Yojana” for urban youth
On 26th January, Madhya Pradesh Chief
Minister Kamal Nath launched ‘Yuva
Swabhiman Yojana’ for youths of the
weak section in urban areas of Madhya
Pradesh. It aims to provide
employment to the youth belonging to
the weaker section of the society mainly in urban areas of the state.
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Current Affairs: January 26-28, 2019
Kerala Government launches a ‘Pravasi Dividend Pension Scheme’ to provide regular pension to Non Resident Keralites on a one-time payment of Rs.5 Lakh
On 25th January, Kerala’s Governor P.
Sathasivam in his address to the state
assembly announced Kerala government will
soon launch a ‘Pravasi Dividend Pension
Scheme’ to provide regular pension to Non
Resident Keralites. This scheme is a part of
welfare measures towards Pravasi Malayalis.
Operation Olympics Commences in Kerala
On 25th January 2019, An expert programme
‘Operation Olympics’ managed by Kerala’s Sports
Department and State Sports Council was
commenced to train 123 athletes in 11 disciplines for
2020 Tokyo Olympics.
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Current Affairs: January 26-28, 2019
IRDAI sets panel headed by Pravin Kutumbe to identify systemically important insurers A panel is all set by Insurance Regulatory
Development Authority of India (IRDAI)
headed by Pravin Kutumbe, to identify
domestically systemically important insurers
(SIIs) and an augmented regulatory framework
is logically established in this regard.
HQ: Hyderabad
Chairman: Subhash Chandra Khuntia
Roshni, an Android app developed by IIT Ropar helps the visually impaired to recognize Indian currency notes
On 24th January, Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT), Ropar, has developed an app
Roshni that would help the Visually Impaired
to recognize currency notes. The app can
recognize both old and new notes and gives
audio information as to which note you are
holding in your hands. This app was launched
in Chandigarh. Roshni is the first Android app, which recognizes INR currency notes.
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Current Affairs: January 26-28, 2019
Pranab Mukherjee, Bhupen Hazarika, Nanaji Deshmukh awarded Bharat Ratna
Former President Pranab Mukherjee was on
25th January conferred with the highest civilian
honour, the Bharat Ratna. According to a
statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan,
late Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika and
late social activist Nanaji Deshmukh will also
be awarded with the Bharat Ratna, posthumously.
Pranab Mukherjee, 83, served as the President of India since 2012 to 2017.
Bhupen Hazarika, one of the most popular regional singers and someone who is
synonymous with the Assamese identity, had earlier been awarded with Padma Shri,
Padma bhushan, and Dada Saheb Phalke Award among others things.
Meanwhile, social activist Nanaji Deshmukh was conferred with the award for his
contribution to the nation.
Overview of Padma Awards-2019
On 25th January, President of India Ram Nath
Kovind announced Padma Awards, which is
the highest civilian Awards in the country. The
Padma Awards are conferred under 3
categorized viz- Padma Vibhushan, Padma
Bhushan and Padma Sri. President Ram Nath https://examprep.talentsprint.com 6
Current Affairs: January 26-28, 2019
Kovind has approved conferment of 112 Padma Awards including one duo which is considered
to be one award. The Padma Awards consist of 4 Padma Vibhushan award, 14 Padma Bhushan
Award and 94 Padma Shri awards.
PADMA VIBHUSHAN:
S.No Name Field State
1. Ms. Teejan Bai Art-Vocals-Folk Chhattisgarh
2. Shri Ismail Omar Public Affairs Djibouti Guelleh (Foreigner)
3. Shri Anilkumar Trade & Industry- Maharashtra Manibhai Naik Infrastructure
4. Shri Balwant Art-Acting-Theatre Maharashtra Moreshwar Purandare
For Full list of Padma Awardees:
Padma Awardees 2019
‘No Presents Please’ by Jayant Kaikini wins the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2018
No Presents Please, a collection of short
stories by Kannada writer Jayant Kaikini,
translated into English by Tejaswini
Niranjana, was announced the winner of the
DSC Prize for South Asian Literature in
Kolkata.
