1. Kush Bhagat has recently won three gold medals in the 1st Western Asia Youth Chess Championships at Al Ain Chess Club in United Arab Emirates (UAE) in all the three categories – rapid, blitz and standard. With this, he became the only Indian to bag all the crowns in the competition. Bhagat is the 2nd standard student of the NSS Hill Spring International School in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
2. General Bipin Rawat has become the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army. He has tremendous experience in serving in combat areas and at various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades. He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the LoC with Pakistan, the LoC with China and in the North-East. He is known for his balanced approach towards soldiering, compassion, and connect with civil society. Beside him, Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa has also become the new Air Force chief. The new Air Chief Marshal was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in June 1978. He has served in various squadrons and in the Intelligence Directorate of Air Headquarters.
3. Sorin Grindeanu, a member of the Social Democratic Party, has been officially appointed as the new Prime Minister of Romania. Now, he will face a confidence vote in parliament on his programme and cabinet nominees. He is expected to take office on January 4, 2017.
4. Eknathrao Vikhe-Patil (84), the veteran Congress leader and former Union minister, has recently passed away in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Patil was popularly known as Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil. He was 8-time MP and became Minister of State for Finance in the NDA government in 1999. He returned to the Congress fold in 2004.
5. Recently, the 5-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has named as the 2016 World's Best Playmaker for the 2nd consecutive year by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). The IFFHS is an organization that chronicles the history and records of association football and its' headquarters is located at Lausanne, Switzerland.
6. India's first transgender school "Sahaj International" has started at Thrikkakara in Kerala's Ernakulam district. It was inaugurated by transgender activist, writer and actor Kalki Subramaniam. The purpose of Transgender School is to provide transgenders security, salvation and sustainability. The new learning centre will help them continue their education and appear for Class X and XII examinations.This alternative learning centre works in collaboration with National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
7. The Bihar government has recently declared 50% reservation in all judicial services for aspirants belonging to the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The reservation will be in both Superior Judicial Services and Subordinate Judicial Services. According to the Bihar Cabinet, aspirants belonging to EBCs will get 21% reservation, OBCs will have 12 % reservations, SCs will have 16 % reservation and STs will be provided 1% reservation in all judicial services of the State. Beside this, there will be 35% horizontal reservation for women and 1% reservation for disabled persons. Currently, there is a provision for only 27% reservation in subordinate services while no quota in superior services.
8. The two Hindi writers Shraddha and Ghyansham Kumar Devansh have been chosen for 2016 Navlekhan Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith. The award conferred to Shraddha for her short story 'Hawa Mein Phadphadati Chitthi' and on Devansh for his poem 'Akash Mein Deh'. The award, which is given to young authors in Hindi for their first creations, consists of a statue of Goddess Saraswati, a citation and a cash prize each.
9. The State Bank of India (SBI) has tied up with online classifieds portal magicbricks.com to conduct joint marketing activities and help rejuvenate the real estate sector. To kick start the MOU, SBI and Magicbrickshas launched the "Seal the Deal" campaign. The campaign will showcase SBI approved projects on the Magicbricks platform. This mega online property show will be the first housing carnival in the industry at this scale.
10. The book "The Secret Chord" has been authored by Geraldine Brooks, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author. It is a historical novel that traces the life of King David.
11. Prof. David R. Syiemlieh has been appointed as the new chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). He is from Meghalaya and was a UPSC member. Syiemlieh will assume charge on January 4, 2017 and retire on January 21, 2018. He will succeed Alka Sirohi, a retired IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre.
12. Prof. Shankar Balasubramanian, an Indian-origin British professor of chemistry and DNA expert at Cambridge University, has been honoured with the Queen Elizabeth II Knighthood for his work as a co-inventor of Next Generation DNA sequencing, described as the most transformational advance in biology and medicine for decades.
13. Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has been sworn-in as the new chief justice of Pakistan. He succeeded Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali. Prior to this appointment, Nisar was the judge of Lahore High Court.
14. The world-famous Bargarh Dhanua Jatra festival has started in Bargarh, the western Odisha town, as all the rituals were performed before Goddess Samaleswari, the presiding deity of the event. The 11-day gala event will set the stage for all mythological places related to Lord Krishna based in the ancient city itself. Bargarh becomes the Mathuranagari and Ambapalli area is staged as Gopapur, the parenting place of Krishna. Jeera River is considered as river Yamuna and Hatapada mandap is taken as the Raj darbar of king Kansa. The Dhanu Jatra is an annual drama-based open air theatrical performance celebrated within a 6 km radius in and around the Bargarh municipality. It is considered to be the world's largest open-air theatrical festival.
15. The book "Scattered Souls" has been authored by Shahnaj Bashir. It is a powerful collection of stories focuses on life loss and death in the Kashmir Valley.
16. Gaurav Goyal, the district collector of Ajmer, has been awarded 'Scroll of Honor' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi for encouraging cashless transactions in the district. The award was given for plethora of measures taken by the collector post demonetization to encourage cashless transactions and ensure law and order. Ajmer topped the 5 best districts to promote cashless transactions.The award was jointly given by Ministry of Information and Technology and Niti Ayog.
17. The Haj Committee of India (HCoI) is a statutory body of Union Ministry of Minority Affairs constituted under the Haj Committee Act, 2002 ( Act 35 of 2002). It makes arrangements for the Haj pilgrimage of Muslims in India. Recently, the Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has launched Haj Committee of India Mobile App at Haj House in Mumbai to encourage online applications to ensure fair opportunity for 2017 Haj pilgrimage with complete transparency and comfort. The features of the mobile app are such as applying for Haj, enquiry and information, news and updates and e-payment.
18. The Haryana government has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Andhra Pradesh to prepare centralized State Resident Data Base (SRDB) of its population to ensure efficient and effective implementation of welfare programmes.
19. Tyrus Wong (106), the legendary Disney artist, has recently passed away in United States. He was best known for his sketches for the Walt Disney animated feature "Bambi". Wong was a Chinese-born American artist, whose vibrant paintings captured Walt Disney's eye and became the basis of the film's distinct style.
20. Anoop Kumar Srivastava, an IAS officer of 1981 batch of Assam-Meghalaya Cadre, has recently taken over charge of the Secretary in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Prior to this appointment, he was the Officer on Special Duty in the same Ministry.
21. Rajen Habib Khwaja, an IAS officer of 1976 batch, has recently took charge as the new Director General of the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) at a ceremony in Bella Vista, Hyderabad. Khwaja, who superannuated from service on February 2014, had held key positions such as Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministries of Tourism and Mines and Chairman and Managing Director of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). The ASCI is the prestigious institute in training managers since 1956 and its headquarters is located at Hyderabad, Telangana.
22. The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has recently constituted a committee to suggest improvements in the National Sports Development Code (NSDC) and functioning of Indian Sports Federation. The committee will be headed by Injeti Srinivas, which will suggest improvements in the present NSDC on the basis of suggestions and feedback given in these meetings and submit a report within a month so that Sports Bodies work as per the public expectations for the promotion of sports in India.
23. The Andhra Pradesh Government has recently launched a new health scheme "NTR Arogya Raksha" in Vijayawada to offer medical insurance to those who were not covered under any of the existing health schemes of the state government. The health scheme will provide the medical treatment to the people below Above Poverty Line (APL) at Rs.1200 premium per annum. Under it, Rs.2 lakh worth medical treatment would be provided free of cost in any 432 corporate hospitals in the state.
24. The 104th Indian Science Congress (ISC) has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 3, 2017 at the Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. The focal theme of 5-day annual ISC is "Science and Technology for National Development".
25. India's first laser technology-based advanced Automatic Vechime Monitoring System (AVMS) RTO check-post has set up at Shamlaji of Aravalli district in Gujarat. The check-post is equipped with advanced ray technology with a cost of Rs 4.72 crore, which will help to eliminate irregularities and interventions done by middle-men. The advanced AVMS RTO check-post will provide transparent, sensitive, decisive and progressive government to the people.
26. Archana Nigam, an officer of the 1981 batch of the Indian Civil Accounts Service, is the newly appointed Controller General of Accounts in the Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance. She succeeded M.J.Joseph. Prior to this appointment, Nigam was involved in the critical task of setting up of the accounting framework for the GST regime to be launched by Government in FY 17.
27. Rafael Nadal, a Spanish professional tennis player, has won the 2016 Mubadala World Tennis Championship by defeating David Goffin in the final by 6–4 and 7–6 at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex in United Arab Emirates (UAE). It was the 8th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship with the world's top players competing in the event, which was held in a knockout format. The winner received a purse of $250,000.
28. Imtiaz Ahmed (88), a member of Pakistan's first-ever Test team, has recently passed away in Lahore. He was known as an aggressive batsman who had a variety of strokes, most notably the hook and the pull shot. He scored 2,079 Test runs for Pakistan with a career best of 209 against New Zealand in Lahore in 1955. The death of Imtiaz leaves former batsman Waqar Hasan, who now lives in London, as the lone survivor from the Pakistan team's first Test tour to India in 1952-53.
29. John Berger (90), the British art critic and prodigious author,has recently passed away in Paris, France. He was best-known work for his work BBC series "Ways of Seeing", a criticism of western cultural aesthetics and also won the Man Booker Prize for his novel G and donated half the prize money to the radical African-American movement, the Black Panthers. Berger was born in Hackney, north London and began his career as a painter.
30. The book "Just Another Jihadi Jane" has been authored by Denmark-based an Indian English author Tabish Khair. The novel is about friendship, faith and alienation that tell the tale of Islamist radicalization from the inside. It reminds a new generation that heroism and sacrifice are not limited to one side in a conflict, and that the first victims of a murderous regime are those who live within it.
31. Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, who led the five-judge constitution bench in the Supreme Court which had struck down the controversial NJAC Act for appointment of judges, has been sworn-in as the 44th Chief Justice of India (CJI) and will remain on the post till August 27, 2017. He is the first Chief Justice from the Sikh community, who succeeded Justice TS Thakur.
32. Finland has become the first country in the world to pay a basic income to randomly picked citizens on a national level. The aim of 2-year nationwide pilot scheme is to reduce poverty, motivate people to join work force and boost employment. For this, two thousand unemployed participants between the ages of 25 and 58 have been randomly picked from different parts of the country and will receive an unconditional monthly tax-free basic income of €560. The income will replace their existing social benefits and will be paid even if they find work.
33. The World Braille Day (WBD) is observed every year on January 4 to create importance of braille for those who are blind and to commemorate the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the French educator who invented Braille script or Braille code in 1821.
34. Halahalli Shreekantha Shetti Mahadeva Prasad (58), who was the incumbent state minister for Cooperation and Sugar in the Government of Karnataka, has recently passed away at Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka. He was the 5-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Gundlupet constituency of the Chamarajanagar district.
35. Sergey Karjakin of Russia has recently won gold in the 2016 World Blitz Chess Championship in Doha, Qatar by defeating Norway's Magnus Carlsen in a tie-break. This was Karjakin's first world title in blitz chess.
36. K V Pusa, the former President of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) and veteran Congress leader, has recently passed away at Kohima, Nagaland. Other than his political career, Pusa was associated with social activities which include spearheading various students, farmers and sports organizations. He was also the chairman of Mezhür Higher Secondary School Kohima and a founding member of the Nagaland Contractors' and Suppliers' Union.
37. India has been ranked 3rd out of 190 countries to offer the highest average annual salary to expatriates, as per 2016 HSBC Expat Explorer Survey. It is the 9th edition of HSBC in which approx 27,000 expats from 190 countries and territories shared their thoughts and experiences of expat life. The list is topped by Switzerland, which offers an average salary of $188,275 a year to expats i.e. almost twice the global average. Beside this, Hong Kong was listed third in the survey.
