Important Current Affairs 14th January 2020

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

The United States Treasury Department removes China from its Currency Manipulator list, which was imposed in August 2019.

NATIONAL NEWS

Japanese Coast Guard ship arrives in Chennai for joint exercise
•    On January 13, 2019 the Japan Coast Guard Ship ‘Ichigo PLH08’ has arrived Chennai on a five-day goodwill visit and it will participate in the 19th edition of Annual Joint Exercise ‘Sahyog-Kaijin’ which will be begin on January 16, 2020 with the Indian Coast Guard off in Chennai.
•    Admiral Takahiro Okushima, Commandant, Japan Coast Guard and Director General (DG) Krishnaswamy Natarajan, DG of Indian Coast Guard will witness the 19th edition of ‘Sahyog-Kaijin’ exercise.
•    It is aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties and mutual understanding between the two Coast Guards and to enhance interoperability in communication and Search and Rescue procedures and sharing of best practices.
•    First edition of ‘Sahyog- Kaijin’ exercise between two coast guards took place in 2000.
•    Four Indian Coast Guard Ships, their aircraft and a vessel from National Institute of Ocean Technology will be participating along with Japan Coast Guard Ship.
•    Activities like Official calls, reciprocal visit Onboard ships, sporting, cultural interactions and professional interactions between personnel of both the Coast Guards will take part in the exercise.

Centre identifies 26 islands of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshawadeep for holistic development by promoting tourism
•    On January 13, 2020 the Union Minister of Home Affairs (MoHA) Shri Amit Shah chaired the 6th meeting of Island Development Agency (IDA) in New Delhi.
•    During the meeting progress made towards “Holistic development of islands” were reviewed. It is also for the first time in India, under the IDA’s guidance an initiative of sustainable development has been undertaken with scientific assessments.
•    A total of 26 islands i.e, 16 from Andaman and Nicobar Islands and 10 from Lakshadweep islands have been identified for promoting tourism.
•    Digital connectivity by June 2020: In order to strengthen the infrastructure improving air, sea and digital connectivity are also being implemented. Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar) and 7 islands of Andaman & Nicobar will be digitally connected through submarine optical fibre cable by June, 2020.
•    Communication services:  Information Technology (IT) based and other Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the islands would be set up through Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands Industrial Development Scheme (LANIDS), 2018 notified on 1st January, 2019.
•    Airport development in Great Nicobar Island of Andaman & Nicobar and Minicoy Island of Lakshadweep have been proposed.

1st time India to host 19TH SCO heads meeting and Statue of Unity finds place in '8 Wonders of SCO'
•    On January 13, 2020 the secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Vladimir Norov who is on a 4-day visit to India to attend the Raisina dialogue 2020 in new Delhi from January16-16,2020, has announced that India has been selected to host the SCO’s annual meeting of council of heads of government for the 1st time.
•    Raisina dialogue host: The dialogue which addresses the issues faced by global community is hosted by Observer Research Foundation(ORF) in collaboration with Ministry of External Affairs(MEA).
•    The Statue of Unity in Gujarat,India has been included in the SCO’s “8 wonders of SCO” list.
•    India’s membership with SCO: India became a member of the SCO at the SCO summit held in Astana (now renamed as Nur-sultan), Kazakhstan in the year 2017 along with Pakistan. Before becoming a member of SCO, India was granted with the observer status from 2005.
•    SCO members: The members of the SCO include China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan. Thus there totally 8 member nations of SCO

The Pulses Conclave 2020 to be held at Lonavala, Maharashtra
•    The 5th edition of the biennial global pulses conference, ‘The Pulses Conclave 2020’ (TPC 2020), will be held from February 12 to 14, 2020 at Lonavala, Pune, Maharashtra.
•    The conclave is being organised by India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA).
•    IPGA is the apex body of India’s pulses and grains industry and trade based in Mumbai.
•    The aim of the conclave is to discuss increasing domestic production and consumption and improving processing efficiencies, increasing consumption, exports, value addition, protein extraction, post-harvest crop management, etc.

11-17 January 2020 : National Road Safety Week  
•    In 2020, India is observing the 31st National Road Safety Week from 11 to 17 January 2020.
•    The theme for National Road Safety Week 2020 is : ‘Sadak Suraksha – Jeevan Raksha’.
•    The National Road Safety Week is observed throughout the country every year to highlight and emphasize the need for safe roads and provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to contribute to the cause by taking up activities to promote the concept.
•    It is organised every year in January by the National Safety Council of India.

