CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
1 st January National Affairs o The 65-year-old Planning Commission was today replaced by a new body, NITI Aayog, which will serve as a policy think-tank for the central as well as State governments and have Prime Minister as its Chairperson. o The NITI Aayog will have a governing council comprising of all State Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors and will work towards fostering a ‘co-operative federalism’ for providing a “national agenda” to the Centre and States. o This renaming of the Planning Commission is being seen as the first step towards replacing it with a new-age institution. o Chairperson : Prime Minister Narendra Modi o NITI - National Institution for Transforming India o The government has withdrawn excise duty concessions to the Auto industry, which were given by the previous UPA Government in the interim budget in February. o The excise duty for SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles) had been reduced to 24 per cent from 30 per cent, whereas for mid-sized cars, it was reduced to 20 per cent from 24 per cent. o It was slashed from 27 percent to 24 percent for the large cars. o The LPG consumers across the country will get cash subsidy directly into their bank accounts from today so that they buy the cooking fuel at market price.
o Domestic LPG users will get 568 rupees in the bank account the moment they join the Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme for LPG, which has now been renamed PAHAL. o They will have to use this money to buy 14.2-kg refill at the market price. o PAHAL - Pratyaksh Hanstantarit Labh o The Hyderabad Metro Rail Project, HMR will be transporting passengers from March this year. o The Managing Director of Metro rail project N V S Reddy told this to reporters after successfully completing trail run on Automatic Train Operation mode. o He said the HMR project set a new record by successfully running on Automatic mode, without driver for the first time in the country. o The Union Water Resources Ministry will launch a “Hamara Jal, Hamara Jeewan” initiative to be adopted in every district of the country during the India Water Week from January 13 to 17. o Water Resources Minister - Uma Bharti
People in News o The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairperson K Radhakrishnan retires. o The tenure of Radhakrishnan as ISRO chief, secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, Space Commission was ended in August 2014. But it was extended by four months till December 31, 2014 on "functional grounds and in public interest." o Radhakrishnan, a recipient of Padma- Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, was recently chosen as one of the top ten scientific personalities in 2014 by Nature Science Journal. o The government has appointed Shailesh Nayak, secretary in the ministry of earth sciences, as the ad-hoc chairman of ISRO. Science & Technology o Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched mobile application "Himmat". o This application will allow women to send a distress call to police control room and their relatives in case of any emergency. o The Indian Government has blocked at least 32 websites in a fresh crackdown as they were carrying jihadi propaganda and promoting anti-India views. o According to reports, the websites have been blocked on the advise of Anti- Terrorism Squad. o Some of the websites were reportedly using social media as its weapon to lure Indian youths to join jihadi activities.
1 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o These URLs have been blocked under Section 69 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and under Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.
2 nd january National Affairs o A suspicious fishing boat carrying explosives from Pakistan was intercepted by Indian Coast Guard in Arabian Sea near Indo-Pak maritime boundary but it sank after the crew on board set it on fire. o The boat carrying some four people blew up some 365 kms off Porbander coast after a hot chase. o The incident came a month after sixth anniversary of the Mumbai terror attack. o The government has accepted the recommendations of Bezbaruah Committeethat has suggested immediate measures to ensure the safety of people from India's northeast in Delhi and other major cities. o The committee headed by M.P. Bezbaruah, a member of the North Eastern Council, was set up in February 2014 after a 19-year-old student from Arunachal Pradesh, Nido Tania, died after he was attacked. o This committee recommends enacting new law to deal with rising crimes against the people from north east. o Calling people of northeastern origin by "derogatory" names such as "chinki" may land one in jail for up to five years, besides being non-bailable. o Delhi police to recruit 20 police personnel from each Northeastern State o Cases related to North Eastern People to be sent to fast track Courts. o Panel of 7 lawyers including 5 women lawyers formed by Delhi State Legal Service Authority for legal assistance o The government was considering introducing two new Sections in the IPC, Section 153-C and Section 509-A. . 153-C : This section relates to imputations and assertions prejudicial to human dignity and makes words, both spoken and written, or signs attempting to discriminate against individuals on the basis or race, or indulging in activity intended to use criminal force or violence against a particular race, a non-bailable offence punishable with imprisonment up to five years with fine . 509-A : This section seeks to make any word, gesture or act intended to insult a member of a particular race with imprisonment that may extend to three years with fine. o The Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court has set up a special bench of Justice CR Kumaraswamy to hear the appeals filed by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and three others who had questioned their conviction in the disproportionate assets case.
Science & Technology o India's first inter-planetary mission MOM or Mangalyaan has completed 100 days around Mars. o The Mars Orbiter launched on 5th November 2013 onboard ISRO's PSLV C25 from Sriharikota entered the Martian orbit on September 24, 2014 after a nine-month long odyssey, making India the first country in the world to succeed in such inter-planetary mission in the maiden attempt itself.
Sports The Sports Ministry cleared the name of National Boxing Federation of India as 'Boxing India' (BI) which is already recognized as a permanent member of the International Boxing Association. o The Sports Ministry stated that the matter was examined in detail and it has no objection to the registration of 'Boxing India' to be the new governing body of the sport.
2 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Boxing India President said the registration is a stepping stone in expediting the administrative formalities and streamlining the overall functioning and activities of body.
3 rd january International Affairs o President Pranab Mukherjee extends India's good wishes to Myanmar on the eve of its Independence day (4th January) o In South Australia, houses were lost as an intense bush fire raged out of control today. o The authorities warned the state faced its worst wildfire danger since the deadly 1983 blazes. o More than 500 firefighters are battling the bush-fire which has ravaged more than 10,000 hectares in South Australia and is likely to burn until early next week. o The US has imposed fresh financial sanctions on North Korea and its senior officials in its first public response to the "provocative" cyber-attack on Sony Pictures, which the Obama Administration has said was backed by the reclusive country. o China has taken a firm step to extend the Silk Road Economic Belt to South Asia, by working out a blueprint of connecting Nepal with the Eurasian transport corridor. o Last month, Nepal formally signed a four-point document endorsing the Silk Road Economic Belt — a pet project of President Xi Jinping for connecting Asia with Europe along a land corridor, with China as its hub. o The agreement was signed during a meeting in Beijing of the Nepal-China Inter- governmental Business and Investment Coordination. National Affairs
o Prime Minister, Narendra Modi today inaugurated the 102nd edition of the Indian Science Congress hosted by the Mumbai University. o This event will conclude on 7th January 2015. o This year's Theme : Science and Technology for Human Development o Modi called for the need to rekindle the love for science and technology and the relaxing excessive regulations and cumbersome procedures for our universities to give a boost to research. o He also felicitated Nobel laureates and Indian scientists on the occasion. o As per statistics provided by Tigernet, the official database of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Sixty-six wild tiger deaths were reported in the country in 2014. o Highest number of wild tiger deaths was reported from the forests of Tamil Nadu —15, followed by Madhya Pradesh —14. o Six of the deaths in Tamil Nadu were from the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. o The majority of wild tiger deaths was caused by poaching o The DDA (Delhi Development Authority) is planning to issue its next housing scheme in December 2016, which would be much larger than the 2014 projectand will include at least 24,660 LIG flats. o Niti Aayog o Niti Aayog, the new body to replace Planning Commission will start functioning from Next week. o Noted economist, Arvind Panagariya is tipped to be the first Vice-Chairman of the Niti Aayog. Business & Economy o Reserve Bank governor Raghuram Rajan today made a strong case for cleaning up bad debts of banks and restructure other possible NPAs within a year to put the economy back on track. o He also favoured channelizing "full savings" of the households into the financial system so that requisite resources for growth are made available. o Calling for an end to "lazy banking", Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said he is against any political interference in functioning of banks but supports necessary "intervention" in the public interest. o Modi urged people to invest their money in banks instead of buying gold and keeping it safely, which is generally considered as an unproductive investment.
3 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o He said Indians have a good habit of savings, but these savings have diverted to gold over the time as a measure of security and banks have a challenge to look into ways to discourage huge amounts of money being kept in gold. o In a bid to stem the bleeding of public sector banks engendered by soaring non-performing assets (NPAs), Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today batted for greater autonomy to be given to PSBs. o “Banks need to be given greater leeway for taking commercial decisions with a commercial mindset,” said Mr. Jaitley on the concluding day of the ‘Gyan Sangam’ bankers retreat. o Aamir Khan’s ‘PK’ box office collections beat ‘Dhoom 3′ record to becomeBollywood’s No. 1 at Rs 285.37 Crore.
4th jan International Affairs o Myanmar celebrates its 67th Independence Day today. o 206 Birth anniversary of French Innovator Louis Braille (4 January 1809 – 6 January 1852) is being observed today. o He was a French educator and inventor of a system of reading and writing for use by the visually impaired. o His system remains known worldwide simply as braille. o The use of Mahatma Gandhi’s image on beer cans and bottle by a U.S. company with the name “Gandhi-Bot”, has raised hackles with a petition being filed in a Hyderabad court alleging it had insulted the father of the nation following which the liquor company has apologized. o The Company claimed that its intention was to pay homage and celebrate the apostle of peace and that Gandhi’s granddaughter and grandson have expressed their admiration for the label. o The petition submitted that it amounts to offenses under Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and 124-A of IPC (related to us inflammatory words, signs or visible representation).
National Affairs o EidMilad-Un-Nabi, the birthday of Prophet Mohammad is being celebrated with religious fervour in various parts of the country today. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign adds a new member every three seconds on its Facebook page, a feat that has not been achieved by any other department of the government and a very few in the private sector."
o The initiative has already touched over 2.1 billion global impressions on social media and reached an overall fan base of over 3 million on its Facebook page. o The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the urban development ministry to make public all records related to allotment of land and bungalows to political parties and upload these details on its website. o It also ordered the ministry to transfer queries related to naming of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) headquarters as “Rabri Bhavan” to the Lalu Prasad-led political party. o Security around the country's airports has been stepped up and all anti-hijacking measures put in place after intelligence agencies warned of a possible hijack attempt. o An anonymous telephone call was received by the Kolkata office of Air India threatening that its flight would be hijacked. o In a bid to provide a one-stop centre to voters for new registrations, modifications and deletions in the electoral roll, the Election Commission has decided to create a national-level roll which can be stored as a National Data Centre. o The services offered to voters will include providing facilities for searching name, knowing the concerned BLO (Block Level Officer), constituency name and number, and other voter information. o Delhi will be developed into a "Global City" and the India's first 'Smart City' will be set up here to decongest the national capital and facilitate it with all modern amenities, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said. Science & Technology
4 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Former chief of Indian Space Research Organisation, K Radhakrishnan has said that the o During an interaction with space scientists at the Indian Science Congress in Mumbai, he said that the ISRO is working on technology to provide the environment and life support system for the crew, minimizing the failure rate and developing an escape system for sending human beings to space.
Deaths o Well-known character artiste in the Telugu film industry, ‘Ahuthi’ Prasad (57), died of cancer while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad. Business & Economy o Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised State-run Banks that the government wouldn't interfere in their functioning, setting the stage for big-ticket reforms in the sector while responding to calls for greater autonomy. o Rising at an alarming rate, the number of cyber crimes in India may double to 3 lakh in 2015 and could pose serious economic and national security challenges, anAssocham- Mahindra SSG study has warned. o The increasing use of smartphones and tablets for online banking and other financial transactions have increased risks. o The Labour Ministry is preparing a mega housing scheme to offer affordable houses to over 5 crore subscribers of retirement fund body EPFO in the backdrop of the government’s mission ‘Housing for all by 2022′. o The Ministry intends to collaborate with PSU banks, housing finance companies, state-owned construction firms like NBCC and authorities like DDA, PUDA, HUDA to build houses at a price to be fixed by the government. o EPFO - Employees’ Provident Fund Organization
5th jan International Affairs
o Reacting strongly to the US certification that Pakistan has curbed terror leading to more aid to Islamabad, India today asserted that its neighbor was not showing "sustained commitment" or "ceasing support" or dismantling "bases of operations" of terror groups including LeT and al Qaeda.
