Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I

January 2019

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

Table of Contents

Awards & Honours ................................................................................................................................................. 3

Days & Events ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
International Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 8
National Affairs ..................................................................................................................................................... 12
Personalities in News ........................................................................................................................................... 19
Books & Authors ................................................................................................................................................... 21
Government Policies & Schemes ......................................................................................................................... 21
Science & Technology ........................................................................................................................................... 27
Committees & Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 28
Business & Economy............................................................................................................................................. 30
Sport ..................................................................................................................................................................... 35

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Defence................................................................................................................................................................. 38
Polity .................................................................................................................................................................... 39

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Awards &Honours
Piyush Goyal Presented with Carnot Prize
 Union Minister of Railways & Coal Piyush Goyal was
formally presented with fourth annual Carnot Prize at
Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 30th January, 2019.
 The prize was presented by Kleinman Center for Energy
Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.
 The Carnot Prize is intended to honour distinguished
contributions to energy policy through scholarship or
practice.
Sahitya Akademi Awards 2018 presented
 On January 29, 2019 Sahitya Akademi presented the
Sahitya Akademi Award 2018 at a function in New Delhi
during the Festival of Letters.
 The awards were presented for writings in 24 different
Indian languages.
 Renowned Hindi writer Chitra Mudgal, Dogri writer
Inderjeet Kesar, Kannada writer KG Nagarajappa and
Kashmiri story writer Mushtaq Ahmad Mushtaq were
among the 24 winners.
India wins Award of Excellence at Travel Show
 India bagged the Award of Excellence for ‘Best in Show’ at
New York Times Travel Show 2019.
 The show was held from 25th to 27th January in New York,
USA.
 Many India centric activities were held at the show
including Indian cultural performances, Indian Culinary
Demonstrations, Food tasting, etc.
 Indian was delegation led by Yogendra Tripathi, Secretary,
Ministry of Tourism, GoI.
'Kisan Gandhi' tableau wins first prize.
 The Indian Council of Agricultural Research tableau in the
Republic Day Parade has won the first prize for its Kisan
Gandhi theme.
 The ICAR tableau with the theme "Mishrit Kheti, Khushiyon
Ki Kheti" portrayed Gandhi with goats and a cow and
Kasturba engaged with charkha and caring animals.
 The tableau showcased a view from Bapu Kuti at Wardha
Ashram.
SAG awards 2019
 Black Panther has won the top film award in at the 25th
Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles.
 The best actor awards for film went to Glenn Close for The
Wife and Rami Malek for his performance as Queen
frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.
 Emily Blunt won the award for best female actor in a
supporting role in the horror film, A Quiet Place.
Govt announces Padma Awards 2019
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 On 25 January 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind conferred
the Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian awards of
the category, to 112 people from various disciplines.
 The awards were conferred in three categories, namely,
Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
 The list comprises 4 Padma Vibhushan, 14 Padma Bhushan
and 94 Padma Shri awardees.
 Twenty-one of the awardees are women.
NRL receives 'Best Miniratna PSU' award
 Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) was awarded the best
Strategic Performance (Financial Category) at the sixth
edition of 'Governance Now PSU' Awards on 25 January
2019.
 The awards are given out in recognition of the efforts of
Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) who have played a key
role in the country's growth.
 NRL is a joint venture between Bharat Petroleum, Oil India
and Govt of Assam.
D N Chakraborty gets journalism award
 Assam government has conferred the 'Republic Day
Journalism Award 2019 to veteran journalist and former
editor Dhirendra Nath Chakraborty on 26 January 2019.
 He has been honoured for his lifelong contribution to
journalism in the state.
 He is the former Editor of Dainik Asom, Dainik
Janambhumi and Ajir Batori group of newspaper.
Tomy Abhilash awarded with Nao Sena Medal
 President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Nao Sena Medal
to Commander Tomy Abhilash on 25 January 2019.
 Tomy Abhilash had participated in the Golden Globe
navigation race in 2018.
 Abhilash was stranded 3,200 km off the coast of Western
Australia after his sailing vessel, INSV Thuriya's mast
broken during a severe storm in the Indian Ocean.
Army Chief awarded 'Param Vishisht Seva Medal'
 On 25 January 2019, Indian Army chief General Bipin
Rawat was conferred with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal
(PVSM).
 Fifteen lieutenant generals and three major generals have
also been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM).
 Param Vishisht Seva Medal is the highest military medal
awarded in recognition of peace-time services not relating
to gallantry.
Jayant Kaikini wins DSC prize
 On 25 January 2019, Kannada author Jayant Kaikini, along
with translator Tejaswini Niranjana, won the prestigious
'DSC Prize for South Asian Literature' for the book 'No
Presents Please: Mumbai Stories' for 2018.
 The award was presented at the Kolkata Literary Meet.
 The award carries a prize of $25,000.

 This is the first time that a Kannada work and a work in
translation has won the award.
Tamil translation of French book wins award
 The Tamil translation of Andrei Makine's 'La vie d'un
homme inconnu' (The Life of an Unknown Man) was
awarded the 'Romain Rolland' Prize for literary translation
on 25 January 2019.
 The book was translated by SR Kichenamourty.
 The award consists of an invitation to the Paris Book Fair
2019 in March for the publisher of the work and one-
month residency in France for the translator.
Bharat Ratna for Pranab, Deshmukh, Hazarika
 On 25 January 2019, President Ramnath Kovind conferred
the Bharat Ratna on former President Pranab Mukherjee.
 Social activist Nanaji Deshmukh and Assamese musician
Bhupen Hazarika were awarded Bharat Ratna
posthumously.
 Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian award.
Govt institutes 'Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar'
 The government of India instituted an annual award titled
'Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar'.
 The award recognises all Indian Citizens and
organisations who have excelled in areas of Disaster
Management.
 The award will be announced every year on 23rd January
on the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
 For 2019, 8th Battalion of NDRF was selected for the
award.
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards conferred
 On 23 January 2019, three Indian expats from the UAE
were conferred with the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
Award'.
 The award was conferred on Girish Pant, Surender Singh
Kandhari and Dr Zulekha Daud.
 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award is the highest honour
conferred by the President on a Non-Resident Indian (NRI),
Person of Indian Origin (PIOs) or organisation or institution
run by NRIs or PIOs.
VP presents Chhatra Vishwakarma & SAGY Awards
 The Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu presented
the 2nd Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards to students & their
mentors & Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) Awards to
institutions on 21 January 2019.
 The Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards aims to recognise the
innovations and achievements of individuals as well as
institutions.
 SAGY Award was given under the theme 'Developed
Village-Developed Nation'.
Short film from India gets Oscars nomination
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
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 An Indian short film titled 'Period. End of Sentence' has
earned a nomination in the Documentary Short Subject
category for the 91st Academy Awards.
 The short film was directed by Rayka Zehtabchi.
 Other documentary short films that were nominated are
'Black Sheep', 'End Game', 'Lifeboat', and 'A Night at the
Garden'.
Sitanshu awarded Saraswati Samman 2017
 Gujarati poet Sitanshu Yashashchandra was awarded
'Saraswati Samman 2017' on 22 January 2019.
 He was awarded for his poetry collection in Gujarati
named 'Vakhar'.
 The award was instituted by K.K.Birla foundation.
 The award is given every year to an outstanding work of an
Indian citizen published during the last 10 years in any of
the languages mentioned in Schedule 8 of the constitution.
Anurag Thakur gets Sansad Ratna Award
 Anurag Thakur, MP, Hamirpur, has been bestowed with
the 'Sansad Ratna Award' for distinguished performance as
a parliamentarian on 19 January 2019.
 The Sansad Ratna Award was started in 2010 on the
suggestion of former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
 The award is given to 12 top performing parliamentarians,
including a standing committee.
Rao chosen for Sheikh Saud International Prize
 Scientist and recipient of Bharat Ratna C N R Rao has been
chosen for the first 'Sheikh Saud International Prize for
Materials Research' by the Centre for Advanced Materials
of the United Arab Emirates.
 The award involves a plaque, a medal and a cash prize of 1
lakh US Dollar.
 The award will be presented at the International
Workshop on Advanced Materials in UAE on 25 February
2019.
Ranjani Murali wins 'Woman's Voice Award'
 US-based Indian poet Ranjani Murali received the
'Woman's Voice Award' at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary
Festival (AKLF) on 20 January 2019.
 The aim of the award is to recognise and encourage
creative writing by women in India and to support the
publication of their writing.
 Ranjani Murali's first book of poems 'Blind Screens' was
published in July 2017.
Dr. Rattan Lal honoured with 2019 Japan Prize
 Dr Rattan Lal was honoured with '2019 Japan Prize' on 16
January 2019.
 He was awarded for his research on the processes and
factors of soil degradation caused by inappropriate
biological production.

 He is Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science at
The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.
 He has been listed among the World's Most Influential
Scientific Minds (2012)
WCD shortlists 26 children for National Award
 The National Selection Committee under the Women and
Child Development Ministry, have finalised the names of
awardees for 'Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar
2019'.
 Maneka Gandhi is the Chairperson of the National
Selection Committee.
 The award is conferred upon children for their bravery,
social service, and exceptional achievement in the fields of
innovation, sports, and arts.
Gandhi Peace Prize announced
 The Gandhi Peace Prize for the years 2015,2016,2017 and
2018 were announced on 16 January 2019.
 Vivekananda Kendra got the prize for 2015.
 Akshaya Patra Foundation and Sulabh International got
the prize for 2016.
 EkalAbhiyan Trust got the prize for 2017.
 Yohei Sasakawa got the prize for 2018.
 The annual prize was instituted by the Government of
India in 1995.
Glenn Close to receive Oscar Wilde Award
 The US-Ireland Alliance has announced that the veteran
actor Glenn Close will receive the 'Oscar Wilde Award' on
21 February 2019.
 She will receive the award at the 14th Annual Oscar Wilde
Awards.
 She also won the 2018 Golden Globe award for Best
Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for the film, 'The Wife'.
PM Narendra Modi receives Philip Kotler award
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the first-ever
Philip Kotler Presidential award on 14 January 2019.
 The Award focuses on the triple-bottom-line of People,
Profit, and Planet.
 He has been selected for his outstanding leadership for the
nation.
 Prof. Philip Kotler is a world-renowned Professor of
Marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of
Management.
Namita wins Sushila Devi Literature Award
 Writer Namita Gokhale won the 'Sushila Devi Literature
Award' for her novel 'Things to Leave Behind' on 12
January 2019.
 She was awarded in the 'Best Book of Fiction Written by a
Woman Author' category at the inaugural edition of
Bhopal Literature and Art Festival (BLF).
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The literary event was attended by over 70 writers and
artists.
Adi Godrej conferred ICSI lifetime award
 Industrialist and Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej was
conferred with the ICSIs Lifetime Achievement Award for
'Translating Excellence in Corporate Governance into
Reality' on 10 January 2019.
 The awards were instituted by The Institute of Company
Secretaries of India (ICSI).
 The ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate
Governance were bagged jointly by Cipla Ltd and Dabur
India Ltd
Golden Globe Awards announced-II
 'Roma' won the award for Best Foreign Language Picture.
 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won the award for the
Best animated picture.
 Mahershala Ali won the award for the Best Supporting
Actor.
 Regina King won the award for the Best Supporting
Actress.
 Christian Bale won the award for the Best Actor – Musical
or Comedy
 Olivia Colman won the award for the Best Actress –
Musical or Comedy
Golden Globe Awards announced-I
 On 6 January 2019, The Golden Globe Awards for 2018
were announced in the USA.
 'Bohemian Rhapsody' won the award for Best Motion
Picture – Drama
 Rami Malek won the award for Best Actor – Drama
 Glenn Close won the award for Best Actress – Drama
 Alfonso Cuaron won the award for the Best Director
 'Green Book' won the award for the Best Motion Picture –
Musical or Comedy
'Exhibitor of the Year Award' for DRDO
 The Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) pavilion received 'Exhibitor of the Year Award' at
106th Indian Science Congress (ISC) held at Lovely
Professional University (LPU) in Punjab.
 The DRDO Pavillion at ISC was inaugurated on 3 January
2019.
 The pavilion exhibited surface-to-air missile system -
Akash, a model of BrahMos missile, remotely operated
vehicle etc.
Anganwadi workers to be honoured with awards
 Union Minister for Women & Child Development, Maneka
Gandhi conferred National Awards to 97 Anganwadi
Workers (AWWs) on 7 January 2019.
 The awards were given for their Exceptional Achievements
for the year 2017-18

 The award is given to motivate the AWWs and recognise
their exemplary service in the field of child development
and related areas under the Integrated Child Development
Scheme.
Dinu conferred with lifetime achievement award
 Veteran journalist Dinu Randive was conferred with the
lifetime achievement award by the Mantralaya and
Vidhimandal Vartahar Sangh.
 The Sangh is an association of journalists covering
Maharashtra legislature and secretariat.
 Mr. Randive started his journalistic career in 1956.
 He also participated in the freedom struggle, the Sanyukta
Maharashtra movement, and the Goa liberation
movement.
Farooq to be honoured by Bimal Roy Society
 Farooq Sheikh and Asha Parekh will be honoured by the
Bimal Roy Memorial and Film Society to commemorate the
52nd death anniversary of the renowned filmmaker.
 The society was instituted in memory of the late filmmaker
Bimal Roy.
 Its aim is to reward unsung heroes of the film industry.
 Awards will also be given to directors Ananth Mahadevan
and Amit Rai for making socially relevant films.
Wahengbam Singh to get National Bravery Award
 Wahengbam Lamnganba Singh from Manipur was selected
by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) for
receiving National Bravery Award.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 He will be receiving the award from the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on January 23, 2019.
 He saved his cousin brother from drowning in a pond on
16 May 2018.
 The National Bravery Awards are given on every Republic
Day.
AP govt bags CBIP award for Polavaram project
 The Andhra Pradesh government bagged the Central
Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP) award for speedy
execution of Polavaram multipurpose project.
 It received the award in the category of 'Best
Implementation of Water Resources Project' for better
planning, implementation, and monitoring.
 Polavaram project multipurpose project on the Godavari
river.
Vijay Kumar won the Ramnath Goenka Award
 S. Vijay Kumar was presented the 'Ramnath Goenka
Excellence in Journalism' Award for Investigative Reporting
(Print category) on 4 January 2019.
 He is Senior Deputy Editor with 'The Hindu'.
 The award has been instituted by the Ramnath Goenka
Memorial Foundation.
 Awards were presented to 29 journalists across India in
various categories.
National Entrepreneurship Awards held in Delhi
 The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
hosted the third edition of the 'National Entrepreneurship'
Awards in New Delhi on 4 January 2019.
 The awards aim to recognize and honor outstanding young
first-generation entrepreneurs and those who have
contributed immensely to building the entrepreneurship
ecosystem.
 A total of 43 awards were presented for 2019.
Jayanta Kumar won 'National Geospatial Award'
 The Indian Society for Remote Sensing (ISRS) conferred the
National Geospatial Award for Excellence-2017 (Life Time
Achievement Award) to IIT professor Jayanta Kumar
Ghosh
 The award was given to him for his contribution to the
development of geospatial science and applications.
 ISRS is an organisation known in the area of space science,
remote sensing and geospatial technology.
Days & Events
'Artisan Speak' organised by Textile Ministry
 Ministry of Textiles presented an event named 'Artisan
Speak' at Elephanta Caves near Mumbai on January 28,
2019.
 The event showcased the rich handloom and textile
tradition of India.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