Neonatal and under-five mortality rate in India
•    On January 12, 2020, the United Nations(UN) inter agency group for child mortality has produced a report titled “Levels and Trends in Child Mortality”. 
•    As per this report India is among 5 countries where in 2018, the mortality of girls under the age of 5 exceeds that of the boys. 
•    Half of all under-5 deaths in 2018 occurred in the following five countries: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC) and Ethiopia.
•    Gender gaps: Considering overall states and Union Territories(UTs), Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttarakhand showed largest gender gaps in under-5 age mortality.
•    India and Nigeria alone accounted for about 1/3rd of under 5 age deaths.

11-member panel to discuss the royalty rate issues on minerals
•    On January 13, 2020 the centre has decided to set up an 11-member panel that will look into the issues related to revision of royalty rates for minerals (other than coal, lignite, sand for stowing and minor minerals). 
•    The panel will be headed by additional secretary of the mines ministry Dr. K. Rajeswara Rao.
•    Mines secretaries from states of Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha will be the members of the panel.
•    Report submission: The members will have to submit the report within 1 month to the Mines ministry after examining the issues raised by stakeholders.
•    Previously in February 2018, the mines ministry had set up a study group to revise royalty rates and dent rent for minerals. The group submitted its report in July 2019.
•    About Ministry of Mines:
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Union minister- Prahlad Joshi. (Constituency- Dharwad, Karnataka).

Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD) developed by IIT-Madras, Launched
•    On January 13, 2020, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and MSMEs(Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) Shri Nitin Gadkari & Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh have jointly launched an IT (Information Technology) tool “Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD)” developed by the Indian Institute of Technology–Madras (IIT-M) that will help in proper monitoring and accurate analysis of road accidents.
•    It was launched during ‘Road Safety Stakeholders’ Meet held in New Delhi.
•    Developed with the help of  Rs.258 crore financial assistance given by the World Bank,the database will be implemented by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
•    Initially this system is being implemented in 6 states (Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu (TN) and Uttar Pradesh (UP) with highest fatalities of road crashes

BANKING AND ECONOMICS

Rs 14000 crore Approved by World Bank & ADB to enhance road safety in India
•    The World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have approved Rs 7 thousand crore each to reduce the number of ‘blind spots’ from Indian roads and addressed various aspects of road safety in India.
•    This was announced by the Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari on 13 January 2020 at the Road Safety Stakeholders’ Meet in New Delhi, held to mark the 31st National Road Safety Week 2020.
•    As a part of the event, the Defence Minister awarded Tamil Nadu as the best performing state in reducing road accidents.
 

7.35% rise in  Retail inflation in December 2019, highest in last 5 years : NSO
•    On January 13, 2020, According to the Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) / Retail inflation figures, released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Retail inflation rose to a 5-year high of 7.35% in December 2019. 
•    Earlier, in July 2014, the retail inflation had reached 7.39 %.
•    Retail inflation was more affected in December due to high food prices.
•    Retail inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at only 2.11 % in December 2018 & 5.54 % in November 2019.
•    The retail inflation has crossed the upper limit set by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The central government has asked the Reserve Bank to keep inflation in the range of 2-6%

AWARDS, RECORDS AND RECOGNITION

Himachal holds Guiness World Record by preparing largest quantity of Khichdi on Makar Sankranti
•    Himachal Pradesh has made the Guiness Book of World Records for preparing the largest-ever quantity of ‘bean and rice’ dish (khichdi) on 14 January 2020, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, at Tattapani in Mandi district of the state.
•    Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur accepted the certificate on behalf of the state’s Tourism and Civil Aviation department.
•    A team of 25 chefs from Holiday Home hotel in Shimla, cooked 1995 kg of the dish in a vessel weighing 270 kg, with the dimensions of four feet depth and seven feet diameter, that was especially acquired from Jagadhari in Haryana.
•    The chefs’ team took five hours, 4 AM to 9 AM, to prepare the stew.
•    The khichdi container was too heavy to be carried that a crane was used to tilt out the khichdi from the enormous container for serving khichdi to devotees at Tattapani.
•    Earlier, the record for making the largest amount of khichdi (918.8 kg) was held by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor when he represented the Indian ministry of food processing industries at an event in New Delhi on November 4, 2017.