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Current Affairs: January 26-28, 2019
Indonesia Masters: Saina wins after injured Marin limps out of final
Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal won her first
Indonesia Masters title after three-time world
champion Carolina Marin limped out of the final
due to a leg injury. The Spaniard was leading 10-4
in the first game at Jakarta on 27th January when
she developed an injury in the knee.
Novak Djokovic, Naomi Osaka win their titles in Australian Open 2019
Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal to
win his 7th Australian Open Men's Singles
title at Melbourne. 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 leader
board. Earlier, In Women's Singles, Japan's Naomi Osaka clinched her maiden Australian
Open Grand Slam Singles title in Melbourne yesterday. Osaka defeated Petra Kvitová of
Czech Republic 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 in the summit clash. With this, Osaka became the first Asian player
to achieve the world number one ranking.
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Current Affairs: January 26-28, 2019
Nepal’s Rohit Paudel breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s international record
Young Nepal batsman Rohit Paudel on 26th
January surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to become
the youngest male cricketer to score a half-
century in international cricket. Rohit Paudel
smashed his maiden One Day International fifty
at the age of 16 years and 146 days. Tendulkar
scored his first Test fifty when he was 16 years and 213 days old.
Pakistan government declares Sugarcane juice as 'national drink' after Twitter poll
Pakistan Govt. has declared sugarcane juice as
the "national drink" of the country after a poll
on Twitter, according to a media report. The
government conducted a poll on Twitter at
which people were asked to decide the national
drink of Pakistan. Options including orange
juice, sugarcane juice and carrot juice were given in the poll, the Nation reported. Around 81%
selected the option of sugarcane juice.
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Current Affairs: January 29, 2019
January 29, 2019
India's 1st Geographical Indication Store opened in Goa
Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu
inaugurated India's 1st Geographical Indication (GI)
Store at Goa International Airport in Dabolim, says
GI store to be a boon for the global tourists. Speaking
on the occasion, the Union Minister informed that
currently there are 270 GI registered products in the
country and the store will be a boon for the global tourists. The Minister also told that products
from the self-help groups, artisans and farmers' produce will be also displayed on the airport at
a concessional rate.
3rd Bridge inaugurated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Named ‘Atal Setu’ in Goa
On 27 January, The Third bridge was
inaugurated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari
in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar
Parrikar .The bridge has been named as ‘Atal
Setu’ after former prime minister of India late
Atal Bihari Bajpai. The two bridges already
present in Goa are Mandovi Bridge and Zurai Bridge.
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Current Affairs: January 29, 2019
Odisha has launched Jiban Sampark project for the welfare of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups
On 26th January 2019, The Chief Minister of
Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik announced
“Jiban Sampark” Project in partnership with
UNICEF India (United Nations International
Children’s Emergency Fund) during after
inauguration of Tribal Fair also known as
“Adivasi Mela” on Republic day.
World’s biggest cyclothon Swasth ‘Bharat Yatra’ culminates in Delhi
The Swasth Bharat Yatra, the world’s
biggest cyclothon to push people to eat right,
culminated in New Delhi on 28th January.
The campaign was flagged-off on 16th
October last year on the occasion of World
Food Day. The yatra began from six different
locations - Leh, Panaji, Thiruvananthapuram, Puducherry, Kolkata and Agartala on six different
tracks in which more than ten thousand volunteer cyclists covered over twenty thousand
kilometres spreading the message of ‘Eat Safe, Eat Healthy and Eat Fortified.
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Current Affairs: January 29, 2019
GST on Haj reduced from 18% to 5%: Naqvi
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar
Abbas Naqvi on 28th January said that GST on
Haj has been reduced from 18 percent to 5
percent and this will significantly lower the air
fare thus saving Haj pilgrims’ 113 crore rupees
this year.
India and OECD sign agreement to enable India’s participation in PISA to be held in 2021
A Signing ceremony of Agreement between
India and OECD for India’s participation in
Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA) 2021, in presence of
Union HRD Minister, Prakash Javadekar
was held in New Delhi on 28th January. The
Agreement was signed by Maneesh Garg, Joint Secretary, MHRD and Mr Andreas Schleicher,
Director (PISA) in OECD.