 The event will display the potential of GI (Geographical Army Day observed on 15 January
Indication) textiles so as to promote and build awareness
 Army day is observed every year in India on 15 January.
of such products and to strengthen skills and supply chain
 On this day in 1949, Field Marshal Kodandera M Cariappa
capacity of grassroots stakeholders.
took over as the first Indian commander-in-chief of the
8th Annual Pulicat Day to be observed on 2 Feb Indian Army.
 On this day, Indian Army also remembers and pays
 The eighth annual 'Pulicat Day' will be observed on 2
tributes to soldiers, who sacrificed their lives in the line of
February at Pulicat in Tamil Nadu.
duty.
 The aim of the day is to create awareness among people
about the importance of protecting the Pulicat lagoon. Armed Forces Veteran Day observed on 14 Jan
 Pulicat lake was once a prominent port of south-east coast
 The Indian Armed Forces Veterans Day is observed every
for cotton export which attracted the Arabs in 700AD,
year on 14 January.
Europeans in 1502 and Japanese in 1619 in AD.
 The day is celebrated as a mark of respect and recognition
International day for Holocaust Remembrance of the services rendered by Field Marshal, who retired
from service on 14 January 1953.
 The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of
 K.M. Cariappa was the first Commander of the Indian
the Victims of the Holocaust is observed every year on 27
Armed Forces.
January 2019.
 The theme for 2019 is The theme of the Holocaust National Youth Day: 12 January
remembrance and education activities this year is
 National Youth Day is observed every year on 12 January.
'Holocaust Remembrance: Demand and Defend Your
 The day is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of
Human Rights'.
Swami Vivekananda.
 The theme highlights the 70th anniversary of the Universal
 The aim of the day is to propagate the philosophy and the
Declaration of Human Rights.
ideals of Swami Vivekananda.
National Voters’ Day: 25 January  He was a social reformer, philosopher and thinker.
 National Voters' Day (NVD) is observed in India every year  In 1984, the government of India first declared to
on 25 January 2019. celebrate the birthday of Swami Vivekananda as National
 NVD is celebrated to mark the Foundation day of Election Youth Day.
Commission of India, which was established on 25th PM to inaugurate 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
January 1950.
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 15th
 The aim of the day is to encourage, facilitate and maximize
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on 21 January 2019 at Varanasi in
the enrollment, especially for the new voters.
Uttar Pradesh.
 'My Vote Matters', a Quarterly Magazine will also be
 On 21 January 2019, the inauguration of the 'Youth Pravasi
launched on the occasion.
Bharatiya Divas' will be held in partnership with the
International Day of Education: 24 January Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
 International Day of Education is observed on 24 January.  On 23 January 2019, 'Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards'
will be conferred by President Ram Nath Kovind.
 The aim of the day is to celebrate the role of education for
peace & development. World Hindi Day observed on 10 January
 The United Nations General Assembly on December 3
 World Hindi Day is observed every year on January 10 to
adopted a resolution declaring January 24 as International
promote the greatness of the Hindi language.
Day of Education.
 The first World Hindi Conference was held on January 10
 In India, National Education Day is observed on 11
in 1975 and to commemorate this day, World Hindi Day is
November to commemorate the birth anniversary
celebrated every year.
of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
 The first World Hindi Conference was inaugurated by
National Girl Child Day observed on 24 Jan Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Nagpur.
 National Girl Child Day is observed every year on 24 World Braille Day observed on 4 January
January.
 The United Nations observed the first official World Braille
 The theme for 2019 is 'Empowering Girls for a Brighter
Day on 4 January.
Tomorrow'.
 The aim of the day is to raise awareness of the importance
 The aim of the day is to raise awareness on the issue of
of Braille.
declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and create a positive
 It also aims to raise awareness about the human rights of
environment around valuing the girl child.
visually-impaired and partially-sighted people,
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 The day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in
November 2018.
DRDO day is observed on 1 January
 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
day is observed on 1 January.
 The DRDO was established in 1958 with just 10
laboratories to enhance the research work in defence
sector.
 Dr. G Satheesh Reddy is the Chairman of DRDO.
 DRDO works under the Department of Defence Research
and Development of Ministry of Defence.
International Affairs
Malaysia crowns Sultan Abdullah as King
 Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah of central Pahang
state was crowned as Malaysia’s 16th king on 31 January,
2019.
 The move came nearly a month after the sudden
abdication of Sultan Muhammad V.
 Sultan Abdullah is a council member of the world football
governing body FIFA, president of the Asian Hockey
Federation, and an executive board member of the
International Hockey Federation.
UAE, Saudi Arab launch digital currency
 The central banks of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and
Saudi Arabia have launched a common digital currency
called ‘Aber’.
 The central bank-based digital currency will make cross-
border financial transactions more secure and financially
efficient.
 Dirham is the currency of UAE while Saudi Riyal is the
currency of Saudi Arabia.
Strategic MoUs between Syria and Iran
 Syria and Iran signed 11 agreements and MoUs including a
"long-term strategic economic cooperation" deal on
January 29, 2019.
 The agreements cover various fields including economy,
culture, education, infrastructure, investment and
housing.
 They were signed during a visit to Damascus by Iran's First
Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri.
NASA solar probe begins second orbit of Sun
 NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has begun its second orbit of
the Sun and is on track for its closest approach to our star.
 Just 161 days after its launch, the Parker probe completed
its first orbit of the Sun on January 19.
 The spacecraft has now begun the second of 24 planned
orbits, on track for its second perihelion, or closest
approach to the Sun, on April 4.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
Tornado hits Cuba
 A huge tornado hit the Cuban capital, Havana, had left four
people dead and 195 injured.
 It is the strongest tornado to hit Cuba in nearly 80 years.
 Miguel Angel Hernandez of the Cuban Center for
Meteorology said the tornado was a Category F3, with
winds between 155 and 199 miles per hour, produced
when a cold front hit Cuba's northern coast.
 Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.
US imposes sanctions on Venezuela
 In USA, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on
Venezuela's state-owned oil company, PDVSA.
 PDVSA is OPEC nation Venezuela's largest source of
revenue and owns US refining arm Citgo Petroleum,
Venezuela's most important foreign asset.
 Nicolas madurothe is the 46th President of Venezuela
since 2013.
Suman Kumari Pak 1st Hindu woman judge
 Suman Kumari has become the first Hindu woman in
Pakistan to be appointed as a civil judge.
 She hails from Qambar-Shahdadkot, will serve in her
native district.
 The first judge from the Hindu community was Justice
Rana Bhagwandas, who served as the acting chief justice
for brief periods between 2005 and 2007.
Pak declares Sugarcane juice as national drink
 On 25 January 2019, the Pakistan government declared
sugarcane juice as the 'National Drink' of the country after
a poll on Twitter.
 The government conducted a poll on Twitter at which
people were asked to decide the national drink of
Pakistan.
 Options including orange juice, sugarcane juice and carrot
juice were given in the poll.
Greece ratify Macedonia name change deal
 On 25 January 2019, Greek MPs have ratified a landmark
accord allowing Macedonia to change its name.
 Under the deal, Macedonia changes its name to North
Macedonia.
 Greece will also allow North Macedonia to join the NATO
and eventually the European Union.
 Greece's capital is Athens and its currency is Euro.
61.7 mn affected due to extreme weather
 As per the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR),
earthquakes and tsunamis accounted for most of the
10,373 lives lost in disasters in 2018.
 It also said that weather events accounted for most of 61.7
million people affected by natural hazards.

 The country most affected by disasters was India, where
there were 23.9 million people hit, followed by the
Philippines and then China.
Sultan Abdullah named as King of Malaysia
 Sultan Abdullah was elected as Malaysia's new King on 24
January 2019, following the abdication of Sultan
Muhammad V in January 2019.
 He is the ruler of the Malaysia state of Pahang.
 He will have a five-year term.
 He is the current President of the Asian Hockey Federation
and a council member of FIFA, the world football body.
Nigeria's new outbreak of Lassa fever kills 16
 On 22 January 2019, Nigerian health authorities declared a
new outbreak of Lassa fever that has killed 16 people since
early January 2019.
 Lassa fever belongs to the same family as Marburg and
Ebola, two deadly viruses that lead to infections with
fever, vomiting and in worst-case scenarios, haemorrhagic
bleeding.
 The Lassa was first identified in northern Nigeria in 1969.
Israel, US successfully test 'Arrow 3' system
 The Israeli and US defence ministries have successfully
tested ballistic missile interceptors named 'Arrow 3'
deployed at Israeli airbases on 22 January 2019.
 The Arrow 3 interceptor system is designed to shoot down
missiles above the atmosphere.
 The interceptor system is intended to serve as Israel's
highest-altitude missile interception system.
Christophe appointed as PM of Burkina Faso
 Burkina Faso's President Roch Marc Christian Kabore
appointed Christophe Dabire as new Prime Minister on 21
January 2019.
 Dabire was previously Burkina's representative at the
eight-nation West African Economic and Monetary Union
(UEMOA).
 Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in Africa.
 Burkina Faso's capital is Ouagadougou and its currency
is West African CFA Franc.
WEF's annual meeting begins in Davos
 The World Economic Forum's (WEF) 49th annual meeting
began on 22 January 2019 in Davos, Switzerland.
 The main theme of the meeting is 'Globalisation 4.0:
Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth
Industrial Revolution'.
 Several topics will be discussed such as the future of the
economy, environmental issues, the digital economy,
media freedom, and data governance.
Aadhaar cards now a valid travel document
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 Aadhaar cards are now valid travel documents for Indians
under 15 and over 65 years travelling to Nepal and Bhutan.
 Indians other than those in the two age brackets will not
be able to use Aadhaar to travel to Nepal and Bhutan.
 Indian citizens going to Nepal and Bhutan don't need a visa
if they have a valid passport, a photo identity card issued
by the government of India.
Nepal bans Indian notes above Rs 100
 Nepal's central bank has banned the use of Indian currency
notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations.
 Under the new regulation, Nepali citizens cannot carry
these denominations to countries other than India.
 Indian notes of 100 or below, however, are allowed for
trading and conversion.
 This move could affect Indian tourists visiting the
Himalayan nation.
US spy satellite launched into orbit
 A US spy satellite named 'National Reconnaissance Office
satellite' was launched into orbit from California on 19
January 2019.
 The satellite was launched on powerful Delta 4 Heavy
rocket.
 The Delta 4 Heavy stands 233 feet (71 metres) tall.
 The National Reconnaissance Office is responsible for US
intelligence satellites.
UNESCO: World Capital of Architecture for 2020
 The UNESCO has announced that the Brazilian city of Rio
de Janeiro will be the World Capital of Architecture for
2020.
 Rio will be the first city to receive the title under a
program launched together by UNESCO and the
International Union of Architects (UIA) in November last
year.
 The city will host the World Congress of UIA, in July 2020,
an event that occurs every three years.
Andry sworn in as President of Madagascar
 Andry Rajoelina was sworn in as President of Madagascar
on 19 January 2019.
 The High Constitutional Court of Madagascar had declared
him as the winner of the Presidential election on 8th
January with 55.66%of the votes.
 He was the President of Madagascar from 2009 to 2014.
 Madagascar's capital is Antananarivo and its currency is
Malagasy Ariary
Sweden's PM Stefan Lofven wins second term
 On 18 January 2019, Sweden's parliament elected Prime
Minister Stefan Lofven to a second four-year term.
 The Prime Minister is expected to formally present his new
government and its full programme on 21 January 2019.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

 It will be one of the weakest administrations in Sweden in  Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has appointed Su Tseng-
70 years. chang as Prime Minister of Taiwan on 10 January 2019.
 Sweden's capital is Stockholm and its currency is Swedish  Su is a former Prime Minister appointed in 2006 by then-
Krona. President Chen Shui-bian and was a Chairman of
Democratic Progressive Party for two terms.
Satellite launched for meteor shower
 The capital of Taiwan is Taipei and its currency is New
 On 18 January 2019, Japan launched a satellite which aims Taiwan Dollar.
to deliver the world's first artificial meteor shower.
Egypt to host 2019 Africa Cup of Nations
 The satellite was launched on Epsilon-4 rocket.
 ALE Co., a start-up based in Tokyo developed the satellite  The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has
for the celestial show over Hiroshima. announced that Egypt will host the 2019 Africa Cup of
 The satellite will release tiny balls that glow brightly as Nations.
they hurtle through the atmosphere, simulating a meteor  Egypt will be hosting the tournament for the fifth time.
shower.  Egypt will use eight stadiums during the tournament,
hosting in five different cities: Alexandria, Ismailia, Port
Raja appointed as member of a key committee
Said, Suez and the capital Cairo.
 US's Democratic lawmaker Raja Krishnamoorthi was
appointed as a member of a Congressional committee on
Intelligence on 17 January 2019.
 He became the first South Asian to serve in the powerful
body tasked to strengthen U.S.’s national security.
 He represents Illinois’s 8th Congressional District in the
House.
First human rights TV channel launched
 The world’s first television channel dedicated to human
rights was launched in London on 16 January 2019.
 The channel was launched by the International
Observatory of Human Rights (IOHR).
 The web-based channel would bring human rights issues
to audiences in over 20 countries across Europe, Latin
America and the Middle East.
Macedonia parliament agrees to change its name
 Macedonia's parliament passed an amendment to the
constitution 11 January 2019 to rename the country as
Republic of North Macedonia.
 This in line with an agreement with Greece to put an end
to a 27-year-old dispute.
 The agreement was signed in June 2018.
 Macedonia will start using it only after the parliament in
Athens also ratifies the agreement.
Charles Kupperman appointed as Deputy NSA USA Cricket becomes ICC's 105th member
 US President Donald Trump appointed Charles Kupperman  On 9 January 2019, International Cricket Council (ICC)
as Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA) on 11 January announced that USA Cricket became its 105th member.
2019.  As a Member of the ICC, USA Cricket is now eligible to
 Charles Kupperman is a former Boeing and Lockheed receive funding in accordance with the ICC Funding Policy.
Martin executive.  USA Cricket has become the 93rd Associate Member in
 He also worked as a defence and foreign policy advisor to accordance with the ICC Constitution.
the Ronald Reagan presidential campaign.  It can now sanction domestic and international matches in
 He also held a position in the President's General Advisory the United States.
Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament.
Malaysia's king Muhammad V resigns
Su Tseng-chang appointed as Taiwan PM

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 Malaysia's King Muhammad V has abdicated after two
years on the throne on 6 January 2019.
 It is for the first time a king has resigned before completing
their five-year tenure.
 Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy and the king
assumes a largely ceremonial role.
 However, the king's assent is needed before the
appointment of a Prime minister or senior public officials.
WB President Jim Yong Kim to step down
 World Bank President Jim Yong Kim will step down from
his position on 1 February 2019.
 He was appointed as President of World bank in July 2012.
 Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank CEO, will assume the role
of interim President from 1 February 2019.
 The United States is the largest shareholder of the World
Bank.
 The World Bank's headquarter is in Washington D.C.
Sheikh Hasina took oath as Bangladesh's PM
 Sheikh Hasina took oath as Prime Minister of Bangladesh
on 7 January 2019.
 President Mohammad Abdul Hamid administered the oath
of office to her.
 Sheikh Hasina became Bangladesh's Prime Minister for the
fourth time.
 She is the President of Awami League.
 Awami League and its allies secured 288 seats out of
elections held for 299-member Parliament on 30
December 2018.
China tests its ‘Mother of All Bombs’
 China tested its most powerful non-nuclear weapon,
dubbed as the 'Mother of All Bombs' on 4 January 2019.
 The bomb's strength is only second to that of a nuclear
weapon.
 It was dropped by a Chinese H-6K bomber.
 The bomb is five to six meters long but weighs less than
America's 'Mother of All Bombs' which was dropped in
Afghanistan.
Trump signed 'ARIA' into law
 The US President Donald Trump signed the 'Asia
Reassurance Initiative Act' (ARIA) into law.
 ARIA was earlier passed in the US Senate in December
2018.
 The act establishes a multifaceted U.S. strategy to increase
US security, economic interests, and values in the Indo-
Pacific region.
 The ARIA will authorise $1.5 billion in spending for a range
of U.S. programs in East and Southeast Asia.
Panj Tirath site declared as National Heritage
 Pakistan has declared the ancient Hindu religious site of
'Panj Tirath' in Peshawar as National heritage.
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 Panj Tirath got its name from the five pools of water
present there, also contains a temple and a lawn with date
palm trees.
 The five pools of the heritage site now come under
the Chacha Yunus Park and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber
of Commerce and Industry.
China’s probe lands on far side of moon
 A China's Chang’e-4 lunar probe touched down on the far
side of the moon on 3 January 2019.
 The probe touched down at a targeted area near the
moon’s south pole in the Von Karman Crater, after
entering its orbit in mid-December 2018.
 The tasks of the Chang’e-4 include astronomical
observation, surveying the moon’s terrain, landform,
mineral makeup, and measuring the neutron radiation.
Justice Asif appointed as new CJ of Pakistan
 Justice Asif Saeed Khosa was appointed as the new Chief
Justice of Pakistan.
 He is the senior most judge of Pakistan's Supreme Court.
 Justice Khosa will assume the charge of his office on 18
January 2019.
 The incumbent Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar will be
retiring from service on 17 January 2019.
Brazil's Bolsonaro takes oath as President
 Former Army captain, Jair Bolsonaro was sworn in as
Brazil's President on 1 January 2019.
 He won the Presidential election of Brazil on 28 October
2018.
 He defeated leftist opponent Fernando Haddad.
 He was declared the winner by the Supreme Electoral
Tribunal after 94% of the votes were counted.
Justice Rana takes over as Nepal's new CJ
 Justice Cholendra Shamsher J B Rana took over as the new
Chief Justice of Nepal's Supreme Court on 2 January 2019.
 President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath to
Justice Rana.
 He will have a tenure of four years.
 He succeeded Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra, who
retired on 1 January 2018.
 He was appointed as the permanent judge of the Supreme
Court on May 27, 2014.
Qatar will cease to be a member of OPEC
 Qatar ceased to be a member of the Organisation of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from 1 January
2019.
 Qatar is the first Gulf country to leave the bloc of oil-
producing countries.
 Qatar is the world's biggest supplier of Liquefied Natural
Gas (LNG).

 The OPEC is an intergovernmental organisation of 15
nations, founded in 1960 in Baghdad and headquartered in
Vienna, Austria.
US, Israel quit UNESCO citing bias
 The US and Israel had quit the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) with the
close of 2018.
 The countries had announced their decisions in 2017 of
withdrawing from the agency, accusing it of bias against
Israel.
 Israel joined the agency in 1949.
 UNESCO is best known for its work to preserve heritage,
including maintaining a list of World Heritage sites.
Tropical storm 'Usman' strucks Philippines
 A tropical storm named 'Usman' struck the Philippines on
25 December 2018.
 Storm Usman resulted in heavy rain and triggered deadly
landslides in the Bicol region in Manila, Philippines.
 The tropical storm Usman emerged as the deadliest
weather disaster for the Philippines after typhoon
'Mangkhut' in September 2018.
National Affairs
IndiGo to build its 2nd MRO at Bengaluru
 InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., which owns and operates air
carrier IndiGo, has entered into a 20-year agreement with
Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).
 The agreement is to sub-lease five acres of land at
Bengaluru Airport to build a Maintenance, Repair &
Overhaul (MRO) facility.
 This will be IndiGo’s second MRO, after the one in
Delhi. The facility will become operational by 2020.
Automatic listing of fresh cases in SC
 The Supreme Court launched its new system of automatic
listing of fresh cases within three to seven days on January
30, 2019.
 The step was taken in a bid to do away with the system of
mentioning of matters for urgent listing every day.
 The new mechanism will come into effect from February 4.
World’s biggest cyclothon ends in Delhi
 World’s biggest cyclothon 'The Swasth Bharat Yatra'
concluded in New Delhi on January 29, 2019.
 The aim of this Yatra was to spread the message of ‘Eat
Safe, Eat Healthy and Eat Fortified.'
 The Yatra began from six different locations - Leh, Panaji,
Thiruvananthapuram, Puducherry, Kolkota and Agartala.
 This Yatra was led by Food Safety Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI).
New Campus of NMI Inaugurated at Noida
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January 2019
 The new Campus of the National Museum Institute was
inaugurated by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar in
Noida on 30th January 2019.
 The foundation stone for this 3 acre campus was laid on
31st January, 2015.
 Four new courses namely, Archaeology; Palaeography,
Epigraphy and Numismatics; Structural Conservation and
Cultural & Heritage Management are expected to be
commenced at the campus.
Madras HC Allows Online Sale of Medicine
 The Madras High Court has extended the permission given
for the online sale of pharmaceuticals till 20th March,
2019.
 The HC had earlier banned sale of drugs online, pending
the framing of regulations by the Centre for such sale.
 The Center had sought more time for framing regulations
for the online sale of medicines.
CPRI Regional Testing Lab at Nashik
 Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New &
Renewable Energy, R K Singh laid the foundation of
Regional testing laboratory of Central Power Research
Institute (CPRI) at Nashik, Maharashtra on Jan 30, 2019.
 The lab will test and certify electrical equipment
manufactured in the western region as per national and
international standards.
 CPRI is an autonomous body under Ministry of Power.
LKA Exhibition Commemorating Gandhi
 Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) has organised an exhibition titled
'Mahatma Gandhi and World Peace' at the Lalit Kala
Akademi Art Galleries of in New Delhi.
 This was done to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary
of Gandhi and highlight his principles of non-violence and
peace.
 The show has been organised in association with Sir J.J.
School of Art, Mumbai.
Mahatma Gandhi's 71st death anniversary
 India is paying homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma
Gandhi on his 71st death anniversary on 30th January,
2019.
 He was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on this day in
1948.
 The day is also observed as Martyrs' Day.
PM Modi to visit Surat and Dandi in Gujarat
 PM Narendra Modi will lay the Foundation Stone for
extension of Terminal building at Surat Airport on 30
January, 2019.
 The terminal is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 354
Crore.
 PM will also interact with the youth at the New India
Youth conclave in Surat.

