340CompendiumJan 2019

Compendium-January, 2019
National
International
Economics & Financial Awareness
Defence & Security - National/International
Appointments-National/International
Person Resigned/Retired
Sports
Honours / Awards
Obituaries
Important Days
Foreign Visits / Foreign Visitors
Current Affairs MCQs
National
India celebrates 70th Republic Day
 India celebrates 70th Republic Day honouring the date on which the Constitution of India
came into effect on 26 January 1950 replacing the
Government of India Act (1935).
 President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa is the chief
guest for this year's Republic Day parade.
 The Republic Day Parade Ceremony commenced with
Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the nation in
paying homage to the martyrs by laying a wreath at the
Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate.
 As per the tradition, after unfurling of the National Flag by the President, the national
anthem was played with a 21 gun salute.
 Key highlights
 The theme of the 70th Republic Day parade is 'life of Gandhi' which is a tribute to the father
of the nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary.
 A total of 22 tableaux, 16 from states and union territories and six from central government
ministries and departments, were part of the cultural parade overall theme of which was
life and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.
 Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani of Jammu and Kashmir was posthumously conferred with
the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award, by President Kovind. The
award was received by his Mother and Wife.
 The parade started from Vijay Chowk and proceeded towards the Red Fort grounds.
 For the first time, this year 4 veterans of Indian National Army who fought valiantly
against the imperial forces also took part in Republic Day Parade. They were Shri
Parmanand, Shri Lalti Ram, Shri Hira Singh and Shri Bhagmal.
 For the first time, all women marching contingent of the Assam Rifles took part in the
parade.
 Twenty-six children who have been awarded Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puruskar this
year also participated.
 Main Battle Tank of the Indian Army, T- 90 Bhishma, Infantry Combat Vehicle Ballway
Machine Pikate, K-9 Vajra-T, Ultra Light Howitzer and Akash weapon system were the
main draws at the parade.
 The grand finale of the parade was a spectacular flypast by the Indian Air force.
 The ceremony culminated with the national anthem and release of colourful balloons.
National Salt Satyagraha Memorial

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Salt Satyagraha Memorial at
Dandi in Navsari district, Gujarat. The memorial is conceived as an
experiential journey recreating the spirit and the energy of the 1930 Dandi
March led by Mahatma Gandhi and 80 of his fellow Satyagrahis.
 The memorial takes the visitors step by step through visualisation of
events to aid them in understanding the methodology of Satyagraha,
which finally led to India’s Independence from the British colonial rule.
 The Memorial is the project of the Ministry of Culture, Government of
India and is advised by a High-Level Dandi Memorial Committee (HLDMC) with IIT Bombay
as a Design Coordination Agency.
Andhra Pradesh High Court became the 25th High Court of India
 Andhra Pradesh High Court became the 25th High Court of India.
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of any of the contents of this work is a punishable offence under the laws of India.
 The High Court at the newly formed capital Amaravati came into existence from 1 January
2019.
 On the other hand the bifurcated High Court of Telangana also came into existence as a
separate entity on the same date.
 Justice T B.N. Radhakrishnan was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.
 Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan administered oath of office to
him.
 The Governor administered oath to Justice C. Praveen Kumar as the new acting chief justice
of the Andhra Pradesh high court on the same day.
 With this the erstwhile Hyderabad High Court ceased to exist.
 It is worth mentioning that the advocates and legal fraternity have been demanding
separate high court for Telangana ever since the separate state was carved out in 2014.
 However, the things moved fast after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu
gave in writing that the High Court in his state Capital, Amaravati will be readied by 31
December 2018.
 The Supreme Court had directed the Centre to bifurcate the existing high court in
Hyderabad.
 As per the notification, 12 judges, over 360 district and civil judges have been allotted to the
new Telangana state.
World’s longest expressway to come up in Uttar Pradesh

 The government of Uttar Pradesh has approved the construction of the Ganga Expressway.
The government has said that it would be the longest
expressway in the world. The expressway will provide for
better connectivity of the Prayagraj (Allahabad) to Western
Pradesh.
 Expressway
 Expressways are the highest class of roads in the road
network in India. National Expressways Authority of India
under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is
responsible for the construction and maintenance of
expressways.
 Expressways are controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access
ramps, lane dividers, etc., for high-speed traffic.
 This 600km Ganga Expressway would be constructed at an approximate cost of Rs 36,000
crores over 6,556 hectares of land. The expressway starting from Meerut will pass through
Amroha, Bulandshahr, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Farrukhabad, Hardoi, Kannauj, Unnao, Rae
Bareli, Pratapgarh before reaching Prayagraj.
106th edition of the Indian Science Congress (ISC) was inaugurated by PM

 The 106th edition of the Indian Science Congress (ISC) was inaugurated by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
 This annual congregation of the top scientific minds of the country is being hosted by
Lovely Professional University (Phagwara) institution.
 The 5-day event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on 3 January 2019.
 The theme of this year’s ISC is - FUTURE INDIA – Science and
Technology.
 The Congress will conclude on 7 January 2019.
 ISC is an annual event hosted by the Indian Science Congress
Association (ISCA), a premier scientific organisation of India
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with headquarters at Kolkata, West Bengal.
 The association started in the year 1914 in Kolkata and it meets annually in the first week
of January.
 It has a membership of more than 30,000 scientists.
FSSAI prohibit use of newspaper or recycled plastics for packing

 The Indian food regulator FSSAI notified new packaging regulations which primarily
prohibit use of newspaper or recycled plastics for packing.
 These regulations will come into effect from which date 1
July 2019.
 The FSSAI on 3 January 2019 notified new packaging
regulations which prohibit use of newspaper or recycled
plastics for packing, wrapping, storing, transporting or
dispensing articles of food products.
 The new regulation defines standards for different materials used for packaging of food
products.
 It has also prescribed overall migration and specific migration limits of contaminants for
plastic packaging materials.
 What is Food FSSAI ?
 Safety and Standards Authority of India is an autonomous body established under the
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
 The FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which is a
consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.
 Founded: August 2011
 Headquarters: New Delhi
Vande Bharat Express

 India’s fastest indigenous train, Train 18 named as Vande Bharat Express will ply between
Delhi and Varanasi. Train 18 is an indigenously developed world-class train under Make in
India. The 16-coach train has been built completely in India by Indian engineers in a span of
18 months at the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai.
 Features of the Vande Bharat Express
 Vande Bharat Express is the energy efficient and the first
locomotive-less train in the country and will be fully air-
conditioned. These trains run on electric traction like Metro
trains and will start replacing the Shatabdi Express fleet from
next year.
 The fares in these world-class trains are 40-50 per cent higher than the Shatabdi Express.
The train will cover 755 km distance in eight hours with stoppages at Kanpur and
Prayagraj. It would be the fastest train on the route.
 The new train provides number of features to enhance passenger comfort which include
inter-connected fully sealed gangways, automatic doors with retractable footsteps, onboard
Wi-Fi and infotainment, GPS-based passenger information system, modular toilets with bio-
vacuum systems, rotational seats which can be aligned in the direction of travel (available
only in the executive class), roller blinds and diffused LED lighting and disabled-friendly
toil
India's longest single lane steel cable suspension bridge opens in Arunachal
 Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated India's longest 300-meter single-lane steel cable
suspension bridge over Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Siang district bordering
China.
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 The suspension bridge - also known as Byorung bridge - was built at a cost of Rs 4,843
crore and funded by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region under Non
Lapsable Central Pool of Resources scheme.
 It will reduce the distance from Yingkiong to Tuting town by almost 40 km. The earlier road
length was 192 km.
 Khandu said the newly inaugurated bridge will benefit about 20,000 people residing on
both sides of the bank of Siang river and will also boost military preparedness.
 Noting that good connectivity was the way forward for the state's prosperity, the Chief
Minister said the Centre had sanctioned 268 road projects worth Rs 3,800 crore under
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
 He said for Upper Siang district's two PMGSY projects had been sanctioned.
 The projects are the 35 km road from Paling to Zido and the 30 km road from Zido to
Bishing, he told the gathering.
 The bridge was constructed under the non-lapsable central pool of resources (NLCPR) of
Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region at a cost of Rs 48.43 crore.
Samantha Express
 Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will launch a new train
Samantha Express on February 14 from Nagpur. The Samantha Express will cover
prominent places associated with Gautam Buddha and chief architect of
the Constitution Dr B R Ambedkar.
 Journey of Samantha Express
 The Samantha express will run through the following places:
 Chaityabhoomi (Mumbai): Dr Ambedkar was cremated here after his
death on 6 December 1956 and it hosts a memorial for Dr Ambedkar.
 Mhow (Indore): Dr Ambedkar was born at Mhow.
 Bodhgaya (Gaya): Bodhgaya is a place where Buddha is said to have
obtained Enlightenment under Bodhi Tree.
 Sarnath (Varanasi): Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma here.
 Lumbini (Nautanwa): It was here Gautama Buddha was born.
 Kushinagar (Gorakhpur): It was here Gautama Buddha attained Parinirvana after his death.
 Deekshabhoomi (Nagpur): It was here Dr Ambedkar converted to Buddhism.
Cabinet approves setting up of 3 new AIIMS

 The aim is to expand the outreach of quality health care to the remote corners of the nation,
 The Union Cabinet gave its nod to the proposal for establishing three new All India Institute
of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) including one each for Jammu and Kashmir region and one at
Gujarat.
 The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for
establishing AIIMS at Vijaynagar, Samba, Jammu at a cost of Rs 1661 Crore; Awantipura,
Pulwama, Kashmir at a cost of Rs 1828 Crore and at Rajkot, Gujarat at a cost of Rs 1195
Crore.
 The approval follows the Prime Minister's vision and upholds the spirit of 'Sabka Saath,
SabkaVikas'.
 Two new AIIMS, one each for Jammu Region and Kashmir Region in the State of Jammu &
Kashmir was announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the Prime Minister's
Development Package and AIIMS in Gujarat was announced by the Finance Minister in his
Budget Speech.
 Each new AIIMS will have 100 undergraduate (MBBS) seats and 60 B.Sc (Nursing) seats and
will have 15-20 super specialty Departments.
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 Each new AIIMS will add around 750 hospital beds. As per data of current functional AIIMS,
it is expected that each new AIIMS would cater to around 1500 OPD patients per day and
around 1000 IPD patients per month.
 The new AIIMS in the states will lead to employment generation for nearly 3000 people in
each of the AIIMS.
124th Constitutional Amendment Bill passed

 Parliament on 9 January 2019 cleared the Constitutional Amendment Bill guaranteeing
10% quota in education and employment to economically weaker
sections in the general category.
 This followed the approval of the bill by the Rajya Sabha.
 The Lok Sabha had passed the bill a day earlier on 8 January 2019.
Later on 12 January 2019 President Ram Nath Kovind signed the Bill
to give it constitutional authority.
 The pertaining constitutional amendment bill is the 124 Amendment Bill that was
introduced by Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot in the
Parliament on 7 January 2019.
 The reservation would be applicable to jobs in both Central and State governments.
 However, the legislation gives powers to States to determine the economic criteria for
identification of beneficiaries.
PM inaugurates Four museums in Red Fort Complex

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Museum, Yaad-e-
Jallian Museum (museum on the Jallianwala Bagh and World War I), the
Museum on 1857- India’s first war of Independence, and Drishyakala-
Museum on Indian Art within the Red Fort complex.
 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Museum
 The Subhash Chandra Bose museum at Red Fort was inaugurated to
mark the Netaji’s 122nd birth anniversary. This Museum on Subhash
Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army showcases different
artifacts related to Netaji and Indian National Army which includes a wooden chair and
sword used by the Netaji, medals, badges and uniforms. The museum in the Red Fort
complex is also important for the fact that INA trails were held within the Red Fort
complex.
 Yaad-e-Jallian Museum
 The Yaad-e-Jallian Museum provides an authentic account of Jallianwala Bagh massacre
happened on April 13, 1919. The Yaad-e-Jallian Museum will also showcase the heroism,
valor and sacrifices made by Indian soldiers during World War-1.
 Museum on 1857- India’s first war of Independence
 The Museum on 1857- India’s first war of Independence portrays the historical narrative of
1857 war of independence, showcasing the valor and sacrifices made by Indians during the
period.
 Drishyakala-Museum on Indian Art
 The Drishyakala-Museum on Indian Art showcases Indian art works from 16th century till
India’s independence.
Sikkim government launched “One Family, One Job” scheme

 Sikkim state government on 12 January 2019 launched “One Family, One Job” scheme to
ensure job security for the state citizens.
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 Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling launched the ambitious
scheme that envisions employment to a member of every family
which does not have a government job in the state.
 The Chief Minister personally handed out temporary appointment
letters to two beneficiaries from each of the 32 Assembly
constituencies in the state as a token gesture to kick-start the
scheme.
 At present recruitments are being made for Group C and Group D posts in 12 government
departments. Under this scheme, all loan debts in the farming and agriculture sector would
be revoked.
Hampi listed at the second place in the New York Times’ list of ‘52 Places to Go in 2019’
 The tourist town of Hampi in Karnataka was listed at the second place in the New York
Times’ list of ‘52 Places to Go in 2019’.
 Hampi is the only Indian destination, which has managed to secure a place in the list.
 The top position is held by the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, which was ravaged by
Hurricane Maria in late 2017.
 Located in Hosapete taluk of Ballari district, there are 57 major monuments in Hampi, most
of which come under the core zone of Hampi, including four villages spread across 41.8 sq.
km.
 It is best known for several Hindu temples that have been constructed in the Dravidian
style of architecture.
 However, Hampi’s most famous icon is the stone chariot in the Vittala Temple. Over six lakh
tourists including foreigners, flock to Hampi annually.
ISRO puts ‘lightest satellite’ Kalamsat V2 into orbit

 Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has launched the Kalamsat-V2 from Sriharikota
space centre.
 Kalamsat-V2
 The satellite is named after former president and Indian
scientist Dr Abdul Kalam. The features of the Kalamsat V2
satellite are:
 It is the lightest satellite to be ever built and launched into
orbit and it is also Isro’s first launch of a satellite built by a
private firm.
 It is a communications satellite for ham radio transmission, a
form of wireless communication used by amateurs for non-commercial activities.
 The satellite is being built by students belonging to Space Kidz India, a Chennai-based space
education firm. The satellite cost 1.2m Indian rupees and was built during the span of six
days.
 The Satellite was launched using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) – a four-stage rocket.
Delhi HC allows release of Movie ‘72 Hours – Martyr who never died’
 The Delhi High Court has allowed the release of the movie ‘72 Hours – Martyr who never
died’. The film was based on the life of the 1962 war hero Rifleman
Jaswant Singh Rawat. Jaswant Singh Rawat was posthumously
awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for gallantry during the 1962 war.
 The family members of the Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat had sought a
stay on the release citing it intrudes their privacy.
 Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat
 Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat was serving as an Indian Army soldier
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serving in the Garhwal Rifles. He was serving in the 4th battalion of Garhwal Rifles during
the battle of Nuranang of the North-East Frontier Agency (now Arunachal Pradesh)in the
war of 1962.
 On 17 November 1962 Garhwal Rifles had beaten back two enemy
attacks. During the third attack Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat along
with Lance Naik Trilok Singh Negi and Rifleman Gopal Singh Gusain,
volunteered to silence the Chinese medium machine gun (MMG) which
had come close to the Indian defences.
 Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat along with Rifleman Gopal Singh Gusain
with covering fire from with Lance Naik Trilok Singh destroyed the
Chinese detachment of five men, seizing the MMG in the process.
 While returning Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat along with Lance Naik Trilok Singh were
killed and Rifleman Gopal Singh Gusain was seriously injured.
 Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat was honoured by building a memorial at the post where he
fought the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and it was named as “Jaswant Garh”. He is also
bestowed with another honour as per which he continues to serve even after death. He has
been awarded promotions as if he is still serving.
National Museum of Indian Cinema Inaugurated

 The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the National Museum of Indian Cinema
(NMIC) at Films Division of India premises in Mumbai.
 National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC)
 The National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) aims to conserve the
film heritage of India. The important aspects of NMIC are:
 NMIC is housed in two buildings, the New Museum Building and the
19th-century historic palace Gulshan Mahal – in the Films Division
campus in Mumbai.
 The museum provides a glimpse of the evolution of Indian cinema in a
storytelling mode with the help of visuals, graphics, artifacts, interactive exhibits, and
multimedia expositions.
 Posters have been on display at NMIC to map the journey of Indian cinema over the last
century.
 The museum also hosts scenes from landmark films like Dadasaheb Phalke’s Raja
Harishchandra and Kaliya Mardan, replicas of old cameras and long-missing shooting
equipment, and rare photographs.
 The verandah of Gulshan Mahal takes visitors through the multiple eras of Hindi and
regional cinema, with the showcasing of posters, booklets, lobby cards and other exhibits.
 The Museum was refurbished by Navratna public sector undertaking NBCC (India) Limited
under the guidance of the Museum Advisory Committee headed by Shyam Benegal, and an
innovation committee headed by Prasoon Joshi.
Pune to soon be first city in country to see a traffic robot

 The Traffic Police Department of Pune is looking at a futuristic model to maintain traffic
flow and spread awareness about the traffic rules.
 The traffic police authorities of Pune are planning to
introduce a robot named ‘Roadeo’ which would move around
city roads, functioning as a quasi-traffic policeman and
cautioning commuters about traffic rules and offences.
 Roadeo consists of 16-inch LED display to showcase traffic
rules and other important messages such as ‘Wear a helmet’,
‘Do not jump the signal’ and others.
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 The Hands of the Roadeo is also engineered to move and show stop signs to vehicles.
Roadeo is also equipped with a siren, skid-steering wheels.
 It is a first of its kind initiative in the entire country.
 If this pilot project turns out to be successful it would go a long way in easing the traffic
management burden and reducing the workload of overburdened policemen.
DD Science, India Science channels launched by

