testbook · Tamil translation of French book wins award The Tamil translation of Andrei Makine's...

testbook.com

Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I

January 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 9thto 15th

September 2018

1 | P a g e

testbook.com


January 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 9thto 15th

September 2018

2 | P a g e

Table of Contents

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

Days & Events ......................................................................................................................................................... 6

International Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 8

National Affairs ..................................................................................................................................................... 12

Personalities in News ........................................................................................................................................... 19 Books & Authors ................................................................................................................................................... 21

Government Policies & Schemes ......................................................................................................................... 21

Science & Technology ........................................................................................................................................... 27

Committees & Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 28

Business & Economy ............................................................................................................................................. 30

Sport ..................................................................................................................................................................... 35

Defence ................................................................................................................................................................. 38

Polity .................................................................................................................................................................... 39


January 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 16thto 22nd

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 19th to 25th

August 2018

3 | P a g e

Awards &Honours

Piyush Goyal Presented with Carnot Prize

Union Minister of Railways & Coal Piyush Goyal was formally presented with fourth annual Carnot Prize at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 30th January, 2019.

The prize was presented by Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.

The Carnot Prize is intended to honour distinguished contributions to energy policy through scholarship or practice.

Sahitya Akademi Awards 2018 presented

On January 29, 2019 Sahitya Akademi presented the Sahitya Akademi Award 2018 at a function in New Delhi during the Festival of Letters.

The awards were presented for writings in 24 different Indian languages.

Renowned Hindi writer Chitra Mudgal, Dogri writer Inderjeet Kesar, Kannada writer KG Nagarajappa and Kashmiri story writer Mushtaq Ahmad Mushtaq were among the 24 winners.

India wins Award of Excellence at Travel Show

India bagged the Award of Excellence for ‘Best in Show’ at New York Times Travel Show 2019.

The show was held from 25th to 27th January in New York, USA.

Many India centric activities were held at the show including Indian cultural performances, Indian Culinary Demonstrations, Food tasting, etc.

Indian was delegation led by Yogendra Tripathi, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, GoI.

'Kisan Gandhi' tableau wins first prize.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research tableau in the Republic Day Parade has won the first prize for its Kisan Gandhi theme.

The ICAR tableau with the theme "Mishrit Kheti, Khushiyon Ki Kheti" portrayed Gandhi with goats and a cow and Kasturba engaged with charkha and caring animals.

The tableau showcased a view from Bapu Kuti at Wardha Ashram.

SAG awards 2019

Black Panther has won the top film award in at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles.

The best actor awards for film went to Glenn Close for The Wife and Rami Malek for his performance as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.

Emily Blunt won the award for best female actor in a supporting role in the horror film, A Quiet Place.

Govt announces Padma Awards 2019

On 25 January 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian awards of the category, to 112 people from various disciplines.

The awards were conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

The list comprises 4 Padma Vibhushan, 14 Padma Bhushan and 94 Padma Shri awardees.

Twenty-one of the awardees are women.

NRL receives 'Best Miniratna PSU' award

Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) was awarded the best Strategic Performance (Financial Category) at the sixth edition of 'Governance Now PSU' Awards on 25 January 2019.

The awards are given out in recognition of the efforts of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) who have played a key role in the country's growth.

NRL is a joint venture between Bharat Petroleum, Oil India and Govt of Assam.

D N Chakraborty gets journalism award

Assam government has conferred the 'Republic Day Journalism Award 2019 to veteran journalist and former editor Dhirendra Nath Chakraborty on 26 January 2019.

He has been honoured for his lifelong contribution to journalism in the state.

He is the former Editor of Dainik Asom, Dainik Janambhumi and Ajir Batori group of newspaper.

Tomy Abhilash awarded with Nao Sena Medal

President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Nao Sena Medal to Commander Tomy Abhilash on 25 January 2019.

Tomy Abhilash had participated in the Golden Globe navigation race in 2018.

Abhilash was stranded 3,200 km off the coast of Western Australia after his sailing vessel, INSV Thuriya's mast broken during a severe storm in the Indian Ocean.

Army Chief awarded 'Param Vishisht Seva Medal'

On 25 January 2019, Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat was conferred with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM).

Fifteen lieutenant generals and three major generals have also been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM).

Param Vishisht Seva Medal is the highest military medal awarded in recognition of peace-time services not relating to gallantry.

Jayant Kaikini wins DSC prize

On 25 January 2019, Kannada author Jayant Kaikini, along with translator Tejaswini Niranjana, won the prestigious 'DSC Prize for South Asian Literature' for the book 'No Presents Please: Mumbai Stories' for 2018.

The award was presented at the Kolkata Literary Meet.

The award carries a prize of $25,000.





August 2018

4 | P a g e

This is the first time that a Kannada work and a work in translation has won the award.

Tamil translation of French book wins award

The Tamil translation of Andrei Makine's 'La vie d'un homme inconnu' (The Life of an Unknown Man) was awarded the 'Romain Rolland' Prize for literary translation on 25 January 2019.

The book was translated by SR Kichenamourty.

The award consists of an invitation to the Paris Book Fair 2019 in March for the publisher of the work and one-month residency in France for the translator.

Bharat Ratna for Pranab, Deshmukh, Hazarika

On 25 January 2019, President Ramnath Kovind conferred the Bharat Ratna on former President Pranab Mukherjee.

Social activist Nanaji Deshmukh and Assamese musician Bhupen Hazarika were awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously.

Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian award.

Govt institutes 'Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar'

The government of India instituted an annual award titled 'Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar'.

The award recognises all Indian Citizens and organisations who have excelled in areas of Disaster Management.

The award will be announced every year on 23rd January on the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

For 2019, 8th Battalion of NDRF was selected for the award.

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards conferred

On 23 January 2019, three Indian expats from the UAE were conferred with the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award'.

The award was conferred on Girish Pant, Surender Singh Kandhari and Dr Zulekha Daud.

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award is the highest honour conferred by the President on a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Person of Indian Origin (PIOs) or organisation or institution run by NRIs or PIOs.

VP presents Chhatra Vishwakarma & SAGY Awards

The Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu presented the 2nd Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards to students & their mentors & Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) Awards to institutions on 21 January 2019.

The Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards aims to recognise the innovations and achievements of individuals as well as institutions.

SAGY Award was given under the theme 'Developed Village-Developed Nation'.

Short film from India gets Oscars nomination

An Indian short film titled 'Period. End of Sentence' has earned a nomination in the Documentary Short Subject category for the 91st Academy Awards.

The short film was directed by Rayka Zehtabchi.

Other documentary short films that were nominated are 'Black Sheep', 'End Game', 'Lifeboat', and 'A Night at the Garden'.

Sitanshu awarded Saraswati Samman 2017

Gujarati poet Sitanshu Yashashchandra was awarded 'Saraswati Samman 2017' on 22 January 2019.

He was awarded for his poetry collection in Gujarati named 'Vakhar'.

The award was instituted by K.K.Birla foundation.

The award is given every year to an outstanding work of an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years in any of the languages mentioned in Schedule 8 of the constitution.

Anurag Thakur gets Sansad Ratna Award

Anurag Thakur, MP, Hamirpur, has been bestowed with the 'Sansad Ratna Award' for distinguished performance as a parliamentarian on 19 January 2019.

The Sansad Ratna Award was started in 2010 on the suggestion of former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

The award is given to 12 top performing parliamentarians, including a standing committee.

Rao chosen for Sheikh Saud International Prize

Scientist and recipient of Bharat Ratna C N R Rao has been chosen for the first 'Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Research' by the Centre for Advanced Materials of the United Arab Emirates.

The award involves a plaque, a medal and a cash prize of 1 lakh US Dollar.

The award will be presented at the International Workshop on Advanced Materials in UAE on 25 February 2019.

Ranjani Murali wins 'Woman's Voice Award'

US-based Indian poet Ranjani Murali received the 'Woman's Voice Award' at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF) on 20 January 2019.

The aim of the award is to recognise and encourage creative writing by women in India and to support the publication of their writing.

Ranjani Murali's first book of poems 'Blind Screens' was published in July 2017.

Dr. Rattan Lal honoured with 2019 Japan Prize

Dr Rattan Lal was honoured with '2019 Japan Prize' on 16 January 2019.

He was awarded for his research on the processes and factors of soil degradation caused by inappropriate biological production.





August 2018

5 | P a g e

He is Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.

He has been listed among the World's Most Influential Scientific Minds (2012)

WCD shortlists 26 children for National Award

The National Selection Committee under the Women and Child Development Ministry, have finalised the names of awardees for 'Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2019'.

Maneka Gandhi is the Chairperson of the National Selection Committee.

The award is conferred upon children for their bravery, social service, and exceptional achievement in the fields of innovation, sports, and arts.

Gandhi Peace Prize announced

The Gandhi Peace Prize for the years 2015,2016,2017 and 2018 were announced on 16 January 2019.

Vivekananda Kendra got the prize for 2015.

Akshaya Patra Foundation and Sulabh International got the prize for 2016.

EkalAbhiyan Trust got the prize for 2017.

Yohei Sasakawa got the prize for 2018.

The annual prize was instituted by the Government of India in 1995.

Glenn Close to receive Oscar Wilde Award

The US-Ireland Alliance has announced that the veteran actor Glenn Close will receive the 'Oscar Wilde Award' on 21 February 2019.

She will receive the award at the 14th Annual Oscar Wilde Awards.

She also won the 2018 Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for the film, 'The Wife'.

PM Narendra Modi receives Philip Kotler award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award on 14 January 2019.

The Award focuses on the triple-bottom-line of People, Profit, and Planet.

He has been selected for his outstanding leadership for the nation.

Prof. Philip Kotler is a world-renowned Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.

Namita wins Sushila Devi Literature Award

Writer Namita Gokhale won the 'Sushila Devi Literature Award' for her novel 'Things to Leave Behind' on 12 January 2019.

She was awarded in the 'Best Book of Fiction Written by a Woman Author' category at the inaugural edition of Bhopal Literature and Art Festival (BLF).

The literary event was attended by over 70 writers and artists.

Adi Godrej conferred ICSI lifetime award

Industrialist and Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej was conferred with the ICSIs Lifetime Achievement Award for 'Translating Excellence in Corporate Governance into Reality' on 10 January 2019.

The awards were instituted by The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).

The ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governance were bagged jointly by Cipla Ltd and Dabur India Ltd

Golden Globe Awards announced-II

'Roma' won the award for Best Foreign Language Picture.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won the award for the Best animated picture.

Mahershala Ali won the award for the Best Supporting Actor.

Regina King won the award for the Best Supporting Actress.

Christian Bale won the award for the Best Actor – Musical or Comedy

Olivia Colman won the award for the Best Actress – Musical or Comedy

Golden Globe Awards announced-I

On 6 January 2019, The Golden Globe Awards for 2018 were announced in the USA.

'Bohemian Rhapsody' won the award for Best Motion Picture – Drama

Rami Malek won the award for Best Actor – Drama

Glenn Close won the award for Best Actress – Drama

Alfonso Cuaron won the award for the Best Director

'Green Book' won the award for the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

'Exhibitor of the Year Award' for DRDO

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) pavilion received 'Exhibitor of the Year Award' at 106th Indian Science Congress (ISC) held at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab.

The DRDO Pavillion at ISC was inaugurated on 3 January 2019.

The pavilion exhibited surface-to-air missile system - Akash, a model of BrahMos missile, remotely operated vehicle etc.

Anganwadi workers to be honoured with awards

Union Minister for Women & Child Development, Maneka Gandhi conferred National Awards to 97 Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) on 7 January 2019.

The awards were given for their Exceptional Achievements for the year 2017-18





August 2018

6 | P a g e

The award is given to motivate the AWWs and recognise their exemplary service in the field of child development and related areas under the Integrated Child Development Scheme.

Dinu conferred with lifetime achievement award

Veteran journalist Dinu Randive was conferred with the lifetime achievement award by the Mantralaya and Vidhimandal Vartahar Sangh.

The Sangh is an association of journalists covering Maharashtra legislature and secretariat.

Mr. Randive started his journalistic career in 1956.

He also participated in the freedom struggle, the Sanyukta Maharashtra movement, and the Goa liberation movement.

Farooq to be honoured by Bimal Roy Society

Farooq Sheikh and Asha Parekh will be honoured by the Bimal Roy Memorial and Film Society to commemorate the 52nd death anniversary of the renowned filmmaker.

The society was instituted in memory of the late filmmaker Bimal Roy.

Its aim is to reward unsung heroes of the film industry.

Awards will also be given to directors Ananth Mahadevan and Amit Rai for making socially relevant films.

Wahengbam Singh to get National Bravery Award

Wahengbam Lamnganba Singh from Manipur was selected by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) for receiving National Bravery Award.

He will be receiving the award from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 23, 2019.

He saved his cousin brother from drowning in a pond on 16 May 2018.

The National Bravery Awards are given on every Republic Day.

AP govt bags CBIP award for Polavaram project

The Andhra Pradesh government bagged the Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP) award for speedy execution of Polavaram multipurpose project.

It received the award in the category of 'Best Implementation of Water Resources Project' for better planning, implementation, and monitoring.

Polavaram project multipurpose project on the Godavari river.

Vijay Kumar won the Ramnath Goenka Award

S. Vijay Kumar was presented the 'Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism' Award for Investigative Reporting (Print category) on 4 January 2019.

He is Senior Deputy Editor with 'The Hindu'.

The award has been instituted by the Ramnath Goenka Memorial Foundation.

Awards were presented to 29 journalists across India in various categories.

National Entrepreneurship Awards held in Delhi

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship hosted the third edition of the 'National Entrepreneurship' Awards in New Delhi on 4 January 2019.

The awards aim to recognize and honor outstanding young first-generation entrepreneurs and those who have contributed immensely to building the entrepreneurship ecosystem.

A total of 43 awards were presented for 2019.

Jayanta Kumar won 'National Geospatial Award'

The Indian Society for Remote Sensing (ISRS) conferred the National Geospatial Award for Excellence-2017 (Life Time Achievement Award) to IIT professor Jayanta Kumar Ghosh

The award was given to him for his contribution to the development of geospatial science and applications.

ISRS is an organisation known in the area of space science, remote sensing and geospatial technology.

Days & Events

'Artisan Speak' organised by Textile Ministry

Ministry of Textiles presented an event named 'Artisan Speak' at Elephanta Caves near Mumbai on January 28, 2019.

The event showcased the rich handloom and textile tradition of India.





August 2018

7 | P a g e

The event will display the potential of GI (Geographical Indication) textiles so as to promote and build awareness of such products and to strengthen skills and supply chain capacity of grassroots stakeholders.

8th Annual Pulicat Day to be observed on 2 Feb

The eighth annual 'Pulicat Day' will be observed on 2 February at Pulicat in Tamil Nadu.

The aim of the day is to create awareness among people about the importance of protecting the Pulicat lagoon.

Pulicat lake was once a prominent port of south-east coast for cotton export which attracted the Arabs in 700AD, Europeans in 1502 and Japanese in 1619 in AD.

International day for Holocaust Remembrance

The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust is observed every year on 27 January 2019.

The theme for 2019 is The theme of the Holocaust remembrance and education activities this year is 'Holocaust Remembrance: Demand and Defend Your Human Rights'.

The theme highlights the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

National Voters’ Day: 25 January

National Voters' Day (NVD) is observed in India every year on 25 January 2019.

NVD is celebrated to mark the Foundation day of Election Commission of India, which was established on 25th January 1950.

The aim of the day is to encourage, facilitate and maximize the enrollment, especially for the new voters.

'My Vote Matters', a Quarterly Magazine will also be launched on the occasion.

International Day of Education: 24 January

International Day of Education is observed on 24 January.

The aim of the day is to celebrate the role of education for peace & development.

The United Nations General Assembly on December 3 adopted a resolution declaring January 24 as International Day of Education.

In India, National Education Day is observed on 11 November to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

National Girl Child Day observed on 24 Jan

National Girl Child Day is observed every year on 24 January.

The theme for 2019 is 'Empowering Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow'.

The aim of the day is to raise awareness on the issue of declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and create a positive environment around valuing the girl child.

Army Day observed on 15 January

Army day is observed every year in India on 15 January.

On this day in 1949, Field Marshal Kodandera M Cariappa took over as the first Indian commander-in-chief of the Indian Army.

On this day, Indian Army also remembers and pays tributes to soldiers, who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.

Armed Forces Veteran Day observed on 14 Jan

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

The day is celebrated as a mark of respect and recognition of the services rendered by Field Marshal, who retired from service on 14 January 1953.