National Affairs
o The Delhi High Court today pulled up the Election Commission, asking what action it has taken on the allegation about the presence of a large number of bogus voters in various Assembly constituencies of Delhi. o The Court has listed the matter for further hearing on the 13th of this month. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches programme to promote use of LED lights for reducing energy consumption at New Delhi.
o He said, it is much more economical to conserve power, than to produce it. o Importance of LED Bulbs : o LED bulbs have a very long life with 50 times more than ordinary bulbs and 8 to ten times that of CFLs and provide both energy and cost savings in the medium term. o In Delhi, two LED lights will be distributed at a payment of Rs. 10 each and the balance amount of about Rs. 120 each will be recovered from electricity bill over a year. o The LED based lights will help in reducing energy consumption by 88 per cent compared to a normal bulb. o It will result in annual saving of energy by about 24 crore units every year. o He also launched a web-based system to enable consumers in Delhi to register requests for procuring LED bulbs under Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme. o Consumers can register either through the programme websitewww.eeslindia.org/Delhi-Launch or by sending an SMS to a designated number.
New Govt Schemes
5 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today launched the sale of subsidised five-kg cooking gas cylinders under Free Trade LPG Scheme, benefiting Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and others. o He also launched a new scheme providing concession of Rs.1, 600 to BPL families on new gas connections in the country. o The move is aimed to make cooking gas easily available to consumers. o TamilNadu govt launches ‘ o According to the scheme launched by AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister in September last year, the Government will procure two lakh tonnes of cement from the private sector and sell it at Rs 190 per bag in all corporation, municipality and other local body limits. o Ms. Jayalalithaa is addressed as ‘Amma’ (Mother) by her party supporters. o The ruling AIADMK had earlier launched a series of initiatives such as Amma Mineral Water, Amma Canteens and Amma Salt.
Visitors
o Renowned Hollywood actor and activist Richard Gere today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi today. o Gere, who started his acting career in the 1970s, has lately become an active supporter of "free Tibet" movement led by the Dalai Lama. o He is a co-founder of the Tibet House, creator of The Gere Foundation, and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the International Campaign for Tibet.
New Appointments
o Economist Arvind Panagariya appointed as Vice Chairman of NITIAayog. o Economist Bibek Debroy and V.K. Saraswat, Former Secretary of Defence Research & Development named as full time members of NitiAayog o NITI - National Institution for Transforming India o Chairman : Narendra Modi Sceince & Technology o Centre has directed its officials and state governments to stock emergency requirements of medicine o Health Minister J P Nadda also asked the hospitals to ensure adequate quantity of personal protective equipment for health care workers. o After replacing it with NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), the government has archived the website of the erstwhile Planning Commissionwhile the new body will launch its own website in a few days. o The Planning Commission website has been archived and all related material can be accessed on the following url: http://planningcommissionarchive.nic.in/
Sports
o Asian Weightlifting Championships 2015 o Indian weightlifters ended their campaign on a high by bagging a total of 14 medals, including six gold in the 17th Asian Youth (boys & girls), 22nd Junior Women and 29th Junior Men Asian Weightlifting Championships at Doha, Qatar. o India won maximum number of gold in Youth Boys division o Chennai Open 2015 o India's premier Tennis event, Chennai Open (also called as Aircel Chennai Open 2015) began at SDAT Tennis Stadium in Chennai today. o It will be the 20th edition of the only ATP tournament taking place in India. o This will be held from 5th January 2015 to 11th January 2015. o Saina Nehwal recommended for Padma Bhushan by Sports Ministry. o The Indian badminton star had earlier expressed anger at not being nominated for the award. o In a press statement today, the Sports Ministry said Saina's recommendation was a "special case".
6 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal
6th jan National Affairs o PM Narendra Modi released a commemorative coin to mark the 175th birth anniversary of Shri Jamsetji Tata (founder of the Tata Group). o President Pranab Mukherjee today signed an ordinance to amend the Citizenship Act. o The ordinance will give life long visa to People of Indian Origin and exempt them from appearing before local police station every time they visit India. o Seven lakh Coal Workers begin five day strike to protest the disinvestment and restructuring of the public sector Coal India Limited o This strike is likely to affect production of up to 1.5 million tonnes a day and fuel supply to power plants. o The strike call, for the biggest industrial action for any sector since 1977, has been given by the five leading trade unions of the country including BJP-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS). o They are protesting against 'disinvestment and restructuring of state-run Coal India' and to press for their other demands including the roll-back of what they call as "process of denationalising of coal sector". o 13th Pravasi bharatiya Divas set to begin in Gandhinagar tomorrow.
o Will be held from 7th to 9th January 2015 at Gandhinagar, Gujrat. o This day is being observed since the year 2003. o This year marks 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi's return to India. New Appointments o West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi was sworn in as Meghalaya Governor. o Mr. Tripathi became the 19th Governor of this hill State, succeeding Krishan Kant Paul, who has been made Uttarakhand Governor. o Sutirtha Bhattacharya took charge as Coal India's full-time chairman and managing director, a post which had been lying vacant for over six months, amid the miner facing pressure to ramp up production. o Prior to this, Bhattacharya was the CMD of state-owned Singareni Collieries Company. Visitors o President of Guyana Donald Rabindranauth Ramotar will arrive on a six-day India visit tomorrow during which he will attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and hold talks with the top leadership. o Ramotar will be the Chief Guest at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2015. People in News o Delhi Police today said that the death of Sunanda Pushkar, the wife of former Union Minister, Shashi Tharoor, was unnatural and caused by poisoning. o The police said that the medical board's report has confirmed that Sunanda's death occurred either through oral consumption of poison, or through an injection. o Thailand police have arrested Gurmeet Singh, an alleged killer, who was involved in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh and several others.
7 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
Awards & Honors o Andhra Pradesh Government today appointed Bollywood Megastar Amitabh Bachchan as Brand Ambassador for Health and Medical Sector. o Nobel laureate Amartya Sen gave away the Infosys Prize for the year 2014 to six scientists today. The awardees are, o Engineering and Computer Science – Jayant Haritsa, Professor, Supercomputer Education and Research Centre (SERC) and Chair, Department of Computer Science and Automation (CSA), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) o Humanities – Shamnad Basheer, Founder and Managing Trustee, Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access (IDIA), Bengaluru and Founder, SpicyIP o Life Sciences – Shubha Tole, Professor, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai o Mathematical Sciences – Madhu Sudan, Principal Researcher, Microsoft Research o Physical Sciences – Srivari Chandrasekhar, Chief Scientist and Head, Division of Natural Products Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad o Social Sciences – Esther Duflo, Professor, Department of Economics at Massachusettes Institute of Technology
Business & Economoy o Sensex tumbles 855 points in its worst single-day fall in five-and-a-half years; Closes below the 27,000-mark. Sports o Indian national selectors have announced the 15-member squad for the ICC World Cup 2015, scheduled to take place in Australia and New Zealand from February 14. o Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been named the captain while Virat Kohli will be the vice-Captain of the side in ICC World Cup 2015 after being handed over the Test captaincy recently. o The five-man selection panel, however, ignored Yuvraj Singh, who was not in the list of the 30-member probables but had come into reckoning after his three back-to- back centuries in the Ranji Trophy.
7th jan International Affairs o At least 12 people have been killed in a shooting incident at the Paris office ofFrench satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo today. o Heavily armed gunmen shouting slogans stormed the newspaper office today and shot dead at least 12 people in the deadliest attack in France in four decades. o The satirical magazine gained notoriety in February 2006 when it reprintedcartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that had originally appeared in Danish daily Jyllands-Posten, causing fury across the Muslim world. o Its offices were fire-bombed in November 2011 when it published a cartoon of the Prophet and under the title "ChariaHebdo". o Four of France’s best-known satirical cartoonists, including the magazine's editor, were among the dead. . Editor-in-chief Stephane Charbonnier, known as Charb, . Cartoonists known as Cabu (Jean Cabu), Tignous (Bernard 'Tignous' Verlhac) and Wolinski (George Wolinski) o At least 37 people have been killed and 66 others injured by a bomb blast outside a police academy in Yemen's capital, Sanaa today. o Pakistan has restricted the entry of buses run under the Pakistan-India Dosti service from Lahore and Nankana Sahib to Delhi till Wagah border citing terror threats. o PTDC - Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation o The Australian government has warned that terrorists were planning attacks in India, and urged its citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution” while travelling through the country. o Australian flag carrier Qantas has been named the world’s safest airline in a report published by AirlineRatings.com today.
8 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Using a system that takes into account audits from aviation governing bodies and governments, as well as fatality records, Qantas was named the safest and most experienced airline going into 2015, Xinhua reported citing the report. National Affairs o The three day long 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which celebrates the achievements of Indian diaspora, has begun in Gujarat's capital Gandhinagartoday.
o The annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is being held from 7th January 2015 to 9th January 2015, to mark the centenary of the return of the "Sarva Sreshtha Pravasi Bharatiya" or foremost Indian diaspora member, MahatmaGandhi to India from South Africa. o Chief Guest : Donald Ramotar (President of Guyana) o Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was Inaugurated by : Sushma Swaraj (External Affairs Minister) o Important Points to Note: . 12th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2014 was held at New Delhi. . Chief Guest : Datuk Seri G Palanival (Malaysian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment) o The central government today launched a national toll-free helpline to provide assistance to people dependent on alcohol and drugs. o The move to launch the helpline number 1800-11-0031 comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to the youth of the country to give up drugs in his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio programme in December. o Launched by : Thawar Chand Gehlot (Social Justice and Empowerment Minister) People in News o Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi today dedicated his prize to the nation by presenting his medal to President Pranab Mukherjee in a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. o The President said on the occasion that Mr. Satyarthi is doing very good job which has been recognised by the international community and he has been given Noble Peace Prize. o Mr. Mukherjee thanked him on behalf of the people of the country. New Appointments o Ali Kishor Patnaik took over as the State secretary of Odisha-unit of Communist Party of India (Marxist) ending the 24-year-long stint of outgoing State Secretary, Janardhan Pati.
Science & Technology o NASA Scientists announce discovery of 8 new planets outside Solar System, close to finding Earth's twin. o Two of the eight are the most Earth-like of any known planets found so far outside our solar system. o The pair are likely to have hard, rocky surfaces in addition to being an orbiting distance from their stars that is neither too hot nor too cold for water - and possibly life - to exist. Sports o Chennai Open 2015 o Indian tennis veteran, Leander Paes along with his South African partner Raven Klaasen made a winning start in the doubles event.
8th jan International Affairs
9 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed outrage over the “cold-blooded” and “unjustifiable” terrorist attack against French magazine Charlie Hebdo, with the UN Security Council underlining the need to bring perpetrators of terrorism to justice. o The U.N. Chief and the powerful Security Council were joined by other U.N. bodies and the President of the General Assembly in strongly condemning the attack that killed 12 people, including the top editor, prominent cartoonists and police officers. National Affairs o Prime Minister Modi formally inaugurate the 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Gandhinagar. o In his inaugural address at the 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), Prime Minister announces merger of PIO and OCI schemes to ensure one type of facilities and also grant exemption from weekly police reporting. . The procedural hurdles faced by overseas Indians are not just an administrative issue, but a matter of self-respect and the Centre has taken several steps to facilitate their travels to India, he said. . This will help PIOs and NRIs avail the opportunity at a time when his government has initiated several initiatives to boost India's economy. . PIOs - Persons of Indian Origin . NRIs - Non Resident Indians o Marking 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi’s homecoming from South Africa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released Rs 100 & Rs 10 coins and stamps of Rs 25 and Rs 5 denominations.
o These Coins and stamps showing in the same frame pictures of a young Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and another of his transformation into Mahatma Gandhi o An ordinance to amend the Motor Vehicles Act 2014, today got the President Pranab Mukherjee's assent, paving the way for plying of e-rickshaws on roads of national capital region.
Business & Economy o Qatar Airways is keen to buy equity in IndiGo if the Indian carrier offers 49 per cent stake to it, a top official has said as he sought the opening up of the Indian aviation market for established airline companies. Awards & Honors o The 41st People's Choice Awards were announced. Check complete winners list from here. New Appointments o A former IPS officer, Krishna Kant Paul was today sworn in as the sixth Governor of Uttarakhand. o Paul takes over from Aziz Qureshi who has been appointed the Governor of Mizoram. Sports o Karate is making a push to be part of the programme for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. o New reforms by the IOC have given karate officials renewed hope that the martial art could be added to the Tokyo games and the head of the World Karate Federation (Antonio Espinos) is meeting with 2020 organisers to make his case for the sport’s inclusion. o Squash, roller sports, sports climbing, wakeboard and wushu are also hopeful of joining the Tokyo programme. o Young Cricketer Lokesh Rahul became the talk of the town after he scored his maiden century, playing only his second Test, on day three of the fourth Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday. o After a stellar cricketing career which spanned over two decades, iconic Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar is all set to play himself in a film made on his life. o A Mumbai-based production company 200NotOut is working on the movie to be directed by award-winning British director James Erskine.
