Current Affairs Today 28th January 2020-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 28th January 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

• Lala Lajpat Rai Birth Anniversary celebrated on 28th January
• The Union Government planned to install 175 Giga Watt renewable energy by 2022 to build a healthy planet with a less carbon-intensive economy.
• The central government will release a report card of 100 selected smart cities based on the categories such as ease of living, public performance index, and climate in June as the Smart Cities Mission completes its five years.
• Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal planned to switch Indian Railways entirely to electricity by 2024 as diesel locomotives are steadily being shunted out of service.
• Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation will start soon its East-West project which runs partly under the city’s iconic Hooghly river, by March 2022 after a delay of several years doubled costs.
• Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurates India’s 1st Super Fab Lab in Kochi, Kerala.
• Assam tableau won first prize at 71st Republic Day parade
• West Bengal became the fourth state to pass an assembly resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
• The Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd (APGCL) has announced that it is to set up a waste-to-energy plant in Assam.
• China has announced that it is to launch its Mars probe in July 2020. The spacecraft will be launched onboard the Long March-5 Y4 carrier rocket.
• Agni Sapkota was elected as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the lower house of Parliament in Nepal.
• Nepal offered to play the role of a mediator between India and Pakistan to resolve any problem.
• Qatar appointed a new Prime Minister replacing Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani.
• Britain has unveiled a new 50 pence coin minted to mark Brexit (British exit).
• The 22nd meeting of the Central Zonal Council is progressing at Raipur, the state capital of Chhattisgarh.
• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Swedish research institute, reported that China ranked second as the world’s second-largest weapons manufacturer, behind the US.
• Prime Minister of Slovenian Marjan Sarec announced his resignation and called for new elections as the country’s coalition struggles with political deadlock.
• Taranjit Singh Sandhu takes charge as the new Indian Ambassador to the United States.
• Government appointed L V Prabhakar as managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Canara Bank.
• Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) is set to deliver anti-submarine warfare stealth corvette INS Kavaratti to the Indian Navy.
• Dr N Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, has been conferred ‘Harit Ratna Award 2019’.
• Eminent Assamese linguist and academician Golok Chandra Goswami passed away.

NEWS IN DETAILS

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

Lala Lajpat Rai Birth Anniversary celebrated on 28^th January

• Lala Lajpat Rai – 28 January 1865 to 17 November 1928.
• The nationalism and zealous patriotism earned him the title Punjab Kesari and Lion of Punjab part of the famous radical trio Lal Bal Pal who advocated the Swadeshi movement in India involving the boycott of all imported goods and the use of Indian made goods.
• Rai initiated the foundation of Punjab National Bank.
• In 1897, he founded the Hindu Orphan Relief Movement to keep the Christian missions from securing custody of these children.

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Union Government targets to install 175 Giga Watt renewable energy by 2022

• The Union Government planned to install 175 Giga Watt renewable energy by 2022 to build a healthy planet with a less carbon-intensive economy.
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan

Extra Shots:

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan,

PM-KUSUM scheme government, empowers the farmers to be the producer of energy. The PM-KUSUM scheme covers grid-connected renewable energy power plants, stand-alone solar-powered agricultural pumps, and solarization of existing grid-connected agriculture pumps.

Central Government to release report card of smart cities in June

• The central government will release a report card of 100 selected smart cities based on the categories such as ease of living, public performance index, and climate in June as the Smart Cities Mission completes its five years.
• The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry will help cities in better planning and moving towards data-driven governance that will eventually improve their liveability.

Indian Railways to run 100 percent on electricity by 2024

• Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal planned to switch Indian Railways entirely to electricity by 2024 as diesel locomotives are steadily being shunted out of service.
• The Indian railway to run on 100 percent electricity.
• It will be the first railway network in the world to be run on 100 percent electricity.
• India is planning to make the entire Indian railways a net-zero emission networks by 2030.
• India would love to work together with Brazil on infrastructure development.

