Top Current Affairs of the Week (30Th Dec 2019 – 4Th Jan 2020)

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Top Current Affairs of the Week (30th Dec 2019 – 4th Jan 2020)

1. Hemant Soren sworn in as Chief Minister of Jharkhand

• Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren (44-years) took oath as the 11th Chief Minister of the state. • Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Mr Soren at Morhabadi grounds in Ranchi. • Along with Mr. Soren, Congress Legislature Party Leader Alamgir Alam, Rameshwar Oraon (state Congress president) and Satyanand Bhokta (RJD-MLA) were also sworn in as state cabinet ministers. • Earlier, Hemant Soren had served as the 5th Chief Minister of Jharkhand (13 July 2013 – 28 December 2014). • In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, JMM-Congress-RJD alliance has won 47 seats in the recently concluded Assembly elections and BJP - 25 seats.

2. Port Blair celebrates the 76th Anniversary of First Flag Hoisting

• Today, a function has been organized to commemorate the 76th Anniversary of First Flag Hoisting by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at Port Blair. • Lt Governor Admiral DK Joshi and Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey hoisted the National Flag at Flag Point, Port Blair

• Subhash Mela Committee Swarajdweep organised a bike rally and a cultural programme.

Note:

• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose visited Port Blair during the last three days of December 1943. • He landed at the Lamba Line airport on December 29, 1943, and left in the early hours of January 1, 1944.

3. Aayushi Dholakia becomes first Indian to win Miss Teen International 2019

• India’s Aayushi Dholakia has won the 2019 Miss Teen International by beating participants from 22 countries. • She was crowned by the previous year winner Odalys Duarte of Mexico. • With this, she became the first Indian as well as Asian to win the title in the 27 years history of the beauty pageant. • Yessenia Garcia (Paraguay) came as the First Runners-Up and Anicia Gaothusi from Botswana came as the Second Runners-Up.

Note:

• The 27th edition of the Miss Teen International pageant 2019 was held at the JaiBagh Palace in Jaipur, India. 1

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Result Winners Miss Teen International 2019 Aayushi Dholakia (India) 1st Runner-Up Yessenia Garcia (Paraguay) 2nd Runner-Up Anicia Gaothusi (Botswana)

4. UN Declares Malala Yousafzai as ‘Most Famous Teenager Of Decade’

• Malala Yousafzai (also known as Malala) has been named as “the most famous teenager in the world” by the United Nations (UN) in its ‘decade in review’ report. • Malala Yousafzai is the Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize (2014) laureate. • The report covers a decade of major events happened between 2010 and the end of 2013, celebrities and agreements that have become most famous. • The report includes big news such as the devastating earthquake in 2010 in Haiti (a Caribbean country), the conflict that began in Syria in 2011 & Malala’s work in favour of girls’ education for the year 2012.

5. Madhya Pradesh: Mandu festival starts in Mandu

• Five-day event ‘Mandu Festival’ (1st- edition) kicked-off at Mandu, a world-famous picturesque tourist destination located in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. • Mandu Festival’ has been organised by Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board to dive deep into the rich history of the city. • Based on the idea of Khojne Me Kho Jao, the Mandu festival is offering an eclectic mix of performing arts, workshops, nature trails, food, architecture and music to the visitors. • Visitors can also explore the trail on cycling tours, walking tours or jump onto the Hop-In-Hop-Out buses to dive deep into the rich history of the city.

6. BHEL Commissions Country’s First lignite-based 500 MW Power Project in Tamil Nadu

• The State-run BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited) has commissioned the first lignite-based 500 MW thermal power plant “Neyveli New Thermal Power Project” in Tamil Nadu. • This is India’s first lignite-fired 500 MW power plant as well as highest rating pulverised lignite-fired thermal unit commissioned in the country so far. • The project is owned by NLC India Ltd (NLCIL) and located in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. • Neyveli New Thermal Power Project is 2 X 500 MW power plant. The second unit of the project is also in an advanced stage of commissioning.

7. Koneru Humpy becomes Women's World Rapid Chess Champion

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• Indian grandmaster Koneru Humpy (32 years) has become the 2019 Women's World Rapid Champion. • She defeated China's Lei Tingjie in a dramatic final in Moscow, Russia. • After losing the opening game, Humpy made an impressive comeback and collected nine points each in 12 rounds to be tied with Tingjie. • Tingjie finished with a silver, while Turkey's Ekaterina Atalik won bronze. • Norway's Magnus Carlsen claimed the men's title.

