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Current Affairs for Competitive Exam
Table of Contents
NATIONAL AFFAIRS ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................4
CABINET APPROVALS.............................................................................................................................................................................................................4
PARLIAMENT NEWS.............................................................................................................................................................................................................12
LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION ........................................................................................................................................................................................12
FESTIVALS.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................19
OTHER NEWS ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................23
STATE NEWS..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................62
GOVT SCHEMES ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................75
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS......................................................................................................................................................................................................80
VISITS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................93
INDIA VISITS ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................93
FOREIGN VISITS .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................95
OTHER VISITS ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................95
BANKING & FINANCE NEWS ..................................................................................................................................................................................................99
BANKING NEWS .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................99
FINANCE NEWS ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................121
ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 125
MoU’s & AGREEMENTS .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 139
COMMITTEES IN NEWS ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 142
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 144
INDEX .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................161
RANKING.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................161
REPORTS .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................174
AWARDS & RECOGNITION ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 194
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS ................................................................................................................................................................................. 224
ACQUISITION & MERGERS ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 243
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 247
DEFENCE ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................267
EXERCISE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................267
DEALS .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................269
ENVIRONMENT..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................270
SPORTS ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................274
OBITUARY ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................290
BOOKS & AUTHORS .................................................................................................................................................................................................................303
IMPORTANT DAYS ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................307
STATIC GK FROM CURRENT AFFAIRS ............................................................................................................................................................................ 317
AC BYTES ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................341
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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
CABINET APPROVALS
Overview of Cabinet Approvals on 8th January, 2020
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has
approved the following proposals on January 08, 2020. The approval in detail are as follows:
Institute of national importance status to the cluster at Gujarat Ayurved University campus:
i.CCEA has approved to confer status of Institution of National Importance (INI) to the Institute of Teaching and
Research in Ayurveda by conglomerating cluster of institutes at Gujarat Ayurveda University campus, Jamnagar.
The institutes include
• Institute for Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda
• Shri Gulabkunwerba Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya and
• Institute of Ayurveda Pharmaceutical Sciences including Pharmacy Unit.
ii.Apart from this, the Maharshi Patanjali Institute for Yoga & Naturopathy Education & Research will be
subsumed into the Department of Swasthvritta of the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda.
iii.Benefits of providing national importance status: Providing national importance status will provide these
institutions the autonomy to upgrade standard of Ayurveda education, frame various courses in Ayurveda as per
national and international demand, adopt advanced evaluation methodology, etc.
Cabinet apprised of information about amendments to the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019:
i.The CCEA has been apprised of information about the amendments moved to the Motor Vehicles (Amendment)
Bill, 2019 as passed by the Rajya Sabha.
• The amendments will ensure concurrence of state govts when National Transport Policy is formulated
and will also make schemes for national, multimodal and inter-state transportation of goods and
passengers by the central govt.
ii.Background: The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was approved by the Cabinet on June 24, 2019 after
being passed in the lok sabha. The bill was again sent into the rajya Sabha on 31st July 2019 for
reconsideration. Again the amendments were placed before lok sabha and was passed there on August 5, 2019.
MoC between India and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on cooperation in the field of Health approved:
The CCEA has given its approval for the Memorandum of Cooperation(MoC) between the Department of Health &
Family Welfare (DOHFW) of the govt of India and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) for cooperation in the
field of health. The MoC was signed in November 2019 during visit of Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Chair and Trustee of
BMGF to New Delhi.
The MoC areas covered include:
• Reduction in neonatal and child morbidity and mortality and improvement in health services.
• Increasing quality for family planning methods.
• Reduction of burden of select infectious disease like Tuberculosis(TB), Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) etc.
• Strengthen health systems and manage skills of human resources for health etc.
• PAC: A Program Action Committee (PAC) will be set up to elaborate the cooperation and see the
implementation of MoC.
Capital Grant for setting up the North East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid approved:
CCEA has approved the North East Gas Grid project of Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited (IGGL) with viability Gap
Funding(VGF)/ Capital Grant at 60% of the estimated cost of Rs 9265 crore (Including interest during
construction). The VGF capped at 60% of estimated cost will not be linked with upward capital cost variation.
• Pipeline length: The total length of the pipeline is 1656 Kilometers.
• Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas(MoPNG) will identify milestones for major activities for this
project and also link the same for releases of capital grant of the project.
i.Project implementation: For monitoring the project implementation a committee will be set up. Officials from
MoPNG, Ministry of Development of North East Region (DoNER), Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate
Change(MoEFCC)may be the members of the committee.
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ii.Gas pipeline development: In 8 states of the North-eastern region, gas pipeline will be developed. These
include Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
iii.Benefits: Some of the major benefits include reduction in kerosene usage, wood usage etc due to increased
use of natural gas. Exploration and production activities will be boosted.
• Installing LPG(Liquefied petroleum gas) bottling plants can be explored at reduced transport cost
iv.Background: Govt has taken various steps to increase the share of natural gas for the economy enhancement.
Some of the initiatives are City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks and Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (R-LNG)
Terminals as well as development of Gas market etc. The government had earlier announced the plan to raise
the share of natural gas in the country’s primary energy mix to 15% by 2030 from the present level of 6%.
• On 10th August 2018, IGGL set up a Joint Venture(JV) of 5 companies to develop and operate Natural
gas pipeline grid in North-East region. These 5 companies are Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL),
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation(ONGC), Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), Oil India Limited (OIL)
and Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL).
• Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has also issued provisional authorization to IGGL
on 14 September 2018 for the development of North-East Gas pipeline grid.
Strategic disinvestment in MMTC, NMDC, BHEL and others approved:
i.The CCEA has given its ‘in principle’ strategic disinvestment of equity shareholding of various companies in
NINL. These include
• Minerals & Metals Trading Corporation Limited (MMTC) at 49.78%.
• National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) at 10.10%.
• MECON (formerly known as Metallurgical & Engineering Consultants (India) Limited) at 0.68%.
• Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) at 0.68% and
• 2 Odisha State Government PSUs (Public Sector Undertaking) namely Industrial Promotion and
Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd.(IPICOL) at 12.00% and Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) at
20.47% in Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL) to a strategic buyer, identified through a 2 stage
auction procedure.
• NINL: it is a Joint Venture company, in which four CPSEs namely MMTC, NMDC, BHEL and MECON and
2 State PSUs of Odisha Government, namely IPICOL and OMC are the shareholders.
ii.The disinvestment of NINl would unleash resources to be used to finance the social sector/ developmental
programmes of the government and may also generate more employment opportunities.
Amending Mines and Minerals Act, 2015 approved:
The CCEA has approved the promulgation of Mineral Laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2020. This ordinance will
provide an allocation of coal blocks for composite prospecting license-cum-mining lease. This ordinance will
amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 and Coal Mines(Special Provisions) Act,
2015.
i.Ordinance Outcomes:
• Captive coal auctions: The ordinance will end captive coal block auctions in the future.
• Bidding & developing coal blocks: The ordinance allows any India-registered company to bid and
develop coal blocks. Section 11A of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act
provides power to the central government to auction coal and lignite mining licences only to
companies engaged in iron and steel, power and coal washing sectors. These companies should also
have prior experience of mining in India to bid for the blocks.
• Auction by govt: The govt also proposes to start commercial coal mining auction process with release
of bid rules and consultations with stakeholders.
ii.Coal imports: India has imported 235 million tonnes coal worth Rs 1.75 lakh crore in 2019. Out of this
quantity, 100 million tonnes was non-substitutable coking coal.
iii.Coal production target: The govt has targeted to produce one billion tonnes by 2023-24.
About Union Cabinet:
The Union cabinet exercises the executive authority in India. The senior minister in the cabinet are called as
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cabinet ministers, junior minister as minister of state and rarely deputy ministers. The cabinet is led by the Prime
Minister.
Overview of Cabinet approval with foreign countries on January,8, 2020

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister(PM) Shri Narendra
Modi approved the following pacts/agreements with the foreign countries on January,8, 2020. The approval in
detail are as follows,
Approval for MoU between India & UK for enabling energy self sufficiency for Indian railways
The Union Cabinet has gave its ex-post facto approval on an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
between Ministry of Railways & the Department for International Development (Government of United
Kingdom-UK) for Enabling Energy Self-Sufficiency for Indian Railways. It was signed on January 2,2019.
Benefits of the MoU:
i.As per the MoU ,both the sides will take necessary steps to enable energy efficiency and energy self-sufficiency
for Indian Railways as per the laws, rules, regulations and national policies.
ii.The Solar & Wind Energysector of Indian railways will get a boost from this agreement by the way of adopting
energy efficiency practices, Enabling Fuel efficiency, Electric Vehiclecharging infrastructure deployment, Battery
operated Shunting Locomotives.
iii.Both the nations agreed for the cooperation in matter like training programmes, industrial visits, field visits
etc. or any other form.
iv.If any revision, modification / amendment of the MoU, this will be issued as revised MoU. Any of theses 2 sides
can terminate this MoU by written communication & this will not affect the implementation of ongoing projects
and / or programmes which were agreed before.
Approval for MoU between India & Sweden on cooperation in Polar Science
The Union cabinet has approved the signing an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Cooperation
of Polar Science between the Ministry of Education and Research of Sweden and the Ministry of Earth Sciences
(MoES) of India.
It was signed on 2nd December 2019 during the visit of King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia to India .
i.This MoU includes cooperation between the 2 sides in both Arctic and Antarctic regions ,so that it is called as
Polar Science.
ii.Sweden as one of the eight “Arctic States” & India as the Observer Status in the Arctic Council, are members of
Antarctic Treaty and to the Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty on Environmental Protection. So this MoU will help
enable sharing of the expertise available with both Countries.
Approval for ratification of migration and mobility partnership agreement b/w India & France
The Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval for the ratification of migration and mobility partnership
agreement between India and France.The MoU,which was signed in March 2018, is valid for 7 years and
incorporates provisions for auto-renewal.
i.It will promote the people-to-people contacts ,mobility of students, academics, researchers and skilled
workforce and strengthening cooperation on issues related to irregular migration and human trafficking.
Approval for agreement b/w India & Mongolia on cooperation in the exploration and uses of outer space
The Union cabinet has approved an Agreement between Government of the Republic of India and Government
of Mongolia on Cooperation in the Exploration and Uses of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes.
The MoU was signed on 20 September 2019 during the state visit of the President of Mongolia, Khaltmaagiin
Battulga to India.
Benefits:
i.The MoU will help to develop a joint activity in the field of application of space technologies for the benefit of
humanity It also enables the following potential interest areas of cooperation such as remote sensing of the
earth, satellite communication &satellite based navigation, Space science and planetary exploration, use of
spacecraft and space systems and ground system.
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ii.This also helps to constitute Joint Working Group, drawing members from ISRO (Indian Space Research
Organisation )and the and Information Technology Authority of the Government of Mongolia, which will further
work out the plan of action including the time-frame and the means of implementing this MoU.
Background:
applications’ on January 15, 2004, The Department of Space (DOS) and the Mongolian Ministry of Infrastructure
signed an ‘Agreement for cooperation in space science, technology (S&T).
About UK:
Capital- London
Currency- Pound Sterling
Prime Minister- Boris Johnson
About Sweden:
Capital– Stockholm.
Currency– Swedish krona.
About France:
Capital– Paris
Currency– Euro
President– Emmanuel Macron
Prime Minister– Édouard Philippe
About Mongolia:
Capital– Ulaanbaatar
Currency– Mongolian tögrög
Overview of Cabinet Approvals on January 22, 2020

approved the following proposals on January 22, 2020. The approvals in detail are as follows:
Amendments/Repeal in Acts dealing with GST, VAT & Excise Duty in view of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and
Daman & Diu merger:
After the parliament passed a bill to merge two Union territories(UTs) Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar
Haveli into a single UT, CCEA has now approved the proposed amendments/extension/repeal in the following
Acts and Regulations dealing with Goods and Services Tax (GST), Value Added Tax (VAT) and State Excise, and
for designation of Daman as Headquarter of merged Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman
and Diu on January 26,2020. The amendments are as follows:
Amendments/repeals/extensions:
Current Act Name of act after being amended/repealed or extended
To be amended as Central Goods and Service Tax

Central Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017.
(Amendments) Regulation, 2020.
Union Territory Goods and Service Tax Act, To be amended as Union Territory Goods and Service Tax
2017. (Amendments) Regulation, 2020.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli Value Added Tax To be amended as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and
Regulation, 2005. Diu Value Added Tax (Amendments) Regulation, 2020.
Daman and Diu Value Added Tax To be repealed as Daman and Diu Value Added Tax (Repeal)
Regulation, 2005. Regulation, 2020.
To be amended as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and
Goa, Daman and Diu Excise Duty Act, 1964.
Diu Excise Duty (Amendment) Regulation, 2020.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli Excise Duty Dadra and Nagar Haveli Excise Duty (Repeal) Regulation,
Regulation, 2012. 2020.
The purpose of these amendments is to make minimum government with maximum governance. The
amendments will help in reducing duplication of work improve efficiency of administration etc.
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Revised cost estimates for establishing permanent campus of new NITs approved:
CCEA has approved the revised cost estimates(RCE) for the establishment of permanent campuses of National
Institutes of Technology (NITs), at a total cost of Rs.4371.90 crore for the period till 2021 – 2022.
• These NITs were established in 2009 and have been functioning since 2010-11 academic year in
temporary campus. After the revised cost estimate approval, these NITs will be functional from
respectiver permanent campuses by March 31, 2022. These NITs will have overall student capacity of
6320.
• NITs: They are institutions of National importance with best quality education in the field of
engineering and technology.
Closure of CPSE named Hindustan Fluorocarbons Limited under Dept of Chemicals & Petrochemicals
approved:
CCEA has given its approval to shut down the operation as well as closure of Hindustan Fluorocarbons
Limited(HFL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals
situated in Rudraram, District Sangareddy of Hyderabad, Telangana. The other approval related to HFL closure
are as follows:
• Grant of interest free loan of Rs.77.20 crore by the Govt. to HFL for expenditure exclusively on its
closure and it will be helpful in implementation of VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme)/ VSS
(Voluntary Separation Scheme(VSS), payment of outstanding salary & statutory dues, etc.
• Disposal of plant/machinery and movable assets to be done by HFL through e-auction by MSTC Ltd
(formerly known as Metal Scrap Trade Corporation Limited).
• Employees not opting for VRS will be retrenched as per Industrial Disputes Act 1947.
• NBCC (India) Ltd (National Buildings Construction Corporation) will be the Land Management
Agencies (LMA) for facilitating disposal of HFL’s land assets. Click here to know more
HFL:
• It is a subsidiary of Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd (HOCL) and is engaged in Poly Tetra Fluoro
Ethylene (PTFF) and Chloro Di Fluoro Methane (HCFC-22 or CFM-22) manufacture.
• It has been decided to close HFL, as the company has been making losses since 2013-14. It
accumulated Rs.62.81 crore loss and also negative net worth of of (-) Rs.43.20 crore.
Tenure extension of Commission constituted under Article 340 to examine issue of sub-categorization
within OBC caste approved:
CCEA has approved extension of the term of commission under Article 340 to examine issues related to sub-
categorization of Other Backward Classes (OBC), by 6 months that is up to 31, July 2020. Following Term of
Reference(ToR) to existing ToR of the commission has also been approved.It is as follows:
i.To study the various entries in the Central List of OBCs and recommend corrections based on any kind of
repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies and errors of spelling or transcription etc.
• Benefit: After this extension, the communities in the existing list of OBCs will be benefited upon the
implementation of the recommendations of the Commission.
• Expenditure: The expenditure for the establishment as well as administration of the commission will
be borne by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Notification of extension: Orders for extension of the term of the Commission and addition in its ToR
will be notified in the Gazette in by the president after his approval.
ii.Commission formation background:
The commission headed by Justice(Retd). G.Rohini was formed under Article 340 of the Constitution on October
2017 after president’s approval. After its formation, the commission interacted with all states and UTs (Union
Territories) that have sub categorised OBCs and the state Backward classes commissions.
iii.Article 340: The Article 340 of the Indian constitution deals with the promotion of the welfare of the OBCs.
Minister.
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Overview of Cabinet Approval with Foreign Countries on Jan 22, 2020

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister(PM) Shri Narendra Modi
approved the following proposals with the foreign countries on January 22, 2020.The approval in detail are as
follows:
MoUs among India, Tunisia and Papua New Guinea for cooperation in electoral management approved:
The CCEA has approved the proposal of legislative Department in allowing the India’s electoral commission to
enter into Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with Independent High Authority for Elections of Tunisia (ISIE)
and the Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission(PNGEC) for elections for cooperation in the field of electoral
management and administration.
Benefits:
i.Bilateral cooperation would be benefited through the MoU. The electoral management and administration will
also help in more improvised conduct of elections.
ii.Technical development of electoral process; support in exchanging information, institutional strengthening
and capacity building, training of personnel, holding regular consultations etc will be done according to the MoU.
India’s election commission:
i.The election commission of India conducts the largest electoral exercise in the world by organising fair
elections for about 85 crore voters in the country
ii.Previously, the Election Commission sent a proposal to the legislative dept. of the Ministry of Law and Justice
(MoL&J) to enter into MoU with Election Commission of Maldives on cooperation in the field of electoral
management and administration.
Model MoU with foreign countries for recognition of Certificates of Competency of seafarers approved:
The CCEA has approved the Model MoU for unilateral/bilateral recognition of Certificates. These certificates are
for the competency of the seafarers and will be pursuant to Regulation 1/10 of the International Convention on
Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers, 1978 which has been amended to
be signed between govt of India’s Director General of shipping and counterparts in foreign countries. The
approval in this regard will be given by Minister-in-charge of Shipping and the Minister of External Affairs(MEA).
Model MoU benefits:
i.The certificates issued by another country to the Indian seafarers will be recognised and will also not seek a
similar certificate recognition by India to the same Indian seafarers.
ii.Thus Indian seafarers will be placed on duty in ships under the flag of that country (country which issues
certificate) for employment leading to employment generation.
iii.Maritime education and training, endorsements, documentary evidence of training, medical fitness certificates
etc will be mutually recognized.
Cabinet approval between India and Brazil:
A total of 4 agreements/MoUs were between India and the Federative Republic of Brazil were approved by the
CCEA. The MoUs were on legal assistance in criminal matters, cooperation in oil and natural gas sector,
cooperation in the field of early childhood and cooperation in the field of geology and mineral resources. These
approvals in brief are as follows:
i.Cooperation on legal assistance in criminal matters:
Through cooperation in providing legal assistance to criminal matters effectiveness in investigation and
prosecution of crime will be enhanced. It will also help in tracing, restraint and confiscation of proceeds and
instruments of crime etc.
ii.Cooperation in the field of oil and natural gas sector:
Cooperation in oil and natural gas sector would help both the nations to work on establishing cooperation in the
exploration & production (E&P) initiatives in Brazil and India; explore collaboration in Liquefied Natural Gas
(LPG) projects in Brazil, India and third countries; collaboration in oil energy etc.
• The MoU is expected to be signed during the visit of President of Brazil Jair Messias Bolsonaro to India
later in January 2020.
iii.Cooperation in the field of early childhood:
The cooperation in the field of early childhood will be between the Ministry of Citizenship of the Federative
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Republic of Brazil and the Ministry of Women & Child Development of the Republic of India.The Mou will
increase the bilateral cooperation on issues related to early childhood care and will also exchange the best
practices between them.
iv.Cooperation in the field of Geology and Mineral Resources:
The MoU which has been approved by CCEA for cooperation in the field of Geology and Mineral Resources was
signed between Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines of the Republic of India and Geological Survey
of Brazil – CPRM, Ministry of Mines and Energy Brazil.
• Institutional mechanism will be provided through the MoU for cooperation.
About Tunisia:
Capital- Tunis.
Currency- Tunisian dinar.
President- Kais Saied.
About Papua New Guinea:
Capital- Port Moresby
Currency- Papua New Guinean kina
Continent- Oceania.
Fact- Recently Bougainville islands has voted for independence from Papua New Guinea and became the world’s
newest nation.
About Brazil:
Capital– Brasilia.
Currency- Brazilian real.
Largest city- Sao Paulo.
President- Jair Bolsonaro.
Overview of Cabinet Approval on Jan 29, 2020

approved the following proposals on January 29, 2020.
Official amendments in the National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019 approved:
The CCEA has approved for the official amendments in the National Commission for Homeopathy Bill
(NCH)2019. This bill which is currently pending in the Rajya Sabha, will amend the Homoeopathy Central
Council (HCC) Act, 1973.
Key Points:
i.Amendment features: The amendment will make reforms in the field of Homoeopathy education and enable
transparency and accountability to protect the interest of the public. Through these amendments, affordable
healthcare services will be enhanced.
Homoeopathy Central Council (HCC) Act, 1973:
The act was enacted to constitute Central Council of Homoeopathy for regulation of education and practice of
Homoeopathy inorder to maintain the central register of homeopathy and the matters concerned with it.
This HCC act was formed based on the patterns of Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
Proposal for Official Amendments in National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019
approved:
The CCEA has approved the proposal of Official Amendments in the National Commission for Indian System of
Medicine Bill, 2019 (NCIM). This bill is currently pending in the Rajya Sabha.
Key Points:
i.NCIM aim: The main purpose of NCIM is to promote equity by supplying adequate quality of medical
professionals in the Indian system of medicine thus enforcing high ethical standards overall.
ii.NCIM Bill benefits:The bill will lead to regulations in the Indian medicine system and will also promote
affordable healthcare services across the country.
Allocation of 30% of NEC’s allocation for new projects in deprived areas, society’s neglected sections
approved:
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The CCEA has given its approval to allocate 30% North Eastern Council’s (NEC’s) allocation for new projects
under the already existing “Schemes of North Eastern Council”.
i.Focus areas: This 30% allocation is to focus on the development of deprived areas; deprived/neglected
sections of society & emerging priority sectors in the North eastern States. The remaining allocation will be
bifurcated into 2 components with the State component’s share being 60% & the central component’s share
being 40%.
ii.Other approvals: Apart from the 30% allocation, the govt has also approved the following:
• NEC guidelines to be revised.
• Projects under state component will be allowed, up to 25% of all the northeastern state’s normal
allocation for sectors not covered in NEC’s mandate but to sectors that are considered as per local felt
needs.
iii.Projects under existing “Schemes of NEC” will benefit marginalized and vulnerable groups of people in
backward and neglected areas of the North Eastern States.
Extension of PLR Scheme for Port Trust & Dock Labour Board employees beyond 2017-18 approved:
The CCEA has given its approval to extend the already existing Productivity Linked Reward (PLR) Scheme
beyond 2017-18. The extension will be made applicable until any changes/ amendments made in the scheme.
Scheme benefits:
i.PLR scheme boosts industrial relationship and the work atmosphere in the Port Sector, apart from generating
productivity.
ii.The scheme will benefit 28,821 Major Port Trusts and Dock employees/workers per annum. The yearly
estimated outgo will be Rs. 46 crore.
iii.PLR calculation: PLR will now be calculated on existing wage ceiling for calculation of Bonus at Rs. 7000/-
per month.
iv.There is an existing scheme of PLR for employees where the PLR is granted based on composite Ports
Performance Index (50% weightage to All India Performance and 50% weightage to individual port
performance) on a yearly basis.
Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 approved:
The CCEA has given its approval to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020. This bill
which will be introduced in parliament soon will amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. The
amenendment will increase access of women to safe abortion services. The Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare(MoHFW) proposed amendments after consultation with various stakeholders and several other
ministries.
Feature of amendments:
• Opinion on pregnancy termination: Opinion of 1 provider to terminate pregnancy up to 20 weeks
of gestation (period of development inside the womb) will be required. For 20-24 weeks opinion of 2
providers will be required for termination.
• 24 week gestation limit: Upper gestation limit from 20 to 24weeks will be defined in the
amendments to MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy) rules for special category women. The
special category includes survivors of rape, victims of incest, differently-abled women, Minors etc.
• Upper gestation ineligibility: The upper gestation limit will not be applicable in cases of substantial
foetal abnormalities diagnosed by Medical Board.
• Identity hidden: The identity of the woman whose pregnancy has been terminated will not be
revealed except to person authorised in any law for the time being in force.
• New clause to be added: New clauses under certain sections of the Medical Termination of
Pregnancy Act, 1971 will be included. This has been done to increase upper gestation limit for
termination of pregnancy under particular conditions.
Minister.
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PARLIAMENT NEWS
Rajya Sabha panel submits report on child porn
On January 25,2020, An ad hoc committee of the Rajya Sabha (RS) headed by Congress parliamentarian Jairam
Ramesh submitted its report on child pornography to Vice President (VP) and Rajya Sabha Chairman
Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu.
Key Points:
i.In it, 40 recommendations have been made to strictly prohibit the promotion and access of child pornography
and related content through social media. This includes amendments to POSCO (Protection of Children from
Sexual Offences) Act, 2012 and IT (Information Technology) act, 2000 & to control children’s access to such
content containing generation and dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
ii.The committee has suggested enabling effective action by governments and authorised to curb child sexual
content & has appealed to Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi to raise the issue in its ‘Mann Ki Baat’ program so
that people can become aware of it and curb it. This committee was formed by the Vice President to examine the
issue of such widespread social concern and prepare its report.
About Rajya Sabha:
Type– Upper house of the Parliament of India
Deputy Chairman- Harivansh Narayan Singh (since 9 August 2018)
Secretary-General– Shri Desh Deepak Verma
Member Of Parliament & Leader Of House– Thaawarchand Gehlot
LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION

1st tri-dimensional expedition ‘Maha-Navy Connect 2020’ launched by Indian Navy in Maharashtra
On January 5, 2020, the first tri-dimensional expedition ‘Maha-Navy Connect 2020’ was launched by Indian
Navy in Mumbai. It aims to promote the heritage of Indian Navy and to spread awareness about Coastal Security
amongst the coastal communities in Maharashtra.
Key Points:
i.It was flagged of by Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Ajit
Kumar P.
ii.The expedition continues till January 11, 2020.
iii.The tri-dimensional expedition consists of yachting, running and cycling teams of 50 naval personnel.
iv.This expedition will cover more than 555kms from the Maharashtra’s northernmost fort Arnala to its
southernmost Sindhudurg fort. On their way the teams will touch Kanhoji Angre (Khanderi), Revdanda, Korlai,
Murud-Janjira, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Jaigad, Ratnadurg, Purnagad, Vijaydurg and Devgad forts.
About Maharashtra:
Chief Minister- Uddhav Thackeray
Governor- Bhagat Singh Koshyari
Capital City- Mumbai
State Animal- Indian giant squirrel
State Bird- Yellow-footed green pigeon
State Tree- Mangifera indica
State Flower- Pride of India
About Indian Navy:
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS)- Admiral Karambir Singh.
Founded- 5 September 1612
Headquarters- New Delhi
IEA launched 1st in-depth review of India 2020 energy policy review in New Delhi
On January 10,2020 the International Energy Agency (IEA) in partnership with NITI (National Institution for
Transforming India) Aayog has released the first in-depth review of India’s energy policies 2020 in New Delhi.
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The IEA conducts review on energy policies of its member countries. This is the 1st time the review is done for
India after it became an IEA-association country in March 2017.
India 2020 energy policy review:
i.Data presentation: Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA presented the key findings of the review at an
event in New Delhi.
ii.Key findings:
• Renewable energy growth: India has strong growth in renewables in India accounting for
almost 23% of the country’s total installed capacity.
• Reduction in energy demand: The improvements made in energy efficiency helped India to avoid
15% of additional energy demand, oil and gas imports, and air pollution as well as 300 million tonnes
of CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions between 2000 and 2018.
• Doubling of energy demand: India’s energy demand is expected to be doubled by 2040 and also
the electricity demand may triple.
• Share of variable renewables: The share of variable renewables in India is already above 15%.
• Single frequency power grid: India has the largest unified power grid operating in a single
frequency.
• Govt achievements: IEA report reviewed in depth of Indian govt’s achievements in extending
citizens’ access to electricity, affordable efficient lighting etc through schemes like SAUBHAGYA, Unnat
Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) and Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) etc. 750 million
people in India gained access to electricity between 2000 and 2019.
• Ethanol blend: India is on the way of achieving 20% ethanol blending in petrol and 5% biodiesel in
diesel by 2030.
• Energy consumption: India is now the 3rd largest energy consumer in the world.
• Recommendations: The report also offers a wide range of recommendations in support of India’s
energy reforms. These include building strong regulators to ensure non-discriminatory access,
moving from state allocation to market pricing, and further rationalizing energy subsidies.
• Oil consumption: Indian oil consumption is expected to grow faster than that of any other major
economy. The top performing profit making Public Sector Units(PSU) were Indian Oil Corporation
limited (IOCL) ranked at 1st and followed by ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) and NTPC
(formerly National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) in the 2nd & 3rd places respectively.
• India 2020 plans: India has set national for the year 2022 such as achieving 100 smart cities, LPG
(Liquefied Petroleum Gas) connections to all housing, universal electricity access and 175 GW (Giga
Watts) of renewable electricity capacity.
iii.Annual event proposal: Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan proposed an annual event where NITI
andIEA could collaborate and bring global energy stakeholders to have a structured energy dialogue.
iv.Members present: Shri Pralhad Joshi,Minister of Coal(MoC); Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of
Petroleum and Natural Gas and Minister of Steel (MoP&NG), Shri Raj Kumar Singh,Minister for Power and
Renewable Energy(MoP&RE), Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog; Shri Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive
Officer(CEO) of NITI Aayog, and other officials were present in the event. Click here to know more.
About International Energy Agency(IEA):
Founded- November 1974.
Headquarters- Paris, France.
Executive Director- Fatih Birol.
Deputy Executive Director- Paul Simons.
Membership countries- 30.
Association countries- 8.
DPIIT launches paperless licensing process for petroleum road tankers

On January 10,2020 Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of
Commerce and Industry, has launched paperless licensing process through Petroleum and Explosives Safety
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Organization (PESO) for road tankers for transportation of petroleum under the Petroleum Rules,2002.
Key Points:
i.This is a significant move towards paperless and green India that provides ease of doing business for
petroleum road tankers.
ii.Moving towards digitalisation the process will include filing the applications through online processing of the
application at every stage will be intimated via e-mail (electronic mail) and SMS (Short Message Service) whether
discrepancy or approval or grant of license.
iii.This initiative directly benefits more than one lakh petroleum road tanker owners who together hold more
than half of total licenses issued under the Petroleum Rules,2002.
iv.The authenticity of the license can be verified through public domain available on PESO’s website.
Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO):
It is headed by Chief Controller of Explosives.
Founded- 9 September 1898.
Headquarters- Nagpur.
Joint Chief Controller of Explosives, HOD(HEAD OF DEPARTMENT)- M.K.Jhala.
HM Amit shah 2-day visit to Gujarat; launches project VISHWAS & Cyber AASHVAST in Gandhinagar
Union Home Minister (HM) Amit Shah has paid a 2- day visit to Gujarat from January 11-12, 2020. He arrived at
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and then addressed the 9th
convocation function of Gujarat Technological University (GTU) & also attended the event at Mahatma Mandir in
Gandhinagar to digitally launch India’s 1st cyber AASHVAST (Assured Assistance Service Helpline for Victims
at Shortest Time ) & project VISHWAS (Video Integration and State Wide Advanced Security). He also
launched Netrang project that aims to Command and Control Room in 33 districts of the state, online portal to
pay E Challan “https://echallanpayment.gujarat.gov.in/ ”.
India’s 1st cyber AASHVAST:
Home Minister Amit Shah has inaugurated India’s 1st Cyber Crime Prevention Unit called ‘AASHVAST’ (Assured
Assistance Service Helpline for Victims at Shortest Time ) which is a helpline for cyber crime victims.
Project VISHWAS:
A major e-governance initiative Project VISHWAS (Video Integration and State Wide Advanced Security) was also
launched with the aim to improve the Law and Order Management, Proactive traffic management and control,
Crime detection through video analytics and Post incident Investigation and video forensics.
Key Points:
i.It was initiated by then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in 2013-14 with a network of 279 CCTV (Closed
Circuit Television ) cameras installed in public places.Totally at 1256 sites 7000 CCTVs installed at 34 district
Headquarter & 7 tourism sites.
ii.Earlier in January 2020, Amit Shah dedicated National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal ” www.cybercrime.gov.in”
to the Nation in New Delhi & also inaugurated Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
About Gujarat:
Capital– Gandhinagar
CM– Vijay Rupani
Governor– Acharya Devvrat
Flower– Marigold
Fruit– Mango
Govt launches Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD) developed by IIT-Madras

On January 13, 2020, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and MSMEs(Ministry of Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises) Shri Nitin Gadkari & Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh have jointly launched an IT
(Information Technology) tool “Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD)” developed by the Indian
Institute of Technology–Madras (IIT-M) that will help in proper monitoring and accurate analysis of road
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accidents.
It was launched during ‘Road Safety Stakeholders’ Meet held in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i.Developed with the help of ₹258 crore financial assistance given by the World Bank,the database will be
implemented by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
ii.Initially this system is being implemented in 6 states with highest fatalities of road crashes namely Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh (MP), Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu (TN) and Uttar Pradesh (UP).It will be launched
Across India after the successful trial.
iii.IRAD system:
• It is capable of collecting data on all types of accidents on different types of roads from across India. It
is an Internet-based IT solution, on which all agencies, from PWD(Public Works Department) to
police, can feed details of information related to road accidents from different perspectives. These
include details related to accident investigation, road engineering, vehicle condition, etc.
• Based on these details, various agencies can analyze the accidents according to their own and find out
the reasons responsible for them & with this, the road safety measures at a particular location can be
determined.
iv.According to the World Road Statistics, India recorded the highest number of road accident deaths across 199
countries in 2018 followed by China and the US (United States). While as per government data, more than 1.5
lakh people lost their lives in road crashes in India in 2018.
About National Informatics Centre (NIC):
It was established in 1976 & works under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Headquarters– New Delhi
Union Minister for culture and tourism launched “Indian Heritage in Digital Space” exhibition in New
Delhi
On January 15, 2020 Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (IC) Shri Prahalad Singh Patel launched
the first International Heritage Symposium and Exhibition (IHSE). The exhibition will be held until February 15,
2020 on “Indian Heritage in Digital Space “ and the first international heritage symposium will be held for two
days in the National Museum in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i.The exhibition was organized along with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT),Delhi.
ii.The exhibition is developed under the Indian Digital Heritage (IDH) initiative of the Department of Science and
Technology (DST), Government of India in the cultural heritage domain of the country.
iii.The exhibition demonstrate the outcome of two flagship projects namely a digital mini-spectacle to showcase
the glory of Hampi and Augmented reality based interactions with physical models of monuments; that are
completed under the DST mentored initiative Indian Heritage in Digital Space (IHDS).
iv.Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, National Institute of Design
Bengaluru, CSIR-CBRI Roorkee, Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology, and a women-led, IDH start-
up Vizara Technologies, New Delhi are multi-disciplinary teams which are responsible for these flagship project.
v.The project aims to create digital installations using 3D laser scan data, AR, holographic projections and 3D
fabrication, to provide interactive and immersive experiences showcasing the glory of Hampi and five Indian
monuments namely KashiVishwanath Temple, Varanasi; TajMahal, Agra; Sun Temple,Konark; Ramachandra
Temple, Hampi ; and RaniKiVav, Patan.
vi.Installation of ‘ViRaasat’ which consists of a scaled down 3D printed replica using laser-scanning, 3D
modelling and rendering, 3D printing, computer vision and spatial AR provides a mixed reality experience to
visitors in selected monuments.
vii.Participants: Shri Ashutosh Sharmawas, Secretary of the Department of Science & technology
AboutNewDelhi:
Chief Minister– Arvind Kejriwal
Deputy Chief Minister– Manish Sisodia
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Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched ‘Saksham’ Campaign in New
Delhi
On January 16, 2020 Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched ‘Saksham’ a
month long People-centric fuel conservation mega campaign of Petroleum Conservation Research Association
(PCRA) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in New Delhi.
KeyPoints:
i.Under this campaign PCRA and Gas companies will conduct various workshops, seminars, cyclothons to adapt
the measure of using less fuels. This campaign programs will be also broadcast in social media to create
awareness among the people in conservation of fuels.
ii.PCRA along with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has prepared a comic
book on the theme ‘Fuel Conservation’ aimed at younger generation especially the school children which is
available on E-Pathshala on NCERT website.
iii.PCRA in association with the Institute of Petroleum-Dehradun has developed high energy efficient Piped
Natural Gas (PNG) burner for household which will save gas as compared to modified Liquefied petroleum
gas (LPG) stove for PNG.
iv.PCRA also has developed attractive messages and animated documentary ‘Pollution Ka Solution” which is
available on PCRA website and YouTube.
v.The annual Saksham National Competition will be conducted in the month of July, involving schools and
students in Essay, Painting and Quiz competition and nearly 1.48 crore students are expected to participate in
the event.
vi.PCRA also carried out an awareness Campaign on 100 busiest intersections of Delhi through Central Road
Research Institute (CRRI) on encouraging switching-off engine at red light and the outcome of this campaign was
remarkable with encouraging results of approx. 22% reduction in idling fuel losses for petrol fuel “before” and
“after” the campaign phase.
vii.Nearly 14%, 12% and 19% reduction in Diesel, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and LPG were observed due
to awareness campaign.
DV Sadananda launched HURL’s brand “APNA UREA-Sona Ugle” & unveiled company logo in New Delhi
On January 17, 2020 the Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers (MoC&F) Shri Devaragunda Venkappa
Sadananda Gowda launched “APNA UREA – Sona Ugle” brand of Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited
(HURL) and also the company’s logo at an event in New Delhi.
Fertilizer plants revival:
i.HURL: It is a Joint venture(JV) company 3 Maharatna companies as its lead promoters which are Coal India
Limited (CIL), NTPC Limited (NTPC) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Fertilizer Corporation of
India Ltd (FCIL) & Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Limited (HFCL) as other two partners.
ii.Urea plant revival undertaken by HURL:
• Plant revival by HURL: In 2016, the govt approved for the revival of 3 urea plants located at
Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Sindri(Jharkhand) and Barauni (Bihar). It was undertaken by HURL.
• Total plant revival: This undertaking by HURL is part of Prime Minister Modi’s direction of revival of
5 major fertilizer plants. The remaining 2 plants are at Ramagundam(Telangana) and Talcher
(Odisha) and they will commence production soon.
• Capacity of 3 plants undertaken by HURL: 3 plants which will be revived by HURL mostly by 2021
have total installed capacity of 38.1 LMT of Neem Coated Urea per annum.
iii.Fertilizer production: Nearly 70-80 Lakh Metric Tonne (LMT) fertilizer every year are being imported in
India. Once the above mentioned 5 units are commissioned the total production of Urea is expected to increase
by 63.5 LMT Per Annum (LMTPA).
• Average import & production: India’s average urea import is 63.12 LMT & its average total
production of urea in the country is around 241 LMT. The total consumption (Sales) of urea is 305.48
LMT approximately.
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iv.New plans of HURL: HURL will establish energy efficient Natural Gas based new Fertilizer Complexes having
an installed capacity of 1.27 MMTPA (Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum) neem coated urea.
• Natural gas supply: Under pooled price mechanism natural gas supply will be done by GAIL
(formerly Gas Authority of India Ltd) under the Pooled Price Mechanism.
v.Remaining plant revival:
• The remaining two plants that are being revived are Ramagundam unit by M/s. Ramagundam
Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (RFCL), a JV of National Fertilizers Limited (NFL), Engineers India Ltd
(EIL) & FCIL,
• Talcher unit (expected commissioning by 2023) by Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL), a JV of Rashtriya
Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited (RCF), CIL, GAIL & FCIL.
vi.Members Present: Secretary of Department of Fertilizers, Shri Chhabilendra Roul and other officials were
present during the event.
About Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers (MoC&F):
Fact- departments under MoC&F are dept. of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Dept of Fertilisers and Dept. of
Pharmaceuticals.
Union minister- Shri. D.V. Sadananda Gowda.
Minister of State(MoS)- Shri Mansukh Mandaviya.
President Kovind lays foundation stone of Lakshadweep’s 1st super specialty hospital at Kavaratti
On January 7, 2020, The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, who was on a first-ever 2-day Visit to the
Union Territory of Lakshadweep, has laid the foundation stone for Lakshadweep’s 1st Super Specialty
Hospital at Kavaratti.
Key Points:
i.Dineshwar Sharma,the Administrator of Lakshadweep along with other officials received the President at Agatti
Airport with a traditional welcome and was accorded a Guard of Honour from a joint group of 160 different
forces.
ii.President also praised Rehmath Beegum Sailaniyoda, the only woman who received Padma Shri (1999) from
Lakshadweep in the field of Medicine.
About Lakshadweep:
Capital– Kavaratti
Formation– 1 November 1956
Administrator– Shri Dineshwar Sharma
Lakshadweep are a group of coral islands located south west off the coast of Kerala.
PM Modi & Nepal PM Sharma Oli inaugurated 2nd Integrated Check Post :Jogbani-Biratnagar
On January 21, 2020 the Indian Prime Minister(PM) Shri Narendra Modi along with the PM of
Nepal Shri Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli jointly inaugurated the 2nd Integrated Check Post (ICP) Jogbani (Bihar,
India) – Biratnagar (Nepal) through video conference. Jogbani – Biratnagar acts as an important trade point
between the two nations and is equipped with modern facilities.
Key Points:
i.Jogbani – Biratnagar ICP: This ICP built with Indian assistance is spread over 260 acres and the project worth
is Rs. 140 crores. It is capable of carrying 500 trucks on a daily basis.
ii.1st ICP: Prior to Jogbani – Biratnagar ICP, the first ICP was built at the Raxaul-Birgunj border of India (in
Bihar State) and Nepal respectively in 2018.
iii.2015 Post-earthquake housing reconstruction projects (EHRP) in Nepal in which India committed to build
50,000 houses in Nepal’s Gorkha and Nuwakot districts was discussed during the video conference. Out of the
50,000 houses, the construction of 45,000 houses have already been completed.
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Seismic Hazard Microzonation project was launched by the Ministry of Earth Science
The Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) has launched Seismic Hazard Microzonation project in major cities of
India. The project aims to reduce the hazards of Seismic activities by taking proper measures in major Indian
cities and areas falling under high-seismic Zones IV and V.
Key Points:
i.Seismic Hazard Microzonation is the process of identifying the earthquake-prone areas based on its geological
and geophysical characteristics.
ii.The project has been completed in the State of Sikkim and in other eight cities namely Delhi, Bengaluru,
Kolkata, Guwahati, Jabalpur, Dehradun Ahmedabad and Gandhidham.
iii.Japan is the best example for the proper implementation of microzonation techniques.
About Ministry of Earth Science:
Founded- 2006
Minister- Harsh Vardhan
Minister of steel launched SAIL SERVICE scheme and Portal for SAIL employees
On January 22,2020 Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched a scheme,
“SAIL Employee Rendering Voluntarism and Initiatives for Community Engagement (SAIL SERVICE)” under Steel
Authority of India Limited (SAIL) to promote and facilitate Voluntary Philanthropist Activities (VPA) by the
employees.
Key Points:
i.The Minister also launched a dedicated interactive “SAIL SERVICE” portal for the implementation of this
Scheme. This portal acts as a platform for enabling faster interaction and communication amongst the various
stakeholders.
ii.SAIL will undertake mass mobilisation programmes in its plants and units to spread awareness about this
scheme and to encourage employees to participate in VPA.
iii.On SAIL Foundation Day, January 24, 2020 a pledge will be administered at all plants and units of SAIL for
VPAs.
About SAIL:
Founded- January 19, 1954
Chairman- Anil Kumar Chaudhary
Indian Navy launched ‘Operation Vanilla’ to aid the cyclone-hit Madagascar

On January 28, 2020, the Indian Navy(IN) launched ‘Operation Vanilla’. The purpose of this operation is to
support and provide assistance to Tropical Cyclone Diane & flood-hit Madagascar. The Indian Navy Ship(INS)
Airavat has been deployed to this mission. Indian Navy is the first responder for Humanitarian and Disaster
Relief (HADR) in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Key points:
i.Madagascar is hit by heavy floods and landslips for a week which caused loss of lives and displacement and has
affected nearly 92,000 people. The president of Madagascar has also requested for international mobilization.
ii.After the Madagascar president’s request, as the first respondent, it was then decided to immediately divert
INS Airavat enroute to Seychelles, to Madagascar.
iii.The assistance has been provided in consonance with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Security and
Growth for all in the Region (SAGAR)’. It is also to be noted that Madagascar is a member of the inter-
governmental organisation Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
About Madagascar:
Capital- Antananarivo (also the largest city).
Currency- Malagasy ariary.
President- Andry Nirina Rajoelina.
Prime Minister- Christian Louis Ntsay.
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FESTIVALS
Ritualistic Festival ‘Lai Haroba’ begins in Tripura
Lai Haroba, a ritualistic festival observed by Manipuri meitei communities began in Agartala, Tripura. The five-
day long festival was inaugurated by Speaker of State legislative Assembly, Rebati Mohan Das.
Lai Haroba was celebrated through oral literature, music, dance and rituals. A cultural troupe from Manipur came
and performing manipuri martial arts, folk music and folk dances.
The festival was organized by:
i.Department of Information and Cultural
Affairs, Government of Tripura.
ii.Puthiba Lai Haraoba Committee and Puthiba
Welfare & Cultural Society, Agartala.
Aim:
To Uphold Tradition and Cultural values of
Meitei community.
Static:
Tripura- Agartala.
CM- Biplab Kumar Deb.
Governor- Ramesh Bias
State Bird- Green imperial Pigeon.
State Animal- Phayre’s leaf monkey.
National Park- Clouded Leopard National Park,Rajbari National Park.
Wildlife Sanctuary- Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary, Rowa Wildlife Sanctuary, Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary, Trishna
Wildlife Sanctuary.
Mizoram set to organize 1st edition of Zo kutpui festival 2020 in 10 states & US, Myanmar, Bangladesh
In a bid to unify different tribes of Mizo community, the state Government of Mizoram will organize
the 1st edition of Zo Kutpui festival 2020 across 10 states in India & also in countries such as Maryland in
the US (United States), Tahan in Myanmar and Bangladesh from January 9, 2020.
Key Points:
i.The 1st such festival, organized by the Mizoram tourism department, would be held at Vanghmun, a hub of
Mizos in neighbouring Tripura, from January 9 – 11,2020. Then festival will carry forward to other states which
have a significant Mizo population.
ii.The Chief Minister (CM) of Mizoram-Zoramthanga will be the chief guest of the festival & Robert Romawia
Royte, the state tourism minister will be the chief host.
iii.The event will witness many importance personnel from various Mizoram tribes and also see the presence of
cultural performance & traditional songs from various Mizo tribes from Mizoram and other Northeastern (NE)
states.
About Mizoram:
Capital– Aizawl
Governor– P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
National Parks– Murlen National Park, Phawngpui National Park
4th Buxa bird festival 2020 commenced in West Bengal

On January 7, 2020, A 3-day long 4th edition of the Buxa Bird Festival 2020 has begun in Buxa National Park in
the Alipurduar district of West Bengal(WB).
Key Points:
i.The festival, organized by West Bengal Forest Department, will see the participation of around 50 people,
including prominent ornithologists, birdwatchers and bird enthusiasts from Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi.
ii.Till now, the presence of More than 300 rare species of birds has been noticed in Buxa National Park.
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About West Bengal:

Capital– Kolkata
Chief minister– Mamata Banerjee
Governor– Jagdeep Dhankhar
Folk dances– Kathi, Gambhira, Dhali, Jatra, Baul, Marasia.
National Parks– Gorumara National Park ,Neora Valley National Park ,Singalila National Park.
31st International Kite Festival launched in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

On January 7,2020 The 31st International Kite Festival has been launched at Sabarmati riverfront
in Ahmedabad. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has inaugurated the colourful kite festival in the presence
of Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat on this occasion.
Key Points:
i.In this festival around 140 kite flying experts from 40 countries are participating in this event.
ii.The festival is also being organized in 9 other places across the state simultaneously including Statue of Unity-
Kevadiya, Surat, and Vadodara and continue till 14th January MakarSankranti (Uttarayan)- the festival of kites in
different parts of the state.
Static About Festivals:
Lai Haraoba festival- Tripura.
Hornbill festival- Nagaland.
Lohri festival- Punjab.
Eight North-Eastern states to celebrate Madhavpur Mela in Gujarat on 2nd April 2020
On January 8, 2020 in New Delhi Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern
Region (DoNER) chaired a high- level meeting for the preparation of the annual festival Madhavpur Mela of
Gujarat which will be held at Madhavpur Ghed in Porbandar district of Gujarat on 2nd April 2020.The seven
days festival celebrates the immortal journey of Lord Krishna and Rukmini from Arunachal Pradesh to Gujarat.
About Madhavpur Mela of Gujarat:
i.The eight North-Eastern states namely
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur,
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and
Tripura will participate in this festival.
ii.The Madhavpur Mela of Gujarat shares its
connect to the Mishmi Tribe, an ancestry
to the legendary King Bhishmak, of
Arunachal Pradesh.
iii.This year magnificent folk cultural
performances from the North-Eastern
states, especially Arunachal Pradesh and
Manipur will be witnessed in the Mela.
iv.Rukmini-Haran, a popular folk theater will be performed by the troupes of Assam and Musical troupes from
Manipur will sing songs related to Rukmini in the Khullong Ishei and Nat genre in the Madhavpur Mela.
v.This will mark the cultural integration of Gujarat with the North-East under the Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat
vi.The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya will conduct a
Visual Art EXhibition on Lord Krishna and Rukmini during the festival under the Ministry of Culture.
vii.The sale of art and crafts of Gujarat and handloom-handicrafts products from North-Eastern states will also
be the part of Madhavpur Mela.
viii.Organizers: Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Zonal Cultural Centers (ZCCs), Song and Drama
Division of Information & Broadcasting Ministry besides the concerned departments of the State Governments.
About Gujarat:
Chief Minister- Vijay Rupani
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Governor- Acharya Devvrat

State Animal- Asiatic lion
State Bird- Greater flamingo
State Tree- Banyan
State Flower- Marigold
Mizoram sets to celebrate ‘Chapchar Kut’ festival on March 6, 2020

On January 14, 2020 Government of Mizoram along with the organizing committee under the chairmanship of
Chief Minister Zoramthanga has decided to celebrate the ‘Chapchar Kut’, the biggest and most important
festival of the Mizos, on March 6, 2020. The two- days festival is celebrated under the theme “Promotion of
Mizos’ culture and moral code”.
Key Points:
i.March 5,2020 will be celebrated as pre-festival, which will be attended by state’s Art and Culture Minister R
Lalzirliana as “Kut Pa” or the “father of the festival”.
ii.On March 6, 2020 the festival will be celebrated with cultural fervour and gaiety in all parts of the state and the
grand celebration will be held at the Assam Rifles ground in the state.
iii.Chapchar Kut is a spring festival celebrated usually in March after completion of the Jhum cultivation.
iv.Diplomats from the United States (USA), Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, Korea, Japan, Nepal, Bhutan, China
and Israel will be invited along with the leaders of different tribes of Mizo from different parts of the world.
v.Exhibition of paintings, photos, handloom and handicrafts will be held in different places around the state’s
capital, Aizawl.
About Mizoram:
Chief Minister- Zoramthanga
Governor- P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
State Capital City- Aizawl
State Animal- Sumatran serow
State Bird- Vavu
State Tree- Mesua ferrea
State Flower- Renanthera imschootiana
23rd National Youth Festival 2020 held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

The 23rd edition of the National Youth Festival (NYF) 2020 was held at Indira Pratishthan, Lucknow, Uttar
Pradesh from January 12-16, 2020. It was jointly organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS)
and State Government of Uttar Pradesh. The theme of the 2020 NYF was “Fit Youth, Fit India”
Inauguration: It was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath and Minister of State
(MoS- independent charge) for Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Kiren Rijiju on 12th January that marked the birth
anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, Indian-Hindu monk.
Key points:
i.The NYF has been organised by the govt since 1995 with an objective to give an opportunity to the youth of the
country to showcase their talent.
ii.Over 6000 participants from each state of the country participated in the NYF. some of the competitions that
were held include Folk Dance, Hindustani Vocal Solo, Carnatic Vocal Solo, Elocution, harmonium Light, Tabla,
Mridangam, Veena, Flute, Sitar, Guitar, Dances Manipuri, Bharatnatyam, Kathak and Non Competitive Events like
young artist Camp, Yuva Kriti, food festival, Adventure Camp, Suvichar, Youth Convention etc.
5th edition of Science Film festival 2020 held in Panaji, Goa

On January 15, 2020 the 5th edition of the Science Film Festival of India, SCI- FFI 2020 held at Inox Complex and
Maquinez Palace in Panaji, Goa. It was a 4-day long festival which was held from January 15-18, 2020 and was
inaugurated by Chief Minister of Goa Dr.Pramod Pandurang Sawant. The aim of the festival was to instill
knowledge of science among youth of the country. It is organized by Vidnyan Parishad, Goa with the organizing
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partners – Entertainment Society of Goa, Dept. of Science, Technology and Waste Management (Govt. of Goa),
VigyanPrasar (DST) Govt. of India and National Institute of Oceanography.
Key Points:
i.The event was supported by both Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute(SRFTI) and National Institute of
Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAR).
ii.Event Highlights: The event had panel discussions on challenges in scientific education that involved various
academicians.
• Several films namely ‘Mission Mangal’, ‘Antariksham 9000 KMPH’, ‘Everest’, ‘Aamorie’, ‘Terminator:
Dark Fate’, ‘Geostorm’ and, ‘Virus’ were screened.
• A special workshop was conducted by Indian Institute of Technology- Bombay(IIT-B) in the title
“Million SoUL” and provided training on solar lamps.
About Goa:
Formation- 30 May 1987.
Chief minister- Pramod Sawant.
Capital- Panaji.
Governor- Satya Pal Malik.
Magh Bihu festival celebrated in Assam

On January 15,2020 Magh Bihu, an auspicious harvest festival is being celebrated in Assam. Magh Bihu falls in
the local month of ‘Magh’ during mid-january. It is also called ‘Bhogali Bihu’ or ‘Maghor Bihu’ as it is celebrated
with community feasts after the annual harvest takes place.
Key Points:
i.People began the day by gathering at the temple and offered prayers, beat up the drums and walk around the
bonfire.
ii.The highlight of this festival is the food, which is made from the abundance of grains after the harvest.
iii.The night before ‘Magh Bihu’ is called ‘Uruka’ meaning the night of feasts.
iv.The villagers make bamboo huts called ‘Bhelghor’ or community kitchen where they begin with the
preparations for the festival.
About Assam:
Capital- Dispur
Chief Minister (CM)- Sarbananda Sanowal
Governor- Jagdish Mukhi
National Parks (NP)- Kaziranga NP, Manas NP, Dibru Saikhowa NP, Nameri NP, Orang NP
13th Jaipur Literature Festival began in Jaipur, Rajasthan

The 13th edition of the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) began at Diggi Palace Hotel in Jaipur, Rajasthan on
January 23, 2020, and will be conducted till January 27, 2020. The 5-day long festival was inaugurated by Chief
Minister of Rajasthan Shri Ashok Gehlot. Author Ashwin Sanghi launched his book ‘The Vault of
Vishnu’ through Sonali Bendre Behl at the fest. The Bloomsbury Anthology of Great Indian Poems edited by
poet-diplomat Abhay K was also launched. It includes 200 poems.
Arvind Krishna awarded Mahakavi Kanhaiyalal Sethia Award:
Renowned poet and literary critic Arvind Krishna Mehrotra was awarded 5th edition of the Mahakavi Sethia
Award for poetry during JLF 2020. The award is given in memory of Rajasthani and Hindi poet Kanhaiyalal
Sethia and carries a cash prize of Rs. 1 Lakh.
Key Points:
i.Rajasthan State Energy Minister Bulaki Das Kalla and other officials were present in the event. Nearly 500
speakers will be participating in the festival.
ii.JLF in Jaipur (known as the pink city) was first founded in the year 2016 and is described as the largest literary
show in the world. The festival directors are the writers Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple and it is
produced by Sanjoy Roy of Teamwork Arts.
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1st ever 2-day long “Innovation festival” was organised by Arunachal Pradesh govt at Itanagar, Arunachal
Pradesh
On January 25, 2020 Arunachal Pradesh state council for science & Technology (APSCS&T) in partnership
with National Innovation Foundation organised the 1st ever Innovation festival at science centre IG Park,
Itanagar Arunachal Pradesh. The two days festival aims to encourage the cultural innovation among the people
and students of Arunachal Pradesh.
Key Points:
i.During the festival more than 50 innovations are displayed by the innovators of Arunachal Pradesh , Assam and
other states and as a part of the festival Inspire Awards – Manak state level event has also been organised.
ii.Participants: Science & Technology Secretary Ameya A Abhayankar, C.D. Mungyak, Director cum Member
Secretary, A.P. State Council for Science & Technology, Dr Nitin Maurya from National Innovation Foundation
India (NIF).
About Arunachal Pradesh:
Capital city- Itanagar
Chief Minister- Pema Khandu
Governor- B.D. Mishra
State Animal- Gayal
State Bird- Great Hornbill
State Flower- Rhynchostylis Retusa
State Tree- Dipterocarpus retusus
Nagoba Jatara festival celebrated in Telangana

On January 24, 2020 Nagoba Jatara tribal festival was celebrated in the state of Telangana. The festival is
prominently celebrated in Keslapur village, Indervelly Mandal, Adilabad district of Telangana. It is the 2nd
biggest tribal carnival which is celebrated by the tribal people from Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Orissa,
Karnataka, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh belonging to the Mesaram clan of of Gond tribes.
Key Points:
i.The event concluded with a ceremony called ‘bheting’, which new brides entered into a family were
incorporated into the clan.
ii.The serpent god Nagoba is the clan god of the Mesrams and is worshipped annually during the Nagoba Jatara
festival.
iii.The Gusadi Dance performance by dancers from the Gond tribe is the main attraction during the celebration.
About Telangana:
Capital- Hyderabad.
Governor- Tamilisai Soundararajan.
Chief minister- Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao.
National Parks(NP)- Kasu Brahmananda Reddy NP, Mahaveer Harina Vanasthali NP, Mrugavani NP.
OTHER NEWS
Government creates new Department of military affairs headed by Bipin Rawat
On December 30, 2019, the government has created a new ‘Department of Military affairs (DMA)’ in
the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to be headed by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat. The new
department works for the unity of the three forces Army, Navy and Air Force and will also monitor the services
except for capital acquisitions according to prevalent rules and procedures. The DMA is the 5th department in
the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and was created after a change in Government of India (Allocation of
Business), Rules 1961.
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Key Points:
i.The other existing 4 departments under MoD are
the Department of Defence, the Department of
Defence Production, the Department of Defence
Research and Development and the Department of
Ex-Servicemen Welfare.
Static GK:
Chief of Army Staff- Manoj Mukund Naravane.
Chief of the Naval Staff- Admiral Karambir Singh.
Chief of the Air Staff – Rakesh Kumar Singh
Bhadauria.
30% of Poshan Abhiyaan funds used in 3 years as per data shared in parliament
On December 29, 2019 according to an analysis of the data shared by Minister for Women and Child
Development (MoWCD) Smriti Irani in the Parliament, merely 30% of the Poshan Abhiyan funds have been used
in 3 years. Apart from Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar, none of the state govt has used the
fund granted to them in the past 3 years. The data in detail are as follows,
Data shared in parliament:
i.As per the data, a total of ₹4,283 crore was
disbursed by the Centre to different States
and Union Territories(UTs). From this
amount, ₹1,283.89 crore was utilised until
October 31, 2019, which is just 29.97% of
the funds granted.
ii.Best performers: Among the states that
utilised the poshan abhiyan funds well,
Mizoram(65.12%) emerged as the best
performer. It was followed by Lakshadweep
(61.08%), Bihar (55.17%), Himachal Pradesh
(53.29%) and Meghalaya (48.37%) in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place respectively.
iii.Worst performers: The top worst performers were Punjab (0.45%), Karnataka (0.74%), Kerala (8.75%),
Jharkhand (13.94%) and Assam (23.01%).
iv.Fund in 2019-20: During 2019-20, funds were released to 19 States. Out of them, 12 states have used less
than a third of the funds released in the previous two years.
v.Various activities were launched over the years to enhance Poshan Abhiyam. Some of them include Integrated
Child Development Services-Common Application Software (ICDS-CAS) to monitor anganwadis etc.
vi.CNNS data: Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
(MoHFW) in October 2019, showed that 35% of children below the age of 5 years were stunted, 17% were
wasted(low weight for height) and 33% were underweight(low weight for age)
Poshan Abhiyaan:
Aim: Poshan abhiyaan is the centre’s flagship programme which is aimed at improving nutritional benefits to
pregnant women, lactating mothers and children by reducing the level of stunting, underweight, anaemia and
low birth weight. It has also set an aim to achieve the above targets by 2022.
Launch: The scheme was launched in the year 2017 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s govt.
Budget: A total budget of ₹9,046.17 crore was allocated for three years, 50% of which is through budgetary
support, that is further divided in the ratio 60:40 between the Centre and the States. For Northeastern &
Himalayan states, the ratio is 90:10 while it is 100% for union territories(UTs) without legislature. The scheme
has been meant to support more than 10 crore people in the country.
• The remaining 50% is provided by the World Bank (WB) or other multilateral development banks. As
a result, the Centre’s total share will only be ₹2,849.54 crore.
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Rank Best Performer Worst performer

1 Mizoram Punjab
2 Lakshadweep Karnataka
3 Bihar Kerala
About Ministry of Women and Child Development:
Founded- 30 January 2006.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Minister of State(MoS)- Sushri Debasree Chaudhuri.
Secretary- Rabindra Panwar.
Indian Railways launches integrated helpline number 139 for passengers

On 3rd January 2020, The Indian Railways launched an integrated helpline number 139 for quick grievance and
enquiries by the passengers during journeys.
Key Points:
i.It is an integrated form of existing helpline numbers (except 182) particularly to avoid the inconvenience over
multiple helpline numbers and will be easy to connect with Railways for all their needs during travel.
ii.The helpline number will be available in 12 languages and it will be based on an interactive voice response
system and it can also be used for general complaints, accidents and safety issues.
iii.Indian Railways has also decided to run 16 winter special trains to different destinations under ECoR
jurisdiction from January 1 to April 1 during the winter season. The decision was taken after reviewing the long
waiting lists in regular trains.
About Indian Railways:
Founded– 16th April 1853
Minister of Railways– Piyush Goyal
Minister of state for Railways– Suresh Angadi
10k cameras to be used for 2020 Asiatic lion census in Gujarat

On January 1, 2020,The Wildlife Institute of India (WII),an autonomous institution under the Ministry of
Environment Forest and Climate change(MoFCC), is set to conduct the Asiatic Lion Census in May 2020 by
using around 8,000-10,000 cameras across 25,000 sqkm (Square kilometre) area spanning 7 districts
in Gujarat. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)’s technology will be used for the lion census.
Key Points:
i.15,000 sqkm area surveyed in the last census in 2015,when WII reported 523 lions in the state. The number is
said to increase as the population may have crossed the 1,000-mark.
ii.Plan: The whole census area is to be divided into 3-km grid. Around 1,000 to 2,000 officers are to be employed
to collect lion’s hair, nails, teeth, etc by using scientific methods laid out by NTCA. In the 2nd phase, 10,000
cameras are to be used to capture the lions.
Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica):
Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than African lions. At present Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat
is the only abode of the Asiatic lion.
The most striking morphological character, which is always seen in Asiatic lions, and rarely in African lions, is a
longitudinal fold of skin running along its belly.
It is listed as ‘Endangered’ under the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List.
Asiatic lions were once distributed to the state of West Bengal in east and Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, in central
India.
Asiatic Lion Conservation Project:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has approved the Asiatic Lion Conservation
Project for three financial years from 2018 to 2021 aimed at protecting and conserving the world’s last
independent population of the Asiatic Lion and its ecosystem.
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This project has “Species Conservation over a large landscape” approach, which focus on conservation and
management & actions that are taken across large areas, such as entire watersheds.
About Wildlife Institute of India (WII):
Founded- 1982
Headquarters– Dehradun, Uttarakhand
About Gujarat:
Capital– Gandhinagar
Chief Minister– Vijay Rupani
Governor– Acharya Devvrat
National Parks– Vansda National Park ,Blackbuck National Park,Gir Forest National Park ,Marine National Park.
Department of Heavy Industries sanctioned 2636 EV charging stations across the country
On January 3, 2020 the Department of Heavy Industries had sanctioned 2636 EV (Electric Vehicles) charging
stations in 62 cities across 24 State/UTs under FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric
Vehicles in India) scheme phase II to clean the mobility in Road Transport Sector. It aims to increase the electric
vehicle users and also encourage Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (OEM) to launch new electric models.
About EV charging stations:
i.At least one charging station will be in 4km X 4km grid in selected cities .
ii.A total of 317 EV charging stations have been allotted in Maharashtra which is highest among 24 states.
iii.Among 2636 Charging stations, 1633 will be fast charging stations and 1003 are slow charging stations.
iv.Under FAME India scheme, the Department of Heavy Industries invited the “Expressions of Interest (EoI)
“from various cities across the country and received 106 proposals for 7000 EV charging station. Out of which
2636 EV charging stations were selected with the help of Project Implementation and Sanctioning Committee
(PISC).
About FAME India II:
i.To promote the Electric vehicle in the country Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi implemented the Faster
Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles II scheme in India.
ii.With the effect from April 1, 2019 this scheme was implemented with the total outlay of Rs 10000 crore for a
period of three years.
Objective:
The main objective of the scheme is faster adaptation of Electric Vehicles which encourages manufacturers to
introduce new models and to build the charging stations across the country. It also helps in reducing
environmental pollution.
About Ministry of Heavy Industries:
Founded- April 2015
Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises– Prakash Javadekar
KVIC’s 1st Silk Processing Plant opens in Gujarat to boost Patola Saree production
On January 3, 2020 Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) opened its first Silk Processing Plant in
Surendranagar district of Gujarat to increase the production of Gujarat Patola Sarees. The Plant was set up at a
cost of Rs 75 lakh by Khadi institution where RS 60 lakh was contributed by KVIC. Patola Sarees are the
trademark of Gujarat.
Key Points:
i.The Plant helps in reducing the production cost of silk yarn this helps in increasing the availability of raw
materials for Gujarat Patola sarees.
ii.90 local women were employed in the plant.
iii.Patola sarees are costly because raw materials of silk yarn were purchased from Karnataka and West Bengal.
iv.According to KVIC, cocoons will be brought from Karnataka and West Bengal to the plant and silk yarn will be
processed, this helps in reducing the cost of Patola Sarees.
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About KVIC:
Chairman- V K Saxena
Headquarters- Mumbai
About Gujarat:
State Tree- Banyan
NEST division is formed by Ministry of External Affairs

On January 1, 2020 The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has set up a New, Emerging and Strategic
Technologies (NEST) division which helps to deal with new and emerging technologies. NEST helps to partner
with 5G and artificial intelligence areas of other countries.
About NEST:
i.Under NEST, central government allows data sharing of various network makers in which Huawei shares its
customer details with Chinese government under 5G trails.
ii.This division acts as the intermediate agency within the Ministry for issues pertaining to new and emerging
technologies.
iii.It Create’s HR capacity within MEA for technology diplomacy.
iv.NEST also negotiates “technology governance rules, standards and architecture” in multilateral frameworks.
v.India’s national security goal and developmental priorities will also be aligned with this policy.
About MEA:
External Affairs Minister of India- Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (Constituency- Gujarat)
House- Rajya Sabha
1st of-its kind turtle rehab centre comes up in Bihar

A 1st of its kind rehabilitation centre for freshwater turtles is to be inaugurated in January 2020 in
the Bhagalpur forest division of Bihar. This centre spread over half a hectare will be able to shelter 500 turtles
at a time. The centre will also treat turtles that are sick, severely injured or smuggled, and then be returned safely
into its natural habitat.
Key Points:
i.The turtles will be properly monitored before being released back.
ii.NMCG & WII report: According to a report by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and Wildlife
Institute of India (WII) , the turtle species are under threat due to loss through dams and barrages, pollution,
illegal poaching, accidental drowning through fishing nets and threats to their nesting habitats etc.
iii.Traffic India study: According to a recent study conducted by Traffic India, nearly 11,000 turtles are being
smuggled in India annually which makes 1,10,000 turtles in the past 10 years.
About Bihar:
Capital- Patna.
Chief Minister- Nitish Kumar.
Governor- Phagu Chauhan.
National parks- Valmiki National park.
Eight States finalized Agriculture Export Policy by the Government of India

On January 5, 2020, As per Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development
Authority (APEDA), eight states namely Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Assam,
Punjab, and Karnataka finalized an action plan for Agriculture Export Policy (AEP) to enhance exports.
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Key Points:
i.Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) ensures the
involvement for states in AEP.
ii.A MoU was signed with the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to include co-operatives
for active role in AEP. Over 800 farmers producer organizations were signed the agreement.
iii.The product clusters selected are Jalandhar, Punjab (Potato), Sangli, Maharashtra (Grapes), Salem, Tamil Nadu
(Poultry products), Theni, Tamil Nadu (Banana), Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh (Mango), Indore, Madhya Pradesh
(Onion), Jodhpur, Rajasthan (Isabgol) and Chikkaballapur, Karnataka (Rose Onion).
iv.Under the guidance of APEDA, states are operating a market intelligence cell.
v.APEDA launched the Farmer connect portal on its website to interact with exporters.
About Agriculture Export Policy:
i.Agriculture Export Policy was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2018.
ii.It aims to increase the potential of Indian agriculture to make India a global power in agriculture.
iii.This policy also helps the government in achieving the target of doubling the farmer’s income from 30 billion
USD to 60 billion USD by 2022.
Chandigarh railway station is fifth in the country and first in North India to inaugurate Navigation
facilities for visually impaired
On January 5, 2020 Navigation facilities for visually impaired was inaugurated in Chandigarh railway station in
Mohali, Punjab by Shri Gurinder Mohan Singh, Divisional Railway Manager- Ambala Division. It is fifth in the
country and first in North India to have this facility for visually impaired.
Key Points:
i.It was developed by Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) and Makemytrip
Foundation through NGO (Non-government organization) ‘Anuprayaas’.
ii.Braille Tactile Map, signages are also installed. This helps the visually impaired passengers to find their needs
in the Chandigarh railway station.
iii.Mysuru Railway Station in Karnataka was India’s first visually impaired-friendly railway station inaugurated
in Nov 2015.
About Punjab:
Capital- Chandigarh
State Animal- Blackbuck
State Bird- Northern goshawk
State Tree- Indian Rosewood
State Flower- Lilium
Uttar Pradesh became 1st state to shortlist migrants for citizenship

On January 05, 2020 Uttar Pradesh (UP) became the 1st state in India to conduct an exercise to shortlist
migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan for eligibility under the new Citizenship Amendment Act
(CAA) 2019. This exercise will also eventually identify the people living illegally in UP.
Key Points:
i.All the 75 district magistrates of UP have been asked to track down migrants from the above three countries
who have settled without citizenship for decades. Migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh were reported to be
found mainly in Lucknow, Hapur, Rampur, Shahjahanpur, Noida and Ghaziabad cities of UP.
ii.The state government will also update the Ministry of Home Affairs(MoHA) on illegal Muslim migrants in the
state and they could also be deported back to their countries.
About Uttar Pradesh (UP):
Chief minister- Yogi Adityanath. Governor- Anandiben Patel.
Capital- Lucknow.
National Parks(NP)- Dudhwa NP.
Wild Life Sanctuaries(WLS)- Bakhiara WLS, Hastinapur WLS, Katarniaghat WLS, Kishanpur WLS.
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Amit Shah to head group of ministers to examine the proposed National Tariff Policy
On January 05, 2020 the minister of Home Affairs (MoHA) Shri Amit Shah will head the Group of Ministers
(GOM) to discuss and examine the proposed National Tariff Policy 2016. Before being sent to Shri Amit Shah,
the draft policy was first sent for approval to the cabinet secretariat. The policy if implemented, will bring a
major reform in the stressed power sector but is opposing by the state govts and discoms (Distribution
Companies) due to clauses like penalties for load shedding.
Group of ministers(GOM) list:
• The inter-ministerial group will have 10 ministers comprising of 8 ministers in the cabinet rank and 2
ministers with independent charge.
• Some of the GoM include Defence minister Rajnath Singh; finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman; road
and transport minister Nitin Gadkari; coal and mines minister Pralhad Joshi; women and child
development minister Smriti Irani; agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Jal Shakti minister
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
• The 2 ministers with independent charge in the GoM include power and renewable energy minister
Raj Kumar Singh and shipping minister Mansukh L Mandaviya.
Draft policy proposals:
i.Penalty to discoms: In the proposed draft amendments to the National Tariff Policy 2016, the central govt has
included provisions to impose penalties by appropriate commission on the discoms for power cuts other than
force majeure conditions or technical faults.
ii.Providing Subsidy: The draft policy has also proposed to give any subsidy through Direct Benefit Transfer
(DBT), i.e., transferring the subsidy directly to the customers’ account.
iii.Industrial cross-subsidy limit: Cross subsidies on industries should not exceed 20%.
iv.State electricity regulators limit: State electricity regulators and Joint Electricity Regulatory Commissions
should not allow discoms to pass through transmission, Aggregate Technical and commercial (AT&C)
losses beyond 15% in consumer tariffs. Simplification of tariff categories and rationalisation of the retail
electricity tariffs have also been called for.
About Ministry of Home Affairs:
Founded- 15 August 1947.
Minister of State(MoS)- Gangapuram Kishan Reddy (Constituency- Secunderabad, Telangana).
HLC chaired by Amit shah sanctioned Rs 5908 crore to 7 states from National Disaster Response Fund
(NDRF)
On January 6, 2020,A High Level Committee (HLC) led by the Union Minister for Home Affairs Shri Amit Shah,
has released Rs. 5908.56 crore to 7 states including Assam, Himachal Pradesh (HP), Karnataka, Madhya
Pradesh(MP), Maharashtra, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh (UP) to help in the losses suffered by various disasters in
2019.
Key Points:
i.The amount was released to seven states under additional central assistance from the National Disaster
Response Fund (NDRF) in the high-level meeting held in New Delhi.
The funds have been allocated as per the following manner,
S.No State Name Assistance
Rs. 616.63
1 Assam
crore
Himachal Rs. 284.93
2
Pradesh crore
Rs. 1869.85
3 Karnataka
crore
Rs. 1749.73
4 Madhya Pradesh
crore
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Rs. 956.93
5 Maharashtra
crore
6 Tripura Rs. 63.32 crore
7 Uttar Pradesh Rs 367.17 crore
ii.Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, along with senior officials from
Ministries of Home Affairs, Finance, Agriculture and NITI (National Institution for Transforming India ) Aayog
were also present in the meeting.
iii.Earlier, the union government had released financial assistance of Rs 3200 crore to 4 states, including Rs 1200
crore to Karnataka, Rs 1,000 crore to Madhya Pradesh, Rs 600 crore to Maharashtra and Rs 400 crore to Bihar.
The government has released Rs 8068.33 crore to 27 states from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)
during the financial Year (FY) 2019-20.
About NDRF:
Formed– 2006
Motto– Saving Lives & Beyond
Minister responsible– Amit Shah
It is a specialized force formed for the sake of providing expert and dedicated response to a disaster or a
threatening disaster situation.
India to set its New World-Class Facility center in Karnataka’s Challakere to train astronauts
The new World- Class facility center for training astronauts will come up in India in the next three years at
Challakere in Chitradurga district of Karnataka.
Key Points:
i.The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has proposed Rs 2700 crore, to set its young House Space Flight
Centre (HSFC) in Bengaluru, Karnataka, which will be the single-top for all space related activities for space
travelers.
ii.By these facilities the cost of sending Indian astronauts to foreign countries for such facilities can be reduced.
iii.Four pilots of India will train at the “Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre” in Russia for Gaganyaan
mission 2022.
About ISRO:
Chairman- K Sivan
Headquarters- Bengaluru
About Karnataka:
Capital City- Bengaluru
Chief Minister- B. S. Yediyurappa
Governor- Vajubhai Vala
State Animal- Indian Elephant
State Bird- Indian Roller
State Tree- Indian Sandalwood
State Flower- Nymphaea nelumbo
BEE: New Energy Performance Standards for ACs set; default AC temp at 24°C from Jan 1, 2020
On January 06, 2020 the central govt. in consultation with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has notified new
energy performance standards for room Air Conditioner (AC) on 30th October 2019. Under the ambit of BEE
star-labelling program vide the notification, the default temperature setting for all ACs has been
made mandatory at 24°C with effect from January 1, 2020.
New Energy Performance Standards set:
i.ISEER new range: The Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) as per the new standards will also be
ranging from 3.30 – 5.00 for split ACs and 2.70 – 3.50 for window air conditioners. This will become effective
from January 1, 2021 onwards.
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ii.ISEER: It is the energy performance index used for RACs. The energy efficiency ratio assessment is based on
the bin hours defined in (International Standards Organization) ISO 16358.
iii.AC types notified for 24°C default temp setting: All brands and types of ACs like Multi-Stage Capacity ACs,
Unitary ACs, Split ACs from 1-5 star ratings based on relative energy efficiencies upto to a rated cooling capacity
of 10,465 Watts (9,000 kcal/hour) and also manufactured, commercially purchased or sold in India will have to
comply to the twenty-four degree Celsius default AC setting from January 2020 onwards.
iv.BEE’s star labelling program: In 2006, the BEE launched a voluntary star labelling program for fixed-speed
room air conditioners (RACs). The star labelling program covers both fixed and inverter RAC up to a cooling
capacity of 10,465 watts (2.97 Tonne of Refrigeration-TR).
• Regulations made: This voluntary program became mandatory in January 12, 2009.
• Later in 2015 voluntary star labelling program for inverter room air conditioners was launched which
was made mandatory from January 1, 2018.
v.Energy performance due to the program: This continuous enhancement in energy efficiency resulted in
improvement of about 43% in minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for Split ACs.
About Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE):
Fact- BEE develops policies and strategies with the main objective to reduce energy intensity of the Indian
economy
Founded- 1 March 2002.
Act- Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
Agency responsible- Ministry of Power.
Director General(DG)- Abhay Bakre.
Kolkata Police started 3rd edition of ‘Sukanya’ project

On January 06, 2020, the Kolkata police of West Bengal started the 3rd edition of the ‘Sukanya’ project in the
state. The project provides self- defence training to girls studying in school and colleges of Kolkata city. In the 3rd
batch of the project, 100 city based schools and colleges lying in the Kolkata police jurisdiction were given
training.
Key Points:
i.Girl students of VIII, IX, XI class and girls studying in the 1st year at educational institutions will be provided
with the self defence training.
ii.Sukanya project: It is an initiative by the Kolkata Police’s Community Policing Wing and is funded by Women
and Child Development(WCD) and Social Welfare Department(SWD) of the West Bengal government.
About West Bengal:
Capital- Kolkata(also the largest city)
Chief Minister- Mamata Banerjee.
Governor- Jagdeep Dhankhar.
National Parks (NP)- Sundarbans NP, Gorumara NP, Neora valley NP, Singalila NP.
Gujarat to set up Vikram Sarabhai Children Innovation Center soon

Gujarat will set its Vikram Sarabhai Children Innovation Center (VSCIC) soon. The objective of the center is to
identify, nurture and promote innovation of children up to 18 years in the state.The innovation centre will come
up in Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Extension Research and Innovation at Gujarat University.
Key Points:
i.The centre provides a platform for children to identify their potential with a joint partnership between the
Gujarat University and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
ii.The centre has been named after the noted Indian Physicist and astronomer Vikram Sarabhai who is known as
the ‘Father of the Indian Space Program’.
iii.Children’s Innovation Festival (CIF) organized by the Gujarat University Start-ups and Entrepreneurship
Council (GUSEC) in which the 30 teams were selected among 480 teams from 25 districts of Gujarat.
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About Gujarat:
State Tree- Banyan
About UNICEF:
Founded- December 11, 1946
Headquarters- New York, United States
Executive Director- Henrietta H. Fore
J&K registers highest Inpatient Department (IPD) care in the country

On January 7, 2020 Jammu and Kashmir (J&K),Union territory of India has registered the highest Inpatient
Department, IPD care in the country. The state-wise fact sheets was released by National Health Systems
Resource Centre (NHSRC),New Delhi. Overall, all women in J&K are availing Antennal Care Services (ANC).
Key Points:
i.The report says that about 96% of IPD care in rural areas of J&K is provided by Public Health Services(PHS)
which is highest against the country’s average of 85%.
ii.J&K had surpassed Kerala as the state with the highest life expectancy in India for all ages barring life
expectancy at birth in the year 2016.
About J &k:
Lieutenant Governor- Shri Girish Chandra Murumu.
National Park(NP)- Hemis NP, Dachigam NP, Kazinag NP, Kishtwar NP, Salim Ali NP.
2nd phase of Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0 begins in Uttar Pradesh
On January 7, 2020, The Union Government has launched 2nd phase of vaccination drive under Intensified
Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0 at block level in 35 districts of Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Key Points:
i.It aims to achieve 90 % vaccination coverage among children under 2 years of age & pregnant women against 8
vaccine preventable diseases(diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, measles,
meningitis and Hepatitis B).
ii.Under IMI2.0, the government will provide the immunization activity in 4 rounds over seven working days
excluding the Regular immunization days, Sundays and holidays between December 2019 & March 2020.
iii.It will primarily focus on those people left out from earlier immunisation drives including dropouts, resistant
families and under-served population, tribal areas and the urban areas.
About Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0:
It is the 2nd phase of the nationwide immunization drive to mark the 25 years of Pulse polio program. The
previous version (IMI 1.0) was launched by the centre in 2017. Prior to this, Mission Indradhanush launched in
the year 2014, which sought to achieve 90 % immunisation coverage in India by 2020.
The 1st round of IMI 2.0 was completed in December 2019 and the next/ 3rd round of the mission will be
launched in February 2020, where it will cover 425 blocks of 73 districts of Uttar Pradesh (UP) state and
4th round will be launched in March 2020.
Home ministry issues revised guidelines for mutual legal assistance treaties
On 8th January 2020, The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued revised guidelines to expedite the
delivery of mutual legal assistance and justice in criminal matters with other countries under the government’s
policy of zero tolerance for crime at all.
In this regard, India has signed Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with 42 countries in November 2019
for cooperation in criminal matters & the MHA is also designated ‘Central Authority of India’ for it.
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Key Points:
i.Revised norms: The guidelines, issued in December 2019,are steps to speed up the delivery of justice. The
revised guidelines will provide investigative agencies with step-by-step guidelines on drafting and moving
request letters, mutual legal aid requests or Letters Rogatory (LR) and summon requests, notices and other
judicial documents.
MHA had issued LR in 2007 and service of summons or judicial process on the persons residing abroad in 2009.
ii.Aim: By incorporating various legal and technological developments in recent years, its goal is to make
documentation more concise, focused and suited to international needs in this regard. Concerns raised by
various courts have also been taken into consideration for fast and timely receipt of documents of people living
abroad.
iii.Provision to the Authorities: The revised guidelines will provide investigative agencies for service of
documents on authorities of foreign nation within 10 days of receipt of request in respect of offences carried-out
against children &women.
iv.Training has also been provided to investigators, prosecutors and judicial officers in mutual legal assistance in
criminal matters by the ministry.
v.India is also the signatory of various international conventions like the United Nations Convention against
Corruption (UNCAC), and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC).
Mutual Legal Assistance:
It is a mechanism whereby countries cooperate with each another with the aim to provide and obtain formal
assistance in prevention, investigation and prosecution of crime to ensure that the criminals do not escape for
want of evidence available in various countries.
About Home ministry:
Formed– 15 August 1947
Indian Railways to installs IP based Video Surveillance System and AI based Face recognition systems in
stations
On January 8, 2020 Face recognition technology developed using Artificial Intelligence (IP) has been installed in
Bengaluru, Manmad and Bhusawal stations as test cases. The objective of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) is
to link the facial recognition system with existing databases and identify the criminals. Indian Railways is also in
the process of installing Internet Protocol (IP) based Video Surveillance System (VSS) at railway stations.
Key Points:
i.In the last budget Rs 250 crore was allocated to Indian Railways from Nirbhaya funds for installation of VSS
in 983 railway stations.
ii.RailTel, a miniratna PSU under Ministry of Railways are working for install Internet Protocol (IP)-based VSS
and facial recognition system in the railway stations.
iii.In the first phase of installation VSS is being installed at 200 stations and as on date work has been completed
at 81 stations across India.
iv.Under VSS, four types of full HD cameras namely Dome type, Bullet type, Pan Tilt zoom type and Ultra 4k-HD
cameras will be installed. Each HD camera at the station consumes approximately 1TB of data and 4k camera
consumes 4 TB data per month.
v.South Western Railway (SWR) has recently installed Video Surveillance system at 6 major stations namely
Ballari, Belagavi, Vasco-Da Gama , Bengaluru, Bangarpet and Hassan. Thus SWR completes the work at the end of
the year 2020 in 20 stations.
vi.Western Railways has installed in 10 stations namely Bhavnagar Terminus, Udhna, Valsad, Veraval, Nagda,
Navsari, Vapi, Viragam, Rajkot and Gandhidham,
Founded- April 16, 1853, Headquarters- New Delhi, Ministry of Railway- Piyush Goyal
Chairman of Railway Board- Vinod Kumar Yadav
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1023 Fast Track Courts under safety of women mission to be set up in 24 states
On January 09,2020 24 states and union territories (UTs) have joined together to set up a total of 1,023 ‘fast-
track special courts’ (FTSCs) to dispose of over 1.60 lakh cases of rape of children below the age of 12 years and
women pending in various courts across the country. This has been done to bring out fast and time bound
completion of trial of these cases for which Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 was enacted.
The FTSC will be set up as part of National Mission for Safety of Women (NMSW).
1023 Fast Track Courts formation background:
i.Proposal to WCD: Law and Justice Ministry had sent a proposal regarding setting up FTSC to WCD (Women
and child development) Ministry. The Empowered Committee of officers for the Nirbhaya Fund headed by WCD
secretary Rakesh Srivastava approved the proposal.
• Project cost:Total financial implication of the project is over Rs. 767.25 crore.
• The central support of Rs 474 crore for one year will be funded under the Nirbhaya Fund.
ii.Scheme circulation: The scheme was also circulated to all concerned State Governments/ UTs
administrations in September, 2019. The Union Minister of Law and Justice (MoLJ) shri Ravi Shankar Prasad
wrote and appealed to all the Chief Ministers of States to open FTSCs for implementing the scheme.
iii.Cases registered: As on 31st March 2018, 1,66,882 cases were registered in High Courts (HC) for trial and
disposal of cases related to rape and POCSO (The Protection of Children from Sexual Offence) act 2012.
iv.Courts for POCSO cases: Out of the 1023 FTSCs, 289 courts were proposed in 2019 to be set up exclusively
for POCSO Act related cases in Districts having more than 100 such cases.
v.States and UTs joined: Out of 31 states and UTs, the 24 regions that joined the scheme include Andhra
Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Delhi, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, UT
of Chandigarh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
• Total courts: They together will set up 792 numbers of FTSCs that will also include 354 exclusive
POCSO courts.
• Places yet to join: Mizoram, Sikkim, Meghalaya, UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and
Puducherry are yet to join
vi.Operational courts: 216 POCSO courts have already been operationalized in 12 States under the scheme.
vii.cases to be heard in a year: Each FTSC is expected to dispose of 41-42 cases in each quarter and at least 165
cases in a year.
viii.POCSO act: The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 was enacted to provide a
legal framework for the protection of children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and
pornography, while safeguarding the interest of the child at every stage of the judicial process.
About Ministry of Law and Justice:
Founded- 1833.
Union minister- Ravi Shankar Prasad.
4 Indian airports received international recognition for reducing emissions as per ACI
On January 10, 2020 the Airports Authority of India(AAI) has announced that 4 Indian airports have received
international recognition for reducing the carbon emission level as per the standards set by Airports Council
International (ACI) for the grading. The 4 airports are as follows:
Si.No Airport City and State
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International
1 Kolkata, West Bengal
Airport
2 Biju Patnaik International Airport Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Varanasi, Uttar
3 Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport
Pradesh
4 Trivandrum International Airport Trivandrum, Kerala.
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International recognition under ACI:

i.The above 4 airports have managed a transition from level 1 to level 2 and the grading system of ACI was
adopted by these 4 airports in 2018.
ii.ACA program: The reduction in emissions was achieved by constituting Carbon Management Plan(CMP) and
reducing carbon emissions at airports as per the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) Program.
iii.As per data on CO2(carbon dioxide emissions) in 2015,16,17 and 18, these 4 airports witnessed reduction in
the emission levels.
iv.Grading system: ACI’s grading system is based on 4 categories. They are mapping, reduction, optimization
and neutrality.
v.Carbon mapping: It occurs when airport sets policy to reduce emissions and develop Carbon Footprint for the
airport’s scope-1 and scope-2 emission.
vi.Carbon reduction: it occurs when the airport shows the reduction in carbon emissions as compared to the
base year it has set.
About Airports Authority of India(AAI):
Founded- 1 April 1995.
Chairman- Arvindh Singh.
Director General(DG) of Civil Aviation- Arun Kumar.
1st Solar section in South Central Railways comes up in Nandyal-Yerraguntla section in Guntakal division
of Andhra
On January 9, 2020 the Nandyal-Yerraguntla section in Guntakal Division of Andhra Pradesh has been
declared as the first solar section in South Central Railway. In 2016 August Indian Railways opened Nandyal-
Yerraguntla section in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh.
Key Points:
i.All the 8 stations in the Nandyal-Yerraguntla section namely Madduru, Banaganapalle, Koilakuntla, Sanjamala,
Nossam, S.Uppalapadu, Jammalamadugu and Proddutur has been provided with solar panels which are capable
of meeting all the power needs in these railway stations.
ii.Total of 152 Solar panels were installed in these stations. The stations are equipped with 37 kWp (Kilowatt
Power) off Grid Rooftop Solar plants along with 250/125 Wp (Watt power) solar panels along with inverters and
12V 150 AH battery banks were installed. The total connected load on Solar Plants is on average 30 KWp.
iii.148 KWh (Kilowatt hour) energy units can be generated with an average of 8 sunny hours a day which results
in energy generation of 54,020 units throughout the year.
iv.Anticipated savings in terms of revenue is around Rs 5 lakh per annum and it also helps in reducing carbon
footprint to the tune of 49 metric tonnes per annum.
v.16 stations have already been declared Green Railway stations across Indian Railways, which are meeting
energy needs completely either through solar or wind power.
vi.By 2021-22 ,Indian Railways has planned to source about 1000 MegaWatt (MW) Solar Power and about 200
MW of wind power across Zonal Railways & Production Units. Out of which 500 MegaWatt (MW) solar plants are
to be installed on the rooftop of Railway buildings.
Founded- April 16, 1853
Ministry of Railway- Piyush Goyal
Chenab bridge: World’s highest rail bridge by Indian Railways to connect Kashmir to rest of India by
2021
On January 9,2020 Government of India set a new deadline for the completion of the world’s highest railway
bridge- Chenab bridge. Kashmir will be connected to the rest of India by Indian railways by December 2021.
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Konkan railway is the implementing agency of this project.

The Chenab bridge will be 35m taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris,France.
Key Points:
i.Once completed, it will surpass the record of the Beipan river Shuibai railway bridge (275 m) in China.
ii.The massive arch-shaped structure being constructed in hostile-terrain, have used over 5462 tonnes of steel
will be 359 meters above the chenab river bed.
iii.It is designed to withstand the wind’s speeds of up to 260km per hour.
iv.The 1.315-km-long ‘engineering marvel’ will connect Bakkal (katra) and Kauri (Srinagar).
v.The bridge forms a crucial link in the 111-km stretch between Katra and Banihal, which is part of
the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project.
vi.The project was declared as a national project in 2002.
About Chenab River:
i.The Chenab river is formed by the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers at Tandi in the upper himalayas
in Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, Republic of India.
ii.In its upper reaches it is also known as Chandrabhaga.
iii.It is the tributary of the Indus river.
iv.The total length of Chenab river is about 960 km.
Konkan Railway:
Chairman and Managing Director- Shri. Sanjay Gupta.
Headquarters- (C.B.D) Central Business District Belapur, Navi Mumbai.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah dedicates National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to the Nation
On January 10, 2020 National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal was dedicated to the Nation by Union Home
Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. He also inaugurated Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) during
the event.
About National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal:
i.National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal www.cybercrime.gov.in portal was launched on August 30,2019 which
helps the citizens of the Nation to report cyber crimes through online.
ii.All the cyber crime related complaints reported in this portal will be accessed by the concerned law
enforcement agencies in the States and Union Territories and the actions are taken as per law.
iii.More than 700 police districts and more than 3,900 police stations have been connected with this Portal.
About Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) :
i.The state-of-the-art Centre is located in New Delhi.
ii.The scheme to setup I4C was approved in October 2018 at an estimated cost of Rs. 415.86 crore to deal with all
types of Cyber crimes.
iii.National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit, National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, National Cyber Crime
Training Centre, Cyber Crime Ecosystem Management Unit, National Cyber Crime Research and Innovation
Centre, National Cyber Crime Forensic Laboratory Ecosystem and Platform for Joint Cyber Crime Investigation
Team are the seven components of I4C.
iv.15 States and UTs have given their consent to set up Regional Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’s at respective
States/UTs.
Industrial production grows 1.8% in November 2019: NSO’s IIP data

On January 10, 2020, According to the Index of industrial production (IIP) data released by the National
Statistical Office (NSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Growth in
manufacturing sector has resulted in 128.4 in November 2019, which is 1.8 % higher as compared to the level
126.1 in the month of November 2018 .The result turning positive after 3 consecutive months (August to October
2019) of decline.
Key Points:
i.Only 0.2 % increase was registered in November a year earlier i.e 2018.
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ii.Sector wise growth:

• Manufacturing sector : As per the data, the manufacturing sector (13 of the 23 industry groups in the
manufacturing category ) grew by 2.7 % in November 2019, compared to a decline of 0.7 % in the
same month in 2018.
Here the manufacturing category except for furniture, the industry which made wood and cork products and
straw etc made the most growth of 23.2 % followed by basic materials, which has increased by 12.9 %.
However, the other manufacturing category declined the most by 13.5 %, followed by Automotive, trailer and
semi-trailer manufacturing, which has declined by 12.6%.
• Electricity generation: While there was a 5.1 % increase in power generation in November 2018, it
declined by 5 % in November 2019.
• Mining sector : Mining sector production was down 1.7 % as compared to a decline of 2.7 % in the
reporting period.
iii.Overall growth of April -November 2019:The cumulative growth of IIP for the period April -November
2019 has increased by 0.6 % overall, while in 2018-19, a growth of 5% was recorded during this period.
iv.Use-based classification:
According to the data, capital goods production declined by 8.6 % in November 2019 from 4.1 % in November
2018.
The infrastructure and construction materials category fell by 3.5 %.
However, Consumer non-durable goods grew by 2 % in November 2019. Whereas, the Consumer durables has
recorded declined growth of 1.5 % .
v.The data of the industry sector gaining some momentum & is a relief for the market and policy makers.
vi.Earlier the NSO estimated the growth in real GDP(Gross Domestic Product) for 2019-20 at 5% compared to
6.8% for 2018-19.
About IIP:
It is an abstract number represents the status of production in the industrial sector for a given period of time as
compared to a reference period of time. The current base year is 2011-2012.
About Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI):
Founded– 15 October 1999.
Headquarters– New Delhi.
Minister of State(MoS- independent Charge)- Rao Inderjit Singh.
Secretary– Shri Pravin Srivastava
It came into existence after the merger of the Department of Statistics and the Department of Programme
Implementation.
Petroleum minister Pradhan launched PURVODAYA mission in steel sector in Kolkata, West Bengal
On January 11, 2020 the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel (MoPNG&S) Shri Dharmendra Pradhan
launched PURVODAYA with the aim of driving accelerated development of eastern India through integrated
steel hub in Kolkata, West Bengal.
PURVODAYA:
i.Proposed Integrated Steel Hub:
The proposed steel hub encompasses of Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Northern Andhra
Pradesh. The objective of this hub is to enable swift capacity addition and improve overall competitiveness of
steel producers in terms of cost as well as quality.
ii.Steel hub focus: The Integrated Steel Hub will focus on 3 key elements. They are
• Capacity addition through greenfield steel plants.
• Steel cluster development near integrated steel plants & demand centres.
• Logistics & utilities infrastructure transformation for change in socio-economic landscape in the East.
Key Speeches & highlights:
i.India has come up with Rs. 102 lakh crore worth National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP).
ii.Half of India’s aspirational districts are from West Bengal region.
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iii.Regions with rich mineral components: Eastern states of India (Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West
Bengal) and Northern part of Andhra Pradesh collectively hold 80% of India’s iron ore, 100% of coking coal and
significant portion of chromite, bauxite and other dolomite reserves.
iv.Ports:Major ports such as Paradip(Odisha), Haldia(West Bengal), Vizag(Andhra Pradesh), Kolkata(West
bengal) constitute more than 30% of India’s major port capacity.
v.Eastern belt: The eastern belt has the potential to add more than 75% of the country’s incremental steel
capacity envisioned by the National Steel Policy (NSP). this region alone is expected to produce 200Mt (Million
Tons) out of 300Mt of steel by 2030-31 driven by Industry 4.0(trend towards automation).
vi.Members present: During the event, Smt. Rasika Chaube, Additional Secretary of Ministry of Steel(MoS); West
Bengal govt industries secretary Ms. Vandana Yadav; Odisha govt industries secretary Shri Hemanth Sharma;
Shri Sanjiv Singh, Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd(IOCL); Shri Anil Kumar Jha, Chairman of Coal India
Ltd(CIL); Shri Anil Chaudhary, Chairman of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL); Shri Chandrajit Banerjee, Director
General(DG) of Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) and other officials were present.
About Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel:
Minister of State(MoS) for steel- Faggansingh Kulaste.
Secretary- Dr M M Kutty for Petroleum and Natural Gas ministry.
Govt promulgated ordinance for amendment in laws to ease coal mine auctions
The central govt has promulgated ordinance for amendment in the Mines and Minerals (Development and
Regulation) Act 1957 (MMDR act 1957) and The Coal Mines (special provisions) act, 2015 (CMSP act 2015) in
order to ease new areas of growth in the coal & mining sector. The amendments in detail are as follows:
Amendment in the MMDR act 1957 and CMSP act 2015:
• Enhance ease of doing business & Democratization of coal mining sector.
• Unexplored and partially explored coal blocks mining through prospecting license-cum-mining Lease
(PL- cum-ML) will be offered.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) promotion in the coal mining sector.
• Attracting large investment in coal mining sector.
• Allowing of successful bidder/allottee to utilise mined coal in any of the plant of its subsidiary or
holding company Attracting large investment in coal mining sector as restrictions of end use has been
dropped.
Amendments made:
i.Providing allocation of coal blocks for PL-cum-ML: The sections involved in this coal blocks were Section
4(2), 5(1), 8(4), 8(8), 8(9) and 31(2)(b) of the CMSP Act and Section 11A and 13(2) of the MMDR Act.
ii.Power to centre to specify purpose of allocation: Previously there was lack of clarity in the power of central
govt and on participation of company. This amendment clarifies that any company selected through auction/
allotment can carry on coal mining operation.
• 100% FDI implementation will be allowed through automatic route for sale of coal.
• The Sections involved are 11A of the MMDR Act and Section 4(2) and 5(1) of the CMSP Act.
iii.Flexibility in deciding the end use of Schedule II and III coal mines: The end use of Schedule II and
III coal mines under the CMSP Act has been provided with flexibility through omission of sub-section (3) of
Section 4 of CMSP Act. this would allow wider participation in auction of Schedule II and III coal mines.
iv.Terminating allocations under CMSP act, reallocation & compensation: The CMSP act was silent on
reallocation of coal upon terminations of an allocated mine. With the amendment of Section 8 (insertion of sub
section (13), (14) and (15) in CMSP Act it is now possible to allocate of the coal mine to the next successful
bidder or allottee.
v.Custodian appointment: Appointment of designated custodian for management of the mines will be possible
by amending the Section 18 of the CMSP Act.
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vi.New Section in mines created: A new section 4B (after section 4A) has been inserted to enable the Central
Govt. to prescribe conditions for ensuring sustained production by the holder of mining leases, who have
acquired clearances etc.
• The Central govt has the power to prescribe the conditions for the new lessees to commence
production without prejudice to the time period of 2 years for starting the production prescribed in
Section 4A.
vii.Central Government to frame rules: Making rules to implement the provision of the amended Act has been
removed with the insertion of new clauses in sub-section 2 of section 13. This will enable the govt the power to
frame subordinate legislation to implement the intent of the Ordinance.
viii.Future targets: The govt has targeted to produce one billion tonnes of coal by 2023-24. It also aims to
produce 660 million tonnes of coal by 2019-20.
ix.Current imports: India has imported 235 million tonnes coal worth Rs 1.75 lakh crore in 2019. Out of this
quantity, 100 million tonnes was non-substitutable coking coal.Click here to know more
About Ministry of coal and Mines:
Union minister- Shri Pralhad Joshi.
11-member panel headed by K. Rajeswara Rao to chair royalty rate issues on minerals
On January 13, 2020 the centre has decided to set up an 11-member panel that will look into the issues related
to revision of royalty rates for minerals (other than coal, lignite, sand for stowing and minor minerals). The
panel will be headed by additional secretary of the mines ministry Dr. K. Rajeswara Rao. Mines secretaries from
states of Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha will be the members of the
panel.
Key Points:
i.Report submission: The members will have to submit the report within 1 month to the Mines ministry after
examining the issues raised by stakeholders.
ii.Previously in February 2018, the mines ministry had set up a study group to revise royalty rates and dent rent
for minerals. The group submitted its report in July 2019.
About Ministry of Mines:
Union minister- Prahlad Joshi. (Constituency- Dharwad, Karnataka).
HM Amit Shah signs historic Bru-Reang refugee agreement in New Delhi; around 34,000 refugees to be
settled in Tripura
On January, 16 ,2020, Union Minister for Home Affairs (HM), Shri Amit Shah has presided over the signing of a
quadripartite agreement between the central government and state Governments of Tripura ,Mizoram and
representatives of the Bru tribe in New Delhi to end 23-year old Bru-Reang refugee crisis.
Key Points:
i.As per the new agreement, about 34,000 Bru refugees will be inhabited in Tripura and assisted by central
government with its allocated budget of Rs 600 crores to help in their resettlement.
ii.Each family of the Bru community will be allotted individual land blocks & the individual terrain will be 2,500
sq ft. In addition, each family will be provided a one-time assistance of Rs. 4 lakh as fixed deposit (FD), Rs 1.5 lakh
to build houses,financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per month for livelihood and free ration for the next 2 years.
iii.Mizoram Chief Minister (CM), Shri Zoramthanga, CM of Tripura, Shri Biplab Kumar Deb, Chairman, NEDA, Shri
Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chairman, TIPRA, Shri Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, representatives of Bru tribes & other
senior officers were also present during the signing ceremony.
About Bru-Reang Tribes:
• Reangs / Brus are the 2nd largest ethnic group in Mizoram state.
• The Bru community in Mizoram is considered a group of Scheduled Tribes (ST) and a separate caste
group in Tripura.
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• The people of this community speak the Katuic language.

Bru-Reang refugee crisis:
The residential area of the Bru community extends to Mizoram, Tripura in India and some areas of the
Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh.
In 1995, tension arose between the Bru community and the people of the Mizo community over their
participation in the Mizoram state elections. People in the Mizo community stated that the people of the Bru
community are not residents of the state. The 1996 communal riots between the Bru and people of the majority
Mizo community led to their exodus.
In 1997, following ethnic tension, around 5,000 families of 30,000 Bru-Reang tribes were fled from Mizoram and
took shelter in Tripura. These refugees were living in temporary shelters at Kanchanpur, in North Tripura.
About Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA):
Founded– 15 August 1947.
Minister of State(MoS)- G.Kishan Reddy and Nityanand Rai.
About Tripura:
Capital– Agartala
Governor– Ramesh Bais
Folk dance– Hojagiri
National Parks- Clouded Leopard National Park ,Rajbari National Park.
About Mizoram:
Capital- Aizawl
Governor- P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
Folk dances– Cheraw Dance, Khuallam, Chailam, Sawlakin, Chawnglaizawn, Zangtalam
National Parks- Murlen National Park, Phawngpui National Park
Arunachal pradesh becomes the 1st state in India to initiate IUCN’s red-listing of orchids
On January 17, 2020, Arunachal Pradesh (AR) has became the 1st State in India to initiate the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s ‘red listing’ of orchids at the state level after it has inked a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in
Itanagar, AR.
Features of the agreement:
i.According to the MoU, the state government of Arunachal Pradesh will cooperate with IUCN and conduct a red-
list evaluation of orchids in the state.
Within 12 months, this project will spread across the state & various workshops on Red List Evaluation will be
conducted by IUCN experts.
ii.The MoU was signed between the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Head of Forest Forces
(HoFF), Manmohan Singh Negi and Country Representative, IUCN India, Dr Vivek Saxena.
About IUCN:
Formation– on 5 October 1948
Headquarters– Gland, Switzerland
Director General- Grethel Aguilar
It aims to conserve nature and work for sustainable use of natural resources. It collects data and conducts
research, analysis, field projects, advocacy and education.
IUCN Red List: IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species is an important indicator of the health of the world’s
biodiversity. This list is serving as a powerful tool to inform and catalyze action for biodiversity conservation and
policy change. The IUCN has estimated that these are complications for protecting natural resources.
Capital– Itanagar, Chief minister– Pema Khandu
Governor– B. D. Mishra.
Bird– Hornbill
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Centre accepts SIT recommendations in 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases headed by Justice SN Dhingra
On January 15,2020 The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing of the 1984 anti-sikh riots cases was headed
by retired Delhi High Court judge Justice SN Dhingra. The Government has accepted the guidance of the special
investigation team that had investigated 186 cases of the 1984 anti-sikh riots and appropriate actions will be
taken under law.
Key Points:
i.Solicitor General Tushor Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Centre comprising of Chief Justice SA Bobde and
Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant accepted the SIT recommendations and take appropriate action.
ii.The SIT report reveals the involvement of police officials in the anti-sikh riots and to take necessary action
among them.
iii.Senior Advocate RS Suri ,appearing on-behalf of petitioner mentioned that police officials can’t go scot-free for
the things which had happened.
iv.The bench directed that the records to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
v.The SIT also comprising retired IPS officer Rajdeep Singh and serving IPS officer Abhishek Dular,was set up by
the apex court on January 11,2018 to supervise the investigation of 186 cases.
1984 anti-sikh riots:
The 1984 anti-sikh riots was series of organized violence in India against Sikhs in India in response to the
assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her sikh bodyguards.
The violence had claimed 2,733 lives in Delhi alone.
Commemorative stamp of former footballer Padma Shri Chuni Goswami released by Indian Postal
Department
On January 15, 2020, the Indian Postal Department has released a commemorative stamp of legendary
Indian footballer Chuni Goswami on his 82nd birthday at his residence in Kolkata, West Bengal. Chuni Goswami
led the Indian team to win a gold medal in the 1962 Asian Games held in bangkok, Thailand. He is only the 3rd
Indian footballer on whose name a commemorative postal stamp has been released.
Key points:
i.Previous Stamp for Indian footballers: Prior to Goswami the commemorative stamp was released honouring
Indian footballers Gostho Paul in 1998 and late Dr. Talimeren Ao in 2018.
ii.Chuni Goswami: He has played over 40 matches for the country from 1956 until 1964. He was honoured
with Arjuna Award in 1963 and also Padma Shri award in 1983.
iii.He was a member of the Indian team when India finishes as a runner in the 1964 Asian Football Confederation
(AFC) Asian Cup that was won by Israel.
1st Session of India-Norway Dialogue on Trade & Investment Held in New Delhi
The 1st ever session of the India-Norway dialogue on Trade & Investment (DTI) was held from January 15-16
in New Delhi. The session was conducted based on the Terms of Reference (ToR) which was signed by India and
Norway on 8th January 2019 in New Delhi at time of Norway Prime Minister Erna Solberg’s visit to India.
Key Points:
i.The 1st Session on January 15, 2020, was preceded by an industry interaction with representatives of various
organizations/sectors like Information and Communications Technology(ICT), renewable energy, fisheries and
the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME).
ii.The main session on 16th January 2020 was co-chaired by Joint Secretary of Department of Commerce(DoC),
Nidhi Mani Tripathi, and Director General (DG) of Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries, Mr. Erling Rimestad
from Norway.
iii.FDI inflow: The Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) inflows to India from Norway were around $257million
during April 2000-September 2019.
About Norway:
Capital- Oslo (also the largest city), Currency- Norwegian krone.
Prime Minister- Erna Solberg.
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Bahadurpur and Kheri Viran to become India’s first model sports villages
On January 16, 2020 Two villages namely Bahadurpur and Kheri Viran of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has set to become
India’s first ‘Model Sports villages’ as a part of Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad,
UP ‘Adarsh Khel Gram’ program in association with NGO(Non Governmental Organization)‘ Sports: A Way of
Life’ to evolve sports culture and increase sports literacy in the country.
Key Points:
i.Under this program all the verandahs, courtyards will be developed as primary sports ground management and
IMT will provide Olympic related sports equipment.
ii.One hour everyday from 4-5:00 pm will be the designated time to play sports.
iii.Mr.Kanishka Pandey, IMT Sports Research Head,informed that various development sports committee will be
carried out in distributing free booklets, sports magazines and books that will provide the villagers with the basic
knowledge.
iv.The main objective is to teach about Olympic games in these villages and various Arjuna Awardees would meet
these kids to motivate them to participate in the games.
About UttarPradesh:
Capital- Lucknow
Chief Minister(CM)- Yogi Adityanth
Governor- Anandiben Patel
Govt allocates Rs 2379 crore for completing Z Morh tunnel in J&K

On January 17, 2020, a concession agreement was signed in New Delhi for completing the Z-Morh tunnel in the
Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K). Under the agreement, Rs.2379 crore has been allocated to
complete the construction of the tunnel within 3.5 years.
Pact signing: The agreement between
National Highways & Infrastructure
Development Corporation Limited
(NHIDCL) and APCO Amarnathji
Tunnelway Pvt Ltd was signed in
presence of Road Transport and Highways
Minister Nitin Gadkari, Minister of
State(MoS) for Road Transport and
Highways Gen (Retd) Vijay Kumar Singh
and Secretary of Road Transport &
Highways Shri Sanjiv Ranjan.
Z Morh tunnel construction project:
i.Tunnel length: The length of the two-lane bi-directional Z Morh tunnel with parallel escape tunnel is 6.5
kilometers. It will remain closed during winter due to heavy snowfall in Gagenger area of J&K.
ii.Connectivity: It will provide connectivity to Sonmarg tourist spots in Jammu and Kashmir.
iii.Project: The project also includes construction, operation & maintenance of Z-Morh and also approaches NH-
1(National Highways 1) at Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road from 61 kilometres to 89.30 kilometres on the bases
of design, build, finance, operate and transfer Annuity.
iv.Z Morh tunnel: The tunnel gets its name for its Z shaped formation between Sonamarg and Gagangir of J&K.
• 1000 vehicles an hour can travel through the tunnel with approved speed of 80kilometer per
hour(kmph).
• Z Morh is located at an elevation of 2,637 metres (8,652 ft) above the sea level.
36 Union ministers visited Kashmir to spread awareness on Article 370 abrogation:
Following the initiative of Union Minister of Home Affairs(MoHA) Shri Amit Shah, a group of 36 union ministers
have set visit to different districts of J&K to spread awareness on the abrogation of article 370. The ministers will
engage in dialogues with the people from January 18-24, 2020. In the midst of the visit, Russia has also
reaffirmed its stand on Kashmir.
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• There will be 51 visits to Jammu and 8 to Srinagar.

