January current affairs 2018 part 2 by Daily Current Affairs

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

January Current Affairs 2018 - Part 2 1. Indian Oil in tie-ups with Israeli firms ● Indian Oil Corporation has signed letters of intent (LoI) with Phinergy, an Israeli start-up, and YEDA, a technology spin-off from Israel’s Weizmann Research Institute. ● The agreement with Phinergy allows Indian Oil to work on adoption of advanced energy systems for the domestic market for both mobility and stationary industrial applications. ●

The LoI signed with YEDA will allow research collaboration between both the organisations for developing solar to green fuel technologies through concentrated solar thermal route.

Important Points: Israeli ➢ Capital: Jerusalem ➢ Currency: Israeli new shekel ➢ Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu ➢ President: Reuven Rivlin

2. Narendra Modi inaugurates project commencement of Rajasthan Refinery ● Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates project commencement of Rajasthan Refinery at Pachpadra in Barmer district. ● This is the first oil refinery in the state. The 43,000 crore rupee project is a joint venture between HPCL and the Rajasthan government. ● The refinery is expected to be operational in 4 years and the state will have an additional income of 34,000 crore rupees from it. The project is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

Important Points: Rajasthan ➢ Capital: Jaipur ➢ Chief Minister: Vasundhara Raje ➢ Governor: Kalyan Singh

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

3. TCS Bags Over USD 690 Million Deal From M&G Prudential ● India’s largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has signed an over GBP 500 million (USD 690 million) deal with M&G Prudential, the UK and European savings and investments business of Prudential plc. ● Under the contract, TCS will digitally transform M&G Prudential’s business and deliver enhanced service for its UK savings and retirement customers. ● The value of this agreement exceeds GBP 500 million (USD 690 million) over 10 years and covers the support of over 4 million customer policies. Important Points: Tata Consultancy Services ➢ Founded: 1968 ➢ Headquarters: Mumbai ➢ Founders: F. C. Kohli, J. R. D. Tata

4. Ronaldinho retires from football ● Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldinho has formally confirmed his retirement from football, more than two years since his last appearance as a professional, reports in Brazil. ● The 37-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona star, a key member of the Brazil side which won the World Cup in 2002, last played in 2015 during a brief stint with Fluminense. ●

Ronaldinho’s career began with Gremio in Porto Alegre, his hometown, before he emerged as a star with French giants PSG. He then spent five years with Barcelona between 2003 and 2008, helping the Catalans win the Champions League in 2006, after being awarded the Ballon D’Or in 2005.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

5. DIPP arm launches competition for college students ● Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM), under the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), has launched a competition for college and university students to foster a culture of innovation and creativity in the youth. ● The competition – IPrism – invites students to submit films on piracy and counterfeiting under two categories of 30 and 60 seconds. ●

Another category in the competition is a mobile gaming app on intellectual property (IP).

●

Cash prizes of Rs 4 lakh will be given to the winning teams along with mementoes and certificates.

6. Exports rise more than 12% riding on engineering goods and petroleum products ● The Country’s exports grew by 12 points 36 percent in December 2017 to 27 point 03 billion US dollars on account of the strong performance by sectors like engineering goods and petroleum products. ● According to data released by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, exports have been on a positive trajectory since August 2016 to December 2017 with a dip of 1.1 percent in the month of October last year. ●

Exports of engineering goods as well as petroleum products showed an increase of over 25 percent in December.

7. Centre sanctions projects over Rs. 10,000 cr in North East for better network connectivity ● The Centre has sanctioned projects over 10,000 crore rupees in the North East for better network connectivity.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

2 MoUs have been signed to cover the uncovered areas in the North East including Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

●

The Minister has been given to upgrade the network connection in border areas.

8. IWDRI-2018 concludes successfully; Shri Kiren Rijiju addresses participants ● The two-day International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (IWDRI) successfully concluded, setting the stage for taking the dialogue on resilient infrastructure forward at the global level. ● The Workshop was organised by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) jointly with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). MoS (Home) Shri Kiren Rijiju delivered the Valedictory Address. ●

The workshop was inaugurated by the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh.

9. India, Sri Lanka Sign four Agreements for Collaboration in ICT Sector ● India, Sri Lanka signed four agreements for collaboration in Information and communication technology (ICT) sector, setting up of e-office system and connecting of National Knowledge Network (NKN) for collaboration among universities and academics. ● The MoU for cooperation was signed by Union minister for Information Technology Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad with his Sri Lankan counterpart in Colombo.

Important Points: Sri Lanka ➢ Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte ➢ Currency: Sri Lankan rupee ➢ President: Maithripala Sirisena ➢ Prime minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

10. Punjab inks MoU with IOC to set up biogas, bio-CNG plants ● The Punjab government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Oil Corporation to set up bio-gas and bio-CNG plants in the state. ● The pact is part of the state’s concerted efforts to find sustainable solutions to paddy straw burning, which has emerged as a major environmental concern. ● The MoU with IOC was signed by Punjab Bureau of Industrial Promotion (PBIP) and Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) here in the presence of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Important Points: Punjab ➢ Capital: Chandigarh ➢ Chief Minister: Amarinder Singh ➢ Governor: V. P. Singh Badnore

11. Vice Admiral AB Singh takes over as Chief of Staff Western Naval Command ● Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, AVSM, VSM took over as Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command from Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh. ● Vice Admiral AB Singh was the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command prior to his current appointment. ● He was Promoted to Flag Rank in 2012, he has since tenanted the appointments of Flag Officer AOB Project. ●

The Flag Officer was awarded Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2016 for his exemplary service to the nation.

12. Actor Sudhir Dalvi gets Janakavi P Sawlaram award ● Actor Sudhir Dalvi was honoured with the Janakavi P Sawlaram award. The award is jointly given by the Thane Municipal Corporation and the Janakavi P Savlaram Kala Samiti.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

Well-known dancer Jaishree T was bestowed with the Ganga Jamuna award, which is instituted in memory of a popular song written by Sawlaram.

●

Dalvi first came to prominence for portraying Guru Vashishta in Ramanand Sagar’s TV series “Ramayan“.

●

He also featured on the famous TV show “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi” and other Hindi serials.

13. NCDEX appoints Vijay Kumar as MD & CEO ● Leading commodity bourse NCDEX announced the appointment of Vijay Kumar Venkataraman as the new Managing Director and CEO of the exchange for three years effective. ● He brings over 25 years of experience in leadership roles in the areas of commodity trading and merchandising along with risk management, logistics and operations. ●

Kumar is an agro-industry veteran who has worked for companies such as National Bulk Handling Corporation, Cargill, Reliance Industries, Arthur Andersen, ITC Ltd, Britannia and Sharp Group.

