Weekly BeePedia 9th Jan To 15th Jan 2020

Weekly BeePedia
9th Jan to 15th Jan 2020
Finance and Banking
RBI amends KYC norms, allows banks to use V-CIP

The RBI has amended the KYC norms allowing banks and other lending institutions regulated by it to
use Video based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP), a move which will help them onboard
customers remotely.
• The Reserve Bank has decided to permit video based Customer Identification Process (V-
CIP) as a consent based alternate method of establishing the customer's identity, for
customer onboarding with a view to leveraging the digital channels for Customer
Identification Process (CIP) by regulated entities (REs).
• Live location of the customer (Geotagging) shall also be captured to ensure that customer is
physically present in India.
In a first, HDFC Bank launches myApps to boost digital payments

HDFC Bank launched myApps application to boost digital payments in India. myApps is a
unique customised suite of banking products to benefit urban local bodies, housing societies,
local clubs and gymkhanas and religious institutions.
• In a first, HDFC bank is helping organisations to entirely digitise their ecosystem through
myApps. At present HDFC Bank is offering four types of applications — mySociety, myClub,
myPrayer and myCity.
• myApps will enable the organisation to get easy access to reports on payments, facilities booked
by members, requests and complaints registered by users.
• This initiative is a part of the HDFC Bank’s strategy to take digitisation to the next level by
focusing on providing value beyond basic banking services
RBI chalks out financial inclusion strategy for 2024

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has chalked out an ambitious strategy for financial inclusion for
2019-2024, in which it aims to strengthen the ecosystem for various modes of digital financial services
in all Tier-II to Tier-VI centers to create the necessary infrastructure to move towards a less-cash
society by March 2022.
• One of the objectives of the strategy includes increasing outreach of banking outlets of to
provide banking access to every village within a 5km radius or a hamlet of 500 households
in hilly areas by March 2020.
• With the aim of providing basic of financial services, a target has been set that every willing and
eligible adult, who has been enrolled under the Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana, be enrolled
under an insurance scheme and a pension scheme by March 2020.
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• The plan is also to make the Public Credit Registry (PCR) fully operational by March 2022 so
that authorized financial entities could leverage the same for assessing credit proposals from all
citizens.
• The report stated the following 6 pillars as part of strategic objectives to achieve the aim of
financial inclusion:
o Universal Access to Financial Services
o Providing basic bouquet of financial services
o Access to livelihood and Skill Development
o Financial Literacy and Education
o Customer Protection and Grievance Redressal
o Effective Co-ordination
Uttam prakash agarwal resigned as independent director of Yes Bank

Uttam Prakash Agarwal,an independent director and chairman of YES Bank’s Audit
Committee, has resigned citing corporate governance failure.
• On November 14, 2018, Agarwal was appointed to the post, and his tenure set to end in
November 2023.
RBI Imposes Rs 35,000 Withdrawal Limit For Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank Account
Holders
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a withdrawal limit of Rs 35,000 on those holding
accounts in Bengaluru-based Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank, which is applicable to
savings, current or any other deposit account, according to the RBI.
• The imposition of restrictions on Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank comes at a time when the
country's banks are already saddled with nearly $150 billion in bad loans, struggling to grow
their lending activity as a slowdown in domestic consumption weighs on demand for credit.
• Sri Gururaghavendra Sahakara Bank has also been restricted from disbursing any loans, making
any investment or incurring any liability including borrowing of funds and acceptance of fresh
deposits.
• The restrictions came into force from the close of business hours on January 10. The
cooperative bank will have to take approval of the RBI for performing any such tasks.
• However, the RBI has made it clear that the directions issued by it should not be seen as
cancellation of the banking license of Sri Gururaghavendra Sahakara Bank, which will continue to
undertake banking business with restrictions till its financial position improves.
Capital of Indian Overseas Bank raised to Rs 25,000 cr

Indian Overseas Bank said the government has increased its authorised capital by Rs 10,000
crore to Rs 25,000 crore.
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• The Centre after consultation with the Reserve Bank of India has increased the authorised capital
of the bank from Rs 15,000 crores to Rs 25,000 crore
Michael Debabrata Patra appointed as RBI Deputy Governor

Michael Debabrata Patra has been appointed as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI).
• The post was lying vacant after Viral V Acharya resigned from the post in June last year. He
will be the fourth Deputy Governor of the RBI and has been appointed to the post for a period
of three years.
• The RBI, headed by Governor Shaktikanta Das, can have a maximum of four Deputy
Governors. N S Vishwanathan, B P Kanungo and M K Jain are the other Deputy Governors
working at the central bank.
SEBI Extends Deadline By Two Years To Split Chairman And Managing Director Posts
The Securities and Exchange Board of India has deferred by two years to April 2022 its
directive for listed companies to split the roles of chairman and managing director. The
decision was taken in view of demand from corporates and to keep compliance burden low in the
wake of the current economic scenario.
• According to SEBI norms, the Top 500 listed entities by market capitalisation were
mandated to comply with the requirement of separation of the roles of chairperson and
managing director or chief executive officer with effect from April 1, 2020. The norms were
aimed at improving corporate governance structure of listed companies.
• Now, the date of implementation of the regulatory provision has been deferred to April 1, 2022.
• Data from stock exchanges reveal that at present, only 50 percent of the top 500 listed companies
are in compliance with the regulatory provision.
• Currently, many companies have merged the two posts as chairman and managing
director, leading to some overlapping of the board and management.
• A large number of big companies—including Reliance Industries Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corp.
Ltd., Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd., Coal India Ltd., Wipro Ltd. and Hero MotoCorp Ltd.—have a
single person holding the twin post of chairman and managing director.
RBI tweaks norms for imposing penalties on payment system operators

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) tweaked the norms for imposing penalties on payment system
operators for not complying with regulatory requirements, with a view to ensure safety and
security to various stakeholders, including customers.
• The payment system landscape has witnessed rapid developments since then with increased
adoption of technology, availability of payment products, entry of more nonbank players, dis-
intermediation, and significant surge in turnover, among others.
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• In view of the promotion of digital payments, India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
has permitted processing of e-mandate for recurring payments through UPI (Unified
Payments Interface).
• E-mandate is called the consent to the process of payment by means of message or e-mail,
etc., without the presence of consumers before the merchant while making payment.
• This functionality will allow UPI users to bypass additional factor authentication (AFA), a
security measure put in place for card payments that requires OTP – one-time password
verification) during registration and 1st transaction.
• Under this facility, an agreement is formed between the consumer and the merchant bodies and
the payment of the outstanding dues is done automatically on the fixed date of the month.
However, the maximum permissible limit under this payment system shall be Rs 2,000 per
transaction.
• Till now this facility was available for payment through debit card, credit card, prepaid payment
instrument (PPI) and wallet and is generally used to pay other utility bills including mobile,
internet, or making lump sum payments on monthly basis in shops.
• In a bid to ensure safety and security to various stakeholders, including customers, RBI has
released the revised framework for imposing monetary penalty on authorised payment
system operators / banks under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 for not
complying with regulatory requirements.
• Under the revised framework, RBI has provision to levy monetary penalty levied for a
contravention shall not exceed Rs 5 lakh or double the amount of contravention or default,
whichever is higher, where such amount is quantifiable. For non-quantifiable contravention, the
maximum penalty imposed by RBI shall be Rs 5 lakh per contravention. In addition, RBI will
impose further penalty up to ₹ 25,000/- for every day, if such contravention / default is a
continuously performed.
• The penalty should be paid within a period of 30 days from the date of the order issued by
RBI.
• In case of failure in payment, RBI will take further action against the contravener as per Section 8
or Section 30 (3) or Section 33 of PSS Act.

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Economy
World Bank lowers India’s FY20 growth estimate to 5%

The World Bank lowered its growth estimate for India to 5 per cent for the current fiscal from the
earlier projection of 6 per cent.
• WB's January 2020 Global Economic Prospects report said a "lingering" credit weakness
emanating from non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) is one of the key reasons for the
downgrade.
• Its projection for India GDP in 2021-22 has also come down to just 5.8 per cent.
• According to the World Bank, global economic growth is estimated to inch up to 2.5 per cent in
2020 as investment and trade gradually recover from last year’s significant weakness.
Industrial production grows 1.8% in Nov, turns positive after 3 months

Having contracted for three months in a row, the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) recorded a
growth of 1.8 per cent in November mainly on account of improvement in the manufacturing
sector, said government data. The IIP growth in November 2018 was 0.2 per cent.
• According to the National Statistical Office (NSO) data, the IIP growth during April-November
period of the current fiscal came in at 0.6 per cent, down from 5 per cent in the same period of
2018-19.
• The data for the November month further revealed that production of capital goods, a barometer
of investment, contracted by 8.6 per cent. This compares with a contraction of 4.1 per cent in
November 2018.
Ashok Leyland and ABB arm ink pact on electric buses

Commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland and ABB Power Products and Systems India
Ltd. have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop electric buses using
the latter’s flash charge technology ‘TOSA.’
• According to ABB Power Products, TOSA (Trolleybus Optimisation Systeme Alimentation)
is the fastest flashcharging connection technology that does the topping (charging) in
seconds even as passengers get on and off the buses. Besides, it reduces the environmental
pollution of the transit systems without affecting passenger capacity or the journey time.
• When connected to charging infrastructure, the batteries can be charged with a 600kilowatt
power boost in 15 seconds. An additional few minutes of charge at the final terminal would
result in full recharge without interrupting the bus schedule.
TOSA can prevent 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide emission on a line covering six lakh km per year. It
also offers operating cost savings of 30% compared to an equivalent diesel transit system.

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Retail inflation surges to over 5-year high of 7.35% in December, surpasses RBI's comfort level
Retail inflation rose to about five-and-half year high of 7.35 percent in December 2019,
surpassing the RBI's comfort level, mainly due to spiralling prices of vegetables as onions
were selling costlier.
• As per the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), the spike in inflation in the
vegetable segment was 60.5 percent during the month compared to December 2018.
• The overall retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 2.11 percent in December
2018 and 5.54 percent in November 2019.
• As per the data released by the NSO, the overall food inflation rose to 14.12 percent in
December 2019 as against (-) 2.65 percent in the same month of 2018. The food inflation was
10.01 percent in November 2019.
• The inflation in 'pulses and products' was recorded at 15.44 percent, while in case of 'meat and
fish' it was nearly 10 percent.
• The central government has mandated the Reserve Bank of India to keep inflation in the
range of 4 percent with a margin of 2 percent on either side.
• The RBI, which mainly factors in the CPI based inflation, is scheduled to announce its next bi-
monthly monetary policy on 6 February. In its December policy, the central bank, which had been
reducing rates, had kept the repo rate unchanged citing inflationary concerns.
CCI Releases ‘Market Study on E-commerce in India: Key Findings and Observations’
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) released a Report titled ‘Market Study on E-
commerce in India: Key Findings and Observations’ with an objective to identify impediments to
competition, if any, emerging from e-commerce and to ascertain the Commission’s enforcement and
advocacy priorities in light of the same.
• The Market Study on E-commerce in India (‘the study’) was initiated by the CCI in April 2019
with a view to better understand the functioning of e-commerce in India and its implications for
markets and competition.
• 16 online platforms, 164 business entities [including sellers (manufacturers and retailers) and
service providers (hotels and restaurants)] and 7 payment system providers from across India

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participated in the study. In addition, 11 industry associations, representing different stakeholder

groups, also participated.
• Revenue from the e-commerce sector is expected to increase from $39 billion in 2017 to
$120 billion in 2020, growing at an annual rate of 51%, which is considered to be the highest in
the world. Maximum number of new e-commerce companies i.e. 1650 were formed in 2015. At
present around 4757 e-commerce startups are active in India
• The number of internet users have increased from 445.96 million in 2017 to 665.31 million
in 2019 and is also expected to increase to 829 million in 2021.
• E-commerce in the goods category in India has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
of 57% in the last 7 years, and is expected to grow by 18.6% till 2022
• The food tech industry in India is estimated to grow at a CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth
Rate) of more than 12% between 2016 and 2021. 83% of the respondent restaurants reported to
have an online presence. Their online sales accounted for on an average nearly 29% of the
respondent restaurants’ revenue.
Tariff war: WTO sets up dispute panel over India's duty hike on 28 American goods
The World Trade Organisation's (WTO) dispute settlement body has set up a panel to examine
the US complaint against India which had increased customs duties on 28 American goods
last year.
• The US in July had dragged India to the WTO by filing a complaint against New Delhi's move to
increase customs duties, alleging the decision as inconsistent with the global trade norms.
• According to a communication of the Geneva-based WTO, the dispute settlement body has
established a panel "to examine the matter referred by the US".
• The US had alleged that the additional duties imposed by India "appears to nullify or impair
the benefits accruing to the US directly or indirectly" under the GATT 1994. The US had
also alleged that the duties imposed by India appears to be inconsistent with two norms of
GATT. It had stated that India does not impose these duties on products originating in the territory
of any other WTO member nation.
• The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is a WTO pact, signed by all member
countries of the multi-lateral body, aims to promote trade by reducing or eliminating trade
barriers like customs duties.
• As per the WTO's dispute settlement process, the request for consultations is the first step in a
dispute.
• Consultations give the parties an opportunity to discuss the matter and find a satisfactory solution
without proceeding further with litigation.
• After 60 days, if consultations fail to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request
adjudication by a panel.

