JANUARY

NATIONAL

Ø  President launches Pulse Polio programme for 2018

Ø  President Ram Nath Kovind has launched Pulse Polio Immunization (PPI) Programme for year 2018 by administering polio drops to children at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The event was organised on the eve of the National Immunisation Day (NID), observed on 28 January. More than 17 crore children of less than 5 years across the country will be given polio drops as part of Government’s drive to eradicate polio from the country.

Ø  Nation Celebrates 69th Republic Day

Ø  The Country celebrates its 69th Republic Day on 26th January. The family members of Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala (Posthumous) of the Indian Air Force (IAF), who died fighting militants in Kashmir valley, received India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, Ashok Chakra. This is the third Ashok Chakra for the IAF and its first for ground combat.

Ø  Prime Minister Narendra Modi presents National Bravery Awards to 18 children

Ø  Prime Minister Narendra Modi honored 7 girls and 11 boys with the National Bravery Awards. Praising the resolve of the awardees. The children felicitated by him in the past hailed from “rural and simple background”. The awardees include a 14-year-old Karnataka girl who died while trying to save two boys from drowning.

Ø  India, 5th Most Attractive Market for Investments: PwC Survey

Ø  India has emerged as the fifth most attractive market for investments and the optimism over global economic growth is at a record level, as per the survey of CEOs by global consultancy PwC. The US remains the top spot for global investment. Around 46% of global CEOs consider the US as one of the three most important countries for growth, followed by China (33%) and Germany (20%) at second and third places, respectively. India (9%) bumps Japan (8%) as the fifth most attractive market in 2018.

.

Ø  OPV Vijaya: Indian Coast Guard patrol vessel launched

Ø  The second indigenously built offshore patrol vessel (OPV) named Vijaya built by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Shipyard for Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was launched at Kattupalli Shipyard, Tamil Nadu. It is expected to be inducted into service by September 2018 after trials on the equipment.

                                                                                      

Ø  Nirmala Sitharaman became the First Woman Defence Minister of India to fly in Sukhoi 30

Ø  Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman undertook a sortie in IAF s frontline combat jet Sukhoi-30 MKI in the western sector of Rajasthan. She is the first woman defence minister of India to fly a sortie in an IAF Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft. Sukhoi-30 MKI is a nuclear-capable aircraft which can penetrate deep into enemy territory and is the most potent component of our nation’s air power.

Ø  All 14 types of Rs 10 coin valid, legal tender: RBI

Ø  All the 14 designs of Rs 10 coin are valid and legal tender for transactions, the Reserve Bank amid reluctance by certain traders to accept the coins. “It has come to the notice of the Reserve Bank that in certain places there is reluctance on part of traders and members of public to accept Rs 10 coins due to suspicion about their genuineness”, RBI said while reiterating legal tender status of the coins of different designs. It has also asked banks to accept coins for transactions and exchange at all their branches.

Ø  India test-fires Nuclear-Capable ICBM Agni-V

Ø  India test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), which has a strike range of over 5,000km. The ICBM can reach the northern-most parts of China. Agni-V was last tested in December 2016, in what was described as the fourth and final experimental test of the three-stage ICBM.

Ø  Ministry of Petroleum launches Saksham 2018 campaign

Ø  Saksham (Sanrakshan Kshamta Mahotsav) is an annual flagship event of Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Govt. of India. The event focuses on the active involvement of the Oil & Gas PSUs along with other stakeholders like State Governments, for creating focused attention on fuel conservation through people-centric activities. The month-long campaign aims to intensify efforts for making citizens aware of the conservation and effective utilization of petroleum products.

Ø  UIDAI introduces face authentication to further strengthen Aadhaar security

Ø  The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) decided to enable ‘Face Authentication’ in fusion mode on registered devices by July 1, so that people facing difficulty in other existing modes of verification such as fingerprints, iris, and one-time-password (OTP) could easily authenticate. Not only will this new facility help in an inclusive authentication of those who are not able to biometrically verify their identity, due to worn out fingerprints, old age, or hard working conditions, but also add another layer of security.

Ø  Migrant Workers to have Orange Passports

Ø  New passports for citizens who have Emigration Check Required (ECR) status will have orange cover jackets, instead of the traditional dark blue. Indian passports have a blue cover, diplomatic and official passports have white and red jackets, respectively. Applicants who haven’t cleared 10th standard are given a passport with ECR category.

Ø  Delhi is richest state, Jain wealthiest community: NFHS-4 wealth index

Ø  According to wealth index released on basis of data from fourth round of National Family and Health Survey (NFHS-4) Delhi is richest state and Jain wealthiest community in the country. The NFHS-4 was conducted among more than 6 lakh households in 2015-16. It was largest sample size and was carried out just couple of years ago that provided useful source of information in analysing India’s socio-economic landscape.

Ø  Ministry of Railway launches SFOORTI App

Ø  In a major digital initiative to help plan the traffic flows and optimize freight operations, Ministry of Railways launched Smart Freight Operation Optimisation & Real Time Information (SFOORTI) App for Freight Managers which provides features for monitoring and managing freight business using Geographic Information System (GIS) Views and Dashboard. With this application, movement of freight trains on Geographic Information System (GIS) view can be tracked. Both passenger and freight trains can be tracked over Zones/Divisions/ Sections in single GIS View.

