Important Points There are no limits to what you can accomplish, except the limits you place on your own thinking. Index • Art & Culture • Appointments • National Affairs • Sports • Business & Economy • Summits & Conferences • International Affairs • Days & Events • Polity • Environment • Awards & Honours Art and Culture Surajkund Mela organized in Mahrashtra महाराष्ट्र मᴂ सूरजक Ԃ ड मेले का आयोजन Art and Culture • World's biggest crafts fair Surajkund Mela is being organized from February 1-17, 2019, Celebrated at: Surajkund, District Faridabad • विश्व का सबसे बडा शि मेला सूरजक ुं ड मेला 1-17 फरिरी, 2019 से आयोशजत ककया जा रहा है। • This is the 33rd edition of the fair with Maharashtra as the theme state. • यह म ख्य राज्य के 셂प मᴂ महाराष्ट्र के साथ मेले का 33िां सुंस्करण है। • It was inaugurated by CM of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis. Art and Culture • इसका उदघ् ाटन महाराष्ट्र के सीएम देिᴂद्र फडनिीस ने ककया था। • Thailand is the Partner Nation Country for the Year 2019.Kyrgyzstan was chosen as partner Nation for 32nd Surajkund International Crafts Mela-2018. Art and Culture Extra Information: Recent festivals/ Parvs related to literature, art and culture: • The 20th edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM) was inaugurated in Delhi on 1 February 2019. • BRM is an annual international theatre festival of India. • It is organised by the National School of Drama (NSD) • The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival was inaugurated in Mumbai on 2 February 2019. • It is India’s largest multi-cultural street festival. • It will host an exhibition to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Art and Culture • The Parv was organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India at the Red Fort, New Delhi from 26th to 31st January, 2019. • The government of Arunachal Pradesh on 20 January 2019 declared the 'Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival' (PPHF) as a 'state festival'. • PPHF is the state’s only conservation festival. • The 10th 'Apeejay Literary Festival' will be held from 18 January 2019 to 20 January 2019 in Kolkata. Art and Culture • The festival will focus on health, current affairs, women's issues and children's literature among other themes. • The government of Arunachal Pradesh on 20 January 2019 declared the 'Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival' (PPHF) as a 'state festival'. • PPHF is the state’s only conservation festival. • The 10th 'Apeejay Literary Festival' will be held from 18 January 2019 to 20 January 2019 in Kolkata. • The festival will focus on health, current affairs, women's issues and children's literature among other themes. Art and Culture Art and Culture Art and Culture Nick Name of District S. No Nick name of the District District 1. City of Wrestlers Kolhapur 2. Orange City Nagpur 3. Queen of Deccan Pune Art and Culture Special postage stamp on Kumbh Mela released क Ԃभ मेले पर विशेष डाक टिकि जारी Art and Culture • A special postage stamp on Kumbh Mela was released by Manoj Sinha, Union Minister of State for Railways and Communication. • कᴂद्रीय रेलिे और सुंचार राज्य मुंत्री मनोज शसन्हा द्वारा क ुं भ मेले पर एक वििेष डाक कटकट जारी ककया गया। • A special first day cover was also released costing five rupees. • इस अिसर पर पांच 셁पये की कीमत िाला एक वििेष ‘फस्ट डे किर’ भी जारी ककया गया। Art and Culture • Kumbh Mela is being held from 15 January - 4 March 2019 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. • उत्तर प्रदेि के प्रयागराज मᴂ15 जनिरी - 4 माचच 2019 तक क ुं भ मेले का आयोजन ककया जा रहा है। Art and Culture Extra Information: About Kumbh Mela: Art and Culture → The Kumbh Mela (the festival of the sacred pitcher) is anchored in Hindu mythology. → It is the largest public gathering and collective act of faith, anywhere in the world. → The Mela was included in the list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO in 2017. Art and Culture Celebration: → Kumbh Mela is a religious pilgrimage that is celebrated four times over a course of 12 years. → The geographical location of Kumbh Mela spans over four locations in India and the Mela site keeps rotating between one of the four pilgrimage places on four sacred rivers as listed below: Art and Culture • Haridwar on the Ganges in Uttarakhand. • Ujjain on the Shipra in Madhya Pradesh. • Nashik on the Godavari in Maharashtra. • Prayagraj at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati in Uttar Pradesh. Art and Culture Appointments Sanjiv Ranjan: India's envoy to Colombia सԂजीि रԂजन: कोलम्बिया मᴂ भारत के राजदतू वनय क्त Art and Culture • Sanjiv Ranjan has been appointed as India's new ambassador to the Republic of Colombia. • सुंजीि रुंजन को कोलुंवबया गणराज्य मᴂ भारत का नया राजदतू वनय क्त ककया गया है। • He is the current