Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Current Affairs Today 19th and 20th January 2020. These are important for the upcoming Exams. Candidates who were preparing for the examination can use these current affairs and also you can download the same as PDF.
Current Affairs Today – 19th and 20th January 2020
NEWS AT A GLANCE
- The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated its 15th Raising Day on 19th January.
- National Immunization Day was observed on 19 January 2020.
- Global payments company Mastercard planned to invest nearly $1 billion in India over the next five years.
- A loan amount of nearly seventy thousand crore rupees has been disbursed till 13th of this month under the scheme of providing loan to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises – MSMEs within 59 minutes.
- Union Minister for Heavy Industries Prakash Javadekar was inaugurating ELECRAMA 2020 in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
- The 14th Foundation day of Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) was celebrated in New Delhi on 18 January 2020.
- The Indian Railway authorities have decided to replace the Urdu language on signboards at the Uttarakhand state platforms with Sanskrit.
- The 9th International Children’s Film Festival hosted by Kolkata, West Bengal.
- Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani launched the 7th Economic Census process in the state.
- Government of Mizoram will celebrate Chapchar Kut, the biggest and most important festival of the Mizos, on March 6, 2020.
- China and Myanmar signed 33 deals on 18 January 2020.
- Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda was elected as President of the suspended Archery Association of India (AAI).
- Nripendra Misra has been appointed chairperson of the executive council of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML).
- Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon wins Indonesia Badminton Masters 2020 women’s singles title in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- Vinesh Phogat won her first gold medal of the 2020 season at the Rome Ranking Series in Rome.
- Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon lifted the Indonesia Badminton Masters 2020 women’s singles title after defeating Carolina Marin in the summit clash on Sunday.
- India has successfully test-fired nuclear-capable K-4 ballistic missile at Vizag coast in Andhra Pradesh.
- The Bloomsbury Anthology of Great Indian Poems edited by Abhay K. is to be launched on 23 January 2020.
- The Iranian film ‘Castle of Dreams’ directed by Reza Mirakarimi won the Best Film Award in Asian Competition section of the 18th Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF).
NEWS IN DETAILS
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
On 19th January NDRF Celebrates its 15th Raising Day
- The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated its 15th Raising Day on 19th January.
- National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), a specialized multi-skilled, humanitarian force of the country, came into existence on January 19th, 2006 has been playing a vital role in Disaster Management and Community awareness for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the country.
- NDRF has saved more than One lakh lives in its 3100 operations and rescued/evacuated over 6.7 lakh people during disasters.
- A workshop was also be conducted on ‘Urban flooding & challenges’ and ‘Biological Emergencies & New Technology in Disaster Management’.
Extra Shots:
NDRF: The National Disaster Response Force is a specialised force constituted “for the purpose of specialist response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster” under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The “Apex Body for Disaster Management” in India is the National Disaster Management Authority.
- Minister responsible: Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs
- Motto: Saving Lives & Beyond
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Director General: SN Pradhan, IPS
- Founder: Government of India
- Founded: 2006
National Immunization Day was observed on 19 January
- National Immunization Day was observed on 19 January 2020.
- The day was aimed to maintain the NO POLIO status of the country.
- On this day, a nationwide programme to administer polio drops to children below 5 years was organized throughout the country.
- The Pulse Polio programme ensures to protect children from polio disease and aims to eliminate poliomyelitis in India.
Pulse Polio Programme 2020:
♦ President Ram Nath Kovind launched the Pulse Polio Programme 2020 and administered Polio drops to children below the age of 5 at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
♦ Two nationwide mass polio vaccination campaigns and two to three sub-national campaigns are held every year.
♦ Under the Pulse Polio Programme 2020, polio drops were administered to children less than five years of age.
Polio Free India:
♦ Pulse Polio Immunization programme was launched in 1995 in India.
♦ Vellore of Tamil Nadu became the first Indian town to become 100% polio-free through the pulse strategy, and the rest of India adopted the strategy in 1995.
♦ India was declared polio-free country on 27 March 2014.