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• The US has rolled back export incentives from India under its GSP programme and New
Delhi has imposed higher customs duties on 28 American products including almond, pulses,
walnut, chickpeas, boric acid and binders for foundry moulds. The other products on which duties
were hiked include certain kind of nuts, iron and steel products, apples, pears, flat rolled products
of stainless steel, other alloy steel, tube and pipe fittings, and screws, bolts and rivets.
• The duties were hiked as retaliation to the US move to impose the highest customs duties
on certain steel and aluminium goods.
• India's exports to the US in 2017-18 stood at $47.9 billion, while imports were at $26.7
billion. The trade balance is in favour of India.
South Asian Trade and Travel Exchange expo 2020 held in new delhi
The 27th edition of South Asian Trade and Travel Exchange Expo (SATTE) 2020 was held in
New Delhi.
• The SATTE expo was supported by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and
sponsored by Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department.
• The objective of the expo was to build new business partnerships and hence was an important
place for the promotion of tourism. The SATTE witnessed the participation of over 50 countries
and 28 Indian states.
SBI’s report ‘Ecowrap’ lowers India’s growth rate to 4.6% for FY 2020
The State Bank of India has released its research report ‘Ecowrap’, in which the economic
research department of SBI has lowered India’s growth rate to 4.6% in the fiscal year 2020.
• The report also stated that agriculture and allied activities are expected to grow at 2.8%, while
growth in industry projected to grow at 2.5% in fiscal year 2020.
• The service sector is also expected to increase to 6.9% in fiscal year 2020.
Government to provide Rs 5,559 crore funding to Northeast gas grid

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved a capital grant as the Viability
Gap Funding to Indradhanush Gas Grid Ltd (IGGL) for setting up the NorthEast Natural Gas
Pipeline Grid.
• The viability gap funding would be capped at 60 per cent of the estimated cost of ₹ 9,265
crore (including interest during construction) for the project.
• The North East Gas Grid project is being implemented by IGGL, a Joint Venture company
of five CPSEs (GAIL, IOCL, ONGC, OIL and NRL). The joint venture was incorporated in August
2018 to develop and operate a natural gas pipeline grid in the NorthEast.
• The total length of the pipeline is 1,656 km and will be built at estimated cost of Rs. 9,265 crore
(Including interest during construction). It will cover eight states of the North-Eastern region
i.e., Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
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• IGGL will enhance availability of natural gas in North East and ensure uninterrupted supply of
natural gas to industries, domestic consumers and for transport purposes to establish a clean fuel
led economy.
• The capital grant will provide natural gas supplies to various types of consumers,
including Industrial, PNG (Domestic), and CNG (Transport), among others, and would help
in substituting liquid fuels.
Govt promulgates ordinance for amendment of laws to ease coal mine auctions
The government announced promulgation of the ordinance for amendment in the Mines and
Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act, 1957 and the Coal Mines (Special
Provisions) Act, 2015 in order to ease auction of coal mines, allow FDI and enhance ease of
doing business.
• The Union Cabinet had recently approved the amendments which intend to open up new areas of
growth in the coal and mining sector.
The amendments in the Acts would enable the following:
• Enhancing the ease of doing business
• Democratization of coal mining sector by opening it up to anyone willing to invest.
• Offering of unexplored and partially explored coal blocks for mining through prospecting license-
cum-mining Lease (PL- cum-ML).
• Promoting Foreign Direct Investment in the coal mining sector by removing the restriction and
eligibility criteria for participation.
• Allowing of successful bidder/allottee to utilise mined coal in any of the plant of its subsidiary or
holding company
• Attracting large investment in coal mining sector as restrictions of end use has been dropped.
World's most powerful passports in 2020: Indians don't need prior visa in 58 countries
Indian passport, ranked 84th in the world's most powerful passport index 2020, can get you visa-
free entry to 58 destinations worldwide, according to a new report.
• Based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Henley & Partners
has come out with a passport index where countries are ranked according to the number of
destinations their passport holder can access without a prior visa.
• While Japan continues to top the list of the world's most powerful passport as it fetches visa-
free access to 191 countries, India's rank has dropped from 82nd spot in 2019 to 84th in 2020.
World's top 10 most powerful passports:
1) Japan: Visa-free entry to 191 countries
2) Singapore: 190 countries
3) Germany, South Korea: 189
4) Finland, Italy: 188
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5) Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain: 187

6) France, Sweden: 186
7) Austria, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland: 185
8) Belgium, Greece, Norway, UK, USA: 184
9) Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand: 183
10) Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia: 181
• India's passport ranking dropped 2 places in 2020 to the 84th position where it is tagged
along with Mauritania and Tajikistan.
• Afghanistan's passport is the world's worst passport while Pakistan's is the fourth worst,
according to the Henley Passport Index 2020 report.
World's worst passports:
1) Afghanistan: Visa-free access to 26 countries
2) Iraq: 28 countries
3) Syria: 29
4) Pakistan, Somalia: 32
5) Yemen: 33
Tehran hosted dialogue forum on Hormuz peace initiative

Tehran Dialogue Forum, 23rd Persian Gulf International Conference was held in Tehran (Iran),
where India has participated.
• During the forum, India supported the Hormuz Peace initiative 2020, which seek stability in
one of world’s busiest shipping lanes i.e, Strait of Hormuz, amid escalating US-Iran tensions.
Oman, India, China and Afghanistan were the key participants.
• The meeting reviewed the latest developments in the Persian Gulf region and also evaluated
the regional cooperation plans under the ‘Hormuz Peace Endeavor’ (HOPE), proposed by
Tehran at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that was held
in September 2019 and was presented by Iran President Hassan Rouhani at UNGA.
• The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important choke points. It has Iran in
the northern coat, UAE (United Arab Emirates) and Musandam, an enclave of Oman in the
southern coast. It acts as an important gateway for significant amount of global oil supplies.
PayU buys PaySense for $185 mn in India's largest fintech acquisition deal
In India’s largest fintech acquisition deal, digital payments gateway provider PayU has
acquired a controlling stake in Nexus Venture Partners-backed fintech start-up PaySense at a
valuation of $185 million.
• As part of the transaction, PayU will merge it with its credit business LazyPay to build a full-
stack digital lending platform in the country.

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• PayU will also pump in $200 million in the new enterprise in the form of equity capital of which
$65 million will be immediately invested, while the rest will be infused in the next two years.
• PaySense, which provides instant loan of up to Rs 5 lakh has over five million registered
customers with loan disbursement of over Rs 1,100 crore.
Amazon to invest $1 billion in digitising small businesses in India: Jeff Bezos

Amazon.com Inc chief Jeff Bezos on announced USD 1 billion (over Rs 7,000 crore) investment in
India to help bring small and medium businesses online and committed to exporting USD 10 billion
worth of India-made goods by 2025.
• The USD 1 billion investment would be to digitise 10 million micro, small, and medium enterprises
(MSMEs) and traders across India, including manufacturers, resellers, local offline shops, and
brands.
• As part of this effort, Amazon will establish 100 Digital Haats in cities and villages throughout
India.
MHA issues Revised Guidelines for Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters
In furtherance to Government of India’s policy of zero tolerance for crime and in an endeavor
to fast track the dispensation of justice, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has taken steps to
enhance and streamline the process of international mutual legal assistance in criminal
matters.
• The MHA has issued Revised Guidelines for Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters in
December 2019..
• The revised guidelines provide step-by-step guidance to the investigation agencies for drafting
and processing Letters Rogatory / Mutual Legal Assistance Requests and Service of Summons,
Notices & other Judicial Documents.
• The guidelines have also taken into account the concerns raised by various courts for
prompt and timely responses in service of documents on persons residing abroad.
• As an initiative, the revised guidelines have provision for service of documents on authorities of
foreign country preferably within 10 days of receipt of request in respect of offences committed
against women and children.
• India has entered into Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties/ Agreements with 42 countries and
is signatory to various international conventions i.e. UNCAC, UNTOC etc. The Ministry of
Home Affairs (MHA) is the designated ‘Central Authority’ for India.
• In order to streamline the process of rendering/ seeking such assistance, MHA had issued
guidelines regarding investigation abroad & issue of Letters Rogatory (LRs) in 2007 & regarding
Service of Summons/Notices/ Judicial process on the persons residing abroad in 2009.
• Over the decade, there have been substantial changes in International Cooperation based on
new legislations, regulations & conventions and amendment in procedural laws all over the world
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including India. These changes necessitated the need for comprehensive review of existing
guidelines to keep them abreast the modern era requirements.
Paytm launches unified QR code for merchants to enable unlimited payments

Paytm, India's leading digital payments company, announced the launch of its all-in-one QR
for merchants across the country.
• The QR code will enable business to accept unlimited payments through Paytm Wallet, Rupay
Cards and all UPI-based payment apps directly into their bank account at zero percent fee, Vijay
Shekhar Sharma, Paytm founder and CEO said at the launch.
• The platform offers a single reconciliation of all payments through its 'Paytm for Business' app,
Sharma added.
• The company also introduced a new service 'Paytm Business Khata' that complements the all-in-
one QR.
Forest Committee approves Green Credit Scheme to ‘trade’ in forests

The Forest Advisory Committee, an apex body tasked with adjudicating requests by the industry to
raze forest land for commercial ends, has approved a scheme that could allow “forests” to be
traded as a commodity. If implemented, it allows the Forest Department to outsource one of its
responsibilities of reforesting to non-government agencies.
• The proposed ‘Green Credit Scheme’, as it is called, allows agencies — they could be private
companies, village forest communities — to identify land and begin growing plantations.
After three years, they would be eligible to be considered as compensatory forest land if they met
the Forest Department’s criteria. An industry needing forest land could then approach the agency
and pay it for parcels of such forested land, and this would then be transferred to the Forest
Department and be recorded as forest land.
• In the current system, industry needs to make good the loss of forest by finding
appropriate non-forest land — equal to that which would be razed. It also must pay the State
Forest Department the current economic equivalent — called Net Present Value — of the forest
land. It’s then the Forest Department’s responsibility to grow appropriate vegetation that, over
time, would grow into forests.
• Industries have often complained that they find it hard to acquire appropriate non-forest land,
which has to be contiguous to existing forest. Nearly ₹50,000 crore had been collected by the
Centre over decades, but the funds were lying unspent because States were not spending the
money on regrowing forests. The Supreme Court intervened, a new law came about with
rules for how this fund was to be administered. About ₹47,000 crore had been disbursed to
States until August, but it has barely led to any rejuvenation of forests.

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• In 2015, a ‘Green Credit Scheme’ for degraded forest land with public-private participation was
recommended, but it was not approved by the Union Environment Minister, the final authority.
IEA Launches First In-depth Review of India’s Energy Policies

In partnership with NITI Aayog, International Energy Agency (IEA) released the first in-depth
review of India’s energy policies.
The report highlights the achievements of India’s energy policies and provides
recommendations to support the government’s goals of promoting well-functioning energy
markets and boosting deployment of renewables.
• India has strong growth in renewables in India accounting for almost 23% of the country’s total
installed capacity.
• The improvements made in energy efficiency helped India to avoid 15% of additional energy
demand, oil and gas imports, and air pollution as well as 300 million tonnes of CO2 (carbon
dioxide) emissions between 2000 and 2018.
• India’s energy demand is expected to be doubled by 2040 and the electricity demand may
triple.
• The share of variable renewables in India is already above 15%.
• India has the largest unified power grid operating in a single frequency.
• India is on the way of achieving 20% ethanol blending in petrol and 5% biodiesel in diesel by
2030.
• India is the 3rd largest energy consumer in the world.
• Indian oil consumption is expected to grow faster than that of any other major economy. The top
performing profit making Public Sector Units(PSU) are Indian Oil Corporation limited (IOCL)
ranked at 1st and followed by ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) and NTPC (formerly
National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) in the 2nd & 3rd places respectively.
• IEA report reviewed in depth of Indian govt’s achievements in extending citizens’ access to
electricity, affordable efficient lighting etc through schemes like SAUBHAGYA, Unnat Jyoti by
Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) and Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) etc. 750 million
people in India gained access to electricity between 2000 and 2019.
• India has set national for the year 2022 such as achieving 100 smart cities, LPG (Liquefied
Petroleum Gas) connections to all housing, universal electricity access and 175 GW (Giga
Watts) of renewable electricity capacity.
• The report also offered a wide range of recommendations in support of India’s energy reforms.
These include building strong regulators to ensure non-discriminatory access, moving from state
allocation to market pricing, and further rationalizing energy subsidies.