Important points: NCDEX – National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange ➢ Headquarters: Mumbai ➢ Founded: 15 December 2003

14. ICC Awards 2017 winners list The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced its annual awards, honouring players who did well across various formats 2017. Here is ICC Awards 2017 Winners List – Men: 1. Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy Cricketer of the Year – Virat Kohli 2. ICC Test Cricketer of the Year – Steve Smith 3. ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year – Virat Kohli 4. ICC Associate Cricketer of the Year – Rashid Khan 5. T20I Performance of the Year – Yuzvendra Chahal (India): 6/25 versus England in Bengaluru.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

6. Emerging Cricketer of the Year – Hasan Ali (Pakistan) 7. Spirit of Cricket Award – Anya Shrubsole (England women’s team) 8. Umpire of the Year (David Shepherd Trophy) – Marais Erasmus 9. Fans’ Moment of the Year – Pakistan winning the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 beating India in England. 10. ICC Test Team of the Year: Dean Elgar, David Warner, Virat Kohli (captain), Steve Smith, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ben Stokes, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mitchell Starc, Kagiso Rabada, James Anderson. 11. ICC ODI Team of the Year: Virat Kohli (captain), David Warner, Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes, Trent Boult, Hasan Ali, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah ICC Awards 2017 – Women’s Winners 1. Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for Cricketer of the Year – Ellyse Perry (Australia) 2. ODI Player of the Year – Amy Satterthwhite (New Zealand) 3. T20I Player of the Year – Beth Mooney (Australia) 4. Emerging Player of the Year – Beth Mooney

15. Bank of Baroda partners with Invoicemart as a TReDS partner ●

Digital invoice discounting marketplace – Invoicemart has tied up with state-run lender Bank of Baroda to discount invoices for MSMEs.

●

Buyers and sellers registered in the marketplace will now be able to access funding from Bank of Baroda. Invoicemart is a joint venture between Axis Bank Ltd and junction services ltd.

●

Bank of Baroda had recently announced that it was stepping up its focus on supply chain financing, to provide loans to MSMEs associated with large corporates.

●

TReDS is an online mechanism that helps MSMEs unlock working capital without the hassle of applying for loans.

Important points: Bank of Baroda ➢ Headquarters: Vadodara ➢ CEO: P. S. Jayakumar ➢ Chairman: Ravi Venkatesan

16. President Kovind confers Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards ● President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards for 2016 to an eminent group of musicians, dancers, and theatre artists.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) are national honours bestowed by the government on performing artists as well as teachers and scholars in the field of performing arts.

17. Israel PM to address India-Israel Business Summit in Mumbai ● Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visit Mumbai during the final leg of his visit to India. ● Mr. Netanyahu then proceed to address the India-Israel Business Summit at the iconic Taj Mahal hotel in south Mumbai, where he will also pay his tributes to the 26/11 terror attacks victims. ● Mr. Netanyahu attend the ‘Shalom Bollywood’ event at the Taj hotel, wherein he will meet leading Bollywood personalities. Important Points: Israel ➢ Capital: Jerusalem ➢ Currency: Israeli new shekel ➢ Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu ➢ President: Reuven Rivlin

18. India Ratings projects economic growth at 7.1% next fiscal ● India Ratings and Research has projected the country’s economic growth to improve to 7.1 percent next fiscal from

6.5 percent this year,

buoyed by robust consumption demand and low commodity prices. ● In its outlook for 2018-19, there will be a gradual pickup in growth momentum owing to structural reforms like GST and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code in place. ●

India Ratings, a subsidiary of Fitch Ratings, GDP is expected to grow 7.1 percent year-on-year in 2018-19.

●

The projection is a tad lower than 7.4 percent growth estimated by Asian Development Bank and International Monetary Fund for next fiscal.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

19. Centre, CII ink MoU for development of logistics sector ● A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in the presence of Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu. ● To enhance import and export performance, the Centre has entrusted the task of integrated development of the logistics sector to the Department of Commerce.

20. MoS RK Singh attends ISA Forum in Abu Dhabi ● Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Raj Kumar Singh delivered the keynote address at the ministerial plenary session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) at Abu Dhabi. ● The International Solar Alliance is a treaty based international inter-governmental alliance of 121 solar resource rich countries or the sunshine countries lying fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn Important Points: United Arab Emirates ➢ Capital: Abu Dhabi ➢ Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham ➢ President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

21. Facebook appoints American Express CEO as first black board member ● Facebook announced that it will bring Kenneth Chenault, the CEO of American Express, onto its board. ● Chenault will become the first African-American board member at the social media giant.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

His hiring follows a contentious meeting between Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

Important points: Facebook ➢ Founded: February 2004, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States ➢ Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States ➢ Founders: Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Chris Hughes

22. S Selvakumar appointed as CMD of SPMCIL ● The government appointed as senior IAS officer S Selvakumar as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL). ● The state-owned SPMCIL produces bank notes, coins, postage stamps, non-judicial stamps and other official documents.

23. HDFC Bank becomes first Indian bank to cross Rs5 trillion market cap ● India’s most-valued lender HDFC Bank crossed Rs5 trillion market capitalisation for the first time, making it only the third Indian company to achieve this milestone. ● In intraday trade, the stock touched a fresh record high of Rs1,53.75 on the BSE, up 3.31% from its previous close. ●

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) and Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) are the other two companies which crossed market capitalisation of Rs5 trillion.

Important points: HDFC Bank ➢ CEO: Aditya Puri ➢ Headquarters: Mumbai ➢ Founded: August 1994, India

24. Government announces 9 new smart cities ● Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced nine new smart cities in the latest round

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

of the central government’s flagship Smart Cities Mission. ●

The nine cities chosen in the fourth round are; Bareilly, Moradabad and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Erode in Tamil Nadu, Bihar Sharif in Bihar, Silvassa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Diu in Daman and Diu, Kavaratti in Lakshadweep and Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh.

25. Amplus partners with Yes Bank for solar power tie-up ● Amplus Energy Solutions has signed a MoU with India’s leading bank Yes Bank for a strategic tie-up to co-finance projects in the solar energy sector in India. ● Yes Bank, which has been focussing on funding green energy projects in India, also announced that it will mobilise USD one billion by 2023 for financing solar energy projects in India and USD five billion till 2030. ●

The total project’s capacity under the partnership of Amplus Energy Solutions and Yes Bank is expected to be up to 1,000 MW.

