CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR PSC EXAM.


01. भारत और पाकिस्तान रेल सेवा


भारत और पाकिस्तान के पास वर्तमान में केवल दो सीमा-पार ट्रेनें हैं। वो हैं

समझौता एक्सप्रेस: ​​दिल्ली-लाहौर मार्ग पर अटारी-वाघा बॉर्डर क्रॉसिंग के माध्यम से चलती है। यह यात्रियों और माल ढुलाई दोनों को वहन करता है।

थार एक्सप्रेस: ​​यह मुनबाओ-खोखरापार सीमा पार करके जोधपुर (भारत) और कराची (पाकिस्तान) को जोड़ती है। यह केवल यात्रियों को ले जाता है।

02. केंद्र सरकार ने 5 राज्यों में ग्रामीण कनेक्टिविटी में सुधार के लिए एशियाई विकास बैंक (ADB) के साथ $ 250 मिलियन ऋण समझौते पर हस्ताक्षर किए हैं। प्रधानमंत्री ग्राम सड़क योजना (पीएमजीएसवाई) के तहत असम, छत्तीसगढ़, मध्य प्रदेश, ओडिशा और पश्चिम बंगाल। ऋण आय का उपयोग पीएमजीएस के तहत इन 5 राज्यों में 6,254 किलोमीटर की सभी मौसम वाली ग्रामीण सड़कों के निर्माण के वित्तपोषण के लिए किया जाएगा)।

03. प्रधानमंत्री ग्राम सड़क योजना (PMGSY)

पीएमजीएसवाई को वर्ष 2000 में केंद्र प्रायोजित योजना के रूप में शुरू किया गया था, जिसका उद्देश्य सभी पात्र ग्रामीण गांवों (बस्तियों) को एकल मौसम संबंधी संपर्क मार्ग उपलब्ध कराना था। केंद्रीय ग्रामीण विकास मंत्रालय नोडल कार्यान्वयन प्राधिकरण है। यह पूरी तरह से केंद्र सरकार द्वारा वित्त पोषित योजना है।

04. हिमाचल प्रदेश सरकार ने जैविक खेती को बढ़ावा देने के लिए जीरो बजट प्राकृतिक खेती (ZBNF) परियोजना शुरू की है। इसका शुभारंभ मुख्यमंत्री जय राम ठाकुर ने किया था। इस परियोजना का उद्देश्य वर्ष 2022 तक कृषि उपज और किसानों की आय में वृद्धि करना है।

शून्य बजट प्राकृतिक खेती (ZBNF)
ZBNF प्राकृतिक खेती के तरीकों से बना है जहां पौधों को उगाने और कटाई करने की लागत शून्य है। यह एक खेती का अभ्यास है जो बिना किसी उर्वरक और कीटनाशकों या किसी अन्य अग्रणी तत्वों को जोड़े बिना फसलों की प्राकृतिक वृद्धि में विश्वास करता है। यह जैविक खेती से अलग है।

05. भारत-वियतनाम द्विपक्षीय सेना अभ्यास (VINBAX-2018) मध्य प्रदेश के जबलपुर में आयोजित किया गया था। यह दोनों देशों के बीच पहला सैन्य अभ्यास है। छह दिवसीय सैन्य अभ्यास (29 जनवरी से 3 फरवरी, 2018 तक) भारतीय सेना द्वारा अनुकूल विदेशी देशों के साथ संयुक्त प्रशिक्षण के भाग के रूप में आयोजित किया गया था।

06. Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).

भारतीय साइबर अपराध समन्वय केंद्र (I4C)

यह नई दिल्ली स्थित साइबर अपराधों से निपटने के लिए सर्वोच्च समन्वय केंद्र होगा। यह राज्य सरकारों / केंद्रशासित प्रदेशों के साथ समन्वय करेगा और साइबरस्पेस और सोशल मीडिया पर बारीकी से वर्नाक्यूलर कंटेंट पर जोर देगा। यह उन वेबसाइटों को भी ब्लॉक कर देगा, जो भारतीय कानूनों की धज्जियां उड़ाती हैं और बाल पोर्नोग्राफी और सांप्रदायिक और नस्लीय रूप से संवेदनशील सामग्री को प्रसारित करती हैं।

यह साइबर अपराधों के मामलों में जांच के दौरान उत्पन्न संदिग्धों और लीडों की सूची को बनाए रखेगा और आंतरिक नेटवर्क के माध्यम से कानून प्रवर्तन एजेंसियों के साथ साझा किया जाएगा। इस ढांचे के तहत, राज्य सरकारें मुख्यालय स्तर पर राज्य साइबर क्राइम समन्वय सेल स्थापित करेंगी और जिला साइबर अपराध सेल भी स्थापित करेंगी।