 The Department of Science and Technology and Doordarshan launched two science
communications initiatives - DD Science and India Science.
 An agreement between Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous organisation under Department of
Science and Technology and Doordarshan, was signed on the occasion.
 The channels will have science based documentaries, studio based discussions, virtual walk
through of scientific institutions, interviews and short films and will be completely free to
access.
 DD Science is a one hour slot on Doordarshan National channel.
 While DD Science is a one hour slot on Doordarshan National channel, India Science is an
internet based channel.
 Doordarshan reaches over 3 crore houses in the country and would be an impactful
medium for the popularisation of science.
 Doordarshan would be an ideal platform to send the scientific findings across.
 The channels were dedicated to science and will “enhance the spirit of enquiry in children”.
15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention was formally inaugurated at Varanasi

 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention was formally inaugurated on 22 January 2019 by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
 This annual event associated with the Indian diaspora was held in Varanasi city.
 For the first time, the three-day-long convention was organised from 21 January to 23
January instead of 9 January to allow participants to visit the Kumbh mela in Prayagraj and
attend the Republic Day parade in New Delhi.
 The theme of this year's convention was “The Role of Indian Diaspora in building new
India”.
 The Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth was the chief guest of the event while
Himanshu Gulati, member of Parliament of Norway, was the special guest.
Arunachal Government declares Pakke Hornbill fest as ‘State Festival’

 The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh ‘Pema Khandu’ has
declared Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF) as the ‘State
Festival’ at Seijosa in East Kameng district at Arunachal Pradesh.
 Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department will fund the festival from
2020 and permanent infrastructure will be constructed for the
festival ground.
 The PPHF festival was celebrated first time in 2015 to recognize the role played by the
resident Nyishi tribe in conserving hornbills in the Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR).
 Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF) is only conservation festival of Arunachal Pradesh.
Nitin Gadkari dedicates to nation Kerrian Gandyal bridge in Kathua

 Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin
Gadkaridedicated to the nation Kerrian Gandyal bridge in Jammu
and Kashmir.
 The 1.2 km long bridge has been constructed over river Ravi in
Kathua district at a cost of rupees 158.84 crore.
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 This will reduce the distance between the two cities from 45 kms to 8.6 kms and benefit
over 2,20,000 people living on the two sides – Kathua (Jammu) and Pathankot(Punjab).
'Roshni’ to help visually impaired identify notes

 The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar has developed an Android
app ‘Roshni’ that would help the Visually Impaired to recognise
currency notes in Chandigarh.
 The Roshni app can recognise both old and new notes and gives
audio information as to which note you are holding in your hands.
 There are about 80 lakh visually impaired people in the country,
who will benefit from the initiative.
 The Roshni is the first Android App that works successfully with new INR currency notes.
 The user must bring the currency note in front of the phone camera and the App would give
an audio intimation about the currency note denomination to the user.
Nari Shakti is Oxford Dictionary’s Hindi Word of the year 2018

 The Oxford Dictionaries has announced ‘Nari Shakti’ (women empowerment) as the Hindi
Word of the Year 2018.
 The word was selected by the Oxford Dictionaries (India) with
help of a panel of language experts.
 Nari Shakti (derived from Sanskrit), broken down, the word ‘nari’
means women and ‘shakti’ means power.
 The Hindi Word of the Year chosen every year, reflects the
conversations, ethos of a particular year.
 In 2017, Oxford Dictionaries had chosen 'Aadhar' as the word of the year.
Fair Value for Innovation launched at Raisina Dialogue

 The Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) of the United States Chamber of Commerce has
launched a new innovation initiative Fair Value for Innovation at the Raisina
Dialogue in New Delhi.
 Fair Value for Innovation
 The Fair Value for Innovation initiative would
 Examine economic underpinnings that would enable breakthrough
innovation.
 Explore how policymakers can harness innovation capital in India and
around the globe through research, advocacy, partnerships, and
programs.
 Raisina Dialogue
 The Raisina Dialogue is a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral discussion, involving heads of
state, cabinet ministers and local government officials, as well as major private sector
executives, members of the media and academics.
 The Raisina Dialogue has emerged as India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-
economics. The Dialogue is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration
with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. It was designed on the lines of
Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue.
 The dialogue is named after Raisina Hill, which is the seat of the Government of India, as
well as the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
 The first Raisina Dialogue was held in 2016 with the theme “Asia: Regional and Global
Connectivity”. The theme of the 2019 dialogue is “A World Reorder: New Geometries; Fluid
Partnerships; Uncertain Outcomes”.
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India’s second Tulip garden to come up in Uttarakhand
 Uttarakhand Government has obtained the permission to develop
the Tulip garden in Pithoragarh district.
 It will be the second Tulip garden (first in Srinagar, J&K) in the
country.
 The site was selected under the 13 districts, 13 new destinations’
scheme, to attract more tourists to Uttarakhand.
 It will be developed by ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation), under its CSR program in
over 50 hectares of forest land near Chandak hilltop in Pithoragarh district at a cost of Rs.
50 cr.
 Tulips (Tulipa) flowers are usually large, showy and brightly coloured, generally red, pink,
yellow, or white (usually in warm colours).
 The tulip is a member of the Liliaceae (lily) family, adapted to steppes and mountainous
areas with temperate climates.
 Tulip blooms from mid-March to May.
India signs an agreement with OECD for participation in PISA 2021

 Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry has signed an agreement
with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) for India’s Participation in Programme for
International Student Assessment (PISA) 2021.
 The question to Indian students will be related to India's
perspective only.
 The student assessment by PISA will ensure learning outcome through education.
 PISA is a triennial international survey which aims to evaluate the education system
worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students.
 The CBSE and NCERT will be part of the process and activities leading to the actual test.
CBI files case against former ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar
 The CBI has booked former ICICI Bank CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak
Kochhar and Videocon group MD Venugopal Dhoot in connection
with alleged cheating and irregularities in loans sanctioned by the
bank to the group in 2012, officials said Thursday.
 "It was alleged that the accused sanctioned certain loans to private
companies in a criminal conspiracy with others to cheat ICICI bank,"
the CBI spokesperson said.
 It is alleged that Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot allegedly invested crores of rupees in
Nupower months after the Videocon group got Rs 3,250 crore as loan from the ICICI Bank
in 2012, they said.
 The move comes 10 months after the CBI registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) against
Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot, Deepak Kochhar and unidentified others in March
last year, they said.
Javadekar inaugurates new campus of National Museum Institute at Noida

 The Union Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD) Prakash Javadekar has
inaugurated the new campus of the National Museum Institute at
Noida.
 He said that there is a huge scope for the courses offered by the
Institute like the history of arts, conservation, museology among
others.
 For its independent campus, a land of approx. three acres was
11 |
allotted at NOIDA by the NOIDA Development Authority (NDA).
 The total budget of Rs.90.40 crores (including 10% escalation charges) the project was
completed by CPWD in a span of about 4 years.
 PM Modi inaugurated the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Convention at Varanasi, Uttar
Pradesh. For the first time, it is being organized in Varanasi. The theme of PBD Convention
2019 is ―Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India.
 India will host the 14th session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to address the issue of land degradation
and desertification which will have participation from over 100 countries. It is likely to be
held in October 2019.
 PM Modi has dedicated the Kollam Bypass on the National Highway-66 to the nation. It
reduces travel time between Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram. This is the first National
Highway project in the country taken up on a 50:50 Centre-State partnership.
 India got its largest startup ecosystem when Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
inaugurated a 1.8-lakh-square-feet facility housing incubation set-ups across a string of
segments in modern technology. The Integrated Startup Complex under the Kerala Startup
Mission (KSUM) includes the ultra-modern facilities of Maker Village that promote
hardware startups, the BioNest that promotes medical technologies, BRINC which is the
country's first international accelerator for hardware startups.
 India has taken over operations of the Chabahar port in the Sistan-Balochistan province of
Iran, the first time India will operate a port outside its territory.
 India achieved yet another milestone in the power sector with the completion of
electrification in 100% households in 25 states at year end. Now, only about 10.48 lakh
households are left to be electrified in 4 states - Assam, Rajasthan, Meghalaya and
Chhattisgarh.
 Indian Parliament passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education
(Amendment) Bill, 2018 that seeks to do away with the no-detention policy in schools. The
Bill seeks to amend the Right to Education (RTE) Act to abolish the ―no-detention policy in
schools.
 Indian Parliament passed the National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill,
2018. It seeks to amend the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act, 1993. The
bill aims to grant retrospective recognition to Central and State institutions which had
conducted teacher education courses without approval by the Council. This will ensure that
the future of about 17 thousand students having degrees from such institutions is secured.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. The National Salt Satyagraha Memorial has been inaugurated in which state?
a) Uttar Pradesh b) Bihar c) Jharkhand d) Gujarat
2. Which word was declared as the 'Hindi Word of the Year 2018' by the Oxford Dictionary?
a) Aadhaar b) Nari Shakti c) Bahubali d) Vikaas
3. Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on January 29, 2019 approved the construction of a four-lane Ganga
Expressway connecting which city to Western Utter Pradesh?
a) Agra b) Varanasi c) Prayagraj d) Lucknow
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4. The 2nd edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha was held in which city recently?
a) New Delhi b) Mumbai c) Pune d) Ranchi
5. Which city is hosting the first-ever national conference on ‘prison design’?

a) Hyderabad b) Visakhapatnam c) Chennai d) Bengaluru
6. The first cash and carry store of the common service centres has been opened in which
among the following districts of Uttar Pradesh?
a) Allahabad b) Ayodhya c) Lucknow d) Muradabad
7. Which train was recently named as the ‘Vande Bharat Express’ by the Railways Ministry?
a) Train 18 b) 23 Humsafar Express
c) Antyodaya 10 d) Uday Express 1
8. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship on January 24,

2019 launched new reforms and guidelines for which programme?
a) Atal Innovation Mission b) UNNATI Program
c) Jan Shikshan Sansthan d) Skill India Mission
9. Name the students' satellite that was launched by ISRO on January 24, 2019?
a) Kalamsat b) Microsat-R c) Cartosat-2 d) SmallSat
10. Which Ministry notified the 2019 Coastal Regulation Zone norms recently?
a) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
b) Ministry of Shipping
c) Ministry of Commerce & Industry
d) Ministry of Power
11. Which institution recently held that the marriage between Hindu woman and Muslim man
is irregular?
a) Central Government b) President Ram Nath Kovind
c) Supreme Court d) Parliament
12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a museum relating to which freedom
fighter at the Red Fort in Delhi?
a) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad b) Bhagat Singh
c) Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose d) Chandrashekhar Azad
13. The Yaad-e-Jallian museum that provides a historical account of the Jallianwala Bagh
massacre has been unveiled in which Indian monument?
a) Qutub Minar b) Jantar Mantar c) Old Fort d) Red Fort
14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Museum of Indian Cinema in
which city?
a) New Delhi b) Pune c) Gurgaon d) Mumbai
15. Which among the following branches of IIT has announced the launch of a full-fledged
B.Tech course in Artificial Intelligence?
a) IIT Delhi b) IIT Madras c) IIT Hyderabad d) IIT Roorkee
13 |
16. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the National Museum of Indian Cinema in
which city?
a) New Delhi b) Pune c) Mumbai d) Gurgaon
17. Which state decided to ban the production, sale and use of single-use plastic products in the
Union Territory from March 1, 2019?
a) Goa b) Puducherry c) Manipur d) Sikkim
18. The world's largest religious and cultural human congregation, ‘Kumbh 2019’ began in
which city?
a) Ujjain b) Nasik c) Haridwar d) Prayagraj
19. The Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019 came into effect on January 14, 2019. It
provides what percentage of reservation quota for the economically weaker sections in the
general category?
a) 7 percent b) 8.5 percent c) 10 percent d) 15 percent
20. Which state has become the first one to implement 10 per cent quota for EWS in general
category?
a) Madhya Pradesh b) Gujarat c) Uttar Pradesh d) Maharashtra
21. The Lok Sabha has passed which bill that seeks to make illegal migrants from 6 religions
eligible for citizenship?
a) Citizenship Amendment bill b) Citizen Charter Bill
c) Refugee and Migrant Bill d) National Register of Citizens Bill
22. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on January 3, 2019 notified the new food
packaging regulations. The regulator asked food businesses to comply with new regulations
by which deadline?
a) May 1, 2019 b) June 1, 2019 c) July 1, 2019 d) August 1, 2019
23. Prime Minister Modi unveiled a plaque to mark the inauguration of the Dolaithabi Barrage
project in which state on January 4, 2018?
a) Meghalaya b) Nagaland c) Assam d) Manipur
24. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 6th IRRI South Asia Regional Centre
(ISARC) in which city?
a) Varanasi b) Ghazipur c) Agra d) Lucknow
25. The Lok Sabha has passed the Personal Laws (Amendment Bill), 2018 to remove which
disease as a ground for divorce?
a) HIV/AIDS b) Alzheimer's c) Leprosy d) Schizophrenia
26. The HRD Ministry has constituted a task force to look into the issues of suicides of the
students studying in which schools?
a) Kendriya Vidyalayas b) Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas
c) Indian Army Public Schools d) Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas
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International
International Year of the Period Table of Chemical Elements
 UNESCO has declared 2019 as the International Year of the Period Table of Chemical
Elements to commemorate the 150th birthday of the periodic table of
chemical elements. The Periodic table of the Chemical elements was first
published by Russian scientist Dmitry Mendeleev in the year 1869.
 What is this Periodic Table of Chemical Elements?
 The Periodic Table of Chemical Elements is the tabular arrangement of
the chemical elements, arranged by atomic number, electron
configuration, and recurring chemical properties. The important
features of the periodic table are:
 The seven rows of the table are called as periods and generally accommodate metals on the
left and non-metals on the right.
 The columns of the table are called groups and contain elements with similar chemical
behaviours.
 The elements from atomic numbers 1 (hydrogen) to 118 (oganesson) have been discovered
in nature or synthesized in laboratories.
 The first 98 elements listed in the periodic table occur naturally, though some are found
only in trace amounts and a few were discovered in nature only after having first been
synthesized.
 Elements from 99 to 118 have only been synthesized in laboratories or nuclear reactors.
 Efforts are on to elements having higher atomic numbers these elements would begin
the eighth row, and theoretical work has been done to suggest possible candidates for this
extension.
 To celebrate the International Year of the Period Table of Chemical Elements the UNESCO
would be organising events like online competition to test high school students’ knowledge
of the table, and scientific experiments brought to schools around the world.
Venezuela announces breaking off diplomatic ties with the US

 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced that the country
has cut off diplomatic relations with the United States, giving
American diplomats 72 hours to leave the country.
 The United States has rejected Maduro's move to break diplomatic
ties, saying it did not think he had the authority to cut ties and it
would conduct relations with a government led by opposition
leader Juan Guaido.
 Earlier that day, US President Donald Trump said that the United States had recognized
Juan Guaido as the Venezuela's "interim president," a move that came after Maduro was
inaugurated as president of the Latin American country earlier this month.
 The European Union has called for the immediate start of the political process in the South
American nation.
 Venezuela has been in economic freefall for a number of years under Maduro's leadership.
 Hyperinflation and key shortages, including of food, has forced millions out of the country.
 The capital of Venezuela is Caracas and the currency is Venezuelan bolívar.
Palestine takes over chairmanship of G77

 Palestine has taken over the chairmanship of G77 from Egypt. Palestine will be formally
elected chair at the annual G77 ministerial meeting, scheduled to take place in mid-
September.
15 |
 The chairmanship of the G77 is based on the system of geographical
rotation. 2019 was Asia’s turn and the Asian group had unanimously
endorsed Palestine. Egypt was representing the African Group of
countries.
 Palestine’s chairmanship of G77 which is the biggest UN block assumes
great significance at a time it is being increasingly blacklisted by the
Trump administration of US. Even though Palestine is not the member-
state of UN, Palestine has been recognised by 136 UN members and has
the status of non-member observer state similar to Holy city of Vatican.
 G77
 G77 is a coalition of 134 developing nations (including China) at the United Nations.
Traditionally G77 speaks with a single voice before the 193-member General Assembly and
also at all UN committee meetings and at international conferences.
 G77 was formed on 15 June 1964 by the “Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Countries”
issued at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The group
was credited with a common stance against apartheid and for supporting
global disarmament.
Times Higher Education Emerging Economies University Rankings 2019