• Article 370 abrogation: Article 370 that acknowledges the special status of the then state of Jammu
and Kashmir in terms of autonomy and its ability to formulate laws for the state’s permanent
residents was abrogated on August 2019 thus removing the special status.
About Jammu & Kashmir:
Formation- 31 October 2019 as Union Territory.
Capital- Srinagar (summer), Jammu (winter).
Lieutenant Governor- Girish Chandra Murmu.
Law minister inaugurated NIC’s Centre of Excellence in Blockchain Technology in Bengaluru, Karnataka
On January 17, 2020 the Union Minister of Law and Justice (MoL&J) Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated
the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Blockchain Technology set up by the National Informatics Centre(NIC)
in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The CoE has been set up with the aim of providing blockchain as a service and help all
stakeholders to benefit from shared learning, experiences and resources.
NIC’s Centre of Excellence in Blockchain Technology:
i.CoE function: The CoE which has developed Blockchain based Proof of Concepts (PoCs), will facilitate govt
buildings to use the blockchain technology for deployment of large scale applications. With the support of NIC,
the CoE will also provide Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) for hosting the Blockchain network efficiently.
• The applications of blockchain in the govt. are expected to increase transparency, traceability and
trust in e-governance systems.
• Prior to the launching of CoE for Blockchain technology, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), in
association with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), launched the Internet of
Things(IoT) OpenLab, a CoE at Bengaluru on December 2019.
ii.CoE operations: The CoE is expected to begin its operations by March 2020.
iii.Plans for another CoE: Apart from CoE in Bengaluru, the govt is also planning to launch another CoE for
blockchain technology in Gurugram, Haryana also.
iv.NIC: It acts as technology advisor and Information and Communications Technology(ICT) solution provider to
govt.
v.Works of NIC so far: NIC took the 1st step in introducing various initiatives. These include the introduction of
ICT in Government, establishment of NIC-NET( satellite-based nation-wide computer-communication network)
or National Knowledge Network (NKN), development of critical e-Governance solutions etc.
• Around 16,000 courts in India have been transformed as e-courts and technologies related to Direct
Benefit Transfer(DBT) and e-scholarships have been developed by NIC.
vi.Blockchain technology: Blockchain means growing list of records called blocks which will be linked with
cryptography. It will be helpful in sectors such as health, finance, agriculture etc.
About Union Ministry of Law and Justice (MoL&J):
Founded- 1833
Union Minister- Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad (Constituency- Patna Sahib, Bihar)
About NIC: Founded-1976; Headquarter-New Delhi; Works under Ministry of Electronics & Information
Technology.
For the 1st time, Govt to collect data including families headed by transgenders for census 2021
On January 15, 2020, According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the central government, for
the 1st time, will collect data on households headed by a transgender and members living in the family for
census 2021. Previously, the choice of the head of the household was gender – male or female.”Main Cereal”
eaten will be asked for the first time in the census.
Key Points:
i.The census officer, while making a list of houses to be held from April 1 – September 30, 2020 will ask for
specific information based on 31 questions from each household during the census 2021.
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ii.Now three options will be given under the head “sex of the head of the household”- male, female and
transgender.
iii.In addition, the government gather data on ‘ownership status of the census house’ – whether it is owned /
rented.
iv.The census reference date will be March 1, 2021 but due to snowfall it will be October 1, 2020, in Jammu and
Kashmir (J&K), Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
New initiative in Census 2021:
The census 2021 will be done through a mobile phone application, deviating from the traditional pen and paper.
Usage of census monitoring & management portal as a single source for all officers involved in Census activities
to provide multi-language support.
Background: The census has been conducted in India since 1872 without outbreak. It is conducted every 10
years. 2021 is not only the 16th census but also 8th after independence. The Census Act, 1948 and the Census
Rules, 1990 provide the legal framework in conducting the Census.
About Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA):
Union minister– Shri Amit Shah.
Minister of State(MoS)- G.Kishan Reddy and Nityanand Rai.
Centre to cut wasteful expenditure on travel and food by 20 % to control fiscal deficit
On January 12, 2020, In a major step to avoid fiscal downfall, the central Government has decided to
reduce wasteful expenditure on items such as travel, food and conferences by 20%.
The decision was taken in a meeting of the newly- formed Cabinet Committee on Investment and Growth
(CCIG) chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi with the members Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin
Gadkari, and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal.
Key Points:
i.All the ministers have been instructed to cut their unruly journeys, meals and conferences by up to20%. CCIG
has also asked the Department of Expenditure of the Ministry of Finance to take necessary action in this
regard.This can also be attributed to the decrease in revenue in the financial year.
ii.This is not the first time the government has adopted to such measures to cut spending. In October 2014, the
Department of Expenditure directed to cut non-essential expenses by up to 10%
iii.The move aims to avoid fiscal slippage by comprising non-development expenditure and controlling fiscal
deficit within the level of budgeted target of 3.3% for financial year -FY 2019-20.
iv.The government has reduced the spending limit from 33 % to 25 % in this quarter (January-March,2020),
along with the expenditure of ministries.
It is noteworthy that the GDP growth rate is expected to be at a record 11-year low of 5% in the current financial
year 2019-20 and with which it has become more challenging to keep the fiscal situation stable before the
government.
v.The new CCIG (Constituted in June 2019) held its 1st meet in December 2019, also took a number of decision
including review of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy & identification of infrastructure projects for Rs
100 lakh crore investment programme.
APEDA sets up 186 Agri Products testing laboratories across the country
On January 20, 2020, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has set
up an additional 135 Agri products testing laboratories under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI).
Now APEDA recognized Agri products testing laboratories has reached 186 across the Country.
Key Points:
i.The number of Agri product testing laboratories has increased in states like Maharashtra (35), Gujarat (23),
Andhra Pradesh & Telangana (10), Tamil Nadu (23) and Karnataka (17).
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ii.APEDA has decided to add National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)
accredited laboratories in the network of APEDA recognition which will enable the exporters to have easy access
to the laboratories for testing of APEDA scheduled products for exports.
About Ministry of Commerce and Industry:
Headquarter- New Delhi
Minister- Piyush Goyal
About NABL:
Founded- 1988
Headquarters- Gurugram, Haryana
Chairman- Shri Krishna Joshi
About APEDA:
Founded- 1986
Chairman- Padan Kumar Borthakur
Andhra Pradesh Cabinet clears the Proposal for three capitals: Visakhapatnam, Amaravati, Kurnool
On January 20, 2020 Andhra Pradesh (AP) Government has passed Andhra Pradesh Decentralization and
Inclusive development of All Regions Bill-2020 for the tri-capital system. The bill proposes to
make Visakhapatnam as the executive capital, Amaravati as the legislative capital and Kurnool as the judicial
capital of Andhra Pradesh. The aim behind this bill is decentralised administration that will result in
socioeconomic progress at equal levels. Now the bill is presented before the legislative council.
Key Points:
i.The bill also provides for dividing AP into various zones and for establishing zonal planning and development
boards.
ii.As part of the bill village and municipal ward secretariats system which has brought in October 2019 has got
the statutory backing.
iii.The state cabinet also decided to increase the ex-gratia paid to the farmers of Amaravati from Rs.2,500 per
month to Rs.5,000 per month.
iv.The cabinet also approved the proposal of establishing the Amaravati Metropolitan Development Authority
(AMDA) in the place of AP Capital Regional Development Authority (APCRDA) by repealing the Capital Region
Development Authority (CRDA) Act.
About Andhra Pradesh:
Chief Minister- Jagan Mohan Reddy
Governor- Biswabhushan Harichandan
Capital City- Amaravati
State Tree- Neem tree
State Flower- Water lilies
State Bird- Indian roller
12th National Tribal Youth Exchange Programme inaugurated in Puducherry

On January 20,2020 Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Puducherry Dr Kiran Bedi inaugurated the 12th National
Tribal youth Exchange programme. It is a week long program in which 200 Youths from Naxal-affected districts
of Chattisgarh are taking part.
Organisers: The programme has been jointly organized by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and
Puducherry Government to ensure development and empowerment of the tribal youths.
Key Points:
i.The NYKS National Vice Chairman Vishnu Varadhan Reddy, “Parliamentary Secretary to Puducherry Chief
Minister” Lakshmi Narayanan, NYKS State Director Nataraj, Sub-Collector Shashvat Saurabh, and other
dignitaries participated in the inaugural function.
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ii.The participants will also be visiting many places to know about the language, customs, culture, arts, dressing
patterns and food patterns of Puducherry.
About Puducherry:
Chief Minister- Velu Narayanasamy.
Governor- Dr Kiran Bedi.
Traditional Folk Dance- Garadi.
Panel headed by Amit Shah to create tougher law against sexual harassment at work
On January 19, 2020 the Group of Ministers(GoM) headed by Union Minister of Home Affairs(MoHA) Shri Amit
Shah constituted to further strengthen legal frameworks to prevent sexual harassment at the workplace, has
now finalised the recommendations for it. The recommendations in brief are as follows:
Recommendations finalised by the GoM:
i.Addition of new provision in
the Indian Penal Code(IPC)
was recommended by the
panel and will be put up for
public comments.
ii.The existing laws on sexual
harassment at the workplace
would be incorporated when
the overhaul of the IPC was
complete. MoHA is also
working to reboot the IPC
which was introduced by the
British in 1860.
iii.Sections to be
amended: Various sections in the IPC as well as Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr. PC) are to be amended and
several retired judges, legal luminaries and State governments are being consulted by the Bureau of Police
Research and Development (BPR&D) for this purpose.
• After amendment, the sections on crime against women will also be amended.
iv.The amendments proposed will be largely based on the Vishaka guidelines which was laid down by the
Supreme Court(SC) in 1997 based on which the above mentioned 2013 sexual harassment act was formed.
GoM constitution:
i.The GoM was first constituted in October 2018 after the #MeToo movement in which women from all around
India as well as other countries shared their ordeal using the hashtag ‘#MeToo’ in social media.
ii.Reconstitution: The GoM was reconstituted in July 2019.
iii.Members in the panel: The panel members include Union Minister of Finance(MoF) Smt.Nirmala
Sitharaman; Union Minister of Human Resource and Development(MHRD) Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal and Union
Minister for Women and Child Development (MoWCD) Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani.
Sexual Harassment of Women and Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act in 2013:
i.The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) paved the way for the Sexual Harassment of Women
and Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act in 2013, which made employer to deter sexual
harassment happenings in government offices, the private sector, NGOs and the unorganised sector.
ii.Shortcomings of the 2013 act:
Sexual Harassment of Women and Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act in 2013 had several
shortcomings which include
• Exerting powers of a civil court to internal complaints committee (ICC) without specifying if the
members need to have a legal background.
• Only Rs.50,000 was imposed on employers on cases for non-compliance.
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• Only after the conclusion of the enquiry, a woman will be provided assistance by employer incase the
woman chooses to file a complaint under the IPC.
J.S Verma Committee:
i.The GoM also reviewed Jagdish Sharan Verma committee which was constituted after the Nirbhaya gang-
rape and murder in 2012.
ii.The Verma committee recommended for an employment tribunal instead of ICC.
NCRB data:
i.Registered sexual harassment cases: As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 479 and 401 sexual
harassment incidents in 2017 and 2018 respectively were registered under IPC Section 509 (words, gesture or
act to insult the modesty of a woman).
• In 2018 Highest no of cases were registered in Delhi (28), Bengaluru (20), Pune (12) and Mumbai
(12).
• The MoHA previously in December 2018 wrote to all States to ensure that the ICC under the 2013 Act
was constituted and notified to the police departments.
About Ministry of Home Affairs(MoHA):
Supreme Court sets up a panel for draft mediation law headed by mediator Niranjan Bhat
The Supreme Court set up a panel headed by mediator Niranjan Bhat to firm up draft legislation to give legal
sanctity to disputes settled through mediation, which would then be sent to the government as a suggestion from
the apex court.
Key Points:
i.On January 12, 2020, the committee met in Hyderabad, capital of Telangana to consider suggestions for a
legislation put forth by mediators across the country.
ii.The panel headed by mediator Niranjan Bhat will recommend a code of conduct for mediators, who are legal
experts.
iii.The other members of the panel are appointed by the Mediation and Project Conciliation Committee (MCPC)
of the Supreme Court which includes Justice K Kannan, former ASGs AS Chandok and PS Narsimha, senior
advocates Sriram Panchu and JP Singh, and senior mediators Susheela S, Sadhna Ramchandran, Laila Ollapally,
and Anil Xavier.
‘Youth Co:Lab- National innovation Challenge’ was hosted by Atal Innovation Mission and UNDP in New
Delhi
On January 17, 2020 Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) NITI Aayog and United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) hosted a three day long Youth Co:Lab -National Innovation Challenge in New Delhi. The
programme aims at fostering technology, promoting youth leadership and social entrepreneurship in India. This
programme supports young people by catalysing youth-led innovation and empowers them through Youth
Co:Lab.
Key Points:
i.Around 300 teams have participated in Youth Co: Lab and over 30 teams in finalists have presented their
solutions in which the four winning teams made it the list will represent India at the Youth Co:Lab Regional
Innovation Challenge in Malaysia which will be held in April 2020.
ii.As the part of first phase a series of innovation challenges were also held in four cities– Jyothy Foundation in
Bengaluru Karnataka, AIC – Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini Foundation in Mumbai Maharashtra, AIC – Prestige
Inspire Foundation in Indore Madhya Pradesh and AIC – Mahamana Foundation For Innovation and
Entrepreneurship – IM-BHU , Varanasi Uttar Pradesh.
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iii.The top two teams will be fully funded and the next two teams will be partially funded for the final summit.
The four teams will also participate in the Regional Springboard Programme and the top eight teams will get
incubated at the Atal Incubation Centres and receive support from UNDP.
About Youth Co:Lab:
It was launched in 2017 by UNDP and the Citi Foundation. It is operational in 25 countries across the Asia Pacific
region and aims to create an enabling ecosystem to promote youth leadership, innovation and Social
entrepreneurship.
About NITI Aayog:
Formed- January 1, 2015
CEO- Shri Amitabh Kant
Uttarakhand is the 1st state in the country to implement agricultural leasing policy
Uttarakhand has become the first state in India which has made a policy to lease agricultural land. After the
approval of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the state government has issued the order.
Key Points
i.Under this leasing policy, instead of giving land on a 30-year lease, the concerned farmer will get the rent for the
land.
ii.By this policy any institutions, company, firm or NGO can take farmlands of maximum 30 acres in villages for
lease for a period of 30 years and the government land around farm land can be taken for lease by paying the fee
with the permission of the District Magistrate.
About Uttarakhand:
Capital City- Dehradun
Chief Minister- Trivendra Singh Rawat
Governor- Baby Rani Maurya
State Animal- Alpine musk deer
State Bird- Himalayan monal
State Flower- Brahma Kamal
State Tree- Rhododendron arboretum
Central Government Notifies National Startup Advisory Council

On January 21, 2020 The Central Government announced the structure of the National Startup Advisory
Council, chaired by the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry(MoCI) Shri Piyush Vedprakash Goyal. The
council will provide measures to build a strong ecosystem for new innovations and start-ups in the country.
AIM: The council aims to increase the economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities in
India.
Key Points:
i.The council will suggest measures to develop a culture of innovation amongst citizens and students to promote
innovation in all sectors of the country (including semi-urban & rural areas), by reducing regulatory compliances
and cost for startup companies.
ii.Members: Some of the members of the council include the non-official members (founders of successful
startups, persons capable of representing the interest of investors into startups etc.,) of the Startup Council
elected for a period of 2 years.
iii.The nominees of the concerned Ministries, not below the rank of Joint Secretary will be ex-officio members of
the council while the Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade will be the
Convenor of the Council.
Bengaluru airport first in India to get disabled aircraft recovery equipment

On 14th January 2020, An agreement was signed by the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) to
acquire Disabled Aircraft Recovery Equipment (DARE) to enhance operational capabilities and to reduce
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downtime during runway emergencies.

Key Points:
i.The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has signed an agreement with a German based
company KUNZ GmbH to manufacture, supply, commission and maintain the specialized equipment for
Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru.
ii.This will make Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) the first airport in the country to acquire such facility
to recover disabled aircraft up to Code F category and enabling faster resumption of operations.
iii.As stated in an order addressed by The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to the CEO’s of Mumbai
airport, Delhi airport and Bengaluru airport, and Chairman of Airports Authority of India. The other Airports of
Kolkata, Chennai, Guwahati, Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore are directed to procure the Disabled Aircraft Recovery
Equipment (DARE).
About Ministry of Civil Aviation:
Founded– 21st October 2016
Headquarters– Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, New Delhi
Minister of Civil Aviation– Hardeep Singh Puri
UAE has been declared ‘reciprocating territory’ by India under section 44A of CPC, 1908
The Central Government has declared the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to be a “reciprocating
territory” under Section 44A of Civil Procedure Code (CPC), 1908. The order was issued by the Ministry of
Law and Justice.
Key Points:
i.By this the order passed by the superior Courts of UAE can now be enforced in India as if they had been passed
by the local courts in India, by filing a copy of the decree concerned in a District Court here. The courts so
designated are called ‘superior Courts’.Superior courts in UAE:
(1) Federal Court-
(a) Federal Supreme Court;
(b) Federal, First Instance and Appeals Courts in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and
Fujairah;
(2) Local Courts-
(a) Abu Dhabi Judicial Department;
(b) Dubai Courts;
(c) Ras Al Khaimah Judicial Department;
(d) Courts of Abu Dhabi Global Markets;
(e) Courts of Dubai International Financial Center.
ii.Section 44A provides the law on the subject of execution of decrees of Courts in India by foreign Courts and
vice versa while S.44A (1) provides that a decree passed by “a superior Court” in any “reciprocating territory”
can be executed in India by filing a certified copy of the decree in a District Court, which will treat the decree as if
it has been passed by itself.
iii.The decision is believed to help bring down the time required for executing decrees between the two
countries.
iv.The other countries declared to be “reciprocating territories” are: United Kingdom, Singapore, Bangladesh,
Malaysia, Trinidad & Tobago, New Zealand, the Cook Islands (including Niue) and the Trust Territories of
Western Samoa, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Aden.
About UAE:
Capital city- Abu Dhabi
President- Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Founded- 1833
Minister- Ravi Shankar Prasad
Headquarters – New Delhi
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India Opens 1st Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre in Niger

On January 21, 2020, India’s Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Shri Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Nigerian
President Mahamadou Issoufau inaugurated the first convention centre in Africa namely “Mahatma Gandhi
convention centre”(MGICC) established at the state of Niger in Western Africa by India to honour the memory
of 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This is the 1st centre established in Africa by India under grant
assistance.
Mr.S.Jaishankar was the first Indian-foreign Minister to visit the West-African country during his national trip
visit to Niger (West Africa) and Tunisia (North Africa).
Key Points:
i.The Convention centre has been designed with modern and eco-friendly facility including a 2000 capacity of
Plenary hall (wide participation from African Union Member states).
ii.It is likely to host the forthcoming African Union AU Summit in the new convention center which will further
contribute towards enhancing of bilateral ties.
iii.Contribution to Niger: India has provided Lines of Credit(LoC) worth $96.54 million to Niger for projects in
transport, electrification, solar energy and potable drinking water.
About Niger:
Capital- Niamey.
Prime Minister (PM)- Brigi Rafini.
Currency- West African CFA (African Financial Community) Franc.
India, Bangladesh signed agreement to upgrade Ashuganj-Akhaura road into 4-lane highway
On January 24, 2020, India and Bangladesh have signed an agreement to upgrade the 50.58 kilometer
long Ashuganj-Akhaura road into a 4-lane highway. The road runs between Ashuganj river port and the
Akhaura land port in Bangladesh. The road project is part of the $2 billion second Line of Credit(LoC) extended
by India to Bangladesh in 2016.
Key Points:
i.Roads and Highways Department (RHD) of Bangladesh and Afcons Infrastructure Limited of India will
upgrade 39 km long road between Ashuganj river port to Dharhar area of Chattisgarh.
ii.The work to upgrade the remaining part of the road from Dharhar to Akhaura will be done by the RHS and an
India-Bangladesh joint venture(JV).
iii.The road project once completed will boost connectivity between Bangladesh and the North-eastern part of
India.
IR sets up govt’s 1st Waste to energy plant at Mancheswar Carriage Repair Workshop in Bhubaneswar,
Odisha
On January 22, 2020 Railway Board Member (Rolling Stock) Rajesh Agarwal inaugurated the East Coast
Railway’s (ECoR) waste to energy plant at Carriage Repair Workshop, Mancheswar (CRW/MCS) in
Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It is the fourth waste to energy plant in the country and first plant commissioned by
Government sector and Indian Railways (IR).
Key Points:
i.Total cost of the plant is Rs 1.79 crore and it can convert 500kg waste to light diesel oil which can be used in
light furnaces.
ii.Polycrack, a patented heterogeneous catalytic process used in this plant convents multiple feed stocks into
hydrocarbon liquid fuels, gas, carbon and water. The closed loop process is used in the plant does not affect the
environment.
iii.In this plant, the feeder materials are the Waste collected from the Mancheswar Carriage Repair Workshop,
coaching depot and Bhubaneswar railway station.
iv.In 2011 India’s first waste to energy plant was set up by Infosys in Bangalore, Karnataka, the second plant is
located at Moti Bagh in Delhi and it has been in operation since 2014, and in 2019 the third one was set up by
Hindalco Limited.
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About Odisha:
Chief Minister- Naveen Patnaik
Governor- Ganeshi Lal
Capital City- Bhubaneswar
State Tree- Sacred fig
State Flower- Ashoka
State Animal- Sambar deer
India’s 1st War Memorial for Animals to be set up in Meerut, UP

On January 23, 2020 the govt has announced to set up country’s 1st war memorial for service animals such as
dogs, horses, mules in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh(UP). This war memorial will come at army’s specialized breeding,
rearing training centre for animals in the Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC) Centre and College in Meerut.
Key Points:
i.Names of 300 dogs, 350 handlers, few horses and mules that had dedicated their life in various military
operations like Kargil war etc will be inscribed in the granite tablets in the memorial.
• Mansi, a labrador breed dog who was awarded the highest honour of animals will top the list of
animals to be remembered.
ii.The Indian army currently has more than 100 dogs, 5000 mules and 1500 horses.
Govt think-tank NITI Aayog releases its vision for National Data and Analytics Platform
On January 23, 2020, NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, a policy think tank of the
Government of India (GoI), has released the vision document for the National Data and Analytics Platform
(NDAP), which contain the latest datasets from several government departments and will also provide tools for
analytics and visualisation of data to stakeholders in a user-friendly manner.
Key Points:
i.The website for NDAP can be accessible by public & have features for visually-impaired users, audio and video
tutorials in bilingual manner (Hindi & English language) and datasets in multiple languages. In addition, the
NDAP will enable users to follow a sector, dataset and location which they are interested in. They will also get an
update alert of these datasets.
ii.The vision document was released by Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, in the presence of Mr
Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog & other senior officials from various ministries & state governments, academics
and researchers.
iii.The NDAP will take over a period of 1 year for its development process & the 1st version of the platform is
expected to be released in 2021.
About NITI Aayog:
Formed– 1 January 2015
Chairperson– Narendra Modi.
India’s first e-waste clinic opens in Bhopal

On January 24, 2020 India’s first e-waste clinic was opened in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The e-waste clinic was
inaugurated by C K Mishra (Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate change,MoEFCC). The e-
waste clinic was jointly set up by the Central Pollution Board Control -CPCB and Bhopal Municipal
Corporation -BMC.
Key Points:
i.The e-waste clinic is a 3-month project and if the project becomes successful then it will be established in
other parts of the country also.
ii.The process includes segregation, processing, and disposal of waste from both household and commercial
units.
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iii.The electronic waste will be collected door to door or could be deposited directly at the e-waste clinic while
CPCB will provide technical support.
iv.The e-waste clinic consists of low floor bus and TV is installed displays documentary films on “Environmental
damage caused by e-waste”.
v.Chairperson of the CPCB SPS Parihar, principal secretary of the environment department Malay Shrivastav,
commissioner of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) Vijay Dutta were present in the occasion.
About MadhyaPradesh (MP):
Capital- Bhopal.
State Animal- Barasingha.
State Tree- Banyan tree.
State fruit- Mango.
Chief Minister (CM)- Kamal Nath.
Governor- Lalji Tandon.
Government sets up 10 chairs to encourage women in research activities on National Girl Child Day,
January 24, 2020
January 24, 2020, is celebrated as the “National Girl Child Day” under the Ministry of Women and Child
Development. The Ministry announced an initiative called “Establishment of Chairs in the Universities in the
name of eminent women” which encourages women to carry out research activities.
Key Points:
i.This initiative was launched under the assistance of University Grants Commission (UGC) to inspire women to
achieve their goals and to motivate young girls towards higher studies.
ii.The 10 chairs will be set up by UGC for five years. They are named after the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar (for
Administration), Mahadevi Varma(for Literature), Rani Gaidinliu(for Freedom Fighter North East), Anandibai
Gopalrao Joshi(for Medicine and Health), M S Subbulakshmi(for Art), Amrita Devi (for Forest and Wildlife
conservation), Lilavati(for Mathematics), Kamala Sohonie (Science), Lal Ded ( Poetry and Mysticism) and Hansa
Mehta (for Educational Reforms).
iii.Each chair will be given Rs 50 lakh each for a year with a total expenditure of Rs 5 crore per annum for a
period of five years.
About:
National Girl child day- January 24
West Bengal leads in vegetable production, Andhra Pradesh tops in Fruits in 2018-19: Horticultural
production data
On January 20, 2020, According to the State-wise horticulture production data released at a conference
organised by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, the state of West Bengal (WB) has been at the
forefront of vegetable production in 2018-19 (3rd advance estimates), where the production of vegetables
was 29.55 million tonnes (MT). It was followed by Uttar Pradesh –UP (27.70 MT) and Madhya Pradesh (17.77
MT).
Fruit crops Production:
Andhra Pradesh (AP) continued to hold the top spot in fruits with 17.61MT in 2018-19.It was followed by
Maharashtra (10.82 mt) and UP (10.65 mt).
Key Points:
i.West Bengal’s share in total vegetable production is 15.9 % of the country’s total vegetable production.UP
accounted for 14.9 % of the total vegetable production, 9.6% of Madhya Pradesh, 9% of Bihar and 6.8 % of
Gujarat.
ii.In the previous crop year 2017-18, West Bengal stood 2nd with production of 27.7 million tonnes. At that time
Uttar Pradesh was at the top with a production of 28.8 million tonnes.
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iii.The total area under vegetable cultivation rose to 10.10 million hectare (mh)in 2018-19 from 6.74 mh in
2004-05.The area under vegetable production was 10.10 mh in 2018-19.Whereas, area under fruit crops
cultivation during 2018-19 was 6.65 mh.
iv.The production of vegetable rose to 185.88 tonnes in 2018-19 from 101.25 mt in 2004-05, while the fruit
production accounted 98.58 mt.
About Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare:
Founded– 1947
Union Minister- Narendra Singh Tomar
India supplies 30k doses of Measles and Rubella vaccine to Maldives within 72 hours
On January 23, 2020, the Government of India (GoI) has supplied 30,000 doses of Measles and Rubella (MR)
vaccine within 72 hours on the emergency request of the Maldives government. These vaccines are supplied by
Serum Institute of India Private Limited, Pune, Maharashtra.
Key Points:
i.Though Maldives have eradicated Measles in 2017, it has detected four positive cases a week back, so the
outbreak vaccines are sent on the emergency request.
ii.In June 2019, during Prime Minister’s (PM) visit to the Maldives, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was
signed by India and Maldives on Health Co-operation.
iii.In 2014, India has also sent fresh water to the Maldives during water crisis and immediate assistance have
also been sent during tsunami stuck to maldives.
AboutMaldives:
Capital- Male
Currency- Maldivian rufiyaa
President- Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Minister of Health Maldives- Abdulla Ameen
Indian Ambassador to Maldives- Sanjay Sudhir
NIRDPR ties up with UNICEF, Hyderabad (Telangana) field office to establish ‘communication resource
unit’
On January 24, 2020, National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR),an autonomous
organization under the Union Ministry of Rural Development has entered into the partnership with UNICEF
(United Nations Children’s Fund), Hyderabad (Telangana) field office to set up ‘Communication Resource
Unit’ (CRU).
Key Points:
i.The CRU will function as an institutional mechanism for providing Social and Behavioural Change
Communications (SBCC) support to national flagship programmes of the State & central Government such as
POSHAN Abhiyaan, National Health Mission and Swachh Bharath Mission among others.
ii.At present CRU functions in 3 states of Andhra Pradesh (AP), Telangana and Karnataka with the aim to help
strategic communication needs of different government departments (such as Women Development and Child
Welfare, Health, Rural Development, and Education) via consultations, technical support and, capacity building.
iii.Dr. Gyanmudra, professor and head, Centre for Good Governance and Policy Analysis (CGG&PA), NIRDPR is
leading the CRU, which is equipped with a skilled workforce to help development, rollout plans, capacity building
and developing IEC (Information Education and Communication) material, etc.
About National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR):
It is located in Hyderabad in Telangana state. In addition to the main campus at Hyderabad, this Institute has
North-Eastern Regional Centre at Guwahati, Assam.
About United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
Formation– 11 December 1946. Headquarters– New York City, USA
Executive Director- Henrietta Holsman Fore.
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India completely phased out one of the most potent ozone depleting HCFC-141 b chemical
The republic of India has successfully achieved complete phase out of the Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-
141 b. It is a chemical used in foam manufacturing companies and is one of the most potent ozone depleting
chemicals after the Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). India took the challenge to phase out HCFC-141b by January 1,
2020.
HCFC 141b:
i.Act to prohibit usage of HCFC-141b: The
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change (MoEFCC) issued a notification for the
prohibition of HCFC-141b from Jan 1st, 2020
under the Ozone Depleting Substances
(Regulation and Control) Amendment Rules,
2019 issued under the Environment (Protection)
Act, 1986.This was achieved through the
ministry’s HCFC Phase out Management Plan
(HPMP).
ii.Usage closed by foam manufacturers: The use of the chemical by foam manufacturing industry was also
closed as on 1st January, 2020 under the Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Amendment
Rules, 2014.The complete phase out of HCFC 141 b from India in foam sector is among the first at this scale in
Article 5 parties (developing countries) under the Montreal Protocol.
• 50% of the ozone depleting chemicals in the country was attributable to HCFC-141 b in the foam
sector.
iii.HCFC-141b content removal: The complete phase out of HCFC 141 b from the country in foam sector was
the 1st at its scale in Article 5 parties (developing countries) under the Montreal Protocol. The implementation of
HPMP has removed around 7800 Metric Tonnes(MT) of HCFC 141-b from the baseline level of 2009 and 2010 in
India.
iv.MoA signed: The Ozone Cell under the MoEF&CC entered into a MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) with the
Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology(CIPET), Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals to
facilitate and hand-holding the foam manufacturing enterprises.
v.Commercial use: It is mainly used as blowing agent in polyurethane (PU) foams productions. The PU sectors
have important links with economic sectors related to buildings, cold storages and cold chain infrastructure,
automobiles, commercial refrigeration, domestic appliances etc.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEFCC):
Founded- 1985.
Union Minister- Shri Prakash Javadekar.
Minister of State(MoS)- Babul Suprio.
Bharat Parv 2020 to be celebrated from 26th to 31st January

Bharat Parv, 2020, the programme to celebrate the Spirit of India, started at Red Fort on January 26, 2020 in New
Delhi and will be continued till 31st January, 2020.
Special Secretary & Financial Adviser of Ministry of Tourism Shri Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi inaugurated the
function in New Delhi.
Theme: “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” & “Celebrating 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi”.
Key Points:
i.The objective of Bharat Parv is to encourage people to visit different tourist places of the country and to
inculcate the spirit of ‘Dekho Apna Desh’.
ii.Public can visit the Bharat Parv from 12 Noon to 10 PM. Entry to the Bharat Parv is free but the visitors should
show their identity proof for the entry.
iii.Bharat Parv has many attractions for public including display of Tableaux of the Republic Day parade,
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performance by armed forces bands, handicraft & handlooms by the stalls by the State Government (govt.),food
court by state govt.etc.,
About Delhi:
Chief Minister- Arvind Kejriwal.
Governor- Anil Baijal.
Founded- 1911.
Ministry of Tourism to fund the travel expenses of the tourist who visit 15 destinations of our country in
1 year
The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) will fund the travel expenses of the tourist who submits the photos in tourism
websites after visiting 15 destinations of our country in a year. It was announced by the Union Tourism
Minister, Prahald Singh Patel during the concluding ceremony of the two-day National Tourism
Conference held at Konark, Odisha. This conference was organised by Odisha government in association with
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
Key Points:
i.According to the Ministry, the Sun Temple at Konark, Odisha will be included in the list of ‘iconic sites’.
ii.A Memorandum of Intent (MoI) was also signed between the government of Odisha and Gujarat for cross-
promotion of tourist sites.
iii.Iconic site’s of India are Taj Mahal & Fatehpur Sikri (Uttar Pradesh), Ajanta & Ellora (Maharashtra),
Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort & Qutub Minar (Delhi), Colva (Goa), Amer Fort (Rajasthan), Somnath & Dholavira
(Gujarat), Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), Hampi (Karnataka), Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), Kaziranga (Assam),
Kumarakom (Kerala) and Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar).
About Odisha:
About FICCI:
Founded- 1927
President- Sangita Reddy
About Ministry of Tourism:
Founded- 1967
Minister- Prahlad Singh Patel
1st Ganga-Volga Dialogue of civilizations 2020 between India & Russia held in New Delhi
On 22 January 2020, The 1st edition of Ganga-Volga Dialogue of Civilizations 2020 based on the theme
“Connectivity”, between India & Russia was held in New Delhi.
The event was inaugurated by India’s Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan & was organised by
the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) in association with Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation.
Key Points:
i.The dialogue aims to provide a platform for enhancing the special and privileged bilateral partnership between
India & Russia.
ii.It saw the participation of 15 noted scholars from both the countries to exchange ideas on how to expand the
areas of education, culture, economy, entrepreneurship, strategic thought, innovation, media, tourism,
healthcare, manufacturing and technology among others.
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iii.The idea of the Dialogue was conceptualized between Prime Minister (PM) of India, Narendra Modi & the
President of Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin during India-Russia Summit held in October 2018.
iv.During the dialogue, India placed its state of not being into any military alliance in the Quad grouping, which
play a key role for India to keep its trade & defence relations between Russia and the US balanced.
The relations between India and CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) & decisions agreed to at the
20th India-Russia Summit 2019 held in Vladivostok, Russia in September 2019 such as utilization of the $1 billion
LoC(Line of Credit) extended by India for development of Russia’s Far East by Indian companies were also
discussed.
v.The recommendation of the Dialogue for the officials of both the nations was to institutionalize the process &
hence this Dialogue will be a Track 1.5 platform for promoting bilateral partnership.
About Russia:
Capital– Moscow.
Currency– Russian ruble
Prime minister– Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin
Centre & Assam govt signed tripartite agreement with the banned NDFB
On January 27, 2020 Govt. of India has signed a tripartite agreement with the representatives of the
banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) organisation and Government of Assam at the
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The pact was signed to boost peace in the Northeastern state of Assam. The
agreement would fulfill political and economic demands besides safeguarding the language and culture of the
Bodo community people.
Agreement signing: The agreement was signed by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, four factions of
the NDFB, All Bodo Students’ Union(ABSU), Joint Secretary of Home Ministry Satyendra Garg and Assam Chief
Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna in presence of Union Minister of Home Affairs(MoHA) Shri Amit Shah.
Tripartite agreement with NDFB:
i.Assistance: Over 1500 armed cadres will abjure violence and join the mainstream. A Special Development
Package Rs. 1500 crores for over 3 years will be given by the Govt. to undertake specific projects for the
development of Bodo areas.
ii.A commission under Section 14 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India will be set up. The
commission will work in recommending inclusion or exclusion of tribal population residing in villages adjoining
the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) areas.
• Commision representatives: In this commission, apart from State government, representatives will
also be from ABSU and BTC. The recommendation will be submitted within 6 months from the date of
notification.
iii.The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), which has been spearheading a movement for a separate Bodoland state
also signed the accord.
iv.Welfare council: The Assam govt will establish a Bodo-Kachari Welfare Council and will also notify Bodo
language as an official language in the state. A separate directorate for Bodo medium schools will also be
established.
v.Similar agreement: Similar to the tripartite agreement, a pact named Bru-Reang agreement was signed on
January 16, 2020 to end the humanitarian crisis in the states of Meghalaya and Tripura by bringing the armed
cadres in Assam and 88 armed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) cadres in Tripura to bring them to
the mainstream.
vi.NDFB is an armed separatist outfit which seeks to obtain a sovereign Bodoland for the Bodo people. This is
the 3rd bodo accord signed in the last 27 years.
• 1st accord: The 1st was signed in 1993 leading to creation of Bodoland Autonomous Council with
limited political powers.
• 2nd accord: The second accord was signed in 2003 with the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) militant
group leading to formation of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). this pact lead to formation of 4
districts( Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baska & Udalguri) in Assam to the BTC.
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About Assam:
Capital- Dispur.
Largest city- Guwahati.
Chief minister- Sarbananda Sonowal.
Governor- Jagdish Mukhi.
Rivers- Dhansiri river, Kopili river, Subansiri river.
About National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)
Fact 1 – NDFB is an armed separatist outfit which seeks to obtain a sovereign Boroland for the Bodo people.
NDFB is headquartered in Myanmar (Burma).
Fact 2 – It was designated as a terrorist organisation by the Government of India.
Horticulture output to be 313.35 million tonnes in 2019-20: First advance estimates

On January 27,2020, The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India (GoI) has
presented the first advance report for 2019-20 & as well as the final estimate for 2018-19 for Area and
Production of various Horticulture Crops.
Highlights:
i.Horticulture production: According to the
report, horticulture production in 2019-20 can be
313.35 million tonnes (mt),0.84% higher than in
2018-19 (310.74 mt).
ii.Vegetables & Fruits production:Vegetables
production was expected to be about 183.17 mt,
while fruits production was to be around 97.97 mt
in 2018-19(Final).In 2019-20(1st Advance
Estimate) Vegetables production was estimated to
be around 188.009 mt, while fruits production was
estimated to be around 95.74 mt.
iii.The government hopes to increase the yield of
these 3 vegetables (Onion, tomato and potato) in
the current financial year 2019-20 .
iv.According to government estimates, onion yields are expected to increase by 7.17% (24.45 Million Tonne), as
against 22.82 Million Tonne in 2018-19., potato by 3.49%(51.94 Million Tonne),as against 50.19 Million Tonne in
2018-19 and tomato by 1.68% (19.33 Million Tonne) in this financial year,as against 19.01 Million Tonnes in
2018-19.
Founded- 1947
Union Minister– Narendra Singh Tomar
India’s first underwater metro, ‘Kolkata metro’ to be opened by March 2022

On January 28,2020 Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) is set to complete its East-West Project, which
runs partly under the Hooghly river, West Bengal, by March 2022. It will be India’s first underwater metro. The
new metro rail is expected to carry about 900,000 people daily & will take less than a minute to cross a 520-
meter underwater tunnel. 74% of the East-West metro project is owned by India’s Railway & remaining 26% by
the nation’s Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
Key Points:
i.Manas Sarkar, Managing Director(MD) at KMRC, reported that the authority is waiting for the final installment
of 200 million rupees ($2.8 million) over the next 2 years from the Indian Railway (IR) Board.
ii.A soft loan of 41.6 billion rupees from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funded 48.5% of the
project.
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iii.KMRC will repay the JICA loan over 30 years after an initial 6 year moratorium with an interest rate between
1.2% to 1.6%.
About Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA ):
Founded- October 1, 2003.
Headquarters- Tokyo, Japan.
President- Shinichi kitaoka.
PM Modi Addressed 3rd Global Potato Conclave held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat

On January 28, 2020 the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 3rd edition of the Global
Potato Conclave at Gandhinagar, Gujarat through video conference. The 4-day conclave from January 28-31 is
being organised by Indian Potato Association (IPA) in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural
Research(ICAR), New Delhi, and ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh and
International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru.
3 major events are also being witnessed in the event. They are Potato Conference, Agri Expo and Potato Field
Day.
3rd Global Potato Conclave:
i.Conclave aim: The conclave is organised to make the participants exposed to the frontiers of knowledge and to
enhance innovation in potato research. During the conclave, scientists, potato farmers and other stakeholders
from around the world are participating where important topics related to food and nutrition will be discussed.
ii.Gujarat in potato production: Gujarat is the leading state in potato production and productivity in India and
holds the no.1 position for the last one decade. The area under potato cultivation has increased by about
20% over the past 11 years, while it has increased 170% in Gujarat in the same period.
• Gujarat having major potato production companies in the state led it to be a major potato hub in the
country.
• Potato acreage: The acreage of potatoes increased more than two fold to 13.3lakh hectare in 2017-
18. The yields are at over 30 tonne per hectare in the state.
iii.Themes: The 3rd edition of the potato conference is based on 10 themes out of which 8 themes are based on
basic and applied research. The 10 themes are
• Germplasm management and next generation breeding; Potato biotechnology and omics; AI (Artificial
Intelligence) and Information and Communications Technology(ICT)in Potato Research and
development (R&D); Climate change and crop management,
• Potato disease management; Potato pest management; Advances in seed technology; Post harvest
management and value addition; Potato value chain management, Trade and industry and technology
transfer, policy and social issues.
iv.Agri Expo: The Agri Expo organised from January 28-30, 2020 showcases the status of potato based industries
in trade, potato processing, technology transfer etc.
v.Potato Field Day: The expo will be organised on January 31, 2020 and will demonstrate advancements in
potato mechanisation, potato varieties, latest challenges etc. 6000 farmers undertook field visits on field day.
vi.Previous editions: The previous two Global Potato Conferences were organized in 1999, and 2008.
New record: Rs 12,000 cr transferred under DBT of 6 crore farmers:
A new record was created recently were an amount of Rs. 12,000 crores were transferred directly to the bank
accounts of 6 crore farmers under the Direct Benefit Transfer(DBT)facility.
Steps taken by govt to enhance agricultural practices:
i.Doubling farmers’ income: India is among the top 3 countries in production of various cereals and other food
items as a result of efforts put by the farmers. The govt also aims to double farmers’ income by 2020.
ii.Sampada scheme: The food processing sector has been opened to 100% FDI (Foreign Direct Investment),
helping in development through PM Kisan Sampada Yojana(Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and
Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) with an allocation of Rs 6000 crores from 2016-20.
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About Gujarat:
Capital- Gandhinagar.
Governor- Acharya Devvrat.
Chief minister- Vijay Ramniklal Rupani.
National Parks(NP)- Gir NP, Blackbuck NP, Vansda NP, Marine NP.
World’s largest meditation centre opened in Hyderabad, Telangana

On January 28, 2020 the World’s largest meditation centre was inaugurated at Kanha Shanti Vanam in
Hyderabad, Telangana to mark the 75th anniversary of the formation of Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM) and
Heartfulness Institute. The center is dedicated to the first guide of Heartfulness Lalaji Maharaji. It can
accommodate 1 lakh practitioners at a time.
Key Points:
i.The meditation center is built in 30 acres with a central hall and eight peripheral halls.
ii.To celebrate the 75th anniversary, special sessions will be addressed by President Ram Nath Kovind on
February 2, 2020 and social activist Anna Hazare on February 8, 2020.
iii.Participants: The popular yoga guru, Baba Ramdev, Kamlesh Patel (Daaji), the present guide of Heartfulness.
iv.The Heartfulness facility is spread over 1,400 acres which consists of largest meditation centre, a self-
sustained kitchen that can make food for 1 lakh people a day and 350 bed- Ayush medical facility to come up in a
few days.
About Telangana:
Chief Minister- K. Chandrashekar Rao
Governor- Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan
State Flower- Senna auriculata
State Tree- Jand
State Animal- Chital
SC allows govt to bring African cheetah to suitable wildlife habitat in India

On January 28, 2020 the Supreme Court(SC) has allowed the govt. to introduce African Cheetah in a suitable
wildlife habitat in India including Kuno-Palpur (Kuno National Park) in Madhya Pradesh. The decision was taken
after a petition was filed by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to introduce the African Cheetah
from Namibia as the rare Indian Cheetah that has become almost extinct in India.
Key Points:
i.3-member panel: A 3-member committee was set up to take a decision on this issue. The committee comprised
of former Director of Wildlife Trust of India(WTI) Shri Ranjit Singh; Director General(DG) of Wildlife of India Shri
Dhananjay Mohan; and Deputy Inspector General(DIG), Wildlife under the Ministry of Environment and
Forests(MoE&F).
ii.Report submission: According to a bench comprised by Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices B R Gavai and
Surya Kant, the court will monitor the project where its committee will have to submit its report every 4 months.
About National Tiger Conservation Authority(NCTA):
Founded- December 2005.
Chairperson- Prakash Keshav Javadekar (Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change).
Country’s 1st and biggest ‘walk-through’ aviary inaugurated at Byculla Zoo in Maharashtra
On January 26, 2020, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated the country’s first and
biggest ‘walk-through’ aviary in Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo also known as Byculla Zoo in Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
Key Points:
i.The aviary is spread over in 18,234 sq ft, is 44 feet tall and consists of 100 species of Indian and exotic birds.
ii.The special enclosures for animals like bears, hyenas, leopards, fox, barasingha and antelope are completed
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and Asiatic Lion, tigers will be included soon.

iii.He also inaugurated ‘Miyawaki’ method, at Bhakti Park in Wadala, Maharashtra to increase cover in Mumbai.
This method is about planting maximum trees in minimum area and it will be implemented in 64 locations in the
state. Nearly 40 types of trees will be planted using this method.
iv.Participants: Tourism Minister of Mahrashtra Aaditya Thackeray, Mumbai City’s Guardian Minister Aslam
Shaikh, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar, Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi and Mumbai Zoo Director
Dr Sanjay Tripathi.
About Maharashtra:
ICG commissioned high-speed interceptor boat C-448 in Mangaluru, Karnataka

On January 29, 2020, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has commissioned a 3rd high-speed interceptor boat C-
448 in Mangaluru, Karnataka. The boat will be operational under the administrative control of Commander of
the Coast Guard Region (West) Inspector General AP Badola. Apart from this, it was also announced that
Karnataka govt through its Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB), had sanctioned 160 acres of
land in Kenjar for the Indian Coast Guard Academy (ICGA) in Mangaluru at a total cost of Rs 1,010 crore.
Key Points:
i.This interceptor boat built by L&T (Larsen & Toubro) shipyard will have a crew of 12 personnel commanded by
Assistant Commandant Apoorva Sharma. The boat will be used for patrolling and rescue operations.
ii.Boat features: The boat is equipped with an infrared system for night surveillance can perform high speed
interception, low-intensity maritime operations etc. It has an endurance of 500 nautical miles at 20 knots and can
reach a maximum speed of 45 knots
iii.Members present: The ICG was commissioned by T.M. Vijaya Bhasker, Chief Secretary Karnataka; Anand
Prakash Badola, Commander, Coast Guard Region (West) and A.V. Ramana, Chairman of the New Mangalore Port
Trust, and other officials were present on the occasion.
Assam Rifles builds war memorial “Veer Samriti” in Nagaland for 357 martyrs
On January 30,2020 Assam Rifles (military unit) has constructed a war memorial “Veer Samriti” in Nagaland,
Kohima for 357 Army & Assam Rifles personnel, who died while fighting insurgency in north-eastern state. It is
first of its kind in Nagaland.
About “Veer Samriti” war memorial:
i.The memorial has been built at Mokokchung, Nagaland (one of the cultural & intellectual center), which was
planned & executed by Inspector General Assam Rifles (North), will be inaugurated soon.
ii.The names of the 357 martyrs have been carved on a single granite stone. The memorial is spread over 13,500
sq feet & was built by 44 Assam Rifles.
iii.The 19 feet high war memorial is having 3 converging posts signifying the Army, Air Force and Assam Rifles.
About Assam Rifles:
Founded- 1835.
Headquarters- Shillong, Meghalaya.
Motto- Sentinels of the North East.
Director General- Lt Gen Sukhdeep Sangwan.
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Telangana tops in best performing state in sustainable growth: UNDP India

On January 29, 2020, As per the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India, India’s youngest
state Telangana has emergered as Number 1 state in the ‘Decent work and economic growth’ category with
the score of 82 on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India index in 2019. However, in overall Telangana
ranked 3rd after Kerala & Himachal Pradesh.
Key Points:
i.Telangana was followed by states of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Karnataka together with a score of 72.
ii.This ranking is according to UNDP & NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog statistics, which
was released on December 31, 2019.
iii.There are a total of 17 SDG listed & telangana has witnessed a dramatic improvement in many of them in just
one year (8 out of 17 SDGs). Telangana also moved from the ‘Performer’ category (50 – 64 points) to ‘Front
Runner’ category (65 – 99 points).
iv.Telangana’s improvement:
In terms of Decent work and Economic Growth,Telangana has improved 82 % in the year 2019 while it has
improved 75 % in the year 2018.
In the field of Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Telangana has improved to 61 % from 16 %.
In sustainable cities and communities, it improved to 62 % from 44 %. it also made a huge leap in improvement
are Clean Water and Sanitation, moving up from 55 per % to 84 %. In affordable and clean energy, it posted 93 %
performance against 63 % earlier.
Also in Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, it has moved from 66 to 77 in one year. Only the target for No
poverty still remains the same with 52 % on both the years. But there is a decrement in literacy and Health
sectors.
About NITI Aayog:
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Amitabh Kant.
Vice Chairperson- Rajiv Kumar.
About United Nations Development Programme(UNDP):
Founded– 22 November 1965.
Headquarters– New York, United States(US).
Administrator– Achim Steiner.
IR Undertakes RFID project for Automatic Identification & Data Collection of Rolling Stock
On January 30, 2020 the Indian Railways(IR) undertook the Radio-frequency identification (RFID)
project which aims for automatic identification & data collection of rolling stock with focus on improving the
safety and reliability. Two works for the RFID project have been sanctioned by the Railway board
worth Rs.112.96 Crores where coaches and wagons are to be RFID-tagged. The project is spearheaded by the
Rolling Stock Department of IR and will be implemented fully by 2021.
RFID project for Automatic Identification & Data Collection of Rolling Stock:
i.Make in India initiative: The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS, the Information Technology arm
of the Indian Railways), GS1 India (global standard) and the Indian Industry have come up to implement in the
Indian Railways(IR) in alignment with ‘Make in India’ initiative.
ii.GS1 & CRIS work: The GS1 will ensure the work quality and proper adoption of international standards while
development and validation of solutions based on GS1 has been done by the CRIS.
iii.Project features: Real time visibility of railway wagons through the National Rail Network(NRN) with the
help of RFID technology with GS1 global standards for unique & universal identification will be enabled. The
project will also enhance operational efficiency.
• The other features include RFID readers with equipment such as Train Presence Detectors (TPDs),
trackside condition monitoring equipment etc.
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• Automating information capture about assemblies and components is a key element in the Indian
Railways implementation of Industry 4.0(next level automation trend).
iv.RFID tag testing: Across all locations of the country the RFID tags will be used with GIAI-202 standard
designed by CRIS. this GIAI-202 encoded tags were successfully tested at a speed of 182.7 kmph.
v.Implementation plans: Nearly 3,50,000 rolling stocks are expected to be tagged by 2021. So far
approximately 22,000 wagons and 1200 coaches have been fitted with RFID tags.
• Additionally, around 3500 fixed RFID readers are expected to come up where communication will be
done to a central control center using GS1’s LLRP (low level reader protocol) standard.
About Indian Railways (IR):
Fact- IR is one among the largest Railway systems in the world carrying about 23 million passengers per day and
over 3 million tons of freight every day over 65000 route kilometers.
Union railway minister- Piyush Vedprakash Goyal.
Minister of State(MoS) for railways- Suresh Chanabasappa Angadi.
Indian Railways to offer content on demand service by 2022

On January 14, 2020, The Indian Railways has decided to provide ‘Content on Demand Service (CoD)’ on
trains and railway stations from 2022. With COD, passengers will be able to enjoy uninterrupted free
subscription based entertainment service such as movies, shows, educational programs during their journey.
They will also be able to enjoy high-quality buffer-free streaming on personal devices. Also, the CoD platform will
provide e-commerce services such as bookings for cab, bus and trains.
Key Points:
i.The project will be implemented by RailTel Corporation of India, a public sector enterprise of Government of
India (GoI) focusing on providing broadband and VPN (virtual private network ) services.
ii.RailTel has selected Zee Entertainment’s subsidiary Margo Networks Private Limited as the Digital
Entertainment Service Provider (DESP) to provide COD to trains and stations.
iii.CoD will be available in all premium / express / mail trains as well as suburban trains. In this, content will be
made available in both free / paid forms for a contract period of 10 years, including the first two years of
implementation.
About RailTel Corporation of India:
Founded– September 2000
Headquarters– Gurugram, Haryana
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)- Puneet Chawla
STATE NEWS
Kerala became 1st State to pass resolution against citizenship Amendment Act
On December 31, 2019, the state govt. of Kerala became the 1st state in the country to pass
a resolution scrapping the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA). The resolution was moved by Kerala’s
Chief Minister Shri Pinarayee Vijayan and was seconded by the Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala.
Key Points:
i.It was also stated in the assembly that when the Citizenship Act was passed in 1955, it followed all international
conventions. But the present act passed by the central govt was claimed to have not followed the international
conventions.
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ii.Several other chief ministers of West Bengal, Punjab, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi have also announced for
not implementing CAA in their states. Click here to learn more about the act.
About Kerala:
Chief Minister- Pinarayi Vijayan.
Governor- Arif Mohammad Khan.
Capital- Thiruvananthapuram.
Rivers- Cheruthoni river, Bharathapuzha river, Pamba river, Chalakudy river, Parambikulam river.
Pragati Maidan metro station renamed as Supreme Court metro station in New Delhi
On 31st December 2019, The Delhi Government’s renaming committee has renamed Pragati Maidan metro
station as Supreme Court metro station. The demand was made by the Supreme court in September 2019.
Key Points:
i.The committee has also decided to rename Mukarba Chowk and its flyover after Kargil war martyr Captain
Vikram Batra, MB Road as Acharya Sri Mahapragya Marg and The Lajpat Nagar flyover to Jhulelal Setu.
ii.The committee has been constituted in 2017 based on the approval of Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal, and the
committee was headed by the Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. It comprises 34 members, The Union home secretary,
The Union HRD secretary, the DDA vice-chairman, the Delhi PWD secretary and the Delhi Principal secretary
(Home).
About Vikram Batra:
Captain Vikram Batra was an officer of The Indian Army who died while fighting Pakistani troops kargil war in
1999, was awarded India’s highest and most prestigious award “Param Vir Chakra”, for his actions during the
war.
About Delhi:
Chief Minister– Arivind Kejiriwal (AAP)
Lt. Governor– Anil Baijal, IAS
UPSRTC launched ‘Damini’ helpline service for women in Uttar Pradesh

On December 31, 2019 UPSRTC (Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) has
launched ‘Damini’ helpline service considering the safety of the women passengers in Uttar Pradesh (UP). As the
extension of ‘Nirbhaya Yojana’ the unique number “81142-77777” has been subscribed for this helpline, which
was launched by transport minister Ashok Kataria in Lucknow, UP.
i.Using these helpline women passengers can lodge their complaints by calling the helpline number and by using
WhatsApp service.
ii.Women officers from UPSRTC will monitor this service from 9 a.m to 6 p.m everyday. After 6 p.m complaints
can be lodged using general helpline number 1800-180-2877.
iii.On November 2019, web portal and e-Ganna app was launched for the sugarcane farmers by the Chief
Minister of UP.
About Uttar Pradesh:
Chief Minister- Yogi Adityanath
UPSRTC Managing Director- Raj Shekhar
Capital City- Lucknow
Natyasurya Awardee dramatist Ratna Ojha passed away at 88 in Assam

On December 31, 2019, renowned Assamese dramatist, writer and social activist Ratna Ojha passed away in
Guwahati, Assam. He was 88. He took part in an ongoing protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Key Points:
i.He was born on December 5, 1931, in Barpeta district of Assam.
ii.In 1971 he introduced street plays in Assam.
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iii.He also introduced Cartoon Theater in Northeast and produced and directed the documentary film ‘Naam-
ghar’.
iv.For his contribution in the field of theater, he received the prestigious Natyasurya Award in 2005.
Gujarat CM unveiled world’s 2nd tallest statue of Vallabhbhai Patel in Ahmedabad

On January 3, 2020 the Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Vijay Ramniklal Rupani unveiled the world’s 2nd largest
statue of Sardar vallabhbhai Patel at Sardardham campus near Vaishnodevi circle in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This
bronze statue which is 50 feet tall weighing 70,000 kilograms was built at a cost of Rs 3.25 crores. Padma
Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar(Sculptor) who designed the world’s tallest statue has built this world’s
second tallest statue too.
Key Points:
i.The world’s tallest statue known as the ‘statue of unity’ of Sardar Patel was built at Kevadiya in Narmada
district of Central Gujarat. Its height is 182 meters (597 ft) and was built at a cost of Rs 3000 crores.
About Gujarat:
Cultural Capital- Vadodara.
Chief minister- Vijay Rupani.
National Parks (NP)- Gir Forest NP, Blackbuck NP, Marine NP, Vansda NP.
Odisha govt launches India’s 1st e-Gazette portal for all gazette notifications
On January 2, 2020, The State Government of Odisha has launched an online platform called “e-Gazette portal”(
http://egazetteodisha.nic.in), a first-of-its-kind initiative in India designed and developed by the NIC(National
Informatics Centre) for all departments. With this, the Gazette notifications are now available as error-free and
paperless under one platform.
Key Points:
i.The portal was launched by Odisha Chief Secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy as a part of state’s 5T initiatives
(Transparency, Teamwork, Technology, Time and Transformation).
ii.Now, the departments will upload their notifications which will be screened by the Government Press. The
number & date of the gazette will also be there on the portal & for a better and secure authentication, electronic
signature (e-sign) has been introduced.
iii.Since e-publication is covered under Section- 8 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, it will save the
transportation of trucks of papers & reduce wastage.
About Odisha:
Capital– Bhubaneswar, Governor– Ganeshi Lal
Chief Minister– Naveen Patnaik
Sweet– Rasagola
Dance– Odissi
‘Cyber Safe Women’ campaign launched in Maharashtra by state cyber police

On January 3, 2020, Maharashtra cyber police launched ‘Cyber Safe Women’ campaign to mark the birth
anniversary of a social reformer, Savitribai Phule in Maharashtra. It is a joint initiative of the Maharashtra state
government, Maharashtra Cyber and Maharashtra police.
Key Points:
i.The main aim of this initiative is to reduce the cyber crimes against women and children.
ii.This campaign will be launched in 34 districts and 90 places at once across the state.
iii.To create awareness among women and children, cybercrime police will conduct presentations and lectures
across the state.
iv.These cyber crimes include stalking, picture morphing, online abuse and defamation, sextortion, pornography
and child pornography, matrimonial and dating apps fraud.
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About Maharashtra:
‘K-RERA’ launched in Kerala to bring transparency in real estate sector

On January 1, 2020, the Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan launched K-RERA (Kerala Real Estate
Regulatory Authority) to bring confidence and transparency in real estate sectors among the customers.
Key Points:
i.K-RERA will reduce real estate mafia and helps in creating valid relationships among promoter and buyer.
ii.As per the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016, State governments needs to establish RERA for
the effective regulations in real estate sectors.
iii.The buildings with more than eight apartments and real estate projects with 500 sq meters land or more will
have to be registered with RERA.
About Kerala:
Chief Minister- Pinarayi Vijayan
Governor- Arif Mohammad Khan
Capital City- Thiruvananthapuram
State Animal- Indian elephant
State Bird- Great hornbill
State Flower- Golden shower tree
State Tree- Coconut
Telangana govt declared 2020 as AI year and signs 8 MoU

On January 03, 2019 the Telangana Information Technology (IT) minister Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao has
declared 2020 as year of Artificial Intelligence(AI) and has signed 8 Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with
various companies and Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) to make way for technological
advancements in the state. The MoU with IIT-KGP is for setting up centre of excellence in AI and research and
Development Park. Pilot projects of registration and police departments on the occasion was also launched.
Key points:
i.KT Rama Rao also unveiled a poster and a logo to mark the year of AI at a programme in Hyderabad, Telangana
while IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan inaugurated a website for the same.
ii.Some of the companies with which Telangana govt has signed MoU includes Intel, Public Health Foundation of
India (PHFI), Nvidia and Hexagon etc.
iii.New businesses will be given permissions through Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self-
Certification System (TS-iPASS).
About Telangana:
Capital- Hyderabad.
National Parks (NP)- Mrugavani NP, Mahavir Harina Vanasthali NP.
CM Jagan Mohan reddy inaugurates YSR Aarogyasri scheme at Eluru, Andhra Pradesh
On January 3, 2020,In a bid to provide free medical treatment to the poor, The Chief Minister (CM) of Andhra
Pradesh (AP),Yeduguri Sandinti Jaganmohan Reddy has inaugurated “YSR Aarogyasri scheme” at Eluru in
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West Godavari district of AP.

The scheme will be extended to each district of the state from the month April 2020.
Key Points:
i.Eligibility & Treatment amount: The revamped healthcare scheme is aimed at providing free medical
treatment to people having an annual income of up to Rs 5 lakh & those eligible people will also be given
Aarogyasri cards. For this, the state government will distribute 1.42 crores cards with QR (Quick Response)
codes across the state. Free treatment will be provided to the person whose treatment cost is more than Rs
1,000.
ii.Coverage: The flagship scheme will cover 2,059 medical ailments, up from the previous 1059 diseases.
iii.Post-surgery care: Further, each & every eligible patient will be provided with a financial assistance of Rs
225 per day, with a maximum of Rs 5000 per month by Dr YSR Aarogyasri Health Care Trust for post-surgery
care.
iv.Pension: The eligible patient will also be provided with pension ranging from Rs 3,000 – Rs 10,000 based on
the disease.
v.ASHA Workers: Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) ,a community health worker will also deployed for
every 350 houses in the state. In addition to this, the salaries of sanitation employees in hospitals will also be
increased to Rs 16,000 from Rs 8,000.
vi. Ambulances: A total of 1056 ambulances will be purchased by the state by March 2020 & 510 medicines with
WHO (World Health Organization) standards will be made available in government hospitals by April 2020.
About Andhra Pradesh(AP):
Capital– Amaravati.
Governor– Biswabhusan Harichandan.
State animal– Blackbuck.
State bird– rose ringed parakeet.
MP cabinet approves Mukhyamantri karmachari swasthya bima yojana rollout from April 1,2020
On January 5, 2020, Madhya Pradesh (MP) state Cabinet led by its Chief Minister (CM), Kamal Nath has
approved the Mukhya Mantri Karmachari Swasthya Bima Yojana (Chief Minister Employees Health
Insurance Scheme) implementation from April 1, 2020, for the welfare of all 12.55 lakh employees of the state.
Key Points:
i.Benefits of the scheme: Under this, Rs 5 lakh for general illness and 10 lakh for critical illness & Cashless
treatment facility up to Rs 10,000 per annum in OPD (Outpatient Department) will be provided / free medicines
will be distributed.
ii.Beneficiaries: All the current and retired employees of the state will get the benefit of the scheme. These
include government employees, contract workers, teacher cadres, nagar soldiers, employees serving in
autonomous institutions of the state.
This scheme will be optional for employees working in corporations / boards and officers of All India Services
(AIS).
iii.Other approvals:
The government has decided to increase the amount of discretionary funds of the Ministers from 50 lakh to one
crore rupees in the state. Similarly, the annual voluntary grant amount of Ministers of State has been
increased from 35 lakh to 60 lakh.
Along with this, approval has been given to fill 560 posts in Women and Child Development Department(WCD) to
operate 100 % aided ‘One Stop Centre’ Scheme of the Government of India (GoI) in 51 districts of the State.
Under the loan waiver scheme called “Jai Kisan Fasal Rin Maafi Yojana”,the government has so far forgiven the
debt of 21 lakh farmers. Now another list has been prepared. In which loan of 10 lakh farmers will be waived.
About Madhya Pradesh:
Capital– Bhopal
Governor– Lalji Tandon, Flower– White Lily
Dams– Gandhi Sagar Dam, Bansagar Dam, Bargi Dam, Indirasagar Dam.
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CM Jai ram launches Himachal MyGov portal & CM app for HP

On January 6, 2020, Himachal Pradesh (HP) Chief Minister (CM) Jai Ram Thakur has launched the Himachal
MyGov portal – (https://himachal.mygov.in/en) to strengthen public participation in the government system.
He also launched CM App during the occasion in Shimla, HP. Himachal is the 11th state in India to provide this
app.
Key Points:
i.Himachal MyGov portal:
It is a new innovative initiative of a partnership between government and citizens with the help of technology for
the development of India. The portal will help the people of Himachal to take their views, suggestions, feedback
and complaints to the government. The government will consider constructive criticisms and coordinate all
suggestions for the betterment of the state and the country.
ii.CM app:
With this app, citizens of Himachal will be able to get direct and quick information about various policies and
programs of the government. Through the App, the people of the state will be able to write complaints directly to
the Chief Minister. This will prove to be helpful in harmonizing various schemes.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Capital– Shimla (summer capital) and Dharamshala (winter capital).
Governor– Bandaru Dattatreya.
Dams– Bhakra Dam ,Pandoh Dam ,Nathpa Jhakri Dam ,Chamera Dam.
Maharashtra celebrates January 6, 2020, as State’s Journalists’ Day

The Government of Maharashtra celebrates the 6th of January as a state’s Journalists’ Day every year. It was
celebrated in the memory of late thespian journalist Balshastri Jambhekar.
About Balshastri Jambhekar:
i.He was born on January 6, 1812, in the village of Pombhurle in Devgad taluka in the Konkan region of
Maharashtra.
ii.He was known as ‘The Father of Marathi Journalism’, for his efforts in starting journalism in the Marathi
language.
iii.He came out with the first newspaper in the Marathi language named ‘Darpan’ in 1832.
iv.He was the first Indian to have published research papers in the quarterly journal of the Asiatic Society and
was the first person to print Dnyaneshwari in 1845.
About Maharashtra:
State Flower- Jarul Flower
Static Gk:
National Journalism Day- 17th November.
World Press Freedom Day- 3rd May.
Uttar Pradesh government announced to build a 121-acre zoo named after Ashfaqullah Khan
On January 8,2020 The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved a proposal to set aside Rs.234 crore for a zoological
garden spread across 121 acres in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh to be named after the freedom fighter and
revolutionary Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan.
Key Points:
i.AIM: To attract tourists and to increase employment opportunities.
ii.The purpose of the zoological garden is conservation of the wildlife.
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iii.Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan zoological garden was proposed in 2008-2009.

iv.At present there are two zoological gardens in Uttar Pradesh namley, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Garden
in Lucknow and Kanpur Zoological Park in Kanpur.
Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan:
i.Ashfaqullah Khan was born on October 22,1900 in Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
ii.Khan acquainted with Ram Prasad Bismil and found the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA)
with the aim of winning freedom for the country.
Static:
Capital- Lucknow.
Chief Minister- Yogi Adityanath.
Governor- Anandiben Patel.
AP CM launches Rs 6,318 cr ‘Jagananna Amma Vodi’ scheme for indigent mothers

On January 9,2020 Andhra Pradesh (AP) Chief Minister(CM) Yeduguri Sandinti Jaganmohan Reddy launched his
government’s flagship programme ‘Jagananna
Amma Vodi’ scheme in Chittoor, AP. The
scheme is to support lakhs of poor and needy
mothers to educate their children.
Amma Vodi scheme:
i.Rs.6318 crore has been released for the benefit
of around 43 lakh mothers, under the scheme to
educate their 82 lakh children around 70 kms in
the state this year.
ii.An annual financial assistance to the tune of
Rs.15,000 credited into the accounts of indigent
mothers to educate their children.
iii.The Jagananna Amma Vodi scheme is a first of its kind in the country to bring about historical changes in the
education system of the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Key Points:
i.The Government(govt.) determined to revamp the infrastructure in the govt. educational institutions
ii.As a part with an annual allocated budget of Rs.14,000 crore, it would take-up modernization works in 45,000
government schools, 471 junior colleges, 148 degree colleges and hostels in a phased manner.
iii.An amount of Rs.360 crore are alloted for mid day meal scheme in government schools to enhance the quality
of food with modification daily.
iv.Chief Minister (CM) also declared free reimbursement to all SC,ST,BC,EBC,Kapu,differently abled,minority and
economically poor students for pursuing degree,post graduation,polytechnic and engineering courses in the
state.
Static about Andhra Pradesh:
Capital- Amaravati.
Chief Minister- Yeduguri Sandinti Jaganmohan Reddy.
Governor- Biswabhusan Harichandan.
State Bird- Indian roller.
State Animal- Blackbuck.
State tree- Neem tree.
Arunachal Pradesh adopts new logo for the state

On January 9, 2020 Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (ARLA) adopted a new logo which will reflect
the distinct identity and culture of the state.
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Key Points:
The new logo consists of the National Emblem to signify the federal system of the Indian Constitution and
the flower foxtail orchid (Rhynchostylis retusa)
which represents the state, its people and culture,
while the blue colour denotes the autonomy of the
assembly secretariat.
State Animal- Gayal
TN’s Fishery and Music universities named after the late CM J Jayalalithaa
On January 9, 2020 Tamil Nadu (TN) Assembly passed the Bills to rename ‘Tamil Nadu Fisheries University’ and
‘Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University’, after the late Chief Minister and AIADMK leader Jayaram
Jayalalithaa as ‘Tamil Nadu Dr.J.Jayalalithaa Fisheries University (TNJFU)’ and ‘Tamil Nadu Dr.
J.Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University (TNMFAU)’ respectively.
About J Jayalalithaa:
i.She was Born on 24 February 1948 at Melkote in Mandya district in Karnataka.
ii.She started her career as an actress and acted 140 films in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada languages
iii.She had entered into politics in 1982 and became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the first time in 1991.
iv.She served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for six times.
v.She had launched several welfare schemes like Amma Unavagam (canteen), Amma Water in Tamil Nadu.
About Tamil Nadu:
Capital– Chennai
State flower– Flame lily (Gloriosa superba)
State Bird– Common emerald dove
State Tree– Asian palmyra palm
tate Animal– Nilgiri tahr
15 new investment proposals worth Rs 6608 cr approved in Tamil Nadu

On January 14,2020 In Tamil Nadu, fifteen new investment proposals worth Rs 6608 crore have been
approved, which will generate 6763 direct employment. They have been cleared by the higher-level committee
on industrial guidance and single window system, led by the state chief-minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy.
Key Points:
i.The meeting held at Fort St.George in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and considered several new investment proposals
and pending clearance were submitted through single window system.
ii.Many of the Industries are coming up in districts like Tuticorin, Trichy, Perambalur, Krishnagiri and Vellore
besides the traditional industrial hubs of Chennai’s adjoining districts of Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur.
About Tamil Nadu:
Capital- Chennai.
Chief Minister- Edappadi k.Palanisamy.
Governor- Banwarilal Purohit.
State Bird- Emerald Dove.
State Animal- Nilgiri tahr.
State Tree- Palm Tree.
State Flower- Gloriosa Lily.
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Kerala announces sports awards, Muhammad Anas wins GV Raja award

On 16 January 2020, Kerala Sports Minister EP Jayarajan Nambiar announced the sports award instituted by
Kerala State Sports Council. Indian Sprinter Mohammad Anas won GV Raja(Lt.Col. P. R. Godavarma Raja) award
(Male) for athletics. GV Raja award is awarded yearly for excellence in Sports.
Key Points:
i.Anas has won silver for India in the 400-
meter race at Jakarta Asian games.
ii.In female category Puthenpurayil
Chandrika Thulasi, Pallakad won the GV Raja
award which carries prize money of Rs 3 lakh
and a citation.
iii.PC thulasi won bronze for India in the Asian
games and performed well in other
international badminton tournaments.
iv.T P Ouseph,athletics coach selected for
Olympian Suresh Babu lifetime achievement award which carries a prize of Rs 2 lakh and a citation.
v.Satheevan Balan won the award for the best sports trainer by the Kerala State Sports Council.
vi.The awards was instituted by the Kerala State Sports Council in 2018.
About Kerala:
Capital- Thiruvananthapuram
State Tree- Coconut
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launches a 10-point shorter election manifesto “Kejriwal Ka Guarantee Card”
On January 19, 2020, Delhi Chief Minister (CM) and AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) national convenor Arvind
Kejriwal has launched the “Kejriwal Ka Guarantee Card”, a 10-point shorter election manifesto of the party,
ahead of Delhi Assembly elections 2020 to be held on Feb 8, 2020. The detailed manifesto will be released after
January 26, 2020.
List of 10 “guarantees” assured by Delhi CM is as follows:
• 24 hours of electricity will continue – 200 units of free electricity for all people will continue, Delhi
will be freed from the mess of high-tension wires
• Delhi people will be provided 24-hour pure piped drinking water to each house in the next 5 years
and the scheme of providing 20,000 liters of free water will continue.
• Every child born in Delhi can access a world-class education facility till graduation – whether it is a
private school / a government school child.
• The Guarantee Card also promised better health facilities for all people.
• Delhi government to implement traffic control at the international level – Delhi Metro’s network will
be built & more than 11,000 buses and 500-kilometer Metro stretch in the city, security of women will
also be arranged, free bus travel for women will continue for the next 5 years, students will also be
given free travel.
• The party will make effort to reduce pollution – more than 2 crore trees will be planted &Yamuna will
also be freed from pollution, at the end of 5 years.
• Delhi will be garbage-free , street, drain and paths are free from garbage.
• For security of women , one and a half million cameras &one and a half lakh street lights will be
installed, Mohalla Marshals will be deployed in buses.
• Road , water, drain, mohalla clinic will be built in Kutchi Colony Where slum dwellers will build
houses
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• The party will give ‘pucca’ houses to people living in slums under the ‘Jahan Jhuggi Wahin Makan’
scheme.
About Delhi:
Official animal– Nilgai
Official bird– House sparrow
Uttar Pradesh government implements ‘Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Kalyan Yojana’ for the state’s
farmers
On January 21, 2020, Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has implemented ‘Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna
Kalyan Yojana’ (earlier ‘Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Bima Yojana’) for the farmers in the state w.e.f. 14th
September 2019. The assistance of Rs 5 lakh will be provided to the farmers’ family in case of a farmer’s death
and Rs 2 lakh if a farmer becomes 60% handicapped or more, while working in fields. The age limit of the
scheme is between 18 to 70 years. This scheme is fully funded by the government of UP. The scheme will also be
applicable for Bataidars, the farmers who work in the field of other persons, and share the crop after it is
harvested.
Key Points:
i.Within 45 days, the beneficiaries will receive the amount under this scheme. UP government will launch a web
portal for this scheme for its easy access.
ii. The amount will be adjusted for the person who is already receiving benefits from Pradhan Mantri Jeevan
Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana or any other schemes which are provided by the
government.
iii. Apart from this scheme, UP govt will also implement Mukhyamantri Paryatan Samvardhan Yojana to
boost tourism in the state. One tourist point will be developed with a fund of 50 lakh rupees in each and every
assembly segment of the state.
Capital city- Lucknow
State Animal- Swamp Deer
State Bird- Sarus Crane
State Tree- Ashoka tree
State Flower- Palash
Srinagar declared Open Defecation Free

On January 21,2020 Mayor of Srinagar Junai Azim Mattu announced that the Srinagar has joined the list of ‘Open
Defecation Free (ODF)’ cities.
Swachata certificate: Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir received its Swachata certificate from Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Central Government.
Achievement of Srinagar: Srinagar receives 45th Rank in Cleanest cities in the country.
About Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUa):
Formed- 1952.
Minister- Hardeep Singh Puri, MoS (Minister of State) independent charge.
Reading preamble of constitution made mandatory in schools of Madhya Pradesh

On January 26, 2020 the govt of Madhya Pradesh has made it mandatory for schools to read the preamble of
the constitution every Saturday under the name sovereignty of constitution. This has been done to make the
students understand the basic principles of justice, equality, liberty & brotherhood. The order has been issued by
the department of school education of Madhya Pradesh.
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Key Points:
Earlier Maharashtra govt made the reading of the constitution’s preamble mandatory in all primary and
secondary schools.
Governor- Lalji Tandon
Capital- Bhopal
Chief minister- Kamal Nath.
National Parks(NP)- Bandhavgarh NP, Kanha NP, Panna NP, Pench NP.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated India’s 1st Super Fab Lab

On January 25, 2020 the Chief Minister(CM) of Kerala Shri Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated India’s 1st Super Fab
Lab facility at the Integrated Startup Complex of the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM). The lab which will function
in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States(US), will work in enhancing
the hardware industry. It is the only such facility outside the United States(US).
Key Points:
i.The concept for the Super Fab Lab was by Dr. Neil Gershenfeld, Director of MIT Centre for Bits and Atoms. He
set up the 1st Fab Lab in the U.S. 17 years ago.
ii.The inauguration of the lab was done through remote control from Palakkad,Kerala where the CM attended a
function at the Government Polytechnic College.
About Kerala:
Chief Minister- Shri Pinarayi Vijayan.
Nickname(s)- God’s Own Country, Spice Garden of India, Land of Coconuts.
Dams- Idukki Dam, Malampuzha dam, Parambikulam dam, Neyyar dam.
Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra govt launched ‘Shiv Bhojan’ scheme

On January 26, 2020, The Shiv Sena party led Maharashtra Government (govt) launched ‘Shiv Bhojan’ scheme,
with the aim of providing a meal to the poor for Rs.10 on the occasion of the 71st Republic Day. The district
guardian Minister Aslam Shaikh inaugurated the “Shiv Bhojan Thali” canteen at the civic-run Nair Hospital,
Mumbai, Maharashtra. Aaditya Uddhav Thackeray, Tourism Minister, and Mumbai suburban district Guardian
Minister inaugurated similar center at the Collector’s Office in Bandra, Maharashtra.
Goal of the scheme: To provide affordable & quality food to all, irrespective of caste, creed, religion and financial
status.
Key Points:
i.The State Govt. is expected to incur an expense of Rs.6.4 crore for the pilot ‘Shiv Bhojan’ thali project that will
run for 3 months & will expand the number of such canteens based on feedback.
ii.Initially, 50 ‘Shiv Bhojan’ canteen started at district headquarters will function at the place where poor people
work or live at markets, district hospitals, bus stations, railway stations and govt. offices.
iii.The thalis(plates) would be available for people between 12 noon and 2pm that each canteen will serve at
least 500 thalis per day.
iv.Launching of the scheme was one of the poll promises made by Shiv Sena, which shares power with NCP
(Nationalist Congress Party) and Congress party in an alliance govt.
About Maharashtra:
Capital- Mumbai.
Chief Minister (CM)- Uddhav Bal Thackeray.
Governor- Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
Deputy Chief Minister (DCM)- Ajit Anantrao Pawar.
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Andhra Pradesh cabinet approves proposal to abolish legislative council

On January 27, 2020, The Andhra Pradesh (AP) cabinet chaired by the chief minister (CM) Yeduguri Sandinti
Jaganmohan Reddy has approved the abolition of the legislative council which the government feels is a
major hurdle for passing crucial bills.
Key Points:
i.This approval came after AP government failed to pass 2 important bills (Andhra Pradesh Decentralization and
Inclusive development of All Regions Bill-2020 for the tri-capital system & and the AP Capital Region
Development Authority (CRDA) Act (Repeal) Bill) in the upper house of the legislature.
ii.The bills states the government’s plan of having 3 different capitals for the state- Legislative, Visakhapatnam as
the executive capital, Amaravati as the legislative capital and Kurnool as the judicial capital.
About Legislative Council:
The Legislative Council is the upper house in the state legislature. Similar to the Rajya Sabha, the council is a
permanent house, which means that it cannot be dissolved. Only the state legislative assembly can be dissolved.
AP’s Legislative Council has a total of 58 members and opposite Chandrababu Naidu’s party has a majority with
28 members.
The State Government of Assam was the 1st to abolish its state legislative council in 1947.
Capital– Amaravati
Chief Minister– Jagan Mohan Reddy
Governor– Biswabhushan Harichandan
National Parks– Sri Venkateswara National Park ,Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Papikonda National Park.
State Tree– Neem tree
State Flower– Water lilies
GeM signed MoU with UP for GOTT Project Management Unit

On January 27, 2020, The Government eMarketplace (GeM) under the Department of Commerce of the Ministry
of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the Uttar
Pradesh(UP) govt to set up a GeM Organizational Transformation Team (GOTT) Project Management
Unit (PMU) in the state. It is also to be noted that UP is the second state after Punjab to establish GOTT-PMU.
Aim: The aim of the MoU is to make the procurement guidelines easier and also to make procurement processes
more enhanced for MSMEs (Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) in UP to transact on GeM.
Key Points:
i.MoU signing: The MoU was signed by GeM’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Talleen Kumar and Principal
Secretary of the Department of MSME and Export Promotion, Navneet Sehgal in presence of cabinet minister
Siddarth Nath Singh and Minister of State(MoS), of UP govt. Shri UdayBhan Singh.
ii.GOTT functions: The buyer agency will be assisted to redesign the procurement processes and make
maximum benefit from the online marketplace.
iii. Previously, among the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) the Steel Authority of India ltd (SAIL) signed
MoU for setting up PMU.
Capital- Lucknow.
Chief minister- Yogi Adityanath.
Governor- Anandiben Patel.
Wild Life Sanctuaries(WLS)- Hastinapur WLS, Mahavir Swami WLS, Chandraprabha WLS.
Flipkart signs MoU with GSHHDC to promote artisans and craftsmen

On January 28,2020, Flipkart Private Limited, an Indian e-commerce company, has entered into an MoU
(memorandum of understanding) with the Gujarat State Handloom and Handicrafts Development
Corporation Ltd (GSHHDC) for the promotion of local handicrafts by bringing on board thousands of artisans,
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weavers and craftsmen.

The agreement is a part of Flipkart’s “Samarth” initiative & was signed in the presence of Gujarat chief minister
(CM) Vijay Ramniklal Rupani at an event held in Rajkot, Gujarat.
Key Points:
i.The MoU will enable both the sides to work together to enhance business and trade inclusion.
ii.Under this agreement, Flipkart will provide training and incubation support to eligible sellers under GSHHDC
in the form of on-boarding, business insights, dedicated seller support and warehousing.
iii.It will also enable handloom and handicraft artisans living in remote areas of Gujarat to access Flipkart’s
platform to expand their market outreach & they will also get better knowledge about developments in designs,
colour patterns and selling techniques from the platform.
iv.In July 2019, Flipkart Group launched ‘Samarth’ to support weavers, artisans, and makers of handicrafts to its
platform.
About Flipkart:
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
Founded– October 2007
CEO– Kalyan Krishnamurthy,
About Gujarat State Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd (GSHHDC):
Formation– 1973
Headquarters– Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Managing Director (MD)- Mahesh Singh
Delhi airport gets a new women-only cab service namely “Women with Wheels”
‘Women with Wheels’ cab service has been started at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), New Delhi by
‘Sakha cabs’ for the safety of women.
Key Points:
i.The taxis are operated by women drivers and the services are provided only to women or men with family.
ii.The cab had been installed with GPS(Global Positioning System) and panic button to help the women drivers &
women passengers.
iii.Sakha Consulting wings also provide women cab service in Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Jaipur (Rajasthan), and
Kolkata (West Bengal). All the women drivers have been trained by Azad foundation, partner of Sakha Consulting
Wings Pvt Ltd.
About Sakha Consulting Wings Pvt Ltd.
Partner– Azad Foundation, Samaan Society
Initiated– 2008
CEO– Arvind Vadera
Women on Wheels Founder – Meenu Vadera
CM Palaniswamy announced Direct CTO scheme for green industries in Chennai, TN

On January 30,2020 Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister (CM) Shri Edappadi K Palaniswami, announced a new
scheme , ‘Direct Consent to operate (CTO) scheme for green industries’ to get faster clearances from
government for green category industries. The scheme was announced at the 125th year celebrations of the
Confederation of the Indian Industry (CII) held in Chennai, TN.
Key Points:
i.Scheme feature: Under this new scheme the green industries need to obtain permission for establishment
purpose & need not wait for final approvals for starting construction work. The scheme would benefit upto 63
types of green industries.
ii.Other announcement: Mr Palaniswami also announced an initiative for land use reclassification in non-plan
areas where the approval will be given within 50 days. Previously the approval was done between 6 months to 2
years.
iii.The CII’s role during global investors meeting 2019 was highlighted in which 63 new Memoranda of
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Understandings (MoU) worth Rs.19,000 crore were signed by the Government. Through this initiative 83,000
new jobs are expected to be created in the State.
iv.Members present: Tamil Nadu Governor Shri Banwarilal Purohit, Shobana Kamineni, past president, CII &
executive vice chairman of Apollo Hospital and other officials were present on the occasion.
About TamilNadu:
Founded- November 1, 1956.
Districts- 37.
State Animal- Nilgiri Tahr.
State Dance- Bharatanatyam.
State Sport- Kabaddi.
State Tree- Palm tree.
CM Naveen Patnaik launches Odisha Police’s transformational projects including state’s 1st virtual police
station
On January 28, 2020, The Chief Minister (CM) of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated the
state’s 1st virtual police station at State Crime Record Bureau in Bhubaneswar, which will facilitate online
registration of FIR (first information report) in unknown motor vehicle theft cases. If a case remains undetected
for 21 days, the final form will be automatically reflected at the Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and
Systems (CCTNS).
Key Points:
i.The CM also launched the Road Accident Case Documents Module and Medico-Legal Opinion System that
aimed to reduce human interface with government offices.
ii.The Road accident case module can be accessed from the website www.imsop.odisha.gov.in. & Medico-Legal
System will help both the police and medical professionals,where the police can submit requisitions online for
medical examination of victims & doctors will upload their medical examination reports online.
iii.These initiatives were launched as a part of state’s 5T initiatives (Transparency, Teamwork, Technology, Time
and Transformation).
About Odisha:
Capital– Bhubaneswar
Governor– Ganeshi Lal
Sweet– Rasagola
Dance– Odissi
GOVT SCHEMES
Centre sets up 7-member GoM led by Rajnath singh to review crop insurance scheme-PMFBY
On December 28, 2019, The central Government has formed a 7-member group of ministers (GoM) headed
by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to review the crop insurance scheme ,“Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima
Yojana (PMFBY)” & make suggestions to improve it according to the needs of the farmers.
Key Points:
i.7-member panel: The group also includes Home Minister (HM) Amit Shah and Agriculture Minister Narendra
Singh Tomar and Minister of State for Agriculture, Finance, Tribal Affairs and Animal Husbandry.
ii.Background:This move comes after the concerns over growing dissent among farmers about the Scheme,
dropping out of 4 insurance companies (ICICI Lombard, Tata AIG, Cholamandalam MS, and Shriram General
Insurance). States like Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh(AP) have also distanced themselves from the
scheme.
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iii.Concerns: The states say that the insurance companies benefited more from the farmers than the Crop
Insurance Scheme. Some more states like Odisha, Karnataka & Gujarat have also expressed their desire to start
their own scheme.The rationale of these states is that farmers are not being compensated according to the
premium paid.
iv.Reforms sought: For a long time there has been a demand that crop insurance for farmers should be
voluntary & high premium crops should be excluded from this scheme. Apart from this, every state should have
the right to include crop insurance products according to the needs of the farmers of their state.
About Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY):
The scheme was launched on 14th January 2016. The objective of this scheme is to provide financial support to
farmers suffering from crop loss or damage due to an unforeseen event.
Under this scheme, the government provides crop insurance to the farmers and they have to pay a premium of
1.5%, 2% and 5% for rabi, Kharif and horticulture crops respectively.
171 hospitals de-empanelled & Rs 4.5 cr fine imposed for fraud under Ayushman Bharat scheme
On January 03, 2020 the National Health Authority(NHA) which is the apex body regulating and implementing
Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB- PMJAY)
has de-empanelled a total of 171 hospitals and also imposed penalty of Rs 4.5 crore on hospitals for
committing fraud and indulging in malpractices under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme.
National Health Authority’s findings on misuse of e-cards:
i.6 hospitals in Uttarakhand and Jharkhand have been lodged and FIR (First Information Report).
ii.Violations detected by NAFU: The National Anti-Fraud Unit (NAFU) that is responsible for conducting regular
medical audits to check any medical
violations under the Ab-PMJAY scheme,
detected suspect e-cards on the basis of
algorithms developed internally by it and
shared with states for due diligence and
action.
iii.Fake card generation: A fake e-card
cannot be generated as the process
requires a go-ahead by authorised
persons based on supporting documents
and also needs final approval of the state
health agency officials. These procedures are required not only to create an e-card but also to add any additional
family members.
iv.Card misuse by hospitals: The PMJAY health insurance cover provides health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family
and not just Rs 5 lakh per e-card. There is no package under the scheme which is free for government. But there
are reserved packages reserved by the govt. hospitals such as abuse-prone packages.
• It was detected by NAFU that several private hospitals performed these govt. reserved procedures
and blocking/submitting the same under a different package name or as unspecified package.
Ayushman Bharat scheme- PMJAY:
• PM-JAY is the world’s largest health insurance scheme fully financed by the government. The scheme
was launched in 2018 under the aegis of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in India
aimed at making necessary interventions in primary, secondary and tertiary health-care systems.
• It is also known as National Health Protection Scheme.
• Health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care
hospitalization to over 10.74 crores poor and vulnerable families will be provided under the scheme.
About National Health Authority:
Fact- National Health Authority is the successor of National Health Agency, which was functioning as a registered
society since 23rd May, 2018. It was reconstituted as National Health Authority on 2nd January 2019.
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Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Dr. Indu Bhushan (ceo of AB-PMJAY)

Deputy CEO- Dr Praveen Gedam (Deputy CEO of AB-PMJAY)
Eight Crore farmer families benefited under PM Kisan Scheme

On January 8,2020 Nearly eight crore farmer families have benefited under PM Kisan (Pradhan Mantri Kisan
Samman Nidhi) scheme. The scheme was launched on 24 February 2019 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Key Points:
i.Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry reported more than 48 thousand 937 crore rupees has been
released under the scheme till date.
ii.A new facility has been provided on PM-KISAN Web Portal- www.pmkisan.gov.in through Farmers Corner link
for self-registration and edit his or her name in PM-Kisan database as per Aadhar card.
iii.The common service centre(CSC) helps farmers for self-registration and data correction.
iv.Under this scheme an income of Rs.6000 per year in three equal installments of Rs.2000 is provided to small
and regional farmers.
About Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry:
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare- Shri Narendra Singh Tomar.
Minister of State- Shri Parshottam Rupala,Shri kailash Choudhary.
‘Yashaswini scheme’ was launched by the Union Minister Smriti Irani in Goa
On January 11, 2020 Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Textiles, Smriti Zubin
Irani launched Yashaswini scheme for Women entrepreneurship at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium in
Taleigao town near Panaji district of Goa. Swasthya Sakhi Project and breast cancer screening initiative were
also inaugurated on the occasion.
Yashaswini Scheme:
i.Under this scheme, interest free loans up to Rs. 5 lakhs with a tenure of 5 years will be given to women self-
help groups by the state government of Goa.
ii.The loan amount will be paid in four installments and repayment of the loan starts from the second year.
iii.Adarsha Satari Mahila Mandal Guleli in Sattari district of North-Goa, Umang Self-Help Group, Salcete region of
South-Goa, Phoenix Women’s Wing Self-Help Group Valpoi in Sattari district of North-Goa were given loans
under Yashaswini scheme.
Breast Cancer screening initiative:
Under this initiative, women will be screened for breast cancer by the healthcare workers of the state by which
healthcare services will be reached out in rural areas of the state. Nearly 20,000 women in the state will be
screened under this initiative.
Swasthya Sakhi Project:
i.Under this Project a diagnostic kit is given to the healthcare workers which helps them to conduct basic
diagnostic tests for People in the state at their doorsteps.
ii.The diagnostic kit is developed by the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI)along with Procter and
Gamble to manufacture and supply the kits using corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund.
iii.It contains an interface unit, a tablet and the peripheral bag which contains necessary equipment to test blood
pressure, blood sugar, blood haemoglobin and heart rate.
About Goa:
Chief Minister- Pramod Sawant
Governor- Satya Pal Malik
State Animal- Gaur
State Bird- Yellow throated bulbul
State Tree- Terminalia elliptica
State Flower- Jasmine
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National draft policy on Rare Disease: Govt to provide Rs 15 lakh under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi scheme
On January 14, 2020 the govt has released the National draft policy on Rare Disease in which financial support
of Rs. 15 lakh will be provided under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi scheme for one-time treatment of rare
diseases.
Rare Disease Policy draft:
i.Beneficiaries: The scheme benefit is limited to people below Poverty Line (BPL) and also 40% of the
population eligible as per Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana(AB-PMJAY) norms for treatment
in government tertiary hospitals only.
ii.Centers of Excellence Institutes: Certain medical institutes will also be notified by the Union Ministry of
Health (MoH) as Centers of Excellence for Rare Diseases. These institutes include
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS)- New Delhi; Maulana Azad Medical College(MAMC), New
Delhi; Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences(SGPGIMS), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh;
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research(PGIMER), Chandigarh and 4 more
institutes.
• Cost of treatment: The patients cost of treatment will be met out by these Centers of Excellence by
donations received through the online digital platform. For this, govt will set up the platform for
voluntary individual and corporate donors to contribute to the treatment cost.
• Suggestions on the policy: The health ministry has put up about the draft policy in its site and is also
open to suggestions by February 10, 2020.
iii.National Registry for Rare Diseases: Govt plans to set up National Registry for Rare Diseases at Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to create a database of various rare diseases. This has been decided
keeping in view lack of availability of data on rare diseases, resource constraints etc.
Rs.80lakh to be paid to AIIMS:
Recently on January 16, 2020 the Delhi High Court(HC) has issued notice to Health ministry to release pending
payment of upto Rs 80 lakh to AIIMS accrued over 13 months for rare disease treatment for the patients.
Rare diseases:
i.Group 1 diseases: They are categorised under group 1 and will be funded under the scheme. The disease
includes Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs), immune deficiency disorders, chronic granulomatous disease,
osteopetrosis, Fabry’s disease and liver or kidney transplant.
• Diseases having Constraints under the scheme: Resource constraints were cited in the policy to
certain diseases like Gaucher’s disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Hurler Syndrome and Wolman
disease as they require lifelong treatment.
ii.Most commonly reported diseases: These include Haemophilia, Thalassemia, Sickle-cell Anaemia and
Primary Immuno Deficiency in children, auto-immune diseases, Lysosomal storage disorders etc
iii.Current cost of rase disease treatment: It has been estimated that for a child weighing 10 kg, the annual
cost of treatment for any rare diseases varies from Rs 10 lakh to above 1 crore per annum. The drug dose and
cost also increases with age.
• About 450 diseases have been recorded in India from tertiary care hospitals that are globally
considered as rare diseases
National Policy for Treatment of Rare Diseases (NPTRD):
Previously the health ministry formulated the National Policy for Treatment of Rare Diseases (NPTRD) in July,
2017. When this policy was introduced, there prevailed lack of clarity regarding the cost effectiveness, share of
expenditure between centre and states etc. Hence the policy was decided to be reframed & the ministry
constituted an expert committee in November 2018 to review it.
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MOHFW):
Founded- 1976.
Union minister- Dr.Harsh Vardhan. (Constituency- Chandndi Chowk, Delhi)
Minister of State(MoS)- Ashwini Kumar Choubey.
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‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ scheme will be implemented by June 1, 2020: Union Minister Ram Vilas
Paswan
On January 20, 2020 ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ scheme will be implemented by June 1, 2020 across the
country. The announcement was made by the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram
Vilas Paswan.
Key Points:
i.This scheme has been preponed from its
original date of June 30, 2020 to June 1,
2020.
ii.As of January 1, 2020 the scheme is
operational in 12 states across the
country which includes Madhya Pradesh,
Goa, Tripura, Jharkhand, Karnataka,
Rajasthan, Kerala, Haryana, Andhra
Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana.
iii.Under this scheme, the beneficiaries
will be able to avail their entitled food
grain under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) from any Fair Price Shop located across India.
iv.The beneficiaries will be identified and verified through Aadhaar authentication at the Fair Price Shops on the
electronic point of sale (e-POS) devices.
v.Currently NFSA covers nearly 81.34 Crore people across the country, who are now able to take advantage of
One Nation One Ration Card Scheme.
70,000 crore rupees has disbursed till January 13, 2020 under MSME loan scheme: Ministry of Finance
Under the scheme of providing loan to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME’s) within 59 minutes nearly
70,000 crore rupees has been disbursed till January 13, 2020. The report was given by the Ministry of Finance
(MOF).
Key Points:
i.Loan was given to 2.19 lakh applications out of 2.73 lakh applications.
ii.The government has introduced loan provision to MSMEs through a dedicated online
portal- www.psbloansin59minutes.com.
iii.This portal acts as a single interface portal which facilitates in principal approval of bank loans to Micro Small
and Medium Enterprises upto five crore rupees within 59 minutes.
About PMMY:
On April 8, 2015, Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra
Modi , for providing loans up to 10 lakh to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises. Micro Units
Development and Refinance Agency Bank (MUDRA) is set up under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana
scheme. The types of Loan provided under MUDRA are Shishu covers the loan
amount upto Rs.50,000 and Kishor covers the loan amount above Rs.50,000 and upto Rs.5
lakh and Tarun covers the loan amount above Rs.5 lakh and upto Rs.10 lakh.
About Ministry of Finance:
Founded- October 29, 1946
Minister- Nirmala Sitharaman
MGNREGA scheme faces fund crunch as 96% funds been spent

On January 26, 2020, as per Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme’s
financial statement, the govt is on the verge of running out of funds for the MGNREGA scheme. It has been
announced that more than 96% of the allocated money to the fund has been spent and is still needed to pay the
pending dues. Less than Rs. 2500 crore is left to sustain the scheme for the next two months.
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Key Points:
i.15 states currently have negative net balance. Out of them Rajasthan has the highest negative net balance of
Rs 640 crore followed by Uttar Pradesh with Rs.323 crores.
ii.Budget allocation: This year’s budget allocation was Rs 60,000 crore. This is lower than the amount spent in
the previous year.
Under PMAY-G, centre aims to achieve objective of housing for all by 2022
On January 30, 2020, The Central Government has aimed to achieve objective of Housing for all by
2022 (which coincides with 75 years of Indian independence) under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Grameen
(PMAY-G) scheme.
Key Points:
i.For the past 5 years, more than one crore 50 lakh rural houses have been sanctioned & completed by the
government.
ii.Under the 2nd phase of the scheme ,the eligible people will get one crore 95 lakh houses. Government has set a
target of 60 lakh houses for the current financial year-FY 20.
About Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)– Housing For all scheme:
It is an initiative by the Government of India in which affordable housing will be provided to the urban poor with
a target of building 20 million affordable houses by 31 March 2022.
It has 2 components:
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) (PMAY-U) for the urban poor. It is run by Ministry of Housing and Urban
Poverty Alleviation. and
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) (PMAY-G or PMAY-R) for the rural poor. It is run by Ministry of Rural
Development.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Pacific Island Nation Palau becomes first nation in the world to ban ‘reef-toxic’ sun cream
Palau has become the first nation to ban sun cream which damages the coral reefs, sea life and are toxic to
juvenile wildlife species. It is the Pacific Island country in the Western Pacific Ocean near Philippines.
KeyPoints:
i.The sun cream consists of oxybenzone and octinoxate absorbs UV (UltraViolet) rays which causes water more
acidic, makes corals susceptible to bleaching and agitating fish stocks.
ii.Following Palau, Hawaii bans sun cream comes into effect from 2021.
Static:
Palau- The second nation to sign Paris Climate Agreement after Fiji.
Palau Capitals- Ngerulmud, Melekeok.
Tommy Remengesau- Palau’s President.
Currency- United States Dollar.
Rock Island, Palau- World Heritage Site by UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organization) in 2012.
UNICEF:2019 concluded as deadly decade for children in conflict; >1.7lac grave violations verified
On December 29, 2019 the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) also known as the
United Nations Children’s Fund established announced that more than 1,70,000 grave violations against
children in conflict were verified which is the equivalent of more than 45 violations a day for the last 10 years.
General data:
i.The countries experiencing conflict is the highest since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
in 1989.
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ii.2018 data by UN: The United Nations (UN) in 2018 verified more than 24,000 grave violations against
children. The 6 grave violations identified by UN include killing & maiming, sexual violence, abductions, denial of
humanitarian access, child recruitment by armed forces and armed groups,attacks against schools or hospitals.
This count was more than 2.5 times higher
than that recorded in 2010.
• 12,000 children were killed or
maimed(injured) in 2018.
iii.2019 data by UN: During the 1st half of
2019 more than 10,000 violations against
children were verified.
iv.2019 violence & attacks on
children: Some of the major violent activities
and attacks on children in 2019 are as
follows:
• Violence, displacement and harsh winter conditions in northern and eastern Syria that killed at least
32 children, ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),reports of children
killed and injured in an escalation of violence in Rakhine State in Myanmar.
• In November 2019, UNICEF stated that 3 years of violence and instability in the North-West and
South-West regions of Cameroon have left more than 8.55lakh children out of school and displaced
59,000 adolescents. Click here to know more.
About United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF):
Formation- 11 December 1946.
Headquarters- New York City, USA(United States of America).
India and Pakistan exchanged list of Nuclear Installations in their countries

On January 01, 2020 India and Pakistan exchanged lists of nuclear installations. The 2 countries have agreed to
not be targeted incase of hostilities in continuation of the 3 decade old tradition. The exchanges were shared
through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad (Pakistan).The other events in brief are
as follows:
Data shared by India and Pakistan:
i.Nuclear installation list:
Pact: The nuclear installation exchange was done under the terms of the under the agreement on prohibition of
attack against nuclear installations between India and Pakistan that came into force on January 27, 1991.
• Under the agreement, nuclear installations list will be shared every year on January 1st.
ii.Data of both country nationals in prison shared: India and Pakistan have also shared lists of their nationals
held in prisons in other country. India also seeks for early release of its civilian prisoners, missing defence
personnel and fishermen.
• Pact: The information is exchanged under the Agreement on Consular Access pact signed in May
2008.
• The exchange of “comprehensive lists” of detainees will be shared on 1 January and 1 July every year.
iii.Prisoners data:
• Pakistani prisoners: A list of 267 Pakistani civilians and 99 fishermen in Indian prisons were handed
over by India.
• Indian prisoners: Pakistan handed over list of 55 Indian or believed to be civilians and 227
fishermen in custody.
• Meanwhile India has also urged Pakistan to take necessary action to confirm nationality status of 82
Pakistani prisoners in India.
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About Pakistan:
Capital- Islamabad.
Largest city- Karachi.
Currency- Pakistani rupee.
President- Arif-ur-Rehman Alvi.
Prime Minister- Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi.
Top Iran general Qassem Soleimani killed at Baghdad airport in US airstrikes

On January 03, 2020 Iran’s most powerful military commander,General Qassem Soleimani, who was the head
(since 1998) of the Quds Force, a unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in
an American drone airstrike at Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. The airstrike was conducted by the order
of United States(US) President Donald Trump.Soleimani was seen as the 2nd most powerful person in Iran after
Iran’s supreme leader Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei.
New Iran Military general:
An Iranian general Esmail Ghaani replaced
Qassem Soleimani as the next military
commander of Iran. After taking over the
position, he also called for the expulsion of all
American troops from Iraqi soil.
US airstrike at Baghdad International
Airport:
i.Iraqi commander killed: Apart from
Soleimani, at least seven people were believed
to have been died which also included Iraqi militia leader Mujahideen Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Abu Mahdi
was an Iraqi-Iranian politician and military commander who was the deputy chief of Iraq’s paramilitary Hashd
Shaabi forces.
ii.Reason for airstrike: The drone strike came days after US(United States) embassy in Baghdad was attacked
by Iranian protestors. Previously in April 2019, the US also designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and its Quds
Force as foreign terrorist organisations.
iii.Qassem Soleimani: He was considered as architect of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s war in Syria, the
ongoing conflict in Iraq, the fight against Islamic State, and various other conflicts.
iv.Iran’s counter attack plans: Iran has offered an $80 million bounty on US President Donald Trump for the
death of Qasem Soleimani.
About Iran:
President- Hassan Rouhani.
Capital- Tehran.
Currency- Iranian rial.
WTO: Dispute panel set up over India’s duty hike on 28 American goods
On January 10, 2020 the dispute settlement body of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) has set up a panel to
examine complaints of United States(US) against India for hiking customs duties of 28 American goods in July
2019. US alleged New Delhi’s move of increasing the custom duties and alleged that the decision was inconsistent
with 2 global trade norms of GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) 1994 agreement.
Key Points:
i.Dispute panel formation: In case of dispute a consultation will be requested to the WTO. After 60 days, if the
consultations fail to resolve the dispute then a panel will be requested to be formed.
ii.US & India trade war: The US rolled back export incentives from India under its GSP (Generalized System of
Preferences) programme and New Delhi has imposed higher customs duties on 28 American products such as
almond, pulses, walnut, chickpeas, boric acid etc.
iii.India’s trade in 2017-18: India’s exports to the US in 2017-18 stood at $47.9 billion, while its imports were
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at $26.7 billion. The trade balance is also in favour of India.

iv.GATT: It is a WTO pact signed by all the member countries of WTO and aims to promote trade by reducing or
eliminating trade barriers like customs duties.
About World Trade Organisation:
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland.
Director General (DG)- Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo.
Tehran Dialogue Forum-23rd gulf conference; India supports Hormuz Peace initiative 2020
India participated in the Tehran Dialogue Forum, the 23rd Persian Gulf International Conference held in
Tehran, Iran from January 06- 07, 2020. During the forum, India supported the Hormuz Peace initiative 2020.
The initiative was done so as to seek stability in one of the world’s busiest and strategically located shipping
lanes i.e, Strait of Hormuz amid escalating US-Iran tensions. Oman, India, China and Afghanistan were the key
participants.
Hormuz Peace initiative 2020 in Tehran
Dialogue Forum:
i.Plans under HOPE: The meeting reviewed
the latest developments in the Persian Gulf
region and also evaluated the regional
cooperation plans under the ‘Hormuz Peace
Endeavor’ (HOPE), proposed by Tehran at
the 74th session of the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) that was held in
September 2019.
• It was presented by Iran President Hassan Rouhani at UNGA.
ii.Strait of Hormuz:The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important choke points. It has
Iran in the northern coat, UAE (United Arab Emirates) and Musandam, an enclave of Oman in the southern coast.
It acts as an important gateway for significant amount of global oil supplies.
• Length: The strait is 90 nautical miles (167 km) long, with a width varying from about 52 nautical
miles to 21 nautical miles.
• Oil & LNG supply to India: 2/3rd of oil and 50% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) imported to India
comes through the strait between Iran and Oman.
• General statistics: Everyday 18 million barrels of oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz that accounts
for 1/3rd of the global oil trade. 1/3rd of the world’s LNG trade also passes through the strait.
iii.Waterway issues: In june 2019, 2 oil tankers were damaged by explosions. The United States(US) blamed
Iran for the attack as a response to the US tightening sanctions in Iran. however, Iran denied it. Since the
explosion Indian ships under the assistance of Indian Navy(IN) passes through the waterway.
iv.Members present:Foreign Minister of Oman Yusuf bin Alawi and former President of Afghanistan Hamid
Karzai and members from China and experts, directors of various foreing think tanks, and ambassadors
participated in the forum.
About Iran:
Capital- Tehran.
Supreme leader- Ali Khamenei.
10th World Future Energy Summit 2020 held in Abu dhabi, UAE; CLIX sustainability summit held
Recently the 10th edition of World Future Energy Summit (WFES)2020 hosted by Masdar renewable energy
company, was held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates(UAE) from
January 13-16, 2020. The theme for the year 2020 was “Rethinking Global Consumption, Production, and
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Investment”.
3rd Climate Innovations Exchange:
Alongside the World Future Energy Summit, 3rd edition of the Climate Innovations Exchange, ‘CLIX’ in short
and the Future Sustainability Summit was also held in Abu Dhabi. The event showcased innovative ideas related
to energy, food, agriculture and sustainability in space
Key Points:
i.Energy summit Participants: Nearly 33,500 participants from over 170 countries and 800 specialist
exhibitors participated in the World Future Energy Summit 2020. The summit was based on 5 main pillars which
are energy, solar, water, waste and smart cities.
ii.WFES: The summit is held annually under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown
Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The summit was first held in the
year 2011.
About United Arab Emirates(UAE):
Capital- Abu Dhabi.
Currency- UAE dirham.
Largest city- Dubai.
President- Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Prime Minister- Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
About Masdar:
Headquarter-Abu Dhabi
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)-Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi
Lok sabha speaker Om Birla attends 25th conference of speakers and presiding officers 2020 in Ottawa,
Canada
A parliamentary delegation headed by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla has attended the 25th edition of
the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) 2020 held
in Ottawa,Canada from January 6 -January 10,2020. The conference aimed at topics of parliamentary
engagement: openness, transparency and accountability, and on Parliamentarians as effective legislators and
representatives.
Key Points:
i.The biennial conference saw the participation of Speakers and Presiding Officers from 37 Commonwealth
Parliaments & was hosted by the Senate of Canada’s Speaker,George Furey and the Speaker of the House of
Commons, Anthony Rota.
ii.In addition to Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh and Lok Sabha Secretary General
Snehlata Shrivastava were also attended the conference.
iii.In 2022, Australia will be the host of commonwealth speakers meeting & Uganda to host 2024 Commonwealth
speakers conference with additional CSPOC Standing Committee meetings to be held in Guernsey in 2021 and
Trinidad and Tobago in 2023.
About Canada:
Capital– Ottawa
Currency– Canadian dollar
Prime Minister– Justin Trudeau
About Commonwealth of Nations
Founded– 1931
Headquarters– London, United Kingdom (UK)
Member countries– 53
Secretary-General– Patricia Scotland
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Guyana takes over the chairmanship of G77