07. उत्कृष्ट सांसद का पुरस्कार

उत्कृष्ट सांसद पुरस्कार की स्थापना 1992 में शिवराज पाटिल द्वारा की गई थी जो उस समय लोकसभा अध्यक्ष थे। भारतीय संसदीय समूह संसद में उनके समग्र योगदान पर विचार करने के बाद संसद के एक उत्कृष्ट सदस्य का चयन करता है।

08. नेशनल एरोनॉटिक्स एंड स्पेस एडमिनिस्ट्रेशन (NASA) अंतरिक्ष यान में गैस टरबाइन इंजन के लिए इस्तेमाल होने वाली नई भारत निर्मित थर्मल स्प्रे कोटिंग तकनीक में रुचि रखता है।

इसे जोधपुर स्थित मेटलाइजिंग इक्विपमेंट कंपनी (MEC) के साथ काम करने वाले राजस्थान के शोधकर्ता डॉ। सतीश टेलर द्वारा विकसित किया गया है।

09. इलेक्ट्रॉनिक्स और सूचना प्रौद्योगिकी मंत्रालय (एमईआईटीवाई) ने Stree Swabhiman Initiative शुरू की है। इसका उद्देश्य किशोर लड़कियों और महिलाओं को कॉमन सर्विस सेंटर (CSCs) का लाभ उठाकर किफायती सैनिटरी उत्पादों की पहुँच प्रदान करना है।

Stree Swabhiman Initiative

इस पहल के तहत, कॉमन सर्विस सेंटर (CSC) ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में किशोरियों और महिलाओं को सस्ती, विश्वसनीय और आधुनिक (इको-फ्रेंडली) सेनेटरी नैपकिन (मासिक धर्म पैड) की सुविधा प्रदान करेगा। इसका उद्देश्य महिलाओं के मासिक धर्म स्वास्थ्य और स्वच्छता के बारे में जागरूकता में सुधार करना है, इस प्रकार महिलाओं की गरिमा और अधिकारों की रक्षा करना है। इस पहल के तहत, सस्ती और पर्यावरण के अनुकूल सैनिटरी नैपकिन के उत्पादन के लिए सीएससी में अर्ध-स्वचालित और मैनुअल सैनिटरी नैपकिन विनिर्माण इकाइयां स्थापित की जाएंगी। ये सूक्ष्म विनिर्माण इकाइयाँ महिला उद्यमियों द्वारा संचालित की जाएंगी और 8-10 महिलाओं के लिए रोजगार पैदा करेंगी।

10. रोटावैक: डब्ल्यूएचओ टेस्ट पास करने वाला पहला भारत-निर्मित वैक्सीन.


रोटावायरस


यह भारत में 11 महीने से कम उम्र के शिशुओं में मध्यम से गंभीर दस्त का सबसे आम कारण है। यह बैक्टीरिया और परजीवी एजेंटों के कारण एक व्यक्ति से दूसरे व्यक्ति में फैलता है जो मुख्य रूप से दूषित भोजन या पानी के माध्यम से प्रसारित होते हैं। भारत में, रोटावायरस के कारण होने वाले दस्त, 5 साल से कम उम्र के लगभग 80 हजार बच्चों को मारते हैं और हर साल 10 लाख अस्पताल में भर्ती होते हैं।

current affairs most imp mcq points.

01.______________________ in 1992 provided for
mandatory constitution of Panchayati Raj Institution as third tier of government at local level.

73rd and 74th Amendment Act.

02. Under Article __________ of Indian Constitution State Government by law can lay down the qualification for elections to local bodies.

243 (K) (4).

03.__________ bans the interference of courts in electoral matters. If there is any dispute in the Panchayat Elections, courts have no jurisdiction over them. 

 Article 243 (O).

Notes:-Panchayat Election can be questioned in the form of an election petition presented to an authority which the state legislature can by law prescribe.

04. Haryana Government had passed the Haryana PanchayatiRaj (Amendment) Act, 2015 

requiring minimum qualification for those contesting in panchayat election.

notes:-
States like Assam and Uttarakhand have also brought in legislation to make minimum education criteria for contesting local polls.

05. Any social media platform with more than 50 lakh users or in the list notified by
the government is defined as an 

“intermediary”.

Notes:-  just like Social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter etc. and search engines like Google fall under the definition of intermediary.

06. Information Technology Act 2000 is the primary law in India dealing with cybercrimes and electronic commerce, based on 

United Nations Model Law on Electronic Commerce 1996.

07. India recently ranked 

6th in the global RTI ranking.

Current Affairs Most imp mcq points to remember.

current affairs most imp mcq points.

01. The 42nd Amendment Act was implemented in the 

1976.