 The London-based Times Higher Education (THE), a global organisation that produces data,
analysis and expertise on higher education has released the Emerging Economies
University Rankings 2019. The 2019 ranking comprises of
450 universities from 43 countries, across four continents.
 Performance Indicators
 The rankings use 13 performance indicators to provide
comprehensive and balanced comparisons to reflect the
characteristics of the emerging economy universities.
 These 13 performance indicators are grouped under 5 categories: Teaching (the learning
environment); Research (volume, income and reputation); citations (research influence);
International outlook (staff, students and research); and industry income (knowledge
transfer).
 Findings in the Rankings
 The standings of Indian universities in the rankings are as outlined below:
 The Indian Institute of Science has topped the rankings among Indian institutes with 14th
rank; the second spot among Indian Institutes was occupied by the Indian Institute of
Technology Bombay with 27th rank.
 IIT Roorkee has moved up by 21 places to 35th rank due to improvements in its research
(volume, income and reputation) and industry income (knowledge transfer).
 IIT Indore (61st) and the JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research are at joint 64th
position.
 Savitribai Phule Pune University has moved up by 87 positions to joint 93rd, alongside the
National Autonomous University of Mexico. The increase in the rankings of Savitribai Phule
Pune University is attributed to its research score and a significant rise to its citations
score.
 Banaras Hindu University, Amrita University, Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research, Pune and IIT Hyderabad also features among the top 150 in the rankings.
 The Universities of Mainland China are most represented in the rankings with 72
institutions in total.
16 |
SpaceX-CRS-16 Dragon craft departed from the International Space Station
 The SpaceX cargo craft departed from the International Space Station after its successful
mission to deliver scientific equipment and other supplies.
 The SpaceX-CRS-16 Dragon successfully delivered more than 2,500 kilograms (5,600
pounds) of cargo to the space station and orbited Earth for five weeks. The SpaceX-CRS-16
Dragon craft is expected to splash down just west of Baja, California.
 SpaceX-CRS-16 Dragon
 The SpaceX-CRS-16 Dragon is a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International
Space Station launched by NASA. The NASA had contracted
this mission to SpaceX for launch.
 International Space Station
 The International Space Station is a habitable artificial
satellite, in low Earth orbit. The ISS maintains an orbit with
an altitude of between 330 and 435 km (205 and 270 mi) by
means of reboost manoeuvres and circles the Earth in
roughly 92 minutes and completes 15.5 orbits per day
 The ISS programme is a joint project between five participating space agencies
: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).
Chang’e 4 spacecraft became the first ever to land on the far side of the moon
 Chinese spacecraft Chang'e 4 became the first ever spacecraft to land on the far side of the
moon.
 Chang'e 4 is the name of the Chinese lunar exploration
mission that achieved the first soft-landing on the far side of
the Moon, on 3 January 2019.
 It was launched by the China National Space Administration
(CNSA) and this robotic probe landed in the unexplored South
Pole-Aitken basin, the largest, oldest, deepest, crater on the moon’s surface.
 It was launched from the Earth on 7 December 2018 and it entered Moon’s orbit on 12
December 2018.
 Like its predecessors, the spacecraft is named after Chang'e, the Chinese Moon goddess.
Bloomberg Innovation Index 2019: Key Facts

 The Bloomberg Innovation Index analyses each country in a range of areas including
education, research and development, and manufacturing before coming up with a list of
the 60 most innovative countries.
 The countries are ranked on the basis of their overall ability to innovate considering seven-
equal weighted metrics such as research & development intensity, manufacturing value-
added, productivity, high-tech density, tertiary efficiency, researcher concentration, patent
activity.
 How the Countries are ranked?
 The ranking of the various countries under the index are:
 The index is topped by South Korea for the sixth time in a row with a total score of 87.38.
 South Korea is closely followed by Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Israel, Singapore,
Sweden, U.S., Japan and France in the top 10.
 The United States has surged back into top 10 this year after it was left behind from the top
10 in 2018 Bloomberg Innovation index.
 China has jumped three places to 16th rank largely due to the surge in patent activity.
 India stands at 54th spot in the Bloomberg Innovation Index with a score of 47.93 out of
100.
 India’s ranking under different matrices
17 |
 India stood at 47th place in research & development intensity, 54th place in manufacturing
value-added, 58th place in productivity, 29th place in high-tech density, 51st in tertiary
efficiency, 59th in researcher concentration and 36th in patent activity.
 Bloomberg Innovation Index published top 60 economies out of 95 economies analysed for
the ranking process for the year 2019 based on a score from 0-100 on the basis of seven
equal-weighted metrics.
WORLD DYNAMIC CITY 2019

 The City Momentum Index of JLL which identifies World Dynamic Cities has been released
by the property consultant JLL.
 The City Momentum Index of JLL measures momentum for
131 of the world’s most commercially active cities by tracking
a range of socio-economic and commercial real estate
indicators over a three-year period to identify the urban
economies and real estate markets undergoing the most
rapid expansion.
 What is JLL’s City Momentum Index?
 It measures momentum for 131 of the world’s most commercially active cities.
 This is done by tracking a range of socio-economic and commercial real estate indicators
over a three-year period to identify the urban economies and real estate markets
undergoing the most rapid expansion.
 Silicon Valley of India, Bengaluru has emerged as the world’s most dynamic city.
 The absence of European and American cities demonstrates a marked East-West growth
divide,reflecting Asia’s continued rapid urbanization and economic growth, driven by
globalization,innovation and demographic factors.
 Overall, Indian and Chinese cities dominate the rankings, accounting for three quarters of
the top 20.
 Key drivers of growth:
 Asia continues to show strong momentum, in terms of attracting capital, companies and
people. Tech sector is a key driver of both real estate and economic momentum–driven by
large technology firms as well as dynamic start-ups.
 Challenges: Investing in infrastructure and greater transparency is essential.
 The cities need to address the environmental and social impacts of rapid growth such as
social inequality, congestion and environmental degradation.
Global Talent Competitive Index: Key Facts

 The Global Talent Competitive Index prepared by the INSEAD business school in
partnership with Tata Communications and Adecco Group was released on the first day of
the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2019.
 The Global Talent Competitive Index measures how countries and cities
grow, attract and retain talent, ranking 125 countries and 114 cities
across all groups of income and levels of development.
 Where does India stand?
 The findings of the 2019 Global Talent Index for India are:
 Even though India has moved up one position to rank 80th on the global
talent competitive index, India remains a laggard among the BRICS
nations.
 India’s performance was better than its lower-income peers when it comes to growing
talent (48th) and access to growth opportunities (41st).
 In spite of the scope for improvement across the board, India’s biggest challenge is to
improve its ability to attract (95th) and retain (96th) talent.
18 |
 India needs to address its poor level of Internal Openness (116th) in particular with respect
to weak gender equality and low tolerance towards minorities and immigrants and its
disappointing showing in lifestyle (112th) indicators.
 Global Findings
 The global findings of the Index are:
 Switzerland is followed by Singapore, the US, Norway and Denmark in the top five on the
list.
 The talent gap between higher and lower-income countries has widened over the last five
years.
 Countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa are seeing a progressive erosion of their talent
base.
 China’s ranking fell by two places to 45. Even then China is the best performer among
BRICS countries.
 The report cities rather than countries are developing stronger roles as talent hubs and will
be crucial in reshaping the global talent scene.
 The top-ranked city in the index is Washington DC, followed by Copenhagen, Oslo, Vienna
and Zurich.
 The study found that entrepreneurial talent has become a key differentiator in relative
talent competitiveness.
First human rights TV channel vows to 'give a voice to voiceless'

 The world’s first television channel dedicated to human
rights was launched in London with a promise to deliver
hidden stories ignored by mainstream media into people’s
living rooms.
 The International Observatory of Human Rights (IOHR) said
its web-based channel would bring human rights issues to
audiences in over 20 countries across Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
 There are so many people in the world who cannot speak up, and it seems to be getting
worse and worse.
 Topics will include refugees, press freedom and the incarceration of journalists, extremism,
women’s rights, LGBT+ issues and the plight of the world’s stateless people.
 Programs in the pipeline will look at China 30 years after the crackdown on the Tiananmen
Square pro-democracy protests, the positive and negative impacts of technology on women,
and the human rights implications of Brexit, Britain’s departure from the European Union
in March.
 Broadcasts can be viewed via the netgem.tv interactive platform and will shortly be
available via a mobile app.
 Programming is in English, but IOHR eventually hopes to broadcast in other languages
including Farsi, Turkish, Arabic and Russian.
Brazil Dam collapse: Death toll rises to 58 with 305 people missing
 According to Brazil’s Minas Gerais state civil defence
agencyspokesman, the death toll from a burst tailing dam at an iron
ore mine has risen to 58 people with 305 people still missing.
 Hundreds of people are still missing, and the extent of damage is
still being calculated, especially in the mining town of Brumadinho.
 Rescue teams resumed their search for hundreds of people still missing.
 Earlier, the dam collapsed in Minas Gerais' Brumadinho municipality, triggering heavy mud
floods.
19 |
Sugarcane juice declared ‘national drink’ of Pakistan
 Pakistan government conducted a Twitter poll and declared sugarcane
juice as the “national drink” of the country.
 According to the poll, 7,616 people or 81% cast their votes favouring
sugarcane juice, 15% voted for orange juice while 4% chose carrot.
 People were asked to decide on the country’s national drink with two other options (orange
and carrot).
Rio de Janeiro recognised as World Capital of Architecture 2020

 Rio de Janeiro has been recognised as ‘World Capital of Architecture’ for 2020 by The
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
 Rio de Janeiro will be hosting the World Congress of the International Union of Architects
(UIA) in July 2020. The theme of the 2020 World Congress of the International Union of
Architects is “All the worlds. Just one world,”
 UNESCO in the release said that “Through the range and quality of its activities, the World
Capital of Architecture in Rio de Janeiro will demonstrate the crucial
role of architecture and culture in sustainable urban development.”
 World Capital of Architecture
 The World Capital of Architecture initiative underscores the common
commitment of UNESCO and the UIA to preserve architectural heritage
in the urban context.
 UNESCO designates the World Capital of Architecture as per the
partnership agreement with the UIA. The World Capital of Architecture
also hosts the UIA’s World Congress, an event that takes place every three years.
 The World Capital of Architecture aims to become an international forum for debates about
pressing global challenges from the perspectives of culture, cultural heritage, urban
planning and architecture.
UAE & Saudi central banks launch common digital currency called 'Aber'
 The central banks of the UAE and Saudi Arabia have launched a common digital currency
called "Aber".
 It will be used in financial settlements between the two countries
through Blockchains and Distributed Ledgers technologies.
 It will establish an additional means for the central financial
transfer systems of the two countries and enable banks to directly
deal with each other in conducting financial remittances.
 Both the United Arab Emirates Central Bank (UAECB) and the Saudi Arabian Monetary
Authority (SAMA) are studying the impact on the improvement and reduction of remittance
costs and the assessments of risks.
Volcano erupts on Kuchinoerabu island of Japan

 A volcano has erupted on Kuchinoerabu Island of Japan. The eruption occurred on Mount
Shindake. Mount Shindake had experienced explosive eruption in 2015. Japan’s
Meteorological Agency has alerted people for volcanic rocks and
pyroclastic flows.
 Kuchinoerabu Island
 Kuchinoerabu Island belongs to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The
entire island lies within the borders of the Kirishima-Yaku National
Park and the islanders are mainly dependent on fishing, agriculture and
seasonal tourism.
20 |
 The island is of volcanic origin and has an area of approximately 38 square kilometres. The
Island has an active volcano.
 Increased seismic activity in 2015 and an eruption resulted in an ash cloud. Eruptions in
December 2018 and January 2019 led to pyroclastic flows.
 Kagoshima Prefecture
 Kagoshima Prefecture (Prefecture is the first level of jurisdiction and administrative
division in Japan) located on the island of Kyushu in Japan. This prefecture includes a chain
of islands stretching further to the southwest of Kyushu for a few hundred kilometres.
 Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte along with UN representative launched Africa Centre
for Climate and Sustainable development. The new center is located near the Food and
Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome. The major objective is boosting the
agricultural sectors and promoting rural development in Africa.
 In Britain, lawmakers voted in favor of an amendment in BREXIT plan seeking alternative
arrangements to replace the Irish border arrangement known as the Irish backstop. The
backstop is aimed at keeping an open border between European Union-member Ireland
and British-ruled Northern Ireland after Brexit.
 Nepal‘s central bank banned the use of Indian currency notes of Rs. 2,000, Rs. 500 and Rs.
200 denominations, a move that could affect Indian tourists visiting the Himalayan nation
where Indian currency is widely used.
 World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meet begun in Davos, Switzerland. The theme would
be Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial
Revolution‘.
 Parliament of Macedonia passed the resolution to amend the constitution of the country to
rename it as the Republic of Northern Macedonia. The name change will help resolve a
decades-long dispute with neighboring Greece opening the way for Skopje to join NATO
and the European Union.
 Qatar withdrawn its membership from Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC). Qatar has been in OPEC for 57 years.
 United States & Israel officially quit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) with the close of 2018.
 Finance minister of France Bruno Le Maire announced that France will introduce its own
tax on large internet and technology companies from January 1. The so-called ―GAFA tax-
named after Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon -- to ensure the global giants pay a fair
share of taxes.
 U.S. President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA).
The act establishes a multifaceted U.S. strategy to increase U.S. security, economic interests,
and values in the Indo-Pacific region.
1. The central banks of which two nations have launched common digital currency called
'Aber'?
a) France, Germany b) UAE, Saudi Arabia c) Saudi Arabia, Qatar d) Qatar, UAE
2. Which country recently declared sugarcane juice as 'national drink'?

a) Afghanistan b) Myanmar c) Bangladesh d) Pakistan
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3. Which country has planned to form safe zones in Syria to enable safe return of Syrian
refugees?
a) US b) Saudi Arabia c) Israel d) Turkey
4. Which nation has broken off all diplomatic ties with the United States?
a) Canada b) Brazil c) Pakistan d) Venezuela
5. According to PwC report, India is likely to surpass which nation in the world's largest
economy rankings?
a) France b) China c) UK d) Japan
6. Which city has been named as the first World Capital of Architecture for 2020 by UNESCO?
a) Paris b) Geneva c) Tokyo d) Rio de Janeiro
7. Which country has changed its name to North Macedonia?

a) Greece b) Macedonia c) Armenia d) Bulgaria
8. Which among the following countries has become the new chair of G77, UN’s largest
intergovernmental organisation of developing countries?
a) India b) Palestine c) Pakistan d) South Africa
9. Where was the India-Central Asia Dialogue held in January 2019?

a) Uzbekistan b) Afghanistan c) Tajikistan d) Turkmenistan
10. The main camera of which of NASA’s space telescopes got shutdown recently due to
hardware problem?
a) James Webb Space Telescope b) Spitzer Space Telescope
c) Kepler Mission d) Hubble Space Telescope
11. Which among the following countries has decided to withdraw from UN-backed anti-
corruption commission?
a) Haiti b) Guatemala c) Syria d) Sudan
12. Which nation has introduced a new regulation to put an end to secret divorces?
a) UAE b) Bahrain c) Saudi Arabia d) Qatar
13. According to a study, which nation’s melting ice sheet is releasing tons of methane?
a) Iceland b) Greenland c) Antarctica d) Alaska
14. Which nation has passed a law to have own version of Islam, make it conform to socialism?
a) North Korea b) Russia c) China d) Germany
15. Which nation assumed the charge as Non-Permanent Members of UN Security Council on
January 1, 2019?
a) Bolivia b) Ethiopia c) Kazakhstan d) South Africa
16. Which nation ceased to be a member of OPEC from January 1, 2019?

a) Saudi Arabia b) Qatar c) Bahrain d) Oman
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World Economic Outlook Report: Key Facts
 The International Monetary Fund has released the global wealth forecasts for 2019 in its
World Economic Outlook report. The important findings of the IMF
forecast are:
 IMF cut its estimate for global growth in 2019. World Economic
Outlook (WEO) projecting global growth at 3.5% in 2019 and 3.6% in
2020 is 0.2 and 0.1 percentage point below last October’s projections.
 The global forecasts decline in the October report was attributed to the
negative effects of tariff increases enacted in the United
States and China.
 The further downward revision in the current report reflects carry over from
softer momentum in the second half of 2018.
 The impact introduction of new automobile fuel emission standards in Germany is expected
to adversely impact on the growth.
 In Italy, the concerns about sovereign and financial risks have weighed on domestic
demand but also weakening financial market sentiment as well as a contraction
in Turkey now projected to be deeper than anticipated.
 The report notes that the range of triggers beyond escalating trade tensions could spark a
further deterioration in risk sentiment with adverse growth implications, especially given
the high levels of public and private debt.
 These potential triggers include a no-deal withdrawal of the United Kingdom from
the European Union and a greater-than-envisaged slowdown in
 The forecasts for advanced economies has been revised downwards mainly due to
downward revisions for the euro area and within the euro area, there was a downward
revision for Germany and Italy due to the reasons mentioned above.
 The US expansion may witness a reverse trend with the unwinding of fiscal stimulus.
 The IMF forecast foresees a growth slowdown from 2.3% in 2018 to 2% in 2019 and 1.7%
in 2020 for advanced economies.
 The forecast foresees a growth tick down to 4.5% in 2019, with a rebound to 4.9% in 2020
for emerging and developing economies.
 The projections for the emerging and developing economies have been lowered (0.2
percentage point) from October mainly because of a largely projected contraction in
Turkey, downgrade to growth in Mexico in 2019-20.
 The rebound in 2020 is attributed to an expected recovery in Argentina and
 The headwinds due to weaker capital flows following higher US policy rates and exchange
rate depreciations are reflected in the outlook for emerging markets and developing
economies.
 The cyclical forces which propelled broad-based global growth since the second half of
2017 are weakening faster than the IMF expected in October. Hence the downward
revisions in the projections.
Oxfam Annual Wealth Check report 2019: Key Facts