Important points: Yes Bank ➢ Headquarters: Mumbai ➢ CEO: Rana Kapoor ➢ Founder: Rana Kapoor

26. WhatsApp Unveils New Business App For Small And Medium Enterprises ● Popular messaging platform WhatsApp unveiled a new ‘WhatsApp Business’ app, aimed at small and medium enterprises. ● The free-to-download Android app will make it easier for companies to connect with customers, as well as its 1.3 billion users to chat with businesses. ● WhatsApp Business is available and free to download on Google Play in Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, the UK and the US, it added. ●

Using the business app, SMEs can help customers with useful information such as a business description, email or store addresses and website.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

27. India To Set Up USD 350 Million Fund To Finance Solar Projects ● Power Minister R.K. Singh, India will set up a $350 million fund to finance solar projects, as the country steps up efforts to achieve its ambitious target of adding 175 gigawatts (GW) in renewable energy by 2022. ● India will need at least $125 billion to fund a plan to increase the share of renewable power supply in the country’s grid by 2022, underlining the immense financing challenge ahead. ●

The fund was announced by R K Singh, at the first-ever outreach programme of the ISA in Abu Dhabi’s World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2018.

●

Installed renewable power capacity is currently about 60 GW, and India plans to complete the bidding process by the end of 2019/20 to add a further 115 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022.

28. India becomes member of Australia Group ● After its entry into the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), India notched up another success as it became a member of the Australia Group. ● The third of four key global export control regimes that will help pave the way for entry into the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group. ● India became the 43rd member of the Australia Group, an informal forum of countries which seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or biological weapons.

Important Points: Australia ➢ Capital: Canberra ➢ Currency: Australian dollar ➢ Prime minister: Malcolm Turnbull ➢ President: Stephen Parry

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

29. INS Vikramaditya affiliated to Bihar Regiment, IAF’s No. 6 Squadron ● Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy’s largest ship and its sole aircraft carrier were formally affiliated to the Indian Army’s highly-decorated and battle-hardened Bihar Regiment and the Indian Air Force’s No. 6 Squadron. ● A glittering ceremony was held onboard INS Vikramaditya at the Karwar Naval Base, nestled amongst the picturesque Western Ghats, attended by Western Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, and the Army’s Military Secretary Lt General Amarjeet Singh, who is also the Colonel of the Bihar Regiment.

30. President Kovind unveils book on self development in Delhi ● President Ram Nath Kovind unveiled a book on heartfulness techniques and principles titled ‘The Heartfulness Way’. ● Authored by Kamlesh Patel, widely known as Daaji, the fourth Global Guide of Heartfulness, and Joshua Pollock, a heartfulness trainer and practitioner. ● The book promises to be a treat for those who are curious about what is heartfulness and how it can change our day-to-day lives. It was launched by Commerce and Industries Minister Suresh Prabhu.

31. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated its 13th Raising Day ● The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated its 13th Raising Day. The Director Intelligence Bureau, Shri Rajiv Jain was the chief guest on this occasion. ● NDRF highlighted the disaster threat of country and important changes taken place in Disaster Management in India and across the world. ● The “Apex Body for Disaster Management” in India is the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). ●

The responsibility for Disaster Management in India’s federal system is that of the State Government.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

32. AU Small Finance Bank inks MoU with LIC to offer PMJJBY schemes ● Banking finance company AU Small Finance Bank has signed a MoU with LIC to offer Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) schemes. ● Under the MoU, LIC will give a life cover of Rs 2 lakh in case of death to the customer at a nominal premium of Rs 330 per annum. ● The company will also offer loans under government’s affordable housing and subsidy schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. ●

The product will be targeted for both salaried and self- employed (professional and non-professional) customers in urban, semi-urban and rural areas.

33. Mauritius largest source of FDI in India, says RBI ● Mauritius was the largest source of foreign investment in India, followed by the US and the UK, according to a census by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). ● Singapore and Japan were the next two sources of foreign direct investment (FDI), the Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Companies 2016-17, released by RBI. ●

Of the 18,667 companies that participated in the census, 17,020 had FDI/overseas direct investment in their balance sheets in March 2017.

Important Points: Mauritius ➢ Capital: Port Louis ➢ Currency: Mauritian rupee ➢ President: Ameenah Gurib ➢ Prime minister: Pravind Jugnauth

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

34. Fourth India International Science Festival to be held in Lucknow ● The fourth edition of the India International Science Festival will be held in Lucknow. ● The decision to hold the Festival in Lucknow was taken at the first preparatory meeting for the 4th India International Science Festival (IISF). ● India had also set a Guinness Book of World Records, when 2000 school students performed two experiments at the Festival. Important points: ➢ The 1st IISF was held at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) New Delhi in December 2015. ➢ The second Festival at CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi in December 2016. ➢ The third in the series was held in October 2017 in Chennai.

35. Arun Jaitley launches National CSR Data Portal & Corporate Data Portal ● Shri Arun Jaitley, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs launched the National CSR Data Portal & Corporate Data Portal in the presence of Shri P.P. Chaudhary, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Law & Justice. ● The initiative is a significant step towards driving accountability and transparency for corporate India. ● By making the portals accessible to general public, it will ensure the high level of compliance and also in institutionalising and be consolidating the CSR activities. ●

The dual launched had created a landmark in bringing about 100 percent transparencies in corporate governance by making public over 4-crore filings of nearly 1.2 million companies.

36. India lifts Blind Cricket World Cup 2018 ● Sunil Ramesh slammed a superb 93 as India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by two wickets in a thrilling summit clash to retain the Blind Cricket World Cup title in Sharjah.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

Ramesh then led the run chase as India overhauled the target with eight balls to spare to retain the trophy that they had won in 2014 after beating the same opponents at Cape Town, South Africa.

●

India struggled in the final stages of their run chase as Pakistan claimed three successive wickets to gain an upper hand over their arch-rivals.

37. 63rd Jio Filmfare Awards 2018: Complete winners list Members of the Hindi film industry came together to celebrate the best of Bollywood in the year 2017 at 63rd Jio Filmfare Awards 2018, held in Mumbai.

➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢

Here is the complete list of those who won big at the 63rd Jio Filmfare Awards 2018: ➢ Best Film: ‘Hindi Medium’ ➢ Critics’ Award for Best Film: ‘Newton’ ➢ Best Actor In A Leading Role (Female): Vidya Balan for ‘Tumhari Sulu’ Best Actor In A Leading Role (Male): Irrfan Khan for ‘Hindi Medium’ Critics’ Award for Best Actor (Male): Rajkummar Rao for ‘Trapped’ Critics’ Award for Best Actor (Female): Zaira Wasim for ‘Secret Superstar’ Best Director: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari for ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’ Best Debut Director: Konkona Sensharma for ‘A Death in the Gunj’ Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Male): Rajkummar Rao for ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’ Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female): Meher Vij for ‘Secret Superstar’ Best Dialogue: Hitesh Kewalya for ‘Shubh Mangal Saavdhan’ Best Screenplay: Shubhashish Bhutiani for ‘Mukti Bhavan’ Best Original Story: Amit Masurkar for ‘Newton’ Best Actor (Male) in a Short Film: Jackie Shroff for ‘Khujli’ Best Actor (Female) in a Short Film: Shefali Shah for ‘Juice’ People’s Choice Award for Best Short Film: ‘Anahut’ Best Short Film (Fiction): ‘Juice’ Best Short Film (Non-Fiction): ‘Invisible Wings’ Best Music Album: Pritam for ‘Jagga Jasoos’ Best Playback Singer (Male): Arijit Singh for ‘Roke na ruke naina’ – ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’ Best Playback Singer (Female): Meghna Mishra for ‘Nachdi phira’ – ‘Secret Superstar’ Best Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya for ‘Ullu ka pattha’ – ‘Jagga Jasoos’ Lifetime Achievement Award: Mala Sinha and Bappi Lahiri Best Choreography: Vijay Ganguly and Ruel Dausan Varindani for ‘Galti se mistake’ – ‘Jagga Jasoos’ Best Background Score: Pritam for ‘Jagga Jasoos’ Best Action: Tom Struthers for ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ Best Cinematography: Sirsha Ray for ‘A Death In The Gunj’ Best Editing: Nitin Baid for ‘Trapped’ Best Production Design: Parul Sondh for ‘Daddy’

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

➢ Best Sound Design: Anish John for ‘Trapped’ ➢ Best Costume: Rohit Chaturvedi for ‘A Death In The Gunj’

38. Om Prakash Rawat Appointed as New Chief Election Commissioner ● Om Prakash Rawat appointed as new Chief Election Commissioner of India. ● Mr Rawat, who is currently an Election Commissioner, will succeed the outgoing Achal Kumar Joti. ● Ashok Lavasa, a former finance secretary and an Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1980 batch, has been appointed as an Election Commissioner, to fill up the vacancy left behind by Mr Rawat in the three-member poll panel. ●

Sunil Arora is currently the other Election Commissioner.

39. PM Modi leaves for Davos to attend World Economic Forum ● Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Davos, Switzerland to attend the 48th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. ● Modi will be the first prime minister to represent India at the forum in over 20 years. The last visit by an Indian prime minister to Davos was in 1997 when Deve Gowda led the Indian delegation. ● Under the theme “Creating a shared future in a Fractured World”, the meeting aims to set an agenda to address political, economic and Social challenges of recent times. Important points: World Economic Forum ➢ Headquarters: Cologny, Switzerland ➢ Founder: Klaus Schwab ➢ Founded: 1971

40. Anandiben Patel appointed as the new Governor of Madhya Pradesh ● Former Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel appointed as the new Governor of Madhya Pradesh.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

The President of India is pleased to appoint Anandiben Patel to be the Governor of Madhya Pradesh, with effect from the date she assumes charge of her office.

●

76-year-old Patel was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2014, when incumbent Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, in August 2016, when she resigned the post.

41. MeitY launches new Cyber security initiative ● The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched Cyber Surakshit Bharat - an initiative to strengthen cybersecurity. ● Launched in association with National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and industry partners at an event here, this initiative is the first public-private partnership of its kind and will leverage the expertise of the IT industry in cybersecurity. ●

Cyber Surakshit Bharat will be operated on the three principles of Awareness, Education and Enablement.

42. Raipur organises nation’s first Kachra Mahotsav ● The Raipur Municipal Corporation in Chhattisgarh has organised the city’s first garbage festival. It is the first Kachra Mahotsav in India. ● The aim of the festival to increase awareness, use the waste generated in the city creatively and to showcase multiple techniques for reusing things that are labelled as garbage.

Important points: Chhattisgarh ➢ Capital: Raipur ➢ Chief Minister: Raman Singh ➢ Governor: Balram Das Tandon

43. Sushma Swaraj inauguration of Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK)

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

● The Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) at Karaikal in the Union Territory (UT) of Puducherry was inaugurated by Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Hon’ble Minister for External Affairs. ● The POPSK at Karaikal is the 60th POPSK to have become functional since the launch of the scheme in January 2017. ●

The POPSK at Karaikal is the first POPSK to

become operational in the UT of Puducherry.

44. Telangana, Tokyo body sign MoU for municipal waste incineration ● The Telangana government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Clean Authority of Tokyo in connection with municipal solid waste incineration. ● They will exchange knowledge in municipal solid waste incineration facilities and make an effort to realize human resource exchanges in view of technical cooperation in the future.

45. Lakhtakia appointed as new DG of National Security Guard ● Senior IPS officer Sudeep Lakhtakia has been appointed as the new Director General (DG) of the ‘black cats’ commando force National Security Guard (NSG). ● The officer is currently serving as a Special DG in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) headquarters New Delhi.

●

He will take over from incumbent S P Singh who will retire from the post of NSG DG on January 31.

46. WEF ranks India at 62nd place on Inclusive Development Index

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

India ranked at the 62nd place among emerging economies on an Inclusive Development Index, much below China’s 26th position and Pakistan’s 47th.

●

Norway remains the world’s most inclusive advanced economy, while Lithuania again tops the list of emerging economies, the World Economic Forum (WEF) releasing the yearly index here before the start of its annual meeting.

●

India was ranked 60th among 79 developing economies last year, as against China’s 15th and Pakistan’s 52nd position.

●

The top-five most inclusive emerging economies are Lithuania, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Latvia and Poland.

Important points: World Economic Forum ➢ Headquarters: Cologny, Switzerland ➢ Founder: Klaus Schwab ➢ Founded: 1971

47. Malta’s Valletta becomes Europe’s Capital of Culture ● Malta’s Valletta has been officially inaugurated as the European Capital of Culture. Over 140 projects and 400 events have been planned in 2018 around three main themes: Island Stories, Future Baroque and Voyages. ● About one-fifth of Malta’s 450,000-strong population was in the streets of the capital as Valletta was officially inaugurated as the European City of Culture.