02. The Tamil Nadu government constituted the PV Rajamannar Committee to look into the 

Centre-State - relations. 

03. The Sarkaria Commission was set up to look into 

Center-State relations.

Notes:-Over the year committees starting from Rajamannar, Sarkaria and Punchi have recommended the strengthening of Interstate Council where the concurrent list subjects can be debated and discussed, balancing Centre-state powers.

04. The Constitution provides a scheme for demarcation of powers through three ‘lists’ in the seventh schedule. 

Seventh Schedule (Article 246).

01.union list.
02. state list
03.concurrent list.

05.The union list on which Parliament may make laws 

e.g. defense, foreign affairs, railways, banking, among others.

06.The state list 

 e.g. Public order, police, public health and sanitation; hospitals and dispensaries, betting and gambling etc.

07. The concurrent list has subjects in which both Parliament and state legislatures have jurisdiction just like...

-Education including technical education, medical education and universities, population control and family planning, criminal law, prevention of cruelty to animals, protection of wildlife and animals, forests etc. 

08. The Constitution also provides federal supremacy to Parliament on concurrent list items i.e. in case of conflict happens at that time; 

a central law will override state law.

09.Sarkaria Commission Recommendation on Concurrent List is mentions below.

• The residuary powers of taxation should continue to remain with the Parliament, while the other residuary powers should be placed in the Concurrent List.

• The Centre should consult the states before making a law on a subject of the Concurrent List.

• Ordinarily, the Union should occupy only that much field of a concurrent subject on which uniformity of policy and action is essential in the larger interest of the nation, leaving the rest and details for state action.

Current affairs for upcoming exam

01.The Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the 426.60 meter long Pre Stressed Concrete Box Girder type Diffo bridge over Diffo river on Roing – Koronu- Paya road in Arunachal Pradesh.

Diffo bridge will provide for uninterrupted access between the Dibang Valley and Lohit valley region of Eastern Arunachal Pradesh together with providing an all-weather road to our troops deployed on the China border.
The construction of the Bridge was undertaken by the Project Udayak of the Border Roads Organisation.

Know about Project Udayank

Project Udayank of the Border Roads Organisation was raised on June 1990 at Doomdooma Assam. The name of the project Udayank is synonymous to the land of rising sun which fits appropriately to the area it operates. It consists of two border road taskforces undertaking construction activities in the northeastern region.


02. IIT Hyderabad has announced the launch of a full-fledged bachelor’s programme in Artificial Intelligence technology. IIT Hyderabad has become the first institute in the country to launch full-fledged Bachelor’s programme in Artificial Intelligence technology. IIT Hyderabad will be the third institute to globally which is offer the B.Tech course in AI.

Other institutes providing similar courses in Artificial Intelligence are US-based Carnegie Mellon University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology which is known as MIT.

Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the process of making a computer, a computer-controlled robot or a software think intelligently, in a similar manner just like the intelligent humans think.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is designed by studying how human brain thinks, and how humans learn, decide, and work while trying to solve the problem, and then using the outcomes of this study as a basis of developing intelligent software and systems.

03.Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami released two commemorative coins in the denominations of Rs 100 and Rs 5 for mark the 102nd birth anniversary of DR M G Ramachandran. The first sets of coins were received by the Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam at an event organised at Tamil Nadu MGR Medical University.

The commemorative coins bear the portrait of Ramachandran at the centre along the inscription is  ‘DR M G Ramachandran Birth Centenary’ on the lower periphery.

Commemorative coins in India

Commemorative coins are issued to celebrate some special occasion or to mark a special event or as a mark of respect towards some distinguished individuals or the  monument.

The first Commemorative coin in Independent India was issued in the year of 1964 for commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Thereafter many of the Commemorative coins have been issued.

The lower denomination commemorative coins are usually for general circulation and their metal composition is usually in line with the regular coins, whereas the higher denomination commemorative coins usually contain some silver and are meant for the collection purposes only.

DR M G Ramachandran

DR M G Ramachandran popularly known as M. G. R is an actor, filmmaker and politician who served as the Chief Minister of the Tamil Nadu for ten years between 1977 and 1987.


04. The chairmanship of the G77 is based upon on the system of geographical rotation. Egypt was representing the African Group of countries.

Even though Palestine is not the member-state of UN, Palestine has been recognised by 136 UN members and has the status of non-member observer state similar to Holy city of Vatican.

G77 is a coalition of 134 developing nations (including China) at the United Nations. Traditionally G77 speaks with a single voice before the 193-member General Assembly and also at all UN committee meetings and at international conferences.


G77 was formed on 15 June 1964 by the “Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Countries” issued at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

G77 and China

The G77 grouping considers China as the member state. China is providing consistent political support to the G77 and even makes financial contributions. But it doesn’t consider itself as the member of the group. Hence official statements of the G77 are delivered in the name of the Group of 77 and China.

