VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY - 2020 An ISO 9001 : 2015 Institution | Providing Excellence Since 2011 Head Office Old No.52, New No.1, 9th Street, F Block, 1st Avenue Main Road, (Near Istha siddhi Vinayakar Temple), Anna Nagar East – 600102. Phone: 044-2626 5326 | 98844 72636 | 98844 21666 | 98844 32666 Branches SALEM KOVAI No.189/1, Meyanoor Road, Near ARRS Multiplex, (Near Salem New No.347, D.S.Complex (3rd floor), Nehru Street,Near Gandhipuram bus Stand), Opp. Venkateshwara Complex, Salem - 636004. Central Bus Stand, Ramnagar, Kovai - 9 0427-2330307 | 95001 22022 75021 65390 Educarreerr Location Vivekanandha Educational Institutions for Women, Elayampalayam, Tiruchengode - TK Namakkal District - 637 205. 04288 - 234670 | 91 94437 34670 Patrician College of Arts and Science, 3, Canal Bank Rd, Gandhi Nagar, Opposite to Kotturpuram Railway Station, Adyar, Chennai - 600020. 044 - 24401362 | 044 - 24426913 Sree Saraswathi Thyagaraja College Palani Road, Thippampatti, Pollachi - 642 107 73737 66550 | 94432 66008 | 90951 66009 www.vetriias.com My Dear Aspirants, Greetings to all of you! “What we think we become” Gautama Buddha. We all have dreams. To make dreams come into reality it takes a lot of determination, dedication, self discipline and continuous effort. We at VETRII IAS Study Circle are committed to provide the right guidance, quality coaching and help every aspirants to achieve his or her life’s cherished goal of becoming a civil servant. The class room coaching at VETRII IAS Study Circle is meticulously planned to equip the aspirants with all the relevant facts and fundamentals of the subjects. Further the VETRII IAS Study Circle Study materials aim to support the candidate by providing the most relevant study material in a comprehensive manner. Wishing You All The Very Best !! DIRECTOR (M.Shunmugam) Vetrii IAS Study Circle. Published by VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE F Block New No. 1, 9th Street, 1st Avenue main Road, Chinthamani, Anna Nagar (E), Chennai – 102. Phone: 044 – 26265326 / 9600124042 / 9840097666 www.vetriias.com E-Mail: [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected] Feedback: [email protected] © All rights reserved with the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, will be responsible for the loss and may be punished for compensation under copyright act. INDEX 1 - 28 HISTORY 01 . Important Days . Defence National Security and Terrorism . World Organisations – Pacts and Summits . Eminent Persons . Sports and Games . Books & Authors . Awards & Honours . Cultural Panaroma . India & its Neighbours . Appointments – Who is who? 29 29 - 33 POLITICAL SCIENCE .India’s Foreign Policy .Latest Court Verdicts .Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility 34 - 38 GEOGRAPHY 34 .Policy on Environment and Ecology .Natural Disasters – Safeguard Measures 39 - 44 ECONOMICS .New Economic Policy & Govt. Sector .Current Socio 39 - Economic Problems 45 - 55 SCIENCE 45 .Latest Inventions in Science & Technology . Latest Discoveries on Health Science . Mass Media & Communication 56 56 NATIONAL – DIARY OF EVENTS 80 80 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 85 85 TAMIL NADU AFFAIRS 89 89 PRACTICE QUESTIONS VETRII'S CURRENT AFFAIRS, JANUARY - 2020 Important Days History 1.1 Important Days Date Day Theme / Remark Theme of National Consumer Day 2019 is- ‘Alternate 24-12-2019 National Consumer Day Consumer Grievance/Dispute Redressal’. Good Governance Day in India is observed on 25 25-12-2019 Good Governance Day December to commemorate the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 04-01-2020 World Braille Day The 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is observed on 9 January 2020. The day is celebrated to recognize 09-01-2020 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas the overseas Indians who have contributed to the development of India. 10-01-2020 World Hindi day 12-01-2020 National Youth Day Theme: Fit Youth Fit India Armed Forces Veteran’s Day is observed every year on 14th January as a mark of respect and recognition of the services rendered by Field Marshal Kodandera Fourth Armed Forces Veterans’ 14-01-2020 Madappa Cariappa OBE (Order of the British Empire), Day the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces who retired on 14 Jan 1953. Observing since 2017, the year 2020 marked day’s fourth edition. 15-01-2020 Indian Army Day 145th Foundation Day of India 15-01-2020 Meteorological Department (IMD) 1 to 17 The theme for National Road Safety Week 2020 is : National Road Safety Week 2020 January ‘Sadak Suraksha – Jeevan Raksha’. VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE 1 Important Days VETRII'S CURRENT AFFAIRS, JANUARY - 2020 19-01-2020 National Immunization day International day of education The theme for the year 2020 is ‘Learning for people, 24-01-2020 2020 planet, prosperity, and peace’. Theme for NVD 2020 is ‘Electoral Literacy for Stronger Democracy’ 25-01-2020 10th National Voters’ Day Hon’ble President of India Sh. Ram Nath Kovind will be the Chief Guest at the 10th National Voters’ Day being organized by Election Commission of India on 25th January 2020 at Manekshaw Centre, Delhi Cantt. India celebrated its 71st Republic Day on January 26, 26-01-2020 Republic Day 2020. 