K.M. Cariappa was the first Commander of the Indian Armed Forces.

National Youth Day: 12 January

National Youth Day is observed every year on 12 January.

The day is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Swami Vivekananda.

The aim of the day is to propagate the philosophy and the ideals of Swami Vivekananda.

He was a social reformer, philosopher and thinker.

In 1984, the government of India first declared to celebrate the birthday of Swami Vivekananda as National Youth Day.

PM to inaugurate 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on 21 January 2019 at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

On 21 January 2019, the inauguration of the 'Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas' will be held in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

On 23 January 2019, 'Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards' will be conferred by President Ram Nath Kovind.

World Hindi Day observed on 10 January

World Hindi Day is observed every year on January 10 to promote the greatness of the Hindi language.

The first World Hindi Conference was held on January 10 in 1975 and to commemorate this day, World Hindi Day is celebrated every year.

The first World Hindi Conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Nagpur.

World Braille Day observed on 4 January

The United Nations observed the first official World Braille Day on 4 January.

The aim of the day is to raise awareness of the importance of Braille.

It also aims to raise awareness about the human rights of visually-impaired and partially-sighted people,





August 2018

8 | P a g e

The day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in November 2018.

DRDO day is observed on 1 January

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) day is observed on 1 January.

The DRDO was established in 1958 with just 10 laboratories to enhance the research work in defence sector.

Dr. G Satheesh Reddy is the Chairman of DRDO.

DRDO works under the Department of Defence Research and Development of Ministry of Defence.

International Affairs

Malaysia crowns Sultan Abdullah as King

Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah of central Pahang state was crowned as Malaysia’s 16th king on 31 January, 2019.

The move came nearly a month after the sudden abdication of Sultan Muhammad V.

Sultan Abdullah is a council member of the world football governing body FIFA, president of the Asian Hockey Federation, and an executive board member of the International Hockey Federation.

UAE, Saudi Arab launch digital currency

The central banks of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia have launched a common digital currency called ‘Aber’.

The central bank-based digital currency will make cross-border financial transactions more secure and financially efficient.

Dirham is the currency of UAE while Saudi Riyal is the currency of Saudi Arabia.

Strategic MoUs between Syria and Iran

Syria and Iran signed 11 agreements and MoUs including a "long-term strategic economic cooperation" deal on January 29, 2019.

The agreements cover various fields including economy, culture, education, infrastructure, investment and housing.

They were signed during a visit to Damascus by Iran's First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri.

NASA solar probe begins second orbit of Sun

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has begun its second orbit of the Sun and is on track for its closest approach to our star.

Just 161 days after its launch, the Parker probe completed its first orbit of the Sun on January 19.

The spacecraft has now begun the second of 24 planned orbits, on track for its second perihelion, or closest approach to the Sun, on April 4.

Tornado hits Cuba

A huge tornado hit the Cuban capital, Havana, had left four people dead and 195 injured.

It is the strongest tornado to hit Cuba in nearly 80 years.

Miguel Angel Hernandez of the Cuban Center for Meteorology said the tornado was a Category F3, with winds between 155 and 199 miles per hour, produced when a cold front hit Cuba's northern coast.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

US imposes sanctions on Venezuela

In USA, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Venezuela's state-owned oil company, PDVSA.

PDVSA is OPEC nation Venezuela's largest source of revenue and owns US refining arm Citgo Petroleum, Venezuela's most important foreign asset.

Nicolas madurothe is the 46th President of Venezuela since 2013.

Suman Kumari Pak 1st Hindu woman judge

Suman Kumari has become the first Hindu woman in Pakistan to be appointed as a civil judge.

She hails from Qambar-Shahdadkot, will serve in her native district.

The first judge from the Hindu community was Justice Rana Bhagwandas, who served as the acting chief justice for brief periods between 2005 and 2007.

Pak declares Sugarcane juice as national drink

On 25 January 2019, the Pakistan government declared sugarcane juice as the 'National Drink' of the country after a poll on Twitter.

The government conducted a poll on Twitter at which people were asked to decide the national drink of Pakistan.

Options including orange juice, sugarcane juice and carrot juice were given in the poll.

Greece ratify Macedonia name change deal

On 25 January 2019, Greek MPs have ratified a landmark accord allowing Macedonia to change its name.

Under the deal, Macedonia changes its name to North Macedonia.

Greece will also allow North Macedonia to join the NATO and eventually the European Union.

Greece's capital is Athens and its currency is Euro.

61.7 mn affected due to extreme weather

As per the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), earthquakes and tsunamis accounted for most of the 10,373 lives lost in disasters in 2018.

It also said that weather events accounted for most of 61.7 million people affected by natural hazards.





August 2018

9 | P a g e

The country most affected by disasters was India, where there were 23.9 million people hit, followed by the Philippines and then China.

Sultan Abdullah named as King of Malaysia

Sultan Abdullah was elected as Malaysia's new King on 24 January 2019, following the abdication of Sultan Muhammad V in January 2019.

He is the ruler of the Malaysia state of Pahang.

He will have a five-year term.

He is the current President of the Asian Hockey Federation and a council member of FIFA, the world football body.

Nigeria's new outbreak of Lassa fever kills 16

On 22 January 2019, Nigerian health authorities declared a new outbreak of Lassa fever that has killed 16 people since early January 2019.

Lassa fever belongs to the same family as Marburg and Ebola, two deadly viruses that lead to infections with fever, vomiting and in worst-case scenarios, haemorrhagic bleeding.

The Lassa was first identified in northern Nigeria in 1969.

Israel, US successfully test 'Arrow 3' system

The Israeli and US defence ministries have successfully tested ballistic missile interceptors named 'Arrow 3' deployed at Israeli airbases on 22 January 2019.

The Arrow 3 interceptor system is designed to shoot down missiles above the atmosphere.

The interceptor system is intended to serve as Israel's highest-altitude missile interception system.

Christophe appointed as PM of Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso's President Roch Marc Christian Kabore appointed Christophe Dabire as new Prime Minister on 21 January 2019.

Dabire was previously Burkina's representative at the eight-nation West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in Africa.

Burkina Faso's capital is Ouagadougou and its currency is West African CFA Franc.

WEF's annual meeting begins in Davos

The World Economic Forum's (WEF) 49th annual meeting began on 22 January 2019 in Davos, Switzerland.

The main theme of the meeting is 'Globalisation 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution'.

Several topics will be discussed such as the future of the economy, environmental issues, the digital economy, media freedom, and data governance.

Aadhaar cards now a valid travel document

Aadhaar cards are now valid travel documents for Indians under 15 and over 65 years travelling to Nepal and Bhutan.

Indians other than those in the two age brackets will not be able to use Aadhaar to travel to Nepal and Bhutan.

Indian citizens going to Nepal and Bhutan don't need a visa if they have a valid passport, a photo identity card issued by the government of India.

Nepal bans Indian notes above Rs 100

Nepal's central bank has banned the use of Indian currency notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations.

Under the new regulation, Nepali citizens cannot carry these denominations to countries other than India.

Indian notes of 100 or below, however, are allowed for trading and conversion.

This move could affect Indian tourists visiting the Himalayan nation.

US spy satellite launched into orbit

A US spy satellite named 'National Reconnaissance Office satellite' was launched into orbit from California on 19 January 2019.

The satellite was launched on powerful Delta 4 Heavy rocket.

The Delta 4 Heavy stands 233 feet (71 metres) tall.

The National Reconnaissance Office is responsible for US intelligence satellites.

UNESCO: World Capital of Architecture for 2020

The UNESCO has announced that the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro will be the World Capital of Architecture for 2020.

Rio will be the first city to receive the title under a program launched together by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects (UIA) in November last year.

The city will host the World Congress of UIA, in July 2020, an event that occurs every three years.

Andry sworn in as President of Madagascar

Andry Rajoelina was sworn in as President of Madagascar on 19 January 2019.

The High Constitutional Court of Madagascar had declared him as the winner of the Presidential election on 8th January with 55.66%of the votes.

He was the President of Madagascar from 2009 to 2014.

Madagascar's capital is Antananarivo and its currency is Malagasy Ariary

Sweden's PM Stefan Lofven wins second term

On 18 January 2019, Sweden's parliament elected Prime Minister Stefan Lofven to a second four-year term.

The Prime Minister is expected to formally present his new government and its full programme on 21 January 2019.





August 2018

10 | P a g e

It will be one of the weakest administrations in Sweden in 70 years.

Sweden's capital is Stockholm and its currency is Swedish Krona.

Satellite launched for meteor shower

On 18 January 2019, Japan launched a satellite which aims to deliver the world's first artificial meteor shower.

The satellite was launched on Epsilon-4 rocket.

ALE Co., a start-up based in Tokyo developed the satellite for the celestial show over Hiroshima.

The satellite will release tiny balls that glow brightly as they hurtle through the atmosphere, simulating a meteor shower.

Raja appointed as member of a key committee

US's Democratic lawmaker Raja Krishnamoorthi was appointed as a member of a Congressional committee on Intelligence on 17 January 2019.

He became the first South Asian to serve in the powerful body tasked to strengthen U.S.’s national security.

He represents Illinois’s 8th Congressional District in the House.

First human rights TV channel launched

The world’s first television channel dedicated to human rights was launched in London on 16 January 2019.

The channel was launched by the International Observatory of Human Rights (IOHR).

The web-based channel would bring human rights issues to audiences in over 20 countries across Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

Macedonia parliament agrees to change its name

Macedonia's parliament passed an amendment to the constitution 11 January 2019 to rename the country as Republic of North Macedonia.

This in line with an agreement with Greece to put an end to a 27-year-old dispute.

The agreement was signed in June 2018.

Macedonia will start using it only after the parliament in Athens also ratifies the agreement.

Charles Kupperman appointed as Deputy NSA

US President Donald Trump appointed Charles Kupperman as Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA) on 11 January 2019.

Charles Kupperman is a former Boeing and Lockheed Martin executive.

He also worked as a defence and foreign policy advisor to the Ronald Reagan presidential campaign.

He also held a position in the President's General Advisory Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament.

Su Tseng-chang appointed as Taiwan PM

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has appointed Su Tseng-chang as Prime Minister of Taiwan on 10 January 2019.

Su is a former Prime Minister appointed in 2006 by then-President Chen Shui-bian and was a Chairman of Democratic Progressive Party for two terms.

The capital of Taiwan is Taipei and its currency is New Taiwan Dollar.

Egypt to host 2019 Africa Cup of Nations

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that Egypt will host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Egypt will be hosting the tournament for the fifth time.

Egypt will use eight stadiums during the tournament, hosting in five different cities: Alexandria, Ismailia, Port Said, Suez and the capital Cairo.

USA Cricket becomes ICC's 105th member

On 9 January 2019, International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that USA Cricket became its 105th member.

As a Member of the ICC, USA Cricket is now eligible to receive funding in accordance with the ICC Funding Policy.

USA Cricket has become the 93rd Associate Member in accordance with the ICC Constitution.

It can now sanction domestic and international matches in the United States.

Malaysia's king Muhammad V resigns

https://bit.ly/2mdJPmF





August 2018

11 | P a g e

Malaysia's King Muhammad V has abdicated after two years on the throne on 6 January 2019.

It is for the first time a king has resigned before completing their five-year tenure.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy and the king assumes a largely ceremonial role.

However, the king's assent is needed before the appointment of a Prime minister or senior public officials.

WB President Jim Yong Kim to step down

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim will step down from his position on 1 February 2019.

He was appointed as President of World bank in July 2012.

Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank CEO, will assume the role of interim President from 1 February 2019.

The United States is the largest shareholder of the World Bank.

The World Bank's headquarter is in Washington D.C.

Sheikh Hasina took oath as Bangladesh's PM

Sheikh Hasina took oath as Prime Minister of Bangladesh on 7 January 2019.

President Mohammad Abdul Hamid administered the oath of office to her.

Sheikh Hasina became Bangladesh's Prime Minister for the fourth time.

She is the President of Awami League.

Awami League and its allies secured 288 seats out of elections held for 299-member Parliament on 30 December 2018.

China tests its ‘Mother of All Bombs’

China tested its most powerful non-nuclear weapon, dubbed as the 'Mother of All Bombs' on 4 January 2019.

The bomb's strength is only second to that of a nuclear weapon.

It was dropped by a Chinese H-6K bomber.

The bomb is five to six meters long but weighs less than America's 'Mother of All Bombs' which was dropped in Afghanistan.

Trump signed 'ARIA' into law

The US President Donald Trump signed the 'Asia Reassurance Initiative Act' (ARIA) into law.

ARIA was earlier passed in the US Senate in December 2018.

The act establishes a multifaceted U.S. strategy to increase US security, economic interests, and values in the Indo-Pacific region.

The ARIA will authorise $1.5 billion in spending for a range of U.S. programs in East and Southeast Asia.

Panj Tirath site declared as National Heritage

Pakistan has declared the ancient Hindu religious site of 'Panj Tirath' in Peshawar as National heritage.

Panj Tirath got its name from the five pools of water present there, also contains a temple and a lawn with date palm trees.

The five pools of the heritage site now come under the Chacha Yunus Park and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

China’s probe lands on far side of moon

A China's Chang’e-4 lunar probe touched down on the far side of the moon on 3 January 2019.

The probe touched down at a targeted area near the moon’s south pole in the Von Karman Crater, after entering its orbit in mid-December 2018.

The tasks of the Chang’e-4 include astronomical observation, surveying the moon’s terrain, landform, mineral makeup, and measuring the neutron radiation.

Justice Asif appointed as new CJ of Pakistan

Justice Asif Saeed Khosa was appointed as the new Chief Justice of Pakistan.

He is the senior most judge of Pakistan's Supreme Court.

Justice Khosa will assume the charge of his office on 18 January 2019.

The incumbent Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar will be retiring from service on 17 January 2019.

Brazil's Bolsonaro takes oath as President

Former Army captain, Jair Bolsonaro was sworn in as Brazil's President on 1 January 2019.

He won the Presidential election of Brazil on 28 October 2018.

He defeated leftist opponent Fernando Haddad.

He was declared the winner by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal after 94% of the votes were counted.

Justice Rana takes over as Nepal's new CJ

Justice Cholendra Shamsher J B Rana took over as the new Chief Justice of Nepal's Supreme Court on 2 January 2019.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath to Justice Rana.

He will have a tenure of four years.

He succeeded Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra, who retired on 1 January 2018.

He was appointed as the permanent judge of the Supreme Court on May 27, 2014.

Qatar will cease to be a member of OPEC

Qatar ceased to be a member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from 1 January 2019.

Qatar is the first Gulf country to leave the bloc of oil-producing countries.

Qatar is the world's biggest supplier of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).





August 2018

12 | P a g e

The OPEC is an intergovernmental organisation of 15 nations, founded in 1960 in Baghdad and headquartered in Vienna, Austria.

US, Israel quit UNESCO citing bias

The US and Israel had quit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) with the close of 2018.

The countries had announced their decisions in 2017 of withdrawing from the agency, accusing it of bias against Israel.

Israel joined the agency in 1949.

UNESCO is best known for its work to preserve heritage, including maintaining a list of World Heritage sites.

Tropical storm 'Usman' strucks Philippines

A tropical storm named 'Usman' struck the Philippines on 25 December 2018.

Storm Usman resulted in heavy rain and triggered deadly landslides in the Bicol region in Manila, Philippines.

The tropical storm Usman emerged as the deadliest weather disaster for the Philippines after typhoon 'Mangkhut' in September 2018.

National Affairs

IndiGo to build its 2nd MRO at Bengaluru

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., which owns and operates air carrier IndiGo, has entered into a 20-year agreement with Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).

The agreement is to sub-lease five acres of land at Bengaluru Airport to build a Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) facility.

This will be IndiGo’s second MRO, after the one in Delhi. The facility will become operational by 2020.

Automatic listing of fresh cases in SC

The Supreme Court launched its new system of automatic listing of fresh cases within three to seven days on January 30, 2019.

The step was taken in a bid to do away with the system of mentioning of matters for urgent listing every day.

The new mechanism will come into effect from February 4.

World’s biggest cyclothon ends in Delhi

World’s biggest cyclothon 'The Swasth Bharat Yatra' concluded in New Delhi on January 29, 2019.

The aim of this Yatra was to spread the message of ‘Eat Safe, Eat Healthy and Eat Fortified.'

The Yatra began from six different locations - Leh, Panaji, Thiruvananthapuram, Puducherry, Kolkota and Agartala.