48. India to grow at 7.4 percent in 2018: IMF ● India is projected to grow at 7.4 percent in 2018 as against China’s 6.8 percent, making it the fastest growing country among emerging economies. ● In its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) update in Davos, Switzerland on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected a 7.8 percent growth rate for India in 2019. ●

In 2017, India’s growth rate dropped to 6.7 percent.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

Important points: International Monetary Fund (IMF) ➢ Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States ➢ CEO: Christine Lagarde ➢ Founded: 27 December 1945, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States ➢ Formation: 27 December 1945 (72 years ago) ➢ Founders: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White

49. Siddharth Singh wins Swedish Open junior badminton title ● Young Indian shuttler Siddharth Pratap Singh secured his maiden international title, bagging the Swedish Open Junior International Series with a straight-game victory over Denmark’s Mads Christophersen in the finals in Uppsala, Sweden. ● Playing his first career final, Siddharth defeated Christophersen 21-15, 21-11 in a 33-minute match to claim the men’s singles title. Important points: Sweden ➢ Capital: Stockholm ➢ Currency: Swedish krona ➢ Prime Minister: Stefan Löfven

50. ONGC acquires 51.11% stake in HPCL for ₹36,915 crore ● Public sector exploration giant ONGC has got the consent for acquiring controlling stake in fellow PSU Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL). ● According to a statement issued by ONGC, it has entered into a share purchase agreement with the President of India for acquiring the 778,845,375 equity shares of HPCL (representing 51.11 percent of HPCL). ● This acquisition is in line with the government’s objective to combine the Central Public Sector Enterprises to give them the capacity to bear higher risks and avail themselves of economies of scale. Important points: ONGC – Oil and Natural Gas Corporation ➢ Headquarters: Uttarakhand ➢ CEO: Shashi Shanker

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

➢ Founded: 14 August 1956

51. West Indies to host 2018 Women’s World T20 ● The ICC has announced, the 2018 edition of the Women’s World T20 will be hosted by West Indies in November 2018. ● The three venues were selected by Cricket West Indies – Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana and St Lucia. ● Hosts Windies will defend the title they won with an eight-wicket victory over Australia in Kolkata in 2016. ●

The November event in the Caribbean will be the first stand-alone ICC Women’s World Twenty20 after the past five events were played alongside the men’s event.

52. India-ASEAN Business & Investment Conference held in New Delhi ● India-ASEAN business and investment conference held in New Delhi ahead of the landmark commemorative summit meeting on the 25th of January. ● The Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu stresses enhanced connectivity via land to strengthen trade ties. ● Silver jubilee of India-ASEAN partnership is being celebrated in New Delhi on the 25th January with an unprecedented summit meet.

53. FICCI appoints Dilip Chenoy as Director General ● Industry Chamber FICCI has appointed Dilip Chenoy as its Director General. ● Chenoy had been the Managing Director and CEO of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Director General (DG) of SIAM and Deputy DG of CII. ● He had resigned from NSDC in late 2015 amid reports that the government was unhappy with the

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

functioning of the skills development body. He was appointed by the previous Congress-led UPA government. Important points: FICCI – Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry ➢ Founded: 1927 ➢ Headquarters: New Delhi, India ➢ Founders: Ghanshyam Das Birla, Purushottam das Thakurdas

54. Andhra Pradesh-Zurich sign sister state agreement ● The Andhra Pradesh Government and the Canton of Zurich signed a letter of intent, to promote mutual prosperity and development. ● The agreement was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu by Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu and Government Counselor Minister Carmen Walker Spah for sister state relation. ● This will bring the State of Andhra Pradesh and Canton of Zurich closer and ensure that a framework is created, which supports the exchange between both the parties.

55. Shah Rukh Khan honoured with Crystal Award at World Economic Forum ● Superstar Shah Rukh Khan was honoured with 24th Crystal Award at World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. ● Shah Rukh Khan received the 24th Crystal Award for “his leadership in championing children’s and women’s rights in India”. ● Shahrukh received the award alongside Elton John and Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett.

56. AYUSH Minister lays foundation stone for Homeopathy Research Institute in Jaipur

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

The Minister of State (IC), for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik laid the foundation stone for Central Research Institute (CRI) in Jaipur.

●

This will be the third CRI under the aegis of Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH).

●

In his address during the stone laying ceremony, Sh. Naik stated that Ministry of AYUSH is determined towards a focused infrastructural push to Homoeopathy and other systems of AYUSH.

●

The institute is also contributing to the Swasthya Rakshan Program at five adopted villages i.e. Chharsa, Kumbhawas, Sakatpura, Khoraladkhani, Hanutpura.

57. Lifter Rakhi Halder creates new national record ● Rakhi Halder of RSPB created a new national record in clean and jerk en route to a gold medal in the 63kg women’s category in the 33rd Women Senior National Weightlifting Championships in Mangalore. ● Rakhi lifted 128 kgs in the clean and jerk for a total of 230 kgs to create a new national record, bettering Karnam Malleswari’s feat (127 kg) created in Athens in 1999. ●

The silver in this category went to S Thasana Chanu of Karnataka (202kg) while the bronze was clinched by AIPSCB’s Amandeep Kaur (191kg).

58. NIIF makes first investment, partners with DP World ● National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) makes its first investment; NIIF has partnered with DP World to create an investment platform for ports, terminals, transportation and logistics businesses in India. ● The first close of the NIIF Master Fund took place on October 2017 with contributions from a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and four Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs), viz., HDFC Group, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Life and Axis Bank.

59. India to host 16th International Energy Forum meet

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

The 16th International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial meeting will be held in New Delhi in April 2018.

●

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, the meeting will be held on April 2018, which will be hosted by Government of India in New Delhi and co-hosted by the Government of China and South Korea.

●

Representatives from 92 countries will be participating in the conference, including 72 member countries of IEF and 20 guest countries.

60. 7th Asia Steel International Conference held in Bhubaneswar ● The 7th Asia Steel International Conference will be held in Bhubaneswar in February 2018. ● This major conference is held every three years and provides a platform for the exchange of knowledge on various aspects of the global steel industry. ● Around 70 keynote speakers, half of them from overseas countries such as China, Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK, the US, Germany, Belgium, Canada, etc. Will address the conference. ●

The last Asia Steel conference was held in 2015 at Yokohama, Japan.