Ø  Kajol named ambassador for Swachh Aadat Swachh Bharat

Ø  Actress Kajol, an active supporter of eradicating preventable deaths from hygiene-related issues, has become an advocacy ambassador for a Swachh Aadat Swachh Bharat initiative. Kajol took to Twitter to urge people to become “swachhta doot” and contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Ø  Indu Malhotra, first woman lawyer to be directly promoted as Supreme Court judge

Ø  The senior advocate Indu Malhotra has been recommended as a judge of the Supreme Court by the collegium of Supreme Court. Indu Malhotra would become the first woman lawyer to be directly appointed as a judge of the highest court. Along with Indu Malhotra, Justice K M Joseph has also been cleared for elevation to the apex court. Justice K M Joseph is presently chief justice of Uttarakhand High Court.

Ø  Government restricts use of national flag made of plastic

Ø  The central government insisted people not to use national flag made of plastic, ahead of Republic Day celebrations. An advisory from the Union Home Ministry has said that, since plastic flags are not biodegradable like paper flags, they do not decompose for a long time. Keeping in mind the proper disposal of national flag made of plastic, without affecting its dignity, the advisory has restricted the usage of plastic bags. The advisory has stated that on important national, cultural and sports events, only flags made of paper are to be used by public as per the Flag Code of India, 2002. These paper flags should not be discarded or thrown on the ground after the event. They should be disposed of in private without affecting the dignity of the flag.

Ø   108 years old Monorail used by Maharaja of Patiala is now operational

Ø  One important heritage attraction at National Rail Museum- a 108 years old monorail, which was used by Maharaja of Patiala Lt Bhupinder Singh, became operational on 11 January 2018. The National Rail Museum announced to start this heritage train on every Thursday for visitors. This monorail, hauled by steam locomotives, is one of its kinds in the world. National Rail Museum (NRM) is the focus of Rail heritage of India, a source of fascination and interest in railways for all. The Museum promises to take the visitors on an exciting journey into the Railway history and heritage and depict their contribution to the industrial and economic progress of the country.

Ø  National Anthem not mandatory in Cinema Halls: SC

Ø  The supreme Court has ruled that playing the national anthem before screening movies in cinema halls is not mandatory. The ruling modifies November 2016 order of Supreme Court that made the playing of national anthem in cinemas mandatory. A bench headed by the Chief Justice Dipak Misra accepted the Union Government’s affidavit that said a 12-member inter-ministerial committee had been set up to suggest changes in the 1971 Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act. However, exemption to the disabled people from standing in cinema halls during the national anthem will remain in force till the committee takes a decision. The inter-ministerial committee will now take a final call on the matter.

Ø  PM Modi inaugurates 1st PIO Parliamentary Conference in Delhi

Ø  Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the first Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) Parliamentary Conference in Delhi on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The day is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India. It also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9 January 1915. In the Conference, the biggest delegation was from Guyana with 20 members of parliament and three mayors. Established in 2003, and sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is held from 7-9 January every year.

Ø  Gujarat tops Logistics Performance Index Chart

Ø  Gujarat has topped the logistics index chart, according to a Report released by Union Minister for Commerce & Industry Suresh Prabhu in New Delhi. The chart is an indicator of the efficiency of logistical services necessary for promoting exports in particular and economic growth in general. Among 22 states, Gujarat is followed by Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra on the index. The ranking is based on the analysis of perception with regard to eight parameters, including infrastructure, services, regulatory process and safety of cargo. Among the Union Territories, Daman & Diu occupied the top slot followed by Delhi and Chandigarh. As regards the hilly states, Tripura was on top followed by Mizoram and Meghalaya.

Ø  HRD Ministry releases All India Higher Education Survey

Ø  The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education of Indian has registered an increase from 24.5% in 2015-16 to 25.2% in 2016-17 according to latest All India Higher Education Survey (AIHES) released by HRD Ministry. The survey findings were based on responses of 795 universities, 34,193 colleges and 7,496 standalone institutions. There are total of 864 universities, 40,026 colleges and 11,669 standalone institutions in the country.

Ø  Three Ministries sign MoU for a Technology Mission for Indian Railways

Ø  Three Ministries of the Union Government, the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Department of Science & Technology signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi for Joint funding of Technology Mission for Indian Railways.

Ø  Nation-wide cleanliness survey ‘Swachh Survekshan’ launched

Ø  The nation-wide cleanliness survey ‘Swachh Survekshan’ was launched across India on 4 January 2018. The main objective of the survey is to evaluate the achievements in the cleanliness level in Urban areas. Deemed as the world’ biggest survey, it will be conducted in over 4,000 cities with a population of more than 40 crores. It will run till 10 March 2018.

Ø  APGVB introduces Desktop ATMs in Rural India

Ø  The Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank (APGVB) has operationalised its first desktop ATM in Telangana. The mini-ATM within the branch premises will facilitate customers to withdraw small amounts. At the same time, regular bank account holders can withdraw money and do other banking activities. With these ATMs, there will be no need for separate ATM rooms, so there is no security issue. This initiative is the biggest under the SBI and among the best regional rural banks (RRBs).

Ø  Assamese and Manipuri versions of PM Narendra Modi Official Website launched

Ø  The Assamese and Manipuri language versions of Prime Minister’s Official website- www.pmindia.gov.in were launched. Now the PM INDIA website is available in 11 regional languages namely Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu in addition to English and Hindi.

Ø  WCD launches online portal ‘NARI’ for women empowerment

Ø  Union Minister of Women & Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has inaugurated the online portal ‘NARI’ for women empowerment. NARI stands for ‘National Repository of Information for Women’. The portal contains information about schemes being run by both Central as well as the State Governments.