This Yatra was led by Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

New Campus of NMI Inaugurated at Noida

The new Campus of the National Museum Institute was inaugurated by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar in Noida on 30th January 2019.

The foundation stone for this 3 acre campus was laid on 31st January, 2015.

Four new courses namely, Archaeology; Palaeography, Epigraphy and Numismatics; Structural Conservation and Cultural & Heritage Management are expected to be commenced at the campus.

Madras HC Allows Online Sale of Medicine

The Madras High Court has extended the permission given for the online sale of pharmaceuticals till 20th March, 2019.

The HC had earlier banned sale of drugs online, pending the framing of regulations by the Centre for such sale.

The Center had sought more time for framing regulations for the online sale of medicines.

CPRI Regional Testing Lab at Nashik

Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, R K Singh laid the foundation of Regional testing laboratory of Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) at Nashik, Maharashtra on Jan 30, 2019.

The lab will test and certify electrical equipment manufactured in the western region as per national and international standards.

CPRI is an autonomous body under Ministry of Power.

LKA Exhibition Commemorating Gandhi

Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) has organised an exhibition titled 'Mahatma Gandhi and World Peace' at the Lalit Kala Akademi Art Galleries of in New Delhi.

This was done to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Gandhi and highlight his principles of non-violence and peace.

The show has been organised in association with Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai.

Mahatma Gandhi's 71st death anniversary

India is paying homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 71st death anniversary on 30th January, 2019.

He was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on this day in 1948.

The day is also observed as Martyrs' Day.

PM Modi to visit Surat and Dandi in Gujarat

PM Narendra Modi will lay the Foundation Stone for extension of Terminal building at Surat Airport on 30 January, 2019.

The terminal is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 354 Crore.

PM will also interact with the youth at the New India Youth conclave in Surat.





August 2018

13 | P a g e

In Dandi, he will dedicate the National Salt Satyagraha Memorial to the nation on Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary.

Pariksha Pe Charcha 2.0: New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked students to stay focused, manage time well and not to succumb to stress.

He was interacting with 2000 students, parents and teachers in the 2nd edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha in New Delhi.

The PM said students should focus on acquiring knowledge to enrich their lives, without worrying about examination results.

Beating the Retreat ceremony: 29th January

Beating the Retreat ceremony, marking the culmination of four day long Republic Day celebrations, will be held at the historic Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on 29th January.

As many as 27 performances at Vijay Chowk will enthrall the spectators with captivating and foot-tapping music of the bands from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the State Police and Central Armed Police Force.

Tripura CM inaugurates exhibition centre

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Monday 29th Jan inaugurated an international indoor exhibition center here, the largest facility of its kind in the Northeastern region.

Built at a cost of Rs 66.52 crore at Hapania with an area of 10,800 sq metre

The indoor centre has the capacity to house 170 stalls and accommodate 10,000 visitors.

First Astro Turf Football Pitch inaugurated

Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio inaugurates state’s first Astro Turf Football Pitch at Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima on the occasion of 100th Birth Anniversary of the legendary footballer, Dr. T. Ao

The project was conceived in the year 2013-14 with total cost of 498 lakh rupees.

The Astro turf has been installed following specifications of FIFA.

The size of the play field is 105x66 meters.

Four highway projects launched in Rajasthan.

Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of four National Highway projects in Rajasthan.

The project worth over 3 thousand 237 Cr. rupees.

The Project include three projects in Bikaner and one in Nagaur District.

1st Geographical Indication Store in Goa

Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurates India's 1st Geographical Indication (GI) Store at Goa International Airport in Dabolim.

It is located on the 1st floor on Departure Terminal and set up by Airports Authority of India and The Cashew Export Promotional Council of India.

The products from the self-help groups, artisans and farmers' produce will be also displayed.

Nari Shakti is the Hindi Word of the year

On January 26, the Oxford Dictionaries announced ‘Nari Shakti’ as the 'Hindi Word of the Year 2018'.

The word, Nari Shakti, has been derived from Sanskrit and when broken down, the word ‘nari’ means women and ‘shakti’ means power.

The announcement was made during a session at the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF).

Oxford had named 'Aadhaar' as its Hindi Word of the year 2017.

PM Modi inaugurates IREP in Kochi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited's Integrated Refinery Expansion Project Complex (IREP) in Kochi on 27 January 2019.

IREP will be a modern expansion complex and will be equipped for production of cleaner fuels for India.

It will double the production of LPG & diesel and commence production of feedstock for petrochemical projects

Ministry of Defence Launches ‘RDP INDIA 2019’

Ministry of Defence launched a mobile app 'RDP India 2019' on 26 January 2019.

The aim of the app is to show the highlights of the Republic Day event, not only to the spectators at Rajpath, New Delhi but also to the general public all over the world.

This app contains information about the Parade on Rajpath, New Delhi, including Order of the March, details of the tableaux presented etc.

'Atal Setu' inaugurated in Goa

A 5.1-km long cable-stayed bridge named 'Atal Setu' on the Mandovi river was inaugurated in Goa on 27 January 2019.

The bridge was constructed by the Goa Infrastructure Development Corporation and Larsen and Toubro.

The bridge has 88 high tensile strength cables in the state-of-art single place harp type cable stay system and a real-time force monitoring mechanism.

BIS releases New Standard for Bio-Jet Fuel

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in collaboration with Indian Air Force, research organisations and the industry brought out a new standard for Aviation Turbine Fuels.





August 2018

14 | P a g e

These specifications will align Indian standards with current international standards.

An Indian Standard 'IS 17081:2019' Aviation Turbine Fuel (Kerosene Type, Jet A-1) containing Synthesised Hydrocarbons has been formulated.

Dev authority for Anandpur Sahib to be set up

Punjab government announced that a development authority for Anandpur Sahib will be set up in the wake of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in November 2019.

The development authority would be formed to plan and execute the development plans in a systematic and planned manner.

The authority would be established on the pattern of Dera Baba Nanak Development Authority.

e-Courts services through CSCs launched

The Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, decided to deliver e-Courts services to the litigant public through the 2 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs).

No fee will be charged from the customers for e-Courts related services delivered through CSCs.

The aim of the e-Courts is to provide efficient and time-bound access to the Courts services to the litigant public.

National Declamation Contest inaugurated

Union Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore inaugurated the National Declamation Contest on Patriotism and Nation Building on 24 January 2019.

The contest is organised by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS).

The aim of the Contest is to further strengthen the spirit of Nationalism and Patriotic feeling amongst youth and masses for wholehearted participation in nation-building.

Trade through the e-NAM portal started

The first inter-State trade on e-Nam portal was carried between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on 19 January 2019.

The trade happened between a farmer from Gadwal mandi in Telangana State, who sold 8.46 quintal of groundnut to a trader in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.

The e-NAM is a pan-India electronic trading portal to connect with the existing wholesale market.

ECI will host an International conference

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will host an International Conference on ‘Making Our Elections Inclusive and Accessible’ in Delhi on 24th January 2019.

During the Conference, the January 2019 issue of ECI’s quarterly magazine 'Voice International' will be released.

ECI will also renew the MoU for cooperation in the field of election management with the Election Commission of Bhutan.

Creation of National Bench of GSTAT approved

On 23 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the creation of National Bench of the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT).

The National Bench of the Appellate Tribunal shall be situated at New Delhi.

GSTAT shall be presided over by its President and shall consist of one Technical Member (Centre) and one Technical Member (State).

'Save Tiger Protection Force' in Telangana

On 22 January 2019, the Telangana government has decided to form a 'State Tiger Protection Force' (STPF) to save the tiger population in the State.

The 112-member-armed STPF will be headed by an Assistant Conservator of Forests to protect tiger population in Amarabad and Kawal Tiger Reserves.

The State and Central government will share the cost of the force on 40:60 basis.

IIT-H to launch BTech Program in AI

Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad is launching a full-fledged BTech Program in Artificial Intelligence (AI) from the coming Academic Year (2019-2020).

It has become the first Indian Educational Institution to offer such a program in AI.

It is also the third institute globally after Carnegie Mellon University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to offer such course.

Jallikattu event enters world record

A grand 'Jallikattu' (bull-taming) event held in Tamil Nadu on 20 January 2019 entered the world record for the maximum number of bulls released into the sporting arena.

The bull taming sporting event saw the participation of 1,354 bulls and 424 tamers.

Jallikattu is typically practised in Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal celebrations.

Microsoft launches online portal for weavers

In a bid to empower handloom weavers in Telangana, Microsoft India launched a new e-commerce portal, 're-weave.in' on 19 January 2019.

The portal will help the weavers optimise operations and engage better with customers.

https://testbook.com/pass





August 2018

15 | P a g e

It will host signature collections created by the weaver communities, and showcase traditional designs and products created from natural dyes.

Inter-state bridge in J-K to be inaugurated

Union minister Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate the 1.2 km-long 'Keediyan-Gandiyal' bridge on the Ravi river in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir on 22 January 2019.

The inter-state bridge will connect the secluded areas of Kathua district with Punjab.

The bridge would strengthen the inter-state connectivity besides giving a boost to the social as well as economic development of the region.

Irrawaddy dolphin census concludes

The annual headcount exercise of Irrawaddy dolphins inhabiting in the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary concluded on 19 January 2019.

The enumerators covered the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, Dhamara coast, estuaries in Bhitarkanika, Hukitola, Paradip and Kujang coast.

In 2018, the census teams had sighted 250 dolphins in the sea and deltaic zones.

15th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas: 21-23 January

The 15th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was inaugurated at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on 21 January 2019.

The theme for the 15th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is, 'Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India'.

Several world leaders of Indian origin, including Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, will take part in the event.

Uttarakhand CM flags off the air services

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat flagged off the air services from Dehradun to Amritsar from Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun on Jan 21, 2019

Jolly Grant Airport/Dehradun Airport is a domestic airport located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

The main objective of this air services is to connect several cities of the country with Dehradun.

UP approves quota for poor among upper castes

Uttar Pradesh became the third state to implement 10% reservation for economically poor among the general category in government jobs and educational institutions.

It comes into effect from 14 January 2019.

The decision in this regard was taken by the UP cabinet on 18 January 2019.

Gujarat and Jharkhand were the first and second states to implement 10% quota for the economically weak.

UP government renames Mughalsarai tehsil

On 18 January 2019, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet gave approval to a proposal on renaming Mughalsarai tehsil in Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh after Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay.

In August 2018, the Mughalsarai railway station was renamed after Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay.

In October 2018, the government also renamed Allahabad as Prayagraj and Faizabad division and district as Ayodhya.

BHEL & LIBCOIN will build Lithium Ion Factory

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and LIBCOIN will build India's first 1GWh lithium-ion battery plant.

The plant's capacity will be scaled up to 30GWh in due course.

This project will bring energy independence by replacing oil imports with abundant renewable energy.

It will also create an integrated manufacturing ecosystem resulting in self-reliance and lower cost.

Streaming services sign self-regulatory code

Eight video streaming services have signed the 'Self-Regulatory Code of Best Practices' that establishes guiding principles for these platforms.

The eight video streaming services are Hotstar, Voot, Zee5, Arre, SonyLIV, ALT Balaji, Netflix, and Eros Now.

The code broadly prohibits content that deliberately and maliciously disrespects the national emblem or national flag.

PM Modi will inaugurate the NMIC in Mumbai

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 'National Museum of Indian Cinema' (NMIC) in Mumbai on 19 January 2019.

The visitors will be able to enjoy the century-long journey of Indian cinema via visuals, interactive exhibits and multimedia.

The creation of the Museum has been guided by the Museum Advisory Committee headed by Shri Shyam Benegal.

Health Ministry bans 80 more FDC drugs

The Union Health Ministry has banned 80 more fixed-dose combinations (FDC) drugs.

It includes antibiotics, painkillers, medicines used for treating fungal and bacterial infections, hypertension and anxiety.

An FDC contains two or more drugs combined in a fixed ratio of doses, available as a single dose.

Drugs like Cefglobe OZ, Taxim -OZ etc have been banned by the health ministry.

Finance min starts 'Know your Budget' series

The Ministry of Finance has started the 'Know Your Budget' series on Twitter on 15 January 2019.





August 2018

16 | P a g e

'Know you Budget' series seeks to educate the general public about the budgetary process.

The series also explains the importance of Union Budget and its making.

The government on 1 February 2019 would unveil the interim Budget for 2019-20.

ECI launches Voter Awareness Forums

Voter Awareness Forum(VAF) was launched by Election Commission of India on 16 January 2019.

Voter Awareness Forums are informal Forums for generating awareness around the electoral process through activities like discussions, quizzes, competitions and other engaging activities.

VAF is part of the Electoral Literacy Club programme of Election Commission of India (ECI).

PM inaugurates 13-km, two-lane Kollam bypass

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kollam bypass on National Highway-66 in Kerala on 15 January 2019.

The 13 km-long two-lane bypass road will cut travel time between Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram districts of Kerala.

It will help in decongesting the traffic in Kollam town.

The bypass includes three major bridges over the Ashtamudi Lake, having a total length of 1540 metres.

DD Science and India Science channels launched

On 15 January 2019, Department of Science and Technology along with Doordarshan launched two science communication initiatives - 'DD Science' and 'India Science'.

The two channels will have science-based documentaries, studio-based discussions, and virtual walkthroughs of-of scientific institutions.

India Science is an internet-based science channel.

Green nod for Sita Ram Irrigation project

The Union Environment Ministry has given the final environment clearance (EC) for the Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Project in Telangana.

The project aims to divert Godavari river water to three districts of Telangana.

The objective of the project is to provide water for irrigation as well as to supplement some of the existing/ proposed irrigation schemes.

Kerala: Spiritual Circuit project inaugurated

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the project 'Development of Spiritual Circuit: Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple-Aranmula-Sabarimala' in Kerala on 15 January 2019.

The project is implemented under the Swadesh Drashan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism.

The Sree Padmanabaswamy Temple is one of the 108 divyadesams of Lord Vishnu.

Commemorative coin of Rs 350 introduced

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative coin of Rs 350 to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh on 13 January 2019.

Guru Gobind Singh was the 10th Sikh Guru.

On 5 January 2017, commemorative postage was released during the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh.

Robots introduced for traffic management

The Chennai Traffic Police inducted a road safety robot into service on 14 January 2019.

The name of the robot is 'ROADEO'.

The robot will help police in traffic management and assist pedestrians in Chennai roads.

It will also ease the work of traffic police, as these robots can be integrated with the traffic signals, as well as can be operated manually, through a Bluetooth app.

Special weather services for Kumbh launched

A mobile application named 'Kumbh Mela Weather Service' has been developed to disseminate the live weather information.

It will provide information about the prevailing weather condition and forecasts to the people visiting Prayagraj during Kumbh Mela.

For this purpose, four Automatic Weather stations have been installed at four locations at Prayagraj.

Single-use plastics banned in Puducherry

On 13 January 2019, the Puducherry government announced a total ban on manufacture, sale, and storage of single-use plastics in the Union Territory.

The ban on single-use plastics such as paper cups, disposable plates and straws would come into effect from 1 March 2019.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Puducherry's Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy.

4th Meeting of CTDP held in New Delhi

The 4th meeting of the Council for Trade Development and Promotion (CTDP) was held in New Delhi on 10 January 2019.

It was chaired by the Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu.

CTDP was constituted in July 2015, to create a framework for making States/ UTs active partners in boosting India’s export.

NIC Command & Control Centre inaugurated





August 2018

17 | P a g e

NIC’s Command & Control Centre (CCC) and Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (AI) by NIC was inaugurated at National Informatics Centre (NIC) on 10 January 2019.

The aim of the CCC is to increase the performance of ICT infrastructure in the country.

The AI centre is designed to promote innovation in the application of AI to take e-Governance services to the next level.

Airboat service from Varanasi to Prayagraj

The government of India will launch an airboat service from Varanasi to Prayagraj for the Kumbh Mela from 26 January 2019.

The airboat will have an engine of a vehicle and carry 16 people in one go. It can cruise up to 80 kilometers per hour and requires a depth of only 10 centimeters.

The Kumbh Mela will begin in Prayagraj on 15 January 2019.

Longest cable suspension bridge inaugurated

Arunachal Pradesh's Chief Minister, Pema Khandu inaugurated India’s longest single lane steel cable suspension bridge over River Siang in Upper Siang district.

The name of the bridge is Byorung Bridge.

The 300-meter-long Bridge was funded by the Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Ministry under Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources.

Private FM channels allowed to carry AIR news

Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore launched 'Sharing of All India Radio News with Private FM broadcasters' on 8 January 2019.