 The Annual Wealth Check report 2019 of Oxfam has been released. The
release of the report marked the start of the World Economic Forum in
Davos. The important features of the report are:
 26 richest billionaires own as many assets as the 3.8 billion people who
make up the poorest half of the world.
 The rich had grown richer and the poor poorer in 2018.
 The widening gap is hindering the fight against poverty.
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 The report estimates that a wealth tax of 1% would raise an estimated $418bn (£325bn) a
year. This would be enough to educate every child not in school and provide healthcare that
would prevent 3 million deaths.
 The wealth of more than 2,200 billionaires across the globe had increased by $900 billion in
2018 i.e $2.5 billion a day.
 The 12 per cent increase in the wealth of the very richest contrasted with a fall of 11 per
cent in the wealth of the poorest half of the world’s population.
 The wealth of the world’s richest man, Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon, saw an increase to
$112 billion. Just 1 per cent of his fortune is equivalent to the whole health budget for
Ethiopia
 The number of billionaires has doubled during the last 10 years. A new billionaire was
being created every two days in 2017-2018.
 Facts about India
 The top 1% of India’s richest lot got richer by 39% as against just 3% increase in the wealth
for the bottom half of the population.
 The wealth of the Indian billionaires witnessed an increase by Rs 2,200 crore a day last
year.
 6 Crore Indians who make up the poorest 10 per cent of the country, continued to remain in
debt since 2004.
 Top 10% of the richest population in India holds 77.4% of the total national wealth.
 The combined revenue and capital expenditure of the centre and states for medical, public
health, sanitation and water supply is 2,08,166 crore, is less than the country’ richest man
Mukesh Ambani’s wealth of Rs. 2.8 lakh crore.
 In many countries including India, a decent education or quality healthcare has become a
luxury only the rich can afford.
 Children from poor families in India are three times more likely to die before their first
birthday than children from rich families
 The calculations and interpolations in the report were based on the data from the latest
comprehensive data sources available publicly, including from the Credit Suisse Wealth
Databook and the annual Forbes Billionaires
‘Survey on Retail Payment Habits of Individuals (SRPHi)’ launched by RBI

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched the ‘Survey on Retail Payment Habits of
Individuals (SRPHi)’ that is expected to provide some idea about awareness and usage
habits of digital payment products.
 Sigma Research & Consulting Pvt. Ltd. agency has been engaged to
conduct the fieldwork of the survey from 6 cities.
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will capture payment habits of
individuals in six cities, including four metropolitan towns.
 For the purpose, the central bank has launched a ‘Survey on Retail
Payment Habits of Individuals (SRPHi)’.
 The survey will cover a sample of 6,000 individuals from various socio-economic
backgrounds across six cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Guwahati.
This was announced by the RBI on 2 January 2019.
U.K. Sinha heading the 8-member MSMEs committee constituted by the RBI
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set up a committee to address issues regarding the
sustainability of MSMEs.
 Former SEBI Chairman UK Sinha is heading the 8-member committee constituted by the
RBI on 2 January 2019.
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 The main aim is to suggest long-term solutions for the economic and financial sustainability
of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
 The committee will also examine factors affecting the availability of finance to MSMEs.
 The announcement of this committee came just one day after RBI allowed one-time
restructuring of MSME loans of up to Rs. 25 crore on 1 January 2019.
 The U.K. Sinha-led MSME panel has also been asked to propose measures for leveraging
technology in accelerating growth of the sector and suggest long-term solutions for the
economic and financial sustainability of the MSME sector.
National Green Tribunal imposed Rs. 100 crore fine on Meghalaya for illegal coal mining
 The National Green Tribunal has imposed a fine of whopping Rs. 100 crore on Meghalaya
state government for its failure to curb illegal coal mining in the state.
 The fine was imposed as a “deterrent” and for its “inaction” to curb illegal mining in the
northeastern state.
 It is worth mentioning that at least 15 miners are trapped in the 370 foot-deep illegal coal
mine in Lumthari village of East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya since 13 December 2018
and all efforts to pump the water out of flooded mine have been in vain.
Vijay Mallya the first-ever person in India to be declared as a fugitive economic offender
 Vijay Mallya became the first-ever person in India to be
declared as a fugitive economic offender.
 It was declared by a special court in Mumbai on 5 January
2019.
 The absconding accused liquor baron Vijay Mallya as a
fugitive economic offender under the new Fugitive Economic
Offenders Act.
 He is the first person to be declared so and the government can now confiscate his
properties.
 On 22 June 2018, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed an application at the PMLA
(Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court to declare Mallya a fugitive economic offender
and sought orders to confiscate all his properties estimated to be around Rs. 12,500 crore.
Ease of Doing Business (EDB): Andhra Pradesh No 1, Maharashtra 2nd

 According to the latest ranking of Asia Competitiveness Institute's (ACI) EDB index, Andhra
Pradesh bagged the top rank in 2018.
 The list is compiled by a team of researchers led by Tan Khee Giap, who is the co-director of
Asia competitiveness institute (ACI), and associate professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of
Public Policy, National University of Singapore.
 Andhra is followed by Maharashtra and Delhi.
 The chief minister also announced that his government was planning to distribute smart-
phones to each family for ease of living.
 Nearly 14 million smart-phones should be manufactured for distribution in the state.
 The Singapore institute also suggested areas where improvement was needed in the state.
 The report mentioned that despite Andhra Pradesh's excellent performance in ACI's EDB
Index, the government needs to bridge numerous institutional and infrastructural gaps in
order to sustain its position in the future.
 The ACI team highlighted that there was sufficient room for improvement in sub
environments such as facilitating business operations, infrastructure resilience and market
potential.
 Worker density, foreign direct investment per capital, labour productivity, and illiteracy
rate were identified as the weakest indicators for the state among others.
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 The ACI team also emphasised that an analysis at the indicator level will help identify
specific areas of improvement and will play a crucial role in making Andhra Pradesh the
best investment destination by 2050.
 Asia Competitiveness Institute at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University
of Singapore was established as a research centre in 2006 with an aim to build intellectual
leadership and network for understanding and developing competitiveness in the Asia
region.
Amazon becomes most valuable company, inching past Microsoft

 Amazon.com Inc. surpassed Microsoft Corp. to become the world’s largest public company,
in the latest list of Wall Street’s biggest names being
reordered.
 Shares of the e-commerce company rose 3.4 %t, a rally that
gave it a market capitalization of $797 billion.
 While this is down from Amazon’s record market cap, which
topped $1 trillion in September, it was enough to push it past
Microsoft at $789 billion.
 Shares of Microsoft, which claimed the title of the world’s most valuable stock in November,
rose 0.1 %.
 Such megacap technology and Internet stocks have been jockeying for the top spot for
weeks, and Amazon briefly claimed the crown in early December.
 Both companies are now notably larger than Apple Inc., which had held the position for
years.
 The iPhone maker now has a market cap of about $702 billion, down from a record $1.1
trillion in early October.
 The company has been pressured by weaker-than-expected iPhone demand in China.
 Last week, it cut its sales outlook, sending the stock to its lowest level since April 2017.
 Apple currently stands as the fourth-largest U.S. stock. In third place is Alphabet Inc., the
parent company of Google, which has a market cap of $745 billion.
CSO predicts India’s GDP to grow at 7.2% in F.Y-2019

 According to Central Statistical Organisation, India’s GDP is expected to grow at 7.2 % in
F.Y-2019 as against 6.7 % on-year.
 The F.Y-2019 farm sector growth is expected to be at 3.8 % when compared with 3.4 % in
the last fiscal.
 The growth in GDP during 2018-19 is estimated at 7.2 % as compared to the growth rate of
6.7 % in 2017-18.
 Real GVA (Gross Value Added) is anticipated to grow at 7 % in the current fiscal as against
6.5 % in 2017-18.
 Growth in the first and the second quarter of the current financial year have been estimated
at 8.2 and 7.1 %, respectively.
 The F.Y-2019 nominal GDP growth of the economy is expected to be at 12.3 % versus 10 %
year-on-year.
 The manufacturing sector is expected to accelerate to 8.3 % in F.Y-2019, up from 5.7 %
year-on-year. The F.Y-2019 farm sector growth is seen to be at 3.8 % when compared with
3.4 % in the last fiscal.
 Services sector growth at 7.3 % versus 7.9 %.
India set to become third-largest consumer market: WEF

 According to the WEF report, India is expected to emerge as the third largest consumer
market, just behind the US and China.
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 The report titled as 'Future of Consumption in Fast-Growth Consumer Market - India'.
 The growth in the middle class will lift approximately 25 million households out of poverty.
 Rising income will transform India to a middle class-led one from a “bottom of the pyramid
economy”, with consumer spending in the country to grow from the
current $1.5 trillion to $6 trillion by 2030.
 At present, India is the sixth largest economy in the world with an
annual GDP growth rate of 7.5% and domestic private consumption
accounts for about 60% of the GDP.
 Bottom of the pyramid- also called the base of the pyramid - is a phrase in economics that
refers to the poorest two-thirds of the economic human pyramid.
 Upper-middle-income households will drive 47% ($2.8 trillion) of total consumption, and
high-income households will drive another 14% ($0.8 trillion), compared to 30% and 7%
respectively.
 The future consumption growth is expected to come mainly from rich and densely
populated cities and the thousands of developed rural towns across the country.
 Of the total, about $1.5 trillion will come from top 40 cities, and many thousands of small
urban towns will also drive an equally large spend in aggregate.
 The critical challenges on this path that need to be addressed include socio-economic
inclusion of rural India, skills development and employment of the future workforce, and
creating a healthy and sustainable future for its citizens.
 India is at a tipping point, both in terms of economic growth and in the human development
of its billion-plus citizens.
 WEF produced the report in partnership with Bain & Co.
 The in-depth survey was conducted across 5,100 households in 30 cities and towns in the
country, drawing from over 40 interviews with public and private sector leaders.
Sikkim will become the first Indian state to introduce Universal Basic Income
 Sikkim ,recently declared to include the Universal Basic Income scheme in its manifesto
ahead of the Assembly election in 2019.
 Sikkim plans to implement the Universal Basic Income scheme by
2022.
 If everything goes according to the plan, it will be the first state to
implement UBI in India.
 Sikkim has set up examples in the country in different areas in the
past also, some of them being:
 Sikkim is the best state for women in the workplace, thanks to its high rates of female
workforce participation, there's less crime against women
 Sikkim's literacy rate increased to 82.2% from 68.8% in 2001, among the country's highest
 Sikkim is the least populated state in India, has its per capita GDP growing in double digits
since 2004-05
 Sikkim also decreased its poverty ratio by 22% to 51,000 (8.2%) in 2011-12 from 1.7 lakh
(30.9%) in 2004-05
 Sikkim became the first fully organic state, since embracing the mission in 2003 received a
fillip from PM Narendra Modi earlier this year
 "UBI is a scheme that a number of economists have talked about and it works well in
developing countries.
 It has been tested even in India, debated within the Finance Ministry as early as 2017.
ADB forecasts Indian economy to grow at 7.3% in F.Y-2019

 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecast that the Indian economy would grow at 7.3 %
in F.Y-2019.
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 On the back of strong investment and GST stabilisation, the growth would improve to 7.6 %
in F.Y-2020.
 Besides, India’s funding would be scaled up to $4.5 billion in 2019.
 According to the World Bank,India’s GDP is expected to grow at 7.3 % in the fiscal year
2018-19.
 It has forecast the growth to hit 7.5 % in the following two years, attributing it to an
upswing in consumption and investment.
 ADB and World Bank growth projection for the current fiscal is a tad higher than the 7.2 %
estimated by the Central Statistical Organization.
 It is, however, lower than 7.4 % growth projected by the RBI.
 In the recent issue of Asian Development Outlook (ADO), ADB had projected India’s growth
for F.Y-2020 at 7.6 %.
 ADB forecast current account deficit (CAD) to be around 2.5 % of GDP in the current fiscal,
which will be financed by stable capital flows.
Vision 2040 document: Aviation A fact-file

 The Ministry of Civil Aviation on January 15 unveiled the Vision 2040 document, which
highlights the growth potential in different sub-sectors of Indian
aviation and the key action steps are required to be taken to achieve
the desired objective.
 As per the document the total passenger traffic (to, from and within
India) in India is expected to rise nearly six-fold from 187 million in
F.Y -2018 to around 1124 million in FY 2040.
 This includes around 821 million domestic passengers and around
303 million international passengers (to and from India).
 Details about the vision document:
 The overall CAGR works out to around 9% in domestic and 7% in international traffic
during F.Y. 2018-2040.
 Since aviation is a longterm plan, aircraft procurement, airport development, air navigation
system changes and skill development should be done in a cohesive manner.
 Rather than having five-year plans, the document talks about India having a robust 20-year
plan that lays out the targets and the path to get there along with time lines and clear
accountability.
RIL became the first-ever private company in India quarterly profit of over Rs 10,000
crore
 Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) entity became the first-ever private company in India with a
quarterly profit of over Rs 10,000 crore.
 Mukesh Ambani-led company posted an 8.8% rise in third-quarter profit at Rs. 10,251
crore, thus becoming the first Indian private company to post Rs. 10,000 crore profit in a
quarter.
 RIL’s consolidated revenues spiked 55.9% to Rs 1,71,336 crore in Q3 F.Y-2019 vs Rs
1,09,905 crore in Q3 F.Y-2018.
 Reliance Jio Infocomm net profit for the reporting quarter stood at Rs 831 crore, up 65%
from a profit Rs 504 crore in same quarter last year.
Cabinet approves the creation of National Bench of GST Appellate Tribunal

 The Union Cabinet approved the creation of a national bench of the Goods and Services Tax
Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT).
 The GSTAT will be presided over by its president and will consist of one Technical Member
(Centre) and one Technical Member (State).
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 The bench will be located in New Delhi.
 The creation of GSTAT's national bench will cost one-time
expenditure of Rs 92.50 lakh while the recurring expenditure
will 6.86 crore per year, said Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister
of Law and Justice and Electronics and Information Technology.
 The GSTAT is a forum of the second appeal in GST laws and the
first common forum of dispute resolution between the Centre and
states.
 Being a common forum, GST Appellate Tribunal will ensure uniformity in redressal of
disputes arising under GST, and thus in smooth implementation of GST across the country.
India ranks 80th on Global Talent Competitive Index 2019

 India ranked at 80th positions on the Global Talent Competitive Index (GTCI) 2019.
 The index is released by INSEAD business school in partnership with
Tata Communications and Adecco Group.
 China emerged as the best performer among the BRICS countries,
with an overall position of 45th.
 Switzerland topped the index which is followed by Singapore and
the US.
 Last year in 2018, India was ranked at 81st
 According to the report, India's biggest challenge is to improve its ability to attract and
retain talent.
 The report measures levels of Global Talent Competitiveness by looking at 68 variables
such as ease of ease of hiring, gender earnings gap, and prevalence of training in firms.
Indian economy may grow 7.6% in FY20: UN report

 According to the UN's World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2019, India's GDP
growth is expected to accelerate to 7.6 percent in 2019-20 from an estimated 7.4 percent in
the current fiscal ending March 2019.
 The growth rate may come down to 7.4 percent a year later.
 India will continue to remain the world's fastest-growing large economy in 2019 as well as
in 2020, much ahead of China, a UN report said.
 In the case of China, the growth is estimated to decelerate to 6.3 percent in 2019 from 6.6
percent in 2018. It may further go down to 6.2 percent in 2020.
 The report further said the global economy would continue to grow at a steady pace of
around 3 percent in 2019 and 2020 amid signs that global growth has peaked.
 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected India’s growth at 7.5% in 2019-20 amid
slower global expansion.
JNPT becomes India's only port to be ranked among world's top 30

 The government said the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) has
become India's only port to get listed among the top 30 global
container ports.
 "The JNPT, India's premier container port got listed amongst the
top 30 container ports globally, as per the latest Lloyds Report.
 According to the shipping ministry, JNPT notched up five spots, to
be 28th on the list, compared to its previous ranking.
 About JNPT
 Jawaharlal Nehru Port also is known as Nhava Sheva, is the largest container port in India.
 It is located in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
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 JN Port is the biggest container handling port in India handling around 55% of the country’s
containerized cargo.
India ranks 54th in 'Bloomberg Innovation Index’ of 60 economies

 For the first time ever, India has been ranked in Bloomberg’s 2019
list of most innovative countries in the world.
 India has grabbed the 54th spot among 60 countries in the
Bloomberg Innovation Index with a score of 47.93 out of 100.
 South Korea has topped the Bloomberg Innovation Index for the
sixth time in a row with a total score of 87.38.
 Germany ranked second, Finland stood on the third spot.
 According to Bloomberg, the countries and sovereigns have been ranked on the basis of
their overall ability to innovate considering seven-equal weighted metrics -- research &
development intensity, manufacturing value-added, productivity, high-tech density, tertiary
efficiency, researcher concentration, patent activity.
 Bloomberg Innovation Index has been constituted for the seventh time.
 According to a Bloomberg report, Bloomberg has published top 60 economies out of 95
economies analysed for the ranking process for the year 2019.
 Each economy has been assigned a score from 0-100 on the basis of seven equal-weighted
metrics.
GST on Haj reduced from 18% to 5%: Naqvi

 According to Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas
Naqvi, Goods and Services Tax (GST) on 'Haj' has been reduced from
18% to 5%
 This will significantly lower the airfare thus saving Haj pilgrims’ 113
crore rupees this year.
 First time since the independence, 2,340 women from India will go on 2019 Haj without
Mehram.
 Goods and Service Tax (GST) is an indirect tax levied on the supply of goods and services.
 This law has replaced many indirect tax laws that previously existed in India.
Civil Aviation Ministry launches first GI Store in Goa

