Latest Current Affairs – January 15 2019
1. Modi govt allots additional Rs 6,000 crore to MGNREGA; highest ever in a year
The government said it has made an additional allocation of over Rs 6,000 crore to rural employment scheme MGNREGA, taking the total allocation to Rs 61,084 crores, which is highest ever in a financial year. The additional allocation comes after nearly 90 lawmakers, several prominent civil society members, activists, leaders of farmers’ movements and former bureaucrats wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising concerns over fund crunch.
2. Govt. Launches two National level Initiatives in the field of science communication
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) along with Doordarshan (DD), Prasar Bharati launched two science communication initiatives, DD Science and India Science .While DD Science is an one-hour slot on Doordarshan National channel, which will be telecast Monday to Saturday from 5 pm to 6pm, India Science is a internet-based channel, which is available on any internet-enabled device, and will offer live, scheduled play and video-on-demand services.
3. India’s D Gukesh becomes the world’s second youngest Grandmaster
Tamil Nadu’s D Gukesh became India’s youngest and the world’s second youngest Grandmaster after achieving his third and final GM norm at the ongoing 17th Delhi International Open Chess tournament. At 12 years, seven months and 17 days, Gukesh missed Sergey Karjakin’s record of becoming the youngest GM in the history of chess by only 17 days.
4. MOU signed for development and facilitation of Agriculture R&D
The DBT and ICAR has entered into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for much-needed emphasis on multi-disciplinary R&D activities and nurturing innovations in Agricultural Biotechnology Research and Education.
The MoU between ICAR and DBT is for mutual collaboration to explore the possibility of cooperation, convergence and synergy to promote and accelerate the progress of research and training in various disciplines of agricultural biotechnology between ICAR and DBT.The MoU will be implemented with the aim to collaborate with one another in mutually agreed-upon research programmes in the areas of agricultural biotechnology, funding of projects, policy issues, regulatory aspects, and other specified areas of National interest.
5. Flipkart-owned Myntra and Jabong CEO Ananth Narayanan steps down, Amar Nagaram takes over
Flipkart-owned fashion retailer Myntra on Monday said that Ananth Narayanan has resigned as the chief executive officer (CEO), a development which was widely expected after a recent re-jig at its parent group. Flipkart executive Amar Nagaram has been appointed as the new head of Myntra and Jabong, according to an internal email sent to employees.
6. ICICI Bank appoints B Sriram, Rama Bijapurkar as independent directors
Private sector ICICI Bank on Monday inducted former SBI Managing Director B Sriram on its board as independent director. Besides, management consultant Rama Bijapurkar was also appointed director. Both were appointed for 5 years, subject to the approval of shareholders, ICICI Bank said in a regulatory filing on stock exchanges. Sriram retired as the managing director of IDBI Bank in September 2018. Prior to IDBI Bank, he was the managing director of SBI.
7. 7-Member Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted for boosting the real estate sector
In pursuance of decision in the 32nd Meeting of GST Council held on 10 January 2019 at New Delhi, a Group of Ministers (GoM) for boosting the Real Estate Sector under the GST regime has been constituted. Nitin Patel, Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Gujarat is convener of the ‘GoM for boosting Real Estate Sector under the GST regime’.
The members of the GoM includes Sudhir Mungantiwar, Finance Minister, Government of Maharashtra, Krishna Byre Gowda, Finance Minister, Government of Karnataka, Dr. T.M. Thomas Isaac, Finance Minister, Government of Kerala, Manpreet Singh Badal, Finance Minister, Government of Punjab, Rajesh Agarwal, Finance Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh and Mauvin Godinho, Minister of Panchayat, Government of Goa.
8. Jai Kisan Rin Mukti Yojana launched by Madhya Pradesh CM
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Tuesday launched his government’s Rs 50,000-crore farm debt-waiver scheme named ‘Jai Kisan Rin Mukti Yojana’.Hailing the scheme as a milestone, Nath said here it would benefit 55 lakh small and marginal farmers. He also slammed the opposition parties for alleging that the scheme was being implemented without any budgetary provisions.
The Madhya Pradesh economy has been agriculture- based. About 70 percent people are associated with agriculture and allied sectors. Hence, this loan waiver is an investment in the economy, which can’t be strengthened without farmers,” Nath said at the launch event.
9. Govt launches initiative to enable women entrepreneurs to sell items on GeM
The commerce ministry said Government eMarketplace (GeM) has launched an initiative to enable women entrepreneurs and self-help groups to sell different products at the platform. GeM is an online platform of the ministry for procurement of goods and services by government departments, public sector units, and other agencies.
The initiative – Womaniya on GeM – seeks to develop women entrepreneurship on the margins of society to achieve gender-inclusive economic growth, it said in a statement.
10. Shakil Ahmed sets world record in Indoor Rowing
Asian Cup gold medalist and noted oarsman Shakil Ahmed added one more feather in his cap when he set up a world record by completing 100,000 (one lakh) metres of indoor rowing in the 40-years-and-above category. FISA level one coach, Shakil, who has twenty six international medals during his rowing career so far, began his record setting indoor rowing feat in Salt Lake stadium complex.
He achieved the rare feat of covering 100,000 metre of simulated distance after ten hours in presence of Secretary of West Bengal Rowing Association (WBRA) Secretary Souvik Ghosh and another WBRA committee member Aniruddha Mukherjee.
11. India’s largest startup ecosystem inaugurated in Kerala
India got its largest startup ecosystem when Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated here 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
12. PM unveils projects worth over Rs 1,550 cr in Odisha
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a slew of central government projects worth over Rs 1,550 crore in Odisha. the prime minister dedicated to the nation the electrification of Jharsuguda-Vizianagaram and Sambalpur-Angul railway lines spanning 813 km, which have been completed at a cost of Rs 1,085 crore. Modi also inaugurated the doubling of 14.2 km Barpali-Dungaripali and 17.3 km Balangir-Deogaon rail lines, completed at a cost of Rs 189.3 crore. They are part of the 181.54 km Sambalpur-Titlagarh doubling project.
13. Chennai Traffic Police introduces robots for traffic management
The Chennai Traffic Police has inducted a road safety robot named ROADEO to help police in traffic management and assist pedestrians in Chennai roads. These robots can be integrated with the traffic signals, as well as can be operated manually, through a Bluetooth app, thereby easing the work of traffic police. The robot has two hands to interact with the people and show traffic signs and highly expressive eyes to show important messages. The robot has been developed by school children of a private robotics lab in Chennai. With the induction of ROADEO, Chennai is the second city after Mumbai to deply robots in traffic management.
14. 1st Ekalavya Model Residential Schools Sports Meet 2019’ at Hyderabad
Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs inaugurated the “1st Ekalavya Model Residential Schools Sports Meet 2019” at Gachibowli stadium in Hyderabad. The National Sports Meet is being held from 14th to 16th January 2019 at GMC Balayogi Stadium, Gachibowli, Hyderabad. The Telangana State has been chosen as the host for the Meet and the Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society is organizing the Event. The Minister said the government of India is planning to establish more than 400 Eklavya model schools by 2022
15. Manu Sawhney unveiled as new ICC CEO
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the appointment of Manu Sawhney as its new Chief Executive Officer. According to an ICC statement, Sawhney, the former CEO of Singapore Sports Hub and Managing Director of ESPN Star Sports, will join the global cricket governing body next month before formally taking over the reins from David Richardson in July after the ICC men’s World Cup.
The appointment was ratified by the ICC Board following a global search and appointment process led by ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar and the Nominations Committee.