Private FM channels can now carry All India Radio News free of cost on trial basis up to 31st May 2019.

The commercials which are broadcast during news bulletins have to be carried along with news in too.

PM launches various projects in Maharashtra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched road and underground sewerage system projects in Maharashtra on 9 January 2019.

He also laid the foundation stone for a ₹1,811 crore housing project of 30,000 units under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

The housing project will benefit the homeless poor like rag pickers, rickshaw pullers, textile and beedi workers.

A stretch of NH 211 inaugurated in Maharashtra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the four-laned, Solapur – Tuljapur – Osmanabad section of NH-211 (New NH-52) in Solapur in Maharashtra on 9 January 2019.

It will improve the connectivity of Solapur with the Marathwada region.

The project is part of Solapur-Yedashi section in Maharashtra.

The Prime Minister had laid the foundation for this project in 2014.

App to alert police on traffic violators

The Coimbatore city police launched the 'Police-E-Eye' mobile application on 7 January 2019.

The app will enable the public to take photographs of traffic rule violators and upload them to the police.

Based on this, the traffic department would issue photo challans to the violators' place to collect the fine amount.

AAI bans single-use plastic items

Airports Authority of India (AAI) imposed a ban on single-use plastic items at its 129 airports across the country.

Single-use plastic items like straws, plastic cutlery, plastic plates etc have been banned by AAI.

Single-use plastic items are used only once and then thrown in the trash.

Guruprasad Mohapatra is the Chairman of Airports Authority of India.

Raisina Dialogue to begin in New Delhi

The fourth edition of the Raisina Dialogue began in New Delhi on 8 January 2019.

The Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with Observer Research Foundation is organising the annual geopolitical and geostrategic conference.

The theme of the Dialogue this year is 'A World Reorder: New Geometries; Fluid Partnerships; Uncertain Outcomes'.

Monkey fever in Karnakata

At least six people have died due to Kyasanur forest disease (KFD), also known as ‘monkey fever’, in Shivamogga district of Karnakata.

KFD is a re-emerging zoonotic disease endemic in Karnataka.

It is caused by Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV), a member of the virus family Flaviviridae.

The disease can be transmitted to human via contact with a sick or recently dead monkey.

Polavaram project created a World Record

The Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project entered the Guinness Book record in terms of using the highest volume of concrete in a given day.

The project contractor Navayuga Engineering Company poured 32,100 cubic meters of concrete in the spillway channel within 24 hours.

The project beat the existing record set in Dubai while building a hotel in May 2017.

Orange alert for Andaman due to cyclone Pabuk





August 2018

18 | P a g e

The government of India issued an 'Orange' alert for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands due Cyclonic storm 'Pabuk' on 6 January 2019.

'Pabuk' is now over the Andaman sea and its neighbourhood.

An 'orange' weather warning means people should be prepared and there is an increased likelihood of bad or extreme weather which may disrupt road and air travel and threaten life and property.

Results of World Toilet Day Contest announced

Salem District is one among the top 12 winners of the World Toilet Day Contest 2018.

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation organised contests from 9 to 19 November 2018.

The aim of the contest was to encourage the districts to re-intensify the sanitation movement, with a special focus on open defecation free (ODF) sustainability.

NGT imposes Rs 100 Cr fine on Meghalaya govt

The National Green Tribunal imposed a fine of 100 crore rupees on Meghalaya government for its failure to curb illegal coal mining in the state.

The amount of the fine has to be deposited with the Central Pollution Control Board.

The action comes after a high-level committee submitted an adverse report to a bench headed by NGT chairperson AK Goel.

Organic Festival to be organised in Chandigarh

The 6th 'Women of India Organic Festival' will be held from 12 to 14 January 2019 in Chandigarh.

The festival will be organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The aim of the festival is to celebrate and promote women farmers and entrepreneurs in the organic sector from the remotest parts of India.

New Delhi World Book Fair begins

The 27th New Delhi 'World Book Fair' was inaugurated in New Delhi on 5 January 2019.

The theme of 2019 'World Book Fair' is 'Readers with Special Needs'.

All India Radio (AIR) is the radio partner for the fair.

To mark Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, there will be a special book exhibition of books on and by Mahatma Gandhi.

East Siang Dist. achieves 100% electrification

In Arunachal Pradesh, East Siang District has achieved 100% electrification under the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana- Saubhagya Scheme.

Pasighat Electrical division, which falls under the East Siang district, has electrified 2,662 households.

The power department has electrified 1,483 villages under 'Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Gram Jyoti Yojana' in the state.

Veer Savarkar Airport declared as checkpost

The Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair was declared as an authorised 'Immigration Check post' for entry into/exit from India.

This will open up the Port Blair Airport for direct international flight and immigration facilities.

The Superintendent of Police (CID), Andaman and Nicobar Police was appointed as the ‘Civil Authority’ for the purpose of the immigration check post.

IOC to commission Ennore LNG terminal

Indian Oil Corp (IOC) will commission its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal at Ennore in Tamil Nadu in January 2019.

This is the first LNG import terminal IOC has built on its own.

The company holds 12.5% stake in Petronet LNG Ltd, which operates import facilities at Dahej in Gujarat and Kochi in Kerala.

Sanjiv Singh is the Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation.

Renaming of Allahabad as Prayagraj approved

The Union Home Ministry approved a Uttar Pradesh government proposal to rename Allahabad as Prayagraj.

In October 2018, the UP government had proposed the change in name of Allahabad to Prayagraj.

The Home Ministry clears the name change proposals after the Ministry of Railways, the Department of Posts and the





August 2018

19 | P a g e

Survey of India confirm that no city, town or village has similar names.

Personalities in News

T Gehlot in Port Blair on one day visit

Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, is on one day visit to Port blair.

The Minister will distribute Aids and Assistive Devices to the Divangjans and Senior Citizens under Assistance to Disabled Persons and 'Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana' during the visit.

"RVS" provides Physical Aids and Assisted-living devices for Senior Citizen belonging to BPL category

All-Men Contingent lead by Lt. Bhavana Kasturi

On 26 January 2019, Lieutenant Bhavana Kasturi became the first woman officer to lead an all-men Army contingent in the Republic Day parade.

She led the Army Services Corps contingent.

An all-women contingent of the Assam Rifles was led by Major Khushboo Kanwar.

Captain Shikha Surbhi of the Army Signals Corps performed a standing salute on a moving motorcycle.

Johan Botha retires from all forms of cricket

South Africa cricketer Johan Botha has announced his immediate retirement from all forms of cricket on 24 January 2019.

He played for South Africa in five test matches, 78 one-day internationals, and 40 T20 Internationals from 2005 to 2012.

He captained South Africa in 10 ODIs and took the team to the No. 1 ranking after they defeated Australia 4-1 in Australia in 2009.

Tomy Abhilash awarded with Nao Sena Medal

President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Nao Sena Medal to Commander Tomy Abhilash on 25 January 2019.

Tomy Abhilash had participated in the Golden Globe navigation race in 2018.

Abhilash was stranded 3,200 km off the coast of Western Australia after his sailing vessel, INSV Thuriya's mast broken during a severe storm in the Indian Ocean.

Karthyani appointed as Goodwill Ambassador

The Commonwealth of Learning appointed 96-year-old Karthyayani Amma as their goodwill ambassador on 22 January 2019.

She bagged the first rank in the ‘Aksharalaksham’ literacy exam conducted by the Kerala government in November 2018.

Commonwealth of Learning is a Canada-based organisation which works for the promotion of education in Commonwealth countries.

Nazir Ahmad to be conferred with Ashok Chakra

Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani will be conferred with the Ashoka Chakra.

He was a militant but later joined the Indian Army in 2004.

He was killed during an anti-terror operation in November 2018.

He was also awarded the Sena Medal.

Ashok Chakra is the highest peacetime military decoration for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield.

First female IPS officer to reach South Pole

Aparna Kumar has become the first woman Indian Police Service (IPS) officer to successfully complete the South Pole expedition.

She reached the South Pole on 13 January 2019 where she unfurled the National and ITBP flags.

Ms Kumar is a 2002 batch UP Cadre IPS officer, who has been posted at the Northern Frontier Headquarters of ITBP in Dehradun.

World's oldest man Masazo Nonaka dies at 113

The world's oldest man, Masazo Nonaka of Japan, has died at the age of 113 on 20 January 2019.

He was officially recognised as the oldest male in the world by Guinness World Records in April 2018.

He was born on 25 July 1905.

Japan has one of the world’s highest life expectancies and was home to several people recognised as among the oldest humans to have lived.

Gurinder got 'Rosa Parks Trailblazer' award

An Indian-American philanthropist and entrepreneur, Gurinder Singh Khalsa was presented with the prestigious 'Rosa Park Trailblazer' award on 18 January 2019.

He was awarded for his continued demonstration of courage and compassion.

He started a campaign that forced US authorities to change their policy towards headgear of the Sikh community.

Raja appointed as member of a key committee

US's Democratic lawmaker Raja Krishnamoorthi was appointed as a member of a Congressional committee on Intelligence on 17 January 2019.

He became the first South Asian to serve in the powerful body tasked to strengthen U.S.’s national security.

He represents Illinois’s 8th Congressional District in the House.

Vinesh Phogat nominated for Laureus Award

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian to be nominated for the prestigious 'Laureus World Sports Award'.





August 2018

20 | P a g e

She has been nominated in 'Laureus World Sporting Comeback' category for the year 2019.

Vinesh had a stellar 2018 in which she won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, a silver in the 2018 Asian Championships in Bishkek and a gold at the Asian Games in Jakarta.

Satyarup Siddhanta scaled Mount Sidley

Mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta scaled the Antartica's highest point, Mount Sidley.

With this feat, he became the first Indian and youngest man to climb the seven highest peaks and volcanic summits across all continents.

He achieved the feat at the age of 35 years and 262 days.

On 5 December 2019, he scaled Pico de Orizaba which is the highest volcanic peak in North America.

Stephen gave his resignation as football coach

Stephen Constantine gave his resignation as the Head Coach of the Indian National Football team on 14 January 2019.

His resignation came after the exit of Indian Football team from the Asian Football Cup.

He was appointed as the coach in 2015 for an initial two-year tenure.

It was his second stint as India coach after serving as the coach in 2002-05.

Yu Wensheng wins human rights award

Chinese lawyer Yu Wensheng won the 'Franco-German Human Rights' award on 14 January 2019.

Yu Wensheng is best known for suing the Beijing government over the city's once chronic pollution.

He was detained by China in January 2018.

He was among 15 winners of the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law for 2018, announced in November 2018.

Narayanan quits as Myntra-Jabong CEO

Myntra's Chief Executive Officer, Ananth Narayanan gave his resignation from the post on 14 January 2019.

Amar Nagaram has been named as head of Myntra and Jabong.

Amar will report to Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy.

Narayanan had joined Myntra in 2015 as its CEO.

Gukesh is world's second youngest grand master

Chess player D Gukesh became the second youngest Grand Master (GM) in the world and the youngest Indian to achieve the feat at age of 12 years and 7 months.

He achieved his third and final GM norm at the ongoing 17th Delhi International Open Chess tournament in Delhi.

Gukesh became India's 59th Grand Master.

Ukraine's Sergey Karjakin holds the record of being the youngest Grandmaster.

Shakil sets world record in indoor rowing

On 14 January 2019, Asian Cup gold medallist Shakil Ahmed created a world record in indoor rowing by completing one lakh meters in above-40 years category in Kolkata.

He achieved the milestone of covering one lakh meters of simulated distance in 10 hours.

He began his record-setting indoor rowing feat in Salt Lake stadium complex on 13 January 2019.

Nepal Army Chief conferred honorary rank

On 12 January 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army to General Purna Chandra Thapa, the Army Chief of Nepal.

He was honoured with honorary rank of General of the Indian Army for his military prowess and contribution to fostering Nepal’s long and friendly association with India.

He became Nepal Army Chief in September 2018.

Kohli and Shastri receive membership of SCG

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri received the honorary membership of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on 11 January 2019.

The received the membership for their contribution to the sport of cricket.

Apart from Kohli and Sashtri, the only other international cricketers to be granted the honorary membership of the SCG are Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara.

Alok Verma reinstated as CBI chief by SC

On 8 January 2019, the Supreme Court reinstated Alok Verma as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director.

The court ruled that he not to take any policy decisions till the statutory committee meets within a week and decides further on the matter.

The committee comprises the Prime Minister, CJI and the Leader of the Opposition.

Vijay Mallya named Fugitive Economic Offender

Vijay Mallya became the first tycoon to be charged under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018.

According to the new law, a fugitive economic offender is a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued for his or her involvement in economic offences involving at least Rs. 100 crore or more and has left India to avoid prosecution.

The new law came into effect from August 2018.

Arunima Sinha climbs Mount Vinson

Arunima Sinha has now become the first woman amputee to climb Mount Vinson (highest peak of Antarctica).





August 2018

21 | P a g e

She was the world’s first woman amputee to climb Mount Everest in 2013.

She was a national level volleyball player who had one of her legs amputated in 2011.

She had earlier scaled five peaks including Mt Everest, Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt Elbrus, Mt Kosciuszko, and Mt Aconcagua.

Books & Authors

Indian Diplomat launches bilingual anthology

A new anthology of poems titled 'New Brazilian Poems' was launched on 24 January 2019.

It was translated and edited by Indian poet-diplomat Abhay Kumar.

He is India's current Ambassador-Designate to Madagascar.

In 2018, the University of Sao Paulo had published the Portuguese translation of 100 Great Indian Poems, which was edited by Abhay Kumar.

'We are Displaced' released in India

A book titled 'We are Displaced' was released in India on 9 January 2019.

The author of the book is Malala Yousafzai.

The book gives a description of her experiences of traveling around the world and visiting refugee camps.

Malala Yousafzai got the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

Government Policies & Schemes

4,78,670 Houses Sanctioned Under PMAY

Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has approved the construction of 4,78,670 houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-Urban).

This approval was given in the 42nd meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee held in New Delhi on January 30, 2019.

The total number of houses sanctioned under PMAY(U) so far is 72,65,763.

GST on Haj reduced to 5%

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi announced that the GST on Haj has been reduced from 18 per cent to 5 per cent.

The move will save Haj pilgrims’ Rs 113 crore this year by lowering the airfare.

He also inaugurated a new conference hall and passport section at the Haj House in Mumbai.

Hike in Research Fellowship

Central Government has enhanced the fellowship of Science & Technology Ph.D students and other research personnel w.e.f. January 1, 2019.

Junior Research Fellows will now receive ₹31,000 per month in the first two years of Ph.D programme instead of ₹25,000.

Fellowship for Senior Research Fellow in the remaining tenure of Ph.D is increased to ₹35,000 per month from previous ₹28,000.

Maha Govt scheme to curb infant deaths

Maharashtra government launched a special scheme to curb infant deaths on January 29, 2019.

The scheme involves distributing baby-care kits to the children born in primary health centres and government hospitals.

The scheme is only applicable for the first child and it is expected to benefit around four lakh women across the state.

The government has allocated ₹ 20 crore for the scheme.

Alphons inaugurated tourism project in Sikkim

Union Minister for Tourism K.J. Alphons inaugurated first “Development of North East Circuit” project in Gangtok, Sikkim on 30th January 2019.

This project was sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan Scheme by the Ministry of Tourism in June 2015.

Swadesh Darshan Scheme is one of the flagship schemes of Ministry of tourism for development of thematic circuits in the country in a planned manner.

₹7,214.03 Cr For States Hit By Disasters

A High Level Committee approved Central assistance of ₹7214.03 crore from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to 6 States and one UT affected by natural disasters.

These included Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Puducherry.

The Committee was headed by Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh.

CIAL donated Rs.10 crore to CMDRF

Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has donated Rs.10 crore to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).

CMDRF is an emergency assistance release mechanism granting immediate relief to families and individuals distressed by calamity, loss of life due to accidents and chronic diseases.

MHRD grant Rs 50 crores to Madras University

The University of Madras has received ₹50 crore from the Ministry of Human Resource Development for upgrading its research capabilities.

A total of 10 universities belonging to category I will get ₹100 crore and 17 universities falling into category II will receive of ₹50 crore.





August 2018

22 | P a g e

University of Madras is one of the oldest educational institutions in India established in the year 1857.

Employment scheme launched in Madhya Pradesh

The government of Madhya Pradesh launched the 'Yuva Swabhiman Yojana' on 26 January 2019.

It aims to provide employment to the youth belonging to the weaker section of the society mainly in urban areas of the state.