 In Dandi, he will dedicate the National Salt Satyagraha
Memorial to the nation on Mahatma Gandhi's death
anniversary.
Pariksha Pe Charcha 2.0: New Delhi
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked students to stay
focused, manage time well and not to succumb to stress.
 He was interacting with 2000 students, parents and
teachers in the 2nd edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha in New
Delhi.
 The PM said students should focus on acquiring knowledge
to enrich their lives, without worrying about examination
results.
Beating the Retreat ceremony: 29th January
 Beating the Retreat ceremony, marking the culmination of
four day long Republic Day celebrations, will be held at the
historic Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on 29th January.
 As many as 27 performances at Vijay Chowk will enthrall
the spectators with captivating and foot-tapping music of
the bands from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the
State Police and Central Armed Police Force.
Tripura CM inaugurates exhibition centre
 Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Monday 29th
Jan inaugurated an international indoor exhibition center
here, the largest facility of its kind in the Northeastern
region.
 Built at a cost of Rs 66.52 crore at Hapania with an area of
10,800 sq metre
 The indoor centre has the capacity to house 170 stalls and
accommodate 10,000 visitors.
First Astro Turf Football Pitch inaugurated
 Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio inaugurates state’s first Astro
Turf Football Pitch at Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima on
the occasion of 100th Birth Anniversary of the legendary
footballer, Dr. T. Ao
 The project was conceived in the year 2013-14 with total
cost of 498 lakh rupees.
 The Astro turf has been installed following specifications
of FIFA.
 The size of the play field is 105x66 meters.
Four highway projects launched in Rajasthan.
 Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari
inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of four National
Highway projects in Rajasthan.
 The project worth over 3 thousand 237 Cr. rupees.
 The Project include three projects in Bikaner and one in
Nagaur District.
1st Geographical Indication Store in Goa
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 Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurates
India's 1st Geographical Indication (GI) Store at Goa
International Airport in Dabolim.
 It is located on the 1st floor on Departure Terminal and set
up by Airports Authority of India and The Cashew Export
Promotional Council of India.
 The products from the self-help groups, artisans and
farmers' produce will be also displayed.
Nari Shakti is the Hindi Word of the year
 On January 26, the Oxford Dictionaries announced ‘Nari
Shakti’ as the 'Hindi Word of the Year 2018'.
 The word, Nari Shakti, has been derived from Sanskrit and
when broken down, the word ‘nari’ means women and
‘shakti’ means power.
 The announcement was made during a session at the
Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF).
 Oxford had named 'Aadhaar' as its Hindi Word of the year
2017.
PM Modi inaugurates IREP in Kochi
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bharat
Petroleum Corporation Limited's Integrated Refinery
Expansion Project Complex (IREP) in Kochi on 27 January
2019.
 IREP will be a modern expansion complex and will be
equipped for production of cleaner fuels for India.
 It will double the production of LPG & diesel and
commence production of feedstock for petrochemical
projects
Ministry of Defence Launches ‘RDP INDIA 2019’
 Ministry of Defence launched a mobile app 'RDP India
2019' on 26 January 2019.
 The aim of the app is to show the highlights of the
Republic Day event, not only to the spectators at Rajpath,
New Delhi but also to the general public all over the world.
 This app contains information about the Parade on
Rajpath, New Delhi, including Order of the March, details
of the tableaux presented etc.
'Atal Setu' inaugurated in Goa
 A 5.1-km long cable-stayed bridge named 'Atal Setu' on
the Mandovi river was inaugurated in Goa on 27 January
2019.
 The bridge was constructed by the Goa Infrastructure
Development Corporation and Larsen and Toubro.
 The bridge has 88 high tensile strength cables in the state-
of-art single place harp type cable stay system and a real-
time force monitoring mechanism.
BIS releases New Standard for Bio-Jet Fuel
 Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in collaboration with
Indian Air Force, research organisations and the industry
brought out a new standard for Aviation Turbine Fuels.

 These specifications will align Indian standards with
current international standards.
 An Indian Standard 'IS 17081:2019' Aviation Turbine Fuel
(Kerosene Type, Jet A-1) containing Synthesised
Hydrocarbons has been formulated.
Dev authority for Anandpur Sahib to be set up
 Punjab government announced that a development
authority for Anandpur Sahib will be set up in the wake of
the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in
November 2019.
 The development authority would be formed to plan and
execute the development plans in a systematic and
planned manner.
 The authority would be established on the pattern of Dera
Baba Nanak Development Authority.
e-Courts services through CSCs launched
 The Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice,
decided to deliver e-Courts services to the litigant public
through the 2 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs).
 No fee will be charged from the customers for e-Courts
related services delivered through CSCs.
 The aim of the e-Courts is to provide efficient and time-
bound access to the Courts services to the litigant public.
National Declamation Contest inaugurated
 Union Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore inaugurated the
National Declamation Contest on Patriotism and Nation
Building on 24 January 2019.
 The contest is organised by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan
(NYKS).
 The aim of the Contest is to further strengthen the spirit of
Nationalism and Patriotic feeling amongst youth and
masses for wholehearted participation in nation-building.
Trade through the e-NAM portal started
 The first inter-State trade on e-Nam portal was carried
between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on 19 January
2019.
 The trade happened between a farmer from Gadwal
mandi in Telangana State, who sold 8.46 quintal of
groundnut to a trader in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
 The e-NAM is a pan-India electronic trading portal to
connect with the existing wholesale market.
ECI will host an International conference
 The Election Commission of India (ECI) will host an
International Conference on ‘Making Our Elections
Inclusive and Accessible’ in Delhi on 24th January 2019.
 During the Conference, the January 2019 issue of ECI’s
quarterly magazine 'Voice International' will be released.
 ECI will also renew the MoU for cooperation in the field of
election management with the Election Commission of
Bhutan.
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Creation of National Bench of GSTAT approved
 On 23 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the
creation of National Bench of the Goods and Services Tax
Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT).
 The National Bench of the Appellate Tribunal shall be
situated at New Delhi.
 GSTAT shall be presided over by its President and shall
consist of one Technical Member (Centre) and one
Technical Member (State).
'Save Tiger Protection Force' in Telangana
 On 22 January 2019, the Telangana government has
decided to form a 'State Tiger Protection Force' (STPF) to
save the tiger population in the State.
 The 112-member-armed STPF will be headed by an
Assistant Conservator of Forests to protect tiger
population in Amarabad and Kawal Tiger Reserves.
 The State and Central government will share the cost of
the force on 40:60 basis.
IIT-H to launch BTech Program in AI
 Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad is launching a
full-fledged BTech Program in Artificial Intelligence (AI)
from the coming Academic Year (2019-2020).
 It has become the first Indian Educational Institution to
offer such a program in AI.
 It is also the third institute globally after Carnegie Mellon
University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) to offer such course.
Jallikattu event enters world record
 A grand 'Jallikattu' (bull-taming) event held in Tamil Nadu
on 20 January 2019 entered the world record for the
maximum number of bulls released into the sporting
arena.
 The bull taming sporting event saw the participation of
1,354 bulls and 424 tamers.
 Jallikattu is typically practised in Tamil Nadu as a part of
Pongal celebrations.
Microsoft launches online portal for weavers
 In a bid to empower handloom weavers in Telangana,
Microsoft India launched a new e-commerce portal, 're-
weave.in' on 19 January 2019.
 The portal will help the weavers optimise operations and
engage better with customers.

 It will host signature collections created by the weaver
communities, and showcase traditional designs and
products created from natural dyes.
Inter-state bridge in J-K to be inaugurated
 Union minister Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate the 1.2 km-
long 'Keediyan-Gandiyal' bridge on the Ravi river in Kathua
district of Jammu and Kashmir on 22 January 2019.
 The inter-state bridge will connect the secluded areas of
Kathua district with Punjab.
 The bridge would strengthen the inter-state connectivity
besides giving a boost to the social as well as economic
development of the region.
Irrawaddy dolphin census concludes
 The annual headcount exercise of Irrawaddy dolphins
inhabiting in the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and
Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary concluded on 19 January
2019.
 The enumerators covered the Gahirmatha marine
sanctuary, Dhamara coast, estuaries in Bhitarkanika,
Hukitola, Paradip and Kujang coast.
 In 2018, the census teams had sighted 250 dolphins in the
sea and deltaic zones.
15th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas: 21-23 January
 The 15th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was inaugurated
at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on 21 January 2019.
 The theme for the 15th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is,
'Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India'.
 Several world leaders of Indian origin, including Prime
Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, will take
part in the event.
Uttarakhand CM flags off the air services
 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat flagged
off the air services from Dehradun to Amritsar from Jolly
Grant Airport in Dehradun on Jan 21, 2019
 Jolly Grant Airport/Dehradun Airport is a domestic
airport located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
 The main objective of this air services is to connect several
cities of the country with Dehradun.
UP approves quota for poor among upper castes
 Uttar Pradesh became the third state to implement 10%
reservation for economically poor among the general
category in government jobs and educational institutions.
 It comes into effect from 14 January 2019.
 The decision in this regard was taken by the UP cabinet on
18 January 2019.
 Gujarat and Jharkhand were the first and second states to
implement 10% quota for the economically weak.
UP government renames Mughalsarai tehsil
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 On 18 January 2019, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet gave
approval to a proposal on renaming Mughalsarai tehsil in
Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh after Pandit Deen Dayal
Upadhyay.
 In August 2018, the Mughalsarai railway station was
renamed after Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay.
 In October 2018, the government also renamed Allahabad
as Prayagraj and Faizabad division and district as Ayodhya.
BHEL & LIBCOIN will build Lithium Ion Factory
 Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and LIBCOIN will
build India's first 1GWh lithium-ion battery plant.
 The plant's capacity will be scaled up to 30GWh in due
course.
 This project will bring energy independence by replacing
oil imports with abundant renewable energy.
 It will also create an integrated manufacturing ecosystem
resulting in self-reliance and lower cost.
Streaming services sign self-regulatory code
 Eight video streaming services have signed the 'Self-
Regulatory Code of Best Practices' that establishes guiding
principles for these platforms.
 The eight video streaming services are Hotstar, Voot, Zee5,
Arre, SonyLIV, ALT Balaji, Netflix, and Eros Now.
 The code broadly prohibits content that deliberately and
maliciously disrespects the national emblem or national
flag.
PM Modi will inaugurate the NMIC in Mumbai
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the
'National Museum of Indian Cinema' (NMIC) in Mumbai on
19 January 2019.
 The visitors will be able to enjoy the century-long journey
of Indian cinema via visuals, interactive exhibits and
multimedia.
 The creation of the Museum has been guided by the
Museum Advisory Committee headed by Shri Shyam
Benegal.
Health Ministry bans 80 more FDC drugs
 The Union Health Ministry has banned 80 more fixed-dose
combinations (FDC) drugs.
 It includes antibiotics, painkillers, medicines used for
treating fungal and bacterial infections, hypertension and
anxiety.
 An FDC contains two or more drugs combined in a fixed
ratio of doses, available as a single dose.
 Drugs like Cefglobe OZ, Taxim -OZ etc have been banned
by the health ministry.
Finance min starts 'Know your Budget' series
 The Ministry of Finance has started the 'Know Your
Budget' series on Twitter on 15 January 2019.

 'Know you Budget' series seeks to educate the general
public about the budgetary process.
 The series also explains the importance of Union Budget
and its making.
 The government on 1 February 2019 would unveil the
interim Budget for 2019-20.
ECI launches Voter Awareness Forums
 Voter Awareness Forum(VAF) was launched by Election
Commission of India on 16 January 2019.
 Voter Awareness Forums are informal Forums for
generating awareness around the electoral process
through activities like discussions, quizzes, competitions
and other engaging activities.
 VAF is part of the Electoral Literacy Club programme of
Election Commission of India (ECI).
PM inaugurates 13-km, two-lane Kollam bypass
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kollam
bypass on National Highway-66 in Kerala on 15 January
2019.
 The 13 km-long two-lane bypass road will cut travel time
between Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram districts of
Kerala.
 It will help in decongesting the traffic in Kollam town.
 The bypass includes three major bridges over the
Ashtamudi Lake, having a total length of 1540 metres.
DD Science and India Science channels launched
 On 15 January 2019, Department of Science and
Technology along with Doordarshan launched two science
communication initiatives - 'DD Science' and 'India
Science'.
 The two channels will have science-based documentaries,
studio-based discussions, and virtual walkthroughs of-of
scientific institutions.
 India Science is an internet-based science channel.
Green nod for Sita Ram Irrigation project
 The Union Environment Ministry has given the final
environment clearance (EC) for the Sita Rama Lift Irrigation
Project in Telangana.
 The project aims to divert Godavari river water to three
districts of Telangana.
 The objective of the project is to provide water for
irrigation as well as to supplement some of the existing/
proposed irrigation schemes.
Kerala: Spiritual Circuit project inaugurated
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the project
'Development of Spiritual Circuit: Sree Padmanabha
Swamy Temple-Aranmula-Sabarimala' in Kerala on 15
January 2019.
 The project is implemented under the Swadesh Drashan
Scheme of Ministry of Tourism.
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 The Sree Padmanabaswamy Temple is one of the 108
divyadesams of Lord Vishnu.
Commemorative coin of Rs 350 introduced
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative
coin of Rs 350 to mark the birth anniversary of Guru
Gobind Singh on 13 January 2019.
 Guru Gobind Singh was the 10th Sikh Guru.
 On 5 January 2017, commemorative postage was released
during the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru
Gobind Singh.
Robots introduced for traffic management
 The Chennai Traffic Police inducted a road safety robot
into service on 14 January 2019.
 The name of the robot is 'ROADEO'.
 The robot will help police in traffic management and assist
pedestrians in Chennai roads.
 It will also ease the work of traffic police, as these robots
can be integrated with the traffic signals, as well as can be
operated manually, through a Bluetooth app.
Special weather services for Kumbh launched
 A mobile application named 'Kumbh Mela Weather
Service' has been developed to disseminate the live
weather information.
 It will provide information about the prevailing weather
condition and forecasts to the people visiting Prayagraj
during Kumbh Mela.
 For this purpose, four Automatic Weather stations have
been installed at four locations at Prayagraj.
Single-use plastics banned in Puducherry
 On 13 January 2019, the Puducherry government
announced a total ban on manufacture, sale, and storage
of single-use plastics in the Union Territory.
 The ban on single-use plastics such as paper cups,
disposable plates and straws would come into effect from
1 March 2019.
 A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the
Cabinet chaired by Puducherry's Chief Minister V.
Narayanasamy.
4th Meeting of CTDP held in New Delhi
 The 4th meeting of the Council for Trade Development and
Promotion (CTDP) was held in New Delhi on 10 January
2019.
 It was chaired by the Union Minister for Commerce &
Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu.
 CTDP was constituted in July 2015, to create a framework
for making States/ UTs active partners in boosting India’s
export.
NIC Command & Control Centre inaugurated