♦ The last reported cases of polio in India were in West Bengal and Gujarat on 13 January 2011.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Mastercard to invest $1 bn in India over 5 years towards tech development
- Global payments company Mastercard planned to invest nearly $1 billion in India over the next five years.
- The proposed investment will be made over five years in our India operations includes an R&D facility at Pune and another center at Vadodara.
- The company is also working closely with technology and financial startups in the country by focusing on the innovation and digital payments matrices under its flagship Start Path program.
Extra Shots:
Mastercard Incorporated is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in the Mastercard International Global Headquarters in Purchase, New York, United States. The Global Operations Headquarters is located in O’Fallon, Missouri, United States, a municipality of St. Charles County, Missouri.
- CEO: Ajaypal Singh Banga
- Headquarters: United States
Rs 70,000 crore loan amount has been disbursed till Jan 13 under MSMEs scheme
- A loan amount of nearly seventy thousand crore rupees has been disbursed till 13th of this month under the scheme of providing loan to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises – MSMEs within 59 minutes.
- For ease of access to credit for MSMEs, the government has introduced loan provision to MSMEs through a dedicated online portal- www.psbloansin59 minutes.com.
- The portal acts as a single interface portal which facilitates in principal approval of bank loans to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises upto five crore rupees within 59 minutes.
Extra Shots:
MSME: The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex executive body for the formulation and administration of rules, regulations and laws relating to micro, small and medium enterprises in India.
- Founded: 2007
- Headquarters: New Delhi
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Union Minister for Heavy Industries inaugurates ELECRAMA 2020 in Noida
- Union Minister for Heavy Industries Prakash Javadekar was inaugurating ELECRAMA 2020 in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
- ELECRAMA is the flagship showcase of the Indian electrical industry and a platform to connect the world with the Indian industry in respect of technology, new trends and innovation for the future energy transition.
- The focus of this year’s event is on e-mobility, energy storage, start-ups, grid transformation, and revenue security with special attention on small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Extra Shots:
- Union Minister for Heavy Industries: Prakash Javadekar
The 14th Foundation day of DFCCIL was celebrated in New Delhi
- The 14th Foundation day of Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) was celebrated in New Delhi on 18 January 2020.
- Union Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal participated in the event.
- DFCCIL completed 500 km of Dedicated Freight Corridor. It has also set its target to achieve the goal of 991km by March 2020.
- Dedicated Freight Corridors plays a vital role in a paradigm change in Indian Railways.
- 28 individual awards and 4 Group awards were given to the ceremony.
- Ajmer & Ahmedabad units jointly won the running shield for the Western Corridor.
- Deendayal Upadhayaya, Mughalsarai unit was awarded the Eastern Corridor.
Extra Shots:
DFCCIL: Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India :DFCCIL functions under Indian Railways of Ministry of Railways. It was registered under the Companies Act 1956 in 2006.
- Established on: 2006
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Chairman: Vinod Kumar Yadav
- Managing Director: Anurag Kumar Sachan
Indian Railway to replace Urdu with Sanskrit on signboards at Uttarakhand platforms
- The Indian Railway authorities have decided to replace the Urdu language on signboards at the Uttarakhand state platforms with Sanskrit.
- The decision by the railways was taken as per provisions of the Railway Manual.
- It stated that the names of the railway stations should be written in Hindi, English and in the second language of the state.
- Sanskrit is Uttarakhand’s second language.
- Hence, as per the manuals, Sanskrit must be used on signboards along with English and Hindi.
Extra Shots:
Sanskrit- Uttarakhand’s second official language:
In 2010, the Uttarakhand state government became the first in the country to give Sanskrit the status of the second official language of the Himalayan state. The move aimed to promote Sanskrit in the state.
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Kolkata host 9th International Children’s Film Festival
- The 9th International Children’s Film Festival hosted by Kolkata, West Bengal.
- About 250 films from 45 countries will be screened at the festival.
- The National Award winner Children actor, Talha Arsad Rishi inaugurates the festival.
