Current Affairs 31 January 2018 1. Asha Bhosle to get Yash Chopra memorial award ● Bollywood playback doyenne Asha Bhosle will be given the ‘Yash Chopra Memorial Award’. She will be the fifth winner of the award. ● Evergreen Asha Bhosle has been giving playback in Hindi films for nearly seven decades, earning her an entry into the Guinness World Records for recording over 11,000 songs in 20 different languages. ● February 16, 2018. ●
The award will be presented to Asha Bhosle on
The award has been instituted by the TSR Foundation of T. Subbarami Reddy in memory of producer-director Yash Chopra, who died in 2012.
2. Indian, Vietnamese armies hold first military exercise ● Armies of India and Vietnam began a six-day-long military exercise in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, reflecting growing defence ties between the two countries. ● The exercise named ‘VINBAX’ is the first military exercise between the two countries. ● Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was in New Delhi to participate in the India-ASEAN Commemorative summit and attend the Republic Day celebrations. Important points: Vietnam ➢ Capital: Hanoi ➢ Currency: Vietnamese dong ➢ President: Tran Dai Quang ➢ Prime Minister: Nguyen Xuan Phuc
3. Indian-American Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen to lead USISPF Board ● Indian American CEO of Adobe, Shantanu Narayen, has been elected as the Vice Chairman of the U.S.-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF). ● The USISPF is a new organization that has been set up to enhance business relations between India and the U.S. ● The USISPF was set up to promote bilateral trade and work on creating meaningful opportunities that have the power to change the lives of citizens.
4. Parliamentary Group to confer Outstanding Parliamentarian Awards ● The Parliamentary Group has decided to confer Outstanding Parliamentarian Awards to five MPS (Members of Parliament). ● Former Rajya Sabha MP Dr Najma Heptulla has been selected for this award for the year 2013 while the other awardees include Lok Sabha MP Hukumdev Narayan Yadav for 2014 and Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Nabi Azad for 2015. ●
Lok Sabha MP Dinesh Trivedi has been selected for 2016 while Lok Sabha MP Bhartruhari Mahatab has been chosen for Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for 2017.
5. India, ADB sign $250 million loan for rural road projects in five states ● The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $250 million loan to finance the construction of 6,254 kilometres all-weather rural roads in the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal under the Prime Ministers Rural Roads Program (PMGSY). ● The program is aimed at improving rural connectivity, facilitating safer and more efficient access to livelihood and socio-economic opportunities for rural communities through improvements to about 12,000 kilometres Rural Roads across the 5 States.
6. India ranks sixth in the list of wealthiest countries ● India has been ranked sixth in the list of wealthiest countries with the total wealth of 8,230 billion US dollars, while the United States topped the chart. According to a report by New World Wealth. ● India was the best-performing wealth market globally in 2017 as its total wealth swelled from 6,584 billion dollars in 2016 to 8,230 billion dollars in 2017, registering a 25 percent growth. ● The report noted that the United States is the wealthiest country in the world as the total wealth held in 2017 amounted to 64,584 billion dollars, followed by China at the second place with 24,803 billion dollars and Japan with 19,522 billion dollars at third.
7. Sharath Kamal wins Table Tennis Nationals ● Sharath Kamal beat top-seeded Anthony Amalraj to win the men singles title for the eighth time, equalling the feat of Kamlesh Mehta in the 79th edition of the 11Even Sports Senior Nationals at the Mega Sports Complex in Ranchi. ● Sutirtha Mukherjee from West Bengal emerged the new women champion, beating Hyderabad Nationals winner Manika Batra.
8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Launches first Khelo India School Games ● Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the first Khelo India School Games at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, on January 31, 2018. ● The Khelo India programme has been introduced in an attempt to revive the sports culture in India at the grass-root level by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country and establishing India as a great sporting nation. ●
Talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels by a High-Powered Committee will be provided annual financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.
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A total of 199 gold medals, 199 silver medals and 275 bronze medals are to be won at the Khelo India School Games.
9. Indian Navy launched the third Scorpene-class submarine INS Karanj ● The Indian Navy launched the t hird Scorpene-class submarine INS Karanj, in the sea in Mumbai. The submarine has an overall length of 67.5 meters and a height of about 12.3 metres. ● The submarine was launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd and Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba was the chief guest. ● The first of the Scorpene class submarines, INS Kalvari, was commissioned in Mumbai December 2017. ●
The second in the series of a six-submarine project, INS Khanderi, was undergoing sea trials and all the submarines are due to be inducted gradually into the Indian Navy by 2020.