10 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
9th jan National Affairs o The Government has imposed Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir today as political parties fail to form a government and Caretaker Chief Minister Omar Abdullah unwilling to continue. o Jammu & Kashmir Governor - N.N. Vohra. Awards & Honors o Pravasi Bharatiya Samman 2015 o Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas concludes this evening with 15 NRIs getting award for their contribution in various fields. . Microsoft CEO Satyanarayana Nadella (Satya Nadella) and Guyana President Donald Rabindernauth Ramaotar are important personalities among them. . Among others who will get the award are Mala Mehta, Rajaram Sanjaya, Kanwaljit Singh Bakhshi, Rajmal Parakh, Duraikannu Karunakaran, Essop Goolam Pahad, Shah Bharatkumar Jayantilal, Ashraf Palarkunnummal, Mahendra Nanji Mehta, Professor Nathu Ram Puri, Dr Lulla Kamlesh and Dr Nandini Tandon. . The awards were presented by Vice-President Hamid Ansari at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. New Appointments
o Maithripala Sirisena sworn in as the new President of Sri Lanka. o He is the Sixth President of Sri Lanka. o The oath was administered by senior Supreme Court judge, K Siripavan. o Immediately after this, Ranil Wickramasinghewas sworn in as the new Prime Minister of the country.
Business & Economy o Marking Tatas’ re-entry into the Indian aviation space after over six decades, new airline Vistara today flew its first flight, and said its aim will be to “do it right” without making a big splash. o Tatas hold a majority 51 per cent stake in Vistara — a joint venture with Singapore Airlines, which holds the remaining 49 per cent. o The first Vistara flight flew from Delhi to Mumbai today — over six decades after Tata Airlines was rechristened as Air India, and eventually nationalized in 1950s. Sports o Virat Kohli is the highest ranked Indian in the latest ICC ODI ranking. o He figures at number two position followed by Shikhar Dhawan at 5th & M.S.Dhoni at 10th position. o South African Cricketer, AB Devilliers is the top batsman in the latest ranking.
10th jan National Affairs o Prime Minster Narendra Modi will inaugurate three day 7th Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar tomorrow. o United Nation’s Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and United States Secretary of state Mr. John Kerry are among host of leaders visiting the Summit. o US Secretary of State Mr. John Kerry is leading 150 members strong delegation as US is the partner country for the first time along with several other nations. People in News o BJP leader Subramanian Swamy says he is convinced that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had not died in air crash in Taiwan in 1945 and the Centre will release secret files relating to his death sometime in the future. o Swamy said at a programme in New Delhi that America had given it in writing to the Mukherjee Commission, which probed Netaji's disappearance, that there was no record of any plane crash and no record of any charred body in any hospital in Taiwan. o Swamy said he would pursue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release the files from government records.
11 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o One of the suspects in the Rajiv Gandhi murder case and former international arms procurer for the LTTE, Kumaran Pathmanathan is missing and is reported to have escaped from Sri Lanka yesterday. o This was stated by Rajitha Senaratne, who is a close associate of President Maithripala Sirisena and a member of parliament. o Pathmanabhan was rehabilitated by the Rajapaksa government and was running an orphanage in Killinochchi in Sri Lanka. An Interpol arrest warrant is pending against Pathmanabhan. Important Days
o World Hindi Day is being observed today. o The day is commemorated every year with the objective to promote use of Hindi language abroad. o The First World Hindi Conference was organized in Nagpur, India on January 10, 2006. o Since then every year 10th January is being observed as the World Hindi Day. New Appointments o Former Planning Commission Secretary Sindhushree Khullar was today appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly formed NITI Aayog. Visitors o UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is on 4 day visit to India. o He will be accompanied by his wife Madam Yoo Soon-taek and a team of officials. o Important Highlights of his Visit : . He will will be the Guest of Honour at the 7th Vibrant Gujarat Summit, which is going to be held on Sunday. . He will inaugurate a 10 MW canal-top solar power plant in Vadodara at Sabarmati Ashram. o Sri Lanka's newly-elected President Maithripala Sirisena will make his first State visit overseas to India. o The new Sri Lankan President accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to visit the country first Sports o Border–Gavaskar Trophy 2014 - 15 o Australia clinched the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after India managed to hold on to a draw at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). o This is Australia's 5th title. o Brisbane International 2015 o Maria Sharapova of Russia wins the Brisbane International Tennis Tournament women's singles trophy after defeating Ana Ivanovic of Serbia in Brisbane today.
11th jan International Affairs o A German newspaper, the Hamburger Morgenpost's office attacked in Hamburg for re- printing Charlie Hebdo cartoons. o More than 40 world leaders including Muslim and Jewish statesmen linked arms leading hundreds of thousands of French citizens in an unprecedented march under high security to pay tribute to victims of Islamist militant attacks. o President Francois Hollande and leaders from Germany, Italy, Israel, Turkey, Britain and the Palestinian territories among others, moved off from the central Place de la Republique ahead of a sea of French and other flags. o Giant letters attached to a statue in the square spelt out the word Pourquoi?" (Why?) and small groups sang the "La Marseillaise" national anthem. o The crucial black box of the crashed AirAsia Flight QZ8501 was today found in the Java Sea stuck under debris from the plane's fuselage and will be retrieved on Monday as the major breakthrough in the search raised hopes of unravelling the mystery of the crash soon. o The breakthrough comes exactly two weeks after the flight from Surabaya to Singapore went down with 162 people on board. o Sri Lanka's new President Maithripala Sirisena elected as Head of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, ousting Mahindra Rajapaksa.
12 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
National Affairs o 7th Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit
o PM Narendra Modi inaugurated thethree-day Vibrant Gujarat Summit (VGS) in Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar today in the presence of large conglomerates and leaders from India and abroad, a few of whom announced huge investment and job creation plans. o This year's Vibrant Gujarat Summit is touted to be the biggest ever, with a host of high-profile business as well as political leaders attending it. o Ban Ki-Moon, John Kerry and several ministers from Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada and over 50 CEOs of top Indian as well as international companies are participating in the summit that will conclude on January 13. o Eight countries, including the US, Canada and Japan have for the first time become partner nations for the summit. o In his speech Modi called summit as not just a meeting of ideas, but also of aspirations and expressed concern over fluctuation in global economy. . He also said that various countries are coming forward to work with India and India also wants to work with global leadership on issues ranging from poverty to ecology. o IMF has said India will be 2nd fastest economy in coming years, added PM Modi. o India’s economic growth will be 6.4% this year and faster in the next, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. o The Mukesh Ambani led-Reliance Industries (RIL) will invest Rs.1, 00,000 crore across its businesses, including the Gujarat petrochemical complex, in the next 18 months. o The AdityaBirla Group to invest Rs 20,000 cr in Gujarat. o UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon inaugurated Gujarat’s first 10 MW solar power plant on Narmada river canal today o Energy Minister : Saurabh Patel o Twelve militants of NDFB-Songbijit, which was behind the December massacre of over 70 people in lower Assam, were apprehended during a joint operation by security forces in the Manas Reserve Forest in Chirang District along the India-Bhutan border. o Election Commission today said that it had detected over 1 lakh, 20 thousand duplications in Electoral roll of Delhi, while asserting that a variety of steps have been taken to prevent bogus voting in upcoming assembly polls. o The EC's response came on complaints by Aam Aadmi Party and Congress that Delhi's electoral rolls carried names of a large number of bogus voters. Awards & Honors o M.Y.S. Prasad, director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, has been selected for the Vikram Sarabhai memorial award to be presented by the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA). o SHAR - Sriharikota High Altitude Range Science & Technology o An advanced electronic warfare (EW) suite developed by the DRDO was successfully tested onboard the country's Light Combat Aircraft Tejas-PV1 today. Sports o Bengaluru FC lifted their maiden Federation Cup football tournament titlebeating Dempo Sports Club 2-1 in the final in Goa. o Top seeded Swiss star Stanislas Wawrinka beats Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia in theChennai Open Tennis Singles final to retain the title.
12th jan International Affairs
13 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o France is mobilising 10,000 troops to boost security after last week's deadly attacks, and will send thousands of police to protect Jewish schools. o It is the first time troops have been deployed within France on such a scale. o Defense Minister - Jean-Yves Le Drian o The Army school in Peshawar, Pakistan, where more than 140 people, mostly children were killed last month, reopened today. o Pupils and teachers pray for the victims of the Taliban attack. o Israel has announced that the country is going to open centres of excellence for farmers in India to encourage research in agriculture sector. o Israel's Agriculture Minister - Yair Shamir
MoUs
o 31 Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) were inked in various fields on the inaugural day of the 7th Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit in Gandhinagar yesterday. o A major MoU was signed between World Bank, Government of India andthe Gujarat Government, according to which the World bank will support Gujarat in the ‘Swachhta Abhiyan’ or cleanliness mission, and build smart cities. o Other key MoUs were signed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited for rail systems and Indo-China Development Private Ltd. for a trade centre. o In the theme Seminar, ‘Gujarat: preferred hub for defense production’, as many as 11 MoUs were signed. o One of the MoUs included Adani Enterprise’s interest to develop integrated solar PV manufacturing cluster and Narmada Bio-chem to produce organic and inorganic fertilizer. o 12 MoUs were signed in the field of innovation in food processing for sustaining food
National Affairs
o Today is National Youth Day.
o The day is celebrated every year on 12 th of January, the birth anniversary of social reformer, philosopher and thinker Swami Vivekananda. o Since 1985 onwards, National Youth Day is being celebrated all over the country. o The Election Commission today said theDelhi assembly elections would be held on 7th February in single phase. o Counting of votes would take place on 10th February. o In November 2014, President Pranab Mukherjee, dissolved the Delhi Assembly, paving the way for fresh elections that will end the political hibernation since the Aam Admi Party (AAP) government led by Arvind Kejriwal fell in February. o By elections for Srirangam in Tamil Nadu, Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal will also be held on 7th February. o Chief Election Commissioner - VS Sampat o Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said government proposes to come up with an industry friendly policy on defence manufacturing and procurement in 2-3 months, a move aimed at promoting local production and reduce imports. o Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has formally adopted four villages of Karnali group panchayat in Vadodara district in Gujarat as part of the 'Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana' for MPs. o The Supreme Court directed the government to ensure that a system is put in placeto allow NRIs to e-vote within 8 weeks. o The move came after the government made it clear to the apex court that it was willing to accept the recommendations put forth by the Election Commission in this regard. o So now, the Non Resident Indians may not have to fly to India to cast their vote during elections.
14 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o The Election Commission had earlier recommended e-ballot voting for Indian passport holders abroad. o The government had given voting rights to the NRIs in 2010, but as per the rule the voter has to be present in their constituency on the day of voting. o Centre is planning to sanction sewerage projects worth over 1500 crore rupees to check flow of untreated waters into the Ganga river. o Minister Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation- Uma Bharti o Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu said that the project plan for the Centre’s proposed 100 smart cities would be ready by January end and the coming budget would make provisions for a detailed project report (DPR) and provide viability gap funding for interested investors.
Awards & Honors
o Golden Globe Awards 2015 o Richard Linklater film Boyhood has taken top honours at the Golden Globe Awards. . The movie, which took 12 years to make, won best film drama, with Linklater named best director and Patricia Arquette best supporting actress. . British actor Eddie Redmayne won best actor in a drama for his role as physicist Professor Stephen Hawking in the film titled The Theory of Everything. . British actresses Joanne Froggatt and Ruth Wilson also collected prizes. Business & Economy
o Industrial Production grows to a five month high of 3.8 per cent in November. o Microsoft and Idea Cellular have partnered to enable users to purchase application and games from the Windows Store through operator billing. o This is expected to simplify mobile phone application purchase by eliminating the need to use credit cards or other electronic payment options for paid content.
Science & Technology
o Australia today expressed confidence that negotiations on the civil nuclear deal with India will not “drag on” as political clearance has already been given and only technical issues are required to be resolved. o The fourth navigation satellite of India is getting ready for launch in March, and it will be another step forward for India in evolving its own navigation satellite system and not depend on the Geographical Positioning System (GPS) service of the U.S.