 The Union Civil Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu has inaugurated country’s first
Geographical Indication (GI) Store at International Airport at
Dabolim, Goa.
 The store jointly set up by Airport Authority of India (AAI) and
The Cashew Export Promotional Council of India (CEPCI).
 The GI stores will promote local products made by the artisans
and handicrafts at the airport.
 Soon, AAI will sign an agreement with all the state Government in the country to promote
their local produce at the airport.
 According to Mr. Prabhu, currently there are 270 GI registered products in the country and
the store will be a boon for the global tourists.
Shri Piyush Goyal launches the IEA’s Report “The Future of Rail”
 Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal has launched the report “The Future of Rail” of
International Energy Agency (IEA) at an event.
 The report reviews the impact of existing plans and regulations on
the future of rail and explores the key policies that could help to
realise an enhanced future rail.
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 “The Future of Rail” the first-of-a-kind report analyses the current and future
importance of rail around the world through the perspective of its energy and
environmental implications.
 Note:
 The IEA is an inter-governmental organisation that works to ensure reliable, affordable
and clean energy for its 30 members countries and 8 association countries.
 Its mission is guided by four main areas of focus: energy security, economic development,
environmental awareness and engagement worldwide.
 With robust private consumption and 7.4% GDP growth rate in the current fiscal, the Indian
economy is expected to accelerate at a rate of 7.6% in 2019-20, according to a report by the
United Nations titled United Nations' World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP)
2019.
 India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), a Fitch Group Company, estimated India's GDP growth
could touch 7.5 % in the financial year 2019-20 as against 7.2 % during current fiscal i.e.
2018-19.
 The 32nd Meeting of GST Council concluded in New Delhi. The Limit of annual turnover for
composition scheme increased to 1.5 crore rupees effective from April 1, 2019. The Council
decided to increase the GST registration threshold limit to 40 lakh rupees from 20 lakh.
 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.
 Releasing the first advance estimates of National Income for 2018-19, Central Statistics
Office (CSO) stated that the growth in GDP during 2018-19 is estimated at 7.2% as
compared to the growth rate of 6.7% in 2017-18, mainly due to improvement in
theperformance of agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
 The income earned by an average Indian doubled in 7 years, from Rs 63,642 per year in
2011-12 to Rs 1.25 lakh in 2018-19, the first advance estimates of national income released
by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show. The year-on-year growth in per capita income
had touched its bottom in 2017-18 under the current national accounts series (the base
year 2011-12) at 8.6 %. In 2018-19, it has bounced back to 11.1%.
 PM Modi dedicated Kochi Refinery project and IOCL LPG Bottling Plant to the Nation in
Kochi, Kerala. He laid the foundation stone of AIIMS in Tamil Nadu's Madurai.
 Bharat Fritz Werner Ltd (BFW), a Bengaluru -based machining solution provider partnered
with Universal Robots, a Danish robot maker and a leader in collaborative robots, to co-
create robots for MSME sector.
 Social media giant Facebook announced that it will create an independent Institute for
Ethics in Artificial intelligence (AI) with an initial investment of $7.5 million over a period
of five years.
 India‘s largest telecom operator by subscriber base Vodafone Idea announced that its board
had approved a rights issue of Rs. 25,000 crores to existing eligible equity shareholders in
line with the recommendations of a capital raising committee it had set up in November
2018.
 Microsoft India launched a new e-commerce platform re-weave.in for handloom weavers
under its Project ReWeave, part of its philanthropic initiatives.
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 Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Libcoin are in dialogue to form a world-class
consortium to initially build 1GWh lithium-ion battery plant in India. Its capacity will be
scaled up to 30GWh in due course.
 Reliance Industries Ltd Chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani announced that
group companies Reliance Retail and Reliance Jio Infocomm would jointly launch a new e-
commerce platform in the country. Gujarat would be the first state to get it.
 IRCTC, the Railways‘ subsidiary, will offer insurance of up to INR 50 lakh for free for air
passengers who book their tickets through its portal. IRCTC has tied up with Bharti-Axa for
the offer. IRCTC‘s service charge of INR59 is the cheapest compared with travel websites.
 HDFC Mutual Fund has pipped ICICI Prudential MF to become the country's largest asset
management company after a gap of over two years. Mr. Milind Barve is the Managing
Director of HDFC MF.
1. Finance Minister Piyush Goyal will be presenting the Union Budget 2019-20 on February 1,
2019. This year Buedget will be the Interim Budget. What is the another term used for
Interim Budget?
a) Demands for Grants b) Guillotine
c) Vote on Account d) Appropriation Bill
2. Which organisation recently proposed a new set of relaxed norms for Real Estate
Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs)?
a) RBI b) SEBI c) FICCI d) NITI Aayog
3. Which airlines recently resumed its services from New Delhi to the holy city of Najaf in Iraq
after 25 years?
a) Air India b) Air Asia c) Lufthansa d) Tiger Air
4. India ranked at which position on the Corruption Perceptions Index 2018?

a) 59th b) 78th c) 88th d) 97th
5. As per the revised GST norms, the GST on Haj has been reduced from 18 per cent to how
much?
a) 15 per cent b) 3 per cent c) 10 per cent d) 5 per cent
6. Which Ministry announced to initiate the fresh recruitment of around 2,30,000 employees
with the benefit of 10 percent reservations for Economically Weaker Sections?
a) Ministry of MSME
b) Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
c) Ministry of Railways
d) Ministry of Civil Aviation
7. Which company recently launched the e-commerce platform ‘re-weave.in’ for handloom
weavers?
a) Facebook b) Google c) Microsoft d) Infosys
8. India will surpass which nation to become 2nd largest oil demand centre in 2019?
a) US b) China c) Saudi Arabia d) UAE
32 |
9. The Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY) achieved which milestone on
January 14, 2019?
a) Job for all b) One crore beneficiaries
c) Complete Job security d) Completion of target
10. The Ministry of Finance on January 16, 2019 constituted a Group of Ministers convened by
Sudhir Mungantiwar to look into which issue?
a) Lottery b) Adulteration c) Corruption d) All of them
11. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate which edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global
Summit on January 18, 2019?
a) Seventh b) Eighth c) Ninth d) Tenth
12. Which country has topped the global index for world’s most powerful passport for the
second time in a row?
a) US b) UK c) Japan d) France
13. The NGT has imposed Rs 100 crore fine on which state’s government for failing to curb
illegal mining?
a) Assam b) Tripura c) West Bengal d) Meghalaya
14. The Reserve Bank of India on January 2, 2019 constituted UK Sinha led Expert Committee
to revive which sector?
a) MSME b) Handloom c) Agriculture d) Infrastructure
15. The Cabinet recently approved the merger of Bank of Baroda with which two banks?
a) Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank b) Vijaya Bank and RBL Bank
c) RBL Bank and IDBI Bank d) IDBI Bank and Dena Bank
16. Which is the only Indian port to be listed amongst the world’s top 30 container ports?
a) Paradip Port b) Cochin Port c) JNPT d) Tuticorin Port
33 |

Navy Commissions INS Kohassa
 Naval Air Station (NAS) Shibpur has been commissioned as INS Kohassa. It is a step forward
in enhancing the operational capability of Andaman and Nicobar
Command. NAS Shibpur was commissioned as INS Kohassa by Chief of
Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba.
 INS Kohassa will be India’s fourth air base and the third naval air
facility in the Andaman and Nicobar region that overlooks key sea
lanes of communication and strategic points with more than 60,000
commercial vessels passing through each year.
 The other two Naval Air Bases in the Andaman and Nicobar region are INS Utkrosh at Port
Blair and INS Baaz at Campbell Bay. INS Kohassa is named after White-Bellied Sea Eagle,
which is a large bird of prey endemic to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
 INS Kohassa will also function as a base for joint operation of both military and civil aircraft
in keeping with the UDAN scheme of the government. The airbase will be able to handle
Helicopter and Dornier Aircraft at present and after expansion the facility would enable the
operation of bigger civil and defence aircraft
ISRO’s first mission of 2019 to put military satellite Microsat-R in space

 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch a students' satellite Kalamsat
and an imaging satellite Microsat-R from the Satish Dhawan Space
Centre in Sriharikota.
 The national space agency's workhorse rocket, PSLV C44, carrying
the satellites, is scheduled for liftoff at 11:27 pm.
 Kalamsat is a payload developed by students and Chennai based
Space Kidz India for the first time.
 The Microsat-R satellite is meant for the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) purposes.
Sea-Vigil Navy Exercise

 Indian Navy undertook a first of its kind multi-agency drill, covering the entire 7,516 km-
long Indian coastline and exclusive economic zone and involving 13 coastal states and
Union Territories to check the efficacy of maritime security and
surveillance- Sea Vigil.
 Why Sea Vigil exercise is an Unprecedented One?
 The two-day exercise, Sea Vigil has a deployment of 150 ships, 40
aircraft and a number of other strategic assets of the Navy and Coast
Guard. Navy had undertaken biannual coastal security exercises at the
level of states previously but it is for the first time an exercise involving
all coastal states, island territories and all central and state agencies has been undertaken.
This large geographical extent, a number of stakeholders involved, number of units
participating and the objectives to be met make the exercise an unprecedented one.
India Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX)- 2019 to be held in Pune

 Indian Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX)-2019 is scheduled to
be conducted at Aundh Military Station and College of Military
Engineering, Pune from 18 March to 27 March 2019.
 The joint training exercise is being conducted with more than a
dozen African countries & India. It aims at synergizing
humanitarian mine action and joint peace operations.
34 |
 The IAFTX-2019 is a positive step towards growing political and military ties with the
member nations of the African continent and will boost the already strong strategic
cooperation between the countries.
Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor Inaugurated

 The Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the Tamil Nadu Defence
Industrial Corridor. During the inauguration, investments worth over Rs 3,038 crore in this
defence corridor were announced. Lockheed Martin, a global security
giant, also announced its intention to invest in the corridor.
 About the Corridor
 The important features about the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial
Corridor are:
 It is also called as Tamil Nadu Defence Production Quad as the nodal
cities of Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Coimbatore and Tiruchirappalli form a
quadrilateral with one of them at the centre.
 The five nodal cities already have existing defence ecosystem in the form of ordnance
factory boards, vendors working with defence PSUs, and other allied industries.
 Together with helping in accelerated growth and regional industry agglomeration, the
defence corridor will also facilitate a well-planned and efficient industrial base which will
lead to increased defence production in the country and the region.
 The corridor will help the industry to integrate with the global supply chain of Defence
manufacturing.
 Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor would be a specialised facility of aero component
manufacturing.
 Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor is the country’s second defence industrial corridor
after the first one was launched in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh August last year.
 Tamil Nadu currently ranks 4th in exports with 9.8% of India’s total exports. The corridor
will further expand the exporting opportunities from the state.
RPF Women Squad ‘JOYMATI BAHINI’ launched in Guwahati

 In Assam, Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Lumding Division has
formally launched ‘JOYMATI BAHINI’, comprising women sub-
inspector and constables of the RPF at Kamkhaya Railway Station in
Guwahati.
 The Objective of the Joymati Bahini is to strengthen women security around Guwahati
region within railway premises and trains.
PM inaugurates manufacturing facility for K9 Vajra self-propelled Howitzer guns in

Hazira
 The Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Armoured
Systems Complex (ASC), developed by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at
Hazira near Surat in Gujarat. This Armoured Systems Complex (ASC) is
the country’s first private facility where the K9 Vajra self-propelled
Howitzer guns will be manufactured.
 K9 Vajra self-propelled Howitzer guns
 The features of the K9 Vajra self-propelled Howitzer guns
 The gun weighs 50 tonnes and can fire 47kg bombs at a 43-kilometre distance target.
 It can turn around at zero radii.
 K9 Vajra is a variant of K9 specially designed for operation in the desert areas bordering
Pakistan.
35 |
Women to get 20% jobs in Military Police
 The Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the
decision to induct women 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. Accordingly, the Army chalked out
induction of approximately 800 women in military police with a yearly
intake of 52 personnel per year.
 Military Police
 Military Police are the corps responsible for the enforcing discipline and the maintenance
of law and order in the military environment and for military purposes.
 The functions of the Military Police includes policing cantonments and Army
establishments, preventing a breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining
movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war
and extending aid to civil police whenever required.
IMBEX 2018-19
 India-Myanmar bilateral army exercise, IMBEX 2018-19, has begun at Chandimandir
Military Station which houses the headquarters of the Western
Command.
 Objectives of the IMBEX 2018-19
 It is the second edition of the IMBEX. The objectives of IMBEX 2018-19
are:
 Train the Myanmar delegation for participation in United Nations
peacekeeping operations under the UN flag.
 Training the Myanmar Army delegation on tactics, procedures, expertise and methodology
required by contingents of the member nations for serving in UN peacekeeping operations.
 Provide opportunities to the army personnel of both the nations to serve effectively in UN
missions by providing understanding about each other’s training, tactics, procedures and
best practices.
 India is one of the largest contributors to the UN peacekeeping force and has a rich
experience of serving in UN peacekeeping operations. This expertise will be shared with the
delegation from Myanmar. This delegation would form the core group of trainers who will
further impart training to Myanmar Army personnel who are likely to serve in UN
peacekeeping operations.
 The all-women Assam Rifles contingent created history this year by participating for the
first time in a Republic Day (26th January) parade. Contingents of the Navy, India Army
Service Corps and a unit of Corps of Signals were all led by women officers. Capt Shikha
Surabhi from the Corps of Signals became the first woman to perform bike stunts. Lt.
Bhavana Kasturi, a lady officer, for the first time led the transportable satellite terminal‘s
contingent.
 As a new initiative in sync with the Digital India campaign of the Government, Ministry of
Defence had launched a mobile app 'RDP India 2019' on the Republic Day, with the intent of
making available the highlights of the Republic Day event.
 DRDO successfully test fired Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LR-SAM) from naval
warship INS Chennai. The test was conducted off the coast of Odisha. The LR-SAM hit a low
flying aerial target during the test.
36 |
 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the 426 meters long Diffo Bridge over
Chipu River in Lower Dibang Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh. Border Roads
Organization (BRO) has constructed the bridge along Indo-China border.
1. The Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) on January 22, 2019
cleared the use of which product in the military aircraft?
a) Biogas b) Biofuel c) Shale gas d) LNG
2. How much minimum pension has been set as the disability and war injury pension for the
armed forces personnel?
a) Rs 18000 b) Rs 25000 c) Rs 30000 d) Rs 15000
3. India will undertake field training exercise ‘IAFTX’ with countries from which continent?
a) North America b) Africa c) Europe d) Oceania
4. Name the largest-ever coastal defence exercise undertaken by the Indian Navy, ten years
after 26/11 attacks?
a) Sea Vigil b) Tropex c) Indira d) Shakti
5. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched India’s second defence industrial corridor
in which state?
a) Telangana b) Andhra Pradesh c) Tamil Nadu d) Kerala
6. Indian Naval Air Station Shibpur will be commissioned into which Indian naval vessel?
a) INS Garuda b) INS Shikra c) INS Utkrosh d) INS Kohassa
7. The IMBEX Exercise started recently between India and which country?
a) Myanmar b) Sri Lanka c) Mauritius d) Singapore
8. A new Naval Air Base ‘INS Kohassa’ was commissioned recently at which place?
a) Andhra Pradesh b) Goa c) Tamil Nadu d) Andaman & Nicobar
37 |
Amitabh Chaudhry took as the new Managing Director and CEO of Axis Bank
 Amitabh Chaudhry took as the new Managing Director and CEO of Axis Bank from 1 January
2019.
 Presently, Axis Bank, the third largest private sector bank of
the country.
 He is a former MD and CEO of HDFC Standard Life Insurance
Company, was in September 2018 named the MD and CEO of
Axis Bank for a period of three years.
 Chaudhry replaced Shikha Sharma who retired from the post
earlier on 31 December 2018.
 Shikha Sharma was at Axis Bank’s helm since 2009 and she had completed three full terms
of three years in May 2018.
 Axis Bank’s revenue during 2018 was over Rs. 58,000 crore while bank’s assets stood at Rs.
6.91 trillion.
Sanjay Jain, K M Nataraj appointed as Additional Solicitor Generals

 President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed senior advocates Sanjay Jain and K M Nataraj as
Additional Solicitor Generals of India. The appointments were made by the President as per
the recommendations of the Appointments Committee of the cabinet.
 Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
 The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet is headed by Prime
Minister and the Home Minister is the member of the committee. The
Appointments Committee of the cabinet is responsible for making
recommendations for the several important positions under the
Government of India.
 Additional Solicitor General
 Additional Solicitor General, ASG is the third important law office of the country in the
hierarchy. The post of ASG is neither constitutional nor statutory. The post of ASG is
governed by Law Officers (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1987.
Nandan Nilekani appointed as the Chairman of the newly constituted RBI committee of
digital payments ecosystem
 Nandan Nilekani was appointed as the Chairman of the newly constituted RBI committee to
suggest measures to strengthen safety of digital payments ecosystem.
 Nandan Nilekani was the co-founder of Infosys.
 The committee’s major role will be to review the existing status of digitisation of payments
in the country, identify the current gaps in the ecosystem and suggest ways to bridge them.
 Other members of the committee are HR Khan, Former RBI Deputy Governor, Kishore
Sansi, Former MD and CEO Vijaya Bank, Aruna Sharma, Former Secretary, Ministry of
Information Technology and Steel; and Sanjay Jain, Chief Innovation Officer, Center for
Innovation, Incubation & Entrepreneurship (CIIE), IIM Ahmedabad.
Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Sanjiv Khanna appointed judges in the apex court
by Union government
 The Union government has cleared the names of two new judgesJustice Dinesh
Maheshwari and Justice Sanjiv Khanna for Supreme Court who were subsequently
appointed judges in the apex court.
 The elevation of the two justices, was cleared by the government in separate orders on 16
January 2019.
38 |
 With the swearing-in of justices Maheshwari and Khanna on 18 January 2019, the strength
of SC Judges has now gone up to 28.
 Their tenure as judges of the SC would be till 14 May 2023 and 13 May 2025 respectively.
 The total posts of judges in the apex court stands at 31.
 Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who was a judge in the Delhi High Court would be in line to become
the Chief Justice of India after Justice DY Chandrachud in November 2024.
Manu Sawhney appointed as the ICC’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
 Manu Sawhney, the India-born former managing director of ESPN Star Sports, has been
appointed as the International Cricket Council's (ICC) new chief executive officer.
 On 16 January 2019 ,he replaces David Richardson (South Africa), whose contract expires
after the World Cup in the UK later this year.
 Sawhney was the unanimous choice following a global recruitment process led by ICC
chairman Shashank Manohar and the nominations committee.
Malaysia elects new king, Sultan Abdullah

 Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, the ruler of the Malaysia state of Pahang, was named
the country's new king.
 The leaders of Malaysia's royal houses, known as the Conference of
Rulers, elected the 59-year-old Sultan Abdullah to a five year term
under a system of rotational monarchy that is unique to Malaysia.
 Sultan Abdullah will be sworn in as the nation's 16th Yang di-
Pertuan Agong, or head of state, in a ceremony on January 31.
 The Sultan is heavily involved in sports governance -- he is the current president of the
Asian Hockey Federation and a council member of FIFA, the world football body.
Burkina Faso appoints Christophe Joseph as new Prime Minister

 Christophe Joseph Marie Dabiré has been appointed as the new
Prime Minister of Burkina Faso.
 Dabiré, a former commissioner representing Burkina Faso at the
West African Economic and Monetary Union, served as a minister
under former president Blaise Compaoré, with Roch Marc Christian
Kaboré as prime minister between 1994 to 1996.
 He led the country’s Department of Health between 1992-1997 and oversaw the
Department of Secondary, Higher Education and Scientific Research between 1997-2000.
Poonam Khetrapal Singh re-appointed Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia

 Poonam Khetrapal Singh has been appointed as the Regional Director of the World
Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia, for a second five-
year term.
 She is the first woman to become regional director of WHO South-
East Asia Region.
 Dr Khetrapal Singh started her five-year term as Regional
Directoron 1 February 2014.
 She served for over two decades as a civil servant in India as a member of the Indian
Administrative Services.
 A director is a person from a group of managers who leads or supervises a particular area
of a company.
 Lt Gen Rajeev Chopra assumed the appointment of Director General of NCC (DGNCC).
39 |
 Suman Kumari become the first Hindu woman to have been appointed as a civil judge in
Pakistan after passing an examination for induction of judicial officers.
 IndiGo owner InterGlobe Aviation has appointed Ronojoy Dutta as the new Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the company with immediate effect.
 Yes Bank has appointed veteran banker Ravneet Singh Gill as its new MD & CEO and the
lender has also received the RBI‘s approval for the same.He will join the bank on or before
March 1, 2019.
 Piyush Goyal has been named the interim Finance Minister and interim Minister of
Corporate Affairs during Arun Jaitley's indisposition. Goyal will retain his existing portfolios
of coal and railways. Union Minister Arun Jaitley, 66, had left for the United States for a
regular medical check-up.
 Madagascar president, Andry Rajoelina, has sworn into office after taking the oath in
Antananarivo before nine judges of the High Constitutional Court.
 The Swedish Parliament approved Stefan Lofven as Prime Minister for a second four-year
term.
 The Department of Personnel & Training, Government of India appointed Senior IPS Officer
Prabhat Singh as Director General (Investigation) in the National Human Rights
Commission.
 Ananth Narayanan has stepped down as CEO of Myntra and Jabong to pursue external
opportunities. Amar Nagaram has been named as Head, Myntra and Jabong, reporting to
Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO of Flipkart Group.
 India‘s largest software exporter Tata Consultancy Services has appointed Don Callahan as
an additional and independent director for a period of 5 years, based on the
recommendations of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
 Ashok Chawla resigned as chairman of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) with
immediate effect ―in light of recent legal developments.
 Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has appointed Su Tseng-chang as Prime Minister, during a
Cabinet reshuffle following the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's heavy losses in local
elections.
 Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a second term as Venezuela's President amid the
economic and humanitarian crisis faced by the Latin American country.
 Jair Bolsonaro sworn in as Brazil's President in a ceremony at Brazil's National Congress
Building. Justice Thottathil Bhaskaran Nair Radhakrishnan sworn in as the first Chief Justice
of the Telangana High Court.
 Saurabh Kumar appointed as the Director General of Ordnance Factories (DGOF) and
chairman of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
 The government has appointed Hemant Bhargava, Managing Director, Life Insurance
Corporation of India, as the Acting Chairman. The move comes after VK Sharma retired
from the top job at LIC on December 31.
 In the United States, Department of Defence, Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Kevin Sweeney has
resigned, a month after Defence Secretary James Mattis announced his departure.
 Sheikh Hasina sworn-in as the Bangladesh Prime Minister for the fourth term. It is her third
consecutive term after her victory in the 11th Parliamentary elections. President
Mohammad Abdul Hamid administered the oath of office to Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.
40 |
 Malaysia‘s King Muhammad V abdicated after two years on the throne, the first time a
monarch stepped down before completing their five-year tenure.
 Civil Aviation Security head and senior IPS officer Kumar Rajesh Chandra appointed as the
director general of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
 Alok Verma has been reinstated as the CBI chief by the Supreme Court, three months after
the government divested him of his powers and sent him on forced leave.
 World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim made the surprise announcement that he is stepping
down after six years in the post. His resignation will take effect from 1 February.
 A visionary in the field of Solar Energy and the chairman of National Solar Energy
Federation, Pranav R Mehta, has taken over as the president of Global Solar Council (GSC).
He has become the first Indian to head the GSC.
1. Suman Kumari recently became the first Hindu woman to be appointed as a civil judge of
which neighbouring country?
a) Nepal b) Pakistan c) Sri Lanka d) Bangladesh
2. Who was appointed as MD and CEO of YES Bank?

a) Ravneet S Gill b) Rana Kapoor c) Chanda Kochar d) Indu Bhushan
3. Which leader has been appointed as the AICC general secretary for UP East?
a) Jyotiraditya Scindia b) Priyanka Gandhi
c) K C Venugopal d) Ashok Gehlot
4. Who was appointed the CEO of the International Cricket Council (ICC)?
a) David Richardson b) Rohit Sharma c) Vinod Dua d) Manu Sawhney
5. Su Tseng-chang has been appointed as the Prime Minister of which state?

a) Taiwan b) Vietnam c) South Korea d) China
6. Who was appointed as the President of Global Solar Council (GSC) recently?
a) Pranav Mehta b) Sunil Lohia c) Rahul Singh d) Varun Sobti
7. Who was appointed as the Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund?
a) Gita Gopinath b) Maurice Obstfeld c) Christine Lagarde d) Mahesh Rathore
8. Who was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner recently?

a) Vanaja N. Sarna b) Sudhir Bhargava c) Neeraj Kumar Gupta d) Suresh Chandra
9. Who was sworn in as first Chief Justice of Telangana HC?

a) Justice T B N Radhakrishnan b) Justice Praveen Kumar
c) Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale d) Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta
10. Who was sworn in as the first acting Chief Justice of the independent Andhra Pradesh Court
post bifurcation of the state?
a) Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale b) Justice Praveen Kumar
c) Justice T B N Radhakrishnan d) Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta
41 |
Sports
Australian Open 2019
 The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually in
Melbourne Park, Australia. The tournament is chronologically the first
of the four Grand Slam tennis events of the year – the other three
being the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. The 2018
Australian Open was the 107th edition of the tournament.
Event Winner Runner-Up

Men’s Singles Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Rafael Nadal (Spain)
Women’s Singles Naomi Osaka (Japan) Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic)
Men’s Doubles Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) and Henri Kontinen (Finland) and
Nicolas Mahut (France) John Peers (Australia)
Women’s Doubles Samantha Stosur (Australia) and Tímea Babos (Hungary) and
Zhang Shuai (China) Kristina Mladenovic (France)
Mix Doubles Barbora Krejčíková (Czech Republic) Astra Sharma (Australia) and
and Rajeev Ram (United States) John-Patrick Smith (Australia)
Indonesia Masters Title 2019

 The 2019 Indonesia Masters, officially the DAIHATSU Indonesia Masters 2019, is a
badminton tournament that takes place at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno in Indonesia.
Anders Antonsen won the men‘s singles title and Saina Nehwal won the women‘s singles
title.
Event Winner Runner-Up
Men’s Singles Anders Antonsen (Denmark) Kento Momota (Japan)
Women’s Singles Saina Nehwal (India) Carolina Marin (Spain)
Men’s Doubles M Fernaldi Gideon (Indonesia) Kevin Mohammad Ahsan (Indonesia)
Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Indonesia) Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia)
Women’s Doubles Misaki Matsutomo (Japan) Ayaka Kim So- yeong (South Korea)
Takahashi (Japan) Kong Hee-yong (South Korea )
Mix Doubles Zheng Siwei (China) Huang Yaqiong Tontowi Ahmad (Indonesia)
(China) Liliyana Natsir (Indonesia)
Asian Cup football tournament: India outplayed Thailand to record its first victory
 India outclassed Thailand in the ongoing Asian Cup football
tournament at Abu Dhabi to record its first win in 55 years.
 India outplayed Thailand by 4-1 to record its first victory in the
Asian Cup football tournament since 1964 on 6 January 2019 at
the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
 Indian football’s goal machine and captain Sunil Chhetri struck a
brace to help the country score this pulsating win.
 Playing in his second Asian Cup and 105th match, Chhetri scored
in the 27th (penalty) and 46th minutes for his 66th and 67th
international goals.
 With his two strikes, the 34-year-old Chhetri went past Argentine
superstar Lionel Messi, who has so far scored 65 goals from 128 matches.
 Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest scorer with 85 from 154 matches.
42 |
 Midfielder Anirudha Thapa and second half substitute Jeje Lalpekhlua then struck in the
68th and 80th minutes to completely outclass Thailand.
India-Australia Test Cricket Series: India beat Australia 2-1

 India scripted history winning the first ever Test series on
Australian soil beating the home team 2-1 after the fourth and final
Test ended in a tame draw in Sydney due to inclement weather on 7
January 2019.
 Cheteshwar Pujara (India), who scored three centuries and amassed 521 runs in the series,
was declared the man of the series of the India-Australia Test series that concluded on 7
January 2019.
 The fourth and final test ended in a draw at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
 India thus won the series 2-1 and created history by winning a Test series on the Australian
soil for the first time.
 India won the Test matches at Adelaide Oval and Melbourne while Australia’s lone win
came at Perth.
ICC awards 2018

 The ICC awards recognise and honour the best international cricket players of the previous
12 months. The ICC awards 2018 list:
 Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year: Virat Kohli
 ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year: Virat Kohli
 ICC ODI Player of the Year: Virat Kohli
 ICC Emerging Player of the Year: Rishabh Pant
 ICC Associate Player of the Year: Calum MacLeod
 T20I Performance of the Year: Aaron Finch
 ICC Spirit of Cricket award: Williamson
 Umpire of the Year: Kumar Dharmasena
 Fans’ Moment of the Year: India’s victory in the Under-19 World Cup
Mohammed Shami: Fastest Indian to reach 100 ODI wickets

 Fast Bowler Mohammed Shami has become the fastest Indian to claim 100 wickets in One-
day Internationals. Mohammed Shami achieved this feat in his 56th
ODI game. Mohammed Shami’s wicket number 100 was New Zealand
opener, Martin Guptill.
 Before Mohammed Shami, the record was held by Iran Pathan who had
reached the 100-wicket mark in 59 ODIs. Other Indians in the list of
fastest Indians to reach 100 ODI wickets are Zaheer Khan (65
matches), Ajit Agarkar (67) and Javagal Srinath (68).
 Mohammed Shami
 Mohammed Shami, a reverse swing specialist made his first-class debut in 2010
against Assam. He was selected for the West Indies tour of India A squad in 2012
 Mohammed Shami made his ODI debut against Pakistan in January 2013 and Test debut
against West Indies in November 2013.
D.Gukesh became India’s youngest chess Grandmaster

 D. Gukesh became India’s youngest chess Grandmaster (GM).
 The 12-year old D. Gukesh on 15 January 2019 became overall the 59 and the youngest
chess Grandmaster (GM) from India as he defeated Dinesh Sharma in the ninth round of the
Delhi International Open.
 He thus broke the record of R. Praggnanandhaa set in June 2018.
43 |
 For the record, Gukesh reached the landmark at the age of 12 years, seven months and 17
days. Praggnanandhaa did it in 12 years, 10 months and 13 days.
 Gukesh is now World’s second youngest GM.
 It is worth mentioning that the record for world’s youngest Grandmaster stands in name of
Sergey Karjakin (Russia) at 12 years and seven months.
 This record was created in 2002.
Satyarup Siddhanta becomes world's youngest to climb 7 highest volcanoes, 7 highest

mountains in 7 continents
 35-year-old Indian becomes world's youngest to climb 7 highest volcanoes, 7 highest
mountains in 7 continents
 Satyarup Siddhanta from Kolkata created a world record by becoming the world’s youngest
mountaineer to climb the seven highest mountains and the seven highest volcanoes in
seven years.
 The mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta reached the peak of Antartica's highest point, the
4,285m Mount Sidley.
 He is also the first person in India to conquer the seven mountain peaks and seven volcanic
summits.
 The Kolkata software engineer achieved the feat at the age of 35 years and 262 days, while
Australia's Daniel Bull did it aged 36 years 157 days as per the Guinness Book of World
Records.
 This achievement by him has made him the fifth Indian citizen to have climbed the tallest
peaks in each continent.
 Here are the nine highest mountains he climbed:
1. Mount Everest (8,848 m) - Nepal
2. Mt Aconcagua (6,961 m) - Argentina
3. Mt Mckinely/Mt Denali (6,194 m) - USA
4. Mt Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) - Tanzania
5. Mt Elbrus (5,642 m) - Russia
6. Mt Blanc (4,808.7 m) - France
7. Mt Vinson Massif (4,892 m) - Antractica
8. Puncac Jaya/ Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 m) - Indonesia
9. Mt Kosciuszko (2,228 m) - Australia
 Here are the seven volcanic peaks he scaled:
1. Ojos del Salado (6,893 m) - Chile
2. Mt Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) - Tanzania
3. Mount Elbrus (5,642 m) - Russia
4. Mount Pico de Orizaba (5,636 m) - Mexico
5. Mt Damavand (5,610 m) - Iran
6. Mt Giluwe (4,368 m) - Papua New Guinea
7. Mt Sidley (4,285 m) - Antarctica
IPS officer Aparna Kumar completes South Pole expedition

 Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Aparna Kumar who is on deputation to
Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) become the first woman Indian Police
Service (IPS) and ITBP officer to successfully conquer the South Pole.
 South Pole
 The South Pole is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and
is at the centre of the Southern Hemisphere. It is situated on the continent
of Antarctica.
 The South Pole is the coldest and driest place on Earth. The temperature
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there ranges from minus 37 degrees to minus 48 degrees. As a result of this harsh climate,
there are no native resident plants or animals at the South Pole. South polar
skuas and snow petrels are occasionally seen there.
Nagaland CM inaugurates state’s first AstroTurf football pitch

 Nagaland Chief Minister Mr Neiphiu Rio has inaugurated the state’s first Astro Turf
Football Pitch (playfield size- 105x66 meters) at Indira Gandhi
Stadium in Kohima.
 The Astroturf has been installed under norms of FIFA.
 It will begin the process of sports development regarding football
in Nagaland.
 The State Government is working on a strategic sports infrastructure development plan
whereby every district will have quality sports facilities.
ICC suspends Ambati Rayudu from bowling in International Cricket

 Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu has been suspended from bowling
in International Cricket by the International Cricket Council (ICC),
after having found his bowling action to be illegal.
 According to ICC, the suspension will remain in place until he is
tested and can demonstrate he is able to bowl with legal action.
 Earlier, Rayudu had been reported for suspect bowling action during
the first ODI match between India and Australia in Sydney.
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2020 fixtures announced