Under this scheme, 100 days of employment will be provided to youngsters from economically weaker sections of the society in urban areas.

Kerala to launch NRI pension scheme

On 25 January 2019, Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam announced that the Kerala government will soon launch a 'Pravasi Dividend Pension Scheme'.

It will provide regular pension to Non Resident Keralites on a one-time payment of Rs 5 lakh

The one-time payment of Rs 5 lakh will be deposited with KIIFB (Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board) for financing infrastructure projects.

Govt to develop 400 abandoned airstrips

The government of India has decided to renovate and develop around 400 abandoned airstrips across the country to strengthen air-connectivity.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has prepared a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard.

Jharkhand is the first state in the country where the MoU was signed to develop one such abandoned airstrip at Dhalbhumgarh.

Govt awards 235 routes under UDAN scheme

On 25 January 2019, the government of India awarded 235 routes to the operators under the third round of the Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN-III).

SpiceJet, IndiGo, Jet Airways, Air India subsidiary Alliance, and Turbo Aviation are among the operators that have bagged the routes.

UDAN scheme seeks to connect unserved and underserved airports as well as make flying affordable.

'Operation Olympics' commences in Kerala

'Operation Olympics', an expert programme to train athletes in 11 disciplines was launched in Kerala on 25 January 2019.

The objective of 'Operation Olympics' is to provide international standard training with the help of eminent trainers from both India and abroad.

The programme includes athletics, boxing, cycling, swimming, shooting, wrestling, badminton, fencing, rowing and archery.

Government launches new norms for JSS

The government of India unveiled new guidelines for Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSS) on 24 January 2019.

The new norms are expected to help identify and promote traditional skills in a district.

It will also help in the training of trainers to develop skills through National Skills Training Institutes.

JSS comes under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.

PM launches 'Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana' on 22 January 2019.

Under 'Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana', a group of Indian diaspora will be taken on a tour of religious places in India twice a year.

The government will bear all the expenses including the airfare from their country of residence.

All people of Indian-origin aged 45 to 65 can apply for the tour.

Odisha hiked social security pension

On 19 January 2019, the Odisha government announced a hike of Rs 200 per month in the social security pension under 'Madhu Babu Pension Yojana'.

About 48 lakh elderly, widows and destitute women will be benefited from the scheme.

The pension holders will get a revised pension of Rs 500 per month against Rs 300 while people aged over 80 years will get Rs 700 per month instead of Rs 500.






August 2018

23 | P a g e

Women to get 20% jobs in Military Police

The government of India has decided to induct women for the first time in Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) role in Corps of Military Police.

The women will be inducted in a graded manner to eventually comprise 20% of total Corps of Military Police.

Their role would range from probing rape and molestation cases to assisting the Army wherever required.

1.37 crore Rural Homes completed

The Ministry of Rural Development has completed 1.37 crore Rural Homes since April 2014.

The Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) was launched on November 20, 2016.

PMAY-G has focused on deprived households and the poorest of the poor who live in kutcha houses.

So far 66.6 lakh homes have been completed under PMAY-G.

The remaining 33.4 lakh homes will be completed by March 2019.

Haryana students to get 'Shaurya Award'

On 17 January 2019, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced 'Shaurya Award' to students.

The award will be given to a student in the memory of a police martyr for courageous deeds every year in a village block where the school is located and where a martyr studied during his childhood.

This award carries a prize money of Rs 11,000.

Odisha extends free health services

Odisha government announced the extension of free health services under 'Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana' (BSKY) to all government medical college and hospitals from 1 February 21.

Earlier, the free treatment facility for all was available at sub-centres in villages and district headquarters hospitals.

All patients, irrespective of APL or BPL category, will be able to avail of this facility.

Regional conference on 'DDRS' held in Mumbai

Regional Conference on 'Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme' (DDRS) was held in Mumbai on 17 January 2019.

It was organised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

DDRS is a Central Sector Scheme for providing financial assistance to NGOs working for education and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.

PMRPY achieves one crore Milestone

Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY), the flagship scheme of the Central Government for

employment generation has crossed the milestone of one crore beneficiaries as on January 14, 2019.

PMRPY is being implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Employment through the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO).

PMRPY was announced on 7 August 2016.

Forest management project launched in Tripura

A Rs 1,000 crore 'Sustainable Catchment Forest Management' (SCATFORM) project was launched in Tripura on 16 January 2019.

The project will help improve forests in the targeted catchment areas.

It would also create livelihood of the people living in and around the forest areas.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will bear 80% cost of the project.

Cabinet approves integrated e-filing project

The Union Cabinet approved an expenditure sanction of over 4200 crore rupees for 'Integrated E-filing and Centralized Processing Centre 2.0 Project' of the Income Tax Department.

It will help in improving taxpayers' awareness and education through continuous engagement.

It will also help in faster processing of returns and issue of refunds to the taxpayers' bank account directly.

'Sanjhi Mujh Mein Kalakar' campaign launched

Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) will launch the second phase of the Web Campaign ‘Sanjhi Mujh Mein Kalakar’.

It is an initiative to document and promote the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) and diverse cultural traditions of the country by direct public-participation.

The first phase of this campaign was launched in November 2018.

SNA is the nodal agency of the Union Ministry of Culture.

Numaligarh refinery capacity to be tripled

On 16 January 2019, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved tripling the capacity of the Numaligarh Refinery in Assam to 9 million metric tonnes per annum.

It also approved the setting up of a crude oil pipeline from Paradip to Numaligarh and a product pipeline from Numaligarh to Siliguri.

The expansion of the refinery will meet the deficit of petroleum products in the northeast.

List of sites under Tirthatan scheme expanded

The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council has expanded the list of pilgrim centres under the 'Deendayal Matri Tirthatan scheme' on 15 January 2019.

The new additions to the list include Kaliyar Sharif, Tadkeshwar, Kalimath, Jageshwar, Baijnath, Gairad Golu,





August 2018

24 | P a g e

Gangoli Hat, Mahasu Devta Mandir Hanol, Kalinka and Jwalpa Devi.

The scheme earlier included Badrinath, Gangotri, and Ritha Sahib.

Govt unveils national air cargo policy

The government unveiled the 'National Air Cargo' policy on 15 January 2019.

The policy seeks to make India among the top five air freight markets by 2025.

It also aims to create air transport shipment hubs at all major airports over the next six years.

The policy document released during the two-day Global Aviation Summit 2019 in Mumbai.

Farm debt-waiver scheme launched in MP

Madhya Pradesh's Chief Minister Kamal Nath launched the Rs 50,000-crore farm debt-waiver scheme named 'Jai Kisan Rin Mukti Yojana' on 15 January 2019.

The state cabinet gave its nod to waive crop loans of 55 lakh small and marginal farmers on 5 January 2019.

The loan waiver forms could be submitted till 5 February 2019 and farmers would start getting the benefits from 22 February 2019.

'Maha Agritech' project launched

Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched ‘Maha Agritech' project on 14 January 2019.

Under the project, an area under cultivation from sowing to harvesting, climate, and diseases on crops will be monitored digitally using satellite and drone technology.

The project is supported by Maharashtra Remote Application Centre (MRSAC) and ISRO.

Commerce Min launches 'Womaniya on GeM'

Government eMarketplace (GeM) launched an initiative named 'Womaniya on GeM' on 14 January 2019.

The initiative will enable women entrepreneurs and self-help groups to sell different products at the platform.

GeM is an online platform of the Ministry of Commerce for the procurement of goods and services by government departments, public sector units, and other agencies.

Govt prepares Action plan on drug abuse

The government has drafted a five-year action plan to address the problem of drug and substance abuse in the country.

The 'National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction' (2018-23) aims to employ a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue of drug abuse.

It involves education, de-addiction, and rehabilitation of affected individuals and their families.

Youth Parliament Festival 2019 launched

The National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 was launched on 12 January 2019.

The themes for National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 are 'Be The Voice of New India' and 'Find solutions and contribute to policy'.

It is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The Festival will encourage the youth to engage with the public issue and understand the common man's problem.

'One Family One Job' scheme launched in Sikkim

Sikkim's Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling launched the 'One Family One Job' scheme on 12 January 2019.

The scheme envisions employment to a member of every family which does not have a government job in the state.

Under this scheme, all loan debts in the farming and agriculture sector would be revoked.

Government to launch a tech challenge

The government of India will launch the 'Global Housing Technology Challenge' on 14 January 2019.

The initiative will be launched under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U).

It will address issues related to housing shortage in a time-bound manner and focus on the need for emerging, cost-effective and speedy construction technologies

Government fixes price for gold bonds

The government of India has fixed the price at Rs 3,214 per gram for the new series of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB).

The Sovereign Gold Bonds 2018-19 (Series V) will be opened from 14 January 2019.

The bonds are being sold through banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post offices, and stock exchanges NSE and BSE.

The SGB scheme was launched in November 2015.

'Ama Ghare LED' scheme launched in Odisha

The government of Odisha launched the 'Ama Ghare LED' scheme on 11 January 2019.

Under the scheme, about 95 lakh families in the state will each get four LED bulbs free of cost.

The LED bulbs (9-watt each) will be distributed to the beneficiaries registered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the State Food Security Scheme (SFSC).

Atal Tinkering Lab Handbook released

NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) released the 'Atal Tinkering Lab Handbook – Nayee Dishayen, Naye Nirman, Naya Bharat' on 11 January 2019.

The Handbook captures the experiences of the young innovators of the country with the Atal Tinkering Lab.

The AIM is the Government of India’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.

Four projects sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan





August 2018

25 | P a g e

The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned four new projects for Rs.190.46 Crores under Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes in 3 states.

The 3 states are Meghalaya, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.

Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes were launched for the development of tourism infrastructure in the country.

The project includes the development of Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur.

Cabinet Approves 3 New AIIMSs

The Union Cabinet gave approval for the establishment of three new AIIMS at Samba in Jammu, Pulwama in Kashmir and Rajkot in Gujarat.

TheseAIIMSs will be set up under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).

The objective is to establish the new AIIMS is to provide quality tertiary healthcare, medical education, nursing education and research in the region.

Govt launches National Clean Air Programme

The government of India launched the 'National Clean Air Programme' (NCAP) on 10 January 2019.

The aim of the programme is to reduce particulate matter (PM) pollution by 20-30% in at least 102 cities by 2024.

It will provide the States and the Centre with a framework to combat air pollution.

The NCAP will be a mid-term, five-year action plan with 2019 as the first year.

Andaman to be 1st Island to operate seaplanes

The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation approved operations on 13 water aerodromes under Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik-3 (UDAN-3).

The very first seaplane could run within Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Four different islands from Andaman and one island from Nicobar have been selected to fly seaplanes.

These are Havelock, Long Island, Neil Island and Hutbay Island in Andaman and Car Nicobar in Nicobar.

'Gangajal Project' inaugurated in Agra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 'Gangajal Project' in Agra on 9 January 2019.

The programme will provide a supply of better drinking water which will benefit the residents as well as tourists.

Gangajal project aims to bring 140 cusecs of Ganga water to Agra.

He also launched civic projects worth Rs 2,980 crore in Agra.

'Web- Wonder Women' Campaign launched

The Ministry of Women and Child Development launched an online campaign, ' #www: Web- WonderWomen' on 9 January 2019.

The Campaign aims to discover and celebrate the exceptional achievements of women, who have influenced and impacted society through social media.

The Ministry in collaboration with 'Breakthrough' and 'Twitter India' has started this campaign.

First Swadesh Darshan project inaugurated

Meghalaya's Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurated the project 'Development of North East Circuit: Umiam (Lake View) - U Lum Sohpetbneng- Mawdiangdiang - Orchid Lake Resort' on 9 January 2019.

The project was implemented under Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism.

Under this project, various facilities like Multipurpose Hall, Log Huts, Cafeteria etc have been developed.

Maharashtra Cabinet approves SMART project

On 8 January 2019, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved the ‘State of Maharashtra’s Agribusiness and Rural Transformation (SMART)’ project assisted by the World Bank.

The project will boost the agriculture sector and agri-allied businesses.

The project will have an investment of ₹2,200 crore, of which 70% will be from the World Bank while the State government’s share will be of 26.67%.

Govt relaxes norms for fertiliser exports

The government of India relaxed norms for exports of fertilisers, including urea, potassic and phosphatic.

The export policy of fertilisers have been revised and items under the 'restricted' category moved to 'free' category.

These exports are subject to prior permission/no objection certificate to be obtained by the manufacturers/exporters from the Department of Fertiliser.

5,000 additional seats for JNVs approved

On 7 January 2019, Ministry of Human Resource Development approved an increase of 5,000 seats at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) across the country.

The total number of seats has increased from 46,600 to 51,000 at the JNVs.

JNVs are run by Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, New Delhi, an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Human Resource Development

Odisha announces interest-free loans for WSHGs

On 5 January 2019, Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced interest-free loans of up to Rs. 3 lakh for Women Self-Help Groups (WSHGs) in the state.

There are around 6 lakh WSHGs in Odisha.

The initiative will benefit about 70 lakh women.

He also distributed financial assistance of Rs. 3,000 each to six lakh WSHGs as part of the state government's efforts to digitally empower women.





August 2018

26 | P a g e

HRD introduces 70-point grading index

The Ministry of Human Resource Development has introduced a 70-point grading index to assess the quality of school education offered by states.

A state performance grading will be done wherein the states will be marked out of 1,000 on 70 parameters.

This will give the correct picture of where every state stands.

NCR launches mobile app for Kumbh Mela

The North Central Railway (NCR) launched a mobile application to help people navigate through Prayagraj city during Kumbh Mela starting from 15 January 2019.

The name of the app is 'Rail Kumbh Seva Mobile App'.

It will also provide information regarding all the 'Mela special' trains that will be run during the period.

The app will provide a link to the user to buy the train tickets.

Every district covered under BBBP scheme

According to the government of India, all the 640 districts of the country have been covered under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme (BBBP).

The scheme is aimed at addressing the declining Child Sex Ratio and enabling girl child education.

The scheme is implemented by the Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare, and Human Resource Development.

'Swachh Survekshan 2019' launched

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the 'Swachh Survekshan 2019' on 4 January 2019.

The cleanliness survey will cover 40 crore people across over four thousand towns and cities.

For the first time ever, inspection will be conducted without giving any prior information to the concerned official for real-time check and survey will be based on people’s feedback.

States to rollout ‘Parivesh’ by January 15

The web-based ‘Parivesh’ will be rolled-out at state levels by 15 January 2019.

‘Parivesh’ (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window

Hub) is a single-window integrated environmental management system, developed under the ‘Digital India’ initiative.

It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2018 on World Biofuel Day.

Haryana govt approves 11 projects

The Haryana government approved 11 projects for the rejuvenation of the Saraswati river on 2 January 2019.

These include the construction of Somb Saraswati barrage, Saraswati reservoir and Adi Badri dam on Somb river, a tributary of the Yamuna that originates in the Shivalik Hills.

The projects were approved by the Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board chaired by the Chief Minister.

Continuation of family welfare scheme approved

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for the continuation of five schemes under the 'Umbrella Scheme for Family Welfare and Other Health Interventions' from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

The scheme will be funded 100% by Central Government.

The five schemes listed in the proposal are crucial to attaining the goals and objectives laid in National Health Policy (NHP) 2017.

Union Cabinet approves restructuring of NHA

The Union Cabinet approved the restructuring of existing National Health Agency (NHA) as 'National Health Authority' for better implementation of Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

National Health Authority will be chaired by Union Health Minister to enable the decision making at a faster pace.

The authority will be working under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Amendment to Trade Unions Act, 1926 approved

The Cabinet has approved amendment to the Trade Unions Act, 1926 to make provisions regarding recognition of trade unions.

The approval will facilitate the recognition of Trade Unions at Central and State level.

The proposed Bill will ensure that the nomination of workers’ representatives in tripartite bodies by the government will become more transparent.

Continuation of Scheme for youths approved

The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of 'Rastriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram Scheme' for the Period 2017-18 to 2019-2020.

The total budget outlay for the scheme is Rs.1160 crore.

The scheme is an ongoing Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.

The Scheme aims to develop the personality and leadership qualities of the youth.






August 2018

27 | P a g e

Merchant exporters to get Rs. 600 crore sops

The government of India decided to provide 3% interest subsidy to merchant exporters to enhance the flow of funds for them with a view to boosting outbound shipments.

The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

The proposal will entail benefits of around Rs. 600 crores to exporters on interest equalisation for the remaining period of the scheme.