Deaths
o Popular Tollywood producer & director VB Rajendra Prasad passed away. o Rajendra Prasad’s ‘Antastulu’ has won a national award in 1965. o He received Raghupati Venkaiah Naidu award Life Time Achievement in 2003 and KV Reddy Memorial Award in 2000. Sports
o Anirban Lahiri has been voted the 2014 Players' Player of the Year for his successful exploits on the Asian Tour, where he won two titles and finished second on the Order of Merit. o West Indies completed the highest run chase in Twenty20 history as they beat South Africa by four wickets in a thrilling game in Johannesburg. o West Indies 236-6 (19.2 overs) and South Africa 231-7 (20 overs) o Roger Federer records 1000th win in professional circuit after lifting the Brisbane International title.
15 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
13th jan International Affairs o The Twitter and YouTube accounts for the U.S. military command that oversees operations in the Middle East were hacked today by people claiming to be sympathetic toward the Islamic State militant group being targeted in American bombing raids. o "American soldiers, we are coming, watch your back, ISIS," the hackers posted on the U.S. Central Command Twitter feed, using an acronym for the hardline Islamist group, which has taken control of parts of Syria and Iraq. National Affairs o The festival of Lohri is being celebrated today with traditional fervour and gaiety as various functions are being held across the region to mark the day. o India Water Week 2015 o Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga RejuvenationUma Bharti inaugurated India Water Week 2015 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi today. o The theme of five day water week is "Water Management for Sustainable Development". o The seventh Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit has attracted investment intentions worth of Rs 25 lakh crores.
o 21,000 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and 1,225 strategic partnership agreements have been inked during the two-day summit. o Gujarat Chief Minister - Anandiben Patel o 2-day International Kite Festivalorganized by the State Tourism department begins in Jaipur. o The Bihar government has announced a cash reward of 50 thousand rupees to couples opting for inter-caste marriage. o A sum of 50,000 rupees would be deposited in the name of the bride with a cap of withdrawal only after the couple lived a happy married life for three years. o In the event of break in relationship, the amount would be forfeited. o The amount to be deposited in the bank can be withdrawn or the term of fixed deposit extended only after the will of the couple. o India`s first CNG train has started running between Rewari and Rohtak today. o Introduction of CNG trains will reduce greenhouse gas emission by the Railways and also the consumption of diesel. o This train is based on the dual fuel system - Diesel and CNG o Inaugurated by Railway Minister - Suresh Prabhu o CNG - Compressed Natural Gas o DEMU - Diesel Electric Multiple Unit o National Green Tribunal fixes heavy fines for throwing waste in Yamuna. New Appointments o Justice S K Sinha was appointed Chief Justice of Bangladesh o He became the first Hindu to hold the highest judicial post in the Muslim- majority country. Awards & Honors o RBI chief Raghuram Rajan has been named as the “Governor of the Year” in the Central Banking Awards for 2015 o British Magazine "Central Banking" honored Raghuram Rajan with this award for “his deep understanding of the root causes of economic problems of the country combined with an impressive leadership style.” o India’s Mars Orbiter programme team has won the 2015 Space Pioneer Awardin the science and engineering category from the US based National Space Society (NSS), the society said.
People in News
16 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o The Congress high command, today, named party general secretary Ajay Maken as the head of party's 101-member campaign committee for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. Sports o Portuguese professional footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo wins FIFA Ballon d'Or award for the third time. o Real Madrid and Colombia star James Rodriguez bagged the best goal award of 2014.
14th jan International Affairs o Japan's cabinet has approved a record 4.98 trillion yen (£28bn, $42bn) budget for defense spending, amid a long-running maritime dispute with China. o The new budget represents a 2.8% rise from the previous fiscal year. It marks the third year of increased spending after a decade of cuts. o Defence Minister - Gen Nakatani o France's lower house of Parliament today overwhelmingly approved extending French airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq. o The vote came after France's worst terrorist attacks in decades. Last week in Paris, a man claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group killed four people in a kosher grocery and a policewoman, while two brothers that he knew for years claimed ties to al-Qaida in Yemen as they killed 12 people at a newspaper office. o Yemen’s al-Qaeda branch today claimed responsibility for last week’s deadly attack on a Paris satirical newspaper, with one of its top commanders saying the assault was in revenge for the weekly’s publications of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, considered an insult in Islam. National Affairs
o Makar Sakranti festival is being celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety. o The Supreme Court today pulled up the Centre on the issue of cleaning of the Ganges and asked for a status report on setting up of sewage treatment plants within six months. o The apex court asked the Centre if it will be able to clean River Ganga in this term. o It observed that over Rs 2000 crore has been spent in the last 30 years on cleaning of Ganga and It called for a status report on the setting up of sewage treatment plants within six months. o Replying to the Supreme Court, the Centre assured it that Ganga will be cleaned by 2018. o Amid concerns over Taj Mahal turning yellow due to increasing pollution, the district administration has banned burning of cow dung cakes in the city while use of coal by small units will also be prohibited soon. o This ban of ccame after a recent study published in an American journal, which says that due to brown and black carbon particles, the white marble of the Taj Mahal is turning yellow. o While cow dung cakes are being used as fuel by poor people for cooking purposes, coal is being used in large quantity mainly by manufacturers of bangles and “petha” sweet.
People in News o The government today sacked Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Avinash Chander, sixteen months before the end of his tenure.
17 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o The Chief Election Commissioner, V. S. Sampath, demits office, capping less than six years of an eventful tenure, occasionally marked by controversies that saw him conduct two Lok Sabha elections and at least one round of Assembly polls in all the states. o Vishal Sikka, the CEO of India’s second largest IT services firm, Infosys, today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and disclosed that his company will spendUSD 250 million (over Rs 1,500 crore) to fund innovations in software and services in India. o Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was convicted by a court in Uttar Pradesh for poll code violation six years ago. o He was sentenced to one year in jail and a fine of Rs 4,000. o However, Naqvi was then released on a surety of Rs 15,000. o Congress has decided to field former Delhi Woman and Child Development Minister Kiran Walia against Aam Aadmi Party Convener Arvind Kejriwal in the prestigious New Delhi constituency. o Former Aam Aadmi Party leader Shazia Ilmi will campaign for BJP in Delhi assembly elections. o She had quit AAP in May last year, blaming lack of internal democracy in the party .
Sports o India's open water swimmer Bhakti Sharma has set a World Record by Swimming 1.4 miles in 52 minutes in one degree temperature at Antarctic Ocean. o She has bettered the earlier record of British open water swimmer Lewis Pugh and American swimmer Lynne Cox. o Bhakti is now the youngest in the world and the first Asian girl to have achieved this feat.
15th jan International Affairs o India and the United States are expected to sign Memoranda of Understanding on cancer research and Ebola control when U.S. President Barack Obama arrives here later this month. o Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare - J.P. Nadda o The world’s newest jetliner, the Airbus A350, began first commercial flight today carrying its first paying passengers from the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar. o It marks the debut of the relatively lightweight, twin-aisle, long-range plane, which promises to connect smaller cities with major aviation hubs nonstop at a cheaper cost for airlines. o The A350 is the third and final major new aircraft in a decade. . First there was the double-decker Airbus A380 (world’s largest passenger jet) and second was Boeing 787. o A U.S. federal district judge has dismissed the case brought by the American Justice Center, a human rights group, against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for his alleged role in the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat, at a time when he was the was the Chief Minister of the state.
National Affairs
o Today (15th January) is Indian Army Day o It was on this day in 1949 when Lt. General (later Field Marshal) KM Cariappa became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army post Independence. o This day inspires the troops to continue to enrich the glorious traditions of the Indian Army with their dedication and sacrifice. o This Day also marks a day to salute the valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect the country and the people living in it. o Important Names to Remember : . Army Chief General - Dalbir Singh Suhag
18 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
. Chief of Naval Staff - Admiral Robin K Dhowan . Air Chief Marshal - Arup Raha o Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, today joined the BJP and is going to be the face of the party in the crucial Delhi elections next month.
Sports
o Australian pace bowler Brett Lee(38) today announced he is to retire from all forms of cricket after a 20-year career. o Indian cricket team's new One-Day International kit was unveiled in Melbourne today. o The new light weight kit combines high performance innovation with sustainability. o Each kit is made out of an average of 33 recycled plastic bottles. o Official apparel sponsor - Nike
Business & Economy o In a surprise move, the Reserve Bank of India today cut down repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.75% from 8%, with immediate effect, yielding to growing signs of slowing inflation and a flagging recovery. o The Ministry of Power has approved an investment of Rs 996 crore for augmentation of transmission facilities. o "In order to serve the growing needs of research and development in the Indian power sector including, development of advanced testing facilities, the government has accorded investment approval of Rs 996 crore for CPRI," an official statement said today. o This will also support establishment of new test facilities in existing laboratories of CPRI, located at Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkota, Guwahati, Noida and Nagpur. o CPRI - capital projects of Central Power Research Institute New Appointments o Harishankar Brahma has been appointed the new Chief Election Commissioner of India. o He will take over the charge tomorrow from V S Sampath who demitted office today. o Presently, Mr Brahma is the senior most Election Commissioner. o A 1975 IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre Mr. Bramha hails from Assam.
16th jan International Affairs o Pakistan decides to ban 12 terror outfits including the Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD), a front for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, as well as the Haqqani network. o The move is seen as part of its renewed anti-terror efforts in the wake of last month's Peshawar school attack. o The decision also comes a day after the US State Department declared Tehreek-e- Taliban Pakistan chief Mullah Fazlullah, sheltered in Afghanistan, a "specially designated global terrorist" on Islamabad's insistence. o Last year the State Department had named JuD as a "foreign terrorist organization". o India, along with the US, has been long demanding to ban Hafiz Muhammad Saeed-led JuD, which is accused of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. National Affairs o Addressing a consultative workshop on urban governance organized for the municipal commissioners of nine states and union territories in New Delhi today, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said, his Ministry is currently working on a city challenge framework with the objective of selecting right city candidates for participation in schemes, such as, building 100 smart cities and development of 500 cities and towns. o He said, all cities and towns seeking to participate in these schemes will be profiled based on specific parameters that have a bearing on their ability to address issues of governance reforms, resource mobilisation and execution.
19 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o To avoid shortage of foodgrains once all states implement the food law, government today approved raising buffer stock and strategic reserve limits of Food Corporation of India for both wheat and rice. o The censor board has given clearance to MSG: The Messenger of God featuring the controversial self-styled guru Ram Rahim Singh. o Earlier, the censor board had objected to the film's release fearing it would cause communal tension and had also raised objections on the content of the movie and the manner in which the Singh projected himself as a ‘Godman’. People in News
o Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) Leela Samsonhas resigned. o She resigned after FCAT cleared the controversial film Messenger of God featuring Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in lead role. o The Censor Board headed by Ms. Samson had earlier denied the clearance certificate to the film saying that the movie depicts Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as a God. . FCAT - Film Certification Appellate Tribunal o New Chief Election Commissioner of India H S Brahma assumes charge o He is the 19th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India. o He said his priority and "mission objective" is to ensure free and fair conduct of Delhi Assembly polls. Visitors o Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida reaches New Delhi on 3-day India visit. o He will attend Indo-Japan Strategic Dialogue meeting
Deaths o Veteran Gandhian and freedom fighter Ghelubhai Naik (90) passed away in Dangs district of Gujarat. Awards & Honors o Jammu and Kashmir has bagged the National Award 2014-15 for e-Governance for the best district-level initiative in the country. o The BJP Government in Haryana has appointed Yoga Guru Ramdev as it's brand ambassador. o The state has ambitious plans to promote yoga and ayurveda in a big way. Business & Economy o The new guidelines from RBI allow banks to act as brokers and permitting them to sell insurance policies from different insurance companies o Seeking to increase insurance penetration in the country, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed banks to act as brokers for insurers, set up their own subsidiaries and also undertake referral services for multiple companies. o Banks have also been allowed to set up subsidiaries and joint venture companies for undertaking insurance business with risk participation, the central bank added. o The Government today hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel by 2 rupees per litre. o A Finance Ministry notification said, the excise duty hike will be effective from midnight tonight. o However, it will have no impact on the current prices of petrol and diesel and their prices will remain unchanged. o This is the fourth increase in excise duty on the two fuels since November last year. o The excise duty hike will result in about 20 thousand crore rupees in additional revenue this fiscal and will help the government meet its fiscal deficit target of 4.1 per cent of the GDP. Science & Technology o Britain's infamous "Beagle 2" spacecraft, once dubbed "a heroic failure" by the nation's Astronomer Royal, has been found on Mars - 11 years after it went missing searching for extraterrestrial life. o Beagle 2, part of the European Space Agency's Mars Express mission, had been due to land on Mars on Christmas Day 2003, but went missing on December 19, 2003. Until now, nothing had been heard from it since then.