 NIC’s Command & Control Centre (CCC) and Centre of
Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (AI) by NIC was
inaugurated at National Informatics Centre (NIC) on 10
January 2019.
 The aim of the CCC is to increase the performance of ICT
infrastructure in the country.
 The AI centre is designed to promote innovation in the
application of AI to take e-Governance services to the next
level.
Airboat service from Varanasi to Prayagraj
 The government of India will launch an airboat service
from Varanasi to Prayagraj for the Kumbh Mela from 26
January 2019.
 The airboat will have an engine of a vehicle and carry 16
people in one go. It can cruise up to 80 kilometers per
hour and requires a depth of only 10 centimeters.
 The Kumbh Mela will begin in Prayagraj on 15 January
2019.
Longest cable suspension bridge inaugurated
 Arunachal Pradesh's Chief Minister, Pema Khandu
inaugurated India’s longest single lane steel cable
suspension bridge over River Siang in Upper Siang district.
 The name of the bridge is Byorung Bridge.
 The 300-meter-long Bridge was funded by the
Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Ministry
under Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources.
Private FM channels allowed to carry AIR news
 Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan
Rathore launched 'Sharing of All India Radio News with
Private FM broadcasters' on 8 January 2019.
 Private FM channels can now carry All India Radio News
free of cost on trial basis up to 31st May 2019.
 The commercials which are broadcast during news
bulletins have to be carried along with news in too.
PM launches various projects in Maharashtra
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched road and
underground sewerage system projects in Maharashtra on
9 January 2019.
 He also laid the foundation stone for a ₹1,811 crore
housing project of 30,000 units under the Pradhan Mantri
Awas Yojana.
 The housing project will benefit the homeless poor like rag
pickers, rickshaw pullers, textile and beedi workers.
A stretch of NH 211 inaugurated in Maharashtra
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the four-laned,
Solapur – Tuljapur – Osmanabad section of NH-211 (New
NH-52) in Solapur in Maharashtra on 9 January 2019.
 It will improve the connectivity of Solapur with the
Marathwada region.
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 The project is part of Solapur-Yedashi section in
Maharashtra.
 The Prime Minister had laid the foundation for this project
in 2014.
App to alert police on traffic violators
 The Coimbatore city police launched the 'Police-E-Eye'
mobile application on 7 January 2019.
 The app will enable the public to take photographs of
traffic rule violators and upload them to the police.
 Based on this, the traffic department would issue photo
challans to the violators' place to collect the fine amount.
AAI bans single-use plastic items
 Airports Authority of India (AAI) imposed a ban on single-
use plastic items at its 129 airports across the country.
 Single-use plastic items like straws, plastic cutlery, plastic
plates etc have been banned by AAI.
 Single-use plastic items are used only once and then
thrown in the trash.
 Guruprasad Mohapatra is the Chairman of Airports
Authority of India.
Raisina Dialogue to begin in New Delhi
 The fourth edition of the Raisina Dialogue began in New
Delhi on 8 January 2019.
 The Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with
Observer Research Foundation is organising the annual
geopolitical and geostrategic conference.
 The theme of the Dialogue this year is 'A World Reorder:
New Geometries; Fluid Partnerships; Uncertain Outcomes'.
Monkey fever in Karnakata
 At least six people have died due to Kyasanur forest
disease (KFD), also known as ‘monkey fever’, in
Shivamogga district of Karnakata.
 KFD is a re-emerging zoonotic disease endemic in
Karnataka.
 It is caused by Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV), a
member of the virus family Flaviviridae.
 The disease can be transmitted to human via contact with
a sick or recently dead monkey.
Polavaram project created a World Record
 The Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project entered
the Guinness Book record in terms of using the highest
volume of concrete in a given day.
 The project contractor Navayuga Engineering Company
poured 32,100 cubic meters of concrete in the spillway
channel within 24 hours.
 The project beat the existing record set in Dubai while
building a hotel in May 2017.
Orange alert for Andaman due to cyclone Pabuk

 The government of India issued an 'Orange' alert for the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands due Cyclonic storm 'Pabuk'
on 6 January 2019.
 'Pabuk' is now over the Andaman sea and its
neighbourhood.
 An 'orange' weather warning means people should be
prepared and there is an increased likelihood of bad or
extreme weather which may disrupt road and air travel
and threaten life and property.
Results of World Toilet Day Contest announced
 Salem District is one among the top 12 winners of the
World Toilet Day Contest 2018.
 The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation organised
contests from 9 to 19 November 2018.
 The aim of the contest was to encourage the districts to
re-intensify the sanitation movement, with a special focus
on open defecation free (ODF) sustainability.
NGT imposes Rs 100 Cr fine on Meghalaya govt
 The National Green Tribunal imposed a fine of 100 crore
rupees on Meghalaya government for its failure to curb
illegal coal mining in the state.
 The amount of the fine has to be deposited with the
Central Pollution Control Board.
 The action comes after a high-level committee submitted
an adverse report to a bench headed by NGT chairperson
AK Goel.
Organic Festival to be organised in Chandigarh
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 The 6th 'Women of India Organic Festival' will be held
from 12 to 14 January 2019 in Chandigarh.
 The festival will be organised by the Ministry of Women
and Child Development.
 The aim of the festival is to celebrate and promote women
farmers and entrepreneurs in the organic sector from the
remotest parts of India.
New Delhi World Book Fair begins
 The 27th New Delhi 'World Book Fair' was inaugurated in
New Delhi on 5 January 2019.
 The theme of 2019 'World Book Fair' is 'Readers with
Special Needs'.
 All India Radio (AIR) is the radio partner for the fair.
 To mark Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, there
will be a special book exhibition of books on and by
Mahatma Gandhi.
East Siang Dist. achieves 100% electrification
 In Arunachal Pradesh, East Siang District has achieved
100% electrification under the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli
Har Ghar Yojana- Saubhagya Scheme.
 Pasighat Electrical division, which falls under the East Siang
district, has electrified 2,662 households.
 The power department has electrified 1,483 villages under
'Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Gram Jyoti Yojana' in the state.
Veer Savarkar Airport declared as checkpost
 The Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair was
declared as an authorised 'Immigration Check post' for
entry into/exit from India.
 This will open up the Port Blair Airport for direct
international flight and immigration facilities.
 The Superintendent of Police (CID), Andaman and Nicobar
Police was appointed as the ‘Civil Authority’ for the
purpose of the immigration check post.
IOC to commission Ennore LNG terminal
 Indian Oil Corp (IOC) will commission its first liquefied
natural gas (LNG) import terminal at Ennore in Tamil Nadu
in January 2019.
 This is the first LNG import terminal IOC has built on its
own.
 The company holds 12.5% stake in Petronet LNG Ltd,
which operates import facilities at Dahej in Gujarat and
Kochi in Kerala.
 Sanjiv Singh is the Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation.
Renaming of Allahabad as Prayagraj approved
 The Union Home Ministry approved a Uttar Pradesh
government proposal to rename Allahabad as Prayagraj.
 In October 2018, the UP government had proposed the
change in name of Allahabad to Prayagraj.
 The Home Ministry clears the name change proposals after
the Ministry of Railways, the Department of Posts and the

Survey of India confirm that no city, town or village has
similar names.
Personalities in News
T Gehlot in Port Blair on one day visit
 Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri
Thaawarchand Gehlot, is on one day visit to Port blair.
 The Minister will distribute Aids and Assistive Devices to
the Divangjans and Senior Citizens under Assistance to
Disabled Persons and 'Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana' during
the visit.
 "RVS" provides Physical Aids and Assisted-living devices for
Senior Citizen belonging to BPL category
All-Men Contingent lead by Lt. Bhavana Kasturi
 On 26 January 2019, Lieutenant Bhavana Kasturi became
the first woman officer to lead an all-men Army contingent
in the Republic Day parade.
 She led the Army Services Corps contingent.
 An all-women contingent of the Assam Rifles was led by
Major Khushboo Kanwar.
 Captain Shikha Surbhi of the Army Signals Corps
performed a standing salute on a moving motorcycle.
Johan Botha retires from all forms of cricket
 South Africa cricketer Johan Botha has announced his
immediate retirement from all forms of cricket on 24
January 2019.
 He played for South Africa in five test matches, 78 one-day
internationals, and 40 T20 Internationals from 2005 to
2012.
 He captained South Africa in 10 ODIs and took the team to
the No. 1 ranking after they defeated Australia 4-1 in
Australia in 2009.
Tomy Abhilash awarded with Nao Sena Medal
 President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Nao Sena Medal
to Commander Tomy Abhilash on 25 January 2019.
 Tomy Abhilash had participated in the Golden Globe
navigation race in 2018.
 Abhilash was stranded 3,200 km off the coast of Western
Australia after his sailing vessel, INSV Thuriya's mast
broken during a severe storm in the Indian Ocean.
Karthyani appointed as Goodwill Ambassador
 The Commonwealth of Learning appointed 96-year-old
Karthyayani Amma as their goodwill ambassador on 22
January 2019.
 She bagged the first rank in the ‘Aksharalaksham’ literacy
exam conducted by the Kerala government in November
2018.
 Commonwealth of Learning is a Canada-based
organisation which works for the promotion of education
in Commonwealth countries.
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Nazir Ahmad to be conferred with Ashok Chakra
 Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani will be conferred with the
Ashoka Chakra.
 He was a militant but later joined the Indian Army in 2004.
 He was killed during an anti-terror operation in November
2018.
 He was also awarded the Sena Medal.
 Ashok Chakra is the highest peacetime military decoration
for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from
the battlefield.
First female IPS officer to reach South Pole
 Aparna Kumar has become the first woman Indian Police
Service (IPS) officer to successfully complete the South
Pole expedition.
 She reached the South Pole on 13 January 2019 where she
unfurled the National and ITBP flags.
 Ms Kumar is a 2002 batch UP Cadre IPS officer, who has
been posted at the Northern Frontier Headquarters of
ITBP in Dehradun.
World's oldest man Masazo Nonaka dies at 113
 The world's oldest man, Masazo Nonaka of Japan, has died
at the age of 113 on 20 January 2019.
 He was officially recognised as the oldest male in the world
by Guinness World Records in April 2018.
 He was born on 25 July 1905.
 Japan has one of the world’s highest life expectancies and
was home to several people recognised as among the
oldest humans to have lived.
Gurinder got 'Rosa Parks Trailblazer' award
 An Indian-American philanthropist and entrepreneur,
Gurinder Singh Khalsa was presented with the prestigious
'Rosa Park Trailblazer' award on 18 January 2019.
 He was awarded for his continued demonstration of
courage and compassion.
 He started a campaign that forced US authorities to
change their policy towards headgear of the Sikh
community.
Raja appointed as member of a key committee
 US's Democratic lawmaker Raja Krishnamoorthi was
appointed as a member of a Congressional committee on
Intelligence on 17 January 2019.
 He became the first South Asian to serve in the powerful
body tasked to strengthen U.S.’s national security.
 He represents Illinois’s 8th Congressional District in the
House.
Vinesh Phogat nominated for Laureus Award
 Wrestler Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian to be
nominated for the prestigious 'Laureus World Sports
Award'.

 She has been nominated in 'Laureus World Sporting
Comeback' category for the year 2019.
 Vinesh had a stellar 2018 in which she won gold at the
2018 Commonwealth Games, a silver in the 2018 Asian
Championships in Bishkek and a gold at the Asian Games in
Jakarta.
Satyarup Siddhanta scaled Mount Sidley
 Mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta scaled the Antartica's
highest point, Mount Sidley.
 With this feat, he became the first Indian and youngest
man to climb the seven highest peaks and volcanic
summits across all continents.
 He achieved the feat at the age of 35 years and 262 days.
 On 5 December 2019, he scaled Pico de Orizaba which is
the highest volcanic peak in North America.
Stephen gave his resignation as football coach
 Stephen Constantine gave his resignation as the Head
Coach of the Indian National Football team on 14 January
2019.
 His resignation came after the exit of Indian Football team
from the Asian Football Cup.
 He was appointed as the coach in 2015 for an initial two-
year tenure.
 It was his second stint as India coach after serving as
the coach in 2002-05.
Yu Wensheng wins human rights award
 Chinese lawyer Yu Wensheng won the 'Franco-German
Human Rights' award on 14 January 2019.
 Yu Wensheng is best known for suing the Beijing
government over the city's once chronic pollution.
 He was detained by China in January 2018.
 He was among 15 winners of the Franco-German Prize for
Human Rights and the Rule of Law for 2018, announced in
November 2018.
Narayanan quits as Myntra-Jabong CEO
 Myntra's Chief Executive Officer, Ananth Narayanan gave
his resignation from the post on 14 January 2019.
 Amar Nagaram has been named as head of Myntra and
Jabong.
 Amar will report to Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan
Krishnamurthy.
 Narayanan had joined Myntra in 2015 as its CEO.
Gukesh is world's second youngest grand master
 Chess player D Gukesh became the second youngest
Grand Master (GM) in the world and the youngest Indian
to achieve the feat at age of 12 years and 7 months.
 He achieved his third and final GM norm at the ongoing
17th Delhi International Open Chess tournament in Delhi.
 Gukesh became India's 59th Grand Master.
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 Ukraine's Sergey Karjakin holds the record of being the
youngest Grandmaster.
Shakil sets world record in indoor rowing
 On 14 January 2019, Asian Cup gold medallist Shakil
Ahmed created a world record in indoor rowing by
completing one lakh meters in above-40 years category in
Kolkata.
 He achieved the milestone of covering one lakh meters of
simulated distance in 10 hours.
 He began his record-setting indoor rowing feat in Salt Lake
stadium complex on 13 January 2019.
Nepal Army Chief conferred honorary rank
 On 12 January 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind conferred
the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army to
General Purna Chandra Thapa, the Army Chief of Nepal.
 He was honoured with honorary rank of General of the
Indian Army for his military prowess and contribution to
fostering Nepal’s long and friendly association with India.
 He became Nepal Army Chief in September 2018.
Kohli and Shastri receive membership of SCG
 Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi
Shastri received the honorary membership of the Sydney
Cricket Ground (SCG) on 11 January 2019.
 The received the membership for their contribution to the
sport of cricket.
 Apart from Kohli and Sashtri, the only other international
cricketers to be granted the honorary membership of the
SCG are Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara.
Alok Verma reinstated as CBI chief by SC
 On 8 January 2019, the Supreme Court reinstated Alok
Verma as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director.
 The court ruled that he not to take any policy decisions till
the statutory committee meets within a week and decides
further on the matter.
 The committee comprises the Prime Minister, CJI and the
Leader of the Opposition.
Vijay Mallya named Fugitive Economic Offender
 Vijay Mallya became the first tycoon to be charged under
the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018.
 According to the new law, a fugitive economic offender is
a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued
for his or her involvement in economic offences involving
at least Rs. 100 crore or more and has left India to avoid
prosecution.
 The new law came into effect from August 2018.
Arunima Sinha climbs Mount Vinson
 Arunima Sinha has now become the first woman amputee
to climb Mount Vinson (highest peak of Antarctica).

 She was the world’s first woman amputee to climb Mount
Everest in 2013.
 She was a national level volleyball player who had one of
her legs amputated in 2011.
 She had earlier scaled five peaks including Mt Everest, Mt
Kilimanjaro, Mt Elbrus, Mt Kosciuszko, and Mt Aconcagua.
Books & Authors
Indian Diplomat launches bilingual anthology
 A new anthology of poems titled 'New Brazilian Poems'
was launched on 24 January 2019.
 It was translated and edited by Indian poet-diplomat
Abhay Kumar.
 He is India's current Ambassador-Designate to
Madagascar.
 In 2018, the University of Sao Paulo had published the
Portuguese translation of 100 Great Indian Poems, which
was edited by Abhay Kumar.
'We are Displaced' released in India
 A book titled 'We are Displaced' was released in India on 9
January 2019.
 The author of the book is Malala Yousafzai.
 The book gives a description of her experiences of
traveling around the world and visiting refugee camps.
 Malala Yousafzai got the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
Government Policies & Schemes
4,78,670 Houses Sanctioned Under PMAY
 Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has approved the
construction of 4,78,670 houses under Pradhan Mantri
Awas Yojana (PMAY-Urban).
 This approval was given in the 42nd meeting of the Central
Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee held in New Delhi
on January 30, 2019.
 The total number of houses sanctioned under PMAY(U) so
far is 72,65,763.
GST on Haj reduced to 5%
 Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
announced that the GST on Haj has been reduced from 18
per cent to 5 per cent.
 The move will save Haj pilgrims’ Rs 113 crore this year
by lowering the airfare.
 He also inaugurated a new conference hall and passport
section at the Haj House in Mumbai.
Hike in Research Fellowship
 Central Government has enhanced the fellowship of
Science & Technology Ph.D students and other research
personnel w.e.f. January 1, 2019.
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 Junior Research Fellows will now receive ₹31,000 per
month in the first two years of Ph.D programme instead
of ₹25,000.
 Fellowship for Senior Research Fellow in the remaining
tenure of Ph.D is increased to ₹35,000 per month from
previous ₹28,000.
Maha Govt scheme to curb infant deaths
 Maharashtra government launched a special scheme to
curb infant deaths on January 29, 2019.
 The scheme involves distributing baby-care kits to the
children born in primary health centres and government
hospitals.
 The scheme is only applicable for the first child and it is
expected to benefit around four lakh women across the
state.
 The government has allocated ₹ 20 crore for the scheme.
Alphons inaugurated tourism project in Sikkim
 Union Minister for Tourism K.J. Alphons inaugurated first
“Development of North East Circuit” project in Gangtok,
Sikkim on 30th January 2019.
 This project was sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan
Scheme by the Ministry of Tourism in June 2015.
 Swadesh Darshan Scheme is one of the flagship schemes
of Ministry of tourism for development of thematic circuits
in the country in a planned manner.
₹7,214.03 Cr For States Hit By Disasters
 A High Level Committee approved Central assistance of
₹7214.03 crore from National Disaster Response Fund
(NDRF) to 6 States and one UT affected by natural
disasters.
 These included Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra
Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and
Puducherry.
 The Committee was headed by Union Home Minister, Shri
Rajnath Singh.
CIAL donated Rs.10 crore to CMDRF
 Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has donated
Rs.10 crore to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund
(CMDRF).
 CMDRF is an emergency assistance release mechanism
granting immediate relief to families and individuals
distressed by calamity, loss of life due to accidents and
chronic diseases.
MHRD grant Rs 50 crores to Madras University
 The University of Madras has received ₹50 crore from the
Ministry of Human Resource Development for upgrading
its research capabilities.
 A total of 10 universities belonging to category I will get
₹100 crore and 17 universities falling into category II will
receive of ₹50 crore.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
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 University of Madras is one of the oldest educational  The government of India unveiled new guidelines for Jan
institutions in India established in the year 1857. Shikshan Sansthans (JSS) on 24 January 2019.
 The new norms are expected to help identify and promote
Employment scheme launched in Madhya Pradesh
traditional skills in a district.
 The government of Madhya Pradesh launched the 'Yuva  It will also help in the training of trainers to develop skills
Swabhiman Yojana' on 26 January 2019. through National Skills Training Institutes.
 It aims to provide employment to the youth belonging to  JSS comes under the Ministry of Skill Development &
the weaker section of the society mainly in urban areas of Entrepreneurship.
the state.
PM launches 'Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana'
 Under this scheme, 100 days of employment will be
provided to youngsters from economically weaker sections  Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Pravasi
of the society in urban areas. Teerth Darshan Yojana' on 22 January 2019.
Kerala to launch NRI pension scheme  Under 'Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana', a group of Indian
diaspora will be taken on a tour of religious places in India
 On 25 January 2019, Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam twice a year.
announced that the Kerala government will soon launch a  The government will bear all the expenses including the
'Pravasi Dividend Pension Scheme'. airfare from their country of residence.
 It will provide regular pension to Non Resident Keralites on  All people of Indian-origin aged 45 to 65 can apply for the
a one-time payment of Rs 5 lakh tour.
 The one-time payment of Rs 5 lakh will be deposited with
KIIFB (Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board) for
financing infrastructure projects.
Govt to develop 400 abandoned airstrips
 The government of India has decided to renovate and
develop around 400 abandoned airstrips across the
country to strengthen air-connectivity.
 The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has prepared a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard.
 Jharkhand is the first state in the country where the MoU
was signed to develop one such abandoned airstrip at
Dhalbhumgarh.
Govt awards 235 routes under UDAN scheme
 On 25 January 2019, the government of India awarded 235
routes to the operators under the third round of the Ude
Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN-III).
 SpiceJet, IndiGo, Jet Airways, Air India subsidiary Alliance,
and Turbo Aviation are among the operators that have
bagged the routes.
 UDAN scheme seeks to connect unserved and underserved
airports as well as make flying affordable.
'Operation Olympics' commences in Kerala
 'Operation Olympics', an expert programme to train
athletes in 11 disciplines was launched in Kerala on 25
Odisha hiked social security pension
January 2019.
 The objective of 'Operation Olympics' is to provide  On 19 January 2019, the Odisha government announced a
international standard training with the help of eminent hike of Rs 200 per month in the social security pension
trainers from both India and abroad. under 'Madhu Babu Pension Yojana'.
 The programme includes athletics, boxing, cycling,  About 48 lakh elderly, widows and destitute women will
swimming, shooting, wrestling, badminton, fencing, be benefited from the scheme.
rowing and archery.  The pension holders will get a revised pension of Rs 500
per month against Rs 300 while people aged over 80 years
Government launches new norms for JSS
will get Rs 700 per month instead of Rs 500.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

