Table of Contents:-
15.JAN.2019
1. Ashok Chawla resigned as chairman of TERI.
2. SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches Ten Iridium communications satellites.
3. Adi Godrej Conferred ICSI Lifetime Award.
4. Study shows solar wind fills the dark side of the Moon.
5. Deep and Mulik won gold medal 43rd Bombay YMCA State level annual athletics.
16.JAN.2019
6. Iran plans to launch two domestically made satellites.
7. China plans to build international lunar base.
8. Tamil Nadu defence industrial corridor to be launched on 20 January.
9. India to unveil its first Air Cargo Policy.
10. Union Government Launched 2 National Level Initiatives in Field Of Science Communication.
17.JAN.2019
11. C.P.Joshi was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Rajasthan Assembly.
12. Drone corridor proposed to expand unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) services in India.
13. First National EMRS National Sports Meet 2019 Held in Hyderabad.
14. Chennai’s Gukesh Crowned India’s Youngest Grandmaster.
15. Manu Sawhney appointed as New ICC CEO.
18.JAN.2019
16. India-Myanmar Joint Training Exercise Begins In Chandimandir.
17. India born Dr. Rattan Lal honored with 2019 Japan Prize for his contributions in Biological Production,Ecology.
18. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Dedicates Kollam Bypass in Kerala to Nation.
19. Gandhi Peace Prize Conferred for Last 4 Years.
20. MP CM Launches Rs 50,000 cr Farm Loan Waiver Scheme Jai Kisan Rin Mukti Yojana.
19.JAN.2019
21. JAXA launched satellite into space to deliver artificial meteors.
22. Haryana announces Shaurya Award for Students.
23. Nagpur, the city of Oranges to host the 4-day 2nd World Orange Festival for the first time.
24. Centre ordered ITBP to Leh in Jammu and Kashmir.
25. Reliance Retail, Jio to launch new e-commerce platform.
20.JAN.2019
26. India 1st away team to win bilateral series in all formats in Australia.
27. Rani to lead Indian women’s hockey team for Spain tour.
28. Wasim Jaffer became the 1st Asian to slam 2 first-class double tons after turning 40.
29. Khelo India Youth Games: Maharashtra touches 200 medals to stay on top; Haryana overtake Delhi.
30. Many countries express interest to import Railway's Ambitious Project - Train 18.
21.JAN.2019
31. K.Sivan ISROs chairman launched the UNNATI programme.
32. BMRCL gets approval to acquire NICE land.
33. Rio named as World Capital of Architecture for 2020 by UNESCO.
34. Manipur CM N.Biren Singh to seek protection clause in Citizenship Bill.
35. Ankita Raina won the ITF women’s tennis tournament title.
15.JAN.2019
1. Ashok Chawla resigned as chairman of TERI.
:-Ashok Chawla, Former Finance Secretary, has resigned as chairman of The Energy
Resources Institute (TERI). Earlier, Mr. Chawla had stepped down as chairman of the
National Stock Exchange (NSE) on 11th January 2019 after the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) received the Finance Ministry’s approval to prosecute him in the Aircel-
Maxis bribery scandal.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI): Established: 1974
Director General: Ajay Mathur
Location: New Delhi
TERI is a research institute that specializes in the fields of energy, environment, and sustainable development.
2. SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches Ten Iridium communications satellites.
:-SpaceX rocket delivered 10 satellites to low-Earth orbit on Friday, completing a two-year
campaign by Iridium Communications to replace its original fleet with a new generation of
mobile communication technology and added global aircraft tracking capability. The
Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 7:31 am and arced over the
Pacific west of Los Angeles. The previously used first stage was recovered again with a
bullseye landing on a "droneship" in the ocean while the upper stage continued on to
orbit. The eighth and final launch of the $3 billion (roughly Rs. 21,000 crores) Iridium NEXT
project completed delivery of 75 new satellites to orbit for the McLean, Virginia, company.
Sixty-six will be operational and nine will serve as in-orbit spares. Six other satellites
remain on the ground as spares.
3. Adi Godrej Conferred ICSI Lifetime Award.
:-Industrialist and Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej have conferred the ICSIs Lifetime
Achievement Award for ‘Translating Excellence in Corporate Governance into Reality’.
The awards were instituted by The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), which
is celebrating its golden jubilee.
4. Study shows solar wind fills the dark side of the Moon.
:-A study using observations from Chandrayaan 1 mission has found how plasma particles
from the solar wind make their way into the Moon’s night side, filling up the wake region,
long thought to be devoid of plasma particles. This has significance in understanding
bodies like the Moon which do not have global magnetic fields. In recent times, there has
been a huge interest in understanding the plasma environment of the Moon, which is
generated mainly by its interaction with the solar plasma wind flowing towards it from the Sun. This plasma wind consists of charged particles such as protons and is partly absorbed
by the side of the Moon facing the sun. The rest of the solar plasma wind incident on the
Moon flows around it but leaves a wake (a void) on the side not facing the sun (the night-
side of the Moon). The interaction between the Moon and the solar plasma helps to
understand any celestial body which has no atmosphere or global magnetic fields, such as
asteroids and some planetary satellites.