Extra Shots:

Indian Railways is India’s national railway system operated by the Ministry of Railways. It manages the fourth largest railway network in the world by size, with a route length of 67,368-kilometre and total track length of 121,407-kilometre as of March 2017.

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founded: 16 April 1853, India

India first underwater metro project to start soon in Kolkata

• Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation will start soon its East-West project which runs partly under the city’s iconic Hooghly river, by March 2022 after a delay of several years doubled costs.
• The final installment of 200 million rupees – $2.8 million over the next two years from the Indian Railway Board.
• A loan amount of 41.6 billion rupees from the Japan International Cooperation Agency helps fund 48.5% of the project.

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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

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Kerala CM inaugurates India’s 1st Super Fab Lab

• Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurates India’s 1st Super Fab Lab in Kochi, Kerala.
• The Super Fab Lab is being installed in collaboration with KSUM (Kerala Startup Mission).
• The laboratory will break down barriers between the physical world and the digital world.
• A Fab Lab is a laboratory that offers digital fabrication.
• It is colloquially defined as, “How to make almost anything”.
• It is an array of computers that covers almost all materials.
• It is used in businesses to develop prototypes and also in education.
• It includes CNC cutting, plasma metal cutting, laser cutting, electronics and microprocessors and 3D printing and scanning.

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Kerala:

• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
• Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
• Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan
• Festivals: Onam, Vishu, Thrissur Pooram, Nehru Trophy Boat Race
• National Parks: Anamudi Shola National Park, Eravikulam National Park, Mathikettan Shola National Park, Pambadum Shola National Park, Periyar National Park,Silent Valley National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Aralam WLS, Chimmony WLS, Idukki WLS, Periyar WLS, Wayanad WLS, Peppara WLS, Neyyar WLS, Kurinjimala WLS, Malabar WLS etc

Assam tableau won first prize at 71st Republic Day parade

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh gave away Best Tableaux awards for Republic Day Parade 2020.
• The event took place in New Delhi.

Assam’s Tableau

• Assam’s tableau, which portrayed the unique craftsmanship and culture of the state chosen as the best tableau, followed by Odisha and Uttar Pradesh tied for the second position. The Assam tableau showcased various dance forms of the country, especially the Bhortal dance of Assam.
• Odisha’s tableau depicted Lord Lingaraja’s Rukuna Rath Yatra, whereas the tableau of Uttar Pradesh showcased the state’s cultural and religious heritage.
• The tableaux of National Disaster Relief Force and Jal Shakti Mission were chosen as the best among the Ministries and Departments.
• The Central Public Works Department got the Special Prize for their tableau, which based on the theme – Kashmir se Kanyakumari.

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Assam:

• Capital: Dispur
• Chief Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal
• Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
• National Park: Dibru-Saikhowa NP, Kaziranga NP, Manas NP, Nameri NP, Rajiv Gandhi Orang NP

West Bengal becomes fourth state to pass resolution on CAA in house

• West Bengal became the fourth state to pass an assembly resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
• The National Population Register (NPR) and the proposed pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the CAA are related.
• The Kerala and Congress-ruled Punjab passed similar resolutions on December 31 and January 17.

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

APGCL to set up a waste-to-energy plant in Assam

• The Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd (APGCL) has announced that it is to set up a waste-to-energy plant in Assam.
• The facility will be established near the proposed integrated solid waste management facility (ISWMF) of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) on the campus of the old Chandrapur Thermal Power Plant.

Extra Shots:

Assam:

• Capital: Dispur
• Chief Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal
• Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
• National Park: Dibru-Saikhowa NP, Kaziranga NP, Manas NP, Nameri NP, Rajiv Gandhi Orang NP

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

China to launch its Mars probe in 2020 July

• China has announced that it is to launch its Mars probe in July 2020.
• The spacecraft will be launched onboard the Long March-5 Y4 carrier rocket.
• The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), China’s space agency, will send a probe to orbit and land and deploy a rover on Mars.
• It also states that the Long March-5 Y4 rocket has completed its 100-second test, which was the last engine test before the final assembly.
• It was tested for its high thrust hydrogen-oxygen engine.