Govt releases 6-crore LPG connection

The government of India gave 6-crore free cooking gas (LPG) connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) on 2 January 2019.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu handed over the 6 croreth LPG connection under PMUY to Jasmina Khatoon from Delhi.

The PMUY was launched on 1 May 2016, with a target to give 5 crore connections by March 2019.

100% houses in 25 states electrified

India achieved electrification in 100% households in 25 states at the end of 2018.

Now, only about 10.48 lakh households are left to be electrified in 4 states - Assam, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, and Chhattisgarh.

The 'Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana' (Saubhagya) in September 2017 to achieve the goal of universal household electrification in the country by 31 March 2019.

Govt. notifies new GST return forms

The government of India notified new annual GST return forms which are required to be filed by businesses registered under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime by June 30, 2019.

It notified GST form GSTR-9, GSTR-9A, and GSTR-9C on 31 December 2018.

In the forms, businesses have to provide consolidated details of sales, purchases and input tax credit (ITC) benefits accrued in 2017-18.

Defence items not covered under Arms Act

The government of India announced that manufacturing of items of defence aerospace and warships will now be covered by Industries (Development and Regulation) Act.

The defence items now do not require licence under the Arms Act.

In May 2017, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion was allowed to process applications for grant of licence for manufacture of defence items.

CLSS on home loans for MIG extended

The government of India extended the Credit Link Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) on home loans for the Middle Income Group (MIG) under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana till March 2020.

The last extension was up to March 31, 2019.

Under CLSS, the government provides a subsidy of up to Rs 2.67 lakh on the home loan.

Till 30 December 2018, around 3,39,713 beneficiaries have availed loans under CLSS.

WB govt announces two initiatives for farmers

The West Bengal government announced two welfare initiatives for farmers on 31 December 2018.

Both initiatives are part of the 'Krishi Krishak Bondhu' scheme and will come into effect from 1 January 2019.

The 1st initiative will provide Rs 2 lakh to the family of a deceased farmer.

Under the 2nd initiative, farmers will get Rs 2,500 twice a year for growing a single crop on an acre of land.

Science & Technology

AI That Translates Thoughts Into Speech

Scientists have created an artificial intelligence (AI) based system that directly translates thoughts into understandable, recognisable speech.

The AI system will help people who cannot speak regain their ability to communicate with the world.

The technology has been created by researchers at Columbia University in the United States of America.

Hike in Research Fellowship

Central Government has enhanced the fellowship of Science & Technology Ph.D students and other research personnel w.e.f. January 1, 2019.

Junior Research Fellows will now receive ₹31,000 per month in the first two years of Ph.D programme instead of ₹25,000.

Fellowship for Senior Research Fellow in the remaining tenure of Ph.D is increased to ₹35,000 per month from previous ₹28,000.

Artificial Pancreas App for Diabetics

Scientists, including those from Harvard University have developed an artificial pancreas smartphone app that will help in regulating blood sugar levels in diabetes patients.

The app is effective in regulating glucose levels under challenging conditions and is suitable for use in unconstrained environments.

The study was published in the journal Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics.

NASA solar probe begins second orbit of Sun

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has begun its second orbit of the Sun and is on track for its closest approach to our star.





August 2018

28 | P a g e

Just 161 days after its launch, the Parker probe completed its first orbit of the Sun on January 19.

The spacecraft has now begun the second of 24 planned orbits, on track for its second perihelion, or closest approach to the Sun, on April 4.

Opportunity rover completes 15 years on Mars

NASA's Opportunity rover has completed 15 years of its touchdown on the surface of Mars.

The rover landed in a region of Mars called Meridiani Planum on 24 January 2004.

The solar-powered rover went silent since a global dust storm in June 2018.

The rover was designed to travel 1,006 metres and operate on the Red Planet for 90 Martian days.

Technology Mission Centre launched by govt

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan launched three important centre’s set up by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) at IIT Madras on 25 January 2019.

The first one is the 'DST –IITM Solar Energy Harnessing Centre'.

The second centre is the 'DST-IITM Water –IC for SUTRAM of EASY WATER'.

The third centre is the 'Testbed on Solar thermal desalination solutions'.

Satellites successfuly launched by ISRO

India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C44) successfully injected Microsat-R and Kalamsat-V2 satellites into their designated orbits.

The satellites were launched on 24 January 2019 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

Microsat-R is a defence application satellite.

It is the first Indian satellite which was placed by ISRO in a low orbit at an altitude of 274 km

App developed to detect new currency

The Indian Institute of Technology at Ropar in Punjab has developed an Android App 'Roshni'.

The app was launched on 23 January 2019.

The app will assist visually impaired people to easily determine the denomination of currency notes using image processing and analytics.

It works well in a broad range of light conditions and holding angles.

ISRO launches 'Young Scientist programme'

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the 'Young Scientist programme' on 18 January 2019.

The programme is for school students who want to explore themselves in space research.

Under the programme, three students from each state and Union territory will be selected.

They will be given access to R&D labs and practical experience of building a small satellite.

ISRO to launch Kalamsat & Microsat satellite

ISRO will launch a student satellite called 'Kalamsat' and an imaging satellite known as 'Microsat-R' on 24 January 2019.

Both the satellite will be carried by 'PSLV C-44' rocket.

PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle.

In PSLV-C44, the fourth stage (PS4) of the vehicle would be moved to a higher circular orbit so as to establish an orbital platform for carrying out experiments.

ISRO will set up Human Space Flight Centre

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced setting up of Human Space Flight Centre in Bengaluru.

It will be headed by Unnikrishnan Nair.

ISRO also announced that R. Hutton will head the Gaganyaan project.

The Gaganyaan project will send three astronauts to orbit the Earth for three to seven days.

The project is slated to happen before December 2021.

NASA probe discovers new planet

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) discovered a new planet.

The planet has been named 'HD 21749b'.

It orbits around a bright dwarf star about 53 light years away from the earth, in the constellation 'Reticulum'.

It is the third planet discovered by TESS.

The other two planets discovered by TESS are 'Pi Mensae b' and 'LHS 3844b'.

TESS was launched in April 2018.

Telescope to detect cosmic X-rays launched

US scientists have successfully launched a telescope from Antarctica that analyses X-rays arriving from distant neutron stars, black holes, and other exotic celestial bodies.

The name of the telescope is 'X-Calibur' instrument.

It is carried by a helium balloon and will reach an altitude of 130,000 feet.

Neutron stars are objects of very small radius.

Committees & Recommendations

Tribunal to decide ban on insurgents

On 24 January 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs reconstituted a tribunal to adjudicate matters related to the extension of the ban imposed on eight insurgent groups in Manipur for involvement in unlawful activities.





August 2018

29 | P a g e

The tribunal has been set up under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

It will be headed by Delhi High Court's judge Justice G.S. Sistani.

IRDAI sets up a panel

On 23 January 2019, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) has set up a panel to identify Systemically Important Insurers (SII).

The panel will be headed by Pravin Kutumbe, Member-Finance & Investment, IRDAI.

The panel will also develop a paper on assessment methodology for SIIs in India and recommend enhanced supervision for them.

Tribunal to decide ban on insurgents

On 24 January 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs reconstituted a tribunal to adjudicate matters related to the extension of the ban imposed on eight insurgent groups in Manipur for involvement in unlawful activities.

The tribunal has been set up under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

It will be headed by Delhi High Court's judge Justice G.S. Sistani.

Committee to monitor pricing of drugs

The government of India has constituted a standing committee to monitor the pricing of medicines and healthcare products.

The committee will be headed by a Niti Aayog member (Health).

The committee will be the recommending body to the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

NPPA is a government regulatory agency that controls the prices of pharmaceutical drugs in India.

IBBI sets up committee under UK Sinha

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has set up an 11-member working group to look into the concept of ‘Group Insolvency’ and suggest a suitable framework.

The working group will be headed by the former SEBI chief UK Sinha.

It will recommend a complete regulatory framework to facilitate insolvency resolution and liquidation of corporate debtors in a Group.

GoM constituted on issues relating to lottery

A Group of Ministers (GoM) on issues relating to the lottery was constituted by the GST Council on 10 January 2019.

Sudhir Mungantiwar, Finance Minister, Government of Maharashtra was appointed as the convener of GoM.

The GoM will decide if the disparity existing on tax rates on the lottery will continue or not.

It will also see if there is a misuse of the lower tax rate on the lottery.

Govt forms GoM for GST issues in real estate

On 15 January 2019, the government of India constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to boost the real estate sector under the GST regime.

Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel will be the convener of the GoM.

It will analyse the tax rate of GST and suggest a composition scheme for residential construction units.

Currently, GST on the under-construction flats and houses is 12%

Assam govt forms GoM on ST reservation

Assam Government has set up a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on 14 January 2019.

The GoM will recommend measures for the protection of rights of existing tribal communities as well as to decide on the benefits to be given to new Scheduled Tribes.

The GoM was formed after the introduction of the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order on 9 January 2019.

HC forms committee to remove alien species

On 11 January 2019, the Madras High Court constituted an expert committee to suggest ways and means to remove the alien species from the Western Ghats.

The committee will be headed by Cherukuri Raghavendra Babu, the Chairman of the expert committee on invasive species in Chennai National Biodiversity Authority.

The committee will study all aspects related to the forests.

GoM constituted to look into revenue shortfall

On 12 January 2019, the GST Council had decided to set up a Group of Ministers (GoM).

The GoM will be headed by Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

The GoM will look into the revenue shortfall being faced by states following the rollout of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The committee will suggest steps for increasing the revenue of states.

EC panel submits report on digital media

The Election Commission appointed panel submitted its report on digital media and campaigning during last 48 hours before polls to the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.

The panel was constituted under the Chairmanship of Sr. Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha.

The panel was mandated to review and suggest modifications in the provisions of the Representation of the People Act.





August 2018

30 | P a g e

SEBI constitutes 'Research Advisory' committee

The Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) constituted a 'Research Advisory' committee.

It will be headed by Dr. Sankar De.

The committee will assist in formulating policy to undertake research relevant for the development and regulation of capital markets.

The committee would comprise prominent financial economists and market practitioners.

RBI constitutes a committee on digital payment

On 8 January 2019, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) constituted a high-level committee that will work towards deepening digital payments in India.

The committee will be headed by Nandan Nilekani.

It will submit a report to the RBI every three months.

It will suggest measures to strengthen the safety and security of digital payments.

Govt notifies High-Level Committee for Assam

The government has notified a High-Level Committee for implementation of Clause six of the Assam Accord on 6 January 2019.

The committee is headed by former IAS officer M.P. Bezbaruah.

It will assess the appropriate level of reservation of seats in the Assam Assembly and local bodies for the Assamese people, besides providing employment opportunities.

Committee formed to look into the JNV suicides

The Ministry of Human Resource Development constituted a Task Force to look into the reasons of suicides reported in the JNVs.

The Task Force will be headed by Psychiatrist, Dr. Jitendra Nagpal.

The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) are fully residential schools managed and run by the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

New panel to protect Assam’s heritage

The Union Cabinet approved the setting up of a high-level committee for implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.

The Accord provides for constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of Assam.

It also recommended reserving Assembly seats for indigenous communities in the State.

U.K. Sinha to head RBI panel on MSME revival

The RBI has appointed an eight-member expert committee to comprehensively review and propose long-

term solutions for the revival of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.

The committee will be headed by former SEBI chairman U.K. Sinha.

The committee will examine the factors affecting the timely and adequate availability of finance to the MSME sector.

Govt approves Central assistance to Tamil Nadu

On 31 December 2018, the government of India approved the release of Rs 1,146 crore to Tamil Nadu for the people affected by cyclone 'Gaja'.

The approval was given by High-Level Committee (HLC) chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Minister for Agriculture, Radha Mohan Singh and Vice Chairman, Niti Ayog, Dr. Rajiv Kumar are the members of HLC.

Committee formed for implementation of RERA

The government of India constituted a committee to suggest recommendations to strengthen the 'Real Estate Regulatory Authority' (RERA) and to remove difficulties in its implementation.

It will be headed by the Union Housing & Urban Affairs Joint Secretary, Shiv Das Meena.

RERA, which protects the interest of home buyers, empowers states to notify their rules & appoint regulatory authorities.






August 2018

31 | P a g e

Business & Economy

Indian Oil Q3 profit down by 91%

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) reported a net profit of ₹716.82 crore in the third quarter of financial year 2018-19.

The net profit was down 78% from the previous quarter and down 91% from the same quarter of the previous year.

The variation was majorly due to inventory losses arising out of falling crude oil prices

Revenues of IOC grew 6% to ₹1.6 lakh crore against ₹1.5 lakh crore.

ICICI Bank sacks Chanda Kochhar

ICICI Bank terminated the contract of former managing director and CEO Chanda Kochhar for violating the bank’s code of conduct.

In June last year, the bank formed the one-member panel to look into the allegations of conflict of interest against her for a loan given to Videocon Industries.

Ms. Kochhar, assumed charge as MD and CEO of ICICI Bank on May 1, 2009 and resigned in October 2018.

SEBI: Relaxed Norms for REITs, InvITs

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) proposed a new set of relaxed norms for Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) on 30th Jan, 2019.

This new framework will provide flexibility for fund raising and will boost investments in REITs and InvITs.

REITs and InvITs are listed entities that invest in income-producing assets like infrastructure.

New Packaging Norms Mandatory By July 1

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said that food businesses need to comply with new packaging regulations by July 1.

The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.

Pawan Agarwal is the CEO of FSSAI.

Steel Min to set up Safety Directorate

Union Steel Ministry announced to set up a 'Safety Directorate' to oversee safety standards in steel industry on January 28, 2019.

This decision was taken during the Consultative Committee Meeting of the Ministry in Goa which was chaired by Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender Singh.

It also plans to draft the 'National Scrap Policy' to make available nearly 7 MT scrap in the country.

RBI to inject ₹37,500 in February

The Reserve Bank of India will inject Rs 37,500 crore into the system through purchase of government securities in February to increase liquidity.

The purchase will be done under Open Market Operations (OMOs) for an aggregate amount of ₹375 billion.

Three auctions of ₹125 billion each will be held during the 2nd, 3rd and 4th week of February.

Anti-dumping duty imposed on MPDA

The government of India has imposed an anti-dumping duty on Meta Phenylenediamine (MPDA) imported from China.

The duty has been imposed for five years to protect domestic producers of the chemical intermediate from cheap shipments.

MPDA is a chemical intermediate used for manufacturing dyes, engineering polymer and in photography and medical applications.

Centre’s debt-to-GDP falls, States’ rises

According to the Status Paper on Government Debt for 2017-18, the Centre’s total debt as a percentage of GDP reduced to 46.5% in 2017-18 from 47.5% as of March 31, 2014.

The total debt of the States rose to 24% in 2017-18 and is estimated to be 24.3% in 2018-19.

The Centre’s total debt increased from Rs. 56,69,429 crore in March 2014 to Rs. 82,35,178 crore in 2017-18.

Status Paper on Government Debt released

The Ministry of Finance released the Eighth Edition of the 'Status Paper on the Government Debt' on 18 January 2019.

It provides a detailed analysis of the Overall Debt Position of the Government of India.

As per the status paper, the total liabilities of the government has increased by 49% to Rs. 82 lakh crore in the last four-and-half years.

Rs 1 crore fine on Bank of Maharashtra

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed an Rs 1-crore fine on Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) on 16 January 2019.

The fine was imposed for non-compliance of 'Know Your Customer' guidelines and fraud-classification norms.

In 2018, the RBI had imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on BoM on account of delay on the part of the bank to detect and report fraud in an account.

India's GDP growth at 7.5% in next fiscal

According to Fitch Group firm India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), the gross domestic product (GDP) of India is expected to grow at 7.5% in 2019-20.

It expects wholesale and retail inflation to average 3.4% and 4.3%, respectively, in FY20.





August 2018

32 | P a g e

The current account deficit (CAD) is likely to decline to 1.9% of GDP in FY20 from 2.4% of GDP, helped by softening of crude oil prices in FY19.

SBI, other banks to finance Samruddhi Corridor

A consortium of banks led by State Bank of India has agreed to provide finance for Nagpur-Mumbai 'Samruddhi Corridor' expressway project.

Other lenders include Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of Maharashtra as well as the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India.

SBI has agreed to lend the highest amount, 8,500 crore rupees.

RBI eased ECB norms

In a bid to improve ease of doing business, the Reserve Bank of India has decided to liberalise external commercial borrowing (ECB) norms.

It allowed all companies that are eligible for receiving foreign direct investment, to raise funds through the ECB route.