Guyana takes over chairmanship of the Group of 77 (G77) for the year 2020, the year which commemorates the
75th anniversary of the United Nations (UN). It assumes the chairmanship of the Group from the State
of Palestine.
Key Points:
i.The G77 is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the UN. It was designed to
promote its members’ collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the UN.
ii.Groups from Latin and Central America, Asia, Africa and the Pacific have all endorsed Guyana’s Chairmanship
and pledged their support.
iii.India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Lebanon have also sounded their support.
About G77:
Founded- June 15, 1964; Members: 134 countries
Headquarters- New York, United States (US)
About United Nations:
Founded- 24 October 1945
Headquarters- New York
President- Tijjani Muhammad-Bande
About Guyana:
Capital- Georgetown
Currency- Guyanese dollar
U.N’s decarbonisation target of Shipping industry could cost over $1 trillion: UMAS study
On January 20, 2020, According to a new study by experts from University Maritime Advisory Services
(UMAS), London, England, which includes University College London’s (UCL) Energy Institute & the Energy
Transitions Commission,the shipping industry must spend a scale of investment of at least $1 trillion (£0.8
trillion) on new fuel technology to decarbonise the international shipping if it is to meet UN emissions targets
by 2050.
Key Points:
i.Since about 90% of world trade is done by sea, Global shipping is responsible for around 2.2 % of the world’s
CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions.
ii.United Nations (UN) specialized shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization (IMO),has set itself
the target of reducing carbon emissions by 50 % by the year 2050.
iii.If shipping field was to fully decarbonise by 2050, an additional investments of around $400 bn will need in
over 20 years period, bringing the total investments from $1.4 to 1.9 trillion.
iv.Based on the production process, the aggregate investment needed between 2030 and 2050 to achieve the
IMO target of reducing CO2 emissions from shipping by at least 50% by 2050, is around $1-1.4 trillion/on
average sum between $50- 70 billion (bn) per year for 20 years.
v.Suggestion: The new study suggests biggest share of investment is required in the land-based infrastructure &
production facilities for low carbon fuels, which will inturn made roughly around 87% of the total. This includes
investments in the low carbon fuels production, and storage based on land and bunkering (the supplying of fuel
for use by ships) infrastructure needed for their delivery.
The balance 13% of the investments required are based on the ships themselves, which include the machinery
and on board storage required for a ship to run on low carbon fuels in newbuilds and, in some cases, for retrofits.
vi.About the study: UMAS estimated these figure using data derived from its shipping model GloTraM (Global
Transport Model) ,which is a tool used for analysing future scenarios of the shipping industry, to estimate,
amongst other metrics, the CO2 emissions from shipping.
The study was carried out on behalf of the non-profit organization ‘Getting to Zero Coalition’, which includes the
Global Maritime Forum (GMF) and World Economic Forum (WEF), which is meeting in Davos,Switzerland.
About United Nations (UN):
Founded– 1945
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Headquarters– New York City, US

Secretary-General– António Guterres
About International Maritime Organization (IMO):
Formation– 17 March 1948
Headquarters– London, United Kingdom
Secretary-General– Kitack Lim
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya attends the High-level roundtable of UNAIDS (The Joint United
Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) in Davos, Switzerland
On January 21, 2020, the Union Minister of State for Shipping Independent Charge (I/C) and Union Minister of
State for Chemical and Fertilizers, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya participated in the High- level roundtable of the
joint United Nations Programme on HIV//AIDS (UNAIDS) on his four-day official visit to attend the 50th
World Economic Forum (WEF) held at Davos, Switzerland. The theme of the programme was “Access for all
Leveraging Innovations, Investments and Partnership for Health”.
Key Points:
i.Topics discussed:
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is health insurance scheme launched by the
Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 18, 2018 in Ranchi, Jharkhand. It covers the health
insurance cover of Rs.5 lakhs per family which has covered over 50 crore beneficiaries in the country.
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is a scheme is launched by the Department of
Pharmaceuticals which aims to provide medicines at affordable prices. Under this the PMBJP stores have been
opened across the country to provide quality medicines to all the people in the country.
ii.UNAIDS:
The joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) is formed on July 26,1994, which aims to end
AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. It is headquartered in
Geneva, Switzerland.
iii.Shri Mansukh Mandaviya addressed on ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ in 2015 at UN.
About:
HIV- Human Immunodeficiency Virus
AIDS- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
World AIDS day- December 1st
World AIDSday theme 2019- Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Community by Community
WEF to conserve 1 trillion trees by 2030 to combat climate change through 1t.org
On January 21, 2020 the World Economic Forum(WEF) and its partners have launched 1t.org which is a
multistakeholder effort to support efforts to grow, restore and conserve 1 trillion trees around the world
inorder to restore the biodiversity and help combat climate change.
1t.org’s aim and efforts to be taken:
i.Project aim: 1t.org project aims to unite all the countries’ govts, non-govt. organisations, businesses &
individuals in to restore nature in a mass scale. The initiative is set up with initial support of Salesforce (CRM)
Chairman Marc and his wife Lynne Benioff who are also American internet entrepreneurs.
ii.Carbon locking: Locking up the carbon in the world’s forests, grasslands, and wetlands can provide 1/3rd
of emission reductions needed to meet the Paris Agreement targets by 2030.
iii.Organisations in support: Various organisations supporting the initiative include Bonn Challenge, the Global
Partnership for Forest Landscape Restoration(GPFLR), NGOs (Non-Government Organisations) like American
Forests, the Trillion Trees Initiative etc.
iv.Focus of 1t.org: The 1t.org will focus on 3 key action areas. They are
• Encouraging reforestation champions by providing a digital platform (UpLink).
• Top-down system change such as policy change, incentives, market creation and access to funding and
technology will be catalysed.
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• More spending by govt, businesses, etc to conserve nature will be done.

v.Restoration benefit: Restoring 1 trillion trees may remove 12 Gigatonnes(Gt) of Carbon Dioxide(Co2) from
the atmosphere per annum with the same trees storing up to 205 Gt of CO2-equivalent once mature or grown up.
About Paris Agreement:
Fact1- It is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
dealing with greenhouse-gas-emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance.
Aim- To limit global temperature increase to well below 2 degrees Celsius, while pursuing efforts to limit the
increase to 1.5 degrees.
Agreement signing: 2016.
Switzerland mints world’s smallest gold coin values ¼ Swiss francs

On January 23,2020 Switzerland state-owned Swissmint has minted World’s smallest gold coin of 2.96
millimeter (0.12 inches). The coin features a face of scientist Albert Einstein sticking out his tongue. It weighs
0.063 grams (1/500 th of an ounce) and has a nominal value of 1/4 Swiss francs (USD United States Dollar- 0.26).
Key Points:
i.Its weight is comparable to that of 2 grains of rice.
ii.Swissmint has minted 999 coins which will be sold for 199 francs with a special magnifying glass to see
Einstein’s face.
About Switzerland:
Capital- Bern(De-facto).
Currency- Swiss franc.
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina launched e-passport in Dhaka; South Asia’s 1st and 119th e-passport in the
world
On January 22, 2020, Prime Minister (PM) of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina Wazed has launched e-passport in
Dhaka, Bangladesh as Mujib Century year gift to the country. Bangladesh is the first country in South
Asia and 119th countries in the world to have an e-passport facility. Malaysia is the first country in the world to
launch this facility in 1998.
Key Points:
i.This e-passport consists of embedded chip which contains biometric data, digital Photograph and signature of
the passport holder which will help to control fake passports in the country.
ii.Bangladesh has set up 69 passports offices in 64 districts, 33 immigration check-posts and passports and visa
wings at 75 missions abroad across the country.
iii.According to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), 490 million e-Passports are present
around the world.
About Bangladesh:
Capital- Dhaka
Currency- Bangladeshi taka
President– Mohammad Abdul Hamid
Overview of External affairs Minister Jaishankar’s 3-day visit to Niger & Tunisia
External Affairs Minister(EAM) of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has paid a visit to two nations Niger
& Tunisia.This is his 1st visit to the African continent after becoming Foreign Minister & he was the 1st Indian
EAM to visit Niger.
EAM Jaishankar’s visit to Tunisia(22-23, January 2020)
India signs MoU with Tunisia to set up ICT center in Tunis
The Government of India (GoI) India has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tunisia, a North
African country for the setting up of a ‘India- Tunisia centre for innovation in information and communication
technologies (ICT)’ in Tunisia. It was signed by of India to Tunisia, Mr. Puneet R. Kundal & Mr. Mohamed Ali
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Nerjri, Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Smart Tunisian Technoprks in the presence of Jaishankar & acting
Tunisian Foreign Minister Sabri Bachtobji.
Key Points:
i.The ICT set up will support business acceleration and enhance interactions between innovation and
entrepreneurship ecosystems between both the Nations.
ii.Both the sides also discussed 4th edition of India-Africa Summit 2020 (IAFS-IV), which scheduled to be held
in India in September 2020. The 3rd edition of the Summit was held in (IAFS-III) New Delhi from 26–30 October
2015.
iii.The meet also discussed preparations for an upcoming 13th session of the Indo-Tunisian Joint Committee &
different aspects of bilateral cooperation &a stock of regional and international issues of common interest.
India & Tunisia aims to expand bilateral economic ties, to work closely in multilateral forums
EAM S Jaishankar & hisTunisian counterpart Sabri Bachtobji discussed the matters on expanding the bilateral
economic cooperation and agreed to work closely in multilateral forums.
EAM Jaishankar’s visit to Niger (20-21January 2020)
EAM S Jaishankar visited Niamey, Republic of Niger. He also met President of Niger, H. E. Mahamadou
Issoufou & both the leaders jointly inaugurated the Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre
(MGICC).
The detail of this article is given in the link below,
https://affairscloud.com/current-affairs-january-23-2020/
About Tunisia:
Capital– Tunis.
Currency– Tunisian dinar.
President– Kais Saied.
About Niger:
Capital– Niamey.
Currency– West African CFA (African Financial Community) Franc.
European Commission, Council Presidents sign Brexit agreement

On January 24, 2020, The Presidents of European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen & the European
Council, Charles Michel, have signed the Brexit deal agreed in the month of October 2019 .
Key Points:
i.It will be placed before the European Parliament on 29 January,2020 for approval. Then the Diplomats from
European Union (EU) member states will give written approval to the agreement on 30 January,2020. This will
ensure Britain’s separation from the European Union in the prescribed manner from midnight on 31
January,2020.
ii.This will bring to an end 47 years as a member of the pan-European partnership.
iii.After Brexit,the 28 member states will come down to 27, but the withdrawal deal provides for an 11-month
transition period for Britain until the end of 2020.
iv.The 27 member states include, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
About Brexit:
It is the word coined by merging the words Britain and exit. It is the shorthand way of saying that Britain is
leaving the EU.
About European Union (EU):
Motto– “United in Diversity”
Administrative centre– Brussels,Belgium
It is a political and economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe.
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About European Commission:

Established– 16 January 1958
Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium
About European Council:
Founded– 2009
Pakistan may be out of FAFT’s “Grey List” by February 2020

On January 23, 2020, the Asia Pacific Joint Group, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) international
cooperation review group meeting was held in Beijing, China which states that Pakistan has 75 percent chances
of exiting ‘Grey List’.
Key Point:
i.In 2018 June, Pakistan was placed on the ‘Grey List’ by the FATF and it may exit from ‘Grey List’ in the next
FATF meeting which is to be held on February 16, 2020, in Paris, France.
ii.Pakistan needs 12 votes out of 39 to exist from the ‘Grey List’.
iii.According to the last meeting of FATF, Pakistan has got support from China, Malaysia and Turkey.
About FATF:
The Financial Action Task Force is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1989 to develop policies to
combat money laundering and terrorism financing of its member countries. It contains 37 Nations, two regional
oraganisation, and Indonesia as observer. The present President of FATF is Xiangmin Liu from China.
France to be the guest of honour at 2022 New Delhi World Book Fair
On January 22, 2020 France ambassador to India, Emmanuel Lenain has announced that France will be the guest
of honour at New Delhi World Book Fair for the year 2022 (NDWBF 2022) as part of the reciprocal invitation as
New Delhi was the guest of honour for 2020 Livre Paris (Paris Book Fair).
2020 Romain Rolland Book Prize:
i.Lenanin along with Leila Slimani, novelist and French President Emmanuel Macron’s Envoy for Francophone
Affairs, conferred 2020 Romain Rolland Book Prize at Jaipur BookMark in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
ii.The Romain Rolland Book prize is given annually to the best translation of a french title into any Indian
language inclusive of english.
iii.Prize winners: 1st 3 albums of the Asterix series (comic magazine series) – Asterix and the Golden Sickle,
Asterix and the Goths, and Asterix the Gladiator, translated into Hindi by Dipa Chaudhuri and Puneet Gupta,
and published by Om Books won the prize.
About France:
Capital- Paris.
Currency- Euro.
President- Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron.
Prime Minister- Édouard Charles Philippe.
WHO has declared the global risk of Noval Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the global risk degree of the novel coronavirus strain
2019-nCoV that cause serious illnesses ranging from the common cold to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
(MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) from moderate to high .
WHO Report:
i.According to WHO report on January 27, 2020 Globally there is 2798 confirmed cases in out of which in China
there are 2741 cases. Nearly 80 cases were found dead in China according to the report.
ii.Also there were four cases each in Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia and five cases in
United States of America and Thailand.
iii.WHO also confirmed Coronavirus cases in France(3), Canada(1), Nepal(1) and Viet Nam(2).
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Coronavirus -symptoms
i.The infected person feels uneasy breathing, sore throat, cold, cough, and fever which can later transform into
pneumonia and cause various problems kidneys.
ii.The virus can affect the people with the weakened immune system, infants and old age people.
Prevention:
i.Avoid close contact with affected persons and unprotected animals.
ii.Frequent hand-washing after direct contact with infected persons.
iii.Avoid eating of sea foods.
Government of India on Coronavirus:
i.Under Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) call centre, 91-
11-23978046, has been made operational for 24×7 for people .
ii.According to the government all the passengers from China will undergo compulsory health check up in all
airports.
iii.Ministry of External Affairs has also been requested to provide details of travelers from Wuhan city, China
where the virus is spreading rapidly.
EU moves resolutions against India over CAA, Kashmir

On January 27, 2020 the European Union(EU) parliament has decided to make a debate and conduct vote on
the resolution against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA) 2019, and on the annexation of
occupied Kashmir by India after abrogating Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. The decision taken after
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s global campaign against CAA and the Kashmir issue, cited that the
annexation of Kashmir was in clear violation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
Resolution against CAA 2019 and Kashmir issue:
i.Out of the total 751 EU parliament members, 626 have moved a total of 6 draft resolutions related to both of
the above mentioned issues. The debate will be conducted on January 29, 2020 with the voting on January 30th
in the parliament in Brussels, Belgium
ii.The resolution condemns implementation of CAA citing that the act is seen as a descrimination against
Muslims. The resolution calls on to promote implementing the UNSC resolution on Kashmir. Engagement in a
peaceful dialogue by India with various sections of the population is required as per the resolution.
iii.This need for a resolution by the EU against India comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to
Brussels,Belgium for the 15th India-EU summit in March, 2020.
Draft resolution findings:
i.Not complying with UNSC:The draft resolution noted that India did not implement the UNSC resolution which
is needed, to require a referendum. The referendum is to allow all Kashmiris to determine as well as decide the
future status of Kashmir.
ii.International guideline violations: The CAA is seen to be violating India’s International guidelines and the
citizenship is thought to have been deprived based on race, colour, descent, national of ethnic origin as given in
the human rights treaties.
• India being a sovereign secular democratic republic, inclusion of religion as a criterion for citizenship
becomes fundamentally unconstitutional.
iii.Security forces to comply to UN principles: Security forces should be ensured that they comply with the
basic principles of the United Nations(UN) on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials.
iv.NRC: Other than CAA, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is also expected to deprive citizenship
of India of the minorities living in the country.
• Muslims excluded from the NRC will face difficulty winning their cases at foreign tribunals.
v.References made in resolution: Charter of the United Nations, Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (UDHR), India-EU Strategic Partnership Joint Action Plan signed in November 2005, and EU-India
Thematic Dialogue on Human Rights were made as a reference in the resolution.
• These references urge the Indian authorities to engage constructively with the protestors of CAA and
to consider their demand to repeal CAA.
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vi.UN Declaration: The resolution reminds the Indian govt of its obligations under the 1992 UN Declaration on
the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. The declaration
establishes to protect the identity of religious minorities within their territories.
vii.JNU violence: The resolution mentioned about recent violence by mobs that took place at Jawaharlal Nehru
University in New Delhi in which the students protested against CAA and NRC and the police refused to control
and arrest the mob.
viii.Resolution passing: If the resolution is passed, it will be formally sent to Indian government and Parliament
as well as to the European Commission chiefs.
ix.Resolution sponsor: The main resolution is sponsored by European People’s Party(EPP). It is the largest bloc
in the EU and the 2nd biggest one is backed by right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists. More left-
wing parties like the Greens and Social Democrats are also sponsoring the resolution.
x.EU relationship with India: The European Union(EU) is India’s largest trading partner and has accounted for
trade in goods worth 92 billion euros or 12.9% of total Indian trade. EU is also one of the leading destinations for
Indian exports which is 18% of the total value.
CAA: The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 amended Citizenship Act, 1955 by granting citizenship to
undocumented non-Muslims migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or
before December 31, 2014. The act also relaxes the requirement of residence in India for citizenship by
naturalisation from 11 years to 5 years for these migrants. Click here to know more.
About European Union(EU):
Headquarters- Brussels, Belgium.
Largest city- London.
EU members- 28.
UK Govt launches £4 Million pound Innovation challenge fund in India

On January 28, 2020, The government of UK (United Kingdom) has launched a £4 Mn (about Rs 37
crore) ‘Innovation Challenge Fund’ in India at an event in Pune, Maharashtra. The fund is focused on 2 main
tech platforms including artificial intelligence (AI) and big data in Karnataka and future mobility in Maharashtra.
Key Points:
i.The fund, which is one of several new initiatives of the UK-India Tech Partnership, is aimed to boost industry
and academia to collaborate & develop tech solutions to social, economic and environmental challenges in India.
ii.This Partnership, a world 1st, which was announced in April 2018 , was approved by the Prime Ministers (PM)
of India & Britain with an aim to promote technologies to support innovation, growth, and jobs in both nations.
About UK (United Kingdom):
Capital– London
Prime Minister– Boris Johnson
Head of the UK-India tech partnership– Karen McLuskie
British Deputy High Commissioner to India– Jan Thompson
India’s crude steel production rose by 1.8 % to 111.2 MT in 2019: WSA

January 28, 2020, According to World Steel Association (WSA),the international trade body for the iron and
steel industry , India’s crude steel production increased to 111.2 million tonne (MT) in 2019, showing a 1.8
% hike over 2018 (109.3 MT). India ranked 2nd in top 10 steel-producing countries as Asian steel producers
leads as key drivers behind a 3.4 % surge in global crude steel output to 1 1,869.9 MT in 2019.
Top 3 steel-producing countries
Rank Country 2019 (Mt) 2018 (Mt) % Increase/ Decrease
1 China 996.3 920 8.3
2 India 111.2 109.3 1.8
3 Japan 99.3 104.3 -4.8
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Key Points:
i.China ranked 1st as the largest steel producer in 2019 at 996.3 MT, up by 8.3 % on 2018. Hence, China’s share of
global crude steel production increased from 50.9% in 2018 to 53.% in 2019. China was followed by India (2nd ),
Japan (3rd), which produced 99.3 MT in 2019, a decrement of 4.8 % as against 2018.
ii.Except Asia and the Middle East nations, all other regions during the calendar year 2019 witnessed a
contraction in steel output. Asia’s output in 2019 is 1,341.6 MT of crude steel, an increase of 5.7 % as against
2018.While the Middle east produced 45.3 Mt of crude steel in 2019, an increase of 19.2% compared to 2018.
iii.Within Asia, India & China were the 2 nations which recorded improvement in steel production in 2019.
About World Steel Association (WSA):
Formation– 10 July 1967
Chairman– YU Yong
Britain unveils new 50 pence coin to mark its departure from EU

On January 26, 2020, Britain has unveiled the new 50 pence coin to mark the country’s departure from the
European Union (EU). The coin bears the inscription “Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations” and
the Brexit date of 31 January 2020.
Key Points:
i.From January 31, 2020, about three million coins will be disturbed from banks, post offices and nearly seven
million coins will come to circulation later.
ii.The first coin was presented by Britain’s Finance Minister Sajid Javid.
iii.Brexit: Brexit is the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the EU. On January 22, 2020, the UK (United
Kingdom) Parliament has given approval to EU withdrawal agreement. Thus the UK will leave the EU on January
31, 2020.
About UK:
Capital- London
Coronavirus declared as a global health emergency by WHO

On January 31, 2020 the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared novel Coronavirus(nCoV) as a global
health emergency during the second meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health
Regulations (IHR) (2005) regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus 2019 held in Geneva, Switzerland. The
outbreak which was more prominent in China has now continued to spread to other countries too.
Key Points:
i.So far 213 people in China mostly from Hubei city have died from the virus,with almost 10,000 cases nationally.
The WHO has identified 98 cases in 18 other countries other than China.
ii.CoV: Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to
more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS-CoV). nCoV is a new strain of the virus.
About World Health Organisation(WHO):
Director General- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
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VISITS
INDIA VISITS
Overview of Brazilian President Bolsonaro’s 4-day Visit to India
The president of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Jair Messias Bolsonaro paid a 4-day official visit to India
from January 24-27, 2020. The highlights of the visit in detail are as follows:
15 MoU signed:
Brazil and India signed 15 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and also signed an action plan to deepen
strategic partnership. The MoU in detail are as follows:
Si.No MoU
1 Cooperation on Bioenergy.
2 Cooperation in the field of Oil and Natural Gas.
3 Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Treaty.
4 Cooperation in Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.
5 Cooperation in the field of Early Childhood
6 Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine.
7 Cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy.
8 Cultural Exchange Programme for the period 2020-2024.
9 Agreement on Social Security.
Cooperation in the area of Cyber Security.
MoU between India’s Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MEITY) and Brazil’s General Coordination of Network Incident Treatment
10 Centre, Department of Information Security, Institutional Security.
Programme of Scientific and Technological Cooperation for implementing the agreement on scientific and
11 technological cooperation from 2020-2023.
Cooperation in the field of Geology and Mineral Resources between Geological Survey of India (GSI), under
12 the Ministry of Mines and the Geological Survey of Brazil.
13 MoU between Invest India and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex Brazil)
Cooperation in the fields of Animal Husbandry and Dairying
For this, a Joint Declaration of Intent(JDI) between Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying,
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying of the Republic of India and the Ministry of
14 Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Brazil was signed.
Cooperation for establishing a nodal institution in India to carry out research on Bioenergy.
MoU was signed between Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. Of the Republic of India and Centro Nacional de
15 PesquisaemEnergia e Materiais (CNPEM) of Brazil.
Brazil’s gunmaker Taurus pacted with steel group Jindal to produce guns in India:
Brazilian gunmaker Taurus Armas SA has signed for a joint Venture(JV) with Indian steelmaker Jindal Group to
manufacture and sell guns in India. As per the agreement Jindal will hold a 51% stake in JV and the remaining
49% will be held by Taurus.
Participation at India’s 71st republic day:
Bolsonaro was the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations and attended the Parade ceremony at Rajpath in
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New Delhi along with Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind along with other
leaders. It was the 1st visit of Bolsonaro after assuming his office in January 1, 2019.
Key Points:
i.This is also the 3rd time a Brazilian president attended as chief guest of the republic day. The last time a
brazilian president attended the ceremony was Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (former Brazilian president) in 2004.
ii.Previous guest: In the year 2019, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the chief guest of the 70th
Republic Day event.
Piyush Goyal addressed India-Brazil Business Forum in New Delhi:
The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal addressed the gathering at the India-Brazil
business forum in New Delhi. The forum was organised by Industry Body Associated Chambers of Commerce
and Industry of India (Assocham). Assocham has also announced to set up an office in Brazil. Visa free travel
between the two countries was announced by the Brazilian president during the forum.
i.$15billion target set: The bilateral trade and work target of $15 billion between India and Brazil was set to be
achieved by 2022. The current trade level accounts to $8.2 billion. The 2018-19 export and import details
between the two countries are as follows:
• Export: India’s export to Brazil during the above mentioned period were worth $3.8 billion.Some of
the exports were agro-chemicals, synthetic yarns, auto components and parts, pharmaceuticals and
petroleum products.
• Import: Brazil’s import to India were worth $4.4 billion. Some of the major imports were crude oil,
gold, vegetable oil, sugar and bulk mineral and ores.
ii.IR with 100% electrification by 2024: The Indian Railways(IR) has set a target to run entire railway network
with 100% of electricity by 2024. IR will also be the 1st railway in the world with large scale and size to be run
on electricity. By 2030 IR plans to run on clean energy and become net zero carbon emitter.
iii.Participants: Brazil’s Minister of mines Bento Albuquerque, agriculture minister Teresa Cristina and other
officials were present.
PM Modi, Brazilian Prez Jair Bolsonaro hold talks in New Delhi:
PM Shri Modi and Brazilian president Bolsonaro held bilateral talks in various areas which include medicine,
defence, scientific research and trade etc.
Visit in India:
The Brazilian President visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh(UP) before concluding his 4-day visit to
India. He had also visited the Akshardham Temple in New Delhi.
About Brazil:
Capital- Brasilia.
Official language- Portuguese.
Overview of Luxembourg foreign minister Jean Asselborn’s 2-day visit to India

The Minister of Foreign & European Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg H.E. Mr. Jean Asselborn was
on 2 day visit to India on January 27- 28, 2020.During his visit he met the External Affairs Minister (EAM) of
India, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at Hyderabad House in New Delhi .
Key Points:
i.Asselborn visited India for the 5th time & in current visit he visited Rajghat in Delhi to pay respects to Mahatma
Gandhi. As part of the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Luxembourg had also issued a special postage
stamp.
ii.Both the Ministers reviewed the bilateral relations between the two nations and held discussion over to further
boosting cooperation in the fields of trade & economy, space, political and strategic relations among others.
About Luxembourg:
Capital– Luxembourg, Currency– Euro
Prime Minister– Xavier Bettel
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FOREIGN VISITS
Highlights of NSA Ajit Doval’s visit to Sri Lanka; $50mn assistance pledged to SL
On January 18, 2020 the National Security Advisor (NSA) of India Shri Ajit Doval paid a day long visit to Colombo
in the Island nation of Sri Lanka (SL). On his visit, Shri Doval met the president of SL shri Nandasena Gotabaya
Rajapaksa and held talks on various bilateral issues. The highlights of the visit in detail are as follows:
$50 million assistance to SL:
i.India pledged to provide $50 million security assistance to Sri Lanka for purchasing equipment for its security
forces.
• This assistance will help SL to further strengthen its national security, intelligence sharing, maritime
security etc which were the key areas discussed by both Doval and the SL president.
• Assistance to Srilanka by India comes days after Russia announced to Assist SL. Moreover, SL saw
series of high ranking foreign officials visit in the country from the United States(US), Japan and China.
Maritime research coordination centre:
i.SL and India vowed to strengthen military ties and also to widen their maritime links with neighbours. After the
talks, NSA Ajit Doval discussed on setting up of a maritime research coordination centre in SL.
Ajit Doval:
i.He is the second highest ranking Indian official to visit Colombo, SL after Gotabaya Rajapaksa assumed office
in November 2019.
• Previously, Minister of External Affairs(MEA) Shri Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was the 1st foreign
dignitary to visit Sri Lanka.
ii.During his visit, Ajit Doval also met several foreign diplomats in Colombo and held discussions with them on
issues related to mutual interest.
Last visit by SL president to India:
i.Shri Gotabaya Rajabaksa visited India In December 2019 marking his 1st overseas visit after winning the
presidential elections and met Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Shri Modi also
offered $450 million in aid to Sri Lanka.
About Sri Lanka:
Capitals- Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Currency- Sri Lankan rupee
President- Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime minister- Mahinda Rajapaksa (original name Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa).
OTHER VISITS
Overview of PM Modi’s 2-day visit to Karnataka
The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi paid a 2 day visit to the state of Karnataka from January 2-3,
2019 to attend events in Tumakuru and Bengaluru cities of the state. He arrived at the yelahanka air base,
Bengaluru. The visit in detail are as follows:
3rd installment of Rs 2000 to 6 crore beneficiaries under PM KISAN released:
PM Shri Modi released the 3rd installment of PM Kisan scheme i.e., Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana
of Rs.2000 for December 2019- March 2020 period. Through this amount disbursal, nearly 6 crore people will be
benefited. The beneficiaries were also handed over certificates under the scheme from 8 states/Union Territories
(UTs).
• Under the 3rd tranche of the scheme, Rs 12000 crore has been deposited.
• The money has been disbursed to the personal accounts of the beneficiaries through Direct Benefit
Transfer (DBT).
i.TN farmers handed over with deep sea fishing vessels: During the event the prime minister also handed
over keys of deep sea fishing vessels and fishing vessel transponders to select farmers of Tamil Nadu (TN).
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ii.Toll free number started: The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoAFW), Shri Narendra
Singh Tomar announced the launch of toll free number ‘155261’ for the beneficiaries of PM-Kisan Yojana where
the farmers can know about their payment status.
• Pmm Kisan portal facilities for farmers is also being developed for ease of use.
iii.About PM KISAN:
• Under this scheme, the Central government provides Rs 6000 annually in three equal installments of
Rs.2000 every four months in a year to 14 crore farmers of India.
• The amount is directly transferred into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries under the Direct Benefit
Transfer (DBT) scheme.
• It is given to farmers having land upto 2 hectares. As on November 30, 2019 the govt. has disbursed
Rs. 36,000 crores under this scheme.
5 high-tech DRDO labs with under 35year aged scientists inaugurated:
PM Modi inaugurated 5 new scientific DRDO (Defence Research Development Organisation) laboratories
in Bengaluru. In this laboratory only scientists under the age of 35 years will be deployed. These scientists will
develop cutting-edge and futuristic technologies for military weaponry.
i.DRDO lab locations:The DRDO Young Scientist Laboratories (DYSLs) have come up in Bengaluru (Karnataka),
Mumbai (Maharashtra), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Kolkata (West Bengal) and Hyderabad (Telangana).
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) based developments will be carried out at Bengaluru.
• Quantum technology support will be based out of Indian Institute of Technology- Bombay (IIT-B).
• Research in cognitive technologies will be based at IIT Madras (IIT-M) in chennai, TN.
• Asymmetric technologies will be based out of campus of Jadhavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal.
• Research in smart materials and applications will be based out of IIT Hyderabad (IIT-H).
ii.Director selection: The directors of these 5 laboratories has been selected by a committee chaired by
Principal Scientific Advisor(PSA) to the government, Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan.
iii.Background: Shri Modi after winning the 2014 elections proposed to establish 5 DRDO laboratories in which
everyone including the director was under the age of 35 years.
5 DRDO labs:
DRDO labs
Si.No State Lab domain
location
Artificial
1 DRDO Bengaluru Karnataka
Intelligence (AI)
Quantum
2 IIT-Bombay Maharashtra
Technology
Cognitive
3 IIT-Madras Tamil Nadu
Technology
Jadavpur Asymmetric
4 West Bengal
University, Kolkata Technology
5 IIT Hyderabad Telangana Smart materials
Krishi Karman awards distributed:
PM Modi distributed Agriculture Minister’s Krishi Karman Awards for progressive farmers while commendation
awards to the states were also given at a public meeting in Tumkur, Karnataka. Kisan Credit Cards(KCC) were
also distributed.
Key speeches: Some of the key speeches while distributing the awards are as follows:
i.Spice production in the country has increased by more than 2.5 million tonnes. Thus the export has increased
from Rs 15,000 crores to Rs.19,000 crores.
ii.The govt aims to strengthen fisheries sector through 3 levels. They are
• Encouraging fisheries in villages through financial assistance to fishermen.
• Under blue revolution scheme, fishing boats to be modernised.
• Constructing modern infrastructure related to fish trade and business. A special fund of Rs
7.50 crores has been allocated for this purpose.
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iii.Creating of new category in the Krishi Karman Award for Nutri Cereals, Horticulture and organic culture was
also requested.
107th Indian science congress inaugurated in Bengaluru:
Prime Minister was inaugurating the 107th Indian Science Congress (ISC) at the University of Agricultural
Sciences (UAS) in Bengaluru. The theme of ISC for the year 2020 was “Science and Technology: Rural
Development”.
i.Events to be held: The 5 day ISC event will have 15,000 participants. For the 1st time Farmers science
congress will be held. Apart from that Children’s science congress, women science congress, former vice
chancellors’ science congress, science communicators Meet – 2020, mega science exhibition- pride of India- ISC
Expo will also be held.
ii.Editions held in Bengaluru: This is the 3rd time Bengaluru hosts ISC after 1987 and 2002. It is also the 4th
time Karnataka hosts such event after organising ISC lastly in 2016 in Mysuru.
Indian Science, Technology and Engineering Facilities Map (I-STEM) website launched:
Prime Minister also launched the Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map (I-STEM) Portal
during ISC. The portal is designed to be the gateway for researchers to locate specific type of facility they need for
their Research and development (R&D) work in India.
PM visited Sree Siddaganga Mutt, lays foundation stone for museum of Shivakumar Swamiji:
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visited the Shri Siddhaganga Mutt in Tumkuru, Karnataka and laid the
foundation stone for a memorial museum of Shri Shri Shivakumar Swamiji who was an Indian supercentenarian,
humanitarian, spiritual leader and educator.
About Karnataka:
Chief minister- Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa. Governor- Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.
State Formation- 1 November 1956. Capital- Bengaluru (Executive Branch).
National parks(NP)- Nagarhole NP, Bandipur NP, Bannerghatta NP, Kudremukh NP
Overview of Prime Minister Modi’s 2 day official visit to Kolkata,West Bengal

The Prime Minister(PM) of India shri Narendra Modi paid a two-day official visit to Kolkata, West Bengal from
January 11-12, 2020. The visit in detail are as follows:
Rs.600 crore worth projects on 150th year celebrations of Kolkata Port Trust launched:
Shri Modi renamed Kolkata Port as Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port on the occasion
of sesquicentenary (150th year) celebrations of the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT). Important events during the
celebrations are as follows:
i.Rs.600 crore projects: During the occasion projects worth Rs.600 crores were launched. Some of the projects
include upgradation of ship repair facility at Netaji Subhash Dry Dock (Kolkata) and upgradation of railway
infrastructure of Kolkata dock system of the Kolkata Port. This is done in order to enhance smooth movement
and river front development scheme.
ii.Stamp & anthem launch: A commemorative stamp on 150th years of KoPT was launched. Apart from the
stamp, Port anthem was also launched at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata.
iii.Oldest pensioners of port honoured: Two oldest pensioner of the port Smt. Nagina Bhagat (105 years) and
Mr. Naresh Chandra Chakraborty (100 years) were honoured at the event.
iv.Final installment of pension funds: Rs.501 crore was handed over by prime minister to the chairman of Life
Insurance Corporation(LIC) Mr M.R. Kumar for the final installment to meet deficit of pension funds of the
Kolkata Port Trust.
v.Berth mechanisation: Mechanisation of Berth No 3 at Haldia Dock Complex of KoPT and a proposed riverfront
development scheme was also launched.
vi.Key speeches: Some of the key speeches by the PM during the event are as follows:
• Old ports have been modernised to new ports under the sagarmala project.
• The govt has planned to expand inland waterways through integrated transport policy. Water based
tourism has also been advocated for water based tourism.
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vii.Members present: Union Minister for Shipping Mr. Mansukh Mandaviya, West Bengal Governor Mr. Jagdeep
Dhankar and other officials were present in the event.
PM Dedicated 4 refurbished heritage buildings in Kolkata to the Nation:
4 refurbished heritage buildings in Kolkata were dedicated to the nation by PM Modi. these 4 buildings were
• Old Currency Building.
• The Belvedere House.
• The Metcalfe House and
• The Victoria Memorial Hall.
i.Key Speeches: The key speeches by the PM during the event include
• Museum with international standards: Making of 5 iconic museums in India with International
standards. This has been started with the Indian Museum in Kolkata which is one of the oldest
museums in the world.
• Heritage conservation institute: The govt. is planning to launch Indian Institute of Heritage
Conservation which will be given deemed status. This institute will be responsible to undertake the
management of these cultural heritage centres.
• Belvedere House: Govt. has taken steps to develop Belvedere House into a Museum of the World.
• Coinage & commerce museum: The govt. is contemplating (planning) to set up a museum of
“Coinage & Commerce” at the Indian Government Mint in Kolkata.
• Biplabi Bharat: 3 of the 5 galleries of Victoria memorial will be restarted and will be known by the
name Biplabi Bharat.
• Tribute to leaders: India’s 75th independence day in 2022 also marks 250th birth anniversary of
renowned social reformer and educationist Shri Raja Ram Mohan Rai. This year 2020 marks the 200th
birth anniversary of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar who was a key figure of the Bengal renaissance.
Other important events:
Various other important events like launches, inaugurations etc are as follows:
i.Statue at Old Currency Building unveiled: The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiled a statue at the
old currency building in Kolkata
ii.Development centre for tribal students: Inaugurated the Kaushal Vikas Kendra (skill development training
centre) and Pritilata Chhatri Avas (student behavior centre) for 200 tribal girl students from Sundarbans, West
Bengal.
iii.Tribute to Swami Vivekananda at Belur Math: The prime minister paid tribute to Indian monk, Swami
Vivekananda on his birth anniversary at Belur Math (Howrah district of West Bengal) which is the headquarters
of the Ramakrishna Mission. Modi is the 1st prime minister to stay overnight at the Belur Math.
iv.Sound and light show at Howrah Bridge: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the sound and
light show at the iconic Howrah Bridge installed at Millenium Park on the banks of the river Ganga. This 2.5-
minute show is a project of KoPT’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
• Howrah bridge: It is a bridge with a suspended span over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India.
The bridge was commissioned in 1943 and on 14 June 1965 it was renamed Rabindra Setu after the
great Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore (1st Indian & Asian Nobel laureate) but is still popularly
known as the Howrah Bridge.
About West Bengal:
Capital- Kolkata (Also largest city).
Chief minister- Mamata Banerjee.
National Parks(NP)- Gorumara NP, Neora Valley NP, Singalila NP, Sundarban NP.
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BANKING & FINANCE NEWS

BANKING NEWS
RBI IN NEWS
RBI governor launched MANI app for visually challenged to identify currency notes
On January 1, 2020 the 25th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Shri Shaktikanta Das launched a mobile
app named “MANI” (Mobile Aided Note Identifier) that would help visually impaired people to identify
denomination of currency notes correctly.
MANI app:
i.Features: some of the features of MANI app are as follows:
• The currency notes will be scanned using a mobile phone’s camera.
• The most interesting feature of the app is that it can also be used offline after installation.
• The audio output is available in both Hindi and English languages.
• The app however does not authenticate whether a note is either genuine or counterfeit.
ii.Download: The app can be downloaded to Android and Apple devices from Playstore and iOS App Store
respectively.
Currency management:
i.The dept. Of currency management of RBI is responsible for administering the currency management functions
under Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
ii.4 printing presses: This department receives currency notes from 4 printing presses in which 2 are owned by
Govt. of India(GOI) and remaining 2 are owned by RBI through its subsidiary Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note
Mudran Pvt.Ltd (BRBNMPL).
iii.Printing press locations: The govt owned currency printing presses are at Nasik (Maharashtra) and Dewas
(Madhya Pradesh). The other two presses are at Mysore (Karnataka) and Salboni (West Bengal).
iv.Coin mints: Coins are minted in four mints owned by GOI. They are located at Mumbai(Maharashtra),
Hyderabad(Telangana), Calcutta (West Bengal) and Noida (Uttar Pradesh).
About Reserve Bank of India(RBI):
Founded- 1 April 1935, Kolkata (West Bengal).
Act- Reserve Bank of India Act,1934.
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Deputy Governors– 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, N S Vishwanathan, and Mahesh Kumar Jain, 1 is yet to be
appointed).
CAD slips to 0.9% of GDP in July-Sept 2019 from 2.9% :RBI

On December 31, 2019, According to the report “Developments in India’s Balance of Payments during the
Second Quarter (July-September) of 2019-20” released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India’s current
account deficit (CAD) decreased to 0.9 % of gross domestic product (GDP) or $6.3 billion in July-September
2019 quarter due to the economic slowdown that helped the country improve its export and import balance
sheet.
It was 2.9 % of GDP or $19 billion in the corresponding quarter of 2018-19.
Key Points:
i.Low trade deficit is the reason: The reduction in CAD is primarily due to low trade deficit of $ 38.1 billion as
against the trade deficit at a high of $ 50 billion in 2018.
ii.FDI:The Net Foreign direct investment (FDI) stood at $ 7.4 billion in the second quarter of 2019. It is around
the same level of the period 2018-19.
iii.Remittances: Private transfer receipts (remittances from people working abroad) increased 5.2% to $ 21.9
billion from the year-ago level. In addition, the amount through software services increased to $ 21 billion in
September 2019 quarter from $ 19 billion in the same quarter in 2018.
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iv.ECB:The net inflow of external commercial borrowings (ECB) to the India was $3.2 billion in the second
quarter of 2019 against $2 billion in same period of the previous fiscal (2018-19).
v.Foreign exchange reserves: The foreign exchange reserves in India saw a comfortable growth to $5.1 billion
in September 2019 quarter, compared with a depletion of $1.9 billion in 2018 quarter.
April-September 2019-20 data (H1 of 2019-20):
i.CAD:Talking about the first half of the FY 20, the CAD was 1.5 per cent, or $ 84.3 billion of GDP, compared to
2.6 % or $ 95.8 billion in the first half of the last fiscal year 2018-19.
ii.As for the capital account, the overall surplus fell to $ 12 billion in the June quarter as compared to $ 16.3
billion inflow a year ago. Net inflows were slowed through foreign investment and loans due to a decrease in
capital account surplus.
About CAD: It is the difference between foreign exchange inflows and outflows.
RBI revises supervisory action framework for Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks
On January 7, 2020,Inorder to better manage the stressed UCBs, India’s Central Bank, the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) has released its final Supervisory Action Framework (SAF) tightening norms for Primary (Urban) Co-
operative Banks (UCBs).
The revised rules include threshold limits for asset quality, profitability and Capital to Risk-weighted Assets ratio
(CRAR).
All such actions are taken under section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (as applicable to co-operative
societies).
Threshold limits for asset quality:
An UCB will be kept under supervisory action framework when its net non-performing assets (NPAs) exceed
6% of its net advances. As soon as this threshold is breached, RBI will take multiple actions, depending on
severity of stress.
Key Points:
i.All primary UCBs are mandated to submit a board-approved action plan for reducing its net NPAs below 6% on
quarterly/monthly basis, post-review progress report.
ii.All UCBs are also face restrictions on declaration or payment of dividend without prior approval.
iii.RBI can also have the right to order curtailment of sanction / renewal of credit facilities to sectors having high
proportion of defaults once the threshold is breached.
iv.RBI also has option of putting restriction on fresh loans and advances carrying risk-weights more than 100%
threshold breach.
Profitability:
Under the revised rules, an UCBs may be placed under the framework, if it incurs two consecutive years of
losses.
Capital to Risk-weighted Assets ratio (CRAR):
UCBs may also come under the scanner when its Capital to Risk-weighted Assets ratio (CRAR) falls below 9 %.
i.RBI can advise the UCB to submit a board-approved plan to increase the CRAR to 9% or above within 12
months, advise board members to keep track of progress of the plan, or restrict declaration of a dividend or
payment of donation without RBI approval.
On December 31, 2019, RBI mandates UCBs, with deposits of Rs 100 crore and above, to constitute the Board of
Management (BoM), which will be a mandatory requirement for opening new branches. The primary functions of
BoM include recommending action for recovery of NPAs, One Time Settlement and assisting the board in
monitoring the same.
Background: RBI has been extremely cautious on the front of cooperative banks after it has prohibited Punjab
and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank Limited (PMC) operations.
NPA:
A non performing asset (NPA) is a loan or advance for which the principal or interest payment remained overdue
for a period of 90 days.
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About RBI:
Headquarters– Mumbai ,Maharashtra
Established– 1 April 1935
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– 4 (BP Kanungo, N S Vishwanathan, and Mahesh Kumar Jain, 1 is yet to be appointed)
RBI allows banks to offer round-the-clock forex market operations

On January 06, 2020, Inorder to reduce the rising influence of offshore trading in the currency markets,
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has enabled AD Category-I banks to offer round-the-clock (24×7) trading in
the Indian rupee to allow Indians to safeguard their foreign exchange (Forex) risks at any time. Till now, the
select banks in India offered Indian customers foreign exchange rates only in inter-bank market hours from 9 am
– 5 pm.
Key Points:
i.This decision will also make the offshore currency markets in countries like Dubai & Singapore less attractive
for Indian investors.
ii.In October 2019, RBI accepted the key recommendations of the Task Force on Offshore Rupee Markets headed
by Smt. Usha Thorat. ie. the domestic banks will be allowed to freely offer foreign exchange prices to non-
residents at all times, out of their Indian books, either by a domestic sales team or through their overseas
branches.
About ‘AD Category-I Bank’:
‘AD (Authorised Dealer) Category-I Bank’ means a bank (Scheduled Commercial, State or Urban Cooperative)
which is authorized under Section 10 (1) of FEMA to undertake all current and capital account transactions
according to the directions issued by the RBI from time to time.
About RBI:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Founded– 1 April 1935
Governor– Shaktikanta Das(25th )
In a 1st, RBI introduced video-based identification process for KYC

On January 10, 2020 the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) for the 1st time has introduced Aadhaar-based Video
Customer Identification Process (V-CIP). This process will allow banks and other lenders to complete the KYC
(Know Your Customer) process of customers on video itself. This facility can be used as an alternative to the
already available e-KYC facility. To introduce V-CIP, RBI has amended guidelines under the Prevention of Money-
laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005.
Video Customer Identification Process (V-CIP):
i.Consent-based V-CIP: The video KYC will be consent based i.e, banks can complete V-CIP of KYC process only
after obtaining consent from the bank customers. This is done to adhere to the RBI’s KYC norms by leveraging
digital technology.
• It should also be ensured by the Regulating entities(REs) that video recording is stored in a safe and
secure manner and bears the date and time stamp.
ii.Digital KYC redefined: The definition of digital KYC has been changed in section 3 of the Master Direction on
KYC dated February 25, 2016.
iii.New definition of Digital KYC: Capturing live photo of the customer and officially valid document or the
proof of possession of Aadhaar, where offline verification cannot be carried out, along with the latitude and
longitude of the location where such live photo is being taken by an authorised officer of the Reporting Entity
(RE) as per the provisions contained in the Act.
iv.New features: The REs will now be able to record video as well as capture photograph of the customer
present for identification and obtain the identification information. The identification information is as follows:
• OTP based Aadhaar e-KYC authentication or Offline Verification of Aadhaar for identification.
• Services of Business Correspondents (BCs) may be used by banks for aiding the V-CIP.
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v.RE Duties: some of the duties of the RE are as follows:

• The RE should capture a clear image of PAN (Permanent Account Number) card to be displayed by the
customer during the process, except in cases where e-PAN is provided by the customer.
• Live location of the customer (Geotagging) will be captured to ensure customer’s physical presence in
India for the V-CIP process.
• Information like photograph of the customer in the Aadhaar/PAN details matches with the customer
undertaking the V-CIP.
• REs other than banks can only carry out offline verification of Aadhaar for identification.
About RBI
Establishment- 1 April 1935, Kolkata
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Governor- Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors- 4 (BP Kanungo, NS Vishwanathan, Mahesh Kumar Jain & 4th is yet to be appointed)
RBI formulates National Strategy for Financial Inclusion for the period 2019-2024
On January 10, 2020 the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under the aegis of Financial Inclusion Advisory Committee
(FIAC) has set up a 5-year plan of formulation of National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI) for the
period 2019-2024. This has been done keeping in view the global trend of financial inclusion which acts as a key
driver of economic growth.
National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2019-2024:
i.NSFI approval: The national strategy plan, i.e., NSFI was finalised and approved by Financial Stability
Development Council (FSDC) and the final documents were released by RBI deputy director Mahesh Kumar Jain
at the high level meeting on Financial Inclusion for the North East region at Agartala, Tripura.
ii.NSFI recommendation: The key recommendations of NSFI are as follows:
• Banking outlets to be increased: Increasing outreach of banking outlets to provide financial
inclusion to every village within a 5 kilometre radius/ 500 households in hilly areas by March 2020.
• Digital architecture: Moving to digital and consent based architecture for customer by March
2024.Access to financials service providers through mobile device by March 2024.
• Digital payments: Moving to a less cash society by enhancing digital payments by March 2022.
iii.Current financial inclusion programme: Currently the govt. promotes financial inclusion through Pradhan
Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) which is a financial inclusion scheme applicable to all people aged from 10-65
years.
• PMJDY Aim: The aim of this scheme is to provide affordable access to financial services such as bank
accounts, remittances, credit, insurance and pension
iv.7 of the United Nations(UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of 2030 view financial inclusion as a key
enabler for achieving sustainable development worldwide.
Financial Stability Development Council:
i.It is an apex body constituted by govt. of India on the recommendations of the committee headed by Raghuram
Rajan (former RBI governor) in 2008.
ii.The chairperson of this council is the Union Minister of Finance(MoF) of India Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman.
Formation- 1 April 1935
Deputy Governors- 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, N S Vishwanathan, Mahesh Kumar Jain, 1 is yet to be appointed)
RBI permits UPI transactions for recurring payments & releases framework for imposing penalties on
payment system operators
On January 10, 2020, In view of the promotion of digital payments, India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) has permitted processing of e-mandate for recurring payments through UPI (Unified Payments
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Interface). This direction has been issued under Section 10 (2) read with Section 18 of Payment and Settlement
Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007).
Key Points:
i.This functionality will allow UPI users to bypass additional factor authentication (AFA), a security measure put
in place for card payments that requires OTP – one-time password verification) during registration and 1st
transaction.
ii.Under this facility, an agreement is formed between the consumer and the merchant bodies and the payment of
the outstanding dues is done automatically on the fixed date of the month. However, the maximum permissible
limit under this payment system shall be Rs 2,000 per transaction.
iii.Till now this facility was available for payment through debit card, credit card, prepaid payment instrument
(PPI) and wallet.
E-mandate: It is called the consent to the process of payment by means of message or e-mail, etc., without the
presence of consumers before the merchant while making payment.
It is to be noted that the facility of automatic recurring payment is usually used to pay other utility bills including
mobile, internet, or making lump sum payments on monthly basis in shops.
RBI’s framework for imposing penalties on payment system operators
In a bid to ensure safety and security to various stakeholders, including customers, RBI has released the
revised framework for imposing monetary penalty on authorised payment system operators / banks under
the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 for not complying with regulatory requirements.
Key Points:
i.Powers of RBI to impose fine: Under the revised framework,RBI has provision to levy monetary penalty
levied for a contravention shall not exceed Rs 5 lakh or double the amount of contravention or default,
whichever is higher, where such amount is quantifiable.
For non-quantifiable contravention, the maximum penalty imposed by RBI shall be Rs 5 lakh per contravention.
In addition, RBI will impose further penalty up to ₹ 25,000/- for every day, if such contravention / default is a
continuously performed.
ii.Payment of penalty: The penalty should be paid within a period of 30 days from the date of the order issued
by RBI.
In case of failure in payment, RBI will take further action against the contravener as per Section 8 or Section 30
(3) or Section 33 of PSS Act.
Note: The above said contravention/ Defaults defines the following activities
i.When the payment system functions without authorisation by RBI.
ii.When it is failed to comply with the norms subject to which authorisation was issued by RBI & failed to pay the
penalty imposed by RBI.
iii.When it intentionally submit a false statement of information or omission to submit a material statement in
any application for authorisation or return or other document.
iv.Not complying with the norms to produce any statement, information, returns or documents or failed to
disclose any prohibited information.
v.When it failed comply with any provisions of the Act or of any regulation, order or direction made or given
thereunder, in respect of which no penalty has been specified.
iii.Authority to impose penalty: A Committee of Senior Officers from Department of Payment and Settlement
Systems (DPSS) & senior officers from 2 other Departments of RBI will imposed a penalty on payment system
operator when it is a quantifiable contraventions.
Whereas it is a non-quantifiable contraventions, a Committee, comprising of ED in-Charge of DPSS and Chief
General Managers from 2 other Departments of RBI will impose penalty. For contraventions, partly quantifiable
and partly non-quantifiable, the Committee of CGMs was formed.
iv.Compounding of contraventions:If the cases of contraventions (quantifiable or non-quantifiable) liable to be
compounded, the same amount of Rs.5 lakh should be paid & whereas in case of repeated contraventions (within
a period of 5 years) in respect of which compounding has been undertaken ,the compounding amount may be
increased by 50 % of the calculated amount.
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About RBI:
Formation– 1 April 1935
Governor– Shaktikanta Das (25th )
Deputy Governors– 4 (BP Kanungo, N S Vishwanathan, Mahesh Kumar Jain, 1 is yet to be appointed)
RBI curbs functions of Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank; withdraw limit set to Rs.35000
On January 10, 2020 the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has curbed Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank, a
private bank in Bengaluru, Karnataka from doing business with immediate effect. This has been done after
finding alleged irregularities in transactions. The bank’s savings and current account customers and depositors
can however withdraw cash up to ₹35,000 only till further notice.
Act: RBI’s Chief General Manager Yogesh Dayal issued the directive under Sections 35A and 56 of the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949, from Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Key Points:
i.Without the approval of RBI, the bank cannot write, grant or renew loans and advances, make investment,
borrow funds or accept fresh deposits from January 10, 2020.
ii.The directive will remain in force for 6 months from January 10, 2020 and is subject to review.
About Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank:
Established- 1964
Headquarters- Bangalore, Karnataka.
Tagline- A cooperative bank with corporate vision.
President- Dr. K Ramakrishna.
Motto- Service to the Common Man.
India’s foreign exchange reserve touches a record level of $457.46 bn: RBI
On January 03, 2020, According to the “Bulletin Weekly Statistical Supplement – Extract” released by the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India’s foreign exchange (Forex) reserves rose by $ 2.520 billion to a
record $ 457.468 billion during the week ended 27 December 2019.
Key Points:
i.The main reason for increase in foreign exchange reserves is the increase in foreign exchange assets, which is
the main component of forex.
ii.Foreign Currency Assets (FCA): Foreign currency assets rose by $ 2.203 billion to $ 424.936 billion during
the week.
FCA’s include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and the yen held in
the forex reserves.
iii.Gold Reserve: The country’s gold reserves also increased by $ 260 million to reach $ 27.392 billion during the
week.
iv.SDR:The country’s special drawing rights (SDR) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) declined by $ 2
million to $ 1.441 billion.
v.Reserve Position in the IMF: India’s reserve position with the IMF Fund increased by $ 58 million to $ 3.7
billion.
Note: Total Reserves = Foreign Currency Assets +Gold + SDRs + Reserve Position in the IMF
Foreign exchange reserves:
These are assets held on reserve by RBI in foreign currencies. These reserves are used to back liabilities and
influence monetary policy. It includes any foreign money held by a central bank, such as the U.S. Federal Reserve
Bank.
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RBI tightens norms for debit, credit card issuance & usage to improve security
On January 15, 2020, In view of the increasing cases of cyber fraud, India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) has framed new rules under “Enhancing Security of Card Transactions” to further protect debit,
credit card transactions. These directions are issued under Section 10(2) of the Payment and Settlement Systems
Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007) & will come into effect from 16 March,2020.
New Norms:
i.Facility to switch on, off cards: Under this, now transactions at ATMs(Automated Teller Machine) and PoS
(Point of Sale) will be done through domestic cards. In addition, RBI directed banks and other card issuing
companies to allow their customers to switch on and off their debit and credit cards.
ii.The RBI also directed that all physical or virtual cards be enabled to be used only at contact based point of use
(ATM and PoS) at the time of issue or re-issue.
iii.The card issuing company / bank should allow its cardholders to enable 3 facilities, ‘card not present’
transactions / online transaction (domestic and international), card present (international) transactions and
contactless transactions.
iv.Enable or disable the card in many ways:
The facility to switch on / off the card, set / modify the limit of the transaction should be given at all times and
through various means. Mediums include mobile applications, Internet banking, ATM or interactive voice
response (IVR) on a 24×7 basis.
Card issuers will have to give alerts/information/status, etc., through SMS / e-mail, as and when there is any
change in the status of the card .
v.The card issuing company can take a decision based on risk perception of whether to disable the right of
existing card not present (domestic and international) transactions, card present (international) transactions
and contactless transactions.
The existing cards which have never been used for online / international / contactless transactions, must be
disabled for these things. However, this RBI directive is not mandatory to be applied for prepaid gift cards and
cards used in mass transit systems.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Deputy Governors– 4 (BP Kanungo, N S Vishwanathan, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra)
WGC: RBI ranked 6th among central banks in buying gold abroad;China’s central bank tops
On January 15, 2020 India’s central bank i.e., the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been ranked 6th largest buyer
of sovereign gold abroad after it purchased 25.2 tonnes in the first 10 months of 2019 according to World Gold
Council(WGC) report titled “Outlook 2020: Global economic trends and their impact on gold”. The central banks
of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Poland have purchased more gold than India in 2019. The report in
detail are as follows:
WGC outlook 2020:
Report on RBI:
i.RBI gold purchase: In October 2019, 7.5 tonnes of gold was bought by RBI buttressing (supporting) its
foreign exchange reserves(forex) to $450 billion.
• Forex reserves crosses $450 billion: To be more precise, the Forex reserves surged to a new high
of $451.7 billion as of December 3, 2019, which is the largest in recent years.
• The total reserve rose by $347 million to $448.596 billion in the week to November 22, 2019.
ii.Current holdings in gold: RBI currently holds 625.2 tonnes of gold, that forms 6.6% of its forex reserves. The
gold consumption in India slipped in 2019 as against the level in 2018.
iii.Gold trade: The consumer and gold trade sentiment is expected to soften in India throughout 2020.
• In the last 6 months, the growth in gold reserves in the form of gold in India, was 27% higher than
the overall growth.
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iv.Impact by taxes: The report highlights the need for tax cuts to increase economic growth. This was due to the
fact that higher taxes exacerbated the impact of record high local consumption on gold price.
General Report:
i.Data generation: The data about the gold holdings of various central banks was collected after those central
banks shared their data with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
ii.Total central banks report: The central banks added 27.9 tonnes of gold on a net basis which when
considering year-to-date basis brings net purchase to 570.2 tonnes, 11% higher than in 2018 (515.2tonnes).
iii.Gold selling: In 2019, the countries of Uzbekistan and Venezuela sold 16.6 tonnes and 30.3 tonnes of gold
respectively.
iv.Gold buying by investors: The second biggest buyers of gold in 2019 were the institutional investors in
exchange traded funds (ETF). Despite high retail demand for jewellery, the ETFs overtook them by buying 400
tonnes in 2019. ETFs will continue to buy gold in 2020 also.
• Gold price has seen its strongest increase in 10 years.
v.2019 statistics on gold: The performance of gold in market in 2019 was best Since 2010. It rose by 18.4% in
United States dollar (USD)terms in 2019.
About World Gold Council(WGC):
Founded- 1987.
Headquarters- London, United Kingdom(UK).
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- David Tait.
Managing director(MD), India- Somasundaram PR
Chairman- David Harquail.
Reserve Bank cancels certificate of authorisation of Vodafone m-pesa

On January 21, 2020, India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the Certificate of
Authorisation (CoA) of Vodafone M-pesa Limited, a Payment System Operator (PSO), after it had voluntarily
surrendered the authorization. Now Vodafone m-Pesa cannot continue to transact the business of issuance & will
no longer have the right to provide payment facility as a prepaid instrument (PPI).
Key Points:
i.However, m-Paisa customers and merchants can claim valid under POS. They will have the right to claim their
settlement from the company within 3 years of canceling the license i.e. by September 30, 2022.
ii.Vodafone Idea in 2019 has decided to close m-pesa vertical after the closure of Aditya Birla Idea Payments
Bank Limited (ABIPBL), with which it was being merged. Vodafone m-pesa was one of the 11 firms that were
granted a payment bank license by the RBI in 2015.
About Vodafone M-pesa Limited:
Formation– 13 September 2014
For the 1st time, RBI Releases Minutes of board meeting

On January 21, 2020, For the 1st time, India central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the
minutes of the 579th meeting of Central Board of Directors (BoD) held in Chandigarh on October 11, 2019 as
part of the central bank’s transparency initiative.
Key Points:
i.The disclosure of the information is considered as a measure to further enhance public awareness about the
functioning of the RBI & and bring accountability to the directors.
ii.The minutes of the meetings of the Central Board will be uploaded on the RBI’s website under provisions of
Section 4 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act,2005, which needs suo motu (on its own) disclosure of
information by each public authority.
iii.Till now, RBI shared only the minutes of board meetings in response to queries under the RTI Act. Hereafter,
the minutes will be uploaded on the RBI website within 2- weeks from the date of its confirmation in the
upcoming meeting of the Central Board and on being signed by the chairman in the same meeting.
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iv.As per the minutes unveiled by RBI, in Chandigarh the Central Board discussed the present status of the
financial sector as well supervision of both banks & non-bank entities. It also discussed the state of the financial
sector with special focus on the regulatory and supervisory framework of commercial ,cooperative banks, and
non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) in detail.
It also discussed the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank Ltd (PMC Bank) fraud case at Chandigarh meet.
v.Background:In the recent times, RBI central board meetings have been controversial, especially considering
that then governor Urjit Patel had resigned for the reason of alleged difference of opinions on policy matters with
the central government.
vi.BOD of RBI: Reserve Bank Governor & 4 Deputy Governors are members of the central board. Other members
include Bharat Narotam Doshi, Sudhir Mankad, Ashok Gulati, Manish Sabharwal, Prasanna Kumar Mohanty,
Satish Kashinath Marathe, Dilip S Shanghvi, Swaminathan Gurumurthy, Revathy Iyer, Atanu Chakraborty, Sachin
Chaturvedi, Rajiv Kumar and Natarajan Chandrasekaran.
RBI hikes short-term debt investments limit for FPI to 30% from 20%
On January 23, 2020, With the aim to boost foreign inflows, India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) has increased the short-term investments by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to 30 % from 20 % of
the total FPI investment in Central government securities including Treasury Bills(T-bills) / state development
loans. This rule also applies in corporate bonds.
These directions are issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42
of 1999).
Key Points:
i.Till date, RBI gave exemptions for FPI investments in Security Receipts from the short-term investment limit
&the issue limit. It now extended the exemptions to debt instruments issued by Asset Reconstruction Companies
(ARC) and debt instruments provided by an organization under the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process as
per the resolution plan approved by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) under the Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code (IBC),2016.
ii.RBI also doubled the voluntary investment limit for FPIs through the voluntary retention route (VRR). Now
FPIs can invest up to Rs 1,50,000 crore through VRR as against the earlier limit of Rs 75,000 crore. The minimum
retention period should be 3 years.
As on December 31,2019, about Rs 54,300 crore has already been invested under the scheme. After increasing
the limit under the scheme, now Rs.90630 crores can be invested in it.
RBI increased Investment Limits Under Voluntary Retention Route (VRR) to Rs 1.5lakh crore
On January 24, 2020, based on the feedback received from the Voluntary Retention Route (VRR) scheme
introduced by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) in 2009, the central bank(RBI) in consultation with the govt. made
certain amendments in the scheme to increase its operational flexibility. As per the amendmentsThe
investment limit under VRR has now been increased to Rs 1,50,000 crores (1.5lakh crores) from the earlier Rs
75,000 crores
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Voluntary Retention Route:

The revised VRR scheme was made open for allotment from January 24, 2020 onwards. The revision made are as
follows:
i.Investment limit: For fresh allotment, the investment limit will be Rs. 90,630 crores and will be allotted under
VRR- combined category.
• The limits of investment will also be available ‘on tap’ and allotted on ‘first come, first served’ basis.
• Until the limits are fully allotted, the tap will remain opened.
ii.Retention period: The minimum period of retention will be 3 years.
iii.FPI investment: Foreign Portfolio Investors(FPI) may apply for the investment limits through their
respective custodians to Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIL).
VRR rule extensions:
i.Short-term investments by an FPI in govt securities & treasury bills can now be up to 30% of total investment
from the previous 20%.
ii.Short-term investment limit by an FPI into corporate bonds has also been raised to 30% of total investment of
an investor from 20%.
iii.FPI investments in debt instruments issued by asset reconstruction companies(ARC) will be exempt from the
short term limits under the corporate insolvency resolution process as per the resolution plan approved by the
National Company Law Tribunal(NCLT) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code(IBC).
VRR formation:
i.VRR was formed on March 01, 2019 for investments by FPI. Initially Rs.75,000 crores were offered for
investment in 2 tranches with Rs 54,300 crores already been invested as on December 31, 2019.
ii.The scheme is aimed at drawing in foreign investors willing to keep money in India for a minimum period of
time.
Governor- Shaktikanta Das. Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Founded- 1 April 1935, Kolkata. Act- Reserve Bank of India Act,1934.
Deputy Governors– 4 (BP Kanungo, N S Vishwanathan, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra).
UCBs hit by around 972 cases of fraud worth Rs 221 crore in past 5 fiscals: RBI
On January 27, 2020, According to the India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), there have
been about 972 cases of fraud in the urban cooperative banks (UCBs) of the country in the last 5 fiscal years
(FY), in which banks have incurred losses of 221 crores.
Key Points:
i.Cases reported in UCBs during past 5 FY:
• In the financial year 2018-19 itself, 181 cases of rigging have been reported, in which banks have lost
Rs 127.7 crore.
• In the financial year 2016-17 and 2017-18, there were 27 and 99 cases of scams in UCBs. In which the
banks lost Rs 9.3 crore and Rs 46.9 crore respectively.
• In the financial year 2014-15 and 2015-16, this figure of bank fraud stood at 478 and 187 cases
respectively. In which urban co-operative banks lost Rs 19.8 crore and Rs 17.3 crore.
ii.Thus, during the last 5 years, around 972 cases of fraud worth Rs 221 crore occurred in UCBs.
iii.As per RBI, banks need to register these cases of rigging with legal investigating agencies. Banks should decide
the responsibility of staff in such cases and take strict action & punish the guilty.
iv.The RBI has not informed about the action taken in these cases of frauds.
v.As of March 31, 2019, there are a total of 1544 UCBs in the country. Of which a total of 4.84 lakh crore rupees
are deposited. Of these, maximum Rs 3 lakh crore is deposited in 496 UCBs in Maharashtra alone. There are
55,102 crore deposits in 219 such banks in Gujarat. In Karnataka, 263 urban co-operative banks have deposits of
Rs 41,096 crore.
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TECHNOLOGY IN BANKING
Exim Bank grants $75 mn line of credit to Cuba for solar parks
On January 3, 2020, Export-Import (Exim)Bank, the premier export finance institution of India has given a $75
million (over Rs 500 crore) line of credit (LoC, a soft loan/loan with low-interest rate) to Cuba for financing 75
MW (megawatt) Photovoltaic Solar Parks.
Key Points:
i.The Agreement in this regard between Exim Bank & Banco Exterior De Cuba, a nominated agency of the
Government of Cuba, signed on July 16,2019 & is effective from December 12,2019.
ii.Out of the total assistance by Exim Bank under the agreement,financing of eligible goods, works and services of
the value of at least 75 % of the contract price shall be supplied by the seller from India and the remaining 25 %
of goods and services may be procured by the seller for the purpose of eligible contract from outside India. It will
be subject to the eligibility for export under the Foreign Trade Policy of India.
iii.As per the agreement,the terminal utilisation time is 60 months period after the scheduled completion date of
the project.
About Exim Bank:
Founded– 1 January 1982
Managing Director- David Rasquinha
About Cuba:
Capital– Havana
Currency– Peso (CUP)
President– Miguel Díaz-Canel
Prime Minister- Manuel Marrero Cruz
In a 1st, HDFC Bank launches customised ‘myApps’ for large institutions

On January 9, 2020,In a bid to make the business more convenient for customers, HDFC (Housing Development
Finance Corporation) Bank,an Indian banking and financial services company, for the 1st time has
launched ‘myApps’, which is a suite of white-label apps to benefit urban local bodies, housing societies, local
clubs and gymkhanas and religious institutions.
Key Points:
i.The myApps was launched at an event in Mumbai,Maharashtra by Smita Bhagat, Country Head, Government &
Institutional Business, Start-ups and E-Commerce, HDFC Bank and Sunali Rohra, Executive Vice President,
Government and Institutional Business, HDFC Bank.
ii.Utilities of Myapp:
Customised in over 20 languages including Hindi and English, it will help above said organisations to entirely
digitise their ecosystem by allowing customise their brand and content.
Tapping into the Business to business to consumer (B2B2C), myApps will be provided free of cost to all members
of each institution and there will be no monthly subscription charges per user & also no restrictions on the
number of users as well.
The institution’s server will host the data of the user, which the bank will facilitate to ensure complete data
privacy and security.
iii.So far, HDFC Bank provides 4 types of applications namely, mySociety, myClub, myPrayer and myCity.
About HDFC Bank:
Headquarters– Mumbai , Maharashtra
Founded– August 1994, Managing Director– Aditya Puri
Tag line– We Understand Your World
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ICICI bank unveils India’s largest API banking portal called ‘ICICI Bank API Banking portal’ with nearly
250 APIs
On January 14, 2020, ICICI (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India) bank,an Indian multinational
banking and financial services company has launched India’s largest API (application programming interfaces)
Banking portal called ‘ICICI Bank API Banking portal’(https://developer.icicibank.com/), which consists of 250
APIs & allows bank’s partner companies across the globe to sign up on it, create an application, select the
application, test it out and get the sample code.
Key Points:
i.With this, the portal reduces time span to few weeks and even days for partners to integrate the APIs to their
business solutions. Usually, technical integration with the banks takes a lot of time. In addition to technical
complexity,multi-layer approval process delay the whole development cycle by months.
ii.Now the partnership will promote productivity for business process as it creates ways for requirements of all
types of firms – technology developers ,aggregators and offers a single place for designing, testing and going live
with their business solution.
iii.The APIs are available in various categories including payments & collections like IMPS (Immediate Payment
Service), UPI (Unified Payments Interface) payment, accounts & deposits and cards & loans. Once the solution get
tested under sandbox process, developers can update to the UAT (User Acceptance Testing) for real-time testing,
post signing an NDA with the Bank.
About API:
It is a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other.
These APIs hide complexity from developers, extend systems to partners, organize code, and make components
reusable.
About ICICI Bank:
Founded– 1994, Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director & CEO– Mr. Sandeep Bakhshi
Tagline– Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka
ICICI Bank launches ‘cardless cash withdrawal’ through ATMs using ‘iMobile’; daily transaction limit set
at Rs 20,000
On January 21, 2020, ICICI (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India) Bank, an Indian
multinational bank has launched Cardless cash withdrawal facility from its ATMs (Automated Teller Machine)
with a per-day transaction limit of Rs 20,000.
With this, customers can withdraw cash from more than 15,000 ATMs of the bank through the bank’s mobile
banking application ‘iMobile’.
Key Points:
i.This facility can be used for self-withdrawal when ICICI customers do not wish to carry the debit card & also
enables customers to withdraw cash securely and easily from their mobile phone for everyday use.
About ICICI bank:
Founded- 1994
Executive Director– Mr. Anup Bagchi
MD & CEO– Mr. Sandeep Bakhshi
In a 1st , City Union Bank launches multilingual voice based ‘All-In-One’ app
On January 22, 2020, For the 1st time India, the City Union Bank (CUB) Limited , one of the leading Indian banks
in India, has launched a multilingual voice-enabled mobile banking application. Now the CUB customers can
converse with the chat–bot ‘Ask Lakshmi’ of the app in Tamil, English, Hindi / Telugu language for their
general banking queries including transactions like Balance enquiry, mini statement, fund transfer over
voice/text instructions.
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Key Points:
i.This new innovative all-in-one app comprises all the financial & non-financial transactions like fund transfer,
bill payments, opening/closing of deposits, opening/closing of loan on deposits, balance enquiry, statement of
account, stop payment of cheque, set card limit, wallet, UPI (Unified Payment Interface) and invest (buying and
selling) in Mutual Funds will be done through Voice chat. Customers can invest in any of the available Asset
Management company (AMC) in the market, as a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) / one time investment
through Invest option given in the app.
ii.The chat-bot Lakshmi operates on Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform.
About City Union Bank (CUB):
Founded– 1904
Headquarters– Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
MD & CEO– Dr. N. Kamakodi
IndusInd Bank launches asset management platform “PIONEER”

On January 24, 2020, IndusInd Bank Limited , one of the leading Private Sector Banks of the country , has
launched the asset management platform under the name ‘PIONEER’ Banking. Through this, services will be
provided to high net-worth customers of IndusInd bank. Along with this, specially tailored banking services will
also be offered, which will suit the needs of valued consumers.
PIONEER customers will get the following benefits and privileges:
• The bank will not charge on Non-Maintenance of Minimum Balance
• PIONEER customers can get a benefit to link up to 10 family members & Business accounts and
extend the same benefits to all of them.
• They are allowed to access exclusive PIONEER ‘Lobbies’ that have been designed to enable them to
undertake personal & bank-related meetings.
• They can avail free doorstep banking of up to Rs. 4 Lakh per day at no extra cost.
• PIONEER customers will not be charged for transactions taken through the NEFT (National
Electronic Funds Transfer) or RTGS (Real-time gross settlement) platforms.
• No Transaction Charges on requests pertaining to checkbooks, demand drafts (DD), passbooks,
statements, alerts, or TDS(Tax Deducted at Source) certificates.
• They can also avail Complimentary PIONEER World Debit card, Card Holistic Wealth Management
Services & Lifestyle benefits (Such as BookMyShow vouchers, discounts at Marquee restaurants,
premiere hotels,etc).
About IndusInd Bank:
Founded– 1994
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra
MD & CEO– Romesh Sobti
Consumer Banking Head– Mr. Sumant Kathpalia
Tagline– We Make You Feel Richer
OTHER BANK NEWS

BoB joins hands with JM Financial for co-lending to home buyers
On January 2, 2020, Bank of Baroda (BoB), an Indian Multinational, public sector Bank has signed a co-lending
partnership agreement with JM Financial Home Loans Limited (JMFHL), the housing finance arm of JM
Financial Group, to provide retail loans to home buyers.
i.This tie up will boost the credit delivery to customers & also promote home buying field in India.
About Bank of Baroda (BoB):
Founded- 20 July 1908
Headquarters- Vadodara, Gujarat
Non-Executive Chairman- Hasmukh Adhia
Tagline- India’s International Bank.
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About JM Financial Home Loans Limited (JMFHL):

Formation– 16 December 2016.
Headquarters– Mumbai,Maharashtra
CEO– Manish Sheth
RevFin partners with PNB MetLife to provide life insurance to its customers
On January 03, 2020, India’s leading Digital lending startup, RevFin Services Private Limited has joined hands
with PNB MetLife India Insurance Company to offer protection to the RevFin’s customers by bundling life
insurance cover on their loans. This insurance covers loans up to Rs 3 lakh for a period of 3 years.
Key Points:
i.In addition to this, RevFin customers who have taken a loan to buy an electric three-wheeler vehicle, can take
benefit of this partnership, and cover their remaining loan amount during the loan period.
ii.PNB MetLife’s suite of products will be provided digitally through RevFin’s (iOS- iPhone Operating System and
Android) app, so that there is no additional paperwork needed.
iii.The collaboration will help PNB MetLife to reach out to unbanked areas & drive greater financial inclusion in
the country by securing the families of the borrowers against loan repayment in case of unfortunate death of the
borrower.
About RevFin:
Headquarters– NewDelhi
CEO– Sameer Aggarwal
About PNB MetLife India Insurance Company:
Founded– 2001
MD& CEO– Ashish Kumar Srivastava
It has as its shareholders MetLife International Holdings LLC (MIHL), Punjab National Bank Limited (PNB),
Jammu & Kashmir Bank Limited (JKB), M. Pallonji and other private investors.
CSC signed pact with Paytm Payments Bank for sale of FASTags
On January 04, 2020, CSC e-Governance services India ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Paytm Payments Bank ltd (PPBL) for selling FASTags. Through this MoU, FASTags will be sold through the
last mile network of 3.6 lakh CSCs (Common Service Centres). This will help in enhancing govt’s vision of cashless
and smooth transit at toll plazas in the country. CSC will integrate its platform with PPBL to carry out the
transactions. Village level entrepreneurs will be trained on conducting online sales which are cashless and
paperless.
Common Service Centres providing FASTags:
• CSCs have been providing FASTag services since 2 years. It initially partnered with Equitas bank in
September 2017 and later with the State Bank of India (SBI) and HDFC (Housing Development
Finance Corporation) bank.
• Since March 2019, CSCs tied up with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) also for selling
FASTags.
• So far, 2.84 lakh FASTags have been sold by CSCs in India with Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and
several other states topping with maximum sales.
• CSCs have also been providing FASTag ‘top-up’ through wallet recharge to vehicle owners and
transporters. So far, more than Rs 74 crore worth top-up for FASTags has been done by VLEs across
the country.
FASTags:
• FASTags have been mandatory in the country at toll gates on national highways (NH). It allows toll
payments directly from prepaid or savings account linked to it.
• The FASTags work on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.
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• As of December 31, 2019, over 1.15 crore FASTags have been issued.
About CSC e-governance service India ltd:
Fact- It is a Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC SPV) by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
under the incorporation of Companies Act 1956. Its purpose is to monitor implementation of CSCs.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Dinesh Tyagi.
About Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL):
Fact- it is India’s only mobile first bank with zero balance digital transaction charge accounts.
Chairman- Vijay Shekar Sharma.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Managing Director (MD)- Satish Kumar Gupta.
Indian Bank signed MoU with TN’s WEWA to provide credit for business establishments
On January 03, 2020, the Indian bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Women
Entrepreneurs Welfare Association (WEWA) of Tamil Nadu(TN) to provide training and credit linkage to its
women entrepreneurs to establish business.
Key Points:
i.The Indian bank will provide loans to the WEWA members at discounted rates. Training will be given to the
WEWA members in the INDSETIs (Indian Bank Self Employment Training Institutes)
ii.WEWA target: The WEWA currently aims to add 1,000 members by 2023.
About Indian Bank:
Founder- Ramaswami Chettiar.
Headquarters- Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) & Managing Director(MD)- Ms. Padmaja Chunduru
Tagline- Your Own Bank; Taking Banking Technology to the Common Man; Your Tech Friendly Bank
Shivalik Mercantile became 1st urban cooperative bank to convert to SFB

On January 06,2020 the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), gave approval to Uttar Pradesh based Shivalik Mercantile
Co-operative Bank Ltd to convert to a small finance bank (SFB). With this, Shivalik Mercantile became
the 1st urban cooperative bank (UCB) to be converted into an SFB since the release of reformed RBI guidelines
which came out 2 years ago.
Grant of License: The RBI will grant licence to Shivalik Mercantile bank for the commencement of banking
business under Section 22 (1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 as an SFB.
RBI Guidelines for UCB to SFB conversion:
i.Conversion guidelines: RBI granted transition of a UCB into an SFB under the scheme on voluntary transition
of urban co-operative bank into a small finance bank issued on September 27, 2018. It was part of the
recommendations made by the high powered committee on UCBs led by the then RBI deputy governor Rama
Subramaniam Gandhi.
• Under the guidelines, a promoter should be an Indian resident with 10 years of experience in banking
and finance.
• The promoter or the promoter groups should conform to the definition of the Securities and Exchange
Board of India(SEBI)- (Issue of Capital & Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2009 and RBI
guidelines on fit and proper.
ii.Transition eligibility: The UCB will get 18 months (1.5years) to comply with the above mentioned scheme.
Banks having a minimum net worth of Rs 50 crore and capital to risk weighted assets (RWA) ratio of 9% will be
eligible to apply for voluntary transition to SFB.
• UCB compliance: The UCBs should also have to comply with the latest guidelines for on-tap licensing
of SFBs in the private sector. Under this guideline, SFBs should maintain a minimum net worth of
₹100 crores from the date of commencement of business.
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• SFB status maintenance requirement: SFBs will have to maintain a minimum capital adequacy ratio
of 15% of RWA on a continuous basis. They should also have to increase the minimum paid-up voting
equity capital to ₹200 crores within 5 years of the date of commencement of business.
iii.Loans by SFBs: The SFBs are required to extend 75% of their loans to sectors under priority sector lending
(PSL) such as loans to agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises, education, housing, and others.
• 50% of the SFB loan portfolio should constitute loans and advances up to ₹25 lakhs.
About Shivalik Mercantile Bank ltd:
Fact- Shivalik bank is the largest UCB in Uttar Pradesh
Established- 5 September 1998 in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Registered under- Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act 2002.
Acquisition made- Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar Bank in 2010 and achieved multi state bank status.
Chairman- Yashvir Kumar Gupta.
SBI announces new ‘RBBG’ scheme; SBI & Sunteck Realty Limited signed MoU on RBBG scheme
On January 08, 2020 the State Bank of India(SBI) has announced a new scheme named Residential Builder
Finance with Buyer Guarantee (RBBG). This new scheme’s purpose is to safeguard home buyers financially by
issuing guarantee for completion of projects to customers availing SBI Home Loans. The ongoing home
projects of SBI customers will be financed by the bank itself.
Home price range: Housing segment with home price of up to Rs. 2.50 crores in 10 cities will be focused in the
RBBG scheme initially.
Residential builder finance with buyer guarantee:
i.Builders loan availability: Under the scheme, all reputed builders fulfilling the bank criteria can avail loan
ranging between Rs 50 crores and Rs 400 crores. The criteria also include star rating and CIBIL (Credit
Information Bureau (India) Limited) score.
ii.RERA act: The buyer guarantee will be available for RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Act, 2016) registered
projects and a project will be considered stuck after it crosses the RERA deadline.
iii.Amount refund: The lender would refund the entire principal amount in case the developer fails to deliver
the project within the assured deadline. The refund scheme will be valid till the occupation certificate is procured
by the builder.
SBI and Sunteck Realty Limited (SRL) signed MoU:
On January 08,2020 SBI and real estate development company Sunteck Realty Limited (SRL) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost the residential housing sector under the public sector lender’s
RBBG scheme with tagine “Sapna Aapka – Bharosa SBI Ka” to the home buyers. Under this MoU three projects
will be constructed in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region of Maharashtra.
• Home buyers can choose their dream homes from SBI approved projects in 10 cities enhancing trust
and transparency.
About State Bank of India(SBI):
Formation- 1 July 1955.
Chairperson- Rajnish Kumar.
Headquarters- Mumbai.
Tagline- The banker to every Indian; With you- all the way; A bank of the common man; Pure banking, nothing
else.
Andhra Pradesh govt and Kfw inks a loan agreement for Rs.711 crore under ZBNF
On January 8, 2020 Andhra Pradesh government signs a loan pact for Rs.711 crore with Kfw, Germany
Development bank for expanding the climate-resilient Zero-Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) in the state for
the next five years.
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Key Points:
i.To take up the insurance scheme Andhra Pradesh government will spend Rs 304 crore in addition to encourage
2.39 lakh farmers in 591 village panchayats.
ii.ZBNF already covers about 1.28 lakh
hectares in 3,011 villages of Andhra Pradesh
and the financial assistance from German
bank helps to cover about 2 lakh hectares in
the addition.
iii.The helpline number “1800 599 3366” was
also launched for enquiries related to the
insurance scheme.
iv.The state government under takes ZBNF
along with the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
(RKVY) and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana’s (PKVY) of the Centre government and technical supported by
Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives.
About Zero-Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF):
ZBNF is a method of Chemical-free agriculture practice which aims to bring down the cost of production to zero
and doubles the farmer’s income. ZBNF was also highlighted in budget 2019 for doubling farmer’s income by
2022
About Kfw:
Founded- 1948
Headquarters- Frankfurt, Germany
Central govt raised India Overseas Bank’s authorized capital to Rs 25,000 crore
On January 10, 2020 the central govt in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)has announced an
increase in the authorized capital of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) to Rs 25,000 crores from the previous
authorized capital of Rs. 15,000 crores, thus making an increase by Rs. 10,000 crores.
Key Points:
i.Authorised capital: It is the maximum amount of share capital a company/bank/institution is authorised to
issue its shareholders.
ii.Paid-up capital: It is the amount of money a company has received from shareholders in exchange for shares
of stock.
About Indian Overseas Bank(IOB):
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Shri Karnam Sekar.
Founder- Chidambaram Chettyar.
Founded- 10 February 1937.
Tagline- Good people to grow with.
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WB & India signed $88 million loan pact for Assam Inland Water Transport Project
On January 16, 2020, the Government of India, the Govt. of Assam and the World Bank(WB) signed a loan
agreement of $88 million for implementation of the Assam Inland Water Transport Project (AIWTP) to
modernize passenger ferry sector of Assam which runs on rivers including the Brahmaputra river in Assam.
• Loan signing: The loan agreement from the Indian side was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare,
Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance and by Mr Junaid Kamal
Ahmad, Country Director (India), World Bank on behalf of the WB.
• Project agreement signing: The Project Agreement was signed by Shri Adil Rashid, Commissioner
(Assam Transport) and State Project Director on behalf of Government of Assam and Mr Kamal
Ahmad on behalf of the World Bank.
Key Points:
i.The govt ferries will be operated by Assam Shipping Company (ASC) while the terminal services will be
provided by Assam Ports Company (APC).
ii.It is also to be noted that a loan of $88 million from WB’s International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD) has a final maturity of 14.5 years including a grace period of 5 years.
About World Bank(WB):
Founded- 1944.
Headquarters- Washington, D.C., United States(US).
Motto- Working for a World Free of Poverty.
President- David Malpass.
Managing Director(MD)- Anshula Khant.
South central zone of Indian railways & SBI ink pact for doorstep banking in 585 stations
On January 14, 2020, South Central Railway (SCR) Zone of Indian Railways has signed an MoU (memorandum
of understanding ) with State Bank of India (SBI) for ‘doorstep banking’ under which the bank will collect
earnings generated from all 585 stations of the zone.
Key Points:
i.Till now, the railways used to send cash received at their stations to the bank in the safes by train. There was
risk in this work and it was extremely difficult. It also consumes human labor.
ii.Key benefits of the MoU:
i.Equal remittance mechanism will be developed in all railway stations.
ii.Real time information will be available about the cash being deposited by various stations, which will facilitate
accountability.
iii.Avoidance of unwanted accumulation of cash at railway stations.
iv.Smart way of remittance of station earnings.
iii.The cash deposited at the small railway stations is sent through guards to the larger stations, while the cash
from the larger stations is sent to the respective commercial inspectors of the predetermined nearest bank. In
order to reach the cash safely, the personnel of Railway Protection Force (RPF) had to be sent for security along
with the employee. Now the labor force of the employees will be saved under the new system.
iv.The agreement was signed by Dr B.S.Christopher, Chief Commercial Manager, Freight Services and Shri
J.Meghanath, Financial Advisor and Chief Accounts Officer, Traffic on behalf of SCR and Shri Surendra Nayak,
Deputy General Manager(DGM), Digital and Transaction Banking Unit, SBI, Hyderabad.
Founded– April 16, 1853
Minister of Railway– Piyush Goyal
Chairman of Railway Board– Vinod Kumar Yadav
About State Bank of India (SBI):
Founded- 1 July 1955 (as SBI), Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra, Chairman- Rajnish Kumar
Tagline- With you all the way, Pure Banking Nothing Else, The Nation’s banks on us.
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Exim Bank extends $35.80 mn LoC to Suriname for rural electrification

On January 22, 2020 the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM bank) has extended $35.80 million (nearly Rs 250
crore) Line of Credit (LoC) to South American country Suriname to fund its rural electrification programme
through solar Diesel Generator (DG) hybrid Photo-Voltaic(PV) systems in Suriname’s 50 remote villages.
Key Points:
i.Under the LoC, the projects covered include power, water supply, purchase of helicopters, and rehabilitation
and upgradation of milk processing plant.
ii.Till date, India has extended 9 LoC to Suriname with total value of $124.98 million (nearly Rs.890 crores).
iii.Exim bank LoC coverage: Exim bank’s total LoC counts to 258 covering 64 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin
America and the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), with credit commitments of around $25.48 billion
available for financing exports from India.
About EXIM bank:
Managing Director- David Rasquinha.
Act- Export-Import Bank of India Act, 1981.
About Suriname:
Capital- Paramaribo.
Currency- Surinamese dollar.
ICICI Lombard gets IRDAI approval to pilot 5 projects under Regulatory Sandbox
On January 22, 2020, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited,one of the leading private sector
general insurance companies in India,has received Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
(IRDAI) approval for 5 innovative applications and programs in its health and motor portfolio under
the Sandbox Project. This is the largest approval by IRDAI in terms of numbers given to a company under the
project.
Key Points:
i.ICICI Lombard has got the approval for APP Monitored Diabetes Mellitus Wellness Program, APP Monitored
Dyslipidaemia Management Program under the health insurance portfolio, Pay As You Use (PAYU) policies for
Private Car, Pay How You Use (PHYU) policies for Private Car and Single owner multiple vehicle (Motor floater
policy).
ii.ICICI Lombard will forward these proposals from 1 February 2020 – 31 July 2020 on pilot basis.
iii.Under the regulatory sandbox project of IRDAI, the insurance industry has been given the flexibility to explore
new products and services in today’s technology and data-based world.
About Regulatory Sandbox (RS):
It refers to live testing of new products/services in a secure &controlled regulatory environment, where the
regulators can allow certain regulatory relaxations for the limited purpose of the testing. It also permits the
innovators, regulators, financial providers, and the customers to carry out field tests so that they can verify the
benefits and risks of new emerging financial innovations and their implications.
About IRDAI:
Founded– 1999
Headquarters– Hyderabad
Chairman– Dr. Subhash C. Khuntia
About ICICI Lombard:
Founded– 2001
MD&CEO– Bhargav Dasgupta
It is a joint venture between ICICI (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India) Bank & Fairfax
Financial Holdings Limited- a financial services company based in Toronto, Canada.
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New India Co-operative Bank(NICB) to be converted as Small Finance Bank

On January 20, 2020 the New India Co-operative Bank (NICB) has been decided to convert into a Small Finance
Bank (SFB) after being agreed by its shareholders under Voluntary Transition of Primary (Urban) Co-operative
Banks (UCBs) into SFB. NICB will now approach the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) and Central Registrar of Societies
for further action.
Key Points:
i.The decision for conversion comes after RBI made regulatory changes following the Rs 4500 crore PMC (Punjab
and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank) bank scam and to ensure enhanced regulations to lenders.
ii.The bank is currently operating in Maharashtra and Gujarat and has networth of Rs. 230 crores.
iii.A minimum of Rs.200 crore is needed to set up an SFB.
About New India Co-operative Bank(NICB):
Formation- 1968 as Bombay Labour Cooperative Bank Ltd & renamed in 1977.
Chairman- Ranjit Bhanu.
Western Union joins hands with Airtel payments bank & Airtel Africa for money transfer service
On January 22, 2020, Western Union Company, a leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and
payments, has partnered with India’s largest integrated telecommunications services company, Bharti Airtel’s 2
arms– Airtel Payments Bank & Airtel Africa Plc, to enable millions of latter’s customers in India to receive
international remittances in their bank accounts & and Mobile Wallets across 14 countries in Africa.
Key Points:
i.Airtel Payments Bank customers will be able to direct a Western Union money transfer into their bank accounts
24/7 via their app in real-time. It will also allow Airtel Payments Bank customer to withdraw money from its
authorized 5 lakh outlets.
ii.In collaboration with Airtel Africa, this will enable over 15 million Airtel Money mobile wallet users in Nigeria,
Uganda, Gabon, Tanzania, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Madagascar, Kenya, Congo, Niger,
Tchad, Rwanda and Seychelles to simply get any money transfer received from across the world into their
wallets.
About Western Union:
Founded– 1851
Headquarters– Denver, Colorado, United States(US)
President & CEO– Hikmet Ersek
About Bharti Airtel:
Founded– 7 July 1995
Chairman– Sunil Bharti Mittal
About Airtel Payments Bank Limited:
Founded– 2017
Headquarters– New Delhi India
MD &CEO– Anubrata Biswas
About Airtel Africa:
Founded– 8 June 2010
Headquarters– Delhi
CEO– Raghunath Venkateswarlu Mandava
India & WB signed $210 million loan pact for Maharashtra’s Agri & Rural Transformation Project
On January 24, 2020, the govt of India, Govt of Maharashtra and the World Bank(WB) signed a loan agreement
of $210 million for Maharashtra’s Agribusiness & rural transformation project. This project will help the
farmers in Maharashtra to take part in competitive agriculture value chains, enhance agribusiness investments
thereby increasing productivity of commodities. All 36 districts of Maharashtra will be implemented with the
project and would benefit nearly 1 million farming households.
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Key Points:
i.loan Agreement signing: The agreement was signed by Shri Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary of the
Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance (MoF) on behalf of Indian govt while from the WB side, it
was signed by Mr JunaidKamal Ahmad, WB’s Country Director (India).
ii.Project agreement signing: The project agreement was signed by Shri Eknath Dawale, Secretary of the
Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra & by Mr. Junaid Kamal Ahmad of WB.
iii.This loan is from the WB’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a grace period
of 6 years and a maturity period of 13.5 years.
About International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
Founded- 1944.
Parent organization- World Bank Group.
NABARD predicts Rs 90,395cr credit potential for Odisha in FY21

On January 27, 2020, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), an Apex
Development Financial Institution in India, in its State Focus Paper for Odisha, has estimated Odisha’s credit
potential at Rs 90,395.69 crore for Financial year FY- 2020-21 with a hike of around 20% over credit
projection of 2019-20.
Key Points:
i.Out of the total credit potential for priority sector,agriculture constitues Rs 43,282.11 crore, in which, Rs
40,227.79 crore (92.94 %) is estimated under farm credit, which consists both crop loans and term loans for
agriculture and allied activities.
ii.In addition,the credit potential under agriculture infrastructure & ancilliary activities have been predicted at
Rs 1,603.94 cr and Rs 1,450.38 cr, respectively. Also, out of the total credit potential assessed under agriculture
sector, 31 per cent is under term loans. Credit potential under MSME sector has been assessed at Rs 30,457.99
crore, constituting 33.69 per cent of the total priority sector. Other sectors consisting of export credit, education,
housing, renewable energy, others and social infrastructure have 18.43 per cent share in the total credit potential
under priority sector.
About National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD):
Formation– July 12, 1982, Headquarters– Mumbai,Maharashtra
Chairman– Dr. Harsh Kumar Banwala
No charge on UPI, RuPay transactions if MDR is zero: Banks to NPCI

On January 29, 2020, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), an umbrella organisation for operating
retail payments and settlement systems, has approved part of the banks request to remove interchange
fees on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and RuPay card transactions as long as the merchant discount rate
(MDR) remains zero.
In contrast, it still reviewing other fees like payments service provider (PSP) fee and switching fees as it is
concerned that the decision will obstruct its revenues and PSPs like PhonePe & Google-Pay.
Key Points:
i.The move was discussed & approved in the NPCI steering committee meeting with Indian Banks’ Association
(IBA).
ii.If NPCI provides a complete waiver on charges, NPCI as well as banks, networks and PSPs will not earn
anything from UPI and RuPay transactions. Because, at present NPCI charges the switching fee from banks on
RuPay card transactions.
iii.Earlier on January 1, 2020, the Finance Ministry (FM) announced that no MDR charges will be applicable on
transactions/ payments done via RuPay and UPI platforms beginning January 1, 2020.
About MDR: It is the cost paid by a merchant to a bank for accepting payment from their customers via digital
means. The MDR is expressed in percentage of the transaction amount.
It generally varies from 1% – 3%.
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About Indian Banks’ Association (IBA):

Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashra
Deputy CEO– B Raj Kumar
It has 252 banks as its members comprising of public, private, foreign and cooperative regional banks.
About National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):
Founded– 2008
MD & CEO– Dilip Asbe
Government took over process related to IMEI from private body MSAI
On January 30, 2020, The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), a department of the Ministry of
Communications, has taken over the process of issuing and managing IMEI (International Mobile Equipment
Identity), a special 15-digit serial number of mobile phones in the country, from private body MSAI (Mobile
Standard Alliance of India).
Key Points:
i.The government has decided to change the system operated by MSAI and develop a new system called “Indian
Counterfeited Device Restriction (ICDR)” for implementing the SOP (Standard operating procedure). It has been
prepared by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT). It is the Research and Development (R&D) unit
of the DoT for the implementation of SOP, which was issued by DoT in May 2015 to ban the import of fake and
fake IMEI numbers of mobile phones.
ii.The new ICDR has been launched as a pilot process on the web portal of the Central Equipment Identity
Register (CEIR), which is being used to block all services on stolen or lost mobile phones on any network.
iii.This system will work on all networks even if the person remove the SIM or change the IMEI number.
DOT Guideline for all mobile device manufacturers; asks them to switch to C-DoT-operated IMEI system
The DoT has issued a new guideline to all the Mobile Device manufacturers/Brand Owners , a Standard
Operating Procedure (SOP) ( Version 1.0).Under this it has mandated the mobile phone makers to replace the
Mobile Standard Alliance of India (MSAI)-operated IMEI system with that developed in-house by a state-owned
firm.
About IMEI:
The London-based industry organization GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications, originally Groupe
Spécial Mobile) and its authorized organizations allot IMEI. When a mobile is lost, an IMEI number is required to
locate it.The process related to IMEI is being managed by the Mobile Standards Alliance of India (MSAI).
About Department of Telecommunications:
Founded– 1985
Minister– Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Minister of State (independent charge)
ICICI Bank launches first-of-its-kind 24×7 self-service delivery facility , ‘iBox’

On January 29, 2020, ICICI (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India) Bank , an Indian financial
institution, has launched first-of-its-kind 24×7 self-service delivery tool for customers called “iBox” at one of
its branches in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The bank has started it in over 50 branches in 17 cities.
Key Points:
i.Under this facility, customers will now be able to take their debit, credit card, check book and return check from
the branch close to their home or office. The iBox terminals are installed outside the premises of the bank’s
branches, which can be used even after the bank closes.
ii.This facility will be more beneficial for people who are not present at their home to receive these deliverables.
Customers can also access it from their registered phone on even Sundays & holidays.
iii.How does this feature work:
When the customer’s package arrives at the iBox terminal, an SMS notification will be sent to them, which
contains the GPS(Global Positioning System) location of the iBox, an OTP(one-time password) and a QR (Quick
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Response) code. After this, the customer goes to the iBox and inserts his registered mobile number and OTP or
QR code in it, after which the box opens and the customer can take his package.
iv.Some of the cities that currently installed iBox terminals include Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata,
Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Navi Mumbai.
About ICICI bank:
Founded– 1994
President– Sandeep Batra
Indian Bank launches credit products ‘Corporate Loan’ & ‘Ind Surya Shakthi’ for textile sector
On January 30, 2020 the Indian Bank has announced the launch of two tailor made credit products
i.e., Corporate Loan and Ind Surya Shakthi/ Indian Bank Solar which will be available across the country for
the benefit of the textile sector. The products were launched during a meeting with high officials of the textile
industry under the Indian Texpreneurs Federation (ITF), in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers
of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
Key Points:
Corporate Loan: Under it, the loans will be offered at affordable interest rates.
Surya Shakthi: It is a term loan to set up roof-top solar power plants for captive consumption. This loan is
expected to boost the renewable energy utilisation culture in the textile sector.
About Indian Bank:
Fact- Allahabad Bank will merge with Indian Bank, with effect from April 1, 2020. After the merger, Indian bank
will become the 7th largest Public sector bank in India with net worth Rs.8.50 lakh crore.
Tagline- Taking Banking Technology to the Common Man, Your own bank, Your Tech-friendly bank.
FINANCE NEWS
Small savings schemes interest rates unchanged for Jan-Mar quarter of FY 2019-20:Fin Min
On December 31, 2019,The Union Finance Ministry, Government of India (GoI), has not made any changes in
the interest rates on its small savings schemes (SSS) of the post office for the fourth quarter of the financial
year(FY) 2019-20 starting from January 1, 2020- March 31, 2020 due to softening in the bank deposit rate.
Current Interest Rates of Small Savings Schemes:
Small Savings Scheme Annual Interest Rate
Public Provident Fund (PPF) 7.90%
National Savings Certificate
7.90%
(NSC)
7.6% (113 months
Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP)
maturity)
Sukanya Samriddhi Account 8.40%
5-year Senior Citizens Savings
8.60%
Scheme
Savings Deposit 4.00%
Term Deposits (1-5 year
6.9 %-7.7 %
maturity)
5-year Recurring Deposit 7.20%
Key Points:
i.In the year 2016, the Finance Ministry announced the fixing of interest rates on a quarterly basis & decided to
link the interest rates on small savings schemes with the yield of government bonds.
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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also kept interest rates stable in the Monetary Policy Review amid concerns
about inflation.
About Small Savings Schemes (SSS) :
These are more of social welfare schemes .They are government run schemes that provide higher interest rate.
These schemes are meant for small investors backed by a sovereign guarantee and tax benefits.
About Finance Ministry:
Formed– 29 October 1946
Union Minister– Nirmala Sitharaman
Minister of State for Finance– Anurag Thakur
IRDAI: Health insurance cover in the name ‘Arogya Sanjeevani’ mandatory for insurance companies
On January 02, 2020 the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has mandated all the
health and General Insurance Companies(GICs) to offer 1st of its kind standardised health insurance products
(SHIP) in the name “Arogya Sanjeevani” policy with effect from April 1, 2020. All the health products offered
by those companies will be succeeded by this name. It is to be noted that no health insurance companies will
mention any other name other than the standard name of Arogya Sanjeevani in any of the documents.
Insurance limit: Under the Arogya Sanjeevani plan, the minimum sum insured will be Rs. 1 lakh while
the maximum sum insured limit will be Rs. 5 lakhs (in multiples of 50,000). The health insurance plan should
be offered with a policy term of one year. The details of this insurance plan are as follows:
Arogya Sanjeevani health insurance policy:
i.Key features: 3 key features of the policy have been mandated in the IRDAI’s guidelines. These include
providing health insurance policy for basic health needs of the insured public; Having a standard product with
common policy wordings; Providing seamless portability among the insurers.
ii.Eligibility: Any person aged between 18-65 (inclusive of 18 & 65 years of age) eligible for the Arogya
Sanjeevani policy. The following family members of a person can avail the policy. These include legal spouse,
parents and Parents-in-laws and dependent children.
• Dependent children: Children who are natural or legally adopted between the ages of 3months and
25 years will be eligible. A child above 18 years of age and financially independent will not be eligible
for policy coverage.
iii.Mode of premium payment: All modes of premium payment, i.e., annual, half-yearly, quarterly or monthly
mode will be available. There will also be uniformity in premium pricing irrespective of geographic
locations/zones etc.
iv.Grace period for premium payments: A fixed period of 30 days will be allowed as grace period for premium
payments. However, a fixed period of 15 days grace period will be allowed for all other modes of payment.
v.Expenses coverage: Upto 25% of the sum insured or Rs. 40,000 whichever is, low per eye will be covered for
cataract treatments. All daycare treatments and expenses incurred on road whereby ambulance cost subject to a
maximum of Rs 2,000 per hospitalisation and coverage will be done.
• AYUSH coverage: The health policy will also cover expenses for hospitalisation under AYUSH
(Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) treatment.
• Pre & post hospitalisation: Pre-hospitalisation expenses incurred for a period of 30 days and post-
hospitalisation expenses for a period of 60 days will also be covered.
vi.15 day free look period: At least a 15 day free look period will be given from the date of receipt of the policy
to review the terms and conditions of the policy and also to cancel the policy if not acceptable.
vii.5% Co-pay: Fixed co-pay of 5% on all claims will be applicable and also be eligible across all ages. Click here
to know more.
Important insurance terms:
• Premium: An insurance premium is the amount of money an individual or business pays for an
insurance policy.
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• Grace Period: It is the time provided to the customer over and above the exact due date to make
payments for the renewal premium without lapsing the insurance policy or reducing any of the policy
benefits.
• Free look period: It is a required period of time in which a new life insurance policy owner can
terminate or end his/her policy without penalties or surrender charges.
• Co-Pay: It refers to an arrangement in which the policyholder will need to pay a portion of the
medical expenses on their own and the insurance company will pay the remaining amount.
About Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India(IRDAI):
Fact- IRDAI is a 10-member team consisting of 1 chairman, 5 whole time members and 4-part time members.
Founded- 1999.
Headquarters- Hyderabad, Telangana.
Constituted act- Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999
Chairman- Subhash Chandra Khuntia
NSE arm launches AI-powered ‘knowledge hub’ to serve financial sector

On January 6, 2020, National Stock Exchange(NSE) launched ‘NSE Knowledge Hub’ an Artificial Intelligence-
powered learning platform for BFSI (Banking,Financial services and Insurance) sectors to enhance skills for their
employees, during an event in New Delhi. The function was inaugurated by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of
Railways & Commerce and Industries.
Key Points:
i.It has been developed by NSE Academy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange (NSE).
ii.The modules in the hub will help in understanding the stock exchange and their functionalities.
iii.NSE knowledge hub also connects the financial sector with Digital India to boost the Indian economy.
iv.India is recognized as the world’s biggest fintech (financial technology) hub. The technologies in Artificial
Intelligence will contribute 1 trillion dollars to the Indian Economy by 2035.
About NSE:
Founded- 1992. Headquarters- Mumbai.
MD and CEO- Vikram Limaye.
Digital payments body NPCI launches blockchain-based ‘Vajra platform’ to make payments fast & secure
On January 6, 2020, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI),an umbrella organisation for operating
retail payments has launched blockchain technology based “Vajra Platform” to make payments fast & secure.
Key Points:
i. Vajra: The new platform Vajra, which is based on the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT),has been
designed with the aim to offer automatic clearing and settlement of payments on NPCI products such as unified
payments interface (UPI) and Rupay card & will significantly reduce the need for manual reconciliation.
It uses a permissions model in order to ensure that only approved parties are a part of the network. It can be
accessed by various payments companies. After getting the approval, the firms can install it by using an
application programming interface (API) provided by NPCI.
ii.Benefits: All the transactions undertaken by Vajra Platform using DLT follow real-time clearing and
settlement.
Especially, the DLT usage in payments will ensure minimal reconciliation of transactions, which will in turn
provide higher efficiencies through automation and transparency. It also helps to reduce the whole charges
incurred in operating transactions.
The blockchain-based technology in Vajra will help in Aadhaar authentication by the Unique Identification
Authority of India (UIDAI).
In order to protect the data, the blockchain technology based payments uses cryptography security, which is a
technology which protects information by converting it into some codes, which can be accessed and read by only
authorised firms.
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Further, the transparency in DLT platform also helps to track & resolve complaints easily.
Privacy for payment transactions will be ensured under this platform by the way it encrypting them into digital
signatures,thus preventing unauthorised firms from reading or corrupting transaction data.
Founded– 2008
MD & CEO- Dilip Asbe
Airtel joins hands with Bharti AXA to provide Rs 179 prepaid plan with life insurance of Rs 2 lakh
On January 19, 2020, Bharti Airtel Limited (also known as Airtel), an Indian global telecommunications services
company has partnered with Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company Limited to offer Rs 2 lakh insurance
cover to Airtel users with every recharge of Rs 179 prepaid bundle. The new plan will be accessible at any Airtel
retail store or on the Airtel Thanks app.
Key Points:
i.Prepaid pack:The new prepaid pack offers unlimited calling to any network, 2 GB (GigaByte) data, 300 SMS
(Short Message Service ) with a validity of 28 days period.
ii.Insurance cover:In case of insurance cover, the users taking this plan should be between 18 and 54 years old.
Users will be provided with a copy of the Insurance Certificate digitally in a matter of few minutes. However, at
the request of the users, they can also be provided with a physical copy.
iii.The pack is designed to serve entry level smartphone users & feature phone users in semi-urban and rural
areas by providing them a channel to financially secure themselves and their families while staying connected on
Airtel network.
The benefits of this prepaid plan of Airtel will be available to the users in over 786,000 non-census cities and
villages of all telecom circles of the country.
iv.In November 2019, Airtel launched a prepaid plan of Rs 599, in which users of in Delhi-NCR ( National Capital
Region) are offered an insurance of Rs 4 lakh. This prepaid plan was launched with a validity of 84 days.
About Bharti Airtel Ltd:
About Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company Ltd:
Founded– 2005
MD & CEO– Vikas Seth
NICL board approves its merger proposal with OICL & UIIC
On January 20, 2020, The Board of National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) has approved its merger
with Oriental Insurance Company Ltd (OICL) and United India Insurance Company Ltd (UIIC). The merger
would help cut down costs and achieve economies of scale.
Key Points:
i.The board of OICL and UIIC had already approved the merger at their board meetings held in Delhi, before the
board of NICL.
ii.New India Assurance Company may also be involved in this merger & The General Insurers’ Public Sector
Association (India) is said to approve the amalgamation.
iii.In the General Budget for the financial year 2018-19, the then Finance Minister (FM) Arun Jaitley announced
the proposal for merger of the three government general insurance companies. But the merger of these
companies was not done due to poor financial health.
iv.In December 2019, the government has infused Rs 2,500 crore in three insurers through the supplementary
demand for the first grant for 2019-20, to add Rs 2,500 crore.
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About National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL):

Founded– 1906
Headquarters– Kolkata, West Bengal
Chairman & MD– Ms. Tajinder Mukherjee
About Oriental Insurance Company Ltd (OICL):
Founded– September 12, 1947
Chairman & MD– A V Girija Kumar
About United India Insurance Company Ltd (UIIC):
Founded– 18 February 1938
Headquarters- Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Chairman & MD– Girish Radhakrishnan
Bajaj Finserv partners with Apollo Hospitals to launch health EMI cards to patients
On January 22, 2020 the Apollo Hospitals Group in collaboration with Bajaj Finserv has launched digitized
“Health EMI Card” which will be provided to patients and will be offered a credit limit of Rs.4 Lakhs. Nearly 600
procedures for patients will be covered. This partnership between Apollo and Bajaj Finserv has been done to
enable EMI (Equated monthly installments) financing for healthcare.
Key Points:
i.Health EMI Card features: The card will be accepted in all the Apollo hospitals through India. It provides
personal accident insurance cover of Rs. 1 lakh. The cards which are digitised can be downloaded from wallet
app of Bajaj Finserv.
ii.Entire family will be covered in the card and EMIs can be repaid over a period of 12 months.
About Bajaj Finserv:
Founder- Rahul Bajaj.
Headquarters- Pune, Maharashtra.
Managing Director(MD)- Sanjiv Bajaj.
Chairman- Rahul Bajaj, Nanoo Gobindram Pamnani.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS

DPIIT: FDI inflows rose 15% to $26 Bn in 1st half of FY2020; Singapore largest FDI source of India
On January 2, 2020, According to the data released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT), the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India rose 15% to $26 billion in the first half of FY2020
(Fiscal year 2020). Singapore continued to be the largest source of FDI in India during the first half of FY2020
with $8 billion investments. The inflow of FDI during April-September of 2018-19 stood at $22.66 billion. The
data in brief are as follows:
DPIIT data:
i.Other top FDI sourcing countries to India: Singapore was followed by Mauritius ($6.36 billion), the United
States(US) ($2.15 billion), the Netherlands ($2.32 billion), and Japan ($1.78 billion) in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th
place respectively.
ii.Some of the sectors that attracted maximum foreign inflows during April-September 2019-20 include
• Services at $4.45 billion
• Computer software and hardware at $4 billion
• Telecommunications at $4.28 billion
• Automobile at $2.13 billion and
• Trading at $2.14 billion.
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Foreign Direct Investment:

A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment in the form of a controlling ownership in a business in one
country by an entity based in another country.
• India gets FDI through 2 routes. They are automatic route and government route.
• The govt. has revised it norms on FDI. It includes permit of 100% FDI under automatic route for sale
of coal, for coal mining activities including associated processing infrastructure.
• The government has allowed 100% FDI through the automatic route for contract manufacturing.
• 26% FDI under government route has been permitted for uploading/ streaming of news & current
affairs through digital media, on the lines of print media.
Rank:
Rank Largest source of FDI in India
1 Singapore
2 Mauritius
3 United States
About Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT):
Fact- In January 27, 2019 the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion(DIPP) was renamed to Department
for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade after internal trade was added to its mandate.
Founded- 1995.
First Advance Estimates of National Income of 2019-20 by NSO released

On January 07, 2020 the National Statistical Office (NSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation (MoSPI) has released the 1st Advance estimates of the national income at both
constant(2011-12) and current prices for FY(Financial Year) 2019-20. The corresponding expenditure
components of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was also estimated. The data in detail are as follows:
First Advance Estimates of National Income of 2019-20:
GDP, GVA & Per capita income Constant (2011-12) prices estimates:The features of the estimate are as
follows:
i.GDP: GDP in the year 2019-20 is likely to attain Rs 147.79 lakh crores against the Rs 140.78lakh crore estimate
for 2018-19 released on May 31, 2019.
• GDP growth: The growth in real GDP for 2019-20 is estimated at 5% compared to 6.8% for 2018-19.
ii.GVA at basic prices: The real Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices are estimated to increase to Rs 135.40
lakh crore for 2019-20 from Rs 129.07 lakh crore of 2018-19.
• GVA estimate growth: GVA has been estimated to grow in real at 9% in 2019-20 as against 6.6% in
2018-19.
Per Capita Income:The Per Capita Income in real terms (at 2011-12 prices) during 2019-20 is likely to attain a
level of Rs.96,563 as compared to Rs. 92,565 for the year 2018-19.
• The growth rate in Per Capita Income is estimated at 4.3% during 2019-20, as against 5.6% in the
2018-19.
GVA Estimates at constant prices:
Some of the sectors that are estimated for GVA growth in 2019-20 are listed out as follows:
• 4 growth: Electricity, Gas, Water Supply and Other Utility Services. The previous estimate was 7% in
2018-19.
• 9% growth: Trade, Hotels, Transport, Communication and Services related to Broadcasting. Previous
estimate of 6.9% in 2018-19.
• 4% growth: Financial, Real Estate and Professional Services. Previous estimate was 7.4% in 2018-19.
• 1% growth: Public Administration, Defence & Other Services. Previous estimate was 8.6% in
2018019.
• 8% growth: Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing. Previous estimate was 2.9% for 2018-19.
• 5% growth: Mining and Quarrying. Previous estimate was 1.3% for 2018-19.
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• 0% growth: Manufacturing. Previous estimate was 6.9% in 2018-19.