38. V Thiruppugazh, the IAS officer of 1991 batch Gujarat cadre, has been appointed as an Adviser (policy & planning) in the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and will remain on post till September 20, 2020. Thiruppugazh worked on various assignments in Gujarat, including in the State Disaster Management Authority, before he joined the administration at the Centre in 2015. He has also worked with Dr. P.K. Mishra, the Additional Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. Both, Mr.Thirupuggazh and Dr. Mishra have experience in disaster-management fields in Gujarat and at the Centre.
39. The HDFC Bank has recently launched a chatbot service "HDFC OnChat" to allow users to make payments through Facebook Messenger.The chatbot will allow users to recharge their phones, pay electricity, water, gas and landline and DTH bills and even a cab from Ola or Uber from the app itself. The service is available to non-HDFC bank users as well.
40. The book "Death Under The Deodars: The Adventures of Miss Ripley-Bean" has been authored by Ruskin Bond, is recently published by Penguin India. The 8-stories in the book are classic Ruskin style – full of wit and memorable characters and will enthrall and delight children as well as adults.
41. The Indian women football team has won the 2016 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women's Football Championship title by defeating Bangladesh in the final by 3-1 in Siliguri, West Bengal. This is India's 4th consecutive SAFF Women's Championship title. The SAFF Women's Championship is held in every two years and it is first time that India had hosted the tournament.
42. The 13th edition of National Ice Skating Championship 2017 has started in Gurugram, Haryana on January 5, 2017. Approx 300 ice skaters across the country will participate in the 2-day event i.e. being organized by the Ice Skating Association of India (ISAI). The championship has been divided into two major disciplines – Figure Skating and Short Track Speed Skating with two separate competitions for boys and girls in different age categories. The winners of the competitions will receive medals and certificates along with cash prizes and for the first time, girl speed skaters will be conferred with the Vasudha trophy.
43. Surekha Marandi has been appointed as the new Executive Director (ED) of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). She succeeded U S Paliwal, who retired on December 31, 2016. Marandi will look after Consumer Education and Protection Department, Financial Inclusion and Development Department, and Secretary's Department. Prior to this appointment, she was the Principal Chief General Manager and Chief Vigilance Officer in the RBI.
44. Jovenel Moise, a Haitian businessman and the member of Haitian Tet Kale Party (HTKP), has won the 2016 Presidential election of Haiti. Moise is expected to take office by February 7, 2017.
45. India's first bus to run on human and animal waste is set to make debut on the Ultadanga to Garia route in Kolkata in March, 2017. A nominal fare of Rs. 1 would be charged for ferrying passengers on the 17.5km-long Ultadanga-Garia route, irrespective of the distance covered. The 12 biogas buses are expected to run on 12 routes in the city, including Ultadanga-Tollygunge and Ultadanga-Sector V (Salt Lake). The other 9 routes are yet to be finalized. The biogas is a mixture of gases produced by the breakdown of organic substances in the absence of oxygen. It is a renewable energy source and is produced from raw materials like animal and plant waste. It is non-toxic, colorless and flammable and can be used as fuel, for generating electricity and in cooking.
46. Arthur Morris, the legendary cricketer of Australia, has been inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame posthumously. With this, he became the 82nd player to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He was known for his key role in Don Bradman's Invincibles side with an exceptional average, especially for an opening batsman.
47. The 13th edition of Chitwan Elephant Festival was held at the Chitwan National Park in Kathmandu, Nepal from December 26-30, 2016 to promote tourism with the participation of over 50 elephants. The festival attracted about 20,000 domestic and foreign tourists.The 5-day event showcased elephant walk, elephant polo, elephant calf football, elephant beauty contest, elephant picnic and elephant painting. The annual event was organised by Regional Hotel Association Chitwan in order to bring humans closer with elephants, to encourage wildlife protection and conservation and to promote tourism in the region.
48. Google global CEO Sundar Pichai has recently launched "Digital Unlocked" a training program for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) and startups to go digital in India in partnership with Ministry of Information and Technology and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) at a Google event in New Delhi.The purpose of the program is to empower upcoming and existing Indian SMBs with essential digital skills which will help them to get online and use internet so as to grow their business. Apart from this, Primer app and My Business Website were also launched to help SMEs to learn digital marketing skills.
49. Rajiv J Shah, the former head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has been appointed as the new President of Rockefeller Foundation. He will succeed Judith Rodin, who has been President for 12 years. With this, Shah has become the youngest person and the first Indian-American to lead the group. The Rockefeller foundation donates $200 million every year towards improving health and well-being in Africa and aid economic development in impoverished areas and developing strategies to combat climate change. It was set up in 1913 by the oil tycoon John D Rockefeller in New York, United States.
50. Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan, the well-known sitar musician, has recently passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was regarded as one of the 'Sitar Trinity' of India along with Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Vilayat Khan. He was known for his "Jafferkhani Baaj" style of performance and was hailed from Indore Gharana. His work was featured in several Hindi films such as Mughal-E-Azam, Kohinoor, Goonj Uthi Shehnai and Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje.
51. The 4th Assam International Agri-Horiculture show has started in Guwahati from January 6 and will continue till January 9, 2017. In it, nearly 600 farmers from Assam will be trained on doubling farmers' income, more crops per drop and agri-entrepreneurship development. More than 200 organizations from India and 10 foreign countries will take part in the show.
52. Veteran actor Om Puri (66) has recently passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The noted actor was known for his versatility from Bollywood to Hollywood and from independent to art films. He was born in Ambala, Haryana and graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. He was also an alumnus of the 1973 class of National School of Drama. He made his film debut in the 1976 Marathi film "Ghashiram Kotwal". Some of his most notable films include Bhavni Bhavai, Ardh Satya, Dharavi, Aakrosh, Ardh Satya, Agneepath, Bajrangi Bhaijaan" and others. He earned international fame in many British films, such as "My Son the Fanatic", "East Is East", "The Parole Officer" and others.
53. The 25th New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) will be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from January 7-15, 2017. The 2017 theme is "Manushi – Books Written on and by Women", which will exhibit the rich tradition of women writings from ancient times till present. The focus of the Book Fair is on the 'Culture of Reading'. The book fair is organized by National Book Trust (NBT), India. The highlights of the fair will include 60 years of NBT history in the theme pavilion & children activities in the Children Pavilion including activities to celebrate Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary as 'National Youth Day' on January 12, 2017. It will also include number of activities such as seminars, panel discussions, storytelling sessions, etc. About 20 countries including China, Egypt, France, Germany, Japan and Iran are participating in the Foreign Pavilion.
54. The 14th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) will be held in Bengaluru , Karnataka from January 7 to 9, 2017 on theme "Redefining Engagement with the Indian Diaspora". The Indian-origin Portugal Prime Minister, Dr. Antonio Costa will be the chief guest in the PBD convention. The PBD Convention is a very important platform for engagement of the Government of India (GoI) and the state governments with the overseas Indian community. The PBD has been held traditionally on 9th January every year to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi as a Pravasi from South Africa to India.
55. The United Nations (UN) has declared 2017 as the "International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development" to celebrate and promote the contribution of the tourism sector to building a better world. The International Year aims to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behavior towards a more sustainable tourism sector that can contribute effectively to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
56. The Delhi government has recently approved 'Good Samaritan Policy' under which monetary incentive of Rs 2,000 and appreciation certificate will be given to people who help road accident victims in the national capital. The scheme is intended to encourage people to take accident victims in emergency situation to hospitals so that someone's life could be saved.
57. Gangmumei Kamei (77), the noted Manipur-based historian, litterateur and scholar, has recently passed away in Imphal, Manipur. He hailed from the Zeliangrong community which is spread across Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. He was also active in the politics and public life and founded the Federal Party of Manipur in 1993. The excerpts of the well-known books of Kamei are: A History of Modern Manipur (1826-2000), History of Zeliangrong Nagas: From Makhel to Rani Gaidinliu, etc.
58. The 2017 Island tourism Festival has started at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar on January 6 and will continue till January 14 is to promote tourism and entertainment for islanders. The mega event has been inaugurated by Lt. Governor Jagdish Mukhi at ITF Ground in Port Blair. The festival provides a common platform where one and all irrespective of colour, caste and religion participate with equal dedication and gaiety promoting and strengthening the spirit of brotherhood. During the 10-day event, performances by the cultural troupes from mainland will help the Islanders renew their cultural ties with mainland India. An International Cultural Group from Khazkhistan will also perform the ITF Ground. Beside this, a band of artists from mainland will also perform during the festival at North & Middle Andaman and also at Nicobar Group of Islands, besides South Andaman. The other attractions will be the food courts, fun games and handicrafts etc.
59. The International Conference on "Yoga for diabetes" has been held in New Delhi from January 4-6, 2017. The 3-day conference was inaugurated by Shripad Yesso Naik, the minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge). The purpose of the conference is to generate discussions on the role of Yoga in the prevention and management of Diabetes and to draw up a roadmap to be adopted for the control of Diabetes through Yoga. It will provide a common platform for the Allopathy and AYUSH practitioners, Researchers, Academicians, Policy makers and students to come together in the fight against diabetes.
60. The 30th International Kite Festival (Uttarayan) will be held in Gujarat from January 8 to 13, 2017. Apart from this, three other international kite festivals will be held in different parts of India viz. Telangana International Kite Festival will be held in Hyderabad on January 14 and 15, the Delhi International Kite Festival from January 16 to 17 and the Belgaum International Kite Festival from January 18 to 22. The festivals are organised by the State governments of Gujarat, Telangana, Delhi and Karnataka in association with India Tourism. Approx 35 international teams and five national teams will participate in both national and international categories in events such as kite making workshops, kite flying competitions, exhibition of huge kites and competition of sports and stunt kites.
61. Novak Djokovic, a Serbian professional tennis, has won the Qatar Open Men's singles tennis tournament by defeating Andy Murray in the final by 6-3 5-7 6-4 at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar. It was the 36th contest between the two and Murray lost for the 25th time against his old rival.
62. Nana Akufo-Addo has been sworn-in as the new president of Ghana on January 7, 2017. Earlier, Akufo-Addo served as attorney general and then as foreign minister in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, which held power in 2001.
63. The top-seeded Indo-American duo, Sania Mirza and her American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands have won the 2017 WTA Brisbane International Women's doubles Tennis trophy by defeating Russian team of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the final by 6-2 6-3 at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane, Australia.
64. The book "The Untold Vajpayee: Politician and Paradox" has been authored by journalist Ullekh NP. It is in news because of making controversial statements about Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani. The book also provides some additional details on a significant moment in the party's and the nation's history — the aftermath of the Gujarat riots of 2002. According to the book, Vajpayee, after the Godhra train burning and the riots that followed, was resolute that (then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra) "Modi has to go" but Advani said that Gujarat would descend into chaos if that happened.
65. The Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism (IMAFT) is an intergovernmental military alliance of 39 muslim countries, united around military intervention against ISIL and other counter-terrorist activities. Recently, it is in news because General Raheel Sharif , the recently retired Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) of Pakistan, has been appointed the new chief of IMAFT. The headquarters of the military alliance is at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
66. Norway will become the world's first country to switch off FM radio network. The shutdown of the Frequency Modulation (FM) network, which was introduced in the 1950s, will begin on January 11, 2017 in the northern city of Bodo. By the end of the year, all national FM broadcasts will cease. According to the Norwegian government, the switch to radio digital will save money and allow national radio stations to invest more in radio content. The digitization will also improve the emergency preparedness system, facilitate increased competition and offer new opportunities for innovation and development.
67. The 9th edition of Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) has started in Jaipur on January 7, 2017.The purpose of the 5-day event is to promote emerging directors, encourage exchange of knowledge, information, ideas and culture between India and the participating nations. The festival will witness participation by 250 filmmakers and artistes from the fraternity. The festival will have 17 workshops and seminars on various aspects of cinema. This year's Life Time Achievement Award was presented to internationally acclaimed cine-visionary Ramesh Prasad, who is said to have created specialized post production facilities and established the Prasad Film Laboratory with advanced equipment.
68. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has recently tied up with the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for augmenting capital support to enterprises in India. The purpose of the MoU is to give a boost to the venture capital ecosystem for MSMEs.
69. The 2017 All India Conference of Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers of State/UT Waqf Boards has started in New Delhi on January 8, 2017. The conference was inaugurated by Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the Minister of State (I/C), Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs. Various relevant issues including review of progress under the schemes relating to grant of financial assistance to the State Waqf Boards for computerization of waqf properties, strengthening of waqf boards and development of waqf properties by National Waqf Development Corporation Ltd.
70. The Chitwan National Park is the first national park in Nepal. It was established in 1973 and granted the status of a World Heritage Site in 1984. It is a rich natural area in the Terai, the subtropical southern part of Nepal, and covers an area of 932 km2. A total of 68 species of mammals, 544 species of birds, 56 species of herpetofauna and 126 species of fish have been recorded in the park. The park is especially renowned for its protection of One Horned Rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tiger and Gharial Crocodile. It was in news recently because the park hosted the 13th edition of Chitwan Elephant Festival from December 26-30, 2016 to promote tourism. The festival attracted about 20,000 domestic and foreign tourists. The 5-day event showcased elephant walk, elephant polo, elephant calf football, elephant beauty contest, elephant picnic and elephant painting.
71. The book "Bose: The Indian Samurai – Netaji and the INA Military Assessment" has been authored by Major General (retd) G D Bakshi. The author claimed that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose did not die in a plane crash, but during interrogation and torture by the British at a prison in the former Soviet Union.
72. The Union Power Minister, Piyush Goyal has recently dedicated the Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) to the nation at South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) area in New Delhi on January 9, 2017. Beside this, Goyal has also launched a mobile app "Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) Complaint App" for SDMC, wherein users can now lodge complaints about faulty street lights. The SLNP is the world's largest street light replacement programme, which is being implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture under the Ministry of Power, Government of India. Presently, the SLNP programme is running in more than 14 states. A total of 15.36 lakh street lights have already been replaced in the country with LED bulbs. This programme save energy of over 20 crore kWh, avoiding capacity of nearly 51 MW and reducing around 1.7 lakh tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per annum.
73. "Moonlight", written and directed by Barry Jenkins, has won the best motion picture award at the 2017 Golden Globes awards in Beverly Hills, California. Beside this, "La La Land" a romantic musical comedy-drama film has won the seven awards and became the most winning film in Golden Globe Awards history and 6th overall to win each award including Best Director, Best Screenplay for Damien Chazelle and Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Isabelle Huppert won the best actress in a motion picture – drama for "Elle" which was named the best foreign film. Actor Casey Affleck won the best actor in a motion picture for his moving performance in "Manchester By the Sea". The Golden Globe Awards is a major part of the film industry's awards season, which culminates each year with the Academy Awards or Oscars.
74. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has been honoured by the US Embassy to acknowledge his immense contribution to the India-US ties on Tuberculosis (TB). The award was presented on January 8, 2017 by US Ambassador to India Richard R Verma to Amitabh Bachchan, who himself is a TB survivor and brand ambassador for the cause.
75. India's first international stock exchange "India International Exchange" has been set up by the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) at the Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) city in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, which is recently inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The new international exchange will provide electronic trading platform for companies that are going multinational. The domestic companies can now raise capital in foreign currency by issuing foreign currency dominated bonds and to trade in such securities. The new stock exchange will trade in all the products like the other exchanges in the world such as Singapore, Hong Kong, London, New York in currency, equities, commodities derivatives. Every day, this exchange at GIFT City will start trading activities at 4 am, when the exchanges in Japan open, and will stop only at 2 am the next day, when the exchanges in USA close.
76. The 20th Edition of the National Conference for e-Governance 2016-17 has started in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The theme of conference is 'Internet of Things and e-Governance' and will cover newly evolving areas of e-Governance across five plenary sessions such as 'IoT and Data Analytics', 'Cyber Security policy for the future', 'Digital Connectivity to the last mile', etc. This year's conference will feature an event based application which features a Virtual Assistant for attending delegates and a Virtual Reality video to showcase Andhra Pradesh's pioneering initiatives in the field of e-Governance. It is organized by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) and the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India in partnership with Information Technology, Electronics and Communication (ITE&C) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
77. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (82), the former President of Iran, has recently passed away in Tehran, Iran. He was the founding father of the Iranian revolution and also served as the president from 1989 to 1997. He was regarded as a pragmatic conservative open to improving ties to the West.
78. The Indian team of Rohan Bopanna and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan has won the 2017 Aircel Chennai Open men's doubles tournament by defeating compatriots Purav Raja and Divij Sharan in the final by 6-3, 6-4 at the SDAT Tennis Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. In this ATP event, a doubles history was created even before the first ball was hit, as it was the first time in the ATP event's 22-year existence that four Indians featured in the finals.
79. The 3rd edition of National conference "Jal Manthan-III" will be held on January 13, 2017 in New Delhi to discuss various issues of water sector. The conference will be inaugurated by Uma Bharti, the Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. The focus of the conference will be on refining policies of the Ministry to make them more people friendly and responsive to the needs of the states.
80. Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares (92), the former President and prime-minister of Portugal, has recently passed away in Lisbon, Portugal.He was one of the founding fathers of democracy in Portugal and as a world figure, deeply appreciated for his contribution to human rights and world peace. For India, he played a central role in the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Portugal and India in 1974.
81. Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Portugal national team, the Real Madrid and Portugal forward has won the Best FIFA Men's player award at the 2016 Best FIFA Football Awards in Zurich. Apart from this, Carli Lloyd of the United States was named the world's best female player. Leicester's Claudio Ranieri was named best men's coach, ex-Germany boss Silvia Neid won the female coach award, while Penang's Mohd Faiz Subri received the Puskas award for the best goal of 2016.
82. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed pact with French Space agency (CNES) on satellite launch technology in Bengaluru, Karnataka. With this pact, CNES will send French technology for the first time on lunar terrain by joining forces with Team Indus. ISRO is the second partner of CNES, in terms of volume, after NASA. ISRO is the second partner of CNES, in terms of volume, after NASA. The space programmes of both countries are complementary in terms of comparable size and sharing similar objectives.
83. The Maharashtra government has recently launched India's largest public WiFi service "MumbaiWifi" facility in Mumbai to empower people digitally. Initially, the facility will provide 500 Wifi hotspots across various locations like Vidhan Bhawan, Kalanagar in Bandra, Bombay High Court and Mumbai Police Commissioner's office.
84. Darpan Basak (14) from India has won the prestigious Young Travel Photographer Of The Year (TPOTY) 2016. The TPOTY is the premier annual international travel photography awards for amateur, professional and young photographers. The winning entries are published in the Journey portfolio books and displayed in a major exhibition held at the Royal Geographical Society. Apart from Basak, Ankit Kumar (13) from India also won the Young Travel Photographer (14 years old and under) in the Places and Experiences category.
85. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently inaugurated the 8th Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit 2017 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on January 10. The central focus of the summit is "Sustainable Economic and Social Development". The purpose of the 4-day summit is to provide a platform to debate global economic and social issues on the lines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. This year's biennial flagship event of the state is hosting Prime Ministers, Presidents, Deputy Prime Ministers and ministers of several countries viz. the US, the UK, France, Australia & Canada apart from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.
86. Indian squash player, Velavan Senthilkumar has won the Under-19 British Junior Open Squash 2017 tournament by defeating his compatriot Abhay Singh in the final in Sheffield, England. Saurav Ghosal from India was the last winner in this category 13 years ago.
87. The book "Magpie Murders" has been authored by Anthony Horowitz. The book is a cunning re-invention of the thriller formula by the author.
88. The 21st edition of National Youth Festival will be held in Rohtak, Haryana from 12th to 16th January, 2017. The 2017 theme of festival is "Youth for Digital India". The festival is organize every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the greatest Youth Icon from 12th to 16th January.
89. The 2017 International Conference and Exhibition on Re-enforced Plastics (ICERP) has started at Bombay Exhibition Center in Mumbai, Maharashtra from January 10. The conference was inaugurated by Manohar Parrikar, the Union Defence Minister. The focus of the ICERP 2017 will be up-gradation of composites technology in India to reach global level in terms of product quality, finishing and also to address the challenges that have to be met to achieve global standards. The 3-day event will be an ideal platform for Indian companies to showcase their capabilities to global composites fraternity and it will give an opportunity for international players to explore new business opportunities in India.
90. Zygmunt Bauman (91), the renowned sociologist of Poland, has recently passed away at Leeds, England. He was one of the world's most prominent and prolific European sociologists writing on issues as diverse as modernity and the Holocaust, postmodern consumerism and liquid modernity.
91. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has recently released its 12th edition of the Global Risks Report 2017, which highlights the most significant long-term risks worldwide. This year's report will provide an outlook on the threats facing the world in 2017 and examines some of their root causes: rising inequality, political polarization and nationalism, and disruptive technological change.
92. The U-13 squash player of India, Shreyas Mehta has recently won the 2017 Scottish Junior Open Squash championship by defeating Colombia's Juan Jose Torres Lara in the final at Edinburgh, Scotland.
93. The book "My Odyssey: Memoirs of the Man behind the Mangalyaan Mission" has been authored by Dr. K Radhakrishnan, the former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
94. The World Bank has recently decelerated India's growth for fiscal FY 17 (2016-17 ) to 7.0% from its previous estimate of 7.6% due to demonetization, in its latest report. As per the report, an immediate withdrawal of a large volume of currency in circulation and subsequent replacement with new notes in November 2016 contributed to slowing growth. Further, the report stated that India would regain momentum in the subsequent years with 7.6 and 7.8% growth and various reform initiatives are expected to unlock domestic supply bottlenecks and raise productivity.
95. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently inaugurated the Nobel Prize Series India 2017 at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat to stimulate innovation and creative thinking. The Nobel Prize Series will feature a 5-week long Science Exhibition, which is organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DST/DBT) and Nobel Media. It is the first-of-its-kind conclave of Nobel laureates to be held in India and approx 9 Nobel laureates are expected to attend the exhibition. This unique programme combines an exhibition, conference, lectures, roundtables and other meeting spaces.
96. The Assam government will launch its indigenously-developed e-Wallet "Tokapoisa.in" to enable the people of the state for hassle-free online transactions in local language. Apart from an e-Wallet, it will be a virtual payment terminal and will also enablegovernment-related transactions. The e-wallet is developed by the Assam Electronics Development Corp. Ltd and is powered by Amrton and ICICI Bank. Traders and merchants, including small shop-keepers, would be able to use the app to keep record of their transaction, with a feature of 'accounting package' for such small traders who cannot engage full-time accountants to keep their financial records.
97. The 2017 World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting will be held in Davos, Switzerland from January 17th to 20th under the theme "Responsive and Responsible Leadership". The purpose of the meeting is to improve the state of the world and discuss the most pressing issues facing the world. In this summit, filmmaker Karan Johar has been invited as one of the cultural leaders on this prolific platform.
98. The Jigme Dorji National Park is the 2nd largest National Park of Bhutan, which was named after Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, the 3rd Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan. The park stretches over 4316 km² and provides sanctuary for 37 known species of mammals viz. Snow leopard, clouded leopard, Bengal tiger, bharal or Himalayan blue sheep, etc. It is also the only park in Bhutan where the national animal (takin), flower (blue poppy), bird (raven) and tree (cypress) exist together.
99. The World Hindi Day (WHD) is observed every year on January 10 to promote Hindi across the world and to mark the anniversary of first World Hindi Conference (WHD)which was held in 1975.