05.Satyarup Siddhanta, 35-year-old Kolkata mountaineer has set the world record of youngest to climb 7 highest volcanoes, 7 highest mountains in 7 continents in the 7 years. 

Satyarup Siddhanta is also the first Indian to conquer the seven mountain peaks and seven volcanic summits.

The Highest Mountains scaled by  Satyarup Siddhanta

Mount Everest (8,848 m) – Nepal

Mt Aconcagua (6,961 m) – Argentina

Mt McKinley/Mt Denali (6,194 m) – USA

Mt Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) – Tanzania

Mt Elbrus (5,642 m) – Russia

Mt Blanc (4,808.7 m) – France

Mt Vinson Massif (4,892 m) – Antarctica

Puncak Jaya/ Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 m) – Indonesia

Mt Kosciuszko (2,228 m) – Australia

Seven volcanic peaks scaled by Satyarup Siddhanta

Ojos del Salado (6,893 m) – Chile

Mt Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) – Tanzania

Mount Elbrus (5,642 m) – Russia

Mount Pico de Orizaba (5,636 m) – Mexico

Mt Damavand (5,610 m) – Iran

Mt Giluwe (4,368 m) – Papua New Guinea

Mt Sidley (4,285 m) – Antarctica

Satyarup Siddhanta who is 35 years and 262 days broke the record of Australia’s Daniel Bull who was 36 years 157 days when he achieved the feet.

Satyarup Siddhanta is a Software engineer by the profession, he hails from Haridevpur in South Kolkata and is based at the Silicon Valley of India, Bengaluru. Reports suggest that had to work different shifts in two companies to raise funds for his mountaineering trips.

06.The Union government has announced the winners for the International Gandhi Peace Prize. The awards were announced for the years of 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 after the gap of four years.

Winners of Gandhi Peace Prize

The government has announced the names of Vivekananda Kendra in Kanyakumari (2015).

The Vivekananda Kendra in Kanyakumari was awarded for its contribution to rural development, education, and development of natural resources.

AkshayaPatra Foundation and Sulabh International  (2016)

The Akshaya Patra Foundation was awarded for its work towards providing midday meals to children across India.

The Sulabh International was awarded for its contribution towards the improvement of sanitation facilities in India and the emancipation of manual scavengers.

EkalAbhiyan Trust (2017) 

The EkalAbhiyan Trust was awarded for its work in the field of education for rural and tribal children, rural empowerment and gender and social equality.

Yohei Sasakawa (2018)

Yohei Sasakawa, chairperson of Nippon Foundation and World Health Organization goodwill ambassador was awarded for his contribution towards eradicating leprosy.

About  the International Gandhi Peace Prize

International Gandhi Peace Prize was constituted by the government of India in 1995 as a tribute to the ideals espoused by Mahatma Gandhiji.

The winners are selected by a jury headed by the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India and two other eminent persons. 

The winners would receive a cash prize of Rs 1 crore, a citation in a scroll, a plaque and a traditional handicraft/handloom item.


12.President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed senior advocates Sanjay Jain and K M Nataraj as Additional Solicitor Generals of India. 

The appointments were made by the President as per the recommendations of the Appointments Committee of the cabinet.

Appointments Committee of the Cabinet

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet is headed by the Prime Minister and the Home Minister is the member of the committee. The Appointments Committee of the cabinet is responsible for making recommendations for the several important positions under the Government of India.

Know about Additional Solicitor General

Additional Solicitor General, ASG is the third important law office of the country in the hierarchy. The post of ASG is neither constitutional nor statutory. The post of ASG is governed by Law Officers (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1987.


07. The Supreme Court Collegium is the panel of judges which have vested with the responsibility of appointments and elevations of Chief Justices and judges of the Supreme Court and high courts of the country.

The Collegium for the appointment of Judges of Supreme Court is headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI)  and comprises of the four other senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. The decisions of the collegium are made by voting and the majority view prevails in case of difference of the opinion.

Know about Constitutional Provisions for the Appointment of Judges

The constitution of India provides for the following provisions which is considered for the appointment of judges:

Article 124(2) of the Indian Constitution provides that the Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President after consultation with such number of the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts in the States as the President may deem necessary for the purpose.

Indian Constitution Article 217 states that the Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of the State, and, in the case of appointment of a Judge other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of the High Court. 

Current affairs for upcoming exam.

01.Indian Space Research Organisation will launch a satellite exclusively for the Union Home Ministry to help it in strengthening its frontiers with Pakistan and Bangladesh among others.


02.Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana which accronym is PMKKKY aimed at the welfare of areas and people affected by mining-related operations, using the funds generated by District Mineral Foundations (DMFs).