The RBI has decided to keep the minimum average maturity period at 3 years for all ECBs, irrespective of the amount of borrowing.

Cabinet approves capital infusion in Exim Bank

On 16 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved fund infusion of Rs 6000 crore in Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank).

The infusion would help the EXIM bank in expanding its business.

The government had infused Rs 500 crore in Exim Bank last financial year.

David Rasquinha is the Managing Director of EXIM Bank.

RBI will purchase govt. securities on 17 jan

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will inject 10,000 crore rupees into the banking system through the purchase of government securities on 17 January 2019 to increase liquidity.

The purchase will be made through Open Market Operations (OMOs).

OMO refer to the buying and selling of government securities in the open market in order to increase or decrease the amount of money in the banking system.

WPI inflation at 3.80% in December 2018

Inflation based on wholesale prices fell to an 8-month low of 3.80% in December 2018 due to reducing prices of fuel and some food items.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation stood at 4.64% in November 2018, and 3.58% in December 2017.

The deflation in food articles stood at 0.07% in December 2018, against 3.31% in November 2018.

IDFC Bank renamed as IDFC First Bank

Private sector lender IDFC Bank's name has been changed to 'IDFC First Bank Ltd' with effect from 12 January 2019.

IDFC Bank and Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) 'Capital First' completed their merger on 18 December 2018.

V Vaidyanathan, Founder of Capital First Ltd, was appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the IDFC First Bank Ltd.

Industrial growth falls to 17-month low

Industrial output growth dropped to a 17-month low of 0.5% in November 2018 on account of contraction in the manufacturing sector.

Industrial output is measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), had grown by 8.5% in November 2017, as per data released by the Central Statistics Office.

The manufacturing sector constitutes 77.63% of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP)

GST burden on small businesses eased

The 32nd meeting of GST council was held on 10 January 2019.

In the meeting, it was decided that the companies with annual turnover up to Rs. 40 lakh will stay out of the GST net (Rs. 20 lakh earlier).

The annual turnover limit for eligibility for the Composition Scheme was raised to Rs.1.5 crore from 1 April 2019.

Deferment of capital buffer norms notified

On 10 January 2019, the RBI deferred the implementation of the last tranche of Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB) from 31 March 2019 to 31 March 2020.

The CCB is the capital buffer that banks have to accumulate in normal times to be used for offsetting losses during periods of stress.

Currently, the CCB of banks stands at 1.875% of the core capital.

RBI allows 'tokenisation' services

The RBI allowed the card payment providers to offer tokenisation services.

'Tokenisation' will ensure the safety of digital transactions and reduce the chances of fraud.

It involves a process in which a unique token hides the sensitive card details.

The token is used to perform card transactions in contactless mode at Point Of Sale (POS) terminals, Quick Response (QR) code payments, etc.

RBI made changes in Gold Monetisation Scheme

On 9 January 2019, the RBI made some changes in Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS).

Apart from the individual and joint depositors, GMS has been extended to charitable institutions, Central





August 2018

33 | P a g e

Government, State Government or any other entity owned by the Government.

The government of India had launched the GMS in 2015 to mobilise the gold held by households and institutions in the country.

NABARD sets up venture capital entity

On 7 January 2019, NABARD announced that it will provide early-stage capital to agriculture and rural enterprises through its venture capital entity, 'NABVENTURES Ltd'.

NABVENTURES Ltd has been incorporated by NABARD under the Companies Act.

It will launch its maiden fund offer by the middle of February 2019.

NABARD's headquarter is in Mumbai and its Chairman is Harsh Kumar Bhanwala

Indian economy expects to grow at 7.2%

Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the first advance estimates of National Income for 2018-19.

As per the CSO, the Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.2% in 2018-19 against 6.7% in 2017-18 due to improvement in the performance of agriculture and manufacturing sectors.

The growth of the manufacturing sector is expected to accelerate to 8.3% this fiscal, up from 5.7% in 2017-18.

Net direct tax grew by 13.6%

As per the Ministry of Finance, revenue from direct tax grew by 13.6% to Rs 7.43 lakh crore in the first nine months of the current financial year 2018-19 (April-March).

Gross tax collection grew by 14.1% to Rs 8.74 lakh crore.

Corporate Income Tax (CIT) grew 14.8%, while personal income tax (PIT) grew 17.2%.

The government also collected Rs 3.64 lakh crore advance Tax.

Government merges three regional rural banks

The government of India merged three Regional Rural Banks- Punjab Gramin Bank, Malwa Gramin Bank, and Sutlej Gramin Bank.

The single RRB will come into effect from 1 January 2019.

The sponsor banks of the RRBs are NABARD, the Government of Punjab and Punjab National Bank, SBI, and Punjab and Sind Bank.

SEBI tweaks norms for commodity exchanges

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) directed commodity derivatives exchanges to disclose the quantum of trading done by farmers and other commodity market participants.

Market participants include millers and wholesalers.

Currently, commodity derivatives exchanges disseminate turnover data for only two broad categories of participants — clients and proprietary.

RBI limits customer liability

The RBI decided to limit the liability of customers in case of unauthorised electronic payment transactions in Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) issued by non-banks.

If the fraud is reported between three and seven days, customer liability will amount to the transaction value or Rs. 10,000.

For over seven days, the liability of the customer will be according to the policy of the PPI issue.

Custodial services in commodity market allowed

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed custodial services in the commodity derivatives market.

The move is aimed at enabling the participation of institutional investors such as mutual funds and portfolio managers in the commodity derivatives market.

Under the new framework, existing custodians will be permitted to add commodities as an asset class.

HDFC MF becomes the largest AMC in India

HDFC Mutual Fund surpassed the ICICI Prudential MF to become the country's largest asset management company on 3 January 2019.

HDFC manages assets of Rs 3.35 lakh crore, while those of ICICI Prudential MF stood at Rs 3.08 lakh crore.

SBI MF is at the third place with Rs 2.64 lakh crore, followed by Aditya Birla Sun Life MF (Rs 2.42 lakh crore) and Reliance MF (Rs 2.36 lakh crore).

Manufacturing PMI slows in December

Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) slowed down a bit to 53.2 in December 2018 as against 54 in November 2018.

This index is prepared on the basis of a survey which is conducted among purchasing executives in over 400 companies.

The index is prepared by 'IHS Markit' and it is widely to explain the latest industrial situation in a country.

Union Cabinet approves merger of 3 banks

On 2 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the merger of Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda (BoB).

Following the merger of these banks, BoB will become the third largest bank in India after the State Bank of India and HDFC Bank in terms of assets.

The government of India in September 2018 had announced the merger of these three banks.

Direct tax-GDP ratio in FY18 best in 10 years





August 2018

34 | P a g e

The Ministry of Finance said that the direct tax-to-GDP ratio of 5.98% achieved during 2017-18 fiscal is the best in the last 10 years.

It was 5.57% in 2016-17 and 5.47% in 2015-16.

The growth rate for corporate income tax (CIT) and personal income tax (PIT) stood at 17.7% and 18.3% respectively.

The number of individuals filing return of income has also increased by about 65% in 2017-18.

Anti-Dumping duty imposed on chemical

The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has recommended anti-dumping duty on a chemical used in paint and printing industries, imported from Brazil, Indonesia, and Thailand.

The name of the chemical is 'non-plasticised industrial grade nitrocellulose damped in isopropyl alcohol having nitrogen content in the range of 10.7-12.2%'.

The duties have been imposed for three years.

Paytm Payment Bank to restart account opening

The Reserve Bank of India allowed the Paytm Payments Bank to restart opening accounts for its customers.

The bank started 'Know Your Customer' formalities for its wallets as well as its bank accounts from 31 Dec 2018.

The RBI had asked the bank to stop adding new customers in June 2018.

Satish Gupta is the head of the Paytm Payments Bank.

RBI gives relief to MSME sector

The RBI allowed a one-time restructuring of existing debt of up to 25 crore rupees for the MSMEs which have defaulted on payment of loans.

The restructuring of loans will be implemented by 31 March 2020.

It will help the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) which are facing cash crunch due to demonetisation and GST implementation.

Provision coverage ratio of banks increases

Public sector banks' Provision Coverage Ratio (PCR) has increased to 66.85% as of September 2018.

In 2015, the PCR was less than 50%.

The provision coverage ratio (PCR) gives an indication of the provision made against bad loans from the profit generated.

Higher the PCR, lower is the unexposed part of the bad debts.

Fund raising via NCD surges in 2018

As per the Security and Exchange Board of India's (SEBI) report, Indian companies raised over Rs 29,300 crore by issuing Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) to retail investors in 2018.

The companies raised money for funding expansion plans and other general purposes.

NCDs are loan-linked bonds that cannot be converted into stocks and usually offer higher interest rates than the convertible.

Govt infuses Rs 10,882 crore capital in 4 PSBs

The government of India has infused 10,882 crore rupees in four Public Sector Banks (PSBs).

It is a part of 28,615 crore rupees capital infusion to be done in about half a dozen public sector lenders.

The four PSBs are UCO Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Syndicate Bank, and Central Bank of India.

The recapitalisation would enhance the lending capacity of the PSBs.

Core sector growth slows in Nov 2018

The Core sector growth slowed to 3.5% in November from 4.8% in October 2018, due to a slowdown in the coal, cement, and electricity sectors.

Coal production increased by 3.7% in November 2018 over November 2017.

The cement sector saw growth in November 2018 slowing to 8.8% from 18.4% in October.

The electricity sector grew 5.4% in November 2018 as compared with 10.9% in October 2018.

Allahabad Bank & SBI Life signed a pact

Allahabad Bank signed a bancassurance pact with SBI Life Insurance on 31 December 2018.





August 2018

35 | P a g e

Under the pact, the SBI Life Insurance will be able to sell its products through various branches of Allahabad Bank.

Sanjeev Nautiyal is the CEO & MD of SBI Life Insurance.

Bancassurance is an arrangement through which an insurance company can sell its products through a bank.

Govt sets up export promotion cell for MSMEs

The MSME ministry has established an export promotion cell to create a sustainable ecosystem for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

It will help in the integration of MSMEs into the global value chain.

It will also look into the areas where improvements are required in order to be able to export effectively and efficiently.

RBI: NBFCs balance sheet grew by 17.2%

As per the RBI, the balance sheet size of Non-Bank Financial Companies (NBFCs) grew by 17.2% to Rs 26 trillion in September 2018 from Rs 22.2 trillion in September 2017.

The NBFCs Capital to Risk-weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) decreased to 21% in September 2018 from 22.8% in March 2018.

Loans and advances in the NBFC sector increased by 16.3% and investments increased by 14.1%.

Bank GNPAs improved to 10.8%

The 'Financial Stability Report' was released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 31 December 2018.

As per the report, banks showed improvement with Gross Non-Performing Assets' (GNPAs) ratio declining to 10.8% in September 2018 from 11.5% in March 2018.

The Net Non-Performing Assets (NNPAs) ratio also witnessed a fall at 5.3% in September 2018 as against 6.2% in March 2018.

Sports

Viswanathan Anand finishes joint third

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand played out an exciting draw with Ding Liren of China to move to joint third spot.

Viswanathan Anand finished with 7.5 points at the Tata Steel Masters chess tournament.

Anand registered three victories, one defeat and nine draws in the tournament.

Magnus Carlsen won a super tournament for the seventh time.

Ambati Rayudu banned from bowling by ICC

India's Ambati Rayudu has been banned from bowling in international cricket because of a suspect action.

The suspension was done in "accordance with clause 4.2 of the ICC regulations" which deals with the legality of bowling actions.

He is a right-handed middle-order batsman, who occasionally keeps the wicket, and a right-arm off break bowler.

Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open title

Tennis player Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open Men's Singles title at Melbourne on 27 January 2019.

He defeated Rafael Nadal in the final match.

It was his 7th Australian Open Men's Singles title.

He won the Australian Open Men's Singles title in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.

He also broke a tie with Pete Sampras, for third-most Grand Slam trophies.

Saina Nehwal wins Indonesia Masters title

Badminton player Saina Nehwal won her first Indonesia Masters title 2019 on 27 January 2019.

She won the finals after Spain's Carolina Marin limped out of the final due to a leg injury.

Saina had won a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games.

Kartik Sharma won the Golf Championship

India's Kartik Sharma won the New South Wales men's Amateur Golf Championship in Australia.

He defeated Australia's Nathan Barberie in the scheduled 36-hole final to emerge as champion.

He had also won the Indian golf 'Union Western India Amateur Golf Championship 2018'.

Naomi Osaka won the Australian Open title

Naomi Osaka won the Women's Singles Final of the Australian Open on 26 January 2019.

In Tennis, Japan's Naomi Osaka has become the first player since 2001 to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles.

She also won the US Open in 2018.

She also became the first Japanese player to achieve the world number one ranking.

Shami becomes fastest to reach 100 ODI wickets

Indian cricket bowler Mohammed Shami became the fastest Indian to claim 100 wickets in One-day Internationals on 23 January 2019.

He took 100 wickets in 56 ODI matches.

Before Shami, Irfan Pathan reached the 100-wicket mark in 59 ODIs, while Zaheer Khan achieved this mark in 65 matches, Ajit Agarkar got it in 67 matches and Javagal Srinath in 68 matches.

Virat Kohli named Captain of ICC's Test & ODI

On 22 January 2019, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the men’s Test and ODI teams of the year 2018.

Virat Kohli has been named the captain of both sides following a remarkable 2018 as a batsman and captain.





August 2018

36 | P a g e

Three players, each from India and New Zealand, were named in Test team while four players, each from India and England, were named in ODI squad.

Virat declared ODI & Test player of the year

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli was named 'Men's Test Cricketer of the Year' and 'Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year' by International Cricket Council (ICC) on 22 January 2019.

He also won the 'Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy' for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year.

Rishabh Pant has been named the 'Emerging Player of the Year' by the ICC for 2018.

Cosmas & Worknesh clinch men’s, women’s titles

Cosmas Lagat of Kenya and Worknesh Alemu of Ethiopia won the men's and women's titles in the Tata Mumbai Marathon in Mumbai on 20 January 2019.

Lagat, winner of the Sevilla Marathon in 2016, completed the 42.195-kilometre race in 2 hours 9 minutes and 15 seconds.

In women's race, Worknesh Alemu completed the race in 2 hours 25 minutes and 45 seconds.

Khelo India Youth Games concludes in Pune

Khelo India Youth Games concluded in Pune on 20 January 2019.

Maharashtra topped the Medal tally with 228 medals, whereas Haryana and Delhi claimed the second and third spot.

Maharashtra bagged 'General Championship of Khelo India 2019' with 85 Gold Medals.

The Khelo India Youth Games was organised by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Ankita wins ITF's tournament in Singapore

India's Ankita Raina has won the International Tennis Federation's $25,000 Women's tournament in Singapore on 20 January 2019.

She defeated world number 122 Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands in the final match.

It was the first title of the season and eighth singles title of her career.

Srihari Nataraj bags 7 Gold medals

On 15 January 2019, Karnataka's swimmer Srihari Nataraj has emerged as the most prolific gold medal winner at the Khelo India Youth Games.

He has won 7 Gold medals in swimming events.

P Likith from Karnataka won five gold medals and a bronze medal in swimming at the Khelo India Youth Games.

They both were the most decorated gold medalists of the Games.

Gukesh is world's second youngest grand master

Chess player D Gukesh became the second youngest Grand Master (GM) in the world and the youngest Indian to achieve the feat at age of 12 years and 7 months.

He achieved his third and final GM norm at the ongoing 17th Delhi International Open Chess tournament in Delhi.

Gukesh became India's 59th Grand Master.

Ukraine's Sergey Karjakin holds the record of being the youngest Grandmaster.

1st EMRS Sports Meet inaugurated in Hyderabad

The '1st Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) Sports Meet 2019' was inaugurated in Hyderabad on 14 January 2019.

The National Sports Meet is being held from 14th to 16th January 2019.

The Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society is organising the sports meet.

There will be 13 events including Athletics and in Athletics there will be 13 different competitions.

Ali Qamar named women's boxing coach

Mohammed Ali Qamar has taken over as Chief Coach for the country's women boxing on 14 January 2019.

He won India's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in boxing.

He replaced the veteran Shiv Singh.

Ali Qamar has been an assistant coach in the national camp for more than a year.

Rudra won Gold Medal in weightlifting

Weightlifter, S. Rudra Mayan won the gold medal by lifting a total weight of 269 kgs at the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune, Maharashtra.

He is from Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu's S. Darshini won the gold medal in weightlifting in girls Under -21 category.