Republic Day parade of 2020 : Captain Tania Shergill to become first woman parade adjutant
•    On 13th January 2020, It was announced Captain Tania Shergill, an officer with Army’s Corps of Signals, will be the first woman parade adjutant for the Republic Day (26th January) parade of 2020. 
•    A parade adjutant is responsible for the parade.
•    She is an electronics and communications graduate, her father, grandfather and great-grandfather have also served in the Army. She was commissioned in March 2017 from the Officer Training Academy, Chennai.
•    In the 2019 Republic Day parade, Captain Bhavna Kasturi was the first women officer who led an all-men contingent.
•    The Republic Day parade will witness Infantry Combat Vehicle BMP-2K of the 18 Mechanised Infantry, Dhanush Gun System and the Army Air Defence on the Rajpath.
•    Contingents of the Corps of Signals, Sikh Light Infantry, Kumaon Regiment, the Grenadiers, the Parachute Regiment will also take part in the parade.
 

British Indian yoga champion Ishwar Sharma wins Global Child Prodigy Award

Actor Aamir Khan in New Delhi conferred 2020 Swachhata Darpan plastic management awards
•    On january 12, 2020 the Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under Ministry of Jal Shakti, organised the ODF (Open Defecation Free) sustainability workshop in New Delhi.  The workshop had a special session by Bollywood actor Aamir Khan (founder of Paani foundation) who distributed awards to the best performing districts on key swachhata parameters.
•    Swachhata Darpan Awards:
Actor Aamir Khan presented the Swachhata Darpan Awards for best performing districts which includes East Godavari (Andhra Pradesh), West Kameng (Arunachal Pradesh), Bemtara (Chhattisgarh), Diu (Daman and Diu), Panipat (Haryana), Vadodara (Gujarat), Kolhapur (Maharashtra), Moga (Punjab), East Sikkim (Sikkim) and Pedappali (Telangana).
•    Award for plastic waste management:
4 districts i.e, Dibrugarh (Assam), Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh), Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Puri (Odisha) were awarded for innovations and initiatives in plastic waste management.

SPORTS

Football player Mbappé named as the most valuable player at €265 million: CIES Football Observatory

APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Appointment : Michael Debabrata Patra as Deputy Governor of RBI
•    Michael Debabrata Patra has been appointed as the 4th Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a period of three-year.
•    Patra replaces Viral Acharya, who quit the post in July 2019.
•    RBI can have a maximum of four Deputy Governors.
•    Currently N S Vishwanathan, B P Kanungo and Mahesh Kumar Jain are the other three Deputy Governors working at the central bank.

Lt General Girish Kumar reappointed as the Surveyor General of India for one year

A P Maheshwari appointed as the new DG of CRPF

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

ISRO : GSAT-30 Satellite ready to Launch from French Guiana on 17 January
•    The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch a communication satellite named GSAT-30 on 17 January 2020 onboard the Ariane-5 launch vehicle (VA 251) from the Ariane Launch Complex at Kourou in French Guiana.
•    The GSAT-30 is a 3,357 kg satellite with a mission life of 15 years.
•    It will serve as a replacement to INSAT-4A spacecraft services to provide communication services from geostationary orbit in C and Ku bands with enhanced coverage.
•    The satellite would be extensively used for supporting VSAT network, television uplinking and teleport services, digital satellite news gathering (DSNG), DTH television services, cellular backhaul connectivity, and many such applications

Indian scientists detect India’s 1st case of infection in Maharashtra : H9N2 virus
•    In December 2019, Scientists of the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, Maharashtra have detected the 1st case of H9N2 virus ,a rare subtype of influenza virus A, in a 17-month-old boy in Maharashtra.
•    The discovery has been published in the journal ‘Emerging Infectious Diseases’ of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
•    It is a rare variant of the virus, which causes human influenza as well as bird flu. These viruses, found exclusively in wild birds, could potentially play a major role in the worldwide emergence of influenza.
•    According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the avian influenza virus is spreading rapidly in poultry firms, exposure to infected poultry or contaminated environments poses a risk to human groups as well.
•    H9N2 virus infections in humans are rare, although cases of the infection do not come to light due to unclear symptoms. In humans, the first case of H9N2 virus infection occurred in Hong Kong in 1998.