03.The government of Tamil Nadu has released Startup and Innovation policy 2018-2023 with a mission of providing an enabling and innovative ecosystem for startups registered in the State and to make for Tamil Nadu a ‘Global Innovation hub for startups’ by 2023.

The core objectives of the Startup and Innovation policy 2018-2023 are:

Creation of at least 5000 technology startups of which at least 10 global high growth startups in social impact sectors.

Infrastructure support to strengthen existing mechanism in areas like the Internet of Things , Artificial Intelligence , Machine Learning  and Software as a Service.

Definition of the Start-up

The policy lists the following criterions to be recognised as the start-up in Tamil Nadu:

Registration under Tamil Nadu Startup and InnovaTN Mission (TANSIM).

Date of incorporation less than 7 years (less than 10 years in case of biotechnology, AI and ML startups).

Registration and turnover less than Rs 25 crore in any of the financial years.

The policy aims for a minimum of 1,00,000 high skilled job creation, direct and indirect, in the Startup Ecosystem.



04.Telecom Regulatory Authority of India - TRAI

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is a statutory body set up by the Government of India under the section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997. 

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is the watchdog of the telecommunications sector in the India.


05.Dayal Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - (DAY)

Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana  aims to uplift the poor people by enhancing sustainable livelihood opportunities by the skill development. 


Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana integrates:

National Urban Livelihoods Mission -NULM :-

It is the urban component of the mission and is being implemented through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation.

National Rural Livelihoods Mission(NRLM):-

It is the rural component of the mission and is being implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development.

Implementation of (DAY-NULM)

The DAY-NULM has taken following initiatives during the tenure of the present government:

34 lakh urban poor women were organised into self-help groups.

Subsidised loans have been given to over 8.5 lakh individuals and Over 8.9 lakh candidates have been skill trained & certified and over 4.6 lakh have been placed.

16 lakh street vendors have been identified through a survey and half of them have been given identity cards to the vendors.

More than 1,000 permanent shelters have been set up, creating space for more than 60,000 urban homeless people.

Current affairs.

1.Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded first ever Philip Kotler Presidential Award. 

Philip Kotler, a professor of marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management is also known as ‘Father of Modern Marketing’.
Apart from marketing, Philip Kotler has extensively written on education, environment, government marketing, healthcare, hospitality, and on innovation.

2.Renowned writer Namita Gokhale was awarded Sushila Devi Literature Award for her work “Things to Leave Behind”. She was honoured in ‘Best Book of Fiction Written by a Woman Author’ category at  inaugural edition of Bhopal Literature and Art Festival.

Sushila Devi Literature Award is constituted by the Ratanlal Foundation. The award recognises the Best Book of Fiction Written by a woman author. It is a newly constituted award and comes with a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh.
Namita Gokhale is a founder-director of ‘Jaipur Literature Festival’ along with William Dalrymple. She has also served as member-secretary of Indian Literature Abroad (ILA), an initiative by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, to translate and promote contemporary literature from the Indian languages into major international languages, particularly the six UNESCO languages English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Russian and Chinese.

3.Sakhi centre or One Stop Centre (OSC) is a fully sponsored scheme of Central Government. These centres are set up through the Nirbhaya Fund under the National Mission for Empowerment of women by Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The Nirbhaya Fund was announced by government of India in the 2013 Union Budget. The fund was established to support initiatives by government and NGOs working towards protecting dignity and ensuring the safety of women in India.

4.The Chief Minister of Sikkim Pawan Kumar Chamling has announced One family one job scheme to provide employment to youth of Sikkim.Chief Minister handed over appointment letters to over 12,000 unemployed youths at an employment fair organised at the Paljor Stadium in Gangtok. Only members of those families which do not have a government job at present are eligible for the government employment under this scheme.Sikkim is the first state in the country to launch an exclusive programme which entitles every family in the state with a government job and Sikkim earmarks 70 per cent of its revenues towards salaries for the state government employees.

5.India celebrates National Youth Day on the January 12 to commemorate birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.Swami Vivekananda was born in 1863. He was a renowned philosopher, poet, writer, social reformer and orator. His works include Jnanayoga’, ‘Bhaktiyoga’, ‘Rajayoga’, ‘To the youth of India’. He also founded the Ramakrishna Math
and Ramakrishna Mission.He passed away on July 4, 1902, at the age of 39. Within this short span of time, his works, ideals, and ideas became immortal in the Indian history. 

6.The National Wildlife Board has given its approval for the Trishna Gas project of ONGC which falls in Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary in Gomati district of Tripura.

The Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1988. The vegetations in the sanctuary fall under four broad categories of tropical semi-evergreen forest, east Himalayan lower Bhanar sal, Moist mixed deciduous forest and  Savanah woodland.

