09 January 2020 - Daily Current Affairs

09 January 2020 - Daily Current Affairs

09 January 2020 - Daily Current Affairs

1. Zoran Milanovic wins Croatia presidential Election

    • Zoran Milanovic of Croatia has won the presidential election of the country held on January 05, 2020. He defeated incumbent conservative leader Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.
    • Zoran Milanovic is the former Prime Minister of Croatia, who has pledged to make Croatia a tolerant country.
    • The Social Democrat candidate, Milanovic took 52.7 percent of the vote, while President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic garnered 47.3 percent.
    • Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic was the first female President of Croatia.
    Note:
    • Capital of Croatia: Zagreb.
    • The currency of Croatia: Croatian Kuna

    2. Iran designate US armed forces and Pentagon as ‘terrorist entities’

    • On January 09, 2020, the Iranian Parliament has approved a triple-urgency bill that designates the US army and the Pentagon as a terrorist entity.
    • The Bill further requires the government to allocate 200 million euro to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force to take revenge for the US killing of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.
    • Iran's IRGC's Quds Force Commander General Soleimani and Iraq's Popular Forces Commander Abu Mahdi al-Modandis, as well as eight other military men, were killed by the US Army.
    • 233 MPs repeated the words of the speaker, Ali Larijani, warning US President Donald Trump to await the consequences of his actions.
    Note:
    • Irani Parliament: Majlis
    • President: Hassan Rouhani
    • Capital of Iran: Tehran
    • Currency: Rial

    Awards and Honours

    3. Kanhaiya Kumar and Prashant Kishor in Forbes’ 20 people list to watch in the 2020s

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    • Two youth leaders from Bihar Kanhaiya Kumar and Prashant Kishor included in the Forbes India list of 20 people to watch in the 2020s.
    • Poll strategist Prashant Kishor is Janata Dal (United) National Vice President while Kanhaiya Kumar is former President of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union.
    • Kanhaiya Kumar finds 12th position in the list while Prashant Kishor is at 16th
    • Indian origin US-born political commentator Hasan Minhaj is on the 1st position while Keyna’s Marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge in on the 20th place.
    • Other Indians who find a place in the list is Dushyant Chautala (deputy chief minister, Haryana), Mahua Moitra (Lok Sabha member, Trinamool Congress), the Godrej family (of Adi Godrej) and Garima Arora.
    • President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa also figured in the list.

    4. Indian-born Jasbinder Bilan won UK children’s book award

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    • India-born author Jasbinder Bilan has bagged a coveted United Kingdom’s Costa Children’s Award 2019’. She won the award for her debut novel ‘Asha and the Spirit Bird’.
    • ''Asha and the Spirit Bird'', aimed at readers aged nine years and above, beat competition from three other shortlisted books to be named the winner of the 2019 Costa Children's Award this week.
    • Jasbinder’s novel was shortlisted from 144 other entries.
    • She will receive 5,000 pounds as the winner of the award.
    • The award is open to authors resident in the UK and Ireland and presented annually across five categories of First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book.

    Economy

    5. Cabinet approves 'In Principle' strategic disinvestment of equity shareholding of 4 PSUs in Neelachal

    • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has given 'in principle' approval for strategic disinvestment of equity shareholding in 4 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) & 2 Odisha State PSUs in Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL).
    • The 4 CPSEs includes Minerals & Metals Trading Corporation (MMTC), MECON, Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) and National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC). 2 Odisha State PSUs includes Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha (IPICOL) and Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC).
    Note:
    • NINL is a Joint Venture company, in which four CPSEs namely MMTC, NMDC, BHEL and MECON and 2 State PSUs of Odisha Government, namely IPICOL and OMC are shareholders.
    • The proposed strategic disinvestment of NINL would unlock resources to be used to finance the social sector/developmental programmes of the Government benefiting the public.
    Source: Business Standard

    6. Govt to provide Rs 5,559 cr viability gap funding to set up the gas grid in NE

    • On January 08, 2020, the Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to provide Rs 5,559 crore viability gap funding for building a 1,656 km gas grid in the Northeast region.
    • The funding will be provided to Indradhanush Gas Grid Ltd for setting up the North-East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid.
    • The gas pipeline would be developed in 8 states of the northeast; this will lead to the development of an industrial climate in these states and improvement in the standard of living of people in the region.
    Source: Business Standard