Women to get 20% jobs in Military Police employment generation has crossed the milestone of one
crore beneficiaries as on January 14, 2019.
 The government of India has decided to induct women for
 PMRPY is being implemented by the Ministry of Labour
the first time in Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) role
and Employment through the Employees’ Provident Fund
in Corps of Military Police.
Organization (EPFO).
 The women will be inducted in a graded manner to
 PMRPY was announced on 7 August 2016.
eventually comprise 20% of total Corps of Military Police.
 Their role would range from probing rape and molestation Forest management project launched in Tripura
cases to assisting the Army wherever required.
 A Rs 1,000 crore 'Sustainable Catchment Forest
1.37 crore Rural Homes completed Management' (SCATFORM) project was launched in
Tripura on 16 January 2019.
 The Ministry of Rural Development has completed 1.37
 The project will help improve forests in the targeted
crore Rural Homes since April 2014.
catchment areas.
 The Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) was
 It would also create livelihood of the people living in and
launched on November 20, 2016.
around the forest areas.
 PMAY-G has focused on deprived households and the
 The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will
poorest of the poor who live in kutcha houses.
bear 80% cost of the project.
 So far 66.6 lakh homes have been completed under PMAY-
G. Cabinet approves integrated e-filing project
 The remaining 33.4 lakh homes will be completed by
 The Union Cabinet approved an expenditure sanction of
March 2019.
over 4200 crore rupees for 'Integrated E-filing and
Haryana students to get 'Shaurya Award' Centralized Processing Centre 2.0 Project' of the Income
Tax Department.
 On 17 January 2019, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal
 It will help in improving taxpayers' awareness and
Khattar announced 'Shaurya Award' to students.
education through continuous engagement.
 The award will be given to a student in the memory of a
 It will also help in faster processing of returns and issue of
police martyr for courageous deeds every year in a village
refunds to the taxpayers' bank account directly.
block where the school is located and where a martyr
studied during his childhood. 'Sanjhi Mujh Mein Kalakar' campaign launched
 This award carries a prize money of Rs 11,000.
 Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) will launch the second
Odisha extends free health services phase of the Web Campaign ‘Sanjhi Mujh Mein Kalakar’.
 It is an initiative to document and promote the Intangible
 Odisha government announced the extension of free
Cultural Heritage (ICH) and diverse cultural traditions of
health services under 'Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana' (BSKY)
the country by direct public-participation.
to all government medical college and hospitals from 1
 The first phase of this campaign was launched in
February 21.
November 2018.
 Earlier, the free treatment facility for all was available at
 SNA is the nodal agency of the Union Ministry of Culture.
sub-centres in villages and district headquarters hospitals.
 All patients, irrespective of APL or BPL category, will be Numaligarh refinery capacity to be tripled
able to avail of this facility.
 On 16 January 2019, the Cabinet Committee on Economic
Regional conference on 'DDRS' held in Mumbai Affairs approved tripling the capacity of the Numaligarh
Refinery in Assam to 9 million metric tonnes per annum.
 Regional Conference on 'Deendayal Disabled
 It also approved the setting up of a crude oil pipeline from
Rehabilitation Scheme' (DDRS) was held in Mumbai on 17
Paradip to Numaligarh and a product pipeline from
January 2019.
Numaligarh to Siliguri.
 It was organised by the Department of Empowerment of
 The expansion of the refinery will meet the deficit of
Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and
petroleum products in the northeast.
Empowerment.
 DDRS is a Central Sector Scheme for providing financial List of sites under Tirthatan scheme expanded
assistance to NGOs working for education and
 The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council has
rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.
expanded the list of pilgrim centres under the 'Deendayal
PMRPY achieves one crore Milestone Matri Tirthatan scheme' on 15 January 2019.
 The new additions to the list include Kaliyar Sharif,
 Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY), the
Tadkeshwar, Kalimath, Jageshwar, Baijnath, Gairad Golu,
flagship scheme of the Central Government for

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Gangoli Hat, Mahasu Devta Mandir Hanol, Kalinka and
Jwalpa Devi.
 The scheme earlier included Badrinath, Gangotri, and
Ritha Sahib.
Govt unveils national air cargo policy
 The government unveiled the 'National Air Cargo' policy on
15 January 2019.
 The policy seeks to make India among the top five air
freight markets by 2025.
 It also aims to create air transport shipment hubs at all
major airports over the next six years.
 The policy document released during the two-day Global
Aviation Summit 2019 in Mumbai.
Farm debt-waiver scheme launched in MP
 Madhya Pradesh's Chief Minister Kamal Nath launched the
Rs 50,000-crore farm debt-waiver scheme named 'Jai Kisan
Rin Mukti Yojana' on 15 January 2019.
 The state cabinet gave its nod to waive crop loans of 55
lakh small and marginal farmers on 5 January 2019.
 The loan waiver forms could be submitted till 5 February
2019 and farmers would start getting the benefits from 22
February 2019.
'Maha Agritech' project launched
 Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched
‘Maha Agritech' project on 14 January 2019.
 Under the project, an area under cultivation from sowing
to harvesting, climate, and diseases on crops will be
monitored digitally using satellite and drone technology.
 The project is supported by Maharashtra Remote
Application Centre (MRSAC) and ISRO.
Commerce Min launches 'Womaniya on GeM'
 Government eMarketplace (GeM) launched an initiative
named 'Womaniya on GeM' on 14 January 2019.
 The initiative will enable women entrepreneurs and self-
help groups to sell different products at the platform.
 GeM is an online platform of the Ministry of Commerce for
the procurement of goods and services by government
departments, public sector units, and other agencies.
Govt prepares Action plan on drug abuse
 The government has drafted a five-year action plan to
address the problem of drug and substance abuse in the
country.
 The 'National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction'
(2018-23) aims to employ a multi-pronged strategy to
address the issue of drug abuse.
 It involves education, de-addiction, and rehabilitation of
affected individuals and their families.
Youth Parliament Festival 2019 launched
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January 2019
 The National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 was launched
on 12 January 2019.
 The themes for National Youth Parliament Festival 2019
are 'Be The Voice of New India' and 'Find solutions and
contribute to policy'.
 It is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
 The Festival will encourage the youth to engage with the
public issue and understand the common man's problem.
'One Family One Job' scheme launched in Sikkim
 Sikkim's Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling launched
the 'One Family One Job' scheme on 12 January 2019.
 The scheme envisions employment to a member of every
family which does not have a government job in the state.
 Under this scheme, all loan debts in the farming and
agriculture sector would be revoked.
Government to launch a tech challenge
 The government of India will launch the 'Global Housing
Technology Challenge' on 14 January 2019.
 The initiative will be launched under the Pradhan Mantri
Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U).
 It will address issues related to housing shortage in a time-
bound manner and focus on the need for emerging, cost-
effective and speedy construction technologies
Government fixes price for gold bonds
 The government of India has fixed the price at Rs 3,214 per
gram for the new series of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB).
 The Sovereign Gold Bonds 2018-19 (Series V) will be
opened from 14 January 2019.
 The bonds are being sold through banks, Stock Holding
Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post
offices, and stock exchanges NSE and BSE.
 The SGB scheme was launched in November 2015.
'Ama Ghare LED' scheme launched in Odisha
 The government of Odisha launched the 'Ama Ghare LED'
scheme on 11 January 2019.
 Under the scheme, about 95 lakh families in the state will
each get four LED bulbs free of cost.
 The LED bulbs (9-watt each) will be distributed to the
beneficiaries registered under the National Food Security
Act (NFSA) and the State Food Security Scheme (SFSC).
Atal Tinkering Lab Handbook released
 NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) released the
'Atal Tinkering Lab Handbook – Nayee Dishayen, Naye
Nirman, Naya Bharat' on 11 January 2019.
 The Handbook captures the experiences of the young
innovators of the country with the Atal Tinkering Lab.
 The AIM is the Government of India’s flagship initiative to
promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in
the country.
Four projects sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan

 The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned four new projects
for Rs.190.46 Crores under Swadesh Darshan and
PRASHAD schemes in 3 states.
 The 3 states are Meghalaya, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.
 Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes were launched
for the development of tourism infrastructure in the
country.
 The project includes the development of Gorakhnath
Temple in Gorakhpur.
Cabinet Approves 3 New AIIMSs
 The Union Cabinet gave approval for the establishment of
three new AIIMS at Samba in Jammu, Pulwama in Kashmir
and Rajkot in Gujarat.
 TheseAIIMSs will be set up under Pradhan Mantri
Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
 The objective is to establish the new AIIMS is to
provide quality tertiary healthcare, medical education,
nursing education and research in the region.
Govt launches National Clean Air Programme
 The government of India launched the 'National Clean Air
Programme' (NCAP) on 10 January 2019.
 The aim of the programme is to reduce particulate matter
(PM) pollution by 20-30% in at least 102 cities by 2024.
 It will provide the States and the Centre with a framework
to combat air pollution.
 The NCAP will be a mid-term, five-year action plan with
2019 as the first year.
Andaman to be 1st Island to operate seaplanes
 The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation approved operations
on 13 water aerodromes under Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik-3
(UDAN-3).
 The very first seaplane could run within Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.
 Four different islands from Andaman and one island from
Nicobar have been selected to fly seaplanes.
 These are Havelock, Long Island, Neil Island and Hutbay
Island in Andaman and Car Nicobar in Nicobar.
'Gangajal Project' inaugurated in Agra
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 'Gangajal
Project' in Agra on 9 January 2019.
 The programme will provide a supply of better drinking
water which will benefit the residents as well as tourists.
 Gangajal project aims to bring 140 cusecs of Ganga water
to Agra.
 He also launched civic projects worth Rs 2,980 crore in
Agra.
'Web- Wonder Women' Campaign launched
 The Ministry of Women and Child Development launched
an online campaign, ' #www: Web- WonderWomen' on 9
January 2019.
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 The Campaign aims to discover and celebrate the
exceptional achievements of women, who have influenced
and impacted society through social media.
 The Ministry in collaboration with 'Breakthrough' and
'Twitter India' has started this campaign.
First Swadesh Darshan project inaugurated
 Meghalaya's Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurated
the project 'Development of North East Circuit: Umiam
(Lake View) - U Lum Sohpetbneng- Mawdiangdiang -
Orchid Lake Resort' on 9 January 2019.
 The project was implemented under Swadesh Darshan
Scheme of Ministry of Tourism.
 Under this project, various facilities like Multipurpose Hall,
Log Huts, Cafeteria etc have been developed.
Maharashtra Cabinet approves SMART project
 On 8 January 2019, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved the
‘State of Maharashtra’s Agribusiness and Rural
Transformation (SMART)’ project assisted by the World
Bank.
 The project will boost the agriculture sector and agri-allied
businesses.
 The project will have an investment of ₹2,200 crore, of
which 70% will be from the World Bank while the State
government’s share will be of 26.67%.
Govt relaxes norms for fertiliser exports
 The government of India relaxed norms for exports of
fertilisers, including urea, potassic and phosphatic.
 The export policy of fertilisers have been revised and items
under the 'restricted' category moved to 'free' category.
 These exports are subject to prior permission/no objection
certificate to be obtained by the manufacturers/exporters
from the Department of Fertiliser.
5,000 additional seats for JNVs approved
 On 7 January 2019, Ministry of Human Resource
Development approved an increase of 5,000 seats at
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) across the country.
 The total number of seats has increased from 46,600 to
51,000 at the JNVs.
 JNVs are run by Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, New Delhi, an
autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Human
Resource Development
Odisha announces interest-free loans for WSHGs
 On 5 January 2019, Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
announced interest-free loans of up to Rs. 3 lakh for
Women Self-Help Groups (WSHGs) in the state.
 There are around 6 lakh WSHGs in Odisha.
 The initiative will benefit about 70 lakh women.
 He also distributed financial assistance of Rs. 3,000 each to
six lakh WSHGs as part of the state government's efforts to
digitally empower women.

HRD introduces 70-point grading index
 The Ministry of Human Resource Development has
introduced a 70-point grading index to assess the quality
of school education offered by states.
 A state performance grading will be done wherein the
states will be marked out of 1,000 on 70 parameters.
 This will give the correct picture of where every state
stands.
NCR launches mobile app for Kumbh Mela
 The North Central Railway (NCR) launched a mobile
application to help people navigate through Prayagraj city
during Kumbh Mela starting from 15 January 2019.
 The name of the app is 'Rail Kumbh Seva Mobile App'.
 It will also provide information regarding all the 'Mela
special' trains that will be run during the period.
 The app will provide a link to the user to buy the train
tickets.
Every district covered under BBBP scheme
 According to the government of India, all the 640 districts
of the country have been covered under the Beti Bachao
Beti Padhao Scheme (BBBP).
 The scheme is aimed at addressing the declining Child Sex
Ratio and enabling girl child education.
 The scheme is implemented by the Ministries of Women
and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare, and
Human Resource Development.
'Swachh Survekshan 2019' launched
 Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri
inaugurated the 'Swachh Survekshan 2019' on 4 January
2019.
 The cleanliness survey will cover 40 crore people across
over four thousand towns and cities.
 For the first time ever, inspection will be conducted
without giving any prior information to the concerned
official for real-time check and survey will be based on
people’s feedback.
States to rollout ‘Parivesh’ by January 15
 The web-based ‘Parivesh’ will be rolled-out at state levels
by 15 January 2019.
 ‘Parivesh’ (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by
Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window
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Hub) is a single-window integrated environmental
management system, developed under the ‘Digital India’
initiative.
 It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in
August 2018 on World Biofuel Day.
Haryana govt approves 11 projects
 The Haryana government approved 11 projects for the
rejuvenation of the Saraswati river on 2 January 2019.
 These include the construction of Somb Saraswati barrage,
Saraswati reservoir and Adi Badri dam on Somb river, a
tributary of the Yamuna that originates in the Shivalik Hills.
 The projects were approved by the Haryana Saraswati
Heritage Development Board chaired by the Chief
Minister.
Continuation of family welfare scheme approved
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its
approval for the continuation of five schemes under the
'Umbrella Scheme for Family Welfare and Other Health
Interventions' from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
 The scheme will be funded 100% by Central Government.
 The five schemes listed in the proposal are crucial to
attaining the goals and objectives laid in National Health
Policy (NHP) 2017.
Union Cabinet approves restructuring of NHA
 The Union Cabinet approved the restructuring of existing
National Health Agency (NHA) as 'National Health
Authority' for better implementation of Pradhan Mantri -
Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
 National Health Authority will be chaired by Union Health
Minister to enable the decision making at a faster pace.
 The authority will be working under the Ministry of Health
& Family Welfare.
Amendment to Trade Unions Act, 1926 approved
 The Cabinet has approved amendment to the Trade
Unions Act, 1926 to make provisions regarding recognition
of trade unions.
 The approval will facilitate the recognition of Trade Unions
at Central and State level.
 The proposed Bill will ensure that the nomination of
workers’ representatives in tripartite bodies by the
government will become more transparent.
Continuation of Scheme for youths approved
 The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of 'Rastriya
Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram Scheme' for the Period
2017-18 to 2019-2020.
 The total budget outlay for the scheme is Rs.1160 crore.
 The scheme is an ongoing Central Sector Scheme of the
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.
 The Scheme aims to develop the personality and
leadership qualities of the youth.