100. Peter Eardley Sarstedt (75), the well-known English singer-songwriter, has recently passed away in Sussex, England. He was born in Delhi in 1941, when India was part of the British Raj, where his parents were civil servants in the British administration.
101. The Indian hockey team captain, PR Sreejesh has become a member of International Hockey Federation Athletes' Committee. The committee consists of a total of 8 current and former hockey players who have the responsibility to act as a liaison between the FIH and the athletes to make sure the players have voice in the FIH decision making process. The FIH Athletes' Committee will also get to develop, collate, provide and promote resources for athletes on topics of direct concern including athlete health and welfare, career preparation and management, anti-doping, betting and match-fixing.
102. Norway has become the world's first country to shutdown the Frequency Modulation (FM) radio broadcasting network and started its' switching to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) that offers a wider range of broadcasting options and greater sound quality. The main reason behind this technological shift is to offer a better radio service to the whole population. The digitization will also improve the emergency preparedness system, facilitate increased competition and offer new opportunities for innovation and development. The change is occurring county by county, starting with Nordland, in the north of Norway. Capital Oslo will turn off FM broadcasting in September 2017 and the process will be completed nationwide by December 2017.
103. Daniel Ortega, a former rebel fighter, has been sworn-in for a 3rd consecutive term as President of Nicaragua with his wife Rosario Murillo as the new Vice President.
104. The International Conference on 'Disability Communication: Perspectives and Challenges in the 21st Century (ICDC-2017)' was held at Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in Mumbai, Maharashtra from January 9-11, 2017. The purpose of the ICDC-2017 was to establish a forum for dialogue on the study of interaction, learning and identity formation. The main aim of the conference is to build a foundation for the master's degree in Dis/Ability communication and the main area of interest is accessibility for those who want to deal with dis/ability communication and explore in this field. The ICDC-2017 conference was organized by the Department of Communication and Journalism, University of Mumbai, in collaboration with AYJNISHD (D) Mumbai and the research group Communication, Culture & Diversity (CCD) at Jonkoping University, Sweden.
105. The "Festival of India" will be organised by Ghana from January 25 to March 16, 2017. The activities of the Festival include amalgamation of Indian classical dances, Sufi & Folk Music, and Saptarang – confluence of seven classical dance forms culminating in Vande Matram. To complete the experience, a Food Festival, Yoga and Meditation, Film Festival will also be organised during the Festival. The Festival events are being showcased in four cities of Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast, Takoradi in Ghana.
106. India's second Kalvari-class Scorpene stealth submarine "INS Khanderi" has been launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It has superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack with torpedoes as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles whilst underwater or on surface. Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. Khanderi is also the name for Tiger Shark. The submarine is expected to be delivered to Indian Navy by the year end.
107. Roman Herzog (82), the former President of Germany, has recently passed away at Bad Mergentheim, Germany. He was the first President of Germany to be elected to office after the reunification of Germany. Herzog is best remembered for urging a jolt of political and social reform in Germany.
108. Indian cueist, Pankaj Advani has won the 3rd edition of Kolkata Open National Invitation Snooker Championship 2017 by defeating Aditya Mehta by 5-1 and wins the 3rd Kolkata Open National Invitation Snooker Championship 2017 at the Bengal Rowing Club in West Bengal. The tournament was organised by the West Bengal Billiards Association.
109. The United Kingdom has become the first country in the world to officially recognise parkour as a sport. Parkour, also known as freerunning, involves negotiating terrain using only the natural strength of one's body, principally through running, jumping and climbing surrounding features. Withthis, the organisations that are involved in the sport can now apply for funding from the Government and National Lottery.
110. The book "The Untold Story of Talking Books" has been authored by Matthew Rubery. The book focuses on the social impact of audio- books.
111. Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of TCS, has been appointed as the new chairman of Tata Sons. He'll be first non-Parsi chairman of Tata Sons and will take charge from Feb 21, 2017. His appointment comes after the Tata sons removed Cyrus Mistry as the Chairman. Chandrasekaran is only the third non-Tata after Nowroji Saklatwala and Cyrus Mistry to be named as Tata Sons chairman.
112. India's first-ever solar powered boat "Aditya" has been launched by the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at a function held in Vaikom boat jetty at Vembanad Lake in Kochi, Kerala. The 75-seater boat fitted with 78 rooftop solar panels, will ferry along a 2.5-kilometre route between Vaikom and Thavanakkadavu 22 times a day. The boat can run at a maximum speed of 7.5 knots and cruises without any noise and minimal vibration compared to the normal diesel ferries. The solar powered boat is built by Kochi-based NavAlt Pvt Ltd.
113. The world's first "Gender Literature Festival" will be held in Patna, Bihar in the second week of April 2017. The Gender Resource Centre of Bihar's Women Development Corporation (WDC) will be organising the festival. The purpose of this initiative is to create a platform, to exchange ideas, and to share and learn experiences of renowned people in the field of gender-based or focused literature. The festival will also act as a platform to increase visibility for gender equity and advocacy in the State of Bihar.
114. The Chhabra Thermal Power Plant (CTPP) is located at Chowki Motipura village in Baran district of Rajasthan. The planned capacity of power plant is 2650MW at the end of 12th Five year plan. It is in news because National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Ltd has recently signed a non-binding MoU with Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd and Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd for takeover of Chhabra Thermal Power Plant (CTPP)'s four units of 250 MW each and two units of 660 MW units each. With this, after transfer of CTPP to NTPC, the state government will receive equity as per latest valuation and the losses being incurred from Chhabra will stop after transfer of the plant and debt liabilities of the state government shall also be reduced.
115. The Atlantic Council (AC) is a US-based think-tank to promote constructive leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the central role of the Atlantic Community in meeting think tank. The headquarters of Atlantic Council (AC) is located at Washington DC, United States. It is in news because Manish Tewari, the Congress leader and former Union Minister, has been appointed as the senior fellow of US-based think tank Atlantic Council.
116. William Peter Blatty (89), the US author and filmmaker, has recently passed away at Bethesda, Maryland. He was best known for his novel "The Exorcist" and for the Academy Award-winning screenplay of its film adaptation. He also wrote and directed the sequel The Exorcist III. Some of his other notable works are the novels Elsewhere, Dimiter and Crazy.
117. The 21st edition of National Youth Festival (NYF) has started in Rohtak, Haryana from January 12 and will continue till January 16, 2017. The 2017 theme of festival is "Youth for Digital India". The 5-day festival organizes every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the greatest Youth Icon from 12th to 16th January.
118. The book "An Unsuitable Boy" is the autobiography of Karan Johar, the well-known Indian filmmaker. The book is an honest, heart-warming and personal account of Karan Johar's life and the business of Bollywood.
119. The committee under the Chairmanship of former Finance Secretary Sumit Bose has recently submitted report on Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) to the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD). The committee was constituted to study the objective criteria for allocation of resources to States and identification and prioritization of beneficiaries under various programmes using SECC data. The committee's interim advice has been accepted by the Ministry and accordingly appropriate guidelines have been issued to make inter–state allocation based on SECC data to cover households under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana and Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM). According to the committee, the use of SECC data and its TIN Number would enable the government to improve the efficacy of its interventions and will result in improved outcome. Apart from this, the use of SECC data would lead to better budgetary planning and allocation of resources for various programmes.
120. Recently, the Airtel Payments Bank has officially launched its nationwide operations in all 29 states of India. It is the India's first payments bank and is a fully-digital and paper-free bank . In it, the accounts will be opened by using e-KYC for which customers' Aadhar number will be required. The bank is offering a 7.25% interest rate on savings accounts deposits and free personal accidental insurance cover of Rs. 1 Lac on every saving account. One can access the banking services by installing MyAirtel app on their smartphone or by registering online through Airtel site.
121. The Madhya Pradesh government has recently launched "Digital Dakiya or Digital Postman" scheme in Indore district to encourage cashless transactions. It is first of its kind scheme in India in which Digital Postman will visit different places of state to teach and encourage people about cashless transactions and its benefits. The state government will also provide identity cards to the volunteers deployed in this programme.
122. The Gujarat cricket team has won their first-ever Ranji Trophy title in the 2016–17 season after defeating Mumbai by 5 wickets in the final at the Holkar stadium in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The 2016–17 Ranji Trophy was the 83rd season of the Ranji Trophy, the premier first-class cricket tournament in India.
123. The International conference for peace talks between Israel and Palestinians will be held in Paris, France. The delegates from 70 nations are expected to re-affirm support for a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict. Palestinians welcomed the conference, but Israel called it rigged. Neither side was invited to participate in the day-long summit, which was attended by 70 nations, but they were invited to hear the conclusions. Israel and the Palestinians have been invited to hear the conclusions of the conference, but not to participate in the summit itself. The last round of direct peace talks collapsed amid acrimony in April 2014. The conference comes at a time of tension between Israel and the international community after the UN passed a resolution in December 2016 to denounce Israel's settlement activity on occupied land.
124. The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Vijay Goel has recently inaugurated the Khelo India National-level competitions for various sports for Under-14 and Under-17 children at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Pool Complex at Talkatora in New Delhi. The purpose of the competition is to provide a platform to the budding talents to compete at national level. Approx 1000 participants from more than 25 states and union territories are taking part in the competitions. Khelo India National level Competitions will be conducted in different disciplines in January and Febuary, 2017. The competitions in Delhi have been organized by Sports Aunthority of India (SAI) in Swimming, Cycling and Wrestling. The events of Kabbadi , Kho Kho and wushu would be held in Nellore , Weightlifting Boxing and Table Tennis in Guwahati, Athletics Hand Ball and Hockey in Gandhi Nagar, Taekwondo , Volleyball and Football in Chennai, Badminton , Gymnastic , Basketball and Lawn Tennis in Hyderabad and Archery and Judo in Jaipur.
125. The first-ever Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) International Dance festival was held at Shilpa Kala Vedika Terracotta Auditorium and Convention Centre in Hyderabad on January 15, 2017 with the support of Telengana State Government. Nearly 100 performers from 9 countries showcased their traditional and contemporary dance nuances. Countries including Maldives, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Philippines, Fiji, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Malaysia and India took part in the festival.
126. The committee under the chairmanship of professor Timothy Gonsalves has recently recommended reservation for girl students in IITs to address the issue of slump in the number of female students entering the prestigious institutes. The recommendation of the committee will be taken up in the meeting of the Joint Admission Board (JAB) for a final decision, which will decide whether the reservation will come in effect from 2017 or from 2018. The number of seats for male candidates will not be affected and this will help IITs achieve the one lakh target by 2020. Also, only candidates who have already qualified in JEE-Advanced will be considered.
127. Surjit Singh Barnala (91), the former chief minister of Punjab, has recently passed away in Chandigarh. He was the first Governor of Uttarakhand from its creation in 2000. Beside this, he holds the post of Governor in many states viz. Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, etc. He also served with distinction as member of the Union Council of Ministers and will be always remembered for the strong stance he took against the forces of extremism and the struggle he waged against terrorists and anti national forces in India.
128. Chennai Smashers have won the 2017 Vodafone Premier Badminton League (PBL) tournament by defeating Mumbai Rockets in the final by 4-3 at the Siri Fort Complex in New Delhi.
129. The book "The Karachi Deception" has been authored by Shatrujeet Nath. The novel is about an audacious plot Project Abhimanyu, hatched by RAW and Indian army intelligence to assassinate Mumbai's underworld don, Irshad Dilawar. Major Imtiaz Ahmed is assigned to lead the special ops mission. But the mission runs into roadblocks as Project Abhimanyu is compromised and Imtiaz and his men are led into a death trap.
130. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has recently launched a mobile app "SEZ India" which provides detailed information related to special economic zones. The app would help the SEZ units and developers to find information easily and track their transactions on SEZ Online System. The app has four sections — SEZ Information, SEZ Online Transaction, Trade Information and Contact details. The SEZ online transaction is a dynamic submenu that tracks the Bill of Entry/Shipping Bill processing status and also does verification.The app also helps the importers/exporters to track the status of Bill of Entry/Shipping Bill integration and processing in the EDI system of the ICEGATE.
131. The Indian government has recently signed a financing agreement with World Bank (WB) for $48 million for Nagaland Health Project. The heath project will directly benefit about 600,000 people. It will support and complement existing systems and mechanisms involving communities under the National Health Mission (NHM). The purpose of the project is to improve health services in Nagaland. The closing date of Nagaland health Project is March 31, 2023.
132. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has downgraded India's GDP growth forecast for FY 17 to 6.6% against its earlier estimate of 7.6% currencies in its updated flagship publication "World Economic Outlook (WEO)" due to Indian government's move to demonetize high-value currencies. Apart from this, in the updated WEO report, the IMF has expected India's growth rate at 7.2% in 2017-18 and 7.7% in 2018-19. The report stated that India's GDP growth forecast downgraded due to the temporary negative consumption shock induced by cash shortages and payment disruptions associated with the recent currency note withdrawal and exchange initiative.
133. The world's biggest cricket stadium will come up at Motera area in Ahmedabad, Gujarat with a seating capacity of 1.10 lakh people. The stadium is designed by world renowned architect firm M/s. Populous and the construction award has been given to Larsen and Turbo (L&T). The stadium will be operational in two years time and will be constructed at a cost of Rs 700 crore. The new stadium will be spread across a 63 acre land in Motera where the existing Motera Stadium has been demolished. The stadium will have 76 corporate boxes, four dressing rooms, a club house and an Olympic-size swimming pool.
134. India has been ranked 92nd out of 118 nations in the 2017 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI). The global index measures how countries grow, attract and retain talent. The list is topped by Switzerland, followed by Singapore, United Kingdom (UK), United States, Sweden and Australia. The 2017 report explores the effect of technological change on talent competitiveness and noted that while jobs at all levels continue to be replaced by machines, technology is also creating new opportunities.
135. The 58th edition of India International Garment Fair (IIGF) will be held in New Delhi from January 18 – 20, 2017. It will be organized by Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) India. The IIGF is one of the largest and most popular platforms in Asia, from which overseas garment buyers can source products and forge business relationships with India's finest players in the apparel and fashion accessories domain. A total of 312 participants from 14 states of India are participating in the Fair.
136. The Tamil Nadu tourism department has recently launched a mobile app "Pinakin" to provide information on major tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu in a phased manner. The app is a free audio guide and is available in two languages "Tamil and English". The app will cover world heritage tourist sites like Mamallapuram, Thanjavur Big Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram. Through the app, users can listen to interesting stories, facts and trivia about the sites. Beside this, the application also provides other information such as ticket prices, parking details and dress code.
137. Freedom fighter Mohan Singh Josan (92) has recently passed away in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan. He had taken part in Quit India Movement (or August Kranti ). The Quit India Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi at the Bombay session Committee on 8 August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British Rule of India.
138. Rajeev Singh, the member (finance) in Prasar Bharati Board, will become the new interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prasar Bharti after S C Panda retires on February 2017. Panda has been serving as interim CEO since November 2016, after full time chief Jawhar Sircar resigned in October 2016.
139. The novel "The Book Thief" has been authored by Australian author Markus Zusak. The book is the story of a young German girl, who with the help of her father learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing attacks as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her cellar before he is marched to Dachau. It is a completely moving book which will leave you flat with its pictures of Nazi Germany's, friendship and loss.
140. Gita Sen (86), the renowned actress and wife of film maker Mrinal Sen, has recently passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal. She was known for her excellent portrayal of character roles acted in several films viz. "Chorus", "Calcutta 71", "Kharij", "Akaler Sandhane", "Ekdin Pratidin" and "Khandahar".
141. Kapil Dev, the Cricket icon and former Indian skipper, has been inducted into Legends Club 'Hall of Fame' at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was presented with a citation by former India player and Legends Club president Madhav Apte. Kapil Dev, who led India to the emphatic World Cup victory in 1983, is considered one of the India's greatest all-rounders.
142. Antonio Tajani, an Italian politician, has been elected president of the European Parliament. He succeeded Germany's Martin Schulz and will head the parliament for the next two-and-a-half years. Before this, he was one of the fourteen vice-presidents of the European Parliament and the European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, and was also one of the vice-presidents of the European Commission.
143. Kiran Doshi, a retired diplomat and educationist from Gujarat, has won the prestigious award "The Hindu Prize 2016" for his Partition-themed political novel "Jinnah Often Came to Our House". The novel is set against the political turmoil of the subcontinent from the early part of the 20th century, ending with the Partition and Independence. The award carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs.5 lakh.
144. Deepak Roy (67), who was known for his movie "Limit to Freedom" which won a National award in 1996 under the category of best investigative film, has recently passed away in New Delhi. His best work includes "Limit to Freedom", which depicted the miserable plight of women prisoners of Tihar Jail and their bleak protests for any future. Beside this, his another movie "Dhanna" based on the real-life story of a specially boy who bring water to his parched village in Madhya Pradesh, won the national award in the 'best film on other social issues' category in 1998.
145. The book "Kalkatta" has been authored by Kunal Basu. The novel explores the world of the dispossessed and alienated. In simple words, it's an overly populated novel that tries to cram in different shades of misery and exploitation.
146. Mawlynnong village, which is termed as Asia's cleanest village, is located at the East Khasi Hills district of the Meghalaya. It is famous for its cleanliness and natural attraction. Mawlynnong was awarded the prestigious tag of 'Cleanest Village in Asia' in 2003 by Discover India Magazine. Approx 500 tourists across India and abroad visit the village daily. To maintain its reputation as clean village, all 550 villagers carry cleanliness drive on every Saturday. Through cleanliness, the villagers have created opportunities to earn money as the village has become tourists' prime destination in North East.
147. India has officially become an associate member of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) after the Indian government completed internal approval procedures on the agreement it signed in November 2016. With this membership, India will enhance participation of young Indian scientists and engineers in various CERN projects and bring back knowledge for deployment in the domestic programmes. It will also open opportunities for Indian industries to participate directly in the CERN project. The CERN operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world and the headquarters is located at Geneva, Switzerland.
148. India has been ranked 60th out of 79 developing economies in the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s Inclusive Development Index (IDI) for the year 2017. The list is topped by Lithuania, followed by Azerbaijan and Hungary. The IDI indicator determines the development and prosperity of a country based on 12 performance parameters and three major pillars – Growth and Development, Inclusion and Inter-generational Equity, and Sustainability.
149. The Indian passport has been ranked 78th with a visa-free score of 46 in a list of the world's strongest passports. In the list of 157 countries, the index is topped by Germany, followed by Singapore and Sweden. The latest passport Index devised by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital is based on cross-border access of national passports. It assigns a "visa-free score" according to the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with visa on arrival. The index was released by passportindex.org. In the list of 157 countries, the index is topped by Germany, followed by Singapore and Sweden.
150. Manipur's Karang has become the India's first cashless island, which is recently announced by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under its Digital India programme. This comes after campaigns on cashless transactions were held by the island's boat association and other bodies from January 9-12, 2017.The Karang Island is located in the middle of Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the North Eastern part of India.
151. President Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated the 28th edition of Dantan Gramin Mela in West Midnapore district in West Bengal in a few hours time on January 19, 2017. He is on a 4-day visit to West Bengal. The fair will display the rural handicraft skills of the people of the region. The different goods ranging from textile to terracotta will be on display.
152. The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is an international non-profit i.e. devoted to developing and introducing new and improved vaccine to protect the people, especially children, against deadly infectious diseases. The headquarters of IVI is located in Seoul, South Korea. It is in news because the Union Cabinet has recently given its approval to the proposal for India's taking full membership of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) Governing Council. This decision involves payment of annual contribution of US $5,00,000 to the IVI.
153. Madhya Pradesh has become the India's first state where Aanandam programme has been launched to help the needy persons. The places have been fixed in each district where the economically sound citizens can donate items for the needy persons under the programme. The Aanandam programme of the newly-formed Aanand Department has been launched by the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the local TT Nagar Stadium in Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh is the first state in India which has constituted Anand department.
154. The 2nd edition of Ministry of External Affairs' annual conference "Raisina Dialogue" has been held at Taj Palace in New Delhi from 17-19 January, 2017 with the theme "The New Normal: Multilateralism in a multipolar world". Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and addressed the opening session of the Dialogue, which is India's flagship geo-political conference. The conference was attended by delegates from 65 countries.
155. The Union Minister of Railway, Suresh Prabhu has recently launched "Mission 41K" to save Rs. 41,000 crore on the Indian Railways' expenditure on energy consumption over the next 10 years. This target will be achieved by taking a slew of measures which include moving 90% of traffic to electric traction over diesel. Presently, this is at 50% of the total rail traffic. The launch of this programme was undertaken at a Roundtable Discussion on Energy Initiatives of Indian Railways with external stakeholders. The railways also aim to procure more and more electricity at cheaper rates through open market instead of sourcing it through DISCOMs and thereby hope to save as much as 25% on its energy expenses.
156. The Union HRD Minister, Prakash Javadekar has recently launched a dedicated web portal "ShaGun" for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) at New Delhi. The purpose of the portal is to capture and showcase innovations and progress in Elementary Education sector of India by continuous monitoring of the flagship scheme "SSA". It will help to monitor progress of implementation of SSA by assessing performance of States and Uts on key parameters and thereby serve as a platform for the central government for effective planning and deliver on the promise of providing quality education to all. Beside this, the Union HRD Minister also unveiled the 'Toolkit for Master Trainers in Preparing Teachers for Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs', which has been prepared by World Bank (WB) in collaboration with Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD).
157. As per latest report of United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2017, India's GDP growth forecast for FY 17 has been projected to 7.7% and 7.6% for FY 18 (2017-18). Though, the report cautioned that low capacity utilization and stressed balance sheets of banks and businesses will prevent a strong investment revival in the short term.
158. Verma Alok Kumar Verma, a 1979-batch IPS officer, has been selected as the new chief of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the 3-member committee headed by PM Narendra Modi. The post of CBI director was lying vacant since the retirement of Anil Sinha on December 2, 2016. Presently, Verma is the Delhi Police Commissioner. At present, Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana is the interim director of CBI.
159. Jacob Polley has won the 2016 TS Eliot Prize for poetry and won the coveted £20,000 award for his collection "Jackself" at the Wallace Collection Gallery in London, United Kingdom (UK). Jackself is a sequence of narrative poems partly inspired by his childhood in Cumbria, United Kingdom (UK).
160. Farrukh Amonatov of Tajikistan has won the 15th edition of Delhi International Open chess tournament-2017 and received Rs. 4 lakh in prize money. He is the only chess grandmaster of Tajikistan.
161. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has officially launched at 2017 World Economic Forum (WEF) to create new vaccines for emerging infectious diseases. The CEPI has been formed with initial funding of $460 million from the governments of Germany, Japan and Norway, as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust. Initially, the CEPI group is targeting the 3 infectious diseases viz. Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-coronavirus, Lassa fever, and Nipah virus. All three have the potential to cause large outbreaks and the goal is to have two potential vaccines for each of these viruses ready before an epidemic hits. The group may also provide support for research on strains of the Ebola, Marburg and Zika viruses.
162. The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) member-States has recently finalised MoU for cooperation in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) sector in New Delhi. Around 29 delegates from 14 IORA attended the 2-day workshop to finalise the MoU. The member countries agreed to have a common MoU to help each other in the development in SMEs in the region. The focus areas of the MoU are to finalise linkages and alliances amongst SMEs organizations, associations and various institutions engaged in SME development in their countries. The IORA is an international organisation consisting of coastal states bordering the Indian Ocean. It is a regional forum, tripartite in nature, bringing together representatives of Government, Business and Academia, for promoting co-operation and closer interaction among them. The headquarters of the IORA is located at Ebene city, Mauritius.