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National News
Sakthivel takes over as AEPC India Chairman

Apparel Export Promotion Council of India (AEPC) has appointed A Sakthivel as the new
chairman of the organisation.
• Sakthivel along with some exporters had founded Tirupur Exporters Association in 1990.
• In his over four decades career, Sakthivel has held various positions including that of the
chairman of Indo American Chamber of Commerce (IACC). He is the founder president of
Tiruppur Exporters’ Association (TEA), which he served for 25 years.
• The Government of India had bestowed him with Padma Shri in 2009 for his contribution to the
apparel industry, including helping Tiruppur become the main cluster for sourcing knitwear
supplies from India.
• Dr. Sakthivel has also served as the president of Federation of Indian Exports
Organisations (FIEO) and currently holds the position of FIEO chairman for Southern
Region.
23rd National Youth Festival-2020 to be organized from 12th to 16th January, 2020
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and State Government of Uttar Pradesh are jointly
organizing 23rd National Youth Festival (NYF) 2020 in Lucknow from 12th to 16th January, 2020.
• The Government has been organizing National Youth Festival (NYF) since 1995. The
objective of NYF is to provide a platform to bring the youth of the country together in an
attempt to provide them opportunity to showcase their talents in various activities.
• The theme of the 23rd National Youth Festival 2020 is ‘FIT YOUTH FIT INDIA’ in pursuance of
the goal for New India to be a fit India.
• From 13th January to 16th January, different Competitive (Folk Dance, One Act Play, Hindustani
Vocal Solo, Carnatic Vocal Solo, Elocution, harmonium Light, Tabla, Mridangam, Veena, Flute,
Sitar, Guitar, Dances Manipuri, Odissi, Kuchupuri, Bharatnatyam, Kathak) and Non Competitive
Events (Young Artist Camp, Yuva Kriti, Food festival, Adventure Camp, Suvichar, Youth
Convention) will be organized.
Union Transport Minister Gadkari inaugurates 31st Road Safety Campaign in Nagpur from
11th-17th Jan 2020
Screen GrabIn Maharashtra Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated 31st Road
Safety Campaign organised by Regional Transport Office,Traffic Police and District Road
Safety Committee in Nagpur.

Weekly BeePedia
• Emphasising on the use of e-governance in licence issuance process Mr Gadkari said, the test for
licence will be carried through computers in Pune and Mumbai centres to ensure the transparency
and accuracy. He also said there is a proposal to establish 2,000 centres for issuing the vehicle
fitness and PUC certificate to vehicles.
• Inaugurating the Road Safety campaign in Nagpur, he said, NGO's, public organisations and
other concerned stakeholders like Auto Dealers Association and Private Bus Operators must take
initiative to ensure road safety measures.
• He also mentioned about the recent provisions of the Amended Motor Vehicle Act, in which
financial assistance will be provided to the social organisations which are involved in
spreading the awareness about road safety.
• The Minister also chaired District Road Safety Committee meeting after the inauguration of this
campaign. He instructed the NHAI and traffic police department to make improvements in the
accident prone black spots in Nagpur district to avoid road accident.
Indian Railways signs MoU with RailTel for Phase 2 of e-Office Execution
In phase 2, RailTel will register 39000 users over 34 Railway divisions in NIC e-office platform
by 30th June 2020 58 units of Indian Railways were made paperless office by RailTel in phase
1
• After the successful completion of the Phase 1 execution of NIC e office for 50000 users in 58
units, Indian Railways has signed MoU with RailTel, a miniratna PSU under Ministry of
Railways, for the phase 2 of the project.
• In phase 2, RailTel will register 39000 users over 34 Railway divisions on NIC e office platform by
30th June 2020. The phase 1 of NIC e-office execution started with a mandate to complete the
work by March 2020. But with a lightning speed of execution RailTel completed the work way
ahead of time and successfully created 50000+ users in 58 units of Indian Railways and trained
the executives to handle the platform in a span of mere 6 months’ time.
• NIC e-Office is a cloud enabled software developed by National Informatics centre (NIC)
that is being deployed/hosted from RailTel Tier III certified data centres at Secundrabad
and Gurgaon. It is based on Central Secretariat Manual of e-Office Procedure (CSMeOP).
Currently 4 modules (File Management System (eFile), Knowledge Management System (KMS),
Collaboration & Messaging Services (CAMS) & Personnel Information Management System
(PIMS) are the part of the e-office system being implemented.
• E-Office fosters paper-less culture which will not only save operational cost but also reduce the
carbon foot print which is one of the most urgent needs of the world and directly impacting every
citizen of the country.
• MoU was signed by Executive Director (ED/TD), Railway Board, Shri Umesh Balonda, and
General Manager (GM)/Information Technology (IT) project/RailTel, Smt. Haritima Jaipuriar

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Indian Railways to source about 1000 MW Solar Power by 2021-22; Nandyal - Yerraguntla
section in Guntakal Division has been declared as the first solar section in South Central
Railway
Indian Railways has planned to source about 1000 Mega Watt (MW) Solar Power and about 200
MW of wind power progressively by 2021-22 across Zonal Railways & Production Units. Of
this, 500 Mega Watt (MW) solar plants are to be installed on the roof top of Railway buildings
which will be used to meet non-traction loads at Railway Stations, etc. About 500 MW land
based solar plants will be used to meet both traction & non-traction requirements.
• South Central Railway is one of the zones actively implementing several measures aimed at
energy conservation by harnessing renewable energy.
• This will not only help in meeting power needs of all the stations in the section but also save
expenditure for the Railways.
• The Nandyal - Yerraguntla section in Guntakal Division has been declared as the first solar
section in South Central Railway.
• All the 08 stations in the section - Madduru, Banaganapalle, Koilakuntla, Sanjamala, Nossam,
S.Uppalapadu, Jammalamadugu and Proddutur - have been provided with solar panels capable
of meeting all the power needs at these railway stations.
• 16 stations have already been declared Green Railway stations across Indian Railways,
which are meeting energy needs completely either through solar or wind power. These
stations are Roha, Pen, Apta in Central Railway, Niamatpur halt, Kanhaipur halt, Teka Bigha halt,
Mai halt, Garsanda halt, Niyazipur halt, Dhamaraghat in East Central Railway, Shri Mata Vaisno
Devi, Shimla in Northern Railway, Unhel, Khanderi, Bajud, Ambli Road, Sadanapura & Sachin in
Western Railway - are 100 per cent Green Powered stations.
Aamir Khan confers Swachhata Darpan Awards to 10 districts

Actor Aamir Khan conferred the Swachhata Darpan Awards to the best performing districts on key
swachhata parameters at a workshop ODF (open defecation free) Sustainability, organised by
Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti in New Delhi.
The awardees include
A. East Godavari (Andhra Pradesh), West Kameng (Arunachal Pradesh), Bemtara (Chhattisgarh),
Diu (Daman and Diu), Panipat (Haryana), Vadodara (Gujarat), Kolhapur (Maharashtra), Moga
(Punjab), East Sikkim (Sikkim) and Pedappali (Telangana).
B. Four districts – Dibrugarh (Assam), Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh), Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and
Puri (Odisha) – were also awarded for innovations and initiatives for plastic waste management.
C. Sindoda panchayat of Indore was declared as the first plastic-free area in the Madhya
Pradesh recently and the award was conferred to Indore Zila Panchayat chief executive
officer(CEO) Neha Meena

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• Khan lauded the work done at the grassroot level by the officials and shared his experience
with initiatives made by his Paani Foundation in the area of water conservation.
• ODF declaration of India was done on October 2, 2019 under Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen
(SBM-G). SBM-G must ensure that no one is left behind and the objectives of the
programme are now moving forward with overall cleanliness in villages with solid and
liquid waste management (SLWM).
• The workshop included presentations by two district collectors on key themes for ODF
Sustainability: Information, Education and Communication (IEC); and Community Toilets.
IP based Video Surveillance System being installed by Indian Railways at railway stations to
enhance security
Railway Board has approved works for provision of Video Surveillance System covering 983
stations under Nirbhaya funds. RailTel has been entrusted with the work of providing IP based
VSS with video analytics and facial recognition system.
• In order to enhance security at Railway stations which are major hubs of transportation, Indian
Railways is in the process of installing Internet Protocol (IP) based Video Surveillance
System (VSS) at stations.
• This year a budget of Rs. 250 crore was allotted to Indian Railways from Nirbhaya fund for
installation of video surveillance system.
• RailTel, a Miniratna PSU under Ministry of Railways, has been entrusted with the work of
providing IP based VSS with video analytics and facial recognition system. CCTV camera live
feeds are displayed on multiple screens at the Railway Protection Force (RPF) control room for
monitoring.
• This Video Surveillance System is expected to ensure better security of passengers at railway
stations and railway property.
U.P. tops list in crimes against women

The National Crime Records Bureau published the annual Crime in India Report 2018.
It was published with provisional data, as five States — West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,
Meghalaya and Sikkim — did not send clarifications sought by the NCRB.
• According to the report, 3,78,277 cases of crime against women were reported, up from 3,59,849
in 2017. Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 59,445 cases, followed by Maharashtra (35,497) and
West Bengal (30,394).
• The NCRB also released the Accidental Death and Suicides in India 2018 report, which said that
10,349 people working in the farm sector ended their lives in 2018, accounting for 7.7 % of
the total number of suicides in the country. The total number of people who committed suicide
in 2018 was 1,34,516, an increase of 3.6% from 2017 when 1,29,887 cases were reported.

Weekly BeePedia
• The highest number of suicide victims were daily wagers — 26,589, comprising 22.4% of such
deaths.
• The majority of the suicides were reported in Maharashtra (17,972) followed by Tamil Nadu
(13,896), West Bengal (13,255), Madhya Pradesh (11,775) and Karnataka (11,561).
• Lakshadweep and Puducherry reported zero suicides by farmers/cultivators as well as
agricultural labourers.
Government releases State Energy Efficiency Index 2019

Union Government released the State Energy Efficiency Index 2019, which tracks the progress of
Energy Efficiency initiatives in 36 States and Union Territories. Power Minister R K Singh released
the index in New Delhi.
• The State Energy Efficiency Index 2019 was topped by Haryana, Karnataka and Kerala while
Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand and Rajasthan performed worst in their respective
groups.
• The states of Haryana, Karnataka and Kerala were in “Achiever” group and there was not a
single state in the “Front Runner” group.
• The index is developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency in association with Alliance for an
Energy Efficient Economy. It will help states to contribute towards national goals on energy
security and climate action by helping drive Energy Efficiency policies and programmme
implementation at the state and local level.
• The first such Index was launched on August, 2018. The index this year incorporates
qualitative, quantitative and outcome-based indicators to assess energy efficiency initiatives,
programs and outcomes in five distinct sectors.
• The SEE Index 2019 constitutes quantitative, qualitative and outcome based 97 indicators to
check energy efficiency initiatives, programs and outcomes in five distinct areas: transport,
industry, agriculture, buildings, municipalities, and DISCOMs.
• The SEE Index 2019 traces the expansion and achievements of Energy Efficiency (EE)
drives running in 36 states and union territories.
• State Energy Efficiency Index 2019 has divided States/UTs into 4 groups on the basis of
Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) desired to meet the State’s/UT’s actual energy demand
through electricity, coal, oil, gas, etc. across all the sectors. The 4 groups are: ‘Front Runner’,
‘Achiever’, ‘Contender’ and ‘Aspirant’.
India 2021 census exercise to begin on 1st April

Census exercise India-2021 to begin on 1st April 2020 and will end on 30th of September 2020.
Census India-2021 will be conducted through a mobile phone application.

Weekly BeePedia
• The enumerators of the census will seek the information of the mobile number of the head of the
family, information related to TV, Internet, vehicles owned, toilets, source of drinking water
besides asking other questions during the house listing phase of the exercise.
• Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India - Vivek Joshi
HDFC acquired Apollo Munich Health Insurance for Rs 1,495.81 crore

HDFC has completed the acquisition of majority stake in Apollo Munich Health Insurance for
Rs.1,495.81 crore. The Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC) has bought
50.80 per cent stake in Apollo Munich and 0.36 per cent shareholding of employees for Rs.10.67
crore.
• The acquisition comes after approvals from the Competition Commission of India (CII), the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
(IRDAI).
3 Indian cities top the list of world's fastest-growing cities

Three Indian cities have been listed as the world's fastest-growing urban areas, a survey by
the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) revealed.
• Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kollam were the only three cities to make it to the top 10 of the
world's fastest-growing cities.
• Malappuram was ranked No. 1 in the world rankings with a 44.1 per cent change between
2015 and 2020. While Kozhikode was ranked fourth with 34.5 per cent change and Kollam
was at number 10 with 31.1 per cent, the EIU survey revealed.
• The other cities in the top 10 list were three cities from China, one each from Nigeria, Oman, UAE
and Vietnam.
• Other Indian cities that made the list were Thrissur in Kerala at 13th position, Gujarat's Surat at
26, while and Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur is at 30.
DPIIT launches paperless licensing process for petroleum road tankers

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), has launched paperless
licensing process through the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) for road
tankers for transportation of petroleum.
• This is a significant move towards paperless and green India that will provide simpler mechanism,
ease of living and business to the petroleum road tanker owners.
• The process has been launched under the Petroleum Rules, 2002.
• Moving towards digitization, the process will include filing the applications online. Applicants, at
each stage of processing of the application, will be intimated via SMS and email, whether
discrepancy or grant of licence or approval.