8. General Bipin Rawat appointed first Chief of Defence Staff

• Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has been appointed as the country's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who is set to retire Army Chief on 31st December 2019. • CDS will function as a single-point advisor to the government on matters related to the military and will focus on the better synergy between the Army, Air Force, and the Navy. • The defence ministry had recently amended the army, air force and navy rules by bringing in a new clause that allows the Chief of Defence Staff to serve up to a maximum age of 65 years. • Recently in a landmark decision, the Union Cabinet had given its approval to create the post of Chief of Defence Staff in the rank of a four-star General with salary and perquisites equivalent to a Service Chief. • The Chief of Defence Staff will also head the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), to be created within the Ministry of Defence and function as its Secretary. • The Chief of Defence Staff, apart from being the head of the Department of Military Affairs, will also be the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He will act as the Principal Military Adviser to Defence Minister on all tri-Services matters.

9. General Mukund Naravane takes charge as new Army chief

• On 31st December 2019, General Manoj Mukund Naravane took over as the 28th Chief of Army Staff. • He will helm the 1.3 million-strong force at a time India faces evolving security challenges such as cross-border terrorism and an assertive Chinese military along the border. • Gen Naravane will succeed Gen Bipin Rawat, who is appointed the country's first Chief of Defence Staff. • Gen Naravane, the alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy headed the Army's Eastern Command that takes care of India's nearly 4,000-km border with China. • In his 37 years of service, Gen Naravane served in numerous command and staff appointments in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.

Note:

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• Gen Naravane was commissioned into the 7th battalion, the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in June 1980. • He has been awarded the 'Sena Medal' (Distinguished) for effectively commanding his battalion in Jammu and Kashmir. • He is also a recipient of the 'Vishisht Seva Medal' for his services as the Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) in Nagaland and the 'Ati Vishisht Seva Medal' for commanding of a prestigious strike corps.

10. Nirmala Sitharaman unveils ₹102 lakh crore national infrastructure plan

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced 102 lakh crore for the National Infrastructure Pipeline. • India plans to invest about ₹102 lakh crore in the infrastructure sector in the next five years to achieve the GDP target of $5 trillion by 2024-25. • The finance ministry admitted that the availability of quality infrastructure is a pre- requisite to achieve broad-based and inclusive growth on a sustainable basis. • Earlier in September, the government had set up a task force headed by Economic Affairs Secretary to prepare a road map for the "national infrastructure pipeline" from 2019-20 to 2024-25 under the ₹100 lakh crore infra plan. • The task force was planning a list of 10 major infrastructure projects including greenfield and brownfield projects costing above ₹100 crores each.

11. 11-day long ‘Dhanu Jatra’ begins in Odisha

• On 31st December 2019 the famous 11-day long ‘Dhanu Jatra’, has begun in Odisha. • This is considered the largest open-air theatre in the world. begins at Bargarh in western Odisha today. • The Jatra is based on the mythological story of Lord Krishna and his demon uncle King Kansa. • It is about the episode of Krishna and Balaram's visit to Mathura to witness the Dhanu ceremony organized by their (maternal) uncle King Kansa.

12. Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah in Wisden’s T20I team of the decade

• India skipper Virat Kohli and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah were the only two Indians who found a place in Wisden’s T20 International team of the decade. • Australia’s Aaron Finch was named captain of the team, which has two more Australian in Shane Watson and Glenn Maxwell. • England’s Jos Buttler and David Willey, Afghanistan all-rounders —Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, and New Zealand’s Colin Munro and Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga are included in the team.

13. NITI Aayog Releases SDG India Index and Dashboard 2019

• Government think tank the NITI Aayog has Aayog has released the 2nd edition of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index and dashboard for the year 2019 in New Delhi. 4

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• The Index comprehensively documents the progress made by India’s States and Union Territories towards achieving the 2030 SDG targets. • According to the SDG India Index, India’s composite score has improved from 57 in 2018 to 60 in 2019. • India is the first country in the world with a government-led, sub-national measure of progress on Sustainable Development Goals. • The SDG India Index has been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), United Nations in India, and Global Green Growth Institute. • Kerala achieved the first rank in the composite SDG Index with a score of 70, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 69. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu ranked at the third position with the score of 67. • While Bihar is at the bottom of Niti Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index.

Note:

• The SDG Index was launched by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar. • The CEO of NITI Aayog is Amitabh Kant.