163. Adama Barrow, a member of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has been sworn-in as the 3rd President of Gambia at a ceremony in the Gambian embassy in Dakar, Senegal on 19th January 2017 after winning the presidential election of 2016. Prior to his presidential campaign, he was the treasurer of the UDP and operated a real estate agency.
164. The book "Story of an Escape" was authored by Surjit Singh Barnala, the former chief minister of Punjab, who recently passed away. The novel is about his experiences of living a disguised life in various locations of India.
165. India's technology centre, Bengaluru has become the most dynamic city out of 137 cities as per the 4th annual edition of JLL City Momentum Index (CMI) 2017. The other cities that made to the top 10 list are: Ho chi Minh City (2-Vietnam ), followed by Silicon valley (USA), Shanghai (China), Hyderabad (India), London (UK), Austin (USA), Hanoi (Vietnam), Boston (USA) and Nairobi (Kenya). According to the index released by the Chicago-based cities research centre, JLL measures population, connectivity, technology, research & development, education, construction, real estate investment and property prices as the main criteria for choosing the most dynamic cities. Other Indian cities in the list are Hyderabad at 5th position, Pune (13), Chennai (18), Delhi (23) and Mumbai (25).
166. The World Bank (WB) has recently sanctioned Rs.1,376 crore for the complete upgradation and improvement of the power system network in Tripura. Under the project, the large number of 132KV and 33KV substations will be constructed and upgraded into 5 phases. The SPML Infra Ltd has got contract of the first phase and Rs 461 crore would be spent in it.
167. Punjab Royals has bagged the Pro Wrestling League 2017 by defeating Haryana Hammers in the final by 5-4 in New Delhi.
168. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of United Arab Emirates (UAE), will be the Chief Guest for the 2017 Republic Day of India. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Ministers, senior officials and captains of industry.
169. The 2-day International Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic plants of India has been held in New Delhi on January 19, 2017. The international symposium has been organized by the Ministry of AYUSH and its purpose to identify major policy, institutional and regulatory issues covering production, consumption and marketing system (PCMS) with focus on environmental, legal, social, R&D, economic, trade, industry, infrastructure, cultivation and marketing aspects. Approx 300 prominent members of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants Community have attended the conference.
170. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) is a self-regulatory voluntary organization of the advertising industry in India. It is a non-Government body and it's headquarters is located at Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is in news because Ministry of AYUSH and ASCI has recently signed MoU to co-regulate misleading advertisements in the AYUSH sector.
171. The Bihar government has recently launched a Nasha Mukti campaign to make the state addiction-free with formation of over 11,000 km long human chain across the state. The human chain covered all panchayats of the state and over two crore people participated in this human chain.
172. The India Innovation Index (III) will be developed by the World Economic Forum (WEF), NITI Aayog, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Cornell University to measure innovation performance of Indian states. Each partnering organisation will nominate a working group member to work on the index. The first ranking is expected to be released at the India Economic Summit (IEC) in New Delhi on October 4-6, 2017. The index will be based on key pillars of innovation and sub-indices that together will assist in tailoring policies that promote inclusive growth. The pillars include the strength of institutions, capacity of human capital and research, supporting infrastructure and the level of business sophistication, among others.
173. INS Vikramaditya, the largest warship and latest aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy, has become the India's first-ever warship to have ATM on board. The ATM on the ship docked at the naval base at Karwar will be operated by the State Bank of India (SBI) and will cater to over 1,500 personnel and officers deployed on the ship. The facilities offered by the SBI to the ship include cash withdrawals, generation of mini-statements, access to bank balance details and change of PIN numbers. In future, the facility will be upgraded to a recycler machine with a cash deposit facility. Additionally, facilities like cash transfer, card-to-card transfer, credit card payment, mobile number registration and updation would also be available. The Russian- built INS Vikramaditya was commissioned in Indian Navy in November 2013.
174. Praful Patel, the President of All India Football Federation (AIFF), has been appointed as a new member of FIFA's Finance Committee for the period of 2017-2021. The FIFA finance committee monitors the financial management and advises the FIFA executive committee on financial matters and asset management. It also analyses the FIFA budgets and the financial statements prepared by the FIFA general secretary and submits them to the FIFA executive committee for approval.
175. The National Voters' Day is celebrated every year in India on January 25 every year to mark the foundation day of Election Commission of India (ECI). The significance of this day is to encourage youngsters, who have reached the age of 18, of the country to participate in the electoral process, by enrolling or registering themselves in electoral rolls and to exercise their franchise.
176. Govardhan Eco Village (GEV) of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has been conferred the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism, the highest honour given to an NGO for shaping global tourism through sustainable innovative initiatives. This is for the first time India has won such recognition from the UN in the NGO sector. The award was presented to HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj, the founder of GEV, at the annual UNWTO ceremony in Madrid, Spain. The headquarters of ISKON is located at Mayapur, West Bengal and it's purpose is to spread the practice of bhakti yoga towards pleasing the Supreme Lord, Krishna.
177. Sushmita Sen, the former Miss Universe and Bollywood actress, will be on the judging panel at the 65th edition of Miss Universe pageant-2017 pageant. Sen was the first Indian to win the crown. This year, Roshmitha Harimurthy will represent India at this prestigious contest, which will take place on January 30, 2017 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
178. The book "60 Indian Poets" has been authored by Jeet Thayil, which is pure pleasure put together with a poet's love of his craft and its masters. The book spans 55 years of Indian poetry in English and bridged continents and generations, and seeks to expand the definition of 'Indian- ness'.
179. The 2017 Combined Commanders Conference (CCC) has been held at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand to focus on the surgical strikes across the Line of Control, the prevailing situation on the LoC, terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and the emerging security situation. The day-long conference was addressed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was attended by all army commanders and their equivalents from the Air Force and the Navy. This was the first CCC for the three military chiefs since taking over as head of their services in 2016.
180. The Kerala Gramin Bank (KGB) has launched a novel programme "FI@School" to propagate financial literacy among school children. Under the project, every branch of the bank has to identify and enter into a virtual tie up with a school in its locality preferably an upper primary school to organise various programmes such as formation offinancial literacy clubs, account opening camps at schools, junior debit card distribution, financial literacy related classes, distribution of financial literacy booklets, competition on financial literacy, etc.
181. Indian ace shuttler Saina Nehwal has won the 2017 Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold Badminton tournament by defeating Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong in the final by 22-20, 22-20 at the Sibu Indoor Stadium in Sarawak, Malaysia.
182. Recently, Mauritian Prime Minister Sir Jugnauth (86) has officially handed his resignation from the post to President Ameenah Gurib Fakim due to his advanced age and handed over power to his son Pravind despite anger from the opposition which has called for new elections in the island nation. With this, Pravind Jugnauth has become the new Prime Minister of Mauritius on January 23, 2017. Pravind is the leader of the Mouvement Socialiste Militant (MSM), which is the largest party in the National Assembly since December 2014.
183. The National Girl Child Day is celebrated every year on January 24 in India to raise the awareness among people about all the inequalities faced by the girl child in the society.
184. Jaswant Rai Sharma (89) was the renowned Urdu poet and lyricist, who recently passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was known to the world by his pen name "Naqsh Lyallpuri". Some of his best songs include: "Main to har modh par", "Na Jane kya hua, jo tune chhu liya" and "Ulfat me zamane ki har rasm ko thukroa".
185. The iconic Eden Gardens stadium at Kolkata will become the first Indian stadium to have stands named after the war heroes. The Cricket Association of Bengal President Sourav Ganguly stated that two stands will be dedicated to soldiers and will be renamed after the India and England final ODI on January 22, 2017. Indian Army, which owns the land on which the stadium is located, is yet to finalise the names, which will be unveiled before the next international match.
186. The technology giant Apple has been named as the most innovative company of 2016, as per Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 2016 analysis. In the list of world's 50 most innovative companies, Google has been ranked second, followed by Tesla Motors, Microsoft, Amazon, Netflix, Samsung, Toyota, Facebook and IBM. The 11th annual survey of BCG underscores how the world's most innovative companies have learned how to create entirely new business models faster than competitors, translating that speed into global scale.
187. The book "Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life" has been authored by William Finnegan. The novel is an old-school adventure story, an intellectual autobiography, a social history, a literary road movie and an extraordinary exploration of the gradual mastering of an exacting, little-understood art.
188. The Punjab National Bank (PNB) has recently launched a contactless credit card "PNB Wave N Pay" in New Delhi. This card could be used by just waving it across the terminal and the transaction will be through. There is no need to enter any PIN for transactions up to Rs. 2,000. The cardholder also has full Charge Back rights on its misuse. This contactless credit card has been launched on Visa Platinum platform.
189. The satellite "Aoba Velox-III" has become the first Singapore satellite which has successfully been launched into space from the International Space Station (ISS). The Aoba Velox-III is a joint project between Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Japan's Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech). It is a 110-metre habitable human-made satellite that orbits the Earth and can stay in space for 6 months. The satellite will be used to conduct several tests, including on a made-in-NTU micro-propulsion system, a new wireless communication system developed by Kyutech and consumer-grade electronic components in space.
190. The 2nd edition of the Pakke-Paga Festival-2017 has been held at Seijosa in East Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh from January 17, 2017 and was inaugurated by the Union minister of state for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju. The purpose of the 3-day festival is to popularise the role played by the community in conserving the endangered species. The festival allowed visitors to adopt a hornbill nest with a minimum annual contribution of Rs 5,000. The 16 wildlife conservation NGOs supported the event, which was organised by the state department of environment and forests and residents of Seijosa. Paga means hornbill in Nyishi language.
191. Goa will become the first Indian state to opt for electronic transmission of postal ballot to service voters in the upcoming elections. The returning officers will transfer the postal ballots to service voters by electronic means so that the service voters can download it, fill it and send it via e-mail to returning officer. Notably, Goa has 822 service voters working in defence, paramilitary or diplomatic missions. Apart from this, Goa would also be the first Indian state where all assembly constituencies will be covered by Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines.
192. The National Tourism Day is celebrated every year in India on January 25 to raise awareness of the importance of tourism for the country's economy.
193. The Kerala government will officially launch the World Bank-aided "e-health" project across the state on January 25, 2017 that envisages the development of Electronic Health Records (HER) of the population and end-to-end automation of all government healthcare institutions, along with the integration of an electronic demographic database. On pilot basis, the project is already running in 12 healthcare institutions in Thiruvananthapuram district that will be scaled up across the state.
194. The N K Singh committee has recently submitted its report on revising the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) act to the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his office in North Block in New Delhi. The Union Government will examine the report and take appropriate action. The committee examined the need and feasibility of having a 'fiscal deficit range'as the target in place of the existing fixed percentage of GDP and make specific recommendations. It also examined the need and feasibility of aligning the fiscal expansion or contraction with credit contraction or expansion respectively in the economy.
195. The 10th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF)-2017 was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan from January 19, 2017 with the theme is "Freedom to dream: India at 70". The festival offered lively debates around modern India in the context of its history and future. In the 5-day festival, approx 250 authors, thinkers, politicians, journalists and popular culture icons participated.
196. Recently, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its post-facto approval for launching of 2017 Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY). It is a part of Government's commitment for financial inclusion and social security. The scheme will be implemented through Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) during the current financial year to provide social security during old age and protect elderly persons aged 60 years and above against a future fall in their interest income due to uncertain market conditions. The scheme will provide an assured pension based on a guaranteed rate of return of 8% per annum for ten years, with an option to opt for pension on a monthly / quarterly / half-yearly and annual basis.
