Current Affairs Quick Recap – Jaunary’ 2017 Week II & III

CURRENT AFFAIRS SMART LINES 

 2017 January 9 – 22

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 NAME OF THE AWARD AWARD WINNER KEY POINTS TO NOTE
Silver Award for Excellence in Citizen Centric Services Petroleum Ministry Indian Oil, HPCL and BPCL collectively received silver Award
2017 Laureus World Sportsman of Year Cristiano Ronaldo FIFA World Player of the Year
The highest civilian honour of America Joe Biden Vice President of America
Sena Medal Lance Naik Hanamanthappa
2017 Crafoord Prize Fred Ramsdell,

Alexander Rudensky and Shimon Sakaguchi

To discovery of regulatory T cells, cells that can be regarded as our immune system’s security guards.
Italian football hall of fame Diego Maradona He is Former Argentine footballer
UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Sitalpati or cool mat from the Cooch Behar district These mats are used for sitting or to hang on doors or by windows during summer.
People’s Choice history Award Ellen Degeneres She is Actress and comedienne
UN award ISKCON’s Govardhan eco village For taking innovative measures of ’sustainable tourism’ in country.
Australian Cricket Hall of Fame David Boon

Matthew Hayden

2017 Allan Border Medal ceremony in Sydney.

 

FILMFARE AWARDS 2017

The complete list of 62nd Jio Film fare Awards 2017.

Best Actor (Male)  Aamir Khan for ‘Dangal’
Best Actor (Female)  Alia Bhatt for ‘Udta Punjab’
Best Film  ‘Dangal’
Best Director  Nitesh Tiwari for ‘Dangal’
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Film  ‘Neerja’
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor (Male)  Shahid Kapoor for ‘Udta Punjab’ and Manoj Bajpayee for ‘Aligarh’
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor (Female)  Sonam Kapoor for ‘Neerja’
Best Actor (Male) in a SHORT Film  Manoj Bajpayee for ‘Taandav’
Best Short Film People’s Choice  Khamakha
Best Short Film (Fiction)  ‘Chutney’
Best Short Film (Non-fiction)  ‘Matitali Kusti’
Best Actor (Female) in a Short Film  Tisca Chopra for ‘Chutney’
Best Debut Director  Ashwini Iyer Tiwari for ‘Nil Battey Sannata’
Best Male Debut  Diljit Dosanjh for ‘Udta Punjab’
Best Female Debut  Ritika Singh for ‘Saala Khadoos’
Best Dialogue  Ritesh Shah for ‘Pink’
Best Screenplay  Shakun Batra and Ayesha Devitre Dhillon for ‘Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921)’
Best Story  Shakun Batra and Ayesha Devitre Dhillon for ‘Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921)’
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male)  Rishi Kapoor for ‘Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921)’
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female)  Shabana Azmi for ‘Neerja’
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award  Shatrughan Sinha
Best Music Album  Pritam for ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’
Best Lyricist  Amitabh Bhattacharya for ‘Channa Mereya’ from ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’
Best Playback Singer (Male)  Arijit Singh for ‘Ae dil hai mushkil’ from ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’
Best Playback Singer (Female)  Neha Bhasin for ‘Jag Ghoomeya’ from ‘Sultan’
Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent  Amit Mishra for ‘Bulleya’ from ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’
Best Visual Effects  Red Chillies for ‘Fan’
Best Editing  Monisha Baldawa for ‘Neerja’
Best Costume  Payal Saluja for ‘Udta Punjab’
Best Action  Shyam Kaushal for ‘Dangal’

APPOINTMENTS

NAME DEPT/FIELD
Vishal Kaul COO of Ola
Anurag Thakur Head of HPOA
Vikram Pawah The President of India operations of BMW
Jimmy Adams West Indies Cricket director
Daniel Ortega Nicaragua’s President
Jason Kothari Head of strategy of Sanpdeal
Praful Patel Member of FIFA finance committee.
Alok Verma Director of the CBI.
Qi Zhala Tibet Governor
Kalyan Krishnamurthy New CEO of Flipkart
Surekha Marandi Executive Director of RBI

 

