Current affairs notes on January Part-1

1.80th session of the Indian History Congress (IHC) was held at Kannur, Kerala.

2.Results (July-September) of ‘Swachh Survekshan League 2020‘ have been released. Cleanest city: Indore for the fourth time in a row. 

3.The Centre will transfer over Rs. 12,000 crore to the bank accounts of more than 6 crore farmers under the flagship PM-Kisan Scheme. Under this programme, vulnerable landholding farmer families, having cultivable land upto 2 hectares, will be provided direct income support at the rate of Rs. 6,000 per year. This income support will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of beneficiary farmers, in three equal installments of Rs. 2,000 each.

4.Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has unveiled a  ₹102 lakh crore national infrastructure pipeline projrct. Availability of quality infrastructure is a pre-requisite to achieve broad-based and inclusive growth on a sustainable basis.

5.Merchant Discount Rate in news- It is a fee charged from a merchant by a bank for accepting payments from customers through credit and debit cards in their establishments.

6.The birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh was celebrated on January 2nd this year. He was the 10th Sikh guru. He also founded the principles of Khalsa or the Five ‘K’s. 

7.Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana: Launched in 2014, it is a village development project under which each Member of Parliament will take the responsibility of developing physical and institutional infrastructure in three villages by 2019. The Project was launched on the occasion of birth anniversary of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan. 

8.ISRO aims to launch its maiden Human Space Mission, Gaganyaan before the 75th anniversary of India’s independence in 2022. Four astronauts have been selected for the country’s first manned mission to space, called Gaganyaan.

9.RBI launches mobile app MANI for visually challenged to identify currency notes.

10.The Kerala Government is planning to arrest the rampant growth of Senna spectabilis, It is a deciduous tree native to tropical areas of America.

11.S.Sowmya has been conferred with Sangita Kalanidhi Award. Award was instituted by the Music Academy, Chennai. The title awarded yearly to a Carnatic Musician.

12.Birth anniversary of Indian Social Reformer Savitribhai Phule is observed on January 3. Phule also played a pivotal role in directing the work of the Satyashodhak Samaj, formed by her husband Jyothibha phule.

13.Nepal and India are planning to resolve the Kalapani border issue through dialogue. It borders Uttarakhand in India and Sudurpashchim Pradesh in Nepal. Kalapani is controlled by India’s Indo-Tibetan Border Police. 

14. 107th Indian Science Congress is being held at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Theme: “Science & Technology: Rural Development".

15.The 25th meeting of the western zonal council will be held in January 2020. Maharashtra will be the lead coordinator this time. They are Statutory bodies established under the States Reorganisation Act 1956 and not constitutional bodies. The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils.

16.The government of Hanoi recently held a ceremony to formally announce that the Vietnamese capital city is joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). 5 indian cities have got recognition.  Jaipur,varanasi,chennai,mumbai.hyderabad.

17.FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India) scheme phase II under Department of Heavy Industries. Aims to boost electric mobility and increase the number of electric vehicles in commercial fleets. FAME India is a part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan.

18.Indian foreign ministry has announced the setting up of a new division on New and Emerging Strategic Technologies (NEST). The division will act as the nodal point in India’s foreign ministry for all matters connected to new and emerging technologies.

19.A first-of-its-kind rehabilitation centre for freshwater turtles will be inaugurated in Bihar’s Bhagalpur forest.

20.The Maharashtra government has launched a ‘cyber safe women’ campaign across the state.It aims to spread awareness regarding the atrocities committed against women and children as well as the laws regarding cybercrime.

21.Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has inaugurated a first Silk Processing Plant at Surendranagar in Gujarat. Gujarati Patola Sarees has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2013.

22.Maharashtra has become the first state in the country to integrate its land records with the web portal of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). 

23.Fifth anniversary of the Centre`s zero subsidy `Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All` (UJALA) scheme and `LED Street Lighting National Programme` (SLNP).

Performance of the schemes. The main objective of the scheme is to promote efficient lighting, enhance awareness on using efficient equipment which reduce electricity bills and help preserve environment.

24.Project NETRA (Network for space object Tracking and Analysis) under ISRO.Under the project, the ISRO plans to put up many observational facilities,connected radars, telescopes; data processing units and a control centre.

25.The Miyawaki method, developed by a Japanese botanist after whom it is named, involves planting saplings in small areas, causing them to “fight” for resources and grow nearly 10 times quicker. Kerala is going to follow it.

26.Bhitarkanika census on saltwater crocodiles held recently. It is seen mostly in Bhitarkanika National Park Odisha. A crocodile sanctuary is situating there.

(Ref: The hindu, PIB.etc)

Thank you.