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Amit Shah inaugurates I4C, launches National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to
fight cybercrimes and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal through which people can
report cybercrimes online.
• I4C is a 7 pronged scheme to fight cybercrime which includes cybercrime reporting portal,
analysis of threats, capacity building, research and innovation, creating an ecosystem for
cybercrime management and joint cybercrime investigation platform for law enforcement
agencies.
• The state-of-the-art Centre is located in New Delhi. The scheme to setup I4C was approved in
October 2018 at an estimated cost of Rs. 415.86 crore, to deal with all types of cybercrimes in a
comprehensive and coordinated manner.
• I4C has seven components- National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit, National Cyber Crime
Reporting Portal, National Cyber Crime Training Centre, Cyber Crime Ecosystem Management
Unit, National Cyber Crime Research and Innovation Centre, National Cyber Crime Forensic
Laboratory Ecosystem and Platform for Joint Cyber Crime Investigation Team.
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Shri Dharmendra Pradhan today launched
PURVODAYA: Accelerated development of eastern India through integrated steel hub in
Kolkata, West Bengal
Purvodaya in steel sector is aimed at driving accelerated development of Eastern India
through establishment of integrated steel hub.
• Growth of steel industry through such a hub would lead to significant employment opportunities
across the entire value chain and will play a significant role in overall socio-economic growth of
Eastern India, thus reducing the disparity between the East and other regions of the country.
• Eastern states of India (Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal) and Northern part of
Andhra Pradesh collectively hold ~80% of the country’s iron ore, ~100% of coking coal and
significant portion of chromite, bauxite and dolomite reserves.
• There is presence of major ports such as Paradip, Haldia, Vizag, Kolkata etc., with >30% of
India’s major port capacity. In India’s march towards a $5 trillion economy, the 5 Eastern states
can play a major role where steel sector can become the catalyst.
• This Eastern belt has the potential to add more than 75% of the country’s incremental steel
capacity envisioned by the National Steel Policy. It is expected that out of the 300 MT capacity by
2030-31, over 200 MT can come from this region alone, driven by Industry 4.0.
• The proposed Integrated Steel Hub, encompassing Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West
Bengal and Northern Andhra Pradesh, would serve as a torchbearer for socio-economic
growth of Eastern India.

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• The objective of this hub would be to enable swift capacity addition and improve overall
competitiveness of steel producers both in terms of cost and quality.
• The Integrated Steel Hub would focus on 3 key elements:
o Capacity addition through easing the setup of Greenfield steel plants
o Development of steel clusters near integrated steel plants as well as demand centres.
o Transformation of logistics and utilities infrastructure which would change the socio-
economic landscape in the East
GSAT-30 satellite to be launched from French Guiana on 17 January

GSAT-30, a communication satellite of India, is scheduled for launch onboard Ariane-5 launch
vehicle (VA 251) from French Guiana on January 17, 2020.
• Weighing 3357 kg, GSAT-30 is to serve as replacement to INSAT-4A spacecraft services with
enhanced coverage.
• GSAT-30 will be extensively used for supporting VSAT networks, Television uplinking and
Teleport services, Digital Services News Gathering (DSNG), DTH-Television services, cellular
backhaul connectivity and many such applications. The communication payload of GSAT-30 is
specifically designed and optimised to maximise the number of transponders on the spacecraft
bus.
• The mission life is more than 15 years.
UN report on under-5 mortality: India one of the worst in gender disparities

The UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation in “Levels & Trends in Child Mortality
Report 2019” shows 6.2 million deaths of children aged 0-14 years occurred in 2018. Sub-
Saharan Africa accounted for around 2.8 million under-five children deaths (52% of all global deaths),
and Central and Southern Asia accounted for another 1.5 million (29%).
• An additional 0.9 million deaths that occurred were among children of age 5-14 years.
• Despite progress in child survival made over the past 2 decades, 1 child or young adolescent dies
of every 5 seconds in 2018.
• Around half of all under-five deaths, the report found, occurred in India, Pakistan, Nigeria, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia. While a higher average mortality rate for boys than
for girls is the global trend, in some countries, including India, the under-5 death rate for girls is
higher than for boys.
• In India, the under-five mortality rate for boys, in 2018, was 36 per 1,000 population while that for
girls was 37. According to the Sample Registration System 2017, the infant mortality rate
(IMR) for boys and girls was 33 and 36, respectively.

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World’s highest railway bridge to connect Kashmir with rest of India by December 2021
Kashmir will be connected to the rest of India through railway network by December next year
as the government has set a fresh deadline for completion of the world’s highest railway
bridge.
• The rail line is expected to be 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower.
• Designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 260 km per hour, the 1.315-km-long “engineering
marvel” will connect Bakkal (Katra) and Kauri (Srinagar). The bridge forms a crucial link in
the 111-km stretch between Katra and Banihal, which is part of the Udhampur- Srinagar-
Baramulla rail link project.
• Once completed, it will surpass the record of the Beipan river Shuibai railway bridge (275 m) in
China.
• The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project is highly essential to provide an alternative and
a reliable transportation system to Jammu and Kashmir to join Kashmir Valley to the Indian
Railways network
1023 Fast Track Courts under safety of women mission to be set up

Central Government under the scheme ‘National Mission for Safety of Women(NMSW)’ will be
setting up 1023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for fast and time-bound completion of the
trial relating to sexual offences, for more stringent provisions the Criminal Law (Amendment)
Act, 2018 was also enacted.
• In all concerned State Governments/ Union Territories Administrations, the scheme has been
circulated in September 2019, out of which 24 have joined this scheme by setting up 792
numbers of Fast Track Special Courts including 354 exclusive POSCO courts.
• Total financial implication of the project is over Rs 767.25 crore.

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• The Department of Justice under Ministry of Law and Justice of the Government of India, with an
aim to ensure a safe and worth living environment especially for children and women, is extending
necessary assistance to the High Courts and State Governments in setting up these Fast Track
Special Courts.
• Mizoram, Sikkim, Meghalaya, UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and Puducherry are yet to
join. Rest all have joined.
India, Bangladesh sign MoU for content exchange programe between All India Radio and
Bangladesh Betar
India signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bangladesh for content exchange
programme between All India Radio and Bangladesh Betar.
• A MoU between National Film Development Corporation, India and Film Development
Corporation, Bangladesh, was also signed.
• The MoUs were signed in the presence of Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash
Javadekar and Bangladesh Information Minister Muhammad H Mahmud in New Delhi.
• During the meeting, two Ministers also discussed about the jointly produced film on the life and
works of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. India and Bangladesh is co-producing the
biopic expected to be released by March this year.
Statue of Unity gets listed among eight wonders of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
India's Statue of Unity has been included in the list of eight wonders of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
• The 182-metre-tall statute is a monumental tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was
India's first home minister and Deputy Prime Minister. The statue is located near the Sardar
Sarovar Dam on the river Narmada in Kevadiya colony in Gujarat.
• Designed by Indian sculptor Ram V Sutar, the project was first announced in 2010 and was finally
unveiled on October 31, 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on occasion of Patel’s 143rd birth
anniversary.
• The SCO is an eight-member alliance from Eurasia, which includes India, China, Pakistan,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
Infosys inks pact with GEFCO to support digital transformation

IT major Infosys has partnered with automotive transport and logistics provider GEFCO to
support its digital transformation over the next five years.
• Infosys has inked a deal for 5 years with GEFCO to digitally transform its worldwide
operations. Infosys has partnered with the multimodal supply chain solutions provider, GEFCO to
strenghthen its Digital Transformation.

Weekly BeePedia
• The digital services and consulting firm Infosys will help GEFCO to transfrom GEFCO's next-
generation business application management services. It will also help GEFCO to emerge as
'Digital Native' organization.
Amit Shah chairs sixth meeting of Island Development Agency

Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the sixth meeting of the Island Development Agency
(IDA).
• In the meeting chaired by Shah, the progress made under the "Holistic development of
islands" program was reviewed, according to a release by the PIB.
• For the first time in the country, an initiative of sustainable development in the identified
Islands within scientifically-assessed carrying capacity has been taken-up. Development
plans with a focus on the creation of jobs for the islanders through tourism promotion as well as
the export of seafood and coconut-based products made in the Islands have been prepared and
are being implemented in four islands of Andaman and Nicobar and five islands of Lakshadweep
• In the meeting, a detailed presentation was made by the CEO of NITI Aayog highlighting the
current status of the planned projects being implemented for the benefit of the islanders.
World Bank & ADB Approves Rs 14000 crore to enhance road safety in India
The World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have approved Rs 7 thousand crore each
to reduce the number of ‘blind spots’ from Indian roads and addressed various aspects of
road safety in India.
• The transport ministry has firmed up Rs 14,000 crore state support programme for strengthening
road safety in India, which will be funded by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank
(ADB).
• India recorded the highest number of road accident deaths across 199 countries in 2018,
according to the World Road Statistics. It was followed by China and the US.
• As per the 2018 WHO Global Report on Road Safety, India accounts for almost 11% of
accident-related deaths in the world.
• The road transport and highways ministry will fund half of the `14,000-crore programme
while the World Bank and the ADB will equally contribute the remaining half.
4 Indian Airports Receive International Recognition For Reducing Emissions

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) announced that four airports in the country have
managed a transition from level 1 to level 2 with a reduction in the carbon emissions by
grading their systems as per the Airports Council International (ACI).
• The airports had adopted the grading system in 2018 and successfully implemented the carbon
emission plan.

Weekly BeePedia
• Four AAI airports - Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata; Biju Patnaik
International Airport, Bhubaneswar; Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi
and Trivandrum International Airport have met all the necessary requirements to upgrade to
level 2: ''reduction'', by constituting Carbon Management Plan and reducing the carbon emissions
at airports as per the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) Program.
• As per the data provided for the CO2 emission of four years - 2015,16,17,18; these airports
witnessed a decrease in emission despite an increase in air traffic. The grading system of ACI
has four categories - mapping, reduction, optimization and neutrality.
Government launches Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD) developed by IIT-Madras

The Road Safety Stakeholders’ Meet in New Delhi was organized on 13th January. The event is
part of the 31st National Road Safety Week being observed from 11th to 17th January 2020
throughout the country to create awareness among general public and specially amongst the
youths to improve the safety on road and to give an opportunity to all stakeholders to
contribute to the cause of road safety.
• Shri Rajnath Singh and Shri Nitin Gadkari launched Ministry’s new project called Integrated
Road Accident Database (IRAD), a robust road accident database management system
developed and being implemented with the help of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, NIC
and supported by World bank.
• This will enable the States and Centre to comprehend the information related to road accidents,
analyses the root cause of road accidents and to develop and implement ‘data-led’ road safety
interventions to reduce the accidents.
• Accidents data is the basis for assessing road safety scenarios and for implementing required
interventions to reduce accidents. Accident database is the first step towards achieving
scientific road safety management.
• An ideal database needs to be comprehensive so as to meet not only the statistical requirements
but also assist in planning accident reduction measures. This system can collect data across the
country on different types of roads i.e. National highways, state highways, city roads etc.
• IRAD will be a comprehensive web-based IT solution and will enable various agencies
such as Police, PWDs, NHAI etc. to enter details on a road accident from different
perspectives such as investigation, road engineering, vehicle condition etc. The details so
entered, shall enable various authorities to run different types of analysis and understand the
dynamics of road accidents in India and hence help them to launch targeted measures in fields of
enforcement, engineering, education and emergency care to improve road safety situation in
India.

Weekly BeePedia
• This system shall be first launched in the six States which are having the highest fatalities in
terms of road accident related death i.e. Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

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International News
Pedro Sanchez sworn in as Spain Prime Minister

Pedro Sanchez was sworn in as Prime minister of Spain, becoming head of Spain's first coalition
government since the return of democracy in the 1970s.
• He took the oath before King Felipe VI.
EC of India and Mauritius renewed MoU on cooperation in electoral management

The MoU on electoral cooperation between Election Commission of India and Electoral
Commission of Mauritius, which was in existence from April 2013 to April 2018, was renewed
between the two sides on 08 January 2020 at Port Louis.
• The MoU was signed by Chief Election Commissioner of India Shri Sunil Arora and Mr Mohd.
Irfan Abdool Rahman, Electoral Commissioner of Mauritius.
Former PM Zoran Milanovic wins Croatia presidential polls

Former Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic, has become president of Croatia, defeating the incumbent
conservative leader.
• Milanovic, the Social Democrat candidate, took 52.7 percent of the vote, while President Kolinda
Grabar-Kitarovic, who had tried to unite a fractured right wing, garnered 47.3 percent, according
to results based on a vote count at nearly all polling stations released by the electoral
commission. The turnout was about 55 percent.
China successfully launches new communication experiment satellite’ TJSW-5’ on a Long

March-3B rocket
China has successfully launched a new communication technology experiment satellite,
Tongxin Jishu Shiyan Weixing -5 (TJSW-5) by its Long March-3B (also known as CZ [Chang
Zheng]-3B) carrier rocket.
• The mission lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, a southwestern
Chinese province.
• It was the 324th mission for the Long March series of carrier rockets.
Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and Virgo collaborations have

detected gravitational waves due to collision of two neutron stars for the 2nd time
For the second time, a collision between two neutron stars in another galaxy has rattled a
gravitational-wave detector on Earth. But this duo is being much more coy than the first.