• 2% growth: Construction. Previous estimate was 8.7 in 2018-19.
Estimates at current prices:
i.Price Indices used as Deflators: The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) with respect to groups i.e., food articles,
manufactured products, electricity and all commodities rose by 8%, (-) 0.3% and 1.4% respectively during April-
November 2019-20. Similarly the Consumer Price Index(CPI) rise by 3.7% during the same mentioned period.
ii.Gross Domestic Product: GDP is derived by adding Taxes on Products net of Subsidies on Products to GVA at
Basic Prices. The GDP will attain a level of Rs 204.42 lakh crore against Rs.190.10 lakh crore in 2018-19 with
growth rate 7.5%.
iii.National Income: National Income also known as the nominal net national income(NNI) is likely to be of Rs
181.10 lakh crore during 2019-20 as against Rs 168.37 lakh crore for 2018-19. There is also a registered growth
rate of 7.6% in 2019-20 as compared to 11.3% of 2018-19.
iv.Per Capita Income: Rs.1,35,050 is estimated as per capita national income during 2019-20 and shows a rise
of 6.8% as compared to Rs 1,26,406 during 2018-19 with the growth rate of 10%.
Annual estimates of final expenditures of GDP, 2019-20:
The 1st Advance Estimates of Expenditures of the GDP at Current and Constant (2011-12) Prices are also
released.
i.Private final consumption expenditure:
• Current and constant price:123.07 lakh crore has been estimated in 2019-20 for Private Final
Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) as against Rs 112.90 lakh crores in 2018-19 at current price. At
constant price it is estimated at Rs. 84.81 lakh crore in 2019-20 as compared to Rs 80.17 lakh crore in
2018-19.
• GDP estimation: In terms of GDP, the rates of PFCE at current and constant (2011-12) prices during
2019-20 are estimated at 60.2% and 57.4 % respectively against 59.4% and 56.9% respectively in
2018-19.
ii.Government Final Consumption Expenditure:
• Current and constant price: The GFCE which is Government Final Consumption Expenditure at
current prices is estimated at Rs 24.34 lakh crore in 2019-20 as against Rs 21.35 lakh crore in 2018-
19. At constant prices it is estimated at Rs ₹16.65 lakh crore in 2019-20 as against ₹15.06 lakh crore
in 2018-19.
• GDP estimation:In terms of GDP, the current and constant (2011-12) prices during 2019-20 are
estimated at 11.9% and 11.3% as against 11.2% and 10.7% in 2018-19.
iii.Gross Fixed Capital Formation:
• Current and constant price: GFCF which is Gross Fixed Capital Formation at Current Prices is
estimated at ₹57.42 lakh crore in 2019-20 as against ₹55.70 lakh crore in 2018-19. At Constant
(2011-12) Prices, the GFCF is estimated at ₹45.93 lakh crore in 2019-20 as against ₹45.48 lakh crore
in 2018-19.
• GDP estimation: In terms of GDP, the rates of GFCF at current and constant (2011-12) prices during
2019-20 are estimated at 28.1% and 31.1%, respectively, as against the corresponding rates of 29.3%
and 32.3% respectively in 2018-19.
iv.The 2nd release of the Advance Estimates of National Income for the year 2019-20 & quarterly GDP estimate
for the third quarter (October-December), 2019-20 (Q3 of 2019-20) will be on February 28, 2020.
Indicators:
i.The advance estimates were compiled based on Benchmark-Indicator method.
ii.Sector wise indicators: The sector wise estimates were done with the help of indicators which are as follows:
• Index of Industrial Production (IIP) of 1st 7 months of the financial year.
• Financial performance of listed Companies in the Private Corporate sector available till quarter
ending September, 2019.
• 1st Advance Estimates of Crop production.
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• Accounts of Central & State govts, information on indicators like deposits & credits, passenger &
freight earnings of Railways, passengers and cargo handled by civil aviation, Cargo handled at major
sea ports, sales of commercial vehicles, etc., available for the 1st 8 months of the financial year. Click
here to know more.
Fact- MoSPI came into existence after the merger of the Department of Statistics and the Department of
Programme Implementation.
Founded- 15 October 1999.
Secretary- Shri Pravin Srivastava
SBI revised India’s GDP projection to 4.6% for FY 20 from previous 5%

On January 07, 2020, the State Bank of India (SBI) Ecowrap report has downgraded India’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) growth forecast for FY20 (Financial year 2020) to 4.6% from its previous estimate of 5%.
Key Points:
i.Also the Central Statistics Office (CSO) recently projected GDP growth of India at 5% which is 11-year low.
Previously it was set at 6.8%
ii.Factors like expenditure are the key determinants for overall growth outlook for FY20.
else.
GoM chaired by Amit shah clears EOI & share purchase agreement for privatization of Air India
On January 7, 2020, A Group of Ministers (GoM) chaired by Union Home Minister(HM) Amit Shah has
approved the Expressions of Interest (EOI) and Share Purchase Agreement for privatization of Air India, a
debt-ridden state-run airline. Both these forms will be released to the bidders for Air India in January 2020 itself.
Key Points:
i.The GoM also approved a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) & also a debt restructuring plan for Air India.
ii.Government to sell 100 % stake: The central government had planned to sell its stake in Air India in 2018,
but it could not succeed. In 2019, the Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM) once again approved the
sale of 100% government stake in Air India along with Air India Express and the carrier’s stake in joint venture
AISATS (Air India -SATS (Singapore Airport Terminal Services Private Limited).
iii.Background: Air India is incurring a loss of Rs 20 -26 crore every day.The airline’s debt has increased to
about Rs 80,000 crore & its deficit was around Rs 8,556 crore in 2018-19.
The debt burden on Air India has reached such an extent due to its debt management inability. So, the
government is working on all methods for its disinvestment & approved to transfer the management control to
private players.
iv.About GoM: In July 2019, Union Government reconstituted the Group of Ministers (GoM) called the Air India
Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM) on Air India disinvestment. It consists of 3 other ministers namely
finance minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman, commerce, and railway minister Piyush Goyal and civil aviation
minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
The last meeting of the GoM was held in September 2019.
About Air India:
Founded– 15 October 1932 (as Tata Airlines)
Chairman & MD– Ashwani Lohani
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World Bank slashes India’s GDP forecast for FY 20 to 5% from 6%

On January 08, 2020, World Bank (WB),an international financial institution, in its report, “January 2020
Global Economic Prospects: Slow growth, policy challenges” ,has Slashed India’s GDP(Gross domestic
product) growth for financial year –FY 2020 to 5% from 6% estimated earlier in October 2019.The bank cuts
the forecast due to the weakness in credit distribution of non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) in India.
This is the slowest growth forecast since the 3.1% rate registered in FY 2008-09.
Key Points:
i.However, the bank has expected that in the next FY- 21, India can improve its growth and this figure can reach
5.8 %.
ii.Global growth: It also slightly cuts the global growth by 0.2 % points to 2.4% for 2019 & 2.5% for 2020 due to
a slower-than-expected recovery in trade and investment despite cooler trade war between the United States
(US) and China.
Other nations- Growth in the United States, the euro area and Japan is projected to slightly decrease by 0.1 %
points for both the years to 1.4% in 2020 from 1.6% in 2019 due to continued softness in manufacturing and
reduction in effects of U.S. tariffs & retaliatory measures.
While for China, its growth is projected to decelerate to 5.9% in 2020, a 0.2 % point reduction from the June
2019 estimate due to facing the U.S. sanctions.
iii.Regional growth: In comparison, Bangladesh will be ahead compared to India. Its GDP growth rate is
estimated to be 7.2%, while in Pakistan it is expected to be at 3 % & Sri Lanka’s growth rates at 3.3% for FY-20.
iv.Other estimation: World Bank’s estimates are in line with the other predictions. Earlier,the Central Statistics
Office) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) projected GDP growth of India at 5%
which is 11-year low. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also lowered GDP estimates from 6.1 % to 5%.
About World Bank:
Motto– Working for a World Free of Poverty
Formation– July 1944
Headquarters– Washington, D.C., U.S
President– David Malpass
IEA’s India 2020 energy policy review: India to surpass China in terms of oil demand growth by mid-
2020s
On January 10, 2020, According to the report, ‘India 2020 Energy Policy Review’ which covers the key energy
sectors of oil, natural gas and electricity and identify the main energy security issues, released by
the International Energy Agency (IEA) in collaboration with NITI (National Institution for Transforming
India) Aayog, India will overtake China by mid-2020 in terms of crude oil demand growth.
Highlights of the report:
i.Oil demand:The report noted that India’s strategic crude oil reserves (40 million barrels) are equal to its 10-
day imports & this is not enough for difficult days. So, India’s crude oil demand will rise from 4.4 million barrels
per day in 2017 to 6 million barrels per day in 2024. At the same time, China’s demand growth is expected to be
slightly lower than India by mid-2020.
ii.India’s crude oil demand will increase due to increased consumption in the transportation, cooking fuel and
petrochemicals industry.
iii.India is the 3rd largest consumer of crude oil after China and the United States(US) , the 4th largest refiner and
net exporter of refined petroleum products.
iv.Access to electricity: With the strong and effective policy implementation by the Government, about 700
million people residing in India gained access to electricity from the year 2000 – 2018.
v.Natural gas: India aims to increase use of gas from the current 6.2% to 15% by 2030.The use of gas has
increasing in residential and transport sectors of India.
By taking the effective steps, India has avoided an additional 15% of annual energy demand & 300 million tonnes
of CO2 emissions between 2000 &2018.
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vi.Policy Governance:The report highlighted the achievements made through the country’s energy policies such
as LED programme & praises the government’s decisions to allow private-sector investment in coal mining, and
to open up the country’s oil and gas retail markets. India’s per-capita emissions stood at 1.6 tonnes of CO2, which
remains well below the global average of 4.4 tonnes.
vii.Renewable energy: India installed a total of 84 GW (Giga watt) of grid-connected renewable electricity
capacity by December 2019 & sets a target of 175 GW of renewables by 2022.
viii.India’s energy demand from air conditioners is expected to 1 billion by 2050
So the report stresses India to add massive amounts of power generation capacity to meet the demand.
About International Energy Agency (IEA):
Headquarters– Paris, France
Founded– November 1974
Membership– 30 states
Executive Director– Fatih Birol
SEBI extends April 2022 deadline for separation of chairman & MD posts for top 500 listed entities firms
January 13, 2020, Stock market regulator SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has extended the
deadline for the separation of the posts of Chairman and MD (Managing Director) or chief executive officer
(CEO) for 500 listed companies by 2 years. Now this rule has to be followed by April 1, 2022. It’s aim to separate
the board and the management of the top companies.
Key Points:
i.The first deadline issued by SEBI was April 2020. The move comes after the companies were asking for more
time to keep expenses down due to the slowdown in the economy.
ii.Background: The rules to separate the post of Chairman-MD are part of the recommendations of the Uday
Kotak (MD of Kotak Mahindra Bank) Committee appointed by SEBI on Corporate Governance. Many companies
have merged the two posts as CMD (chairman-cum-managing director), leading to some overlapping of the board
and management, which could lead to conflict. In many companies including Reliance Industries, the chairman
and MD are handled by the same person.
About SEBI:
Formation– April 12, 1988, Statutory Powers provided on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992.
Chairman– Ajay Tyagi
India to place restrictions on non-essential imports from China by March 2020

By March 2020, India has decided to place stricter quality standards for importing of 371 items. This has been
done with the aim of curbing imports of non-essential items such as toys, plastic goods, sports items, and
furniture, especially from China. The proposed rules will be framed by respective ministries in coordination with
the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which will help in ensuring stricter inspection of imports. The new rules
will be spearheaded by Union trade minister Shri Piyush Goyal.
Trade between India & China and future plans:
i.The new rules will also be applicable to Indian producers so as to make the regulations World Trade
Organization (WTO) compliant.
ii.China’s imports: Non-essential imports from China is estimated to amount $4 trillion per annum.
iii.Trade deficit with China: India’s trade deficit with China stands at $53.6 billion which was the main reason
why India decided not to join Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.
iv.Inter Ministerial meet: Piyush held interministerial meeting of commerce, industry, steel, telecom, heavy
industries and electronics on December 23, 2019 to chart out a course of action to create reforms in the imports.
• Out of 371 items that are more likely to be restricted, 111 come under the department of chemicals
and petrochemicals, 68 under department of heavy industries, 62 under the ministry of electronics
and information and technology (MeitY), 61 under the industry department, 44 under the steel
ministry and 25 under the telecom department.
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v.Import standards set: At present 370 standards have been set for imports. The trade minister Goyal is in plan
of creating 5000 standards in the second phase.
vi.Benefits: By placing such restrictions, Indian consumers will be able to get quality products. Cheap imports
that are mostly toxic in toys will thus be reduced.
About China:
Official name- People’s Republic of China(PRC).
Capital- Beijing.
Currency- Renminbi.
Largest city- Shanghai.
President- Xi Jinping.
PayPal India launches adoption assistance programme for employees

On January 3, 2020, In order to promote parental support benefits for employees, online digital payments
player, PayPal India Private Limited has launched a new Adoption Assistance Program, where it will be
offering financial assistance of up to Rs 1 lakh per adoption for the parents. It is being effective from December
2019.
Key Points:
i.On the other hand, the new policy will also covers reimbursement of adoption expenses such as CARA (Central
Adoption Resource Authority) registration, child placement, foster care and establishment of legal guardianship.
ii.The company provides paid adoption leave of 16 weeks for female employees, maternity leave of 26 weeks,
paternity leave of 2 weeks,Childcare@PayPal, where children can be enrolled in a nearby daycare
centre/reimbursement of monthly daycare expenses of up to Rs. 10,000.
About PayPal India:
Formation– 2017
Headquarters– Varthur, Karnataka
HAL inks pact with Wipro 3D to make aerospace components

On January 02, 2020, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), an Indian state-owned aerospace & defence
company, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Wipro 3D,the metal additive manufacturing
(AM) business of Wipro Infrastructure Engineering (WIN), to jointly design, develop and manufacture aerospace
components using metal additive technology (Three Dimensional (3D) printing).
Key Points:
i.This MoU will enable both partners to develop, prove and apply new material in the production of aerospace
applications, including Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO).
ii.3D printing : It is a modern manufacturing technique, which uses solid material such as plastic or metal as ink
to print or manufacture the desired object layer by layer, also called additive printing.
These desired objects with special dimensions are given into a computer to 3D print required specimens using
the molten ink, which later solidifies.
About Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL):
Founded– 1940 (as Hindustan Aircraft) &1964 (Renamed Hindustan Aeronautics)
Headquarters– Bangalore, Karnataka
Chairman & MD– R Madhavan
About Wipro 3D:
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
Founded– 2012
It is the 1st Indian company to locally develop an industry-grade metal-additive 3D-printing machine, jointly with
the Indian Institution of Science (IISc),Bangalore.
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CONCOR incorporates CONCOR Last Mile Logistics

On January 6, 2020, Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) has incorporated with a wholly-owned
subsidiary company with the name CONCOR Last Mile Logistics Limited.
Key Points:
i.The authorized share capital of the company is Rs 100 crore.
ii.The new company will be engaged in the development, operation, and management of goods sheds and also
undertake the management of freight terminals and will also develop warehouses.
About CONCOR:
Ministry- Indian Ministry of Railways
Chairman- V. Kalyana Rama
Paytm launches all-in-one QR for merchants to make unlimited payment, along with ‘Paytm Business
Khata’
On January 8, 2020, Paytm, India’s leading digital payments company,has launched an all-in-one QR (Quick
Response) for merchants across India.
Key Points:
i.With the help of this, businessmen will be able to get unlimited payments across the country at zero percent
fees through Paytm wallet, Rupay Cards & all UPI (Unified Payments Interface ) based apps directly.
ii.Paytm also also unveiled a new service ‘Paytm Business Khata’ ,which further promotes the Paytm merchant
partners to maintain digital ledgers of all their customer transactions including cash and credit.
iii.Along with this, the company has also launched QR codes in to calculator, power bank, watch, pen stand and
radio for the convenience of businessmen, which businesses can use in their everyday needs.
About Paytm:
Founded– August 2010
Headquarters– Noida, Uttar Pradesh (UP) India
Founder & CEO- Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Owned by- One97 Communications Limited.
Retail inflation rose to 7.35% in December 2019, highest in last 5 years : NSO
On January 13, 2020, According to the Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) / Retail inflation figures, released by
the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
(MoSPI), Retail inflation rose to a 5-year high of 7.35% in December 2019. Earlier, in July 2014, the retail
inflation had reached 7.39 %.
Retail inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at only 2.11 % in December 2018 & 5.54 % in
November 2019.
Key Points:
i.Exceeding RBI’s limit: The retail inflation has crossed the upper limit set by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The central government has asked the Reserve Bank to keep inflation in the range of 2-6%. But retail inflation
has crossed this range and is moving very high.
ii.Reason: Retail inflation was more affected in December due to high food prices. Food inflation rose to 14.12%
from 10.01% in November 2019. In addition to vegetables, high prices of pulses, meat and fish also contributed
to the highest level.
iii.Core inflation: While talking about the core inflation, it has increased 3.7% in December with the increase in
rail freight rates and telecom rate.
iv.Earlier the CSO (Central Statistics Office) estimated the growth in real GDP(Gross Domestic Product) for 2019-
20 at 5%.
Retail inflation:
It is the increase in the price of goods sold at retail market.In India, retail price is measured by the consumer
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price index (CPI),which is calculated by taking price changes for each item in the predetermined basket of goods
and averaging them.
Core Inflation:
It is the change in the costs of goods & services but does not include those from the food and energy sectors.
Secretary– Shri Pravin Srivastava
It came into existence after the merger of the Department of Statistics and the Department of Programme
Implementation.
India’s GDP growth to 5.7% from 7.6% for FY 2019-20: UN WESP

On January 16, 2020, According to the ‘World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2020’
report released by the United Nations (UN), it has slashed India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth
forecast for the year 2019-20 by 1.9% to 5.7%. Earlier in 2019,It had projected GDP growth rate of 7.6% for FY
2019-20.
Key Points:
i.It has lowered the India’s growth rate to be 6.6% in the next financial year-FY 2020-21 from 7.4 % earlier. It
has also estimate a growth rate of 6.3 % for the fiscal beginning in 2021,while the growth rate was 6.8% in FY
2018-19.
ii.3 major reasons for the reduction in GDP growth
Auto Industry: In 2019, this sector saw the slowdown., whereby the vehicle sales volume witnessed the fastest
decline in 19 years. The auto industry records for 7% of the India’s GDP and 49% of the manufacturing GDP.
IIP(Index of Industrial Production):India’s industrial activity continuously at a sluggish manner due to the
major steps like corporate tax cuts in September 2019. The IIP (Index of Industrial Production) rose by 1.8% in
November 2019, after declining between August –October,2019.
NBFCs: One of the main reasons for the decline in GDP growth is the cash crisis of non-banking finance
companies (NBFCs). The crisis came in September 2018 after the Indian infrastructure development and finance
company,Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) defaulted in debt payments.
iii.Retail inflation rate the highest highest in last 5 years: Retail inflation figures, released by the National
Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Retail inflation
rose to a 5-year high of 7.35% in December 2019. Earlier, in July 2014, the retail inflation had reached 7.39 %.
iv.Global growth:The report stated that, due to the long trade dispute in 2019, the world economy grew by
2.3%, which is the lowest in 10 years. It is also projected to grow at a rate of 2.5% in 2020. In the coming times,
business stress, financial ups or geopolitical tensions may affect recovery.
v.2 ways to accelerate growth:
(i) India, which is going through an economic downturn, needs to continue with structural reforms & (ii)
Financial incentives and financial sector reforms are needed to increase investment and consumption.
vi.Background:Many international and domestic agencies had lowered India’s growth forecast Earlier. The UN is
the 7th institution to cut India’s growth forecast.
Previous prediction includes, Asian Development Bank -ADB(5.1%), National Statistics Office- NSO(5%),Reserve
Bank of India – RBI (5%), World bank (5%), Moody’s (4.9% ), Fitch (4.6%),State Bank of India- SBI(4.6%).
Founded– 1945
Secretary– General- António Guterres
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UN predicts India’s GDP growth forecast for 2019-20 to 5%

On January 18, 2020, United Nations (UN), an intergovernmental organization responsible for maintaining
international peace and security, has predicted the
India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth forecast for the year 2019-20 to 5% .
Key Points:
i.This comes a day after its ‘World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP)2020’ report slashed India’s
GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth forecast for the year 2019-20 by 1.9% to 5.7%. Earlier in 2019,It had
projected GDP growth
rate of 7.6% for FY 2019-20.
ii.The estimation of UN hadn’t taken into account the latest growth figures released by India’s National Statistical
Office (NSO) and hence the outlook has been revised. Earlier the NSO estimated the growth in real GDP for 2019-
20 at 5%
compared to 6.8% for 2018-19.
iii.The UN’s projection comes at a time when China has also released growth figures. China’s growth was 6.1% in
2019 due to trade war with the US(United States). This is the lowest in 29 years. Still 1.1% higher than India’s
projected growth.
iv.2 ways to accelerate growth: (i) India, which is going through an economic slowdown, needs to continue with
structural reforms &(ii) Financial incentives and
financial sector reforms are needed to increase investment and consumption.
Founded– 1945
Secretary– General– António Guterres; Head of the UN Economic and social commission for Asia and the
Pacific– Nagesh Kumar
IMF trims India’s 2019 GDP growth forecast to 4.8% from 6.1%
On January 20, 2020,The International Monetary Fund (IMF),an international organization, in its World
Economic Outlook 2020, has reduced India’s economic growth forecast for 2019 to 4.8 % from 6.1% predicted
earlier in October 2019. The growth projections have been lowered, citing pressure from non-banking financial
companies (NBFCs) and weak income growth in rural India.
Key Points:
i.It also estimated the India’s economic growth
rate at 5.8 % in 2020 and 6.5 % in 2021. This
figure is 1.2 % and 0.9 % less than the previous
estimate of the world economic scenario
released in October 2019.
ii.Informing about the state of the global
economy ahead of the commencement of the
World Economic Forum (WEF) annual summit
2020 in Davos, Switzerland, the IMF informed
the revision of the global growth rate as well as India’s economic growth forecast.
iii.On the other hand China’s economic growth rate is expected to increase 0.2% to 6 % in 2020 due to the impact
of the trade agreement with the US (United States). As per IMF,the domestic demand in India has fallen faster
than expected &the reason for this is the pressure in NBFCs and the softening of debt growth.
IMF reduced global growth forecast to 2.9% from 3% for 2019
The IMF has reduced growth estimates for the global economy to 2.9 % in 2019, 0.1 % point lower than its
earlier forecast of 3%.
It also predicted the growth estimate 3.3 % in 2020 and 3.4 % for 2021.
Growth forecast of Asia: Due to slowdown in Indian economy, Asia is expected to grow at the rate of 5.6 percent
in 2019 to 5.8 percent in 2020 and 5.9 percent in 2021.
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Key Points:
i.2020 global growth boom uncertain: As per IMF, the pace of global growth in 2020 is still very uncertain. The
reason for this is dependent on the growth outcomes of pressurized economies like Argentina, Iran and Turkey,
and the situation of emerging and underperforming developing countries like Brazil, India and Mexico.
About International Monetary Fund (IMF):
Founded– 27 December 1945.
Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States(US).
Managing Director (MD)- Kristalina Georgieva
Chief Economist– Gita Gopinath.
Ind-Ra predicts India’s GDP to grow at 5.5% for FY21

On January 22, 2020, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra),the Indian
subsidiary of Fitch group, has estimated the Indian economy to grow at a 5.5%
rate in fiscal year-FY 21 (2020-21), which is slightly higher than the 5%
GDP(Gross Domestic Product) growth rate estimate for FY20 (2019-20).
Key Points:
i.It is to be noted that earlier in November 2019, Ind-Ra had estimated India’s GDP to grow by 5.6 % for FY20. As
per the agency , earlier it believes that there would be some improvement in the next financial year, but the
Indian economy seems to be stuck in a period of low consumption and low investment demand.
ii.Financial loss will exceed target: With the Union Budget coming up for 2020-21, the rating agency has
estimated that the fiscal deficit could come down to 3.6% (3.3% in the budget) in FY21 due to the fall in tax and
non-tax revenue.
iii.Recently,the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its World Economic Outlook 2020, has reduced India’s
economic growth forecast for 2019 to 4.8 % from 6.1% citing pressure from non-banking financial companies
(NBFCs) and weak income growth in rural India.
About India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra.
It is a 100% owned subsidiary of the Fitch Group.
MD & CEO– Rohit karan Sawhney(Since 2017)
Principal Economist & Director Public Finance– Sunil Kumar Sinha
Airtel joins hands with Google cloud to bring G Suite to Indian SMBs
On January 20,2020, Bharti Airtel Limited (also known as Airtel), an Indian global telecommunications services
company, has entered into the partnership with cloud computing services provider Google Cloud, under which
Airtel will offer services provided by Google’s G Suite to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in India,
which are already clients of Airtel’s information and communications technology (ICT) services.
Key Points:
i.The G Suite consists of Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar and more – apps designed with real-time collaboration &
machine intelligence to enhance productivity.
ii.Airtel has a subscriber base of 325 Million in India, serves to over 2500 large businesses and over 500,000
SMBs.
iii.Microsoft also partnered with Reliance Jio to target small and medium businesses in India.
MD & CEO (India and South Asia)- Gopal Vittal
About Google Cloud:
Launched– April 7, 2008
CEO– Thomas Kurian
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Reliance Jio becomes 1st telecom operator to launch UPI payments feature
On January 20, 2020 telecom operator Reliance Jio of the Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has become
the 1st Indian telecom operator to launch UPI (Unified Payments Interface) payments space. Thus Reliance Jio
will now compete with other private UPI payment providers such as Paytm, Google Pay and PhonePe.
Key points:
i.As of now, Reliance Jio is India’s largest telecom operator.
ii.As per reports, users cannot use their existing UPI ids to avail this service. Instead, they will have to create a
new JIO UPI Id.
About Reliance Industries Ltd(RIL):
Founded- 8 May 1973.
Founder- Dhirubhai Hirachand Ambani.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani.
Department of Telecommunication approves 100% FDI in Bharti Airtel

On January 21, 2020, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has approved raising of Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) in Bharti Airtel to 100 percent from 49 percent.
Key Points:
i.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also given the approval to Bharti Airtel for allowing foreign investors to
hold up to 74 percent stake in the company.
ii.The company has to clear statutory liabilities of up to nearly Rs 35,586 crore, of which Rs 21,682 crore is
licence fee and another Rs 13,904.01 crore is spectrum dues excluding the dues of Telenor and Tata Teleservices
before the approval.
Founder- Sunil Bharti Mittal
CEO- Gopal Vittal
Founded- 1985
Minister- Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Minister of State (independent charge)
BSE signed licensing agreement with ICE Futures Europe

On January 27, 2020 the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has signed a licensing agreement with
the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) Futures Europe. ICE is a global exchange and clearing houses operator.
Through this pact, the ICE Brent index will be used as a final settlement price for the rupee-denominated Brent
future contract of BSE.
Agreement Purpose: Indian commodity markets will be provided with convenient as well as cost-effective
onshore hedging products and the price discovery of Brent crude prices in the Indian time zone will also be
enabled.
Key Point:
i.Brent Index: The ICE Brent Index is a specified benchmark in cash settlement price administered by ICE
Futures Europe under the supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
About Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE):
Fact- It is Asia’s 1st stock exchange.
Founded- 9 July 1875.
Chairman- Vikramajit Sen.
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan.
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Government of India has decided to sell 100 percent stake of Air India
On January 27, 2020, Indian Government has decided to sell its 100 percent stake of Air India (AI) under the
reconstituted Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM) for re-initiated strategic disinvestment of Air
India. It includes its 100 percent stake in low-cost airline Air India Express and 50 percent shareholding in joint
venture AI SATS Airport Services Private Limited.
Key Points:
i.The deadline for submitting the interest to bid Air India is March 17,2020 .The net worth of the parties
interested in bidding for Air India should be Rs 3,500 crore.
ii.AI’s debt is slashed from Rs 62,000 crore to Rs 23,286 crore.
ii.According to Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), 3% of the equity shares must given to the permanent
employees of AI.
iii.Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY) acts as transaction advisor for Air India disinvestment process.
About Air India:
Headquartered- New Delhi
CEO-Pradeep Singh Kharola
NTPC to develop 300 MW solar power projects in West African country Togo
On January 28, 2020,According to the Power Ministry, Government of India (GoI), West African country
Togo has appointed NTPC ( formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited), India’s
largest energy conglomerate, as its project management consultant (PMC) for about 300 MW (Mega Watt) of
solar power projects in Togo. Togo has identified 2 different plots of land- one each of 70 and 500 acres in
Dapaong (Dalwak region) & Mango (Savanes region ) respectively, that will combine to produce 283 MW.
With this, Togo become the 1st ISA (International Solar Alliance ) nation to get the services of NTPC.
Key Points:
i.The letter of engagement in this regard was handed over in New Dehi by Kondi Mani, Charge d’Affaire, Embassy
of Togo, New Delhi to Gurdeep Singh, CMD (chairman-cum-managing director), NTPC. Minister of Power &
Renewable Energy (MNRE), Raj Kumar Singh was also present at the occasion.
ii.NTPC will undertake various activities for selection of the Solar Project Developers (SPDs) on competitive basis
and sign Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with respective government departments.
iii.As a PMC, NTPC will make presentations to the concerned ministries and other stakeholders in ISA nations for
the structuring of projects, assistance to formulate policy and regulatory guidelines for competitive procurement
of solar power, management of the bidding, PPA’s structuring, roof and land leasing agreements, and other such
activities.
iv.Based on the above Letter of Endorsement, Togo will not incur any costs for this project.Mean while, the NTPC
will get its charges from the bidders.
v.Earlier, the NTPC had submitted its proposal to ISA for the endorsement of ISA to Member Countries to give
Project Management Consultancy (PMC) to the member Countries for implementation of Solar Projects.
About NTPC ( formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited):
Founded– 7 November 1975
Chairman & MD– Gurdeep Singh
About Togo:
Capital– Lome
Currency– West African CFA franc
Continent– Africa
President– Faure Gnassingbé
Prime Minister- Komi Sélom Klassou
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FICCI estimates India’s GDP growth at 5 % for FY20; could reach 5.5% in FY21
On January 29, 2020, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), an association of
business organizations in India, in its “Economic Outlook Survey 2020”, has projected India’ s annual
median GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth at 5% for 2019-20 (Fiscal year –FY 20).It is in line with the
National Statistical Organisation’s (NSO) projected growth rate (5%, a 11-year low).
Key Points:
i.FICCI has hoped that the conditions will improve further and the country’s growth rate could reach 5.5 % in
2020-21 (FY 21).It also estimated India’s growth rate at 4.7 % in the last December quarter (2019-20).
ii.According to the survey, agriculture and allied services will grow at a rate of 2.6 % in 2019-20. At the same
time, the industry can achieve a growth rate of 3.5%.while, the service sector is expected to achieve 7.2 % growth
in 2019-20.
iii.The biggest concern of the industry organization is the decline in exports due to foreign signals. Exports of
goods are estimated to decrease by 2.1 %. At the same time, import is also expected to decline by 5.5 %.
In addition, the current account deficit is estimated to be 1.4 % of GDP for the current financial year.
iv.According to the report, softening of the global economy, coupled with ongoing political upswing around the
world, uncertainty over US- China and Brexit are the biggest risks to the domestic economy.
About FICCI:
Founded– 1927
President– Sangita Reddy
Google commits $ 1 million grant to Internews for news literacy promotion in India
On January 29, 2020, In order to curb misinformation, Google News Initiative (GNI), a cooperative effort
between Google & a number of large traditional news media providers, has announced a $1 million grant for
global non-profit organization ‘Internews’ that will launch a new initiative to promote news literacy among the
Indian public.
Key Points:
i.The funding is part of a $ 10 million Google’s commitment worldwide to media literacy.
ii.Google News Initiative India Training Network will pick a team of 250 journalists, fact-checkers, academics
and activists of non-governmental organizations for the project, who will be trained by global and Indian experts
in 7 Indian languages.
iii.Then the new internet users living in non-metro cities in India will be trained by local leaders to better access
the internet and get the information they find.
iv.Over the past years, the GNI in collaboration with third-party firms like DataLeads has offered in-depth
verification training for over 15,000 journalists & students from more than 875 news organizations, in 10 Indian
languages.
About Google:
Founded– 4 September 1998
Headquarters– California, U.S.
CEO– Sundar Pichai
About Internews:
Formation– 1982
Headquarters– California, United States(US)
President and CEO- Jeanne Bourgault
Tata AIG in collaboration with DFI to develop insurance products for drone industry
On January 30, 2020 the not-for-profit industry-led body Drone Federation of India (DFI) has announced to
collaborate with Tata AIG General Insurance Company Ltd (Tata AIG) for developing as well as
launching insurance products for the drone operators. The announcement was made during the recently
concluded Drone Festival of India at New Delhi.
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Key Points:
i.Tata AIG has obtained approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for necessary regulations.
DGCA regulations make insurance mandatory for operating remotely-piloted aircraft systems (RPAS).
About Tata AIG General Insurance Company:
AIG abbreviation- American International Group.
Chairman- Saurabh Agrawal.
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Neelesh Garg.
MoU’s & AGREEMENTS

EC of India and Mauritius renewed MoU on cooperation in electoral management
On January 08, 2020 the Election Commission of India(ECI) has renewed its Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) on cooperation in the field of electoral management with the electoral commission
of Mauritius. The renewal was done at Port Louis of Mauritius and was signed by India’s Chief Election
Commissioner(CEC) Sunil Arora and Mohammed Irfan Abdool Rahman, Electoral Commissioner of Mauritius.
Key Points:
The MoU was previously in existence from April 2013-April 2018.
About Mauritius:
Capital- Port Louis.
Currency- Mauritian rupee.
Prime minister- Pravind Jugnauth.
Indian Railways signs MoU with RailTel for Phase 2 execution of e-office
On January 13, 2020 Indian Railways signs Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RailTel, a miniratna
Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Railways for Phase 2 project of e-office execution. Under
this project, RailTel will register 39,000 users over 34 divisions on National Informatics Centre (NIC) e-office
platform by June 30, 2020.
Key Points:
i.MoU was signed by Executive Director (ED/TD), Railway Board, Shri Umesh Balonda, and General Manager
(GM)/Information Technology (IT) project/RailTel, Smt. Haritima Jaipuriar.
ii.Under the Phase 1 execution of e-office, RailTel trained more than 50,000 users in 58 divisions of Indian
Railways.
iii.e-office is a paperless culture which helps to reduce the operational cost and carbon footprints. Thus 58 units
of Indian Railways became paperless under Phase 1 execution of e-office.
iv.NIC e-office is a cloud enabled software based on Central Secretariat Manual of e-Office Procedure (CSMeOP).
It contains four modules namely File Management System (eFile), Knowledge Management System (KMS),
Collaboration & Messaging Services (CAMS) and Personnel Information Management System (PIMS).
v.Participants: Chairman, Railway Board, Shri Vinod Kumar Yadav, Member S&T, Railway Board, Shri Pradeep
Kumar, CMD, RailTel, Shri Puneet Chawla and other senior officials of Railways and RailTel.
Minister of Railway- Piyush Goyal
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India and Bangladesh signs MoU in the field of Information and Broadcasting sector in New Delhi
On January 14, 2020 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between India and Bangladesh in the
field of Information and Broadcasting at Information and Broadcasting Ministers meet 2020, in New Delhi. A
MoU was also signed for content exchange programme between All India Radio (AIR) and Bangladesh Radio
Betar.
Key Points:
i.India and Bangladesh is co-producing the biopic of “BangaBandhu” , Sheikh Mujibur Rehman who was the
first President of Bangladesh and it will be released during his birth centenary year, March 17,2020.
ii.To mark the centenary year of Bangabandhu, Bangladesh has decided to celebrate the “Mujib Year” from
March 17, 2020 to March 17 2021.
iii.From the content exchange programme AIR service has started airing in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka and
Bangladesh Radio Betar started airing on AIR in Kolkata, West Bengal.
iv.Participants: Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Shri Prakash Javadekar, Bangladesh
Information Minister Muhammad H Mahmud.
About Bangladesh:
Capital- Dhaka
President- Mohammad Abdul Hamid
Prime Minister- Sheikh Hasina Wazed
NITI Aayog, UT of Ladakh signed MoU for development of Infrastructure Projects

On January 17, 2020, the National Institution for Transforming India(NITI) Aayog has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with newly developed Union Territory(UT) of Ladakh in order to promote
the development of infrastructures in the recently developed UT. Under the MoU, Niti Aayog will provide
support to ladakh through ‘Development Support Services to States for Infrastructure Projects (D3S-i or DSSS for
Infrastructure Projects)’.
MoU signing: The MoU was signed by senior adviser of Niti Aayog Yogesh Suri and Adviser to the Ladakh’s
Lieutenant Governor Umang Narula in presence of Niti Aayog Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Shri Amitabh Kant
and joint secretary MC Jauhari.
Key Points:
i.DSSS for infrastructure projects: Niti Aayog has implemented the DSSS projects to develop the infrastructure
of the state of the art capacity. It involves providing support to the state/ UTs from the concept plan till financial
closures.
• The 1st phase of DSSS was completed in 2018 with a selection of 10 projects out of over 400 projects
while phase 2 was completed in 2018-19 with the selected 10 projects progressing to the transaction
stage.
ii.Under the DSSS identification of high-impact priority projects, project implementation, addressing structural-
level issues and creating models of development for Ladakh will be done.
Indian Navy Signs MoU for offshore Data with Geological Survey of India
On 21st January 2020, the Indian Navy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Geological
Survey of India (GSI) for sharing seabed sediments data, products and expertise for Naval application in
Meteorology and Oceanography.
Key Points:
i.Two heads Commodore AA Abhyankar, Head of Indian Navy’s Oceanology and Meteorology Directorate and N
Maran, Deputy Director General of GSI have signed the MoU on 21st of January 2020.
ii.Mangaluru based Marine and Coastal survey division has mapped 2.1 Million square kilometre of Exclusive
Economic Zone and has a vast repository of offshore data. The data has been collected using GSI’s state-of-the art
oceanic research vessels Samudra Manthan, Samudra Kaustubh, Samudra Shaudhikama and Samudra Ratnakar.
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iii.The collected data will now be used by Indian Navy’s blue water fleet for oceanographic modelling to support
the operations in Indian Ocean region.
About Geological Survey of India GSI:
Founded– 1851
Founder– Thomas Oldham
Headquarter– Kolkata
Director General– Shri S N Meshram
About Indian Navy:
Headquarter– New Delhi
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS)– Admiral Karambir Singh
Indian oil signs MOU with NPA Ghana for assistance in LPG programme
On January 22, 2020 Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) of Ghana Oil Regulator, for the implementation of Ghana’s National
LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) Promotion Policy. The MoU was signed in New Delhi in the presence of Minister
of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG) & Steel Shri Dharmendra Debendra Pradhan and Micheal Aaron, High
Commissioner of Ghana.
Mr.Alhassan Sulemna Tampuli, Chief Executive, NPA, Ghana and Mr. L.K.S Chauhan, Chief General Manager (LPG),
Indian Oil signed MoU.
MoU purpose: The purpose of this MoU is to strengthen cooperation between the Parties in the petroleum field
specifically LPG. The Indian Oil will support the NPA on successful implementation of the Re-circulation Model
(CRM) of LPG.
Key Points:
i.Target by Ghana in 2030:Ghana aims to increase cooking gas access at least 50% of its household from the
current 23%.
ii.Indian Oil will provide support to NPA in several areas such as development of Healthy, Safe, Security and
Environment (HSSE) Standards, development of licensing, permit and legal framework and also development of
economics for LPG bottling point, pricing structure & communication strategy.
iii.India as a Leader:India is recognized as a leader in providing clean energy access though million of Indians
through the Pradhan Mandhiri Ujjawala Yojana successfully implemented by the Ministry of Petroleum and
Natural Gas.
About Pradhan Mandhiri Ujjawala Yojana:
Pradhan Mandhiri Ujjawala Yojana was launched by Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi on 1 May 2016 to
distribute LPG connections to women of BPL (Below Poverty Line) families.
About Indian Oil Corporation (IOC):
HeadQuarters- New Delhi.
Chairman- Sanjiv Singh.
Founded- 30 June 1959.
MoRD inks MoU with BMGF under DAY-NRLM to strengthen grassroots institutions of the rural poor
On January 22, 2020 the Ministry of Rural Development(MoRD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation(BMGF) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National
Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). The MoU is to further strengthen grassroots of institutions for rural
poor.
MoU signing: The MoU was signed by Smt Alka Upadhyaya, Additional Secretary and Mission Director of NRLM
on behalf of MoRD while it was signed by Shri AlkeshWadhwanion on behalf of BMGF in presence of MoRD
secretary Shri Rajesh Bhushan.
Key Points:
i.MoU aim: The MoU aims to reduce poverty of India’s poor people through institutions of marginalized rural
women as it will lead to self-employment as well as creating skilled wage employment opportunities.
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ii.BMGF assistance: BMGF will provide support such as assistance in improving implementation quality,
documenting best practices, and designing of monitoring learning and evaluation.
OPPO signs MoU with IIT Hyderabad for research on 5G, AI

Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corporation Ltd (commonly referred as OPPO),a Chinese
consumer electronics and mobile communications company, has signed an MoU (memorandum of
understanding) with the Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad (IIT-H), Telangana for research on new
technologies such as 5G (5th Generation) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Key Points:
i.This will facilitate state-of-the-art research and exchange of ideas in emerging and advanced
technologies.Several projects will be researched and developed over the next 2- years on cameras, photo
processing, batteries, 5G networks and AI.
ii.The agreement was signed by Mr. Tasleem Arif, Vice President and Head (R&D), OPPO India and Dr. Sumohana
S. Channappayya, Dean (Research and Development), IIT Hyderabad.
About OPPO:
Founded– 2001
Headquarters– Guangdong, China
Founder & CEO– Chen Mingyong
COMMITTEES IN NEWS
Forest Committee approves Green Credit Scheme to ‘trade’ in forests
On January 09, 2020 the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) which is an apex body that considers questions on the
diversion of forest land for non-forest uses such as mining, industrial projects, townships etc and also issues
granting of forest clearances has approved Green Credit Scheme that would allow forests to be traded as
a commodity.
Green Credit scheme:
i.Agencies identifying lands: The scheme allows agencies like private companies, village forest communities etc
to identify lands for forest cultivation and ensures plantations are grown.
ii.Compensatory forest land: After 3 years, these identified lands would be considered as compensatory forest
land after meeting forest department’s criteria.
iii.Industry approaching agencies: An industry that needs forest land could approach these agencies and pay
them for such forested land. This would then be transferred to the forest department & also recorded as forest
land.
FAC approval to trade forest as commodity:
i.Scheme implementation: If this scheme is implemented, the forest department will be allowed to outsource
one of its responsibilities of reforesting to non-government agencies.
ii.Current system:In the current system the industry should find appropriate non forest land equal to that which
would be razed for industrial purposes.
iii.Payment: The economic equivalent of the forest land called Net Present Value (NPV) should also be paid to
the state forest department.
iv.Statistics: Nearly ₹50,000 crore had been collected by the Centre over decades, but the funds were unspent
because states did not regrow forests. After Supreme Court’s (SC’s) intervention it was found that about ₹47,000
crore had been disbursed to States until August 2019.
v.Previously in 2015, a ‘Green Credit Scheme’ for degraded forest land with public-private participation was
recommended. But it wasn’t approved by the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEFCC),
who is the final authority.
Founded- 1985, Headquarters- New Delhi
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Union minister- Shri Prakash Javadekar.

Minister of State(MoS)- Babul Supriyo.
Secretary- Chandra Kishore Mishra.
Govt sets up 3 high-level steering committees to dispose of enemy properties

On January 22, 2020, The Union government has decided to form 3 high-level steering committees to handle
the disposal of enemy properties present in the country and to raise money from them. The 3- committees in
detail are as follows:
i.Group of Ministers (GoM)
It will be headed by Union Home Minister(HM) Amit Shah, to oversee the disposal of more than 9,400 enemy
properties in India, which are expected to bring in revenue of about Rs.1 lakh crore rupees to the exchequer.
2 other high-level committees will also be set up for disposal of immovable enemy properties vested in the
Custodian of Enemy Property for India under the Enemy Property Act,1968. These 2 committee includes:
ii.Inter-Ministerial Group:
It will be co-chaired by the Union Home Secretary -Ajay Bhalla and Shri Tuhin Kanta Pandey, the secretary of
the department of investment and public asset management (DIPAM).
iii.Core Group of Secretaries on Asset Monetisation (CGAM):
It will be constituted under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba.
About Enemy property:
This property is left by those who have taken citizenship of Pakistan or China.
There are 9,280 properties of citizens of Pakistan and 126 properties of citizens of China. The highest numbers of
4,991 properties of Pakistan’s citizen are in Uttar Pradesh (UP). It is followed by West Bengal, which has 2735
such properties &487 in Delhi. Meghalaya has the highest number of properties (57) left by Chinese citizens.
Apart from these, there are 29 in West Bengal and 7 in Assam.
IAHE committee headed by YS Malik submits its report to Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari
On January 28, 2020, The final report of the Committee on Indian Academy of Highway Engineers
(IAHE) headed by Yudhvir Singh Malik has been submitted to the Union Minister for Road Transport &
Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari. The report stresses to improve the present training infrastructure, content,
training methodology & to create linkages with world-famous international institutes and undertake applied
research & related works.
i.Other recommendations are as follows,
• The panel recommends to expand the purview of IAHE by including 3 different functions i.e. (i)
Training, (ii) Applied Research and Development in the National Highways- NH (including field trials
to promote the use of waste materials, textiles, plastic, recycling in NH construction) and Public
Transport Sector, and (iii) Road Safety and Regulation.
• It Proposed to provide an One-year foundation training to AEEs of Ministry and Deputy Managers of
NHAI at a time including foreign training of 15 days period. Only the Successful completion of
foundation training valid for continuation in service.
• It also recommended the Successful completion of mid-career training mandatory for promotion to
the next higher level & Exclusive training programme for engineers, who are working with
contractors and consultants.
• IAHE should provide customer friendly training courses to the State PWD (Public Works Department)
officers for State Highways, MDRs and Rural Roads.
• It recommends IAHE to start training programmes for quality control, assistant quality control
engineers of consultants and contractors on material testing processes to cooperate forefront foreign
organization on areas such as tunnelling, multi level crossings, etc.
• It asked IAHE to create a Centre of excellence for traffic modelling and simulation & also mandated to
work as a think tank of Ministry.
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• It also mandated to upgrade existing IAHE laboratory as well as the certification from NABL to
undertake all third party testing of materials used on NH projects.
• It proposed to store the all road related data such as traffic, inventory & condition of road and bridges,
etc. in IAHE platform & also asked IAHE to prepare SOP for management of accidents & establish a
centre of traffic engineering, data section and accident analysis for road safety.
ii.Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had constituted a Committee consisting of Shri YS Malik,
Former Secretary, MoRT&H (Chairman) & other members including Shri BN Singh, Former
DG(RD)&SS, MoRT&H (Member), Shri MP Sharma, Former ADG, MoRT&H (Member) and Shri SP
Singh, Joint Secretary, MoRT&H (Member Secretary) to identify key issues and recommend methods
for transforming IAHE into a world – class premier institute on highway sector.
About IAHE:
It was created by Ministry for Road Transport & Highways in 1983.
It is located in Noida ,Uttar Pradesh(UP).
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

For the 1st time, Vizag (Andhra Pradesh) to host 14th Global healthcare summit in 2021
On December 31, 2019, The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), a professional
association for Indian American physicians, is set to organize a 3-days long 14th Global Healthcare Summit
(GHS) in Visakhapatnam,Andhra Pradesh(AP) from January 3, 2021 for the 1st time.
Key Points:
i.Around 500 doctors from the United States of America (USA), Australia, Britain and other countries expected to
participate in the summit, which will focus on various communicable and non-communicable diseases, public
health hazards, eradication of tuberculosis(TB), preventing maternal mortality, control of Hepatitis B etc.
ii.Over the past few years, AAPI has been collaborating with several professional medical associations & made
key role in addressing diabetes with the launch of Sevak programme and CPR-AED(Proper cardiopulmonary
resuscitation-automated external defibrillator) training
About American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI):
Founded– 1984
Headquarters– Oak Brook, Illinois,US
President– Sudhakar Jonnalagadda (for 2020-21)
Highlights of 107th Indian Science Congress held in Bengaluru, Karnataka

Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 107th edition of the Indian Science Congress (ISC)
also known as ISC 2020 at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The theme of
ISC for the year 2020 was “Science and Technology: Rural Development”.
Objective: The main objective of the summit was to bridge the gap between farmers and tech-developers. The
key highlights of the event are as follows:
107th ISC:
i.Awards given:The Vice President Shri Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu gave awards instituted by the Indian
Science Congress Association (ISCA) in the presence of the Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri Bookanakere
Siddalingappa Yediyurappa.
ii.Participants: The science congress was a 5-day event held from January 3-7, 2020 in which Nobel Laureates,
dignitaries and students from across the country and the world over participated.
iii.Editions held in Bengaluru: This is the 3rd time Bengaluru hosts ISC after 1987 and 2002. It is also the 4th
time Karnataka hosts such event after organising ISC lastly in 2016 in Mysuru.
iv.Members present: Vice President of India Shri Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu and other officials were present
during the event.
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DRDO at 107th ISC:

i.The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) participated in the “Pride of India- Science
Expo- 2020” at the 107th ISC.
ii.The DRDO pavilion was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Science and Technology(MoST) Dr Harsh
Vardhan.
iii.Exhibits: 31 DRDO laboratories with more than 150 exhibits and models participated in the expo exhibiting
the ‘Make in India’ spirit.
• Some of the exhibits by DRDO included Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM), Quick Reaction
Surface to Air Missile system (QRSAM), ASTRA Missile, Radars including Battle Field Surveillance
Radar (BFSR), ASLESHA and BHARANI, MINI-UGV Autonomous Surveillance Robot, Sentry
Autonomous Surveillance Robot, Nirbhay Missile, Akash Missile System, Prithvi missile, Nag
missile etc.
iv.DRDO: It is the R&D (Research and Development) wing of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), having more than 52
laboratories and establishments. They are mainly engaged in developing weapon systems, platforms and
equipment for the Armed Forces.
Indian Science, Technology and Engineering Facilities Map (I-STEM) website launched:
Prime Minister also launched the Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map (I-STEM) Portal
during ISC. The portal is designed to be the gateway for researchers to locate specific type of facility they need for
their Research and development (R&D) work in India.
Yoga Science meet organised:
i.A yoga science meet was organised at ISC. Various delegates like the head of the Swami Vivekananda Yoga
Anusandhana Samsthana (SVYASA) Yoga deemed University Dr. HR Nagendra and others attended the meet.
Women Science congress held:
i.During the ISC, Women Science Congress was held. DRDO Aeronautical Systems Director General Dr.Tessy
Thomas famously known as Missile Woman of India was the chief guest for the event.
• During the event India’s achievements in the field of science and technology like the Mangalyaan,
Chandrayaan, anti-satellite mission etc were discussed.
Farmers Science congress conducted for the 1st time:
i.During ISC 2020, for the 1st time Farmer’s Science Congress was conducted. It was inaugurated by Dr.
Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) & Director
General(DG) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Some of the highlights are as follows:
• PM Modi’s vision of doubling of farmers’ income by 2022 was discussed during the event.
• Farmers were encouraged to make use of organic farming. Development of 45 types of organic
farming systems in niche areas was also announced.
• Around 120 innovative farmers from across the country participated in the 1st Farmers Science
Congress and also showcase their products.
• Experts from the different agriculture sector discussed on three themes. They were farmers
innovation on integrated agriculture and entrepreneurship for doubling farmers income; Climate
change, bio-diversity, conservation, ecosystem services & farmers empowerment and Agrarian
distress, rural bio-entrepreneurship.
• Apart from Farmers science congress, Children’s science congress, former vice chancellors’ science
congress, science communicators Meet – 2020, mega science exhibition- pride of India- ISC Expo was
also held.
ii.Members present: Union minister of state(Mos) for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Kailash Choudhury and
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Sangappa Savadi and other officials were present in the event.
About Karnataka:
Chief minister- Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa. Governor- Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.
State Formation- 1 November 1956. Capital- Bengaluru (Executive Branch).
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India hosts Asia Pacific drosophila research conference 1st time; 5th edition overall
The Asia Pacific drosophila research conference (APDRC) is being conducted in India for the 1st time from
January 6-10 in Pune, Maharashtra. Overall this is the 5th edition of the biennial conference and is known by the
name APDRC5. It is organised by Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER).
Aim: The conference aims to promote the interaction of Drosophila researchers in the Asia-Pacific region with
the rest of the world.
Key Points:
i.Previous editions: The previous 4 editions of the conference took place in Taipei (Taiwan), Seoul (South
Korea), Beijing(China) and Osaka (Japan).
About Maharashtra:
Governor- Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
Chief minister- Uddhav Thackeray.
Capital- Mumbai.
National Parks(NP)- Tadoba NP, Sanjay Gandhi NP, Chandoli NP, Gugamal NP.
2nd National GST Conference to streamline GST system held in New Delhi
On January 07, 2020 the 2nd edition of the National GST Conference of the Commissioners of State Tax and
Chief Commissioners of Central Tax was held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Dr Ajay Bhushan Pandey,
Revenue Secretary of the Ministry of Finance(MoF). The conference was held to streamline the GST (Goods and
Service Tax) system and also to plug revenue leakages.
2nd National GST Conference:
i.Presentations made: The conference saw various presentations on fake/ fraudulent Input Tax Credit by
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence(DRI) and others etc. the use of data analytics, artificial intelligence(AI) etc
were discussed. The best practices adopted by each zonal office were presented
ii.Measures taken in 2nd National GST Conference: After the conference, following measures were decided for
necessary action.
• Committee constitution: A committee of the centre and state officers for examining and
implementing quick measures to curb fraudulent refund claims was decided to be constituted. The
committee will be implemented by the end of January 2020.
• Investigation: Major cases with fake Input Tax Credit(ITC), fraudulent refund cases will soon be
compulsorily investigated.
• Linking foreign exchange remittances: Considering the increased amount of fraudulent IGST
(Integrated GST) refund claims, the foreign exchange remittances will be linked with IGST refunds.
• CBDT, CBIC and GSTN Mou Signing: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed
among Central Board of Direct Taxes(CBDT), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and
GST-Network (GSTN) to exchange data through Application Program Interface (API) among them.
• Data sharing: This data will be shared on a quarterly basis instead of yearly basis.
• Bank transaction exploration: Access to explore bank transactions including bank details by GST in
consultation with the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) and NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India)
will be made. Suggestions were also made to align GST system with the Financial Intelligence Units
(FIU) to get bank account details.
• Fraud refund detected by CBIC & CBDT: Data will be shared for cases involving fraudulent refund
detected by CBIC with CBDT and vice versa.
• Single bank account: Formation of a single bank account for foreign remittance receipt and refund
disbursement was suggested.
• Business closure: In case of closure of businesses, a self-assessment declaration should be
prescribed by suitable amendments in GSTR (GST- Return) forms.
• Unmatched ITC availed by taxpayers should be verified.
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iii.Members present: All the chief commissioners of the Central Tax Zones, State Commissioners of State Taxes,
Directors General(DG) of CBIC, members of CBIC, Chairman of CBDT and other officials were present in the
conference.
About GST:
Fact- Goods and Services Tax (GST) is an indirect tax (or consumption tax) used in India on the supply of goods
and services.
Launch- 1 July 2017.
‘Wings India 2020’ to be held at Begumpet Airport of Telangana in March 2020

Wings India 2020, an international exhibition and conference on civil aviation sector, will be held at Begumpet
Airport in Hyderabad, Telangana from March 12-15, 2020. The theme of the event is “Flying for all”. The
biennial event will be inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi in presence of Minister
for Civil Aviation and Minister of State for Civil Aviation.
Key Points:
i.Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA), Federation Of Indian Chambers Of Commerce And Industry (FICCI), Airports
Authority of India (AAI) are the organizers of the event.
ii.The event will provide a fillip to the aviation and restructured focused forums will be instrumental in attaining
the objective of connecting the Buyers, Sellers, Investors and other stakeholders at a common forum.
iii.The maiden edition of “WINGS INDIA AWARDS” for Excellence in the Civil Aviation Sector will be announced
during the event. The award will be conferred upon the Aviation-related Companies/Institutions/Organizations.
Ministry of Civil Aviation- Hardeep Singh Puri
Ministry of State for Civil Aviation- Suresh Prabhu
Director General of Directorate General of Civil Aviation- Arun Kumar
About FICCI:
Founded- 1927
President- Sangita Reddy
About AAI:
Chairman- Arvind Singh
About Telangana:
Chief Minister- K. Chandrashekar Rao
Governor- Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan
State Tree- Jand
Global investor meet ASCEND 2020 held in Kochi, Kerala

A two day organised Global Investors Meet – ASCEND 2020 was held in Kochi, Kerala at Lulu Bolgatty
International Convention Centre, Grand Hyatt, from January 9-10. The meet was inaugurated by the Chief
Minister of Kerala Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and was organised by states Department of Industries. Totally Rs 1
lakh crore worth investment proposals were received.The key highlights of the meet are as follows:
Global investor meet ASCEND 2020:
i.Wage subsidy scheme: Wage subsidy scheme was unveiled during the meet . As per the scheme Wage subsidy
will be provided for the first 5 years for new ventures getting registered on April 1, 2020.
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• The benefit will only be available to those units that provides ESI (Employee State Insurance) and PF
(Provident Fund) benefits to workers. This would benefit 37 lakh people.
ii.Proposed mega projects: Mega projects are those that has more than Rs 100 crore investment. A total of 18
mega projects were announced by the state govt. Some of the planned mega projects in the state includes
• Propylene Oxide plant: A Propylene Oxide (formula:C3H6O) manufacturing plant of 2,00,000 MPA
(megapascal) capacity in the vicinity of BPCL (Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited)-Kochi Refinery.
• PVC plant: A PVC (polymerizing vinyl chloride) manufacturing facility of capacity 150,000 TPA
(Tonnes Per Annum).
• Petrochemical park: Rs. 1,864-crore KINFRA (Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development
Corporation)-initiated Petrochemical Park of international standards at Ambalamugal in Ernakulam
district.
• KINFRA also plans to set up Rs 400 crore logistic hub in Palakkad (Kerala) and also to set up cryogenic
warehouse in Kochi’s Puthuvypeen.
• Defence Park: Rs.131 crore Defence park will be set up at 60 acres Ottapalam of Palakkad district of
Kerala with central government assistance under the Modified Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation
scheme(MIIUS).
• Electronic hardware park: An electronic hardware park will be set up in Ernakulam district of the
state.
• Polymer plant: Rs 900-crore Super Absorbent Polymer Plant will be set up considering the demand
for diapers and female hygiene products besides the medical and agriculture industry.
• Fibreboard plant: A medium density fiberboard plant in Perumbavoor and integrated solid waste
management systems at Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Malappuram will be built.
• Malappuram 1st in EIU report: It is also to be noted that recently Malappuram city of Kerala was
ranked 1st in the list of cities based on fastest growing urban regions/ fastest growing cities in the
world released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
iii.Other projects worth: Rs. 32,008 crore proposals were received at the event from 138 projects. Overall, the
event received 164 investment proposals.
iv.Pact by KIFML & ADIA: Kerala infrastructure Fund Management Ltd.(KIFML) and Abu Dhabi investment
Authority (ADIA) have signed 1 projected but have designated Rs 8110 crore for six projects. ADIA has also
promised to invest Rs 66,900 crore for logistics park and other projects.
v.Investors & investment worth: Some of the major investors and their investment worth are Kitex group-Rs
3500 crore; MSME (Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) Consortium- Rs 2050 crore; Joy Alukkas-
Rs 1500 crore; Ashique Chemicals and Cosmetics- Rs 1000 crore; Aerotropolis Kannur- Rs 1000 crore and
Delwan group, Qatar- Rs 1000 crore.
About Kerala:
Chief Minister- Pinarayi Vijayan.
National Parks(NP)- Silent Valley NP, Pampadum Shola NP (smallest NP in Kerala), Eravikulam NP, Mathikettan
Shola NP.
Amit Shah chaired 6th IDA meeting in New Delhi; 26 islands identified to promote tourism
On January 13, 2020 the Union Minister of Home Affairs (MoHA) Shri Amit Shah chaired the 6th meeting
of Island Development Agency (IDA) in New Delhi. During the meeting progress made towards “Holistic
development of islands” were reviewed. It is also for the first time in India, under the IDA’s guidance an initiative
of sustainable development has been undertaken with scientific assessments.
26 islands selected to promote tourism:
A total of 26 islands i.e, 16 from Andaman & Nicobar Islands and 10 from Lakshadweep islands have been
identified for promoting tourism.
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6th Island Development Agency highlights:

i.1st phase: 4 islands of Andaman & Nicobar and 5 islands of Lakshadweep will be implemented the
development plans with focus on job creation through promoting tourism and through export of seafood and
coconut-based products made in the Islands.
ii.2nd phase: In the 2nd phase 12 more islands of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and 5 islands in Lakshadweep will
be covered.
iii.Obtaining clearance: Necessary clearances will be obtained before finalization of bids. 4 tourism
projects of Andaman & Nicobar Islands have already obtained Environment and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)
clearances.
iv.Improving connectivity:
• Digital connectivity by june 2020: In order to strengthen the infrastructure improving air, sea and
digital connectivity are also being implemented. Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar) and 7 islands of
Andaman & Nicobar will be digitally connected through submarine optical fibre cable by June, 2020.
• Communication services: Information Technology (IT) based and other Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs) in the islands would be set up through Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar
Islands Industrial Development Scheme (LANIDS), 2018 notified on 1st January, 2019.
• Airport development in Great Nicobar Island of Andaman & Nicobar and Minicoy Island of
Lakshadweep have been proposed.
v.Tourism projects: Land based tourism projects and water villas are some of the plans that has been invited for
private sector participation. Technology-based facilities will be provided to enhance fish collection, storage,
processing and export of value-added products.
vi.Members present: Lt. Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi (retd);
Administrator of Lakshadweep Shri Dineshwar Sharma; Shri Rajiv Gauba Cabinet Secretary; Shri Amitabh Kant,
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog and other officials were
present during the event.
About Ministry of Home Affairs(MoHA):
Minister of State(MoS)- Gangapuram Kishan Reddy (constituency- Secunderabad, Telangana).
1st time India to host SCO heads meeting; Statue of unity included in 8 wonders of SCO
On January 13, 2020 the secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Vladimir Norov who
is on a 4-day visit to India to attend the Raisina dialogue 2020 in new Delhi from January 14-16,2020, has
announced that India has been selected to host the SCO’s annual meeting of council of heads of government
for the 1st time.Raisina dialogue host: The dialogue which addresses the issues faced by global community is
hosted by Observer Research Foundation(ORF) in collaboration with Ministry of External Affairs(MEA).
Statue of unity included in 8 wonders of SCO:
i.The Statue of Unity in Gujarat, India has been
included in the SCO’s “8 wonders of SCO” list.
ii.Statue of unity:
• It is the world’s tallest statue with a
height of (597 ft) 182 metres and has
been built after India’s freedom fighter
and 1st deputy prime minister Shri
Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel famously
known as Sardar Patel.
• Inauguration: The statue was
inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 143rd birth anniversary of Vallabhai patel near
Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat On October 31,2018.
• Design: It was designed by Indian sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar.
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iii.8 wonders of SCO: The list of 8 wonders of the world apart from Statue of Unity are Navruz Palace in
Tajikistan, the Tamgaly Gorge in Kazakhstan, the Daming Palace in China, Po-i-Kalan complex in Uzbekistan,
Lahore – the Mughals Heritage in Pakistan and the Golden Ring of Russia.
India and SCO:
i.India’s membership with SCO: India became a member of the SCO at the SCO summit held in Astana (now
renamed as Nur-sultan), Kazakhstan in the year 2017 along with Pakistan. Before becoming a member of SCO,
India was granted with the observer status from 2005.
• The Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in India
for the 21st bilateral annual SCO summit.
ii.Events: The SCO heads of government meeting will be preceded by number of meetings that will also include
meeting of the SCO ministers of economic activities. India is also very keen in deepening it security ties with SCO
and also its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS).
iii.Meet with MEA: During his visit to India, Norov met the Minister of External Affairs(MEA) Shri
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and discussed on a range of issues.
iv.Members present: Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup and other officials were
present in the meeting.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO):
i.The SCO was founded at a summit in 2001 in Shanghai by presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It is headquartered in Beijing, China.
ii.SCO members: The members of the SCO include China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, and
Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan. Thus there totally 8 member nations of SCO.
iii.GDP constitution: The SCO with 40% of the world population living in its countries has high economic
potential. It produces an aggregate GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of more than $18 trillion, which is more than
22% of global GDP. this GDP range is expected to reach 38-40% by 2025.
iv.SCO predecessor: The original five nations, with the exclusion of Uzbekistan, were previously known as
the Shanghai Five group, founded on 26 April 1996.
About Ministry of External Affairs(MEA):
Minister of State(MoS)- Vellamvelly Muraleedharan.
Overview of 5th edition of Raisina Dialogue 2020 held in New Delhi

The 5th edition of the Raisina Dialogue 2020 which is India’s annual global conference on geopolitics and geo-
economice was held in New Delhi from January 14-16, 2020. The dialogue was jointly organised by the Ministry
of External Affairs(MEA) and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). Prime Minister(PM) Shri Narendra Modi
and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (MEA) attended the inaugural session of the dialogue. The highlights of the
dialogue in brief are as follows:
India & Finland sign MoU:
On January 15, 2020 India & Finland signed Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) in order to enhance
cooperation in the field of production, procurement, research and development in defence sector.
• MoU signing: India’s defence secretary Ajay Kumar and and the Finnish Defence Ministry’s
Permanent Secretary, Jukka Juusti signed the MoU.
• This MoU was previously under discussion since the 2018 Defence Expo (Defexpo) and has been
finally formalised in the run up to Defence Expo 2020 which is to be held in Lucknow, the capital of
Uttar Pradesh from February 5-9, 2020.
‘Green Strategic Partnership’ with Denmark foreign minister explored:
The Minister of External Affairs(MEA) Shri S.Jaishankar met foreign Minister of
Denmark Jeppe Sebastian Kofod and held discussions on ‘Green Strategic Partnership’ between the two
countries.
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20th anniversary of partnership between India and Russia:

i.The year 2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the strategic partnership between India
and the Russian Federation. Modi also marked 2020 as the year of implementation of key decisions between
India and Russia.
Former international heads meeting:
i.7 former heads of international govts with rich experience in governance engaged in discussion on the
important challenges in the world like climate change and counter-terrorism etc.
• The heads were Helen Clark, former PM of New Zealand; Hamid Karzai, former President of
Afghanistan; Stephen Harper, former PM of Canada; Carl Bildt, former PM of Sweden;Anders
Rasmussen, former PM of Denmark; Tshering Tobgay, former PM of Bhutan and Han Seung-soo,
former PM of South Korea.
Modi on the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue:
i.12 ministerial level delegates called on PM Modi: Ministerial level delegates from 12 countries called on
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at his residence on the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue. The foreign ministries
were from Russia, Iran, Australia, Maldives, South Africa, Estonia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Latvia,
Uzbekistan and EU (European Union).
ii.Meet with Russian foreign minister: Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation held high
level discussion with PM Modi.
• PM Modi is to participate in the 75th anniversary of the victory day in Russia which will be held in
May 2020.
• Shri Modi will also participate in the July 2020 BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa)
and SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) summits.
iii.Meet with Iran foreign minister: Dr. Javad Zarif, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran met PM
Modi and reiterated India’s commitment in developing strong and friendly relationship with Iran.
• Progress in the Chabahar project which is designated as a Special Economic Zone(SEZ) was discussed.
It is situated in southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman.
Sessions and themes in the dialogue:
Over 80 sessions took place with around 5 thematic pillars. They include
• Nationalist impulses challenging global institutions and collective action.
• Debate on the global trading architecture.
• Role of technologies in determining political.
• Economic and military power and
• Global development agenda & state-individual relationship in the age of digital communities and
cyberspace.
i.Participants: 700 international participants from over 100 countries of which 80 countries from Africa
participated in the dialogue.
ii.Members present: Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth; Vladimir Norov Secretary
General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and leaders from various countries and organisation
were present during the dialogue.
About Observer Research Foundation (ORF):
Formation- 5 September 1990.
Chairman- Sunjoy Joshi.
President- Samir Saran.
3rd International symposium on marine ecosystems challenges and opportunities (MECOS) 2020 held in
Kochi, Kerala
The 3rd edition of the International Symposium on Marine Ecosystems Challenges and Opportunities
(MECOS-3) was held at Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Kochi, Kerala from 7 – 10
January 2020 with an aim to address the concerns of marine ecosystem and will make new strategies for
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sustainable utilisation of marine wealth.

Key Points:
i.Organized by the Marine Biological Association of India (MBAI), the Symposium saw the participation of marine
scientists, oceanographers, fishery researchers and marine biotechnologists from across the world to discuss
various topics, including the impact of climate crisis in marine ecosystems and unusual warming of the Arabian
sea.
ii.The symposium also focused on the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-14)of the United Nations (UN),which
says Conserve and Sustainably use the oceans and its resources for sustainable development.
iii.The previous editions of MECOS brought together marine scientists, researchers and teachers across the
world.
About Kerala:
Capital– Thiruvananthapuram
Governor– Arif Mohammad Khan
Chief Minister– Pinarayi Vijayan
National parks– Anamudi Shola National Park ,Eravikulam National Park, Mathikettan Shola National Park,
Pambadum Shola National Park , Periyar National Park ,Silent Valley National Park.
About MBAI
It functions within the premises of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) at Cochin, Kerala,
India.
Formed– 1958
Journal– JMBAI
President– Gopalakrishnan. A
Union ministers Prakash Javadekar, R K Singh inaugurated 14th edition of ELECRAMA 2020 held in
Greater Noida, UP
On January 18, 2020, Union Minister of Heavy Industries &Public Enterprises, Environment, Forest and Climate
Change and Information & Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar and Power Minister Raj Kumar Singh have
inaugurated the 5-day long 14th edition of ELECRAMA 2020 being held at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida,
Uttar Pradesh (UP). The ELECRAMA 2020 chairman is Anil Saboo.
Key Points:
i.The event aims to showcase the Indian electrical industry and provide platform to connect the world with
Indian industry with respect to technology, modern trends and innovation for future energy transition.
ii.Organised by IEEMA (Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association ), apex industry association
of manufacturers of electrical, industrial electronics & supported by the Ministry of Power, Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy and Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs), the event saw the participation of over1250 exhibitors,450 foreign exhibitors from 120
countries.
iii.Through this event, the IEEMA focus on businesses worth Rs 30,000 crore via e-mobility, energy storage,
start-ups, grid transformation, revenue security with special attention on small and medium enterprises (SMEs),
iv.India’s installed power generation capacity has reached 367 gigawatt (GW)& has given 1.2 crore power
connections in past 2- years.
About IEEMA (Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association ):
Motto– your link to electricity
Founded– 1948
President– Mr. R K Chugh
1st of Krishi Manthan 2020 begins in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

The 1st edition of the Krishi Manthan 2020 which is a Food, Agri-business and Rural Development Summit of
Asia was held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on December 28-29, 2019. The event was organised by the Food and
Agribusiness Committee of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA).
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Key Points:
i.Participants: Nearly 1500 delegates inclusive of students and academicians participated in the summit.
ii.Members present: Anil Gupta, IIMA Professor; Founder of 24 Mantra Organic Shri Rajashekhar Reddy Seelam,
former Executive Vice President(VP) of Mahindra Agri Solutions and other officials attended the summit
About Gujarat:
Largest city- Ahmedabad.
Chief Minister- Vijay Ramniklal Rupani.
Deputy Chief Minister- Nitin Patel.
Union HRD Minister inaugurated 28th New Delhi World Book Fair 2020 in New Delhi
The 28th edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair 2020 (NDWBF 2020) was held at Pragati Maidan in New
Delhi from January 4-12, 2020. It was inaugurated by Union Minister of Human Resource Development (MHRD)
Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’. The theme of NDWBF 2020 book fair was ‘Gandhi: TheWriters’ Writer’
celebrating 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi. Since 2013, the NDWBF is organised by National Book Trust (NBT) in
association with India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), Ministry of Commerce(MoC) under Memorandum
of Understanding(MoU) with ITPO.
Highlights of NDWBF 2020:
i.Photo exhibition: A special photo exhibition titled “Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat” on NBT’s contribution in
promoting books in schools and libraries under govt. of India’s programme for the school education was put up.
ii.Braille Books: National Book Trust(NBT) of India in collaboration with the All India Confederation of Blind
(AICB) jointly published over 250 books in Braille for visually impaired readers.
iii.Foreign Country participation: Over 15 countries such as Abu Dhabi, China, Denmark, Egypt,
France,Germany, Iran, Nepal, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Sharjah, Spain, Sri Lanka, UK(United Kingdom), USA(United
States of America), participated in the Foreign Pavilion at the Fair.
iv.Participants: Eminent Gandhian scholar, Prof. GirishwarMisra; Chairman of National Book Trust(NBT), Prof.
Govind Prasad Sharma; Joint Secretary of MHRD, Shri Madan Mohan; Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Executive Director of
the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and other officials were present on the occasion.
New Delhi World Book Fair:
i.It is an annual book fair hosted at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi in the month of January. Previously it was hosted
twice a year.
ii.1st edition: NDWBF was first inaugurated by Shri. Varahagiri Venkata Giri, then President of India and was
held from March 18 to April 4, 1972 with just 200 participants.
iii.NDWBF is the oldest book fair in India after Kolkata Book Fair. It is also Asia’s biggest book fair is expected to
soon become the world’s biggest book fair.
About Ministry of Human Resource and Development(MHRD):
Union Minister- Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ (Constituency- Haridwar, Uttarakhand).
Minister of State(MoS)- Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre (Constituency- Akola, Maharashtra).
International Conclave on ‘Globalising Indian Thought’ held in IIM-Kozhikode from January 16-18, 2020
The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM Kozhikode), Kerala has hosted an ‘International
Conclave on Globalising Indian Thought’ (GIT2020) from January 16-18, 2020. The three-day Academic
conclave was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, through video conference.
Key Points:
i.PM unveiled and dedicate a full-size statue of Swami Vivekananda, in front of the MDC Complex of IIM
Kozhikode.
ii.The Conclave focused on India’s thought that are Satyam-Truth, Nithyam-Sustainability Purnam-Wholeness
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and revealed India’s path towards development in the global market.

iii.On January 18, 2020 the valedictory function was attended by Dr. Kiran Bedi, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor,
Puducherry, and Prof. Anil Kumar Gupta, renowned academician and activist.
iv.Nearly 100 world-class research papers will be presented at the conclave and the awards will be presented to
the best research papers during the closing ceremony.
3rd edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020: PM Modi interacts with students, teachers in New Delhi
On January 20, 2020, The Prime Minister(PM), Shri Narendra Modi has attended the 3rd edition interaction
programme with school students ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020‘ held at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. The
purpose of this one-hour long program was to
ensure that the students relieve stress and give
upcoming board and entrance examinations.
Key Points:
i.About 2,000 students, teachers and parents
participated in this program from all over India.
Out of these, 1,050 students were selected through
‘short essay’ competition conducted by HRD
(Human Resource Development) Ministry in
partnership with MyGov on five different themes
for students of classes 9 to 12.
ii.A total of 4 Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) schools students conducted this programme to make this
event more student-centric.
iii.The 1st edition of PM’s Interaction Programme with school and college students “ParikshaPeCharcha 1.0” took
place at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi on 16th February, 2018. The 2nd edition “ParikshaPeCharcha 2.0” was also
held at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi on 29th January, 2019.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurates 2nd edition of ‘NIC TechConclave 2020’ in New Delhi
On January 21, 2020, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad ,the Union Minister for Law & Justice, Communications and
Electronics & Information Technology(IT), has inaugurated a 2-day long 2nd edition of ‘NIC TechConclave
2020’based on the theme “Technologies for NextGen Governance” held at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra,
Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
Key Points:
i.The conclave was organized by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) with the aim to promote the application of
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) at various levels in the Government.
ii.Experts from the IT industry in the areas of Cyber Security, Hyperscale Architecture, Design Thinking attended
the conclave ,which will help in delivering high-quality citizen-centric services.
iii.Shri Ajay Sawhney, the Secretary of MeitY(Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology), Shri Sameer
Garde ,President of CISCO (India and SAARC) also graced the occasion.
About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology:
Founded– 1999
Union Minister– Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad (Constituency- Patna Sahib, Bihar)
About NIC:
Founded– 1976
It works under Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.
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PM Modi chairs 32nd PRAGATI meeting 2020 in New Delhi; 9 delayed projects worth Rs 24,000 crores
discussed
On January 22, 2020, Prime Minister (PM) Shri Narendra Modi chaired 32nd PRAGATI (Pro-Active
Governance and Timely Implementation) meeting 2020 and discussed progress of several projects in New
Delhi.
Key Points:
i.Under PRAGATI, Prime Minister reviewed projects by talking to the officials and the accountable authority, as
well as their progress and status.
PM Modi reviews 9 delayed projects of three central ministries, costs Rs 24,000 crores
PM Narendra Modi has reviewed the status of 9 projects pending in 9 states in the 1st meeting of ‘Pragati’ 2020.
These projects are worth Rs 24,000 crore and are to be implemented in Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra,
Jharkhand, Bihar, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh(AP), Kerala and Uttar Pradesh(UP) by 3 Union ministries.
Out of 9 projects, 3 of these are for Railways, 5 for Road Transport and Highways and one for the Ministry
of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
PM modi reviews progress under insurance schemes- PMJJBY and PMSBY
Modi also reviewed the work related to insurance schemes – ‘Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana’
(PMJJBY) and ‘Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana’(PMSBY).
PMJJBY:
This insurance scheme was formally launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May 2015 in Kolkata, West
Bengal.
Annual life insurance of Rs. 2 lakh available on the payment of premium of Rs. 330 per annum by the subscribers.
The PMJJBY made available to people in the age group of 18 – 50 years having a bank account from where the
premium would be collected through the facility of auto-debit.
PMSBY:
It was also launched by Modi on 9 May 2015 in Kolkata, West Bengal.
The Scheme is available to people in the age group 18 – 70 years with a bank account, from where the premium
of Rs. 12 would be collected through the facility of auto-debit.
The risk coverage is Rs. 2 lakh for accidental death and full disability & Rs. 1 lakh for partial disability.
PM modi reviews Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS) project
The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS) project was also reviewed by Modi. It is a
comprehensive and integrated system for effective policing through e-governance.
Background: In the 31st ‘Pragati’ meetings, Modi reviewed a total of 269 projects with an investment of Rs 12.30
lakh crore. He also reviewed the proposal for grievance redressal related to 47 government programs and
schemes in 17 different areas.
About PRAGATI:
Launched in 2015 by Modi, PRAGATI is a ICT (Information and communications technology) based multi-
purpose and multi-disciplinary governance platform. This helps in monitoring and reviewing important
programs and projects of the government.
‘Vigyan Samagam’, India’s 1st global Mega Science Exhibition inaugurated at National Science Centre in
New Delhi by Dr. Jitendra Singh
On January 21, 2020, the Union Minister of State Independent Charge (I/C) Ministry of Development Of North
Eastern Region, Minister of State (Mos) Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pension,
Minister of State for Department of Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated India’s first global
Mega Science Exhibition “Vigyan Samagam” at National Science Centre, New Delhi.The exhibition is organized
by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM)
under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) & will be held from January 21, 2020, to March 20, 2020.
Key Points:
i.The exhibition aims to focus the career path in the field of fundamental science and research among the
students, academia and industries.
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ii.The exhibition details are available on the website www.vigyansamagam.in and also on the mobile
app Vigyan Samagam.
iii.The Projects in the exhibition are showcased by The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN),
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), Indian National Olympiad (INO), International
Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO),
MACE, SKA and TMT.
iv.Participants: Dr. R. Chidambaram, Former Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (GoI),
Former Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Dr.
Paul Ho, a world-renowned Astrophysicist and Director General of East Asian Observatory, Shri K. N. Vyas,
Chairman, AEC and Secretary, DAE, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology
(DST).
v.Vigyan Samagam was held from May 8, 2019, to July 7th 2019 in Mumbai ,Maharashtra, from July 29, 2019 to
September 28,2019 it was held Bengaluru, Karnataka and from November 4, 2019 to December 31, 2019 it was
held Kolkata, West Bengal.
Dept of Biotechnology holds international summit on women in STEM in New Delhi

On January 24, 2020, The Department of Biotechnology under the aegis of Ministry of Science & Technology
has organized a 2-day long International Summit on Women in STEM–“Visualizing the Future: New
Skylines” at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi with the aim to increase the participation of women in STEM
(science, technology, engineering and math) field for development of scientific career.
Key Points:
i.The summit saw the participation of around
350 people across the world from different
fields including scientists, socialists,
entrepreneurs, researchers, teachers, and
students.
ii.A number of sessions and interactive
discussions such as mechanisms of
leadership building, empowering women
through networking, career opportunities &
interactive exercises were held with
renowned women senior scientists.
iii.This summit will offer a good platform for young students & researchers to interact with leaders in the STEM
fields to explore future study and career interests.
About Ministry of Science & Technology:
Founded– May 1971
Union Minister– Harsh Vardhan
Highlights of 50th WEF annual meeting 2020 held in Davos, Switzerland

The 50th edition of the 2020 World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting was held in Davos-Klosters,in
Switzerland from January 21-24, 2020. The theme for the year 2020 was “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and
Sustainable World”. The WEF summit aims to engage world leaders to collaborate for global, regional and
industrial development etc. The highlights of the summit in detail are as follows:
New Releases & formations at WEF:
New Internet security principles:
On January 23, 2020 the World Economic Forum (WEF) has announced new internet security principles which
will help nearly 1 billion users. The principles have been developed by a group of leading ISPs(Internet Service
Providers) and multilateral organisations.
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Key points:
i.These new principles will combat highly vulnerable cyberattacks and protect those 1 billion internet consumers
spread in 180 countries.
ii.Impact of Cyber attack: The cyber attack of malicious activity online would cost the global countries an
estimated amount of $6 trillion in 2021.
iii.New principles functions: These new principles by default, will ask the ISPs to protect consumers from
cyberattacks and also to respond to known threats. Further ISPs will be needed to work more closely
with manufacturers, vendors of hardware, software & infrastructure to increase the levels of security.
iv.The new security principles will be endorsed by major ISPs like BT, Deutsche Telekom, Du Telecom, Europol,
Global Cyber Alliance, Internet Society, Korea Telecom, Proximus, Saudi Telcom, Singtel, Telstra etc.
1st ever public blockchain based platform launched:
At the WEF, the 1st ever public blockchain track and trace platform built to help businesses respond to the
demands of customers for ethical and environmentally friendly products.
Phase: This platform would highly be a safe collaboration provided by WEF and 1st movers Everledger, the
International Trade Centre (ITC) and Lenzing Group.
• Currently working in pilot basis, call to pilot and co-design the second phase will be Asia Pacific Rayon
(APR), EVRYTHNG and PlataformaVerde.
Blockchain for customers: It has been estimated that 90% of people/consumers like big brands. Despite
blockchain providing sustainability, private blockchains however do not address customer transparency
demand. Thus customers had to rely on blockchain solution providers.
1st global consortium for digital currency governance formed:
1st global consortium was formed and it works on designing a framework for digital currency
governance that also includes stablecoins. The consortium aims to increase access of financial system through
policy solutions being both inclusive and interoperable.
Key Points:
i.This blockchain consortium will have leading companies, financial institutions, govt. representatives,
international organisations etc in making them work together for digital governance. The core of this initiative
will be on efficiency, speed, transparency.
ii.A set of guiding principles will also be co-designed to support public and private organisations to explore more
opportunities in the field of digital currencies.
Agreements and MoU signed in the WEF:
India joins founding member of WEF reskilling initiative:
The republic of India has joined as a founding govt member of the WEF’s ‘Reskilling Revolution’. It is an
initiative which aims to provide better jobs, education, skills and jobs 1 billion people by 2030. It initiative also
aims to provide new skills to workers for the 4th industrial revolution.
Key points:
i.Foundings members: Apart from India, the founding member countries include Brazil, France, Pakistan, the
Russian Federation, UAE(United Arab Emirates) and the US(United States).
ii.Business partners: Some of the business partners of the initiative includes, Salesforce, ManpowerGroup,
Infosys, LinkedIn, Coursera Inc. etc.
iii.By 2022, 42% of the core skills that are required to perform existing jobs are expected to change as per
report titled ‘Jobs of Tomorrow: Mapping Opportunity in the New Economy’ by the WEF. it also estimates that
• By 2022, 133 million new jobs will be created to meet the 4th industrial revolution demands.
Interpersonal skills and skills related to sales, human resources, care and education will be of high
demand
• 96 jobs across 7 professional clusters were reported to be fast emerging.
• The jobs of the future are set to grow by 51% upto 2020 providing 6.1million job opportunities
globally.
• over 415 private sector companies pledged to provide more than 14.5 million career-enhancement
opportunities for American workers over the next 5 years.
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O.P Jindal Global University signs MoU with University of Zurich:

The O.P Jindal Global University (JGU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of
Zurich (UZH) in Switzerland for mutual cooperation in higher education and research. The MoU was signed by
JGU Vice Chancellor C. Raj Kumar and the President of the UZH, Michael Hengartner.
Key Points:
i.JGU is situated in Sonipat, Haryana. It was the youngest university in India and in the world to have been made
to the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World university rankings 2020.
ii.JGU is also the only Indian private university in the top 150 ”young” universities in the world in the QS Young
University Rankings 2020.
Madhya Pradesh made investments worth Rs 4,125 cr at WEF:
Madhya Pradesh(MP) govt has made investments worth Rs. 4,125 crores at WEF from various investors. The
investments were mainly on food and renewable energy sectors.The MP govt. Chief Minister Shri Kamal Nath
Singh along with other officials held discussions with potential investors.
Key Points:
i.Investors: Daawat Food Ltd, which has a plant in Mandideep, near Bhopal, MP received Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) worth Rs 125 crore from Saudi Arabia Agriculture and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC).
ii.Wind projects in MP: 2 central wind projects of capacity 325 MW(Mega Watt) were approved by SoftBank
Energy (Japan) and another by Actis (England).
iii.690 acres of land is already available at 9 different places in MP and will be set up as data centre business.
Nearly 75% of the rebate in the cost of setting up units on government land may also be given to interested
companies as part of the investment.
Karnataka pacted with WEF for ‘Centre for internet of ethical things’:
The govt of Karnataka signed a pact with WEF to start “Centre for Internet of ethical things”. The centre will
provide competitive and a level playing field for investors and industrialists.The centre will also keep a check on
misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) and enhance ease of doing business.
Key Points:
i.Signatories: Madhya Pradesh State Industry Minister Jagadish Shettar;Chief Secretary TM Vijaya Bhasker and
Industries Secretary Ramana Reddy were also signatories to the informal pact.
ii.IoT: Internet of Things (IoT) is a technology term used for the linkage of data, sensors on devices and machines
and analytics on a platform.
Malaysia govt agency pacted with WEF to focus on drones:
The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) signed a pact with WEF to focus on drones. The aim of the
pact was to co-design and pilot policy principles. Through this pact, the risks from drones will also be mitigated.
MDEC will also specifically work with WEF’s Aerospace and Drones portfolio as part of the collaboration.
Key Points:
i.The global drone services market is expected to reach $63.6 billion by 2025 as per Drone Service Market report
and also the Asia Pacific region is also expected to grow at the highest Compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
during the same period.
Awards and Honours:
Tata Steel Kalinganagar honoured:
The Tata steel Kalinganagar (TSK) in Jajpur district of Odisha, was honoured at the WEF 2020 for its recent
admittance to the Global Lighthouse Network(GLN) of WEF. The GLN is a group of corporations aiming to apply
the 4th industrial revolution technologies. The award was given to Tata Steel’s Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and
Managing Director(MD) TV Narendran.
Key Points:
i.In 2019, TSK became the 1st and only Indian manufacturing plant that was included in the WEF’s Lighthouse
Network. It is also to be noted that Tata Steel’s IJmuiden plant in the Netherlands is already a member of this
network.
ii.Tata Steel Kalinganagar: TSK was commissioned in 2016 and was spread over 3000 acres. TSK is the largest
single-location greenfield steel project in India.
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26th Crystal award honoured to Deepika Padukone:

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone was honoured with 26th Crystal award 2020. The award was given to
honour her for her campaigning to raise awareness on mental health.
C Vijayakumar, CEO, HCL Technologies named chairman of World Economic Forum’s IT Governors
Community
Chief Executive Officer of software exporter HCL (Hindustan Computers Limited) Technologies, C Vijayakumar
has been named the Chairman of the IT industry Governors community of the World Economic Forum, which
convenes CEOs of global technology companies.
Indian delegations in the summit:
i.Piyush Goyal led Indian delegation:
The Indian delegation to the WEF summit was led by Union Minister of Commerce (MoC) Shri Piyush Goyal.
Shri Goyal also participated in an informal WTO (World Trade Organization) ministerial gathering.He also held a
meeting with CEO (Chief Executive Officers) of companies, attended round table conferences on ‘Accelerating
Investments in Indian Railways’.
• Indian delegation: Some of the members of the Indian delegations include Union Minister of
State(MoS) for Shipping and Chemical and Fertilizers, Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya; and Chief
Ministers of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh; Finance Minister of Punjab, and the IT(Information
Technology) Minister of Telangana.
ii.Mansukh Mandavia’s participation:
Shri Mandavia had bilateral meetings with Minister of Qatar, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium and Secretary
General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Kitack Lim. He along with Shri Goyal, attended
meeting with CEOs
• Mahatma Gandhi bust to be set up: After obtaining consent from Shri Mandaviya, a bust of Mahatma
Gandhi has been decided to be set up at the headquarters of IMO in London coinciding with Gandhi’s
150th birth anniversary.
iii.O P Jindal Global University VC at WEF summit:
The Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), Dr. C. Raj Kumar, attended the WEF summit
and held talks on 3 separate sessions. It is also to be noted that Kumar was the only Vice Chancellor from India
invited to speak at WEF.
iv.ASHA at WEF 2020:
Entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist and founder of Motwani Jadeja Foundation Asha Jadeja Motwani has come
up with a new initiative named ‘ASHA’ at WEF 2020 inorder to lead India’s contribution towards addressing
global challenges.
• The ASHA initiative is led by Motwani Jadeja Foundation and Motwani Institute for Thought
Leadership in Innovation (MITLI). The global think tank MITLI was for the first time introduced in the
forum.
About World Economic Forum(WEF):
Headquarters- Cologny, Switzerland
Founder- Klaus Schwab
Founded- January 1971
Motto- Committed to improving the state of the world.
13th edition of International Children’s Film Festival inaugurated at Dhaka, Bangladesh

On January 24, 2020 the 13th edition of International Children’s Film Festival was inaugurated in Dhaka,
Bangladesh. The theme of International Children’s Film Festival 2020 is ‘Under The World’ and slogan
is “Future in Frames”. The week-long festival will be concluded on January 31, 2020.
KeyPoints:
i.It is organized by the Children’s Film Society, Bangladesh. It is the biggest film festival of Southeast Asian
country and only international festival celebrated exclusively for children and young adults since 2008.
ii.It will feature 173 films from 39 countries including Bangladesh, India, France, Korea, Spain and other
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countries.
iii.German film ‘Rocca Changes the World’ directed by Katja Benrath will be screened during the inauguration.
iv.To mark the 100th birth anniversary of the country’s founding President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, ‘Khoka
Jokhon Chhoto Chhilen’ directed by Sudipta Saha will also be screened at the festival.
v.Bangladeshi Children Filmmakers Section, Special Film Competition, International Film Section and
Bangabandhu Through My Lens are some of the sections under which the films will be screened.
vi.Participants: Former Bangladesh Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Bangladesh State Minister for Information
and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak.
About Bangladesh:
Capital- Dhaka
President– Mohammad Abdul Hamid
44th International Kolkata Book Fair 2020 (IKBF) begins in Kolkata, West Bengal with Russia as the
theme country
On 28 January 2020 , The 44th edition of Kolkata Book Fair 2020 (IKBF) has commenced at Central Park Mela
Ground in SaltLake, Kolkata , West Bengal with Russia as a “Focal Theme Country”. Tyto, a category of bird
species consisting of barn owls, grass owls and masked owls was selected as the official Mascot of the Book Fair
for the 1st time.
Key Points:
i.The IKBF which is annually organized by the Publishers and Booksellers Guild,was inaugurated by West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in presence of Russian Ambassador to India, Kudashev Nikolay Rishatovich.
ii.Since 2020’s focal theme is “Russia”, January 30,2020 celebrated as “Russian Day”.
iii.Eminent Poets, authors and literary critics from 20 countries, including India, Russia, Costa Rica, Spain,
Scotland, Guatemala, Argentina, Bangladesh and Australia are participating in this festival to interact with their
Indian counterparts also with visitors attending the talks and seminars.
iv.The fair will also honour noted Indian authors by naming the various public spaces after them. The two big
halls, comprising English publications, have been named after the late scholar & noted writer Nabanita Dev Sen
and late actor-director-playwright Girish Karnad.
v.The Little Magazine Pavilion, which will see about 200 people participation, is named after famous Bengali poet
& litterateur, late Subhash Mukhopadhyay.
vi.On this occasion, 4 books have been translated from Russian to Bengali.It includes, Bigyapone Mele na, Frosia
Karovina, Ek theke dosh Prem & Rangberong er Tushar.
Mamata Banerjee releases her book on CAA, NRC & NPR
The Chief Minister(CM) of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee has launched her book ‘Why We Are Saying No
CAA, NO NRC, No NPR’ at 44th International Kolkata Book Fair.
i.Banerjee also raised her state’s concern against the Centre’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National
Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).
About West Bengal:
Capital– Kolkata (Also largest city).
Governor– Jagdeep Dhankhar.
National Parks(NP)- Gorumara NP, Neora Valley NP, Singalila NP, Sundarban NP.
Bird– White-throated kingfisher
Flower– Night-flowering jasmine
12th South Asia Conference held in New Delhi

Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh addressed the 12th edition of the South Asia Conference at the Institute for
Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) in New Delhi from January 28-29, 2020. The conference deals with issues
related to economic cooperation for development, changing political context in India’s neighbourhood etc.
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The theme of the conference was India’s “Neighbourhood First” Policy: Regional Perceptions.
Key Points:
i.The Govt’s commitment of about $13.14 billion in credit-lines and about $4 billion in assistance to the
neighbouring countries over the last decade were discussed.
ii.Participants: All members of SAARC and Myanmar participated in the conference. Members of the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)countries were called for cooperation to end terrorism.
iii.Members present: The IDSA Director General Ambassador Shri Sujan R Chinoy and other senior military &
civil officials of the Ministry of Defence(MoD) were present on the occasion.
About South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC):
Fact- The current chair of SAARC is Nepal.
Founded- 8 December 1985.
Headquarters- Kathmandu, Nepal.
SAARC members- 8 (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka).
Secretary General- MR. Amjad Hussain B. Sial.
INDEX
RANKING
Swachh Survekshan League 2020: Indore tops ranking among cities having 10lac+ population
On December 31, 2019 the union minister of State (MoS- Independent Charge) Housing and Urban
Affairs(MoHUA) Shri Hardeep Singh Puri,has announced the results of Swachh Survekshan League
2020 (Quarter 1 and Quarter 2) at an event in New Delhi. During the event, the 5th edition of the Swachh
Survekshan (urban cleanliness survey), which is to commence from 4 January 2020 by MoHUA was also rolled
out. It is also to be noted that West Bengal alone did not participate in the Swachh Survekshan League 2020.
Rankings:
i.>10lakh population: Among the cities
with more than 10 lakh population
category, Indore ranked 1st in both
quarter 1 and quarter 2.
• Quarter 1: Indore was
followed by Bhopal (Madhya
Pradesh) and Surat (Gujarat)
in the second and third place
respectively.
• Quarter2: Indore was
followed by Rajkot (Gujarat)
and Navi
Mumbai(Maharashtra) in the second and third place respectively.
ii.1-10 lakh population: Among cities with 1-10 lakh population, Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) ranked 1st in both
quarter 1 and quarter 2.
• Quarter 1: Jamshedpur was followed by New Delhi (Delhi) and Khargone (Madhya Pradesh) in the
2nd and 3rd place respectively.
• Quarter 2: Jamshedpur was followed by Chandrapur (Maharashtra) and Khargone (Madhya Pradesh)
in the 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
iii.cantonment board ranking:
• Quarter1: Among the cantonment board rankings in quarter 1, Tamil Nadu (St.Thomas Mount Cantt.)
ranked 1st which was followed by Uttar Pradesh (Jhansi Cantt.)and New Delhi(Delhi Cantt).
• Quarter2: in Quarter 2, Delhi ranked 1st, followed by Uttar Pradesh (Jhansi Cantt.) and Punjab
(Jalandhar Cantt.)
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Swachh Survekshan League 2020 (SS League 2020):

i.Aim: The scheme aims to evaluate the performance of the cities based on cleanliness.
ii.Quarter division & score: The SS League 2020 is conducted in 3 quarters i.e., April-June, July-September and
October-December 2019 with 2000 marks for each quarter.
iii.Evaluation: The marks are evaluated based on monthly updation of SBM-U (Swacch Bharat Mission-
Urban;launched October 2014) online MIS(Management information system) by cities along with citizen’s
validation on the 12 service level progress indicators.
iv.Rank category: The ranks have been assigned in two categories. They are cities with a population of one lakh
and above (with two sub-categories, i.e. 1-10 lakh and 10 lakhs and above) and cities with a population of less
than 1 lakh (under the < 1 lakh population category, the rankings are given zone and population wise).
• 25% weightage of the quarterly assessments are to be included in the annual survey to be conducted
from 4 January till 31 January 2020.
v.Important parameters: In the SS 2020 parameters, wastewater treatment and reuse, and faecal sludge
management have been given special importance. In this regard, ODF+ (Open Defcation Free +), ODF++ and
Water+ Plus Protocols work as guiding documents for cities in the survey.
vi.Various other innovative frameworks such as star rating protocol for garbage free cities are also being
implemented in the survey to enable good institutionalization of practices.
• Solid waste management: 60% of solid waste are currently being processed while 96% of wards
practise door-to-door collection of those wastes.
vii.Targets by the govt:
• Single use plastic free India by 2022.
• Collaboration with Cement Manufacturing Association (CMA) and the National Highway Authority of
India(NHAI) to make use of reusable plastics in road construction.
• Introduction of garbage cafés (place where a person can get a meal in return of plastic waste).
• 100% processing and safe disposal of solid waste.
viii.Current achievements:
• 937 of Indian cities are ODF+ and 328 cities are ODF++.
• Over 57,000 public toilet blocks across 2,300 cities have been mapped on Google Maps.
• Through star rating protocol for Garbage Free Cities, 57 cities have been rated 3-star while 4 cities
were rated 5- star.
ix.Feedback by citizens:
Verification of the SS2020 progress will be done through direct responses from citizens. The feedback shall be
provided by the citizens from January 4, 2020 onwards through the 1969 Swachhata Helpline (1969), Swachhata
App, Swachh Survekshan 2020 portal, outbound calls and the Vote for Your City App.
Previous Swachh Survekshan editions:
• 1st edition: ‘Swachh Survekshan-2016’(SS 2016) survey rating 73 cities in January 2016 was
conducted.
• 2nd edition: 1st edition was followed by ‘Swachh Survekshan-2017’ that was conducted in January-
February 2017 and ranked 434 cities.
• 3rd edition: Swachh Survekshan in 2018 made a major improvement by covering 4,203 cities in 66
days, and became the largest ever pan India sanitation survey in the world, which impacted around 40
crore people.
• 4th edition: 4237 cities were covered in the 4th edition, i.e., Swachh Survekshan in 2019. This was a
fully digitized paperless survey.
• While Mysuru emerged as the cleanest city in India in SS 2016, Indore emerged as the cleanest city in
the rest of the years. Click here to know more
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SS League 2020 Rank:

Cities with Population > 10 lakh
Rank
Quarter 1 Quarter 2
Indore (Madhya
1 Indore
Pradesh)
Bhopal (Madhya
2 Rajkot (Gujarat)
Pradesh)
3 Surat (Gujarat) Navi Mumbai(Maharashtra)
Cities with Population 1- 10 lakh
Rank
Quarter 1 Quarter 2
1 Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) Jamshedpur
2 New Delhi (Delhi) Chandrapur (Maharashtra)
Khargone (Madhya
3 Khargone (Madhya Pradesh)
Pradesh)
About Ministry of housing and urban Affairs(MoHUA):
Founded-1952. Headquarters- New Delhi.
Secretary- Shri Durga Shanker Mishra.
India ranks 34th on World Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) 2019
India was ranked at 34th place in World Economic Forum (WEF)’s World Travel, Tourism Competitiveness
Index for the year 2019, a great hike from its previous ranks (i.e.65th rank in 2013, 52nd rank in 2015, 40th rank
in 2017).The report was released on September 2019.
Reason behind the rise in India’s Rank:
To boost tourism sector, Government of India has taken so many initiatives.They are as follows,
i.’Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan’:The scheme is an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, in
collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India. It was launched in September
2017 on World Tourism Day.
ii. Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat programme:This aims to actively enhance interaction between people of diverse
cultures living in different States and UTs in India, with the objective of promoting greater mutual understanding
amongst them.It was launched in the year 2015.
iii. Swadesh Darshan Scheme:The Scheme was launched in the year 2015 by Ministry of Tourism with an aim
to promote, develop and harness the potential of tourism in India.
iv. Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASAD)Scheme: It aims at
integrated development of pilgrimage destinations in planned, prioritised and sustainable manner to provide
complete religious tourism experience & focuses on the development and beautification of the identified
pilgrimage destinations.
v. E-visa has been further liberalized and visa fee on e – visa has been substantially reduced to increase tourism
competitiveness of the country.
vi.Government of India has opened 120 mountain peaks for mountaineering and trekking for promoting
adventure tourism.
Future Enhancements:
i.Indian government is working to develop thematic circuits under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme and 77 projects
worth over Rs 6035 crore have been sanctioned till date.
Top 5 countries of the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s World Travel, Tourism Competitiveness Index for
the year 2019 are:
i.Spain.
ii.France.
iii.Germany.
iv.Japan.
v.United States.
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About Ministry of Tourism (India):

Founded- 1967.
Minister of State for Tourism and Culture- Shri Prahlad Singh Patel.
EIU survey 2015-20: 3 of world’s 10 fastest-growing cities in Kerala; Malappuram tops list
On January 08,2020 latest ranking based on fastest growing urban regions/ fastest growing cities in the
world was released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). as per the report 3 of the cities in Kerala were
ranked in the top 10 places. Malappuram city of Kerala was ranked 1st in the list, while Kerala’s Kozhikode and
Kollam cities were ranked in the 4th and 10th place respectively.
EIU survey 2015-2020:
i.List preparation: The list was compiled on the basis of the data provided by the United Nations Population
Division (UNPD).
ii.Top rankers: Malappuram was followed by Can Tho region in Vietnam at 2nd spot and Suqian in China in
the 3rd spot.
iii.Cities in top 10 list: 1 city from Vietnam (Can Tho), 3 from China (Suqian, Suzhou and Putian), 1 city from
Nigeria(Abuja), 1 from UAE (United Arab Emirates) i.e., Sharjah and one from Oman(Muscat) were featured in
the top 10 list.
iv.Other indian cities: Thrissur city of Kerala was ranked at the 13th spot with a growth rate of 30.2%. Surat
(Gujarat) was ranked at 27th spot and Tiruppur (Tamil
Nadu) at the 30th spot.
v.Growth rate: Malappuram grew 44% from 2015 to
2020. In the past 5 years, Kozhikode had a growth rate of
34.5%, while Kollam had 31.1%.
vi.A similar study published by the BBC (British
Broadcasting Corporation) in November 2019 ranked
Delhi in the 1st spot of fastest growing cities list. The
other Indian cities in the list were Bengaluru(Karnataka),
Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Hyderabad (Telangana) and
Surat(Gujarat)
Rank:
Rank City Country
1 Malappuram (Kerala) India
4 Kozhikode (Kerala) India
10 Kollam (Kerala) India
2 Can Tho Vietnam
3 Suqian China
About the Economist Intelligence Unit:
Fact- EIU, is a part of the popular Economist Magazine, provides forecasting and advisory services through
research and analysis.
Founded- 1946.
Headquarters- London, England.
Managing Director(MD)- Robin Bew.
Henley Passport Index 2020: India ranks 84th in worlds most powerful passport list;Japan tops
On January 08, 2020 the Henley passport Index 2020 was released by Henley & Partners. As per the index based
on the data obtained from International Air Transport Association (IATA), Indian passport ranked at
the 84th spot among the world’s most powerful passports list, which is a drop by 2 places as it ranked 82nd in
2019. The list was topped by Japan.
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Henley Passport Index 2020:

Report on India:
i.India ranks at 84th place which is tagged along with Mauritania and Tajikistan.
ii.India provides visa free access to 58 countries.
iii.Visa free visits: Some of the countries where Indian passport holders can visit without a prior visa include
Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Macao, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kenya, Mauritius,
Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Iran and Qatar tc
General Report:
i.Mobility scores: The index measures the strength of all the passports around the world, based on mobility
scores which denotes the number of destinations that could be accessed by the passport-holders of a specific
country, without a pre-departure visa. IATA covers 199
passports and 227 travel destinations.
ii.Japan provides visa-free access to 191 countries.
iii.Top 10 countries: The countries in the top 10 list
and no of destinations that could be visited without a
prior visa is listed below in brackets:
• Singapore ranks 2nd (190);Germany and
South Korea at 3rd (189); Finland & Italy at
4th (188);
• Denmark, Luxembourg and Spain at 5th
(187); France and Sweden at 6th (186);
• Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal
and Switzerland at 7th (185); Belgium,
Greece, Norway, United Kingdom(UK) and
the United States of America (USA) at 8th
(184);
• Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand at 9th (183); Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia
ranked at 10th place (181).
iv.Worst passport: Afghanistan’s passport is the world’s worst passport with mobility score 26 while India’s
neighbouring country Pakistan’s is the fourth worst with mobility score 32. Afghanistan was followed by Iraq
(mobility score-28) and Syria (mobility score- 29) having World’s worst passport.
Rank:
Rank Most powerful passports Worst passport index
84th India –
1 Japan Afghanistan
2 Singapore Iraq
3 Germany and South Korea Syria
About Henley & Partners:
Headquarters- London, United Kingdom.
Founded- 1997
Chairman- Christian Kälin.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Juerg Steffen.
Gujarat leads in water efficiency survey 2019 under National hydrology project, Delhi among worst
performing states
On January 18, 2020,According to the rankings of ‘Central and state governmental water departments based
on their efficiency targets for 2019’ released by Ministry of Jal Shakti, Gujarat ranked the best for
parameters on efficiency targets , while National Capital Territory of Delhi remains in the worst-performing state
category.
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Key Points:
i.Departments wise ranking:The Survey of India (SoI) received top spot among the 7 central government
departments reviewed on parameters for procurement, finance, real-time data acquisition system, data
digitization, analytical work, pieces of training. SoI was followed by National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) and the
Central Water Commission. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) pushed to the last in the year 2019 ranking.
ii.State wise ranking: However, Delhi improved its position by 6 places to get 35th rank in 2019 as against
bottom 41 in 2018. Tamil Nadu (TN) ranked best among the states that significantly improved its ranking. It
stood at 13th spot in 2019 as compared to 33 in 2018.
Rajasthan has been ranked 3rd in the country this time, while in the April-May 2018 rankings, Rajasthan was
ranked 16th. In the rankings released in December-2019, this state made a big jump and is one of the reputed
states for best management of its water resources.
iii.Previous ranking: Telangana had topped the state’s water efficiency in the previous year (2018) ranking
while Gujarat was ranked seventh place.
iv.The states which have done satisfactory work under the project are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat SW(Surface
Water Department), Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra Rajasthan, Telangana and West Bengal SW.
The Gujarat Surface Water Department led by the implementing agencies got a score of 80.51, followed by
Damodar Valley Corporation with a score of 68.24 and Rajasthan with a score of 66.73.
Ranking:
The ranking is part of a mid-term review by the central and state government working with water to achieve the
goal of providing piped drinking water connections to every household over the next 5 years. Another objective
of the ranking is the Water Resources Information System (WRIS) to create a real-time integrated National Water
Information Center (NWIC) for all states.
The organization have been given a points out of 100. 48-100 are listed as satisfactory, the score between 40- 48
are moderately satisfactory; a score between 34-40 falls under moderately unsatisfactory category and a score
below 34 is in the unsatisfactory category.
About Ministry of Jal Shakthi:
Founded– 2019. (Preceded by Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation from
1985)
Union Minister– Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Constituency- Jodhpur, Rajasthan).
WEF’s 1st Global Social Mobility Index 2020: India ranks 76th & Denmark tops the list
On January 20, 2020 the World Economic Forum (WEF) released 1st edition of a report titled “The Global
Social Mobility Report 2020: Equality, Opportunity and a New Economic Imperative”. The global social mobility
index (GSMI) of 82 countries were launched in this report. As per the Index, India ranked at the 76th position
with a score of 42.7while Denmark topped the list. The key findings in the report are as follows:
The Global Social Mobility Report 2020:
Report on India:
i.India is among the 5 countries namely China, the United States(US), Japan and Germany which stands to gain
most from boosting social mobility score.
ii.India ranks 41st in lifelong learning while it ranks 53rd in working conditions. It has the second-highest level
of workers in vulnerable employment behind Saudi Arabia.
iii.Improvement needed areas: Social protection and fair wage distribution are the areas in which India needs
improvement. It ranks 76th in social protection and 79th in fair wage distribution.
General report:
i.Key indicators: The index was prepared on 5 dimensions with 10 key indicators. The 5 dimensions are
health; education (access, quality and equity); technology; work (opportunities, wages, conditions); and
protections & institutions (social protection and inclusive institutions).
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ii.Top 5 countries in the index: Denmark is followed by Norway (score 83.6), Finland(score 83.6) , Sweden
(83.5) and Iceland (82.7) in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place respectively. It is to be noted that the top 5 countries
are all Nordic countries.
• Top 10 countries: Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg rank 6th, 7th, 8th 9th
and 10th in the list.
iii.G7 countries: Among the G7(group of 7) countries, Germany is the most socially mobile at rank 11t & score
78 points. It was followed by France at rank 12, Canada at rank 14, Japan at rank 15, the United Kingdom(UK) at
rank 21, US at rank (27th) and Italy with 34th rank.
iv.BRICS nations: When comparing all the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations, Russia
(rank 39) is the most socially mobile followed by China (45th), Brazil (60th), India (76th) and South Africa
(77th).
v.Most to gain economy: As per the analysis the economy with the most to gain is China, whose economy could
grow by an extra $103 billion per annum, or $1 trillion dollars over the decade.
vi.Economy boosting by 2030: The WEF has found that by increasing social mobility by 10% would benefit
social cohesion and also by 2030, the world’s economies will be boosted by nearly 5%. US would make the 2nd-
largest gains, at $87 billion a year followed by India, followed by Japan, Germany, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, the
UK and France.
vii.Low performers factors: Economies that were organized more on “shareholder value maximization”, or
“state capitalism”, tend to perform less.
viii.Social mobility: It is a movement in personal circumstances either “upwards” or “downwards” of an
individual in relation to those of their parents. It can also be explained as the ability of a child to experience a
better life than their parents. On the other hand, relative social mobility means assessment of the impact of socio-
economic background on an individual’s outcomes in life. Click here to know more.
Rank Country
76 India
1 Denmark
2 Norway
3 Finland
4 Sweden
5 Iceland
Founded- January 1971.
Founder & Chairman- Klaus Schwab.
India ranked 8th among the top 10 nations receiving FDI in 2019, US tops: UNCTAD report
On January 20, 2020, According to the “Global Investment Trend Monitor report 2020” released by United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), India ranked 8th among the top 10 countries
attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2019. During this period FDI in India grew by 16 % to $ 49
billion(bn). This led to a surge in FDI growth in South Asia (SA), which recorded a 10% increase in FDI to $ 60
billion.
Top 3: The United States (US) remained the largest recipient of FDI in flow, attracting $251 billion, followed by
China with flows of $140 bn & Singapore with $110 bn.
Key Points:
i.Global FDI :Foreign direct investment globally fell by 1% to $1.39 trillion. In 2018 it stood at $ $1.41
trillion.The report noted that investment has declined due to weakness in macroeconomic performance and
uncertainty on policy front including trade stress.
ii.The report states that developing economies have attracted FDI flows at a stable to $695 billion. Latin America
and the Caribbean witnessed an increase of 16%.While, the developed countries remained at a record low level,
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declining by a further 6% to $643 billion. FDI inflow to the European Union (EU) decreased by 15% to $305
billion & in the UK (United Kingdom) FDI was fell by 6% as Brexit unfolded.
iii.Cross Border Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A): It has witnessed the lowest level since 2014 by 40 % in
2019 to $490 billion due to sluggish Eurozone growth and Brexit, European M&A sales volume halved to $190
billion.
The decrease in global cross-border M&As sales was primarily focused on the services sector (a 56 % decline to
$207 billion), followed by manufacturing (a 19 % decline to $249 billion) & primary sector (14 % decline to $34
billion).Especially sales of assets with respect to financial & insurance activities and chemicals decreased
sharply.However US remains saw a significant M&As sales accounting for 31 % of total M&As.
iv.2020 prediction:The report also expect the FDI flows to increase moderately in the year 2020 as current
estimation show the global economy to improve somewhat from its weakest performance since the 2009 global
financial crisis.
As per the report, GDP growth, gross fixed capital formation and trade tend to increase, both at the global level &
in large forerunning markets.
About UNCTAD:
Established– 1964
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Secretary General– Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi
Switzerland tops the Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2020, India ranks 72nd
On January 22, 2020 the Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2020 (GTCI) report was launched by Institut
Europeen d’Administration des Affaires (INSEAD), a partner and sponsor of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) Tent in Davos, Switzerland along with The Adecco Group & Google. India is at
the 72nd position and in GTCI 2019 India was at the 80th position. In list of 132 countries Switzerland tops the
list.
Key Points:
i.According to the report the United
States (USA) is at the 2nd position
followed Singapore.
ii.Top10 list includes Sweden at 4th,
Denmark at 5th, the Netherlands at 6th,
Finland at 7th, Luxembourg at 8th, Norway
at 9th and Australia at the 10th position.
iii.China was ranked at the 42nd place,
Russia at 48th position, South Africa at
70th position and Brazil at 80th position.
iv.As per the report, India’s highest-ranked sub-pillar is employability and it should improve more in the
country’s educational system. India’s key strengths are related to growing talents, possibilities of Lifelong and
access to growth opportunities.
v.Key indicators: The country’s rank are decided using six metrics namely enable, attract, grow, retain,
vocational skills and global knowledge skills.
vi.Central and South Asia regional group: Kazakhstan, India and Sri Lanka took the top three spots in the
region.
vii.This index is the Input-Output model which combines with the assessments like what does the country
produce and acquire as input and the result from the skill is considered as the output.
Top 3 Countries in the list:
Rank Name
1 Switzerland
2 United States
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3 Singapore
72 India
Gujarat secures top spot in SKOCH State of Governance 2019 ranking

On January 22, 2020,According to the ‘SKOCH State of Governance 2019’ report, Gujarat gained the top spot on
the back of better performance in Health, Education,
Power and e-Governance segments.
Gujarat, which was ranked 5th in 2018 replaces 2018
leader West Bengal.
Key Points:
i.The projects undertaken by the states, have
performed the best in terms of rankings across 22
different parameters have been listed as STARS.
Top 3 Star states include:
Rank State Name Project
1 Gujarat 104 projects
2 Maharashtra 50 projects
3 West Bengal 20 projects
ii.Gujarat is also ranked top in terms of governance category (leaving Tamil Nadu to the 2nd ) &other sectors
including tourism and culture , e-Governance, Health, Education, Power Infrastructure. It ranked 3rd on municipal
governance.
Category-wise state Ranking:
S.No Category Topped by
1 Governance Gujarat
2 Tourism & Culture Gujarat
3 e-Governance Gujarat
4 Health Gujarat
5 Education Gujarat
6 Power Gujarat
7 Infrastructure Gujarat
Karnataka
8 Irrigation
&Rajasthan
9 Police & Safety Telangana
10 Food & Civil Supplies West Bengal
11 Finance Tamil Nadu
Women & Child
12 Rajasthan
Development
13 Municipal Governance Maharashtra
14 Sanitation Telangana
15 Districts Andhra Pradesh
16 Agriculture Telangana
17 Urban Development Maharashtra
18 Rural Development Tamil Nadu
19 Water Resources West Bengal
20 Skill Development West Bengal
21 Transport Telangana
22 Disaster Management Odisha
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About Skoch:
It is a Gurgaon (Haryana) based think tank dealing with socio-economic issues with a focus on inclusive growth
since 1997.
Corruption Perception Index 2019: India ranks 80th; Denmark and New Zealand top the list
The Corruption Perception Index 2019 was released by Transparency International. As per the
Index India ranks 80 out of 180 countries with a score of 41 out of 100. Last year India’s rank was 78 with the
same score. The list was topped by Denmark and New Zealand.
i.Top 3 countries: Denmark & New Zealand were followed by Finland.
ii.Least ranked countries:
Somalia ranked at 180th position (least ranked country), it follows South Sudan that ranked at 179th and Syria
at 178th.
iii.Pakistan ranked 120th in the list along with Moldova & Niger whereas China ranked 80th along with India,
Benin, Ghana, Morocco among the 180 countries.
iv.United States of America (USA) ranks 23rd with a score of 69.
v.According to the report, in the last eight years only 22 countries significantly improved their CPI scores,
including Greece, Guyana and Estonia where as 21 countries have showed significant decreased in the CPI
scores.The global average score is 43 and 2/3 of countries score below 50.
Regional report:
i.In Asia Pacific region, New Zealand tops the list whereas Afghanistan bottoms the list with a score of 16.
ii.In Americas region, Canada tops the list whereas Venezuela bottoms the list with a score of 16.
iii.In Eastern Europe and Central Asia Georgia tops the list whereas Turkmenistan bottoms the list.
iv.In Middle East and North Africa region United Arab Emirates tops the list whereas Syria bottoms the list.
v.Sub-Saharan African region is the lowest-scoring region on the CPI, with an average of 32. In this region
Seychelles tops the list whereas Somalia bottoms the list.
vi.In Western Europe and the European Union (EU), Denmark tops the list whereas Bulgaria bottoms the list.
Rank:
Rank Country
1 Denmark , Newzealand
3 Finland
80 India,Benin, China, Ghana, Morocco
180 Somalia
About Transparency International:
Founded- May 4, 1993
Headquarters– Berlin, Germany
Managing Director- Patricia Moreira
Chairman- Delia Ferreira Rubio
World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative 2020: Srilanka tops in supporting breastfeeding women; India at
78th
On January 21, 2020 As per a survey conducted by World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) 2020, Sri
Lanka ranked 1st out of 97 surveyed countries in supporting breastfeeding women and achieved the status of
being the first-ever green nation in supporting them. On the other hand, India ranked 78th with a score of 45.0
and got yellow colour code and Libya ranked last (97th) with red colour code. The status has been awarded
based on its performance on 10 indicators which WBTi uses to color-code the countries. The survey report in
brief are as follows:
World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative(WBTi) reports:
i.color-codes: There are 4 color codes based on which countries are ranked. The ascending order of
performance of the colors are red, yellow, blue and green.
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ii.Srilanka performance: Sri Lanka scored 91/100 on 10 parameters policy and programmes and lead to
improved breastfeeding practices.
iii.WBTi development: The Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India in New Delhi developed the WBTi. As of
now, 120 countries have been involved in the WBTi. WBTi also assists countries in assessment and also calls for
action to bridge the gaps.
• Reassessment by WBTi is done every 3-5 years to check the trends in country.
iv.Breastfeeding advantages: It prevents non -communicable diseases and improves child health. Globally 41%
of infants of 0-6 months are breastfed. The World Health Assembly (WHA) has also set a target to reach 50%
from the current 41% by 2025.
v.Breastfeeding period: The World Health Organisation (WHO) along with United Nations International
Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) recommends breastfeeding to be provided to children exclusively for 6
months along with adequate foods till 2 years or beyond.
vi.Barriers in breastfeeding: Some of the barriers in breastfeeding are lack of support by health systems, lack
of facilities and break times at work, and aggressive promotion of baby foods by the companies.
• It costs the global economy $1 billion each day due to Inadequate breastfeeding.
Rank:
Rank Country
1 Sri Lanka.
2 Cuba.
3 Bangladesh.
About Srilanka:
President- Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Capitals- Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
Currency- Sri Lankan rupee.
Prime minister- Mahinda Rajapaksa (original name- Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa).
NITI Aayog’s Aspirational district ranking : Chandauli of UP tops in December 2019

On January 29, 2020, NITI Aayog ( National Institution for Transforming India), a policy think tank of the
Government of India (GoI), released the ranking of Aspirational Districts of the country for the month
of December 2019.
Top 3: Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has
topped the list of aspiring districts in December 2019
with the score of 57.6. It was followed by Balangir
district of Odisha in 2nd (53.9) and YSR district
(formerly known as Kadapa District) of Andhra
Pradesh in 3rd place (65.2).
Key Points:
i.The ranking is based on the progress made in 5
development areas in 112 aspirational districts across
India in December 2019. The rankings focus on
progress in Health and nutrition, education, agriculture
and water resources, financial inclusion& skill
development and Basic infrastructure.
ii.The Aspirational District Program was launched in
January 2018. Aspirational districts are ranked every
month. This includes districts with relatively little progress in important social sectors.
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Top 3 states in Aspirational Districts ranking:

Score
Score (December- Delta Score (Incl.
Rank State District (November-
2019) Saturated Indicators)
2019)
1 Uttar Pradesh Chandauli 54.6 57.6 3.002
2 Odisha Balangir 51.1 53.9 2.796
3 Andhra Pradesh Y.S.R. 62.9 65.2 2.310
About NITI Aayog:
Vice Chairperson– Rajiv Kumar.
Assam tops in best budgetary practices followed by Odisha,AP & Manipur at bottom: TII survey
On January 29, 2020 , According to the survey 3rd edition “Transparency In Budgetary Process
Report” conducted by Transparency International’s India (TII), Assam tops in the ranking of best practices
followed by states in budget formulation with a score of 70.
Key Points:
i.Assam was followed by Odisha (2nd with the score of 66) & Andhra Pradesh (AP) (3rd with the score of
64).While Manipur ranked bottom with the score of 25.
ii.This survey is based on four parameters which includes public disclosure, budgetary process, post budget fiscal
management and efforts to make budget more transparent and citizen friendly.
iii.The survey classified the states in various categories including opaque (0-45 score), low level of transparency
(46-60), medium level of transparency (61-75), transparent (76-90) and highly transparent (91-100).
iv.The survey also recommends to enhance the budget transparency and accountability in state-wise. They
include better use of information, communication & technology for transparent financial management,
strengthening institutions involved in the budgetary process, formulate plans for citizen’s engagement in
budgetary process among others.
Top 3& Bottom 3 states in Budget Transparency:
Rank State Name Score
1 Assam 70
2 Odisha 66
3 Andhra Pradesh (AP) 64
19 Punjab 29
20 Meghalaya 28
21 Manipur 25
Headquarter– Berlin, Germany
Founded– 1993
Managing Director– Patricia Moreira
Chairman of Transparency International India (TII)– S.R. Wadhwa
9th Tomtom Traffic Index 2019: Bengaluru has world’s worst traffic; 4 Indian cities in top 10 list
On January 31, 2020 Dutch multinational developer & creator of location technology and consumer electronics
Tomtom has released its 9th edition of Tomtom Traffic Index 2019. As per the index, Bengaluru (Karnataka)
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emerged as the worst traffic congested cities in the world. Along with Bengaluru, 3 more Indian cities were
ranked in the top 10 list. The index in brief are as follows:
Tomtom Traffic Index 2019:
Report on India:
i.Indian cities in top 10 list: The other Indian cities ranked in the top 10 places
were Mumbai (Maharashtra), Pune (Maharashtra) and New Delhi in the 4th 5th and 8th places respectively.
ii.Traffic time: The drivers in Bengaluru spend an average of 71% of etc travel time stuck in traffic. Bengaluru
had least traffic on April 6,2019 while it had the highest on 20 August 2019 in which 103% congestion was
recorded. The worst rush hours were found to be on Fridays between 7PM &8PM. Avoiding commute in such a
time would save 5 hours per annum.
• The traffic time for drivers stuck in the other top 10 indian cities include 65% for Mumbai, 59% for
Pune and 56% for New Delhi.
iii.Congestion record:
• Bengaluru: The people of Bengaluru per annum spend an extra 243 hours, that is 10 days, three
hours in traffic.
• Mumbai: People from Mumbai spend an extra 209 hours, that is 8 days & 17 hours in traffic per
annum on road.
• Pune: The Pune city was featured for the first time in the traffic index and it has been estimated that
Pune people spend an extra 193 hours, i.e., eight days, one hour in traffic per annum.
• Delhi: People from Delhi spend extra 190 hours, i.e., 7 days, 22 hours in traffic per annum.
General report:
i.Top cities with worst traffic: Bengaluru was followed by Manila (Philippines) and Bogota (Colombia) in the
2nd and 3rd places respectively. Moscow (Russia), Lima (Peru), Istanbul (Turkey) and Jakarta (Indonesia) were
ranked in 6th, 7th, 9th and 10th places respectively.
ii.Global traffic congestion: Globally, the traffic congestion has increased during the last decade. 239 cities
(57%) and the new Traffic Index report had increased congestion levels between 2018 and 2019. Only 63 cities
have shown measurable decreases.
iii.Least congestion level capital: Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates(UAE) was the least congested
national capital, it had just 10% congestion level in 2019.
iv.The report was prepared covering 416 cities across 57 countries on 6 continents to rank the urban
congestions worldwide.
Rank:
Rank City Country
1 Bengaluru (Karnataka) India
4 Mumbai (Maharashtra) India
5 Pune (Maharashtra) India
8 New Delhi India
2 Manila Philippines
3 Bogota Colombia
About TomTom:
Founded- 1991.
Founders- Harold Goddijn, Corinne Vigreux, Peter-Frans Pauwels, Pieter Geelen.
Headquarters- Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Harold Goddijn.
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REPORTS
2019-2025 National Infrastructure Pipeline report: Rs 102 lakh crore infrastructure plan unveiled
On December 31, 2019 the Union Minister of Finance Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman released a report of the task force
on National Infrastructure Pipeline for 2019-2025 (NIP 2019-25) inorder to achieve the $5 trillion economy
by 2024-25 . Based on the information compiled by the task force headed by Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu
Chakraborty, Rs 102 lakh crores has been projected on the capital expenditure in infrastructure sectors in
India during the fiscals 2020 to 2025. The capital expenditure will be shared by the Centre, States and the
private sector in the ratio 39:39:22 respectively. The report in detail are as follows:
Rs.102 lakh crore project:
Out of the Rs 102 lakh crore project, Rs 42.7 lakh crore (42%) worth projects are under implementation while
projects worth Rs 32.7 lakh crore (32%) are in conceptualization stage and rest are under development.
NIP 2025 visions:
During the fiscals 2020 to 2025, sectors such as Energy (24%), Roads (19%), Urban (16%), and Railways (13%)
amount to around 70% of the projected capital expenditure in infrastructure in India.Various sectors of the govt
has set targets/visions for the year 2025. They are as follows:
i.Road sector:
• Fund allocation: Rs 1,963,943 crore
crores.
• Vision: The total length of the National Highway(NH) has to be increased to 1.99 lakh km with 10%
(20000km) of the total NH should be in major economic corridors. Fastag and RFID (Radio Frequency
Identification) devices to be increased based on ‘pay as per use’ concept.
• Current status: The NH length at present is 1.32 lakh km including expressways of 1,600 km. private
sector participation in NH is very low at 15%.
ii.Energy sector:
• Fund allocation: Rs 24.54 lakh crore investment in energy sector and of that ₹11.7 lakh crore will be
invested in power sector.
• Vision: Total power capacity to be 619 GW (Giga Watts) with thermal energy contribution to 50%,
renewable energy contribution to 39%, hydro energy- 9% and nuclear energy- 2%. The share of
consumption of renewable energy to increase to 19%. The per-capita electricity consumption also to
be increased to 1,616 kWh.
• Current status: Total power capacity currently is 356 GW, the energy contributions are thermal-
66%, renewable- 22%, hydro-13%, Nuclear: 2%. The per-capita electricity consumption stands at
1,181 kWh. The share of consumption of renewable energy stands at 9%.
iii.Railway sector:
• Fund allocation: Rs 13.69 lakh crores.
• Vision: Private sector participation to be 30% of net cargo volumes. Privatising 500 passenger trains.
Privatising 30% of 750 railway stations. Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor (HSR) to be
made operational. 100% electrification of railway network.
• Current status: The current low modal share of Indian Railways (IR) in freight traffic stands at 33%.
Only 46% of the existing railway network has been electrified as of March 31, 2018.
iv.Agriculture sector:
• Fund allocation: ₹ 0.54 lakh crores.
• Vision: Doubling of farm incomes by upgrading 22,000 rural haats into Gramin Agricultural Markets
(GrAM). Moderining storage infrastructure by adding modern silos(tall pit) for capacity of 100
lakh MT(Metric tonne). Usage of drones for about real time weather updates.
• Current status: the Food Corporation of India(FCI) currently has an installed modern silos of capacity
7.25 lakh MT.
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v.Digital infrastructure:
• Rank: currently ranked 2nd in terms of mobile phones in teledensity, India aims to rank 1st with
100% teledensity.
• Fund allocation: ₹3.20 lakh crore.
• Vision: More than 80% of internet penetration. The nation to emerge as data-centre hub for of
Fintech, ecommerce sectors etc.
• Current status:The internet penetration is 40% only.
vi.Irrigation sector:
• Vision: Total irrigated land to be 85 million hectare with 28% of total net irrigated area (NIA)under
micro irrigation.
• Current status: The current area under irrigation is 68 million hectare. Land under micro irrigation is
15% of total NIA.
vii.Airport sector:
• Rank: India aims to improve its rank to be in the top 2 list in the world. Currently India is the 3rd
largest aviation market globally.
• Vision: 30-35 airports owned by Airport Authority of India(AAI) to be privatised as PPPs (Private
Public Partners). Development of high quality in-house MRO(Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul)
facilities to substantially reduce operating costs of carriers.
• Current status: India is dependent on South-east Asian, Middle-east or European countries for MRO
of planes.
viii.Port sector:
• Fund allocation: ₹1.01 lakh crores.
• Vision: Overall capacity utilisation of Indian ports to be >65% of total capacity of 2.5 billion tonne.
• Current status: India has 12 major and 200 minor ports. The Overall capacity utilisation of Indian
ports stand at 60% of total capacity of 2 billion tonnes. India contributes 95% of maritime trade by
volume & 70% by value.
ix.Rural sector:
• Fund allocation: ₹4.11 lakh crore.
• Vision: Pucca house access to 100% of rural population. Piped water supply by 2024 under Jal Jeevan
Mission. 100% villages to be Open defecation Free(ODF).
• Current status: only 18% of rural households in India have access to piped water supply. 99.4% of
rural households have access to individual household toilets and 90% of villages are considered ODF.
x.Social Infrastructure:
• Vision: GER(Gross Enrolment Ratio) to improve at least 40%. India to spend about 2.5% of
GDP(Gross Domestic Product) on healthcare 73 new medical colleges would be set up.
• Current status: Currently, the GER is 25.8% for 18-23 years age group. Healthcare spending is
currently at 1.28% of GDP.
Members of the task force:
The members include Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of NITI(National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog
Shri Amitabh Khant; Secretary of Expenditure; Secretary of the administrative ministries;and Additional
Secretary (Investments).
About finance ministry:
Minister of State (MoS)- Shri Anurag Singh Thakur.
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2019 Forest Survey of India report: one-fifth (21.40%) of India’s forests prone to fires
According to a 2019 report by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) which was based on a study carried out along
forest fire points (FFP) identified across the country from 2004 to 2017, about 21.40% of forest cover of the
country has been prone to fires. Among the total forest areas, the north eastern region in the country was found
to be more vulnerable.
2019 Forest Survey of India report:
i.Fire prone areas: The extreme fire prone areas accounted for 3.89% of total forest cover, very highly fire
prone areas accounted for 6.01% and highly fire prone areas for 11.50%. Thus together they make up the value
of 21.40%.
ii.FFPs identified: The forest fire points (FFP) identified during the 13 years (2004-2017) were 2,77,758. These
FFPs were identified using moderate
resolution imaging spectroradiometer
(MODIS) on a 5 km x 5 km grid coverage.
iii.Highest fire alerted
state: Mizoram topped among all the states
with the highest number of fire alerts at 2,795.
iv.Forest alerts in central Indian
states: Central Indian States also recorded a
high number of forest fire alerts. These include
Madhya Pradesh with for 2,723 alerts;
Maharashtra 2,516; Odisha 2,213 and
Chattisgarh 1,008 alerts.
v.Alerts issued: The total number of alerts
issued in all the Indian states from November 2018 to June 2019 were 29,547. The 7 States of the north-eastern
region accounted for a total of 10,210 fire alerts that resulted in 1/3rd of alerts in the country.
vi.Green cover: While overall green cover in the country has been increased, forest cover in the north east states
such as Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have decreased drastically. One of the major forest fires in
the north-east were slash-and-burn cultivation which is commonly known as jhoom or jhum cultivation
About Forest Survey of India:
Headquarters- Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Preceded by- Pre-investment Survey of Forest Resources (PISFR) established in 1965
Director General(DG)- Dr. Subhash Ashutosh.
Forbes India’s “20 people to watch in 2020” list: 7 Indians featured; Indian origin Hassan Minhaj from US
tops
On January 7, 2020, According to the Forbes India’s prestigious list of ‘20 people to watch in the 2020s’, 7
Persons from India featured in the list. Two persons from Bihar namely Prashant Kishor-12th place (Poll
strategist and JD(U) national vice-president ) & Kanhaiya Kumar –16th (former JNU Students’ Union president)
were the biggest name in the list. Other Indians in the list include, Aditya Mittal –2nd place (Group CFO and CEO,
ArcelorMittal Europe), the Godrej family-6th (of Adi Godrej), Dushyant Chautala -7th (deputy chief
minister,Haryana) , Mahua Moitra -9th (Lok Sabha member, Trinamool Congress), and Garima Arora -
14th (Chef, the first Indian woman to receive a Michelin star).
Key Points:
i.An US (United States) based Indian origin -Hasan Minhaj, comedian & political commentator, is on
the 1st position in the list, while Keyna’s Marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge in on the 20th place.
ii.Kanhaiya can build his strong identity in the future in Indian politics. He became the face of student politics at
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) when he strongly responded to the sedition charges in 2016.
iii.Prashant has been a political strategist since 2011. Kishor, who helped the BJP(Bharatiya Janata Party) win the
Gujarat elections, is now working as a patron of an organization- IPAC (Indian Political Action Committee).
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iv.The list also features Gotabaya Rajapaksa-4th (President of Sri Lanka), Mohammed bin Salman-5th (Crown
Prince, Saudi Arabia), Jacinda Ardern -13th (New Zealand PM), Boris Johnson (PM, the UK), Sanna Marin -
17th (Finland PM), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez -8th (member of US House of Representatives for New York) and
Greta Thunberg -15th (famous environmental activist, Sweden).
Top 3 & Indians in Forbes India’s ‘20 people to watch in the 2020s’ list:
Rank Name Designation
1 Hasan Minhaj Comedian, political commentator
ArcelorMittal Europe Group CFO and
2 Aditya Mittal
CEO
3 Peter Buttigieg Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, US
6th Godrej family Adi Godrej
Dushyant
7th Deputy chief minister (CM) of Haryana
Chautala
9th Mahua Moitra Lok Sabha member, Trinamool Congress
Politician, Communist Party of India
12th Kanhaiya Kumar
(CPI)
Chef, the first Indian woman to receive a
14th Garima Arora
Michelin star.
Political strategist, mentor-IPAC, and
16th Prashant Kishor
politician, Janta Dal United (JDU)
About Forbes India:
Founded– 2008
Owned by– Reliance Industries-owned media conglomerate,Network18.
CCI report: ‘Market Study on E-commerce in India:Key Findings and Observations’ released
On January 08, 2020 the Competition Commission of India (CCI) released a report titled “Market Study on E-
commerce in India:Key Findings and Observations” after it was initiated by CCI in April 2019 for better
understanding a functioning of e-commerce in India. The study was also launched to identify impediments
(obstructions) to competition.
Study findings:
i.Revenue sector: Revenue from the e-commerce sector is expected to increase from $39 billion in 2017 to $120
billion in 2020, growing at an annual rate of 51%, the highest in the world.
ii.Internet sector: The no.of internet users have increased from 445.96 million in 2017 to 665.31 million in
2019 and is also expected to increase to 829 million in 2021.
iii.Goods sector: E-commerce in the goods category in India has grown at a compound annual growth rate
(CAGR) of 57% in the last 7 years, and is expected to grow by 18.6% till 2022
iv.Food sector: The food tech industry in India is estimated to grow at a CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth
Rate) of more than 12% between 2016 and 2021.
• 83% of the respondent restaurants reported to have an online presence. Their online sales accounted
for on an average nearly 29% of the respondent restaurants’ revenue.
Market Study on E-commerce in India:
i.The study is a combination of secondary research, questionnaire survey, group discussions, one-on-one
meetings etc covered in 3 categories of e-commerce in consumer goods, accommodation services and food
services.
ii.Participation: 16 online platforms, 164 business entities and 7 payment system providers participated in the
study. 11 industry associations, representing different stakeholder groups, also participated in the study.
iii.Key issues discussed in the study: Issues that directly or indirectly have a bearing on competition were
discussed. These include issues of lack of platform neutrality, unfair platform -to-business contract terms,
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exclusive contracts between online marketplace platforms and sellers/service providers, platform price parity
restrictions and deep discounts.
• These issues would lend case-by-case examination by the CCI under Competition Act 2002.
iv.Transparency measures for e-commerce platforms: The transparency measures include
• Search ranking- General description of the search ranking parameters should be drafted in plain and
intelligible language with up to date prescriptions.
• Collection, use and sharing of data- A policy on the data should be set.
• User review and rating mechanism- This has to be done to ensure information symmetry, which is
a prerequisite for fair competition.
• Revision in contract terms- The contract should be revised in a timely manner and revision should
not be implemented before expiry of a notice period.
• Discount policy- A clear and transparent policy on discounts should be brought up. Click here to
know more.
About Competition Commission of India(CCI):
Chairperson- Ashok Kumar Gupta.
First executive- Dhanendra Kumar.
NCRB 2018: 50 lac crimes registered & is 1.3% more than 2017; UP tops in economic offence
On January 09, 2020 National Crime Record Bureau’s (NCRB) report on Crime in India for the year 2018 was
released. The report finds that over 50 lakh crimes have been registered in 2018 which is 1.3% more than that
of 2017. The report findings in detail are as follows:
National Crime Record Bureau’s (NCRB) report 2018:
UP tops economic offence:
The report stated that Uttar Pradesh(UP) accounted for the maximum number of economic offences in
2018 with 22,822 cases recorded.
• It was followed by Rajasthan (21,309 cases), Maharashtra (14,854 cases), Telangana (10,390 cases)
and Bihar (9,209 cases) in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th rank respectively.
• Economic offence cases: Forgery, cheating and fraud accounted for maximum of economic offence
cases, with 1,34,546 cases, followed by criminal breach of trust (20,456 cases) and counterfeiting
(1,266 cases)
• 2017 data: In the year 2017, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh accounted for the highest share of reported
economic offences.
• Nationwide economic offence: Countrywide, 1,56,268 cases of economic offences were recorded in
2018. This is higher than 143,524 such cases reported in 2017.
General report:
i.Crimes in 2018: Totally 50,74,634 cognizable crimes were committed in 2018. It included 31,32,954 Indian
Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 19,41,680 Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes.
• IPC crimes: crimes under IPC have increased by 2.3% and stood at 61.7% in 2018.
• SLL crimes: Crimes under SLL have declined by 0.1% compared to 2017 and stood at 38.3% in 2018.
ii.Despite increase in crime case registration of 1.3%, the crime rate per lakh population has come down to 383.5
in 2018 from 388.6 in 2017.
iii.Human body affecting offence: A total of 10,40,046 cases of offences affecting the human body were
registered. This accounted for 33.2% of total IPC crimes in 2018.
iv.Death causing crimes: 51% of the crime cases lead to death by negligence 1,44,031 cases), Kidnapping and
Abduction (1,05,734 cases) accounting for 13.8% and 10.2%respectively.
v.Murder cases: A total of 29,017 cases of murder were registered during 2018, which increased by 1.3% over
2017.
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vi.Cases against women: The crime rate per lakh women population is 58.8 in 2018 in comparison with 57.9 in
2017.
• Out of the total IPC crimes, the crimes against women under ‘cruelty by husband or his relatives’
(31.9%), followed by ‘Assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty’ (27.6%), ‘kidnapping
and abduction of women’ (22.5%) and ‘Rape’ (10.3 %).
vii.Crime against children: The crime rate per lakh children population is 31.8 in 2018 in comparison with 28.9
in 2017.
• Kidnapping and abduction in children in 2018 were 44.2% and cases under the Protection of Children
from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 were 34.7% that also included child rape.
• Missing report: A total of 67,134 children were reported missing in 2018.
About National Crime Record Bureau(NCRB):
Motto- Empowering Indian Police with Information Technology
Director- Ramphal Pawar, IPS (Indian Police Service).
5th edition of ‘The pulses conclave 2020’ will be held in Lonavala, Maharashtra
India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the apex organisation of the import and export trader of pulses
and grains in India will host the 5th edition of its biennial conference, ‘The Pulses Conclave 2020’ from
February 12 – 14, 2020 at the Aamby Valley City in Lonavala, Maharashtra.
Key Points:
i.Aim: The Conclave aimed at increasing domestic production and consumption & other areas of the trade like
improving processing efficiencies, increasing consumption, exports, value addition, post-harvest crop
management, etc.
ii.Partakers: About 1000 delegates are expected to participate in the Conclave with trade delegations from all
major pulses producing countries like Canada, USA, Australia, Myanmar, Russia, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Uganda,
Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, etc.
iii.The Conference will help in achieving Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi’s vision to double the farmer’s
income by 2022.
iv.India is the largest producer & consumer of pulses in the world accounting for around 25 % of global
production, 27 % of global consumption.
About Maharashtra:
Capital– Mumbai
Chief Minister– Uddhav Thackeray
Governor– Bhagat Singh Koshyari
National parks– Chandoli National Park, Gugumal National Park, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Navegaon
National Park.
Union Power Minister RK Singh released 2nd State Energy Efficiency Index 2019 in New Delhi
On January 09, 2020 the Minister of State (MoS- Independent Charge) for Power and New & Renewable Energy
who is also MoS for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Raj Kumar Singh has released the 2nd State
Energy Efficiency Index 2019 in New Delhi. The index tracks the progress of Energy Efficiency (EE)
initiatives undertaken in 36 states and Union Territories(UTs) based on 97 indicators.
Progressive states: The progressive states and UTs of the 2019 index which was grouped into 4 for rational
comparisons were Haryana, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Puducherry and
Chandigarh
State Energy Efficiency Index 2019:
i.Assessment: This year the assessment was based on efforts and achievements in policy and regulation,
financing mechanisms, institutional capacity, adoption of energy efficiency measures and energy savings
achieved.
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• States/UTs grouped into 4: For rational comparison, States/UTs were grouped into 4 categories
based on Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) required to meet the state’s actual energy demand
(electricity, coal, oil, gas, etc.). The 4 categories were Frontrunner, Achiever, Contender and Aspirant.
ii.Front Runner: No States/UTs were listed in the frontrunner category.
iii.Achiever: The states and UTs listed under Achiever categories were Haryana, Kerala and Karnataka, thus
making the total count to 3.
iv.Contender: The states and UTs listed under contender categories were Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya
Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, thus totally it is 8.
v.Aspirant: The states and UTs listed under aspirant categories were Jammu and Kashmir(J&K), Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Bihar, Sikkim, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland,
Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Odisha, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Daman and Diu, Goa,
Lakshadweep, Chandigarh, Delhi and Pondicherry thus making the total count to 24
Index and indicators:
i.Index development: The index was released during RPM (Review, Planning and Monitoring) meeting in New
Delhi and was developed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in association with Alliance for an Energy
Efficient Economy (AEEE).
ii.Index in 2018: A similar index like State Energy Efficiency Index 2019 was first launched in 2018 under the
name State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index 2018.
iii.Assessment by indicators: The 97 indicators will assess the progress based in 5 distinct sectors namely
buildings, industry, municipalities, transport, agriculture and DISCOMs (distribution companies).
iv.New indicators added: New indicators were included in the year 2019, these include adoption of Energy
Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017, energy efficiency in MSME (Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises) clusters, etc.
v.Data collection: The required data were collected from respective state DISCOMS and other related
departments with the help of State Designated Agencies (SDAs).
Key Takeaways for States
Based on the analysis for the year 2019 in the index, a 3-point agenda has been suggested to be considered by
state agencies. They are as follows:
• Proactive role by states to be taken in policy formulation and implementation
• Strengthening the mechanism for data capture, management of data
• Enhancing the credibility of EE schemes.
About Ministry of Power:
Secretary- Sanjeev Nandan Sahai.
India’s under-5 mortality of girls exceeds that of boys: UN Child Mortality report
On January 12, 2020, the United Nations(UN) inter agency group for child mortality has produced a report titled
“Levels and Trends in Child Mortality”. As per this report India is among 5 countries where in 2018,
the mortality of girls under the age of 5 exceeds that of the boys. Half of all under-5 deaths in 2018 occurred in
the following five countries: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC) and
Ethiopia.
Levels and Trends in Child Mortality:
Report on India:
i.Gender gaps: Considering overall states and Union Territories(UTs), Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttarakhand
showed largest gender gaps in under-5 age mortality.
ii.Child mortality determination: The child mortality burden is determined by both mortality rate (the
proportion of children who die) and by the estimated population of any given State (total number of annual
births).
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• Highest newborn deaths: Considering the burden of child mortality, Uttar Pradesh highest number
of newborn deaths in India as per information released by UNICEF(United Nations International
Children’s Emergency Fund). This is because of the high neonatal mortality rate and because of the
large cohort of births.
• Madhya Pradesh witness highest under 5 mortality while the least was witnessed in Kerala.
iii.India’s 2017 SRS: As per 2017 Sample Registration System (SRS), Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha
and Uttar Pradesh, with 32, 33 and 30 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births, respectively, had the highest burden
of neonatal mortality.
• India’s neonatal mortality rate is 23
per 1,000 live births.
General reports:
i.Under 5 age deaths:
• India and Nigeria alone accounted
for about 1/3rd of under 5 age
deaths.
• The risk of dying before the age of 5
for girls is mostly found in Southern
Asia and Western Asia.
• Child mortality in other countries: In other countries, gender disparity in child mortality is
observed. Across the world, on average boys are expected to have a mortality rate before reaching the
age of 5 than girls. But this trend is not reflected in India.
ii.Death rate:
• 85% of deaths globally among children & young adolescents in 2018 occured in the first 5 years of
life. Totally it accounted for 5.3 million deaths in which 2.5million(47%) deaths occurred in the 1st
month of life; 1.5million(29%) deaths occur at age 1-11 months; 1.3 million(25%) deaths occur at 1-4
years.
• An additional 0.9 million deaths that occurred were among children of age 5-14 years.
• Despite progress in child survival made over the past 2 decades, 1 child or young
adolescent dies of every 5 seconds in 2018.
iii.Major neonatal mortality cause: The major cause of the neonatal mortality which is predominantly high in
India are preterm birth, intrapartum related events, and neonatal infection and these result in diarrhoea and
pneumonia, the major direct causes of death.
iv.Urgent need: Current trends predict that children in 5-14-year-old range, close to 10 million and 52 million
children under 5 years of age will die between 2019 and 2030. Hence quick action is needed to tackle mortality
rate.
Report findings:
Si.No Category State
1 State with largest gender gap Jharkhand.
2 State with highest newborn deaths Uttar Pradesh.
State with highest under 5 Madhya
3
mortality rate Pradesh.
State with least under 5 mortality
4 Kerala.
rate
About United Nations(UN):

Headquarters- New York, United States(US).
Secretary general- António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres
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WHO released Global health challenges for 2020; 13 health challenges for the decade identified
On January 14, 2020 the World Health Organisation(WHO) released the Global challenges for 2020. 13 health
challenges in this decade were also identified. The release in detail are as follows:
Global health challenges for 2020:
i.Top global challenges: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), climate crisis, eventuality of an influenza epidemic
and spread of infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) and tuberculosis (TB)
were listed as the top global health challenges for 2020.
• It is also the second straight year that these challenges have topped the WHO list.
ii.13 challenges: The 13 global challenges are addressing climate crisis; delivering health amid conflict; fighting
health care inequality; expanding access to medicines; stopping infectious diseases; preparing for epidemics;
guarding against dangerous products; investing in health workers; Protecting the world’s youth; gaining public
trust; harnessing new technologies; Protecting lifesaving medicines and finally keeping health care clean.
General Findings:
i.Lack of access: The main reason for these 13 potential threats were lack of medical access. Nearly 1/3rd of
the people globally lack access to medicines, vaccines, and various other health products which act as the 2nd
largest expenditure for most health systems.
• Medicines and other health products are also the largest component of private health expenditure in
low- and middle-income countries.
ii.Healthcare conflicts: Providing healthcare in conflict ridden areas remained as the biggest challenges
globally. WHO recorded 978 attacks on healthcare personnel in 11 countries in 2019 alone. It also led to death of
193 health workers.
• Increase in attack: The increase in attack on healthcare personnel was pronounced in the ongoing
Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as well as Measles disease outbreak. Nearly 390
attacks took place in DRC alone in August 2018.
iii.Need of health workers: The world will be in need of 18 million additional health workers by 2030 that also
includes 9 million nurses and midwives.
iv.Air pollution: 7million people are being killed every year due to Air pollution.
v.Food habits: Lack of food, unsafe food and unhealthy diets are responsible for 1/3rd of global disease burden
currently.
vi.HAIs: Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) also prevails globally. 1 in 4 health facilities globally lack basic
water services like lack of water, sanitation and hygiene.
vii.AMR: Antimicrobial Resistance, i.e, AMR prevails as a repeated offender. Factors that lead to AMR included
unregulated prescription and use of antibiotics, lack of access to quality and affordable medicines, etc.
New Guidelines named “Helping Adolescents Thrive” for adolescents:
i.Adolescents health challenges: More than 1 million adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years of age die
annually due to road injury, HIV, suicide, respiratory infections etc.
ii.The WHO in 2020 will issue new guidelines for policy makers, health practitioners and educators,
called Helping Adolescents Thrive.
iii.Aim: The aim of the guideline is to promote adolescents’ mental health and prevent the use of drugs, alcohol,
self-harm and interpersonal violence etc. The guideline will also provide information about prevention of HIV &
other sexually-transmitted infections, contraception, and care during pregnancy and childbirth
About World Health Organisation(WHO):
Founded- 7 April 1948. Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland.
Fact- World health day is celebrated annually on April 7th.
World Economic Forum released 15th Global Risk Report 2020

On January 15, 2020 the World Economic Forum(WEF) released the 15th edition of the “Global Risk Report
2020: An Unsettled World”. This report is a part of WEF’s Global Risks initiative and presents about the major
risk the world is expected to face in the future. It is also to be noted that the year 2020 marks the 50th
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anniversary of the World Economic Forum, with the 2020 theme being “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and
Sustainable World.”The report in detail are as follows:
15th Global Risk Report 2020:
Climate accounts for Top5 crisis: As per the report for the 1st time in the survey’s 10 year outlook, severe
threats to the climate account for the top 5 long term risks with extreme weather events, human-made
environmental damage and disasters and major biodiversity loss and natural disasters from earthquakes to
tsunamis.
• The major impact of the risk was deemed to be a failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Climate risks:
i.Economic confrontations: Over 78 % of the 750 global experts expect rise in “economic confrontations” and
“domestic political polarization” in 2020.
ii.Climate change: 90% of the respondents to the Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) expect that “extreme
heat”, “destruction of ecosystems” and “health impacted by pollution” will worsen in 2020.
• global temperatures are on track to increase by at least 3°C towards the end of the century. This is
twice what climate experts have warned as the limit to avoid extreme environmental consequences.
• Economic stress: Worldwide economic stress and damage from natural disasters in 2018
totalled $165 billion, and 50% of that total was uninsured.
iii.Environmental damages:
• Over the past few years, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United
Kingdom (UK) have experienced heatwaves.
• Wildfires occurred in Australia, Canada, Chile, Spain and the US (United States)
• Bangladesh, India, Thailand and Sri Lanka have registered severe and longer droughts.
Infrastructure risks:
i.The survey rated “information infrastructure breakdown”will be the 6th most impactful risk in the years until
2030.
ii.The multistakeholder community and the Global Shaper has identified cyber issues such as cyberattacks and
data fraud or theft, within the list of top 10 long-term risks.
Economical stress:
i.Debt across G20 economies: Across G20(group of 20) economies, public debt was expected to reach 90% of
GDP in 2019, which is the highest level on record. The debt is also expected to grow even more to 95% in 2024.
ii.Slowest post crisis period: 2010s were the slowest post-crisis period in terms of growth since the 1970s. The
economy was stuck with 3% growth since the great recession of 2007-08.
Health risks:
i.The WHO (World Health Organisation) estimates that AMR (Antimicrobial Resistance) could result in 10 million
deaths by 2050.
1st report:
i.The first ever report on global risks was launched by WEF titled Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) in 2006.
Oxfam Report: India’s richest 1% people’s Wealth is 4 times of 70% of population

On January 20, 2020 rights group Oxfam International released a report titled ‘Time to Care: Unpaid and
underpaid care work and the global inequality crisis’. As per the report, India’s richest 1% of the population
has more than 4 times of wealth held by 953 million people making up for the bottom 70% of the country’s
population. 2,153 of total billionaires globally in 2019 had more wealth than the 4.6 billion people who make
up 60% of the planet’s population. The report in detail are as follows:
Oxfam Time to Care Report:
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Report on India:
i.Indian billionaires’ wealth: Total combined wealth of 63 Indian billionaires is higher than the country’s total
Union Budget for the fiscal year 2018-19 which stood at Rs 24,42,200 crore.
ii.Unpaid care work of Indian females: Women and girls put in 3.26 billion hours of unpaid care work every
day which marks a contribution to the Indian economy of at least Rs 19 lakh crore a year. It is also 20 times the
entire education budget of India in 2019 (Rs 93,000 crore).
General report:
i.Report calculation: The report calculations were based on the latest data sources available, that also includes
Credit Suisse Research Institute’s Global Wealth Databook 2019 and Forbes’ 2019 Billionaires List.
ii.Global earnings: The no. of billionaires has doubled in over a decade despite decline in their combined wealth.
Worldwide men own 50% more wealth than all the women.
iii.Earnings by a female domestic worker: It would take 22,277 years for a female domestic worker to obtain
per annum earnings of a top Chief Executive Officer(CEO).
iv.Tech CEO earning: A tech CEO with earnings pegged at Rs 106 per second, would make earnings in a year
compared to a domestic worker.
v.Unpaid care work by global females: 11.5% of the global workforce are engaged in paid care work. Women
aged 15 and above put in 12.5 billion hours of unpaid care work every day which is equal to the contribution the
global economy of at least $10.8 trillion a year. This is more than 3 times the size of the global tech industry.
• It was found in the survey that the 22 of the world’s richest men have more wealth than all the
women in Africa.
vi.Tax payments: Only 4% of global tax comes from taxation of wealth. The super-rich people avoid as much as
30% of their tax liability as per the study.
vii.Pressure on global economy: Recently the WEF’s annual Global Risks Report has warned that downward
pressure on the global economy and financial inequality will intensify in 2019.
Inequality factors:
i.Climate change: Climate breakdown which is now gaining momentum has been estimated that by 2025, up to
2.4 billion people will be living in areas without enough water, which also indirectly indicates that women and
girls will be forced to walk further to find water resources.
Steps proposed to reduce inequality:
i.Inequality will be reduced if the richest 1% pay 0.5% etc wealth tax in the next 10 years. This would generate
117 million jobs in elderly, childcare, education and health sectors.
ii.Job creation: Direct public investments making 2% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) would potentially create
11 million jobs and will make up for the 11 million jobs lost in 2018.
iii.4R framework: Feminist economists, civil society and care advocates have proposed a 4R framework for
radical reprioritization in economies and societies. The 4Rs are recognize, reduce, redistribute and represent
About Oxfam International:
Fact- Oxfam is a confederation of 19 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global
poverty.
Headquarters- Nairobi, Kenya.
Founded- 1942.
Founder- Cecil Jackson-Cole.
Oxfam India Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Amitabh Behar.
CDP India annual report 2019: India ranks 5th in Carbon disclosure project 2019,US tops
On January 20, 2020, According to the “Climate and business partnership of the future: CDP India Annual
Report 2019” released by CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), a not-for-profit charity running the global
disclosure system for investors, companies to manage their environmental impacts, India has ranked 5th among
the countries surveyed for corporate commitments to science-based targets (SBT).
As per the report, 58 Indian companies shared details about the environment-related activities undertaken by
them in 2019.
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Top 5 countries with SBT companies:

Rank Country SBT Companies
United States of America
1 135
(USA)
2 Japan 83
3 United Kindom (UK) 78
4 France 51
5th India 58
Key Points:
i.The report surveyed a total of 6900 companies across the globe to compile their annual report for 2019. These
firms contribute to 55% of world capitalization.
ii.The report notified that more than 98 % of leading Indian companies have formed some committee / group
within its organization to meet & address climate-related issues.
iii.The report also found that investors responded to companies in a good manner who have disclosed their
climate risk. The report also claimed that investors also took into account the environmental activity from Indian
companies before investing in an organization.
iv.India secured 5th spot ahead of Germany (30 companies) and Sweden (27 companies) & becomes the
1st developing nation with maximum number of companies committing to the SBTs.
About CDP:
It has regional offices and local partners spanning 50 countries. There are now companies, cities, states and
regions from over 90 countries disclosing through CDP on an annual basis.
Hyderabad ranked 14th globally in Knight Frank’s Global Residential Cities Index Q3, 2019, Budapest in
Hungary tops
In the Knight Frank’s Global Residential Cities Index Q3 (Quarter) 2019, Hyderabad has ranked 14th among 150
cities in the World with an appreciation of 9% in residential prices on a YoY (Year-over-Year) basis.
Key Points:
i.In this index ,Budapest in Hungary is at the first place with the highest annual growth rate of 24%, followed
by Xi’an and Wuhan in China at 15.9% and 14.9%.
ii.According to the report, Indian cities that have seen an appreciation in home prices are New Delhi at the 73rd
rank globally with a 3.2% rise, Bengaluru at the 94th
rank with a 2% appreciation and Ahmedabad at the
108th rank with a 1.1% growth.
iii.Indian cities which have seen de-growth in home
prices are Kolkata at the 130th rank with a decline of
2%, Mumbai at the 135th rank with a de-growth of 3%
and Chennai at the 136th rank with a fall of 3%.
iv.Pune was the lowest-ranked Indian city standing at
the 138th spot, registering a 3.5% decline in home
prices.
v.The Global Residential Cities Index tracks
mainstream residential prices on a city-by-city basis
which are updated quarterly. The index tracks the
performance of house prices across 150 cities
worldwide
About Knight Frank:
Founded- 1896
Headquarters- London, United Kingdom (UK); Chairman– Alistair Elliott
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Top 3 cities in the index:

Rank Name
1 Budapest in Hungary
2 Xi’an in China
3 Wuhan in China
14 Hyderabad, Telangana
73 New Delhi
94 Bengaluru, Karnataka
108 Ahmedabad, Gujarat
130 Kolkata, West Bengal
135 Mumbai, Maharashtra
136 Chennai, Tamil Nadu
138 Pune, Maharashtra
Jharkhand’ Jharia is the most polluted Indian city & Lunglei, Mizoram least polluted: Greenpeace India
report 2018
The Greenpeace India report for 2018 was released based on the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring
Programme (NAMP), on January 21, 2020. Jharia in Jharkhand which is known for Coal-belching is the most
polluted Indian city with 322 µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter) of PM10 (Particulate matter) pollutants in
2018, according to the report analysis of 287 cities across the country. Out of 287 cities 231 cities were severely
polluted.
Key Points:
i.Dhanbad in Jharkhand which is known for its rich coal reserves and industries, is the second-most polluted
Indian City with 264 un/m3 of PM10 pollutants.
ii.By taking marginal improvement in reducing air pollution, Delhi had jumped to the 10th position in the
analysis . It was at the 8th position in the last report.
iii.Lunglei in Mizoram is the least polluted followed by Meghalaya’s Dowki.It is also the only Indian city with
PM levels under the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) prescribed level of 20/ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic
meter).
iv.Noida, Ghaziabad, Bareilly, Allahabad, Moradabad and Firozabad are the six of the top-10 polluted cities in
Uttar Pradesh.
v.By keeping 2017 as the base year, the central government launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in
2019, which is a five-year action plan with a target of reducing concentrations of PM-10 and PM-2.5 up to 30%
by 2024 in 102 non-attainment cities.
vi.According to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), the permissible limit for PM-10 is 60
ug/m3 and it is mere 20 ug/m3, as per the World Health Organization (WHO).
About Jharkhand:
Capital City- Ranchi
Chief Minister- Hemant Soren
Governor- Draupadi Murmu
State Bird- Asian koel
State Tree- Sal Tree
State Flower- Sacred Tree
About Mizoram:
Capital City- Aizawl
Chief Minister- Zoramthanga
Governor- P. S. Sreedharan Pilla
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State bird– Vavu

EIU’s 12th edition of Democracy Index 2019: India slips 10 ranks to 51st position, Norway tops
On January 22, 2020, According to the 12th edition of the ‘Democracy Index 2019: A year of democratic
setbacks and popular protest’, released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), India has slipped 10 ranks
to 51st spot with the score of 6.90 in this index, which provides a blueprint for the current state of democracy in
165 independent states and two territories.
Top & bottom: Norway tops the list with a score of
9.87 while North Korea is at the bottom with
167th place with 1.08 points.
Key Points:
i.India’s score in the year 2018 were 7.23, which has
come down to 6.90, the lowest level in 13 years. As per
the report, India’s democracy scores have declined
due to lack of civil liberties, especially the removal of
Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and the
enforcement of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)
2019.
ii.While considering Asia and Australasia region, India
ranks 8th behind Taiwan and Timor-Leste.
Top 3 & Bottom 3 countries in the Index:
Rank Country Score
51st India 6.9
1 Norway 9.87
2 Iceland 9.58
3 Sweden 9.39
165 Central African Republic 1.32
Democratic Republic of the
166 1.13
Congo
167 North Korea 1.08
iii.The average global score also witnessed its worst level to 5.44 in 2019, down from 5.48 in 2018 due to sharp
regression in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. China is now at 153rd spot in 2019 with the score of 2.26. It
is close to the bottom rung in the global ranking.
iv.About the Index: The Global Democracy Index is based on 5 categories viz – the functioning of government,
election process and pluralism, political participation, political culture and civil liberties.
Based on their total score, countries are classified into 4 types of governance – full democracy (scoring more than
8 points), flawed democracy (more than 6 but scoring 8 or less than 8), Hybrid regime (more than 4 but scoring 6
or less than 6) and authoritarian regime (having 4 or less). India is included in a flawed democracy.
The EIU started releasing the Democracy Index in 2006.EIU is the research and analysis division of The
Economist Group, which is the sister company to The Economist newspaper.
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About Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU):

Founded– 1946
Headquarters– London, England
UNWTO: 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals in 2019; arrivals grew by 4% from 2018
On January 20, 2020 The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has released a report titled
‘World Tourism Barometer’. As per the report the international tourist arrivals in 2019 increased by over 4%
(3.8% exact value) in 2019 and reached 1.5 billion, which is 54 million more than 2018, based on the data
collected from reports around the world. The report which the 1st in this decade, in detail are as follows:
UNWTO World Tourism Barometer report:
i.Increase in arrivals: The middle east region (+8%) led
growth in arrivals, followed by Asia and Pacific region
(+5%). Europe had a growth of 4% in international tourist
arrivals and had 743 million visitors.
• 2019 is the 10th consecutive year of
international tourist growth.
ii.Tourist arrivals in 2020: The no. of international
tourist arrivals worldwide is forecasted for a growth of
3%-4% according to the UNWTO Confidence Index.
• The growth in international tourist arrivals
continued to outpace the world economy by
+3.8 % vs +3%.
iii.Tourism expenditure: Based on data from main source
markets, France had the strongest increase in
international tourism expenditure among top 10 markets while the United States (US) led growth in absolute
terms.
iv.International air passenger traffic: There was a 4% increase in international air passenger traffic according
to the International Air Traffic Association (IATA).
• Incase of arrivals, the growth pace is still below the long term average of 5.5%
v.International departures: As per data provided by ForwardKeys, the international departures grew by 5%
based on air bookings in 2019.
• The international departures from January 2020 till April 2020 remain particularly strong by +10%
About World Tourism Organisation(WTO):
Fact- WTO is responsible for promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
Headquarters- Madrid, Spain.
Formation- 1 November 1974.
Secretary General- Zurab Pololikashvili.
Swiss bank Julius Baer report 2020: Mumbai among cheapest cities in the world for luxury goods, Hong
Kong most expensive
On January 16, 2020, According to the 1st ‘Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report 2020, released by Swiss private
bank Julius Baer, India’s financial capital Mumbai was ranked last (28th ) in a list of the world’s 28 most
expensive cities for luxury living.
Top 5: Hong Kong was the world’s most expensive city in the list followed by Shanghai (China), Tokyo (Japan),
New York (US) and Singapore.
Key Points:
i.Asian region: As per the report. Asian region home to 5 of the 10 most priciest cities globally- after Hong Kong,
this included Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore and Taipei- and it is the most expensive region for price tags for
property, cars, a business class flight, fine dining, a wedding banquet and beauty services.
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8 of the 10 most expensive region to buy a luxury car were in Asia, which the report attributed to high import
taxes.
ii.Cheapest Mumbai (Maharashtra) is also in Asia. Here, high-end men’s suits, wedding banquets and personal
trainers are all cheapest. India’s luxury goods market to grow 6 % annually valuing around $8.3 billion per
annum.
iii.European region provides the most reasonable value for high-end goods and services as the London (United
Kingdom) is the most priciest city in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). London is the 3rd most
expensive property market in the world.
iv.About the report:
The 28 cities around the world analyzed by Julius Baer includes; 10 in Asia, 12 in Europe, Middle East and Africa
(EMEA), and 6 in the Americas.
The survey was based on the price comparison of 18 luxury goods across a wide spectrum of 5 major categories,
including Home, Experiential,Fashion, Family and Wellness.
It tracked the price trends for a variety of luxury goods and services including watches, ladies’ handbags, men’s
suits and pianos & Residential property ,Jewellery ,Cars.
About Julius Baer:
Founded– 1890
Headquarters– Zurich, Switzerland
23rd CEO survey: India 4th best market for global companies looking for growth abroad;US tops
On January 20, 2020 The 23rd edition of the PwC’s Annual Global CEO Survey was launched on the 1st day of
the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. As per the survey based on the
confidence of CEOs over worldwide economic growth, India ranked 4th while it was topped by United States(US).
China and Germany ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively. The survey report in detail are as follows:
PwC’s 23rd Annual Global CEO Survey:
Report on India:
i.Only 9% in the global survey favour India for their companies’ growth prospects.
ii.Confidence level: Indian chief executive officers (CEOs) showed 2nd highest level of confidence standing at
40% rate in overall revenue growth prospects on their own company. The country that ranked 1st in highest
level of confidence was China with rate 45%.
• The US with 36%, Canada at 27%, the UK (United Kingdom) at 26 %, Germany at 20%, France 18%
stood 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th place respectively.
• Only 11% of India CEOs believe that their organisation has made significant progress in establishing
an upskilling programme.
General report:
i.Top market CEOs: The US remains as lead in top market CEOs over the next 12 months at 30%, just one point
ahead of China as China was at 29%. Apart from the US and China the other countries making the top 5 places for
growth are Germany (13 per cent), India (9 per cent) and the UK (9 per cent) in 3rd, 4th and 5th place
respectively.
• In 2020, only 11% of the CEOs of China selected US as their top 3 growth markets while in 2018 it was
59%.
ii.China’s top growth market economies:
• 45% of Chinese CEOs have selected Australia as top 3 growth market instead of US. In 2018, the value
stood at 9% only.
iii.Least optimistic CEOs: Japan has the least optimistic CEOs with only 11% very confident of growing
revenues in 2020.
iv.CEO Confidence and actual growth: Since 2008, the correlation between CEO confidence and actual
growth was very close. The global growth could slow to 2.4% in 2020.
• Only 27% of the global CEOs are very confident of the growth in their own organisation over the next
12 months. This estimation is the lowest since 2009 and also lower than 35% for 2019.
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v.CEO opinion on GDP: The survey covered 1600 CEOs in 83 territories showed that 53% of CEOs believe that
the global GDP (Gross Domestic Product) would reduce/decline. This estimation is up by 29% from 2019. Only
22% of the CEOs expected improvement in global GDP.
vi.There were 4 key forces that drives the upskilling imperative. They are
• Increasing job automation.
• Decreasing talent availability.
• Decreasing mobility of skilled labour.
• Ageing talent.
Rank of countries with maximum growth prospect:
Rank Country Percentage(%) of estimation
4 India 9
1 United States 30
2 China 29
3 Germany 13
5 United Kingdom 9
About PwC:
Fact- PwC are leading professional services networks in the world. They help organisations and individuals
delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services.
Headquarters- Cologny, Switzerland.
Founder- Klaus Schwab.
WEF’s 1st Nature Risk Rising report: $44trillion of global GDP depend on nature
On January 19, 2020 the World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with PwC released a report titled
“Nature Risk Rising: Why the Crisis Engulfing Nature Matters for Business and the Economy”. The report is the
1st in a series for the New Nature Economy(NNE). As per the report, global businesses are more than dependent
on nature with an estimated exposure of $44 trillion which is half of world GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
The report in detail are as follows:
Nature Risk Rising report:
i.Threat to plants & animals: 25% of the assessed plant & animal species are in threat due to human actions.
Nearly a million species are to face extinction within decades. Human activities have severely altered 75% of land
and 66% of marine environments too.
ii.Nature dependent industries: Many countries are nature dependent industries. Among them, the 3 largest
industries dependent on nature are Construction ($ 4 trillion), agriculture ($ 2.5 trillion) and food and
beverages ($ 1.4 trillion). Their combined value is twice the size of Germany’s economy.
• China, the EU (European Union) and the United States(US) have the highest absolute economic value
in nature dependent industries generating $2.7 trillion, $2.4 trillion and $2.1 trillion respectively.
iii.Resources relied on by industries: 163 industry sectors have analysed that the GDP is highly dependent on
nature and its services. Pollination, water quality and disease control are three examples of the services provided
by an ecosystem.
• Many industries rely on either the direct extraction of resources from forests & oceans or the
provision of ecosystem services. Some of the examples include healthy soils, clean water, pollination
and a stable climate.
• Industries highly dependent on nature generate 15% of global GDP which is $13 trillion, whereas
moderately dependent industries generate 37% i.e., $31 trillion.
iv.Framework adoption: The WEF has already adopted a framework proposed by the Financial Stability Board’s
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) to identify, measure and manage climate risks which
could be used to manage the nature risks. Click here to know more.
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v.Report preparation: The report is prepared under WEF’s Nature Action Agenda(NAA).
Headquarters- Cologny, Switzerland.
Founder- Klaus Schwab.
Global unemployment to increase by around 2.5 million in 2020: UN’s ILO report
On January 20, 2020,According to the ‘World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2020 (WESO)’ report
released by the United Nations (UN)’ International Labour Organisation (ILO), the
global unemployment figure is projected to increase by about 2.5 million in 2020.
The report noted that nearly half a billion people around the world are not getting enough paid work.
Key facts related to the report:
i.Global unemployment was stable for the last 9 years but as global economic growth is slowing down and the
number of workers is increasing, in that proportion new jobs are not being created in the market.
ii.Around 120 million people worldwide have either given up their jobs or otherwise lack access to the labour
market. In addition, about 188 million people in the world are unemployed & about 165 million people do not
have sufficient paid work. Thus,in total, around 470 million people in the world are troubled by the problem of
employment.
iii.Around 267 million people (between the age group of 15-24 yers) are not in employment, training or
education.
iv.Reason: The global economic slowdown is a major cause of rising unemployment in the world.
v.With increasing unemployment and inequality continuing, lack of better work has made it even more difficult
for people to live better lives through their work.
vi.As per the data released by think-tank Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) the unemployment rate
among the youth of 20 to 24 years is 37 %. It is clear from the report that developed countries are experiencing
slow growth. As a result, new jobs are not being created in sufficient quantity to harness the growing labor force.
vii.Working poverty: According to the ILO report, people with incomes below US $ 3.20 per day are considered
as poverty-stricken people. Currently working poverty affects more than 630 million people or one in five people
in the working population globally.
About International Labor Organization (ILO):
Formation– 29 October 1919
Director-General– Guy Ryder
It is a specialized body of the United Nations (UN). Presently 187 countries are members of this organization.
This organization was awarded the Nobel Prize for World Peace in 1969.
WEF: Survey on trust on climate science & 1st positive impact rating 2020 launched
The 50th edition of the 2020 World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting was held in Davos-Klosters,in
Switzerland from January 21-24, 2020. The theme for the year 2020 was “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and
Sustainable World”. During the summit two survey reports were released. The survey report in detail are as
follows:
World losing trust in climate science;Indians tops trust chart:
The new public opinion poll was published in the WEF. It called for climate education and urgent upskilling. As
per the opinion poll, it was found that the global public started losing trust level in climate sciences. In
Contrast, Indians were the most trusting people in this regard. 86% of Indians trusted scientists on climate
science.
The chart was topped by Indians and Bangladeshis. Russia and Ukraine were laggards at both counts.
Public opinion poll:
i.Toppers in trust: India was followed by Bangladesh (78%), Pakistan (70%), China (69%) and Turkey (69%) in
the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th rank respectively.
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ii.Poll preparation: The poll was prepared in collaboration with SAP and Qualtrics. The survey was conducted
to more than 10,500 people from 30 countries that accounted for around 76% of global population. The findings
were finally presented in 2 parts.
iii.Region wise trust analysis:
• North America: 1/5th of North Americans expressed ‘little’(12%) or ‘no’(6%) trust in climate
science.
• South Asia: The South Asian adults expressed ‘little’ trust at 4% and ‘no’ trust at 2%.
iv.Global warming cause: More than 2/3rd of the people in the survey agreed the cause of global warming was
due to human activities.
v.A specific platform was launched to focus on upskilling and reskilling. This platform will enhance many
opportunities to 1 billion people and will provide decent jobs in the next 10 years.
Trust poll rank:
Rank Country
1 India
2 Bangladesh
3 Pakistan
1st edition of Positive Impact Rating 2020 launched:
The 1st edition of Positive Impact Rating 2020 was launched at the WEF. As per the rating, 2 Indian business
schools, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore in Karnataka and XLRI (formerly Xavier Labor
Relations Institute) – Xavier School of Management, in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand have been included in the top
30 list.
Positive Impact Rating(PIR) 2020:
i.Positive Impact rating 2020: In the ratings, IIM Bangalore was placed in ‘transforming schools’ category (level
4) and XLRI was placed in ‘Progressing schools’ category (level 3) for the rating.
ii.Rating purpose: The business schools have been rated to measure how much they contribute to solve societal
challenges by providing relevant research results etc.
iii.Business school ratings: A total of 51 business schools participated in the rating. No school made it to level 5
category which has the highest priority. The schools were rated based on 5 levels and are also grouped under the
5 categories. 21 schools were grouped in level 3 while 9 schools were grouped in level 4.
The 5 levels are as follows:
• Level 1- Beginning.
• Level 2- Emerging.
• Level 3- Progressing.
• Level 4- Transforming.
• Level 5- Pioneering.
iv.Top business schools: Some of the top management institutes include institutes in the likes of London
Business School (UK), Esade Business School (Spain), Eada Business School Barcelona (Spain) and Edhec
Business School (France).
v.Positive Impact Rating: The rating was initiated in 2017 to support change in business school sector. The
activities are supported by WWF(World Wide Fund) Switzerland (Environment), Global Compact Switzerland
(Business) etc. Click here to know more.
About Switzerland:
Capital- Bern (De Facto).
1st estimate of rabi crop released by NCML; record grain output to be witnessed in 2020
On January 27, 2020 agriculture post-harvest management company- National Collateral Management
Services Limited (NCML) has released its 1st estimate of for 2019-20 rabi crop production. The year 2020 is
expected to make record food grain production led by the wheat crop along with corn and jowar while Oilseeds
and pulses may have lower production.
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1st estimate of rabi crop by NCML:

Rabi season: This season which contributes 50% of foodgrain production usually starts from the month of
November and lasts till the following year’s April month. The Rabi paddy production is also estimated to increase
by 5% further.
• Cereal production: Overall cereal production is forecasted to increase by 7% in the current Rabi
season i.e., from 2019-20.
• Rabi food grain production: The total rabi food grain production is estimated to be higher by 6% at
1527 Lakh Tonnes as against 1432 lakh tonnes of production witnessed during Rabi 2018-19.
• Rabi oilseed production: The oil seed production is expected to decline by 2.7% for 2019-20.
• Monsoon: The year 2019 witnessed 10% above normal rainfall with 968 mm rainfall level which was
higher than the normal level of 880.6 mm. The excess rainfall has generated more favourable
conditions for sowing.
Crop production:
i.Wheat Production: Wheat being the main crop of the Rabi season saw a total production of estimated at 1090
lakh tonnes for 2019-20 which is 6.27% higher than 2018-19 production (1021 lakh tonnes). The production is
also expected to increase further due to Minimum Support Price’s (MSP’s) increase.
ii.Maize production: Apart from paddy and wheat, in India, Maize is the third largest cereal crop of Rabi
season. The maize production during 2019-20 was estimated to be 89.2 lakh tonnes and was higher by 8.25%
from 2018-19.
iii.Jowar crop: This crop is primarily grown in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The
jowar production was estimated at 31.2 lakh tonnes during 2019-20 as against 20.2 lakh tonnes during rabi
2018, higher by 35.2%.
Pulse production:
The pulse production may show marginal decline by 2% from its previous year production. Indian Rabi pulses
production for the year 2019-20 is estimated at 144.8 lakh tonnes as against 148 Lakh tonnes witnessed
during 2018-19.
i.Gram: Among all the rabi crops, Gram has the highest acreage (land area). For the current season 2019-21 the
gram production is estimated to be lower by 5% at 95.82lakh tonnes from previous production of 101.3 lakh
tonnes.
ii.Moong bean: It is estimated to decline by 10% to 4.62 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 from 5.10 lakh tonnes in the
foregoing year due to decline in acreage.
iii.Mustard production: Production of Mustard is estimated at 85.79 lakh tonnes for 2019-20 which is lower by
8.8% as against last year’s production of 93.4 lakh tonnes. The oilseed is primarily grown in the states of
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.
Horticulture output:
The Horticulture output including tomato, onion, potato etc is estimated to be 313.35 million tonnes(mt) in
2019-20 from the actual output of 310.74 mt of 2018-19.
• Onion production: The overall onion production is expected to increase 7% to 24.45 mt in 2019-20,
which can be seen as a relief to consumers from high prices seen in the past few months.
• Potato production: Production of potato is estimated to go up to 51.94 mt for 2019-20.
About National Collateral Management Services Limited(NCML):
Founded- 2004.
Headquarters -Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Siraj A. Chaudhry.
Government to release the report of 100 Smarts Cities in June 2020

The Government of India (GoI) is to release the report card of 100 selected smart cities in June, 2020 as the
Smart Cities Mission completes its five year. This report will be released in three categories, namely ease of living
index, municipal performance index and climatic index.
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Key Points:
i.On June 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Smart Cities Mission with the mission to develop
100 Smart Cities across the country.
ii.Ease of Living index: Under this index 35 percent weightage will be given “to quality of life”, 20 percent to
“sustainability”, 20 percent to “economic viability” and 30 percent to “citizen participation”.
iii.Municipal Performance index: Under this index 30 percent weightage will be given for “services”, 20
percent for “finance”, 15 percent for “technology”, 15 percent for “planning”, 20 percent for “governance”.
iv.Climatic index: Under this index cities will be ranked for promoting environment related issues.
v.According to the Ministry, the tender issued for Smart Cities Project is Rs 1,62,000 crore and the value of all
completed projects is more than Rs 25,000 crores.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Piyuus jaiswal wins Global Bihar excellence award 2019
On December 31, 2019, Piyuus Jaiswal has been awarded the Global Bihar Excellence Award 2019 by Rajya
Sabha MP (member of parliament) and Padma Shri Awardee Dr CP Thakur & Bihar Women Commission
president Dilmani Devi in Patna, Bihar for his invaluable
and outstanding contribution towards social welfare,
women empowerment and introducing new talent in the
field of arts and culture.
Key Points:
i.Previously he was honoured with humanitarian award
with the Global Peace Excellence Humanitarian Award
2019 & Page 3 Award in 2018.
ii.Jaiswal,a social worker, is associated with various NGOs(Non-governmental organizations). He also organized
the Indian Achiever’s Award in Surat, Gujarat, which graced the popular celebrities from the field of fashion and
films.
Telangana’s mountaineer Malavath Poorna: 1st and youngest tribal women in the World to scale 6
mountain peaks in 6 continents
18-years-old Malavath Poorna from Telangana
scaled Mt Vinson Massif, the highest mountain
peak in Antarctica at 4,892 meters and becomes
the first and youngest tribal women in the
World to scale six mountain peaks in six
continents.
i.She is the daughter of agriculturist of Pakala
tribal hamlet of Nizamabad district in Telangana.
ii.Sekhar Babu Bachinepally is her coach.
iii.’Poorna’,a biography of Poorna Malavath was
written by Aparna Thota.
iv.Poorna aims to scale Mt. Denali which is North America’s highest mountain peak in order to achieve her goal of
scaling seven mountain peaks in seven continents.
v.At the age of 13 years she became the world’s youngest girl who scaled Mt. Everest.
vi.She scaled Mt. Everest in 2014, Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) in 2016, Mt. Elbrus (Russia) in 2017, Mt. Aconcagua
(Argentina) in 2019, and Mt. Cartsnez (Indonesia) in 2019.
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Britain’s Prince William unveils prize for climate innovation

On 2nd January 2020, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis (37 ) has announced a multi-million-pound prize for
“visionaries” working to solve “Earth’s greatest environmental problems,” from climate change to air pollution.
The Earthshot Prize will be awarded to five winners, every year, for the next 10 years. The initiative’s goal is to
provide “at least 50 solutions to the world’s greatest problems by 2030.”
Key Points:
i.The prize was initially designed and handled by the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,
and it was headed by Prince William and Kate Middleton.
ii.This year, the initiative will debut a series of “Earthshot challenges,” with a goal of pursuing answers to the
current issues including climate and energy, nature and biodiversity, oceans, air pollution and freshwater”
iii.Earthshot Prize winners will involve a significant cash-prize, as well as public recognition at an annual
ceremony.
About UK:
Capital– London
Currency– Pound Sterling
Prime Minister– Boris Johnson
Cristiano Ronaldo bags best men’s player title at 11th Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2019 in Dubai
Famous Portuguese professional football player Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded by 11th Dubai Globe Soccer
Awards 2019 as the best men’s player of the year in the international football function held in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates (UAE). Ronaldo has won the award six times out of its nine years of its existence and also marked
4th consecutive time.
KeyPoints:
• England international Lucy Bronze was awarded the best women’s player of the year.
• The award has been presented in 15 categories.
About Globe Soccer Awards:
The Globe Soccer Awards are the annual awards given for excellence in football. EFAA (European Association of
Player’s Agents) and the ECA (European Club Association) organize the Globe Soccer Awards.
14 scientists conferred with Swarna Jayanti fellowships for 2018-19

On January 2, 2020, The Union Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India (GoI), have
awarded Swarna Jayanti Fellowships for 2018-19 to 14 Scientists under 40 years of age, associated with
innovative research projects and capable of impacting research and development (R&D) work in their respective
fields.
Key Points:
i.Scientists selected for fellowship out of total 443 applicants through a three-tier process will be allowed to do
research work on such topics according to themselves which have remained untouched so far.
ii.The Fellowship was launched by the Government to commemorate 50 years of the country’s independence.
iii.Scientists selected for fellowship and research are supported by the Department of Science and Technology
for research work. This includes financial assistance for all research related work as well as fellowship of Rs
25000 per month. Apart from this, scientists are also given research grant of Rs 5 lakh for 5 years in addition to
their salary.
List of awardees:
S.No Name Associated with Field
CSIR-IGIB (CSIR Council of Scientific
Dr. Sheetal and Industrial Research – Institute of
1 Host-pathogen interactions.
Gandotra Genomics and Integrative Biology),
Delhi
National Institute of Plant Genome
2 Dr. Jitender Giri Identifying novel genes
Research (NIPGR),New Delhi
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Dr. Rakesh Singh Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology Role of RNA processing in
3
Laishram (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram,Kerala gene regulation
Indian Institute of Science Education
Organic Chemistry & Chemical
4 Dr. Vishal Rai and Research (IISER), Bhopal, Madhya
Biology.
Pradesh
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced
Dr. Kanishka Renewable Energy & Clean
5 Scientific Research (JNCASR),
Biswas Environmental solutions
Bengaluru,Karnataka
Surface chemistry,
Dr. Gopalan Indian Institute of Technology
6 Computational inorganic
Rajaraman Bombay(IITB), Mumbai,Maharashtra
chemistry
Positivity and analysis,
Indian Institute of Science(IISc), representation theory of Lie
7 Dr. Apoorva Khare
Bengaluru,Karnataka algebras, and discrete
mathematics
Dr. Mahender Indian Institute of Science Education
8 Algebra and topology.
Singh and Research (IISER), Mohali,Punjab
Indian Monsoon and

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
9 Dr. Subimal Ghosh Atmosphere- Land Surface
(IITB), Mumbai, Maharashtra
Interactions and Hydrology
Various scales in Glass

Dr. Smarajit Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
10 Forming Liquids, Yielding of
Karmakar (TIFR) –Hyderabad,Telangana
Amorphous Solids
Indian Institute of Technology(IIT),
11 Dr. Arjun Bagchi Holography and String Theory
Kanpur,Uttar Pradesh
Indian Institute of Science(IISc),
12 Dr. Anindya Das Geophysics and Geochemistry
Bengaluru,Karnataka
Dr. Yogesh Indian Institute of Science(IISc), Temporal Graphs,Scalable
13
Simmhan Bengaluru,Karnataka Data Management
Dr. Shweta Indian Institute of Technology- Cryptography and Information
14
Agrawal Madras(IITM), Chennai,Tamil Nadu. theory
Dubai-based Indian singer, Sucheta Satish wins Global child prodigy award 2020
On January 3, 2020, A Dubai-based Indian girl, Sucheta Satish (13), who sings in 120 languages, has won
the ‘100 Global Child Prodigy Award 2020′ in the category of singing. The award ceremony was held in Ashok
Hotel, Delhi. She was awarded by Puducherry ieutenant (Lt) Governor Kiran Bedi.
Key Points:
i.Suchetha, a student in Dubai Indian High School, was awarded along with 99 other child prodigies at the
awards, which was attended by chief guest Nobel Peace Prize (2014) winner Shri Kailash Satyarthi.
ii.She made her double world record in January 2018 in Dubai at the Indian Consulate Auditorium, as a 12-year-
old when she sings in 102 different languages over 6 hours and 15 minutes. She can currently sing in 120
languages and recently released her second album ‘Ya Habibi’ in Arabic.
About 100 Global Child Prodigy Award:
This award is a platform to showcase the talent of children in dance, music, art, writing, acting, modeling, science,
sports etc. The award is supported by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation and Oscar Award-winning
music producer AR Rahman among others.
Singular ‘they’ voted word of the decade by US linguists

On January 3,2020 A jury of 350 US (United States) linguists of the American Dialect Society (ADS)
chose ‘they’ as their Word of the Decade to recognize its growing use to refer to a person whose gender identity
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is non-binary. The most popular pick for the Word of the Year 2019 was “(my) pronouns”.
Key Points:
i.‘they’ is an indication that how a personal expression of gender identity has become an increasing part of our
shared discourse.
ii.The recognition comes after US dictionary Merriam-Webster in December named ‘they’ as word of the year.
iii.The American Dialect Society had previously named “they” word of the year in 2015.
American Dialect Society:
It was founded in 1889 and dedicated to the study of the English language in North America.
President– Luanne Vonne Schneidemesser
New Words Committee chairman-Ben Zimmer
Highlights of 77th Golden Globe Awards 2019 held in Beverly Hills, California, US
On 5th January 2020, the 77th Golden Globe Awards honouring the best films and television of calendar year
2019 was held at Beverly Hills, California in the USA (United States of America). English stand-up comedian,
actor, writer, director, producer, and musician Ricky Gervais hosted the ceremony for the fifth time. The
highlights in brief are as follows:
77th Golden Globe Awards:
i.Film with most awards: The film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood won the most awards for the ceremony with
three, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. In television, Succession, Fleabag, and Chernobyl were
the most awarded, with two awards each.
ii.Cecil B. DeMille Award: American actor and filmmaker Thomas Jeffrey Hanks familiarly known as Tom
Hanks won the Cecil B. DeMille Award for 2019. The Cecil B. DeMille Award is an honorary award bestowed for
outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment in memory of its first recipient, director Cecil B. DeMille.
iii.Carol Burnett Award: American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer Ellen Lee
DeGeneres won the Carol Burnett Award for 2019. The Carol Burnett Award is an honorary award given for
outstanding and lasting contributions to television on or off the screen and is named in honor of its first
recipient, actress Carol Burnett.
iv.Golden Globe Ambassadors: The Golden Globe Ambassadors for the year 2019 were Dylan
Brosnan and Paris Brosnan. The Golden Globe Ambassador, until 2017 known as Miss Golden Globe or Mr.
Golden Globe, is the young person who assists in the annual Golden Globe Awards presentations by handing out
trophies to the winners and escorting them off stage.
The Complete list of Winners – Films
Category Winner
Best Motion Picture – Drama 1917
Best Motion Picture – Musical or
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Comedy
Best Actor – Drama Joaquin Phoenix for “Joker”
Best Actress – Drama Renée Zellweger for “Judy”
Best Actor – Musical or Comedy Taron Egerton for “Rocketman”
Best Actress – Musical or
Awkwafina for “The Farewell”
Comedy
Best Supporting Actor Brad Pitt for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Best Supporting Actress Laura Dern for “Marriage Story”
Best Director Sam Mendes for “1917”
Quentin Tarantino for “Once Upon a Time in
Best Screenplay
Hollywood”
Best Original Score Hildur Guðnadóttir for “Joker”
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” (by Elton John, Bernie
Best Original Song
Taupin) in “Rocketman”
Best Animated Feature Film Missing Link
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Best Foreign Language Film Parasite (South Korea)

The Complete List of Winners – Television
Category Winner
Best Television Series – Drama Succession
Best Television Series – Musical or
Fleabag
Comedy
Best Actor – Drama Brian Cox for “Succession”
Best Actress – Drama Olivia Colman for “The Crown”
Best Actor – Musical or Comedy Ramy Youssef for “Ramy”
Best Actress – Musical or Comedy Phoebe Waller-Bridge for “Fleabag”
Best Actor – Miniseries or Russell Crowe for “The Loudest
Television Film Voice”
Best Actress – Miniseries or
Michelle Williams for “Fosse/Verdon”
Television Film
Best Supporting Actor – Miniseries
Stellan Skarsgård for “Chernobyl”
or Television Film
Best Supporting Actress –
Patricia Arquette for “The Act”
Miniseries or Television Film
Best Miniseries or Television Film Chernobyl
Golden Globe Awards: The Golden Globe Awards are bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign
Press Association (HFPA). The Aim of the Awards is to recognize the excellence in films and television both
domestic and foreign. The Eligibility Period for the Golden Globe Award for a calendar year is 1st January to 31st
December.
• The First Golden Globe Award- 1944.
About United States of America
Capital- Washington D.C.
Currency- United States Dollar (USD)
President- Donald Trump.
1st Antarrashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman to 30 media houses in New Delhi
On January 07, 2020 the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) Shri Prakash
Javadekar conferred the 1st edition of the Antarrashtriya Yoga Diwas Samman (AYDMS) to 30 media
organisations in New Delhi. The awards were given as an honour to media organisations for contributing to the
spread of yoga in the society.
Jury: The chairman of the jury of 6 members was Chandramauli Kumar Prasad who is the current chairman of
the Press Council of India(PCI).
1st Antarrashtriya Yoga Diwas Samman:
i.Award category: 30 awards in 3 categories were awarded. These include
• 11 awards under “Best Media Coverage of Yoga in Newspapers” category.
• 8 awards under “Best Media Coverage of Yoga in Television” category and
• 11 awards under “Best Media Coverage of Yoga in Radio” category.
ii.The award consists of a medal, plaque, trophy, and a citation.click here to know about the awardees.
iii.Members present: The Union Minister of State(MoS- Independent Charge) for AYUSH(Ayurveda, Yoga &
Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy) Shri Shripad Yesso Naik; Shri Vikram Sahay, Joint
Secretary of MoIB; Shri Ravi Mittal, secretary of MoIB; Shri Atul Tiwari, additional secretary of MoIB and other
officials were present in the event.
The International Day of Yoga:
The day is celebrated annually on June 21st ever since 2015. The idea to celebrate yoga day was 1st proposed by
the Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his address at the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA)
in September 2014.
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About Ministry of Information & Broadcasting:

Fact- The Ministry is functionally organized into three wings such as Information Wing, Broadcasting Wing and
Films Wing.
Secretary- Ravi Mittal.
India-born author Jasbinder Bilan bags UK Costa Children’s award,2019

On January 8,2020 Indian born-author Jasbinder Bilan’s (UK resident) debut novel ‘Asha and the Spirit
Bird’, focusing on the readers of age range 9 years and above, beat the competition and named as the winner of
2019 UK(United Kingdom) children’s book award named Costa Children’s Award.
Key Points:
i.Bilan will receive 5,000 pounds for the award, which is open to the authors resident in the UK and Ireland.
ii.The award will be presented annually across 5 categories of “First Novel,Novel,Biography,Poetry and
Children’s Book”.
iii.The story is about eleven-years-old Asha, who is empowered with spiritual connections to her grandmother
as she journeys through the wild and dangerous Himalayas with her best friend Jeevan.
iv.Bilan’s book was shortlisted form 144 entries alongside ‘Crossfire’ by Malorie Blackman,’In the shadow of
Heroes’ by Nicholas Bowling and ‘Furious Thing’ by Jenny Downham.
v.In 2017,Bilan’s novel ‘Asha and the Spirit Bird’ then called ‘Song of the mountain’ entered into the
Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition for unpublished writers where she won a publishing deal
with chicken house published in 7th Feb 2019.
MS Swaminathan & Dr. Gutta honoured with 1st Venkaiah Naidu National Awards in Hyderabad
On January 09, 2020 Eminent Agricultural Scientist Dr. Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan has been
selected as the 1st recipient of the Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu National Award for Excellence while
renowned social worker Dr. Gutta Muniratnam has been selected as the 1st recipient of the Muppavarapu
National Award for Social Service. The award was given at a function in Hyderabad, Telangana.This award
which is given for the 1st time has been instituted by Muppavarapu Foundation for award for excellence while
the one for social service was launched by Swarna Bharat Trust, in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu
National Awards:
i.Award announcement: The
announcement of the awards was made
during the 10th Anniversary
Celebrations of Muppavarapu Foundation
and Sankranthi Sambaralu (festivities)
organized in Hyderabad.
ii.Prize: The award carries a prize money
of Rs 5 lakhs and a citation.
iii.MS swaminathan:
• He has been awarded for his contributions in the field of agriculture.
• Swaminathan is referred to as scientific leader of the green revolution movement.
iv.Dr.Gutta Muniratnam:
• Gutta is the founder secretary of Tirupati(Andhra Pradesh) based Rashtriya Seva Samiti and is also a
social worker.
• Gutta has been awarded for his contributions in improving the quality of life of people through social
service.
v.Members present: During the function Governor of Telangana, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan; Governor of
Himachal Pradesh, Sri Bandaru Dattatreya; the acting Chief Justice(CJ) of Telangana High Court(HC),
Raghavendra Singh Chauhan; the Minister of State(MoS) for Home AffairsSri. G Kishan Reddy; Minister for
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Tourism & Culture and Archaeology, Govt of Telangana Shri Virusanolla Srinivas Goud and other officials were
present on the occasion. People from film industry like actor hri Venkatesh, Shri Mahesh Babu and film director,
Shri Raghavendra Rao etc were also present.
About Telangana:
Capital- Hyderabad.
Indian Scientist Dr Sakya Singha Sen and team wins ‘Merck Young Scientist Awards 2019’ in Karnataka
On January 9, 2020 Merck Young Scientist Awards 2019 in chemical science, instituted by Merck was
announced in Bengaluru in Karnataka. Indian Scientist Dr Sakya Singha Sen and his team won the Merck Young
Scientist Award 2019 for their specialization in main group of chemistry and synthesis of compounds with main
group elements and their catalytic application.
About Merck Young Scientist Award:
The award is given to the given to researchers with less than ten years of experience with expertise in solving
some of the toughest problems in chemical sciences. The winners will receive a cash award of Rs 2,00,000 and
Travel Award of Rs 1,50,000 each.
Recipients of the award:
i.Dr Debojyoti Chakraborty, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi (IGIB).
ii.Dr Dipyaman Ganguly, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata (CSIR-IICB).
iii.Dr Siddhesh S Kamat, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune.
iv.Dr Mahendran K.R, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram (RGCB).
v.Dr Basker Sundararaju, Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Kanpur.
Jury Members for Merck Young Scientist Awards 2019:
i.The head of Jury panel is Dr Shahid Jameel, Chief Executive Officer, The Welcome Trust / DBT India Alliance.
ii.The Co- Chair Members are Dr Anurag Agrawal, Director Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology, Prof
Apurva Sarin, Director, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Dr Davinder Gill, Chief
Executive Officer Hilleman Laboratories and Dr Radha Rangarajan, CEO, Co-Founder, Vitas Pharma.
India’s Rani Rampal nominated for ‘World Games Athlete of the Year’, 2019
On January 10,2020 Rani Rampal from Haryana, India, the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team has
been nominated for the “World Games Athlete of
the Year”award, 2019 by the International Hockey
Federation (FIH). Rani was instrumental in India
qualifying for the first time in back-to-back olympic
games.
Key Points:
i.World Games Athlete of the Year award is an
initiative of IWGA(International World Games
Association) that recognizes and honours an athlete
or a team for their outstanding performance or for
their social commitment or particularly, fair
behavior.
ii.2019 will be the 6th edition of the IWGA.
iii.Twenty-five athletes have been nominated for this award from their respective sports by their international
federations.
iv.The winner will be decided by online voting which closes on January 30.
v.Rani helped India qualify for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
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About International Hockey Federation:

Headquarters- Lausanne,Switzerland.
President- Narinder Batra.
CEO(Chief Executive Officer)- Thierry Weil.
BCCI annual awards 2018-19 announced: Jasprit Bumrah receives Polly Umrigar award
On 12 January 2020 ,The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Annual Awards were presented in 25
different categories for the 2018-19 season in Mumbai, Maharashtra to honor all the legendary cricketers.
Key Highlights:
i.Indian pacer Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah has received the highest prize of Indian cricket – the
prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for the best international cricketer (2018-19) in men’s category.The award
carries a citation, trophy & cheque for Rs. 15 lakh.
ii.At the same time, Poonam Yadav clinched the top prize in women’s category and was awarded the best
international cricketer.
iii.Former India captains Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Anjum Chopra were awarded the Col CK Nayudu
Lifetime Achievement Award and the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award for women respectively.
Given below is the complete list of winners
S.No. Award Winner
Col. CK. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement
1 Krishnamachari Srikkanth
Award
BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award For
2 Anjum Chopra
Women
3 BCCI Special Award Dilip Doshi
Dilip Sardesai Award for the highest run
4 Cheteshwar Pujara
getter in Test cricket (2018-2019)
Dilip Sardesai Award for the highest
5 Jasprit Bumrah
wicket-taker in Tests (2018-19)
Highest run getter in ODIs (2018-19) –
6 Smriti Mandhana
Women
Highest wicket-taker in ODIs(2018-19)
7 Jhulan Goswami
– Women
Polly Umrigar Award Best International
8 Jasprit Bumrah
Cricketer
9 Best International Cricketer – Women Poonam Yadav
10 Best International Debut – Men Mayank Agarwal
11 Best International Debut- Women Shafali Verma
Lala Amarnath Award For The Best All-
12 Shivam Dube of Mumbai C A
Rounder In The Ranji Trophy, 2018-19
Lala Amarnath Award For The Best All-
13 Rounder In Domestic Limited-Overs Nitish Rana of DDCA
Competitions, 2018-19
Madhavrao Scindia Award – Highest
14 Run Getter In The Ranji Trophy In 2018- Milind Kumar of Sikkim C A
19
Madhavrao Scindia Award – Highest
15 Wicket-Taker In The Ranji Trophy In Ashutosh Aman of Bihar C A
2018-19
M.A. Chidambaram Trophy – Highest
16 Run Getter In (U23) Col. C K Nayudu Manan Hingrajia of Gujarat C A
Trophy In 2018-19
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Sidak Singh of Cricket Association of
17 Wicket-Taker In (U23) Col. C K Nayudu
Pondicherry
Trophy In 2018-19
18 Run Getter In (U19) Cooch Behar Vathsal Govind of Kerala C A
Trophy In 2018-19
19 Wicket-Taker In (U19) Cooch Behar Apurva Anand of Bihar Cricket Association
Trophy In 2018-19
Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy – Highest
20 Run Getter In (U16) Vijay Merchant Aryan Hooda of Jharkhand State C A
Trophy In 2018-19
Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy – Highest
21 Wicket-Taker In (U16) Vijay Merchant Abhishek Yadav of Jharkhand State C A
Trophy In 2018-19
Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy – Best
22 Woman Cricketer (Sr Domestic) Of Deepti Sharma of Cricket Association of Bengal
2018-19 (Sr Women One Day)
Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy – Best
23 Woman Cricketer (Jr Domestic) Of Shafali Verma of Haryana C A
2018-19
Best Umpire In Domestic Cricket In
24 Virender Sharma
2018-19
Best Performance In Bcci Domestic
25 Vidarbha C A
Tournaments Of 2018-19
Note: CA means Cricket Association
Dilip Sardesai award: It is conferred on both the highest wicket-taker and highest run-getter in Test cricket.
Col. CK. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award conferred to India cricketers for their contribution to Indian
cricket.while BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award given by BCCI to cricketers,who are finest on-field performances.
About BCCI:
Founded– 1928
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chief Executive Officer– Rahul Johri
Football player Mbappé named as the most valuable player at €265 million: CIES Football Observatory
On January 13, 2020 Switzerland based International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) Football Observatory has
released a list of the most valuable football players in the world. Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian
Mbappe topped the list with €265 million.
Key Points:
i.Raheem Sterling from Manchester City listed second with €223.7 million and Mohammed Salah from
Liverpool was the third position with €175.1 million.
ii.The six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi was at eighth position with €125.5 million.
iii.21-year-old Mbappe has registered 19 goals and 11 assists in contrast with 32-year-old Messi has managed 16
goals and 9 assists in all competitions in the season.
Winners:
Rank Name
1 Kylian Mbappe ( €265 million)
2 Raheem Sterling ( €223.7 million)
3 Mohammed Salah (€175.1 million)
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About CIES:
Founded- 2000
President- Pierre Cornu
Captain Tania Shergill to become first woman parade adjutant for Republic Day parade of 2020
On 13th January 2020, Captain Tania Shergill, an officer with Army’s Corps of Signals, will be the first woman
parade adjutant for the Republic Day (26th January) parade of 2020. A parade adjutant is responsible for the
parade.
Key Points:
i.She is an electronics and communications graduate, her father, grandfather and great-grandfather have also
served in the Army. She was commissioned in March 2017 from the Officer Training Academy, Chennai.
ii.In the 2019 Republic Day parade, Captain Bhavna Kasturi was the first women officer who led an all-men
contingent.
iii.The Republic Day parade will witness Infantry Combat Vehicle BMP-2K of the 18 Mechanised Infantry,
Dhanush Gun System and the Army Air Defence on the Rajpath. Contingents of the Corps of Signals, Sikh Light
Infantry, Kumaon Regiment, the Grenadiers, the Parachute Regiment will also take part in the parade.
About Indian Army:
Founded– 1st April 1895, India
Commander-in-Chief– President Ram Nath Kovind
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS)– General Manoj Mukund Naravane
British Indian yoga champion Ishwar Sharma wins Global Child Prodigy Award
On January 12, 2020 Yoga Champion Ishwar Sharma,10 years old schoolboy (UK resident) originally from
Mysore, under 11-yoga champion from the UK, has been honoured with the Global Child Prodigy Award 2020 for
achievements in spiritual discipline yoga.
Global Prodigy Award honours child prodigies from across 45 countries under 30 different categories such as
palaeontology, choreography, biking, fitness and martial arts etc.
Key Points:
i.Sharma received his certificate of achievement from Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Dr.
Kiran Bedi, Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry at a special event in New Delhi.
ii.Sharma has participated in over 100 events across the UK and Worldwide and he started an e-petition with the
UK Government to include yoga in national school curriculum and nearly 20,000 people signed.
iii.In the past he has been named as British Indian of the year in the Yoga Achiever category and won a gold
medal at the Euro Asian Yoga Championships.
iv.Sharma has qualified to represent Great Britain in the World Yoga Championship to be held in Edmonton,
Canada, in October 2020 and organized by the International Sports Yoga Federation.
About Global Child Prodigy Award:
This award is a platform to showcase the talent of children in dance, music, art, writing, acting, modelling,
science, sports etc.,This award is supported by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Foundation and Oscar Award-winning music
producer AR Rahman among others.
2020 Swachhata Darpan plastic management awards conferred by actor Aamir Khan in New Delhi
On january 12, 2020 the Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under Ministry of Jal Shakti, organised the ODF
(Open Defecation Free) sustainability workshop in New Delhi. The workshop had a special session by
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan (founder of Paani foundation) who distributed awards to the best performing
districts on key swachhata parameters.
Swachhata Darpan Awards:
Actor Aamir Khan presented the Swachhata Darpan Awards for best performing districts which includes East
Godavari (Andhra Pradesh), West Kameng (Arunachal Pradesh), Bemtara (Chhattisgarh), Diu (Daman and Diu),
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Panipat (Haryana), Vadodara (Gujarat), Kolhapur (Maharashtra), Moga (Punjab), East Sikkim (Sikkim) and
Pedappali (Telangana).
Award for plastic waste management:
4 districts i.e, Dibrugarh (Assam), Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh), Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Puri (Odisha)
were awarded for innovations and initiatives in plastic waste management.
• Sindoda panchayat of Indore was declared as the first plastic-free area in the Madhya
Pradesh recently and the award was conferred to Indore Zila Panchayat chief executive officer(CEO)
Neha Meena.
ODF (Open Defecation Free) sustainability workshop:
i.Workshop session: The workshop included 2 presentations on the themes for ODF sustainability. They were
Information, Education and Communication (IEC); and Community Toilets.
ii.The state representatives were honoured for improving sanitation access in rural areas over the past 5 years
thus leading to ODF declaration in India on October 2, 2019 under Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen (SBM-G).
iii.The district collectors of various states presented on initiatives taken to improve the Swachh Bharat Mission-
Grameen (SBM-G).
iv.Members present: Secretary of DDWS, Shri Parameswaran Iyer and other officials were present in the event.
v.SBM-G: The objective of SBM-G is that no one is left behind has moved forward with overall cleanliness in
villages with solid and liquid waste management (SLWM).
Founded- September 1985(as Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation).
Union Minister- Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Minister of State(MoS)- Shri Rattan Lal Katari.
Highlights of 2nd edition of Sportstar Aces awards 2020 ceremony held in Mumbai, Maharashtra
On January 12, 2020, The 2nd edition of Sportstar Aces Awards 2020 was held at the Trident Hotel in Mumbai,
Maharashtra consisting of 23 different categories of awards for India’s sportspersons.
Key Points:
i.The winners have been picked by a panel headed by cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar, and included THG (The
Hindu Group) Publishing Private Limited chairman N. Ram, former India hockey captain M.M. Somaya,
Olympians Anjali Bhagwat, Aparna Popat and chess legend Viswanathan Anand.
ii.Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research in in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN) has won the Best
University for the Promotion of Sports.
List of winners:
S.No Award Winner
Pusarla Venkata (PV) Sindhu-
1 Sportstar of the Year Award
Badminton
Kapil Dev Ram Lal Nikhanj (former
2 Lifetime Achievement Award
Indian cricketer)
3 Chairman’s Choice Award Steve Smith of Australia-Cricket
Badminton coach Pullela Gopichand &
4 Coach of the Year
chess coach R. B. Ramesh
5 Sportsman of the Year (Cricket) Rohit Sharma
6 Sportswoman of the Year (Cricket) Smriti Mandhana
Sportswoman of the Year (Team
7 Deep Grace Ekka- Hockey
Sports)
8 Sportsman of the Year (Team Sports) Manpreet Singh – Hockey
9 Young Athlete of the Year (Female) Mehuli Ghosh-shooter
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (chess)
10 Young Athlete of the Year (Male)
& Esow Alben(Cyclist)
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11 Sportstar Team of the Year Indian Test cricket team

12 Special Recognition Award Leander Paes- Tennis
Best State for the Promotion of
13 Odisha (For the 2nd time)
Sports.
Sportsman of the Year (Individual
14 Bajrang Punia -wrestling
Sport)
Sportswoman of the Year (Individual Koneru Humpy(Chess) & Apurvi
15
Sport) award Chandela (Shooting)
Pankaj Advani ( Billiards and snooker
16 Special Jury Award
player)
Best PSU(Public Sector Undertaking)
17 /Corporate House for the Promotion Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
of Sports
Sportsman of the Year (Racquet Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth (Badminton
18
Sport) )
Sportswoman of the Year (Racquet Pusarla Venkata (PV) Sindhu-
19
Sports) Badminton
Sportsman of the Year (Track and
20 Avinash Sable (Athlete)
Field)
Sportswoman of the Year (Track and
21 Annu Rani (Javelin thrower )
Field)
22 Sportsman of the Year (Parasports) Pramod Bhagat (Para Shuttler)
Sportswoman of the Year
23 Ekta Bhyan (para athlete)
(Parasports)
Sindhi writer Vasdev Mohi to be conferred with 29th Saraswati Samman 2019
On January 17,2020 Sindhi (Indo-Aryan language) Writer Vasdev Mohi has been selected for the Saraswati
Samman 2019, a literary recognition given annually by the KK (Krishna Kumar) Birla Foundation. The literary
award is given for his short stories collection- ‘Chequebook’. The short story talks about the sufferings of the
marginalized sections in society. The work was selected by a committee headed by the former secretary-general
of the Lok sabha, Subash C Kashyap.
Key Points:
i.Saraswati Samman carries a cash award of
15 lakh rupees, a citation, and a plaque.
ii.In the past, he also received the Sahitya
Akademi Award, Sindhi Sahitya Academy
Award, Gangadhar Mehar National Award and
Lifetime Achievement Award of Sindhi
Academy.
iii.Born in 1944 in Mirpur Khas, Pakistan
(undivided India), Vasudev Mohi has authored
25 books of poetry, stories, and translations.
iv.Besides Saraswathi Samman, two other awards- the Vyas Samman (for Hindi works by Indian citizens)
and Bihari Puraskar (for Hindi/Rajasthani works by Rajasthani writers) have been given by the KK Birla
Foundation, a literary and cultural organization.
v.K K Birla foundation was established in 1991, New Delhi, India
Saraswati Samman Award:
i.The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any of the 22
Indian languages listed in Schedule VIII of the constitution of India.
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16th edition of ICC awards 2019 announced ; Rohit sharma named ODI cricket of the year
On January 15, 2020, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the list of ICC award winners for
the year 2019 to recognise and honor the best international cricket players of the previous 12 months.
Indian opener Rohit Gurunath Sharma became ODI (One Day International) Cricketer of the Year for the first
time. At the same time, Virat Kohli bagged Spirit of Cricket award.
Key Points:
i.Rohit became just the 3rd Indian to win this prestigious award after MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
ii.England’s World Cup winning all-rounder Ben Stokes won the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for the
Cricketer of the Year, While Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins became the best Test cricketer of the year,
taking 59 wickets in 2019.
iii.The women’s awards were announced on 17 December 2019, with Indian women’s cricket player Smriti
Mandana named in both ICC women’s ODI and T20 (twenty twenty) teams of the year.
The awards in brief are as follows:
ICC Men’s Test Team & Men’s ODI Team of the Year 2019:
ICC Test Team of the Year 2019: Virat Kohli (Indian cricket team Captain) , Mayank Agarwal (India) ,Tom Latham
(New Zealand) , BJ Watling (wicketkeeper, NZ) , Neil Wagner (New Zealand) ,Ben Stokes(England) , Steve Smith
(Australia), Marnus Labuschagne (Australia), Mitchell Starc (Australia) . Pat Cummins (Australia) , Nathan Lyon
(Australia)
ICC ODI Team of the Year 2019 : Virat Kohli (Captain, 4th consecutive year), Rohit Sharma (India), Mohammed
Shami (India) ,Kuldeep Yadav (India) ,Mitchell Starc (Australia) , Kane Williamson (New Zealand) ,Trent Boult
(New Zealand), Jos Buttler (England, wicketkeeper 2nd time in a row) , Ben Stokes (England) , Babar Azam
(Pakistan) , Shai Hope (West Indies Cricket Board).
List of winners:
S.No Award Winner Country
1 ODI Player of the Year Rohit Sharma India
2 Test Cricketer of the Year Pat Cummins Australia
Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for
3 Ben Stokes England
Cricketer of the Year
4 Twenty20I Performance of the Year Deepak Chahar India
5 Emerging Player of the Year Marnus Labuschagne Australia
6 ICC ODI Captain of the Year Virat Kohli India
7 ICC Test Captain of the Year Virat Kohli India
8 Associate Player of the Year Kyle Coetzer Scotland
Virat Kohli (He has been awarded
for urging fans not to boo Steve
9 Spirit of Cricket India
Smith and let him play during ICC
World Cup 2019)
David Shepherd Trophy for Umpire of
10 Richard Illingworth England
the Year
11 Fan’s Moment of the Year To be decided
ICC Awards:
The awards were given by ICC since 2004. 2019 ICC Awards were the 16th edition of ICC Awards. Between 2011
and 2014 the awards were known, for sponsorship reasons, as the LG ICC Awards.
About International Cricket Council (ICC):
Founded– 15 June 1909.
Headquarters– Dubai, United Arab Emirates(UAE).
Chairperson– Shashank Manohar.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Manu Sawhney.
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17th edition of Crossword Books Awards held in Mumbai, Maharashtra