Merchant exporters to get Rs. 600 crore sops
 The government of India decided to provide 3% interest
subsidy to merchant exporters to enhance the flow of
funds for them with a view to boosting outbound
shipments.
 The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs.
 The proposal will entail benefits of around Rs. 600 crores
to exporters on interest equalisation for the remaining
period of the scheme.
Govt releases 6-crore LPG connection
 The government of India gave 6-crore free cooking gas
(LPG) connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala
Yojana (PMUY) on 2 January 2019.
 Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu handed over the 6
croreth LPG connection under PMUY to Jasmina Khatoon
from Delhi.
 The PMUY was launched on 1 May 2016, with a target to
give 5 crore connections by March 2019.
100% houses in 25 states electrified
 India achieved electrification in 100% households in 25
states at the end of 2018.
 Now, only about 10.48 lakh households are left to be
electrified in 4 states - Assam, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, and
Chhattisgarh.
 The 'Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana'
(Saubhagya) in September 2017 to achieve the goal of
universal household electrification in the country by 31
March 2019.
Govt. notifies new GST return forms
 The government of India notified new annual GST return
forms which are required to be filed by businesses
registered under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime
by June 30, 2019.
 It notified GST form GSTR-9, GSTR-9A, and GSTR-9C on 31
December 2018.
 In the forms, businesses have to provide consolidated
details of sales, purchases and input tax credit (ITC)
benefits accrued in 2017-18.
Defence items not covered under Arms Act
 The government of India announced that manufacturing of
items of defence aerospace and warships will now be
covered by Industries (Development and Regulation) Act.
 The defence items now do not require licence under the
Arms Act.
 In May 2017, the Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion was allowed to process applications for grant of
licence for manufacture of defence items.
CLSS on home loans for MIG extended
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 The government of India extended the Credit Link Subsidy
Scheme (CLSS) on home loans for the Middle Income
Group (MIG) under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana till
March 2020.
 The last extension was up to March 31, 2019.
 Under CLSS, the government provides a subsidy of up to Rs
2.67 lakh on the home loan.
 Till 30 December 2018, around 3,39,713 beneficiaries have
availed loans under CLSS.
WB govt announces two initiatives for farmers
 The West Bengal government announced two welfare
initiatives for farmers on 31 December 2018.
 Both initiatives are part of the 'Krishi Krishak Bondhu'
scheme and will come into effect from 1 January 2019.
 The 1st initiative will provide Rs 2 lakh to the family of a
deceased farmer.
 Under the 2nd initiative, farmers will get Rs 2,500 twice a
year for growing a single crop on an acre of land.
Science & Technology
AI That Translates Thoughts Into Speech
 Scientists have created an artificial intelligence (AI) based
system that directly translates thoughts into
understandable, recognisable speech.
 The AI system will help people who cannot speak regain
their ability to communicate with the world.
 The technology has been created by researchers at
Columbia University in the United States of America.
Hike in Research Fellowship
 Central Government has enhanced the fellowship of
Science & Technology Ph.D students and other research
personnel w.e.f. January 1, 2019.
 Junior Research Fellows will now receive ₹31,000 per
month in the first two years of Ph.D programme instead
of ₹25,000.
 Fellowship for Senior Research Fellow in the remaining
tenure of Ph.D is increased to ₹35,000 per month from
previous ₹28,000.
Artificial Pancreas App for Diabetics
 Scientists, including those from Harvard University have
developed an artificial pancreas smartphone app that will
help in regulating blood sugar levels in diabetes patients.
 The app is effective in regulating glucose levels under
challenging conditions and is suitable for use in
unconstrained environments.
 The study was published in the journal Diabetes
Technology & Therapeutics.
NASA solar probe begins second orbit of Sun
 NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has begun its second orbit of
the Sun and is on track for its closest approach to our star.

 Just 161 days after its launch, the Parker probe completed
its first orbit of the Sun on January 19.
 The spacecraft has now begun the second of 24 planned
orbits, on track for its second perihelion, or closest
approach to the Sun, on April 4.
Opportunity rover completes 15 years on Mars
 NASA's Opportunity rover has completed 15 years of its
touchdown on the surface of Mars.
 The rover landed in a region of Mars called Meridiani
Planum on 24 January 2004.
 The solar-powered rover went silent since a global dust
storm in June 2018.
 The rover was designed to travel 1,006 metres and
operate on the Red Planet for 90 Martian days.
Technology Mission Centre launched by govt
 Union Minister Harsh Vardhan launched three important
centre’s set up by the Department of Science and
Technology (DST) at IIT Madras on 25 January 2019.
 The first one is the 'DST –IITM Solar Energy Harnessing
Centre'.
 The second centre is the 'DST-IITM Water –IC for SUTRAM
of EASY WATER'.
 The third centre is the 'Testbed on Solar thermal
desalination solutions'.
Satellites successfuly launched by ISRO
 India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C44)
successfully injected Microsat-R and Kalamsat-V2 satellites
into their designated orbits.
 The satellites were launched on 24 January 2019 from
Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
 Microsat-R is a defence application satellite.
 It is the first Indian satellite which was placed by ISRO in a
low orbit at an altitude of 274 km
App developed to detect new currency
 The Indian Institute of Technology at Ropar in Punjab has
developed an Android App 'Roshni'.
 The app was launched on 23 January 2019.
 The app will assist visually impaired people to easily
determine the denomination of currency notes using
image processing and analytics.
 It works well in a broad range of light conditions and
holding angles.
ISRO launches 'Young Scientist programme'
 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched
the 'Young Scientist programme' on 18 January 2019.
 The programme is for school students who want to
explore themselves in space research.
 Under the programme, three students from each state and
Union territory will be selected.
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 They will be given access to R&D labs and practical
experience of building a small satellite.
ISRO to launch Kalamsat & Microsat satellite
 ISRO will launch a student satellite called 'Kalamsat' and an
imaging satellite known as 'Microsat-R' on 24 January
2019.
 Both the satellite will be carried by 'PSLV C-44' rocket.
 PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle.
 In PSLV-C44, the fourth stage (PS4) of the vehicle would be
moved to a higher circular orbit so as to establish an
orbital platform for carrying out experiments.
ISRO will set up Human Space Flight Centre
 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has
announced setting up of Human Space Flight Centre in
Bengaluru.
 It will be headed by Unnikrishnan Nair.
 ISRO also announced that R. Hutton will head the
Gaganyaan project.
 The Gaganyaan project will send three astronauts to orbit
the Earth for three to seven days.
 The project is slated to happen before December 2021.
NASA probe discovers new planet
 NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
discovered a new planet.
 The planet has been named 'HD 21749b'.
 It orbits around a bright dwarf star about 53 light years
away from the earth, in the constellation 'Reticulum'.
 It is the third planet discovered by TESS.
 The other two planets discovered by TESS are 'Pi Mensae
b' and 'LHS 3844b'.
 TESS was launched in April 2018.
Telescope to detect cosmic X-rays launched
 US scientists have successfully launched a telescope from
Antarctica that analyses X-rays arriving from distant
neutron stars, black holes, and other exotic celestial
bodies.
 The name of the telescope is 'X-Calibur' instrument.
 It is carried by a helium balloon and will reach an altitude
of 130,000 feet.
 Neutron stars are objects of very small radius.
Committees & Recommendations
Tribunal to decide ban on insurgents
 On 24 January 2019, the Ministry of Home
Affairs reconstituted a tribunal to adjudicate matters
related to the extension of the ban imposed on eight
insurgent groups in Manipur for involvement in unlawful
activities.

 The tribunal has been set up under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act, 1967.
 It will be headed by Delhi High Court's judge Justice G.S.
Sistani.
IRDAI sets up a panel
 On 23 January 2019, the Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority (IRDAI) has set up a panel to
identify Systemically Important Insurers (SII).
 The panel will be headed by Pravin Kutumbe, Member-
Finance & Investment, IRDAI.
 The panel will also develop a paper on assessment
methodology for SIIs in India and recommend enhanced
supervision for them.
Tribunal to decide ban on insurgents
 On 24 January 2019, the Ministry of Home
Affairs reconstituted a tribunal to adjudicate matters
related to the extension of the ban imposed on eight
insurgent groups in Manipur for involvement in unlawful
activities.
 The tribunal has been set up under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act, 1967.
 It will be headed by Delhi High Court's judge Justice G.S.
Sistani.
Committee to monitor pricing of drugs
 The government of India has constituted a standing
committee to monitor the pricing of medicines and
healthcare products.
 The committee will be headed by a Niti Aayog member
(Health).
 The committee will be the recommending body to the
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).
 NPPA is a government regulatory agency that controls the
prices of pharmaceutical drugs in India.
IBBI sets up committee under UK Sinha
 The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has
set up an 11-member working group to look into the
concept of ‘Group Insolvency’ and suggest a suitable
framework.
 The working group will be headed by the former SEBI chief
UK Sinha.
 It will recommend a complete regulatory framework to
facilitate insolvency resolution and liquidation of
corporate debtors in a Group.
GoM constituted on issues relating to lottery
 A Group of Ministers (GoM) on issues relating to the
lottery was constituted by the GST Council on 10 January
2019.
 Sudhir Mungantiwar, Finance Minister, Government of
Maharashtra was appointed as the convener of GoM.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The GoM will decide if the disparity existing on tax rates
on the lottery will continue or not.
 It will also see if there is a misuse of the lower tax rate on
the lottery.
Govt forms GoM for GST issues in real estate
 On 15 January 2019, the government of India constituted a
Group of Ministers (GoM) to boost the real estate sector
under the GST regime.
 Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel will be the
convener of the GoM.
 It will analyse the tax rate of GST and suggest a
composition scheme for residential construction units.
 Currently, GST on the under-construction flats and houses
is 12%
Assam govt forms GoM on ST reservation
 Assam Government has set up a Group of Ministers (GoM)
headed by Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on 14 January 2019.
 The GoM will recommend measures for the protection of
rights of existing tribal communities as well as to decide on
the benefits to be given to new Scheduled Tribes.
 The GoM was formed after the introduction of the
Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order on 9 January 2019.
HC forms committee to remove alien species
 On 11 January 2019, the Madras High Court constituted an
expert committee to suggest ways and means to remove
the alien species from the Western Ghats.
 The committee will be headed by Cherukuri Raghavendra
Babu, the Chairman of the expert committee on invasive
species in Chennai National Biodiversity Authority.
 The committee will study all aspects related to the forests.
GoM constituted to look into revenue shortfall
 On 12 January 2019, the GST Council had decided to set up
a Group of Ministers (GoM).
 The GoM will be headed by Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister
Sushil Kumar Modi.
 The GoM will look into the revenue shortfall being faced
by states following the rollout of Goods and Services Tax
(GST).
 The committee will suggest steps for increasing the
revenue of states.
EC panel submits report on digital media
 The Election Commission appointed panel submitted its
report on digital media and campaigning during last 48
hours before polls to the Chief Election Commissioner
Sunil Arora.
 The panel was constituted under the Chairmanship of Sr.
Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha.
 The panel was mandated to review and suggest
modifications in the provisions of the Representation of
the People Act.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

SEBI constitutes 'Research Advisory' committee term solutions for the revival of the Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.
 The Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
 The committee will be headed by former SEBI chairman
constituted a 'Research Advisory' committee.
U.K. Sinha.
 It will be headed by Dr. Sankar De.
 The committee will examine the factors affecting the
 The committee will assist in formulating policy to
timely and adequate availability of finance to the MSME
undertake research relevant for the development and
sector.
regulation of capital markets.
 The committee would comprise prominent financial Govt approves Central assistance to Tamil Nadu
economists and market practitioners.
 On 31 December 2018, the government of India approved
RBI constitutes a committee on digital payment the release of Rs 1,146 crore to Tamil Nadu for the people
affected by cyclone 'Gaja'.
 On 8 January 2019, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
 The approval was given by High-Level Committee (HLC)
constituted a high-level committee that will work towards
chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
deepening digital payments in India.
 The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Minister
 The committee will be headed by Nandan Nilekani.
for Agriculture, Radha Mohan Singh and Vice Chairman,
 It will submit a report to the RBI every three months.
Niti Ayog, Dr. Rajiv Kumar are the members of HLC.
 It will suggest measures to strengthen the safety and
security of digital payments.
Govt notifies High-Level Committee for Assam
 The government has notified a High-Level Committee for
implementation of Clause six of the Assam Accord on 6
January 2019.
 The committee is headed by former IAS officer M.P.
Bezbaruah.
 It will assess the appropriate level of reservation of seats
in the Assam Assembly and local bodies for the Assamese
people, besides providing employment opportunities.
Committee formed to look into the JNV suicides
 The Ministry of Human Resource Development constituted
a Task Force to look into the reasons of suicides reported
in the JNVs.
 The Task Force will be headed by Psychiatrist, Dr. Jitendra
Nagpal.
 The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) are fully
residential schools managed and run by the Navodaya
Vidyalaya Samiti, an autonomous organisation under the
Ministry of Human Resource Development.
New panel to protect Assam’s heritage
 The Union Cabinet approved the setting up of a high-level
committee for implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam
Accord. Committee formed for implementation of RERA
 The Accord provides for constitutional, legislative and  The government of India constituted a committee to
administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and suggest recommendations to strengthen the 'Real Estate
promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage Regulatory Authority' (RERA) and to remove difficulties in
of Assam. its implementation.
 It also recommended reserving Assembly seats for  It will be headed by the Union Housing & Urban Affairs
indigenous communities in the State. Joint Secretary, Shiv Das Meena.
U.K. Sinha to head RBI panel on MSME revival  RERA, which protects the interest of home buyers,
empowers states to notify their rules & appoint regulatory
 The RBI has appointed an eight-member expert authorities.
committee to comprehensively review and propose long-

30 | P a g e

Business & Economy
Indian Oil Q3 profit down by 91%
 Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) reported a net profit of
₹716.82 crore in the third quarter of financial year 2018-
19.
 The net profit was down 78% from the previous quarter
and down 91% from the same quarter of the previous
year.
 The variation was majorly due to inventory losses arising
out of falling crude oil prices
 Revenues of IOC grew 6% to ₹1.6 lakh crore against ₹1.5
lakh crore.
ICICI Bank sacks Chanda Kochhar
 ICICI Bank terminated the contract of former managing
director and CEO Chanda Kochhar for violating the bank’s
code of conduct.
 In June last year, the bank formed the one-member panel
to look into the allegations of conflict of interest against
her for a loan given to Videocon Industries.
 Ms. Kochhar, assumed charge as MD and CEO of ICICI Bank
on May 1, 2009 and resigned in October 2018.
SEBI: Relaxed Norms for REITs, InvITs
 Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) proposed a
new set of relaxed norms for Real Estate Investment Trusts
(REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) on
30th Jan, 2019.
 This new framework will provide flexibility for fund raising
and will boost investments in REITs and InvITs.
 REITs and InvITs are listed entities that invest in income-
producing assets like infrastructure.
New Packaging Norms Mandatory By July 1
 Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said
that food businesses need to comply with new packaging
regulations by July 1.
 The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of
recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging,
storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.
 Pawan Agarwal is the CEO of FSSAI.
Steel Min to set up Safety Directorate
 Union Steel Ministry announced to set up a 'Safety
Directorate' to oversee safety standards in steel industry
on January 28, 2019.
 This decision was taken during the Consultative
Committee Meeting of the Ministry in Goa which was
chaired by Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender
Singh.
 It also plans to draft the 'National Scrap Policy' to make
available nearly 7 MT scrap in the country.
RBI to inject ₹37,500 in February
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January 2019
 The Reserve Bank of India will inject Rs 37,500 crore into
the system through purchase of government securities in
February to increase liquidity.
 The purchase will be done under Open Market Operations
(OMOs) for an aggregate amount of ₹375 billion.
 Three auctions of ₹125 billion each will be held during the
2nd, 3rd and 4th week of February.
Anti-dumping duty imposed on MPDA
 The government of India has imposed an anti-dumping
duty on Meta Phenylenediamine (MPDA) imported from
China.
 The duty has been imposed for five years to protect
domestic producers of the chemical intermediate from
cheap shipments.
 MPDA is a chemical intermediate used for manufacturing
dyes, engineering polymer and in photography and
medical applications.
Centre’s debt-to-GDP falls, States’ rises
 According to the Status Paper on Government Debt for
2017-18, the Centre’s total debt as a percentage of GDP
reduced to 46.5% in 2017-18 from 47.5% as of March 31,
2014.
 The total debt of the States rose to 24% in 2017-18 and is
estimated to be 24.3% in 2018-19.
 The Centre’s total debt increased from Rs. 56,69,429 crore
in March 2014 to Rs. 82,35,178 crore in 2017-18.
Status Paper on Government Debt released
 The Ministry of Finance released the Eighth Edition of the
'Status Paper on the Government Debt' on 18 January
2019.
 It provides a detailed analysis of the Overall Debt Position
of the Government of India.
 As per the status paper, the total liabilities of the
government has increased by 49% to Rs. 82 lakh crore in
the last four-and-half years.
Rs 1 crore fine on Bank of Maharashtra
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed an Rs 1-crore fine
on Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) on 16 January 2019.
 The fine was imposed for non-compliance of 'Know Your
Customer' guidelines and fraud-classification norms.
 In 2018, the RBI had imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on BoM
on account of delay on the part of the bank to detect and
report fraud in an account.
India's GDP growth at 7.5% in next fiscal
 According to Fitch Group firm India Ratings and Research
(Ind-Ra), the gross domestic product (GDP) of India is
expected to grow at 7.5% in 2019-20.
 It expects wholesale and retail inflation to average 3.4%
and 4.3%, respectively, in FY20.