20 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
17th jan International Affairs o Japanese foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, who is on a two day visit to India, said today that synergies between the 'Abenomic' of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Modinomics of Prime-Minister Narendra Modi will help India becoming an economic hub in the Indo-pacific region. o He also said that the Japan will contribute to the 'Make in India' initiative so as to support India in becoming a base of economic growth for the Indo-Pacific region and ultimately for the world. o A high alert has been sounded in Europe following anti-terror raids and arrests of suspected militants. o Security has been tightened in several European countries after last week’s attacks in Paris which left 17 people dead. National Affairs o 3 Day Tribal Food Festival-2015 has begun in New Delhi. o Organized by Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) on behalf of the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs. o Inaugurated by Union Tribal Affairs Minister - Jual Oram. o Punjab Government today decided to stop screening of the controversial movie ‘Messenger of God (MSG)’, featuring Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, “in view of reports of tensions surrounding its release in some other parts of the country”. o President Pranab Mukherjee launched a pulse polio immunization programme by administering polio drops to children at Rashtrapati Bhavan today. o National Immunization Day is scheduled to be held on 18th January. o Children of less than five years age will be given polio drops as part of the Government of India's drive to sustain polio eradication from the region.
People in News o The CBI today arrested Shib Narayan Das, director of Kolkata-based firm Saradha Realty, in connection with the multi-crore rupee chit fund scam. Awards & Honors o Twenty four children (8 girls and 16 boys) have been selected for the National Bravery Awards for the year 2014. Four of the Awards have been given posthumously. o The coveted Bharat Award for showing exceptionally gallant deed has been conferred on 16 year old Km Resham Fatma of Uttar Pradesh, a victim of Acid attack, for putting on a brave face while fighting off her tormentor. o The prestigious Geeta Chopra Award has been conferred on 13 year old Km. Gunjan Sharma of Assam who displayed exemplary valour in saving her friends from the clutches of the abductor. o The Sanjay Chopra Award has been given to 16 year old Master Devesh Kumar of Uttar Pradesh who displayed outstanding courage while confronting two chain-snatchers. o Bapu Gaidhani Awards were given to Master RumohMeto (13 years) of Arunachal Pradesh, Late Km. Riya Chaudhary (15 years) of Uttar Pradesh and Late Km. Monika (16 years) of Uttarakhand
21 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o The other recipients are Km. Zeal JitendraMarathe, Master HiralJitubhaiHalpati and Late Master Gaurav Kumar Bharti (all from Gujarat), Master Sahanesh R (Karnataka), Km. AshwiniBanduUghade (Maharashtra), Master L. Brainson Singh and Master G. Tooldev Sharma (both from Manipur), Km. Ripa Das (Tripura), Master BalramDansena (Chhattisgarh), Master Rajdeep Das (Jharkhand), Master Anjith.P, Master Aqil Mohammad NK and Master Midhun PP (all from Kerala), Master Stevenson Lawriniang (Meghalaya), Late Master MesakK.Remnalalnghaka (Mizoram), Ms. MhonbeniEqung (Nagaland), Master Labhanshu (Uttarakhand) and Late Master Gaurav Kumar Bharti (Uttar Pradesh)
Science & Technology
o Thirty-two years after the project was sanctioned, the first indigenously -built Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was today handed over byDefence Minister Manohar Parrikarto the Indian Air Force. o Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha formally received the documents as part of handing over of indigenously built Light Combat Aircraft. o The project was sanctioned 32 years ago in 1983. Sports o India’s Sania Mirza along with her American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands has won doubles title at the Sydney International Tennis Tournament 2015. o They defeated Americans Abigail Spears and Raquel Kops-Jones. o India's doubles stars Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna win ATP Tennis titleswith their respective partners. o Paes captured 55th title of his career as he triumphed at the Heineken Open with new partner Raven Klaasen while Bopanna clinched the Apia International with Canada’s Daniel Nestor.
18th jan International Affairs o The Islamic State (IS) militant group has freed at least 200 members of the Yazidi religious community in northern Iraq. o IS attacked the Yazidi minority community in Iraq last year, killing and abducting thousands of people. o An early estimate of their numbers was put at 350, but later reports said there were some 200 in the group. o Diplomats from Iran and six world powers gathered in the Swiss city of Geneva today to hold talks on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program at the deputy ministerial level. o The meeting between Iran and the P5+1 group, comprising the permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC)- China, France, Russia, Britain and the US - and Germany, began today's morning. o The negotiations were focused on bilateral engagements between the US and Iran during the past four days, which started with talks between the US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad-Javad ZarifWednesday. National Affairs o The Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ms Uma Bharati said that the Year 2015-16 will be celebrated as 'Jal Kranti Varsh (Year)' across the country.
o The programme will be celebrated in each district of the country and all efforts will be made to conserve and save water. o She also informed that all the State Governments are on board in this noble mission. Referring to Prime Minister's call for making Water Conservation a true Public Movement, She said, Centre and States should make joint efforts in this endeavour. o The National Immunization Day for Pulse Polio is being held today. Children below 5 years of age will be given polio drops as part of the government's drive to sustain polio eradication from the country.
22 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o President Pranab Mukherjee yesterday launched the Pulse Polio Immunization Programme by administering polio drops to children at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. o Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani has laid the foundation stone for Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Visakhapatnam at Gambhiram village of Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. o The Andhra Pradesh government has signed a pact with ICRISAT to provide assistance in making agriculture sustainable and profitable. o The agreement with ICRISAT is part of the state government's plans to increase productivity of agriculture and allied sectors. . ICRISAT - International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics . ICRISAT Director- Dr. David Bergvinson . Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh - N Chandrababu Naidu o Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley today ruled out imposing censorship on the media saying the days of bans are over. o He asked media to report carefully on sensitive issues. Business & Economy o FDI in India grows by 22 per centduring the first eight months of the current financial year. o HDFC Bank is the lone Indian entity among the World’s 50 most valued lenders in 2014 with a market capitalisation of close to USD 41 billion. o Ranked at the 45th position, the private sector bank is ahead of global majors Credit Suisse, DBS Group, and Standard Chartered with a market capitalisation of USD 40.58 billion. Deaths o Faten Hamama, one of Egypt's best-known actresses, has died, aged 83. o Born in 1931, Ms Hamama was known as the "Lady of the Arabic Screen" and was a star of the golden age of Egyptian cinema. Sports o South Africa's AB de Villiers hits fastest century in 31 balls in one day internationals against West Indies. o Australia defeat India by four wickets in the second match of the on-going ODI- Tri-series tournament. o Sydney International Tennis tournament 2015 o Viktor Troicki of Serbia has won the men’s single title o Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic has won the women’s single title
19th jan International Affairs o The 8th version of 4 day World Future Energy Summit 2015 has begun in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). o This summit is Middle East’s largest gathering on future energy and one that drives actionable solutions to the world’s energy challenges. o WFES 2015 will attract upwards of 30,000 delegates from 170 different countries, representing expertise from industry, technology, finance and government. o Hosted by : Masdar (Abu Dhabi's renewable energy company) o Bee’ah, Middle East’s leading award-winning fully integrated environmental and waste management company, announced its new, state-of-the-art and eco-friendly headquarters during the first day of the summit. o Bangladeshi telecom authorities have shut down smartphone messaging and voice services Viber and Tango, which have become a popular communication medium for supporters of the anti-government protests now in their third week. o Ahead of President Barack Obama's India visit, US has asked Pakistan to ensure that there is no cross-border terror incident during the trip and subtly warned of consequences if any such attack is traced back to the country. o Germany views Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make In India’ initiative as a big opportunity for its industrial firms, visiting German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said today. o Dr. Schäuble expressed keen interest in working with India on the manufacturing sector, especially in the auto and solar energy industries.
23 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o The German minister is scheduled to hold talks with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday. o Indonesian investigators said today that they had found no evidence so far that terrorism played a part in the crash of an AirAsia passenger jet last month that killed all 162 people on board. o The Malian government and the United Nations have declared the country free of Ebola after 42 days without any new cases of the deadly virus. o Health Minister Ousmane Kone said no confirmed cases had been registered since December 6 when the last Ebola patient had tested negative. o Mali recorded six deaths from Ebola, which, according to World Health Organization data, has killed more than 8,400 people in neighbouring Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia in the worst epidemic of the viral haemorrhagic fever on record. National Affairs o The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is celebrating its 10th Raising Day today
o It was set up under the Disaster Management Act of 2005 and is under the administrative control of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). o Created by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. o Initially the NDRF had eight battalions, whose number went up to ten with the last (10th) one that came up at Acharya Nagarjuna University and also operating from the old T.B hospital premises at Mangalagiri in Guntur district. The 9th battalion was formed at Patna. o Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu today assured that the interests of Indian Railways will be fully protected while allowing FDI and private investments in select areas like fright corridors and port connectivity. Science & Technology o 2014 was the warmest year on record, with global temperatures 0.68C (1.24F) above the long-term average, US government scientists have recently said. o The results mean that 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have occurred since the turn of the century. Awards & Honors o Eminent Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank Islam has been presented with the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Award in recognition of his contribution to the legacy of the great leader through his efforts in international service and civil engagement. o The award, which carries the name of Martin Luther King Jr., an apostle of peace, is about building bridges between humanity.
New Appointments o Filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani was appointed chairperson of the Censor Board, days after Leela Samson resigned as its chief alleging interference by the government in its matters. o The government also reconstituted the Board of Central Board of Film Certification by appointing nine members including BJP leader Vani Tripathi Tikoo and filmmakers Ashoke Pandit and Chandra Prakash Dwivedi.
20th jan International Affairs o The EU (European Union) today decided to lift a seven-month-long ban on the import of mangoes from India after the world's biggest producer made significant improvements in plant health controls and certification system, clearing the way for them to return to the 28-member bloc by March. o A European Commission committee meeting in Brussels voted to lift the ban on mangoes today. o However, the prohibition on the import of vegetables from India will be reviewed at later stage after collecting more evidence, the EU said in a statement. o The Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting, Arun Jaitley held a bi-lateral meeting with The Finance Minister of Germany, Mr. Wolfgang Schauble, who is on a two-day India visit, to enhance bilateral economic relations. National Affairs
24 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o India now has 70 per cent of the tiger population in the world with the latest assessment showing 2226 tigers, up thirty per cent from 1706 in 2010, according to preliminary estimates in “Status of Tigers in India, 2014.” o Chief Election Commissioner H.S. Brahma today said that India now “has nearly 83 crore voters as on January 5.” o “The total number of voters is more than the population of Europe,” he said. o In the next five years, the number of voters is likely to touch the 85 crore mark “easily”, he added. o Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has inked a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) with Pan-IIT (Indian Institutes of Technology) to work towards a collective R&D Programme for Developing Indigenous Technologies to enhance Exploration and Exploitation of Hydrocarbons and Alternate Sources of Energy. o This MOC was signed in the presence of the Union Minister of Human Resource Development Smriti Irani and the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi. o The World Toilet Summit has begun in New Delhi today. o More than 40 countries are participating in this summit. o The four-day meeting will examine solutions and technologies that can be used to provide a basic need for nearly half the world’s population. o The World Toilet Organization (WTO) started the World Toilet Summit in 2001 to provide a common platform for stakeholders to connect, share, learn and collaborate to meet the global target for sanitation. o The H1N1 virus, known as Swine Flu, is spreading panic across the country with deaths being reported from several States since Monday.
o According to sources, Telangana is the worst hit by swine flu in the country, with at least seven deaths reported this month. o The Election Commission today issued a show cause notice, the second in last three days, to Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal for “prima facie” violation of the poll code by allegedly making a speech where he asked voters to take bribes from the BJP and the Congress but only vote for his party.