197. Anshu Sinha, IAS (MH:99), will be the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC). She will be appointed for a period upto January 29, 2019. KVIC is a statutory body established by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act, 1995 under the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises. Presently, Arun Kumar Jha is the CEO of KVIC.
198. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has celebrated the National Girl Child Day at a special function in New Delhi with the theme "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP)" on January 24, 2017. The event culminated by regional performances in Hindi, Punjabi, Rajasthani and Malayalam languages by professional troupes of Song and Drama Division. The day is celebrated every year on January 24 in India to raise the awareness among people about all the inequalities faced by the girl child in the society.
199. The book "You Got Magic" has been authored by Neel Madhav, an illusionist and mentalist. Through book, the author brought to you wacky and extraordinary tricks with which you can amaze your friends and family.
200. The Nagarhole National Park is a national park located in Kodagu district and Mysore district in Karnataka. It is also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park. The park has rich forest cover, small streams, hills, valleys and waterfalls and has a healthy predator-prey ratio, with many tigers, Indian bison and elephants.
201. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has celebrated the 7th National Voters' Day (NVD) on January 25, 2017 across country with the theme of "Empowering young and future events" to enhance participation of citizens in the electoral process. The National level function was held in New Delhi. The NVD is celebrated every year in India on January 25 to mark the foundation day of ECI, which came into being on this day in 1950. The purpose of the NVD is to increase enrollment of voters, especially of the newly eligible ones. The Day is also utilized to spread awareness among voters regarding effective participation in the electoral process.
202. The Committee of Chief Ministers (CMs), which was formed to prepare the road map for rapid adoption of digital payment methods, has recently submitted its interim report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The committee, which was headed by N Chandrababu Naidu, has suggested insurance for all digital transactions to safeguard the interest of people going cashless. The committee has recommended Rs 1,000 subsidy for purchase of smartphones by non-tax assesses and small merchants and abolishment of the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) to make digital payments cheaper than cash. The committee has also suggested to levy Banking Cash Transaction Tax (BCTT) on transactions of Rs. 50,000 and above to curb use of cash for large transactions.
203. The Nurturing Excellence in Sports Trust (NEST) has recently launched "Khelegi toh Khileg" the pan-India initiative for girls football between the age of 10 to 15 years along with the National Yuva Cooperative Society (NYCS) in India. The purpose of the initiative is to empower the girl child and using football as a tool to break gender stereotypes, improve self-esteem and develop leadership skills. The first event was held at Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi where over 700 girls took part from across Delhi NCR. The programme was flagged off by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and MP Meenakshi Lekhi. The NEST is a non-profit organization to support young talented athletes across India who did not have the required resources to compete favorably at the international level and to create sports icons for the future.
204. The Delhi International Airport (Private) Limited (DIAL) has won the "Golden Peacock Award" for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the transportation sector under the Aviation category for the year 2016. The Delhi Airport has also been adjudged the world's number one airport in ACI ASQ survey in 25- 40 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) category for two consecutive years – 2014 and 2015.
205. Japan has successfully launched its first-ever military communications satellite "Kirameki -2" from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Tanegashima Space Center with the help of H-2A carrier rocket to boost the broadband capacity of its Self Defence Forces (SDF). The purpose of the satellite is to improve communications infrastructure via providing a direct high-speed connection between the ground, naval and air forces of Japan. The satellite will cover the area of the Indian Ocean and is set to be used by the Japanese UN peacekeepers in South Sudan and against Somalian sea pirates. The Kirameki-2 is an X-band communications satellite with a 15-year lifespan built by DSN Corporation for the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
206. The world's largest solar park has been built at the Longyangxia Dam in the western province of Qinghai in China. The Longyangxia Dam Solar Park occupies 27 sq km and built at a cost of about 6bn yuan. The solar park can produce about 850 MW of power in Qinghai province.
207. The book The Future of India" has been authored by Bimal Jalan, the former Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Through book, author argues that it is the interface between politics, economics and governance, and their combined effect on the functioning of Indian democracy, which will largely determine India's future.
208. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, has been bestowed with the Venezuela's first-ever Hugo Chavez Prize for Peace and Sovereignty for his fight for peace. Putin received miniature replica of Chavez statue. The new peace prize was created by the president of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro in honour of the late socialist leader Hugo Chavez.
209. British snooker professional, Ronnie O'Sullivan has won a historic seventh Dafabet Masters title by defeating Joe Perry by 10-7 at Alexandra Palace in London, United Kingdom (UK). With this win, O'Sullivan surpassed Stephen Hendry's tally of six Masters Trophies. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the sport's history. He is noted for his rapid playing style, mercurial temperament and his ambivalent relationship with the sport, from which he has taken prolonged sabbaticals and repeatedly threatened to retire.
210. Pakistan has successfully conducted the first flight test of a new nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile "Ababeel" on 24th January 2017, which has a maximum range of 2,200 km. The missile can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads and is claimed to use Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRV).The purpose of Ababeel is to ensure survivability of Pakistan's ballistic missiles in the growing regional Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) environment in reference to the Indian Prithvi and Ashwin BMD systems.
211. Alexander Kadakin, who recently passed away in New Delhi on 26th January 2017, was a Russian diplomat and the Russian Ambassador to India from 2009 until his death in 2017.He was the longest-serving Russian Ambassador to India and to any nation in the Indian subcontinent.
212. The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan has recently launched e-health program "Jeevan Rekha" to create electronic health records of a population in Thiruvananthapuram. It is a first-of-its-kind initiative in India to provide a centralised database of healthcare information and efficient service delivery to the people. The new system would help in creating a good hospital management system and patient-friendly atmosphere in hospitals. Once data of a patient is centralised, it would help the person get continuous treatment at all hospitals in the state. Under the program, 7 out of 14 districts will be covered in the first phase of the Centrally-aided project undertaken at a cost of Rs.92.12 crore.
213. The Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal has recently launched the 'Chief Minister's Award' to promote digital transaction in Assam, while inaugurating the Digi Dhan Mela in the state. The Chief Minister's Award would be given to the best performing district of the state that adopts digital payment methods and also educate larger section of the society about the cashless transaction. The winning district's Deputy Commissioner would be presented a prize of Rs 50,000 at the end of financial year 2016-2017 after March 31, 2017.
214. The book "The Island of Lost Girls" has been authored by Manjula Padmanabhan. This is the story of Meiji – the only girl who has remained untouched and un-mutilated in a country that has savaged its entire female population.
215. An Indian online travel company, MakeMyTrip has launched India's first-ever social luxury travel magazine 'Luxury Travel Times'. The mobile-only magazine is targeted at luxury travellers and is released through innovative ad platforms like Facebook Canvas & Instagram-Stories.
216. Mary Tyler Moore (80), the Emmy award-winning US actress, has recently passed away at Greenwich, United States. She was best known for her television roles in the 1960s sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show and the eponymous The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 1970s. Moore was active in charity work and various political causes, particularly the issues of animal rights and diabetes.
217. The Pune City Police has launched the "Beat Marshall Monitoring Mobile App" on experimental basis to map the real-time locations of patrolling teams from police stations. The application will be installed on the cell phones of Beat Marshals or patrolling cops so their movements can be mapped real-time by the control room staffers. The data collected would then be used for effective response during the emergencies. The app would make the dispatch of patrolling parties easier in times of emergency.
218. Lalchungnunga (15), the football player from Mizoram, has been chosen to train at Germany's top division football league "Bundesliga" for six years. Lalchungnunga is one of the state's many budding footballers whose talent has received a boost from the Tata Trust's football academies in the region. The footballer was scouted to train with the Bundesliga from one of these institutes, set up as part of a special MoU between Tata Trust and the Mizoram government to enhance local sports talents.
219. The 2017 T20 Blind Cricket World Cup will be hosted by India from January 29 to February 12, 2017. Besides India, teams from Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Nepal, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies would be taking part in the tournament. The former Indian Cricketer and Captain, Rahul Dravid is the brand ambassador for the tournament. On this occasion, Dravid will also launched the 'Support Blind Cricket by buying a Cricket Ball' campaign. Students and general public can purchase a cricket ball online www.blindcricket.in to support the cause of cricket for the blind.
220. Havaldar Hangpan Dada has been bestowed with the highest peacetime military decoration award "Ashok Chakra" posthumously by the President Pranab Mukherjee on the 68th Republic Day of India for his selfless service to the nation. He was killed at Naugam sector in Jammu and Kashmir in May 2016 while fighting terrorists. The award was received by his wife Chasen Lowang Dada.
221. The Arunachal Pradesh government has launched a special scheme "Dulari Kanya" to check infant mortality in the state on the occasion of the 68th Republic Day on January 26, 2017. As per the scheme, the government will deposit Rs 20,000 in the bank account of a girl child, born in any government hospital. It would be paid along with the accrued interest after she attains 18 years of her age.
222. The 2017 Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit has started in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on January 27 to focus on achieving sustained economic growth in the present global economic order. In the 2-day summit, about 2,000 delegates from 51 countries are taking part in the deliberations.
223. For the first time, the Assam government has organized Farmer's Martyrs day on January 27, 2017 at Patharughat in Darrang district to pay homage to the martyrs of 1894 farmers' rising at Patharughat. In the 2-day event, various training programs, exhibitions, seminars will talk place and the Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal will also give awards to 22 progressive farmers on this occassion. On 28th January 1894, 140 innocent farmers were massacred and 150 others injured, when they rose in protest against the oppressive increase in land revenue by the then colonial British rulers. The farmers had risen against the British tyranny as a cohesive force and with this Assam emerged as one of the pioneers and forerunners of India's struggle for independence.
224. India's first Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) has been inaugurated on January 25, 2017 at the Mysuru Head Post office in Karnataka to offer all passport related services on the lines of PSKs. It has been named as POPSK because the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has tied up with the postal department to offer passport related services through a network of post offices. The purpose of POPSK is to expand the passport services over a wide area and simplify the process to travel abroad.
225. India has been ranked 6th in the list of "Eight Great Powers of 2017", as per the latest annual report of the leading American foreign policy magazine "The American Interest magazine". The list is topped by the US, whereas China and Japan are at second position, followed by Russia (4th) and Germany (5th). Iran is ranked 7th and Israel is on the 8th spot.
226. Shekhar Naik, the captain of Indian Blind Cricket team, has been selected for 2017 Padma Shri award. The announcement of Naik getting the honour came as India is all set to host the 2nd T20 Blind Cricket World Cup from January 29 to February 12 with 10 countries participating.
227. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE) has instituted the "National Entrepreneurship Awards" to encourage a culture of entrepreneurship across India. These premier awards seek to recognise and honour young entrepreneurs and their entrepreneurship ecosystem builders for their outstanding efforts in the field of entrepreneurship development. The first Award Ceremony will take place on 30th January 2017 where awards in 11 categories will be given and in it, the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be the chief guest. The awards also seek to highlight models of excellence for youth of India and encourage them to take entrepreneurship as a preferred career option.
228. India has been ranked 79th out of 176 nations by the Berlin-based corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI) in its latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for the year 2016. The list is topped by two nations "Denmark and New Zealand" and is followed by Finland, Sweden and Switzerland. The ranks are based on a scoring system that ranges between 0 (public sector perceived as highly corrupt) to 100 (public sector perceived as very clean). The index was complied by using World Bank data, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and other institutions.
229. The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has recently announced a total ban on polythene carry bags from May 1, 2017 across the state in a bid to conserve environment, protect cows and promote cleanliness.It was announced on the 68th Republic Day of India.
230. Dr. A Keshav Krishna, a scientist at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), has been selected for 2016 National Geoscience Award by the Ministry of Mines in the field of Geo-environmental studies in applied geosciences. Presently, Krishna is involved in studies on environmental risk assessment related heavy metal contamination in soil, sediments and water in industrial areas, abandoned mine sites and their interactions with the environmental pollutants. Apart from him, N. Purnachandra Rao, who is the chief scientist at the NGRI, has been selected for National Geoscience Award in the field of Geophysics.
