15 January 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

1. India celebrates 71st Army Day today

Today, 71st Army Day is being celebrated formally with an annual parade at the Cariappa Parade Ground in New Delhi.
Army Day is celebrated on 15th January every year to mark the day when (then) Lieutenant General KM Popularly known as “Kipper”, KM Cariappa was the first Indian commander-in-chief of the Indian Army.
The day is celebrated to pay homage, salute to the courageous and brave Indian soldiers who have been sacrificing their lives for protecting the country.
Three Service Chiefs General Bipin Rawat (Army Chief), Sunil Lanba (Chief of the Naval Staff) and Birender Singh Dhanoa (Air Chief Marshal) paid tribute at Amar Jawan Jyoti (India Gate) in Delhi.

2. Makar Sankranti celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety

Makar Sankranti (Festival of harvest) is being celebrated in different parts of the country with religious fervour and gaiety.
People have started gathering on the banks of various rivers in wee hours to take holy dip on this occasion.
It is the harvest festival when agriculturists worship the sun as well as their cattle by way of thanksgiving for the bumper harvest.
After taking holy dip people are offering water to Sun God and donate Til & rice among poor.

Note:

Makara Sankranti when the Sun moves position from the DakshiNaayana to Uththaraayaaa welcoming the spring season.

3. Pongal festival celebrated today in Tamil Nadu

Today, Pongal festival (four-day) is being celebrated in Tamil Nadu and the Indian Union Territory of Puducherry.
It marks the first day of the auspicious month in Tamil calendar, “Thai.”
People decked up their homes early in the morning with colourful “kolam’s” or rangoli’s in view of Pongal.
The day marks the start of the sun's six-month-long journey northwards (the Uttaraayanam).

4. World's largest religious and cultural human congregation ‘Kumbh Mela’ begins in UP

The World’s largest religious and cultural human congregation "Kumbh-2019” has begun at Sangam at Prayagraj, Uttar Paresh (conclude on 4th March 2019).
The first bathing was taken by saints and seers of different Akharas.
More than one lakh twenty thousand toilets have been erected for making Clean Kumbh.
Twenty-one Snan Ghats have been set up for bathing.
The whole Kumbh area is divided into 20 sectors and 9 zones for keen vigil by sector & zonal magistrates.
Forty police stations, 58 police outposts including three women police station are erected where more than 20 thousand security personnel are deployed.

Know about Kumbha Mela

Kumbha Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which Hindu gather to bathe in the holy river.
According to medieval Hinduism, Lord Vishnu dropped drops of Amrita (the drink of immortality) at four places, while transporting it in a Kumbha (pot).
Traditionally, four fairs are held periodically at one of the following places by rotation:

S. No.	Kumbha Melas	Rivers
1.	The Prayag Kumbh Mela	(Sangam) The Ganges and the Yamuna and the invisible Sarasvati
2.	The Haridwar Kumbh Mela	Ganga
3.	Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha	Godavari
4.	The Ujjain Simhastha	Shipra

National Affairs

5. Wholesale inflation falls to 3.80% in December

According to the government data released, Inflation based on wholesale prices fell 3.80% in December 2018.
The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation stood at 4.64% in November 2018 (in Dec 2017- 3.58%)
Deflation in food articles stood at 0.07% in December, (in Nov 3.31%).
The Reserve Bank of India mainly considers retail inflation data while formulating monetary policy.

6. The Global Aviation Summit 2019 started in Mumbai today

The Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has inaugurated the two-day ‘Global Aviation Summit 2019’ in Mumbai.
This will be the first-of-its-kind event in the world with participation from more than 86 countries.
The Global Aviation Summit with a theme “Flying for all - especially the next 6 Billion”, being organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation in association with FICCI.
The objective of the Summit is to provide a platform to the aviation fraternity to discuss the challenges facing the sector in the newly developing growth spots and understand how technology-driven innovations will change air travel in the future.

The Vision 2040 for the aviation sector and the Air Cargo Policy will also be unveiled during the summit.

National Appointment

7. Yes Bank appoints Brahm Dutt as non-executive part-time Chairman

Yes Bank has appointment Mr Brahm Dutt as non-executive part-time Chairman. (till 4^th July 2020).
Currently, He is also the chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
Brahm Dutt has been on Yes Bank’s board since July 2013 as an independent director and contributed to almost all the sub-committees of the board over the past five and a half years.

Note:

Yes Bank Limited is India's fourth largest private sector bank, founded by Rana Kapoor and Ashok Kapur in 2004.
It operates as three entities - Yes Bank, Yes Capital and Yes asset management services.

Honour & Awards

8. Namita Gokhale wins Sushila Devi Literature Award

Writer Namita Gokhale has won the Sushila Devi Literature Award for her novel “Things to Leave Behind”.
She was awarded in the ‘Best Book of Fiction Written by a Woman Author’ category at the inaugural edition of Bhopal Literature and Art Festival (BLF).

Note:

Sushila Devi Literature Award is constituted by Ratanlal Foundation, recognises the Best Book of Fiction Written by a woman author.
The literature festival has been inaugurated by the Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons at Bharat Bhawan the multi-cultural hub in Bhopal.

9. PM Narendra Modi receives Philip Kotler award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award at his residence in New Delhi.
PM Modi has been awarded for his outstanding leadership for the nation.
The Award focuses on the triple-bottom-line of People, Profit and Planet.
The Philip Kotler Presidential Award recognises and celebrates achievements of organisations, marketing teams, and individuals in different industries around the world.

Note:

Prof. Philip Kotler is a world-renowned Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.

Science & Defence

10. Sitharaman to witness a joint military drill in Andaman, Nicobar Islands

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is on a two-day visit to Andaman & Nicobar Islands and reviewed a Special Forces', amphibious warfare operations.
She also inaugurated a joint military drill involving the Army, the Air Force, the Navy and the Coast Guard.
The archipelago is straddled strategically near the mouth of the Malacca Straits which is an important Sea Lane of Communication used by the navies of several countries.
The Malacca Straits is also an important Sea Lane of Communication and used by the navies of several countries, including China which has been stepping up its military infrastructure in the Indian Ocean Region.
She will also witness three exercises - general survival exercise, amphibious drill and a joint drill.

International Affairs

11. Greek defence minister announces resignation over Macedonia vote

The Greece Defence Minister ‘Panos Kammenos’ has announced his resignation from Alexis Tsipras’s coalition government.
The Minister had announced his resignation ahead of an upcoming parliamentary vote to end a 27-year name dispute with Macedonia.
For the Greeks, Macedonia is the name of a history-rich northern province that was the cradle of Alexander the Great's ancient empire

Obituaries

12. Senior Congress leader Shivajirao Deshmukh passes away

Senior Congress leader and former chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council Shivajirao Deshmukh (84-years) passed away in Mumbai due to illness.
Deshmukh had served as the Revenue Minister in the Vasantsada Patil government from 1976-85.

Sports

13. Stephen Constantine steps down as coach of the Indian football team

Indian football team head coach ‘Stephen Constantine’ (56-year) has decided to step down after the team's shock 0-1 defeat to Bahrain.
India conceded an injury time goal through a penalty to lose 0-1, which led to its exit from the showpiece Asian Cup 2019.
Constantine, who had earlier coached India from 2002 to 2005, was handed over reins of the team again in 2015.
He guided India to the Asian Cup after a gap of eight years.