- An anthology of children’s films in Bengali in the last 100 years and an exhibition on movie posters will be held along with the festival.
Extra Shots:
West Bengal:
- Capital: Kolkata
- Chief Minister: Mamta Banerjee
- Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar
- State Formed in: 1947
- Literacy Rate: 76.26%
- National Park: Buxa National Park, Gorumara National Park, Neora Valley National Park, Neora Valley National Park, Sunderban National Park, Jaldapara National Park
Gujarat CM launched 7th Economic Census process
- Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani launched the 7th Economic Census process in the state.
- The Economic Census process organized by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with the help of Common Service Centres.
- Around 40 thousand enumerators will use mobile applications for the first time to gather information under the guidance of 6,500 supervisors.
Extra Shots:
Gujarat:
- Capital: Gandhinagar
- Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani
- Governor: Acharya Devvrat
- State formed on: 1 May 1960
- Literacy Rate: 79.31%
- National Park: Vansda NP, Blackbuck NP, Gir Forest NP, Marine NP, Gulf of Kutch
Mizoram to celebrate Chapchar kut festival on March 6
- Government of Mizoram will celebrate Chapchar Kut, the biggest and most important festival of the Mizos, on March 6, 2020.
- Chapchar Kut is a spring festival celebrated usually in March after completion of the Jhum cultivation.
- Jhum cultivation, also known as the slash and burn agriculture, is the process of growing crops by first clearing the land of trees and vegetation and burning them thereafter.
Extra Shots:
Mizoram:
- State formed on: 20 February 1987
- Governor: P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
- Chief Minister: Zoramthanga
- Deputy Chief Minister: Tawnluia
- Capital: Aizawl
- Literacy rate: 91.58%
- Shares borders: Assam, Manipur, and Tripura
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
China and Myanmar signed 33 agreement to accelerate BRI
- China and Myanmar signed 33 deals on 18 January 2020.
- The agreements aimed to speed up key infrastructure projects to provide China a stepping stone to the Indian Ocean.
- The agreement was signed after a meeting between President Xi Jinping and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.
- Suu Kyi was on a two-day visit to China. He held talks with Xi on the final day of his two-day visit.
- The agreements covered areas such as politics, investment, trade, and people-to-people communications for China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Extra Shots:
Myanmar (Capital/Currency): Naypyidaw/Kyat
- President: Win Myint
- State Counsellor: Aung San Suu Kyi
China (Capital/Currency): Beijing/Renminbi
- President: Xi Jinping
APPOINTMENT
Arjun Munda elected as president of Archery Association of India
- Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda was elected as President of the suspended Archery Association of India (AAI).
- The elections were held as per the Delhi High Court order.
- With the support of former AAI president Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Munda, the president of Jharkhand Archery Association, defeated Assam Archery Association president and retired IAS officer BVP Rao by a margin of 34-18.
- Pramod Chandurkar of Maharashtra defeated the Mahasim of Chandigarh 31-21 in the election for the post of Secretary.
- In the election of Senior Vice President, former Haryana Minister Captain Abhimanyu defeated GA Ibopishak of Manipur by 32-20.
Extra Shots:
AAI: Archery Association of India is the national governing body of archery in India. Its headquarters are located in New Delhi, and its current president is Arjun Munda.
AAI is a non-profit, government funded organisation affiliated by International Archery Federation (IAF), Asian Archery Federation (AAF) and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and recognized by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of India.
- President: Mr. Arjun Munda
- Founded: 8 August 1973
- Sport: Archery
- Affiliation: World Archery Federation
- Secretary: Mr. Virendra Sachdeva
GoI appoints Nripendra Misra as chairman of NMML
- Nripendra Misra has been appointed chairperson of the executive council of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML).
- The Executive Council of the NMML has been reconstituted and it will be now chaired by Mr Misra.
- Dr A Surya Prakash, chairperson of the Prasar Bharati board, will be the council’s vice-chairperson.