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Current Affairs: January 29, 2019
Sunjay Sudhir appointed as India's envoy to the Maldives
Senior diplomat Sunjay Sudhir has been
appointed as India's Ambassador to the
Maldives, the Ministry of External Affairs
announced on 28th January. Sudhir, a 1993
batch Indian Foreign Service officer who is
presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas, is expected to take up the assignment shortly, the MEA said in a
statement.
Vijay Singh Chauhan appointed as the Ambassador of India to Burkina Faso
Vijay Singh Chauhan, presently Consul General,
Consulate General of India, Sao Paulo has been
appointed as the Ambassador of India to Burkina
Faso. He is expected to take up the assignment
shortly.
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Current Affairs: January 29, 2019
ICAR's 'Kisan Gandhi' tableau wins first prize at R-Day parade
The ICAR tableau in the Republic Day
Parade has won the first prize for its Kisan
Gandhi theme. The Indian Council of
Agricultural Research tableau with the
theme "Mishrit Kheti, Khushiyon Ki
Kheti" portrayed Gandhi with goats and a
cow and Kasturba engaged with charkha
and caring animals. The tableau showcased a view from Bapu Kuti at Wardha Ashram.
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Current Affairs: January 30, 2019
January 30, 2019
Martyrs day: 30 January
Martyrs day is celebrated on 30th of January
every year as on the same day, Mahatma
Gandhi (Bapu) was assassinated in the year
1948 at Birla House, Delhi before the sunset
during the evening prayers.
Beating the Retreat ceremony held at historic Vijay Chowk
Beating the Retreat ceremony, marking the
culmination of four-day long Republic Day
celebrations, held at the historic Vijay Chowk
in New Delhi. This year, Indian tunes were the
flavour of ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony. As
many as 27 performances on the historic Vijay
Chowk enthralled the spectators with captivating and foot-tapping music of the bands from the
Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the State Police and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF).
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Current Affairs: January 30, 2019
India improves its global corruption ranking in 2018: Transparency International
India rose by 3 points to 78 in the list of 180
countries in the world, while China ranked 87 and
Pakistan 117 in 2018, the Transparency
International said in its Corruption Perceptions
Index (CPI) for 2018. The top countries on the list
are Denmark and New Zealand, with scores of 88
and 87 respectively. Somalia, Syria and South Sudan are at the bottom of the list, with scores of
10, 13 and 13 respectively.
Government sanctions Rs 7,214 cr to 6 states, 1 UT as relief for calamity damage
The Centre on 29th January approved the release of Rs
7,214 crore to six states and a Union Territory,
including Rs 4,714 crore to Maharashtra, for floods,
drought and cyclone damage. Among the sanctioned
amount, Rs 4,714.28 crore will be given to
Maharashtra (drought), Rs 949.49 crore to Karnataka
(drought), Rs 900.4 crore to Andhra Pradesh (drought), Rs 317.44 crore to Himachal Pradesh
(flood and landslides), Rs 191.73 crore to Uttar Pradesh (flood), Rs 127.60 crore to Gujarat
(drought) and Rs 13.09 crore to UT of Puducherry (cyclone).
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Current Affairs: January 30, 2019
J&K Bank Launches Multifunctional Campus Card For Students
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was
inked between J&K Bank and Government
College for Women Parade Jammu to facilitate a
multi functional Co branded Campus Card for the
students of the college. The chip based co-branded
card will operate both as a debit card and a smart
card. Such cards are being used globally in educational institutions for a serving a number of
purposes like identity card, debit card, integrated access and attendance card.
HQ: Srinagar
Ministry of Statistics, NCAER sign MoU for improving official statistical system of India
The Union Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on
January 29, 2019 signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the National
Council of Applied Economic Research
(NCAER) for improving official statistical https://examprep.talentsprint.com 3
Current Affairs: January 30, 2019
system of India. Under the MoU, both the sides will use new data technologies, knowledge
generation and knowledge sharing and capacity building in the field of Official Statistics.