NATIONAL ROUND-UP

  • Power Minister Piyush Goyal will unveil the world’s largest street light replacement in South Delhi Municipal Corporation area where two lakh led lights will replace inefficient lamps.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated India’s first international exchange India INX at the International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) of GIFT
  • Railways has launched a new ticketing App, IRCTC Rail Connect, to facilitate booking of train tickets in a faster and easier way.
  • India will for the first time introduce a vaccine against Rubella — a viral disease that infects pregnant women and leads to babies being born with cardiac, cerebral, ophthalmic and auditory defects.
  • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has invited comments on the draft notification of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules), 2016. The Ministry will be notifying the proposed draft Rules in the Gazette of India for public information.
  • The Supreme Court has said political parties require donations from followers to project their political ideas and represent the people.
  • For the first time, electoral rolls in as many as 46 assembly constituencies spread across 22 districts in UP would be printed in Urdu as well. In Uttar Pradesh, the voters’ list is generally prepared in Hindi.
  • The National Green Tribunal has directed the Centre to test cosmetic products containing microbeads after a plea sought ban on their use on the ground they are extremely dangerous for aquatic life and environment.
  • Indian roads will be mandatory once the Bharat Stage VI norm kicks in from 2020, for which testing agency ARAI is developing a unified test cycle.
  • Khanderi, the second Kalvari class Scorpene submarine underwater or on surface, was launched at the Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai.
  • Delhi Airport has claimed it has become the first aerodrome in the world to adopt unique performance and benchmarking digital platform, Arc, which helps in tracking and monitoring building performance.
  • State-run NTPC has signed a non-binding agreement with Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd and Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd for takeover of Chhabra Thermal Power Plant.
  • The first edition of ABU International Television Dance Festival, showcasing traditional and contemporary dance performances by artistes from over 10 counties across the Asia-Pacific region.
  • The Government mounted the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) with the purpose of ranking households for receiving benefits under government programmes.
  • Border Security Force (BSF) has launched operation ‘Sard Hawa’ at the western international border of Rajasthan. The purpose of the operation is to keep a hawk’s eye on the international border.
  • India became an Associate member of CERN with the Indian government completing its internal approval procedures in respect of the agreement it had signed with CERN on November 21, 2016.
  • The Government of India, the Government of Nagaland and the World Bank have signed a massive 48 million dollars credit agreement for the ‘Nagaland Health Project,’ which aims to improve health services across the state.
  • India ranked 92nd on the global index of talent competitiveness that measures how countries grow, attract and retain talent, a list topped by Switzerland.
  • India has been ranked 60th among 79 developing economies, below neighbouring China and Pakistan, in the inclusive development index, according to a WEF report.
  • The Indian passport has been ranked 78 in a global ranking of the world’s most powerful passports. Germany stands at the top.
  • Timothy Gonsalves committee has recommended for reservation for girl students in IITs
  • Cabinet has gave its nod to Exchange programmes in the field of Youth Affairs between India and Russia will help in promoting exchange of ideas
  • Union has launched a dedicated web portal ‘ShaGun’, which has been prepared by World Bank in collaboration with Ministry of Human Resource Development for monitoring of the flagship scheme – Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
  • The government has decided to list five state-owned general insurers and said it will bring down its stake in these insurance companies to 75%. The decision was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) .
  • The country’s longest rail-cum-road bridge – the Bogibeel Bridge over the Brahmaputra in Dibrugarh work had been completed.
  • Union Cabinet approved an alternative mechanism to decide the modalities to do with stake sales in public sector undertakings (PSUs), so as to speed up the process.
  • A committee has been constituted by the Centre to frame uniform rules for the states to avoid delay in proper implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act across the country.