 The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced fixtures
for the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 (Australia) in 2020.
 The men's event will take place later in the year from 18 October to
15th November.
 20The women's T20 World Cup will take place from 21st February
to 8 March in 2019, culminating with the final on International
Women’s Day.
 This edition marks the first occasion when the men and women tournaments will be held as
standalone events in the same year and in the same country.
 The Indian men's cricket team is in Group 2, which also includes England, South Africa,
Afghanistan and two qualifiers.
 India women are in Group A along with Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Qualifier 1.
 India's Kartik Sharma won the New South Wales men's Amateur Golf Championship in
Australia. Nepal batsman Rohit Paudel has become the youngest male cricketer to score an
international fifty at the age of 16 years and 146 days, breaking Sachin Tendulkar's
previous mark.
 West Indies captain Jason Holder has become the first player from the country in 45 years
to top the list of all-rounders in the International Cricket Council Test Player Rankings after
slamming an unbeaten double-century that helped script a memorable 381 - run win over
England in the first Test in Bridgetown.
 Former South Africa all-rounder Johan Botha has announced his immediate retirement
from all forms of Cricket.
 India's Ankita Raina has won the International Tennis Federation's 25,000-dollar Women's
tournament in Singapore. In the Final, Ankita defeated top seed Arantxa Rus of the
Netherlands.
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 Asian Cup gold medallist Shakil Ahmed has set up a world record in indoor rowing by
completing 1 lakh meters in above-40 years category in Kolkata.
 Maharashtra topped the medal tally with 37 golds at the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune.
It had 111 medals in its kitty with 37 gold, 31 silver and 43 bronze. Delhi was at second
position.
 Gurgaon‘s 8-year-old Kartik Singh has won the under-8 category at the Kids' Golf World
Championship organized by US kids Golf in Malaysia, which makes him the youngest Indian
to win the title.
 Bengaluru Raptors have won their first ever Premier Badminton League, PBL title. In the
title clash played at Bengaluru, Bengaluru edged out Mumbai Rockets, with a 4-3 win.
 Albie Morkel, the South African all-rounder, announced his retirement from all forms of
cricket. Indian men's hockey coach Harendra Singh was removed from the position and
offered the task of helming the junior squad by the national federation. In the interim, the
team will be overseen by Hockey India High-Performance Director David John and current
Analytical Coach, Chris Ciriello.
 M C Mary Kom has attained number one position in the International Boxing Association‘s
(AIBA) latest world rankings. She became the most successful boxer in world
championships‘ history when she claimed the 48kg category top honors in Delhi in
November 2018.
 The 25-year-old fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah became the highest international wicket-taker
across formats in 2018. He took a total of 78 wickets in the calendar year.
 80th National Table Tennis Championship held at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in
Cuttack. Switzerland's Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic secured victory over Germany's
Angelique Kerber and Alexander Zverev to win the Hopman Cup for the second year in a
row.
 Australian cities Sydney and Brisbane announced as the first two host locations for the
newest team event in men‘s tennis for the multi-million dollar ATP Cup from 2020. The
third Australian city for the tournament is yet to be determined.
1. The ICC has suspended which national bowler from bowling in International Cricket?
a) Jasprit Bumrah b) Umesh Yadav c) Ambati Rayudu d) Mohammed Shami
2. Who among the following won his 7th Australian Open Men's Singles title at Melbourne?
a) Rafael Nadal b) Petra Kvitova c) Pete Sampras d) Novak Djokovic
3. Which veteran cricketer announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on January 23,
2019?
a) Shaun Pollock b) Kumar Sangakkara c) Johan Botha d) David Warner
4. BCCI’s Committee of Administrators has lifted suspensions imposed on which among the
following cricketers?
a) Murali Vijay, Mayank Agarwal b) Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya
c) Umesh Yadav, Kedar Jhadav d) Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul
5. Who was named the captain of the ICC’s Test and ODI teams of the year 2018?
a) Kane Williamson b) Faf du Plessis c) Virat Kohli d) Rohit Sharma
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6. Which cricketer was named ICC Test, ODI Player and Cricketer of the year 2018?
a) Kane Williamson b) Quinton de Kock c) Virat Kohli d) Jasprit Bumrah
7. Who is the only cricketer besides Kohli to be named in both ICC Test and ODI teams of the
year 2018?
a) Jasprit Bumrah b) Rishabh Pant c) Rohit Sharma d) Kuldeep Yadav
8. Which cricketer won ICC Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year award for the year 2018?
a) Kane Williamson b) Jasprit Bumrah c) Kuldeep Yadav d) Rishabh Pant
9. Which Indian athlete has become the first one to be nominated for the Laureus World
Comeback of Year Award?
a) Vinesh Phogat b) Virat Kohli c) PV Sindhu d) Mary Kom
10. Which state is leading in the Medal tally of Khelo India Youth Games 2019 with 177 Medals
as on January 16, 2019?
a) Maharashtra b) Haryana c) Delhi d) Punjab
11. Who among the following were awarded honorary membership of Sydney Cricket Ground?
a) Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma b) Ravi Shastri, Virat Kohli
c) Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni d) MS Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin
12. The second edition of Khelo India Youth Games was inaugurated in which city recently?
a) Mumbai b) New Delhi c) Kolkata d) Pune
13. Which country’s cricketing body was announced as the 105th member of ICC?
a) Mexico b) Argentina c) US d) Russia
14. Which nation was chosen to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, replacing the original hosts
Cameroon?
a) Morocco b) UAE c) Egypt d) South Africa
15. Who was named ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year?

a) Smriti Mandhana b) Poonam Yadav c) Mithali Raj d) Harmanpreet Kaur
16. Which Indian among the following has become the world's youngest mountaineer to climb 7
Peaks, 7 Volcano Summits?
a) Arjun Vajpai b) Krushnaa Patil c) Pranav Rawat d) Satyarup Siddhanta
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Honours / Awards
Pranab Mukherjee, Nanaji Deshmukh, Bhupen Hazarika awarded Bharat Ratna
 Former president Pranab Mukherjee, Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Nanaji Deshmukh and
singer Bhupen Hazarika were on 25 January 2019 conferred the country's highest civilian
award Bharat Ratna.
 In an official statement, the government said Deshmukh and
Hazarika have conferred the award posthumously.
 Pranab Mukherjee, fondly known as 'Pranab Da', was the
president between 2012 and 2017.
 The Bharat Ratna has been conferred after a gap of four years.
 Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and founder of Banaras Hindu University
Madan Mohan Malviya were given the award by the Narendra Modi government in 2015.
About Nanaji Deshmukh
 Nanaji Deshmukh was born in 1916 in a Marathi family in Parbhani, Maharashtra. As a
child, he was inspired by freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
 Nanaji established India's first Saraswati Sishu Mandir at Gorakhpur in 1950
 Nanaji Deskhmukh had been a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is
the BJP's ideological mentor. He had worked as the RSS Pracharak in Uttar Pradesh.
 Nanaji Deshmukh had won in the 1977 Lok Sabha election from Balrampur.
 He was nominated to Rajya Sabha by the government in the year 1999 in recognition of his
services to the nation.
 He was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1999. He died in 2010.
About Bhupen Hazarika
 Bhupen Hazarika was born on September 8, 1926 in Sadiya, Assam, British India, to
Nilakanta Hazarika and Shantipriya Hazarika. He was the eldest of their ten children.
 He made his singing debut at the age of 12 in 1939.
 He was also one of the leading author-poets of Assam with more than 1,000 lyrics and
several short stories, essays and travelogues to his credit.
 Bhupen Hazarika, popularly known as the 'Bard of Brahmaputra',.
 He attended Banaras Hindu University where he completed his graduation and post-
graduation, obtaining his BA (1944) and MA (1946) in Political Science.
 In 1949, he got enrolled at the Columbia University, New York, on a scholarship and earned
his doctoral degree in 1952.
 Hazarika was conferred the second highest civilian honour, Padma Vibhushan in 2012.
 He was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke award for lifetime contribution to
development of Indian cinema in 1993.
 In May 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s longest bridge (9.15 kms),
which runs over the Lohit river in Assam. Modi named the Dhola-Sadia bridge after Bhupen
Hazarika.
 He died in November 2011 at the age of 85.
About Pranab Mukherjee
 Pranab Mukherjee was born in Mirati in Birbhum District of West Bengal on December 11,
1935 to freedom fighters.
 Mr Mukherjee acquired a Master's degree in History and Political Science as well as a
degree in Law from the University of Calcutta.
 He worked as a professor and a journalist before taking the plunge into politics following
his election to the Rajya Sabha in 1969.
 He got his first ministerial post in Indira Gandhi's cabinet in 1973. He was sent to the Rajya
Sabha by the Congress in 1975, 1981, 1993 and 1999.
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 He has served on the Board of Governors of the IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank
and African Development Bank.
 He was rated one of the best five Finance Ministers of the world in 1984 according to a
survey conducted by "Euro Money" Journal published from New York.
 He assumed office as the 13th President of India on July 25, 2012.
Padma Awards 2019

 Padma Vibhushan - 4, Padma Bhushan – 14 and Padma Shri - 94
 Padma Awards - one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three
categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
 The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public
affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education,
sports, civil service, etc.
 ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’
for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any
field.
 The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
 These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are
held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March/ April every year.
 This year the President of India has approved conferment of 112 Padma Awards including
one duo case (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one) as per list below.
 The list comprises 4 Padma Vibhushan, 14 Padma Bhushan and 94 Padma Shri Awards. 21
of the awardees are women and the list also includes 11 persons from the category of
Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, 3 Posthumous awardees and 1 transgender person.
PADMA VIBHUSHAN
S.No Name Field State

1. Ms. Teejan Bai Art-Vocals-Folk Chhattisgarh
2. Shri Ismail Omar Guelleh (Foreigner) Public Affairs Djibouti
Trade & Industry-
3. Shri Anilkumar Manibhai Naik Maharashtra
Infrastructure
4. Shri Balwant Moreshwar Purandare Art-Acting-Theatre Maharashtra
PADMA BHUSHAN

Trade & Industry-Food
1. Shri Mahashay Dharam Pal Gulati Delhi
Processing
2. Shri Kariya Munda Public Affairs Jharkhand
3. Shri Mohanlal Viswanathan Nair Art-Acting-Film Kerala
4. Shri S Nambi Narayan Science & Engineering-Space Kerala

Literature & Education
5. Shri Kuldip Nayar (Posthumous) Delhi
(Journalism)
6. Ms. Bachendri Pal Sports-Mountaineering Uttarakhand
49 |
PADMA SHRI

1. Shri Manoj Bajpayee Art-Acting-Films Maharashtra
2. Shri Dilip Chakravarty Others-Archaeology Delhi
3. Shri Sunil Chhetri Sports-Football Telangana
4. Shri Prabhu Deva Art-Dance Karnataka
5. Ms. Harika Dronavalli Sports-Chess Andhra Pradesh
6. Shri Gautam Gambhir Sports-Cricket Delhi
7. Shri S Jaishankar Civil Service Delhi
8. Shri Sharath Kamal Sports-Table Tennis Tamil Nadu
9. Shri Kader Khan Art-Acting-Films Canada

(Posthumous-Foreigner)
10. Shri Ravindra Kolhe (Duo)* Medicine-Affordable Maharashtra
Healthcare
Ms. Smita Kolhe (Duo)* Medicine-Affordable Maharashtra
Healthcare
11. Ms. Bombayla Devi Laishram Sports-Archery Manipur
12. Ms. Gita Mehta (Foreigner) Literature & Education USA
13. Shri Shankar Mahadevan Art-Vocals-Films Maharashtra

Narayan
14. Nartaki Natraj Art-Dance-Bharatnatyam Tamil Nadu
15. Ms. Tao Porchon-Lynch Others-Yoga USA

(Foreigner)
16. Ms. Kamala Pujhari Others-Agriculture Odisha
17. Shri Bajrang Punia Sports-Wrestling Haryana
18. Ms. Prashanti Singh Sports-Basketball Uttar Pradesh
19. Shri Ajay Thakur Sports-Kabaddi Himachal Pradesh
Note: * indicates duo case. (counted as one award)

# Read complete winner list at least once
Golden Globe Awards 2019 Announced: List of Important Winners

 The 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards were announced at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in
California, the USA. These annual awards honour the best in Motion Pictures and Television
for the year 2018.
Category Winners
Best Motion Picture Drama Bohemian Rhapsody
Best Director in Motion Picture-Drama Alfonso Cuaron (Roma)
50 |
Best Actress in Motion Picture-Drama Glen Close (The Wife)
Best Actor in Motion Picture-Drama Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)
Best Motion Picture – Animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language Roma (Mexico, Alfonso Cuaron)
Best Original Score – Motion Picture Justin Hurwitz (First Man)
PM Narendra Modi receives first-ever Philip Kotler award

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award, in
New Delhi, Monday, January 14, 2019.
 The award focuses on the triple-bottom-line of ‘people, profit and planet’. It will be offered
annually to the leader of a nation.
 According to the award citation, Modi was selected for his “outstanding leadership for the
nation”.
 His selfless service towards India, combined with his tireless energy has resulted in
extraordinary economic, social and technological advances in the country.
 The citation also states that under his leadership, India is now identified as the centre for
innovation and value-added manufacturing (Make in India), as well as a global hub for
professional services such as information technology.
 The statement quoted the citation as saying Modi’s visionary leadership has also resulted in
the digital revolution (Digital India), including the Unique Identification Number, Aadhaar,
for social benefits and financial inclusion.
 The citation, mentions initiatives such as Make in India, Startup India, Digital India and
Swachh Bharat, “which have positioned India as one of the most lucrative manufacturing
and business destinations in the world”.
No Presents Please wins DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2018
 No Presents Please is an English Novel translated from Kannada Work of Jayant Kaikini.
The novel was translated to English by Tejaswini Niranjana. The award was announced
during the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet.
 The award was presented by eminent writer Ruskin Bond to Jayant
Kaikini and translator Tejaswini Niranjana. For the first time the
award was being given to a translated work and the jury wanted to
recognise the outstanding contribution of Tejaswini Niranjana, the
translator.
 The novel presents illustrate life in Mumbai with the Mumbai City
presented as a protagonist of a coherent narrative.
 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature
 Instituted in 2010, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature awards the best work in South
Asian fiction writing each year. The Prize is awarded to writers of any ethnicity or
nationality writing about South Asia themes such as culture, politics, history, or people.
 The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature was instituted by Surina Narula and Manhad
Narula in 2010 for an original full-length novel written in English, or translated into
English.
Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Research awarded to C N R Rao

 The first Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Research has been awarded to C N
R Rao. The award will be presented to Rao by Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi ruler of Ras Al
Khaimah emirate during the International Workshop on Advanced Materials at Ras Al
Khaimah on February 25.
 C N R Rao
51 |
 Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao popularly known as C N R Rao is an Indian scientist
who has made significant contributions in material research.
 He has authored over 1,600 research papers and 50 books. His areas of
research include transition metal oxides and other extended inorganic
solids, metal-insulator transitions, nano-materials including nanotubes
and graphene, artificial photosynthesis and hydrogen generation by
photocatalysis and thermal means.
 He has been honoured several national and international awards which
include honorary fellowship of the ‘Royal Society of Chemistry’, London in 1989 and
‘Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur’ from France in 2005. He has also been conferred with
‘Padma Shri’ (1974), ‘Padma Vibhushan’ (1985) and ‘Karnataka Ratna’ (2001), Bharat
Ratna(2014) among others.
International Gandhi Peace Prize for years ( 2015 – 2018)

 Five renown institutions/personalities were awarded the prestigious International Gandhi
Peace Prize for years 2015 to 2018.
 These are – Vivekananda Kendra (2015), Akshaya Patra and
Sulabh International (for 2016), Ekal Abhiyan Trust (2017)
and Yohei Sarakawa (2018)
 On 18 January 2019 a jury headed by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi announced the winners of International
Gandhi Peace Prize for years 2015 to 2018.
 The last edition of this prize was announced for year 2014.
 The prize for 2015 has been awarded to Kaniyakumari-based Vivekananda Kendra, a Hindu
spiritual organisation based on the principles preached by Swami Vivekananda.
 On the other hand the prize for 2016 has been shared by Akshaya Patra and Sulabh
International. Akshaya Patra is a non-profit organisation in India that runs school lunch
programme across India while Sulabh International is a social service organization that
works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of
energy, waste management and social reforms through education.
 The International Gandhi Peace Prize for 2017 has been conferred on Ekal Abhiyan Trust,
trust that is engaged in providing education for rural and tribal children in remote areas
pan India, rural empowerment, gender and social equality.
 The prize for 2018 has been awarded to Yohei Sarakawa of Japan, for his contribution in
Leprosy Eradication in India and across the world.
 The other members of selection jury of prize includes Justice Ranjan Gogoi, the Chief Justice
of India; Sumitra Mahajan, Speaker of Lok Sabha; Mallikarjuna Kharge, Leader of the single
largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha and L.K. Advani, Member of Parliament.
Noted Gujarati poet Sitanshu Yashashchandra awarded Saraswati Samman 2017

 Noted Gujarati poet Sitanshu Yashashchandra has been awarded
Saraswati Samman,2017, for his poetry collection in Gujarati named
“Vakhar”.
 The award comprises of a citation and a plaque apart from award
money of 15 lakh rupees.
 Yashashchandra, recipient of the Padmashri in 2006, is known for
seamlessly blending history with poetry. He has explored politics of the times, the larger
and more immediate human conditions in his award-winning work "Vakhar"
 Besides the Saraswati Samman, the K.K.Birla foundation also gives away two other literary
awards Vyas Samman and Bihari Puraskar besides G.D Birla Award for scientific research.
52 |
India-set short film 'Period. End of Sentence' gets Oscars nomination
 A film on menstruation, set in rural India, titled "Period. End of
Sentence" has earned a nomination in the Documentary Short
Subject category for the 91st Academy Awards.
 Award-winning filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi has directed the short
film, which has been produced by Guneet Monga's Sikhya Entertainment.
 The film came to being as a part of The Pad Project, started by students at the Oakwood
School in Los Angeles and their teacher, Melissa Berton.
 The documentary feature is set in Hapur village outside Delhi, where women lead a quiet
revolution as they fight against the deeply rooted stigma of menstruation.
Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani to be conferred with Ashok Chakra

 Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani, who laid down his life during an anti-terror operation at
Shopian in Kashmir in November last year, will be conferred with
the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award.
 Wani, 38, hailed from Ashmuji in Kulgmam. He died on November 25
during a fierce gunfight.
 He was a militant, but later came into the mainstream. He joined the
Army in 2004.
 Wani was part of a number of anti-terror operations in South Kashmir, officials said.
 Ashok Chakra is the highest peacetime military decoration for valour, courageous action or
self-sacrifice away from the battlefield.
ICAR's 'Kisan Gandhi' tableau wins first prize at R-Day parade