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation signs MOU with World Bank Group's IFC
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and
the International Finance Corporation of the
World Bank Group have signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) for
climate change and conservation of the
environment. The Rs 7000 crore MOU was
signed on 29th January.
Suman Kumari appointed Pakistan's First Hindu Woman Judge
Suman Kumari has become the first Hindu woman
in Pakistan to be appointed as a civil judge,
according to a media report. Suman, who hails from
Qambar-Shahdadkot, will serve in her native district.
She passed her LLB. examination from Hyderabad
and did her masters in law from Karachi's Szabist
University, Dawn reported.
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Current Affairs: January 30, 2019
Former Defence Minister George Fernandes passes away
Former Defence Minister in Vajpayee government,
George Fernandes passed away on 29th January at
the age of 88. Born in Karnataka's Mangalore on 3rd
June 1930, George Fernandes was a veteran socialist
leader and trade unionist. He rose to prominence in
1967 with a surprise victory over senior Congress
leader SK Patil from South Bombay constituency. Fernandes was India's defence minister in the
NDA government headed by Vajpayee when India fought the Kargil war in 1999. It was during
his tenure that India conducted nuclear test at Pokhran in 1998.
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Current Affairs: January 31, 2019
January 31, 2019
PM dedicates National Salt Satyagraha Memorial to the nation
PM Narendra Modi dedicated National Salt
Satyagraha Memorial to the nation at Dandi
village, situated in South Gujarat on Arabian
Sea coast. At the memorial site, he also
unveiled statues of Mahatma Gandhi and 80
Satyagrahis who had marched with him
during the historic Dandi Salt March in 1930.
Lokpal search committee First meeting headed by Judge Ranjana Prakash Desai held in New Delhi
On 29th January, an eight member Lokpal search
Panel headed by former Supreme court Judge
Ranjana Prakash Desai to select the first anti-
corruption ombudsman held its first meeting in
New Delhi.
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Current Affairs: January 31, 2019
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launches ‘Kisan Suvidha’ loan product for small and marginal farmers
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (SFB) announced the
launch of Ujjivan Bank Kisan Suvidha loan to offer
financial credit services to small and marginal
farmers. The product provides collateral free loans
to individuals with amount ranging from Rs 60,000
– Rs 2 lakh.
HQ: Bengaluru
Piyush Goyal awarded Carnot Prize for “path breaking transformations in India’s energy sector”
Union Finance and Railways Minister Piyush
Goyal has been awarded the 4th Carnot prize by
Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the
University of Pennsylvania for his work in
sustainable energy solutions and was felicitated
by a team from University of Pennsylvania who
came to India. https://examprep.talentsprint.com 2
Current Affairs: January 31, 2019
Punit Goenka named chairman of BARC India
Punit Goenka, managing director and CEO of
Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE) has been
elected as the new chairman of TV Viewership
measurement company, Broadcast Audience
Research Council (BARC) India at its board
meeting held on Tuesday, 29 January. Goenka
will be taking over from Nakul Chopra, who
completed his one year tenure as chairman of the joint industry body.
BARC HQ: Mumbai
ICC announces T20 world cup 2020 fixtures
The International Cricket Council announced
fixtures for the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 on. For the
First time, men and women tournaments will be held
as standalone events in the same year and in the same
country (Australia).
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Current Affairs: January 31, 2019
UAE, Saudi Central banks launch common digital currency called ‘Aber’
On 29th January, Central banks of UAE and
Saudi Arabia launched common digital
currency called ‘Aber ‘. UAE central bank
will establish an additional means for the
central financial transfer systems of the two
countries and enable bankers to directly
deal with each other.
World Leprosy Eradication Day: 30 January
30th January is celebrated as World Leprosy
Eradication Day which stresses the need of
eradicating the disease. This year’s theme for
World Leprosy Day is ‘ending discrimination,
stigma, and prejudice’.
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