SNIPPETS FROM THE STATES

  • Haryana achieved a sex ratio of 900 girls as against 1000 boys in 2016. Sex ratio at birth in the State this past year touched the 900-mark for the first time in almost two decades.
  • Karang, a small lake island in Manipur, has become the country’s first cashless island.
  • Transcend is SIBM Pune’s annual management and cultural fest. This is India’s one of the biggest B-School Events.
  • The Prince of Kolkata and Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly joined the elite list of cricketers to have stands named after them when the C Block in Eden Gardens.
  • Over 3.5 lakh people have set a new world record by singing the national anthem at an event at Kagvad in Rajkot district of Gujarat.
  • Goa will become the first state in the country to opt for electronic transmission of postal ballot to service voters in the upcoming assembly polls, chief election commissioner (CEC) Syed Nasim Zaidi.
  • On the 27th anniversary of migration of Pandits, the Jammu and Kashmir government has passed a resolution in the state assembly for the return of Kashmiri migrants to the Valley.
  • The Regional Passport Office (RPO), Mumbai will organise a ‘Passport Mela’ in the city to address complaints regarding passport issuance.
  • The Karnataka government has decided to allow the sale of white kerosene in open market.
  • The hilsa fish is on the brink of extinction because of migration barriers, poppulation and over-fishing.
  • Tamil Nadu government has launched a mobile application Pinakin. It will seek to provide information of famous tourist destinations in the state.
  • Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum & natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan will inaugurate a month long awareness programme “Saksham – 2017” on 16th January, 2016 at Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi.
  • The 58th edition of India International Garment Fair (IIGF) is beginning in New Delhi organized by Apparel Export Promotion Council India.
  • Mawlynnong village in Meghalaya has become a role model for other states in maintaining cleanliness and also tourists’ hotspot.
  • President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the 28th Dantan Gramin Mela in West Midnapore district in West Bengal in a few hours’ time.
  • Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh launches Anadam Scheme to help the poor and the needed person
  • Bangalore, India’s tech is the world’s fastest-changing city, triumphing over established global IT capitals like Silicon Valley and London, according to the JLL City Momentum Index.
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated the Digidhan Mela organized in Guwahati. The two-day Digidhan Mela is being organised with an aim to enable citizens and merchants to familiarize and adopt real time digital transactions.
  • The world’s first ‘Gender Literature Festival’ will be held in Patna in the second week of April. The Gender Resource Centre of Bihar’s Women Development Corporation will be organising the festival.
  • In Madhya Pradesh Indore district witnessed inauguration of first of its kind scheme of the country.Digital Dakiya, which aims at encouraging cashless transactions.
  • The Telangana government has signed a MoU with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) for air connectivity by developing small airports and airstrips in the state.
  • The festival of Lohri, celebrated with much joy and vigour in Punjab, marks the onset of the harvest season.
  • The two-day annual camel festival began with much fanfare in the presence of foreigners and domestic tourists in Bikaner.
  • Installation of the idol of Goddess Brajeshwari Devi made of 1,600 kg of clarified butter in the famous Brajeshwari Devi temple in Himachal Pradesh.
  • The fourth International Kite Festival began in New Delhi. Professional kite flying experts from across India.
  • Magh Bihu (Makar Sankranti) festival, organised by Ministry of Development of North-East Region (DoNER) at Dilli Haat. The theme of the festival was ‘Integration through fusion’.
  • Union water resources minister Uma Bharti, states that the clearances for the project are in a “very advanced stage” of completion and that the government will start implementing the national project as “model link” of inter-linking of river (ILR) programme named as Ken-Betwa River linking project.
  • A solar-powered boat service has launches at Vaikom in the district in kerala by Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal.
  • The International Society for Krishna ConsciousnessChowpatty Temple took out the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra from Shivaji Park with the participation of nearly half a million devotees in Mumbai.

CABINET APPROVALS

  • Cabinet approves MoU between India and Vietnam In the field of cyber security
  • Cabinet approves MoU between India and Serbia for cooperation in IT and Electronics
  • Cabinet approves Trade Agreement negotiations with Peru
  • Cabinet approves to augment CGTMSE for supporting MSEs
  • Cabinet approves India’s Membership in the International Vaccine Institute
  • Cabinet approves MoU between India and Serbia for cooperation in the field of Information Technology and Electronics
  • Cabinet approves India’s Membership in the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), South Korea
  • Cabinet approves MoU on cooperation on Youth matters between India and Russia
  • Cabinet apprised of the MoU between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for cooperation in the field of outer space
  • Cabinet approves MoU between India and Vietnam In the field of cyber security
  • Cabinet approves Trade Agreement negotiations with Peru
  • Cabinet gives approval to the package for supporting Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) – Augmentation of Corpus of Credit Guarantee Trust Fund for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE)
  • Cabinet approves the Establishment of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Jharkhand
  • Cabinet approves MOU between India and the United Arab Emirates for cooperation in the field of Small and Medium Enterprises and Innovation
  • Cabinet approves MOU between India and the United Arab Emirates for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors
  • Cabinet approves amendment in Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme
  • Cabinet approves MoU between India and the United Arab Emirates on Institutional Cooperation in Maritime Transport
  • Cabinet approves MoU between India and the United Arab Emirates on the Mutual Recognition of Certificates of Competency as per the provisions of the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW, 78) and amendments thereof
  • Cabinet approves the exclusion of States from the investments of National Small Savings Fund
  • Cabinet approves MoU between India and the United Arab Emirates on Bilateral Cooperation in the Road Transport and Highways sector
  • Cabinet approves the introduction of the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2017 to repeal 105 Acts.
  • Cabinet approves MoU between India and Russia on cooperation on Youth matters