14. India's Second Spaceport to be in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukdi: ISRO Chief

• On January 1, 2020, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chief K Sivan announced that India's second spaceport for launching small satellites will be established in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district. • The country's first spaceport is at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, about 90 km northeast of Chennai. • Thoothukudi is about 600 km southeast of Chennai. • The new location is ideal for launching smaller satellites of less than 500 kg in the sun-synchronous orbit. • The space agency will outsource the making of the small satellites to the private industry. • K Sivan also announced that the government has approved Chandrayaan-3 and work on this project have already started. The Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan-3 missions will be launched in 2020.

15. Swachh Survekshan League 2020: Indore tops again

• Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs announced the results of Swachh Survekshan League 2020, for first and second Quarters. • Around 4,372 cities participated in the league. It is a cleanliness survey that helps in competitive federalism. • Among 10 Lakh plus population category, Indore secured first place in both the quarters. • Madhya Pradesh Capital Bhopal got the second and Surat in Gujarat third spot in first Quarter.

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• In the second quarter, Rajkot in Gujarat was at the 2nd spot while Navi Mumbai at third. • In one Lakh to 10 Lakh population category, Jamshedpur in Jharkhand got the 1st spot in both quarters. • New Delhi Municipal Council and Khargone in Madhya Pradesh got the second and third spots in the first quarter in this category. Chandrapur in Maharashtra and Khargone got the second and third spots in Quarter 2 in one to ten lakh population categories.

16. RBI launched ‘MANI’ App for visually challenged to Identify currency Denomination

• The Reserve Bank of India has launched the ‘MANI’ application for visually impaired people to identify the denomination of the new currency notes that were launched after demonetization. The full form of ‘MANI’ is the “Mobile Aided Note Identifier”. • The visually challenged people can identify the denomination of a currency note by using the mobile app “MANI”. The application also works offline once installed. • MANI application scans currency notes using camera and gives audio output in Hindi and English. • There were challenges faced by visually challenged in identifying these notes. Hence, the application has been launched to help visually aided in easily identifying the notes. However, the application does not detect genuine or counterfeit notes.

17. Kerala becomes the first state to pass anti-CAA resolution

• On 31st December 2019, the Kerala Government has passed a resolution to roll back the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that was passed during this winter session of Parliament. • According to the Kerala Government, the CAA act contradicts the basic principles of the Constitution. • According to the Government of Kerala, the act was against secularism and has triggered widespread protests in the country. The act also dented India’s image among the international community • The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 was passed in December 2019. The act amended the Citizenship act passed in 1955. It allows Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Christians, and Parsi religious minorities to gain Indian citizenship.

18. Palau the first country to ban reef-bleaching toxic sunscreen

• The Pacific nation of Palau has become the first country in the world to ban sunscreen that is harmful to corals and sea life. • From January 1, sunscreen that includes ingredients like oxybenzone and octinoxate is no longer allowed to be worn or sold in the Palau. • The compounds are commonly used in sunscreen formulas as they absorb ultraviolet A rays. • The pristine islands, which have a combined population of about 20000, are a famed diving location, and their lagoon is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. 6

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19. Lawn Bowls and Cycling to be included in upcoming Khelo India games

• The Chief Executive Officer Khelo India youth games, Avinash Joshi has announced that lawn bowls and cycling will be included in the 3rd edition of the ‘Khelo India youth games’. • The 3rd edition of the games is going to start from 10th January 2020 in Guwahati Assam, in which 6500 athletes from 37 teams are expected to take part. • The two games will be included in the event for the first time. • The cultural events from Assam, North East and rest of the country will be held from 13th to 15th January. • The exhibition of indigenous games will also be held. He said a mega inaugural ceremony is being planned at Sarusajai.

20. PM inaugurates 107th edition of Indian Science Congress in Bengaluru

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 5-days 107th edition of the Indian Science Congress (ISC) at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru. • Prime Minister also launched the Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map (I-STEM) Portal which is designed to be the gateway for researchers to locate the specific types of facilities they need for their research and development work in India. • The theme of ISC 2020 is “Science and Technology: Rural Development”. The event brings together science fraternity across the world to discuss scientific innovation and research. • Over 15,000 participants, including Nobel Laureates, scientists, intellectuals, academicians, policymakers, researchers, students and delegates from different institutions are participating in the event. • There will be 28 Plenary Sessions during the event, on areas ranging from Climate Smart Agriculture for Food Security, Crop Improvement Towards Food and Nutrition Security to Artificial Intelligence and Medical Technology. • Four Public lectures by eminent personalities like Nobel Laureate German Physicist Prof. Stefan Hell will be organized in the Science Congress. • With a focus on rural development through science and technology, for the first time in the history of the Indian Science Congress, a Farmers Science Congress is being held.