5. Deep and Mulik won gold medal 43rd Bombay YMCA State level annual athletics.
:-Uran Gymkhana’s Deep Patil and Shree Sidheshwar Sports Club’s Shreya Mulik won the
under-18 boys’ and girls’ 100m gold medal in the 43rd Bombay YMCA State-level annual
athletics meet at the University Pavilion, Marine Lines, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The results:
U-18: 100m:
1.Deep Patil (Uran Gymkhana) 11.3
2.Mohit Gawade (Somaiya Sports Academy, Vidyavihar) 11.6
3.Aryan Somale (J.S. Sports Club, Mira Road) 11.7.
16.JAN.2019
6. Iran plans to launch two domestically made satellites.
:-Iran plans to launch two domestically made satellites into orbit to gather information on
its environment. The announcement was made by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani. One
Satellite named Payam would orbit the earth at about 600 kilometers (370 miles) above its
surface. The second satellite Doosti would be tasked with the same purpose as Payam,
with a focus on agriculture, and would orbit at an altitude of 250 kilometers. Both the
satellites had been successfully tested and are ready for launch in the coming days. US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran's plans for sending satellites into orbit would
violate a 2015 UN Security Council resolution which endorsed an international accord on
ending Tehran's nuclear programme.
7. China plans to build international lunar base.
:-China Space Agency plans to establish an international lunar base, possibly using 3D
printing technology to build facilities weeks after landing a rover on the moon’s far side.
The future launches will culminate with a mission to test equipment for an international
moon research base. Also, four more lunar missions are planned, confirming the launch of
a probe by the end of the year to bring back samples from the moon. The Chang’e-5
probe, originally scheduled to collect moon samples in the second half of 2017, will launch
by the end of the year 2019. It will be followed by Chang’e-7, which will conduct a
comprehensive exploration of the moon’s South Pole including its topography, material
composition, and space environment.
8. Tamil Nadu defence industrial corridor to be launched on 20 January.
:-The Tamil Nadu defence industrial corridor is set to be launched as part of the Centre’s
efforts to build an indigenous defence production ecosystem. One of the reasons for Tamil
Nadu being chosen for the corridor is that it is already a major manufacturing State and
has a major auto components hub. The corridor will be formally launched by Defence
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at Tiruchirappalli on January 20. Two defence corridors, one
in Tamil Nadu and the other in Uttar Pradesh, were announced in the last budget. The
Uttar Pradesh corridor was launched at Aligarh in August 2018 and saw investment
announcements to the tune of Rs.3, 732 crore were made.
9. India to unveil its first Air Cargo Policy.
:-India plans to introduce its first Air Cargo Policy. The policy will be unveiled at the two-
day Global Aviation Summit which will be held in Mumbai. The policy aims for fuel growth
of the aviation sector, boost economy. Despite registering double-digit growth for nearly four years in a row, India has remained without a specific policy for air cargo. Civil
Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu announced that over 30 countries will be participating in
the first-of-its-kind aviation summit.
10. Union Government Launched 2 National Level Initiatives in Field Of Science
Communication.
:-Department of Science and Technology (DST) along with Doordarshan (DD), Prasar
Bharati launched two science communication initiatives, DD Science and India Science.
The initiatives were inaugurated by Union Science & Technology Minister, Dr. Harsh
Vardhan. While DD Science is a one-hour slot on Doordarshan National channel, which will
be telecast Monday to Saturday from 5 pm to 6 pm, India Science is an Internet-based
channel, which is available on any internet-enabled device, and will offer live, scheduled
play and video-on-demand services.
17.JAN.2019
11. C.P.Joshi was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Rajasthan Assembly.
:-C.P. Joshi, a Veteran Congress leader, was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the
Rajasthan Assembly. The House passed the motion for Mr.Joshi’s election to the post by a
voice vote on the second day of its first session, after the formation of the government by
the Congress. Mr.Joshi’s, the five-time Congress MLA, took over the chair from pro tem
Speaker Gulab Chand Kataria, who will be the Leader of Opposition in the House. Mr.
Joshi, 68, was also an MP from Bhilwara in the 15th Lok Sabha and served as a Union
Minister between 2009 and 2013. He was also elected in the 2018 Assembly polls from
Rajsamand’s Nathdwara constituency.
12. Drone corridor proposed to expand unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) services in
India.