1.2 Defence, National Security and Terrorism India to get its First Chief of Defence will be tasked with trimming weapons Staff procurement procedures and integrating The Cabinet Committee operation of Indian armed forces- Army, on Security (CCS) chaired Air Force, Navy. CDA will act as a military by the Prime Minister adviser to Government of India and will Narendra Modi has also head Department of Military Affairs. approved the creation of a A CDS to oversee military was first Chief of Defence Staff recommended by the Kargil Review (CDS) post that will Committee– a committee set up after function as a single point of contact for Kargil War (1999), to examine lapses in different branches of armed forces. security after war, in which Pakistani CCS also approved the report of a high- soldiers infiltrated into India, occupied level committee headed by National key positions in Kargil mountains and Security Advisor Ajit Doval, which triggered the war. finalised responsibilities and framework Other Committees: for operation of CDS. Naresh Chandra Committee Report– In the present structure, the Chairman of ‘Report of Task Force on National Chiefs of Staff Committee (CSC) is Chief Security’ of Army Staff (CoAS) Bipin Rawat. General Shekatkar Committee Report– Role of CDS: ‘Committee of Experts on Enhancing Chief of Defence Staff, described as ‘first Capability and Rebalance Defence among equals’ among service chiefs, Expenditure’, chalked out a strategy for higher defence management. 2 VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE VETRII'S CURRENT AFFAIRS, JANUARY - 2020 Defence, National Security and Terrorism Stamps released to commemorate IAF chief formally inducts Dornier contribution of Directorate of aircraft into No. 41 Squadron Revenue Intelligence Indian Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala has formally inducted the light utility Sitaraman released postage stamps to aircraft Dornier into the No. 41 ‘Otters’ commemorate the services of Directorate Squadron of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in order to The aircraft was inducted during a protect the nation. DRI plays an immense ceremony at the Palam Air Force Station. role to counter smuggling and preserve cultural heritage and environment of the International Conference on Safety country. in Maritime and Marine Operations Government amends rules to allow The International Workshop on Marine Chief of Defence Staff to serve up to Conservation and Marine Research will maximum age of 65 years be held in Chennai from 6th to 10th January. The defence ministry has amended the The workshop, organized on behalf of army, air force and navy rules by bringing in a new clause that allows the Chief of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, will be Defence Staff to serve upto a maximum held at the National Marine Institute age of 65 years. of Technology (NIOT), located at General Bipin Rawat, is made the Chief Pallikaranai. of the Defence Staff (CDS)- he is a front More than 100 delegates from the USA, runner for the post- he will continue UK, Australia, France, Sri Lanka, Saudi to serve for most of the second term of Arabia, Kuwait, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, because Maldives and the Congo will participate he would have turned 65 years old by in this workshop. March 16, 2023. I-Stem Portal; DRDO Science Expo Government creates Department of launched at the Indian Science congress Military Affairs, to be headed by CDS PM Modi inaugurated the 107th Indian The government has created a Science Congress in Bengaluru. He Department of Military Affairs in the launched the I-Stem portal at the Defence Ministry and it will be headed by inaugural function. Also, the Defence newly-appointed Chief of Defence Staff Research Development Organization (DRDO) has installed more than 150 (CDS) General Bipin Rawat exhibits at the congress. The new department will have under it works relating to the three forces Army, I-STEM Portal Navy and Air Force and procurement I-STEM is Indian Science, Technology Engineering Facilities Map. The portal will exclusive to the services, except capital act as a gateway for the researchers and acquisitions, according to prevalent rules users to locate facilities that are required and procedures for their research and development work. VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE 3 Defence, National Security and Terrorism VETRII'S CURRENT AFFAIRS, JANUARY - 2020 Initially, similar facility was operating Visakhapatnam gearing up to host at IISc, Bengaluru and IIT Bombay. MILAN 2020 The I-STEM portal is a replica of these Visakhapatnam is gearing up to host facilities. The facility at IISc Bengaluru was called the Centre for Nano Science International Naval event ‘MILAN’ and Engineering (CeNSE). in March 2020.