231. Recently President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted the resignation of V. Shanmuganathan as Governor of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, against whom allegations of seriously compromising the dignity of the gubernatorial office were leveled. Afterwards, President Mukherjee has appointed Banwarilal Purohit, the Governor of Assam, to discharge the functions of the Governor of Meghalaya and Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya, the Governor of Nagaland, to discharge the functions of the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, in addition to their own duties, until regular arrangements for the offices of the Governor of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh are made.
232. The 2nd International exhibition and conference on Pharmaceutical & Medical Device sector "India Pharma & India Medical Device-2017" with the Vision – "For Responsible Healthcare" will be held from 11th to 13th February 2017 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The 3-day conference is based around the themes: Medical Devices- 'Shaping the Future-Making the Right Choices' and Pharma -'Shaping the future of India Pharma'. This initiative will be a platform to give a push to the Indian Pharma & Medical Devices sector in becoming globally competitive.
233. Serena Williams, an American professional tennis player, has won the 2017 Women's singles Australian Open tennis tournament by defeating her sister Venus Williams in the final by 6-4, 6-4 to win her 23rd Grand Slam singles title. With this win, Serena stands just one Slam away from matching Margaret Court's record of 24 Slams while eclipsing the record of Steffi Graf with 22.
234. The first-ever Brahmaputra Literary Festival has started in Guwahati, Assam from January 28, 2017 as a platform for interaction and exchange of ideas between readers and litterateurs across India and abroad. The festival is organised jointly by the National Book Trust (NBT) and the Assam government and inaugurated by the Union Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar. The 3-day will host 60 panel discussions, book releases, readings and culture events, including screenings of films based on books, musical and dance performances. In it, approx 16-authors from 10 countries and many writers from India are participating.
235. Recently, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully ground tested India's first indigenously developed high thrust cryogenic rocket engine "C25" for the rocket GSLV-Mark-III in its Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri in southern Tamil Nadu. This cryogenic engine of C25 Stage operates on Gas Generator Cycle using extremely low temperature propellants – Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) at 20 Kelvin (-253 deg C) and Liquid Oxygen (LOX) at 80K (-193 deg C). The GSLV-Mark-III rocket fitted with the cryogenic upper stage is expected to lift off 4-tonne class communication satellite in mid-2017.
236. Vijay Pandurang Bhatkar, a technocrat who is considered the father of the Indian Supercomputer, has been appointed the new Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University, Rajgir, in Bihar. He will hold the office for a 3-year period from the date of his appointment as per the Nalanda University Act, Sec 11(3). Bhatkar succeeded Gopa Sabharwal who resigned on November 2016, followed by the resignation of Chancellor George Yeo, after the dissolution of the Mentor Group which functioned as the governing body of the university.
237. Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao, the founder and chair of the LV Prasad Eye Institute (Hyderabad), has been selected to the 2017 Ophthalmology Hall of Fame instituted by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS). He will be honoured at the induction ceremony in Los Angeles on May 6, 2017 at the annual meeting of the ASCRS. Currently, Rao is the President of the prestigious Academia Ophthalmologica International (AOI), a group of 80 eminent academicians in ophthalmology in the world and is a past Chair of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).
238. The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has reconstituted Target Olympic Podium (TOP) committee with the purpose of identifying and supporting potential medal prospects for 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games under the TOP scheme. The committee will be headed by Abhinav Bindra, an Olympic Gold Medalist. The committee will select elite athletes to provided financial assistance for their customized training at Institutes having world class facilities and other necessary support. It will decide on its own procedures and will be competent to invite subject experts as and when required. The initial tenure of the committee is one year.
239. The Government of India (GoI) has recently signed White Shipping Agreement (WSA) with France to enable information sharing on maritime traffic and maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) amid China's expanding naval forays in the area where India wants to establish itself as the net security provider. The WSA will be implemented over the next few months and will enable Navies of India and France to coordinate their roles in stabilizing Indo-Pacific region. It will enhance Indo-French maritime security cooperation in the region.
240. Sir John Vincent Hurt (77), the legendary English actor, has recently passed away at Cromer, England. He was known for his roles in movies such as Midnight Express (1978), Alien, the Harry Potter film series (2001–11), the Hellboy films (2004 and 2008) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. His character's final scene in Alien has been named by a number of publications as one of the most memorable in cinematic history.
241. The Swiss professional tennis player, Roger Federer has won his 18th Grand Slam trophy by winning the 2017 Men's singles Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne by defeating Rafael Nadal of Spain by 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. It was Federer's first major title win after the 2012 Wimbledon. Beside this, Federer (35) has also become the second-oldest winner of a Grand Slam tournament in the Open Era after Australian Ken Rosewall won the Australian title at the age of 37 in 1972.
242. President Pranab Mukherjee has recently launched the country-wide 2017 Pulse Polio programme on the National Immunization Day (NID) by administering polio drops to children aged below five years at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on January 29. The programme will cover around 17 crore children aged under five years in an effort to maintain the country's polio-free status.
243. Sameer Verma, an Indian badminton player, has won the 2017 Men's singles Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament by defeating his compatriot B Sai Praneeth in the final by 21-19, 21-16 at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Apart from this, Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu has won her maiden women's singles crown by defeating Indonesia's Gregoria Mariska in the summit clash in straight games 21-13, 21-14. Beside this, India also claimed the Mixed Doubles title, when Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy emerged winners by beating compatriots Ashwini Ponnappa and B Sumeeth Reddy in the final by 22-20 21-10.
244. A P Singh, a 1986 batch Indian Postal Service officer, has been appointed the interim Managing Director and CEO of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB). Earlier, he was the joint secretary in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). He has also served as the deputy director general in-charge of financial inclusion and payment systems in the founding team of UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India). The IPPB has recently received Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s final nod to commence commercial operations.The IPPB will confine its activities to acceptance of demand deposits, remittance services and other specified services. It can accept deposits up to Rs. 1 lakh per account from individuals.
245. The world's first-ever digital ambassador has been created by Denmark that will work on building ties with the global tech giants like Google, Apple, IBM and Microsoft. The new appointment will be a tech liaison and reflect a diplomatic power shift between the established nations and privately-owned unions.
246. The nationwide "Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign (SLAC)" has been launched by the Indian Government on 30th January 2017, which is also marked as Anti-Leprosy Day. The day is observed every year on January 30 in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi who attained martyrdom on this day in 1948, to remember his selfless efforts and care for the people affected with Leprosy. The thrust of this campaign is to promote community participation in diagnosis and treatment of leprosy in its early stages, from centralised top-down delivery-driven approach to decentralised community-based demand-driven approach. Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae and it usually affects the skin and peripheral nerves. The World Leprosy Day (WLD) is observed on the last Sunday of January that focuses on the target of zero cases of leprosy-related disabilities in children.
247. The North East Film Festival (NEFF) has started at National Film Archive of India (NFAI) in Pune, Maharashtra to promote cinema in the North East. The purpose of the festival is to give an opportunity to young and emerging film makers from the north-east region to interact with the foreign delegates attending IFFI and also explore collaborations with international film production houses to ensure wider reach and audience for NE films.
248. Iris Mittenaere, a dental student from France, has been crowned the new Miss Universe 2016 at the annual pageant at the Mall of Asia Arena in Metro Manila, Philippines on January 30, 2017. She is the 2nd Miss Universe from France after Christiane Martel, who won elected Miss Universe 1953.
249. The book "Mother Teresa: The Final Verdict" has been authored by Aroup Chatterjee, a British Indian author and physician. The author accused Mother Teresa of unfairly damaging the reputation of the city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and challenges the widespread regard of Mother Teresa as a symbol of philanthropy and selflessness.
250. Amulya Kumar Patnaik, the 1985 batch of IPS officer, has been appointed as the new Commissioner of Delhi Police. He succeeded Alok Kumar Verma, who has been appointed as the new chief of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
251. Moussa Faki Mahamat, the former Prime Minister of Chad, has been appointed as the new chairperson of the African Union Commission. He succeeded Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The Commission of the African Union (AU) acts as the administrative branch or secretariat of the AU and is headquarters is located at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
252. The Economic Survey for 2016-17, which is recently tabled by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Parliament, has expected India's GDP growth forecast to be in 6.75 % to 7.5% for FY 18. The range comes due to uncertainties in the world, including protectionist tendencies. The GDP growth rate at constant market prices for the current year FY 17 (2016-17) has projected at 7.1% in the survey.The survey highlights difficulties in privatizing public enterprises, even for firms where economists have made strong arguments that they belong in the private sector. In this context, the Survey points towards the need to further privatize the Civil Aviation, Banking and Fertilizer sectors. The survey was prepared by the finance ministry's chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian.
253. Vinod Rai, the former Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), has been appointed as the new chief of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) by the Supreme Court of India (SCI). Rai will head the 4-member committee of administrators to run the affairs of the BCCI. The committee consists of former women cricket captain Diana Edulji, historian Ramachandra Guha and IDFC CEO Vikram Lamaye. Apart from this, Amitabh Chaudhary of BCCI and Vikram Limaye will represent the Indian cricket board at the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in February 2017.
254. Emmanuelle Riva (89), who was best known for her roles in the films Hiroshima mon amour and Amour, has recently passed away at Paris, France.
255. India's largest start-up incubator will be set up by the Gururaj Deshpande at Hubballi, about 400km from Bengaluru, Karnataka. Deshpande is the Indian-American entrepreneur, philanthropist and venture capitalist. The purpose of the Hubballi programme is to encourage problem-solvers from the local community and allow them to come with solutions with help from the foundation in terms of management, a financial model and connections to global innovators. The 82,000-sqft facility is expected to open in September 2017. It will have the capacity to seat over 1,200 people, which means it can accommodate at least 200 startups. Currently, India's biggest incubator is at T-Hub in Telangana, housed in a 70,000 sqft building.
256. The Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an online travel company "MakeMyTrip" to promote its home-stay scheme. The travel company would promote and help in implementing the State-run MPSTDC's scheme for tourists.
257. The book "The man who could never say No" has been authored by S Muthiah, the well-known historian. The subject of the book is T. T. Vasu, last son of the famous industrialist T. T. Krishnamachari.
258. The Digital Radio for All Round Table Conference has been inaugurated by M Venkaiah Naidu, the Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting. The conference was organised by Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) along with Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL). The purpose of the conference is to stimulate the interests of the key Indian stakeholders in the public phase launch of the project to digitize radio in India.
259. The Income Tax Department (ITD) has recently launched "Operation Clean Money" to track deposits post demonetisation. The initial phase of the operation involves e-verification of large cash deposits made during 9th November to 30th December 2016. In the first phase of verification, approx 18 lakh accounts have been identified where tax-paying profile does not match with the income of account holders. ITD has enabled online verification of these transactions to reduce compliance cost for the taxpayers while optimising its resources. The information in respect of these cases is being made available in the e-filing window of the PAN holder (after log in) at the portal https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in. The PAN holder can view the information using the link Cash Transactions 2016 under Compliance section of the portal. The taxpayer will be able to submit online explanation without any need to visit Income Tax office.
260. The Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University (RGNAU) is an autonomous public central university located in the Fursatganj Airfield, Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh. It is in news because RGNAU in collaboration with US-India Aviation Cooperation Programme is launching its first Executive Development Programme on February 2, 2017. The programme will be delivered by highly-learned experts in the aviation sector and shall cover key topics such as Next Generation Transportation Systems, Airport Planning, Air Traffic Flow Management, Safety and Security and Sustainability in Aviation.The programme will help senior professionals keep abreast with latest trends in the sector. The programme will also provide a platform for active exchange of ideas on opportunities and challenges in the areas of growth and development of Indian aviation sector.
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