National Board for Wild Life is a statutory organization constituted under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It is an apex body to review all wildlife-related matters and approves projects in and around national parks and sanctuaries.
National Board for Wild Life is chaired by the Prime Minister, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the vice-chairman of the Board and the members include 15 non-government members, 19 ex-officio members and 10 government officials such as secretaries.

7.Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative coin and stamp on the Guru Gobind Singh to mark 350^th birth anniversary. On this occasion, Prime Minister Modi underlined the role of Guru Gobind Singh in uniting the country through Khalsa sect.

8.The Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) will be held at Varanasi on January 21  and would be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22. The theme of the PBD 2019 is “Role of Indian Diaspora in building a New India.”

India celebrates Pravasi Bhartiya Divas on 9 January to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards the development of India. 9th January also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai in 1915.

9.government of Odisha has launched scheme Ama Ghare LED to provide LED bulbs at free of cost to about 95 lakh families in the state.

Khushi scheme of the Odisha

Khushi scheme of the Odisha aims to provide good menstrual hygiene care to women of the odisha state. initiative aims to promote health and hygiene among school going adolescent girls leading to the higher retention in school and greater empowerment of the women.

About the Initiative

Under this scheme, the government will provide free sanitary napkins to 17 lakh girls studying in Classes 6 to 12 in government and the government-aided schools. This scheme is being implemented by  health and family welfare department of the state at a cost of Rs 70 crore per year.

Why the scheme has been initiated?

As per data of the National Family Health Survey, in Odisha 53 per cent women use unhygienic methods and around 69 per cent women use cloth during the menstruation. To address this dire scenario, the Odisha government has initiated Khushi Scheme.

government of Odisha is also providing sanitary napkins to the rural women at subsidised rates of Rs. 6 for six napkins through ASHA workers.

CURRENT AFFAIRS.

The Union Cabinet has approved India’s Currency Swap Agreement with the Japan. The $75-billion bilateral currency swap arrangement is a milestone in mutual economic cooperation and special strategic and global partnership between the two countries.

Currency Swap Agreements

A Currency swap agreement is the foreign exchange agreement between two parties to exchange a given amount of one currency for another and, after a specified period of time, to give back original amounts swapped.

How the Currency Swap Agreement can benefit India?

currency swap agreement can be beneficial to India in  following ways:

currency swap facilities make it easier for India to pay for its imports. This aids in addressing challenge of depreciation.

Since Currency swap agreement involves trading in local currencies. Countries pay for the imports and exports through their own currencies rather than the involving a third country currency.  This does away with charges involved in multiple currency exchanges.

currency swap makes it easier to improve liquidity conditions.

Currency swap agreements help in saving for a rainy day when the economy is not looking in good shape.

swap agreements also contribute towards stabilising  country’s balance of payments (BoP) position.

agreement aids in improving the confidence in the Indian market.

Together with ensuring that agreed amount of capital is available to India, it also brings down the cost of capital for Indian entities while accessing the foreign capital market.

The Currency Swap Agreement was concluded between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during summit level meeting at the Yamanashi, Japan.

January current affairs for upcoming exam.

01.What is Web- Wonder Women?

The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India has launched an online drive Web- Wonder Women to discover and celebrate the exceptional achievements of women, who have been driving positive agenda of social change via social media.


02.The CM of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu inaugurated India’s longest single-lane steel cable suspension bridge over Siang River in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.


Siang River

The Siang River is treated as lifeline of Arunachal Pradesh. The Tsangpo river originates in the Angsi Glacier in the Himalayas. The river enters India through Arunachal Pradesh where that is called by name  Siang. The river is also called as Dihang in plain regions. As the river flows through plains it is joined by rivers Dibang and Lohit. Downstream of the confluence of Lohit, river is called by name Brahmaputra.

03.World Hindi Day

Every year 10th January is celebrated as World Hindi Day to create awareness about the language of Hindi across the World and to present Hindi as an international language.

Why 10th January?

Because the first World Hindi Conference was organized in Nagpur on January 10, 1975. And conference saw representation from 30 countries.For commemorate the occasion, government of India since 2006 is celebrating 10th January as the World Hindi Day.

How it is the different from Hindi Divas?

Every year the Hindi Divas is celebrated on September 14th because it was the day Hindi was recognised as an official languages. On 14 September 1949, the constituent assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as Official Language of the Union.

While the World Hindi Day is aimed at the promotion of the Hindi language at the global stage,  Hindi Divas is being observed across the country at the national level.

Constitutional Provisions for the Promotion of the Hindi.

Hindi is  fourth most spoken language of the world. Various constitutional provisions just  like Article 120, Article 210, Article 343, Article 344 and the Articles from 348 to 351 are aimed at promotion of the Hindi.

