Current Affairs Daily Digest – January 14 2020
1. January 14: Armed Forces Veterans Day
Every year, Armed Forces Veterans Day is celebrated on January 14. The day is being celebrated since 2017. The day was initially called Armistice Day. The first Armistice Day was celebrated on November 11, 1919 marking the anniversary of the end of World War I and celebrating the brave soldiers who were part of World War I.
2. GoI: 6th Island Development Agency meeting held in New Delhi
Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the sixth Island Development Agency meeting in New Delhi. The meeting focused on “Green Development in the Islands to reach new heights”. The meeting reviewed the work progress of the programme, “Holistic Development of Islands”.
3. ISRO to launch GSAT-30 satellite
The Indian Space Research Organization will launch GSAT-30 satellite on the launch vehicle Ariane-5. It is to be launched in Ariane Launch Complex at Kourou. Kourou is a French territory that if located along the north eastern coast of South America.
4. Statue of Unity included in 8 Wonders of SCO; SCO heads meet: first time in India
The Statue of Unity that was inaugurated by PM Modi in October 2018 has been included in 8 wonders of SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization). The statue was a monumental tribute to Sardar Vallabhai Patel.
5. Michael Debabrata Patra appointed RBI’s fourth Deputy Governor
The government appointed Michael Debabrata Patra as the fourth Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Patra is currently the Executive Director of the RBI. He will take over the position lying vacant after Viral Acharya’s exit last year. Patra will serve a term of three years.
Patra is expected to take over the monetary policy portfolio handled by Acharya. He is currently the Executive Director of the Monetary Policy Department.
6.India, Bangladesh sign MoU for content exchange programe between All India Radio and Bangladesh Betar
India signed an Memorandum of Understanding with Bangladesh for content exchange programme between All India Radio and Bangladesh Betar. An MoU between National Film Development Corporation, India and Film Development Corporation, Bangladesh, was also signed.
The MoUs were signed in the presence of Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar and Bangladesh Information Minister Muhammad H Mahmud in New Delhi.
7. World Bank predicts Sri Lanka’s economic growth at 3.3 pct for 2020
The World Bank has forecast Sri Lanka’s economic growth at 3.3 per cent for 2020 saying the growth is likely to remain below four per cent in next three years.
The bank said, in its latest report of World Bank’s January 2020 Global Economic Prospects, that for 2021 and 2022, it maintains the same forecast of 3.7 per cent of economic growth in Sri Lanka.
8. Inflation jumps to 5-year high of 7.35%, could hold RBI back from cutting rates again
India’s retail inflation soared to 7.35 per cent in December on account of a sharp increase in vegetable prices, increasing the likelihood of the Reserve Bank of India holding on to key policy rates in the monetary policy review due next month.
Inflation based on the consumer price index rose sharply for the fifth consecutive month, breaching the upper level of the RBI’s inflation targeting mandate. The inflation targeting mandate as per the law is 4 per cent with a +/-2 per cent band.
9. Fresh investment proposals worth Rs 6608 cr approved in Tamil Nadu
In Tamil Nadu, fresh investment proposals worth 6608 crore rupees have been approved. They have been cleared by the higher-level committee on industrial guidance and single window system, led by the state chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy.
10. Venkaiah Naidu to inaugurate classical Telugu centre in Andhra’s Nellore
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is scheduled to inaugurate a new Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Telugu in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh on January 21.
“The establishment of this Centre at Nellore would facilitate to focus its activities for the development of this rich classical Telugu through Research, seminars, debates and various activities,” said an official statement.
11. Indian Railways signs MoU with RailTel
After successful completion of the Phase 1 execution of NIC e-office for 50,000 users in 58 units, Indian Railways has signed MoU with RailTel for the phase 2 of the project.
In phase 2, RailTel will register 39,000 users over 34 Railway divisions in NIC e-office platform by 30th June 2020.
