Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Current Affairs Today 9th 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 – 9th January 2020
NEWS AT A GLANCE
- The State Bank of India has announced ‘residential builder finance with buyer guarantee’ (RBBG) scheme.
- The Union Government has authorized the amount of Rs 5559 crore for 1656 Km long Indradhanush Natural Gas Pipeline Grid project.
- A panel, set up by Union Minister Piyush Goyal approved to 150 private trains on 100 routes. Railway Board chairman VK Yadav flagged off private trains in the Centre’s 100 days’ agenda.
- The government has set a fresh deadline for the completion of the world’s highest railway bridge that connects Kashmir to the rest of India by December 2021.
- Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will inaugurate “Advantage Maharashtra expo 2020” in Aurangabad.
- The famous chariot festival of the Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple, the southern most major temple in Tamilnadu, is being held today with great camaraderie and devotion.
- The Iranian parliament has designated US Armed Forces & Pentagon as ‘Terrorist Entities’ with a motion passed at an open parliament session.
- The 5th edition of the Asia Pacific Drosophila Research Conference (APDRC5) held in Pune, Maharashtra.
- Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will inaugurate Advantage Maharashtra expo 2020 in Aurangabad today.
- Deutsche Bank has projected that Indian economy will reach $7 trillion by 2030
- India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been listed as the 5th biggest Geo-political Risk of 2020.
- A Sakthivel has been appointed as the new chairman of Apparel Export Promotion Council of India (AEPC) for the period 2020-21.
- Indian women weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur has been banned for 4 years from the sport by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA).
- Jasbinder Bilan has won the UK based Costa Children’s Award 2019 .
- Indian wrestler Harshvardhan Sadgir won the Maharashtra Kesari title in the 63rd wrestling event at Balewadi near Pune on 7 January 2020.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
16th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas: 9 January
- Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January every year.
- This year the 16th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is celebrated across the country.
- The day is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India.
- It also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on 9 January 1915.
- The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conventions established in 2003.
- The celebratory event is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs every year.
BANKING AND FINANCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
State Bank of India has announces RBBG scheme
- The State Bank of India has announced ‘residential builder finance with buyer guarantee’ (RBBG) scheme.
- The aim of the scheme is to giving a push to residential sales and improve homebuyers’ confidence.
- The SBI will issue a guarantee for 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 this scheme, the guarantee would be given by the bank until the project gets the occupation certificate (OC).
Extra Shots:
SBI: The State Bank of India is an Indian multinational, public sector banking and financial services statutory body. It is a government corporation statutory body headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. SBI is ranked as 236th in the Fortune Global 500 list of the world’s biggest corporations of 2019.
- Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar
- Headquarters: Mumbai
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Government authorizes Rs 5559 cr for Indradhanush gas grid project
- The Union Government has authorized the amount of Rs 5559 crore for 1656 Km long Indradhanush Natural Gas Pipeline Grid project.
- The amount will be provided as Viability Gap Funding (VGF).
- The amount will be used to set up Natural Gas Pipeline Grid connecting 8 North Eastern states.
- The 8 North Eastern states includes: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.
- The total expenditure of the project is estimated as Rs 9,256 crore and the above sanctioned amount is expected to cover 60% of the project.
- The Indradhanush Gas Grid project is expected to provide natural gas to different types of customers and will also reduce the dependence on liquid fuels.
Panel approved 150 private trains on 100 routes
- A panel, set up by Union Minister Piyush Goyal approved to 150 private trains on 100 routes. Railway Board chairman VK Yadav flagged off private trains in the Centre’s 100 days’ agenda.
- The route includes Mumbai-Delhi and Howrah- Delhi sectors, which will compete with Rajdhani.
- Also, as an experiment two Tejas trains have been handed over for running by Railways-controlled IRCTC on the Delhi-Lucknow and Mumbai-Ahmedabad routes with the private sector.
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
World’s highest railway bridge to be built by 2021 December
- The government has set a fresh deadline for the completion of the world’s highest railway bridge that connects Kashmir to the rest of India by December 2021.
- It is the most challenging project in the post-independent history of the Indian Railways.
- The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project is important in order to provide an alternative and reliable transportation system to Jammu and Kashmir.