:-A task-force constituted by the Union government has proposed the creation of a “Drone
Corridor” in the country. The task force is created to address the various challenges posed
by Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in India. It has recommended key principles in the
Drone Ecosystem Policy Roadmap that will guide the drafting of ‘Civil Aviation Regulations’
(CAR) 2.0. Currently, a basic framework for regulations in the area has been established
under the “Digital Sky Platform” in CAR 1.0 which took effect from December 1, 2018. The
roadmap was released at the Global Aviation Summit 2019 being held at Mumbai.
13. First National EMRS National Sports Meet 2019 Held in Hyderabad.
:-First National Level Sports Meet for the students of Eklavya Model Residential Schools
(EMRS) was inaugurated by Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor, Minister of State for Tribal
Affairs at G.M.C Balayogi Stadium, Hyderabad. The Minister also launched an app ‘EMRS
Sports Meet’ dedicated on the occasion. The event had participation of 1777 students
comprising of 975 boys and 802 girls representing 20 States of the country.
14. Chennai’s Gukesh Crowned India’s Youngest Grandmaster.
:-Tamil Nadu lad D Gukesh became the 2nd youngest Grand Master in the world and the
youngest Indian to achieve the feat at 12 years, 7 months and 17 days, erasing the mark
set by his state-mate R Praggnanandhaa in June 2018. Gukesh becomes India’s 59th Grand
Master.
15. Manu Sawhney appointed as New ICC CEO.
:-International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that Manu Sawhney appointed as the
organization’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Sawhney, the former CEO of Singapore
Sports Hub and Managing Director of ESPN Star.
18.JAN.2019
16. India-Myanmar Joint Training Exercise Begins In Chandimandir.
:- Second edition of the India-Myanmar bilateral army exercise, IMBEX 2018-19,
commenced at Chandimandir Military Station, that houses the headquarters of the Western
Command, Chandigarh. The aim of this joint training programme, spread over six days, is to
train the Myanmar delegation for participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations
under the UN flag.
17. India born Dr. Rattan Lal honored with 2019 Japan Prize for his contributions in
Biological Production, Ecology.
:-Japan Prize Foundation announced India born Professor Dr. Rattan Lal as the recipient of
the 2019 Japan Prize in the field of “Biological Production, Ecology”. Dr. Yoshio Okamoto
was announced to be the recipient of the 2019 Japan Prize on of “Materials and Production”
field. Each laureate will receive a certificate of recognition and a commemorative gold
medal. About the Award? The Japan Prize is highly competitive: the nomination process
ends in February, and, every year from March to November, the Foundation considers the
nominations of 15,000 prominent scientists and researchers from around the world. ? The
2020 Japan Prize will focus on fields of the fields of “Electronics, Information and
Communication” and “Life Science”.
18. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Dedicates Kollam Bypass in Kerala to Nation.
:-Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a gathering at Kollam in Kerala after dedicating
the Kollam Bypass to the Nation. The last man in the queue is his Government's concern.
Prime Minister urged the Kerala Government to expedite implementation of various
centrally-sponsored projects in the State. He launched and laid the foundation stone of
several development projects, worth over 1,500 crore rupees, at Balangir in Odisha.
19. Gandhi Peace Prize Conferred for Last 4 Years.
:-Gandhi Peace Prize for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 has been conferred on the
following:
1. for 2015: Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari for their contribution in Rural
Development, Education, and Development of natural resources.
2. For 2016: Jointly to Akshaya Patra Foundation for its contribution in providing mid-day meals to millions of children across India and Sulabh International for its contribution in improving the condition of sanitation in India and emancipation of manual scavengers.
3. For 2017: Ekal Abhiyan Trust for their contribution in providing Education for Rural and Tribal Children in remote areas pan India, Rural Empowerment, Gender, and Social Equality.
4. for 2018: Shri Yohei Sasakawa for his contribution in Leprosy Eradication in India and across the world.
20. MP CM Launches Rs 50,000 cr Farm Loan Waiver Scheme Jai Kisan Rin Mukti
Yojana.
:-Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath launched his government’s Rs 50,000-crore
farm debt-waiver scheme named ‘Jai Kisan Rin Mukti Yojana’. It is expected to benefit 55
lakh small and marginal farmers. The eligibility cut-off date has been extended to December
12, 2018, from March 31, 2018.
19.JAN.2019
21. JAXA launched satellite into space to deliver artificial meteors.
:-Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched a rocket carrying a satellite on a
mission to deliver the world’s first artificial meteor shower into space. ALE Co. Ltd, a start-up
based in Tokyo, developed the microsatellite for the celestial show over Hiroshima early
2020 as the initial experiment for what it calls a “shooting stars on demand” service. The
satellite is to release tiny balls that glow brightly as they hurtle through the atmosphere,
simulating a meteor shower. They would glow brightly enough to be seen even over the
light-polluted metropolis of Tokyo. The rocket carried a total of seven ultra-small satellites
that will demonstrate various “innovative” technologies.
