APPOINTMENTS    

1. UN appoints Director of UNIC in New Delhi

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed a senior Dutch official as head of the world bodys information centre in New Delhi, covering India and Bhutan.

• Derk Segaar of the Netherlands has been appointed Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in New Delhi, covering India and the Kingdom of Bhutan.
• Prior to this appointment, Segaar had served since 2013 as the Chief of the United Nations Resident Coordinators Office and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudans (UNMISS) Relief, Reintegration and Protection Section.

INDIAN AFFAIRS

2. 2nd testing of Guided Pinaka missile ends Sucessfully

The guided Pinaka rocket was successfully test-fired for the second time from launch complex-III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) launch pad at Chandipur. The conversion facilitated range enhancement and improvement in Pinaka’s accuracy.

The guided version of Pinaka has been developed jointly by ARDE, Pune, and Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imarat and Defence Research and Development Laboratory. Chandipur ITR provided the range and launch support.

3. Madhya Pradesh CM announces total ban on polythene bags

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a total ban on polythene carry bags from May 1 in Madhya Pradesh in a bid to conserve environment, protect cows and promote cleanliness. Chouhan, in his Republic Day address, also praised the MP Police for its swiftness in neutralising eight SIMI suspects who escaped from local central jail last year.

MP Police have done a remarkable job with swiftness in dealing with the dreaded SIMI activists who escaped from the Bhopal Central Jail after brutally killing a guard on last Diwali night.

4. Gujarat government pardons 439 prisoners on 68th Republic Day eve

As many as 439 prisoners, over half of them serving life sentence, will be freed from Gujarat jails after the state government ordered their release on humanitarian grounds on the eve of Republic Day. The decision to pardon the remaining sentences of these 439 prisoners was taken by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on humanitarian grounds.

5. Burj Khalifa lights up in ‘Tricolour’ to mark 68th Indian Republic Day

Burj Khalifa tower, the world’s tallest building located in Dubai, will be lit up in the colours of the Indian National flag to celebrate India’s 68th Republic Day. The LED shows were to be held on both days along with complimenting Dubai Fountain shows. In addition to the shows, the Indian Consulate in Dubai has a flag-hoisting ceremony at the consulate premises by Consul  General Anurag Bhushan, followed by flag-hoisting at the Indian High School grounds in Oud Metha.

6. MakeMyTrip launches India’s 1st social luxury travel magazine

India’s largest online travel portal has launched the first ever social luxury travel magazine called ‘Luxury Travel Times’. The mobile-only magazine is targeted at luxury travellers and is released through innovative ad platforms like Facebook Canvas & Instagram-Stories. ‘Spa-cation’, ‘Heaven on Earth’ & ‘Heritage’ were first few themes of the magazine presenting exoMakeMyTriptic choices to explore fine living.

7. DU becomes first public varsity with ‘monumental’ flag

Delhi University is set to hoist its first monumental flag. Eleven months after all Central university vice-chancellors resolved to install the national flag “prominently and proudly” on their campuses. According to the Flag Foundation of India, DU is the first public university in the country to get a monumental flagpole.

8. Govt to carefully examine CM panels BCTT recommendations

Government will “carefully examine” recommendations of the high-powered chief ministers’ panel for levying a Banking Cash Transaction Tax (BCTT) on cash deals of Rs 50,000 and above before taking a final view on it.

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu-headed committee of state chief ministers on digitisation submitted its interim report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The panel, among other things, recommended a cap on cash in all types of big-ticket transactions and a levy on cash deals beyond Rs 50,000 as it sought to discourage the use of physical currency. It also suggested a host of incentives for payments by cards and other digital means.

9. Revv to launch services in Mumbai, Chennai, Jaipur

Revv, the Delhi-NCR-based shared mobility platform, is launching its car sharing services in three new cities — Mumbai, Chennai and Jaipur — taking its national footprint to seven cities.

• Revv is already available in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. It now plans to expand its footprint to 20-25 cities by the end of 2017.
• While Chennai and Jaipur are live already, Mumbai is slated to go live later this month. Operations in each of the three cities have been launched at scale, with a fleet size similar to what Revv has built up in other cities during the last 18 months

10. Rubber Soil Information System (RubSIS) launched by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry for Rubber Growers

Commerce & Industry Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman launched Rubber Soil Information System (RubSIS), an online system for recommending application of appropriate mix of fertilizers to the specific plantations of rubber growers depending upon their soil nature in New Delh. Smt Rita Teaotia, Commerce Secretary and other senior officials of the Ministry and Rubber Board were present at the occasion.

11. Mahesh sharma Inaugurates ‘Bharat Parv’ at Red Fort, Delhi

Bharat Parv, a national festival showcasing the country’s diverse culture, cuisines, handicrafts and catch glimpses of a progressive India was inaugurated by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Tourism and Culture at Red Fort, Delhi.

• Bharat Parv event is being organized by the Government of India at the Red Fort, Delhi from 26th to 31st January 2017, as part of the Republic Day 2017 Celebrations.
• The prime objective of organizing the event is to generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country, ensure wider participation of the general public and to popularise the idea of “Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat”.
• The Event is open to the public and entry is free. However, identity proof must be carried for entry.