- It will connect Kashmir Valley to the Indian Railways.
- This project will provide seamless and hassle-free connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir.
Extra Shots:
Highest railway bridge:
♦ The major rail project was declared a national project in 2002.
♦ The highest railway line is expected to be 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower.
♦ The 1.315-km-long rail line is being constructed in hostile terrain.
♦ It used over 5,462 tonnes of steel
♦ It is located 359 metres above the river bed
♦ It has been designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 260 km per hour (kmph)
♦ It will connect Bakkal, Katra and Kauri, Srinagar.
♦ It forms a crucial link in the 111-km stretch between Katra and Banihal
♦ After completion, it will surpass the record of the Beipan river Shuibai railway bridge, which is 275 m long, in China.
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Maharashtra CM to inaugrates “Advantage Maharashtra expo 2020”
- Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will inaugurate “Advantage Maharashtra expo 2020” in Aurangabad.
- The Exhibition has been organised by the Marathwada Association of Small Scale Industries and Agriculture (MASSIA).
- This Exhibition showcase the growth of Marathwada industries in technology and innovation and the products produced and exported from the region will be showcased in this exhibition.
- This exhibition will provide an opportunity for businesses and will serve the platform for small entrepreneurs.
Extra Shots:
Maharashtra:
- Capital: Mumbai
- Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray
- Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
- State Formed in: 1 May 1960
- Litracy Rate: 82.34%
- National Parks: Chandoli National Park, Nawegaon National Park, Gugamal National Park, Pench National Park, Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) National Park, Tadoba National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries: Amba Barwa WLS, Bor WLS, Great Indian Bustard WLS,
- Lonar WLS, Melghat WLS, Gangewadi New Great Indian Bustard WLS, etc.
Tamil Nadu: Famous chariot festival of Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple being held today
- The famous chariot festival of the Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple, the southern most major temple in Tamilnadu, is being held today with great camaraderie and devotion.
- Thousands have congregated in the sprawling temple premises to join in the pulling of the chariot.
- The ten-day annual festival is held in the Tamil month falling in December – January.
- The temple is especially significant because it is sacred to both the Shaivite as well as Vashnavite sects.
Extra Shots:
USA (Capital/Currency): Washington, D.C./ United States Dollar
- President: Donald Trump
- Official languages: English
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
US Armed Forces & Pentagon designated as ‘terrorist entities’ by IRAN
- The Iranian parliament has designated US Armed Forces & Pentagon as ‘Terrorist Entities’ with a motion passed at an open parliament session.
- It also seeks the allocation of 200 Million Euros to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force.
- The allocation to the IRGC Quds Force could be used avenge the assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, Iraq’s Popular Forces Commander Abu Mahdi al-Modandis and eight other military men.
Extra Shots:
USA (Capital/Currency): Washington, D.C./ United States Dollar
- President: Donald Trump
- Official languages: English
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES
India hosts 5th Asia Pacific drosophila research conference in Pune
- The 5th edition of the Asia Pacific Drosophila Research Conference (APDRC5) held in Pune, Maharashtra.
- The conference is being conducted in India for the 1st time.
- It is organised by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER).
- The aims of the conference are to promote the interaction of Drosophila researchers in the Asia-Pacific region with their peers in the rest of the world.
- It will bring together scientists from all over the world who use the fruit fly, Drosophila, as a model organism to address basic and applied questions.
Extra Shots:
Maharashtra:
- Capital: Mumbai
- Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray
- Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
- State Formed in: 1 May 1960
- Litracy Rate: 82.34%
- National Parks: Chandoli National Park, Nawegaon National Park, Gugamal National Park, Pench National Park, Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) National Park, Tadoba National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries: Amba Barwa WLS, Bor WLS, Great Indian Bustard WLS,
- Lonar WLS, Melghat WLS, Gangewadi New Great Indian Bustard WLS, etc.
‘Advantage Maharashtra expo 2020’ to be inaugurated today
- Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will inaugurate Advantage Maharashtra expo 2020 in Aurangabad today.
- The four-day mega industrial exhibition has been organised 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.