04. the ruling party of Sikkim is Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) has assured  implementation of  universal basic income in Sikkim by 2022. If everythings go as per plan, Sikkim would become the first state in the country to implement Universal Basic Income (UBI).

What is Universal Basic Income (UBI).

Universal Basic Income refers to a programme wherein the people are provided with a fixed amount of money irrespective of their income, resources or employment status.

Resources for Funding the Universal Basic Income.

The state of the Sikkim aims to mobilise  resources for funding  UBI through  following avenues:

Sikkim is a the power-surplus state. Sikkim produces 2200 MW and requirement of state is only 200-300 MW. power generation capacity would further go up to 3000 MW in a few years. Revenue from  selling of the surplus power would provide extra revenue, which  government plans to divert to implement Universal Basic Income.

Sikkim also plans to subsume other subsidies and allowances in the order to provide a particular amount every month to people.

Benefits of UBI

The 2017 Economic Survey had proposed Universal Basic Income as a conceptually appealing idea which could be a possible alternative to social welfare programmes targeted at reducing poverty.

The advocates of the Universal Basic Income praise the concept as futuristic which will allow the people to look into the future without worrying too much about income to sustain themselves.


The pilot programmes for the Universal Basic Income has been successfully implemented in the states Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and tribal belts with fairly large samples.

the Lok Sabha has passed the 124th Constitutional Amendment Bill.

In order to provide reservation to economically weaker sections, the Lok Sabha has passed the 124th Constitutional Amendment Bill. The central government is planning to implement ten percent reservation for economically weaker sections of the society.

Features of Bill
The 124th Constitution Amendment Bill features:

The bill states that the people of economically weaker sections of society are excluded from participating in higher educational institutions and public employment due to their financial inability to compete with financially more privileged people.
The Bill has been brought to fulfill commitments under the principles of the state policy listed in Article 46 of the Constitution, which urges the government to protect the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of society.
This bill amends Article 15 of the Constitution, in which reservation to financially vulnerable sections for admission in educational institutions including private educational institutions, whether in addition to the minority educational institutions, are assisted or non-assisted by the state.
This Bill also makes amendments in Article 16 of the Constitution to provide reservation to economically weaker sections in government posts.
Reservation for economically weaker sections in the bill is 10%.
The Bill states that the criteria for economically weaker sections will be notified by the State from time to time on the basis of family income and other indicators of economic loss.
The government has said that the bill is part of the government's effort to ensure that every poor person, despite caste or creed, lives the life of dignity, and has access to all possible opportunities.

Lok Sabha has passed the 124th constitutional amendment bill to provide reservations to the economically weaker sections.

आर्थिक रूप से कमजोर वर्गों को आरक्षण प्रदान करने के लिए लोकसभा ने 124 वां संवैधानिक संशोधन विधेयक (124th constitutional amendment bill ) पारित किया है। केंद्र सरकार समाज के आर्थिक रूप से कमजोर(economically weaker sections) लोगों के लिए 10% आरक्षण लागू करने की योजना बना रही है।

124 वें संविधान संशोधन विधेयक की विशेषताएं हैं:

विधेयक में कहा गया है कि समाज के आर्थिक रूप से कमजोर वर्ग के लोगों को आर्थिक रूप से अधिक विशेषाधिकार प्राप्त लोगों के साथ प्रतिस्पर्धा(compete) करने के लिए उनकी वित्तीय अक्षमता के कारण उच्च शैक्षणिक संस्थानों और सार्वजनिक रोजगार में भाग लेने से बाहर रखा गया है।


विधेयक को संविधान के अनुच्छेद 46 में सूचीबद्ध राज्य नीति के निर्देश सिद्धांतों(Directive principles of the state policy) के तहत प्रतिबद्धताओं को पूरा करने के लिए लाया गया है, जो सरकार से समाज के कमजोर वर्गों के शैक्षिक और आर्थिक हितों की रक्षा करने का आग्रह करता है।


यह विधेयक संविधान के अनुच्छेद 15 (Article 15) में संशोधन करता है, जिसमें निजी शिक्षण संस्थानों सहित शैक्षणिक संस्थानों में प्रवेश के लिए आर्थिक रूप से कमजोर वर्गों को आरक्षण प्रदान करना है,
चाहे अल्पसंख्यक शिक्षण संस्थानों के अलावा राज्य द्वारा सहायता प्राप्त या गैर-सहायता प्राप्त हों।


यह विधेयक सरकारी पदों में आर्थिक रूप से कमजोर वर्ग के लोगों को आरक्षण प्रदान करने के लिए संविधान के अनुच्छेद 16 ( Article 16) में भी संशोधन करता है।


