January Current Affairs 2020
National Affairs
Indore tops in Swachh Survekshan League 2020
Indore has topped the cleanliness charts for two consecutive quarters among cities with over 10 lakh population while Kolkata was the worst performer. Jamshedpur has topped the cleanliness charts for two consecutive quarters among cities with 1 lakh to 10 lakh population. Among 10 lakh plus population category, Indore secured first place in both Quarters.
Top three cities with over 10 lakh population in 1st quarter (April to June):
- Indore (Madhya Pradesh)
- Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)
- Surat (Gujarat)
Top three cities with over 10 lakh population in 2nd quarter (July to September):
- Indore (Madhya Pradesh)
- Rajkot (Gujarat)
- Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra)
NITI Aayog releases SDG India Index and Dashboard 2019
NITI Aayog has released the 2nd edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index. According to the SDG India Index, India’s composite score has improved from 57 in 2018 to 60 in 2019. India is the first country in the world with a government-led, sub-national measure of progress on sustainable development goals.
Kerala achieved the first rank in the composite SDDG Index with a score of 70, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 69. While Bihar is at the bottom of Niti Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index.
Pragati Maidan metro station renamed as Supreme Court metro station
The Delhi Government’s renaming committee has renamed Pragati Maidan metro station as Supreme Court metro station. The demand was made by the Supreme court in September 2019.
The committee has also decided to rename Kumara Chowk and its flyover after Kargil war martyr Captain Vikram Batra, MB Road as Acharya Sri Mahapragya Marg and The Lajpat Nagar flyover to Jhulelal Setu.
Bengaluru will host the 107th edition of the Indian Science Congress
Bengaluru will host the 107th edition of the Indian Science Congress. It will be the ninth time the city will host the annual convention. University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bengaluru will host the event.
The congress has chosen ‘science and technology: rural development’ as its theme for the 107th edition. A Farmer’s Science Congress will take part in it for the first time, hence providing a platform for innovative farmers.
Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System launched by EC
The Election Commission of India has launched a Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System (PPRTMS). The system enables the applicants to track the status of the applications for the party registration.
The Commission has also amended the guidelines for registration which came into force from 1st January 2020. Under the new guidelines, the applicants applying for the party registration from 1st of January 2020 will be able to track the progress of applications and will get the status through SMS and e-mail.
The registration of political parties will be governed by the provisions of section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
UPSRTC launched ‘Damini’ helpline service for women in Uttar Pradesh
UPSRTC (Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) has launched ‘Damini’ helpline service considering the safety of the women passengers in Uttar Pradesh (UP). As the extension of ‘Nirbhaya Yojana’ the unique number “81142-77777” has been subscribed for this helpline, which was launched by transport minister Ashok Kataria in Lucknow, UP.
Vizag (Andhra Pradesh) to host 14th Global healthcare summit in 2021
The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), a professional association for Indian American physicians, is set to organize a 3-days long 14th Global Healthcare Summit (GHS) in Visakhapatnam,Andhra Pradesh(AP) from January 3, 2021 for the 1st time.
Around 500 doctors from the United States of America (USA), Australia, Britain and other countries expected to participate in the summit, which will focus on various communicable and non-communicable diseases, public health hazards, eradication of tuberculosis (TB), preventing maternal mortality, control of Hepatitis B etc.
Kerala became 1st State to pass resolution against citizenship Amendment Act
Kerala became the 1st state in the country to pass a resolution scrapping the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA). The resolution was moved by Kerala’s Chief Minister Shri Pinarayee Vijayan and was seconded by the Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala.
India’s Second Spaceport to be in Tamilnadu’s Thoothukudi: ISRO Chief
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chief K Sivan announced that India’s second spaceport for launching small satellites will be established in Tamilnadu’s Thoothukudi district.
The country’s first spaceport is at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, about 90 km northeast of Chennai.
K Sivan also announced that the government has approved Chandrayaan-3 and work on this project have already started. The Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan-3 missions will be launched in 2020.
10,000 cameras to be used for 2020 lion census in Gujarat:
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will conduct the Asiatic Lion Census in May 2020. The Institute will use 10,000 cameras to conduct the census.
Around 8000-10000 cameras will be used to carry out the 2020 lion census in gujarat, the last abode of the Asiatic lion.
The 2015 lion census has counted 523 lions in the state. The number is expected to have risen phenomenally the population may have crossed the 1000 mark.
The Government will adopt the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)’s technology for the lion census.
International Affairs
Nepal launches ‘Visit Nepal Year 2020’ campaign
President of Nepal launched the “Visit Nepal Year 2020” during the ceremony held at historic Dasaratha Rangashala in Kathmandu. Mythical creature Yeti has been selected as mascot of the campaign.
The campaign is aimed to promote tourism in Nepal and to attract 2 million tourists in 2020. The Visit Nepal 2020 campaign was launched in all the seven provinces of Nepal.
Palau becomes 1st nation to ban ‘reef toxic’ sun cream
The Pacific nation of Palau has become the first country to ban sun cream which is harmful to corals and sea life. The ban prohibits sun cream containing any of the 10 ingredients which includes oxybenzone and octinoxate, that absorbs ultraviolet light.