Weekly BeePedia
• Katerina Chatziioannou, an astrophysicist at the Flatiron Institute in New York City, presented the
results January 5 at meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
Second largest Muslim Congregation in the world Bishwa Ijtema begins in Bangladesh
The first phase of the world’s second largest Muslim congregation after Haj began on the outskirts
of Dhaka. Noted scholars give religious sermon to the devotees on this occasion. The Ijtema began
with the ‘aam bayan’ and will end on January 12 with the final prayers ‘Akheri Munajat’.
• The second phase of Bishwa Ijtem will take place from January 17-19.
• Bishwa Ijtema has been taking place on the Turag riverbank in Tongi near Dhaka since 1967.
• Bishwa Ijtema draws in Muslim devotees from about 150 countries. It is a gathering that focuses
on prayer and meditation and is not open for political discussions.
Haitham bin Tariq al-Said takes over as Sultan of Oman

Haitham bin Tariq al-Said took over as Sultan of the Oman after the death of long-time ruler
Qaboos.
• The new ruler is the cousin of late Sultan Qaboos. Sultan Qaboos died at the age of 79 following
a prolonged illness.
• Qaboos had ruled Oman since 1970 and was the eighth sultan of the House of Al Said. He was
the longest-serving monarch among the recent Arab rulers.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen secures second term in landslide victory

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen secured a landslide victory in presidential elections for a
second term. Her main rival, Han Kuo-yu of the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party, has
conceded defeat.
• Tsai was ahead with 57 per cent votes. Han trailed behind with 38 per cent.
The Trump administration dropped its designation of China as a currency manipulator in

advance of the signing of a Phase 1 U.S.-China trade agreement.
The preliminary pact that the two sides are set to sign this week includes a section that’s
intended to prevent China from manipulating its currency to gain trade advantages.
• The action announced Monday comes five months after the Trump administration had branded
China a currency manipulator — the first time that any country had been so named since 1994
during the Clinton administration.
• Even while removing China from its currency black list, the Treasury Department does name
China as one of 10 countries it says require placement on a watch list that will mean their
currency practices will be closely monitored.

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• In addition to China, the countries on that list are Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea,
Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland and Vietnam.
18th Dhaka International Film Festival begins

The 18th Dhaka International Film Festival was inaugurated by the Foreign Minister of
Bangladesh Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen.
• The festival kicked off with the screening of the Spanish-Greek film Window to the Sea, directed
by Miguel Angel Jimenez, at Bangladesh National Museum (BNM).
• During the festival 220 films from 74 countries will be screened across various venues in Dhaka
between 11-19 January. More than 100 film makers and other personalities from the movie world
are participating in the event over the next eight days.
• The films have been selected in eight categories including Asian Competition Section,
Retrospective, Bangladesh Panorama, cinema of the world and Women Filmmakers.
• Apart from film screening, conference on the theme of women in cinema was also
organsied during the festival.
• The theme of the festival is ‘Better Film, Better Audience and Better Society’.
World Future Energy Summit to begin in Abu Dhabi

The World Future Energy Summit will begin in Abu Dhabi. 33,500 participants from 170 countries
and 800 specialist exhibitors are expected to attend the four-day annual event.
• The theme for this year's summit is "Rethinking Global Consumption, Production, and
Investment." World Future Energy Summit is the Middle East’s largest future energy and
sustainability event.
• Held annually at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the 2020 edition includes exhibition
and forum programmes across five main pillars: energy, solar, water, waste and smart
cities, hosting an unrivalled gathering of top-level government and business leaders.
• The event is starting to set an example for best practice, supporting the circular economy through
recycling, and acting to remove single-use plastics from the event.
• Also held alongside the World Future Energy Summit are the Climate Innovations Exchange,
‘CLIX’ for short and the Future Sustainability Summit. The event will showcase 42 of the
world’s most disruptive innovations, selected from 1,402 global submissions from 128 countries,
related to the future of energy, food, agriculture and sustainability in space.
Robert Abela sworn in as Malta's new prime minister

Lawyer Robert Abela, 42, was sworn in as Malta’s prime minister, succeeding Joseph Muscat
who resigned over his handling of investigations into the murder of anti-corruption journalist
Daphne Caruana Galizia.

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• Malta's newly-sworn in Prime Minister Robert Abela greets supporters outside the Presidential
Palace after taking the oath of office in Valletta, Malta January 13, 2020.
• Abela was elected leader of the ruling Labour Party in a vote among the party members on
Saturday. The son of a former Maltese president, he was first elected to parliament in 2017
and has little political experience.
Seventeen-year-old Wolf Cukier was on the third day of his internship with NASA when he
discovered TOI 1338 b
TOI 1338 b was identified by Wolf Cukier, a 17-year-old high school student who had an
internship with NASA last summer.
• NASA's planet hunter satellite TESS has discovered an exoplanet orbiting two stars instead of
one — and it was identified by a high school intern.
• The announcement of the circumbinary planet prompted comparisons with Luke Skywalker's
home world of Tatooine in the "Star Wars" movie series, with its bewitching double sunsets.
• But the newly found planet's size alone — it is 6.9 times larger than Earth, almost the size
of Saturn — makes it unlikely to be livable.
• Named TOI 1338 b, it is the only planet in the TOI 1338 system, which lies 1,300 light-years
away in the constellation Pictor, and orbits its stars every 95 days.
• The two stars orbit each other every 15 days. One is about 10 percent bigger than our Sun, while
the other is cooler, dimmer and only one-third the Sun's mass.

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Important National and International Days
16th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas celebrated on 9 January

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was celebrated on 9 January. The day is celebrated every year to mark
the contribution of overseas Indian community in the development of India.
• It also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on 9
January 1915.
• Established in 2003 the celebratory event is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs every
year on this day.
World Hindi Day was celebrated on 10 January

World Hindi Day was celebrated on 10 January. The day is commemorated every year with the
objective to promote use of Hindi language abroad. Special functions are being organized to mark
the occasion.
• On this day in 2006, the First World Hindi Conference was organized in Nagpur to promote
the language worldwide. Since then 10th January is being observed as World Hindi Day.
National Youth Day 2020: 12 January

National Youth Day was celebrated with the theme ‘Channelizing Youth Power for Nation
Building‘ on 12 January.
• National Youth Day is celebrated in India when there was a Birthday of the Swami Vivekanand.
The government has declared National Youth Day from the day of Swami Vivekanand’s
Birthday and the day is celebrated as National Youth Day. It is celebrated on the 12th of
January.
Nation celebrates 72nd Army Day on 15th January

The 72nd Army Day is being celebrated across the country on 15th January.
• It is celebrated every year to commemorate the day when General (later Field Marshal) K M
Carriappa took over the command of Army from General Sir F R R Bucher, the last British
Commander-in-Chief in 1949 and became the first Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army
post Independence.
Fourth Armed Forces Veterans Day is observed on 14 January

The 4th Armed Forces Veterans Day is observed on 14 January every year.

Weekly BeePedia
The day is observed as a mark of respect and recognition of the services rendered by Field
Marshal KM Cariappa OBE. The day acknowledges and honours the selfless devotion and sacrifice
of the veterans in the service of the nation.
• The Armed Forces Veterans Day is observed each year on 14 January since 2017.
• Marshal KM Cariappa OBE is the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces
who retired on 14 January 1953.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) celebrate 145th Foundation Day on 15th January
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is celebrating its 145th Foundation Day.
• With a humble beginning in 1875, the IMD has marched forward with various milestones and
paradigms to serve the society.

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Awards and Rewards
Prof. MS Swaminathan & Dr. G Muniratnam chosen for Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu National
Awards
Eminent Agricultural Scientist Dr M S Swaminathan and well-known social worker, Dr. Gutta
Muniratnam were respectively chosen as the first recipients of ‘Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu
National Award for Excellence’ and ‘Muppavarapu National Award for Social Service’’
• The National Award for Excellence was instituted by the Muppavarapu Foundation, while
the one for Social Service was launched by the Swarna Bharat Trust.
• Each award carries a cash prize of Rupees Five Lakh and citation.
• Prof. M.S. Swaminathan was awarded for his distinguished contributions to the field of agriculture
while Dr G Muniratnam, was awarded for his extraordinary contribution in improving quality of
people’s lives through social service.
About Dr M S Swaminathan: A plant geneticist by training, Professor Swaminathan's contributions to

the agricultural renaissance of India have led to his being widely referred to as the scientific leader of
the green revolution movement.
About Dr. Gutta Muniratnam: Dr Muniratnam is Founder Secretary of Tirupati -based Rashtriya
Seva Samiti and an exemplary social worker. He dedicated his life to the cause of transforming rural
India by empowering people.
Sakya Singha Sen from National Chemical Laboratory awarded as Merck Young Scientist
Award 2019 for performing remarkable research in chemical science
Sen and his research team specializes in main group chemistry and involves in the synthesis
of compounds with main group element and their catalytic application.
• The catalysts used mostly belong to precious metals platinum, palladium, iridium. These are very
expensive, and their abundance in the earth is very less.
• Merck Young Scientist Award is given to researchers with less than ten years of experience with
expertise in solving some of the toughest problems in chemical sciences. This award is instituted
by Merck. He is a science and technology company operating worldwide.
British Indian yoga champion wins Global Child Prodigy Award

A 10-year-old schoolboy and under-11 yoga champion, Ishwar Sharma, from the UK has been
honoured with the Global Child Prodigy Award 2020 for achievements in spiritual discipline
yoga.

Weekly BeePedia
• Ishwar Sharma, based in Kent in south-eastern England, was chosen from the UK for the awards
which honour child prodigies from across 45 countries and 30 different categories such as
palaeontology, biking, choreography, fitness and martial arts, among others.
• Sharma, originally from Mysore, has participated in over 100 yoga events across the UK and
worldwide.
• In the past, he has been named British Indian of the Year in the Young Achiever category
and won a Gold Medal at the Euro Asian Yoga Championships.
Nitin Gadkari presents National Highway Excellence Awards 2019

Road, Transport and Highway Minister, Nitin Gadkari said performance auditing is more
important than the financial auditing. He said that the decision must be taken with a positive
attitude.
• Presenting the National Highway Excellence Awards 2019 in New Delhi, he said, officers must
visit the actual site and make the assessment.
• During the event, Minister of State for Road, Transport and Highway, V.K. Singh said,
infrastructure is important for the economy and it accelerates the economic activity in the country.
Instituted in the year 2018, National Highway Excellence Awards aim to recognize the well-
performing companies in the field of construction, operations, maintenance, toll collection
and road safety on National Highways.

Weekly BeePedia
Sports
Weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur banned for 4 years for doping

Weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur has been slapped with a four-year ban for doping by the National Anti-
Doping Agency (NADA).
• The sample of Sarbjeet, who won the 71kg event at the women’s national weightlifting
championships in February 2019, was collected during 34th Women Senior National Weightlifting
Championship held at Vishakhapatnam.
• The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel has found weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur guilty of anti-doping rule
violation. She has been imposed a penalty of ineligibility for a period of four years.
• According to NADA, her sample had presence of prohibited substance namely -- Di-hydroxy-LGD-
4033 (LGD 4033 METABOLITE), Selective Androgen Receptor Modulations (SARM), and
Ostarine (Enobosarm).
Ladakh lifts 7th National Ice Hockey Championship Women trophy

Ladakh has lifted the 7th National Ice Hockey Championship Women trophy. The match was held
at the Karzoo Ice Hockey Rink, Ladakh.
• The tournament was organised by the Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) in association
with the Ladakh winter sports club.
• Four women teams representing Chandigarh, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Ladakh participated in the
tournament.
Mbappé valued at €265 million by CIES Football Observatory algorithm

The CIES Football Observatory opens a new exciting decade of football analytics with the
exclusive publication of its traditional list of the big-5 league players with the greatest
estimated transfer values.
• At the top three positions of the table are Kylian Mbappé ( (€265 M France and Paris St-
Germain), Raheem Sterling ( €223.7 million England and Manchester City), as well
Mohammed Salah ( €175.1 million Egypt and Liverpool).
• Per position, the most expensive players from a transfer value perspective are Alisson Becker for
goalkeepers (€77 M), Virgil van Dijk for centre backs (€93 M), Trent Alexander-Arnold for full
backs (€110 M), James Maddison for midfielders (€112 M) and Kylian Mbappé for forwards (€265
M).
• Eleven out of the 20 big-5 league footballers with an estimated value of at least €100 million play
for English Premier League clubs.