Special NATO class diesel for Indian Navy launched by IOC 
•    On January 13,2020 Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has developed a special class diesel (HFHSD- IN 512) High Flash High Speed Diesel conforming to NATO grade for use in ships and vessels of Indian Army and results reduced carbon footprint.

Wolf Cukier, A 17-year-old intern at NASA, discovers new planet ‘TOI 1338b’ 1300 light years away.

OBITUARY

Former vice-president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) P T Ummer Koya (1996 to 2006) passes away at 69. 

National Award Winner Manmohan Mohapatra passed away at 69

SUMMITS AND MOU’S

Indian Railways and RailTel signs MoU for Phase 2 execution of e-office
•    On January 13, 2020 Indian Railways signs Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with  RailTel, a miniratna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Railways for Phase 2 project of e-office execution. 
•    Under this project, RailTel will register 39,000 users over 34 divisions on National Informatics Centre (NIC) e-office platform by June 30, 2020.
•    MoU was signed by Executive Director (ED/TD), Railway Board, Shri Umesh Balonda, and General Manager (GM)/Information Technology (IT) project/RailTel, Smt. Haritima Jaipuriar.
•    Under the Phase 1 execution of e-office, RailTel trained more than 50,000 users in 58 divisions of Indian Railways.
•    e-office is a paperless culture which helps to reduce the operational cost and carbon footprints. 
•    Thus 58 units of Indian Railways became paperless under Phase 1 execution of e-office.
•    NIC e-office  is a cloud enabled software based on Central Secretariat Manual of e-Office Procedure (CSMeOP). It contains four modules namely File Management System (eFile), Knowledge Management System (KMS), Collaboration & Messaging Services (CAMS) and Personnel Information Management System (PIMS).
•    Participants: Chairman, Railway Board, Shri Vinod Kumar Yadav, Member S&T, Railway Board, Shri Pradeep Kumar, CMD, RailTel, Shri Puneet Chawla and other senior officials of Railways and RailTel.
•    About Indian Railways:
Founded- April 16, 1853
Headquarters- New Delhi
Minister of Railway- Piyush Goyal
Chairman of Railway Board- Vinod Kumar Yadav

5th Raisina Dialogue Begins in New Delhi
•    The 5th edition of the prestigious Raisina Dialogue kicked-off in New Delhi on 14 January 2020 and will continue till 16 January 2020.
•    The Dialogue has been jointly organized by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Observer Research Foundation.
•    Raisina Dialogue is India’s flagship global Conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, and also one of the largest gathering of its kind.
•    The inaugural session on 14 January will be attended by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi along with Seven former Heads of State/Government, to share their views on important challenges facing the world
•    The Raisina Dialogue 2020 will bring together 700 international participants from over a 100 countries.
•    The conference will see deliberations over 80 sessions around 5 thematic pillars including
o    Nationalist impulses challenging global institutions and collective action,
o    Debate on the global trading architecture,
o    Role of technologies in determining political, economic and military power,
o    Global development agenda and
o    State-individual relationship in the age of digital communities and cyberspace.

SBI Signs MoU with South Central Zone of Indian Railways for Doorstep Banking
•    The South Central Zone (SCR) of Indian Railways and State Bank of India (SBI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for ‘Doorstep Banking’ to enable direct pickup of cash earnings from all 585 Railway stations on SCR Zone.
•    The direct pick up of cash from all the railway stations on SCR by SBI will save the tedious and complex activity of movement of cash earnings through ‘cash safes’ by trains.
•    The door step banking will increase the pace of financial transactions and digitization of remittance of cash earnings of the Railways into accounts.