विधेयक में आर्थिक रूप से कमजोर वर्ग के लिए आरक्षण 10% है।


विधेयक में कहा गया है कि आर्थिक रूप से कमजोर वर्गों के लिए मानदंड राज्य द्वारा समय-समय पर परिवार की आय और आर्थिक नुकसान के अन्य संकेतकों के आधार पर अधिसूचित किया जाएगा।

Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019

नागरिकता (संशोधन) विधेयक, 2019 (Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019)
लोकसभा में पारित हो गया। बिल के पारित होने के खिलाफ असम में विरोध प्रदर्शन शुरू हो गए हैं। असम के लोगों को डर है कि संशोधन बिल 1985 के असम समझौते (Assam Accord of 1985) को कम कर देता है।

नागरिकता (संशोधन) विधेयक 2019.


नागरिकता (संशोधन) विधेयक, 2019 नागरिकता अधिनियम, 1955 में संशोधन करना चाहता है। 


संशोधन विधेयक की विशेषताएं हैं.

विधेयक का उद्देश्य बांग्लादेश, पाकिस्तान, अफगानिस्तान के तीन पड़ोसी देशों से हिंदू, जैन, सिख, ईसाई, बौद्ध, पारसी जैसे सभी उत्पीड़ित अल्पसंख्यकों को भारतीय नागरिकता देना है।

जब बिल पास होगा तो गुजरात, राजस्थान, दिल्ली, मध्य प्रदेश, और अन्य राज्यों जैसे देश की पश्चिमी सीमाओं के माध्यम से आए उत्पीड़ित प्रवासियों को एक बड़ी राहत मिलेगी।


रिपोर्टों के अनुसार, सरकार धार्मिक अल्पसंख्यकों को सताए जाने के लिए नागरिकता प्रदान करने के लिए 31 दिसंबर 2014 को कट ऑफ तिथि निर्धारित करेगी।

विधेयक के खिलाफ चिंताओं को संबोधित करना
केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री ने बिल के बारे में आशंकाओं को दूर करने के लिए निम्नलिखित आश्वासन दिया:

सताए गए प्रवासियों के बोझ को पूरे देश द्वारा साझा किया जाएगा न कि केवल असम द्वारा।
केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री ने विधेयक के कार्यान्वयन में राज्य सरकारों के लिए पूर्ण समर्थन का आश्वासन भी दिया।
असम में कृषक मुक्ति संग्राम समिति (KMSS) के नेतृत्व में प्रदर्शनकारियों ने आर्थिक नाकेबंदी लगाई है और कहा है कि वे स्थानीय स्तर पर उत्पादित तेल, पेट्रोलियम उत्पाद, कोयला, वन उत्पाद और चूना पत्थर को राज्य से बाहर नहीं जाने देंगे।

Khelo India Youth games 2019 most important points.

Khelo India Youth games 2019 most important points.



01.Where is Khelo India Youth games 2019 are being held 

at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune.

02.Previously called as Khelo India School Games, it has been now renamed as 

03.Details of Khelo India Youth games.

Khelo India Youth games are held annually in January or February as the national level multidisciplinary grassroot games. The games are held in two categories- under-17 years school students and under-21 college students.

04.Khelo India programme has been

divided into 12 verticals.

05.Talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels by the High-Powered Committee will be provided 


annual financial help of INR 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.

Objective questions on current affairs.

01.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of USA has found a new planet. It is the third new planet discovered by the NASA mission, Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).

The new planet is HD 21749b is outside our solar system and orbits a dwarf star 53 light years away.

02.The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has introduced various digital initiatives...

Some of them listed below:

Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum.

MSME SAMADHAAN Portal.

MSME SAMPARK Portal.

03.The Ministry of Industries and Commerce is implementing the 

NPOP since 2001.

National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).

04.The Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) 

is the implementation agency for the NPOP. 

05.what is FASTag

FASTag is an electronic toll collection system operated by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). 

FASTag allows  automatic deduction of toll charges and lets you pass through the toll plaza without stopping for the cash transaction.

A MoU has been signed between Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IMHCL) and leading Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) like BPCL, HPCL and IOCL for sale of FASTags through their petrol pumps.

06.What is Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) technology.

Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) technology uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags which are containing electronically-stored information.

07.what is Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008.

This will help domestic workers to access and obtain social security benefits like life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, as well as old age protection.

Right to minimum wages and access to social security.etc

08.The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is implementing the scheme of

Rashtriya Gokul Mission.

For conserve and develop indigenous breeds in a focused and scientific manner.

09.Initiatives under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission

Pashu Sanjivni Programme, E-Pashu Haat, Kamdhenu award, Gopal Ratna award,  Gokul Grams, Nakul Swasthya Patra Etc.