12. Assam launches ‘Chief Minister’s Award’ to reward districts adopting digital payments

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal mooted for cashless transactions through grass root level programmes, saying his government has initiated several steps to digitise payment methods. Cashless payment has the potential to root out corruption from the system and citizens must adopt cashless transactions as a way of life.

Sonowal, who pitched for popularizing cashless transactions at the grassroot level, announced that a ‘Chief Minister’s Award’ would be given to the best performing district in adopting digital payment methods and familiarizing cashless transactions among a large section of people.

IMPORTANT DAY

13. 25 January: National Voters’ Day

National Voters Day is celebrated every year on January 25 — the foundation day of the Election Commission of India (ECI) — to promote participation in elections and increase voter enrollment, especially of youngsters in the 18 to 19 years age group. Apart from the national event held in the Capital, the day is celebrated across all polling stations in the country where first-time voters of the area are invited to a function to collect their Elector Photo Identity Cards (EPIC).

14. January 26: International Customs day

International Customs Day is held on January 26, which commemorates the day in 1953 when the inaugural session of the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) was held in Brussels, Belgium. Seventeen European countries attended this session. In 1994 the CCC was renamed World Customs Organization (WCO) and custom organizations from 179 countries are WCO members.

The WCO is dedicating 2017 to promoting data analysis under the slogan “Data Analysis for Effective Border Management.”

 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

15. China Develops World’s Biggest Solar Park

China has built up world’s largest solar farm in Qinghai province which will generate 850 MW of energy which is enough to light up more than 200,000 houses in China. Longyangxia Dam Solar Park is the world’s largest solar park which spreads upto 27 suqare kilometers and costs around 6 billion Yuan. The construction of this solar park began in 2013. This solar park has the caliber of producing 850 MW of power.

16. US President Trump orders 2,000-mile wall to be built on Mexico border

President Donald Trump has ordered construction of a U.S.-Mexican border wall and punishment for cities shielding illegal immigrants while mulling restoring a CIA secret detention program as he launched broad but divisive plans to reshape U.S. immigration and national security policy.

A draft executive order seen by Reuters that Trump is expected to sign in the coming days would block the entry of refugees from war-torn Syria and suspend the entry of any immigrants from Muslim-majority Middle Eastern and African countries Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Libya and Yemen while permanent rules are studied.

17. Insurance coverage offered for worker from Nepal to India by Nepal Government

Nepalese workers going to India would be provided mandatory insurance cover under an ambitous plan unveiled by Prime Minister Prachanda for the welfare of people working in foreign countries. The government is to regulate Nepali migrant workers going to India, issuing them permission letters and provide insurance and other facilities such as are enjoyed by migrant workers in other countries.

18. India UK Join Hands to Launch Project to Tackle Delhi Air Pollution Risks

India has partnered with the British experts (UK) over a project that aims to study the air pollution level in Delhi and health problems associated it. The project ASAP-Delhi  an Integrated Study of Air Pollutant Sources in the Delhi National Capital Region’ would be led by University of Birmingham and would also involve experts from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, the Indian National Physical Laboratory and the University of Surrey.

19. ‘Instant Apps’ Google’s new apps can be used without downloading is begins testing

Google has rolled out the Instant Apps feature for Android smartphone users, but currently, it is in a limited testing phase. The Instant Apps was announced by Google in its yearly I/O conference in 2016.

• The main feature of the Android Instant Apps is that the user does not need to download it in order to use it.
• This essentially means that Google Play provides the user only that portion of the app which is required at one particular point of time and runs the link through the application.
• This means that you will get to use an ‘app’ without having to download the actual app.

20. 1st military communications satellite of Japan launched

Japan has launched its first military communications satellite to boost the broadband capacity of its Self Defence Forces as they reinforce an island chain stretching along the southern edge of the East China Sea.

The satellite lifted off from Japan’s Tanegashima space port aboard an H-IIA rocket at 0744 GMT and successfully entered orbit, said a spokesman for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which builds the launcher.

21. World record set by Chinese man by wheeling 20.8 kilometres in 46 minutes

A China-made quadruped robot has walked its way on to the pages of the Guinness World Records book for covering over 134-km in 54 hours, beating a previous record held by an American robot.

Four-legged robot ‘Xingzhe No 1’, made by a research team in southwest China’s Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, circled an indoor track from October 24 to 27, taking 340,000 steps before it had to stop and recharge.

SPORTS

22. Virender Sehwag Named Kings XI Punjab Brand Ambassador

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag, who is currently the mentor of Kings XI Punjab, will also be the team’s head of Cricket Operations and Strategy in the upcoming IPL season. Sehwag has been with Kings XI Punjab since IPL 8. This will be his third year of association with the franchise.

23. 15-yr-old Lalchungnunga of Mizoram chosen to train at Germany’s football league

A 15-year-old football player from Mizoram has been chosen to train at Germany’s prestigious football league, Bundesliga, for six years. Lalchungnunga is one of the eight siblings born to a daily wage labourer and despite the lack of resources, pursued his love for football. He is a huge fan of football star Messi and his friends and locals call him Mizo Messi due to his flair for the sport.

OBITUARY

24. US Emmy award-winning actress Mary Tyler Moore has passed away

Emmy-winning actress Mary Tyler Moore, who brightened American television screens as the perky suburban housewife on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and then as a fledgling feminist on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” died at the age of 80. Moore, who won seven Emmy Awards for her television work.