Extra Shots:
Maharashtra:
- Capital: Mumbai
- Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray
- Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
- State Formed in: 1 May 1960
- Litracy Rate: 82.34%
- National Parks: Chandoli National Park, Nawegaon National Park, Gugamal National Park, Pench National Park, Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) National Park, Tadoba National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries: Amba Barwa WLS, Bor WLS, Great Indian Bustard WLS,
- Lonar WLS, Melghat WLS, Gangewadi New Great Indian Bustard WLS, etc.
RANKS AND INDICES
Deutsche Bank projects India’s economy to reach $7 trillion by 2030
- Deutsche Bank has projected that Indian economy will reach $7 trillion by 2030.
- The estimation was stated by Deutsche Bank in its research report “Imagine 2030”.
- According to the report, India will grow with the Nominal GDP growth rate of just over 10% in the next decade. Indian economy is presently valued at $3 trillion.
Extra Shots:
Deutsche Bank AG is a German multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. The bank is operational in 58 countries with a large presence in Europe, the Americas and Asia. As of April 2018, Deutsche Bank is the 17th largest bank in the world by total assets.
- CEO: Christian Sewing
- Headquarters: Frankfurt, Germany
India listed as 5th biggest Geo-political Risk of 2020
- India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been listed as the 5th biggest Geo-political Risk of 2020.
- The listing was done by Eurasia Group in its report. The report states ‘Top 10 Risks’ of the year 2020.
The Top 10 Risks of 2020 are as followed:
- RIGGED!: WHO GOVERNS THE US?
- THE GREAT DECOUPLING
- US/CHINA
- MNCS NOT TO THE RESCUE
- INDIA GETS MODI-FIED
- GEOPOLITICAL EUROPE
- POLITICS VS. ECONOMICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
- SHIA CRESCENDO
- DISCONTENT IN LATIN AMERICA
- TURKEY
APPOINTMENT
A Sakthivel appointed as the new chairman of AEPC India
- A Sakthivel has been appointed as the new chairman of Apparel Export Promotion Council of India (AEPC) for the period 2020-21.
- 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.
SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS
Women weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur banned for 4 years by NADA
- Indian women weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur has been banned for 4 years from the sport by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA).
- This ban was imposed on her for involving in doping violation.
- The sample of Sarbjeet was collected during 34th Women Senior National Weightlifting Championship held at Vishakhapatnam.
- The Agency found him guilty of anti-doping rule violation.
Extra Shots:
NADA: The National Anti-Doping Agency is the national organisation responsible for promoting, coordinating, and monitoring the doping control program in sports in all its forms in India.
- Founded: 24 November 2005
- CEO: Navin Agarwal
- Chairman: Minister of Sports (India)
- Purpose: Anti-doping in sports
- Motto: Play fair
- Headquarters: New Delhi, India
AWARDS
Jasbinder Bilan wins 2019 Costa Children’s Award
- Jasbinder Bilan has won the UK based Costa Children’s Award 2019 .
- She has won the award for her debut novel ‘Asha and the Spirit Bird’.
- She will receive 5,000 pounds as prize money associated with the award. Jasbinder’s novel “Asha and the Spirit Bird” was shortlisted from 144 other entries.
- The Costa Children’s Award is awarded annually in 5 categories: First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book.
Harshvardhan Sadgir won the 2020 Maharashtra Kesari title
- Indian wrestler Harshvardhan Sadgir won the Maharashtra Kesari title in the 63rd wrestling event at Balewadi near Pune on 7 January 2020.
- He defeated his opponent Shailesh Shelek of Latur to claim the title.
Extra Shots:
63rd wrestling event:
- Maharashtra Kesari wrestling competition is organized by Maharashtra State Wrestling Association. The first edition of the event was held in 1961.
- The 63rd edition of Maharashtra Kesari Kusti 2020 began on 3 January 2020 at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Balewadi, Mahalunge in Pune, Maharashtra.
- It was held from 3-7 January.
- Around 900 wrestlers participated in the event across 10 different weight groups.
- The weight categories at the Maharashtra Kesari are 57 Kg, 61 Kg, 65 Kg, 70 Kg, 74 Kg, 79 Kg, 86 Kg, 92 Kg, 97 Kg and one Maharashtra Kesari (86 to 125kg).
