22 January 2020 - Daily Current Affairs
1. India's first Mahatma Gandhi convention centre in Niger
- Union Minister S Jaishankar & Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou jointly inaugurated the first convention centre in Africa by India to honour the memory of Mahatma Gandhi.
- The Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre is a landmark for India-Niger friendship and a symbol of India's firm commitment towards Africa.
- It witnesses high-level and wide-ranging participation from African Union member states and other high-level conventions.
Obituaries
2. Congress leader Shamsher Singh Surjewala passes away
- Veteran Congress leader Shamsher Singh Surjewala (87-years) passed away due to illness.
- Shamsher Surjewala (father of Randeep Surjewala) remained a five-time MLA and one-time Rajya Sabha MP.
- He was the president of the Haryana Krishak Samaj & Haryana Congress and fought for farmers rights.
Sports
3. Yogeshwar Dutt & Deepa Malik inducted in AlCS
- Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and Paralympian Deepa Malik are among the new inductees in the government's All India Council of Sports (AICS).
- It is an advisory body to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports which was formed in 2015 by the then Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
- Some other renowned new entrants in the Council are Anjali Bhagwat (former shooter), Renedy Singh(footballer),Bachendri Pal (mountaineer) and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.
Honours & Awards
4. Iranian Film ‘Castle of Dreams’ gets Best Film Award
- The Iranian film ‘Castle of Dreams’ has won the Best Film Award in Asian Competition section of the 18th Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF).
- The theme of this year’s festival was ‘better film, better audience, better society’.
- The film (directed by Reza Mirkarimi) also won the Best Director Award.
- Indian film ‘Finally Love’ (directed by Anjan Dutt) bagged Best Audience Award in Cinema of the World Category.
National & International Appointments
5. JP Nadda elected as National President of BJP
- J P Nadda (BJP Working President) has been elected as the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
- Radha Mohan Singh (Party's election in-charge of the organization) gave him the certificate of his election on the occasion.
- Mr. Nadda (from Himachal Pradesh) was appointed as the party's working president in July last year.
- Earlier, He was the Cabinet Minister in the first tenure of the Narendra Modi Government.
National Affairs
6. Govt approves raising FDI in Bharti Airtel to 100%
- The Department of Telecom (DoT) has approved raising of foreign direct investment in Bharti Airtel to 100% from 49% (earlier).
- The company also has the approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that allowed foreign investors to hold up to 74% stake in the company.
- Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment in the form of a controlling ownership in a business in one country by an entity based in another country.
International Affairs
7. PM Modi & Nepali PM KP S Oli inaugurates ICP Biratnagar
- PM Narendra Modi & his Nepali counterpart K P Sharma Oli jointly inaugurated Integrated Check Post (ICP) Biratnagar(video conferencing).
- It has been built on 260 acres of land at a cost of around 140 crore rupees.
- ICP Biratnagar is equipped with all modern facilities like warehousing facilities like refrigerated cargo, electronic weighing bridges, 100% power backup, fire safety, communication network & public announcement systems.
Sports
8. Divyansh S Pawar & Apurvi Chandela Clinch Gold Meyton Cup
- Indian shooters Divyansh Singh Pawar (men's 10m air rifle) and Apurvi Chandela (women's 10m air rifle) have clinched a gold medal in the Meyton Cup in Austria.
- The Meyton Cup is a private tournament where shooters go on their own to participate to gain experience before international events.
- Deepak Kumar and Anjum Moudgil also bagged bronze medals each in men's and women's 10m air rifle events respectively.
Banking & Finance
9. RBI cancels certificate of authorisation of Vodafone m-pesa
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the Certificate of Authorisation (CoA) of Vodafone m-pesa on account of voluntary surrender of authorisation.
- Now, the company cannot transact the business of issuance and operation of prepaid payment instruments.
- Last year, Vodafone Idea had decided to close m-pesa vertical following the closure of Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank Ltd (ABIPBL), with which it was being merged.
Schemes
10. UP Govt launches Mukhymantri Krishak Durghatna Kalyan Yojna
- UP Government has launched Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Kalyan Yojana, provide financial assistance (five lakh rupees) to the family of farmers who die or become handicapped while working in fields.
- Government has also decided to implement Mukhyamantri Paryatan Samvardhan Yojana to boost tourism in the state.
- The scheme will cover farmers and their family members in the age group of 18-70 years.