Extra Shots:
NMML: The Nehru Memorial Museum & Library is a museum and library in New Delhi, India, which aims to preserve and reconstruct the history of the Indian independence movement.
- Director: Shakti Sinha
SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS
Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon wins Indonesia Masters title 2020
- Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon wins Indonesia Badminton Masters 2020 women’s singles title in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- She defeats Carolina Marin (Spain) 21-19, 11-21, 21-18 in the final clash.
- The win was her second title in the Indonesian tournament.
Vinesh Phogat triumph gold at Rome Ranking Series
- Vinesh Phogat won her first gold medal of the 2020 season at the Rome Ranking Series in Rome. She defeated Ecuador’s Luisa Elizabeth Melendres 4-0 in the final (53 kg) category.
- A teen sensation Anshu Malik settled for a silver in 57kg competition.
- She lost to Nigeria’s Odunayo Adekuoroye for the score 10-0.
AWARDS
‘Castle of Dreams’ gets Best Film Award at DIFF
- The Iranian film ‘Castle of Dreams’ directed by Reza Mirakarimi won the Best Film Award in Asian Competition section of the 18th Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF).
- The film also won the Best Director Award.
- Indian film ‘Finally Love’ directed by Anjan Dutt bagged Best Audience Award in Cinema of the World Category.
- Sri Lankan director Prasanna Vithanage’s film ‘Children of the Sun’ won Special Jury Award.
- The theme of this year’s festival was ‘better film, better audience, and better society.’
SAG Awards 2020 winners list
- The winners of the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards were awarded at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, the US on 19 January.
- The award honours the biggest achievements in TV and film for the year 2019.
| TELEVISION AWARDS: | |
| CATEGORY | AWARD WINNER |
| Television Movie/Miniseries (Male) | Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon |
| Television Movie/Miniseries (Female) | Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon |
| Drama Series (Male) | Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones |
| Drama Series (Female) | Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show |
| Comedy Series (Male) | Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel |
| Comedy Series (Female) | Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag |
| Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Crown |
| Ensemble in a Comedy Series | The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel |
| Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series | Game of Thrones |
| Motion Picture Awards: | |
| Leading Role (Male) | Joaquin Phoenix, Joker |
| Leading Role (Female) | Renée Zellweger, Judy |
| Supporting Role(Male) | Brad Pitt, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood |
| Supporting Role (Female) | Laura Dern, Marriage Story |
| Cast in a Motion Picture | Parasite |
| Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture | Avengers: Endgame |
DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
India successfully test-fires K-4 Ballistic Missile from Andhra Pradesh Coast
- India has successfully test-fired nuclear-capable K-4 ballistic missile at Vizag coast in Andhra Pradesh.
- The missile was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- This 3,500-kilometre range nuclear-capable missile can be launched from a submarine.
- The submarine-launched ballistic missile is the most important part of the air, land and sea nuclear triad and is at the front of India’s second-strike capability.
- Only the US, Russia and China have submarine-launched ballistic missiles of 3,500-kilometre range.
Extra Shots:
DRDO: The Defence Research and Development Organisation is an agency of the Government of India, charged with the military’s research and development, headquartered in New Delhi, India.
- Headquarters location: New Delhi
- Founded: 1958
- Motto: बलस्य मूलं विज्ञानम्; “Strength’s Origin is in Science” (Sanskrit)
- Minister responsible: Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence
- Subsidiary: Gas Turbine Research Establishment
BOOKS & AUTHORS
The Bloomsbury Anthology of Great Indian Poems to be released
- The Bloomsbury Anthology of Great Indian Poems edited by Abhay K. is to be launched on 23 January 2020.
- It will be launched on the opening day of the Jaipur Literature Festival 2020.
Bloomsbury Anthology of Great Indian Poems:
♦ The anthology covers over 3000 years of Indian poetry which were written in 28 Indian languages.
♦ Earlier, Abhay K. has edited 100 Great Indian Poems. It has been translated and published into Portuguese, Spanish and Italian and it is to be published in Nepali, French, Irish, Russian, and Malagasy.