61. S Somnath takes charge as Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre’s director ● ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) director S Somnath has taken charge as the new director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). ● The space centre is Indian Space Research Organisation’s lead centre for launch vehicles. Somnath took up the significant role at a function held in ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru. ● He succeeds K. Sivan, who was appointed as ISRO Chairman recently.

62. IOB, NHB tie up for rural housing interest subsidy scheme ● Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has signed a MoU with National Housing Bank (NHB) for the Rural

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

Housing Interest Subsidy Scheme (RHISS) of the Ministry of Rural Development. ●

The aim of the RHISS is to provide a subsidy for housing loans taken by those living in rural areas for construction and modifications of their dwelling units.

●

The interest subsidy under the scheme is 3 percent for a loan amount of ₹2 lakh for 20 year tenure.

●

IOB will be able to extend the benefit of RHISS to its rural home loan customers of its 923 rural branches spread across India.

Important points: Indian Overseas Bank ➢ Headquarters: Chennai ➢ CEO: R. Subramania Kumar ➢ Founder: M. Ct. M. Chidambaram Chettyar National Housing Bank ➢ Headquarters: New Delhi ➢ CEO: Sriram Kalyanaraman

63. National Voters Day – January 25 National Voters Day which is celebrated on January 25. The significance of this day is to encourage youngsters, who have reached the age of 18, of the country to participate in the electoral process, by enrolling or registering themselves in electoral rolls and to exercise their franchise. National Voters Day (NVD) Important Points- This year Facebook launches ‘take the pledge’ feature on its platform. Facebook and Election Commission of India announced rolling out a new feature on the platform that will send a reminder to users aged 18 years and above to take the pledge to vote. National Voters Day 2018 Theme – “Assessable Elections.”

64. BHARAT PARV celebrations at Red Fort from 26th January ● The “Bharat Parv” event is being organised by the Government of India at the Red Fort, Delhi from 26th to 31st January, as part of the Republic Day Celebrations.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

The prime objective of organising the event is to generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country, to ensure wider participation of the general public and to popularise the idea of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.

●

Bharat Parv festival will be organised by the Ministry of Tourism to present the cuisine, ethnic heritage and culture of different states of India to the visitors.

65. Government to infuse over Rs. 88,139 cr in PSU banks ● The government announced Rs. 88,139 crore capital infusion in 20 public sector banks (PSBs) during the current fiscal, with IDBI Bank getting the most – Rs. 10,610 crore. ● The unprecedented Rs. 2.1 lakh crore bank recapitalization plan announced in October last year was to be spread over two financial years – 2017-18 and 2018-19. ● Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had undertaken a detailed exercise on the amount of capital to be infused into the PSBs.

66. India Ranks 81st On Global Talent Competitiveness Index ● India has moved up on a global talent competitiveness index to the 81st position but remains a laggard among the BRICS nations. ● While Switzerland continues to top the list released every year on the first day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting here, India has improved its position from 92nd last year. ● India’s ranking was the worst among the five BRICS countries in 2017 as well when China was ranked 54th, Russian Federation was placed at 56th, followed by South Africa (67) and Brazil (81).

67. CM Edappadi K Palaniswami receives UNESCO award ● Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami received the UNESCO Award of Merit awarded to the iconic Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam (Tiruchy).

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

The Award of Merit, 2017, was given by UNESCO Asia Pacific region for the cultural heritage conservation activities taken up at the temple without altering its original splendour.

●

Mr Palaniswami congratulated the temple administration for their yeoman service and in achieving the award from UNESCO.

68. India ranks 177 out of 180 in Environmental Performance Index ● India is among the bottom five countries on the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2018, plummeting 36 places from 141 in 2016, according to a biennial report by Yale and Columbia Universities along with the World Economic Forum. ● While India is at the bottom of the list in the environmental health category, it ranks 177 out of 180 as far as air quality is concerned. ●

The report was released on the sidelines of the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

69. Padma Awards announced: Full List of Padma Awards 2018 ● The President Ram Nath Kovind approved the awards for 85 individuals, which includes 3 Padma Vibhushan, 9 Padma Bhushan, and 73 Padma Shri. ● Music maestro Ilayaraja and cricketer M.S. Dhoni were among this year’s 89 Padma awardees, announced by the Centre on the eve of the 69th Republic Day.

➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢

List of Padma Awards 2018 Recipients: Padma Shri: Rajagopalan Vasudevan – Science & Engineering (Innovation) Subhasini Mistry – Social work Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan – Literature & education (affordable education) Sulagatti Narasamma – Medicine Yeshi Dhonden – Medicine Rani and Abhay Bang – Medicine (Affordable Healthcare) Lentina Ao Thakkar – Social Work (Service) Romulus Whitaker – Others (Wildlife Conservation) Sampat Ramteke – Social Work Sanduk Ruit – Medicine (Ophthalmology)

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢

Arvind Gupta – Literature & education (affordable education) Lakshmikutty – Medicine (snake bite) Bhajju Shyam – Art (Painting – Gond Art) Sudhanshu Biswas – Social service MR Rajagopal – Medicine (Palliative Care) Murlikant Petkar – Sports

Padma Bhushan: ➢ Pankaj Advani – Sport (Billiards/Snooker) ➢ Philipose Mar Chrysostom – Others (Spiritualism) ➢ Mahendra Singh Dhoni – Sports (Cricket) ➢ Alexander Kadakin (Foreigner/Posthumous) – Public Affairs ➢ Ramachandran Nagaswamy – Others (Archaeology) ➢ Ved Prakash Nanda – Literature and Education ➢ Laxman Pai – Art (Painting) ➢ Arvind Parikh – Art (Music) ➢ Sharda Sinha – Art (Music) Padma Vibhushan: ➢ Ilayaraja – Art (Music) ➢ Ghulam Mustafa Khan – Art (Music) ➢ Parameswaran Parameswaran – Literature & Education

70. India and Vietnam Release First-Ever Commemorative Stamps ● India and Vietnam released first ever set of commemorative postage stamps to mark the long-term friendly bilateral relationships between the two countries. ● The stamp was released by AN Nanda, Secretary, Department of Posts. The two set of stamps released carry picture of Sanchi Stupa and Thien Mu Pagoda. ● The minister said India-Vietnam relationships have progressed across various domain including politics, defence, commerce, foreign affairs, defence, energy, education and science.

71. WEF launches Global Centre for Cybersecurity ● The World Economic Forum (WEF) launched new Global Centre for Cybersecurity in a bid to safeguard the world

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

from hackers and growing data breaches, especially from nation-states. ●

The center will be headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and will become operational from March 2018. The Global Centre for Cybersecurity will function as an autonomous organization under WEF. It will help to build a safe and secure global cyberspace.