Weekly BeePedia
• There are at least two players worth more than €100 M are in each of the remaining big-5
leagues: three in the Liga (Messi, Griezmann and João Felix), two in the Ligue 1 (Mbappé and
Neymar), two in the Serie A (Martínez and Lukaku), as well as two in the Bundesliga (Sancho and
Werner).
Jasprit Bumrah to receive Polly Umrigar Award

India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will receive the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for his
super performance in international cricket in the 2018-19 season. The world's No. 1 ODI bowler
made his Test debut during India's tour of South Africa in January 2018.
• He picked up a five-wicket haul in South Africa, England, Australia and the West Indies becoming
the first and only Asian bowler to achieve the feat. He played a stellar role in the historic 2-1 Test
series win in Australia, India's first Down Under and which helped them retain the Border
Gavaskar Trophy.
• Poonam Yadav has claimed the top prize in women's section and will be awarded the best
international cricketer. The award will be another feather in the leg-spinner's cap who
recently received the Arjuna Award.
• Former India captains Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Anjum Chopra will be presented with the Col
CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award and the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award for women.
Djokovic Beats Nadal, Forces Deciding Doubles in Sydney

Novak Djokovic prolonged his mastery over World No. 1 Rafael Nadal on hard courts, and
Serbia and Spain will play a deciding doubles match for the ATP Cup title in Sydney.
• Djokovic won his ninth consecutive match on hard courts against Nadal and extended his set win
streak to 19 (since 2013 US Open final) against the World No. 1 with the 6-2, 7-6(4) win.
• The World No. 2 now leads the Open Era's most prolific head-to-head series 29-26.
Fouaad Mirza becomes 1st Indian equestrian to qualify for Tokyo Olympics
Double Asian Games medallist equestrian Fouaad Mirza officially became the first Indian to
qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, ending a wait spanning two decades.
• As per the latest rankings issued by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI),
which include all results between January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019, Mirza's Tokyo Games
qualification has been confirmed.
• The 27-year-old Mirza, who had won a silver in individual eventing in the 2018 Asian Games,
had scored 34 points on his first horse Fernhill Facetime and 30 with his second horse
Touchingwood.
• Imtiaz Anees (2000 Sydney) and Late Wing Commander IJ Lamba (1996 Atlanta) are the only
Indians to have represented the country at the Olympics.

Weekly BeePedia
• The riders had to compete at 4 star level tournaments for Olympic qualifications. Based on an
elaborate ranking system, a rider-horse duo collects points by taking part in tournaments
throughout the year.
2nd edition of Sportstar Aces awards 2020

The 2nd edition of Sportstar Aces Awards 2020 was held at the Trident Hotel in Mumbai,
Maharashtra on 12th January which consisted of 23 different categories of awards.
• Jury members: fomer India cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar, former India hockey captain M.M.
Somaya, Olympians Anjali Bhagwat, Aparna Popat and chess maestro Viswanathan Anand.
Awardee/Winner Award
Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Best University for the Promotion of Sports
Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Pusarla Venkata Sindhu- Badminton Sportstar of the Year Award
Kapil Dev Ram Lal Nikhanj (former Indian cricketer) Lifetime Achievement Award
Steve Smith of Australia-Cricket Chairman’s Choice Award
Badminton coach Pullela Gopichand & chess coach R. Coach of the Year
B. Ramesh
Rohit Sharma Sportsman of the Year (Cricket)
Smriti Mandhana Sportswoman of the Year (Cricket)
Deep Grace Ekka- Hockey Sportswoman of the Year (Team Sports)
Manpreet Singh – Hockey Sportsman of the Year (Team Sports)
Mehuli Ghosh-shooter Young Athlete of the Year (Female)
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (chess) & Esow Young Athlete of the Year (Male)
Alben(Cyclist)
Indian Test cricket team Sportstar Team of the Year
Leander Paes- Tennis Special Recognition Award
Odisha (For the 2nd time) Best State for the Promotion of Sports.
Bajrang Punia -wrestling Sportsman of the Year (Individual Sport)
Koneru Humpy(Chess) & Apurvi Chandela (Shooting) Sportswoman of the Year (Individual Sport)
award
Pankaj Advani ( Billiards and snooker player) Special Jury Award
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) Best PSU(Public Sector Undertaking)
/Corporate House for the Promotion of
Sports
Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth (Badminton ) Sportsman of the Year (Racquet Sport)
Pusarla Venkata (PV) Sindhu- Badminton Sportswoman of the Year (Racquet Sports)

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Avinash Sable (Athlete) Sportsman of the Year (Track and Field)

Annu Rani (Javelin thrower ) Sportswoman of the Year (Track and Field)
Pramod Bhagat (Para Shuttler) Sportsman of the Year (Parasports)
Ekta Bhyan (para athlete) Sportswoman of the Year (Parasports)
India finish 2019 as number one shooting nation in world

With its sparkling show through 2019, India finished the year as the top shooting nation in the
world, leaving behind Olympic heavyweights China and the USA.
• In terms of overall medals, the tally stood at 21 gold, six silver and three bronze as India topped
all the Rifle-Pistol World Cups and Finals.
• While India leads the standings with 30 medals overall, China is second with 11 gold, 15 silver
and 18 bronze for a total of 44 podium finishes. The USA is placed third with 15 medals including
six gold six silver and three bronze.
Kento Momoto beats Axelsen to lift Malaysia Masters 2020 title

World number one Kento Momota won the Malaysia Masters after easily defeating Denmark's
Viktor Axelsen 24-22, 21-11.
• The victory in Malaysia lends credence to Momota's drive to win the gold in July's Tokyo
Olympics.
• The reigning world champion told reporters that he eyes more success in 2020.
• Momota currently the best player on the planet, won a record 11 titles last year.
ICC names Kohli, captain of ICC's both ODI & Test teams of the year
India skipper Virat Kohli named captain of the International Cricket Council's ODI and Test
teams of the year.
• Apart from Kohli, there were four other Indians who were picked in the ICC's Test and ODI teams
of the year.
• While the Test team featured double-centurion Mayank Agarwal, opener Rohit Sharma, speedster
Mohammed Shami and left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav found a place in the ODI side.
Virat Kohli Continues To Top ICC Test Rankings, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane Slip
India skipper Virat Kohli retained his top spot among batsmen while Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya
Rahane slipped in the latest ICC Test rankings issued. With 928 points, Kohli is way ahead of second-
placed Australian maestro Steve Smith (911), the ICC said in a statement.
Rank Bowling All-rounder Batting
Patrick James Cummins Jason Omar Holder (West

1 Virat Kohli ( India)
(Australia) Indies)

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Neil Wagner (South African- Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Steven Peter Devereux

2
born New Zealand cricketer) Jadeja(India) Smith (Australia)
Jason Omar Holder (West Marnus Labuschagne

3 Ben Stokes (England)
Indies) (Australia)
Rank of other Indian players

Bowling
Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah-6th
Ravichandran Ashwin -9th Mohammed Shami Ahmed -10th
Batting
Cheteshwar Arvind Pujara-6th
Ajinkya Madhukar Rahane-9th
All rounder
Ravichandran Ashwin-5th
India’s Rani Rampal nominated for ‘World Games Athlete of the Year’ for the year 2019
Rani Rampal from Haryana, India, the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team has been
nominated for the “World Games Athlete of the Year”award, 2019 by the International Hockey
Federation (FIH).
• She was instrumental in India qualifying for the first time in back-to-back olympic games
and for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
• World Games Athlete of the Year award is an initiative of IWGA(International World Games
Association) that recognizes and honours an athlete or a team for their outstanding performance
or for their social commitment or particularly, fair behavior. 2019 will be the 6th edition of the
IWGA.
• Twenty-five athletes have been nominated for this award from their respective sports by their
international federations. The winner will be decided by online voting which closes on January 30.

Weekly BeePedia
States
Jagan to launch Amma Vodi scheme

A.P. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will launch the Jagananna Amma Vodi programme
in Chittoor.
• Under the scheme, a financial assistance of ₹ 15,000 will be given to nearly 43 lakh mothers or
guardians who send their children to school.
• Student enrolment has increased by 30% after the announcement of the scheme.
Famous chariot festival of Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple celebrated in Tamil Nadu

The famous chariot festival of the Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple, the southern most major
temple in Tamilnadu, is celebrated with great camaraderie and devotion.
• The temple is especially significant because it is sacred to both the Shaivite as well as Vashnavite
sects.
• This 17th-century temple is famous for its architectural grandeur. The seven-storey white
gopuram - entrance tower - is visible from the distance. Its 40 m facade is covered with sculptures
of Hindu deities
• There is an Anjaneya statue, which is 22 feet tall is carved of a single granite block. It is
said to be one of the tallest statues of its type in India.
Visakhapatnam gearing up to host MILAN 2020

Visakhapatnam is gearing up to host another International Naval event 'MILAN' in March 2020.
• With about two months to the mega event, the preparations were reviewed at the Eastern
Naval Command (ENC) by Vice Admiral S N Ghormade, Chief of Staff.
• The review meeting was followed by site visits to various venues by the Nodal officers from the
Navy and the attendees representing stakeholder organizations towards drawing out time-bound
action plans.
• MILAN 2020 is a multilateral naval exercise aimed to enhance professional interaction
between friendly foreign navies and learn from each other's strengths and best practices
in the maritime domain.
• The Exercise with the theme 'Synergy Across the Seas' would provide an excellent opportunity
for Operational Commanders of friendly foreign navies to interact with each other in areas of
mutual interest.
Nitin Gadkari inaugurates CNG station in Nagpur

Weekly BeePedia
In Maharashtra, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Mr. Nitin Gadkari inaugurated
second CNG station in Nagpur.
• The CNG station was established in Wadi area of city will be supplying the CNG to Nagpur
Municipal Corporation’s buses and will also have the facility to convert diesel buses on CNG.
• The old bus fleet of NMC is being converted to CNG platform thereby increasing the bus life by 15
years.
• Nagpur’s first CNG station was established in Kamptee Road area.
The Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly adopted a new logo, reflecting the distinct
identity and culture of the state
Speaker Pasang Dorjee Sona had circulated pictures of the new logo among the members of the
House.
• The new logo consists of the national emblem and foxtail orchid (Rhynchostylis Retusa),
the state flower.
• The symbol of national emblem signifies the federal system of the Indian Constitution while the
foxtail orchid represents the state, its people and culture as a whole, while the blue colour
denotes the autonomy of the assembly secretariat.
'Parshuram Kund Mela' begins in Arunachal Pradesh

In Arunachal Pradesh, the famous Parshuram Kund Mela began. Devotees from across the
country visit the sacred place to take a holy dip in the Kund on the occasion of Makar
Sankranti every year.
• According to Lohit District Administration, more than 12,000 footfalls of pilgrims are recorded so
far who have come to the Mela this year.
• Parshuram Kund, nestled in the lower reaches of Lohit River is of great significance for the
Hindus. The legendary beheading of his mother by Lord Parshuram and eventual penance
followed by taking a bath in the so-called Brahma Kund, has added religious significance to this
place. Every year thousands of Hindu devotees throng in and take a holy dip in the sacred Kund
on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.
• Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein announced to make the
Parshuram Kund Mela a calendar event of the state to boost spiritual tourism.
Fresh investment proposals worth Rs 6608 cr approved in Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, fresh investment proposals worth 6608 crore rupees have been approved. They
have been cleared by the higher-level committee on industrial guidance and single window
system, led by the state chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy.
• The panel met at Fort St.George in Chennai and considered several new investment proposals
and those who were pending for clearance submitted through the single window system.
Weekly BeePedia
• After the scrutiny, the fifteen new investments were given the nod, with the potential of generating
6763 direct employment.
• Many of the industries are coming up in districts like Tuticorin, Trichy, Perambalur, Krishnagiri and
Vellore, besides the traditional industrial hubs of Chennai’s adjoining districts of Kanchipuram and
Tiruvallur.
Laying of submarine cables between Chennai-A&N Islands inaugurated

Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar
Prasad inaugurated the submarine cable works on laying between Chennai – Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.
• The submarine cables will be initially laid from Chennai to Port Blair covering a distance of
1,450 kilometres.
• He also flagged off the ship to lay the cable at Chennai Port.
• At the initial stage of commissioning of the project itself, the islands can get a data speed of
400-gigabytes per second.
Home Minister Amit Shah launches country’s first Cyber Crime Prevention Unit AASHVAST in
Gandhinagar
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated various people centric projects of Gujarat Police and
Indian Postal Department at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The two projects VISWAS and
AASHVAST will play a key role in preventing crimes in the state.
• The projects include Video Integration and StateWide Advance Security-VISWAS project.
First of its kind project in the country, VISHWAS is a major e-governance initiative.
• The project aims at improving Law and Order Management, Proactive traffic management and
control, Crime detection through video analytics and Post incident Investigation and video
forensics.
• To make cyber-space safe, Gujarat Police has brought the cyber-security solution to common
man through Cyber AASHVAST Project, which is a helpline for cybercrime victims.
TN names two state-run varsities after Jayalalithaa

Tamil Nadu Assembly passed two Bills to name a fisheries university and a music varsity after
late Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa.
• The Tamil Nadu Fisheries University and The Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University have
been rechristened "The Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University," and "The Tamil Nadu
Dr J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University."
• Orders had been issued in 2017 for the name change of fisheries varsity and sometime back as
regards the music university.