She managed a lift a total weight of 192kgs.

Akshata reaps Gold in Weightlifting

Akshata Basvani Kamati of Karnataka has won a gold medal in the under-21 age 71 kg category in weightlifting at the Khelo India Youth Games.

Kamati comes from Halaga near Belgaum and her coach is Virpal Kaur.

The 2nd edition of Khelo India Youth Games will be held from January 9 to January 20, 2019, at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, Maharashtra.

Abhinav Shaw won gold medal in shooting

On 14 January 2019, 10-year old Abhinav Shaw became the youngest gold medallist in the shooting at the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune.

He teamed up with Mehuli Ghosh to help West Bengal win the 10m air rifle mixed team event.





August 2018

37 | P a g e

Delhi's Devanshi Rana bagged gold in Under-21 girls 25m pistol event.

Bengaluru Raptors win Premier Badminton League

Bengaluru Raptors won the Premier Badminton League (PBL) title on 13 January 2019.

They defeated Mumbai Rockets in the final match.

Bengaluru Raptors consists of Kidambi Srikanth, Mohammad Ahsan, Hendra Setiawan, Sai Praneeth, Mithun Manjunath, Lauren Smith, Sanjana Santosh, Marcus Ellis, Vu Thi Trang, and Nguyễn Tiến Minh.

It is owned by Matrix Badminton Teamworks Pvt. Ltd

Harendra Singh removed as India's hockey coach

Indian men's hockey coach Harendra Singh was removed from the position on 9 January 2019.

The team will be overseen by Hockey India High-Performance Director David John and current Analytical Coach, Chris Ciriello.

Harendra Singh was brought in as men's coach in May 2018 after Sjoerd Marijne was moved back to the women's camp.

Mary Kom attained number one position

Boxer MC Mary Kom attained number one position in the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) latest world rankings.

She won the gold medal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

She also won a silver at the prestigious 'Strandja Memorial' in Bulgaria.

She successful boxer in the history of World Championship after she won the gold medal in the World Boxing Championship in 2018.

Bavleen won gold medal in gymnastics

Jammu and Kashmir's Bavleen Kaur won the gold medal in the women's Under-17 all-around rhythmic gymnastics event at the Khelo India Youth Games 2019.

Maharashtra's Shreya Bhangale and Krisha Chheda took silver and bronze medals.

The 2019 Khelo India Youth Games are being held in Pune, Maharashtra.

Salah named Caf African Player of the Year

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah was named 2018 Confederation of African Football's (Caf) 'Player of the Year'.

He won the award for the second time.

Houston Dash and South Africa forward Thembi Kgatlana was named Women's Player of the Year.

Salah was voted the 'BBC African Footballer of the Year' for the second time in December 2018.

Khelo India Youth Games begins in Pune

The second edition of Khelo India Youth Games was inaugurated in Pune on 9 January 2019.

Students from colleges and Universities will be allowed to compete in the games.

Tennis and table tennis will also be a part of the games.

The 1st edition of Khelo India games was held in Delhi in January 2018.

The Khelo India games is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.

National billiards & snooker meet in Indore

The 86th National Billiards and Snooker Championship will be held in Indore from 18 January 2019.

The event will be hosted by Madhya Pradesh Billiards and Snooker Association.

Top cueists, including Pankaj Advani, will take part in the event.

The prize money of the event is 10 lakh rupees.

The event will conclude on 10 February 2019.

Sydney to host new ATP World Team Cup

Sydney will host the finals of inaugural 24-team ATP Cup men’s tennis tournament.

The tennis tournament will be played from 3 January 2020.

Sydney, Brisbane, and one other Australian city will co-host the tournament.

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which runs the men's tennis tournament, voted in London to award the tournament to Australia.

Bopanna and Sharan won the Tata Open title

Rohan Bopanna's and Divij Sharan have won the ATP tour Tennis title at the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune on 5 January 2019.

The defeated Britain's Luke Bambridge and Jonny O'Maara in the final match.

It was Bopanna's 18th ATP tour title while Sharan won his fourth tournament.

Before this, Bopanna won the Vienna event in October 2017 with Pablo Cuevas.

Rani won gold medal in National's Judo C'Ship

Lady head constable, Rani of 5th Indian Reserve Battalion of Himachal Pradesh Police won a Gold medal in the Senior National Women's Judo Championship on 5 January 2019.

The championship was held in Visakhapatnam.

She won the gold medal in the 78 kg category.

She was also declared the best Judoka at the Championship.

Roger Federer clinched Hopman Cup

Switzerland's Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic won the Hopman Cup on 5 January 2019.

They defeated Germany's Angelique Kerber and Alexander Zverev in the final match.





August 2018

38 | P a g e

Roger Federer is the first player to win three Hopman Cups - twice with Bencic and once with Martina Hingis, in 2001.

The Hopman Cup will be replaced by an ATP tournament in 2020.

Vadodara to host 8th International Marathon

Vadodara will host the eighth International Marathon on 6 January 2019.

The marathon will be held across four categories: 42 km, 21 km, 10 km and 5 km.

Other categories include 'divyang paralympic run', 'swachhata run', 'pledge run' and 'jawan run'.

The marathon is accredited to the Association of International Marathon and Distance Races.

National Table Tennis Championship begins

The 80th National Table Tennis Championship began at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha on 4 January 2019.

Odisha State Table Tennis Association (OSTTA) is hosting the National Table Tennis Championship.

The event will conclude on 9 January 2019.

As many as 35 teams, including 550 players from different parts of the country are participating in the championship.

Jasprit becomes highest wicket taker of 2018

Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah became the highest wicket-taker across all formats in 2018.

He took 78 wickets in 2018.

He took 48 wickets in 9 Tests, 22 wickets in 13 ODIs and 8 wickets in 8 T20I matches.

South Africa's bowler Kagiso Rabada is at second place, who took 77 wickets in 2018.

Defence

Successfully testing of Anti-Radiation Missile

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the test of New Generation Anti-Radiation Missile (NGARM) on 24 January 2019.

The missile is capable of destroying the enemy radars, tracking system and communication facilities.

The NGARM has a strike range of over 100 km.

This missile is first of its kind in India and can be launched from a range of altitudes.

Exercises held b/w India & Japan coast guards

Coast Guards of India and Japan held their disaster control, search and rescue exercises off the coast of Yokohama in Japan on 23 January 2019.

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship ICGS Shaunak is the main Indian ship taking part in the drills.

The ICGS Shaunkak is an Offshore Patrol Vessel and is one of the largest ships in the Indian Coast Guard.

Rajendra Singh is the Director General of ICG.

Successful Flight Test of LRSAM

The Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) was successfully test fired from INS Chennai on 24 January 2019.

LRSAM was jointly developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the Indian Navy.

LRSAM will help in enhancing the Navy's anti-air warfare capability.

Naval Air Base 'INS Kohassa' commissioned

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba commissioned the new Naval Air Base ‘INS Kohassa’ in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on 24 January 2019.

The airbase will be used to handle operations of helicopters and small aircraft like the Dornier.

INS Kohassa will be India’s fourth air base and the third naval air facility in the Andamans that overlooks key sea lanes of communication and strategic points.

'India-Africa Field Training' in March 2019

The Indian Army will conduct the joint exercise named 'India-Africa Field Training' with African nations in March 2019 in Pune.

Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, and Uganda will participate in the exercise.

The focus will be training in anti-terror operations, humanitarian mine action and joint peace operations.

Defence exercise 'Sea Vigil 2019' begins

The Indian Navy in coordination with the Coast Guard and other stakeholders will conduct a two-day defence exercise codenamed 'Sea Vigil 2019' from 22 January 2019.

The exercise is being conducted under the aegis of Commander-in-Chief, Coastal Defence, Southern Naval Command, Kochi.

The aim of the exercise is to test the country's preparedness against any attack through the sea route.

TN Defence Industrial Corridor launched

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the 'Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor' on 20 January 2019.






August 2018

39 | P a g e

The Corridor will connect leading military manufacturing units in Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Coimbatore, and Tiruchirappalli.

It will also help the industry to integrate with the global supply chain of Defence manufacturing.

The first defence corridor was established in Uttar Pradesh.

Armoured Systems Complex inaugurated in Hazira

The Larsen and Toubro's (L&T) 'Armoured Systems Complex' was inaugurated at Hazira in Gujarat on 19 January 2019.

It is the first private facility in the country where the 'K9 Vajra' self-propelled Howitzer guns will be manufactured.

L&T had in 2017 won the Rs 4,500-crore contract from the Ministry of Defence to supply 100 units of K9 Vajra-T to the Indian Army.

India's 2nd innovation hub in Maharashtra

Union Minister of State for Defence, Subhash Bhamre said that Nashik in Maharashtra will be the site of the country's second defence innovation hub.

The defence innovation hub at Nashik will help local industries and entrepreneurs and further the Centre’s Make in India push in the country’s defence sector.

India's first defence innovation hub is in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Three new naval air squadrons approved

On 18 January 2019, the government of India approved setting up of three new naval air squadrons in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

The three new air squadrons will increase the overall strength of the Indian Navy.

The government also sanctioned recruitment of manpower for manning additional aircraft in existing Dornier surveillance squadrons in Kerala and Andaman Islands.

'IMBEX 2018-19' inaugurated on 14 January

The second India-Myanmar bilateral Army exercise named 'IMBEX 2018-19' commenced at Chandimandir military station in Haryana on 14 January 2019.

The aim of this joint training event is to train the Myanmar delegation for participation in UN peacekeeping operations.

The exercise includes participation of 15 officers from Myanmar Army and 15 officers from Indian Army

Lt Gen JS Nain is Rising Star Corps Commander

On 12 January 2019, Lt Gen JS Nain took over as the 14th Corps Commander of the strategic Rising Star Corps.

He took over from Lt Gen YVK Mohan.

The Rising Star Corps was raised in 2005 and is the Indian Army’s youngest corps.

It has its area of operation in three districts of Jammu region including Jammu, Samba, and Kathua.

Two interceptor boats inducted into navy

On 11 January 2019, the Indian Navy inducted two Fast Interceptor Craft (FIC) into its fleet at Nagapattinam in an effort to increase the coastal security.

They can carry a variety of armament like heavy machine guns.

FICs are capable of operating in shallow waters and were acquired for 'Sagar Prahari Bal'.

Sagar Prahari Bal is a unit of the Navy created post-26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Navy to set up new air base in Port Blair

The Indian Navy will commission a new airbase 100 miles north of Port Blair in the strategically located Andaman and Nicobar islands.

The base, INS Kohassa, will be commissioned by Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba on 24 January 2019.

This will be India’s fourth air base and the third naval air facility in Andamans and Nicobar Islands.

Polity

Cabinet approves amendment to article 280

On 23 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the amendment to Article 280 of the Constitution to increase powers of Autonomous Councils in Sixth Schedule areas of North East.

The amendment will give more powers to Autonomous District Councils of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, & Tripura.

The Finance Commission will be mandated to recommend the devolution of financial resources to the councils.

Cabinet approves amendment to article 280

On 23 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the amendment to Article 280 of the Constitution to increase powers of Autonomous Councils in Sixth Schedule areas of North East.

The amendment will give more powers to Autonomous District Councils of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, & Tripura.

The Finance Commission will be mandated to recommend the devolution of financial resources to the councils.

10% EWS quota comes into force

The Act providing 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) among upper caste came into effect from 14 January 2019.

The President gave his assent to the Bill on 12 January 2019, after it was passed by both Houses of Parliament.

The Act amends Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution.





August 2018

40 | P a g e

Gujarat implements new 10% quota law

Gujarat has become the first state to provide a 10% reservation in jobs and educational institutions to the economically weaker sections in the general category.

It will be applicable from 14 January 2019.

The eligibility of the new quota will be applicable only for which the announcement for jobs and admissions have been made but the process has not yet begun.

Parliament passes 124th Amendment Bill

On 9 January 2019, the Rajya Sabha passed the 124th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019.

The bill seeks to provide a 10% reservation in government jobs and admission in educational institutions to economically backward people among upper castes.

The Bill will amend the article 15 and 16 of the constitution of India.

The Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on 8 January 2019.

LS passes 124th Constitutional Amendment Bill

On 8 January 2019, the Lok Sabha has passed the 124th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019.

The bill seeks to provide a 10% reservation to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in the General category.

The bill facilitates reservation for EWS in direct recruitments and admission in higher educational institutions.

The Bill amends Article 15 of Constitution of India.

Citizenship (Amendment) Bill passed in LS

The Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on 8 January 2019.

The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship of India.

It will apply to those migrants who have entered India before December 31, 2014.

DNA (Use and Application) Bill passed in LS

The Lok Sabha passed the 'DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019' on 8 January 2019.

It seeks to provide regulation for the use and application of DNA technology for the purpose of establishing the identity of a certain category of persons.

The bill also seeks to establish a 'National DNA Data Bank' and 'Regional DNA Data Banks'.

Jammu and Kashmir sets up law commission

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has set up a law commission on 7 January 2019.

Justice (Retd) M K Hanjura was appointed as its Chairperson.

The law commission will identify the redundant and obsolete laws that can be repealed and suggest measures for quick redress of public grievances.

The term of the Jammu and Kashmir State Law Commission will be for three years.

Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill passed in LS

The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed in Lok Sabha on 7 January 2019.

It seeks to remove leprosy as a ground for divorce in five personal laws: Hindu Marriage Act, Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, Divorce Act (for Christians), Special Marriage Act and the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act.

The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in August 2018.

Quota for economically backward upper castes

On 7 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved a 10% reservation for 'economically backward' upper castes in government jobs.

The reservation will be applicable for those belonging to the upper castes and earning less than Rs 8 lakh per year.

A bill to amend Article 15 and 16 of the Constitution will be moved in the Parliament to this effect.

Bills passed in Parliament (1-5 Jan 2019)

The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill 2018 was passed in the Lok Sabha on 31 December 2018.

On 3 January 2019, the Rajya Sabha passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018. The Bill empowered the states to detain weak students in the same class.

The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on 4 January 2019.

Companies (Amendment) Bill passed in Lok Sabha

On 4 January 2019, the Lok Sabha passed the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

The Bill seeks to improve ease of doing business, reduce the burden on the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and prescribe strong action against non-compliant companies.

The Companies (Amendment), Bill, 2018 replaces the Ordinance promulgated in November 2018.

New Delhi Arbitration Centre Bill passed in LS

The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on 4 January 2019.

The Bill seeks to establish an independent and autonomous regime for institutionalised arbitration.

It also seeks for acquisition and transfer of undertakings of the International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ICADR).

ICADR works under the aegis of the Supreme Court.

Parliament approves NCTE amendment bill





August 2018

41 | P a g e

Rajya Sabha passed the 'National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill' on 3 January 2019.

The bill seeks to provide retrospective recognition to central and state government funded institutions offering B.Ed and related courses that are not recognised under the National Council for Teacher Education Act.

The Lok Sabha has already passed this bill on 23 July 2018.

RTE (Amendment) Bill, 2018 passed

On 3 January 2019, the Parliament passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

The Parliament empowered states to detain weak students in the same class if they fail to pass annual exams.

As per the current provisions of RTE Act, no student can be detained up to class 8th.

The bill also allows the reintroduction of examinations for primary schools.

Bill to amend Arunachal's ST list approved

The Union Cabinet approved the introduction of a bill to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.

The bill proposes the deletion of the 'Abor' tribe from the state's ST list as it is the same as 'Adi' tribe.

The bill seeks to include the Mishmi-Kaman (Miju Mishmi), Idu (Mishmi) and Taraon (Digaru Mishmi) tribes in the list.

Aadhaar Amendment Bill introduced in Lok Sabha

On 2 December 2018, the government of India introduced the Aadhar amendment bill in Lok Sabha.

The bill seeks to provide legal backing for voluntary seeding of biometric Aadhaar ID with mobile numbers and bank accounts after the Supreme Court barred mandatory use of the Aadhar by private firms.

In December 2018, the Union Cabinet approved amending the existing Aadhaar law.

Medical Council (Amendment) Bill passed in LS

The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill 2018 was passed in the Lok Sabha on 31 December 2018.

The bill aims to run the Medical Council of India (MCI) through a panel of eminent professionals.

The powers of the council have been vested in a Board of Governors (BoG).

It will continue to perform till a Council is constituted.


Date post:	24-Sep-2019
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	17 times
Download:	0 times

testbook · Tamil translation of French book wins award The Tamil translation of Andrei Makine's...

Documents