About World Economic Forum (WEF): ➢ Headquarters: Cologny, Switzerland ➢ Founder: Klaus Schwab ➢ Founded: 1971 ➢ Purpose: Economic ➢ Formerly called: European Management Forum ➢ Leader: Klaus Schwab

72. Usha Ananthasubramanian becomes first woman chairman of IBA ● Usha Ananthasubramanian, MD and CEO, Allahabad Bank, has been elected the first woman chairman of Indian Banks’ Association (IBA). ● Usha was elected IBA Chairman for the year 2017-18 by its Managing Committee. ● IBA Chairman’s position fell vacant following the superannuation of Jatinder Bir Singh, who was Chairman and Managing Director of Punjab & Sind Bank, on December 31, 2017.

73. Rotavac is First India-designed vaccine to pass WHO Test ● The Rotavac vaccine, developed by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech Limited last year, was included in India’s national immunisation programme. To be “pre-qualified” means that the vaccine can be sold internationally to several countries in Africa and South America. ● While several vaccines from India have been pre-qualified, this is the first that was entirely developed locally and, according to experts, is a

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

sign that there is a credible industrial, scientific and regulatory process in place to develop vaccines in India. ●

The Rotavac vaccine protects against childhood diarrhoea caused by the rotavirus and was built on strain of the virus isolated at the the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here over 30 years ago.

74. Small finance banks and payment banks to offer Atal Pension Yojana ● The Central government announced Small Finance Banks and Payments Banks to offer social security scheme Atal Pension Yojana (APY) to their subscribers. ● To strengthen the existing channels of APY distribution, it is felt that these new Payments Banks and Small Finance Banks will provide a boost to the outreach of subscribers under APY. ●

Currently, there are 11 Payments Banks and 10 Small Finance Banks that have received the license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to start their operations.

75. India and Cambodia sign four agreements ● India and Cambodia signed four agreements in the field of cultural exchange, an exchange line of credit of $26.9 million, a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in a legal matter and an agreement on prevention of human trafficking. ● The documents were exchanged in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Cambodian PM Hun Sen following delegation-level talks between the two countries. New Delhi has agreed to set up a centre of IT excellence in Cambodia. Important points: Cambodia ➢ Capital: Phnom Penh ➢ Currency: Cambodian Riel ➢ Prime Minister: Hun Sen ➢ King: Norodom Sihamoni

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

76. Kolkata becomes the first Indian metro to get Floating Market ● Kolkata becomes the first Indian metro to get Floating Market the number of shops in this market has doubled due to floating on the water. ● The market located on the eastern edge of the city was inaugurated by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. ● The aim is to rehabilitate over 200 shopkeepers from a nearby market that was demolished for the widening of the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. ●

The market will host at least 114 boats, each one accommodating two shops.

Important Points: West Bengal ➢ Capital: Kolkata ➢ Chief minister: Mamata Banerjee ➢ Governor: Keshari Nath Tripathi

77. Himachal Pradesh CM launches ‘Shakti’ app for women’s safety ● Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched the ‘Shakti’ app, which comes with a panic button, for women’s safety. ● The app was developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) of the Himachal Pradesh government. ● The app would be available in Hindi and English languages and would not require internet connectivity, adding that shaking the device would trigger the app to send its location through GPS. ●

Once triggered, the app would automatically send a message to the nearest police control room and start recording audio and video after 20 seconds.

Important Points: Himachal Pradesh ➢ Capital: Shimla ➢ Chief minister: Jai Ram Thakur ➢ Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

78. India to host informal WTO Ministerial gathering in March ● Trade ministers from various countries including Australia, Japan and Switzerland met for an informal WTO ministerial gathering in Davos.India to host informal WTO Ministerial gathering in March. ● The meeting would be held in New Delhi on March 19-20. ● The meeting, also attended by the US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, was held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual summit. ●

India was represented by Deepak Jagdish Saksena, ambassador and permanent representative to the WTO.

Important points: World Trade Organization (WTO) ➢ Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland ➢ Founded: 1 January 1995 ➢ Leader: Roberto Azevêdo

79. Punjab CM launches benefits under Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojana ● Punjab chief minister launches the release of benefits under Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojana aimed at the inclusive growth of the distressed sections of the society. ● He appealed to the state’s debt-ridden farmers not to commit suicide since his government was committed to the total implementation of its farm debt waiver scheme by November 2018.

Important Points: Punjab ➢ Capital: Chandigarh ➢ Chief Minister: Amarinder Singh ➢ Governor: V. P. Singh Badnore

80. Grammy Awards winners list in key categories

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

● The Grammy Awards, the highest honors in the music industry, were handed out at a ceremony in New York. ● Retro R&B star Bruno Mars was the surprise big winner at the Grammy Awards, with a clean sweep of the top awards including Album, Record and Song of the Year, and six overall.

➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢

Here is a list of winners in key categories: Album of the Year: Bruno Mars, 24K Magic. Record of the Year (for the overall performance of a song): Bruno Mars, 24K Magic. Song of the Year (for songwriting): Bruno Mars along with songwriters Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy and Philip Lawrence and production team The Stereotypes, That’s What I Like. Best New Artist: Alessia Cara Best Pop Vocal Album: Ed Sheeran, Divide. Best Pop Solo Performance: Ed Sheeran, Shape of You. Best Rap Album: Kendrick Lamar, DAMN. Best Rap Song: Kendrick Lamar, HUMBLE. Best Rap Performance: Kendrick Lamar, HUMBLE. Best Rap/Sung Performance: Kendrick Lamar featuring Rihanna, LOYALTY. Best R&B Album: Bruno Mars, 24K Magic. Best R&B Song: Bruno Mars, That’s What I Like. Best R&B Performance: Bruno Mars, That’s What I Like. Best Rock Album: The War on Drugs, A Deeper Understanding. Best Rock Performance: Leonard Cohen, You Want It Darker. Best Alternative Music Album: The National, Sleep Well Beast. Best World Music Album: Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Shaka Zulu Revisited: 30th Anniversary Celebration. Best Dance/Electronic Album: Kraftwerk, 3-D The Catalogue. Best Music Video: Kendrick Lamar, HUMBLE. Best Country Album: Chris Stapleton, From a Room, Volume 1.