Weekly BeePedia
• Though the name change is already in force in both the state-run varsities, the Bills were adopted
to validate the change.
Uttar Pradesh State government is to set up a zoological garden in Gorakhpur, UP

The zoo is to be named after the socialist and freedom fighter Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan. The
zoological garden will be spread across 121 acres in Gorakhpur. The state government has set
aside Rs.234 crore to set up the zoological garden
• Khan was born on 22 October 1900 in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He was a freedom fighter
who participated in Gandhi's non-cooperation movement (NCM), Chauri Chaura incident.
• Ashfaqulla Khan along with Ram Prasad Bismil found the Hindustan Socialist Republican
Association (HSRA). The association aimed to win freedom for the country through an armed
revolution. Khan and Bismil were sentenced to death for the Kakori train robbery, commonly
referred to as the Kakori conspiracy of 1925.
Smriti Irani launches Yashaswini Scheme for Women entrepreneurship in Goa

Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Textiles, Smriti Irani launched Yashaswini
Scheme for Women entrepreneurship in Goa. The event was held at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
Stadium at Taleigao near Panaji.
• Swasthya Sakhi Project and breast cancer screening initiative were also inaugurated on the
occasion.
• Under Yashaswini scheme, women self-help groups will be given interest free loans of
upto Rs five lakh for business.
Two Coast Guard ships commissioned at Kolkata

Two Indian Coast Guard Ships (ICGS) — Annie Besant and Amrit Kaur — were commissioned by
Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar at Kolkata.
• While Annie Besant will be based at Chennai, Amrit Kaur will be based at Haldia. The ships are
fitted with state-of-the-art technology, and navigation equipment, along with Bofors 40/60 guns
and 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote Controlled Guns for enhanced fighting efficiency.
PM Modi renames Kolkata port after BJP icon Syama Prasad Mookerjee
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Kolkata Port will be renamed after the Bharatiya
Jana Sangh’s founder president Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
• It is a historic port that saw India gain freedom and has been a witness to India’s progress. It will
now be called Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee port.
• This port represents industrial, spiritual and self-sufficiency aspirations of India.

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Eight North-Eastern states to participate in the Madhavpur Mela of Gujarat in April

The eight States of the Northern Eastern Region will participate in a big way during the
Madhavpur Mela of Gujarat due to be held in the first week of April this year.
• The annual fair is held at Madhavpur Ghed in Porbandar district and the Mela this year will
commence on 2nd April, a day after the Ram Navami festival.
• Dr Jitendra Singh directed the officials that besides Madhavpur, events including cultural
performances, crafts display and food festivals of the NER region be showcased in other major
cities of Gujarat including Ahmedabad to generate wider interest among the local population.
• A multimedia publicity campaign will be launched on March 1, 2020 to popularize the Madhavpur
Mela. This will mark the cultural integration of Gujarat with the North-East under the Ek
Bharat, Shrestha Bharat announced by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, he added.
• The Madhavpur Mela of Gujarat shares its connect to the Mishmi Tribe of Arunachal
Pradesh. The Mishmi Tribe traces its ancestry to the legendary King Bhishmak and through him
to his daughter Rukmini and Lord Krishna.
• The festival celebrates the immortal journey which Rukmini undertook from Arunachal Pradesh to
Gujarat with Lord Krishna. Bhismaknagar, located near Roing in the lower Dibang Valley district,
also finds mention in Kalika Purana.
• The week-long ‘Utsav’ will see a vibrant cultural trail of art, dance, music, poetry, story-
telling and folk drama from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and other North-Eastern States
with the aim to integrate the rich cultures of the two regions.
• Madhavpur Ghed, a small but culturally significant village, is the place where, according to
folklore, Lord Krishna married Rukmini, the daughter of King Bhishmaka. Madhavpur lies on the
seashore, close to Porbandar.
Pulses Conclave 2020 to be held in Maharashtra

The Pulses Conclave 2020 (TPC 2020) has been scheduled to be held from 12-14 February 2020
in Lonavala, Maharashtra. The announcement was made by the India Pulses and Grains
Association (IPGA), the nodal body for India's pulses trade and industry on 9 January 2020.
• The biennial global pulses conference 'TPC 2020' is in line with the Prime Minister's vision
is to double the farmer's income by the year 2022.
• The Conclave programme various aspects including the dissemination of global and domestic
pulses production numbers, global and domestic prices, supply and demand scenarios will be
discussed.
• It aims to put together a roadmap to help the Indian pulses trade be able to contribute to the PM's
vision of making India a $5 trillion economy through the retail sale of pulses, processed pulses,
pulse derivates, and value additions, all of which will drive investments in the entire value chain.

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India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA):

IPGA is the apex body of India's pulses and grains industry and trade. It is headquartered in Mumbai.
IPGA is registered under the Companies Act 2013 with a membership of over 270 including various
regional associations of the Pulses industry. It aims to make Indian pulses and grains industry and
trade globally competitive which in turn will help India's food and nutrition security.
Wings India 2020 to Be Held In Hyderabad from March 12-15

Wings India 2020, an international exhibition and conference on civil aviation sector, will be held at
Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad from March 12 to 15.
• Pursuant to the success of Wings 2019, MOCA and FICCI is organising WINGS India 2020,
"providing a congenial forum catering to the rapidly changing dynamics of the sector, focusing on
new business acquisition, investments, policy formation and regional connectivity."
• The event will provide a fillip to the aviation and restructured focused forums will be instrumental
in attaining the objective of connecting the buyers, sellers, investors and other stakeholders at a
common forum.
• The theme of the event is “Flying for all”. The biennial event will be inaugurated by the Hon’ble
Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi in presence of Minister for Civil Aviation and Minister of
State for Civil Aviation.
Puri Bags Swachhata Darpan Awards 2019

Puri bagged the national award for innovative plastic waste management.
• Four districts namely: Puri of Odisha, Indore of Madhya Pradesh, Dibrugarh of Assam and
Sirmaur of Himachal Pradesh) were awarded for innovations and initiatives in the plastic
waste management sector.
• The Swachhata Darpan Award was given away by the Department of Drinking Water and
Sanitation (DDWS).
• The award was given as a part of the ODF (Open Defecation Free) Sustainability workshop.
Venkaiah Naidu to inaugurate classical Telugu centre in Andhra's Nellore

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is scheduled to inaugurate a new Centre of Excellence for
Studies in Classical Telugu in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh on January 21.
• The establishment of this Centre at Nellore would facilitate to focus its activities for the
development of this rich classical Telugu through Research, seminars, debates and various
activities.
• It has been proposed to discuss issues on various topics concerning classical Telugu and also
about the preparation of a road map on the preservation, propagation and promotion of classical
Telugu so that the richness of this language can be taken to greater heights.

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Persons/events
Hudco appoints M Nagaraj as Chairman, Managing Director

State-owned Housing and Urban Development Corporation (Hudco) has appointed M Nagaraj as
the company's Chairman and Managing Director for a period of three months with immediate effect
or until further orders whichever is earlier.
• Nagaraj is also Director (Corporate Planning) of the company.
• He has an experience of around 28 years in multitude of sectors such as housing, infrastructure
finance, skill development and micro finance in social sector, and international trading.
• Hudco provides loans for housing and urban infrastructure projects.
Veteran broadcaster, academic-poet Obaid Siddiqui passes away

Veteran Broadcaster, poet and academician Obaid Siddiqui, 63 years old, passed away in
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP). Siddiqui also worked with NDTV (New Delhi Television) and also
known as an Urdu poet.
Veteran Odissi Danseuse Minati Mishra Passes Away

Renowned Odissi Danseuse and yesteryear movie actress Odia Padma Shri Minati Mishra passed
away, at the age of 91. The classical dancer was suffering from age-related diseases.
• She was born in Pushpin in 1929 and learnt Odissi dance at a very early age. She had also
learned Bharatnatyam from Guru Chokilingam Pillai. She was also director of Utkal Sangeet
Mahavidyalaya and directed it for 25 years from 1966 to 1991.
• She was also a popular actress in 1960s and had acted in several Odia movies that include. Four
of these films had won Presidents award for best regional cinema. She was awarded the Central
and State Sangeet Natak Academy Awards for her contribution to Odissi dance.
Kannada scholar and activist passes away

Noted Kannada scholar, epigrapher, and activist M. Chidananda Murthy passed away. He was 88.
He was ill for some time and was being treated for age-related illness.
• Dr. Murthy played a key role in deciding the antiquity of Kannada, which helped the language
getting the Classical Language status in 2008.
• He was also a vocal Kannada activist, leading the Kannada Shakti Kendra in the1980s.
Dr Bipul Behari Saha, a Hyderabad-based scientist was elected as the Bureau Member of the
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) for 2020-23

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In the 100 years history of the union, this is the second time an Indian scientist is elected as a
Bureau Member, after Bharat Ratna Prof. CNR Rao in 1979.
• Founded 100 years ago, the IUPAC is the largest global organization of Chemistry
professionals. The IUPAC has the responsibility of naming all new elements and compounds,
declare atomic weights and physical constants, update Periodic table and carry out research
projects for the benefit of mankind.
• It comprises 12 Committees and 8 Divisions. At the apex of IUPAC organization is “IUPAC
Bureau”. The voters in the election of “IUPAC Bureau members” are representatives from
different countries, who are members of IUPAC.
• Dr. Saha has been closely associated with the IUPAC for the last few years. He was Executive
Committee member of “IUPAC Committee on Chemistry and Industry”, incidentally the
first Indian to hold this position. He was also the National Representative of India in “IUPAC
Division of Chemistry and Environment” and member of “IUPAC Inter-Divisional committee on
Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development”.
Kerala Cartoonist and Secretary of Kerala Cartoon Academy Thomas Antony passed away at
Kottackal town in Malappuram district, Kerala after suffering from heart attack
He was executive artist of Metro Vartha. Thomas Antony had served Deepika newspaper and
was Kottayam Press Club secretary.
• The Kerala Cartoon Academy offered their condolences to the departed soul. Thomas Antony had
bagged several international awards in the caricature field Known for drawing abstract
caricatures, he devised his own style and had bagged World Press Cartoon’s third prize in
caricature.
• He won United Nations Political Cartoon Award in 20117 and the World Press Cartoon Award,
instituted by an organization based in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2018.
Flipkart co-founder and former CEO Sachin Bansal has acquired DHFL General Insurance from
Wadhawan Group Capital (WGC) for around Rs 100 crore
The deal is seen as a distress sale for Kapil Wadhawan-led financial services group, which
used to run the debt-laden DHFL.
• WGC is the parent company of crisis-hit Dewan Housing Finance Limited (DHFL), which has
been recently admitted for bankruptcy. WGC also owns financial services companies such as
Aadhar Housing Finance, Avanse Financial Services, DHFL Pramerica Asset Managers, DHFL
Pramerica Life Insurance and DHFL General Insurance.
• With this acquisition, Bansal has entered into insurance business. The investment is also seen as
part of his strategy to enter into financial services industry. In the recent past, Bansal had done
multiple investments in insurance business increase his portfolio of firms in the sector.

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Lt General Girish Kumar reappointed Surveyor General of India for one year
Lt General Girish Kumar was reappointed as the Surveyor General of India for one year. He
has been appointed on contract basis for one year, with effect from January 1, 2020.
• Kumar was in September 2017 appointed as the Surveyor General of India under the Survey of
India, the national survey and mapping organisation of the country.
Odisha’s Gajapati dynasty head and former MP Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo passes away
Odisha’s Gajapati dynasty head and the former MP Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo passed
away due to prolonged illness in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He was 76.
• He was member of Indian National Congress (INC) representing the Berhampur parliamentary
constituency. He later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1998 and moved to Biju Janata
DAL (BJD) in 2009.
Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Dhadi folk singer Idu Sharif passed away
Dhadi folk singer Idu Sharif 80 years old died at Manji Majra, Chandigarh. He belong to village
Lalodi of Nabha in Patiala,Punjab. Dhadi folk singer Idu Sharif sings ballads and uses folk
instrument ‘Dhadd’.
• Idu Sharif received an award from Sangeet Natak Akademi,New Delhi and Tamra Patra award in
2006 by Former President of India Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam.
• He also received Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Professor Mohan Singh
award,Shiromani Dhadi Puraskar award in 2008.
Veteran Odia filmmaker Manmohan Mohapatra dies at 69

Veteran Odia filmmaker Manmohan Mohapatra died at a hospital following prolonged illness.
• Winner of several National Awards, Mohapatra was undergoing treatment at a private hospital
where he breathed his last.
• His first film Sita Rati as a director in 1976 won him the National Film Award for the Best
Feature Film in Odia.
• Mohapatra had won eight consecutive National Awards for his films. He recently received the
Best Director Award for Odia film.
Canadian rock group drummer Neil Peart passed away

Canadian drummer and lyricist of rock band Rush, Neil Ellwood Peart passed away at the age
of 67 in California, United States(US). He hailed from Hamilton, Canada.
• He entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Hall of Fame museum located in Ohio, US) in
2013.