ambassador to Argentina. • िह ितचमान मᴂ अजेंटीना के राजदतू हैं। Appointments Extra Information: Colombia Appointments Extra Information: Colombia • Capital: Bogota • Currency: Colombian peso • President: Iván Duque • Vice President: Marta Lucía Ramírez • Appointments List of Ambassadors of India to countries Countries Ambassador/ High Commissioner Afghanistan Vinay Kumar Australia B. Vanlalvawna (Consul General) Harsh Vardhan Shringla (High Bangladesh Commissioner) Bhutan Jaideep Sarkar Brazil Ashok Das Canada Vikas Swarup (High Commissioner) China Vikram Misri Egypt Rahul Kulshreshtha Iraq Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit Israel Pavan Kapoor Appointments Nilambar Acharya: Nepal's envoy to India नीलािर आचायय: भारत मᴂ नेपाल के राजदतू Appointments • Nilambar Acharya has been appointed as the Nepal's ambassador to India. • नीलाम्बर आचायच को भारत मᴂ नेपाल का राजदतू वनय क्त ककया गया है। • He is the former law Minister of Nepal and was made the ambassador a year after Deep Kumar Upadhyay resigned. • िह नेपाल के पूिच कानून मुंत्री हैं और दीप क मार उपाध्याय के इीफा देने के एक साल बाद उन्हᴂ राजदतू बनाया गया था। Appointments • He is the first Nepalese ambassador to take the oath of office and secrecy from the President, as per the new provision. • िह नए प्रािधान के अन सार राष्ट्र पवत पद और गोपनीयता की िपथ लेने िाले पहले नेपाली राजदतू हैं। Appointments Extra Information: Nepal Art and Culture • Capital: Kathmandu • Prime minister: Khadga Prasad Oli • Currency: Nepalese rupee • President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari Art and Culture List of Ambassadors of India to countries Countries Ambassador/ High Commissioner Kazakhstan Prabhat Kumar Madagascar Subir Dutta Akhilesh Mishra (High Maldives Commissioner) New Zealand Sanjiv Kohli (High Commissioner) Pakistan Ajay Bisaria (High Commissioner) Russia B. Venkatesh Varma Sudan Ravindra Prasad Jaiswal Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha (High United Kingdom Commissioner) United States of America Harsh Vardhan Shringla Venezuela Rajiv Kumar Nagpal Yemen S.R.H. Fahmi (Charge d’Affaires) National Affairs 19% growth in India's tourism sector भारत के पययिन क्षेत्र मᴂ19% की िृद्धि National Affairs • India's tourism sector has registered growth over 19% in 2018, as told by the Union Minister KJ Alphons. • कᴂद्रीय मुंत्री केजे अⴂस ने कहा कक भारत केपयचटन क्षेत्र2018 ने मᴂ 19% से अधधक की िृद्धि दजच की है। • India has been ranked third in the tourism sector as per the World Travel and Tourism Council report 2018. • विश्व यात्रा एिुं पयचटन पररषद की ररपोटच2018 के अन सार भारत को पयचटन के क्षेत्र मᴂ तीसरा ान ददया गया है। National Affairs • The tourism sector fetched 234 billion US $ from both domestic and foreign tourists. • पयचटन क्षेत्र ने घरेलू और विदेिी दोनⴂ प्रकार केपयचटकⴂ से 234 वबशलयन अमेररकी डॉलर अशजचत ककया है। National Affairs Extra information: Schemes by Ministry of Tourism: Adopt a Heritage Scheme (Apni Dharohar Apni Pehchan Project) National Affairs • The Scheme was launched on World Tourism Day i.e. 27th September, 2017 by Ministry of Tourism in close collaboration with Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) • It envisages developing monuments, heritage and tourist sites across India and making them tourist friendly. • Ministry of Tourism invited Private, Public Sector Companies and Corporate individuals to adopt the sites and to take up the responsibility for making our heritage and tourism more sustainable through conservation and development. National Affairs • Seven shortlisted companies were given ‘Letters of Intent’ for fourteen monuments under ‘Adopt a Heritage Scheme’. • These companies will be the future ‘Monument Mitras’ who would associate pride with their CSR activities. National Affairs 10 adopted heritage monuments and their Mitras 1. Red Fort (Delhi): Dalmia Bharat Limited 2. Gandikota Fort (Andhra Pradesh): Dalmia Bharat Limited 3. Area surrounding Gangotri Temple : Adventure Tour Operators Association of India 4. Mount Stok Kangri Trek (Ladakh): Adventure Tour Operators Association of India 5. Hazara Rama Temple (Hampi, Karnataka): Yatra Online 6. Qutub Minar (Delhi): Yatra Online 7. Ajanta Caves (Maharashtra): Yatra Online 8. Leh Palace (Leh, Jammu & Kashmir): Yatra Online 9. Jantar Mantar (Delhi): Apeejay Park Hotels 10. Surajkund (Haryana): Bliss Resorts National Affairs Foundation stone laid for new terminal in Leh लेह मᴂ नए िवमयनल के वनमाण की आधारशशला रखी गई National Affairs • Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for construction of new terminal building of the KBR airport in Leh. • प्रधानमुंत्री नरᴂद्र मोदी ने लेह मᴂKBR हिाई अड्डे के नए टवमचनल भिन के वनमाण की आधारशिला रखी। • The new terminal will have all the modern amenities and will provide a seamless passenger movement.