People in News o BJP has declared India’s first woman IPS officer Kiran Bedi as its chief ministerial candidate in Delhi and made her in charge of the campaign committee. o She will contest from the Krishna Nagar seat. Books & Authors o Beloved Bapu : The Gandhi Mirabehn Correspondence - by Tridip Suhrud and Thomas Weber Deaths o Eminent scholar and political scientist Rajni Kothari (86), a former Planning Commission member, died in New Delhi today. o Mr Kothari was member of the Planning Commission during the national Front Government led by VP Singh. Science & Technology o Doctors in UK have successfully transplanted organs from a new-born baby, who died six days after birth, to two patients who are both doing well. o The donation involved the removal of the baby’s kidneys, which were transplanted into a patient with renal failure, and liver cells, which were donated to a second recipient who had liver damage. Awards & Honors o The Periyar Tiger Reserve (spread over 925 sq km) of Kerala bagged theNational Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) biennial award for encouraging local public participation in managing the reserve. Business & Economy o International Monetary Fund says India's growth rate to surpass China in the year 2016. o India's growth rate in 2013 was five per cent as against China's 7.8 per cent. o In 2014, India's growth rate was 5.8 per cent against China's 7.4 per cent.
25 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o India is expected to grow at 6.3 per cent this year and 6.5 per cent in 2016by when it is likely to cross China's projected growth rate, said IMF. o Amazon.com, the largest Internet-based retailer in the United States, is getting into the movie-making business. o The organization has announced that it was aiming to produce close to 12 movies a year for theatrical release which would then be available on its Prime video service within two months, significantly faster than the roughly one-year wait it normally faces to stream Hollywood releases. o A record number of 11.50 crore bank accounts have been opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, PMJDY, as on 17th January this year 21st jan International Affairs o The UN Security Council today condemned an Attack by Huthi rebels on Yemen's presidential palace and voiced strong support for President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi. o The Shiite militia fighters known as the Huthis earlier attacked the presidential complex and Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi's residence in an apparent bid to overthrow the embattled government. o French security forces will get better weapons and protection to fight terror and the country will hire 2,600 new counter-terrorism officers, Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced on Wednesday. o Mr. Valls said the government will spend 425 million euros on counter-terrorism over three years in response to the Paris attacks. Three police were among those killed by the gunmen. o Global business school INSEAD has released the 2014 edition of its Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) in Davos, Switzerland. o India has been ranked 78th globally in terms of talent competitiveness of its human capital, which shows a shortage of skilled workforce in the country. o Switzerland has topped the list of 93 countries, followed by Singapore and Luxembourg in second and third places, respectively. National Affairs o The government today approved two highway projects in Jammu & Kashmir involving total investment of about Rs 3,383 crore. o The First project of four-laning of Ramban-Banihal section of National Highway - 1A (now NH-44) in Jammu & Kashmir will cost Rs 1,623.98 crore. o The Second project is related to four laning of Udhampur- Ramban section of National Highway. The 40.07-km road project will cost Rs 1,758.68 crore. o Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said that extra precaution is being taken at the borders ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit not just as a security measure for him but also to prevent incidents which might be undertaken to divert attention of the world in a different direction . o The 8th Edition of the popular Jaipur Literature Festival, begins today.
o This festival is taking place in Jaipur since 2006. o This is Asia's Biggest Literacy Festival. o This festival is going to be held from 21st January 2015 to 25th January 2015. o List of speakers this season will be 181 including VS Naipual, Chetan Bhagat and Amish Tripathi. o Aiming at preserving and rejuvenating the rich cultural heritage, government today launched the ambitious Rs 500 crore project HRIDAY for 12 cities. o The 12 cities selected for the scheme are Ajmer, Amritsar, Amravati, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Warangal, Puri, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Varanasi and Vellankanni. o HRIDAY - Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana
People in News o Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been examined by CBI in the coal block allocation case relating to Hindalco. o He is the first former prime minister to have been interrogated in any case.
Business & Economy
26 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship programme,Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) has emerged as the largest financial inclusion initiative in the world with 11.5 crore bank accounts opened under the scheme and has entered the Guinness Book of World Records. o US President Barack Obama has declared an end to the financial crisis and pledged economic policies to benefit all Americans, in his annual State of the Union address to Congress. o "Tonight, we turn the page," he said. "The shadow of crisis has passed, and the State of the Union is strong." o A World Bank report has challenged the conventional understanding of India’s inequality. o The report, “Addressing inequality in South Asia,” has found that the probability of a poor person moving out of poverty in India in 2014 was as good as that in the U.S. o Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp has topped in global vehicle sales in 2014 by selling 10.23 million vehicles, beating Volkswagen (2nd place with 10.14 million vehicles) and General Motors (3rd place with 9.92 million vehicles). o Twitter Inc. today announced that it is acquiring Bengaluru-based mobile marketing and analytics company ZipDial Mobile Solutions Pvt. Ltd, its first acquisition in India—a move that is aimed at expanding its user base in the country. o The acquisition will also pave the way for the microblogging site’s first engineering office in India, in Bengaluru. o The Budget Session of Parliament will start from the 23rd of next month and the first part of the session will continue up to the 20th of March. Sources said in New Delhi that the second part of the session will take place from the 20th of April till the 8th of May. o As per schedule, the Railway Budget will be presented on 26th February 2015. o The Economic Survey will be tabled on 27th February 2015. o The Union Budget will be presented on the 28th February 2015. o The decision was taken during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affair headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
22nd jan International Affairs o In a bold move to curb homegrown insurgency, the Pakistan government has banned terror outfits Jamaat-ud-Dawa, which is led by Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, and the Afghan-based Haqqani network. o The Nawaz Sharif government has asked authorities to freeze assets of Jamaat-ud- Dawa and the Haqqani network. o The newly formed Sri Lankan government sets up a high powered committee to investigate corruption by previous Rajapaksa government. o It is also planning to seek assistance from the Reserve Bank of India, the World Bank and the IMF to trace billions of dollars in ill-gotten wealth allegedly stashed abroad by persons close to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. o In Yemen, rebels reach a deal with President Mansour Haadi to end the standoff in the capital Sanaa. o The agreement promised to give the rebel Houthi movement more say in the affairs of the Arab world's poorest country in exchange for the group removing its fighters from President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi's home. o In the deal, the Houthis also agreed to release a top aide to Hadi that they had kidnapped in recent days. National Affairs o The Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao scheme (Save girl child, educate her), which seeks to address gender imbalance and discrimination against the girl child, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Panipat in Haryana today.
o This is the fourth major scheme of Modi's government (Other three major schemes are Jan Dhan Yojana, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and ‘Make in India’ campaign). o Modi chose to launch this scheme from Haryana, because Haryana has one of the worst sex ratios in the country — the lowest being in Mahendragarh, where there are only 775 girls per 1000 boys. o This scheme was initiated with an initial corpus of Rs 100 crore.
27 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Objectives of this Scheme : . Prevent gender biased sex selective elimination . Ensure survival & protection of the Girl Child . Ensure education of the Girl Child . Improve the Nutrition Status of Girl Child . Promote a protective environment for Girl Child o Prime Minister Modi and US President Obama will jointly address the nation from All India Radio on “Mann Ki Baat” program next Tuesday (27th January 2015). o Since taking power, Modi has hosted three such monthly radio shows that began in October, using the traditional medium of communication that still has a wide reach. o Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi has said that sex determination tests may be legalized for eradicating female foeticide. o A high-level committee for restructuring of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), headed by former union food and consumer affairs minister Shanta Kumar submitted its report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. o The committee has recommended that the government should reduce coverage under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) to 40% of the population from 67% and defer implementation of the scheme in states which have not complied with the rollout conditions People in News o Noted economist Bibek Debroy today assumed charge as full time member of the NITI Ayog (National Institution for Transforming India). o Debroy, who has been a research professor at Centre for Policy Research, is also a heading the committee to suggest ways to restructure the railway board. New Appointments o Haryana governor Prof Kaptan Singh Solanki today took over the additional charge as the 34th Governor of Punjab.
23rd jan International Affairs
o The president of Yemen Mansour Hadi, has resigned today along with his prime minister Khaled Bahah and cabinet in protest at the takeover of the capital Sanaa by Shia Houthi rebels, creating a dangerous political vacuum. o In a stern message to Pakistan, US President Barack Obama has said that the safe havens of terrorism within that country are not acceptable and those behind the Mumbai attack, must face justice. o Ahead of his visit to New Delhi, Obama said in an e-mail interview to an Indian Magazine in New Delhi, that US will keep working with India for a future that delivers greater security, prosperity and dignity for all people. o Upbeat about his upcoming three-day visit to India whom he described as a "natural partner", Obama said he was proud to be the first US President to visit India twice. o He also said that, he saw it as an opportunity to work with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make concrete progress and to hopefully begin a new era in the history between US and India. o Ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit, India and the US today agreed to cooperate in the field of Information & Communications Technology and Electronics (ICTE) to facilitate, among others, the ambitious 'Digital India' programme aimed at transforming India into a digital-empowered society and knowledge economy. o The relevant Joint Declaration of Intent for cooperation in the field ofInformation & Communications Technology and Electronics (ICTE) was signed by Secretary in the Department of Electronics and IT R.S. Sharma, and US Ambassador to India Richard Verma. o The Intent will facilitate the 'Digital India' programme, electronic manufacturing, cyber security and several other such related fields between two countries.
28 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
National Affairs o Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's 118th birth anniversary today. o India has declared national mourning tomorrow as a mark of respect to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia who died today. o The government will go ahead with its disinvestment programme and "a lot of activity" is expected on that front, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today, while hinting at complete privatisation of some loss-making PSUs at a later stage. o He also said that the government's tax revenue collections have been good, although refunds for past periods are making an impact. o In a major reshuffle in the Assam Ministry, a new set of 14 Ministers took oath today at Raj Bhawan in Guwahati. o Governor PB Acharya administered the oath taking ceremony in presence ofChief Minister Tarun Gogoi. o It is a major reshuffle in Tarun Gagoi’s three and half-year old ministry for the first time. o Eleven ministers are of cabinet rank in the new ministry while 3 MLAs were included as the Minister of State with Independent charge.
Deaths
o Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah (90), the powerful U.S. ally who joined Washington’s fight against al-Qaeda and sought to modernize the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom with incremental but significant reforms, including nudging open greater opportunities for women, has died today. o His 79-year-old half-brother, Salman, has been confirmed as the new king. o Telugu film actor and comedian Mylavarapu Surya Narayana (M. S. Narayana), a veteran with over 750 films to his credit, passed away
New Appointments
o Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz was appointed as the new king of Saudi Arabia, immediately after the death of King Abdullah. o Earlier, king Salman was the Crown Prince and defence minister since 2012. t. o He was also served as the Governor of capital Riyadh for nearly 50 years. o He is known to be a mediator of disputes within the sprawling royal family. o Vodafone has appointed Sunil Sood as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for its India operations. o He will be first Indian CEO of Vodafone.
People in News
o Saraswathi Menon, an eminent Indian academician is among seven experts nominated by UN chief Ban Ki-moon to be part of an advisory group that will conduct a policy and institutional review of the world body's peace-building architecture and make recommendations. o Saraswathi Menon is the former Director of the Policy Division in UN Women o She will be among the members of the Advisory Group to review peace building architecture. o Chile will reopen an investigation into the death of Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda to determine if the poet was poisoned more than 40 years ago by a military dictatorship, after tests on his exhumed body in 2013 found no evidence to back the claims.