Extra Shots:

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation: CASC is the main agency for the Chinese space program. CASC indigenously designs, develops and manufactures launch vehicles, spacecraft, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground equipment.

• Founded on: 1 July 1999
• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Chairman: LEI Fanpei

China (Capital/Currency): Beijing/Renminbi

• President: Xi Jinping

Agni Sapkota elected speaker of House of Representatives of Nepal

• Agni Sapkota was elected as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the lower house of Parliament in Nepal.
• Being the senior-most candidate of the house, Sapkota was elected unopposed.
• His name was proposed by Subhash Chandra Nembang of the Nepal Communist Party.

Extra Shots:

Nepal (Capital/Currency): Kathmandu/ Nepalese rupee

• President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari
• Vice President: Nanda Kishor Pun
• Prime Minister: Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli

Nepal offers to be a mediator between India and Pakistan to resolve the issues

• Nepal offered to play the role of a mediator between India and Pakistan to resolve any problem. The country said that it is important for the two countries to have a dialogue to resolve their issues.
• Nepal also stated that if necessary, it plays the role of a mediator too.
• Nepal’s initiation to resolve issues between India and Pakistan comes as India has been distancing itself from the SAARC in the last three years.

REASON:

Nepal’s concern-SAARC summit:

The move by Nepal comes due to the uncertainty prevailing over the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit. The last SAARC Summit in 2014 was held in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 2016 SAARC summit was scheduled to be held in Islamabad. But after the terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri in J&K on 18 September 2016, India did not participate in the summit. The 2016 summit was called off as Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate in the Islamabad meet.

Extra Shots:

Nepal (Capital/Currency): Kathmandu/ Nepalese rupee

• President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari
• Vice President: Nanda Kishor Pun
• Prime Minister: Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli

Qatar names Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdelaziz Al Thani new Prime Minister

• Qatar appointed a new Prime Minister replacing Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani.
• The Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdelaziz Al Thani named as the new Prime Minister.
• Prime Minister has submitted his resignation.
• The state-run Qatar News Agency reported that no reason for the change had specified.

Extra Shots:

Qatar (Capital/Currency): Doha/ Qatari riyal

• Prime Minister: Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani

Britain unveils 50 pence coin minted to celebrate Brexit

• Britain has unveiled a new 50 pence coin minted to mark Brexit (British exit).
• Brexit is the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU).
• Britain will leave the EU at 2300 GMT on January 31st.
• The coin bears the inscription “Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations”.
• Finance Minister of Britain Sajid Javid, who is also Master of the Mint, was presented with the first batch of coins.

Extra Shots:

United Kingdom (Capital/Currency): London/ Pound sterling

• Prime minister: Boris Johnson.

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

Amit Shah chairs 22nd meeting of Central Zonal Council in Chhattisgarh

• The 22nd meeting of the Central Zonal Council is progressing at Raipur, the state capital of
• The Central Zonal Council comprises of four states.
• The issues related to security, law, and order, infrastructure-related matters like roads, transport, water, industries, and power along with various issues between the center and member states and inter-state disputes are discussed.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah will also address BJP leaders and intellectuals in a program to be held at state BJP headquarter in Raipur.

Extra Shots:

Chhatishgarh:

• Capital: Raipur
• Chief Minister: Bhupesh Baghel
• Governor: Anusuiya Uikey
• Literacy Rate: 60.21%
• National Park: Indravati (Kutru) National Park, Kanger Valley National Park, Guru Ghasi Das (Sanjay) National Park

RANKS AND INDICES

China ranked second as the world’s second-largest weapons manufacturer

• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Swedish research institute, reported that China ranked second as the world’s second-largest weapons manufacturer, behind the US.
• China ranked ahead of Russia, from whom the country used to buy many weapons.

Extra Shots:

China (Capital/Currency): Beijing/Renminbi

• President: Xi Jinping

Russia (Capital/Currency): Moscow/Ruble

• Prime Minister: Dmitry Medvedev
• President: Vladimir Putin

SIPRI: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute is an international institute based in Sweden, dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.