 The ICAR tableau in the Republic Day Parade has won the first
prize for its Kisan Gandhi theme.
 The Indian Council of Agricultural Research 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.
 Tripura bagged the first prize for the state tableau while tableau from Jammu and Kashmir
was adjudged the second and Punjab won the third prize.
 The theme of Tripura's tableau was 'Empowering Rural Economy the Gandhian Way'.
 A total of 22 tableaux were displayed on the 70th Republic Day parade.
Jean-Luc wins round-the-World Sailing Race

 French sailor Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (73-years) has won the round-the-world yacht
race after 212 days alone at sea without modern instruments.
 He became the oldest to complete the 30,000-mile Golden Globe
race.
 19 sailors who started out in July 2018, only 5 were still in the
race.
 The race involves solo sailors navigating with a sextant and paper maps and
communicating only occasionally with the outside world via short-wave radio.
Piyush Goyal receives Carnot Prize 2018

 The Union Minister Piyush Goyal received the fourth annual Carnot Prize 2018 by the
Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.
 Piyush Goyal decided to donate award money (USD 25,000) to International Solar
Alliance to institute the Diwakar Award.
53 |
 The Diwakar award will recognise every year, an outstanding organisation that has been
working for special children and maximising the use of solar energy.
 Earlier, Mr Goyal unable to accept the award in the United States of America, due to
the unfortunate train tragedy in Amritsar.
 India received the Award of Excellence for 'Best in Show‘at the New York Times Travel
Show 2019, the largest travel show in North America.
 Assam government conferred the Republic Day Journalism Award 2019 to veteran
journalist and former editor Dhirendra Nath Chakraborty.
 The government has instituted an annual award titled Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda
Prabandhan Puraskar. It will be announced every year on 23rd January, the birth
anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. This year, 8th Battalion of National Disaster
Response Force located at Ghaziabad selected for the Award for its commendable work in
disaster management.
 Three Indian expats from the UAE are amongst those who won the prestigious Pravasi
Bharatiya Samman Award the highest honor conferred on Indian diaspora. President Ram
Nath Kovind conferred the award on Girish Pant, Surender Singh Kandhari and Dr. Zulekha
Daud and other awardees at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention in Varanasi.
Girish Pant is a social worker, Surender Singh Kandhari is chairman of the Gurudwara Guru
Nanak Darbar Sikh Temple and a philanthropist, businessman, Dr Zulekha is founder and
chairperson of Zulekha Healthcare Group.
 VP Naidu presented the 2nd Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards to students and their mentors
and Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) Awards to institutions at an event organized by All
India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in New Delhi.
 US Based Indian poet Ranjani Murali was awarded the ―Woman‘s Voice Award at the
Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF). Ranjani Murali‘s second book ―Clearly you are
ESL won the Great Indian Poetry Coll ectives (GIPCs) Editor‘s Choice award.
 Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research announced that the Centre for
Advanced Materials of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) chose Eminent Scientist and Bharat
Ratna recipient CNR Rao for the first Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials
Research.
 Himachal Pradesh MP Anurag Thakur bestowed with Sansad Ratna Award for his
distinguished performance as a parliamentarian under Jury Committee Special Award
category. Thakur became the first BJP MP to receive the Jury Committee award.
 Indian-American Sikh Gurinder Singh Khalsa, 45, who lives in Fishers of Indiana, US was
presented with the prestigious 2019 Rosa Park Trailblazer award after being selected for
champions of the diversity by the Indiana Minority Business Magazine.
 The Japan Prize Foundation announced India born professor Dr. Rattan Lal, University
Professor of Soil Science at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A, as the
recipient of the 2019 Japan Prize for his contributions in the field of ―Biological Production,
Ecology. Dr. Yoshio Okamoto announced to be the recipient of the 2019 Japan Prize on of
―Materials and Production field.
 A detained Chinese rights lawyer Yu Wensheng has won a Franco-German human rights
award for his 'exceptional contribution' to the protection and promotion of human rights.
 Writer Namita Gokhale has won the Sushila Devi Literature Award for her novel ―Things to
Leave Behind.
54 |
 Industrialist and Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej was conferred the ICSIs Lifetime
Achievement Award for 'Translating Excellence in Corporate Governance into Reality'. 18th
ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governance bagged jointly by Cipla Ltd
and Dabur India Ltd and five others: ACC Ltd, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Indian Oil Corp, Tata
Metaliks Ltd and Indian Hotels Co Ltd.
 Home Minister Rajnath Singh presented Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism awards
in 18 categories across print, broadcast, and purely-digital for outstanding work done in
2017.
1. Who was conferred with the 2019 Bharat Ratna award, country's highest civilian honour?
a) Pranab Mukherjee b) Manmohan Singh
c) P. Chidambaram d) Raghuram Rajan
2. Who among the following has been selected for Padam Shri 2019?
a) Bachendri Pal b) Gautam Gambhir c) Teejan Bai d) Nambi Narayan
3. Who was awarded with Bharat Ratna posthumously in 2019?

a) Madan Mohan Malaviya b) Bhupen Hazarika
c) Atal Bihari Vajpayee d) M Karunanidhi
4. Who was chosen for the first Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials?
a) C N R Rao b) K Sivan c) Satish Dhawan d) AS Kiran Kumar
5. Who won the Franco-German Award for Human Rights 2018?

a) Li Zhang b) Xi Zhou c) Yu Wensheng d) Chen Zi
6. Which Indian leader was recently awarded with the first ever Philip Kotler Presidential
Award?
a) Ram Nath Kovind b) Venkaiah Naidu c) Narendra Modi d) Arun Jaitley
7. Which film won the 2019 Golden Globe award for Best Motion Picture- Drama?
a) Star Is Born, A (2018) b) Black Panther
c) If Beale Street Could Talk d) Bohemian Rhapsody
8. Who won the Best Actress in Motion Picture-Drama award at the 76th Golden Globe
Awards?
a) Lady Gaga b) Glenn Close c) Nicole Kidman d) Melissa McCarthy
9. Who won the Best Actor in Motion Picture-Drama award at the 76th Golden Globe Awards?
a) Bradley Cooper b) Willem Dafoe c) Rami Malek d) Lucas Hedges
55 |
Obituaries
Former Defence Minister George Fernandes passes away
 Former Defence Minister ‘George Fernandes’ (88-years) passed away in New Delhi.
 Mr Fernandes also served as Union Minister for Railways, Communications and Industry.
 He was elected to the Lok Sabha nine times and once to the Rajya
Sabha.
 As President of the All India Railwaymen's Federation, he led the
Railway strike involving 1.5 million workers (in 1974), resulting in
thousands being sent to jail.
 In 1976 he was arrested and tried in the infamous Baroda dynamite case.
 George Fernandes was born on 3rd June 1930 to John Joseph Fernandes and Alice Martha
Fernandes in Mangaluru (Karnataka)to a Mangalorean Catholic family.
Legendary Cricket Coach Ramakant Achrekar passed away

 Cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar recently passed away in Mumbai at the
age 87 years.
 He was the legendary coach known to have shaped the career of master-
blaster Sachin Tendulkar.
 Besides Tendulkar, he also coached some prominent players in Vinod
Kambli, Pravin Amre, Sameer Dighe, Ramesh Powar, Chandrakant Pandit,
Ajit Agarkar and Balwinder Singh Sandhu.
 Achrekar was bestowed with country's fourth highest civilian award -
Padma Shri in 2010 and Dronacharya Award (for Outstanding Coaches in Sports and
Games) in 1990.
Krishna Sobti, a legendary Hindi writer, passes away

 Krishna Sobti, a legendary Hindi writer, passed away early this morning in Delhi. She was
93.
 Born in February 1925 in Gujarat- Punjab, now a province in
Pakistan, Sobti began her writings in poetry and then went on to
write fiction which won her several awards.
 Sobti was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1980 and the
Jnanpith award in 2017 for her contribution to Indian literature.
 Sobti has also received the Shiromani Award in 1981 and Hindi Academy Award in 1982.
 In 2018, she released her autobiographical novel — ‘Gujarat Pakistan se Gujarat Hindustan’.
 Krishna Sobti won the Sahitya for her novel Zindaginama. Some of her other novels are
Dara se bichuri, Mitro Marajani and Surajmukhi andhere ke.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Columnist Russell Baker passed away

 Russell Baker, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who penned thousands
of columns for The New York Times, passed away at his home in
Leesburg, Va. He was 93.
 Russell Baker won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1979.
 It was the first Pulitzer for commentary awarded to a humorist.
Oscar-winning French composer Michel Legrand passes

 Oscar-winning French composer Michel Legrand (86-years) passed away.
 Legrand wrote over 200 film and TV scores, as well as songs (Known for his often jazz-
tinged music).
56 |
 Michel Legrand won three Oscars and five Grammys during a
career spanning more than half a century.
 In 1969, he won the first Oscar for the song ‘The Windmills of Your
Mind’ from the film ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’.
 This was followed with Oscars for his music for ‘Summer of ’42’ (in
1972) and for ‘Yentl’ (in 1984).
 Former Indian hockey player Raghbir Singh Bhola, a two-time Olympic medallist, has
passed away aged 92. In 2000, he was honored with the Arjuna Award for his achievements
in hockey.
 The world's oldest man, Masazo Nonaka of Japan, has died at the age of 113.
 Mary Oliver, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet passed away. She was 83. The cause of death
was lymphoma.
 Sir Michael Atiyah, a British mathematician who received the 1966 Fields Medal, also
known as the 'Nobel for Mathematics,' passed away at the age of 89
 Veteran actor-writer Kader Khan passed away in Canada at the age of 81.
 Renowned Bengali writer and Sahitya Akademi awardee Dibyendu Palit passes away due to
age-related ailments. He was 79-year-old.
1. Former Union Minister George Fernandes passed away on January 29, 2019. He served
which Ministry under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government?
a) Railways Ministry b) Finance Ministry c) Defence Ministry d) Commerce Ministry
2. With reference to Mrinal Sen, who died at 95 years of age, consider the following
statements:
1. He was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2003.
2. He was awarded Padma Vibhushan.
3. He made his directorial debut with Raat Bhore in 1955 and is known for making films
that focussed on socio-political issues.
Which of the above statements are correct?
a) Only 1 and 2 b) Only 2 and 3 c) Only 1 and 3 d) 1, 2 and 3
3. With which area was Meera Sanyal associated, who died recently ?
a) Acting b) Classical music c) Banking management d) Fiction writing
4. Krishna Sobti, who recently died, was not the author of which of the following books?
a) Mitro Marjani b) Zindaginama
c) Surajmukhi Andhere Ke d) Aapka Bunty
5. Shivakumara Swami, the head pontiff of five-centuries-old Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru,

passed away on January 21, 2019. He was the seer of:
a) Swaminarayan sect b) Varakari sect
c) Lingayat d) Arya Samaj
57 |
Important Days
 January 1 : World Day of Peace [Vatican City]
 Theme of 2019 : Good politics is at the service of peace
 January 4 : World Braille Day

 Theme of 2019 : No theme
 January 9 : Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

(15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention was organized from 21 to 23
January 2019)
 Theme of 2019 : Role of Indian Diaspora in building a New India
 January 10 : World Hindi Day

 January 11 : Death Anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri

 January 12 : National Youth Day (Birth Day of Swami Vivekanand)

 Theme of 2019 : Channelizing Youth Power for Nation Building
 January 15 : Army Day

 Theme of 2019 : Nation First
 January 23 : Netaji Subhashchandra Bose's birth anniversary

 January 24 : National Girl Child Day

 Theme of 2019 : Empowering Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow
 January 25 : National Tourism Day

 January 25 : National Voter Day

 Theme of 2019 : No Voter to be left behind

 January 25 : International Customs Day
 Theme of 2019 : Smart Borders for Seamless Trade, Travel and Transport
 January 30 : Mahatma Gandhi's Martyrdom Day

 January 30 : National Cleanliness Day

1. When the National Voters’ Day is celebrated every year in India?

a) 25 January b) 26 January c) 27 January d) 28 January
2. When is the National Girl Child Day observed every year in India?
a) January 23 b) January 24 c) January 25 d) January 26
58 |
3. When is the Army Day celebrated in India every year?
4. When is the World Hindi Day observed every year?

5. When is the World Braille Day observed every year?

a) 1 January b) 2 January c) 3 January d) 4 January
Foreign Visits / Foreign Visitors
 Visit of External Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj to Samarkand, Uzbekistan for the
First India-Central Asia Dialogue in between January 12-13, 2019.
 State Visit of Prime Minister of Norway Ms. Erna Solberg to India in between January 07-09,
2019.
 Official Visit of Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth to
India in between January 20-28, 2019.
 State Visit of President of the Republic of South Africa Mr. Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa to
India in between January 25-26, 2019.
59 |
Answer Key
National
1-D 2-B 3-C 4-A 5-B 6-D 7-A 8-C 9-A 10-A
11-C 12-C 13-D 14-D 15-C 16-C 17-B 18-D 19-C 20-B
21-A 22-C 23-D 24-A 25-C 26-D
International
1-B 2-D 3-D 4-D 5-C 6-D 7-B 8-B 9-A 10-D
11-B 12-C 13-B 14-C 15-D 16-B

1-C 2-B 3-A 4-B 5-D 6-C 7-C 8-B 9-B 10-A
11-C 12-C 13-D 14-A 15-A 16-C

1-B 2-A 3-B 4-A 5-C 6-D 7-A 8-D
1-B 2-A 3-B 4-D 5-A 6-A 7-A 8-B 9-A 10-B
Sports
1-C 2-D 3-C 4-D 5-C 6-C 7-A 8-D 9-A 10-A
11-B 12-D 13-C 14-C 15-A 16-D
Honours / Awards
1-A 2-B 3-B 4-A 5-C 6-C 7-D 8-B 9-C
Obituaries
1-C 2-D 3-C 4-D 5-C
Important Days
1-A 2-B 3-A 4-A 5-D
Source of Information
 http://pib.nic.in
 http://india.gov.in
 http://www.ibef.org
 http://thehindu.com
 http://jagranjosh.com
 http://gktoday.in
60 |

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Compendium-January, 2019

National Salt Satyagraha Memorial

World’s longest expressway to come up in Uttar Pradesh

106th edition of the Indian Science Congress (ISC) was inaugurated by PM

FSSAI prohibit use of newspaper or recycled plastics for packing

Vande Bharat Express

Cabinet approves setting up of 3 new AIIMS

124th Constitutional Amendment Bill passed

PM inaugurates Four museums in Red Fort Complex

Sikkim government launched “One Family, One Job” scheme

ISRO puts ‘lightest satellite’ Kalamsat V2 into orbit

National Museum of Indian Cinema Inaugurated

Pune to soon be first city in country to see a traffic robot

DD Science, India Science channels launched by

15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention was formally inaugurated at Varanasi

Arunachal Government declares Pakke Hornbill fest as ‘State Festival’

Nitin Gadkari dedicates to nation Kerrian Gandyal bridge in Kathua

'Roshni’ to help visually impaired identify notes

Nari Shakti is Oxford Dictionary’s Hindi Word of the year 2018

Fair Value for Innovation launched at Raisina Dialogue

India signs an agreement with OECD for participation in PISA 2021

Javadekar inaugurates new campus of National Museum Institute at Noida

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

5. Which city is hosting the first-ever national conference on ‘prison design’?

8. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship on January 24,

Venezuela announces breaking off diplomatic ties with the US

Palestine takes over chairmanship of G77

Times Higher Education Emerging Economies University Rankings 2019

Bloomberg Innovation Index 2019: Key Facts

WORLD DYNAMIC CITY 2019

Global Talent Competitive Index: Key Facts

First human rights TV channel vows to 'give a voice to voiceless'

Rio de Janeiro recognised as World Capital of Architecture 2020

Volcano erupts on Kuchinoerabu island of Japan

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

2. Which country recently declared sugarcane juice as 'national drink'?

7. Which country has changed its name to North Macedonia?

9. Where was the India-Central Asia Dialogue held in January 2019?

16. Which nation ceased to be a member of OPEC from January 1, 2019?

Economics & Financial Awareness

Oxfam Annual Wealth Check report 2019: Key Facts

‘Survey on Retail Payment Habits of Individuals (SRPHi)’ launched by RBI

Ease of Doing Business (EDB): Andhra Pradesh No 1, Maharashtra 2nd

Amazon becomes most valuable company, inching past Microsoft

CSO predicts India’s GDP to grow at 7.2% in F.Y-2019

India set to become third-largest consumer market: WEF

ADB forecasts Indian economy to grow at 7.3% in F.Y-2019

Vision 2040 document: Aviation A fact-file

Cabinet approves the creation of National Bench of GST Appellate Tribunal

India ranks 80th on Global Talent Competitive Index 2019

Indian economy may grow 7.6% in FY20: UN report

JNPT becomes India's only port to be ranked among world's top 30

India ranks 54th in 'Bloomberg Innovation Index’ of 60 economies

GST on Haj reduced from 18% to 5%: Naqvi

Civil Aviation Ministry launches first GI Store in Goa

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

4. India ranked at which position on the Corruption Perceptions Index 2018?

Defence & Security - National/International

ISRO’s first mission of 2019 to put military satellite Microsat-R in space

Sea-Vigil Navy Exercise

India Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX)- 2019 to be held in Pune

Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor Inaugurated

RPF Women Squad ‘JOYMATI BAHINI’ launched in Guwahati