On January 14, 2020 the 17th edition of Crossword Book Awards was held in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The
Crossword Book Award is the only forum in India that gives a face to Indian authors and Indian literature, with
well-rounded jury mining gems from the length and breadth of the country.
Twinkle Khanna won the popular Best Fiction Award for her novel ‘Pyjamas Are Forgiving’
In 17th edition of Crossword Book Awards, Twinkle Khanna won the Popular Best Fiction Award for her novel
‘Pyjamas Are Forgiving’. This novel is about a woman named Anshu, who has difficulty sleeping and therefore
checks herself into a spa in Kerala, and there she finds her ex-husband and his younger wife and suddenly several
unsettling, repressed feelings begins to rush back. This book contains Khanna’s signature self-deprecating, wry
sense of humour, and tells the story with a deep insight into human nature.
Popular award Winners of 17th crossword Books Awards:
Category Winners
Fiction Twinkle Khanna for ‘Pyjamas Are Forgiving’.
Non Fiction Gaur Gopal Das for ‘Life’s Amazing Secrets’.
Health & Fitness Dr Jaishree Sharad for ‘Skin Rules’.
Children’s books Sudha Murty for ‘The Upside Down King’.
Krishna Trilok for ‘Notes of a Dream: The
Biography
Authorized Biography of A.R. Rahman’.
Business &
Anju Sharma for ‘Corporate Monk’.
Management
Jury Awards
category winners
Shanta Gokhale for ‘One Foot on the Ground: A Life Told Through
Jury Non-fiction award
the Body’.
Jury Fiction award Madhuri Vijay for ‘The Far Field’
Jury Children’s book
Richa Jha and Sumanta Dey for ‘MachherJhol: Fish Curry’.
award
Best book in the Indian Jayasree Kalathil and N Prabhakaran for ‘Diary of a Malayali
Language Madman’.
Jury of 17th edition Crossword award:
The jury of Crossword Book Awards contains twelve-member team that included author Janice Pariat, literary
critic Somak Ghoshal, culture editor Vivek Tejuja, writer and blogger Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan and Rohan
Narayana Murty, founder of Murty Classical Library.
Singer Suman & music director Kuldeep Singh to get MP’s Lata Mangeshkar Award for 2017 & 2018
respectively
On January 16, 2020 noted Indian singer Suman
Kalyanpur was chosen for the 2017 National
Lata Mangeshkar Award of the state govt. of
Madhya Pradesh(MP) while Indian Music
composer Kuldeep Singh has been chosen for
the same Mangeshkar award for the year 2018.
They have been chosen for this award for their
contribution in the field of music and will be
awarded in February 2020 at an event in Indore,
Madhya Pradesh.
Key Points:
i.The award carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, a shawl, a citation and a ‘shreephal’ (coconut).
ii.Award committee: The selected committee of the award included singer Suresh Wadkar among others.
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iii.About the award: The award has been instituted by MP in 1984-85 in honour of renowned singer Lata
Mangeshkar (90 years). MP is the birthplace of the Lata.
• Music director Naushal Ali was the 1st person to be conferred with the award in 1984-85.
Capital- Bhopal.
National Parks(NP)- Kanha NP,Bandhavgarh NP, Madhav NP, Sanjay NP, Van Vihar NP, Panna NP, Satpura NP,
Pench NP, Mandla Plant Fossils NP.
Road transport minister Gadkari presents National highway excellence awards 2019 in New Delhi
On January 14, 2020, Nitin Jairam Gadkari ,the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and MSMEs
(Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), has presented the National Highways (NH) Excellence Awards
2019 to honor the 12 best performers in NH sectoron in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i.The award was given in 7 categories for which a total of 104 applications from across the country were received
in 2019.The 7 categories include, Excellence in Project Management, Excellence in Operation and Maintenance,
Excellence in Toll Management, Excellence in Highway Safety, Innovation, Outstanding Work in Challenging
Conditions, Green Highway.
ii.The applications were received on an online application platform designed by National Informatics Centre
(NIC). An esteemed jury panel checked all the aspects of each project for the award. Also, Toll personnel with the
best implementation of FASTag technology will be awarded for increased automation in toll collection.
About Fastag: It is an electronic toll collection system in India, operated by the National Highway Authority of
India (NHAI). It uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to make toll payments directly from the
prepaid or savings account linked to it or directly to toll owner.
NH Excellence Awards:
Instituted in the year 2018, National Highway Excellence Awards aims to recognize the well-performing
companies in the field of construction, operations, maintenance, toll collection and road safety on National
Highways.
About Road transport ministry:
Founded– July 1942
‘cVIGIL’ and ‘Voter Helpline app’ won e-Governance Award of Excellence 2019 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha
On January 17, 2020 Award of Excellence for the year 2019 was given by Computer Society of India (CSI) and
Special Interest Group on e-Governance (CSI SIG e-Gov) at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in
Bhubaneswar, Odisha during the CSI 2020, 53rd annual convention of CSI. The two innovative Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) applications developed by Election Commission of India
(ECI), ‘cVIGIL’ and ‘Voter Helpline App’ has won the ‘Award of Excellence’ 2019. The award was received by
Dr. Kushal Pathak, Director ICT & chief information security officer (CISO), ECI and Chief Electoral Officer of
Odisha, Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani on behalf of ECI.
cVIGIL Mobile App:
i.By using this app citizens can report Violations during elections such as bribery, free gift, liquor distribution,
playing loudspeakers beyond the permitted time. ‘cVIGIL’ stands for Vigilant Citizen.
ii.Every cVIGIL case is acted upon and replied back with the action taken in the 100-minute timeline after the
evidentiary proof of the violation.
iii.From October 2018 to December 2019, the total number of 1,71,745 cases have been filled through cVIGIL and
from which 1,27,567 (74%) of the cases have been found correct.
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Voter Helpline App:

i.The Voter Helpline app provides an option for voters to search their name in 90-plus crore electors database,
fill forms for new voter registration, migration and corrections.
ii.It also helps to download the digital photo voter slips, and displays the complete information about the
contesting candidates.
iii.It also allows voters to view the real-time results.
About Election Commission of India:
Chief Election Commissioner- Shri Sunil Arora
Election Commissioners- Shri Ashok Lavasa, Shri Sushil Chandra
About Odisha:
Priya Prakash wins Cisco Youth Leadership Award 2019

Priya Prakash, the founder and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of India-based “HealthSetGo” has won the Global
citizen prize: Cisco Youth Leadership award for 2019. The award was given for her school health program
that provides healthcare support to children. The Award was given by Cisco Executive Vice President and Chief
People Officer Fran Katsoudas at Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom (UK).
Global Citizen Prize: Global Citizen Price is an
award given to world leaders, artists, business
leaders, and youth activists.
Cisco Youth Leadership award for 2019:
i.Award contribution: The prestigious award
honours individuals aged 18-30 years who
bring changes in the world by solving some of
the global challenges.
ii.Cash prize:The award includes a $250,000
cash prize paid to the individual organization
to which individual contributes for their
further mission.
HealthSetGo:
i.HealthSetGo is a healthcare organisation that supports the UN’s (United Nation) Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and to improve the health & lives of children. HealthSetGo in a span of 4 years has become India’s largest
healthcare organisation for schools.
ii.The company creates a digital health report card with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Data
Analytics (DA) that provide complete information about a child’s health aged 2 to 17 in finding the diseases.
• Information recording: Doctor’s record the information in real time on HealthSetGo’s proprietary
app, records are sharable and providing a single place for medical records to be stored.
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Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw: 4th Indian to receive highest Australian civilian honour

On January 17, 2020, Australia has conferred its highest civilian honour, the Order of Australia honour to Kiran
Mazumdar-Shaw, founder and chairperson of biopharmaceutical company Biocon and appointed as an
honorary member in the general division of the Order of Australia by Australia’s High Commissioner to India Ms.
Harinder Sidhu at a ceremony in Leela Palace,
Bengaluru, Karnataka. She is the fourth
Indian citizen to be awarded Australia’s
highest civilian honour.
Award contribution: The award is given to
foreign nationals who have extraordinarily
contributed to Australia or for humanity.
Key Points:
i.Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw was an alumnus of
Federation University, Australia.
ii.She was born in Bengaluru, Karnataka and
also recognized as an ‘Australian Global Alumni Ambassador’ for her significant contribution to industry
academia collaboration between Australia and India.
iii.She also contributed immensely in promoting women in STEM (Science, Technology,Engineering,
Mathematics) through the joint research programmes developed between Biocon and Deakin University,
Australia.
iv.The Australian civilian honours from India are star batsman Sachin Tendulkar in 2012, Former Attorney
General of India Soli Jehangir Sorabjee in 2006 and Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu) of Kolkata in 1982.
Former President Pranab Mukherjee Confers ‘Champions of Change 2019’ Award to Jharkhand CM
Hemant Soren
On January 20,2020 Jharkhand CM (Chief Minister) Hemant Soren was conferred with ‘Champions of Change
Award-2019’ for social welfare (Aspirational Districts) by Former President Pranab Mukherjee at a function
in New Delhi.
Award Contribution:The award is
contributed to Hemant for his work in the
Barhait and Dumka assembly constituencies
in the state.
Key Points:
i.Dumka Constituency: Soren had won the
Dumka constituency in 2009 and lost the
constituency in 2014 election and regained it
in 2019.
ii.Barhait Constituency: Soren had also won the Barhait constituency for the 2nd consecutive term.
iii.Soren dedicated his award to his father Shibu Soren (Former CM of Jharkhand) and to the people of Jharkhand.
iv. Some Other awardees are:
1.Shri Manish Shisodia (Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi),( Education)
2.Shri Anurag Thakur (Minister of State MoS Finance & Corporate Affairs), Social Welfare
3.Shri Acharya Balakrishnan ( Patanjali), Social Welfare
4.Ms.Shilpa Shetty & Raj Kundra (Swachh Bharat).
5.Smt I.Deepa Venkat (Social Welfare),Swarna Bharat Trust, Andhra Pradesh.
6.Shri Suresh Oberoi & Sister Shivani (Culture) (The Awakening of Brahma Kumaris)
7.Smt.Geeta Koda (Member of Parliament MP, Lok Sabha), Social Welfare (Aspirational Districts)
8.Shri Allu Arvind (Social welfare) – Andhra Pradesh
About Jharkhand: Capital- Ranchi. Governor- Draupadi Murmu.
Formation Year- 15 November 2000.
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President of India Presented 14th Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards

On January 20, 2020 President of India Shri.Ram Nath Kovind, presented “14th Ramnath Goenka Excellence in
Journalism Awards” at a ceremony in New Delhi.
Ramnath Goenka:Ramnath Goenka was an
Indian newspaper publisher who launched
Indian Express in 1932 and the award is
given by his name since 2006 by the Express
Group.
Key Points:
i.Award Contribution: The award honours
journalists across the country from print,
broadcast and digital media.
ii.The award were presented to 23 winners
in 11 categories for their outstanding work
done from the year 2018.
iii.Cash Award:The awardees received prize money of Rs.1 lakh.
iv.Award Categories: Reporting from Conflict Zones, Hindi reporting, Civic-journalism, Regional languages,
Environment Science Technology reporting, Business & Economic journalism, Politics &Government,
Photojournalism, Investigative reporting, Uncovering India Invisible and Books(Non-Fiction).
v.The winners were chosen by an eminent jury that included Tom Goldstein (Professor and Dean, Jindal School of
Journalism & Communication, OP Jindal Global University), Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi, former Chief Election
Commissioner, Pamela Philipose(Journalist & Senior fellow at the Indian Council of Social Science Research) and
former Supreme Court Judge Justice Bellur Narayanaswamy Srikrishna.
vi.Anant Goenka, Executive Director (EXDIR) of express group, Indian Express chief editor and author Raj Kamal
took part on this occasion.
President Kovind conferred 2020 Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awards in New Delhi
On January 22, 2020 the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind conferred the 2020 annual Pradhan
Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar to 49 children in the age group of 5-18 in New Delhi. The award is given to
children having exceptional achievements in various fields such as innovation, scholastic achievements, social
service, arts and culture, sports and bravery.
Yash-1st Motorsports personality awarded:
Yash Aradhya (17 years) of Bengaluru, Karnataka created history by becoming the 1st motorsports personality
to be awarded the Rashtriya Bal Puraskar. Click here to know more about other awardees.
Key points:
i.The award carries a medal, a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a certificate and a citation.
22 children from 12 States selected for ICCW National bravery awards 2019
On January 21, 2020, Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW), which selects children for the National
Bravery Awards every year, has picked 22 children including 10 girls & 12 boys from 12 States for the ICCW
National Bravery Awards-2019.
They will receive the award from President of IndiaShri, Ram Nath Kovind on 26th January 2020 (Republic Day).
Key Points:
i.These awards are broadly classified into five categories, including the Bharat Award, Sanjay Chopra Award,
Geeta Chopra Award, Bapu Gaidhani Award and the General National Bravery Awards.
ii.The prestigious Bharat Award will be conferred on Adithya K (15) from Kerala for saving more than 40 lives
after a bus they were travelling in caught fire.
iii.Akash Khillare from Aurangabad (Maharashtra) will be getting a bravery award for rescued the life of a 5-
year-old girl and her mother after he saw them sinking while on his way to school.
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iv.The other recipients are given in the link below,

https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/jan/21/22-children-selected-for-national-bravery-awards-
2092550.html
National Bravery Awards:
These are a set of awards given annually since 1957 by the Union government to children below 16 years of age
for their bravery against all odds.
Each awardees will get a medal, a certificate ,cash & also receive financial assistance from philanthropists till
their graduation.
2nd Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2020:DMMC & Kumar Singh awarded
The govt of India announced the 2nd edition of the 2020 Subash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan
Puraskar on January 23, 2020 marking the 123rd birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The award
is given annually and 2020 award selection & the nominations were scrutinized by two high level Committees.
Disaster Mitigation & Management Centre (DMMC) of Uttarakhand and Kumar Munnan Singh were honoured
with the award.
2020 Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar:
i.DMMC was selected under ‘institution category’ while Shri Kumar Munnan Singh was selected under
‘individual category’ for their contributions in disaster management.
ii.Award:
• Institution:Usually the winner incase of being an institution would receive a certificate, and a cash
prize of Rs 51 lakhs.
• Individual: Incase the winner is from an individual category, then a certificate and a cash prize of Rs.
5 lakhs.
iii.Previous awardee: Previously in 2019, the 8th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
located at Ghaziabad, was selected for the 1st edition of this award for its commendable work in disaster
management.
iv.Award eligibility: Citizens of India and also organisations excelling in areas of disaster management activities
like prevention, mitigation, preparedness, rescue, response, relief, rehabilitation, research/ innovations or early
warning will be eligible for the award.
Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre (DMMC):
i.Established in 2006, DMMC discharges functions of state disaster management authority. It ensures various
scientific and academic institutions working in the field of DRR (Disaster risk reduction) in the country and
conducts workshops in disaster management.
• It has developed audio-visual and print IEC (information, education and communication) materials
and also includes most popular film ‘The Silent Heroes’ which was released on 11th December, 2015.
Kumar Munnan Singh:
He was appointed as the founder member of National Disaster Management Authority(NDMA) in 2005 for his
outstanding work during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. In NDMA he established ‘National Disaster Response
Force (NDRF) which now has 14,000 personnel comprising of 12 battalions.
• Under his direction, NDRF delivered commendable response during devastating Kosi foods, 2008.
• So far 60lakh people have been trained under NDRF.
About National Disaster Management Authority:
Founded- 30 May 2005
Parent department- Ministry of Home Affairs(MoHA).
Kerala Tourism’s disabled-friendly project won UNWTO’s Accessible Destination Awards 2019
On January 23, 2020, Kerala Tourism’s Barrier-Free Project has won global recognition with the United
Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as an “Emerging Global Destination” in the Accessible
Destination Awards 2019 for South-Indian state category. The recognition is for the implementation of the
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project in the central Kerala district of Thrissur (India’ s only destination to win the honour). Kerala is also the
1st Indian state to work as per the UNWTO guidelines on making tourist destinations disabled-friendly.
Kerala Tourism Director P Bala Kiran IAS (Indian Administrative Service) received the award from UNWTO
Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili at 40th FITUR International Tourism Trade Fair in Madrid, Spain.
Key Points:
i.FITUR International Tourism Trade Fair: It is a meeting point of worldwide tourism professionals & also the
2nd biggest global gathering of travel and tourism professionals.
ii.The Kerala tourism launched the barrier-free project in an effort of making 120 destinations across the state
disabled-friendly in March,2019.
iii.The disabled-friendly project provides facilities like Ramps, accessible toilets, lactation rooms, Braille
pamphlets, signage, touch-screen kiosks, audio and sign aids, wheelchairs & walking aids are the facilities.
About Kerala:
Chief Minister(CM)- Pinarayi Vijayan.
Graphic designer Sneha pamneja wins Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize 2020 for ‘Tiffin’ at 13th Jaipur
Literature Festival
On January 25, 2020, Sneha Pamneja, a well known Graphic designer based in New Delhi, was awarded Oxford
Bookstore Book Cover Prize 2020, a 1st of its kind award for brilliance in book design, at Jaipur BookMark of
ongoing 13th edition of the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) at Diggi Palace Hotel in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
She was honoured for designing the cover of the book ‘Tiffin: Authentic Recipes Celebrating India’s Regional
Cuisine’.
Key Points:
i.Pamneja was awarded a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh for designing an attractive cover. The award was
presented to her by the jury comprising Jurors Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Namita Gokhale and Shobhaa De.
ii.Penned by Sonal Ved & published by Roli books, the book Tiffin’s cover attracts the theme and essence of the
book attractively.
iii.Apart from winning book cover, the jury committee also recognized 3 more designers with special jury awards
appreciating their path-breaking contribution in designing the respective book covers.
These included designers Samya Arif & Amit Malhotra for Hijabistan (publisher-HarperCollins), Saurav Das for
Hicky’s Bengal Gazette (publisher-Transquebar (Westland) & Gaurav Saini for Line on Fire: Ceasefire violations
and India-Pakistan escalation dynamics (publisher-Oxford University Press).
About Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize:
The annual prize, now in its 5th edition, was initiated in 2015 to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary work
of illustrators,and appreciate the visual values in design.
Journalist & Hindu group chairman N Ram honoured with Kerala’s national media award
On January 23, 2020 popular journalist and Chairman of the Hindu Group of Publications Shri N Ram was
honoured by Kerala Media Academy’s National media award as part of its 40th anniversary of formation. He was
awarded for his outstanding contribution to journalism. The award carried a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a citation
and a memento.
Key Points:
i.Award presentation: The award will be presented by the chief minister of Kerala Shri Pinarayi Vijayan by the
end of March 2020.
ii.Jury members: The selection was done by a jury which comprised of former Kerala state Education Minister
M A Baby, senior journalist Thomas Jacob, general education department secretary A Shajahan, and others.
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English actor Andy Serkis to get BAFTA award for outstanding British contribution to cinema in Feb 2020
Andrew Clement Serkis (55), an English actor and film director, will receive the Outstanding British
Contribution to Cinema Award 2020, one of the British Academy’s top honours from British Academy of Film
and Television Arts (BAFTA) at the 73rd EE British Academy Film Awards ceremony,scheduled to be held on
February 2, 2020 in London, UK (United Kingdom) .
Key Points:
i.Serkis got his credit with the creation of characters such as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit series,
Caesar in the Planet of the Apes trilogy, the titular gorilla in 2005’s King Kong.
ii.Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award is presented annually in honour of Michael Balcon, the
British film producer best known for his work with Ealing Studios. Previous recipients are Elizabeth Karlsen and
Stephen Woolley, co-founders of Number 9 Films, Ridley and Tony Scott, Film4 Productions,etc.
About BAFTA:
Country– United Kingdom (UK)
First awarded– 29 May 1949
Ministry of Home Affairs announces Padma awards 2020 ; Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj honoured
On January 25, 2020, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA),Government of India (GoI) on the eve of 71st Republic
Day, announced the names of Padma awardees for 2020, which is the highest civilian Awards in the country.
The Padma Awards are conferred under 3 categorized viz- Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
About Padma Award:
The awards are given in various fields like art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and
industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
This time (2020) a total of list had 141 awards – 7 celebrities have been chosen for Padma Vibhushan, 16
celebrities for Padma Bhushan and 118 personalities for Padma Shri. They will be conferred by the President of
India, Ram Nath Kovind at ceremonial functions which will held in Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi at around
March/ April 2020.
33 of the awardees are women,18 are from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI & 12 Posthumous awardees.
Highlights:
Former Union ministers Arun Jaitley (posthumously), Sushma Swaraj (posthumously), George Fernandes
(posthumously) and World champion boxer Mary Kom were awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the India’s
2nd highest civilian honour while, India’s number one badminton player PV Sindhu has been selected for the
Padma Bhushan.
Padma Vibhushan (Second Highest Civilian Award):
The Padma Vibhushan,instituted on 2 January 1954,is given for “exceptional and distinguished service”, without
distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex.This year president approved the conferment of Padma
Vibhushan to 7 persons.
Winners of Padma Vibhushan 2020:
S.NO Name Field State/Country
George Fernandes
1 (Posthumous) Public Affairs Bihar
Arun Jaitley
2 (Posthumous) Public Affairs Delhi
3 Sir Anerood Jugnauth Public Affairs Mauritius
4 M. C. Mary Kom Sports Manipur
5 Chhannulal Mishra Art Uttar Pradesh
Sushma Swaraj
6 (Posthumous) Public Affairs Delhi
Sri Vishveshateertha Swamiji Sri
7 Pejavara Adhokhaja Matha Udupi (Posthumous) Others-Spiritualism Karnataka
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Padma Bhushan (3rd Highest civilian Award):

Padma Bhushan, Instituted on 2 January 1954,is given for “distinguished service of a high order without
distinction of race, occupation, position or sex.”This year President approved the conferment of Padma Bhushan
to 16 Persons.
Winners of Padma Bhushan 2020:
S.No Name Field State/Country
1 M. Mumtaz Ali (Sri M) Others-Spiritualism Kerala
Syed Muazzem Ali
2 (Posthumous) Public Affairs Bangladesh
Jammu and
3 Muzaffar Hussain Baig Public Affairs Kashmir (J&K)
4 Ajoy Chakravorty Art West Bengal
Literature and
5 Manoj Das Education Puducherry
6 Balkrishna Doshi Others-Architecture Gujarat
7 Krishnammal Jagannathan Social Work Tamil Nadu
8 S. C. Jamir Public Affairs Nagaland
9 Anil Prakash Joshi Social Work Uttarakhand
10 Dr. Tsering Landol Medicine Ladakh
11 Anand Mahindra Trade and Industry Maharashtra
Neelakanta Ramakrishna
12 Madhava Menon (Posthumous) Public Affairs Kerala
Manohar Gopalkrishna
13 Prabhu Parrikar (Posthumous) Public Affairs Goa
Literature and
14 Prof. Jagdish Sheth Education USA
15 P. V. Sindhu Sports Telangana
16 Venu Srinivasan Trade and Industry Tamil Nadu
Padma Shri:
Padma Shri, Instituted on 2 January 1954,is given for distinguished service of a high order without distinction of
race, occupation, position or sex.This year President approved the conferment of Padma Shri to 118 Persons.
Winners of Padma Shri 2020:
Name Field State/Country
Guru Shashadhar Acharya Art Jharkhand
Dr. Yogi Aeron Medicine Uttarakhand
Jai Prakash Agarwal Trade and Industry Delhi
Jagdish Lal Ahuja Social Work Punjab
Kazi Masum Akhtar Literature and Education West Bengal
Ms. Gloria Arieira Literature and Education Brazil
Khan Zaheerkhan Bakhtiyarkhan Sports Maharashtra
Dr. Padmavathy Bandopadhyay Medicine Uttar Pradesh
Dr. Sushovan Banerjee Medicine West Bengal
Dr. Digambar Behera Medicine Chandigarh
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Dr. Damayanti Beshra Literature and Education Odisha

Pawar Popatrao Bhaguji Social Work Maharashtra
Himmata Ram Bhambhu Social Work Rajasthan
Sanjeev Bikhchandani Trade and Industry Uttar Pradesh
Gafurbhai M. Bilakhia Trade and Industry Gujarat
Bob Blackman Public Affairs United Kingdom
Indira P. P. Bora Art Assam
Madan Singh Chauhan Art Chhattisgarh
Usha Chaumar Social Work Rajasthan
Lil Bahadur Chettri Literature and Education Assam
Lalitha & Ms. Saroja
Chidambaram (Duo)* Art Tamil Nadu
Dr. Vajira Chitrasena Art Sri Lanka
Dr. Purushottam Dadheech Art Madhya Pradesh
Utsav Charan Das Art Odisha
Prof. Indra Dassanayake
(Posthumous) Literature and Education Sri Lanka
H. M. Desai Literature and Education Gujarat
Manohar Devadoss Art Tamil Nadu
Oinam Bembem Devi Sports Manipur
Lia Diskin Social Work Brazil
M. P. Ganesh Sports Karnataka
Dr. Bangalore Gangadhar Medicine Karnataka
Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar Science and Engineering Maharashtra
Barry Gardiner Public Affairs United Kingdom
Chewang Motup Goba Trade and Industry Ladakh
Bharat Goenka Trade and Industry Karnataka
Yadla Gopalarao Art Andhra Pradesh
Mitrabhanu Gountia Art Odisha
Tulasi Gowda Social Work Karnataka
Sujoy K. Guha Science and Engineering Bihar
Harekala Hajabba Social Work Karnataka
Enamul Haque Others-Archaeology Bangladesh
Madhu Mansuri Hasmukh Art Jharkhand
Abdul Jabbar
(Posthumous) Social Work Madhya Pradesh
Bimal Kumar Jain Social Work Bihar
Meenakshi Jain Literature and Education Delhi
Nemnath Jain Trade and Industry Madhya Pradesh
Shanti Jain Art Bihar
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Sudhir Jain Science and Engineering Gujarat

Benichandra Jamatia Literature and Education Tripura
K. V. Sampath Kumar & Ms. Vidushi Jayalakshmi K.S.
(Duo)* Literature and Education-Journalism Karnataka
Karan Johar Art Maharashtra
Dr. Leela Joshi Medicine Madhya Pradesh
Sarita Joshi Art Maharashtra
C. Kamlova Literature and Education Mizoram
Dr. Ravi Kannan R. Medicine Assam
Ekta Kapoor Art Maharashtra
Yazdi Naoshirwan Karanjia Art Gujarat
Narayan J. Joshi Karayal Literature and Education Gujarat
Dr. Narindar Nath Khanna Medicine Uttar Pradesh
Naveen Khanna Science and Engineering Delhi
S. P. Kothari Literature and Education USA
V. K. Munusamy
Krishnapakthar Art Puducherry
M. K. Kunjol Social Work Kerala
Manmohan Mahapatra
(Posthumous) Art Odisha
Ustad Anwar Khan Mangniyar Art Rajasthan
Kattungal Subramaniam
Manilal Science and Engineering Kerala
Munna Master Art Rajasthan
Prof. Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra Literature and Education Himachal Pradesh
Binapani Mohanty Literature and Education Odisha
Dr. Arunoday Mondal Medicine West Bengal
Dr. Prithwindra Mukherjee Literature and Education France
Sathyanarayan Mundayoor Social Work Arunachal Pradesh
Manilal Nag Art West Bengal
N. Chandrasekharan Nair Literature and Education Kerala
Dr. Tetsu Nakamura
(Posthumous) Social Work Afghanistan
Jammu and
Shiv Datt Nirmohi Literature and Education Kashmir
Literature and
Pu Lalbiakthanga Pachuau Education-Journalism Mizoram
Moozhikkal Pankajakshi Art Kerala
Dr. Prasanta Kumar Pattanaik Literature and Education USA
Jogendra Nath Phukan Literature and Education Assam
Rahibai Soma Popere Others-Agriculture Maharashtra
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Yogesh Praveen Literature and Education Uttar Pradesh

Jitu Rai Sports Uttar Pradesh
Tarundeep Rai Sports Sikkim
S. Ramakrishnan Social Work Tamil Nadu
Rani Rampal Sports Haryana
Kangana Ranaut Art Maharashtra
Dalavai Chalapathi Rao Art Andhra Pradesh
Shahbuddin Rathod Literature and Education Gujarat
Kalyan Singh Rawat Social Work Uttarakhand
Chintala Venkat Reddy Others-Agriculture Telangana
Dr. Shanti Roy Medicine Bihar
Radhammohan & Ms.
Sabarmatee (Duo)* Others-Agriculture Odisha
Others-Animal
Batakrushna Sahoo Husbandry Odisha
Trinity Saioo Others-Agriculture Meghalaya
Adnan Sami Art Maharashtra
Vijay Sankeshwar Trade and Industry Karnataka
Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma Medicine Assam
Sayed Mehboob Shah Qadri
alias Sayedbhai Social Work Maharashtra
Mohammed Sharif Social Work Uttar Pradesh
Shyam Sunder Sharma Art Bihar
Dr. Gurdip Singh Medicine Gujarat
Ramjee Singh Social Work Bihar
Vashishtha Narayan Singh
(Posthumous) Science and Engineering Bihar
Daya Prakash Sinha Art Uttar Pradesh
Dr. Sandra Desa Souza Medicine Maharashtra
Vijayasarathi Sribhashyam Literature and Education Telangana
Kalee Shabi Mahaboob & Sheik Mahaboob Subani
(Duo)* Art Tamil Nadu
Jammu and
Javed Ahmad Tak Social Work Kashmir
Pradeep Thalappil Science and Engineering Tamil Nadu
Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi Literature and Education Arunachal Pradesh
Robert Thurman Literature and Education USA
Agus Indra Udayana Social Work Indonesia
Harish Chandra Verma Science and Engineering Uttar Pradesh
Sundaram Verma Social Work Rajasthan
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Dr. Romesh Tekchand

Wadhwani Trade and Industry USA
Suresh Wadkar Art Maharashtra
Prem Watsa Trade and Industry Canada
Union Minister– Amit Shah
TN agri university Vice-Chancellor N Kumar honoured 2019 Harit Ratna Award

On January 22, 2020 the Vice-Chancellor(VC) of Tamil Nadu Agriculture University(TNAU) Shri N Kumar was
honoured with Harit Ratna Award 2019 at
the 5th National Youth Convention(NYC) at
Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya
(IGKV) in Raipur, Chattisgarh. The award
was given by All India Agricultural Students
Association (AIASA).
Key Points:
i.Shri Kumar was awarded for the
dissemination of Rs 30-crore
entrepreneurship project in agri-business
and also for motivating students towards
the agriculture sector in Tamil Nadu.
ECI awarded National Media Award for print to “The Hindu Tamil”
On January 25,2020 Election Commission of India(ECI) awarded National Media Award for print to “The
Hindu Tamil” as part of the poll panel’s national awards for voter awareness and education campaign in 2019
on the occasion of the 10th National Voters Day held at New Delhi.
President Ram Nath Kovind presented National Media Award for print to K.Ashokan, Editor, The Hindu Tamil
for encouraging people for ‘Right to vote based on the merit of candidates’ during Lok Sabha election 2019.
Key Points:
i.President Kovind gave away the awards for best electoral practices to officers in conducting elections as well as
civil society organizations & media groups for spreading awareness.
ii.The awardees were Khalid Jahangir, District Election Officer (DEO), Anantnag District, Jammu & Kashmir, DEO
Adavathu Sarat, Jagitial, Telangana (for election management), Imphal,Manipur DEO Rangitablai Waikhom
(inclusive & participative elections), Alwar,Rajasthan DEO for Indrajeet Singh (Systematic Voters’ Education &
Electoral participation programme activities), Hisar, Haryana DEO Ashok Kumar Meena (IT initiatives).
iii.The award for excellence to states went to Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha with Chief Electoral Officers
(CEO) Sirra karuna Raju, Gopal Krishna Dwivedi & Surendar Kumar respectively received the awards.‘Best CEO
for Accessible Elections’ award presented to Sirra Karuna Raju of Punjab.
iv.Maj.Gen.(Rtd.) Anil Verma of the Association for Democratic Reforms and Bhushan Punani of the Blind’s
People Association were also recognized for their work.
Highlights of 62nd Annual Grammy Awards 2019 held in Los Angeles, US

On January 26, 2020 the 62nd edition of the Annual Grammy Awards 2019 was held at the Staples Center
in Los Angeles city of California in the United States(US). The awards were given in recognition for the best
recordings, compositions, and artists covering the period from October 1, 2018 till August 31, 2019. The event
was hosted by American musician, singer and composer Alicia Keys (original name Alicia Augello-Cook). The
awards were presented in 84 categories. The key highlights of the awards are as follows:
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62nd Annual Grammy Awards:

i.Michelle Obama: Former United States(US) first lady Michelle Obama was honoured with the best spoken
word album of the year award at the Grammy awards for the book “Becoming”. Her husband and Former US
President Barack Obama earlier has won two Grammy awards in the same category for his memoirs Dreams
from My Father (2006) and The Audacity of Hope (2008).
• Michelle is also the 2nd first lady (wife of a president) to have won a Grammy.
• Former President Bill Clinton’s wife Hillary Clinton was the 1st second lady to win a grammy in the
same category for her book “It Takes a Village” in 1997.
ii.Billie Eilish: American singer and songwriter Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell became the 1st artist to win
the Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist in the same year itself since
American singer-songwriter Christopher Cross in 1981. She also became the youngest person to win all four top
Grammys on the same night. Eilish and her brother Finneas Baird O’Connell received the most awards, with
five wins each.
iii.Singer Lizzo wins 3 grammy awards and dedicated to Basketball star Kobe Bryant who along with his
daughter, was killed in a helicopter crash.
iv.The Recording Academy’s 2020 Special Merit Awards recipients include Lifetime Achievement Award
honorees, who are Chicago, Roberta Flack, Isaac Hayes, Iggy Pop, John Prine, Public Enemy, and Sister
Rosetta Tharpe. Ken Ehrlich, Philip Glass and Frank Walker will receive Trustees Award honors, and George
Augspurger is being recognized with the Technical GRAMMY Award recipient. A special award presentation
ceremony and concert celebrating the honorees will be held on April 18, 2020, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium,
California, US.
Award:
Category Winner
Best Spoken Word Album “Becoming” by Michelle Obama
Album of the Year “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” by Billie Eilish
Record of the Year “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish
Best New Artist Billie Eilish
Best Rap Album Igor by Tyler, The Creator
Best R&B Performance “Come Home” by Anderson.Paak, featuring Andrş 3000
Best R&B song “Say So” by PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton featuring JoJo)
Best Rap Song “A Lot” 21 Savage Featuring J. Cole
Best Country Album “While I’m Livin” by Tanya Tucker
Song of the Year “Bad Guy” Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
Best Rock Album “Social Cues” by rock band Cage The Elephant
Best Rock Song “This Land,” Gary Clark Jr., songwriter
Dance/Electronic Album No Geography by The Chemical Brothers
Best Music Video “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus
“Bring My Flowers Now” by Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth & Tanya
Best Country Song Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker)
Best Folk Song Patty Griffin by Patty Griffin
Best Comedy Album Sticks & Stones by Dave Chappelle
Best Rap/Sung
Performance “Higher”, DJ Khaled featuring Nipsey Hussle and John Legend
Best World Music Album “Celia” by Angelique Kidjo.
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Best Urban Contemporary

Album “Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) by Lizzo.
Best Alternative Music
Album “Father of the Bride” by Vampire Weekend.
Best Music Film “Homecoming” by Beyonce.
Best pop solo Performance “Truth Hurts” by Lizzo.
Best Pop/Duo Performance “Old Town Road”by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus.
Best Pop Vocal Album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” by Billie Eilish
Click here to view the complete winners list.
About Grammy Award:
Fact- A Grammy Award or Grammy, is an award presented by The Recording Academy to recognize
achievements in the music industry.
First awarded- May 4, 1959 (as Gramophone Award).
Bajaj Housing Finance Limited Bags the BFSI Digital Innovation Awards 2020 for Cloud Solutions
On January 27, 2020 Bajaj Housing Finance Limited (BHFL), a 100% subsidiary of Bajaj Finance Limited, had
won the ‘BFSI Digital Innovation Award 2020’ for Cloud Solutions. The Express BFSI(Banking,Financial
Services &Insurance) Technology Conclave and Awards 2020 held in Pune, Maharashtra which is one of the
largest meetings of IT-decision makers, senior executives and partners in India. The function was organized by
the Express Computer, an IT (Information Technology) business magazine from the Indian Express Group.
Key Points:
i.Award Contribution: The BFSI digital awards were given to Indian Banks or Indian subsidiaries of MNC
(Multinational Corporation) BFSI industry that shows the innovative use of a particular technology or
combination of technologies for business benefit.
ii.There were 13 different technologies demonstrated in the function like -Big Data, Enterprise Mobility, Data
Center, Cloud, Artificial Intelligence, Enterprise Security, Blockchain and Enterprise Application.
About Bajaj Housing Finance Limited:
Fact- Bajaj Housing Finance Limited (BHFL) has been incorporated as a housing finance company under the
Companies Act, 1956, regulated by the National Housing Bank (NHB). It provides finance to builders and
developers involved in construction of homes.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Atul Jain.
Chairman & Non-Executive Independent Director– Nanoo Gobindram Pamnani.
Managing Director (MD)- Rajeev Jain.
About Express Computer:
Fact- Express Computer is a part of the Business-to-Business (B2B) unit of The Indian Express Ltd and also one
of India’s most respected IT media brands and has been in publication for 30 years.
Assam, Jal Shakti Mission & NDRF wins the best tableaux awards for 71st Republic Day Parade 2020
On January 28, 2020, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh distributed the awards for best tableaux which was
conducted on January 26, 2020, during the 71st Republic Day event. There were a total of 22 tableaux including
16 from various states and union territories and the remaining 6 from various ministries and departments.
Best Tableaux Awards (States and Union territories):
i.Assam’s tableaux displayed the theme ‘Land of Unique Craftsmanship and Culture’, had showcased the Xattriya
tradition in the form of Bhortal Nritya was chosen as the best tableaux.
ii.The second position was tied between Odisha which depicted Lord Lingaraja’s Rukuna Rath Yatra, and Uttar
Pradesh which showcased the culture of Sarva Dharma Samabhav.
Best Tableaux Awards Ministry/Departments
Among the six tableaux from different ministries/departments, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) won
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joint best Tableaux award for showcasing the cutting-edge technology and instruments used by the force to carry
out daring rescue operations in flood-hit and disaster-hit areas line with its motto ‘Aapda Sewa Sadaiv’ along
with
Jal Shakti Mission who won best tableaux for government’s new initiative, ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’, which aims at
providing functional tap connection to every rural household by 2024.
Special Prize: Central Public Works Department (CPWD) won a special prize for the theme “Kashmir se
Kanyakumari”.
‘Samvidhaan’ named as Oxford Hindi Word of the Year for 2019

On January 28, 2020, the Oxford University Press (OUP) has named ‘Samvidhaan’ (constitution) as the Oxford
Hindi Word of the Year (HWOTY) for 2019. This name received widespread attention in August 2019 with the
abrogation of Article 370 and article 35(A) of the Indian Constitution on August 05, 2019. The articles removed
special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir.
Key Points:
i.The Oxford dictionaries team invited entries for the Oxford Hindi Word of the Year through Facebook and was
finally selected by the Oxford Dictionaries team in India with help from panel of language experts.
ii.The 2019 Sabarimala verdict, floor test in Maharashtra etc also led to the widespread usage of the word
Samvidhaan.
iii.Samvidhaan: It is defined as a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a
state or other organisation is acknowledged to be governed.
Abhijit Banerjee conferred D Litt by Alma mater Calcutta University

On January 28, 2020, Nobel Prize winner in economics Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee conferred with the honorary D
Litt (Doctor of Literature) by his alma mater Calcutta University in Kolkata, West Bengal. Abhijit was awarded
Nobel Prize in 2019 for an “Experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”. He is one of the directors of
Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), United States of America (USA) founded in 2003.
Key Points:
i.Banerjee had pursued his graduation in economics from the Presidency University, Kolkata and secured first
class first rank in Kolkata University in 1981.
ii.Other awardees: Astrophysicist J V Narlikar was conferred Sir Asutosh Mookerjee Memorial Medal. Scientists
Samir K Brahmachari, Arup Kumar Raychaudhuri and Partha Pratim Majumder were bestowed the Sir Acharya
Prafulla Chandra Ray Medal.
Environmentalist Pavan Sukhdev and Prof. Gretchen C. Daily won the Tyler Prize 2020 for Environmental
Achievement
On January 27, 2020 the Indian environmentalist and Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) Pavan Sukhdev won Tyler Prize 2020 for Environmental Achievement for his
groundbreaking “green economy” work along with conservation biologist Gretchen C. Daily from United States
(US).
i.The winners will be awarded at the private ceremony on May 1, 2020 in presence of the Tyler Prize Executive
Committee and distinguished members of the international environmental community at the Intercontinental
Barclay Hotel in New York City, United States (US).
ii.On April 30, 2020 Pavan Sukhdev and Gretchen C. Daily will deliver public presentation of their work at the
New York Academy of Science in New York, US….Click here to Read More
Noted Theatre artist Sanjna Kapoor gets French honour ‘Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters’ in New
Delhi
On January 28, 2020, Sanjna Kapoor (52), an Indian theatre personality and former British film actress of
Indian and British descent, was awarded the prestigious French honour of ‘Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et
des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) for her outstanding contribution to the field of theater.
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Key Points:
i.She was honored by French Minister of Culture Franck Riester, who was currently on an official visit to India.
ii.She currently operates Mumbai-based theater company ‘Junoon’, which works towards spreading the arts to a
wider audience through the spread of theater and new initiatives.
Kapoor ,a daughter of Hindi film actor Shashi Kapoor and British actress Jennifer Kendal, made her debut with
Aparna Sen’s 36 Chowringhee Lane'(1981). She was the lead actress in ‘Hero Hiralal’ (1989) and also appeared in
Meera Nair’s Salaam Bombay (1988).
About Chevalier dans lOrdre des Arts et des Lettres:
French government instituted this award in 1957 to honor people who have distinguished themselves by their
creativity in the fields of art or literature, or for their contribution to promoting the arts and literature in France
and throughout the world. Past recipients of this award include Shahrukh Khan, Hariprasad Chaurasia,
Aishwarya Rai, Raghu Rai,etc.
Dr. Partap chauhan honoured with Ayurveda ratan award 2020 in Brussels, Belgium
On January 29, 2020, Dr. Partap Chauhan, the pioneer of Ayurvedic Telemedicine, has Conferred with
Prestigious Ayurveda Ratan Award 2020 in Brussels, Belgium during Ayurveda Day Celebration at the
European Parliament.
Key Points:
i.The All-Party Parliament Group on
Traditional Medicines organized a meeting at
in Brussels, Belgium with the aim of
formulating a roadmap to legalize Ayurveda in
Europe and to integrate it with their
healthcare systems.
ii. Indian Ambassador to European Union
(EU), Gaitri Kumar & Geoffrey Charles Van
Orden, the British Conservative Member of
European Parliament, Ayurveda practitioners and enthusiasts, policymakers, academicians, and several
officials and delegates from EU nations were participated in the event.
iii.On November 21, 2018, Ayurveda Day was 1st celebrated at the European Parliament .
Journalist Yusuf Jameel won 2019 PEN Gauri Lankesh Award for Democratic Idealism
On January 30,2020 Senior journalist Yusuf Jameel from Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) won the 2019-20 PEN Gauri
Lankesh Award for Democratic Idealism for his outstanding contribution in journalism. This was the 2nd
edition of award instituted in 2018 by PEN South India and PEN Delhi in the name of editor late Gauri Lankesh,
who was assassinated in 2017. The award carries a cash prize of Rs.1 lakh and a citation. The 1st edition was
given to cartoonist P Mahamood in September 2018.
Key Points:
i.Jameel was chosen for this award by a jury of
scholar Chandan Gowda, editor Vinutha Mallya
and poet Asiya Zahoor.
ii.Previous works:Jameel has worked with
both English & Urdu journalism, in print and in
radio starting from 1980.
iii.Works in publications: He has also worked
with various publications like Urdu daily Aftab,
The Telegraph, BBC (British Broadcasting
Corporation), Reuters, Time and the Asian Age.
iv.Awards: Jameel was awarded the International Press Freedom award in 1996 given by the Committee to
Protect Journalists(CPJ).
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Padma Shri awardee Rani Rampal became 1st hockey player worldwide to win World Games Athlete of
the Year 2019
On January 31, 2020 Indian Hockey
women’s team captain and 2020 Padma
Shri awardee Rani Rampal became the 1st
ever hockey player to win
the 2019 ‘World Games Athlete of the
Year‘ award. The announcement was
made by the world games. Hailing from
Haryana, Rani has obtained 1,99,477 votes
from fans worldwide.
Key Points:
i.In 2019, India won the FIH (Fédération
Internationale de Hockey) series finals where Rani was named Player of the Tournament.
ii.About award: The award is an initiative of IWGA (International World Games Association) that recognizes and
honours an athlete or a team for their outstanding performance or for their social commitment or particularly,
fair behaviour. 2019 was the 6th edition of the IWA.
About FIH (Fédération Internationale de Hockey):
English abbreviation- International Hockey Federation.
Motto- FairPlay Friendship Forever.
Headquarters- Lausanne, Switzerland.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Thierry Weil.
About International World Games Association (IWGA):
Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) -Joachim Gossow
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

VK Yadav to continue as Railway board chairman for one more year
On December 31, 2019, Vinod Kumar Yadav has been given a one-year extension as the Chairman of the Railway
Board by the Appointments Committee of the
Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi. He succeeded Ashwani Lohani as
the chairman of the railway board (retired in
December 2018). Priorly, VK Yadav held the post
of the General Manager (GM) of South Central
Railway (SCR).
Key Points:
i.Yadav is an Electrical Engineer and belongs to
the 1980 batch of the Indian Railway Service of
Electrical Engineers.
About Railway Ministry:
Union minister- Piyush Goyal.
Ministers of State(MoS)- Suresh Angadi.
Founded- 16 April 1853. Divisions- 73.
Zones- 17.
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A P Maheshwari appointed as the new DG of CRPF

On January 13,2020 Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer A P Maheshwari appointed as Director General
(DG) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) by the
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. He took the
charge from Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) DG
Surjeet Singh Deswal who was given an additional
charge as the head of CRPF after the retirement of DG
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar on December 31, 2019.
Key Points:
i.A P Maheshwari is 1984-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IPS
officer who worked previously as Special Secretary
(Internal Security) in the Union Home Ministry.
ii.He will be in the post till February 28, 2021, the date
of his superannuation.
About CRPF:
In 1939 it is named as Crown Representatives Police (CRP) and later in 1949 it is named as the Central Reserve
Police Force (CRPF). It is Headquartered in New Delhi. It is under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Michael Debabrata Patra appointed as fourth Deputy Governor of RBI

On 14th January, 2020, Michael Debabrata Patra has been appointed as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI). After the resignation of Viral V Acharya the post was lying vacant from July 2019. He will be the
fourth Deputy Governor of the RBI appointed for a period of three years.
Key Points:
i.The Appointments committee of the Cabinet has
approved the appointment of Michael Debabrata
Patra as a Deputy Governor of the RBI. He had
applied for the role in 2017 and the date of
appointment has not been specified yet.
ii.Prior to this he was working as an Executive
Director of RBI, managing four departments
Department of Economic and Policy Research,
Department of Statistics and Information
Management, Monetary Policy Department and New Frontiers Unit, also part of the rate setting six-member
Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
iii.He pursued his PhD from IIT Mumbai, Joined RBI in 1985. Before moving to the monetary policy department
in 2005 he served in the Department of Economic Analysis and Policy in charge of international finance, money
and banking.
iv.He has been central to the RBI’s views on the macro-economy, the new inflation targeting framework and the
liquidity framework.
About RBI:
Head Quarters– Mumbai
Founded– 1st April 1935, Kolkata
Deputy Governors– N S Vishwanathan, B P Kanungo and M K Jain
Lt General Girish Kumar reappointed as the Surveyor General of India for one year
On 14th January 2020, the Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC) approved the re-appointment proposal of Lt
General Girish Kumar as the Surveyor General of India in Survey of India, the national survey and mapping
organization of the country, for a period of one year on contract basis w.e.f. January 1, 2020.
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Key Points:
i.Earlier on September 30, 2017 he was appointed
as Surveyor General of India under the Survey on
India.
ii.The surveyor General of India is the head of the
Department of Survey of India, a Department which
comes under the Ministry of Science and Technology
of Government of India. He is also to be the senior most
member of the Survey of India Service, an organized
engineering service under the Union of India.
About Survey of India:
Formed– 1767
Headquarters– Hathibarkala Estate, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Minister– Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science and Technology
Survey and mapping agency executives– Lt Gen. Girish Kumar, Surveyor General of India, Col. Amardeep
Singh, Addl. Surveyor General
Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha gets 1 year extension

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has notified that Mr.Umesh Sinha has been re-
employed as the Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) after the approval by the Appointments Committe of the
cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on a contract basis for one year with effect from
January 1, 2020 up to December 31, 2020.
Key Points:
i.He is an IAS (Indian Administrative Officer) of Uttar
Pradesh cadre.
ii.Mr.Sinha served as Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
and higher Education Secretary of Uttar Pradesh.
About Election Commission(EC):
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)- Sunil Arora .
First Executive- Sukumar Sen.
Preceding Executive- Om Prakash Rawat.
Formed- 25 January 1950.
S Sundar appointed as interim MD&CEO and additional director of Lakshmi Vilas Bank
On January 2, 2020, The Board of directors of Lakshmi Vilas Bank has appointed S Sundar as interim Managing
Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) with effect from January 1, 2020. The
bank’s MD and CEO, Parthasarathi Mukherjee resigned from his post on August, 2019 and the post was left
vacant. He has also appointed as the additional director of the bank.
Key Points:
i.He will be in charge until April 30, 2020 or until new MD assumes the charge.
ii.He was serving the bank as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from 27.04.2018 till 31.12.2019.
iii.He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce and is a Chartered Accountant and has an experience of 41 years.
About LVB:
Non-Executive Chairman- B K Manjunath
Headquarters- Chennai; Tagline– The changing face of prosperity
Prof Suresh Chandra Sharma was appointed as the 1st Chairman of NMC
On January 2, 2020, Delhi AIIMS’ Professor Suresh Chandra Sharma appointed as the 1st ever Chairman of
NMC (National Medical Commission). Sharma was the head of ENT(ears, nose, throat) head-surgery department
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of AIIMS(All India Institute of Medical Sciences) in New Delhi. The Committee also appointed Dr. Rakesh Kumar
Vats, Secretary-General, Board Of Governors, Medical Council of India as Secretary of NMC.
The Chairman and the Secretary of NMC will serve for a period of 3 years or till the age of 70 years.
About National Commission Bill 2019:
i.On August 8, 2019 National Commission Bill 2019 was introduced which replaces Indian Medical Council Act,
1956.
ii.This Commission was formed to ensure the standard of medical professionals, adoption of latest technologies
and periodic assessment of medical institutions.
iii.In this Commission, 33 members will be appointed by the Central Government which includes Chairman,
President and Director.
iv.Under this bill there will be common entrance test for both Post-graduate and Under-graduate’s in all medical
institutions.
v.The bill also hold National Exit Test for the medical students which obtain the license for practice.
vi.NMC will also provides the guidelines for the determination of fees up to 50 per cent seats in private
institutions and deemed universities.
vii.NMC has four autonomous boards,
• Under-graduate medical education board.
• Post-graduate medical education board.
• Medical assessment and rating board.
• Ethics and Medical registration board.
Hillary Rodham Clinton appointed as 11th and 1st female Chancellor of UK’s Queen’s University
On 2 January 2020, 72-years-old Hillary Rodham Clinton appointed as the first female Chancellor of United
Kingdom’s Queen’s University. She succeeds Tom Moran. Clinton is the 11th Chancellor of the University and
will serve for a period of five years from January 1, 2020. She will act as an advisor to the vice-chancellor Prof Ian
Greer and senior management.
About Hillary Clinton:
i.In 2018, she received an honorary doctorate
from the Queen’s University.
ii.She was the Democratic Presidential nominee
in 2016 US election.
iii.In 2009 she was appointed as the United
States Secretary of State by President Barack
Obama.
About Queen’s University:
i.Queen’s University was opened in 1849 in Belfast, UK.
ii.It is one of the leading universities in the UK and Ireland with a distinguished heritage and history.
About UK:
i.Prime Minister- Boris Johnson
ii.Capital- London
iii.Currency- Pound Sterling
North Macedonia PM Zoran Zaev submitted his resignation

On January 3, 2020 North Macedonia Prime Minister (PM) Zoran Zaev submitted his resignation which paves a
way to form a new caretaker government under the country’s former interior minister Oliver Spasovski until
April 12, 2020 election.
About Zoran Zaev:
i.He was born on 8 October 1974 in Strumica, North Macedonia.
ii.Zaev was a member of North Macedonia’s parliament between 2003 and 2005 and mayor of Strumica between
2005 and 2016.
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iii.He belongs to Social Democratic Union of Macedonia party.

About North Macedonia:
Capital- Skopje
Currency- Macedonian denar
Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo wins the Guinea-Bissau’s presidential election

Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo won the West African state of Guinea-Bissau’s Presidential election. He
succeeded President Jose Mario Gomes Vaz. Umaro belongs
to Madem G15 party.
Key Points:
i.Embalo served as Prime Minister between 2016 and 2018.
ii.Embalo is nicknamed as “The General”, a reference to his
rank as reserve brigadier quit from the army in the early
1990s.
iii.He defected former ex-Prime Minister Domingos Simoes
Pereira of African Party for the Independence of Guinea
and Cape Verde (PAIGC).
iv.He wants to resolve the political tensions in the country which have seen nine coups since 1974.
About Guinea-Bissau:
Capital- Bissau
Currency- West African CFA franc
Karur Vysya Bank MD and CEO P R Seshadri resigns

On January 4, 2020 P R Seshadri, MD (Managing Director) and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Karur Vysya
Bank has resigned from the position citing personal reasons, which was accepted by the Bank’s Board of
Directors.
Key Points:
i.P R Seshadri will be relieved on 31st March 2020.
ii.Following the retirement of his predecessor K.Venkatraman on August 31,2017. Mr.Seshadri took charge on
September 1,2017 as MD and CEO of the bank for a period of 3 years.
About Karur Vysya Bank:
Headquarters- Karur.
Tagline- Smart Way to Bank.
Arun Kumar Sahu concurrently accredited as India’s Next Envoy to Dominica

On January 6,2020 Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has concurrently accredited Arun Kumar Sahu as the
next ambassador of India to the mountainous Caribbean island of Dominica, with residence in Port of Spain. He
succeeded Madhu Sethi.
Key Points:
i.Sahu is a 1996 batch IFS (Indian Foreign Service) officer, who serves presently as the High Commissioner of
India to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
About Ministry of External Affairs:
Minister of External Affairs- Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Minister of state– V.Muraleedharan.
Former PM Zoran Milanovic wins Croatia presidential polls

On January 6, 2020 Zoran Milanovic, 53 years old won Croatia’s presidential election. Zoran Milanovic is
Croatia’s center-leftist former Prime Minister.
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Key Points:
i.He defeated center-right incumbent Kolinda
Grabar-Kitarovic(51 years old), who was the first
female president of Croatia.
ii.The Presidential election was held on 22
December 2019.
iii.Milanovic belongs to the Social Democratic
Party(SDP) won 52.7% vote while Grabar-
kitarovic of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) won 47.3%.
About Croatia:
Capital- Zagreb.
Currency- Croatian Kuna.
Prime Minister- Andrej Plenkovic.
Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez re-elected as the PM of Spain

On January 8, 2020, Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejon (47), a Spanish politician & Socialist leader took the oath
as Spanish prime minister (PM) before Spanish King Felipe VI. He is serving as the PM since June 2018. He is
Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers’
Party (PSOE).
Key Points:
i.He assumed his office after his proposal to form a
leftist coalition government with support from smaller
parties by narrowly won a parliamentary confidence
vote. The Vote, by a simple majority of MPs (member
of parliament), went 167 in the 350-seat assembly.
ii.The new Cabinet under Pedro Sanchez will have
members of the anti-austerity United We Can party,
including party leader Pablo Iglesias as deputy prime minister.
About Spain:
Capital– Madrid
Currency– Euro
A Sakthivel appointed as the new Chairman of AEPC

On January 6, 2020 Apparel Export Promotion Council of India (AEPC) has appointed A Sakthivel as the new
chairman of the organisation from 2020 to 2021. He succeeded HKL Magu. He is also the first person in the
history of AEPC, who is sworn-in for the fourth time as Chairman of the AEPC.
About AEPC:
Founded- 1978
Headquarters- Gurgaon, Haryana.
Hudco appoints M Nagaraj as CMD

On January 8,2020 State-owned Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) has appointed M
Nagaraj as company’s Chairman and Managing Director(CMD) for a period of 3 months.
M.Ravi kanth was the former Chairman and Managing Director of HUDCO.
Key Points:
i.Nagaraj is also Director(Corporate Planning) of the company.
ii.The shares of Hudco were trading at Rs.37.40 a piece on BSE(Bombay Stock Exchange).
iii.HUDCO provides loans for housing and urban infrastructure projects.
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Static about HUDCO:

Lokpal Member and the Former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, Justice Dilip B Bhosale resigns
On January 9, 2020 Lokpal Member and the Former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, Justice Dilip
Babasaheb Bhosale has resigned from his post due to some personal reasons. He was appointed by Lokpal
Chairman Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose on March 27, 2019. 63-years-old Bhosale was the acting Chief Justice of
the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from 2015-2016 .He
also served as a judge of the high courts of Bombay and Karnataka.
Rajya Sabha MP Chandra Pal Singh Yadav re-elected as the chairman of KRIBHCO
On January 9,2020 Agri-cooperative leader and Rajya Sabha MP (Member of Parliament) Chandra Pal Singh
Yadav, Uttar Pradesh constituency has been re-elected unanimously as Chairman of Krishak Bharati
Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO). He has been the Chairman from July 1999 to May 2010 & thereafter from
February 2015 to till date.
Key Points:
i.Sudhakar Chowdhary, a versatile farmer’s leader, was unanimously elected as Vice Chairman of the KRIBHCO.
ii.The special general board meeting was held at NCUI (National Cooperative Union of India)auditorium, New
Delhi to elect nine directors.
iii.Eight directors were elected unanimously but there was a fight for the post of the ninth director which was
won by Gujarat’s Maganlal Dhanjibhai Vadaviya.
iv.KRIBHCO is an Indian co-operative society that manufactures fertilizers.
About KRIBHCO:
Headquarters- Noida.
Uttam prakash agarwal resigns as independent director of Yes Bank

On January 10, 2020, Uttam Prakash Agarwal,an independent director and chairman of YES Bank’s Audit
Committee, has resigned citing corporate governance failure.
Key Points:
i.On November 14, 2018, Agarwal was appointed to the post, and his tenure set to end in November 2023.
ii.After his resignation, private sector lender Yes Bank’s share price declined 7.19% intraday to Rs 43.90
compared to the previous close of Rs 47.30 on BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange).
About Yes bank:
Founded– 2004
MD & CEO– Ravneet Gill
Tagline– Experience our Expertise.
Hyderabad Scientist Dr. Bipul Saha elected as IUPAC bureau member

On January 10,2020 Dr. Bipul Bihari Saha of Hyderabad, India has been elected as a bureau member of the
IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) for the period 2020-23. Saha is the only second
Indian after “Bharat Ratna” Professor Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao (CNR Rao),to be elected (1979) for
this position in a century.
Key Points:
i.IUPAC is the largest global organization of Chemistry professionals and comprises of 12 Committees and 8
Divisions.
ii.The Bureau Member are elected considering his/her scientific contribution in the field of Chemistry,his
leadership qualities etc.,
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iii.Saha is a Chief Director of R&D (Research and Development) L.R Research Laboratories is a wholly owned
subsidiary of NACL(Nagarjuna Agrichem Limited) Industries Limited, Hyderabad.
iv.Saha has been closely associated with the IUPAC as the Executive Committee Member of “IUPAC Committee on
Chemistry and Industry”(First Indian to hold this position),National Representative of India in “IUPAC Division of
Chemistry and Environment” and member of “IUPAC Inter-Divisional Committee on Green Chemistry for
Sustainable Development”.
v.Saha was also a Principal Investigator and member of the steering Committee of Government of India
sponsored “New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative Project”.
vi.Dr.Saha has been awarded Homi Bhabha Gold Medal by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
About IUPAC(International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry):
IUPAC has the responsibility of naming all new elements and compounds,declare atomic weights and physical
constants, update Periodic Table and carry out research Projects.
Headquarters- Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States.
Founded- 1919.
Motto- Advancing Chemistry Worldwide.
President- Professor Qi-Feng Zhou (China).
Lt Col Yuvraj Malik appointed as director of National Book Trust

On January 11, 2020 Lt Col (Colonel) Yuvraj Malik was appointed as the director of National Book Trust (NBT)
on deputation. Malik succeeds Sahitya Akademi-awardee writer Rita Chowdhury.
Key Points:
i.Previously Malik has served with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), Raj Bhawan
in Jammu & Kashmir(J&K), United Nations Missions in Africa and also in several operational assignments.
About National Book Trust(NBT):
Parent Organisation- Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
Chairman- Govind Prasad Sharma.
Robert Abela named as 14th Prime minister of Malta

On January 12,2020 Malta’s governing party has elected a new leader Robert Abela of Labour Party as 14th
prime minister of Malta. He replaces Joseph Muscat, who resigned over the murder of a journalist, Daphne
Caruana Galizia. Robert Abela is the son of the Malta’s Former President George Abela.
Robert Abela, 42-years old lawyer won the Labour Party Leadership contest with 57.9% of the vote and beat
his closest rival Chris Fearne 56-years old surgeon by more than 2,500 votes.
Key Points:
i.Galizia was killed by a car bomb in 2017 as she investigated corruption in Malta.
ii.Caruana Galizia, known as the “one woman WikiLeaks”, exposed corruption at the highest levels of government
and business circles in Malta.
About Malta:
Capital- Valletta.
Currency- Euro.
President- George Vella.
Tsai Ing-Wen wins Taiwan’s Presidential election for the second time
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has won the presidential election for second time with 57.1% of total votes.
She belongs to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). She defeated Han Kuo-yu of the rival Nationalist Party.
About Tsai Ing-Wen:
i.63-years-old Tsai Ing-Wen joined DPP in 2004 and nominated for the presidential election in 2012 and 2016.
ii.In 2016 she won the Presidential election for the first time.
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About Taiwan:
Capital- Taipei
Currency- New Taiwan dollar.
Haitham bin Tariq Al Said appointed as the new ruler of Oman

On January 11, 2020 Haitham bin Tariq Al Said (66) was appointed as the new ruler of the Oman after the
death of Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said who ruled the country from 1970.
Key Points:
i.Haritham bin Tariq Al Said who is the cousin of the deceased Sultan Qaboos, was the Cultural and Heritage
Minister of Oman.
ii.In 2013 he was appointed by the Sultan Qaboos to chair the main committee responsible for Oman’s
development.
iii.Haritham bin Tariq was an oxford graduate who spent 16 years in various roles with the Foreign Ministry
from 1986.
iv.He was also incharge for Oman’s Vision 2040 Program.
About Oman: Capital- Muscat
Currency- Omani rial
Mikhail Mishustin becomes the new Prime Minister of Russia

On January 16, 2020 the Russian lawmakers have approved Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposed
candidate Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin (53), the head of the Federal Tax Service, as the next prime
minister of the country. He replaced Dmitri Anatolyevich Medvedev who resigned from his post.
Russian Government announced mass resignation:
i.Mass resignation: Mr. Putin proposed major changes in the constitution of Russia that would spread political
power more evenly. Shortly after the proposed changes by Putin, Dmitri Medvedev resigned as Prime Minister
(PM). Along with Medvedev the Russian
cabinet also made a mass resignation.
ii.Medvedev’s new designation: Soon after
the resignation of Medvedev as the prime
minister of Russia, Putin was appointed as the
deputy head of the country’s Security Council.
The council acts as an advisory board to the
president.
iii.Mikhail as new PM: Putin’s proposal to
appoint Mikhail is seen as a move that could
help him (Putin) remain in power indefinitely
even after his presidential term ends in 2024.
• Current Russian constitution: Russia’s Constitution bars a President from serving more
than two consecutive terms.
• Mikhail Mishustin: During his tenure heading Russia’s tax service, he helped modernize Russia’s
inefficient and corrupt tax system. It earned him the name “the taxman of the future” in a 2019
Financial Times profile.
Putin’s annual address:
i.The 2020 address was delivered at Moscow’s Manezh exhibition hall, Russia. It was Putin’s 16th annual
address before an audience including government ministers, judges from the constitutional and supreme courts,
leading regional officials, and other members.
ii.Russian President Vladimir Putin used his annual state-of-the-nation address to parliament to focus on
domestic affairs, including measures to counter Russia’s declining population.
iii.GDP growth: The annual investment growth should be at least 5% and its share in the country’s GDP(Gross
Domestic Product) and should be increased from the current 21% to 25% in 2024.
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iv.Population building: Putin ensured sustainable natural population growth by the middle of the coming
decade. He proposed that in 2024, the birth rate should be 1.7 children per woman.
About Russia:
Capital- Moscow.
Currency- Russian ruble.
Dr Mihir Shah appointed as Chairman of 11 member Committee to draft the National Water Policy
On January 14, 2020 Dr Mihir Shah, professor at the Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh has
been appointed as the chairman of the 11-member committee to draft the National Water Policy(NWP) and
will have to submit the report within 6 months from the date of constitution. The committee was established by
the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation of govt. of India.
National Water Policy draft committee members: The other members of the committee include
• Shashi Shekhar, former Secretary, Water Resources, Govt of India.
• Dr Ramesh Chandra Panda, former secretary.
• Ashwin B Pandya, former chairman of the Centre Water Commission (CWC).
• Prof Tushaar Shah, International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
• Prof Anamika Barua of Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati(IIT-G).
• Dr Himanshu Kulkarni, Advanced Centre for Water Resources Development and Management
(ACWADAM), Pune, Maharashtra.
• Srinivas Chokkakula, Centre of Policy Research(CPR).
• B Rath,Technical Expert (Water Management), National Rainfed Area Authority(NRAA), Development
of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare.
• Brijesh Sikka, Retd. Scientist ‘G’, National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD).
• Prof KJ Joy, Senior Fellow, Society of promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM).
Dr. Mihir Shah’s previous work:
• 2009-2014: He was responsible for shift in water resource management in India as enunciated in the
12th Five Year Plan, during his tenure as Member, Planning Commission, Government of India from
2009 to 2014.
• 2015: He was appointed by the govt in 2015 to chair committee for restructuring the Central Water
Commission (CWC) and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).
• Current position: He is a Professor and Chair, Water Science and Policy Program Department of
Center for Public Affairs and Critical Theory (C-PACT), School of Humanities and Social Sciences
(SoHSS) at Shiv Nadar University.
About Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation:
Formation- January 1985.
Renaming- July 2014 as Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.
Current name- Ministry of Jal Shakti after merging with Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in May 2019.
Union minister- Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. (Constituency- Jodhpur, Rajashtan)
Minister of State(MoS)- Ratan Lal Kataria. (consituency- Ambala, Haryana)
Harish Salve appointed Queen’s Counsel for courts of England & Wales
On January 17,2020 Indian Senior Advocate Harish Salve has been appointed the Queen’s counsel for the
courts of England and Wales. The appointment was announced by Queen Elizabeth II on the advise of the Lord
Chancellor Robert Buckland.
Key Point:
i.The title of Queen’s Counsel QC is awarded to those who have demonstrated particular skill and expertise in
the conduct of advocacy.
ii.Salve and other appointees will be formally appointed as QC on March 16, where the Lord Chancellor will
preside over the appointment ceremony at Westminster Hall, London, United Kingdom (UK).
iii.Advocate Salve served as Solicitor General for India from 1999 to 2002.
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iv.He is currently a Barrister with a legal firm- Blackstone Chambers.

v.Harish Salve is known for representing India before the International Court of Justice in the Kulbhushan
Jadhav extradition case.
Static:
UK(United Kingdom) comprises of 4 countries England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland.
Capital- London.
Currency- Pound Sterling.
SC appoints former apex court judge Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre as head of road safety committee
On 14th January 2020, The Supreme Court will appoint one of its retired judges Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre as
the Chairman of the committee on road safety since the panel’s current head and former top court judge Justice
K.S.P. Radhakrishnan expressed his difficulty in continuing the position.
Key Points:
i.The decision in this regard has been given by a bench headed by Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde.
ii.The bench has also appointed Sanjay Mitra, former Defence Secretary as a member of the committee replacing
the former secretary of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways S Sundar, who has found it difficult to continue
as a member of the committee due to ill-health.
iii.The Center has directed to issue necessary notification on this replacements and the
changes will take place w.e.f February 1, 2020.
About Ministry of Road Transport and Highways:
Minister Responsible– Nitin Gadkari, Cabinet Minister
Minister of state– General (Retd.) V. K. Singh
General Satinder Kumar Saini appointed as the new Vice Chief of Army Staff
On January 15, 2020, Southern Army Commander Lieutenant General Satinder Kumar Saini appointed as the
new Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS). He will take charge on January 25, 2020. He succeeded Lieutenant
General Manoj Mukund Naravane, who was promoted as the 28th Chief of Army Staff.
Key Points:
i.The appointment was made by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) headed by Chief of Defence Staff
(CDS) General Bipin Rawat and this was the first order of a senior military appointment made through DMA.
ii.In 1981, General Saini was commissioned into the Jat Regiment.
iii.General Saini also served as the Deputy Chief Military Personnel Officer in Iraq-Kuwait United Nations (UN)
Mission, attended Global Peace Operations Initiative’s peacekeeping exercise in Mongolia and counter-terrorism
exercise in Australia.
About Ministry of Defence:
Minister of Defence- Rajnath Singh
Minister of State for Defence-Shripad Yesso Naik
Arjun Munda becomes President of Archery Association of India (AAI)

On January 18, 2020, Arjun Munda (Jharkhand), Minister of Tribal Affairs elected as the President of the
suspended Archery Association of India (AAI) for 4 years term. The elections were held as per the Delhi High
Court order. Arjun Munda got the support from former AAI President Vijay Kumar Malhotra and defeated B V P
Rao by a margin of 34-18 votes.
Key Points:
i.A total of 31 State Associations were part of the AAI but only 26 states (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal
Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir were excluded) cast their votes.
ii.Captain Abhimanyu Sindhu (Maharashtra) was elected senior vice-president while Pramod
Chandurkar (Maharashtra) became the secretary-general, and Rajendra Singh Tomar (Uttarakhand) was
elected as treasurer.
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iii.Arjun Munda, former Jharkhand chief minister also runs an archery academy which was instrumental in the
rise of former world number one archery player Deepika Kumari.
About Archery Association of India AAI:
It is a 19-member Executive Committee consisting of President, Secretary-general, senior vice-president, eight
vice-presidents,seven joint-secretaries and one treasurer.
Founded- 8 August 1973
Royal Bank of Scotland appoints Punit Sood as RBS India Head

On January 21, 2020, Punit Sood has been appointed as country head of RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland), India
succeeding Pankaj Phatarphod. He will be responsible for building the organisation’s strategic capabilities and
will support the bank to achieve its goals.
Key Points:
i.Previously, he was serving as the advisor of Cornerstone Venture Partners Fund, a technology-focused global
VC (Venture Capital) funds.
ii.Second innings of Sood at RBS:Punit Sood was previously appointed as the head of technology, RBS, India
from 2016 to February 2018
iii.Positions of Sood:Sood was the CIO (Chief Information Officer) of JP Morgan (John Pierpont Morgan) and also
held the key positions in Citibank, Mphasis and GE (General Electric) capital services.
iv.Graduation: He was a graduate from IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Roorkee, Uttarakhand, and IIM
(Indian Institutes of Management) Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
About RBS:
Headquarters- Edinburgh, UK (United Kingdom).
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Alison Rose.
Chairman- Howard Davies.
Challa Sreenivasulu Setty appointed as the Managing Director of SBI

On January 20, 2020, the Government of India (GOI) has appointed Challa Sreenivasulu Setty as the Managing
Director (MD) of the State Bank of India (SBI) for a period of three years. He is currently serving as the Deputy
Managing Director (DMD) of the SBI.
Key Points:
i.The proposal of the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, GOI to appoint Setty as the MD
of the SBI is approved by the Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC).
ii.Three other Managing Director of State Bank of India are Shri P. K. Gupta, Shri Dinesh Kumar Khara, Shri Arijit
Basu & Shri C.S. Setty .
About SBI:
Founded- July 1, 1955
Chairman- Rajnish Kumar
Former principal secretary to the PM, Nripendra Misra appointed as the new chairperson of NMML
council
Nripendra Misra, the former principal secretary to the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has been appointed
chairperson of the executive council of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML). The appointment is
confirmed by the Ministry of Culture.
Key Points:
i.A. Surya Prakash, chairperson of the Prasar Bharati board, will be the NMML council’s vice-chairperson.
ii.The objective of the council is to oversee the building of the museum of the Prime Ministers of India.
iii.Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the President of the NMML Society and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh its
vice president.
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iv.74-years-old, Misra is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of 1967-batch. He also worked as
the chairperson of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), secretary, Telecom and secretary, Fertilizers.
Govt appoints Sanjiv Chadha, Atanu Kumar & Lingam Prabhakar to head BOB, BOI & Canara Bank
respectively
On January 20,2020 The Government appointed head of 3 large public sector banks- Bank of India (BOI), Bank
of Baroda (BOB) and Canara bank for a period of 3 years. The announcement in this regard was made by the
Ministry of Personnel. The newly appointed members are as follows:
Name Bank Position
Bank of Managing Director(MD) &
Sanjiv Chadha
Baroda Chief Executive Officer(CEO)
Atanu Kumar
Bank of India MD & CEO
Das
Lingam Venkat
Canara Bank MD & CEO
Prabhakar
Key Points:
i.Sanjiv Chadha: He served as the Deputy Managing Director (DMD) at State Bank of India (SBI) and will replace
P.S. Jayakumar whose term came to an end after his 1 year extension ended in October 2019.
ii.Atanu Kumar: Atanu Kumar Das served as the Executive Director (ED) of the Bank of India (BOI) and hence
promoted as the MD & CEO of Bank of India (BOI) following its vacancy since july last year.
iii.Venkat Prabhakar: Prabhakar served as the Executive Director (ED) of the Punjab National Bank (PNB) and
he will be replacing R A Sankara Narayanan who will be retired at the end of January 31, 2020.
Bank of Baroda:
Headquarters- Vadodara,Gujarat.
Bank of India:
Headquarters- Mumbai,Maharashtra.
Tagline- Relationship Beyond Banking.
Canara Bank:
Headquarters- Bengaluru,Karnataka.
Tagline- Together We Can.
SoftBank appoints Manoj Kohli as India head

On January 22, 2020 SoftBank group has appointed Manoj Kohli as its India’s head. He has served as the
Chairman of SB(SoftBank) energy, the Japanese telecom, and investment renewable energy business. Manoj Kohli
will be responsible for SoftBank Vision Fund, their portfolio companies and look after government relations and
public policy efforts. Kohli succeeds Sumer Juneja as the Softbank India head.
Key Points:
i.Manoj Kohli has also been as an Executive of Bharti Airtel and also as a head of Airtel’s international operations
and also worked in companies like DCM Shriram and Escotel.
ii.SB Energy Global will be headed by Raman Nanda who has been with Softbank since 2011.
iii.Vikas Agnihotri, Google’s India’s interim country head has been appointed as the first operating partner in
India for SoftBank’s Vision fund.
iv.Sumer Juneja, former Northwest Venture Partners executive hired to head India investments with SoftBank’s
Vision Fund.
v.Softbank has invested over $10 billion in top Indian startups including OYO, Paytm, Ola etc.,
About SoftBank:
Founder and CEO(Chief Executive Officer)- Masayoshi Son.
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Katerina Sakellaropoulou becomes Greece’s first woman president

On January 22, 2020, independent candidate Katerina Sakellaropoulou(63 years), became the1st Woman
President of Greece elected by Greece’s Parliament for a period of 5 years. She will be officially sworn in as
Greece’s 13th President in April, 2020. She will succeed Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the current president.
About Katerina Sakellaropoulou:
i.Katerina is the Council of State (Supreme
Administrative Court of Greece) studied law in
Athens(Greece) and completed her
postgraduate studies at the Sorbonne in
Paris,France.
ii.She was born on 30 May 1956 in
Thessaloniki, Greece and the daughter of
Supreme Court Judge.
iii.She is an expert in constitutional and
environmental law and defender of human
rights.
Key Points:
i.Current President: Prokopis Pavlopoulos, 69 year old-conservative politician, lawyer and academic is the
Current President of Greece whose 5 year term will be an end in March,2020.
ii.Katerina was nominated for the post of President by Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis who belongs
to the New Democracy Party (NDP).
iii.Role of President:The President will be the Commander-in-Chief of the Greek Armed Forces and head of the
Nation.
About Greece:
Capital- Athens.
Currency- Euro.
Lebanon announces formation of new govt headed by Hassan Diab

On January 22, 2020, Lebanon President Micheal Naim Aoun announced formation of new Government due to
anti-government protests for the last several months. The new Government (govt) will be headed by Prime
Minister (PM) Hassan Diab, a 60-year-old professor at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
Key Points:
i.The New Government consists of 20 member technocrats.
ii.Formation of the new government was announced after Hezbollah party & its allies made a deal to tackle the
country’s worst economic crisis in decade.
iii.The country has been hit by protests since October, 2019 against the ruling party.
About Lebanon:
Fact- Lebanon is a Middle eastern country located in the Western portion of the Continent of Asia.
Capital- Beirut.
Currency- Lebanese Pound.
Former IOB Executive Director A.D.M. Chavali appointed as CVC panel member
On January 24, 2020 the Central Vigilance Commission(CVC) has appointed former Indian Overseas Bank(IOB)
Executive Director as A.D.M Chavali as its new panel member of the Advisory Board for Banking Frauds
(ABBF) and will serve the board till August 20, 2021.
Board aim: The board headed by T.M Bhasin former Vigilance Commissioner and former Chairman-cum-
Managing Director of the Indian Bank(IB), was formed in 2019 and aims to conduct examination of allegations
against officials in General Managers (GM) ranking involved in fraud cases of worth above Rs.50 crores.
Key points:
i.Under the prevention of corruption act 1988, the board’s advice has to be sought by investing agencies as well
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as bank authorities before initiating queries against officials. The advice will be tendered by the board within 1
month of the receipt of the initial reference.
ii.Panel members: Other members of the panel include former Urban Development Secretary Madhusudan
Prasad; former Director General(DG) of the Border Security Force(BSF) Devendra Kumar Pathak; and former
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Andhra Bank Suresh N. Patel.
WEF appoints IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva and ARM chairman Patrice Motsepe to its board of trustees
During the 50th edition of World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2020, which was held on January 21 to
January 24, 2020, in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, the WEF has appointed International Monetary Fund (IMF)
chief Kristalina Georgieva and African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) founder and Executive Chairman, Patrice
Motsepe to its board of trustees.
Key Points:
i.Kristalina Georgieva serves as the IMF Managing Director since October 2019. She also served as the
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the World Bank, and as Interim President of the World Bank Group and also
served as the European Commission’s Vice-President for Budget and Human Resources.
ii.Patrice Motsepe, founder of ARM had placed in “100 Greatest Living Business Minds” in 2017 Forbes Magazine.
About IMF:
IMF is an international organization headquartered in Washington D.C, United States. It contains of 189 countries
which are working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade
and to promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.
CEC Sunil Arora takes over as the new chairman of FEMBoSA

On January 24, 2020 India’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora took over as the new Chair of
the Forum of the Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of South Asia (FEMBoSA) for the year 2020 during
the 10th annual meeting of FEMBoSA held in New Delhi. Sunil Arora succeeds K.M. Nural Huda, CEC of
Bangladesh. FEMBoSA is a regional association of Election Management Bodies (EMB) of SAARC (South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation) countries and has 8 members.
Key Points:
i.Mou (Memorandum of Understanding): Election Commission of India (ECI) renewed Memorandum of
Understanding on “Strengthening Institutional Capacity” for cooperation in the field of election management
with the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan.
• The poll panel also signed an MoU with Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) of Tunisia for
cooperation in the field of election management.
ii.Work Plan for 2020: “Use of Technology in Elections”–The EC calls for members to undertake projects &
initiatives on various aspects of use of technology in elections and submit their report on their experiences and
challenges at the next FEMBoSA meeting.
iii.Election commission of India (ECI) established the Indian International Institute of Democracy and Election
Management (IIDEM) in June 2011 (to promote people’s participation, develop stronger democratic institutions,
etc.,)
iv.The last annual meeting of FEMBoSA was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in September 2018.
v.Other launches: CEC Sh Sunil Arora along with the two Election Commissioners Sh. Ashok Lavasa and Sh.
Sushil Chandra and Secretary-General, ECI Sh Umesh Sinha launched the 10th issue of ECI’s magazine – ‘VOICE
International’ which carries articles on the theme of “Innovative Methods of Voter Registration”. The 4th Issue
of the magazine “My Vote Matters” was also released on the occasion. A web portal on Association of World
Election Bodies (A-WEB) was also unveiled. IIIDEM will host A-WEB Centre for documentation, research and
training for sharing the best practices and capacity building of officials of A-WEB members. The Commission also
released “ICT 2020; a compendium of 20 Apps for Election”.
About FEMBoSA:
FEMBoSA was established at the 3rd Conference of Heads of Election Management Bodies of SAARC countries in
2012.
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SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries:

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the member countries of
SAARC.
Established- 8 December 1985.
Sunil Mehta got appointed as Chief Executive of Indian Banks’ Association

On January 27, 2020, Former managing director (MD) and chief executive officer(CEO) of Punjab National Bank
(PNB), Sunil Mehta, took over as the Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
Mehta will replace VG Kannan, who resigned from office as
chief executive of IBA on December 31, 2019.
Key Points:
i.The term of the CEO of IBA is for 3 years period.At
present, the managing committee of IBA has SBI chief
Rajnish Kumar as Chairman for the year 2019-20 along
with 3 deputy chairmen and honorary secretary.
Anil Khanna nominated as Life President of Asian Tennis Federation (ATF)

On January 27,2020 Senior Sports Administrator Anil Khanna was unanimously appointed as Life President
of Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) during the meeting of its Board of Directors in Melbourne, Australia. He is also
named as the Chairman of the ATF Finance Committee.
Key Points:
i.Khanna had served as ATF President from 2005 to 2019 and also ITF(International Tennis Federation) Vice
President from 2015-19.
ii.CS Raju was elected as Senior Vice President of the ATF, representing South Asia.
iii.Anil Dhuper was elected as a member of the seniors committee and V.K. Bhatra was elected as a member of
the constitution of the ATF.
iv.In October 2019, Khanna had decided not to contest for the President’s post of the ATF.
About ATF(Asian Tennis Federation):
Headquarters- Continental Federations.
President- Kitsomabat Euammongkol.
Membership- 44 Asian Nations.
Joao Vale de Almeida appointed as the 1st ambassador of EU to United Kingdom & Northern Ireland
On January 24, 2020 veteran diplomat Joao Vale de Almeida appointed as the first ambassador of European
Union (EU) to the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He
will assume the office on February 1, 2020
the day after the Brexit(Brexit is the
withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the
European Union).
Key Points:
i.62-years-old diplomat was born on January
29,1957 in Lisbon, Portugal.
ii.He joined European Commission in 1982
after working as a journalist for seven years.
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iii.He also served as the first EU Ambassador to the United States of America, from 2010 to 2014 and then served
as the bloc’s ambassador to the UN between 2015 and 2019.
About EU:
The European Union is a political and economic union of 28 (after brexit 27) member states that are located
primarily in Europe. It is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
About UK:
Capital- London
Sachin Bansal, the independent director of Ujjivan Small Finance bank resigns from the post
Sachin Bansal, co-founder of Flipkart has resigned from the independent director of Ujjivan Small Finance bank
in the interest of propriety and corporate governance as Navi Technologies’ microfinance arm, Chaitanya India
Fin Credit Pvt. Ltd (CIFCPL), owned and controlled by him, has applied for a universal banking licence on
January 10, 2020.
Key Points:
i.Bansal was born in Chandigarh, India, on August 5, 1981. In 2006 he joined Amazon Web Services as a Senior
Software Engineer and in later 2007 along with his co-founder Binny Bansal, he started the Flipkart.
ii.Awards: In 2013, he was awarded the Economic Times Award – ‘Entrepreneur of the year’. In 2015, he was
named as the 86th richest person in India by Forbes India, in 2016, Time Magazine included Bansal and his co-
founder in the 100 most influential people in the world list and in 2017, India Today included Bansal and his co-
founder in India’s 50 Most Powerful people list.
iii.Bansal had acquired Chaitanya in September with an investment commitment of Rs 739 crore. Chaitanya was
founded in 2009 and operates 40 branches in Karnataka, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.
About Ujjivan Small Finance bank:
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Nitin Chugh.
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Slovenian PM Marjan Sarec announced his resignation

On January 27, 2020 Slovenian Prime Minister (PM) Marjan Sarec has resigned from his post. He leads the
party ‘List of Marjan Sarec (LMS)’.He was the youngest ever PM of Slovenia.
Key Points:
i.42-years-old Marjan Sarec was born on
December 2, 1977 in Ljubljana, Slovenia
and started his career as a comedian and
actor.
ii.In 2018 he entered Parliamentary
election and became the 9th PM of Slovenia
in the same year.
iii.His resignation was followed by the
resignation of the Finance Minister Andrej
Bertoncelj.
iv.According to reports the next election will be conducted in the middle of 2022 but the resignation of PM
Marjan Sarec may call for early elections (second half of April, 2020).
About Solvenia:
Capital- Ljubljana
Currency- Euro
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Vakrangee appoints Ramesh Joshi as its Non-Executive chairman as per Kotak committee
recommendations
On January 27, 2020, Vakrangee Limited, a technology company, has appointed Mr. Ramesh Joshi (EX-RBI
(Reserve Bank of India & EX-SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) ED- Executive Director) as its Non-
Executive Chairman on the lines of Kotak’s board constituted Nomination & Remuneration
Committee chaired by Mrs. Farida Khambata. The company also appoints Mr. Dinesh Nandwana, Executive
Chairman as its Managing Director (MD) and Group CEO, replacing Mr. Anil Khanna.
Key Points:
i.This restricting aims to promote high-level
standards of Corporate governance and as per
the Mr. Uday Kotak Committee
recommendations and SEBI’s (Securities and
Exchange Board of India) revised Listing
Obligations and Disclosure Regulations
(Regulation 17(1B) of SEBI LODR, 2015).
ii.Ramesh has over 40+ years of experience by
holding a position as Nominee Director on
behalf of RBI on the Boards of Various Banks
and retired as an Executive Director of SEBI. While Mr.Dinesh has about 27+ years of business experience &
manages the overall business at Vakrangee since its operation in 1990.
iii.Background: In June 2017, SEBI had constituted a panel on corporate governance under the Chairmanship of
Uday Kotak with a view to improve the standards of corporate governance of listed entities in India. Based on its
Recommendations, in May 2018, SEBI amended rule to divide the positions of chairman and MD / CEO of the top
500 listed companies.
About Vakrangee Limited:
Founded– 1990
Diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu appointed as India’s Ambassador to US

On January 28, 2020 diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu has been appointed as India’s Ambassador to the United
States of America (USA). He succeeded Harsh Vardhan Shringla who will take charge as the next foreign
secretary. The appointment was confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Key Points:
i.1988-batch Indian Foreign Service officer (IFS), Taranjit Singh Sandhu currently serves as the High
Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka.
ii.He also wants to deal with the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and H1B visas in Washington D.C as top
Indian diplomat.
iii.He also served as the Deputy Chief of Mission of India in Washington D.C. at US from July 2013 to January 2017
and he was the Secretary (Political) at Embassy of India, Washington, D.C. from 1997 to 2000.
iv.From 2011 to 2013 he worked as Consul General of India in Frankfurt, Germany.
About US:
Capital- Washington D.C
Currency- United States Dollar
President- Donald Trump
About Ministry of External Affairs:
Founded- September 2, 1946
Ministry- Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
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Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani appointed as new PM of Qatar
On January 28,2020 Tamim bin Hamad AI Thani, Emir of Qatar appointed Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin
Abdulaziz Al Thani as new Prime Minister (PM) of Qatar, Doha. He is the successor of Sheikh Abdullah bin
Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani who has resigned from the post. Sheikh Khalid is currently serving as the chief of the
Amiri Diwan, the emir’s office.
Key Points:
i.Sheikh Khalid was born in Doha in 1968 and
obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration in the United States of America
in 1993.
ii.He worked at Qatar Liquefied Gas Company
Limited, until 2002.
iii.He later served in the Office of the First
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Foreign Affairs between 2002 and 2006.
iv.The new changes in Qatar are due to the FIFA World Cup 2020 which is going to be held in Qatar December
2020 & and also to boost its national economy.
About Qatar:
Capital- Doha.
Currency- Qatari riyal.
England’s Alastair Cook and ex-West Indies team manager Ricky Skerritt appointed as the members of
MCC’s World Cricket Committee
On January 27, 2020, Former England opener Alastair Nathan Cook and ex-West Indies team manager Richard
‘Ricky’ Skerritt were appointed as the new members of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), World Cricket
Committee. The pair will replace former West Indies fast bowler Ian Raphael Bishop and Bangladesh all-rounder
Shakib Al Hasan.
Key Points:
i.In 2018 Alastair Cook has announced his retirement. He was England’s leading Test match run-scorer with
12,472 runs in his 162 matches.
ii.In 2019 Ricky Skerritt has appointed as the President of Cricket West Indies. He was also held several
portfolios in the West Indies ministry between 2004 and 2014.
iii.In March 2020, the next MCC World Cricket committee meeting will be hosted in Sri Lanka.
About MCC: It is an independent panel of former and current players and umpires that can propose changes to
the cricket laws.
Founded- 1787
Headquarters- London, United Kingdom (UK)
Gita Sabharwal of India appointed UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand

On January 30,2020 Gita Sabharwal of India was appointed as the UN(United Nations) Resident Coordinator
(RC) of Thailand by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
About UN Resident Coordinator:
The UN Resident Coordinator is the highest ranking representative of the UN development system at country
level and representatives of UN Secretary-General.
2030 Agenda: UN Resident Coordinator has the responsibility to guide UN country teams and coordinate the
support from other countries for smooth implementation of 2030 Agenda.
Key Points:
i.Sabharwal has 25 years of experience in development, peacebuilding, governance & social policy across 5
Asian countries, including Maldives.
i.Gita Sabharwal recently served in UN, Sri lanka as the Peacebuilding and Development Adviser for 7 years.
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ii.She served as the Deputy Country Representative of ,The Asia’s Foundation in Maldives & Srilanka.
iii.She also held the positions of Poverty & Policy Adviser for the UK’s (United Kingdom) Development for
International Development in India and Vietnam.
iv.Sabharwal holds a master’s degree in development management from University of Wales, UK
RBI appoints Janak Raj as member of the Monetary Policy Committee

On January 29,2020 Janak Raj has been appointed as the third internal member (ex officio member) of the
Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) during it’s 581st meeting of the central
board in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He is the successor of Dr. Michael Debabrata Patra who was appointed as
Deputy Governor of RBI. ED Janak is the executive director in-charge of the monetary policy department.
Key Points:
i.Instituted in 2016, the monetary policy committee is responsible for fixing the benchmark interest rate in India
and consists of 6 members.
ii.MPC is headed by RBI Governor. The 6 internal members of MPC consists of three are nominated by the
government, while the remaining three are from the RBI (including the Governor).
iii.The 6 internal members are: Dr. Chetan Ghate, Dr. Pami Dua, Janak Raj , Dr. Ravindra H. Dholakia, Shri Bibhu
Prasad Kanungo, Shri Shaktikanta Das.
Vinay Mohan Kwatra designated as the next Ambassador of India to Nepal

On January 30, 2020, As per the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India (GoI), Shri Vinay
Mohan Kwatra, a 1988 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has been appointed as the next Ambassador
of India to Nepal. He will replace Manjeev Singh Puri.
Key Points:
i.Priorly, he was serving as India’s ambassador
to France.
ii.He held various positions like 3rd Secretary
and 2nd Secretary in the Permanent Mission of
India in Geneva until 1993, Counsellor &
Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of
India, Beijing, China, Desk Officer at
Headquarters dealing with the United Nations
(UN), and in the Diplomatic Missions in South
Africa & Uzbekistan (from 1993 – 2003)
iii.He also worked as a Joint Secretary in the office of the Prime Minister (PM)of India from October 2015 –
August 2017.
About Nepal:
Capital– Kathmandu.
Currency– Nepalese rupee.
President– Bidhya Devi Bhandari.
Prime Minister– Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli.
ACQUISITION & MERGERS

HDFC gets requisite approval to hold a 51.2% stake in Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company
On January 1, 2020 HDFC (Housing Development Financial Corporation) has received its requisite approvals
from Competition Commission of India (CCI), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to acquire 51.2% stake in Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company
from Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited (AHEL) and other shareholders. After the acquisition, Apollo Munich
will be merged with and into HDFC Ergo, subject to approval from the Mumbai bench of National Company
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Law Tribunal. IRDAI granted approval under Section 6A of the Insurance Act, 1938.
Key Points:
i.The total value of the deal is Rs. 1,347 crore in which HDFC will acquire 50.8% from the Apollo Hospitals group
for Rs 1,336 crore and remaining will be paid to the employees of Apollo group to purchase their stake of 0.4% in
the company.
ii.The entities involved in this context are: AHEL, HDFC, HDEC Ergo, Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company
Limited (AMHI), Apollo Energy Company Limited (AECL), Munich Health Holdings AG and other shareholders of
AMHI.
iii.Apollo Munich Health Insurance is a joint venture between Apollo Hospitals and German reinsurer Munich Re
Group while HDFC runs HDFC Ergo General Insurance Co, a joint venture with Ergo International AG, the primary
insurance entity of Munich Re.
About HDFC:
CEO- Aditya Puri
About Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company:
CEO- Antony Jacob
Headquarters- Gurugram
About Competition Commission of India:
Chairman- Ashok Kumar Gupta
About RBI:
About IRDAI:
Chairperson- Subhash Chandra Khuntia
Headquarters- Hyderabad
Mastercard acquires RiskRecon to strengthen its cybersecurity front

On December 24, 2019, Mastercard, a leading global payments & technology company has acquired RiskRecon
Inc, a leading third-party cyber risk solutions provider, to protect its cyber systems & infrastructure. The
acquisition has been finalized for an undisclosed sum & is expected to be completed by early 2020.
Key Points:
i.Under the deal, RiskRecon will further promote Mastercard’s suite of cyber solutions designed to help financial
institutions, merchants & governments secure their digital assets.
ii.Earlier,Mastercard along with popular credit card companies like American Express, Visa & Discovery
introduced a one-click checkout feature for faster and secure mode of credit card payment by using latest
authentication standards of EMV (Europay, MasterCard, Visa) 3-D Secure.
About RiskRecon:
Founded– 2011
Headquarters– Salt Lake City, United States
CEO & Co-Founder- Kelly White
About Mastercard:
Founded- 1966 (as Interbank Card Association) &1979 (as Mastercard)
Headquarters- New York, U.S.
President and CEO– Ajaypal Singh Banga
HDFC acquired Apollo Munich Health Insurance for Rs 1,495.81 crore; named as HDFC ERGO Health
Insurance Ltd
On January 9, 2020 HDFC has completed the acquisition of majority stake in Apollo Munich Health Insurance
for Rs.1,495.81 crore. The Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC) has bought 50.80 per
244 | P a g e
cent stake in Apollo Munich for Rs.1, 485.14 crore and 0.36 per cent shareholding of employees for Rs.10.67
crore. The acquisition comes after approvals from the Competition Commission of India (CII), the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
Key Points:
i.Now, Apollo Munich Health Insurance company renamed as HDFC ERGO Health Insurance Ltd (HDFC ERGO
Health) and will operate as a subsidiary of HDFC.
ii.Anuj Tyagi, Executive Director & Chief Business Officer at HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company has been
appointed as the Managing Director and CEO (Chief Exceutive officer) of HDFC ERGO Health, subject to approval
from IRDAI.
iii.HDFC plans to merge HDFC ERGO Health and HDFC ERGO General which will result as the second largest
private insurer in accident and health segment in the country.
About HDFC:
CEO- Aditya Puri
About Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company:
CEO- Antony Jacob
Headquarters- Gurugram
About Competition Commission of India:
Chairman- Ashok Kumar Gupta
About RBI:
No of Deputy Governors- 3
Deputy Governors- Mahesh Kumar Jain, Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, N.S. Vishwanathan.
About IRDAI:
Digital payment firm PayU India acquires Paysense for $185 mn

On January 10, 2020, PayU India, a fintech company that provides payment technology to online merchants, has
acquired digital credit startup PaySense at an equity valuation of about $185 million (mn). After the acquisition,
PayU is also decided to merge its lending business Lazypay with PaySense.
Also, Prashanth Ranganathan, the founder and CEO of PaySense, will head PayU’s credit business in India as the
CEO of the new venture.
Key Points:
i.In addition, PayU has infuse up to $200 million in the combined entity as equity capital for future growth. Out of
this, $65 mn of the total amount will be invested immediately, while the balance will be invested in the next 24
months to shoreup the loan book.
ii.Post the deal, the combined firm has been valued at more than $ 300mn or more than Rs 2,100 crore.
iii.This deal also enables the exit of 3 lending firms, Nexus Ventures Partners, Jungle Venture and Rocketship, and
the angel investors in PaySense.
iv.The acquisition will help PayU to further consolidate its position as a major fintech platform in India & bolster
its presence in the credit business network.
About PayU India:
Founded– 2002, Parent organization– Naspers, Headquarters– Gurugram, Haryana
About Paysense:
Founded– 2015
Founder, CEO– Prashanth
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Flipkart former CEO Sachin Bansal acquires DHFL General Insurance for Rs 100 crore
On January 10,2020 Former CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and co-founder of Flipkart Sachin Bansal has acquired
DHFL (Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited) General Insurance, Mumbai, Maharashtra from Wadhan
Group Capital (WGC) for around Rs.100 crore. WGC is the parent company of crisis-hit DHFL which has been
recently admitted for bankruptcy.
Key Points:
i.The deal has been done via Navi Technologies for Rs.100 crore formerly known as BAC Acquisitions Private
Limited (BACQ) which Sachin Bansal has founded along with IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) -Delhi
batchmate Ankit Agarwal after selling his stake in Flipkart.
ii.DHFL General Insurance has Rs.400 crore in assets under management.
iii.The deal is seen as a distress sale for Kapil-Wadhawan CMD (Chairman and Managing Director) of DHFL led
financial services group which runs the debt-laden DHFL.
iv.Companies owned by WGC:WGC also owns financial services companies such as Aadhar Housing Finance Ltd
(AHFL), Avanse Financial Services Ltd(AFSL) ,DHFL Pramerica Asset Managers,DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance
and DHFL General Insurance.
v.Previous acquisition: In 2019,Bansal acquired a microlender CRIDS (Chaitanya Rural Intermediation
Development Services),Karnataka,India for Rs.739 crore and also took over as the CEO of this non-banking
finance company (NBFC).
About DHFL:
Founded– 11 April 1984.
Founder– Rajesh Wadhawan.
Headquarters– Mumbai,India.
CMD (Chairman and Managing Director)– Kapil Wadhavan.
Equifax inks pact to acquire 100 % stake in its Indian JV- Equifax credit information services for Rs 370
crore
On January 16, 2020, Equifax Inc, a global information solutions company has signed a definitive agreement to
acquire 100 % stake in its Indian Credit information company, Equifax Credit Information Services Private
Ltd (ECIS) for Rs 370 crore.
Key Points:
i.ECIS has worked as a joint venture (JV) between Equifax and leading Indian financial institutions (FI) namely
State Bank of India (SBI-7.41% stake), Bank of India (BOI-3.50 % stake), Kotak Mahindra Prime Limited (5.56%
stake), Union Bank of India (UBI-4.17% stake) and Bank of Baroda(BoB), Sundaram Finance Limited (10% each)
since the year 2010.
ii.Following this deal, now all the partners will exit from ECIS.
iii.Till now, ECIS has made many innovative solutions in data and analytics to the Indian lending space. It will
now a full-service credit bureau offering its services to all segments of the lending sectors – Retail Banking, MFI
and Commercial
About Equifax Inc:
Founded– 1899 (as Retail Credit Company)
Headquarters– Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
CEO– Mark W. Begor
Food delivery startup Zomato acquires Uber Eats in all-stocks deal for $350 mn
On January 21, 2020, Zomato, an Indian restaurant aggregator and food delivery startup has acquired Uber’s
food delivery business in India, Uber Eats in an all-stocks deal valued at about $350 million (Rs 2,485 crore).
Key Points:
i.As a part of the deal, Uber will now hold only 9.99 % shares of Zomato & UberEats will discontinue operations
and direct restaurants, delivery partners. Further, all of Uber Eats’ customers will be directed to Zomato
platform.
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ii.This acquisition will boost Zomato’s position in the food delivery market.
About Zomato:
Founder and CEO– Deepinder Goyal
About Uber:
Founded– March 2009
Headquarters– San Francisco, U.S.
CEO– Dara Khosrowshahi
It is an ride-hailing company & has started its food delivery service in India around mid-2017.
About Uber Eats:
Formation– 2017
It was competing with Zomato as well as Swiggy in the market.
Adani group’s NBFC Adani Capital acquired Essel Finance’s MSME loan business
On January 22, 2020, the Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) of the Adani group, Adani Capital Pvt. Ltd has
acquired Essel Finance’s MSME (Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) loan business. The business
has a loan book of Rs 145 crore approximately. As on December 31, 2019, the overall lending book of Adani
capital and the housing finance business was Rs1,100 crore where the contributed Rs150 crore.
Key points:
i.Adani Capital is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Finserve, the holding company of Adani Group’s financial
services business.
ii.MGB Business Advisors Pvt. Ltd acted as a financial adviser to the transaction and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
was the legal adviser to the transaction.
About Essel Group:
Essel finance is promoted by the Essel Group.
Founded- 1926.
Chairman- Dr. Subash Chandra.
Managing Director (Essel finance)- Amitabh Chaturvedi.
About Adani Capital:
Chairman- Gautam Adani.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Gaurav Gupta.
Headquarters- Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IAF chief formally inducted Dornier 228 aircraft into No. 41 Squadron in New Delhi
On 31st December 2019, Indian Air Force Chief Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria formally inducted the light
utility aircraft Flight Inspection System (FIS) Dornier 228 into the No. 41 ‘Otters’ Squadron at a ceremony at
the Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i.A contract has been signed by Indian Air Force (IAF) for purchasing 14 Dornier aircraft in 2015, which are flight
inspection system planes, for Rs 1,090 Crore from state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
ii.The first aircraft was delivered in November 2019, whereas the second one is likely to be delivered in early
2020.
About Dornier-228 aircraft:
The Do-228 is a twin-engine, multirole light transport aircraft, capable of transporting up to 19 passengers or
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various cargoes, jointly designed and developed by Indian aircraft manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL) and RUAG Aerospace, Germany. It is derived from a Dornier Do-28 aircraft and can climb at the rate of
9.5m/s.
The Do-228 has six variant models – Do-228-100, Do-228-101, Do-228-200, Do-228-201, Do-228-202 and Do-
228-212. Around 270 Do-228s were built and 127 of them are in service worldwide, including the Indian Air
Force and the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
President released mobile app “Telangana Red Cross” of Red Cross Society of India in Telangana
On December 21, 2019 the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind, launched a mobile app named “Telangana
Red Cross” of the Red Cross Society of India in Hyderabad, Telangana. The app was launched during the
President’s visit to southern parts of India. His visits were to Telangana, Puducherry, Kanyakumari(Tamil Nadu)
from December 20-28, 2019.
Telangana Red Cross app:
i.App development: The app was developed by the Telangana Centre for Good Governance in less than 3
months. It is made available in all languages. Access to blood bank and red Cross membership will be made easy
through this app.
ii.Members present: During the launch, Telangana Chief Minister KalvakuntlaChandra Sekhar Rao; Himachal
Pradesh Governor Bandaru Dattatreya; Minister of state(MoS) for Home affairs Kishan Reddy and other
members attended the event.
Details of president’s visit:
• Visit to Puducherry: The president Shri Kovind, visited the Union Territory (UT) of Puducherry
where he addressed the 27th convocation of the Pondicherry University(PU).
• Visit to TamilNadu: He visited Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu and visited the Vivekananda Rock
Memorial and Vivekananda Kendra there.
• Visit to Secunderabad: Apart from the mobile app launch in Telangana, the President also hosted a
reception for senior dignitaries, including ministers, officials, leading citizens, academics, etc. at the
Rashtrapati Nilayam, Secunderabad, Telangana.
About President of India:
Fact- The president of India is the head of state of India and the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces.
Formation of post- 26 January 1950 framed in the Constitution of India.
Residence- Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
1st president- Dr.Rajendra Prasad.
ISRO to set its 2nd launch port in Thoothukodi district of Tamil Nadu
On January 1, 2020, during the press conference in Bengaluru, Karnataka with ISRO Chairman K. Sivan, it has
been announced that the second launch port of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) will be established in
Thoothukodi district of Tamil Nadu to launch small satellite vehicles. This will come up in 2300 acres.
Key Points:
i.Also, following the GPS navigation system developed by America, the Indian navigation system called Navic
with the indigenous atomic clock will be operational with mobile phone manufacturers coming forward to install
the regional navigation device.
ii.Chandrayaan 3 mission to the moon, comprising of a lander and a rover is approved by the Government.
Gaganyaan Mission:
i.India’s first manned mission to outer space Ganganyaan is targeted to launch in 2022. Selection of Astronaut is
over and four men selected from Indian Air Force will leave to Russia for the training.
About ISRO:
Chairman- K Sivan
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ISRO sets its fourth RAC-S in Karnataka

On January 3, 2020 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sets its fourth Regional Academic Centre for
Space (RAC-S) at the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NIT-K) at Surathkal in Mangaluru taluk.
Key Points:
i.The center helps for advanced research in the areas of relevance to the future technological and programmatic
needs of the Indian Space program.
ii.It also helps in the promotion of space technology in southern regions like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra
Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Pondicherry, and Lakshadweep.
iii.RAC-S encourages institutions to take part in advanced research technologies related to space technology,
iv.Joint Policy Management committee (JPMC) in RAC-S consists of experts from ISRO and NITK. These members
will conduct activities in institutions on advanced space research technology.
v.ISRO has set its first RAC-S in Jaipur, second at Guwahati and third at Kurukshetra.
vi.ISRO will provide Rs 2 Crore annually per year for the conduct of research and development projects.
About ISRO:
Chairman- K Sivan
ISRO CPBO director- Dr P V Venkitakrishnan
ISRO signs an agreement with IIA to set up optical telescopes

On January 2, 2020, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed a pact with Indian Institute of
Astrophysics (IIA) to establish an Optical telescope under ‘Project NETRA’ (NEtwork for space object
TRacking and Analysis) for tracking space objects.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Isro and IIA was signed by ISRO scientific secretary
R.Umamaheswaran and IIA director Annapurni Subramanium during a meet in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Key Points:
i.Recently, ISRO has also tied up with NIT-Karnataka (National Institute of Technology) at Surathkal in Dakshina
Kannada to set up a regional academic center for space to promote research and development in space.
ii.Rs.2 Crore will be provided annually by ISRO to NIT for Research and Development activities.
About NETRA:
i.Project Netra– Launched by ISRO in September 2019 with an outlay of Rs 400 crore.
ii.Aim- The Project will help India detect threats to Indian Satellites from debris and other hazards.
About ISRO:
Headquarters– Bengaluru
Chairman- Kailasavadivoo Sivan.
Indian Army to sign MoU with Russia for 7.5 lakh AK-203 assault rifles procurement
The Indian Army is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)in a month for the procurement of over 7.5
lakh AK-203 assault rifles. These rifles will be manufactured locally by an India-Russia joint venture (JV) with 1
lakh rifles to come directly from Russia, remaining 6.5 lakh rifles will be manufactured by the JV.
Rifle manufacturing through JV:
i.The Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) at Amethi district’s Korwa town in Uttar Pradesh will
manufacture the rifles. The factory is a joint-venture of the Ordnance Factory Board(OFB) of India and
Rosoboron Exports and Kalashnikov of Russia.
ii.Stake holdings: OFB holds 50.5% equity and Russia holds the remaining 49.5% stake. The JV was formed by
an intergovernmental agreement between India and Russia in February 2019.
iii.CEO of IRRPL: To regulate the timely delivery of rifles, the Army has appointed Major General Sanjeev
Senger as the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of IRRPL.
iv.The Ministry of Defence(MoD) has already floated a request for proposal (RFP) to JV for the supply of 6.71 lakh
rifles.
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v.Recent SIG-716 Rifle Procurement: The Indian Army (IA) has recently begun inducting 1st batch of 10,000
SIG-716 assault rifles out of the 72,400 assault rifles in addition to AK-203. These SIG-716 rifles were procured
under contract worth over Rs 700 crore signed in February 2019 with Sig Sauer company of the U.S. (United
States).
vi.Rifle to armed forces: Of the 72,400 rifles, 66,400 will be given to the Army, 2,000 to the Navy and 4,000 to
the Air Force. The entire quantity is expected to be delivered within 12 months from the date of signing the
contract.
vii.INSAS replacement: The Army looks to replace indigenous INSAS (Indian National Small Arms System) rifles
in use with a modern rifle.
About Indian Army(IA):
Founded- 1 April 1895
Motto- “Service Before Self”
Commander-in-Chief- President Ram Nath Kovind.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched a web portal for undertaking aerial survey
On January 6, 2020, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has launched Ministry of Defence (MoD) No Objection
Certificate (NOC) web portal www.modnoc.ncog.gov.in for undertaking aerial photography/remote sensing
survey with the final permission of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) during an ocassion in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i.This Portal helps in reducing the MoD’s time in issuing NOC and also speeds the developmental projects and
will also ensure expeditious disposal of applications for carrying out aerial survey, besides bringing in more
transparency and accuracy.
ii.Using this portal, vendors from the state government or public sectors can get NOC from MoD and also
uploaded e-books in the portal will facilitate the vendors.
iii.Ministry requested DGCA to issue suitable notification to all concerned so that the vendors could submit their
applications online on the newly developed web portal of MoD. iv.Participants: Chief of Defence Staff General
Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh,
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria and other senior officials from MoD, Ministry of Electronics
and Information Technology and DGCA were also present on the occasion.
Chief of Defence staff- General Bipin Rawat
Minister of Civil Aviation- Hardeep Singh Puri
Gaganyaan Mission: ISRO to launch IDRSS satellites for space communication purpose
On January 7, 2020, The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO),the space agency of the Government of
India (GoI), has planned to launch a new
satellite series called “Indian Data Relay
Satellite System (IDRSS)” for seamless
communication for India’s first manned space
mission ‘Gaganyaan’, which have a schedule
to take off in 2022.
Key Points:
i.IDRSS For Gangayaan Mission:
It consists of 2 satellites, which will be
deployed in phases. The 1st one planned to
launch by the end of 2020 to track and be
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constantly in touch with Indian satellites, mainly with those in low-earth orbits (LEO). Then the 2nd IDRSS
satellite will be launched in 2021, which will set the platform for the main mission launch in 2022.
These 2 satellites of the 2,000 kg weight will be launched on the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)
launcher to around 36,000 km away from earth’s orbits that covers a third of the earth. Both satellites will
provide near-total tracking, sending & receiving of information from the crew round the clock (24×7).
ii.Advantages:
With the IDRSS satellites in place, the crew members will get benefit by staying in touch with mission control
throughout the travel. In the future, it will play a vital role for ISRO as it’s future expeditions is aimed with
advanced LEO missions such as space docking, space station, as well as distant expeditions to moon, Mars and
Venus, etc. With this launch, ISRO will join other countries like the US (United States) and China for setting up its
space travel satellite communication system.
4 Astronauts identified for Gaganyaan
According to the ISRO chairman Dr Kailasavadivoo Sivan, 4 astronauts have been selected from the India Air
Force (IAF) for India’s first manned space mission ‘Gaganyaan’, a Rs 10,000-crore project.
The training will be provided to these astronauts in Russia in the third week of January 2020 after the medical
test.
Key Points:
i.In its maiden crewed mission, ISRO will send 3 astronauts for up to 7 days to orbit the Earth at an altitude of
400 km.
ii.Along with Gaganyaan, work on the Chandrayaan-3 mission of about 600 crores is also going on. The
preparations are underway to launch Chandrayaan-3 in 2021.
About ISRO:
Headquarters– Bengaluru,Karnataka.
Founder– Vikram Sarabhai.
NASA Discovers Potentially Habitable Earth-Sized World “TOI 700 d” in Star’s ‘Goldilocks’ Zone
On January 7, 2020, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) has discovered an Earth-sized world ‘Goldilocks’ zone within the habitable range of the
star. Scientists confirmed the find as TOI 700 d by using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope (SST).
About Goldilocks Zone:
The Goldilocks Zone refers to the habitable zone around a star where the temperature is not too hot and not too
cold and liquid water to exist on this planet.
Key Points:
i.TESS discovered three planets in the satellite named TOI 700 b,c and d.
ii.First, habitable-zone Earth-sized planet is TOI 700 d, the outermost planet 20% larger than Earth and
orbits its star in 37 days.
iii.TOI 700 d is 100 light-years away from earth.
iv.TOI b is the innermost planet which is rocky and TOI c is the middle planet between Earth and Neptune.
v.TESS was launched by NASA on 18 April 2018 to find the earth-sized planet orbiting nearby stars.
About NASA:
Headquarters- Washington, D.C., United States.
China successfully launches new communication experiment satellite’ TJSW-5’ on a Long March-3B
rocket
On January 7, 2020, China has successfully launched a new communication technology experiment
satellite, Tongxin Jishu Shiyan Weixing -5 (TJSW-5) by its Long March-3B (also known as CZ [Chang Zheng]-
3B) carrier rocket.
The mission lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, a southwestern Chinese
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province.
It was the 324th mission for the Long March series of carrier rockets.
Key Points:
i.The satellite ,entered into space, will be used in communication, radio, television and data transmission, as well
as high throughput technology test.
ii.Earlier in December 2019, China launched its heaviest and most advanced communications satellite, Shijian-20
with its largest new carrier rocket Long March-5 (also known as CZ-5) from Wenchang Space Launch Center
(WSLC) in south China’s Hainan Province.
About TJSW (Tongxin Jishu Shiyan Weixing):
It is a series of satellites are officially Communications Engineering Test Satellites, built by Shanghai Academy of
Spaceflight Technology(SAST) and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), under the China
Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
About Long March-3B carrier:
It has the capacity to launch 11,200 kg satellite to a low Earth orbit or a 5,100 kg cargo to a geosynchronous
transfer orbit (GTO).
India’s 1st indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant to be commissioned by early 2021