BANKING AND ECONOMY

  • Private sector Axis Bank has become the third lender in the country to announce usage of block chain solutions for its operations, after its peers ICICI Bank and Yes Bank.
  • Country’s largest telecom player Bharti Airtel had said it would make an initial investment of Rs 3,000 crore to build a pan-India banking system and a digital payment eco-system.
  • Foreign lender Citi India has launched voice biometrics authentication that would replace the current practice of interactive voice response (IVR) for its customers.
  • ICICI Bank Ltd has blocked transactions on payments app to protect its turf against non-bank mobile wallet and payment companies.
  • Mahindra Asset Management Company Pvt. Ltd (MAMCPL) has announced launch of Mahindra Mutual Fund Dhan Sanchay Yojna scheme.t
  • The World Bank has sharply cut its economic growth forecast for India to 7 per cent in 2016-17 after taking into account the impact of demonetisation and the fall in private investments.
  • Airtel Payments Bank (APB), a joint venture between Bharti Airtel Ltd and Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd, said it will spend Rs3,000 crore to develop a pan-India banking network and digital payments ecosystem.
  • Punjab National Bank and India Post Payments Bank have signed a memorandum of understanding, whereby PNB will provide technology platform for pilot launch of IPPB on receipt of regulatory nod from the Reserve Bank of India.
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has infused around 60 per cent of the total banned currency notes after demonetisation.
  • Flipkart continues to retain its apex position as India’s most trusted e-commerce brand, in a nationwide consumer study titled the ‘The Indian E-tailing Leadership Index’.
  • FreeCharge, India’s leading digital payments platform has announced the launch of Mutual Funds on its platform in partnership with Reliance Mutual Fund.
  • Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched a Contactless Credit Card.
  • Boston Consulting Group has named technology giant Apple as the most innovative company in 2016 in its annual list of the world’s 50 “Most Innovative Companies.”

INTERNATIONAL ROUND-UP

  • Europe’s first underwater sculpture museum featuring over 300 life-sized figures has been inaugurated.
  • IBM received the most patents for the 24th year in a row and broke the US record in 2016.
  • China has successfully sent three satellites into space in its first commercial mission using an updated version of the low-cost Kuaizhou-1A rocket.
  • American researchers have discovered the true function of the appendix. The researchers say it acts as a safe house for good bacteria.
  • Russia has amended its laws, allowing long-term contracts for spares and support for military equipment supplied to India.
  • Saudi Arabia has increased India’s annual Haj quota by 34,500, a move welcomed by the NDA government as a “matter of pleasure”.
  • Joint military exercises between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and British forces started in the Gulf Arab state named Dubbed “Sea Dagger 2017”.
  • India and the US have signed an MoU to collaborate in the fields of developmental activities and aid in third world countries.
  • The United States is set to issue a commemorative $100 gold coin that depicts Lady Liberty — a national symbol generally portrayed as a white woman as an African American for the first time.
  • The United States has announced the end of a 20-year economic embargo on Sudan, lifting trade and financial sanctions in an effort to foster ties with the Sudanese government.
  • Ecuador has taken over from Thailand as chair of the Group of 77 which promotes the interests of the 134 developing countries it represents at the United Nations, including China.
  • British artist Jason DeCaires Taylor has created what is the first underwater museum in Europe.
  • American snack and beverage giant PepsiCo India has sold a 2.5 acre land parcel in the Central suburb Chembur to The Wadhwa Group for ₹ 190-200 crore.
  • Beijing’s air quality target for 2017 is more than double the acceptable standard set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
  • Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to cooperate on maritime security and deepen defence ties, even as both countries continue to have tense relations with China over the South and East China sea territory dispute.
  • South Korea is still the world’s most innovative economy, according to the 2017 Bloomberg Innovation Index.
  • China has handed over two ships to the Pakistan Navy to safeguard the strategic Gwadar port and trade routes under the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a move likely to raise alarm in India.
  • The outgoing Barack Obama administration announced a contribution of half a billion dollars to the UN Green Climate Fund, just three days before Donald Trump takes over the White House.
  • The world has just witnessed the hottest year on record, surpassing the exceptionally high temperatures of 2015 according to UN report.
  • The first China-to-Britain freight train arrived in London has after a 7,500-mile journey, marking a milestone in China’s push to build commercial links across Europe and Asia.
  • Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has signed a 1-trillion yen (about $8.7 billion) aid package over the next five years to the Philippine
  • Israel’s upgraded ballistic missile shield became operational in a “Star Wars”-like extension of its capabilities to outer space where incoming missiles can be safely destroyed.
  • Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, has withdrawn the visa-free facility for Indians who will have to complete a pre-arrival registration.
  • Nepal government has launched a 10-year-plan to cut dependence on vegetable imports from India and make the land-locked country self-reliant in food.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