Awards & Honors
o Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian American writer Jhumpa Lahiri has won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015. o She received the prestigious $50,000 award for her book “The Lowland,” set in both New England and the eastern state of West Bengal during the late 1960s when the Naxalite movement, a separatist uprising, began
29 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
24th jan International Affairs o US President Barack Obama has left for a three-day visit to India today's evening. o The White House said that Obama will be accompanied by the First Lady Michelle Obama, and a delegation that will include several top officials.
o 1st Day : . He is expected to touch down in Delhi at 10 am tomorrow at the Air Force Station, Palam. . On his arrival, he will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhawan by President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. . Thereafter, he will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat and participate in a tree planting event there. . In the evening, he is scheduled to meet embassy personnel and families. He will then drive down to the Rashtrapati Bhawan to attend the state dinner with Mr Pranab Mukherjee. o 2nd Day : . On Monday, he will participate in the Republic Day celebrations with the First Lady. . In the afternoon, Obama and Modi will participate in a CEO forum round table and deliver remarks at a US-India Business Summit. o 3rd Day : . On Tuesday, Modi and Obama will jointly address the nation from All India Radio in the programme, ‘Mann Ki Baat’. . The US President will also give an address at the Siri Fort Auditorium. . As per the initial plan Obama was to visit Taj Mahal along with the US first lady Michelle Obama on January 27. . But he cuts short his trip and will leave India after his address at Siri Fort Auditorium to meet the new king of Saudi Arabia. o India has declared National Mourning today as a mark of respect to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia who died yesterday National Affairs
o Today (24th January 2015) is National Girl Child Day. o This day is celebrated to increase the awareness among people about all the inequalities faced by the girl child in the society. o Inequality about girl child is a vast problem which includes many areas like inequality in education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, protection, honour, child marriage and so many. o "Father of Indian Nuclear Programme" PadmaBhushanHomi Jahangir Bhabha's (30 October 1909 – 24 January 1966) 49th Death Anniversary today. o The High Level Committee (HLC) for Restructuring of Food Corporation of India (FCI) chaired by Shanta Kumar has submitted its report to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. People in News o Thailand’s military-appointed legislature has voted to impeach former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. o She was impeached for her role in overseeing a government rice subsidy program that lost billions of dollars. Business & Economy o The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has amended a regulation on “Export and Import of Indian Currency” to allow individuals to use the notes in Nepal and Bhutan. o According to this amendment, individuals from India could carry 1,000- and/or 500-rupee Indian currency (IC) notes to Nepal, up to the limit of IRs 25,000. o Earlier, the Indian central bank had banned the use of the notes in Nepal, citing security concerns. Travelers were allowed to carry with them IC notes up to IRs 100 denomination.
30 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today hinted at not raising tax rates and providing incentives for manufacturing in the coming Budget while asserting that "structural changes" will have to be made to get the economy to 8-9 per cent growth. o State Bank of India (SBI), the country's largest public sector bank, has signed a loan agreement for 100 million euro (about Rs 700 crore) with European Investment Bank (EIB) for lending to private businesses in the country. o This is the third tranche of a total sanctioned loan of 200 million euro by EIB.
25th jan International Affairs o World Leprosy Day is being observed today. o This Day is observed internationally on 26th January or its nearest Sunday to increase the public awareness of the Leprosy or Hansen's Disease, the oldest recorded diseased in the world. o Obama's Visit to India o US President Barack Obama arrived in India on historic 3-day visit today. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi received him at Palam airport with a handshake and a warm hug. He was accompanied by US ambassador Richard Verma. o Obama, the first US President to be in India twice while in office, is visiting India on the invitation of Modi, who was until last year denied a visa to visit the US. o Obama will also be the first US president present at Republic Day parade as a chief guest. o India and the United States today reached "a breakthrough" on issues holding up their civil nuclear cooperation and agreed to move towards commercial cooperation of their landmark civil nuclear deal that was initialled by the then leaders of the two countries on July 18, 2005. o US to support India's full membership of the four international export control regimes o The two countries also decide to deepen defense cooperation. o Both countries agreed to set up a hotline between their top leaders -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama. . This is the first time that India and the US will have a hotline at the level of top leadership. National Affairs
o The Fifth National Voters Day is being celebrated across the country today. o The theme of this year is Easy Registration, Easy Correction. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi & US President Barack Obama will jointly address the nation in the next edition of Mann Ki Baat on All India Radio. o The programme will be broadcast on27th of January. o Considering the growing penetration of Internet and smart phones, TRAI has introduced a Web-based application as well as an Android-based app for assessing customer perception of cellular services o With this, mobile phone subscribers can give instant feedback on quality of services provided by operators to regulator Trai o Operators will invite penalty if they fail to meet minimum service quality benchmarks set up TRAI. o TRAI - Telecom Regulatory Authority of India New Appointments o Edgar Lungu has sworn in as Zambia’s new President. o He is sixth president of Zambia.
People in News
31 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Bangladesh opposition leader Khaleda Zia has been charged by police of masterminding an arson attack on a bus that left 29 people injured, days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the former premier could be put on trial for recent violence o Telangana Deputy Chief Minister T. Rajaiah, who also holds the Health portfolio, has been sacked from the Cabinet in wake of adverse reports about his functioning and failure to take preventive measures in controlling swine flu in Telangana. Awards & Honors o Poet Arundhathi Subramaniam has won the inaugural Khushwant Singh Memorial Prize for Poetry o He won this award for her work "When God is a Traveller". o Wing Commander Pooja Thakur became the first woman to lead the ceremonial Guard of Honour which was inspected by the U.S. President Barack Obama at Rashtrapathi Bhavan MOUs o India has signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with the United States for building of smart cities in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) and Ajmer (Rajasthan). o These memorandums were signed in the presence of Union Urban Development Minister, M Venkaiah Naidu and United States Trade Development Agency, USTDA Director, Leocadia I. Zak. Addressing the gathering, Mr Naidu said, the people of both countries are looking forward to work for the betterment of the world.
Awards & Honors o Padma Awards announced; Padma Vibhushan for nine including L.K.Advani, Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar, 20 personalities to get Padma Bhushan and 75 Padma Shri. Check complete details from here.
Sports o Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold Title 2015 o Men's Singles Winner : Parupalli Kashyap by defeating Kidambi Srikanth o Women's Single : Saina Nehwal by defeating Carolina Marin (Spain)
26th jan
International Affairs
o China has offered to lift its strategic partnership with India to a “higher level,” and prompted New Delhi to avoid a “zero-sum trap” that was being set up by Washington and its allies. o In a message, on the occasion of 66th Republic Day, to President Pranab Mukherjee, his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping expressed China’s willingness “to make concerted efforts with India to lift their strategic cooperative partnership oriented to peace and prosperity to a higher level”. o Anti-austerity Syriza party has won Greece's general election, putting the country on a possible collision course with the EU over its massive bailout. o Left-wing party leader Alexis Tsipras, who wants to renegotiate Greece's debt, said "the Greeks wrote history". National Affairs
32 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Nation celebrates its 66th Republic Day with enthusiasm. o India's military prowess and achievements in different fields, state-of-the-art defense platforms, its diverse cultural and social traditions was put on display at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi today. o US President Barack Obama was the Chief Guest of the event o Important Highlights of Republic Day 2015 . Obama became the first American President to attend India's parade. . This year’s Republic Day parade for the first time featured all-women contingents of the three Services (Army, Navy and Air Force) march across Rajpath. Each contingent had 148 women personnel. . Army contingent was led by Capt Divya Ajith. . Navy contingent was led by Lt Commander Sandhya Chauhan. . Air Force contingent was led by Squadron Leader Sneha Shekhawat. o The President and the chief guest arrived in different motorcades, a departure from the standard practice of arriving together (Obama arrived in his own highly-secured bomb-proof vehicle, 'The Beast') o For the first time, CRPF shows off Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) used in anti-Naxal operations o For the first time, The long-range advanced MiG-29K fighter jet on display. o Over 1,180 students of Sigaram Matriculation Higher Secondary School at Chettiyappanoor, near Vaniyambadi (Tamil Nadu), set a world record by creating the “world’s largest national flag made with salt” on the school premises on the eve of Republic Day. Awards & Honors
o India's highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra, has been given posthumously to two soldiers who died fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir - Major Mukund Varadarajanand Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh. o Both the army men had laid down their lives while battling groups of militants in separate operations in Shopian and Kupwara districts of Kashmir. o Colombia's Paulina Vega was crowned Miss Universe today, beating out contenders from the United States, Ukraine, Jamaica and The Netherlands at the world's top beauty pageant in Florida. o She is the second beauty queen from Colombia to take home the prize. Deaths
o Legendary cartoonist R K Laxman passed away. o Former Arunachal Pradesh legislative assembly speaker and cabinet minister Setong Sena died today. Business & Economy
o India's gold imports from Switzerland crosses 1.2 lakh crore rupees in 2014. o Indian IT bellwether Wipro Ltd. has won a multi-year strategic infrastructure management contract from Allied Irish Banks plc (AIB), a leading bank in Ireland. Sports
o Australian Open 2015 o Milos Raonic became the first Canadian man in the Open Era to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals. o India’s Leander Paes and Sania Mirza advanced to the quarter-finals of the of the mixed doubles event, winning their respective matches at the Australian Open tennis tournament today.
33 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
27th jan International Affairs o India has said that talks with Pakistan were not possible until Islamabad addresses concerns highlighted by New Delhi, including that of terrorism. o Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan TCA Raghavan said that negotiations with Pakistan were not possible in a climate of terrorism. National Affairs o Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama jointly share their thoughts in Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio today. o The programme broadcasted today at 8 pm on sFM Gold & Rajdhani Channel. o Telangana made its debut at the Republic Day Parade this year (26th January 2015), displaying the state's illustrious festival 'Bonalu' in the tableau.
o Telangana, which came into existence in June 2014 as the 29th state of India, showcased Golkonda Fort in its tableau from where the festival starts. Goddess Mahankali is celebrated during the Bonalu festival. o The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) paid its tributes to iconic cartoonist R.K. Laxman by posting online his cartoon “common man reaching Mars”, the last of his works, which he had sent to the space agency after the success of the historic Mars Mission. o Addressing a Town hall event at the Siri Fort auditorium on the third and final day of his visit to India, Barack Obama lauded Indian sporting heroes Mary Kom and legendary sprinter Milkha Singh among others. o US President Barack Obama left India for Saudi Arabia today after a three-day visit focused on improving relations between the world's largest democracies. o He said the United States could be India's "best partner". o The relationship between India and America can be one of defining partnerships of the century, he added. o He hails India's efforts towards poverty alleviation. o Obama, accompanied by wife Michelle, folded his hands to say 'namaste' before boarding Air Force One at the Palam airport. o The US president had been due to visit the Taj Mahal while in India, but cut short his visit to pay his respects to the new Saudi king. o He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a "memorable visit" and the people of India for their warm welcome here. o As Obama left India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his visit has taken the bilateral relations to a new level and opened a new chapter.
New Appointments o ACC has appointed K Durga Prasad as the special director general (DG) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). He will be in office for next three years or till further orders, whichever is earlier. o ACC also appoints Divya Prakash Sinha as secretary (security) in the cabinet secretariat. o ACC - Appointments Committee of the Cabine People in News o Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and his family have donated 200,000 pounds towards the statue of Mahatma Gandhi planned for Parliament Square in London, helping in meeting the budget target of 750,000 pounds for the project. o More than two decades after the Church allowed women to become priests, the Church of England consecrated Reverend Libby Lane as its first woman bishop. o Bihar’s ‘guardian angel, Shail Devi, who saved many people of the minority community when they were attacked at Azizpur in Muzaffarpur district on January 18, hoisted the national flag at the State Congress headquarters on Republic Day. MOUs o The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on “Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange of Supervisory Information” with Banco Central do Brasil (BCB). o With this the Reserve Bank has signed 23 such MoUs. Deaths
34 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Greek singer Demis Roussos, who sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, has died aged 68. o He was best known for his solo hits in the 1970s and 80s, including Forever and Ever, Goodbye and Quand je t'aime
28th jan
International Affairs o Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said that he wanted relations with India based on equality and mutual respect, values which are vital for peace in the region, a media report said. o In a meeting with Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit in Islamabad, Mr. Sharif said that Pakistan longed for good relations with all countries, including India and desired to achieve peace in the region. National Affairs o Minister for Road Transport, Highways & Shipping, Nitin Gadkari today launched the Logo, Vision, Mission, Website and e-book of NHIDCL. o The government has allocated Rs 3,000 crore in the Union Budget 2014-15 for improving highways and state roads in the north east. o NHIDCL - National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited o The Maharashtra Government will observe September 17th as 'Industries Day'(Vishwakarma Jayanti) as part of its effort to provide balanced growth to existing small, medium and large scale enterprises and render assistance for setting up new industries to boost the state's financial health. o Freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai's (28 January 1865 – 17 November 1928) 149th birth anniversary today.
o He was popularly known as "Punjab Kesari" (Lion of Punjab) o He was part of the Lal Bal Pal trio (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Bipin Chandra Pal) o The content of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's radio programme " o This was disclosed by Information and Broadcasting Secretary Bimal Julka in New Delhi today. o The Cabinet today approved a base price of Rs 3,705 crore per megahertz (MHz) for 3G spectrum auction, a move which would help the government garner over Rs 1 lakh crore along with sale of other mobile frequencies. People in News o A day after he was awarded the Yudh Seva medal, Colonel Munindra Nath Rai, Commanding Officer of 42 Rashtriya Rifles, was killed in an encounter with militants at Tral in Pulwama district. o The Allahabad High Court today commuted the death sentence of Surinder Koli to life imprisonment in the case relating to the serial Nithari killings in Noida.