81. Vijay Keshav Gokhale takes charge as the Foreign Secretary ● Vijay Keshav Gokhale takes charge as the new foreign secretary for a two-year term. He succeeded former foreign secretary S Jaishankar who completed his term of three-years, including one extended year. ● Gokhale, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1981, played a major role in resolving the

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

73-day-long Doklam standoff between India and China last year. ●

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Gokhale’s appointment to the post of foreign secretary.

82. Australian Open 2018 – Complete List Of Winners The Australian Open 2018 is a tennis tournament held annually in Melbourne Park, Australia. First held in 1905, the tournament is chronologically the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events of the year – the other three being the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. The 2018 Australian Open is the 106th edition of the tournament.

Here is the complete list of Winners of Australian Open: Men’s Singles: ➢ Winner: Roger Federer (Switzerland) ➢ Runner-Up: Marin Cilic (Croatia) Women’s Singles: ➢ Winner: Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) ➢ Runner-Up: Simona Halep (Romania) Men’s Doubles: ➢ Winner: Oliver Marach (Austria) Mate Pavic(Croatia) ➢ Runner-Up: Robert Farah (Colombia) J. Cabal (Colombia) Women’s Doubles: ➢ Winner: Kristina Mladenovic (France) Tímea Babos (Hungary) ➢ Runner-Up: Elena Vesnina (Russia) Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) Mixed Doubles: ➢ Winner: Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) Mate Pavic (Croatia) ➢ Runner-Up: Timea Babos (Hungary) Rohan Bopanna(India)

83. Paytm, Alibaba’s AGTech Holdings launch new mobile gaming platform

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

Mobile payments company Paytm, Alibaba’s AGTech Holdings launch new mobile gaming platform aimed at mobile users in India.

●

The joint venture between Alibaba’s AGTech Holdings and Paytm was originally signed in July 2017.

●

AGTech Media currently holds 45% in the joint venture, and Paytm owns the rest.

●

At the time of the signing of the agreement, Paytm’s parent company One97 invested $8.8 million in the venture for its 55% stake, and AGTech Holdings put in $7.2 million for its 45% stake.

Important points: Alibaba Group ➢ Executive Chairman: Jack Yun MA ➢ Headquarters: Hangzhou, China ➢ Founded: 4 April 1999 Paytm ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢

Founder: Vijay Shekhar Sharma Founded: 2010 CEO: Renu Satti Headquarters: Noida

84. Mahatma Gandhi death anniversary: Nation pays tribute on Martyr’s Day ● The nation remembers Mahatma Gandhi, as it observes the 70th death anniversary of the father of the nation. ● Gandhi was shot dead 69 years ago on January 30, 1948, by Nathuram Godse. ● President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi among other leaders will pay their tribute to Gandhi at Rajghat on this occasion. ●

President Ram Nath Kovind paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi and tweeted: “On Martyrs’ Day, we gratefully remember Mahatma Gandhi and the countless freedom fighters who sacrificed their all for our Independence.”

85. First ever Khadi Haat inaugurated in Delhi ● Marking the 69th Republic Day celebrations, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) have

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

launched the first ever Khadi Haat inaugurated in Delhi. ●

The Khadi Haat was inaugurated on January 25 by Union Minister of State Giriraj Singh in Connaught Place here in presence of New Delhi Lok Sabha MP Meenakshi Lekhi, KVIC Chairman V K Saxena, NDMC Chairman Naresh Kumar and noted fashion designer Ritu Beri among others.

86. International bird festival at the Dudhwa National Park ● A three-day international bird festival will be held at the Dudhwa National Park here from February 09, 2018 with nearly 200 leading ornithologists expected to attend. ● The purpose of the international bird festival is to promote eco-tourism in Dudhwa and to give it a distinct international identity besides highlighting its traditional Tharu arts, culture and heritage Important points: ➢ The Dudhwa National Park is a national park in the Terai of Uttar Pradesh, India, and covers an area of 490.3 km2 (189.3 sq mi), with a buffer zone of 190 km2 (73 sq mi). It is part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.

87. India cheapest country to live in after South Africa ● India cheapest country to live in after South Africa. India is ranked second only to South Africa as the cheapest country to live or retire, according to a recent survey of 112 countries.

●

● The survey by GoBankingRates ranked nations on the bases of four key affordability metrics provided by online pricing database Number. The metrics are: Local purchasing power index, rent index, Groceries index, and Consumer price index. India is cheaper than its neighbouring countries like Colombia ranked at 13, Pakistan (14), Nepal (28), Bangladesh (40). Among the most expensive countries in the survey are Bermuda (ranked 112), Bahamas (111), Hong Kong (110), Switzerland (109) and Ghana (108).

88. Aadhaar is Oxford dictionary’s Hindi word of 2017

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

● Aadhaar is Oxford dictionary’s Hindi word of 2017. The word gained popularity due to Aadhaar card, which was in news 2017 and is likely to remain in highlight this year as well. ● The announcement was made at a session “Oxford Dictionaries’ Hindi Word of the Year” during the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur. ● Other words such as ‘Mitron’, ‘Notebandi’, ‘Gau-Rakshak’ were also considered, but the widespread discussions and debates around ‘Aadhaar’ was the reason it was selected as the word of the year.

89. CRISIL upgrades outlook on 18 PSBs from negative to stable ● Rating agency CRISIL has revised its outlook on 18 public sector banks (PSBs) from “negative” to “stable” after the government announced bank-wise capital infusion and reform plans. ● The revision in outlook is primarily driven by the government’s PSB recapitalisation programme for this fiscal (2017-18). This will improve the financial risk profile of these banks and help them meet Basel-III regulatory capital norms. ●

It also provides a cushion against an expected rise in provisioning for non-performing assets (NPAs).

Important points: CRISIL: Credit Rating Information Services Of India Limited ➢ CEO: Ashu Suyash ➢ Headquarters: Mumbai ➢ Founded: 1987

90. 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.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

The award will be presented to Asha Bhosle on February 16, 2018.

●

The award has been instituted by the TSR Foundation of T. Subbarami Reddy in memory of producer-director Yash Chopra, who died in 2012.

91. 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

92. 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.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

93. 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.

94. 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.

95. 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.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

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.

96. 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.

97. 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.

●

A total of 199 gold medals, 199 silver medals and 275 bronze medals are to be won at the Khelo India School Games.

98. Indian Navy launched the third Scorpene-class submarine INS Karanj ● The Indian Navy launched the third 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.

strutor.com

January Current Affairs 2018 Part - II

●

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.

strutor.com