  • Scientists have discovered a new species of gibbon living in south-west China’s rainforests.
  • Stanford engineers, including those of Indian origin, have built an ultra-low-cost, human-powered centrifuge that separates blood into its individual components in only 1.5 minutes.
  • Russia has amended its laws, allowing long-term contracts for spares and support for military equipment supplied to India.
  • Scientists have produced a new form of hydrogen in the lab negatively charged hydrogen clusters.
  • Guided Pinaka, which has been upgraded from Pinaka Rocket, was successfully test fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.
  • China’s Navy has commissioned a sophisticated electronic reconnaissance ship CNS Kaiyangxing, or Mizar was delivered to a combat support flotilla of the North Sea Fleet in Qingdao, Shandong province.
  • The American SpaceX rocket company has resumed flights, launching a Falcon 9 vehicle from the Vandenberg Air Force Base on the California coast.
  • Scientists have developed the world’s lightest high-performance mechanical watch made using the ‘wonder material’ graphene and weighing just 40 grammes.
  • Silicon likely makes up a significant proportion of the Earth’s core after iron and nickel, say scientists who claim to have identified the ‘missing element’ in the deep interiors of our planet that has eluded us for decades.
  • Indigenously-made fighter jet Tejas will make its Republic Day debut in this year’s parade, the Indian Air Force.
  • Students of the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) might no longer need to seek help from outsiders to support their start-up ideas, as work on a ‘Research Park’ will finally start in 2017.
  • Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital researchers have developed a customizable soft robot.
  • An astronomer has studied an exoplanet called Wolf 1061c and found that the celestial body could be habitable.
  • China has commissioned its 31st stealth warship as it got its battle group under its first aircraft carrier ready amid tensions with the U.S. and other nations over its assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea.
  • Scientists have developed a new method for medical testing that may lead to faster diagnosis of HIV, Lyme disease, syphilis and rotavirus infections.
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will set a record when it launches 103 satellites in one go on a single rocket in the first week of February.

IMPORTANT DAYS

DATE OBSERVED DAY
January 10 World Laughter Day: World Hindi Day
January 11 Death anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri
January 12 National Youth Day or Birthday of Swami Vivekananda
January 15 National Army Day
January 23 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Birth Anniversary

SPORTS

WINNER TITLE SPORT/ VENUE
Pankaj Advani Kolkata Open National Snooker Championship West Bengal
Gujarat Ranji Trophy title Mumbai
Alphonce Simbu 2017 Mumbai Marathon Tanzania
Delhi International Chess Grandmaster Farrukh Amonatov Tajikistan
National Shooting Championship Nirmal Yadav(65) Delhi
Pro Wrestling League Punjab Royals
Malaysia Masters Grand Prix 2017 Saina Nehwal Tennis

OBITUARY

NAME OF THE PERSON FIELD
Clare Hollingworth Journalist
Roman Herzog Former German president
Dick Gautier Actor
Gita Sen Actor
Eugene Cernan US Astronaut
Zhou Youguang Chinese Writer
C.V. Vishveshwara Pioneer of Black Hole Discovery
Tarun Prasad Chatterjee Gujarat Politician
Naqsh Lyallpuri Urdu poet

 

 


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