• Headquarters location: Stockholm, Sweden
• Founder: Government of Sweden
• Founded: 6 May 1966

APPOINTMENT

Prime Minister of Slovenian Marjan Sarec resigns

• Prime Minister of Slovenian Marjan Sarec announced his resignation and called for new elections as the country’s coalition struggles with political deadlock.
• He is Slovenia’s youngest-ever Prime Minister.
• He began his career as a comedian and satirist before entering politics.

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Slovenia (Capital/Currency): Ljubljana/Euro.

• President of Slovenia: Borut Pahor

Taranjit Singh Sandhu appoints as India’s next Ambassador to USA

• Taranjit Singh Sandhu takes charge as the new Indian Ambassador to the United States.
• He will succeed Ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the new Foreign Secretary-designate, who recently left for New Delhi to take charge.
• Sandhu is the current High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka since January 24, 2017.
• He has previously served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy of India in Washington DC from 2013 to 2017.

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USA (Capital/Currency): Washington, D.C./ United States Dollar

• President: Donald Trump

Centre appointed L V Prabhakar as MD and CEO of Canara Bank

• Government appointed L V Prabhakar as managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Canara Bank.
• The appointment will be effective from 1 February 2020.
• He will hold the position till he attains the age of superannuation on 31 December 2022 or until further orders.
• L V Prabhakar is currently serving as the executive director (ED) at Punjab National Bank (PNB).
• He joined PNB in 2018. He has served in Allahabad Bank in various capacities.

Extra Shots:

Canara Bank:

• Established on: 1906 (as Canara Bank Hindu Permanent Fund)
• Established by: Ammembal Subba Rao Pai
• Headquarters: Karnataka, India
• Chairman: T. N. Manoharan
• MD & CEO: Lingam Venkat Prabhakar

DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS

GRSE to deliver INS Kavaratti to Indian Navy Soon

• Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) is set to deliver anti-submarine warfare stealth corvette INS Kavaratti to the Indian Navy.
• INS Kavaratti is 104th warship constructed by GRSE.
• The trails had been completed successfully and delivered by the end of January 2020.
• INS Kavaratti can be used during nuclear, chemical and biological warfare conditions and its weapons and sensors suite is predominantly indigenous.

Extra Shots:

GRSE: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd, abbreviated as GRSE, is one of India’s leading shipyards, located in Kolkata, West Bengal. It builds and repairs commercial and naval vessels. Presently GRSE has also started building export ships in a mission to expand its business.

• Headquarters: India
• Founded: 1884
• Chairman & CEO: Rear Admiral VK Saxena

AWARDS

Dr. N Kumar honoured with Harit Ratna Award 2019

• Dr N Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, has been conferred ‘Harit Ratna Award 2019’.
• This award is organised by the All India Agricultural Students Association.
• He was awarded for the dissemination of Rs 30-crore entrepreneurship project in agri-business and also for motivating students towards the agriculture sector in Tamil Nadu.
• The award was conferred at the 5th National Youth Convention at Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya in Raipur recently.

Extra Shots:

Tamilnadu

• Capital: Chennai
• Chief Minister: Edappadi K.Palanisamy
• Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
• Chief Justice of Madras High Court: Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani
• National Park: Guindy NP,Gulf of Mannar Marine NP, Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) NP,     Mudumalai NP, Mukurthi NP.

OBITUARIES

Assamese linguist Golok Chandra Goswami passes away

• Eminent Assamese linguist and academician Golok Chandra Goswami passed away.
• His well-known books are ‘Structure of Assamese’, ‘Assamese: Its Formation and Development’, ‘Dhvani Bigyanor Bhumika’, ‘Asomiya Bornoprakash’ and ‘Asomiya Akhor Jotoni’.
• He was honoured with the Asam Sahitya Sabha’s ‘Sahityacharya’ title, ‘Bhashacharya’ title by Asom Bhasha Bikash Samiti and ‘Anundoram Borooah Award’ by the Anundoram Barooah Institute of Language, Art and Culture.

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