January, 2020 CURRENT AFFAIRS Monthly Compilation The Hindu | Mint | Indian Express | Business Standard | PIB | C ontents: GS1: 1) Art and Culture, History 1. Kotiyattam 2. Siddi community has been thriving through music and dance 3. Karnataka’s towns from another age 4. Khadi fights back to prevent misuse of its Trademarks Internationally 5. Ekashila Nagara (Orugallu) 6. Nankana Sahib Attack 7. Marble domes of Aurangabad’s Bibi Ka Maqbara to get new glow 8. Villagers give up stone-throwing ritual at Buddhist site 9. Inscriptions revealed two medieval monasteries at Moghalmari 10. Special Focus for today: Art and Culture 11. Company Painting 12. ANSI Explores The ‘Anthropologist’ Gandhi On His 150th Birth Anniversary 13. Month-long Nagoba Jatara concludes in Telangana 14. Savitribai Phule 15. PM Dedicates Four Refurbished Heritage Buildings in Kolkata to the Nation 16. Lohri Festival 17. Promotion and protection of ancient Indian languages 18. Madhavpur Mela of Gujarat 19. Guru Gobind Singh Birth Anniversary Celebrated 2) Indian Society 1. Manipur tribes call truce after decades of conflict 2. Centre, Assam govt. sign accord with Bodo groups to redraw, rename territory 3. Govt. allots 30% N-E Council funds for deprived regions 4. The end of Bru-Reang Refugee Crisis 5. Bodo Peace Accord 2020: Journey from Autonomous Council to a Territorial Region 3) Geography 1. Taal Volcano GS2: 1) Polity and Governance 1. Centre seeks guidelines on execution of convicts 2. Questions on Parents in NPR 3. Examine powers of Speakers, SC asks Parliament 4. Aspirants with Criminal past should not get Ticket: EC tells SC 5. Access to Internet- The SC verdict 1 | P a g e J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 | C U R R E N T A F F A I R S 6. Redesigning India’s Ailing Data System 7. Return of Bonds 8. Ending Inaction 9. The condemned can’t fight endlessly, says CJI 10. Frame rules to govern how devices identify us 11. Competition Commission of India 12. Defense Acquisition Council 13. Article 340 of the constitution 14. National Data and Analytics Platform 15. MV Registration Mark “DD” Assigned to New Union Territory ‘Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu’ 16. NCLAT 17. 171 Hospitals Delisted from PM-JAY 18. 4 Nirbhaya case convicts to be hanged 19. SC tell Govt. to review orders curbing basic rights in J&K 20. Centre gets notice on plea for population control 21. Section 144 not a tool to suppress opinion: SC 22. 34 lakh OCI Cards Issued: Centre 23. Sabarimala Verdict: SC will examine larger issues in 9 Judge Bench 24. SC rejects curative pleas of 2 Nirbhaya death row convicts 25. Kerala govt. challenges CAA in Supreme Court 26. IT rules to separate social media and other online platforms 27. Karnataka ranks sixth in justice delivery: India Justice Report 28. Income Tax Appellate Tribunal-ITAT 29. State legislative council 30. Time limit on advance bail violates personal liberty: Supreme Court 31. Registration of Political Parties 32. National Human Rights Commission 33. Legislative Assembly of Delhi 34. Laws Against Huge Election Expenditure 35. Zonal Councils 36. Rationalisation of Government Intervention 37. EC Launches Inline Tracking System for Political Parties 38. SC to hear Government’s Plea to transfer petitions against CAA in High Courts 2) Social Justice 1. NIMHANS study stresses on need for a national suicide prevention strategy 2. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights 3. Guaranteeing healthcare, the Brazilian way 4. Playing with Learning 5. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) 6. SERVICE -a scheme of SAIL to promote Voluntary Philanthropist Activities by its employees 7. NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement) 8. Double Burden of Malnutrition: Need for Urgent Policy Action 9. Jalsathi 10. 219 infants died at two Gujarat civil hospitals in December 2019 11. Nation pension scheme 12. NETSCOFAN 2 | P a g e J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 | C U R R E N T A F F A I R S 13. U.P. tops in crimes against women 14. Only a marginal decline in Farmer Suicide rates 15. West Bengal tops in 2018 acid attack cases: NCRB 16. Transgender Persons Act Comes into Effect 17. India’s under- 5 girls face high mortality 18. Maharashtra, Gujarat lag behind in Compensation for Sewer Deaths 19. ASER Study: Gender Disparity in Education system 20. Fund Crunch hits MGNREGA Scheme 21. Cases of diabetes, cancer rise in rural areas of Madhya Pradesh 22. Mysuru police step in after FB post on child marriage 23. Government of India’s UJALA & Street Lighting National Programme 24. India to be a global hub of higher learning 25. Institution of National Importance 26. $88 million loan agreement for Assam Inland Water Transport Project 27. Jal Jeevan Mission 28. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 29. All Urban Areas of 35 States/UTs Declared Open Defecation Free 30. Building Social Infrastructure 3) International Relations 1. Libya summit seeks end to foreign meddling 2. India Drops 10 Ranks in Democracy Index 3. India, Brazil to sign Strategic Action Plan 4. Justice for Rohingya 5. Technology: The main front in the US-China trade war 6. Deciphering the moves on Russia’s Power Chessboard 7. BRICS 8. Indo-US Relationship: Nationalist Similarities 9. United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL),1976 10. UNAIDS 11. The Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) 12. India-Nepal to Hold Talks Over Kalapani 13. Foreign envoys in J&K on a fact-finding visit 14. INS Vikramaditya deployed in Arabian Sea 15. We Won’t Leave Siachen: Army Chief 16. PM and World Leaders to attend Raisina dialogue 17. Iran nuclear deal: EU launches dispute mechanism 18. How India is Resetting its ties with the World 19. Indian passport ranked 84th in the world 20. Sikhs to be counted as separate ethnic group in US census for first time 21. India to invite Imran Khan for Shanghai Council meet 22. China, U.S. sign initial trade agreement 23. EU Parliament to vote on Kashmir, CAA 24. EU motion calls CAA ‘discriminatory’ 25. Defying U.S., U.K. gives 5G role to Huawei 26. Trump unveils West Asia plan, Palestinians protest 27. EU’s concerns on CAA: Interfering into sovereign matters 28. MoU Between India and Sweden On Cooperation in Polar Science 29. Mobility Partnership Agreement Between India and France 3 | P a g e J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 | C U R R E N T A F F A I R S 30. India and WTO 31. Royal Australian Navy Ship HMAS Toowoomba at Mumbai 32. National Consultation on the review of Beijing +25 33. U.S. and Iran Conflict* GS3: 1) Indian Economy 1. Social Mobility Index: India ranks low at 76th place; Denmark tops 2. IMF brings down India’s growth forecast to 4.8% 3. World’s richest 2,000 people hold more than poorest 4.6 billion combined: Oxfam 4. India slips two places on corruption index 5. Move to cash transfers of subsidies will lead to savings 6. India’s economic slowdown: Slow and Slower 7. Huge informal economy: Government should increase spending, not worry about deficit 8. FRBM ACT 9. Youth Co:Lab -national innovation challenge 10. Pragati Scheme 11. Central Government Notifies National Startup Advisory Council 12. Government of India and the World Bank deal 13. I nternational Summit on Women in STEM– “Visualizing the Future: New Skylines" 14. RBI gives in-principle nod to Shivalik Mercantile to convert to SFB 15. Stressed urban cooperative banks to face PCA -like curbs 16. Services sector activity growth at a 5-month high 17. Cutting Expenditure to curb deficit 18. Cabinet Approves Ordinance enabling FDI in Coal Mining 19. IIP reverses slump, grows by 1.8% in November 20. Retail Inflation at a 5-year high in December 21. Using Data Analytics to identify GST evaders 22. Improving the Credibility of India’s Statistical System 23. Anti-profiteering body steps up GST compliance drive 24. Adjusted Gross Revenue 25. Rojgaar Sangi 26. Govt. sweetens Air India offer, puts 100% stake on the table 27. New rules help small entities wind up biz without moving NCLT 28. IBBI amends the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India 29. Revamp of SEZ policy to meet challenges faced by exporters 30. Finance Commission gets presentation from IMF on Resource Mobilization for the Next Five Years 31. Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs 32. WTO ministerial gathering at Davos 33. Promoting Pro-Business Policy Critical for India 34. Doing Business Rankings 35. “Assemble in India for the World” 36. Industrial Sector Performance Key to Achieving $5 Trillion Economy 37. Ethical Wealth Creation Key to Achieving $5 Trillion Economy 4 | P a g e J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 | C U R R E N T A F F A I R S 38. Some Key Points in the First Advance Estimates of the GDP for FY20 39. Role of PSBs in Indian Economy 40. Digital Transactions & DBT: 41. Creation of FinTech Hub for PSBs: The Public Sector Banking Network (PSBN) 42. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Improves Resolution Process 43. Advantages of Disinvestment – Economic Survey 2020 44. Balance of Payment 45. India Ranks Third in Number of New Firms Created 46. A Novel Health Score: NBFCs 47. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCS) 48. India’s Share in Global Exports 49. Employment Generation 50. MSME Sector 51. Expenditure on Social Services 2) Agriculture and Industry 1.