Science & Technology o After analyzing over four years of data from NASA’s Kepler spacecraft, a team of astronomers has discovered a star, Kepler-444, that is 11.2 billion years old and has at least five Earth-size planets. o This star is 25 percent smaller than our Sun and is 117 light years from Earth. o With an aim to curb rising menace of cybercrimes, Gujarat Technological University (GTU) of Ahmedabad has launched e-Raksha Research Centre that will encourage research and enhance capability to provide solution for issues related to cyber security New Appointments o Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh today sworn-in as the Himachal Pradesh Governor (additional charge) o He succeeds Urmila Singh who retired January 26 on completing her five-year term. o He will be the 26th Governor of the state. Deaths
35 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Ace Malayalam film actor Mala Aravindan (76) passed away. o Known as comedian Mala, he had acted in 650-odd films in a career spanning four decades. Sports o Australian Open 2015 o Novak Djokovic reached his 25th Grand Slam semifinal by beating No. 8 Milos Raonic. o In women's singles top-seed and five times winner Serena Williams enters semis. o Sania Mirza and Leander Paes alongwith their partners progress to the semi-finals in the mixed doubles. o Sean Abbott, the bowler who was unwittingly at the centre of the tragic death of Phillip Hughes, was named Australia’s young cricketer of the year. o He was awarded for the courage and character shown by him to recover from such a devastating incident.
29th jan International Affairs o The Malaysian government has officially declared the disappearance of Malaysian Airline flight MH370 an accident and has said that there were no survivors. o No trace of the Beijing-bound aircraft has been found since it disappeared on 8 March 2014. o Officials said that the recovery operation is ongoing but that the 239 people on board are now presumed dead. o Cuba has demanded the US hand back the Guantanamo Bay military basebefore relations with Washington are normalized. o President Raul Castro also called for the lifting of the US trade embargo and Cuba's removal from a terror list. National Affairs o The World Bank's Report "Scaling the Heights: Social inclusion and sustainable development" on Himachal Pradesh was released by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dhani Ram Shandil in Shimla today. o This was first of its kind report prepared by the World Bank for Himachal Pradesh. o The report reveals that the state has effectively balanced economic growth with social inclusion. o Smt. Maitreyi Das, lead Social Development Specialist, who has prepared this report, said that Himachal stood apart from many other states with its strong track record of poverty reduction, service delivery and human and social development outcomes. o Social Activists Anna Hazare is planning to launch fresh agitation on Lokpal issue; o The Supreme Court today restrained the Google, Yahoo and Microsoft search engines from carrying advertisements or links relating to sex determination tests, which are banned in India.
o Section 22 of the Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, prohibits advertisement of pre-natal tests in any form or medium, including the Internet. Violation could lead to three years in jail. o In a step that could significantly push the bar for quality online education in the country,IIT Bombay has embarked on a commendable mass online education programme that will provide free online courses and give access to high quality, IIT-style education to Indian students in Indian languages. o On the Republic Day, Prof Devang Khakhar, Director of IIT Bombay, launched three Mass Open Online Courses (MOOC) in computer programming, thermodynamics, and signals and systems from the institute’sIITBombayX platform developed in collaboration with edX, a not-for-profit initiative by MIT and Harvard. o The Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha is planning to install the statues of Nathuram Godse in the premises of temples across India.
36 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Initially, the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha has planned to build a temple to Mahatma Gandhi's assassin, Nathuram Godse, in Sitapur district. o But it's attempts were foiled by Uttar Pradesh state Police.
New Appointments o Newly appointed Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar takes charge today. o He replaces Sujatha Singh (she had sought early retirement from service). o Eminent singer and theatre director Shekhar Sen has been appointed the new chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the country's premier institution for the performing arts. o Important Note : Mr. Sen was recently awarded the Padma Shri on Republic day for his contribution to the arts. Science & Technology o Scientists have developed a new way of monitoring how much ice is being lost, as global temperature rise by listening to icebergs. o The researchers from Poland and Britain found that different types of iceberg generate unique sounds as they breakaway from glaciers into the sea. o The scientists say, listening for acoustic signals could help detect the formation of smaller icebergs. Business & Economy
o Telecom major, Bharti Airtel, is planning to enter the banking space by converting its existing prepaid payment service Airtel Money into a payments bank. The company will apply for a licence soon. Sports o India has been confirmed as host for the 2016 Twenty20 World Cup, scheduled to be held from 11th March 2016 to 3rd April 2016, the ICC announced today. o The board also approved the dates for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, which will be held between June 1-19. o England will also host the 50-over World Cup in 2019 from May 30 to June 15. o The 2017 Women’s World Cup will be held in England between Aug 4-27, and the 2018 Women’s World Twenty20 will be organised in the West Indiesbetween Nov 2-25. o Andy Murray enters the final of Australian Open Tennis. o The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has revised the Scheme of Special Awards to medal winners in international events and their coaches. o In the revised scheme, the award money have been enhanced. o The amount of award money for medal winners in Olympic Games (summer and winter) has been enhanced from existing Rs. 50 lakh (gold medal), Rs. 30 lakh (silver medal) and Rs. 20 lakh (bronze medal) to Rs. 75 lakh, Rs. 50 lakh and Rs. 30 lakh respectively. o The amount of award money for medal winners in Asian Games and Commonwealth Games has been enhanced from existing Rs. 20 lakh (gold medal), Rs. 10 lakh (silver medal) and Rs. 6 lakh (bronze medal) to Rs. 30 lakh, Rs. 20 lakh and Rs. 10 lakh respectively. o Amount of award money for medalists of Paralympic Games (summer & winter), Para-Asian Games and Commonwealth Games (Para-Athletes) have been fixed at par with medalists of Olympic Games, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
37 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
30th jan International Affairs o The Portuguese Cabinet has approved rules under which descendants of Jews expelled from Portugal more than 500 years ago can claim citizenship o Many Sephardic Jews were killed, forced to convert to Christianity or leave at the end of the 15th Century. o Parliament paved the way for a change in citizenship laws two years ago, but the move needed Cabinet approval. o From now on, descendants of Sephardic Jews who can prove a strong link to Portugal can apply for a passport. o Thousands of Sephardic Jews were forced off the Iberian peninsula, first from Spain and then from Portugal. National Affairs o The nation today pays homage to Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi on his 67th death anniversary. o Gujarat paid rich tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary as the entire state observed two minutes silence at 11 am. o The day is also observed as Martyrs` Day. On this day in 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated at a prayer meeting. o Supreme Court today criticized the Centre on the slow pace in implementing the "Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana" to provide hostels to students belonging to Scheduled castes and Scheduled tribes. o It said the government should not frame schemes that it cannot implement. o The apex court expressed annoyance over poor conditions in hostels in educational institutions across the country, saying most of them are devoid of even the bare minimum facilities. o Holding the Union government responsible for the crisis, the court directed the centre and State governments to carry out a survey and inform about the status of hostels being constructed under the scheme within four months. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked the country's IT experts to explore ways to provide as many services as possible through mobile phones to boost M-Governance (Mobile-Governance). o The Prime Minister noted that e-Governance was an essential part of his ambitious 'Digital India' project and underlined that the scale and speed of India's development journey requires maximum and smart utilization of latest technology. Business & Economy o According to latest latest 'Global Investment Trade Monitor' report, India's FDI increased by 26 per cent in 2014 to nearly $ 35 billion with maximum growth in the services sector. o China toppled the US in 2014 as the world's largest recipient of FDI - a position that the US had been holding almost consistently since the 1980's o This report was released by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) Awards & Honors o Japan's Katsuhiro Otomo became the first manga cartoonist to win a Lifetime Achievement Award at France's renowned International Angouleme comics festival o The 60 year old is known the world over for the cult manga series Akira, set in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo built on the ashes of a city that was destroyed by a blast that triggered World War III. o Last year this award went to Bill Watterson, the creator of Calvin and Hobbes. New Appointments o African leaders today appointed Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as thenew chairman of the 54-nation African Union. o The 90-year-old Mugabe, who has ruled his country since 1980, succeeds Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. o Defence Secretary R.K. Mathur was today given the additional charge of secretary DRDO as the term of incumbent secretary Avinash Chander ends Jan 31. o Mathur will hold the charge for three months "or till further orders". Deaths
38 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o Gorkha National Liberation Front founder Subhash Ghisingh, who spearheaded the Gorkhaland movement in the 1980s passed away. People in News o Former Union Minister and Congress leader Jayanthi Natarajan quits the party. o She accuses Rahul Gandhi of interference and the congress says she made false allegation against him. Sports o England have won the ODI match against India at Perth by three wickets. o They will now meet Australia in the final of the tri-nation series. o Leander Paes and Martina Hingis storm into mixed doubles finals of Australian open.
31st jan International Affairs o Italian lawmakers elected Sergio Mattarella, a constitutional court judge and seasoned politician, as the country’s President o He became the Italy’s 12th president since World War II. National Affairs o The Minister for Communications & Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad along with the Minister for Urban Development & Parliamentary Affairs Venkaiah Naidu and the Minister for Rural Development Chaudhary Birender Singh released Commemorative Postage stamps on the theme of Swachh Bharat to mark the Martyrdom Day of Mahatma Gandhi. o Swachh Bharat Mission was launched by the Prime Minister on the 2nd October, 2014 on the occasion of Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. o Release of a set of three stamps and a miniature sheet on the theme Swachh Bharat is a part of this effort to achieve the vision of Clean and Healthy India. o Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today approved a rehabilitation package for restoration of public infrastructure in the flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir. o Rs 1,102.56 crore had been sanctioned from the National Disaster Response Fund to meet expenditures incurred by the state government for the immediate restoration of public infrastructure. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi today assured that all slums in the Delhi will be replaced by cemented houses by the time nation celebrates its 75th year of independence. Sports o National Games of India 2015 o Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today (31st January 2015) inaugurated the 35th National Games in Kerala.
o It is the second time that Kerala is hosting the national games(earlier it hosted the 27th National Games in the year 1987). o Former cricket player Sachin Tendulkar is the goodwill ambassador for the games. o The mascot these Games is'''Ammu'' (Great Indian Hornbill, the State bird of Kerala) o These games will be held from 31st January 2015 to 14th February 2015. o Former World and Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra shot the gold with a spectacular finish in air rifle in the IWK Hockbrueck shooting championship in Munich today. o He had won the individual gold in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the bronze medal in the Asian Games in Incheon last year o Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova to win Women's singles at the Australian Open. o This is her 19th Grand Slam Title.
39 | P a g e CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2015
o West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has announced his retirement from Test cricket, after four years in the wilderness and just weeks after being sacked from the One- Day International (ODI) squad. New Committees o The Reserve Bank today constituted a high-powered panel to re-examine and recommend appropriate set of businesses, size, conversion and licensing terms for the urban cooperative banking sector. o This committee was set up based on the recommendation made by the Standing Advisory Committee (SAC) on UCBs last year. o Chairman - R Gandhi (RBI Deputy Governor) New Appointments o Former Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief V.K. Saraswat has took over as member of newly-created NITI Aayog. o Earlier Bibek Debroy, an eminent economist, joined the NITI Aayog as memberon 21st January 2015. o Besides Debroy, the other full-time member is scientist Saraswat. o Prime Minister Modi is the Chairman. o Noted economist Arvind Panagariya on 13th January 2015 took charge as itsfirst vice chairman. o Sindhushree Khullar is the Chief Executive Officer. o Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh will be ex-officio members, while Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot and Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani are to be special invitees. o Senior IPS officer Krishna Chaudhary has been appointed as the new chief of border guarding force Indo-Tibetan Border Police. People in News o CBI today arrested former Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Matang Sinh in connection with Saradha chit fund scam case o He is the first former central minister to be arrested by the agency in connection with the case. Science & Technology o India today successfully test-fired its indigenously developed, intercontinentalsurface-to- surface nuclear capable ballistic missile "Agni-5" from Wheeler's Island off Odisha coast. o This missile has a strike range of over 5000 kms and can carry a nuclear warhead of over one tonne.
40 | P a g e