 The current account deficit (CAD) is likely to decline to
1.9% of GDP in FY20 from 2.4% of GDP, helped by
softening of crude oil prices in FY19.
SBI, other banks to finance Samruddhi Corridor
 A consortium of banks led by State Bank of India has
agreed to provide finance for Nagpur-Mumbai 'Samruddhi
Corridor' expressway project.
 Other lenders include Punjab National Bank, Bank of
Baroda, Bank of Maharashtra as well as the Life Insurance
Corporation (LIC) of India.
 SBI has agreed to lend the highest amount, 8,500 crore
rupees.
RBI eased ECB norms
 In a bid to improve ease of doing business, the Reserve
Bank of India has decided to liberalise external commercial
borrowing (ECB) norms.
 It allowed all companies that are eligible for receiving
foreign direct investment, to raise funds through the ECB
route.
 The RBI has decided to keep the minimum average
maturity period at 3 years for all ECBs, irrespective of the
amount of borrowing.
Cabinet approves capital infusion in Exim Bank
 On 16 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved fund
infusion of Rs 6000 crore in Export-Import Bank of India
(Exim Bank).
 The infusion would help the EXIM bank in expanding its
business.
 The government had infused Rs 500 crore in Exim Bank
last financial year.
 David Rasquinha is the Managing Director of EXIM Bank.
RBI will purchase govt. securities on 17 jan
 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will inject 10,000 crore rupees
into the banking system through the purchase of
government securities on 17 January 2019 to increase
liquidity.
 The purchase will be made through Open Market
Operations (OMOs).
 OMO refer to the buying and selling of government
securities in the open market in order to increase or
decrease the amount of money in the banking system.
WPI inflation at 3.80% in December 2018
 Inflation based on wholesale prices fell to an 8-month low
of 3.80% in December 2018 due to reducing prices of fuel
and some food items.
 The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation stood at
4.64% in November 2018, and 3.58% in December 2017.
 The deflation in food articles stood at 0.07% in December
2018, against 3.31% in November 2018.
IDFC Bank renamed as IDFC First Bank
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January 2019
 Private sector lender IDFC Bank's name has been changed
to 'IDFC First Bank Ltd' with effect from 12 January 2019.
 IDFC Bank and Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)
'Capital First' completed their merger on 18 December
2018.
 V Vaidyanathan, Founder of Capital First Ltd, was
appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive
Officer of the IDFC First Bank Ltd.
Industrial growth falls to 17-month low
 Industrial output growth dropped to a 17-month low of
0.5% in November 2018 on account of contraction in the
manufacturing sector.
 Industrial output is measured in terms of the Index of
Industrial Production (IIP), had grown by 8.5% in
November 2017, as per data released by the Central
Statistics Office.
 The manufacturing sector constitutes 77.63% of the Index
of Industrial Production (IIP)
GST burden on small businesses eased
 The 32nd meeting of GST council was held on 10 January
2019.
 In the meeting, it was decided that the companies with
annual turnover up to Rs. 40 lakh will stay out of the GST
net (Rs. 20 lakh earlier).
 The annual turnover limit for eligibility for the Composition
Scheme was raised to Rs.1.5 crore from 1 April 2019.
Deferment of capital buffer norms notified
 On 10 January 2019, the RBI deferred the implementation
of the last tranche of Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB)
from 31 March 2019 to 31 March 2020.
 The CCB is the capital buffer that banks have to
accumulate in normal times to be used for offsetting
losses during periods of stress.
 Currently, the CCB of banks stands at 1.875% of the core
capital.
RBI allows 'tokenisation' services
 The RBI allowed the card payment providers to offer
tokenisation services.
 'Tokenisation' will ensure the safety of digital transactions
and reduce the chances of fraud.
 It involves a process in which a unique token hides the
sensitive card details.
 The token is used to perform card transactions in
contactless mode at Point Of Sale (POS) terminals, Quick
Response (QR) code payments, etc.
RBI made changes in Gold Monetisation Scheme
 On 9 January 2019, the RBI made some changes in Gold
Monetisation Scheme (GMS).
 Apart from the individual and joint depositors, GMS has
been extended to charitable institutions, Central

Government, State Government or any other entity owned
by the Government.
 The government of India had launched the GMS in 2015 to
mobilise the gold held by households and institutions in
the country.
NABARD sets up venture capital entity
 On 7 January 2019, NABARD announced that it will provide
early-stage capital to agriculture and rural enterprises
through its venture capital entity, 'NABVENTURES Ltd'.
 NABVENTURES Ltd has been incorporated by NABARD
under the Companies Act.
 It will launch its maiden fund offer by the middle of
February 2019.
 NABARD's headquarter is in Mumbai and its Chairman is
Harsh Kumar Bhanwala
Indian economy expects to grow at 7.2%
 Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the first advance
estimates of National Income for 2018-19.
 As per the CSO, the Indian economy is expected to grow at
7.2% in 2018-19 against 6.7% in 2017-18 due to
improvement in the performance of agriculture and
manufacturing sectors.
 The growth of the manufacturing sector is expected to
accelerate to 8.3% this fiscal, up from 5.7% in 2017-18.
Net direct tax grew by 13.6%
 As per the Ministry of Finance, revenue from direct tax
grew by 13.6% to Rs 7.43 lakh crore in the first nine
months of the current financial year 2018-19 (April-
March).
 Gross tax collection grew by 14.1% to Rs 8.74 lakh crore.
 Corporate Income Tax (CIT) grew 14.8%, while personal
income tax (PIT) grew 17.2%.
 The government also collected Rs 3.64 lakh crore advance
Tax.
Government merges three regional rural banks
 The government of India merged three Regional Rural
Banks- Punjab Gramin Bank, Malwa Gramin Bank, and
Sutlej Gramin Bank.
 The single RRB will come into effect from 1 January 2019.
 The sponsor banks of the RRBs are NABARD, the
Government of Punjab and Punjab National Bank, SBI, and
Punjab and Sind Bank.
SEBI tweaks norms for commodity exchanges
 The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) directed
commodity derivatives exchanges to disclose the quantum
of trading done by farmers and other commodity market
participants.
 Market participants include millers and wholesalers.
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January 2019
 Currently, commodity derivatives exchanges disseminate
turnover data for only two broad categories of participants
— clients and proprietary.
RBI limits customer liability
 The RBI decided to limit the liability of customers in case of
unauthorised electronic payment transactions in Prepaid
Payment Instruments (PPIs) issued by non-banks.
 If the fraud is reported between three and seven days,
customer liability will amount to the transaction value or
Rs. 10,000.
 For over seven days, the liability of the customer will be
according to the policy of the PPI issue.
Custodial services in commodity market allowed
 The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed
custodial services in the commodity derivatives market.
 The move is aimed at enabling the participation of
institutional investors such as mutual funds and portfolio
managers in the commodity derivatives market.
 Under the new framework, existing custodians will be
permitted to add commodities as an asset class.
HDFC MF becomes the largest AMC in India
 HDFC Mutual Fund surpassed the ICICI Prudential MF to
become the country's largest asset management company
on 3 January 2019.
 HDFC manages assets of Rs 3.35 lakh crore, while those of
ICICI Prudential MF stood at Rs 3.08 lakh crore.
 SBI MF is at the third place with Rs 2.64 lakh crore,
followed by Aditya Birla Sun Life MF (Rs 2.42 lakh crore)
and Reliance MF (Rs 2.36 lakh crore).
Manufacturing PMI slows in December
 Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) slowed
down a bit to 53.2 in December 2018 as against 54 in
November 2018.
 This index is prepared on the basis of a survey which is
conducted among purchasing executives in over 400
companies.
 The index is prepared by 'IHS Markit' and it is widely to
explain the latest industrial situation in a country.
Union Cabinet approves merger of 3 banks
 On 2 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the
merger of Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda
(BoB).
 Following the merger of these banks, BoB will become the
third largest bank in India after the State Bank of India and
HDFC Bank in terms of assets.
 The government of India in September 2018 had
announced the merger of these three banks.
Direct tax-GDP ratio in FY18 best in 10 years

 The Ministry of Finance said that the direct tax-to-GDP
ratio of 5.98% achieved during 2017-18 fiscal is the best in
the last 10 years.
 It was 5.57% in 2016-17 and 5.47% in 2015-16.
 The growth rate for corporate income tax (CIT) and
personal income tax (PIT) stood at 17.7% and 18.3%
respectively.
 The number of individuals filing return of income has also
increased by about 65% in 2017-18.
Anti-Dumping duty imposed on chemical
 The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has
recommended anti-dumping duty on a chemical used in
paint and printing industries, imported from Brazil,
Indonesia, and Thailand.
 The name of the chemical is 'non-plasticised industrial
grade nitrocellulose damped in isopropyl alcohol having
nitrogen content in the range of 10.7-12.2%'.
 The duties have been imposed for three years.
Paytm Payment Bank to restart account opening
 The Reserve Bank of India allowed the Paytm Payments
Bank to restart opening accounts for its customers.
 The bank started 'Know Your Customer' formalities for its
wallets as well as its bank accounts from 31 Dec 2018.
 The RBI had asked the bank to stop adding new customers
in June 2018.
 Satish Gupta is the head of the Paytm Payments Bank.
RBI gives relief to MSME sector
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January 2019
 The RBI allowed a one-time restructuring of existing debt
of up to 25 crore rupees for the MSMEs which have
defaulted on payment of loans.
 The restructuring of loans will be implemented by 31
March 2020.
 It will help the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) which are facing cash crunch due
to demonetisation and GST implementation.
Provision coverage ratio of banks increases
 Public sector banks' Provision Coverage Ratio (PCR) has
increased to 66.85% as of September 2018.
 In 2015, the PCR was less than 50%.
 The provision coverage ratio (PCR) gives an indication of
the provision made against bad loans from the profit
generated.
 Higher the PCR, lower is the unexposed part of the bad
debts.
Fund raising via NCD surges in 2018
 As per the Security and Exchange Board of India's (SEBI)
report, Indian companies raised over Rs 29,300 crore by
issuing Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) to retail
investors in 2018.
 The companies raised money for funding expansion plans
and other general purposes.
 NCDs are loan-linked bonds that cannot be converted into
stocks and usually offer higher interest rates than the
convertible.
Govt infuses Rs 10,882 crore capital in 4 PSBs
 The government of India has infused 10,882 crore rupees
in four Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
 It is a part of 28,615 crore rupees capital infusion to be
done in about half a dozen public sector lenders.
 The four PSBs are UCO Bank, Bank of Maharashtra,
Syndicate Bank, and Central Bank of India.
 The recapitalisation would enhance the lending capacity of
the PSBs.
Core sector growth slows in Nov 2018
 The Core sector growth slowed to 3.5% in November from
4.8% in October 2018, due to a slowdown in the coal,
cement, and electricity sectors.
 Coal production increased by 3.7% in November 2018 over
November 2017.
 The cement sector saw growth in November 2018 slowing
to 8.8% from 18.4% in October.
 The electricity sector grew 5.4% in November 2018 as
compared with 10.9% in October 2018.
Allahabad Bank & SBI Life signed a pact
 Allahabad Bank signed a bancassurance pact with SBI Life
Insurance on 31 December 2018.

 Under the pact, the SBI Life Insurance will be able to sell its
products through various branches of Allahabad Bank.
 Sanjeev Nautiyal is the CEO & MD of SBI Life Insurance.
 Bancassurance is an arrangement through which an
insurance company can sell its products through a bank.
Govt sets up export promotion cell for MSMEs
 The MSME ministry has established an export promotion
cell to create a sustainable ecosystem for Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
 It will help in the integration of MSMEs into the global
value chain.
 It will also look into the areas where improvements are
required in order to be able to export effectively and
efficiently.
RBI: NBFCs balance sheet grew by 17.2%
 As per the RBI, the balance sheet size of Non-Bank
Financial Companies (NBFCs) grew by 17.2% to Rs 26
trillion in September 2018 from Rs 22.2 trillion in
September 2017.
 The NBFCs Capital to Risk-weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR)
decreased to 21% in September 2018 from 22.8% in March
2018.
 Loans and advances in the NBFC sector increased by 16.3%
and investments increased by 14.1%.
Bank GNPAs improved to 10.8%
 The 'Financial Stability Report' was released by the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) on 31 December 2018.
 As per the report, banks showed improvement with Gross
Non-Performing Assets' (GNPAs) ratio declining to 10.8% in
September 2018 from 11.5% in March 2018.
 The Net Non-Performing Assets (NNPAs) ratio also
witnessed a fall at 5.3% in September 2018 as against 6.2%
in March 2018.
Sports
Viswanathan Anand finishes joint third
 Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand played out
an exciting draw with Ding Liren of China to move to joint
third spot.
 Viswanathan Anand finished with 7.5 points at the Tata
Steel Masters chess tournament.
 Anand registered three victories, one defeat and nine
draws in the tournament.
 Magnus Carlsen won a super tournament for the seventh
time.
Ambati Rayudu banned from bowling by ICC
 India's Ambati Rayudu has been banned from bowling in
international cricket because of a suspect action.
 The suspension was done in "accordance with clause 4.2 of
the ICC regulations" which deals with the legality of
bowling actions.
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January 2019
 He is a right-handed middle-order batsman, who
occasionally keeps the wicket, and a right-arm off break
bowler.
Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open title
 Tennis player Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open
Men's Singles title at Melbourne on 27 January 2019.
 He defeated Rafael Nadal in the final match.
 It was his 7th Australian Open Men's Singles title.
 He won the Australian Open Men's Singles title in 2008,
2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
 He also broke a tie with Pete Sampras, for third-most
Grand Slam trophies.
Saina Nehwal wins Indonesia Masters title
 Badminton player Saina Nehwal won her first Indonesia
Masters title 2019 on 27 January 2019.
 She won the finals after Spain's Carolina Marin limped out
of the final due to a leg injury.
 Saina had won a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth
Games and the bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games.
Kartik Sharma won the Golf Championship
 India's Kartik Sharma won the New South Wales men's
Amateur Golf Championship in Australia.
 He defeated Australia's Nathan Barberie in the scheduled
36-hole final to emerge as champion.
 He had also won the Indian golf 'Union Western India
Amateur Golf Championship 2018'.
Naomi Osaka won the Australian Open title
 Naomi Osaka won the Women's Singles Final of the
Australian Open on 26 January 2019.
 In Tennis, Japan's Naomi Osaka has become the first player
since 2001 to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles.
 She also won the US Open in 2018.
 She also became the first Japanese player to achieve the
world number one ranking.
Shami becomes fastest to reach 100 ODI wickets
 Indian cricket bowler Mohammed Shami became the
fastest Indian to claim 100 wickets in One-day
Internationals on 23 January 2019.
 He took 100 wickets in 56 ODI matches.
 Before Shami, Irfan Pathan reached the 100-wicket mark
in 59 ODIs, while Zaheer Khan achieved this mark in 65
matches, Ajit Agarkar got it in 67 matches and Javagal
Srinath in 68 matches.
Virat Kohli named Captain of ICC's Test & ODI
 On 22 January 2019, the International Cricket Council (ICC)
announced the men’s Test and ODI teams of the year
2018.
 Virat Kohli has been named the captain of both sides
following a remarkable 2018 as a batsman and captain.

 Three players, each from India and New Zealand, were
named in Test team while four players, each from India
and England, were named in ODI squad.
Virat declared ODI & Test player of the year
 Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli was named 'Men's Test
Cricketer of the Year' and 'Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year'
by International Cricket Council (ICC) on 22 January 2019.
 He also won the 'Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy' for ICC Men’s
Cricketer of the Year.
 Rishabh Pant has been named the 'Emerging Player of the
Year' by the ICC for 2018.
Cosmas & Worknesh clinch men’s, women’s titles
 Cosmas Lagat of Kenya and Worknesh Alemu of Ethiopia
won the men's and women's titles in the Tata Mumbai
Marathon in Mumbai on 20 January 2019.
 Lagat, winner of the Sevilla Marathon in 2016, completed
the 42.195-kilometre race in 2 hours 9 minutes and 15
seconds.
 In women's race, Worknesh Alemu completed the race in 2
hours 25 minutes and 45 seconds.
Khelo India Youth Games concludes in Pune
 Khelo India Youth Games concluded in Pune on 20 January
2019.
 Maharashtra topped the Medal tally with 228 medals,
whereas Haryana and Delhi claimed the second and third
spot.
 Maharashtra bagged 'General Championship of Khelo India
2019' with 85 Gold Medals.
 The Khelo India Youth Games was organised by Ministry of
Youth Affairs and Sports.
Ankita wins ITF's tournament in Singapore
 India's Ankita Raina has won the International Tennis
Federation's $25,000 Women's tournament in Singapore
on 20 January 2019.
 She defeated world number 122 Arantxa Rus of the
Netherlands in the final match.
 It was the first title of the season and eighth singles title of
her career.
Srihari Nataraj bags 7 Gold medals
 On 15 January 2019, Karnataka's swimmer Srihari Nataraj
has emerged as the most prolific gold medal winner at the
Khelo India Youth Games.
 He has won 7 Gold medals in swimming events.
 P Likith from Karnataka won five gold medals and a bronze
medal in swimming at the Khelo India Youth Games.
 They both were the most decorated gold medalists of the
Games.
Gukesh is world's second youngest grand master
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January 2019
 Chess player D Gukesh became the second youngest
Grand Master (GM) in the world and the youngest Indian
to achieve the feat at age of 12 years and 7 months.
 He achieved his third and final GM norm at the ongoing
17th Delhi International Open Chess tournament in Delhi.
 Gukesh became India's 59th Grand Master.
 Ukraine's Sergey Karjakin holds the record of being the
youngest Grandmaster.
1st EMRS Sports Meet inaugurated in Hyderabad
 The '1st Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) Sports
Meet 2019' was inaugurated in Hyderabad on 14 January
2019.
 The National Sports Meet is being held from 14th to 16th
January 2019.
 The Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions
Society is organising the sports meet.
 There will be 13 events including Athletics and in Athletics
there will be 13 different competitions.
Ali Qamar named women's boxing coach
 Mohammed Ali Qamar has taken over as Chief Coach for
the country's women boxing on 14 January 2019.
 He won India's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in
boxing.
 He replaced the veteran Shiv Singh.
 Ali Qamar has been an assistant coach in the national
camp for more than a year.
Rudra won Gold Medal in weightlifting
 Weightlifter, S. Rudra Mayan won the gold medal by lifting
a total weight of 269 kgs at the Khelo India Youth Games in
Pune, Maharashtra.
 He is from Tamil Nadu.
 Tamil Nadu's S. Darshini won the gold medal in
weightlifting in girls Under -21 category.
 She managed a lift a total weight of 192kgs.
Akshata reaps Gold in Weightlifting
 Akshata Basvani Kamati of Karnataka has won a gold
medal in the under-21 age 71 kg category in weightlifting
at the Khelo India Youth Games.
 Kamati comes from Halaga near Belgaum and her coach is
Virpal Kaur.
 The 2nd edition of Khelo India Youth Games will be held
from January 9 to January 20, 2019, at Shree Shiv
Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, Maharashtra.
Abhinav Shaw won gold medal in shooting
 On 14 January 2019, 10-year old Abhinav Shaw became
the youngest gold medallist in the shooting at the Khelo
India Youth Games in Pune.
 He teamed up with Mehuli Ghosh to help West Bengal win
the 10m air rifle mixed team event.