On January 8,2020 The manufacturing of the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant is likely to be
commissioned by early 2021. Vikrant is currently under phase three of construction which involves setting to
work of machinery and other equipment like power generation, propulsion and machinery.
Key Points:
i.This carrier is being built at the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) Kochi, Kerala.
ii.The third phase of construction will go till acceptance of harbour, sea trials and aviation trial will also take a
year and it will be fully operated by 2022.
iii.The first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant complemented with Mikoyan MiG-29k aircraft will be showcased
as part of the Navy’s tableau during the ceremonial parade on Rajpath, New Delhi on the Republic day.
About Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL):
Founded- 1972.
Headquarters- Kochi, Kerala
Chairman and Managing Director(MD)– Shri Madhu S Nair.
About Indian Navy :
Chief of the Naval Staff- General Admiral Karambir Singh.
Founded- 5th September 1612.
Navy Day- December 4.
LIGO detects collision of neutron stars for the 2nd time

On January 8, 2020, A team of Scientists with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory
(LIGO) and Virgo collaborations have detected gravitational waves due to collision of two neutron stars for
the 2nd time. The first such gravitational-wave detection of merging neutron stars, called GW170817, took place
in August 2017.
Key Points:
i.This merger was detected in the third observing run (O3) of the LIGO detectors, which started on April 1, 2019
& has been named GW190425. There have been 2 previous observing runs conducted before. It includes, O1
(from September 2015 – January 2016) & O2 (from November 2016 to August 2017).
ii.The total mass of the two neutron stars combined was between 3.3 and 3.7 times the mass of the Sun, which is
greater than any other pair of neutron stars ever observed.
iii.These city sized neutron stars, at a distance of 520 million light years from the earth, were formed separately
and drifted together to form a giant star pair.
iv.These findings were published in the journal , “Astrophysical Journal Letters”.
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About LIGO observatory:

It is a large-scale physics experiment and observatory to detect gravitational waves. It was Co founded in 1992
by Kip Thorne and Ronald Drever of Caltech and Rainer Weiss of MIT & is funded by the National Science
Foundation (NSF).
Location(s)- Hanford Site, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana, US
India lands LCA Tejas on INS Vikramaditya for the first time
On January 11,2020 the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas has made a successful landed on the India’s biggest
warship INS Vikramaditya. The maiden landing was
conducted by Commodore Jaideep Maolankar.
Key Points:
i.For the first time an indigenous fighter aircraft has
been landed on an aircraft carrier.
ii.India becomes sixth nation to master the art of an
arrested landing and ski-jump take off on the deck of a
carrier after Russia, the United States (US), France, the
United Kingdom (UK)and China.
iii.LCA was developed by Aeronautical Development
Agency (ADA) long with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
About LCA Tejas:
Tejas is India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) together with its variants, is the smallest and lightest Multi-Role
Supersonic Fighter Aircraft of its class. This single engine, Compound-Delta-Wing, Tailless Aircraft is designed
and developed by ADA with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as the principal partner along with DRDO,
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) , Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Directorate General Of
Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) to meet the needs of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy (IN).
About DRDO:
Founded- 1958
Chairman- Dr. G Satheesh Reddy
About HAL:
Chairman- R Madhavan
About CSIR:
President- Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi
About BEL:
Chairman- S.K.Sharma
Shopper malware affects 14.23% Indian users: Kaspersky report

On January 13, 2020, According to the researchers from cybersecurity and anti-virus solutions
provider Kaspersky, a new Trojan malware application called ‘Shopper’ (‘Trojan-Dropper.
AndroidOS.Shopper.a’ ) has affected more than 14.23% Indian users. This malware boosts shopping app
ratings, spreads ads, installs apps without the permission of the smart phone user. The malware also has a
capability to use the Google Accessibility Service to spread false information through social media channels and
other platforms.
Key Points:
i.Report: The malware has infected 28.46% ( the most) of the users in Russia who use shopaholic app from
October – November 2019. It is followed by Brazil (18.70%) and India (14.23%).
ii.Focus: Now, the center of this malware app is in retail. The origin of this malware is not known. However, it
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may be downloaded through fraudulent ads/ third-party app stores. It is present as a system application in the
device under the name ‘ConfigAPKs.
iii.How it works: After the user unlocks the screen, the Shopper malware initiated automatically and gathers
information about the device, which is then forwarded to the attacker’s servers. This server will then send
commands to the Shopper to execute the action.
About Kaspersky:
Founded– 1997
Headquarters– Moscow, Russia
CEO– Eugene Kaspersky
Two Coast Guard ships Annie Besant and Amrit Kaur commissioned at Kolkata
On January 12,2020 The two Indian Coast Guard Ships (ICGS) namely Annie Besant and Amrit Kaur, second
and third in the series of five Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs), were commissioned and deployed along the eastern
coast by Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar at Khidderpore park, Kolkata, West Bengal. With a target of becoming
a $ 5 trillion economy by 2024, $ 250 billion will be coming from the maritime zone. The Maritime economy
constitutes nearly 5% of the world economy.
About Annie Besant:
i.ICGS Annie Besant was named in honour of Annie Besant philanthropist, theosophist, prolific author and
supporter of Indian freedom struggle.
ii.The ship will be based at Chennai, Tamil Nadu under the operational and administrative control of the
Commander, Coast Guard Region(East). It is commanded by Commandant (JG) Sunny Deo.
About Amrit Kaur:
i.ICGS Amrit Kaur derives the name from Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, who belonged to the ruling family of
Kapurthala, Punjab.
ii.She took an active part in the ‘Salt Satyagraha’ and ‘Quit India Movement’, and served Independent India as
it first Health Minister.
iii.She was a founder member of All India Women’s Conference and founder President of Indian Council for Child
Welfare.
iv.The ship will be based at Haldia, West Bengal under the operational and administrative control of the
Commander,Coast Guard Region (North East). It is commanded by Commandant (JG) Himanshu Mishra.
Key Points:
i.The two ICG fast patrol vessels designed and manufactured by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
Ltd., (GRSE) kolkata, West Bengal.
ii.Both ships are 48.9 metres long and 7.5 metres wide, with a displacement of 308 tonnes.
iii.The ships are capable of achieving a maximum speed of 34 knots, powered by MTU (Motoren- und Turbinen-
Union) 4000 series engines and propelled by three 71s type III Kamewa water jets by Rolls Royce.
iv.They are fitted with state-of-the-art technology, navigation and communication equipment, sensors and
machinery and also capable of undertaking multifaceted tasks such as surveillance,search and rescue and
medical evacuation.
v.The ships are also equipped with Bofors 40/60 guns and 12.7 mm SRCGs (Stabilising Remote Controlled Gun)
for enhancing the fighting efficiency of the ship.
vi.The ship carry one RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) and a Gemini boat each for swift boarding and search and
rescue operations.
vii.Director General (DG) of Indian Coast Guard K.Natarajan, Additional Director General and Coast Guard
Commander (Eastern Seaboard) V.S. Pathania, and other officials from Central and State agencies were present
during the ceremony.
IOC launches special NATO class diesel for Indian Navy

On January 13,2020 Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has developed a special class diesel (HFHSD- IN 512) High
Flash High Speed Diesel conforming to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) grade for use in ships and
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vessels of Indian Army. Vice Admiral Gurtej Singh Pabby, Indian Navy launched the HFHSD- IN 512 during an
occasion in New Delhi. The new diesel results in a reduced carbon footprint.
About HFHSD- IN 512:
i.The upgraded HFHSD- IN 512 blend, NATO specifications, is being supplied from Haldia and Pardip refinery,
Kolkata,West Bengal.
ii.The revised technical specification of new fuel arrived consisting of 22 test parameters including critical
parameters cetane number, flash point, sulphur content, sediment content, oxidation stability and Cold Filter
Plugging Point (CFPP).
iii.The HFHSD-IN 512 diesel exceeds the MIL DTL 16844M (Detail Specification Fuel Naval Distillate)
specification is considered benchmark standard across in the world.
iv.The fuel has less environmental impact due to low sulphur content and would result in better performance of
engines.
v.IOC refineries were the first ones to make available of 0.5 per cent Sulphur Marpol Fuel Oil that will reduce
stack emissions from the ships.
vi.This fuel will facilitate the Indian Army to enhance its global footprint and will allow India to fuel the vessels of
friendly foreign countries where fuel conforming NATO grade is supplied.
vii.The fuel possesses the best rheological and detergent characteristics validated against most stringent military
specifications.
viii.The new fuel is expected to benefit other IOCL consumers like the Indian Coast Guard and other merchant
marine in the coming years.
ix.IOC Director (R&D) Research and Development, SSV Ramkumar and IOC Director (Refineries) S M Vaidya took
part on this occasion.
Indian Oil Corporation:
Indian Navy:
Commander-in chief- President Ram Nath Kovind.
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS)- Admiral Karambir Singh.
17-year-old intern at NASA, Wolf cukier discovers new planet ‘TOI 1338b’ 1300 light years away
On January 11, 2020, Wolf Cukier, a 17-year-old boy from New York (United States), has discovered
a planet named “TOI 1338b” that is 1,300 light years away & about 6.9 times larger than Earth, on the 3rd day of
his internship at NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). He used NASA’s alien-hunting space
telescope TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) for his record breaking discovery.
Key Points:
i.Another special thing is that the planet, which lies in the Pictor constellation, orbits 2 stars, one of which is 10 %
larger than our Sun, while the other is much smaller and less bright. The planet orbits the pair of stars every 93 –
95 days.
ii.The TESS mission was launched into orbit by SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in April of 2018.
About National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA):
Founded– 29 July 1958.
Founder– Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Administrator– Jim Bridenstine
H9N2 virus: Indian scientists detect India’s 1st case of infection in Maharashtra
Scientists of the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, Maharashtra have detected the 1st case of H9N2
virus ,a rare subtype of influenza virus A, in a 17-month-old boy in Maharashtra. The discovery has been
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published in the December 2019 issue of journal ‘Emerging Infectious Diseases’ of the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr Varsha Potdar, senior scientist at NIV, is the lead author of the study along with
Dr Pragya Yadav and Dr M S Chadha.
Key Points:
i.About H9N2 virus:
• It is a rare variant of the virus, which causes human influenza as well as bird flu. These viruses, found
exclusively in wild birds, could potentially play a major role in the worldwide emergence of influenza.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the avian influenza virus is spreading rapidly in
poultry firms, exposure to infected poultry or contaminated environments poses a risk to human
groups as well.
• H9N2 virus infections in humans are rare, although cases of the infection do not come to light due to
unclear symptoms. In humans, the first case of H9N2 virus infection occurred in Hong Kong in 1998.
ii.1 case: In India, the virus was spotted during a community-based surveillance study in 93 villages of the
st
Korku tribe of Melghat district in Maharashtra in February 2019.Globally, the 1st case of H9N2 virus infection
occurred in humans in Hong Kong in 1998.
Ariane 5 rocket launches communications satellites for India, Eutelsat into GTO from French Guiana, SA
On January 17, 2020, Arianespace, French Company launched a pair of communication satellites into
Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) as its first launch in 2020 through Ariane 5 rocket, consisting of
ISRO(Indian Space Research
Organization) communication
satellite GSAT-30(Geosynchronous
Satellites) and EUTELSAT KONNECT for
the European satellite operator Eutelsat
(European Organization of
Telecommunication by Satellite S.A) from
Guiana space center, French Guiana,
South America (SA).
About GSAT-30:
i.AIM:To provide high quality television,
telecommunications and broadcasting
services.
ii.The 3,357 Kg GSAT-30 derives its heritage from ISRO’s earlier INSAT/GSAT (Indian National
Satellites/Geosynchronous Satellites) satellite series and will replace INSAT-4A in orbit equipped with 12
C(covers Gulf countries, Asian and Australian countries) and 12 Ku band(covers Indian mainland and island)
transponders.
iii.The mission life of GSAT-30 is more than 15 years specifically designed to maximize the number of
transponders (to transmit and receive signals).
iv.The satellite supports VSAT(Very Small Aperture Terminal) for ATMs, Stock Exchange, television uplinking
and teleport services, Digital Satellite News Gathering(DSNG), DTH (Direct-to-Home) television services, cellular
backhaul connectivity etc.,
About EUTELSAT KONNECT:
i.The satellite is expected to offer broadband data and internet services at speeds up to 100 megabits per second
(Mbps) for 40 countries in Africa and 15 countries in Europe.
ii.The satellite also provides public Wi-fi to share the internet access between several users in Africa.
ISRO:
Headquarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Chairman- Kailasavadivoo Sivan.
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ArianeSpace:
Founded- 1980.
Headquarters- Courcouronnes, France.
Chief Executive Officer- Stephan Israel.
e-commerce platform was launched by the Ministry of Housing in real estate sector
On January 15,2020 the Ministry of Housing launched an e-commerce platform to facilitate home buyers in
identifying genuine properties. The objective of e-commerce platform is to bring transparency in the sector and
offer only certified projects. The portal ‘HousingForAll.com’ was developed by National Real Estate
Development Council (NAREDCO).
Key Points:
i.The portal will be open for one month only for the real estate developers to register their projects and it will be
opened for home buyers with a 45-day sale period starting February 14, 2020.
ii.The online platform is for the projects that have received occupancy certificate (OCs).
iii.The portal will help buyers in accessing the best price and view the complete plan of the building and able to
book or reserve the unit with a refundable amount.
About Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs:
Founded- 1952
Minister- Hardeep Singh Puri
CM Bhupesh Baghel launches employment-oriented mobile app ‘Rojgar Sangi’ in Raipur

On 15 January 2020, The Chief Minister (CM) of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel has launched an employment-
oriented mobile app,‘Rojgar Sangi’ developed by state-run Chhattisgarh State Skill Development
Authority (CSSDA) at the ceremony of youth fest 2020 held at Science College premises in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
Key Points:
i.The app is designed to provide employment to trained youths under their skill development programme. It is
expected that through this app, lakhs of unemployed youth of the state will be able to get employment.
ii.The app will act as a bridge between the employment-generating institutions or individual and skill-trained
youth. In this, the institutions or individuals providing employment can contact the youth trained in skill training
as per their requirement.
iii.Information of trained & certified youths from more than 400 courses has been included. Through this app,
any organization and person can post information on vacancies as per their requirement.
About Chhattisgarh:
Capital– Raipur
Governor– Anusuiya Uikey
State Animal– Wild Asian Buffalo
National Parks– Indravati (Kutru) National Park, Kanger Valley National Park, Guru Ghasi Das
(Sanjay) National Park.
Wildlife Sanctuaries– Achanakmar WLS, Badalkhol WLS, Bhoramdev WLS.
India successfully test-fired nuclear capable SLBM K-4 of 3,500 km range in Visakhapatnam coast in
Andhra Pradesh
On January 19, 2020 India successfully test-fired the nuclear capable Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile
(SLBM) K-4 at the Visakhapatnam coast in Andhra Pradesh. The range of K-4 ballistic missile
is 3,500 Kilometer. The missile was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
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The test was carried out from an underwater platform in the sea.
Key Points:
i.By this test, India moved a step towards the induction of ballistic missile on the INS (Indian Naval Ship) Arihant
class nuclear submarines.
ii.The three-meter-long ballistic
missile carries a nuclear warhead of
over one tonne with a circular error
probability of 40 meters or less, which
makes it ideal to strike targets from
stand-off ranges.
iii.India is the fourth country after the
United States (US), Russia, China to
launches SLBM of 3,500 kilometer
range.
iv.Apart from K-4, BO-5 is the other
underwater missile with a strike range
of 700 kilometers which is being developed by India.
About DRDO:
Founded- 1958; Headquarter– New Delhi
Chairman- Dr G Satheesh Reddy
WHO: TB diagnostic test ‘TrueNat’ developed in India has high accuracy

On January 17, 2020 The World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) Global Tuberculosis Programme has included
an Indian Molecular assay (test or analysis) named “TrueNat” as its initial test to identify strain resistance of
TB bacteria. The assay has been included in rapid communication document on Molecular Assays of the
mentioned global TB programme and has high accuracy.
TrueNat and its development:
i.TrueNat: It is a molecular diagnostic test for pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB and rifampicin-resistant TB.
It provides resistance to rifampicin drug in about 90 minutes and will now replace sputum smear microscopy.
ii.Sensitivity: The sputum microscopy has only 50% sensitivity while overall sensitivity of the Truenat
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TrueNat MTB) assay is 83% and specificity is 99%. When compared with globally
accepted GeneXpert test, TrueNat’s sensitivity is 85% and specificity is 98%.
• Thus, in general Truenat MTB-RIF test for knowing the resistance has 93% sensitivity and 95%
specificity.
iii.Developers: TrueNat is developed by Goa-based Molbio Diagnostics with technical assistance from Global
non-profit organisation(NPO) called Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND). The diagnostic tool was
assessed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
iv.Cost efficiency: It is highly cost effective when compared to the GeneXpert test. It can also be tested in
peripheral centres and is not necessary to be stored in an air-conditioned laboratory.
• The development of TrueNat was mainly due to the efforts made by ICMR to promote indigenous
technologies for diagnosis of TB and multidrug and extensively drug resistant TB (MDR/ XDR TB).
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• Development support: The technological developments were made with the support from
Department of Health Research in Union Ministry of Health and Family welfare(MoHFW) and
Department of Biotechnology in Union Ministry of Science and Technology(MoST).
v.Pre-qualification process: As part of WHO prequalification process, field evaluation was conducted in 4
countries namely India, Ethiopia, Peru and Papua-New Guinea. Global non-profit organisation(NPO)
named Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) coordinated the field evaluation.
• The field study in the Indian centres were funded by ICMR.
About World Health Organisation:
VGM mobile app: Developed Students of IIT (BHU), Varanasi, UP to check crimes against women
Mrityunjay Singh and Priya Rai, the students of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Banaras Hindu University
(BHU) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh have developed a women security app ‘Very Good Morning’ (VGM) to reduce
the crimes against women.
Key Points:
i.By pressing the mobile’s power button thrice the app sends the location of the mobile number to the police
emergency number.
ii.If the mobile is stolen then the Picture and the location of the thief will be sent to the emergency numbers
when the person tries to switch it off.
iii.The app has got 4.3 ratings in the playstore.
In a 1st, TSEC to use face recognition app in 2020 Telangana Municipal polls on pilot basis
On January 20, 2020, the Telangana State Election Commission(TSEC) of the Indian state of Telangana, for the
first time in India will use facial recognition in the Telangana Municipal polls to tackle the counter impersonation
by the voters. This will be done on a pilot basis in selected 10 polling stations of Telangana’s Kompally
Municipality of Medchal Malkajgiri district.
Key Points:
i.The polling held on January 22, 2020 in 120 municipalities and 9 municipal corporations.
ii.The pictorial data collected during the process will be deleted from the memory of mobile phone used and also
from the server of Telangana State Technology Services (TSTS).
About Telangana:
Capital- Hyderabad
Governor- Tamilisai Soundararajan
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Health ministry takes action for the recent novel coronavirus outbreak in China
On January 20, 2020 the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW) of govt. of India has initiated
various measures as a precaution for the recent outbreak of the 2019 Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China.
Some of the measures taken are as follows:
Measures taken by MoHFW:
• Screening at airports: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has been asked to facilitate thermal
screening at the international airports of Delhi, Mumbai(Maharashtra), Kolkata (West Bengal),
Chennai(Tamil Nadu), Bengaluru (Karnataka), Hyderabad(Telangana) and Cochin (Kerala) under the
guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
• Travellers list: Details of travellers from the Wuhan city of China who have travelled to India since
December 31, 2019 will have to be produced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and also
needed to counsel the applicants while issuing visa.
• JMG meeting: The Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) under the Chairmanship of DGHS has also met twice
in January 2020 in assessing the risk and also to review the preparedness in combating the virus. The
World Health Organisation (WHO) which is being represented in JMG provides regular updates and
technical information.
• Testing samples: National Institute of Virology, Pune (Maharashta) will test samples of nCoV. Ten
other laboratories under Indian Council of Medical Research’s Viral Research and Diagnostics
Laboratories network will also test the samples.
• Stock of personal protection equipment will be maintained by the Medical Stores Organisation(MSO).
WHO conducts emergency meeting:
The WHO on January 15, 2020 has held a meeting with its Emergency Committee and analysed whether the
outbreak should have to be declared an international health emergency or not. Apart from China, Japan, Thailand
and South Korea have reported cases of coronavirus and there are some suspected cases in Vietnam and
Singapore also.
Coronavirus:
• WHO definition of coronavirus: A large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the
common cold to more severe diseases.
• The outbreak of the mysterious 2019- novel coronavirus was reported in China and is expected to
have been originated in its Wuhan city.
• 6 people have died while 291 people have been infected with the virus so far. This virus will transmit
between humans and spread more rapidly leading to death. Previously this virus was reported in
animals alone.
• Symptoms: Coronaviruses symptoms range from common cold to more severe diseases such as the
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
About China:
Capital- Beijing.
Currency- Renminbi.
Xenobots: World’s first living, self-healing robots

Scientists of the University of Vermont and Tufts University have created the world’s first living and self-
healing robots Xenobots, using stem cells from frogs. It is named after the African clawed frog, Xenopus
laevis from which they take stem cells.
Key Points:
i.Xenobots are new class of artifact: a living, programmable organism, which don’t look like traditional robots.
These are marchines which are less than a millimeter (0.04 inches) in width and are small enough to travel inside
human bodies. They can walk and swim, survive for weeks without food, and work together in groups.
ii.Xenobots could be used to clean up radioactive waste, collect microplastics in the oceans, carry medicine inside
human bodies, or even travel into our arteries to scrape out plaque.
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POLNET 2.0 was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai
On January 20, 2020, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs (MHA) Nityanand Rai inaugurated revamped
police communication services POLNET 2.0. It is armed with robust multi-media facility. POLNET 2.0 is a captive
satellite-based network that provides video, audio and data connectivity across the country, especially in times of
disasters when regular communication either gets jammed or crashes.
Key Points:
i.POLNET 2.0 provides video-conferencing facility to four entities sitting at different locations across the country
with Internet-enabled multimedia services.
ii.Phone calling facility for personnel of police and paramilitary forces are deployed in remote areas to talk to
their families in POLNET 2.0 and it also connects nearly 260 remote police stations with the CCTNS (crime and
criminal tracking network and systems).
iii.In India POLNET and police network services are operated by the Directorate of Coordination Police Wireless
(DCPW). It has brought out an enhanced communication platform for police and security forces to communicate
better during law and order problems and disasters, including linkup from remote border and coastal areas.
Minister- Amitabh Anilchandra Shah
Indian Army to induct Artillery gun ‘Sharang’ by March 31, 2020

On January 21, 2020, the Indian Army (IA) has announced to induct 1st batch of 18 indigenously upgraded
‘Sharang’ artillery guns by March 31, 2020. The announcement was made by the Programme Coordinator of
Sharang, Brigadier Jayant Kar.
Key Points:
i.Sharang: The artillery gun’s barrel upgraded from 130mm to 155mm has a strike range of 39 kilometers and
has gone integrated firing range from 0-45 degrees in its trial at the Long Proof Range of Ordnance Factory
Khamaria, 16 kilometers from Jabalpur district headquarters in Madhya Pradesh. Previously the strike range was
27 kilometers.
ii.Upgradation contract: The contract to upgrade the Sharang artillery gun was undertaken by Gun Carriage
Factory (GCF) in Jabalpur with the help of state-owned ordnance factories, and teams from the Army and DRDO
(Defence Research and Development Organisation).
1st unmanned mission will be launched in December 2020 as a preparation for ‘Gaganyaan’: ISRO
On January 22, 2020, According to the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), chairman Dr
Kailasavadivoo Sivan, ISRO would launch 2 unmanned missions in December 2020 and June 2021 in view of
the launch of India’s first manned spacecraft “Gaganyaan” in December 2021.
Key Points:
i.He made this announcement during the inaugural session of a symposium on “Human Spaceflight and
Exploration – Present Challenges and Future Trends It is also to establish a new space center for “human
presence”.
ii.ISRO has started an astronaut training center near Bangaluru, Karnataka to cater to future needs. The Indian
Space Agency ISRO is also in talks with NASA(National Aeronautics and Space Administration),an United States-
US space agency and other space agencies and enterprises to learn how they can work together on manned
spacecraft and learn from their experience.
iii.Along with Gaganyaan, work on the Chandrayaan-3 mission of about 600 crores is also going on. The
preparations are underway to launch Chandrayaan-3 in 2021.
Vyommitra: ISRO’s half-humanoid robot set for an unmanned trip into space before Astronauts
The ISRO has prepared women robot ‘Vyom Mitra’(means a friend in Sky) for sending into space under the
1st unmanned Gaganyaan mission.
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Vyom Mitra, designed & developed by the ISRO’s Inertial Systems Unit in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) in
collboration with Indian Institute of Science (IIsc) Bengaluru, Karnataka, is half-humanoid and its body stops
at the torso (the part of the human body where the limbs are attached) and without legs.
The robot can speak 2 languages (Hindi and
English) & will be sent in a space capsule at
the end of the year 2020 / early 2021 to study
the zero-gravity conditions in which the
astronauts respond to living outside earth.
Key Points:
i.It has the capability to switch the panel
operations, performing Environment Control
and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) functions,
conversations with the astronauts,
recognising them and solving their questions.
ii.The robot can identify & give warnings whenever the environment changes. It will also oversee the human
functions required for space before real astronauts take off before August 2022.
France to train Indian flight surgeons for Gaganyaan expedition
Indian flight surgeons are being trained in France to take care of the health of astronauts selected for the India’s
ambitious space manned ‘Gaganyaan Mission’.
Key Points:
i.2-week training of these physicians is very important for the Gaganyaan project, which took three Indian
astronauts to space in the year 2022.
ii.A memorandum of understanding (MoU) is expected to be signed when Jean-Yves Le Gall, president of the
French space agency CNES (National Centre for Space Studies), arrives in Bangalore,Karnataka.
iii.Indian Air Force physicians with expertise in aviation medicine will be responsible for the health of astronauts
during and after the flight. Flight surgeon Brigitte Godard, associated with the European Space Agency, was in
India in July and August 2019 to start training physicians and engineers.
About ISRO:
Headquarters– Bengaluru,Karnataka.
Founder– Vikram Sarabhai.
Pakistan successfully launched ballistic missile “Ghaznavi”

On January 23,2020 The successful training launch of nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic
missile(SSBM) ‘Ghaznavi’ was held in Islamabad, Pakistan.The Ghaznavi missile strike targets upto a range
of 290 km (kilometers).
Key Points:
i.Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of Pakistan’s army mentioned that the Training launch
was part of Field Training Exercise of Army Strategic Forces Command.
ii.The launch was witnessed by Lieutenant General Nadeem Zaki Manj (Director General Strategic Plans
Division), Commander Army Strategic Forces Command, senior officers from the Strategic Plans Division, Army
Strategic Forces Command, Scientist and Engineers of the strategic organisations.
iii.In November 2019, Pakistan had carried out a successful training launch of ballistic missile Shaheen-I which
was also an SSBM.
About Pakistan:
Capital– Islamabad.
Prime Minister(PM)- Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi.
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Nitin Gadkari launches ‘GATI’ web portal to monitor Rs 3 lakh crore rupees project
On January 23, 2020, Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has launched an
online web portal ‘GATI’, on the pattern of portal ‘PRAGATI’, the portal used by the Prime Ministers’ Officer
(PMO) for monitoring projects, during the two-days long review meeting of National Highways Authority
(NHAI)-Ministry projects in Manesar, Haryana. GATI will be used to monitor around 500 projects of Rs 3 Lakh
Crore.
Key Points:
i.The portal has been created by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) which can be accessed from
the NHAI website. The contractors and concessionaires can raise any project related issues on the portal. The
issues raised in the portal will be monitored by the team of NHAI offices under the Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways.
ii.The meet saw the participation of Minister of State (MoS) Road Transport and Highways Vijay Kumar Singh,
Official from MoRTH, NHAI, National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL),
and state authorities.
Founded- July 1942
Minister- Nitin Jairam Gadkari
About NHAI:
Founded- 1988
Qualcomm launches 3 new chipsets – Snapdragon 720G, 662 &460 with Indian GPS system NavIC
On January 21, 2020, In a major step to Made in India GPS (Global Positioning System) alternative, Qualcomm,
an american multinational chipset manufacturer, has launched 3 chipsets in India – Snapdragon 720G, 662 and
460, along with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). All 3 chipsets feature Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and
Bluetooth 5.1 support &the most important thing is that these 3 chipsets of Qualcomm have been developed with
support for ISRO’s Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC), a technology considered an advanced
location positioning and navigation system than the GPS technology currently in use.
Key Points:
i. Apart from NavIC, these chipsets will also support the widely used GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).
ii.While Qualcomm’s new chipsets, Chinese smartphone brands Xiaomi and Realme have confirmed that it will
soon launch new smartphones with Snapdragon 720G chipset processor.
iii.The navigation feature of ISRO with NavIC with which these chipsets have been launched is considered more
accurate than with position accuracy of up to 5 meters. Along with this, NavIC comes with dual frequency S and L
band whereas GPS used to come only with S band. The accuracy of the navigator will be 6 times higher in urban
areas than with GPS.
iv.NavIC is also engaged in aircraft of the Indian Air Force. At the same time, more than 30 Indian companies are
making NavIC trackers for cars.
About NAVIC :
It is also known as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) &is an autonomous regional satellite
navigation system built by India to provide accurate real-time positioning and timing services over India and the
region extending to 1,500 kilometres around India.
The NAVIC system consists of a constellation of 3 satellites in Geostationary orbit (GEO), 4 satellites in
Geosynchronous orbit (GSO) and 2 satellites on the ground as stand-by to give precise information on position,
navigation and time (PNT) of objects or persons to users on ground, sea and air.
About Qualcomm:
Founded– 1985
Headquarters– California, United States
CEO– Steve Mollenkopf
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DRDO to showcase indigenously-developed military systems at DefExpo 2020 in Lucknow UP

The 11th edition of ‘DefExpo 2020’ will be held on February 5 to February 9, 2020 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
with theme “India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub”. It will be organized by the department of
defence production, Ministry of Defence. The DRDO will exhibit more than 500 products from all technology
clusters in the five-day mega expo in line with the theme of the event “Digital Transformation of Defence”.
Key Points:
i.As the part of DefExpo live demonstration of Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), Main Battle Tank
(MBT) Arjun MK IA, Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP), Counter Mine Flail, 15m Advanced Composite
Modular Bridging System (ACMBS) and modular bridge will be conducted.
ii.To showcase the combined strength of DRDO, Public and Private sectors defence manufactures, nearly 23
Indian Pavilion products will be showcased in DefExpo.
About DRDO:
Founded- 1958
Chairman– Dr G Satheesh Reddy
INS Kavaratti is set to be delivered to Indian Navy by the Defence PSU GRSE
INS Kavaratti the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) stealth corvettes was built by Defence Public Sector
Undertaking (PSU) Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) for Indian Navy under the project P28.
Key Points:
i.INS Kavaratti is 104th warship constructed by GRSE. The trails had been completed successfully and delivered
by the end of January 2020.
ii.INS Kavaratti can be used during nuclear, chemical and biological warfare conditions and its weapons and
sensors suite is predominantly indigenous. This warship is developed with carbon composite superstructure
with a displacement of 3,300 tonnes with integrated steel hull technology.
iii.Under Project P28, ASW stealth Corvettes delivered to Indian Navy are ‘INS Kamorta’ in July 2014, ‘INS
Kadmatt’ in November 2015 and ‘INS Kiltan’ in October 2017.All these four corvettes are named after islands of
Lakshadweep and Arabian Sea.
iv.Five warships have been delivered to Indian Navy by Defence PSU between March 2019 to December 2019
About Indian Navy:
Vice Chief of Navy staff (VCNS)- G Ashok Kumar
Chief of Navy Staff (CNS)- Karambir Singh
Researchers at IIT-H develops essential-oil-based drug carrier to treat fungal diseases

On January 29, 2020, Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IIT-H),
Telangana has developed a new essential-oil-based system of delivering medicines to the body for the
treatment of fungal infections such as vaginal infections, diaper rash, athletes foot and nail fungus caused by the
Candida family of fungi.
Key Points:
i.Supported by the SERB (Scientific & Engineering Research Board) under the Department of Science and
Technology (DST) & Corporate social responsibility (CSR) support from AT&T, an American multinational
conglomerate, this medication can even fights against fungi that have created immunity against traditional
medicines.
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ii.The research, published in the journal Materialia, has been led by Mudrika Khandelwal, Associate Professor,
Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, IIT H.
iii.Researchers chose polylactic acid microcapsules to encase aromatic oils. P polylactic acid microcapsules are
completely organic waste. They are used extensively in the medical field. In order to control the burst release of
the ingredients,they used microcapsules that contained the active substances further incorporated into a
secondary barrier made of nanofibrous bacterial cellulose.
Dr Jitendra Singh launched ISRO’s Bhuvan Panchayat V 3.0 Web portal

On January 28,2020 Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Development
of North Eastern Region, MoS PMO (Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office), Personnel, Public Grievances
and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space launched the Bhuvan Panchayat Version V 3.0 web portal in Antariksh
Bhavan Bengaluru, Karnataka to support Gram Panchayat Development planning in the country.
The Minister also released the technical documents related to SISDP (Space Based Information Support for
Decentralised Planning Update)- Update Project.
About Bhuvan Panchayat V 3.0 web portal:
i.The web portal has been developed by National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC), Hyderabad, Telangana.
ii.About NRSC: NRSC is one of the centres of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) that manages data from
aerial & satellite resources.
iii.The Web portal will enhance network application of gram Panchayats & will function with the help of satellite
technology.
iv.The Portal supports multiple tasks that makes work simpler for gram panchayats all over the country and also
has responsive GUI (Graphical User Interface) for easy access.
v.This portal benefits around 2.56 lakh gram panchayats in India.
About SISDP-Update:
i.SISDP Project: ISRO launched SISDP project to assist Gram panchayats at grassroot level as per 73rd, 74th
constitutional amendment of local self governance for preparing development plans and monitoring the
activities.
ii.SISDP project was concluded in the year 2016-17.
iii.SISDP-Update: Based on the feedback on SIS-DP-1 Project “SISDP- Update” was initiated with enhanced goals
of providing services to Gram Panchayat development planning process of MoPr (Ministry of Panchayati Raj).
iv.For the first time, thematic database (soil type, vegetation, geology, land use, or land ownership) on 1:10000 is
available with high integrated High Resolution satellite data for planning.
Participants: ISRO chairman Dr K.Sivan and Sunil kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayat Raj were present on
this occasion.
About MoPR (Ministry of Panchayati Raj):
Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare & Panchayati Raj- Shri.Narendra Singh
Tomar.
New mission launched by NASA & ESA to take first pics of Sun’s poles
On January 28, 2020, NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) and ESA (European Space Agency)
will jointly launch a new spacecraft- “The Solar Orbiter Spacecraft” to take first pictures of Sun’s north and
south poles. It’s outlay is $1.5 billion. The spacecraft will be launched from Cape Canaveral, United States (US)
on Feb 7, 2020 on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V Rocket.
Mission: The solar orbiter mission has 7 year lifetime and will reach 24 degrees above the sun’s equator
increasing to 33 degrees with additional 3 years extended mission operations. The spacecraft will pass within 26
million miles (42 million kilometers) of the sun which is the nearest approach. Solar Orbiter will pass inside the
orbit of Mercury carrying 4 in-situ instruments and six remote sensing imagers.
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Key Points:
i.Spacecraft will use the gravity of Venus and Earth, rotate itself out of the ecliptic plane to take the snap of the
Sun’s poles.
ii.The solar orbiter will directly have an on-view of solar winds on solar poles and find the 11-year cycle of
sunspot waxes and wanes.
iii.Solar Orbiter will be the second major mission to the inner solar system after Parker Solar Probe in 2018.
iv.The European Space Operations Center (ESOC) in Germany will operate Solar Orbiter after launch. Solar
Orbiter is built by Airbus Defense and Space, and contains 10 instruments: 9 provided by ESA member states
and ESA. NASA provided one instrument suite, SoloHI(Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager), detectors and
hardware for three other instruments.
v.Ulysses spacecraft developed by NASA & ESA launched in 1990 & retired in 2009. Ulysses spacecraft never got
closer to the sun & measure the space environment.
About NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration):
Headquarters- Washington, D.C.,United States (US).
Founder- Dwight D. Eisenhour.
NCRB Launched ‘Searching the missing persons’ & ‘Generate Vehicle NOC’ services.
On January 29,2020 NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) launched 2 police related Citizen centric services–
“Searching the missing persons” & “Generating vehicle NOC (No Objection Certificate)“ on CCTNS (Crime &
Criminal Tracking Network and Systems) platform. Shri. Arvind Kumar, Director, Intelligence Bureau launched
the online services and inaugurated Cyber Tipline Monitoring facility in NCRB, New Delhi. The online services
can be accessed through ‘digitalpolicecitizenservices.gov.in’ portal or through a link in the existing ‘Digital
Police Portal’.
Key Points:
i.Missing Person Search:The citizens can search for their missing child/person in the national database in order
to recover the unidentified person. The portal consists of all details of missed person including photos available
on CCTNS.
ii.Generate Vehicle NOC:It helps the buyer to know the status of the vehicle before its second hand purchase
(suspicious or clear from police records), details can be searched through national database based on vehicle’s
details.
iii.NCRB and Cyber Peace Foundation have designed CCTNS Hackathon and Cyber Challenge 2020 with the aim
to enhance the skill and knowledge of participants.
iv.MoU (Memorandum of Understandings):NCRB and National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children’s
(NCMEC), US (United States) had signed a memorandum to receive the details of the persons who circulate
details of child pornography in India.
About NCRB:
Motto- Empowering Indian Police with Information Technology.
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DEFENCE
EXERCISE
12th naval exercise ‘Naseem-Al-Bahr’ between India and Oman held in Goa
On January 05,2020 2 ships of the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) arrived at Mormugao Port in Goa to participate in
the 12th edition of the Indo-Oman bilateral naval exercise ‘Naseem-Al-Bahr‘. The meaning of the biennial
exercise Naseem-Al-Bahr that has been conducted since 1993 between India and Oman is sea breeze.
Key Points:
i.Participating ships:Among the Indian Navy ships(INS) Beas and Subhadra are participating while 2 naval
ships of the RNO i.e, RNOV (Royal Navy of Oman Vessel) Al Rasikh and RNOV Khassab are participating.
ii.Phase: The naval exercise comprises of harbour phase and a sea phase that follows it. The sea phase will be
conducted after several days of the harbour phase.
Visakhapatnam to host naval exercise ‘MILAN’ in March 2020

The Vishakapatnam city of Andhra Pradesh will host International naval exercise ‘MILAN’ in March 2020. The
theme of the exercise for the year 2020 is ‘Synergy Across the Seas’. Milan exercise which will be hosted by
Eastern Naval Command (ENC) aims to enhance professional interaction between foreign navies and also make
use of the best practices in the maritime domain.
Key Points:
i.41 navies of different countries were invited so far, of which 30 navies have confirmed their participation in
MILAN 2020.
ii.Visakhapatnam previously hosted International Fleet Review (IFR) in February 2016.
Capital- Amaravati (de facto).
Governor- Biswabhusan Harichandan.
Largest city- Visakhapatnam.
Dams- Nagarjuna sagar dam, Srisailam Dam.
National Parks(NP)- Papikonda NP, Sri Venkateswara NP.
Japan coast guard Ship ‘Echigo PLH08’ arrives Chennai to take part in the 19th edition of ‘Sahyog-Kaijin’
exercise
On January 13, 2019 the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) Ship ‘Echigo PLH08’ has arrived Chennai on a five-day
goodwill visit and it will participate in the 19th edition of Annual Joint Exercise ‘Sahyog-Kaijin’ which will be
begin on January 16, 2020 with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Key Points:
i.Admiral Takahiro Okushima, Commandant, Japan Coast Guard and Director General (DG) Krishnaswamy
Natarajan, DG of Indian Coast Guard will witness the 19th edition of ‘Sahyog-Kaijin’ exercise.
ii.It is aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties and mutual understanding between the two Coast Guards and
to enhance interoperability in communication and Search and Rescue procedures and sharing of best practices.
iii.First edition of ‘Sahyog- Kaijin’ exercise between two coast guards took place in 2000.
iv.Four Indian Coast Guard Ships, their aircraft and a vessel from National Institute of Ocean Technology will be
participating along with Japan Coast Guard Ship.
v.Activities like Official calls, reciprocal visit Onboard ships, sporting, cultural interactions and professional
interactions between personnel of both the Coast Guards will take part in the exercise.
India’s 1st Sukhoi-30 squadron to be stationed in Thanjavur, TN: IAF chief RKS Bhadauria
On 12 January 2020,As per the Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh
(RKS) Bhadauria,the induction ceremony of a Sukhoi-30 MKIs (Su-30 MKI) squadron in the southern skies will
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take place in the presence of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu (TN) on
January 20,2020.
Key Points:
i.The range of this will be in the Indian ocean region (IOR) up to Suez Canal.
ii.It will be the IAF ‘s 2nd frontline fighter squadron based in South India, with the most potent platform capable
to perform predominantly maritime role and certainly a secondary to all other defensive mechanism. Earlier, the
number-45 Flying daggers squadron has been deployed at the Sulur Airport in Coimbatore,TN.
iii.The Indian Air Force ‘s 222 Squadron, ‘The Tigersharks’ has been resurrected with state-of-the-art Sukhoi-
30 MKI multirole fighter aircraft. Raised on 15 September,1969 with the Sukhoi-7, the squadron was later
equipped with MiG 27 ground attack aircraft before being canceled in 2011.
222 squadron to be operationalised with Brahmos equipped Sukhoi-30
India has equipped Sukhoi-30 MKI with BrahMos, one of the world’s super missiles. The ‘Tigersharks’,
equipped with modern air superiority fighter aircraft, which are armed with 2.5 ton air-launched BrahMos
missile of 300 km range,have the capability of carrying out a variety of missions such as ground attack, sea attack
i.After the deployment of BrahMos-equipped Sukhoi-30 at Thanjavur, not only will the air force of the Air Force
increase, but India will be ready to destroy enemy targets 24 hours in any season on the ocean or on land.
ii.Background: Thanjavur air Force Station (AFS) dedicated to the nation on May 27, 2013. It was mandated to
safeguard various strategic and economic assets in the Southern Peninsula and the Indian Ocean. Sukhoi-30 has
been operating from this airport during the last 6 years.
About Indian Air Force(IAF):
Motto– Glory that touches the sky
Indian Army conducted airborne exercise ‘Winged Raider’ involving Special Forces troops
On January 10, 2020 the Indian Army(IA) conducted its biggest airborne exercise ‘Winged Raider’. The exercise
comprised of more than 500 soldiers of Special Forces troops in the northeastern theatre and involved all kinds
of air transport platforms of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The name Winged Raider was chosen due to its
multidimensional nature of the exercise and demonstrated the operational readiness of paratroopers.
Key Points:
i.The exercise involved soldiers parachuting from the C 130 Hercules, C 17 Globemaster and Dhruv helicopters
both day and night and it was preceded by a series of preparations from January 06 onwards.
ii.The exercise was telecasted live to all field formation headquarters in the Theatre and also has shown
integration between the IA and the IAF.
Motto- “Service Before Self”.
Chief of Army Staff(COAS)- Manoj Mukund Naravane.
9th India-Bangladesh joint military exercise SAMPRITI-IX to be conducted in Umrong, Meghalaya

As part of ongoing defence cooperation between India and Bangladesh, 9th edition of the joint Indo-Bangladesh
military exercise named SAMPRITI-IX will be conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya from February 03-16, 2020.
Both nations will work together in a counter terrorism environment under the United Nations (UN) charter.
Key points:
i.A Command Post Exercise (CPX) and a Field Training Exercise (FTX) will be conducted during SAMPRITI-IX.
ii.The training will be concluded with a final validation exercise where both the army’s troops will perform
counter terrorist operation in a controlled and simulated environment.
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About Meghalaya:
Capital- Shillong.
Governor- Tathagata Roy.
Chief minister- Conrad Sangma.
National Parks(NP)- Balpakram NP, Nokrek NP.
DEALS
Rajnath Singh dedicated 51st K9 Vajra-T guns to nation; $26 billion turnover by 2025 in Defence
Production
On January 16,2020 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh dedicated 51st K9 Vajra self-propelled Howitzer gun
made by L&T (Larsen & Toubro) private sector Limited at Hazira in Gujarat to the Nation. The Government
has set a target to achieve a $26 billion turnover in the aerospace and defence industry by 2025 which provides
employment to 2- 3 million people. K9 Vajra guns is the best example of ‘Make in India’ in Defence.
Key Points:
i.The guns weighs 50 tonnes and can fire 47-kilogram bombs at targets up to a distance of 43 kilometers distance
target.
ii.It can turn around zero radii and specially designed for operation in the desert conditions such as auxiliary
power pack,air-conditioning systems, fire fighting systems,NBC (Nuclear,Biological,Chemical) protection
systems to the requirements of the Army.
iii.More than 75% of K9 Vajra have been manufactured in India.
iv.In April 2017 L&T and Hanwa Techwin of South Korea signed a contract to manufacture 100 k9 Vajra-T guns
worth Rs.4500 crore.
v.These future-ready combat vehicles meet the requirements of the 21st-century warfare including deep fire
support to the longer firing range.
Russia to deliver five S-400 air defence systems to India by 2025

On January 17, 2020 Russia has announced to deliver 5 units of S-400 air defence systems to India by
2025 while its production has already begun. The announcement was made by Russian Deputy Chief of Mission
Roman Babushkin. India and Russia signed a deal of $5.43 billion for the procurement of these S-400 systems
during the 19th edition of India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit held in New Delhi in 2018.
RIC meet:
It was also announced that the Union Minister of External Affairs(MEA) Shri Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, will visit
Russia on March 22&23 to attend the Russia-Indian-China(RIC) trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be held
in Vladivostok, Russia
S-400 and other defence announcements by Russia:
i.S-400: It is an upgraded version of the S-300 missiles that were previously available only to the Russian
defence forces.
• Manufacturer: S400 is manufactured by Almaz-Antey and has been in service in Russia since 2007.
ii.Other announcements: Indian Armed forces will receive the 1st batch of 5,000 Kalashnikov rifles in 2020
itself.
• Apart from this, after signing a contract, 60 Ka-2267 helicopters will be supplied to India as well as
140 helicopters of the same type will also be produced. Soon, joint production of spare parts of
military hardware will also be implemented.
iii.India-Russia contracts: In 2019, the contracts between India-Russia came close to about $16 billion.
About Russia:
Capital- Moscow.
Currency- Russian ruble
Prime minister- Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin
President- Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
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Defence Ministry approves procurement of military hardware worth Rs. 5,100 crore
On 21st January 2020, The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh approved the procurement of military equipment from indigenous sources worth over Rs. 5,100 crores.
Key Points:
i.The procurement of military equipment includes sophisticated Electronic Warfare Systems designed by
the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
ii.The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) also approved the prototype testing of trawl assemblies designed by
the DRDO for T-72 and T-90 tanks and to the construction of six conventional submarines for Navy in India.
iii.It was the first meeting of The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) after the appointment of Chief of the
Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat.
iv.It is a ‘Make in India’ initiative in the Defence sector.
Founded– 15th August 1947
About Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO):
Founded– 1958
Chairman– Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
ENVIRONMENT
Paddlefish of China’s Yangtze River, declared as extinct
On January 03, 2020, China has declared that the country’s giant paddlefish often called as ‘Panda of the Yangtze
river’ or ‘Chinese swordfish’ has become extinct. The extinction was reported due to decades of overfishing. As
per scientists of the Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute (YRFRI) the paddlefish with scientific
name Psephurus gladius which can grow upto 22 feet (7 meters) in length became extinct between 2005 and
2010.
Key points:
i.The fish can grow at around 10 feet long on average was a native to Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia.
The team conducted basin-wide survey between 2017 and 2018. Out of the 332 species that was found, not even
single liven specimen of the paddlefish was found.The last confirmed sighting of the paddlefish was in the year
2003.
ii.The conclusion regarding the extiction was based on an evaluation by a panel of experts arranged by the
International Union for Conservation (IUCN) of Nature in Shanghai.The announcement was made through a
research paper published in Science of the Total Environment.
Red brittle star “Ophiocoma wendtii” becomes the 2nd creature to exhibit extraocular vision : UK
scientists
On January 4, 2020, For the
1st time, Scientists from the University of
Oxford in England, United
Kingdom(UK), have shown that a starfish-like
species called “red brittle star (Ophiocoma
wendtii)” lives in the coral reefs of the
Caribbean Sea, can see even though it does not
have eyes/ the ability to exhibit extraocular
vision. It has become only the 2nd creature,
after a sea urchin species, known to have this
ability.
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Key Points:
i.In both species, extraocular vision is said to be facilitated by the photoreceptor cells found on their bodies.
ii.A light-sensing cells that cover its whole body, give the species visual stimuli to recognise coarse structures
such as rocks.
iii.Exhibits a dramatic color change is the eye-catching feature of the red brittle star. While the creature is deep
red during the day, it changes its colour to beige at night.
iv.The study has been published in the journal Current Biology.
Red brittle star:
These species with five radiating arms extending from a central disk, are related to starfish (also called sea stars),
sea cucumbers, sea urchins and others in a group of marine invertebrates called echinoderms. They have a
nervous system but no brain.
Govt. to encourage Indian pompano cultivation in the country

On January 09, 2020 the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh(AP) has successfully cultivated Indian pompano- marine fish species in a brackishwater pond (low
salinity)in the region, thus scientifically proving its commercial viability. It was also the 1st scientific experiment
which became successful in Indian pompano cultivation. With this success, the govt plans to encourage more
Indian pompano cultivation. The scientific name of Indian pompano is Trachinotus mookalee. It belongs to
genus Trachinotus in the family Carangidae.
Key Points:
i.The harvesting of the pompano was attended by AP Fisheries Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana, AP MLA
(Member of the Legislative Assembly) Simhadri Ramesh and officials of the National Fisheries Development
Board (NFDB).
ii.The experiment was conducted by CMFRI scientists in collaboration with an aqua farmer, Bandi Sunil Kumar.
iii.The yield of the Indian pompano was 3 tons per acre. The profit is estimated to be between 25-30 % against
the input cost per acre.
Three new frog species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

On January 15,2020 The scientists of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) had discovered three new species of tiny
frogs in Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh (AR). The three new
species of tiny frogs had been named as ‘Liurana himalayana’, ’Liurana indica’ and ‘Liurana minuta’.
Key Points:
i.The frogs are so small in size that one can sit on a coin.
ii.Bhaskar Saika and Bikramjit Sinha are the ZSI Scientists, who discovered these frog species.
iii.A study,co-authored by the scientist Saika and Sinha has been published in a science journal, the Records of
the Zoological Survey of India.
iv.Earlier, Saika and Sinha also found a rare frog species, ‘Megophrys pachyproctus’, from Talley Valley Wildlife
Sanctuary, AR.
Capital- Itanagar
Governor- B. D. Mishra
About Zoological Survey of India:
Headquarters- Kolkata
Director- Dr. Kailash Chandra
Meteorite Contains The Oldest Material On Earth: 7-billion-year-old Stardust

On January 15, 2020 Scientists discovered the oldest material on earth, a 7 billion years old grains inside the
meteorite that crashed in a fireball in 1969 into the town of Murchison in Victoria State, southeastern Australia.
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Key Points:
i.All the dust specks that were analyzed in the research came from before the solar system’s formation known
as ‘presolar grains’ (60% of them between 4.6 and 4.9 billion years old and the oldest 10% dating more than 5.6
billions years ago) the grains are small measuring from 2 to 30 micrometers in size.
ii.Presolar grains are the solid matter came from dying stars with the stardust flung into interstellar space ready
to be used again to form new stars.
iii.A team of scientists led by Philip Heck, curator of meteorites from the Field Museum in Chicago, United States
examined the presolar grains and research published in ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences’ (PNAS).
iv.Scientists previously had found a presolar grain in the Murchison meteorite was about 5.5 billion years old, the
oldest known solid material on earth.
v.The oldest known minerals that formed on earth are found in rock from Australia’s jack hills formed 4.4 billion
years ago.
World’s oldest ever mushroom fossil discovered in Congo, Africa

On January 20, 2020, the researchers from the Universite
Libre de Bruxelles in France, led by led by Professor
Steeve Bonneville, have discovered the world’s
oldest ever mushroom fossil in the Democratic Republic
of Congo(DRC) in Africa. The detail of fossilised remains
of microscopic mushroom called mycelium in rocks dates
between 715 and 810 million years ago and is published
in the journal ‘Science Advances’.
Key Points:
i.These fossils have been estimated to have been formed
in a lagoon or coastal lake environment in DRC.
ii.Until this discovery, the oldest confirmed mushroom fossil was dated to 460 million years ago.
ZSI documents another new snake eel species “Ophichthus kailashchandrai” in Odisha
On January 23, 2020 The new snake eel species residing in the Bay of Bengal has been discovered and
documented by the Estuarine Biology
Regional Centre (EBRC) of the Zoological
Survey of India (ZSI) at Gopalpur-on-sea in
Odisha. The new marine species have been
named as Ophichthus kailashchandrai to
honour the vast contributions of Dr.
Kailash Chandra (Director of Zoological
Survey of India) to Indian animal
taxonomy.
Key Points:
i.Ophichthus kailashchandrai is the 8th
species of the Ophichthus genus found in the Indian coast and the 5th new species discovered by Gopalpur ZSI
in the last 2 years.
ii.Dr. Anil Mohapatra, scientist at Gopalpur ZSI and his associates Swarup Ranjan Mohanty and Dipanjan Ray of
the Bajkul Milani Mahavidyalaya, West Bengal & Subhendu Sekar Mishra of the marine fish section of ZSI,
Kolkata identified Ophichthus kailashchandrai completely as a new species after detailed study.
iii.Zootaxa, an international scientific journal for zoological taxonomy acknowledged the new marine snake eel
species.
iv.In 2019 two new species of marine eel – Gymnothorax andamanensesis & Gymnothorax smithi were been
discovered by this ZSI centre.
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About ZSI (Zoological Survey of India):

Objective- To promote the survey, exploration and research of the fauna in India.
Founded- 1916.
Headquarters- Kolkata, West Bengal.
Director- Dr.Kailash Chandra
New meat-eating Dinosaur species Allosaurus jimmadseni found in Utah, US

On January 26, 2020 Paleontologists discovered a new meat-eating dinosaur species at Natural History Museum
of Utah, United States(US) that lived in the food plains of western North America during the Late Jurassic
period, between 157-152 million years ago. The new species named as Allosaurus jimmandseni evolved at
least 5 million years ago and published in open-access scientific journal PeerJ. The species belongs to the
allosauroids (a group of small to large-bodied, 2 legged carnivorous dinosaurs that lived during the Jurassic &
Cretaceous period).
Key Points:
i.Allosaurus jimmandseni weighed over 4000 pounds stretched out to a massive 26 to 29 feet in length.It had a
full grin of 80 sharp teeth & crest stretching from just in front of the eyes to the nose and one of the top predator
in its ecosystem.
ii.Paleontologist thought there was only one species of Allosaurus fragilis in Jurassic North America but the study
reveals that Allosaurus jimmandseni evolved earlier than its younger cousin, Allosaurus fragilis.
iii.George Engelmann of the University of Nebraska, Omaha first discovered the initial skeleton of new species
within Dinosaur National Monument in 1990.
10 more wetlands from India declared as Ramsar sites

On January 28, 2020 in an effort to improve the conservation, restoration and rejuvenation of wetlands, the
Ramsar Convention has declared 10 more wetland sites from India as sites of national importance. Ramsar
sites are those which are declared under the Ramsar Convention signed in 1971 to preserve wetlands of national
importance. Thus India now has a total of 37 Ramsar sites covering an area of 1,067,939 hectares.
New Ramsar sites from India:
10 Ramsar sites: The 10 newly added Ramsar sites are as follows:
• Nandur Madhameshwar: This is the 1st Ramsar site of Maharashtra.
• Keshopur-Miani, Beas Conservation Reserve, Nangal: These 3 ramsar sites are newly added
to Punjab. Apart from these 3 sites, Punjab already has 3 ramsar sites. Thus the total ramsar sites in
the states counts to 6.
• Nawabganj, Parvati Agra, Saman, Samaspur, Sandi and SarsaiNawar: These 6 Ramsar sites have
been newly added to Uttar Pradesh (UP) apart from 1 ramsar site it already had. Thus, UP now has 7
Ramsar sites.
Ramsar convention
i.It is the convention on wetlands formed by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) in February 2, 1971 and came into force in 1975. The convention is named after Ramsar city of Iran
where it was signed.
ii.This convention is one of the oldest inter-governmental accords signed by members countries to preserve the
ecology of the wetlands. Those wetlands which are declared as Ramsar sites are protected by the strict guidelines
as per the convention.
iii.Convention Aim: Through the convention it is aimed to maintain an international network of wetlands for
conserving the biological diversity.
Wetlands:
i.A wetland is a distinct ecosystem flooded by water, either permanently or seasonally. Oxygen-free processes
prevail in wetlands.
ii.They provide a wide range of resources and ecosystem services such as food, water, fibre, groundwater
recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control and climate regulation.
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• Wetlands play a number of functions, including water purification, water storage, processing of
carbon.
Environment ministry action plan:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEFCC) has prepared a 4 pronged strategy to restore
wetlands. The strategy includes preparing baseline data, wetland health cards, preparing targeted Integrated
Management Plans etc.
• The ministry will work closely with State Wetland Authorities to ensure wise use of Ramsar sites.
• Recently ministry launched ‘Nal se Jal‘ scheme in 2019 which aims to provide piped water connection
to every household by 2024.
Founded- 1985
Union Minister- Prakash Javadekar.
Minister of State- Babul Suprio.
SPORTS
India women’s hockey player Sunita Lakra announces her retirement due to knee injury breakdown
On January 2, 2020, Indian women’s hockey team defender Sunita Lakra from Odisha aged 28, who was part of
the 2018 Asian Games silver-winning side, announced her international retirement, citing a knee injury.
However, she will continue to represent domestic hockey and NALCO (National Aluminium Company Limited),
Odisha.
Key Points:
i.Sunita has so far played 139 matches for India that also included the 2014 Asian Games bronze medal.
About sports ministry:
Minister of State(MoS-Independent charge)- Kiren Rijiju.
For the first time Lawn bowls & Cycling to be included in 3rd Khelo India Games 2020 to be held in
Guwahati, Assam
On 2nd January 2019, Chief Executive Officer of “Khelo India Games” has announced the inclusion of “Lawn bowls”
and “Cycling” in the 3rd edition of Khelo India Games. These two games will be included in the event for the first
time.
Key Points:
i.Around 6500 athletes from 37 teams will take part in the 3rd edition of Khelo India youth games in Guwahati,
Assam which is scheduled to be held from 10th of January to 22nd of February at Indira Gandhi Stadium.
ii.The cultural events from Assam, North East and other states will be added in the event which starts from
13th to 15th of January at Sarusajai. The exhibition of indigenous games will also be held and there will be no
entry fee for the inaugural ceremony people can enjoy it free of cost.
About Khelo India Games:
Khelo India Youth Games, formerly Khelo India School Games are the national level multidisciplinary games in
India held for two categories, namely under-17 years’ school students and under-21 college students annually in
January or February.
Chief Executive Officer- Avinash Joshi
Indian chess grandmaster Koneru humpy finishes 12th in FIDE World Blitz competition 2019 held in
Moscow, Russia
On December 31, 2019, Humpy Koneru (32), an Indian chess grandmaster from Andhra Pradesh, has
settled 12th overall in the 2-day FIDE World Blitz competition 2019 held at at the Luzhniki Stadium
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in Moscow, Russia. She ended the tournament with 10.5 points out of 17 games.
Kateryna Lagno (13 points) of Russia and Magnus Carlsen of Norway (16.5 points) retained their titles in the
Women’s and Men’s Blitz Championships respectively.
Key Points:
i.Another Indian Harika Dronavalli finished 25th position.
ii.Earlier in December 2019, Hampi won the FIDE ( International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation)
Women’s World Rapid chess Championship 2019 against China’s Lei Tingjie in Armageddon (chess penalty
shoot-out) in the finals held in Russia.
About FIDE World Blitz Championship 2019:
It is a 21-round Swiss tournament organized by FIDE- Fédération Internationale des Échecs (English:
International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation).
The prize fund for the championship is $350,000, with $60,000 for the winner.
About FIDE: Formation– July 20, 1924, Headquarters– Lausanne, Switzerland
President– Arkady Dvorkovich
MS Dhoni named captain of ESPNCricinfo’s ODI and T20 teams of past decade; Virat as captain of their
test team
On January 1, 2020, Former Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, 38 years old named as captain of
ESPNCricinfo’s ODI(One Day International) and Twenty20 teams of the decade. Virat Kohli was named the leader
in Tests. On the other hand, Former skipper Mithali Raj and fast bowler Jhulan Goswami were named in the
same women’s team picked for both the ODIs and T20s. Australia’s inspirational cricketer, Meg Lanning was
named the captain of the side.
Keypoints:
i.The criteria was set up by the 23 member panel, for a selection was a minimum of 50 Tests or six active years in
the traditional format while it was 75 ODIs and 100 T20s for the limited-overs teams.
India’s Manav Thakkar, jumped 9 spots to No.1 in U-21 table tennis category
Manav Thakar (19), an Indian table tennis player from Uttar Pradesh jumped nine places and become the
world’s No.1 player U-21 (Under-21) Men’s single category rankings released by the IITF (International Table
Tennis Federation). Thakar won the U-21 men’s
singles title at the ITTF Challenge Plus Benemax-Virgo
North American Open in Markham, Canada by
defeating Argentina’s player Martin Bentancor, in
December 2019.
Achievements:
i.He is the fourth Indian to win U-21 title, after
Harmeet Desai, G Sathiyan and Soumyajit Ghosh.
ii.Thakar also achieved in World’s No1 U-18 ranking.
Key Points:
i.Among other Indians, Sathiyam has retained his
30th spot in the senior category, while Achanta Sharath Kamal ranked at 33rd position.
ii.Among women, India’s Manika Batra was static at the 61st position.
About ITTF:
President- Thomas Weikert.
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India’s all-rounder cricketer Irfan Pathan announces retirement

On January 4, 2020, 35 years old, all rounder cricketer from Vadodara, Gujarat, Irfan Pathan (nicknamed
Guddu) has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
Key Points:
i.He played last match for India against Sri Lanka in 2012.
ii.Irfan Pathan is currently performing the role of mentor-
cum-coach for the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket team.
Achievements:
i.Pathan picked up 3 wickets in his four overs against
Pakistan in finals and was named as man-of-the-match in
T-20 World Cup 2007.
ii.Pathan is a left-arm medium-fast bowler featured in 29
Tests,120 ODIs (One Day International) and 24 T20Is
(Twenty 20 International) for India.
About Gujarat:
CM- Vijay Rupani.
Dance- Garba.
Indian Sports Ministry gave ‘in principle’ approval to hold shooting and archery in 2022 CWG
On January 4, 2020, the Sports Ministry has given ‘in principle’ approval to hold the Commonwealth Games
shooting and archery events in India. These events will be held under the aegis of the Commonwealth Games
(CWG) Friendship Program in March 2022.
Key Points:
i.Last year CWG has decided to exclude shooting event in 2022 CWG but the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)
was against the decision.
ii.India won 66 medals including 26 golds in 2018 CWG in Gold Coast, Australia and also won 16 medals in
Shooting event.
About CWG 2022:
Place- Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK)
Mascot- Mistar Urdd
Motto- Are you Game?
About Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports:
Minister- Kiren Rijiju (constituency– Arunachal West)
Indian Olympic Association:
President- Narinder Batra
Founded- 1924
Indian batsman Rohit Sharma lays foundation of International cricket stadium in Hyderabad, Telangana
On January 3, 2020, India’s cricket batsman, Rohit Gurunath Sharma has laid the foundation of the Cricket
Stadium and Training Center at ‘Heartfulness Institute’s headquarters in Hyderabad, Telangana. The cricket
stadium has been named as “Rohit Sharma Cricket stadium” by spiritual guru Kamlesh Patel.
i.This stadium is 138 meters in diameter and has all modern facilities being made available for the students of
Heartfulness centre.
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Overview of 63rd National Shooting championship competitions 2019 held in Bhopal, MP

The 63rd National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) 2019 in Small Bore Rifle & Pistol
events (including Para events) was held at
Shooting Academy Shooting Ranges, Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh (MP) from 7th December 2019 –
4th January 2020.
It was jointly organized and conducted by the
National Rifle Association of India(NRAI) &MP
State Shooting Academy.
Shooter Zeena Khitta wins women’s national
10m Air Rifle
Shooter Zeena Khitta of Himachal Pradesh has
won the gold medal of the 10-meter air rifle
event of the National Shooting Championship .
She shot 252.2 points at the finals, ahead of West Bengal star shooter Mehuli Ghosh by 1.7 points. Ghosh won the
silver medal with 250.5 scores, whereas former World No. 1 and world record holder Apurvi Chandela won the
bronze medal by scoring 227.6.
Manu Bhaker, Anish Bhanwala bags gold medals
Indian professional sport shooter, Manu Bhaker of Haryana has bagged 4 gold medals (individual and team
events in senior and junior) in the women’s 10 meter air pistol event. Manu topped the junior category with 243
points and won the title with 241.5 points in the final of the senior category. In the women’s pistol rankings, she
scored 588 points in the joint qualification of the two events.
Shooter Anish Bhanwala from Haryana has clinched gold medal in the senior men’s 25 meter rapid fire
pistol event.He captured 28 points in the senior class finals .He topped the qualification with a score of 582.
Saurabh Chaudhary clinches gold in men’s 10 m air pistol
Top shooter, Saurabh Chaudhary from Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) has won the gold medal in the men’s 10 meter
air pistol event. He topped the table with 246.4. He is one of the medal contenders for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,
having just scored less than 0.1 point from his former world record score.
Sarabjot Singh finished second with a score of 243.9 in the second position while world number two Abhishek
Verma won the bronze medal.
Vijayveer Sidhu claims 3 gold, Jitu Rai wins team gold
Vijayveer Sidhu:
1st gold- 25M Standard Pistol for Men: Vijayveer of Chandigarh has won the individual gold medal in the men’s
25m standard pistol event. He topped the table with 580 points while Gurpreet Singh (578) and Udhayveer Sidhu
(574) were behind them.
2nd gold- Junior Men:Vijayveer (580) was also ahead of Udhayveer (574) and Harsh Gupta (572) in the junior
category.
3rd gold- Junior Men’s Team :Vijayveer along with Udhayveer and Unish Holinder (1699) also won the team gold
medal in the junior category.
Jitu Rai:
In the men’s 50m pistol event, World Championship silver medalist Jitu Rai gave a team gold.Click here to get
detailed list of awards.
Bhubaneswar to host 1st edition of Khelo India University Games 2020

On January 06, 2020 Bhubaneswar, Odisha has been selected to host the 1st edition of the 2020 Khelo India
University Games (KIUG) which will be held from February 22nd to March 1, 2020 at Bhubaneswar’s KIIT
University (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University). The Union Sports Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju
and Odisha’s Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik unveiled the logo and jersey of Khelo India University Games
during a event in Bhubaneshwar.
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1st Khelo India University Games 2020:

i.Mascots: the mascots unveiled at the launch event were named as mascots ‘Jay and Bijay‘.
ii.Event associates: The event will be hosted in association with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Association
of Indian Universities, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the National Sports Federation (NSFs).
iii.Participants & events: Over 4000 athletes from
100 universities will be participating in the game
events having 17 disciplines namely archery,
athletics, boxing, fencing, judo, swimming,
weightlifting, wrestling, badminton, basketball,
football, hockey, table tennis, tennis, volleyball,
rugby and kabaddi.
iv.One-state-one-sport: During the ceremony,
future implementation of one-state-one-sport plan
was announced. Under this plan, each state will
adopt and nourish a particular sport of its choice and potential.
• State & central govt. support: Financial support will be given by the central govt while
infrastructure and logistic support will be given by the state govt.
v.Members present: Union Minister of Human Resource Development (MHRD) Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal
‘Nishank’; Union Petroleum Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan; indian athlete Dutee Chand and other officials
were also present in the function.
Khelo India program:
• This program was introduced to revive sports culture in India by merging Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ahiyan
(erstwhile Yuva Krida and Khel Abhiyan), ‘Urban Sports Infrastructure scheme’ and National Sports
Talent Search System Program as a central sector scheme.
• Through this program, talented players will be identified in priority sports disciplines and will be
provided annual financial assistance of Rs.5 lakh per annum for a period of 8 years.
About Odisha:
Capital- Bhubaneswar.
Governor- Ganeshi Lal.
Chief minister- Naveen Patnaik.
Dams- Hirakud dam, Rengali dam, Indravati dam, Jalaput dam (between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha), Mandira
dam, Patora dam.
World Cup winner De Rossi of Italy retired from football

On January 07, 2020, former Roma & Italian professional footballer and the 2006 FIFA (Fédération
Internationale de Football Association) world cup winner Daniele De Rossi (36 years) has announced
his retirement from the game after retiring from Argentina’s Boca Juniors Football club.
Key Points:
i.Daniel has played 117 games for Italy from 2004-17 and won the 2006 world cup title after defeating France.
ii.He is Italy’s 4th most most-capped player with 117 caps.
About Italy:
Capital- Rome.(Also largest city)
Currency- Euro.
President- Sergio Mattarella.
Prime Minister- Giuseppe Conte.
India’s Magesh Chandran wins 95th Hastings International Chess title in Hastings, England
On January 6, 2020, A 36 years old, India’s grandmaster (GM) Magesh Chandran Panchanathan from Madurai,
Tamil Nadu wins the title in the 95th edition of the prestigious Hastings International Chess Congress
at Hastings in England.
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Key Points:
i.Magesh chandran stands with a FIDE(International Chess Federation) rating of 2479 finished first place with
7.5 points from nine games.
ii.He remained unbeaten in all the nine rounds and defeated his compatriot G A Stany from Karnataka also a
grandmaster in the final round.
iii.The Hastings International chess tournament is a round-robin tournament that started on August 5 to
September 2, 1895, which takes place around the turn of the year.
Achievements:
i.Magesh Chandran became the GrandMaster in 2006.
ii.In 2003 he won the Asian Junior Championship in Sri Lanka.
About FIDE:
President- Arkady Dvorkovich.
NADA bans Weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur for four years

On January 8, 2020, Indian weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur from Punjab has been banned for four years from the
sport by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) for involvement in doping violations. Sarbjeet won the 71kg
event at the 34th Women Senior National Weightlifting Championship 2019 held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh
Key Points:
i.NADA founded Sarbjeet samples positive which were collected during 34th Women Senior National
Weightlifting Championship held at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
ii.Prohibited substances like Di-hydroxy-LGD-4033 (LGD 4033 METABOLITE), Selective Androgen Receptor
Modulations (SARM), and Ostarine (Enobosarm) were founded in Sarbjeet’s sample.
About National Anti Doping Agency (NADA):
CEO- Navin Agarwal
Founded- November 24, 2005
Kohli continues at No.1; Rahane, Pujara slips: ICC Men’s test rankings 2020
As per the ICC (International Cricket Council) Men’s test ranking 2020 released on January 8, 2020, Indian
cricket team captain Virat Kohli has retained his top position with 928 points in the list of batsmen. At the same
time, Cheteshwar Pujara slipped one place to 6th spot
with 791 points while Ajinkya Rahane dropped two
places to 9th position with 759 points.Key Points:
i.Kohli is now 17 points ahead of his strong rival
Steven Peter Devereux Smith (911points) of
Australia.
ii.Talking of bowlers, Patrick James Cummins (Pat
Cummins) of Australia & Neil Wagner (South
African-born New Zealand Test cricketer) are at the
1st and 2nd position. While Indian bowler, Jasprit
Jasbirsingh Bumrah has remained static at 6th place
in the bowlers’rankings.
Here’s the list of top3 & Indian players in ICC test
ranking 2020:
Rank Batting Bowling All-rounder
Jason Omar
Patrick James Cummins
1 Virat Kohli ( India) Holder (West
(Australia)
Indies)
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Neil Wagner (South African- Ravindrasinh

Steven Peter Devereux
2 born New Zealand Anirudhsinh
Smith (Australia)
cricketer) Jadeja(India)
Marnus Labuschagne Jason Omar Holder (West Ben Stokes
3
(Australia) Indies) (England)
Rank of Indian players
Cheteshwar Arvind Pujara- Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah-

6th 6th
Ravichandran
Ravichandran Ashwin - Ashwin-5th
Ajinkya Madhukar
9th Mohammed Shami
Rahane-9th
Ahmed -10th
About ICC:
Formation– 15 June 1909
Headquarters– Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Chairman– Shashank Manohar
CEO– Manu Sawhney
Fouaad Mirza became 1st Indian equestrian to qualify for Tokyo Olympics in over 2 decades
Double Asian Games medallist equestrian, Fouaad Mirza (27 years) became the 1st Indian rider to compete
at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan after 2 decades. His qualification to the Olympics was
confirmed by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). Prior to Fouaad, Imtiaz Anees
participated in the Sydney Olympics in the year 2000 and Late Wing Commander IJ Lamba participated in
the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
About Fouaad Mirza:
i.Previously Fouaad Mirza won a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia and became the 1st Indian
since 36years (1982) to win an Asian Games medal in equestrian games.
ii.Award:He was conferred with Arjuna Award in 2019 by President Shri Ram Nath Kovind for his achievements
in Equestrian game.
Tennis legend Novak djokovic defeats Nadal to make Serbia winner of 1st ATP Cup 2020 held in Sydney,
Australia
Serbian professional tennis player, Novak Djokovic has defeated Rafael Nadal of Spain to make Serbia the
champion of 1st edition of ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Cup i.e. ATP Cup 2020 held at Ken Rosewall
Arena in Sydney, Australia from 3–12 January,2020.
Key Points:
i.Djokovic, ranked second in the world rankings, returned to the team by defeating top ranked Nadal with 6-2, 7-
6 scores in the final of the tournament being played for the 1st time.
ii.Earlier,in November 2019, Nadal led Spain to clinch its 6th Davis Cup title 2019 by defeating Denis Shapovalov
of Canada in men’s singles held on indoor hard courts at the Caja Mágica in Madrid, Spain.
About ATP Cup 2020:
Participation– 24 teams
Prize money– $15,000,000
It is an international outdoor hard court men’s tennis tournament organized by the Association of Tennis
Professionals (ATP).
Location– (Pat Rafter Arena) Brisbane,( RAC Arena) Perth, and (Ken Rosewall Arena) Sydney, Australia
India finish 2019 as number one shooting nation in world: ISSF

In 2019 according to International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), India is the top Shooting Nation in the
World with 21 gold, 6 silver, and 3 bronze. India secured first position in all the Rifle-pistol World Cups and
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Finals in the year.

Key Points:
i.China is at the second position with 11 gold, 15 silver and 18 bronze.
ii.The United States (US) is at the third position with 6 gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze.
About ISSF:
Founded- 1907
Headquarters- Munich, Germany
President- Vladimir Sergeyevich Lisin
Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez to retire after Twenty20 (T-20) World Cup

On January 17, 2020 Pakistan’s All-rounder cricket player Mohammad Hafeez, 38 years old, announced that he
will be retiring from international cricket after the upcoming T-20 World Cup to be held in Australia in October
2020. Hafeez has been selected to play the T20I (Twenty20 International) series against Bangladesh starting in
Lahore on Jan 24,2020.
Key Points:
i.Mohammad Hafeez nicknamed as ‘Professor’ for his knowledge of the game, has been one of Pakistan’s key
players- as a top-order batsman and a handy off-spinner since 2003.
ii.Hafeez retired from tests in December 2018 after playing 55 tests and scored 6,614 runs took 139 wickets in
218 one-day internationals.
iii.His last ODI (One Day International) was during the World Cup (50 overs) in England 2019.
iv.Hafeez match in 89 T-20 internationals stands at 54 wickets and 1,908 runs.
v.He played 17 years for Pakistan and also captained Pakistan in 29 Twenty 20 Internationals, winning 17 and
losing 11 with one ending in a tie.
Jacqueline Williams of Jamaica becomes the 1st woman third Umpire in men’s T20I
Jacqueline Williams of Jamaica becomes the first woman third umpire in men’s international cricket match. The
43-year-old Jamaican woman oversaw all 3 matches of the Twenty20 International (T20I) series in Grenada,
West Indies between West Indies and Ireland.
Key Points:
i.43-years-old Jacqueline Williams stood as umpire in 2015 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament.
ii.In 2017, she was one of the four umpires in Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier. In 2019, she stood in her
first One Day International (ODI) match between the United States (USA) and Papua New Guinea in the 2019
United States Tri-Nation Series.
iii.In May 2019, India’s Gandikota Sarva Lakshmi became the first woman to be appointed onto the ICC
International Panel of Match Referees and oversaw the third series of the Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in
the United Arab Emirates (UAE), becoming the first woman match referee in men’s ODIs.
About Jamaica:
Capital- Kingston
Currency- Jamaican dollar
India won the ODI series against Australia held from January 14–19, 2020
The Indian men’s cricket team played 3 ODIs (One Day Internationals) against Australia from January 14 –
19,2020. The ODI was part of the Australia tour of India, 2020 that consists of 3 ODIs matches, which were held
at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, Maharashtra; Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot, Gujarat;
M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The Indian team defeated Australian team in the 3 match ODI series by winning 2 matches (2-1).
The match highlights are as follows:
Kuldeep Yadav became the 3rd fastest Indian bowler to claim 100 wickets in ODI
India’s Kuldeep Yadav (25) became the 3rd fastest Indian bowler to take 100 wickets in ODI. He achieved the
feat in the 2nd ODI match which was held in Rajkot, Gujarat. He has become the 22nd bowler in India to take 100
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wickets in ODI international cricket & became the 151st bowler in the world to take 100 wickets in ODIs. This is
his 58th match and became the 3rd fastest Indian bowler behind teammates Mohammed Shami (56 matches) and
Jasprit Bumrah (57 matches) who took 100 wickets in the fewest matches & broke Harbhajan Singh’s record who
reached there in 76 ODIs. He is also the first Indian cricketer to claim two hat-tricks in international cricket
during the 2nd ODI against the West Indies in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP) in Dec 2019.
Rohit Sharma breaks Hashim Amla’s record as fastest batsman to score 7000 ODI runs as opener
Rohit Gurunath Sharma became the fastest to claim 7000 ODI runs as an opener in 2nd ODI against Australia
at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot,Gujarat. He achieved this feat in 137 innings. In this case,
he left behind former South African batsman Hashim Amla (147 innings) and Sachin Tendulkar (160 innings).
i.Rohit is the 4th Indian opener to score 7000 runs. Before him, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Virender
Sehwag have done so. He also became the third batsman to score the fastest 9000 runs in ODIs in 217 innings.
Virat Kohli is the fastest to 9000 runs with 194 innings. AB de Villiers is the second fastest (208 innings).
Virat Kohli became the fastest captain to complete 5000 ODI runs, broke MS Dhoni’s record
Indian captain Virat Kohli broke the record of former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the 3rd and final
match of the series against Australia held in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He became the fastest captain to complete
5000 runs in ODIs. He achieved this feat by hitting a four off Mitchell Starc. Dhoni had scored 5000 runs in 127
innings. At the same time, Kohli reached in his feat by just 82nd innings. Ricky Ponting of Australia arrived in 131
innings.
Kohli also the fastest batsman to reach 11,000 runs in ODI cricket
Indian captain Virat Kohli also held the record for being the fastest captain to score 11,000 international runs.
He scored 11,208 international runs as captain, surpassed the previous record held by MS Dhoni with 11,207
runs. Kohli has played 199 innings as captain, while Dhoni had played 330.
ICC ODI rankings 2020: Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma’s reign in Batting Ranking, Bumrah also on top as
bowler
As per the ICC (International Cricket Council) Men’s ODI ranking 2020 released on January 20, 2020, Indian
captain Virat Kohli and vice captain Rohit Sharma strengthened their hold & ranked 1st and 2nd position
respectively in batting table.On the other hand, Jaspreet Bumrah retained the top position in the bowlers list.
Key Points:
i.After a brilliant performance in the recently concluded series against Australia, Kohli strengthened the number
one with 886 points and Rohit’s number two with 868 points.
Here’s the list of top3 players in ICC ODI ranking 2020:
Rank Batting Bowling All-rounder
Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah
1 Virat Kohli ( India) Ben Stokes (England)
(India)
Rohit Gurunath Trent Alexander Boult Mohammad Nabi
2
Sharma (India) (New Zealand ) (Afghanistan)
Syed Imad Wasim
Mohammad Babar Azam Mujeeb Ur Rahman Zadran
3 Haider (known as Imad
(Pakistan) (Afghanistan)
Wasim)-Pakistan
About ICC:
Formation– 15 June 1909
Headquarters– Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Chairman– Shashank Manohar
CEO– Manu Sawhneyrd
Sania Mirza wins 2020 doubles title at 27th WTA Hobart International Trophy in Australia
Indian Tennis Player Sania Mirza and her Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok have won the 2020 women’s
doubles title of the 27th WTA (World Tennis Association) Hobart International Trophy held in Hobart,
Australia.
Cash Award: Sania and Nadiia received a cash award of $13580 as prize money.
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Key Points:
i.In final, they defeated Shauli Peng and Shaui Zhang of China 6-4, 6-4.
ii.Achievement: It is Sania’s 42nd WTA doubles title and first since Brisbane International Trophy in 2007 with
American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
About 2020 Hobart International:
i.The 2020 Hobart International was a women’s tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts.
ii.It was the 27th edition of the Hobart International and part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2020
WTA tour.
iii.It took place at the Hobart International Tennis Centre in Hobart, Australia from 13 to 18th January 2020.
iv.Elena Andreyevna Rybakina, a Kazakh-Russian tennis player won women’s singles category of 2020 Hobart
International tournament.
India wins 7 medals in UWW Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series 2020 held in Rome, Italy
The Indian wrestling team has clinched 7 medals (4 gold, 2 silver, and a bronze) in the 1st UWW (United
World Wrestling) Matteo Pellicone Rome Ranking Series 2020 held from January 15 – 18, 2020 in the Italian
Capital, Rome. The 4-day tournament, organized by UWW, has featured all the 3 disciplines – freestyle, Greco
Roman and women’s wrestling. The 2020 ranking series consists of two events: the 1st, which already held in
Rome, Italy and the 2nd will held from June 4-7, 2020 in Warsaw, Poland.The ranking series started in 2019.
List of Indian winner:
S.No Winner Category Medal
1 Bajrang Punia 65kg freestyle Gold
Ravi Kumar
2 61kg freestyle Gold
Dahiya
3 Vinesh Phogat 53kg Gold
82kg -Greco-
4 Gurpreet Singh Gold
roman
5 Anshu Malik 57kg Silver
6 Sunil Kumar 97kg Silver
7 Sajan Bhanwal 77 kg Bronze
Key Highlights:
i.Vinesh Phogat, an Indian wrestler, who won Commonwealth (2014 Glasgow, 2018 Gold Coast) & 2018 Asian
Games, has won the final of the Rome Ranking Series 2020. She defeated Ecuador’s Luisa Elizabeth Valverde to
win the gold medal in 53 Kg ctaegory by a scoreline of 4-0.
ii.Bajrang Punia won the gold against USA’s Jordan Michael Oliver in 65kg freestyle category by 4-3 scores. On
the other hand, Wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya clinched the gold by defeating Kazakhstan’s Nurbolat Abdualiyev
with 12-2 scores in 61 kg category final.
About United World Wrestling (UWW):
Motto– Welcome to the New World of Wrestling
President– Nenad Lalovic
Headquarters– Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland
It is the international governing body for the sport of amateur wrestling.
Ministry of Sports de-recognised the Rowing Federation of India for violating the Sports Code of 2011
On January 22, 2020, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS) has de-recognised the Rowing
Federation of India (RFI) because of violating the Sports Code of 2011 in four areas during the RFI election
which was held on December 6, 2019, in Hyderabad in Telangana.
Key Points:
i.Rajlaxmi Singh Deo elected as President and MV Sriram as the secretary-General in the election 2019 but
according to the Ministry of Sports, the elections were not held in accordance with the Model Election Guidelines
prescribed in the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.
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iii.In the elections there were also proxy voting and it also allowed three votes pre affiliation units instead of two
votes which is prescribed by Sports Code.
iv.Secretary-General MV Sriram has held the post for two years till 2016 and he is eligible to contest the election
only after 29.01.2020 according to the Sports Code 2011.
About the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports:
Founded- 1982
Minister- Kiren Rijiju
Overview of 3rd Khelo India youth games 2020 held in Guwahati,Assam

The 3rd edition of Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2020 was held at Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi
Indoor Stadium in Guwahati, Assam with the participation of over 10,000 students. Vijay the Tiger and Jaya the
Black buck were the mascots of the
tournament. Maharashtra clinched Khelo India
Youth Games 2020 champions trophy with a
collection of 256 medals (78 gold, 77 silver and
101 bronze).
Organized by Ministry for Youth Affairs and
Sports & conducted in partnership with the
School Games Federation of India (SGFI), Indian
Olympic Association (IOA), and Assam State
government, it was held from January 9-22, 2020.
Top 3:
Rank State Gold Medal Silver Medal Bronze Medal Medal Tally
1 Maharashtra 78 77 101 256
2 Haryana 68 60 72 200
3 Delhi 39 36 47 122
Sprinter Hima Das was the torchbearer of opening ceremony of KIYG 2020
Indian sprinter Hima Das (nicknamed the Dhing Express) of Assam was the torchbearer in the opening
ceremony of the Khelo India Youth Games 2020.
Pugilist Harsh Bhagwan wins Daman and Diu’s first medal at KIYG 2020
Pugilist Harsh Bhagwan (17) has clinched a silver medal in the boys Under-17, 50-52kg category, becoming the
Union Territory- Daman and Diu’s first medal-winner in this 3rd edition of the Games.
Tamil Nadu girls won the under-17 basketball title
Tamil Nadu girls won the U-17 (under-17) basketball title by defeating Rajsthan with 59 -57 points at KIYG
2020 held in Assam.
Maharashtra wins U-17 & U-21 gold in Kho Kho
Maharashtra displayed their best performance at the Kho Kho events by winning all the 4 Gold medals in
under-17 & under-21 boys and girls categories.
Boys team from Maharashtra defeated Gujarat with 19-11 points,while the girls defeated Delhi with 14-8 scores
in their respective encounters in the finals.
UP secures gold in mix team event U-21 category in 10-m air pistol
Uttar Pradesh (UP) has clinched the gold medal in mix team event under 21 category in 10-meter air
pistol.Shooters Devanshi Dhama & Shravan Kumar represented UP team.
Assam wins 7 gold in new lawn bowls at Khelo India Youth Games
KIYG 2020 host Assam has won the 7 gold medals in newly introduced lawn bowls.
MP govt announces incentives for medal winners in Khelo India Youth Games
The Madhya Pradesh govt has announced an incentive of Rs 1 lakh to the gold medal winner, 75 thousand to the
silver medalist and Rs 50 thousand to the bronze medalist of the Khelo India Youth Games. A total of 46 medals
including 15 gold and 11 silver medals were clinched by Madhya Pradesh.
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About Khelo India:

It is the biggest sporting event in India. It is a national level multidisciplinary grassroot games in India held for 2
categories, namely under-17 years school students and under-21 college students.
It was first launched in 2018 in New Delhi under the name Khelo India School Games (KISG).
Haryana emerged as top performers in the 1st edition & the 2nd edition was launched in Pune, Maharashtra,
where Maharashtra emerged as the top performers.
Chief Executive Officer- Avinash Joshi.
Australia to host 11th Indoor Cricket World Cup in October, 2020

11th Edition of the Indoor Cricket World Cup is to be hosted by Australia from October 10 to 17, 2020.
The World Indoor Cricket Federation(WICF) announced the tournament will be held at indoor cricket venues
in Melbourne, Australia in Casey Stadium and CityPower Centre.
Key Points:
i.The 2017 Indoor Cricket World Cup was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Australia team won the
Indoor Cricket World Cup continuously in both men’s and women’s categories for the last 25 years without
losing a single match.
ii.Cricketers from nearly 10 countries will compete in the tournament in 4 categories: under-21 men and
women and open men and women.
iii.Australia is already hosting Women’s and Men’s T20 World Cups this year.
About Indoor Cricket World Cup: The event is organized by the sport’s governing body, the World Indoor
Cricket Federation (WICF) and is held every 2 or 3 years.The first Indoor Cricket World Cup match held in
England in 1995.
About Australia:
Capital- Canberra.
Currency- Australian Dollar (AUD).
Prime Minister(PM)- Scott John Morrison.
6 cities across New Zealand to host the ICC Women’s cricket world cup 2021; Hagley oval in Christchurch
to host final
On January 23, 2020, According to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup CEO Andrea Nelson, 6 cities
namely Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Tauranga, Dunedin and Christchurch of New Zealand will host
matches of the 2021 edition of the Women’s cricket World Cup. The final of this tournament will be played at
the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
Key Points:
i.A total of 31 matches will be played between the 8 teams in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2021 from February 6
– March 7,2021.
ii.The entire program of this world will be announced in March, when the event will officially launch. The 50-
over 2021 World Cup will provide a glimpse of the global development of women’s cricket and New Zealand is
preparing vigorously for the successful event of the tournament.
iii.The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 is scheduled to be held in Australia between 21 February and 8 March
2020.
2021 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup:
It will be the 12th edition of the Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Organizer– International Cricket Council (ICC)
Format– One-Day International
World Archery lifts suspension on AAI

On January 23, 2020, World Archery (WA) removed suspension imposed on the Archery Association of India
(AAI). Indian archers have now been allowed to compete in World Archery Events from 23 January 2020
onwards. The decision to remove suspension was taken by World Archer’s executive Board postal vote.
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Key Points:
i.AAI will be required to send a progress report every 3 months to World Archery as the federation instructed to
update the constitution for athlete membership. As per article 2.2.1 of the World Archery rule book, it’s
essential for athletes to be affiliated with the AAI directly or indirectly.
ii.The Archery Association of India had been suspended since August 5,2019. Due to this reason, Indian athletes
were only allowed to compete under a neutral flag at events, which directly affected their qualification chances
for the Olympics.
iii.India currently has 3 men and 1 women’s quota place at Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
About World Archery:
President- Ugur Erdener; Secretary General– Tom Dielen
ICC Test ranking 2020: Virat Kohli at top spot in batting list; India tops team ranking
On January 24, 2020 International Cricket Council (ICC) had released the ICC test ranking in which India is at the
top with 120 ratings. Indian Cricket team Captain Virat Kohli remains top in the ICC Test player ranking for
batsmen with 928 points.
ICC test batsmen ranking:
i.Virat Kohli tops the list with 928 points. Australia’s Steven Smith occupies the second spot with 911 points
followed by Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne with 827 points.
ii.Cheteshwar Pujara is at the 6th position with 791 points and Ajinkya Rahane at 8th with 759 points.
iii.The top ten is rounded off by Kane Williamson of New Zealand on fourth, David Warner of Australia on fifth,
Babar Azam of Pakistan on seventh, Joe Root of England on ninth and Ben Stokes of England on tenth spot.
ICC test team ranking:
i.India tops the list with 120 ratings followed by Australia with 108 rating is on the second spot and New Zealand
with 105 rating occupies the third place.
ii.South Africa is on the fourth, England on fifth, Sri Lanka on sixth, Pakistan on seventh, West Indies on eight ,
Bangladesh on ninth and Afghanistan on the tenth place.
ICC test bowler ranking:
i.Australia Pat Cummins tops the list with 904 points followed by Neil Wagner of New Zealand with 852 points
and Jason Holder of West Indies with 830 points.
ii.India’s Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami are in sixth, eighth and tenth positions.
ICC Test All-Rounder ranking:
i.West Indies Jason Holder tops the list with 473 points followed by Ben Stokes of England with 411 points at 2nd
rank and India’s Ravindra Jadeja with 406 points at 3rd position.
ii.India’s Ravichandran Ashwin is at fifth position with 308 points.
TOP 3 Batsman:
Rank Name
1 Virat Kohli (India)
2 Steven Smith (Australia)
3 Marnus Labuschagne (Australia)
Tennis player Joao Souza of Brazil banned for life due to match-fixing
On January 25, 2020,According to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU), which is responsible for investigating match
fixing in tennis, Joao Olavo Soares de Souza (31), a former Brazilian professional tennis player has been
banned for life due to match fixing and corruption. It also fined Souza with $200,000.
Key Points:
i.As per the investigation of TIU, Joao Souza did match fixing in tennis at the ATP(Association of Tennis
Professionals) Challenger and ITF (International Tennis Federation ) Futures tournaments in Brazil, Mexico, the
United States(US) and Czech Republic between 2015 and 2019.
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ii.Souza was temporarily suspended from tennis until the completion of the investigation in March 2019. The
case was heard in London on 14 January,2020. After this, his participation and attendance at any official tennis
event has been banned.
iii.He currently has a world ranking of 742 & he reached the 69th position in the year 2015. In 2013, he reached
the 70th rank in the doubles category. He also won the International Tennis Tournament of Cortina in 2016 by
defeating Laslo Đere.
ICC men’s T20 World cup 2021 in India: 4 countries to qualify from 16-team Qualifier
On January 23, 2020, According to the International Cricket Council ( ICC ), 4 of the 16 teams will qualify for
the ICC Men’s T20 (Twenty -20) World cup in 2021scheduled to be held in India in October – November 2021.
The tournament will replace the 8-team Champions Trophy One-Day International (ODI) tournament which was
held in England in 2017.
Key Points:
i.A total of 11 regional qualification tournaments will be held in 5 ICC regions (Africa, USA, Asia, East Asia Pacific
and Europe), with 8 teams competing in one of the two global qualifying events. Also, the 4 teams ranked at the
bottom of the T20 World Cup 2020 will be included in the regional qualifiers.
ii.Along with them, teams next 4 rankings will also join this global qualifying competition from January 1, 2020.
These four teams are Zimbabwe, Nepal, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Hong Kong.
iii.This means that 16 teams will compete in two global qualifiers for the four T20 World Cup places, with each of
the two top teams reaching the main tournament in 2021.
iv.The 2021 Men’s ICC T20 World Cup to be the 8th ICC Men’s T20 World Cup tournament.
About International Cricket Council (ICC):
Founded– 15 June 1909.
Headquarters– Dubai, United Arab Emirates(UAE).
Chairperson– Shashank Manohar.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Manu Sawhney.
Domestic Cricket player from Rajasthan Vineet Saxena announces retirement

On January 27, 2020, Rajasthan domestic cricket stalwart Vineet Saxena (39) who played and won Rajasthan’s
consecutive Ranji Trophy titles in 2010-11 and 2011-12 has formally announced his retirement. He is the most
capped and highest run-getter for Rajasthan in the Ranji trophy. Saxena scored 7,637 runs in 129 first-class
matches, which also includes 17 hundreds and 38 fifties.
Key Points:
i.In his 2 decade spanned cricket career, He achieved the Man of the match title winning 257 against Tamil Nadu
in finals of the 2011-12 Ranji Trophy edition. He is also the only cricketer from Rajasthan to play 100 or more
Ranji matches in 2 decades.
ii.He even appeared for Ranji Trophy debutants Uttarakhand in the 2018-19 edition and captained the team in
the absence of Uttarakhand’s captain Rajat Bhatia in the quarterfinal against eventual champion Vidarbha.
71st International Boxing tournament Strandja 2020 held in Sofia, Bulgaria; India bags 3 medals
The 71st edition of International Boxing Tournament “Strandja”2020 was held in Sofia, Bulgaria from
January 19-26, 2020. India ranked 9th in the medal tally with 3 medals (1 Silver, 2 Bronze). The list was topped
by Ukraine with 10 medals (4 Gold, 1 silver, 5 Bronze).
List of Indian winners:
S.No Player Name Category Medal
1 Mohammed Hussamuddin 57kg Silver
2 Sonia Lather 57kg Bronze
3 Shiva Thapa 63kg Bronze
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Key Points:
i.More than 300 boxers from 30 countries have participated in the Tournament, which was jointly organized by
International Boxing Association (AIBA) & EUBC (European Boxing Confederation).
ii.The Tournament had different categories including (Men 52 kg ,57 kg ,63 kg ,69 kg ,75 kg ,81 kg ,91 kg ,+91 kg)
& Women (52 kg ,57 kg ,60 kg ,69 kg ,75 kg).
About International Boxing Association (AIBA):
Formation– 1946
Headquarters– Lausanne, Switzerland
President– Gafur Rakhimov
New Zealand spinner Todd Astle announces first-class retirement

On January 28,2020 Todd Duncan Astle, 33 years old from New Zealand, Wellington, leg-spinner had
announced his retirement from first-class cricket to focus on the limited-over cricket (one day cricket). Astle
scored more than 4000 runs in his 119 first-class matches.
Key Points:
i.Known as ‘Canterbury stalwart’, Astle made his Test Debut in 2012, played five tests for nations team in which
he claimed 7 wickets at 52.57 and scored 98 runs at 19.60 overs.
ii.Astle was the first-class wicket-taker of the Canterbury team, New Zealand clinching 303 runs of his 334
wickets.
For the 2nd straight year, India to host Barca Academy Cup – Asia Pacific 2020 in Gurgaon, Haryana
For the 2nd time, India to host Barca Academy Cup – Asia Pacific 2020, hosted by Barca Academy, scheduled to
be held in Gurgaon, Haryana from January 30 -February 2, 2020, which will see the participation of more than
650 football players from 7 countries (India, Australia, Turkey, China, Singapore, Japan and Spain).
Key Points:
i.A total of 48 teams will play in 4 categories namely under 9(U-9), U-11, U-13 and U-15.
ii.It will be played in a 7-player format with a 30-minute game for children U-9, 40 minutes for children U-11and
13, and 50 minutes for children U-15.
iii.In 2019, Barca Academy’s Asia-Pacific (APAC) Soccer Cup held at The Heritage Xperiential Learning School,
Gurugram, Haryana from January 24 to 27, 2019.
About Barca Academy:
Head– Carlos Palacin; It is a flagship FC Barcelona school.
Indian squash player Saurav Ghosal loses in Pittsburgh Open 2020 final held in US
Indian squash player Saurav Ghosal missed out on winning his first title in the Professional Squash Association
(PSA) World Tour event 2019-20. He suffered a 7-11, 4–11, 9–11 defeat to Fares Dessouky of Egypt in the finals
of the Men’s Pittsburgh Open 2020 held in Rivers Club, Pittsburgh,United States (US).
Key Points:
i.Earlier, he defeated Egypt’s Omar Mosaad Abouzid with 11-6, 16-18, 11-7, 12-10 scores in the semi-finals.
ii.Saurav became the 1st Indian squash player to reach the quarterfinals of the World Championship held in 2013.
In 2014, he won the silver medal (individual singles) in the 17th Asian Games at Incheon, South Korea. He was the
first Indian squash player to do so.
iii.He also achieved numerous records including a career-high world ranking of World No. 10, the first Indian to
be ranked junior World No.1, the first to bag the junior National championship 3 years in a row and in December
2006, won India’s 1st medal in the Doha Asian Games 2006.
India won the T20 series during ‘2020 Sri Lanka tour of India’ held in Indore, Guwahati and Pune
The Indian Men’s cricket team played T20I (twenty twenty International) bilateral series against Srilanka during
the 2020 Sri Lanka tour of India. India defeated Sri Lanka in final T20I to win three match T20I series for 2-0.
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The three T20I matches were held in Guwahati(Assam), Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Pune(Maharashtra). The
first match was in Guwahati but was abandoned due to rain. The highlights of the match are as follows:
Virat Kohli overtook Rohit Sharma to become highest scorer in T20I:
Indian cricketer Virat Kohi surpassed India’s Rohit Sharma to become the highest run-scorer in the T20I. Virat
now has 2,663 runs in the shortest format of the game.
Bumrah becomes India’s highest wicket-taker in T20:
India’s Jasprit Bumrah became the highest wicket-taker in the T20 match against Srilanka. He has now 53 T20
wickets under his name from 45 T20I matches overall. He achieved this feat after he dismissed Srilanka’s
opener Danushka Gunathilaka.
• Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin were joint second highest wicket-takers
by making 52 wickets from 37 matches and 52 wickets from 46 matches respectively.
Kohli becomes quickest to reach 11,000 international runs as captain:
Virat Kohli made another achievement by becoming the quickest to reach 11,000 international runs as
a captain in his 169th international match . He achieved the feat during the final T20I match against Srilanka.
With this, Kohli became the second Indian after Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
• Overall, he is the sixth captain to achieve the feat after Ricky Ponting (Australia), Graeme Smith (South
Africa), Stephen Fleming (New Zealand), MS Dhoni, and Allan Border (Australia).
ICC T20I rankings: Rahul ranked top among Indian batsmen, Kohli moves up
India opener Kannur Lokesh Rahul retained 6th position in the first ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings of the
season while Indian captain Virat Kohli moved up a place to 9th place. Apart from Kolhi and KL Rahul, no other
Indians were placed in the top 10 places in all the batting, bowling and all-rounder rankings.
Rank Batting rankings Bowling rankings All-rounder rankings

Mohammad Babar Azam Mohammad Nabi
1 (Pakistan) Rashid Khan Arman (Afghanistan) (Afghanistan)
Mujeeb Ur Rahman Zadran Glenn James Maxwell
2 Aaron James Finch (Australia) (Afghanistan) (Australia)
Sean Colin Williams
3 Dawid Johannes Malan (England) Mitchell Josef Santner (New Zealand) (Zimbabwe)
About Match venues:
Barsapara Cricket Stadium- Guwahati, Assam.
Holkar Cricket Stadium- Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium- Pune, Maharashtra.
Bala Devi: 1st Indian woman to sign up for foreign football club, ‘Rangers FC’ of Scotland
On January 31,2020 Ngangom Bala Devi, 29 years old from Manipur, has become the first Indian woman
footballer to get a professional contract from Scotland’s Women Premier League club Rangers (Football Club)
for 18-months and to play for jersey No.10 after a successful trial in November, 2019. The formal announcement
was made by Rangers FC and Bengaluru FC at Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Key Points:
i.Bala Devi is the Ranger’s first-ever Asian footballer.
ii.She is the current top-scorer for India, netting 52 times in 58 games & also the top international goal scorer in
the South Asian region.
iii.Bala Devi was named as AIFF Women’s Player of the Year twice (2015 &2016) and has been top-scorer in the
Indian Women’s League for 2 seasons.
About Rangers FC (Football club):
Rangers Football club is a Scottish professional football club in Govan district of Glasgow, Scotland.
Founded- March 1872.
Chairman- Dave king.
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Canada’s Christine Sinclair becomes all-time top scorer with 185 goals in international soccer
On January 31,2020 Christine Margaret Sinclair, 36 years old, Canadian soccer player ,became the all-time top
scorer with 185 goals in international soccer. Sinclair surpassed the record of American Abby Wambach
(original name Mary Abigail Wambach) who scored 184 goals.
Key Points:
i.Sinclair scored her 185th goal against St. Kitts & Nevis national football team.She achieved this feat during 5th
CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship 2020 at H-E-B Park (stadium in Edinburg), Texas, United
States (US).
ii.She made her first international goal in March 2000 when she was 16 years old.
iii.CONCACAF- Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football.
OBITUARY
Former Rajya Sabha member Alajangi Viswanath Swamy from Odisha passed away at 91
On December 31, 2019, Social activist and former Rajya Sabha member, Alajangi Viswanath Swamy popularly
known as AV Swamy passed away in Nuapada district, Odisha.
i.He was born on July 18, 1929 in Nawarangpur, Odisha and graduated in B.tech Chemical Engineering.
ii.On April 4, 2012, he was elected as a member of Rajya Sabha from Odisha as an independent candidate and
remained in office till April 3, 2018.
iii.He was a member of ‘Vanar Sena’ during India’s freedom struggle and a follower of Vinobe Bhave.
iv.He was also one of the most important social reformers of Odisha.
v.He was the President of Utkal Sammilani, Nuapada district branch.
NCP leader Devi Prasad Tripathi passed away at 67

On January 2, 2020, General Secretary of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and former Member of
Parliament (MP) Devi Prasad Tripathi passed away after battling with cancer in New Delhi. He was the former
MP of Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.
Key Points:
i.He was born on November 29, 1952, in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
ii.He was educated at Allahabad University and also was the president of Jawaharlal Nehru University student
union and started his political career in 1999.
iii.He was one of the founders of NCP along with Sharad Pawar and P.A. Sangma. He was also the Editor-in-
Chief of the quarterly journal Think India.
iv.He played an important role in the establishment of democracy in Nepal.
NBA mastermind David Joel Stern of New York, US dead at 77

On January 1,2020 David Joel Stern born in New York, United States (US), the former commissioner of the NBA
(National Basketball Association), passed away due to brain haemorrhage at the age of 77 in New York.
Key Points:
i.He took the NBA’s growth into a global sports powerhouse.
ii.He served as commissioner of the NBA for 30 (1984-2014) years.
iii.In 1978 he joined NBA as general counsel and became executive vice president of the NBA in 1980.
Tamra Patra awardee Centenarian Freedom fighter Bhim Chandra Jana dies at 107
On January 4 2020, Centenarian Freedom fighter Bhim Chandra Jana, who spied on British police, has died of
old-age related ailments in West Bengal’s Howrah District at the age of 107.
Key Points:
i.Bhim Chandra Jana was also known as ‘Nanu’ to other freedom fighters of Bengal.
ii.Jana was awarded by the Government of India after Independence. In 1972, he was awarded the Tamra
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Patra (a copper plaque given to freedom fighters by the Centre) when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of
India.
About West Bengal:
Capital- Kolkata.
Chief Minister- Mamata Banerjee.
Districts- 23.
State Bird- White-throated Kingfisher.
State Animal- Fishing cat.
State Tree- Chatim tree.
State Flower- Night-flowering jasmine.
Former Tamil Nadu Assembly speaker, P.H. Pandian passes away at the age of 74
On January 04, 2020, Paul Hector (PH) Pandian, an Indian politician of
the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party
& former Speaker of Tamil Nadu (TN) Assembly passed away at a
private hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu after prolonged illness. He was
74.
i.Born on 29 March 1945 in Cheranmahadevi town in Tirunelveli district
of TN, Pandian joined AIADMK in 1972. He was the Speaker of the Tamil
Nadu Legislative Assembly from February 27, 1985 – February 5, 1989.
ii.A lawyer by profession, Pandian was elected as a Member of the
Legislative Assembly (MLA) from his native Cheranmahadevi assembly
seat in 1977, 1980 and 1984 & he went on to be elected as Member of
Parliament (MP) in 1999, from Tirunelveli constituency.
iii.He also served as former Chief Minister (CM) J Jayalalithaa’s legal advisor from 1996 – 1999.
Former Karnataka Governor and Padma Vibhushan awardee T N Chaturvedi passes away at 90
On January 5, 2020 former Karnataka Governor Triloki Nath Chaturvedi passed away in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
He was 90. He served as the Governor of Karnataka
from 2002-2007.
About T N Chaturvedi:
i.Born on January 18, 1929 in Tirwaganj town of
Uttar Pradesh, he was an Indian Administrative
Service (IAS) Officer and held the office of the
Comptroller and Auditor General of India from 1984
to 1989.
ii.He was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1991.
iii.In 2004 he also served as the Governor of Kerala.
iv.Government Auditing, Auditing Receipts, Auditing
Science and Technology are some of the books authored by T V chaturvedi.
Former MP of India’s 1st Lok Sabha, Bahadur Singh passed away at 94 in Bihar
On January 05, 2020, Former Member of Parliament
(MP) of the country’s 1st Lok Sabha – constituted in
1952 and last maharaja of erstwhile Dumraon
Raj (zamindari estate) Kamal Bahadur Singh passed
away at the age of 94 in Buxar district of Bihar due to
old age ailments.
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Key Points:
i.Kamal Bahadur Singh was the only surviving MP of the first Lok Sabha of India. After the independence
movement Kamal Singh contributed mainly to the education and social development sectors in Shahabad city of
Uttar Pradesh.
ii.He was elected as MP as an independent candidate from Shahabad in 1st general election after independence.
Kamal Singh also won the second Lok Sabha election held in 1957 as an independent candidate from Buxar
parliamentary constituency which then came into existence.
Former Western Army Commander Lt Gen PN Hoon passes away at 90

On January 6, 2020, Former Western Army Commander Lieutenant General Prem Nath Hoon, 90 years old,
passed away in Chandigarh. He was born at Abbottabad in Pakistan and commissioned into the army in 1947. He
is one of the most senior military veterans in the country.
Key Points:
i.He led the ‘Operation Meghdoot’ the code-name for the Indian Armed forces to capture the Siachen Glacier in
the Kashmir region. He also served during 1965 in the India-Pakistan war.
ii.He also served as director-general military operations and retired in 1987 as Army Commander,
Chandimundir.
iii.In October 2015, he had launched his book “The Untold Truth” in which he claimed that there was a plot to
topple Rajiv Gandhi Government in 1987.
About Western Command, Indian Army:
Headquarters- Chandi Mandir. Founded-1947.
General Officer Commander-in-Chief(GOC-in-c)- Lieutenant General Ravendra Pal Singh
1966 World Cup goalkeeper Tilkowski of Germany passed away at the age of 84
On January 06, 2020, Former West Germany football Goalkeeper Hans Tilkowski, passed away at the age of 84
due to old age ailments. He played in the 1996 world cup against England. He was born in Dortmund-Husen,
Germany.
Key Points:
i.He was renowned for a controversial Geoff Hurst ‘ghost-goal’ at the 1966 World Cup final which hit the crossbar
and was adjudged to have crossed the line during extra-time leading to England win the trophy for 4-2.
ii.Tilkowski also had won the German Cup in 1965 and Cup Winners’ Cup in 1966 with Dortmund football club.
Dortmund became the first German club to win a major European competition in the UEFA (Union of European
Football Associations) Cup Winners’ Cup in May 1966.
Padma Bhushan artist Akbar Padamsee passes away at 91

On January 6,2020 the celebrated painter and artist Akbar Padamsee, 91 years old, died at the Isha Yoga
Ashram near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Art Icon
Padamsee was born on 12 April 1928 in
Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Key Points:
i.Veteran artist Akbar Padamsee was also a
photographer, sculptor, painter, engraver, film-
maker and lithographer.
ii.His very first solo show was held at the
Jehangir Art gallery, Mumbai in 1954.
Awards:
i.Akbar Padamsee was awarded “Padma
Bhushan” by the Indian Government in 2010.
ii.He also received a gold medal from the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in 1962 and JD Rockefeller foundation
fellowship in 1965 and Kalidas Samman award by the Madhya Pradesh Government for the field of Plastic Arts
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during the year 1997-98.

iii.He also received Kailash Lalit Kala Award in 2010.
Veteran Odissi Danseuse Padma Shri Minati Mishra passes away at 91

On January 6, 2020, Veteran Odissi Danseuse Padma Shri Minati Mishra passed away in Zurich, Switzerland
after suffering from age-related issues. She was born in 1929 in Cuttack, Odisha and known for expertise in the
Indian Classical dance form of Odissi.
Key Points:
i.According to the 2011 report, she was the oldest living Odissi performer and in 2012 she was honored with the
Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award by the Government of India.
ii.She was also the principal of the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Bhubaneswar, Odisha for 1964 to 1989.
iii.She was an A-Grade artist at All India Radio (AIR) and a recipient of the Sangeet Prabhakar title for Hindustani
vocal music.
Former Vellore Lok Sabha MP R.P. Ulaganambi passed away at 82

On January 8, 2020, Former Vellore, Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha MP(Member of Parliament) R.P.Ulaganambi, 82
years old, passed away due to age-related illness. He was elected from Vellore for the DMK (Dravida Munnetra
Kazhagam) party and served as an MP in the 5th Lok Sabha from 1971-76.
About R.P Ulaganambi:
i.Mr.Ulaganambi hailing from Ranipet, Vellore is a staunch follower of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar and Thanthai Periyar
E.V.Ramaswamy where he was closely associated with agitations organized by the DMK, early in his career.
ii.After a disagreement with the party’s high command, he switched his loyalties to the Indian National
Congress(INC) party.
Sangeet-Natak Akademi awardee Dhadi folk singer Idu Sharif passed away at 80
On January 8,2020 Dhadi folk singer Idu Sharif 80 years old died at Manji Majra,Chandigarh as he was suffering
from paralysis. Idu Sharif was born in the
village Lalodi of Nabha in Patiala,Punjab.
Key Points:
i.Idu Sharif received an award from Sangeet
Natak Akademi,New Delhi and Tamra Patra
award in 2006 by Former President of India
Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam.
ii.He also received Punjab Sangeet Natak
Akademi award, Professor Mohan Singh
award,Shiromani Dhadi Puraskar award in
2008.
iii.Dhadi folk singer Idu Sharif sings ballads and uses folk instrument ‘Dhadd’.
Veteran screenwriter Henry Zuckerman passes away at 89

On January 8, 2020 Oscar nominated screenwriter Henry Zuckerman passed away at Cedars-Sinai Health
Center in Los Angeles, United States (US) due to heart attack. Born is New York, US, he was known as Buck
Hendry. He was 89.
Key Points:
i.He was the screenwriter for ‘The Graduate’ which scored seven Oscar nominations.
ii.In 1967 he won an Emmy award for writing ‘Get Smart’ along with co-creator Mel Brooks.
iii.In 1978 he directed the film ‘Heaven Can Wait’ with Warren Beatty which was also nominated for an Oscar.
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Odisha’s Gajapati dynasty head former MP Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo passes away at 76
On January 10, 2020 Odisha’s Gajapati dynasty head and the former MP Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo passed
away due to prolonged illness in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He was 76.
About Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo:
i.He was born on March 6, 1943 in Paralakhemundi town of Gajapati district in Odisha.
ii.He was member of Indian National Congress (INC) representing the Berhampur parliamentary constituency.
iii.He later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1998 and moved to Biju Janata DAL (BJD) in 2009.
Omani leader Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said passes away at 79

On January 10, 2020 Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al
Said, the Omani leader who was ruling the country
from 1970 has passed away after suffering from
colon cancer. He was 79. He was succeeded by the
Culture Minister Haritham bin Tariq Al Said.
About Qaboos bin Said al Said:
i.He was born on November 18, 1940 in Salalah,
Oman.
ii.He was the fourteenth-generation descendant
founder of the House of Al Said and the longest
serving leader in the Middle East and Arab world.
iii.He received Nishan-e-Pakistan in 2001, Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in
2004 and Royal Victorian Chain in 2010
About Oman:
Capital- Muscat
Kannada Scholar M Chidananda Murthy passes away at 88

On January 11,2020 Renowned Kannada scholar and researcher M Chidananda Murthy,88 years old, passed
away on Bengaluru,Karnataka due to age-related illness. He was popularly known as “ChiMu”.
Key Points:
i.Chidananda Murthy known for his specialization in the history of Kannada language had contributed
significantly in securing the Classical language status from the Union Government in 2008.
ii.He was also a vocal kannada activist, leading Kannada Shakti Kendra in 1970s and 1980s.
iii.He also launched a campaign to save the monuments of Hampi and also one of the key articulators of the
argument against Tipu Sultan.
iv.He was born in 1931 in channagiri taluk of Davangere district, Karnataka.
About Karnataka:
Capital- Bengaluru.
Chief Minister- Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa.
Governor- Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.
Veteran broadcaster, academic-poet Obaid Siddiqui passes away at 63

On January 10,2020 Veteran Broadcaster, poet and academician Obaid Siddiqui, 63 years old, passed away in
Ghaziabad hospital, Uttar Pradesh (UP) due to health related problems. Siddiqui also worked with NDTV (New
Delhi Television) and also known as an Urdu poet.
Key Points:
i.Obaid Siddiqui was born in Meerut, UP in 1957.
ii.Siddiqui received higher education at Aligarh Muslim University and joined the All India Radio at Srinagar
station in 1988.
iii.Obaid Siddiqui joined Jamia Millia Islamia’s AJK (Anwar Jamal Kidwai) Mass Communication Research Centre
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and later rose to become its director.