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• Neil also wrote several books about his life, including the memoir ‘Traveling Music: Playing Back
the Soundtrack to My Life and Times’.
Jasbinder Bilan wins Britain’s famous 2019 Costa Children’s Award

Indian-origin Jasbinder Bilan has been conferred the UK’s famous Costa Children’s Award 2019.
He has won the award for his debut novel ‘Asha and the Spirit Bird’.
• Under the award, Billon will receive a sum of £ 5000. Jasbinder’s novel “Asha and the Spirit Bird”
was chosen from 144 other books. The Costa Children Award is conferred annually in 5
categories.
Portuguese motorcycle rider Paulo Goncalves passes away

Portuguese motorcycle rider Paulo Goncalves passed away after a crash in the seventh stage
of the 42th edition of Dakar Rally 2020 which was held for the first time in Saudi Arabia, at the
age of 40.
• He won the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) cross-Country Rallies World
Championship in 2013.
Lt Col Yuvraj Malik has been appointed the Director of the National Book Trust (NBT)
Malik, who has taken over from Sahitya Akademi-awardee writer Rita Chowdhury, joined the
NBT (the nodal agency, under the Ministry of HRD) on deputation from the Indian Army on
January 8.
• The officer has served with the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, Raj Bhawan in
Jammu & Kashmir, United Nation Missions in Africa and several operational areas in
administrative and operational assignments including Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Punjab and
Rajasthan.
Veteran screenwriter Henry Zuckerman passes away

Oscar nominated screenwriter Henry Zuckerman passed away at Cedars-Sinai Health Center in
Los Angeles, United States (US). Born is New York, US, he was known as Buck Hendry.
• He was the screenwriter for ‘The Graduate’ which scored seven Oscar nominations.
• In 1967 he won an Emmy award for writing ‘Get Smart’ along with Mel Brooks.
• In 1978 he directed the film ‘Heaven Can Wait’ with Warren Beatty which was also nominated for
an Oscar.

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Defence
Vikrant, 1st indigenous aircraft carrier, may be commissioned by early 2021: Report
The manufacturing of the country's first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant is currently under
phase three which involves setting to work of machinery and other equipment and it is likely to be
commissioned by early 2021.
• The Vikrant weighing 40,000 tons is being built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi
and it works on Short Take-Off but Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) mechanism similar to the
present carrier INS Vikramaditya with an angular ski-jump.
• Vikrant will be fully operational by 2022 and it will have a fleet of MiG-29K aircraft.
• As has been reported earlier, the ship is powered by four General Electric (GE) gas turbines and
it will operate Russian origin Mig-29K fighters which also take off from INS Vikramaditya.
DRDO's Naval variant of Light Combat Aircraft makes its first successful landing
The naval version of indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, made its first successful landing on the
aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. This aircraft is developed by the Defence Research and
Development Organization, DRDO.
• After completing extensive trials on the Shore Based Test Facility, LCA Navy did an arrested
landing on INS Vikramaditya.
• With the successful landing of Light Combat Aircraft, LCA on aircraft carrier INS
Vikramaditya, India has entered into the club of selected nations having the capability to
design a fighter jet which can land on an aircraft carrier.
• LCA is the smallest and lightest Multi-Role Supersonic Fighter Aircraft of its class. The LCA
programme intends to further expand and advance India's indigenous aerospace capabilities.
Anand Prakash Maheshwari takes over as the new DG of CRPF

IPS officer Anand Prakash Maheshwari took over as the new director general of the CRPF.
• He has served in the force for nine years, including as the Inspector General (operations), and
also as its IG in Kashmir.
• CRPF is the world's largest paramilitary force with about 3.25 lakh personnel.
India and Finland ink MoU to enhance bilateral defence cooperation

Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence of Finland Mr
Jukka Juusti signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further defence cooperation
between India and Finland.

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• The MoU on co-operation in the field of Production, Procurement, Research and Development of
Defence related Equipment and Industrial cooperation has been inked on the sidelines of Raisina
Dialogue 2020.
• A draft MoU between the two countries in the field of defence cooperation amongst others was
under discussion since the DefExpo 2018 and has now been formalised in the run up to
DefExpo 2020, to be held in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow from February 5-9, 2020.
IOC launches special NATO class diesel for Indian Navy

State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has developed a special class diesel conforming to NATO
grade for use in ships and vessels of Indian Navy.
"IOC has always endeavoured to supply world-class fuels to Indian Defence Forces. Moving ahead in
this direction IOC has developed and upgraded the specifications of HFHSD- IN 512 fuel required for
Indian Naval ships.
• The upgraded fuel now exceeds the MIL DTL 16844M specifications which is considered
benchmark standard across in the world.
• The fuel possesses the best rheological and detergent characteristics validated against most
stringent military specifications. It also has lesser environmental impact due to low Sulphur
content and would result in the better performance of engines.
Captain Tania Shergill, first woman army officer to become parade adjutant for Republic Day;
will also lead all-men contingent on Army Day
Captain Tania Shergill, an officer with Army's Corps of Signals, will be the first woman parade
adjutant for the Republic Day parade. A parade adjutant is responsible for the parade. She will
also lead all-men contingent on Army Day.
• Commissioned in March, 2017, from the Officer Training Academy, Chennai, Shergill is an
electronics and communications graduate.
• Both her father and grandfather have served in the Army. Her father was in 101 Medium
Regiment while, her grandfather was in the 14th Armed Regiment.
• Shergill, a fourth generation woman army officer will break a glass ceiling when she becomes the
first female to lead an all-men contingent at the Army Day Parade.
Japan Coast Guard Ship ‘Echigo’ arrives in Chennai

The Japan Coast Guard Ship ‘Echigo’ has arrived Chennai on a five-day goodwill visit. It will be
participating in the Annual Joint Exercise ‘Sahyog-Kaijin’ with the Indian Coast Guard off
Chennai.
• This is the 19th such exercise being conducted between the two Coast Guards since 2000.

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• Four Indian Coast Guard ships, their aircraft and a vessel from the Chennai-based National
Institute of Ocean Technology - NIOT are participating in the exercise along with the Japanese
vessel.
• It is aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties and mutual understanding between the two Coast
Guards. It is set to enhance interoperability in communication and Search and Rescue
procedures and sharing of best practices. It will help both the Coast Guards to work together in
protecting shared interests whenever such need arises, in responding to threats of piracy or
humanitarian crisis.

Weekly BeePedia
Agriculture
Rajya Sabha MP Chandra Pal Singh Yadav Re-elected as Chairman of KRIBHCO

Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO), an Indian cooperative society that
manufactures fertilizer and Asia’s premier fertilizer giant has conducted a Special General Body
Meeting on January 9, 2020, at NCUI Auditorium, New Delhi to elect nine directors including the
Chairman.
• Dr. Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, MP, Rajya Sabha, a well-known Cooperator, and a dynamic
farmer leader has been unanimously re-elected as the Chairman of KRIBHCO in the
meeting of the reconstituted Board of Directors of the Society. Dr. Singh has been the
Chairman from July 1999 to May 2010 & thereafter from February 2015 to till date.
• Sudhakar Chowdary, a leading Cooperator and a versatile farmer’s leader, has been
unanimously elected as Vice-Chairman of the Society.
Govt. to encourage Indian pompano cultivation

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI-Visakhapatnam) has registered
success in cultivation of Indian pompano in a brackishwater pond here, scientifically proving
its commercial viability.
• CMFRI-Visakhapatnam in-charge scientist Subhadeep Ghosh claimed that this was the first
scientific experiment that was successful in the country in the cultivation of the Indian
pompano species in the pond.
• The harvesting of the Indian pompano cultivation was attended by Fisheries Minister Mopidevi
Venkataramana, Avanigadda MLA Simhadri Ramesh and officials of the National Fisheries
Development Board (NFDB).
• The NFDB has extended the financial assistance for the experiment which was done by the
CMFRI scientists in collaboration with an aqua farmer, Bandi Sunil Kumar.
• The survival of the Indian pompano has been recorded 95% during the 11-month duration of the
crop period. The growth has been recorded maximum of 750 grams in the open pond and one kg
in the cage. These results support for the commercial viability for cultivation of the marine species
in the ponds.
• The yield of the Indian pompano was three tons per acre. The profit is estimated between 25-30
% against the input cost per acre.
• State government is also exploring the possibilities to encourage cultivation of the Indian
pompano in the ponds.
• “The experiment by the CMFRI has established that the Indian pompano could be considered
as an alternative to shrimp. The State government will create awareness among farmers to

Weekly BeePedia
switch to the Indian pompano cultivation, apart from ensuring supply of the seed by setting up
hatcheries,” said Mr. Venkataramana.

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Others
‘Shopper’ malware affects over 14% Indians: Kaspersky report

A new Trojan application is boosting popular shopping app ratings and installations and
spreading ads that annoy users and over 14 per cent Indians have been affected by this
malware dubbed as ‘Shopper’, researchers from global cybersecurity and anti-virus brand
Kaspersky revealed.
• The highest share of users infected by ‘Trojan-Dropper. Android OS. Shopper.a’ from October to
November 2019 was in Russia, with a staggering 28.46 per cent of all users affected by the
shopaholic app located in the country. Almost a fifth (18.70 per cent) of infections were in Brazil
and 14.23 per cent in India and the center of this malware app is in retail.
• The origin of this malware is not known. However, it may be downloaded through fraudulent ads/
third-party app stores. It is present as a system application in the device under the name
‘ConfigAPKs.
‘PAX SINICA: Implications for the Indian Dawn’ launched by S Jaishankar

A book on China titled ‘PAX SINICA: Implications for the Indian Dawn’ authored by Dr. Samir
Saran and Akhil Deo was recently launched by Union External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam
Jaishankar. The book is published by Rupa Publications India.
• Dr Samir Saran, the President of Observer Research Foundation (ORF), one of Asia’s most
influential think tanks is a Commissioner of The Global Commission on the Stability of
Cyberspace, member of the World Economic Forum’s South Asia advisory board and Global
Future Council on Geopolitics.
• Akhil Deo is a Junior Fellow at the ORF. His research interests include India’s foreign policy and
the impact of emerging technologies on society.
The first case of rare H9N2 virus detected in Maharashtra

India’s first case of Avian influenza or Bird flu caused by a rare variety of H9N2 virus has been
reported in a 17-month-old boy of Maharashtra.
• The infection is caused by a rare variety of H9N2 virus, which is a subtype of the influenza A virus
that leads to human influenza as well as bird flu. The viruses are found in wild birds and are
endemic in poultry in some countries.
• The report was revealed in the December 2019 issue of the Emerging Infectious Diseases
journal of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), by scientists of the
National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.

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• The scientists of the NIV detected the presence of the virus in February 2019 during a
community-based surveillance study in some villages of Melghat district of Maharashtra.
• As per NIV scientists, H9N2 viruses have been witnessed in Indian poultry several times,
but for the first time, a human case has come up. This infection is mostly transmitted by air
droplet, dust, feed, or water.
• The first-ever case of H9N2 virus was reported from Hong Kong in 1998. After this, several cases
were also reported in Hong Kong, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Egypt.
• The recent case of infection on a human was reported from Oman. However, China and Hong
Kong are majorly affected by this influenza viruses.
Book of Arun Jaitley's selected writings to hit stands in February

A new book, compilation of selected writings by former finance minister Arun Jaitley, offers
readers with the late politician's sharp insight on topics including GST, demonetisation and
Kashmir, publishing house Juggernaut Books announced.
• The book, "A New India: Selected Writings 2014-19", is an authoritative account of the policies
and decisions made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government during its first stint. It will
hit the stands in February, they said.
• Jaitley, who passed away at the age of 66 in August last year, as a finance minister rolled out the
Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2017, the biggest tax reforms after Independence. BJP's and
PM Modi's chief trouble-shooter, he helmed the finance, defence, corporate affairs and
information and broadcasting ministries.
Nepali translation of Swami Vivekananda's 'Karma Yoga' among 4 books released in Nepal on
Vishwa Hindi Diwas
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu released as many as four books, including the Nepali
translation of Swami Vivekananda's 'Karma Yoga', at an event marking the Vishwa Hindi
Diwas.
• The other three books include the Nepali translation of a book compiling five famous stories
by Indian writer Premchand, as well as the Hindi translations of 'Ashwathama' -- written by
Nepalese poet Madhav Prasad Ghimire -- and Utkrishta Kahaniyan'' -- a collection of 25
modern Nepali stories written by young and upcoming Nepali story writers.
• In addition, a special issue of the research journal 'Sahityalok' of Central Hindi Department
of Tribhuvan University was also released during an event at the embassy to mark the
occasion.
• Nepal's Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Hridayesh Tripathi presided as
the Chief Guest in the event, which was attended by more than 200 literary dignitaries including
writers, journalists, Hindi and Nepali scholars, academicians, and students.


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GSAT-30 satellite to be launched from French Guiana on 17 January

UN report on under-5 mortality: India one of the worst in gender disparities

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1023 Fast Track Courts under safety of women mission to be set up

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Infosys inks pact with GEFCO to support digital transformation

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Amit Shah chairs sixth meeting of Island Development Agency

4 Indian Airports Receive International Recognition For Reducing Emissions

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

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Pedro Sanchez sworn in as Spain Prime Minister

EC of India and Mauritius renewed MoU on cooperation in electoral management

Former PM Zoran Milanovic wins Croatia presidential polls

China successfully launches new communication experiment satellite’ TJSW-5’ on a Long

Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and Virgo collaborations have

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