21. MS Dhoni picked captain of ESPN Cricinfo's ODI and T20 teams of the past decade

• Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was picked as captain of ESPN Cricinfo's ODI and Twenty20 teams of the decade, while Virat Kohli was named the leader in Tests. • Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal, were the only other Indians to make the Test XI. • Former skipper Mithali Raj and fast bowler Jhulan Goswami were named in the same women's team picked for both the ODIs and T20s. • Australia's inspirational cricketer, Meg Lanning was named the captain of the side. 7

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22. Uttar Pradesh: SRTC launches women’s special helpline ‘Damini’

• On January 02, 2020, the UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) has launched a dedicated women helpline, Damini, a calling, and a WhatsApp service. Which will boost women’s safety in Roadways buses? • As an extension of “Nirbhaya Yojana” of the central government a unique number, “81142-77777”, has been subscribed for the helpline. • By using this ‘Damini’ helpline women passengers can lodge their complaints by calling or by using WhatsApp service.

23. Irani Gen Qassem Soleimani killed in US airstrike on Baghdad airport

• On January 03, 2020, General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC's) Quds Force, and architect of its regional security apparatus has been killed following a US airstrike at Baghdad's international airport. • The strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). • The killing of Soleimani and other Iranian, Iraqi military personnel is set to trigger another flashpoint • Iran's IRGC as well as Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) umbrella grouping of Iran-backed militias, also confirmed the deaths of Soleimani and al-Muhandis. • Soleimani, who led a special forces unit of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, has been a key figure of Iranian and Middle East politics. His death exacerbated already- high tensions between Iran and the United States and triggered concerns of retaliation from Iranian forces.

24. 22 tableau proposals out of 56 shortlisted for Republic Day

• Twenty-two tableau proposals (16-states and 6- Central Ministries) have been shortlisted for participation in this year's Republic Day parade. • Ministry of Defence had received a total of 56 tableaux proposals comprising 32 from States and 24 from Ministries in this regard. • The tableaux proposals received are evaluated in a series of meetings of the Expert Committee comprising of eminent persons in the field of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music and architecture. • Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to be the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in 2020.

25. Assam state zoo first to breed endangered Hargila

• The Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden and Aaranyak have jointly attained a landmark achievement by successfully hatching a pair of Greater Adjutant or Hargila chicks in an artificial platform within the zoo enclosure, in the first-ever experiment of its kind. • This rarest of storks, the Hargila is currently on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss stemming from indiscriminate felling of big trees and dwindling wetlands. 8

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• The Endangered Greater Adjutant stork is one of the rarest species of Storks out of twenty species of Storks in the world. • In India, eight species of residential storks are found, out of which Greater Adjutant is one of them. • Once abundantly distributed in Southeast Asia, this stork is now restricted to a few isolated pockets in Assam and Bihar in India and PrekToal in Cambodia.

26. 4th January: World Braille Day

• The World Braille Day is observed across the world every year on 4th January to mark the birth anniversary of Louis Braille. • He was the inventor of Braille script or Braille code. • Braille is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired.

Note:

• Braille users can read computer screens and other electronic supports thanks to refreshable braille displays. • People can write braille with the original slate and stylus or type it on a braille writer, such as a portable braille notetaker (or computer) that prints with a braille embosser.

27. General Bipin Rawat proposes the creation of Air Defence Command by June 30

• Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat has directed various branch heads to come up with recommendations for inter-service synergy and jointness in a time-bound manner. • He also directed that a proposal to create Air Defence Command be prepared by 30th of June this year. • Earlier, General Rawat held a meeting with important functionaries of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff on Wednesday. • Some of the areas identified for jointness and synergy include the creation of common logistics support pools in stations where two or more services have their presence. • Emphasizing collegiate system of functioning, General Rawat directed that all three services and Coast • The Chief of the Defence Staff stressed that all must work towards accomplishing desired results and coming up with healthy views and ideas.

28. Cristiano Ronaldo Wins Best Men’s Player of the Year at Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2019

• Cristiano Ronaldo won the Best Men’s Player of the Year award at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai. • Ronaldo has won the award six times out of its nine years of its existence. • England international Lucy Bronze was crowned Best Women’s Player of the Year. • The 2019 Awards were presented in 16 different categories.

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Note:

• The Globe Soccer Awards are the annual awards given for excellence in football, organised by the EFAA (European Association of Player’s Agents) and the ECA (European Club Association).