 Delhi's Devanshi Rana bagged gold in Under-21 girls 25m
pistol event.
Bengaluru Raptors win Premier Badminton League
 Bengaluru Raptors won the Premier Badminton League
(PBL) title on 13 January 2019.
 They defeated Mumbai Rockets in the final match.
 Bengaluru Raptors consists of Kidambi Srikanth,
Mohammad Ahsan, Hendra Setiawan, Sai Praneeth,
Mithun Manjunath, Lauren Smith, Sanjana Santosh,
Marcus Ellis, Vu Thi Trang, and Nguyễn Tiến Minh.
 It is owned by Matrix Badminton Teamworks Pvt. Ltd
Harendra Singh removed as India's hockey coach
 Indian men's hockey coach Harendra Singh was removed
from the position on 9 January 2019.
 The team will be overseen by Hockey India High-
Performance Director David John and current Analytical
Coach, Chris Ciriello.
 Harendra Singh was brought in as men's coach in May
2018 after Sjoerd Marijne was moved back to the women's
camp.
Mary Kom attained number one position
 Boxer MC Mary Kom attained number one position in the
International Boxing Association's (AIBA) latest world
rankings.
 She won the gold medal in the 2018 Commonwealth
Games in Australia.
 She also won a silver at the prestigious 'Strandja Memorial'
in Bulgaria.
 She successful boxer in the history of World Championship
after she won the gold medal in the World Boxing
Championship in 2018.
Bavleen won gold medal in gymnastics
 Jammu and Kashmir's Bavleen Kaur won the gold medal in
the women's Under-17 all-around rhythmic gymnastics
event at the Khelo India Youth Games 2019.
 Maharashtra's Shreya Bhangale and Krisha Chheda took
silver and bronze medals.
 The 2019 Khelo India Youth Games are being held in Pune,
Maharashtra.
Salah named Caf African Player of the Year
 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah was named 2018
Confederation of African Football's (Caf) 'Player of the
Year'.
 He won the award for the second time.
 Houston Dash and South Africa forward Thembi Kgatlana
was named Women's Player of the Year.
 Salah was voted the 'BBC African Footballer of the Year' for
the second time in December 2018.
Khelo India Youth Games begins in Pune
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January 2019
 The second edition of Khelo India Youth Games was
inaugurated in Pune on 9 January 2019.
 Students from colleges and Universities will be allowed to
compete in the games.
 Tennis and table tennis will also be a part of the games.
 The 1st edition of Khelo India games was held in Delhi in
January 2018.
 The Khelo India games is organised by the Ministry of
Youth Affairs & Sports.
National billiards & snooker meet in Indore
 The 86th National Billiards and Snooker Championship will
be held in Indore from 18 January 2019.
 The event will be hosted by Madhya Pradesh Billiards and
Snooker Association.
 Top cueists, including Pankaj Advani, will take part in the
event.
 The prize money of the event is 10 lakh rupees.
 The event will conclude on 10 February 2019.
Sydney to host new ATP World Team Cup
 Sydney will host the finals of inaugural 24-team ATP Cup
men’s tennis tournament.
 The tennis tournament will be played from 3 January 2020.
 Sydney, Brisbane, and one other Australian city will co-
host the tournament.
 The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which runs
the men's tennis tournament, voted in London to award
the tournament to Australia.
Bopanna and Sharan won the Tata Open title
 Rohan Bopanna's and Divij Sharan have won the ATP tour
Tennis title at the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune on 5
January 2019.
 The defeated Britain's Luke Bambridge and Jonny O'Maara
in the final match.
 It was Bopanna's 18th ATP tour title while Sharan won his
fourth tournament.
 Before this, Bopanna won the Vienna event in October
2017 with Pablo Cuevas.
Rani won gold medal in National's Judo C'Ship
 Lady head constable, Rani of 5th Indian Reserve Battalion
of Himachal Pradesh Police won a Gold medal in the Senior
National Women's Judo Championship on 5 January 2019.
 The championship was held in Visakhapatnam.
 She won the gold medal in the 78 kg category.
 She was also declared the best Judoka at the
Championship.
Roger Federer clinched Hopman Cup
 Switzerland's Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic won the
Hopman Cup on 5 January 2019.
 They defeated Germany's Angelique Kerber and Alexander
Zverev in the final match.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

 Roger Federer is the first player to win three Hopman Cups  Rajendra Singh is the Director General of ICG.
- twice with Bencic and once with Martina Hingis, in 2001.
Successful Flight Test of LRSAM
 The Hopman Cup will be replaced by an ATP tournament in
2020.  The Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) was
successfully test fired from INS Chennai on 24 January
Vadodara to host 8th International Marathon
2019.
 Vadodara will host the eighth International Marathon on 6  LRSAM was jointly developed by Defence Research and
January 2019. Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace
 The marathon will be held across four categories: 42 km, Industries (IAI) for the Indian Navy.
21 km, 10 km and 5 km.  LRSAM will help in enhancing the Navy's anti-air warfare
 Other categories include 'divyang paralympic run', capability.
'swachhata run', 'pledge run' and 'jawan run'.
Naval Air Base 'INS Kohassa' commissioned
 The marathon is accredited to the Association of
International Marathon and Distance Races.  Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba commissioned the new
Naval Air Base ‘INS Kohassa’ in Andaman and Nicobar
National Table Tennis Championship begins
Islands on 24 January 2019.
 The 80th National Table Tennis Championship began at  The airbase will be used to handle operations of
Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha on 4 helicopters and small aircraft like the Dornier.
January 2019.  INS Kohassa will be India’s fourth air base and the third
 Odisha State Table Tennis Association (OSTTA) is hosting naval air facility in the Andamans that overlooks key sea
the National Table Tennis Championship. lanes of communication and strategic points.
 The event will conclude on 9 January 2019.
 As many as 35 teams, including 550 players from different
parts of the country are participating in the championship.
Jasprit becomes highest wicket taker of 2018
 Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah became the highest wicket-
taker across all formats in 2018.
 He took 78 wickets in 2018.
 He took 48 wickets in 9 Tests, 22 wickets in 13 ODIs and 8
wickets in 8 T20I matches.
 South Africa's bowler Kagiso Rabada is at second place,
who took 77 wickets in 2018. 'India-Africa Field Training' in March 2019
 The Indian Army will conduct the joint exercise named
'India-Africa Field Training' with African nations in March
Defence
2019 in Pune.
Successfully testing of Anti-Radiation Missile  Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Senegal,
Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, and
 The Defence Research and Development Organisation
Uganda will participate in the exercise.
(DRDO) successfully conducted the test of New Generation
 The focus will be training in anti-terror operations,
Anti-Radiation Missile (NGARM) on 24 January 2019.
humanitarian mine action and joint peace operations.
 The missile is capable of destroying the enemy radars,
tracking system and communication facilities. Defence exercise 'Sea Vigil 2019' begins
 The NGARM has a strike range of over 100 km.
 The Indian Navy in coordination with the Coast Guard and
 This missile is first of its kind in India and can be launched
other stakeholders will conduct a two-day defence
from a range of altitudes.
exercise codenamed 'Sea Vigil 2019' from 22 January 2019.
Exercises held b/w India & Japan coast guards  The exercise is being conducted under the aegis of
Commander-in-Chief, Coastal Defence, Southern Naval
 Coast Guards of India and Japan held their disaster control,
Command, Kochi.
search and rescue exercises off the coast of Yokohama in
 The aim of the exercise is to test the country's
Japan on 23 January 2019.
preparedness against any attack through the sea route.
 Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship ICGS Shaunak is the main
Indian ship taking part in the drills. TN Defence Industrial Corridor launched
 The ICGS Shaunkak is an Offshore Patrol Vessel and is one
 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the 'Tamil
of the largest ships in the Indian Coast Guard.
Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor' on 20 January 2019.

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 The Corridor will connect leading military manufacturing
units in Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Coimbatore, and
Tiruchirappalli.
 It will also help the industry to integrate with the global
supply chain of Defence manufacturing.
 The first defence corridor was established in Uttar
Pradesh.
Armoured Systems Complex inaugurated in Hazira
 The Larsen and Toubro's (L&T) 'Armoured Systems
Complex' was inaugurated at Hazira in Gujarat on 19
January 2019.
 It is the first private facility in the country where the 'K9
Vajra' self-propelled Howitzer guns will be manufactured.
 L&T had in 2017 won the Rs 4,500-crore contract from the
Ministry of Defence to supply 100 units of K9 Vajra-T to
the Indian Army.
India's 2nd innovation hub in Maharashtra
 Union Minister of State for Defence, Subhash Bhamre said
that Nashik in Maharashtra will be the site of the country's
second defence innovation hub.
 The defence innovation hub at Nashik will help local
industries and entrepreneurs and further the Centre’s
Make in India push in the country’s defence sector.
 India's first defence innovation hub is in Coimbatore, Tamil
Nadu.
Three new naval air squadrons approved
 On 18 January 2019, the government of India approved
setting up of three new naval air squadrons in Gujarat and
Tamil Nadu.
 The three new air squadrons will increase the overall
strength of the Indian Navy.
 The government also sanctioned recruitment of
manpower for manning additional aircraft in existing
Dornier surveillance squadrons in Kerala and Andaman
Islands.
'IMBEX 2018-19' inaugurated on 14 January
 The second India-Myanmar bilateral Army exercise named
'IMBEX 2018-19' commenced at Chandimandir military
station in Haryana on 14 January 2019.
 The aim of this joint training event is to train the Myanmar
delegation for participation in UN peacekeeping
operations.
 The exercise includes participation of 15 officers from
Myanmar Army and 15 officers from Indian Army
Lt Gen JS Nain is Rising Star Corps Commander
 On 12 January 2019, Lt Gen JS Nain took over as the 14th
Corps Commander of the strategic Rising Star Corps.
 He took over from Lt Gen YVK Mohan.
 The Rising Star Corps was raised in 2005 and is the Indian
Army’s youngest corps.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 It has its area of operation in three districts of Jammu
region including Jammu, Samba, and Kathua.
Two interceptor boats inducted into navy
 On 11 January 2019, the Indian Navy inducted two Fast
Interceptor Craft (FIC) into its fleet at Nagapattinam in an
effort to increase the coastal security.
 They can carry a variety of armament like heavy machine
guns.
 FICs are capable of operating in shallow waters and were
acquired for 'Sagar Prahari Bal'.
 Sagar Prahari Bal is a unit of the Navy created post-26/11
Mumbai terror attacks.
Navy to set up new air base in Port Blair
 The Indian Navy will commission a new airbase 100 miles
north of Port Blair in the strategically located Andaman
and Nicobar islands.
 The base, INS Kohassa, will be commissioned by Navy Chief
Admiral Sunil Lanba on 24 January 2019.
 This will be India’s fourth air base and the third naval air
facility in Andamans and Nicobar Islands.
Polity
Cabinet approves amendment to article 280
 On 23 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the
amendment to Article 280 of the Constitution to increase
powers of Autonomous Councils in Sixth Schedule areas of
North East.
 The amendment will give more powers to Autonomous
District Councils of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, &
Tripura.
 The Finance Commission will be mandated to recommend
the devolution of financial resources to the councils.
Cabinet approves amendment to article 280
 On 23 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the
amendment to Article 280 of the Constitution to increase
powers of Autonomous Councils in Sixth Schedule areas of
North East.
 The amendment will give more powers to Autonomous
District Councils of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, &
Tripura.
 The Finance Commission will be mandated to recommend
the devolution of financial resources to the councils.
10% EWS quota comes into force
 The Act providing 10% reservation in government jobs and
educational institutions to Economically Weaker Sections
(EWS) among upper caste came into effect from 14
January 2019.
 The President gave his assent to the Bill on 12 January
2019, after it was passed by both Houses of Parliament.
 The Act amends Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

Gujarat implements new 10% quota law  The law commission will identify the redundant and
obsolete laws that can be repealed and suggest measures
 Gujarat has become the first state to provide a 10%
for quick redress of public grievances.
reservation in jobs and educational institutions to the
 The term of the Jammu and Kashmir State Law
economically weaker sections in the general category.
Commission will be for three years.
 It will be applicable from 14 January 2019.
 The eligibility of the new quota will be applicable only for Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill passed in LS
which the announcement for jobs and admissions have
 The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed in
been made but the process has not yet begun.
Lok Sabha on 7 January 2019.
Parliament passes 124th Amendment Bill  It seeks to remove leprosy as a ground for divorce in five
personal laws: Hindu Marriage Act, Dissolution of Muslim
 On 9 January 2019, the Rajya Sabha passed the 124th
Marriages Act, Divorce Act (for Christians), Special
Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019.
Marriage Act and the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance
 The bill seeks to provide a 10% reservation in government
Act.
jobs and admission in educational institutions to
 The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in August 2018.
economically backward people among upper castes.
 The Bill will amend the article 15 and 16 of the Quota for economically backward upper castes
constitution of India.
 On 7 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved a 10%
 The Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on 8 January 2019.
reservation for 'economically backward' upper castes in
LS passes 124th Constitutional Amendment Bill government jobs.
 The reservation will be applicable for those belonging to
 On 8 January 2019, the Lok Sabha has passed the 124th
the upper castes and earning less than Rs 8 lakh per year.
Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019.
 A bill to amend Article 15 and 16 of the Constitution will
 The bill seeks to provide a 10% reservation to Economically
be moved in the Parliament to this effect.
Weaker Sections (EWS) in the General category.
 The bill facilitates reservation for EWS in direct Bills passed in Parliament (1-5 Jan 2019)
recruitments and admission in higher educational
 The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill 2018 was
institutions.
passed in the Lok Sabha on 31 December 2018.
 The Bill amends Article 15 of Constitution of India.
 On 3 January 2019, the Rajya Sabha passed the Right of
Citizenship (Amendment) Bill passed in LS Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment)
Bill, 2018. The Bill empowered the states to detain weak
 The Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on
students in the same class.
8 January 2019.
 The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill was
 The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make
passed in Lok Sabha on 4 January 2019.
illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains,
Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Companies (Amendment) Bill passed in Lok Sabha
Pakistan, eligible for citizenship of India.
 On 4 January 2019, the Lok Sabha passed the Companies
 It will apply to those migrants who have entered India (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
before December 31, 2014.
 The Bill seeks to improve ease of doing business, reduce
DNA (Use and Application) Bill passed in LS the burden on the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)
and prescribe strong action against non-compliant
 The Lok Sabha passed the 'DNA Technology (Use and
companies.
Application) Regulation Bill, 2019' on 8 January 2019.
 The Companies (Amendment), Bill, 2018 replaces the
 It seeks to provide regulation for the use and application
Ordinance promulgated in November 2018.
of DNA technology for the purpose of establishing the
identity of a certain category of persons. New Delhi Arbitration Centre Bill passed in LS
 The bill also seeks to establish a 'National DNA Data Bank'  The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill was
and 'Regional DNA Data Banks'. passed in Lok Sabha on 4 January 2019.
Jammu and Kashmir sets up law commission  The Bill seeks to establish an independent and
autonomous regime for institutionalised arbitration.
 The Jammu and Kashmir administration has set up a law
 It also seeks for acquisition and transfer of undertakings of
commission on 7 January 2019.
the International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution
 Justice (Retd) M K Hanjura was appointed as its
(ICADR).
Chairperson.
 ICADR works under the aegis of the Supreme Court.
Parliament approves NCTE amendment bill
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

 Rajya Sabha passed the 'National Council for Teacher

Education (Amendment) Bill' on 3 January 2019.
 The bill seeks to provide retrospective recognition to
central and state government funded institutions offering
B.Ed and related courses that are not recognised under the
National Council for Teacher Education Act.
 The Lok Sabha has already passed this bill on 23 July 2018.
RTE (Amendment) Bill, 2018 passed
 On 3 January 2019, the Parliament passed the Right of
Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment)
Bill, 2018.
 The Parliament empowered states to detain weak
students in the same class if they fail to pass annual
exams.
 As per the current provisions of RTE Act, no student can be
detained up to class 8th.
 The bill also allows the reintroduction of examinations for
primary schools.
Bill to amend Arunachal's ST list approved
 The Union Cabinet approved the introduction of a bill to
modify the list of Scheduled Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
 The bill proposes the deletion of the 'Abor' tribe from the
state's ST list as it is the same as 'Adi' tribe.
 The bill seeks to include the Mishmi-Kaman (Miju Mishmi),
Idu (Mishmi) and Taraon (Digaru Mishmi) tribes in the list.
Aadhaar Amendment Bill introduced in Lok Sabha
 On 2 December 2018, the government of India introduced
the Aadhar amendment bill in Lok Sabha.
 The bill seeks to provide legal backing for voluntary
seeding of biometric Aadhaar ID with mobile numbers and
bank accounts after the Supreme Court barred mandatory
use of the Aadhar by private firms.
 In December 2018, the Union Cabinet approved amending
the existing Aadhaar law.
Medical Council (Amendment) Bill passed in LS
 The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill 2018 was
passed in the Lok Sabha on 31 December 2018.
 The bill aims to run the Medical Council of India (MCI)
through a panel of eminent professionals.
 The powers of the council have been vested in a Board of
Governors (BoG).
 It will continue to perform till a Council is constituted.

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