    7. Indian economy likely to grow to $7 trillion by 2030: Deutsche Bank

    • According to the Deutsche Bank report Imagine 2030, the Indian economy is likely to become $7 trillion by 2030.
    • The Indian economy is expected to grow almost two and half times from about $3 trillion now and thus it becomes the world’s third-largest economy.
    • According to the report, India will grow with the Nominal GDP growth rate of just over 10% in the next decade.
    Source: LiveMint

    National Affairs

    8. Sakthivel takes over as AEPC India Chairman

    • Apparel Export Promotion Council of India (AEPC) has appointed A Sakthivel as the new chairman of the organization. He is appointed for the period 2020-2021.
    • He will replace HKL Magu. He is also the first person in the history of AEPC, who is sworn-in for the fourth time as Chairman of the AEPC.
    • Sakthivel along with some exporters had founded Tirupur Exporters Association in 1990.

    9. Narendra Modi fifth-biggest geopolitical risk of 2020: Eurasia Group report

    • The political risk consultancy, the Eurasia Group has listed India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the fifth biggest geopolitical risk of 2020.
    • The Eurasia Group has said that Modi has spent much of his second term--since winning the April-May poll--promoting controversial social policies at the expense of an economic agenda and its impact will be felt in 2020.
    • The Eurasia Group list is topped by the elections in the US and followed by events and developments like the US-China technology tug of war on 5G as well as the trade war between Beijing and Washington.

    10. Institutions at Gujarat Ayurved University to get status of Institution of National Importance

    • The Union Cabinet has approved conferring the status of Institution of National Importance to a cluster of Ayurvedic institutions at the Gujarat Ayurved University campus in Jamnagar.
    • The elevation of the status of the institution will provide it with the autonomy to upgrade the standard of Ayurveda education, frame various courses in Ayurveda as per national and international demand.
    • It will help the institute to develop tertiary care in Ayurveda and to secure inter-disciplinary collaborations to give a contemporary thrust to Ayurveda.

     Banking and Finance

    11. SBI announces 'residential builder finance with buyer guarantee' scheme

    • On January 08, 2020, the country's largest public sector bank, State Bank of India (SBI) has announced the 'Residential Builder Finance with Buyer Guarantee' (RBBG) scheme to give a push to residential sales and improve homebuyers' confidence.
    • Under this scheme, the SBI will issue a guarantee for the completion of select residential projects to customers who have availed home loans from it.
    • The scheme will focus on affordable housing projects priced up to 2.50 crore rupees in 10 cities initially.
    • Under RBBG, the guarantee would be given by the bank until the project gets the Occupation Certificate (OC).
    Source: News on AIR

    12. RBI allows 24x7 forex market operations via select banks

    • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has enabled selected banks in India to offer forex rates to Indian clients round-the-clock (24×7).
    • In effect, this opens up the forex market in India round the clock, allowing Indians to hedge their foreign exchange risks at any time of the day.
    • This will also make the offshore currency markets in Dubai and Singapore less attractive for Indian investors.

     State Affairs

    13. Maharashtra to organize ‘Advantage Maharashtra expo 2020’

    • Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will inaugurate 'Advantage Maharashtra Expo 2020' in Aurangabad.
    • The four-day mega industrial exhibition has been organized by the Marathwada Association of Small Scale Industries and Agriculture (MASSIA).
    • Growth of Marathwada industries in technology and innovation and the products produced and exported from the region will be showcased in this exhibition.
    • Over 450 exhibitors from within the state as well as outside the state are participating in this exhibition.
    • This exhibition will provide the opportunity for ambitious businesses and will serve as the platform for small entrepreneurs.

    Sports

    14. Weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur banned for 4 years for doping

    • Weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur has been slapped with a four-year ban for doping by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
    • The sample of Sarbjeet, who won the 71kg event at the women’s national weightlifting championships in February last year, was collected during 34th Women Senior National Weightlifting Championship held at Vishakhapatnam.
    • “The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel has found weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur guilty of anti-doping rule violation. She has been imposed a penalty of ineligibility for a period of four years.
    • Earlier in December 2017 Commonwealth Championships silver medallist weightlifter, Seema was also slapped with a four-year ban for doping.
    • Seema had finished sixth in the women’s 75kg competition at the Gold Coast CWG.
    Note: 
    • The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) is the national organization of India to promote, coordinate and monitor the doping control programmes of sports of all forms in line with the World Anti Doping Code in the country.
    • It works under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It was constituted under the Societies Registration Act in 2006 in the aftermath of the 2004 Copenhagen Declaration on Doping in Sports to which India is a signatory.

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