DAYS

January 2020 Important Days

1 January – Global Family Day
It is celebrated as a day of peace and sharing. Its aim is to unite and spread message of peace by considering and promoting an idea that Earth is a one Global Family so as to make world a better place to live for everyone.
8 January - African National Congress Foundation Day
South African Native National Congress (SANNC) was founded in 8 January 1912 by John Langalibalele Dube in Bloemfontein. Behind this the primary motive was to give voting rights to black and mixed race Africans or to unite African people and spearhead the struggle for fundamental political, social and economic change.
9 January – NRI (Non-Resident Indian) Day or Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
NRI or Pravasi Bharatiya Divas observed every year on 9 January to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards the development of India. This day also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9 January, 1915.
10 January : World Hindi Day
The World Hindi Day is celebrated every year on 10 January since 2006 to create awareness for the promotion of Hindi in the world, to introduce Hindi as an international language among other things.Former Prime Minister of India Shri Manmohan Singh declared World Hindi Day to be observed on 10 January in the year 2006.Since then, the day is observed by Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Embassies abroad.
11 January – Death anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri
He was the second Prime Minsiter of Independent India. He popularised the slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' He actively participated in the India's freedom struggle. Due to cardiac arrest he died on 11 January, 1966.
12 January – National Youth Day
The birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda also called Swami Vivekananda Jayanti is celebrated every year on 12 January. He was born on 12 January, 1863. The government had decided to observe it as National Youth Day because the philosophy of Swamiji and the ideals for which he lived and worked could be a great source of inspiration for the Indian Youth. He had given speech at the Parliament of the World's religions in Chicago and glorified India's name.
14 January --Armed Forces Veterans Day
In India, the Armed Forces Veterans Day is observed each year on 14 January since 2017 to acknowledge and honour the selfless devotion and sacrifice of our veterans in the service of the nation. The day is observed as a mark of respect and recognition of the services rendered by Filed Marshal KM Cariappa OBE, the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces who retired on 14 January 1953. 2020 marks the 4th Armed Forces Veterans Day with celebrations held at Delhi at the National War Memorial
15 January – Indian Army Day
Every year 15 January is observed as Indian Army Day because on this day in 1949 field Marshal Kodandera M Cariappa took over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief.
15 January -- Makara Sankranti 
Makara Sankranti or Maghi, is a festival day in the Hindu calendar, dedicated to the deity Surya. It is observed each year in January. It marks the first day of the sun's transit into Makara, marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days. 
Observances: Kite flying.
Date: Wednesday, 15 January, 2020
Celebrations: Kite flying, bonfires, fairs, surya puja in river, feast, arts, dance, socialization
Featured in religions: Hinduism
Significance: Harvest festival
Also called: Magha, Môkôr Sôngkrānti, Mela, Maghi, Bhogi
23 January - Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was born on 23 January, 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa. He was one of the most prominent Indian freedom fighter. His army was known as Indian National Army (INA) or Azad Hind Fauj. He also led an Indian national force from abroad against the Western powers during World War II.
24 January- National Girl Child Day
On 24 January every year National Girl Child Day is celebrated to highlight the inequalities faced by a majority of the girls in India, importance of education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care and safety of girl children etc.
25 January- National Voters Day
Every year on 25 January National Voter's Day or Rashtriya Matdata Diwas is celebrated to encourage young voters to take part in the political process. In 2011 first time this day was celebrated to mark Election Commission's Foundation Day.
25 January- National Tourism Day
Every year on 25 January National Tourism Day is celebrated in India to raise the awareness and educate people about the importance of tourism and the role it plays in the Indian economy.
26 January- Republic Day
On 26 November, 1949 Indian Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution the supreme law of the land and replaced the Government of India Act 1935. It came into effect on 26 January 1950 with a democratic government system. This day marks with the largest parade took place at Rajpath, Delhi every year.
26 January – International Customs Day
International Customs Day (ICD) is celebrated every year on 26 January by Custom Organisation to recognise the role of custom officials and agencies in maintaining border security. It also focuses on the working conditions and challenges that custom officers face in their jobs.
28 January- Birth Anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai was born on 28 January, 1865 in Punjab. He was a prominent nationalist leader who played an important role in India’s struggle for freedom. He also earned the title of 'Punjab Kesari' or 'the Lion of the Punjab'. He initiated the foundation of Punjab National Bank. He died on 17 November, 1928, due to serious injuries. The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Hisar, Haryana is named after Lala Lajpat Rai.
30 January – Martyrs Day or Shaheed Diwas
30 January is celebrated as Martyr's Day or Shaeed Diwas every year in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi and sacrifice of three revolutionaries of India. As, on 30 January, 1948, the 'Father of Nation' was assassinated. And on 23rd March 3 heroes namely Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar of the nation were hanged to death by British.
30 January – World Leprosy Eradication Day
World Leprosy Day is observed on 30 January every year to focus on the target of zero cases of leprosy-related disabilities in children. As, we know that disabilities do not occur overnight but happen after a prolonged period of undiagnosed disease.