Capital- Lucknow.
State Bird- Sarus Crane.
State Animal- Barasingha (also known as Swampdeer).
State tree- Ashoka Tree.
Canadian rock group drummer Neil Peart passed away at 67 years

On January 10, 2020 Canadian drummer and lyricist of rock band Rush, Neil Ellwood Peart passed away at the
age of 67 due to brain cancer (glioblastoma) in California, United States(US). He hailed from Hamilton, Canada.
Key Points:
i.The rock band Rush was founded in 1968 and Peart joined Rush in 1974 and retired from the band in 2015.
ii.He entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Hall of Fame museum located in Ohio, US) in 2013. The band has
sold 25 million albums in the US.
iii.Neil also wrote several books about his life, including the memoir ‘Traveling Music: Playing Back the
Soundtrack to My Life and Times’.
About United States(US):
Capital- Washington, D.C.
Currency- US Dollar.
Noted Kerala Cartoonist Thomas Antony passes away at 62

On January 12, 2020 Kerala Cartoonist and Secretary of Kerala Cartoon Academy Thomas Antony passed away
at Kottackal town in Malappuram district, Kerala after suffering from heart attack. He was 62. He was born in
kottayam District Kerala India.
About Thomas Antony:
i.He worked as a cartoonist in Deepika daily and served as the executive artist with Malayalam daily ‘Metro
Vaartha’.
ii.In 2007 he won United Nations Political Cartoon Award and the World Press Cartoon Award, instituted by an
organization based in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2018.
Portuguese motorcycle rider Paulo Goncalves passes away at 40

On January 12, 2020 Portuguese motorcycle rider Paulo Goncalves passed away after a crash in the seventh
stage of the 42th edition of Dakar Rally 2020 which was held for the first time in Saudi Arabia. He was 40.
About Paulo Goncalves:
i.He was born on February 5, 1979 in Esposende city of Portugal.
ii.He was the member of team Hero motorsports and died during his 13th Darker Rally.
iii.He won the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) cross-Country Rallies World Championship in
2013.
8 times National Award Winner Manmohan Mohapatra passed away at 69

On January 13,2020 Manmohan Mohapatra, Odisha’s legendary filmmaker and director, passed away at the age
of 69 in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. Mohapatra is considered as the ‘Father of New Wave Odia Cinema’ and
consecutively won eight national awards for ‘Best Feature Odia film’.
Key Points:
i.Mohapatra’s first movie “Seeta Raati” released in 1981 that fetched him national award for Best feature film in
Odia and also the first Odia film to be selected by the prestigious ‘Indian Panorama’ section of the International
Film Festival of India (IFFI), New Delhi.
ii.The seven other National-Award winning films are ‘Neeraba Jhada’, ‘Klanta Aparahna’, ‘Majhi Pahacha’,
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‘Nishidhdha Swapna’, ‘Kichhi Smruti Kichhi Ambhuti’, ‘Andha Diganta’, ‘Vinya Samaya’.
iii.His last film “Bhija Matira Swarga’”got him the
award for the Best Director and bagging award
for five more categories including Best Film at the
30th Odisha State Film Awards,2019.
iv.Mohapatra was born on Khordha, Odisha in 1951
and studied film-making in FTII (The Film and
Television Institute of India) Pune, Maharashtra.
About Odisha:
Capital- Bhubaneshwar.
Chief Minister (CM)- Naveen Patnaik.
Governor- Ganeshi LAl.
Britain’s conservative thinker and Philosopher Roger Vernon Scruton passes away at 75
On January 13, 2020 Philosopher and Britain’s most prominent conservative thinker Roger Vernon
Scruton passed away after battling with cancer. He was 75.
Key Points:
i.He was graduated from Cambridge University and worked as a lecturer at the University of London’s Birkbeck
College.
ii.He wrote more than 50 books on morality, politics, culture and aesthetics and made regular television
appearances.
iii.He received Medal of Merit (First Class) of the Czech Republic, 1998 from the late Czech President Vaclav
Havel, in 2019 he was awarded Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, by
Hungary’s right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and also honoured with Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of
the Republic of Poland, 2019.
WWE legend Rocky Johnson, father of Dwayne Johnson, passes away at 75

On January 16,2020 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) legend Rocky Johnson, passed away at 75 in
Lutz, Florida, United States. He was the father of Hollywood actor and retired wrestler Dwayne Johnson (The
Rock).
Key Points:
i.Rocky Johnson birth name (Wayde Douglas Bowles) was born on 24 August 1944 in Amherst, Nova Scotia,
Canada.
ii.Rocky Johnson’s sports career began in the mid 1960’s and he joined the World Wrestling Federation in the
1980s.
iii.He formed a tag team with Atlas known as ‘Soul Patrol’.
iv.Rocky had retired from wrestling in 1991 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008.
About WWE:
Headquarters- United States.
Founded- January 7,1952.
CEO- Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
China’s 1st and oldest female tractor driver Liang jun dies at 90
On 14 January 2020, Liang Jun, a woman who became China’s 1st female tractor driver, and eventually, a
national icon, has passed away after a brief illness. She was 90.
i.Born in 1930 in Mingshui County, Heilongjiang Province of China, Liang enrolled in a training class for tractor
drivers in 1948 and became the only female in China to take up the job at the age of 18.
ii.Liang’s image was featured on China’s one-yuan Renminbi currency notes, which featured a smiling Liang
holding a steering wheel with her hair flowing in the wind. In October 1949, she joined the Communist Party of
China.
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iii.Her story was also printed in textbooks & is believed to have inspired other women in China to become tractor
drivers.
iv.Elected national lawmaker for 4 times, Liang retired as chief engineer of the Harbin municipal bureau of
agricultural machines in 1990.
Noted chess administrator Ummer Koya of Kerala dies at 69

On 14 January 2020, P.T. Ummer Koya, the former vice-president of world chess governing body FIDE
(International Chess Federation) from 1996 to 2006, has passed away at his residence at Panniyankara in
Kozhikode, Kerala after a protracted illness.He was 69.
i.Born on July 1, 1951 in Calicut, Kerala, Koya served as Joint Secretary and General Secretary of the All India
Chess Federation (AICF) from 1985-89 and 1989-2005 respectively for a total of 20 years. He was also the
treasurer of the Commonwealth Chess Association, England from 1994 to 2000.
ii.He has played a key role in establishing the Indian chess world by bringing major international tournaments
including the World Championship to India.
Former India all-rounder cricketer Bapu Nadkarni passed away at 86

On January 17,2020 Former Indian all-rounder Rameshchandra Gangaram Bapu Nadkarni, 86 years old, a
left-handed batsman and slow-left arm orthodox bowler passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was best
known for bowling a record of 21 consecutive maiden overs in a test match against England.
Key Points:
i.Nadkarni played 41 tests in which he scored 1414 runs and grabbed 88 wickets with 6/43 as his best bowling
figures.
ii.Bapu Nadkarni was born on 4 April 1933 in Nashik, Bombay Presidency, British India and played 191 first-
class matches and taken 500 wickets and scored 8880 runs.
iii.Nadkarni made his test-debut against New-Zealand in Delhi in 1955 and played his last test at Auckland
against New-zealand in 1968 under Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi captaincy.
iv.Nadkarni is known for his accuracy as he also had test match figures in 1960-61 series against Pakistan where
he returned with figures of 32-24-23-0 at Kanpur followed by 34-24-24-1 in Delhi.
Senior journalist and former MP Ashwini Kumar Chopra passes away at 63

On 18th January 2019, Senior Journalist and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament
(MP) Ashwini Kumar Chopra passed away at a private hospital in Gurgaon after battling with terminal cancer.
Key Points:
i.Born on 11th June 1956 in Jalandhar, he was a senior Journalist and Editor of Punjab Kesari (Hindi daily), later
he was elected as a Member of Parliament from Karnal, Haryana, in 2014 and served for the period of 2014-
2019.
ii.Before entering into Journalism, he played in the Ranji Trophy under the name Ashwini Minna for Punjab and
played 25 first-class matches between 1975-76 and 1979-80.
Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee & Odia Hindustani vocalist Sunanda Patnaik passed away at 85
On January 19,2020 Indian Classical Singer Sunanda Patnaik, 85 years old passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal
due to age-related complications. She was famously known as ‘Guruma’ in the classical music circle. She is the
daughter of renowned Odia poet Baikunthanath Patnaik and had composed many bhajans (devotional songs)
both in Odia and Hindi.
Key Points:
i.Sunanda was a trained classical singer of Gwalior gharana (Hindustani classical music). She was popularly
known for her devotional odia song ‘Jeevana Patra Mo Bhariccha Kete Mote’ which was penned by her father.
ii.Sunanda was born in Cuttack, Odisha, and started her singing career in All India Radio (AIR) at the age of 14
and completed her Masters degree in Music by Pune School in 1956.
iii.She also received a scholarship in music from the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
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iv.Achievements: Sunanda was honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1970 and 1971 and also
the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award for the year 2012 for her contribution
towards Hindustani classical music.
v.Sunanda also established the Vishnu
Vinayak Sangeet Ashram in Kolkata &
trained many Hindustani musicians.
About Kolkata:
Capital- West Bengal
Chief Minister (CM)- Mamatta Banerjee
Governor- Jagdeep Dhankhar
Former Haryana Congress Chief Shamsher Singh Surjewala passes away at 87

On January 20, 2020 the former Haryana Congress
Chief Shamsher Singh Surjewala passed away after in All
India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital, New Delhi
after suffering from a brief illness. He was 87 and hailed from
Haryana.
Key Points:
i.Shamsher Singh won from Narwana, Haryana in 1967, 1977,
1982, 1991, and 2005 (Kaithal) to be elected in Haryana
Legislative Assembly and in 1992 he was elected to the Rajya
Sabha as Member of Parliament (MP).
ii.He was the father of Congress national media in-charge and national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Former Indian cricketer Man Mohan Sood passed away at 80

On January 19,2020 Former test Cricketer and National selector Man Mohan Sood, 80 years old, passed away
in New Delhi. Sood played 1 Test and 39 first-class matches with 1 century. Born in Lahore, Punjab on 6 July
1939, he played his lone test match against Richie Benaud, Australia at Madras in 1960.
Key Points:
i.Sood played his first-class match against Services at Ferozeshah Kotla in 1957 and played his final Ranji Trophy
match against Jammu and Kashmir at Srinagar in 1964.
ii.Administrator:Sood was a popular administrator at the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA),
Delhi.
About Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA):
Founded- 1883.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Mr.Ravikanth Chopra.
Bhopal’s titular queen Saleha Sultan passed away at 80

On January 20,2020 Princess Saleha Sultan also known as Dimpu, the “titular queen of Bhopal” passed away in
Hyderabad due to brain haemorrhage at the age of 80. She was born on 14 January 1940 in Bhopal, Madhya
Pradesh.
Key Points:
i.Saleha Sultan was best known for her calm, caring and royal in her mannerisms.
ii.Saleha Sultan accomplished her research at St.George’s International School,Switzerland.
iii.She is the eldest child of Nawab Ifteqar Ali Khan Pataudi and Begum Sajida Sultan of the princely state of
Bhopal and titled ‘Begum of Bhopal’
iv.She is the sister of Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the cricket legend and the wife of Nawab Bashir Yar Jung.
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Monty Python star Terry Jones passed away at 77

On January 22,2020 Terence Graham Parry-Jones, a member of the Monty Python (Comedy group) passed at
the age of 77 in London, England due to dementia. He was a very famous actor and writer who played a variety of
characters in the iconic comedy group’s flying circus TV series, and had also directed several of their films. In
past, an asteroid, 9622 Terryjones, was named in his honour.
Key Points:
i.Terry Jones was born on February 1,1942 in Colwyn Bay, Wales, United Kingdom (UK) and studied at Oxford
University, UK, London.
ii.Jones directed the group’s film The Holy Grail in 1975 and also directed 1979 released Life of Brian and The
Meaning of Life in 1983.
Former Minister of Odisha, Jagannath Rout passes away at 77

On January 24, 2020 Senior Congress leader and former Minister of Odisha, Jagannath Rout has passed away at
a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, Odisha due to cardiac arrest. He was 77.
Key Points:
i.He has won the Dhamnagar constituency election in Bhadrak district, Odisha in 1980, 1985, 1995.
ii.He also served as the Odisha’s Minister of Industry from 1989-1990, as the Minister of Health and family
welfare from 1995-1998 and as Minister of Urban Development from 1998-1999.
Nagaland’s first MP to Rajya Sabha & Padma Shri awardee Melhupra Vero passed away at 86
On January 24, 2020, Melhupra Vero, Former Rajya Sabha MP(Member of Parliament) passed away in Dimapur,
Nagaland at the age of 86. He was the 1st person from Nagaland to become a member of the Rajya Sabha(Upper
House). Vero was a member of the Upper House of Parliament for 2 years from 1964 to 1974. Born in 1934, he
hailed from Runguzu village in Phek district, Nagaland.
Honours:
i.The Government of India awarded him the 4th highest civilian honour of Padma Shri, in 2006, for his
contributions to society.
ii.On October 1,2015, the Government of Nagaland honoured him during the International Day of Older Persons
celebrations.
Key Points:
i.He was elected to Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) from Phek constituency in 1974.
ii.In 1989 he was elected to the state assembly from Chozuba seat and became a Nagaland cabinet Minister.
iii.In 1995 he was appointed as the chairman of the Liaison Committee of Naga Hoho and also became the first
president of the Naga Hoho from 1998-2004.
Eminent artist and sculptor Sher Singh Kukkal dies at 86

On January 25, 2020, Sher Singh Kukkal, an eminent artist & sculptor, has passed away in New Delhi after a
brief illness.He was 86.
i.Kukkal, a former art teacher at Sainik School Satara in Maharashtra, has received several awards.
ii.Kukkal, a man of with a rich experience in fine arts, was a resident of Buffa district, now in Pakistan. He worked
as an independent artist, painting, making sculptures and also photography.
iii.He received a gold medal in painting from Queens College, Lucknow,Uttar Pradesh (UP) & Rajiv Gandhi
Foundation award for his photography and painting.
iv.He was also honored with Senior Fellowship in Visual Art Photography by the Union Ministry of Culture during
2008-09.
American basketball legend Kobe Bean Bryant and his daughter dies in a helicopter crash
On January 26,2020 the American basketball legend Kobe Bean Bryant has died along with his 13-years-old
daughter Gianna in a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter crash near Calabasas in Southern California. He was 41.
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Key Points:
i.Bryant is the fourth-leading scorer in National Basketball Association (NBA) history and selected to the all-star
18 times and earned a Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 2008.
ii.He was a 12-time member of the all-defensive team and retired in 2016.
iii.He was one among the several high-profile nominees for the NBA’s 2020 Hall of Fame class.
JDS leader and former Karnataka Minister Kodman Amarnath Shetty passes away at 80
On January 27, 2020 Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) leader and former Minister of Karnataka Kodman Amarnath
Shetty passed away in Mangaluru, Karnataka. He was 80.
Key Points:
i.He was the trustee of Alva’s Education Foundation and also served as the Minister of Tourism and Labour in the
government of Karnataka.
ii.He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Moodbidri constituency of Karnataka in
1983 and was re-elected again in 1987 and 1994 for the same constituency.
Assamese linguist Golok Chandra Goswami passed away at 96

On January 24,2020 Eminent linguist Golok Chandra Goswami passed away at the age of 96, in Guwahati,
Assam due to old age ailments. Golok Chandra Goswami was born in Morigaon, Assam in 1923.
Goswami pursued his master’s degree in
Assamese language in Gauhati University,
Assam. In 1985 he retired from Gauhati
University as head of the Assamese
department. In 2018, he was awarded with
Hemchandra Barua Bhasha Sahitya Sadhana
award by Sadin-Pratidin group.
Key Points:
i.Golok Chandra Goswami well-known books
are:
• ‘An Introduction to Assamese
Phonology’.
• ‘Structure of Assamese’.
• ‘Assamese-Its Formation & Development’.
• ‘Dhvani Bigyanor Bhumika’.
• ‘Asomiya Bornoprakash’.
• ‘Asomiya Akhor Jotoni’.
ii.Honours: Goswami was honoured with
• Sahityacharya title by Assam Sahitya Sabha.
• Bhashacharya title by Asom Bhasha Bikash Samiti.
• Anundoram Borooah Award by Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language, Art and Culture.
Arjuna awardee & former Indian women’s hockey team captain Sunita Chandra passed away at 76
On January 27,2020 Sunita Chandra 76 years old, passed away in her hometown Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. She
was an Arjuna awardee.
Key Points:
i.She had played for the Indian women’s hockey team from 1956 to 1966.
ii.She had served as the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team from 1963 to 1966.
Veteran film producer Vinay Sinha passed away at 74

On January 24,2020 Vinay Kumar Sinha, veteran film producer passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra at the age
of 74. He was a producer of famous film ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ featuring Aamir Khan and Salman Khan in lead roles
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which released in 1994. Born in 1946, he also served as the Vice President (VP) of Indian Motion Picture
Producers’ Association (IMPPA).
Key Points:
i.Film produced: Sinha also produced popular Hindi films such as ‘Rafoo Chakkar’, ‘Naseeb’, ’Chor police’,
’Ameer Aadmi Gharib Aadmi’ and also few TV (television) shows.
ii.In November 2019, ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ clocked 25 years of celebration bringing Salman and Aamir for the first
and only time on screen together.
Netherland’s football player Robbie Rensenbrink passes away at 72

On January 26,2020 Pieter Robert Rensenbrink, a dutch football player passed away at the age of 72 in
Brussels, Belgium, as he was suffering from muscular atrophy for a number of years. He was born on 3rd July
1947 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Achievements:
i.In his club career, he became famous at Royal Sporting Club (R.S.C) Anderlecht, Belgium where he won the
league title in 1972 and 1974 as well as four Belgian cups in 1972, 1973, 1975 and 1976.
ii.Rensenbrink also played in the teams which won European Cup Winners Cup in 1974 and 1978.
Key Points:
i.He was a member of the Dutch national football team that lost two World Cup finals in 1974 with West
Germany and 1978 decider against Argentina.
ii.He was nicknamed as “Snake Man.”
Ex Bihar minister and RJD MLA Abdul Ghafoor passed away at 60

On January 28, 2020, Abdul Ghafoor, former Bihar minister & RJD party (Rashtriya Janata Dal) MLA (Member of
the Legislative Assembly), passed away at the age of 60 in New Delhi due to liver ailment. He was born on 5th
May 1959 in Saharsa district, Bihar.
Key Points:
i.Gafoor represented Mahishi constituency in Bihar assembly for 4 times (1995,2000,2010 and in 2015).
ii.He was the former Minister of Minority Welfare in Nitish Kumar Government of Bihar.
iii.Ghafoor also served as the chairman of Bihar State haj committee between 2003 & 2006.
Veteran south actress Jameela Malik passed away at 73

On January 28,2020 Veteran actress Jameela Malik, passed away at the age of 73 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
due to age-related ailments.
Jameela Malik was the first Kerala woman who graduated from the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII),
Pune, Maharashtra. She was born in Kollam, Kerala.
Key Points:
i.She acted as a leading roles in Tamil ,Malayalam,Telugu movies & television (TV) serials.
ii.Her first movie was ‘Aadhyathe katha’ directed by KS Sethumadhavan.
iii.She was also noticed in films such as Ragging (1973) directed by NN Pisharody, Rajahamsam(1974),
Lahari(1982), Pandavapuram (1986).
Padma Shri awardee and Indian Social Worker Tushar Kanjilal passed away at 85
On January 29,2020 Famous social worker,
environmentalist, educationist & writer Tushar
Kanjilal, 85 years old, passed away in Kolkata, West
Bengal. He was born on March 1, 1935 at Noakhali,
Bangladesh and was attracted to Marxist ideologies &
quit politics in 1967.
Awards:
i.The Government of India awarded Tushar Kanjilal the
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4th highest civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1986.

ii.He also received Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 2008.
Key Points:
i.Tushar Kanjilal worked as the headmaster of the local high school and also known as ‘Mastermoshai’ (a
teacher).
ii.He was an environmental activist & worked for the preservation of the Mangrove forests in the Sunderbans,
West Bengal.
iii.He also wrote a book ‘Who killed the Sunderbans?”— that deals with the issue of the destruction of
Mangrove forests.
Former Kerala Minister M. Kamalam passed away at 93

On January 30,2020 Former Kerala Minister & Senior Congress leader M.kamalam passed away at the age of 93
in Kozhikode, Kerala due to age-related ailments. She was born on August 14,1926.
Key Points:
i.Kamalam was elected to the state assembly twice from Kalpetta, Kerala in 1980 &1982 and also served as
Cooperation Minister in the K Karunakaran cabinet from 1982-1987.
ii.She served as a KPCC (Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee) Vice-President, KPCC (Kerala Pradesh Congress
Committee) General Secretary & AICC (All India Congress Committee) member and also Chairperson of the
Kerala state Women’s Commission.
iii.She started her political career as the Councillor in Kozhikode Corporation.
Noted Urdu poet Ajmal Sultanpuri passed away at 97

On January 30, 2020 Ajmal Sultanpuri, urdu poet passed away at the age of 97 in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP)
due to age related illness.
He was born in 1923 in Harakhpur in Sultanpur district, UP.
Key Points:
i.Award: Ajmal Sultanpuri was awarded the “LifeTime Achievement Award” by Uttar Pradesh (UP) Urdu
Academy in March 2016 for his contribution to Urdu poetry.
ii.The two popular poems of Ajmal Sultanpuri are “Kahan Hai Mera Hindustan” and “Agar Main Tera Shahjahan”.
Former India basketball captain Matthew Satya Babu passes away 79

On January 30,2020 P Matthew Satya Babu, a former Indian basketball captain passed away at the age of 79 in
Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
Key Points:
i.Matthew Satya Babu had represented India in the Asian Basketball Championship in Seoul, South Korea in 1967,
Bangkok, Thailand in 1969 and Manila, Philippines in 1970.
ii.Babu led the country in the 6th Asian Games in Bangkok in 1970 & also qualified as NIS (National Institute of
Sports) basketball coach & ‘B’ panel Basketball Federation of India referee.
iii.Babu had represented National Championships for Andhra Pradesh (AP) from 1962 to 1964 & Indian
Railways (IR) from 1965 to 1975 and represented 2 teams in volleyball also.
iv.He was the coach for Indian Railways (IR) (men & women) teams in the national championships and was also
the head coach Tamil Nadu(TN) state team.
Assamese litterateur Sashi Sarma passed away at 89

On January 29, 2020 Famous Assamese litterateur Sashi Sarma, 89 years old passed away at his home Nalbari,
Assam due to age-related ailments.
Awards: Sarma had received Soviet Nehru Award in 1968 & the Sitanath Brahma Chowdhury Award from Assam
Sahitya Sabha.
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Key Points:
i.Sarma was an academic, intellectual and an example of Hindu-Muslim unity in Assam and authored nearly 100
books. He was a retired professor of Nalbari college, Assam and his last book ‘Antim Jatra’ was released in 2019.
BOOKS & AUTHORS

Malayali novelist A Sethumadhavan’s first English novel, ‘The Cuckoo’s Nest’ published
Malayali novelist A Sethumadhavan’s ‘The Cuckoo’s Nest’ is his first novel in English and was published
by Niyogi Books. In this book, the author attempts to fight against the division in society through the character
of the eternal optimist, Madam Agatha, a former nun and also other Indian girl-child raised in an orthodox
community. The story progresses to show how these ‘birds’ take flight and become self-reliant.
About A Sethumadhavan:
i.A Sethumadhvan who was popularly known as Sethu was born on June 5, 1942 in Chendamangalam village in
Kerala.
ii.Velutha koodarangal, Thaliyola, Kiratham, Niyogam, Sethuvinte Kathakal and Kaimudrakal are some of his
literary works.
iii.He bagged many awards including the Vayalar award, Odakkuzhal award, and Kerala Sahitya Akademi award.
iv.He worked in Central government departments in North India, Indian Meteorological, in-state bank group and
also in Corporation Bank and South Indian Bank.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah released a book ‘Karmayoddha Granth’ on the life of PM Modi
On January 7, 2020, at New Delhi Union Home Minister Amit Shah released the book ‘Karmayoddha Granth’ on
the life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The book states that the politics of appeasement, casteism, and
dynasty, the three curses of Indian Politics, were removed by the PM Modi after 2014.
Key Points:
i.Considered as the epitome of selfless service to the nation, Modi laid the foundation of New India based on
‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, from Gujarat and brought the concept of good governance.
ii.India has become a global power by taking strong decisions including removal of Article 370, 35A in Jammu
and Kashmir, bringing Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), criminalizing triple talaq, conducting surgical strikes
and Balakot airstrikes which nobody dared in last 70 years.
New India: Selected Writings 2014-19 of Arun Jaitely, Foreword by PM Modi to be released in Feb
On January 13,2020 Juggernaut Books publishing house New Delhi, India has announced a new book of
compilation of selected writings by former finance minister Arun Jaitley, namely “New India:Selected Writings
2014-19” which offers readers with the late’s politicians sharp insight on topics including GST (Goods and
Services Tax),demonetisation and
Kashmir.
Key Points:
i.The book is an authoritative account of
the policies and decisions made by the
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
government during his first period (2014-
19). It will hit the stands in February.
ii.As a former finance minister he rolled
out the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in
2017 the biggest tax reforms after
Independence.
iii.Chiki Sarkar publisher and founder of Juggernaut Books mentioned that this is the definite book from him
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about BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) era and policies.

iv.Jaitley was PM (Prime Minister) Modi and BJP chief trouble-shooter he helmed the finance,defence,corporate
affairs and information and broadcasting ministries.
v.The writings by Jaitley dwell upon his take on political trends in the country, such as the end of dynastic
policies, the fissures among regional powers and the crisis in the Congress party.
vi.Jaitley passed away at the age of 66 on 24 August 2019,New Delhi.
Union External Affairs Minister recently launched a book titled ‘PAX SINICA: Implications for the Indian
Dawn’
On January 6,2020 Union External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar launched a book
on China titled ‘PAX SINICA:Implications for the Indian Dawn’ authored by Samir Saran and Akhil Deo and
published by Rupa Publications India.
Key Points:
i.PAX SINICA presents a comprehensive view of how President Xi Jinping’s, China will implicate the world order
in the 21st century.
ii.Samir Saran: Author Samir Saran is the President of Observer Research Foundation (ORF),one of Asia’s most
influential think tanks and also commissioner of The Global Commission on the stability of Cyberspace, member
of the World’s Economic Forum’s South Asia advisory board and Global Future Council on Geopolitics.
iii.Akhil Deo: Akhil deo is the junior researcher of ORF whose research includes India’s Foreign Policy and the
impact of emerging technologies on society.
About China:
Capital- Beijing.
Currency- Renminbi.
Motto- “Serve the People”.
Indian embassy in Nepal celebrates Vishwa Hindi Diwas ; launches Nepali translation of Swami
Vivekananda’s ‘Karma Yoga’
In order to mark the event of Vishwa Hindi Diwas on January 10, 2020, the Indian Embassy in
Kathmandu, Nepal has launched 4 books including Nepali translation of Swami Vivekananda’s ‘Karma Yoga‘
(Publisher -Advaita Ashrama).
Key Points:
i.The other 3 books launched by Indian embassay include
(i) the Nepali translated book consisting of 5 popular stories penned by Indian writer Premchand
(ii) Hindi translations of ‘Ashwathama’ penned by Nepalese poet Madhav Prasad Ghimire (Publisher- Royal
Nepal Academy) and
(iii) ‘Utkrishta Kahaniyan’, a book published by Unicorn Books comprising 25 new age Nepali stories written by
young Nepali story writers.
ii.Further a special issue of the research journal ‘Sahityalok’ of Central Hindi Department of Tribhuvan University
was also launched during the event.
iii.Inagurated by Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian embassy in Nepal, Ajay Kumar , the event was attended by
Nepal’s Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Hridayesh Tripathi as Chief Guest & over 200
people including writers, journalists, Hindi and Nepali scholars, academicians, and students.
Book ‘Essays and Reminiscences: A Festschrift in Honour of Nani A Palkhivala’ released on noted jurist
and economist Nani A Palkhivala
On January 16, 2020 the book ‘Essays & Reminiscences: A Festschrift in Honour of Nani A Palkhivala‘ was
released to mark the birth centenary anniversary of Indian Jurist and Economist Nanaboy “Nani” Ardeshir
Palkhivala. The book is published by LexisNexis publications.
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Key Points:
i.The book was commissioned by the Nani A Palkhivala Memorial Trust and edited by the senior advocate Arvind
Datar.
ii.The book primarily divided into two parts essays written in honour of Palkhivala on a variety of subjects and
reminiscences of those who knew and interacted with the late jurist.
iii.Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram G Rajan, Industrialist Ratan N Tata, Jurists Fali S
Nariman, Soli J Sorabjee and K Parasaran and Justice (retired) S Ranganathan are some of the important
contributors of the book.
Former Indian Cricketer WV Raman’s book ‘The Winning Sixer’, released by Anil Kumble in Bengaluru,
Karnataka
On January 17,2020 Woorkeri Venkat
Raman (WV Raman), former Indian cricket
team opener has authored a
book ‘The Winning Sixer: Leadership
Lessons To Master’, which was released
formally by Anil Radhakrishna Kumble during
an event in Bengaluru, Karnataka. WV Raman
is the current head coach of the national
women’s cricket team. The book was
published by Rupa Publications, India.
Key Points:
i.The book deals with all the attributes required for a leader that exists in each one of us.
ii.Anil Radhakrishna Kumble a former India Captain, P.Madhavan, Executive Vice-President, TVS Tyres and Rahul
Dravid (former Indian Cricketer) were also present at the book launch event.
Hariharan Balagopal’s Book ‘The Gateway’: A Social Commentary on Safety of Senior Citizens released
Hariharan Balagopal authored book “The Gateway: A Social Commentary on Safety of Senior Citizens” was
released by Justice Konakuppakatil
Gopinathan Balakrishnan, former Chief Justice
of India (CJI), at the 14th Security Leadership
Summit held in New Delhi. The book was
published by Ailum publications. It stresses
about the lack of safety faced by senior
citizens.
Key Points:
i.About Book: The book discusses about the
problem faced by senior citizens and conveys
safety measures to avoid the problem by
themselves without taking help from their kith and kin.
ii.About author: Hariharan Balagopal is a specialist in Media Management & Education and also as a consultant
for many educational initiatives.
iii.The book will soon be made into a film for greater impact and will be produced by Arun Govil.
iv.The book forms the reference point from the ‘NCRB report in 2016 (National Crime Records Bureau) about the
difficult situations, day-to-day existence, petty robberies, murders against aged and elderly senior citizens.
About Delhi:
Chief Minister(CM)- Arvind Kejriwal.
Governor- Anil Baijal.
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Ashwani Kumar’s latest book, Human Dignity – A purpose in perpetuity, launched by Manmohan Singh
On January 19, 2020, Former Union Minister of Law and Justice, Ashwani Kumar authored the book title “Human
Dignity – A purpose in perpetuity”, which was
released by Former Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh during a book launch event at the India
International Centre in New Delhi. The book was
published by US(United States) based publisher
LexisNexis.
Key Points:
i.The books portrays the author’s view on issues
related to freedom, dignity and justice faced in
society.
ii.Former Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari also took part on this occasion.
Book titled “The Story of Yoga: From India to the Contemporary World” by Alistair released
Book titled “The Story of Yoga: From India to the Contemporary World” which has been written by Scottish
cultural historian Alistair Shearer will be released at the
end of January, 2020 by publisher Penguin Random House.
About the Book:The book discusses about the practice of
yoga since ancient time in India till now.
Key Points:
i.The book is divided into 2 parts,”Today” and “Yesterday”,
with 9 chapters, including “The Age of invasions”, “Female
fitness” and “Yoga Goes West”.
ii.According to the book, in the US (United States) alone, the
practice of yoga has reached ‘4 million’ in 2001 and ‘37
million’ in 2016.
iii.According to the surveys conducted by the yoga journal,
another 80 million people are interested in doing yoga practice.
iv.It has been endorsed by the likes of Philip Goldberg, author of “American Veda and the life of Yogananda’, John
Zubrzycki, author of Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic” and author-politician Shashi Tharoor.
Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi’s new novel ‘Balwa’ to be released
The Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will soon release his Hindi novel Balwa, a
fiction story based on the happenings in India in the 1990s. It will be published by Diamond Pocket Books.
Key Points:
i.The book revolve the concepts of society misleding by religious, political and administrative machinery.
ii.Also, Naqvi has written a Hindi novel ‘Raj Lila’, which based on the story of tribal woman’s struggles & Cyber
Supari will also be released soon.
26 new Indian English words featured in 10th Oxford dictionary;Aadhaar, hartal among them
On January 24, 2020 the 10th edition of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary was launched. In this latest
edition 26 new Indian languages words namely Aadhaar, Chawl, dabba, hartal, shaadi were included. Several
incorporate words like chatbot, fake news, microplastic & over 1000 new words were included. Out of the 26
Indian language words, 22 are figured in printed dictionary while the remaining 4 words (looter, current, looting
and upazila) are in the digital version
Key Points:
i.The new edition having a total of 384 Indian English words, has online support namely the new iSpeaker and
iWriter features through Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries website and an app.
ii.Some of the Indian words in the dictionary include auntie (while aunty already figures in the English
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dictionary, auntie is an Indianism), bus stand, deemed university, FIR (First Information Report), non-veg,
redressal, tempo, tube light, veg and videograph.
iii.The dictionary was originally published in Japan in 1942 and was 1st brought out by Oxford University
Press(OUP) in 1948.
‘Relentless’ autobiography by Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha released by Pranab Mukherjee
Former president of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee released the autobiography of former Finance Minister
Shri Yashwant Sinha titled “Relentless” at the India International Centre in New Delhi. The book describes
Sinha’s journey from a normal life to a high political powered life. The book
is published by Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt ltd.
Key Points:
i.Sinha served as the Union Minister of Finance (MoF) from 1990-1991 during the then Prime Minister Shri
Chandra Shekhar govt’s rule. He also served as finance minister from March 1998 to July 2002 under the then
Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
ii.Sinha was highly thought to have become the 1st reformist finance minister in the country but was deprived
from presenting the union budget that could have changed the economic crisis of the country by that time.
iii.Members present: Shatrughan Sinha, Actor and politician; Sanjay Singh, Member of Parliament(MP) of Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP); Former National Minorities Commission chairman Wajahat Habibullah and other officials
were present in the event.
“Calcutta Nights” translation of ‘Raater Kolkata’ done by Rajat Chaudhuri

On January 29,2020 Rajat Chaudhuri, translated the book “Calcutta nights” (originally ‘Raater Kolkata’) into
English and was published by Niyogi Books. The book was first written in Bengali by Hemendra Kumar Roy,
famous Bengali writer and was published in 1923.
Key Points:
i.Calcutta nights is the real life story of the enigmatic ‘Meghnad Gupta’,pen name of the famous Bengali writer
Hemendra kumar Roy.
ii.The book reveals the darkest secrets of Kolkata to the readers.
iii.The book discusses about past Calcutta, the capital of British India attracted many people from different parts
of the country besides europeans & other foreigners.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Health Organisation designated 2020 as International Year of the Nurse and Midwife
The executive board of the World Health Organisation(WHO) has designated 2020 as International Year of
Nurse and Midwife in honour of 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale. The WHO will also launch
first-ever State of the World’s Nursing report in 2020 prior to the 73rd session of the World Health Assembly.
2020 as International Year of the Nurse and Midwife:
i.State of the World’s Nursing report: The report will describe the nursing workforce in the member states of
the WHO and will provide assessment of “fitness for purpose” relative to 13th General Programme of Work
(GPW13) targets.
ii.The State of the World’s Midwifery 2020 report: WHO is also partner of the The State of the World’s
Midwifery 2020 report. The report will also be launched along with the nursing report.
iii.The NursingNow! Campaign: WHO has collaborated with 3 year Nursing Now!’ Campaign (2018–2020). The
aim of the campaign is to improve global health by improving the status of nursing and help in achieving
Universal Health Coverage(UHC).
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iv.statistics: According to WHO globally, 9 million more nurses and midwives are needed to achieve universal
health coverage by 2030. There also remains estimated shortage of health workers, particularly nurses and
midwives, exceeding 50%.
v.SGG benefits: Strengthening nurses will additionally benefit Sustainable Development Goal 5(SDG5) which
aims to promote gender equality and also bemefit SDG 8 which aims to promote economic development.
vi.Florence Nightingale: Florence Nightingale was a british social reformer and statistician and is regarded as
the founder of modern nursing. She was born in 12 May 1820 in Italy. In recognition of her pioneering work in
nursing, the Nightingale Pledge taken by new nurses, and the Florence Nightingale Medal, the highest
international distinction for a nurse, were named in her honour, and the annual International Nurses Day on May
12 is celebrated on her birthday.
About World Health Organisation (WHO):
World Braille Day 2020 is observed on January 4

World Braille Day is being observed on January 4 every year across the world to mark the remembrance
of Louis Braille who invented Braille script which helps the visually disable persons to read as well as to write.
The day is celebrated by the United Nations (UN) and other organizations.
Keypoints:
i.Aim: The aim is to spread awareness among society about the plight and cause of people with visual abilities.
ii.Louis Braille was born on 4th January 1809 in the town of Coupvray in Northern France. iii.He lost his eyes
just at the age of 3. This led to the invention of language with 6 dots- Braille script.
iv.UN Observed First Official World Braille Day on 4th January 2019 through United Nations General Assembly’s
(UNGA) proclamation in November 2018.
v.Many organizations like banks, hospitals, and restaurants fail to print their material in Braille script which
creates difficulties for visually impaired persons and hence to spread awareness among people.
CISF observes 2020 as the ‘Year of Mobility’

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will observe 2020 as the ‘Year of Mobility’. It aims for the
creation of more residential units and the implementation of various welfare measures for the troops.
Key Point:
i.It will focus on sports and physical fitness leveraging modern gadgetry and constructing infrastructure to their
families.
About CISF:
i.CISF is a Central Armed Police Force in India and established on March 10,1969.
ii.It is under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
iii.It is a unique organisation in paramilitary forces for India, which works for seaways, airways and plays an
important role in disaster management.
iv.Rajesh Ranjan is the present Director-General of CISF.
16th NRI Day (Pravasi Bharatiya Divas) is observed on January 9,2020

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated every year on January 9. This year its 16th edition was celebrated.
It is also called NRI (Non-Resident Indian) day. The date was chosen because on January 9, 1915, Mahatma
Gandhi,the greatest Pravasi came to India from South Africa and led India’s freedom struggle.
Key Points:
i.AIM:The purpose of the day is to recognize the overseas Indian who have contributed to the development of
India and to promote unity of people overseas with government of India.
ii.On this occasion Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) are conferred by the President of India to NRIs or
PIOs(Person of India Origin) or an organization established by PIOs or NRIs for outstanding contributions in
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supporting,promoting and building India’s links overseas.

iii.Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was celebrated for the first time in 2003 and is observed by Ministry of External
Affairs.
iv.In 2019 it was celebrated in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh and 2018 in Singapore.
World Hindi day celebrated on January 10, 2020

On January 10, 2020, World Hindi Day (WHD) is celebrated across the world with the aim to promote the use
of Hindi language abroad.
Key Points:
i.To mark the occasion, Indian Embassies located in other countries & Various government and non-government
institutions organized special programs.
ii.The 1st World Hindi Conference was organized on 10 January 1975 in Nagpur,Maharashtra by then Prime
Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi. It was attended by 122 delegates from 30 countries.The day was 1st celebrated in
2006. Since then every year 10th January is being observed as the WHD.
iii.In the year 2017, The most famous English dictionary ‘Oxford’ also includes many Hindi words Bada Din’, (big
day) ‘Acha’, (Good) ‘Bacha’ (Child) and ‘Surya Namaskar’ ‘good’, ‘big day’, ‘baby’, ‘Surya Namaskar’.
iv.While, ‘National Hindi Day’/ Hindi Divas is being celebrated on September 14 every year to promote Hindi
across India. On 14 September 1949, the constituent assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the
Official Language of the Union.
National Youth Day is observed on January 12, 2020; PM marks 157th birth anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda at Belur Math
The National Youth Day is observed on January 12 every year to mark the birth anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda. National Youth is also famously known as Yuva Diwas. The Theme of National Youth Day 2020
is “Channelizing Youth Power for Nation Building”.
PM Modi Visits Belur Math:
On January 13, 2020 PM Modi visited Belur Math, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission in Howrah district
of West Bengal to mark the 157th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
About National Youth Day:
i.The main objective of Yuva Diwas is to promote the philosophy and ideals of Swami Vivekananda among the
youths.
ii.The government of India in the year 1984 declared Swami Vivekananda birthday as National Youth Day.
iii.National Youth Day is celebrated by performing the parade, speech on Swami Vivekananda, recitations, songs,
conventions, essay-writing competition, seminars in various schools and colleges across the country.
About West Bengal:
Chief Minister- Mamata Banerjee
Governor- Jagdeep Dhankhar
State Animal- Fishing Cat
State Bird- White-throated Kingfisher
State Tree- Alstonia scholaris
State Flower- Night-flowering jasmine
Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated 31st Road Safety Campaign in Nagpur, Maharashtra
On January 11,2020 Transport department in Maharashtra observed 31st Road Safety Week from 11th-17th
Jan 2020. Union transport Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari inaugurated 31st Road Safety Campaign organised by
Regional Transport Office, Traffic Police and District Road Safety Committee in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Key Points:
i.To ensure transparency and accuracy on the use of e-governance in license issuance process and also test for
license will be carried through computers in Pune and Mumbai centres.
ii.Union Minister also said that there is a proposal to establish 2,000 centres for issuing the vehicle fitness and
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PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate to vehicles.

iii.He also mentioned about the recent provisions of the Amended Motor Vehicle Act, in which financial
assistance will be provided to the social organizations which are involved in spreading the awareness about road
safety.
iv.The Minister also chaired District Road Safety Committee meeting after the inauguration, and also instructed
NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) and traffic police department to avoid road accident in Nagpur
district.
Static:
Minister of Road,Transport and Highways & Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises- Shri Nitin
Jairam Gadkari.
Constituency- Nagpur.
Fourth Armed Forces Veterans’ Day is observed on Jan 14,2020

Armed Forces Veteran’s Day is observed every year on 14th January as a mark of respect and recognition of the
services rendered by Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa OBE (Order of the British Empire),the first
Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces who retired on 14 Jan 1953. Observing since 2017, the
year 2020 marked day’s fourth edition.
Key Points:
i.4th Armed Veteran day commenced with the homage ceremony at the National War Memorial, New Delhi
where wreaths were laid by CISC (Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee)
serving three star officers as well as Veteran Officers and JCOs (Junior Commissioned Officer) from all three
services.
ii.Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff was the Chief-Guest of the Veteran’s day function which was
held at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi.
iii.The Chief of Army Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane and Air force Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh
Bhadauria also attended the event along with approximately around 2000 veterans.
iv.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presided over the event at Jaipur while Minister of State (MoS) for Defence
Shripad Yesso Naik at Mumbai.
v.Armed Veterans Day is also being celebrated at seven other Command Headquarters of Army, Navy and IAF
(Indian Armed Forces).
72nd Army Day 2020 observed on January 15

On January 15,2020 India celebrated its 72nd Army Day in New Delhi. Every year Army Day is observed on
January 15 in India to honour soldiers who sacrifice their lives for the country. The date marks the day on which
First Indian General Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa took charge as the first commander-in-chief
of the Indian Army in 1949 from General Francis Butcher, the last British Chief.
Captain Tania Shergill from Punjab,became the first woman parade adjutant in the history of the Indian Army
who led all the men-contingents during the 2020 Army Day parade in New Delhi, India. She will also be the first
woman parade adjutant for the Republic Day parade, 2020.
Key Points:
i.The Army Day parade was held at Cariappa Parade Ground in New Delhi. Army Chief General Manoj Mukund
Naravane,Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh and Chief of
Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat were present on this occasion.
ii.The Cariappa Parade ground, the largest one in Delhi, is named after the first Field Marshal Kodandera
Madappa Cariappa of India as a tribute.
iii.Army Chief distributed gallantry awards to soldiers and unit citations to different battalions for their
performance during operations and Param Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra awardees will also attend the Army Day
parade every year.
iv.The parade also includes a combat display and military hardware display.
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15th raising day of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) observed on 19 Jan 2020
On January 19, 2020, 15th Raising day of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was celebrated in New
Delhi. The Union Minister of State (MoS) for home affairs Shri Nityanand Rai was the chief guest on this occasion
while Shri G.V.V. Sarma, Member Secretary, NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) was the Guest of
Honour. NDRF came into force on Jan 19, 2006.
Key Points:
i.2024 target set by NDRF: More than 4000 volunteers have alredat been trained, now NDRF is planning to give
training for more than 70000 volunteers by 2024 at the local levels in different parts of the country.
ii.Service medal awarded:MoS for Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai presented the medals to the awardees of
Distinguished Service Medals and trophies to the winner of school safety and best battalion sports competition.
iii.Booklet released: A booklet on SOPs (Standard Operating Procedure) was also released on the occasion.
iv.A workshop was also conducted on ‘Urban flooding & challenges’ and ‘Biological Emergencies & New
Technology in Disaster Management’.
v.Participants:The program was attended by the Heads of premier disaster management Institutes, senior
officers of Central Police Forces and officials from various central agencies.
vi.Achievements by NDRF: NDRF has saved more than 1 lakh lives in its 3100 operations and
rescued/evacuated over 6.7 lakh people during disasters since 2006.
National Immunization Day observed on January 19, 2020

National Immunization Day (NID) also known as ‘Polio Ravivar’ was observed on January 19, 2020. The Pulse
Polio Programme 2020 was conducted as a part of National Immunization Day across the country. The
programme aims to protect children less than five years from Polio disease and to eliminate Poliomyelitis in
India.
Key Points:
i.This year nearly 17.4 crore children across the country were administered under the programme. Puducherry
chief minister Narayanasamy also launched the Intensified Pulse Polio Immunization (IPPI) in Puducherry.
ii.In India, Pulse Polio Immunization Programme was launched in 1995.
iii.As per the reports the last cases of wild polio in India were in West Bengal and Gujarat on January 13, 2011.
iv.On March 27, 2014 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared India a polio free country.
About WHO:
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland
Director-General- Tedros Adhanom
National Girl Child Day 2020 observed on January 24 in Madhya Pradesh

On January 24, 2020, National Girl Child Day was celebrated in Madhya Pradesh (MP), Bhopal under the
theme “Aware Girl child-able Madhya Pradesh” (Jagruk Balika-Samrath Madhya Pradesh) under the “Beti
Bachao- Beti Padhao” scheme. National Girl Child Day was started by the Ministry of Women and Child
Development and the Government of India in 2008.
Key Points:
i.Aim: To create awareness in the society about right of daughters and to provide new opportunities to the
daughters for their social and financial development.
ii.On this day health of the girls is examined and local level gender champions will also be selected.
National Girl Child Week: Women and Child Development Department of MP also observes “National Girl Child
Week” from January 24 to 30.
Programmes of the week: ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ signature campaign, plantation & name plate drive in the
name of the daughters, awareness campaign on women’s rights & mass oaths for girl child protection will be
conducted.
About Madhya Pradesh (MP):Capital- Bhopal. Chief Minister (CM)- Kamal Nath.
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2nd edition of International Day of Education observed on 24 January 2020

On 24 January 2020, the 2nd edition of International Day of Education observed with the aim to celebrate the
role of education for peace and development. The theme for the year 2020 is ‘Learning for people, planet,
prosperity, and peace’. The day was organized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization) in partnership with the CRI (Centre for Research and Interdisciplinarity), Paris, France.
Key Points:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) designated 24 January as the International Day of Education on 3
December 2018.
ii.As per the UN, more than 258 million children and youth still do not attend school & about 617 million children
cannot read and do basic math and over 40% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school.
10th National Voters’ Day is observed on January 25, 2020

On January 25,2020 10th National Voters’ Day (NVD) was celebrated across the country over 10 lakh locations
(including Polling Stations, District and State headquarters).
President Ram Nath Kovind was the Chief Guest of the National Voters Day organized by Election Commission of
India (ECI) at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. NVD 2020 theme was ”Electoral Literacy for Stronger
Democracy” to focus on voter education & renewal of citizens’ faith in the electoral process.
The National Voters’ Day was being celebrated since 2011 to mark the Foundation Day of the ECI which was
established on 25th January 1950 and completes 70 years of its journey.
Key Points:
i.Aim: The main purpose of the celebration to encourage, facilitate and maximize enrollment especially new
voters.
ii.”Belief in the Ballot-II” an anthology of 101 human stories about Indian elections developed by ECI in
collaboration with Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and book “The Centenarian
Voters: Sentinels of our Democracy” were launched by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and were
presented to Hon’ble President Kovind.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed on Jan 27,2020

On January 27,2020 United Nations (UN) Department of Global Communications (DGC), New York,
observed International Holocaust Day all over the world commemorating the tragedy of the Holocaust (in
which 1.1 million people were murdered) during World War II.
2020 marks 75th year liberation of Auschwitz, the ending of the second world war & ending of the holocaust
(1941-1945).
Theme: “75 years after Auschwitz- Holocaust Education & Rememberance for Global Justice”
The theme seeks to ensure respect for the dignity and human rights of all people everywhere.
Key Points:
i.The Soviet troops (Red Army) released the Nazi concentarion camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland on January
27, 1945.
ii.27th January was designated as International Holocaust Remembrance day by the United Nation General
Assembly resolution 60/7 on 2005. Holocaust or ‘the Shoah’ was a genocide attack on the six million Jewish
men, women, and children and millions of others by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II
which led to the state-sponsored killing.
International Customs Day observed on January 26, 2020

International Customs Day (ICD) is celebrated on January 26 every year. The theme of International Customs
Day 2020, “Customs fostering Sustainability for People, Prosperity and the Planet”.
Key Points:
i.The day celebrated to encourage and recognize the role of Customs officers in maintaining border security and
also focuses on the challenges that custom officers face in their jobs.
ii.ICD was celebrated to mark the anniversary of the formation of the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC).
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iii.ICD was created by World Customs Organization (WCO) in 1953 during the CCC which was held in Brussels,
Belgium. At present 183 countries are members of WCO including India.
iv.On this day various conferences, workshops and other events will be held in various places.
About WCO:
Headquarters- Brussels, Belgium
Secretary General– Dr. Kunio Mikuriya
Highlights of India’s 71st Republic Day

On January 26, 2020, India celebrated its 71st Republic Day. The day honours the date on which the Constitution
of India came into effect i.e. on 26 January 1950. The highlights of the republic day functions are as follows:
71st Republic Day Celebrations:
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attended as a chief guest:
The President of Brazil Jair Messias Bolsonaro was the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations and
attended the Parade ceremony at Rajpath in New Delhi along with Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,
President Ram Nath Kovind along with other leaders. It is the 1st visit of Bolsonaro after assuming his office in
January 1, 2019.
Key Points:
i.This is also the 3rd time a Brazilian president attended as a chief guest of the republic day. The last time a
Brazilian President attended the ceremony was Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (former Brazilian president) in 2004.
ii.Shri Modi and the Brazilian president signed 15 agreements in areas of oil and gas etc.
2019 chief guest: In the year 2019, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the chief guest of the 70th
Republic Day event.
16 States and UTs along with 6 central ministries participated:
A total of 16 states and Union Territories(UTs) and 6 central ministers participated in the Republic Day Parade at
Rajpath in New Delhi. Jammu & Kashmir participated in the parade for the 1st time as a union territory.
Tableaux showcased:
i.Some of the important tableaux(illustrations) during the parade were Start-up India, Jal Jeevan Mission,
Financial Inclusion, 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Walled City of Jaipur in Rajasthan and Gujarat’s
iconic stepwell in Patan, both UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) world
heritage
Captain Tania Shergill led Corps of Signals Contingent:
4th generation army officer Captain Tania Shergill (26 years) who became the 1st woman officer as Parade
Adjutant on Army Day Parade (15 January, 2020), led the corps of signals under the motto ‘Teevra Chaukas’
(swift and alert). The parade commander was Lieutenant General Asit Mistry.
Key Points:
i.16 marching contingents from the Armed Forces, Paramilitary Forces, Delhi Police, National Cadet Corps (NCC),
National Service Scheme (NSS) and also 13 Military bands showcased performance in the republic day
celebrations.
Dhanush gun system Army Air Defence marching contingent took part for 1st time:
The artillery gun system Dhanush, short-span bridge system and a marching contingent of the Army Air Defence
took part for the 1st time in the Republic Day parade.
Key points:
i.Newly-inducted helicopters Apache and Chinook were also showcased by India for the first time.
ii.Apart from the Dhanush gun system, K9-Vajra, the anti-satellite (A-SAT) test conducted under Mission Shakti,
and Air Defence Tactical Control Radar (ADTCR) of the DRDO (Defence Research Development Organisation)
were also part of the parade.
ASAT from Mission Shakti, ADTCR to be on display during Republic Day parade:
The Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missile from Mission Shakti and Air Defence Tactical Control Radar (ADTCR) of the
DRDO(Defence Research Development Organisation)was displayed for the 1st time during the republic day
ceremony.
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Key Points:
i.In March 2019,India successfully tested an anti-satellite missile by shooting down its own decommissioned
satellite on a ‘Low Earth Orbit’ at a height of 300-km from the Earth’s surface.
ii.The satellite was destroyed in a “hit to kill” mode. This technology was used for the 1st time in India.
iii.ADTCR: It is used for volumetric surveillance, detection, tracking and friend/foe identification of aerial targets
and is capable of detecting very small and low flying targets.
PM Modi paid homage to fallen soldiers at newly-built National War Memorial for first time:
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi paid homage to the fallen soldiers at the newly-built National War
Memorial here on the Republic Day for the 1st time instead of the Amar Jawan Jyoti beneath the India Gate arch
in New Delhi. The national war memorial in the India Gate complex behind the canopy was inaugurated by Shri
Modi on February 25 2019.
Key Points:
Amar Jawan Jyoti: It was built in 1971 to commemorate the soldiers martyred in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971.
‘Abide With Me’, the Christian hymn played in republic day:
The Ministry of Defence(MoD) decided to reinstate the Hymn, Abide With Me in the beating retreat ceremony at
the republic day celebrations. It was also Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite hymn. The Christian hymn has been played
as the concluding piece of the Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29 every year at Vijay Chowk, since 1950.
Key Points:
i.The hymn was written in the 19th century by Scottish poet Henry Francis Lyte and was composed by William
Henry Mon.
Honours during the function:
Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards 2019:
The President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind, approved the conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of
Awards-2019 on 54 persons on the republic day occasion. 5 awards were posthumously given. The series of
awards under the jeevan Raksha Padak include:
• Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak. (awarded to 7 persons).
• Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak (8 persons) and
• Jeevan Raksha Padak (39 persons).
Key Points:
i.The award is given to a person for his/her meritorious act of human nature in saving the life of a person.
Service Medals/Gallantry Medals awarded:
The maximum gallantry awards were given to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police. They won a total of 108
gallantry medals and were followed by the Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) for secured 2nd place with 76
medals. The President’s Medals to Fire Service, Home Guard and Civil Defence personnel was given to 104
personnel being awarded Fire Service Medals. The awards given by President include
• President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG)- 04 awards
• Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG)- 286 awards
• President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service- 93 awards
• Police Medal for Meritorious Service- 657 awards. Click here to know more
Army’s 15 Corps commander K J S Dhillon awarded UYSM:
Indian Army’s (IA) Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) based 15 corps commander Lt Gen Kanwal Jeet Singh
Dhillon was awarded with Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM). He was awarded in recognition of his service to the
families in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370(removing special status given to Jammu and Kashmir).
Key Points:
i.K.J.S Dhillon had also launched ‘Operation Maa’ initiative in which Dhillon and his field commanders engaged in
helping the children who joined terrorist groups.
Indian Navy’s Comm Jyotin Raina awarded Nao Sena Medal:
Indian Navy’s commodore Jyotin Raina was awarded the Nao Sena Medal (gallantry) for his operational
preparedness post the Pulwama terrorist attack in February 2019. Raina is the current Fleet Operations Officer
of the Navy’s Western Fleet.
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Key Points:
i.At least 40 jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) were killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama
district on February 14, 2019 when a suicide bomber of the JeM(Jaish-e-Mohammed) terrorist group rammed an
explosive-laden vehicle into their bus.
6 Army personnel awarded Shaurya Chakra & 2 pilots get Vayu Sena medals:
6 Shaurya Chakras, total of 151 sena medals, 8 Yudh Seva Medals were awarded in the republic day ceremony. 19
Indian Army officers, including Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, have been awarded the Param
Vishisht Seva Medal.
Awardees:
i.Shaurya Chakra: Naib Subedar Sombir who fought against terrorists in an operation in Jammu and Kashmir
was awarded Shaurya Chakra Posthumously. Lt. Col Jyoti Lama, Maj. Konjenbham Bijendra Singh, Naib Subedhar
Narender Singh, Naik Naresh Kumar and Karmdeo Oraon were also the recipients of the Shaurya Chakra award.
ii.Vayu Sena medal: Squadron Leaders Ninad Mandavgane and Siddharth Vashisht were awarded Vayu Sena
awards. These 2 pilots who were killed in the friendly fire from Mi17 V5 helicopter in February 2019.
iii.Sena Medal: Sena Medals (gallantry) were posthumously given to Havildar Baljeet, Naik Sandeep, Naik Buta
Singh, Naik Kuldeep Singh and Rifleman Anil Kumar Jaiswal
Key Points:
i.President Ram Nath Kovind approved, 5 Nao Sena Medals (gallantry), 4 Bar to Sena Medals (devotion to duty),
36 Sena Medals (devotion to duty), 8 Nao Sena Medals (devotion to duty), 1 Bar to Vayu Sena Medal (devotion to
duty) and 13 Vayu Sena Medals (devotion to duty).
IAF adjudged best marching contingent among 3 services and CISF first among paramilitary forces at R-
Day parade
The marching contingent of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been adjudged the first among the marching
contingents of the three services, while the Central Industrial Security Force has bagged the first prize among
paramilitary forces. Flight Lieutenant Shrikant Sharma led the contingent of the Indian Air Force comprising of
144 air warriors. The CISF contingent consisting of 148 personnel was led by Deputy Commandant Prabh Simran
Singh.
About Republic day:
Fact1- After India’s independence from the British rule on 15th August 1947, India was headed by King George
VI until the constitution of India came into force on 26th January 1950.
Fact2- On this day, India was declared as a democratic republic nation and Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as its
first president.
Fact3- On 29th August, 1947 passing one resolution the Constituent Assembly appointed a ‘Drafting Committee”
with the seven members headed by Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar for preparing a draft of the Constitution of
independent India. Dr. Ambedkar also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar,is called as the father of the Indian
Constitution.
World Leprosy Day observed on Jan 30, 2020, in India; CII, SILF signs MoU eliminated leprosy in India
World Leprosy Day is observed annually on the last Sunday of January every year. This year, the day was
observed on January 26, 2020. In India, it is celebrated on January 30 every year to commemorate the death of
Mahatma Gandhi who was assassinated on this day in 1948. This year 2020 marked the 72nd death anniversary
of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
Theme:“Leprosy isn’t what you think”
Key Points:
i.Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease is a highly contagious infection caused by the bacterium
Mycobacterium leprae. This day was chosen by the French humanitarian Raoul Follereau as a tribute to
Mahatma Gandhi, who helped people affected with leprosy.
ii.As a part of the eradication of leprosy, Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation (S-ILF) signed MoU with
the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to curb the social stigma faced by people affected by leprosy and
their families. The MoU was inked in the presence of Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan
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and Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog during an event in New Delhi. S-ILF is working hard to meet the
government”s target of making India leprosy-free by 2030.
iii.The WHO (World Health Organization) Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination is Yohei Sasakawa,
Chairman of The Nippon Foundation.
World Neglected Tropical Diseases day 2020 was observed on Jan 30

On January 30, 2020 World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) was observed officially for the first time to create
awareness & also to control the diseases. NTDs are caused by pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and
helminths & are common in population of developing regions such as Asia, Africa & the Americas. This inaugural
event was announced by the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
at the Reaching the Last Mile Forum held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in November 2019.
Key Points:
i.NTDs are a group of ancient diseases that affects 1.6 billion people living in the poorest & marginalized
communities worldwide. The common NTD of India is Lymphatic filariasis (Hathi Paon).
ii.As per WHO (World Health Organization), 20 health conditions are categorized as Neglected tropical diseases
that is affecting more than 149 countries.
iii.Motto:“#BeatNTDs: For good. For all”.
72nd National Martyrs’ Day/Shaheed Divas observed on Jan 30, 2020

The National Martyr’s Day is observed annually on January 30. The year 2020 marks the 72nd anniversary of
the Martyr’s Day or Shaheed Divas to pay homage to the freedom fighters who lost their lives for India’s
Independence from British rule. This day also marks the 72nd death anniversary of India’s Father of the nation
Mahatma Gandhi who was assassinated on Jan 30, 1948 by Nathuram Vinayak Godse. Similarly, Martyrs’ Day is
also observed on March 23 to remember the sacrifice of Freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and
Sukhdev Thapar.
DST Secretary Prof. Ashutosh Sharma inaugurates Digital Gandhi Gyan Vigyan Exhibition Phase-II in New
Delhi:
The secretary of the department of Science & Technology (DST), Prof. Ashutosh Sharma inaugurated Phase II of
the Digital Gandhi Gyan Vigyan Exhibition in New Delhi. The exhibition showcased events related to Gandhi’s life
through Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) based exhibits. The exhibition was launched in
collaboration with with M/s Vizara Technologies Pvt. Ltd, Delhi, a technology start-up under incubation of Indian
Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D).
The following five Exhibits were showcased at DST Office at Technology Bhavan in New Delhi. They were
• ViRaasat Sabarmati Ashram: It is a mixed reality installation with a 3D model of the Ashram with
interactive virtual walk-through and a guided tour.
• Gandhi’s Utensils: Models of Gandhiji’s Utensils using AR showcasing food, his changing food habits
over time and the science behind his food choices were shown.
• Letters: The letters of Gandhi mounted on a wall and augmented by an AR app was placed to show
related text, images, videos etc.
• Indian map: A physical map of India with AR was displayed showing Gandhiji;s travel over India
using smartphone/Tablet.
• Gandhi Mementos: a 3D printing of Gandhi’s mementos were augmented with an AR app
called Digital GandhiAkar PrakaAR. Click here to know more
Jitendra Singh launches DoPT’s online certificate course on Relevance of Gandhi in the Contemporary
World:
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Minister of
State(MoS) in Prime Minister’s Office(PMO), Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space,
Dr Jitendra Singh launched the Department of Personnel and Training’s (DoPT) online certificate course on
“Relevance of Gandhi in the Contemporary World” at a function in New Delhi.
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Key Points:
i.Collaboration: It is an initiative by DoPT under iGOT programme in collaboration with the Centre for Gandhi
and Peace Studies, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) New Delhi and Gandhi Smriti and
DarshanSamiti (GS & DS). Click here to know more.
Nitin Gadkari Launched Special Edition of Khadi Watches; Khadi used on dial and strap for 1st time
Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), Minister of Shipping(MoS) and Ministry of Micro, Small
and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME) Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari launched limited edition series Kadhi wrist
watches designed by Titan watches in collaboration with KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission), in
New Delhi. Khadi has been used on the dial and strap of the watches for the first time ever.
Key Points:
i.Members present: Minister of State(MoS) of MSME, Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Shri Pratap
Chandra Sarangi, Chairman of KVIC Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Titan watches
Shri Ravi Kant were present in the occasion.
About Mahatma Gandhi:
Fact1- Born as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat, Gandhi was an Indian
lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist.
Fact2- He formed the non-violence movement to to attain India’s independence.
STATIC GK FROM CURRENT AFFAIRS

BANKS
About ICICI bank:
Founded- 1994
Executive Director– Mr. Anup Bagchi
MD & CEO– Mr. Sandeep Bakhshi
Founded- 1 April 1935, Kolkata (West Bengal).
Act- Reserve Bank of India Act,1934.
Deputy Governors– 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, N S Vishwanathan, and Mahesh Kumar Jain, 1 is yet to be
appointed).
About Indian Bank:
Founder- Ramaswami Chettiar.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) & Managing Director(MD)- Ms. Padmaja Chunduru
Tagline- Your Own Bank; Taking Banking Technology to the Common Man; Your Tech Friendly Bank
About Karur Vysya Bank:
Headquarters- Karur.
Tagline- Smart Way to Bank.
About Shivalik Mercantile Bank ltd:
Fact- Shivalik bank is the largest UCB in Uttar Pradesh
Established- 5 September 1998 in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Registered under- Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act 2002.
Acquisition made- Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar Bank in 2010 and achieved multi state bank status.
Chairman- Yashvir Kumar Gupta.
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else.
About HDFC Bank:
Headquarters– Mumbai , Maharashtra
Founded– August 1994
Managing Director– Aditya Puri
Tag line– We Understand Your World
About Yes bank:
Founded– 2004
MD & CEO– Ravneet Gill
Tagline– Experience our Expertise.
About Indian Overseas Bank(IOB):
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Shri Karnam Sekar.
Founder- Chidambaram Chettyar.
Founded- 10 February 1937.
Tagline- Good people to grow with.
About World Bank(WB):
Founded- 1944.
Motto- Working for a World Free of Poverty.
President- David Malpass.
Managing Director(MD)- Anshula Khant.
About RBS:
Headquarters- Edinburgh, UK (United Kingdom).
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Alison Rose.
Chairman- Howard Davies.
Bank of Baroda:
Headquarters- Vadodara,Gujarat.
Bank of India:
Headquarters- Mumbai,Maharashtra.
Tagline- Relationship Beyond Banking.
Canara Bank:
Headquarters- Bengaluru,Karnataka.
Tagline- Together We Can.
About EXIM bank:
Managing Director- David Rasquinha.
Act- Export-Import Bank of India Act, 1981.
About City Union Bank (CUB):
Founded– 1904
Headquarters– Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
MD & CEO– Dr. N. Kamakodi
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About New India Co-operative Bank(NICB):

Formation- 1968 as Bombay Labour Cooperative Bank Ltd & renamed in 1977.
Chairman- Ranjit Bhanu.
About Airtel Payments Bank Limited:
Founded– 2017
Headquarters– New Delhi India
MD &CEO– Anubrata Biswas
About SoftBank:
Founder and CEO(Chief Executive Officer)- Masayoshi Son.
About International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
Founded- 1944.
Parent organization- World Bank Group.
About IndusInd Bank:
Founded– 1994
MD & CEO– Romesh Sobti
Consumer Banking Head– Mr. Sumant Kathpalia
Tagline– We Make You Feel Richer
About National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD):
Formation– July 12, 1982
Chairman– Dr. Harsh Kumar Banwala
About Ujjivan Small Finance bank:
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Nitin Chugh.
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka.
BANKING TERMINOLOGIES
MANI (Mobile Aided Note Identifier)
small savings schemes (SSS)
current account deficit (CAD)
gross domestic product (GDP)
Competition Commission of India (CCI)
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
Paytm Payments Bank ltd (PPBL)
Women Entrepreneurs Welfare Association (WEWA)
Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)
Standardised health insurance products (SHIP)
Capital to Risk-weighted Assets ratio (CRAR)
Zero-Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
Assam Inland Water Transport Project (AIWTP)
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
Department of Financial Services (DFS)
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Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Bank (MUDRA)

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs)
NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer)
RTGS (Real-time gross settlement)
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code(IBC)
Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIL)
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
INDIAN STATES
Capital city- Itanagar
State Animal- Gayal
About Delhi:
Chief Minister– Arivind Kejiriwal (AAP)
Lt. Governor– Anil Baijal, IAS
Official animal– Nilgai
Official bird– House sparrow
UPSRTC Managing Director- Raj Shekhar
Capital City- Lucknow
Wild Life Sanctuaries(WLS)- Bakhiara WLS, Hastinapur WLS, Katarniaghat WLS, Kishanpur WLS.
About Gujarat:
Cultural Capital- Vadodara.
Chief minister- Vijay Rupani.
National Parks (NP)- Gir Forest NP, Blackbuck NP, Marine NP, Vansda NP.
State Tree- Banyan
Dance- Garba.
Tripura:
Tripura- Agartala.
CM- Biplab Kumar Deb.
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Governor- Ramesh Bias

State Bird- Green imperial Pigeon.
State Animal- Phayre’s leaf monkey.
National Park- Clouded Leopard National Park,Rajbari National Park.
Wildlife Sanctuary- Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary, Rowa Wildlife Sanctuary, Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary, Trishna
Wildlife Sanctuary.
Folk dance– Hojagiri
About Odisha:
Capital– Bhubaneswar
Governor– Ganeshi Lal
Chief Minister– Naveen Patnaik
Sweet– Rasagola
Dance– Odissi
Dams- Hirakud dam, Rengali dam, Indravati dam, Jalaput dam (between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha), Mandira
dam, Patora dam.
About Maharashtra:
National Parks(NP)- Tadoba NP, Sanjay Gandhi NP, Chandoli NP, Gugamal NP.
About Kerala:
Capital City- Thiruvananthapuram
State Flower- Golden shower tree
State Tree- Coconut
National Parks(NP)- Silent Valley NP, Pampadum Shola NP (smallest NP in Kerala), Eravikulam NP, Mathikettan
Shola NP.
About TamilNadu:
Founded- November 1, 1956.
Districts- 37.
State Animal- Nilgiri Tahr.
State Dance- Bharatanatyam.
State Sport- Kabaddi.
State Tree- Palm tree.
About Telangana:
Capital- Hyderabad.
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State Tree- Jand
National Parks (NP)- Mrugavani NP, Mahavir Harina Vanasthali NP.
About Karnataka:
Chief minister- Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa.
Governor- Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.
State Formation- 1 November 1956.
Capital- Bengaluru (Executive Branch).
State Bird- Indian Roller
State Tree- Indian Sandalwood
State Flower- Nymphaea nelumbo
About Bihar:
Capital- Patna.
Chief Minister- Nitish Kumar.
Governor- Phagu Chauhan.
National parks- Valmiki National park.
About Andhra Pradesh(AP):
Capital– Amaravati.
Governor– Biswabhusan Harichandan.
State animal– Blackbuck.
State bird– rose ringed parakeet.
Largest city- Visakhapatnam.
Dams- Nagarjuna sagar dam, Srisailam Dam.
National Parks(NP)- Papikonda NP, Sri Venkateswara NP.
About Punjab:
Capital- Chandigarh
State Bird- Northern goshawk
State Tree- Indian Rosewood
State Flower- Lilium
Capital– Bhopal
Governor– Lalji Tandon
Flower– White Lily
Dams– Gandhi Sagar Dam, Bansagar Dam, Bargi Dam, Indirasagar Dam.
National Parks(NP)- Kanha NP,Bandhavgarh NP, Madhav NP, Sanjay NP, Van Vihar NP, Panna NP, Satpura NP,
Pench NP, Mandla Plant Fossils NP.
About Mizoram:
Capital– Aizawl
Governor– P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
National Parks– Murlen National Park, Phawngpui National Park
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Folk dances– Cheraw Dance, Khuallam, Chailam, Sawlakin, Chawnglaizawn, Zangtalam

State bird– Vavu
About West Bengal:
Capital– Kolkata
Chief minister– Mamata Banerjee
Governor– Jagdeep Dhankhar
Folk dances– Kathi, Gambhira, Dhali, Jatra, Baul, Marasia.
National Parks– Gorumara National Park ,Neora Valley National Park ,Singalila National Park.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Capital– Shimla (summer capital) and Dharamshala (winter capital).
Governor– Bandaru Dattatreya.
Dams– Bhakra Dam ,Pandoh Dam ,Nathpa Jhakri Dam ,Chamera Dam.
About J &k:
Formation- 31 October 2019 as Union Territory.
Capital- Srinagar (summer), Jammu (winter).
Lieutenant Governor- Shri Girish Chandra Murumu.
National Park(NP)- Hemis NP, Dachigam NP, Kazinag NP, Kishtwar NP, Salim Ali NP.
About Goa:
Chief Minister- Pramod Sawant
Capital- Panaji.
Governor- Satya Pal Malik
State Animal- Gaur
State Bird- Yellow throated bulbul
State Tree- Terminalia elliptica
State Flower- Jasmine
Formation- 30 May 1987.
About Tamil Nadu:
Capital- Chennai.
Chief Minister- Edappadi k.Palanisamy.
Governor- Banwarilal Purohit.
State Animal- Nilgiri tahr.
State Tree- Palm Tree.
About Lakshadweep:
Capital– Kavaratti
Formation– 1 November 1956
Administrator– Shri Dineshwar Sharma
Lakshadweep are a group of coral islands located south west off the coast of Kerala.
About Assam:
Capital- Dispur
Chief Minister (CM)- Sarbananda Sanowal
Governor- Jagdish Mukhi
National Parks (NP)- Kaziranga NP, Manas NP, Dibru Saikhowa NP, Nameri NP, Orang NP
About Chhattisgarh:
Capital– Raipur
Governor– Anusuiya Uikey
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State Animal– Wild Asian Buffalo

National Parks– Indravati (Kutru) National Park, Kanger Valley National Park, Guru Ghasi Das
(Sanjay) National Park.
Wildlife Sanctuaries– Achanakmar WLS, Badalkhol WLS, Bhoramdev WLS.
About Puducherry:
Chief Minister- Velu Narayanasamy.
Governor- Dr Kiran Bedi.
Traditional Folk Dance- Garadi.
About Jharkhand:
Capital- Ranchi.
Governor- Draupadi Murmu.
Formation Year- 15 November 2000.
About Assam Rifles:
Founded- 1835.
Headquarters- Shillong, Meghalaya.
Motto- Sentinels of the North East.
Director General- Lt Gen Sukhdeep Sangwan.
OTHER COUNTRIES
About Madagascar:
Capital- Antananarivo (also the largest city).
Currency- Malagasy ariary.
President- Andry Nirina Rajoelina.
Prime Minister- Christian Louis Ntsay.
Pacific Island Nation Static:
Palau- The second nation to sign Paris Climate Agreement after Fiji.
Palau Capitals- Ngerulmud, Melekeok.
Tommy Remengesau- Palau’s President.
Currency- United States Dollar.
Rock Island, Palau- World Heritage Site by UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organization) in 2012.
About China:
Official name- People’s Republic of China(PRC).
Capital- Beijing.
Currency- Renminbi.
Largest city- Shanghai.
Motto- “Serve the People”.
About UK:
i.Prime Minister- Boris Johnson
ii.Capital- London
iii.Currency- Pound Sterling
UK(United Kingdom) comprises of 4 countries England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland.
British Deputy High Commissioner to India– Jan Thompson
About Luxembourg:
Capital– Luxembourg
Currency– Euro
Prime Minister– Xavier Bettel
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About Qatar:
Capital- Doha.
Currency- Qatari riyal.
About Togo:
Capital– Lome
Currency– West African CFA franc
Continent– Africa
President– Faure Gnassingbé
Prime Minister- Komi Sélom Klassou
About Nepal:
Capital– Kathmandu.
Currency– Nepalese rupee.
President– Bidhya Devi Bhandari.
Prime Minister– Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli.
About North Macedonia:
Capital- Skopje
Currency- Macedonian denar
About Iran:
Capital- Tehran.
Supreme leader- Ali Khamenei.
About Guinea-Bissau:
Capital- Bissau
Currency- West African CFA franc
About United States of America
Capital- Washington D.C.
Currency- United States Dollar (USD)
About Italy:
Capital- Rome.(Also largest city)
Currency- Euro.
President- Sergio Mattarella.
Prime Minister- Giuseppe Conte.
About Sweden:
Capital– Stockholm.
Currency– Swedish krona.
About France:
Capital– Paris
Currency– Euro
President– Emmanuel Macron
Prime Minister– Édouard Philippe
About Mongolia:
Capital– Ulaanbaatar
Currency– Mongolian tögrög
About Croatia:
Capital- Zagreb.
Currency- Croatian Kuna.
Prime Minister- Andrej Plenkovic.
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About Spain:
Capital– Madrid
Currency– Euro
About Mauritius:
Capital- Port Louis.
Currency- Mauritian rupee.
Prime minister- Pravind Jugnauth.
About Malta:
Capital- Valletta.
Currency- Euro.
President- George Vella.
About Taiwan:
Capital- Taipei
Currency- New Taiwan dollar.
About Suriname:
Capital- Paramaribo.
Currency- Surinamese dollar.
About Lebanon:
Fact- Lebanon is a Middle eastern country located in the Western portion of the Continent of Asia.
Capital- Beirut.
Currency- Lebanese Pound.
About Oman:
Capital- Muscat
About Bangladesh:
Capital- Dhaka
President- Mohammad Abdul Hamid
About Russia:
Capital- Moscow.
Currency- Russian ruble.
Prime minister- Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin
President- Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
About Sri Lanka:
Capitals- Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Currency- Sri Lankan rupee
President- Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime minister- Mahinda Rajapaksa (original name Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa).
About Canada:
Capital– Ottawa
Currency– Canadian dollar
Prime Minister– Justin Trudeau
About Jamaica:
Capital- Kingston
Currency- Jamaican dollar
About United Arab Emirates(UAE):
Capital- Abu Dhabi.
Currency- UAE dirham.
Largest city- Dubai.
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President- Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Prime Minister- Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
About Tunisia:
Capital- Tunis.
Currency- Tunisian dinar.
President- Kais Saied.
About Papua New Guinea:
Capital- Port Moresby
Currency- Papua New Guinean kina
Continent- Oceania.
Fact- Recently Bougainville islands has voted for independence from Papua New Guinea and became the world’s
newest nation.
About Brazil:
Capital– Brasilia.
Largest city- Sao Paulo.
Official language- Portuguese.
About Niger:
Capital- Niamey.
Currency- West African CFA (African Financial Community) Franc.
About Greece:
Capital- Athens.
Currency- Euro.
About Switzerland:
Capital- Bern(De-facto).
About Australia:
Capital- Canberra.
Currency- Australian Dollar (AUD).
Prime Minister(PM)- Scott John Morrison.
About Pakistan:
Capital- Islamabad.
Largest city- Karachi.
Prime Minister- Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi.
About Solvenia:
Capital- Ljubljana
Currency- Euro
MINISTRY IN NEWS
About Finance Ministry:
Formed– 29 October 1946
Union Minister– Nirmala Sitharaman
Minister of State for Finance– Anurag Thakur
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About Ministry of housing and urban Affairs(MoHUA):

Founded-1952.
Secretary- Shri Durga Shanker Mishra.
About Railway Ministry:
Union minister- Piyush Goyal.
Ministers of State(MoS)- Suresh Angadi.
Divisions- 73.
Zones- 17.
About sports ministry:
Minister of State(MoS-Independent charge)- Kiren Rijiju
About Ministry of Women and Child Development:
Minister of State(MoS)- Sushri Debasree Chaudhuri.
Secretary- Rabindra Panwar.
About Ministry of Heavy Industries:
Founded- April 2015
Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises– Prakash Javadekar
About MEA:
External Affairs Minister of India- Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (Constituency- Gujarat)
House- Rajya Sabha
Minister of State(MoS)- Vellamvelly Muraleedharan.
About MoPR (Ministry of Panchayati Raj):
Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare & Panchayati Raj- Shri.Narendra Singh
Tomar.
Union minister– Shri Amit Shah.
About Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports:
Minister- Kiren Rijiju (constituency– Arunachal West)
About Ministry of Information & Broadcasting:
Fact- The Ministry is functionally organized into three wings such as Information Wing, Broadcasting
Wing and Films Wing.
Secretary- Ravi Mittal.
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Chief of Defence staff- General Bipin Rawat
Minister of State for Defence-Shripad Yesso Naik
Minister of Civil Aviation- Hardeep Singh Puri
Ministry of State for Civil Aviation- Suresh Prabhu
About Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry:
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare- Shri Narendra Singh Tomar.
Minister of State- Shri Parshottam Rupala,Shri kailash Choudhary.
About Ministry of Tourism (India):
Founded- 1967.
Minister of State for Tourism and Culture- Shri Prahlad Singh Patel.
Fact- MoSPI came into existence after the merger of the Department of Statistics and the Department of
Programme Implementation.
Secretary- Shri Pravin Srivastava
About Home ministry:
Founded- 1833.
Union minister- Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Founded- 1985
Union minister- Shri Prakash Javadekar.
Minister of State(MoS)- Babul Supriyo.
Secretary- Chandra Kishore Mishra.
About Ministry of Power:
Secretary- Sanjeev Nandan Sahai.
About Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel:
Minister of State(MoS) for steel- Faggansingh Kulaste.
Secretary- Dr M M Kutty for Petroleum and Natural Gas ministry.
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About Ministry of coal and Mines:

Union minister- Shri Pralhad Joshi.
Static Minister of Road,Transport and Highways:
Minister of Road,Transport and Highways & Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises- Shri Nitin
Jairam Gadkari.
Constituency- Nagpur.
Founded- September 1985(as Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation).
Union Minister- Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Minister of State(MoS)- Shri Rattan Lal Katari.
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MOHFW):
Founded- 1976.
Union minister- Dr.Harsh Vardhan. (Constituency- Chandndi Chowk, Delhi)
Minister of State(MoS)- Ashwini Kumar Choubey.
About Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation:
Formation- January 1985.
Renaming- July 2014 as Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.
Current name- Ministry of Jal Shakti after merging with Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in
May 2019.
Union minister- Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. (Constituency- Jodhpur, Rajashtan)
Minister of State(MoS)- Ratan Lal Kataria. (consituency- Ambala, Haryana)
About Ministry of Human Resource and Development(MHRD):
Union Minister- Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ (Constituency- Haridwar, Uttarakhand).
Minister of State(MoS)- Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre (Constituency- Akola, Maharashtra).
About Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers (MoC&F):
Fact- departments under MoC&F are dept. of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Dept of Fertilisers and
Dept. of Pharmaceuticals.
Union minister- Shri. D.V. Sadananda Gowda.
Minister of State(MoS)- Shri Mansukh Mandaviya.
Minister Responsible– Nitin Gadkari, Cabinet Minister
Minister of state– General (Retd.) V. K. Singh
About Ministry of Commerce and Industry:
Headquarter- New Delhi
Minister- Piyush Goyal
About Ministry of Earth Science:
Founded- 2006
Minister- Harsh Vardhan
About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology:
Founded– 1999
330 | P a g e

Union Minister– Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad (Constituency- Patna Sahib, Bihar)
About Ministry of Finance:
Minister- Nirmala Sitharaman
About Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUa):
Formed- 1952.
Minister- Hardeep Singh Puri, MoS (Minister of State) independent charge.
About Ministry of Science & Technology:
Founded– May 1971
Union Minister– Harsh Vardhan
About NHAI:
Founded- 1988
Founded- 1947
Union Minister– Narendra Singh Tomar
ORGANIZATIONS IN NEWS
About World Health Organisation (WHO):
Fact- World health day is celebrated annually on April 7th.
About United Nations Development Programme(UNDP):
Founded– 22 November 1965.
Headquarters– New York, United States(US).
Administrator– Achim Steiner.
About United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF):
Formation- 11 December 1946.
Headquarters- New York City, USA(United States of America).
About ISRO:
Chairman- K Sivan
ISRO CPBO director- Dr P V Venkitakrishnan
About NASA:
Headquarters- Washington, D.C., United States.
Founder- Dwight D. Eisenhour.
331 | P a g e
About NITI Aayog:

Vice Chairperson– Rajiv Kumar.
Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO):
It is headed by Chief Controller of Explosives.
Headquarters- Nagpur.
Joint Chief Controller of Explosives, HOD(HEAD OF DEPARTMENT)- M.K.Jhala.
About National Book Trust(NBT):
Parent Organisation- Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
Chairman- Govind Prasad Sharma.
About DRDO:
Founded- 1958
Chairman- Dr. G Satheesh Reddy
About International Maritime Organization (IMO):
Headquarters– London, United Kingdom
Secretary-General– Kitack Lim
Founded– 1945
Secretary– General– António Guterres; Head of the UN Economic and social commission for Asia and the
Pacific– Nagesh Kumar
About International Labor Organization (ILO):
Formation– 29 October 1919
Director-General– Guy Ryder
It is a specialized body of the United Nations (UN). Presently 187 countries are members of this organization.
This organization was awarded the Nobel Prize for World Peace in 1969.
About European Union (EU):
Motto– “United in Diversity”
Administrative centre– Brussels,Belgium
It is a political and economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe.
About European Commission:
Established– 16 January 1958
About European Council:
Founded– 2009
SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the member countries of
SAARC.
Established- 8 December 1985.
332 | P a g e
OTHER STATICS IN NEWS

Static GK Army:
Chief of Army Staff- Manoj Mukund Naravane.
Chief of the Naval Staff- Admiral Karambir Singh.
Chief of the Air Staff – Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.
About Election Commission(EC):
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)- Sunil Arora .
First Executive- Sukumar Sen.
Preceding Executive- Om Prakash Rawat.
Formed- 25 January 1950.
About National Tiger Conservation Authority(NCTA):
Founded- December 2005.
Chairperson- Prakash Keshav Javadekar (Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change).
Minister of state for Railways– Suresh Angadi
About Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT):
Fact- In January 27, 2019 the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion(DIPP) was renamed to Department
for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade after internal trade was added to its mandate.
Founded- 1995.
About Wildlife Institute of India (WII):
Founded- 1982
Headquarters– Dehradun, Uttarakhan
About Forest Survey of India:
Headquarters- Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Preceded by- Pre-investment Survey of Forest Resources (PISFR) established in 1965
Director General(DG)- Dr. Subhash Ashutosh.
About Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India(IRDAI):
Fact- IRDAI is a 10-member team consisting of 1 chairman, 5 whole time members and 4-part time members.
Founded- 1999.
Headquarters- Hyderabad, Telangana.
Constituted act- Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999
Chairman- Subhash Chandra Khuntia
About PayPal India:
Formation– 2017
Headquarters– Varthur, Karnataka
About NETRA:
i.Project Netra– Launched by ISRO in September 2019 with an outlay of Rs 400 crore.
ii.Aim- The Project will help India detect threats to Indian Satellites from debris and other hazards.
Founded- 1 April 1895
Motto- “Service Before Self”
333 | P a g e
Static About Festivals:

Lai Haraoba festival- Tripura.
Hornbill festival- Nagaland.
Lohri festival- Punjab.
About Forbes India:
Founded– 2008
Owned by– Reliance Industries-owned media conglomerate,Network18.
About National Anti Doping Agency (NADA):
CEO- Navin Agarwal
Founded- November 24, 2005
About Competition Commission of India(CCI):
Chairperson- Ashok Kumar Gupta.
First executive- Dhanendra Kumar.
Ministry of Railway- Piyush Goyal
About National Crime Record Bureau(NCRB):
Motto- Empowering Indian Police with Information Technology
Director- Ramphal Pawar, IPS (Indian Police Service).
About Henley & Partners:
Headquarters- London, United Kingdom.
Founded- 1997
Chairman- Christian Kälin.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Juerg Steffen.
About Indian Navy :
Chief of the Naval Staff- General Admiral Karambir Singh.
Founded- 5th September 1612.
Navy Day- December 4.
Commander-in chief- President Ram Nath Kovind.
About Airports Authority of India(AAI):
Chairman- Arvindh Singh.
Director General(DG) of Civil Aviation- Arun Kumar.
About Chenab River:
i.The Chenab river is formed by the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers at Tandi in the upper himalayas
in Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, Republic of India.
ii.In its upper reaches it is also known as Chandrabhaga.
iii.It is the tributary of the Indus river.
iv.The total length of Chenab river is about 960 km.
Konkan Railway:
Chairman and Managing Director- Shri. Sanjay Gupta.
334 | P a g e
Headquarters- (C.B.D) Central Business District Belapur, Navi Mumbai.

About IRDAI:
About International Energy Agency(IEA):
Founded- November 1974.
Headquarters- Paris, France.
Executive Director- Fatih Birol.
Deputy Executive Director- Paul Simons.
Membership countries- 30.
Association countries- 8.
About FICCI:
Founded- 1927
President- Sandip Somany
About International Energy Agency (IEA):
Headquarters– Paris, France
Founded– November 1974
Membership– 30 states
Executive Director– Fatih Birol
About International Hockey Federation:
Headquarters- Lausanne,Switzerland.
CEO(Chief Executive Officer)- Thierry Weil.
About IUPAC(International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry):
IUPAC has the responsibility of naming all new elements and compounds,declare atomic weights and physical
constants, update Periodic Table and carry out research Projects.
Headquarters- Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States.
Founded- 1919.
Motto- Advancing Chemistry Worldwide.
President- Professor Qi-Feng Zhou (China).
About PayU India:
Founded– 2002
Parent organization– Naspers
About Paysense:
Founded– 2015
Founder, CEO– Prashanth
About HAL:
Chairman- R Madhavan
About CSIR:
President- Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi
About BEL:
Chairman- S.K.Sharma
About SEBI:
Formation– April 12, 1988, Statutory Powers provided on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992.
335 | P a g e

Chairman– Ajay Tyagi
About DHFL:
Founded– 11 April 1984.
Founder– Rajesh Wadhawan.
Headquarters– Mumbai,India.
CMD (Chairman and Managing Director)– Kapil Wadhavan.
About CRPF:
In 1939 it is named as Crown Representatives Police (CRP) and later in 1949 it is named as the Central Reserve
Police Force (CRPF). It is Headquartered in New Delhi. It is under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
About Survey of India:
Formed– 1767
Headquarters– Hathibarkala Estate, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Minister– Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science and Technology
Survey and mapping agency executives– Lt Gen. Girish Kumar, Surveyor General of India, Col. Amardeep
Singh, Addl. Surveyor General
Indian Oil Corporation:
About Observer Research Foundation (ORF):
Formation- 5 September 1990.
Chairman- Sunjoy Joshi.
President- Samir Saran.
About IUCN:
Formation– on 5 October 1948
Headquarters– Gland, Switzerland
Director General- Grethel Aguilar
ArianeSpace:
Founded- 1980.
Headquarters- Courcouronnes, France.
Chief Executive Officer- Stephan Israel.
About Indian Air Force(IAF):
Motto– Glory that touches the sky
About Zoological Survey of India:
Headquarters- Kolkata
Director- Dr. Kailash Chandra
About MBAI
It functions within the premises of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) at Cochin, Kerala,
India.
Formed– 1958
336 | P a g e
Journal– JMBAI
President– Gopalakrishnan. A
About IEEMA (Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association ):
Motto– your link to electricity
Founded– 1948
President– Mr. R K Chugh
About Commonwealth of Nations
Founded– 1931
Headquarters– London, United Kingdom (UK)
Member countries– 53
Secretary-General– Patricia Scotland
About World Gold Council(WGC):
Founded- 1987.
Headquarters- London, United Kingdom(UK).
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- David Tait.
Managing director(MD), India- Somasundaram PR
Chairman- David Harquail.
About Election Commission of India:
Chief Election Commissioner- Shri Sunil Arora
Election Commissioners- Shri Ashok Lavasa, Shri Sushil Chandra
About Archery Association of India AAI:
It is a 19-member Executive Committee consisting of President, Secretary-general, senior vice-president, eight
vice-presidents,seven joint-secretaries and one treasurer.
Founded- 8 August 1973
About Masdar:
Headquarter-Abu Dhabi
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)-Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi
Founded– 2008
MD & CEO- Dilip Asbe
About Equifax Inc:
Founded– 1899 (as Retail Credit Company)
Headquarters– Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
CEO– Mark W. Begor
About NABL:
Founded- 1988
Headquarters- Gurugram, Haryana
Chairman- Shri Krishna Joshi
About APEDA:
Founded- 1986
Chairman- Padan Kumar Borthakur
337 | P a g e
About Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company Ltd:

Founded– 2005
MD & CEO– Vikas Seth
About Vodafone M-pesa Limited:
About International Monetary Fund (IMF):
Founded– 27 December 1945.
Managing Director (MD)- Kristalina Georgieva
Chief Economist– Gita Gopinath.
About UNCTAD:
Established– 1964
Secretary General– Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi
About Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA):
Founded- 1883.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Mr.Ravikanth Chopra.
About NIC:
Founded– 1976
It works under Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.
About Youth Co:Lab:
It was launched in 2017 by UNDP and the Citi Foundation. It is operational in 25 countries across the Asia Pacific
region and aims to create an enabling ecosystem to promote youth leadership, innovation and Social
entrepreneurship.
About NITI Aayog:
CEO- Shri Amitabh Kant
About Geological Survey of India GSI:
Founded– 1851
Founder– Thomas Oldham
Headquarter– Kolkata
Director General– Shri S N Meshram
About Google:
Founded– 4 September 1998
Headquarters– California, U.S.
CEO– Sundar Pichai
About G77:
Founded- June 15, 1964; Members: 134 countries
Headquarters- New York, United States (US)
About OPPO:
Founded– 2001
Headquarters– Guangdong, China
Founder & CEO– Chen Mingyong
About Guyana:
Capital- Georgetown
Currency- Guyanese dolla
338 | P a g e
About United World Wrestling (UWW):

Motto– Welcome to the New World of Wrestling
President– Nenad Lalovic
Headquarters– Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland
It is the international governing body for the sport of amateur wrestling.
About PRAGATI:
Launched in 2015 by Modi, PRAGATI is a ICT (Information and communications technology) based multi-
purpose and multi-disciplinary governance platform. This helps in monitoring and reviewing important
programs and projects of the government.
About SAIL:
Chairman- Anil Kumar Chaudhary
Minister.
About Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU):
Founded– 1946
Headquarters– London, England
About World Tourism Organisation(WTO):
Fact- WTO is responsible for promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
Headquarters- Madrid, Spain.
Formation- 1 November 1974.
Secretary General- Zurab Pololikashvili.
About Julius Baer:
Founded– 1890
Headquarters– Zurich, Switzerland
About Bajaj Finserv:
Founder- Rahul Bajaj.
Managing Director(MD)- Sanjiv Bajaj.
Chairman- Rahul Bajaj, Nanoo Gobindram Pamnani.
About IRDAI:
Founded– 1999
Headquarters– Hyderabad
Chairman– Dr. Subhash C. Khuntia
About India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra):
It is a 100% owned subsidiary of the Fitch Group.
MD & CEO– Rohit karan Sawhney(Since 2017)
Principal Economist & Director Public Finance– Sunil Kumar Sinha
About Indian Oil Corporation (IOC):
HeadQuarters- New Delhi.
339 | P a g e

MD & CEO (India and South Asia)- Gopal Vittal
About Google Cloud:
Launched– April 7, 2008
CEO– Thomas Kurian
About Reliance Industries Ltd(RIL):
Founder- Dhirubhai Hirachand Ambani.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani.
Founder- Sunil Bharti Mittal
CEO- Gopal Vittal
Founded- 1985
Minister- Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Minister of State (independent charge)
About Skoch:
It is a Gurgaon (Haryana) based think tank dealing with socio-economic issues with a focus on inclusive growth
since 1997.
About Essel Group:
Essel finance is promoted by the Essel Group.
Founded- 1926.
Chairman- Dr. Subash Chandra.
Managing Director (Essel finance)- Amitabh Chaturvedi.
About Adani Capital:
Chairman- Gautam Adani.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Gaurav Gupta.
Headquarters- Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
About NITI Aayog:
Founded- May 4, 1993
Headquarters– Berlin, Germany
Managing Director- Patricia Moreira
Chairman- Delia Ferreira Rubio
About National Disaster Management Authority:
Founded- 30 May 2005
Parent department- Ministry of Home Affairs(MoHA).
About Brexit:
It is the word coined by merging the words Britain and exit. It is the shorthand way of saying that Britain is
leaving the EU.
About Western Union:
Founded– 1851
Headquarters– Denver, Colorado, United States(US)
President & CEO– Hikmet Ersek
340 | P a g e

About Airtel Africa:
Founded– 8 June 2010
Headquarters– Delhi
CEO– Raghunath Venkateswarlu Mandava
About Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE):
Fact- It is Asia’s 1st stock exchange.
Chairman- Vikramajit Sen.
About WCO:
Headquarters- Brussels, Belgium
Secretary General– Dr. Kunio Mikuriya
About Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA ):
Founded- October 1, 2003.
President- Shinichi kitaoka.
About Rajya Sabha:
Type– Upper house of the Parliament of India
Deputy Chairman- Harivansh Narayan Singh (since 9 August 2018)
Secretary-General– Shri Desh Deepak Verma
Member Of Parliament & Leader Of House– Thaawarchand Gehlot
About Air India:
Headquartered- New Delhi
CEO-Pradeep Singh Kharola
AC BYTES
Delhi gets First 20-feet-tall Smog Tower to Help Tackle Rising Levels of Air Pollution at Lajpat Nagar
Delhi gets its first 20-ft tall smog tower, which is used to purify the air, has been installed at south Delhi’s Lajpat
Nagar market. It can remove up to 80% of the particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM10).
India welcomes highest number of New born babies on first day of 2020, Surpasses China: UNICEF
As per UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), India has recorded the highest number of births of 67,385
children on the first day of 2020 in the world. A Total of 3,92,078 babies were born around the world.
New Zealand batsman Leo Carter becomes seventh cricketer to hit six sixes in an over
Leo Carter, the first New Zealand batsman, became the seventh player in world cricket to hit 6 sixes across all
formats in both domestic and international levels and only the fourth batsman to achieve the feat in
T20(Twenty20) Cricket.
2019 recorded 7th Warmest Year In India Since 1901: IMD

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), India has recorded 7th warmest year(2019) since
1901, however it was lower than the highest warming, that was observed in 2016.
Ladakh lifts 7th National Ice Hockey Championship Women trophy

Ladakh lifted the 7th National Ice Hockey Championship Women trophy held at the Karzoo Ice Hockey Rink in
341 | P a g e
Ladakh,which was organised by the Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) in association with the Ladakh winter
sports club.
Indian Navy continues to maintain operation Sankalp in Gulf region amid growing tensions
Indian Navy continues to maintain operation Sankalp in the Gulf region amid tension between the US and Iran
in the Middle East, in order to ensure the security of its sea-borne trade and the safety of Indian Flag Merchant
Vessels transiting through the Gulf region, Maritime Security Operations code-named operation Sankalp was
initiated earlier June 2019.
Lohri, a harvest Festival of North India is celebrated in January 13

The festival of harvest, Lohri is being celebrated on January 13 every year in North India, especially in Punjab,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Chandigarh. Lohri marks the end of the long nights of winter and
welcome the longer days of summer, as the Sun begins its journey to the Northern Hemisphere, which is
celebrated with a bonfire.
Sachin Tendulkar nominated in Laureus’s list for most inspiring sporting event of last 20 years
Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has been nominated in Laureas’s list for the most inspiring sporting event in
the last twenty years.Apart from Tendulkar, England’s Andrew Flintoff is the only other cricketer to feature in the
list.
Indian-American Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari is among NASA’s new astronauts:set to conquer Moon, Mars
An Indian-American US Air Force colonel, Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari (41), is among 11 new NASA(National
Aeronautics and Space Administration) graduates who are all set to be a part of the space agency’s ambitious
future missions to the International Space Station (ISS), Moon and Mars.
Norway’s Magnus Carlsen sets world record of longest unbeaten streak in chess history
Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen set a world record of 111 unbeaten classical games after getting
out of trouble against local Jorden van Foreest during their 45-move draw in the fourth round of 82nd Tata Steel
Masters 2020 held in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands.
5 years old Aashman Taneja sets Guinness world record in Taekwondo
A five-year-old boy named Aashman Taneja from Hyderabad, Telangana has made the Guinness Book of World
Records for the most full contact knee strikes in one-hour non-stop in Taekwondo, who successfully achieved
more than 1,200 knee strikes.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupan flagged off Ahmedabad-Mumbai Tejas Express
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has flagged off Ahmedabad-Mumbai Tejas Express, from Ahmedabad,
Gujarat which is the second premium train, after Lucknow – New Delhi Tejas Express, to be run by Railway
subsidiary IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation), covering the distance of 491 km and
running at a top speed of130 kmph.
Tropical Cyclone Tino batters Fiji

Cyclone Tino has hit an island nation of Fiji. Vanua Levu, which is the second-largest island in Fiji was hit by
Cyclone Tino (category 3 storm), where Winds observed at the speed of 130-140 kmph. The capital and Currency
of Fiji is Suva and Fijian Dollar respectively.
RBI denies banning cryptocurrencies;but restriction for Banks

The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has confirmed that not banning cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin in India during
the latest supreme court hearing of the crypto case, which has restricted banks from dealing in bitcoin and
crypto, due to concerns for terrorism financing.
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West Bengal becomes 4th state to scrap CAA resolution

West Bengal became the fourth state to pass a resolution against the contentious Citizenship Amendment
Act(CAA), prior to it, three states have scrapped controversial CAA law which are Kerala, Rajasthan and Punjab.
SIPRI report:China is the world’s 2nd-biggest weapons producer

As per the report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China is the world’s second
largest producer of munitions behind the United States (US) and ahead of Russia. The report has covered the
period from 2015 to 2017.
Nepal, the 1st South Asian Nation to mediate between India and Pakistan
Nepal became the first South Asian nation, which has offered to “mediate” between India and Pakistan over
Kashmir and cross-border terrorism, as the 2020 SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation)
Summit to be held in Islamabad, has been Postponed since 2016.
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Current Affairs for Competitive Exam

Overview of Cabinet approval with foreign countries on January,8, 2020

Overview of Cabinet Approvals on January 22, 2020

To be amended as Central Goods and Service Tax

Overview of Cabinet Approval with Foreign Countries on Jan 22, 2020

Overview of Cabinet Approval on Jan 29, 2020

LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION

DPIIT launches paperless licensing process for petroleum road tankers

Govt launches Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD) developed by IIT-Madras

Indian Navy launched ‘Operation Vanilla’ to aid the cyclone-hit Madagascar

4th Buxa bird festival 2020 commenced in West Bengal

About West Bengal:

31st International Kite Festival launched in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Governor- Acharya Devvrat

Mizoram sets to celebrate ‘Chapchar Kut’ festival on March 6, 2020

23rd National Youth Festival 2020 held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

5th edition of Science Film festival 2020 held in Panaji, Goa

Magh Bihu festival celebrated in Assam

13th Jaipur Literature Festival began in Jaipur, Rajasthan

Nagoba Jatara festival celebrated in Telangana

Rank Best Performer Worst performer

Indian Railways launches integrated helpline number 139 for passengers

10k cameras to be used for 2020 Asiatic lion census in Gujarat

NEST division is formed by Ministry of External Affairs

1st of-its kind turtle rehab centre comes up in Bihar

Eight States finalized Agriculture Export Policy by the Government of India

Uttar Pradesh became 1st state to shortlist migrants for citizenship

Kolkata Police started 3rd edition of ‘Sukanya’ project

Gujarat to set up Vikram Sarabhai Children Innovation Center soon

J&K registers highest Inpatient Department (IPD) care in the country

International recognition under ACI:

Konkan railway is the implementing agency of this project.

Industrial production grows 1.8% in November 2019: NSO’s IIP data

ii.Sector wise growth:

• The people of this community speak the Katuic language.

Govt allocates Rs 2379 crore for completing Z Morh tunnel in J&K

• There will be 51 visits to Jammu and 8 to Srinagar.

12th National Tribal Youth Exchange Programme inaugurated in Puducherry

Central Government Notifies National Startup Advisory Council

Bengaluru airport first in India to get disabled aircraft recovery equipment

downtime during runway emergencies.

India Opens 1st Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre in Niger

India’s 1st War Memorial for Animals to be set up in Meerut, UP

India’s first e-waste clinic opens in Bhopal

Bharat Parv 2020 to be celebrated from 26th to 31st January

Horticulture output to be 313.35 million tonnes in 2019-20: First advance estimates

India’s first underwater metro, ‘Kolkata metro’ to be opened by March 2022

PM Modi Addressed 3rd Global Potato Conclave held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat

World’s largest meditation centre opened in Hyderabad, Telangana

SC allows govt to bring African cheetah to suitable wildlife habitat in India

and Asiatic Lion, tigers will be included soon.