A lagoon in Palau’s Rock Islands is a Unesco World Heritage site. Palau is renowned for its marine life and is regarded as one of the world’s best diving destinations.
Umaro Cissoko Embalo wins Guinea-Bissau presidential election
Umaro Cissoko Embalo has won the Guinea-Bissau‘s presidential election. According to the National Electoral Commission of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro won the presidential election with 53.55% of votes. He will replace the incumbent President Jose Mario Vaz.
Economic Affairs
RBI governor launched “MANI” app for visually challenged to identify currency notes
The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Shri Shaktikanta Das launched a mobile app named “MANI” (Mobile Aided Note Identifier) that would help visually impaired people to identify denomination of currency notes correctly.
The application also works offline once installed. The application scans the currency notes using the camera of the mobile phone and also gives audio output in Hindi and English. The app does not authenticate a note as either genuine or counterfeit.
Features of MANI APP:
- The currency notes will be scanned using a mobile phone’s camera.
- The most interesting feature of the app is that it can also be used offline after installation.
- The audio output is available in both Hindi and English languages.
- The app however does not authenticate whether a note is either genuine or counterfeit.
Awards and Recognitions
Global Bihar excellence award 2019 won by Piyuus Jaiswal
On December 31, 2019, Piyuus Jaiswal has been awarded the Global Bihar Excellence Award 2019 by Rajya Sabha MP (Member of Parliament) and Padma Shri Awardee Dr CP Thakur & Bihar Women Commission president Dilmani Devi in Patna, Bihar for his invaluable and outstanding contribution towards social welfare, women empowerment and introducing new talent in the field of arts and culture.
Important Points:
Previously he was honored with humanitarian award with the Global Peace Excellence Humanitarian Award 2019.
Telangana’s mountaineer Malavath Poorna scaled Antarctica’s highest peak Mt. Vinson Massif
Malavath Poorna from Telangana scaled Mt Vinson Massif, the highest mountain peak in Antarctica at 4,892 meters and becomes the first and youngest tribal women in the World to scale six mountain peaks in six continents.
Important Points:
- ’Poorna’,a biography of Poorna Malavath was written by Aparna Thota.
- At the age of 13 years she became the world’s youngest girl who scaled Mt. Everest.
- She scaled Mt. Everest in 2014, Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2016, Mt. Elbrus in 2017, Mt. Aconcagua in 2019, and Mt. Cartsnez in 2019.
Appointments
V K Yadav to lead Railway Board for 1 more year
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the re-employment of V K Yadav as the Chairman of Railway Board. The appointment has been done for a period of one year.
He took over as Railway Board Chairman from Ashwani Lohani on January 1, 2019. He has also held the post of General Manager of South Central Railway (SCR).
Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha gets 1 year extension
The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has notified that Mr.Umesh Sinha has been re-employed as the Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) after the approval by the Appointments Committee of the cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on a contract basis for one year with effect from January 1, 2020 up to December 31, 2020.
Important Notes:
- He is an IAS (Indian Administrative Officer) of Uttar Pradesh cadre.
- Mr.Sinha served as Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and higher Education Secretary of Uttar Pradesh.
S Sundar Appointed as MD & CEO and Additional Director Lakshmi Vilas Bank
Lakshmi Vilas Bank has appointed S Sundar as interim Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) with effect from January 1, 2020.
The bank’s MD and CEO, Parthasarathi Mukherjee resigned from his post on August, 2019 and the post was left vacant. He has also appointed as the additional director of the bank.
Sports Affairs
Lawn bowls & Cycling to be included in 3rd Khelo India Games
Chief Executive Officer of “Khelo India Games” has announced that “Lawn bowls” and “cycling” will be included in the 3rd edition of Khelo India Games. The two games will be included in the event for the first time. The 3rd edition of the tournament will be held in Guwahati, Assam in January 2020. Athletes from all over the country will be coming to Guwahati for the Khelo India Youth Games.
Important Points:
CEO Khelo India Games: Avinash Joshi
India women’s hockey player Sunita Lakra announces her retirement due to knee injury breakdown
On January 2, 2020, Indian women’s hockey team defender Sunita Lakra aged 28, who was part of the 2018 Asian Games silver-winning side, announced her international retirement, citing a knee injury. However, she will continue to represent domestic hockey and NALCO (National Aluminum Company Limited), Odisha.
Obituaries
Nagaland Assembly Speaker Vikho-o Yhoshu passes away
The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader and Nagaland Assembly Speaker Vikho-o Yhoshu passed away. Yhoshu was elected to the state Assembly thrice from Southern Angami-1 constituency in Kohima district.
NCP leader Devi Prasad Tripathi passed away at 67
General Secretary of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and former Member of Parliament (MP) Devi Prasad Tripathi passed away after battling with cancer in New Delhi. He was the former MP of Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.
Important Points:
- He was one of the founders of NCP along with Sharad Pawar and P.A. Sangma. He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the quarterly journal Think India.
- He played an important role in the establishment of democracy in Nepal.
Natyasurya Awardee dramatist Ratna Ojha passed away
Assamese dramatist, writer and social activist Ratna Ojha passed away in Guwahati, Assam. He was 88. He took part in an ongoing protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
For his contribution in the field of theater, he received the prestigious Natyasurya Award in 2005.
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