22. Haryana announces Shaurya Award for Students.
:-Chief Minister of Haryana, Shri Manohar Lal Khattar announced “Shaurya Award” to
students in the name of 71 state police force martyrs who laid down their lives while
maintaining law and order and protecting society since the formation of the state in 1966.
Prize money of Rs. 11,000 will be given to students for courageous deeds every year in a
village block where the school is located under this award. The announcement was made by
Manohar Lal Khattar at the first state-level function at National Police Memorial in New
Delhi.
23. Nagpur, the city of Oranges to host the 4-day 2nd World Orange Festival for the
first time.
:-The 4-day 2nd world Orange Festival commenced in Nagpur, the city of oranges, for the
first time. The festival will also showcase and brand the exquisite fruit in order to boost its
export.
24. Centre ordered ITBP to Leh in Jammu and Kashmir.
:-The Centre has ordered moving a strategic Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) command
from its current base in Chandigarh to the border of Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, despite the
growing concerns over the Chinese military build-up along the eastern flank of the country.
The North West (NW) frontier of the ITBP has been ordered to move by the end of March.
The Leh district in the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir is the base for 14 Corps of the Army
and the proposed shift will allow better interaction between the two forces for strategic and
defence planning.
25. Reliance Retail, Jio to launch new e-commerce platform.
:-Reliance Industries Ltd Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani group companies
Reliance Retail and Reliance Jio Infocomm would jointly launch a new e-commerce platform
in the country. Gujarat would be the first state to get it in the presence of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
20.JAN.2019
26. India 1st away team to win bilateral series in all formats in Australia.
:-India defeated Australia in the third ODI at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to win the
ODI series by 2-1 and became the first Visiting team to win bilateral series across the three
formats against Australia in Australian soil. Indian team lead by Virat Kohli also became the
first ever Indian side to win bilateral ODI series in Australia. Yuzvendra Chahal was given the
player of the match award whereas Veteran Player M. S. Dhoni was honored with Player of
the series award.
27. Rani to lead Indian women’s hockey team for Spain tour.
:-Ace striker Rani Rampal will captain an 18-strong Indian women's team, while experienced
goalkeeper Savita will be her deputy for the season opener in Spain starting Jan 26, Hockey
India announced Friday. The Indian Hockey team is set to play four matches with Spain and
two matches against the Women's World Cup runners-up, Ireland. The team will leave on
January 24 for the Spain tour from Bengaluru, where they have been based for the past two
weeks for the National Camp.
28. Wasim Jaffer became the 1st Asian to slam 2 first-class double tons after turning
40.
:-Wasim Jaffer became the first Indian and the first Asian batsman to score two double
centuries after turning 40 in first-class cricket. This was achieved in the Ranji Trophy quarter-
final for Vidarbha against Uttarakhand in Nagpur.
29.Khelo India Youth Games: Maharashtra touches 200 medals to stay on top;
Haryana overtake Delhi.
:-Khelo India Youth Games in Pune, Haryana made the big move yesterday, while hosts
Maharashtra touched a new milestone of 200 medals. Haryana, who topped the medals
tally at last year’s Games, bagged an incredible 10 gold medals along with eight silver and 15
bronze yesterday. They with 48 gold medals, 45 silver and 54 bronze, are second in the
medals’ tally, pushing Delhi with 47 gold, 33 silver and 47 bronze to the third spot.
Maharashtra, who also had a good day with eight gold medals, five from boxing, two from
tennis and one from table tennis, reached 200 medals with 76 gold with 57 silver and 67
bronze.
30. Many countries express interest to import Railway's Ambitious Project - Train 18.
:-Train 18 which has run at a maximum speed of 180 kmph during its trial run will have its
debut journey from Varanasi to Delhi. Many countries have expressed interest in the train
set and we are happy and proud that an indigenously made product is attracting so much
interest. NTA scores are normalized scores across multi-session papers and are based on the
relative performance of all those who appeared for the examination in one session. The
marks obtained are converted into a scale ranging from 100 to 0 for each session of
examinees.
21.JAN.2019
31. K.Sivan ISROs chairman launched the UNNATI programme.
:-India is to train 45 countries in nano-satellite making through a new capacity building
programme named Unispace Nanosatellite Assembly and Training by ISRO (UNNATI). Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K.Sivan and Minister of State in Department
of Space Jitendra Singh flagged the programme. The programme allows India to share its
knowledge and expertise in the space sector to other countries that can benefit from it. It is
expected that the first batch of the initiative will have 30 participants from 17 countries,
including Algeria, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan,
Malaysia, Mexico, and Mongolia.
32. BMRCL gets approval to acquire NICE land.
:-The Karnataka State government approved the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited
(BMRCL) to acquire land currently in possession of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises
(NICE). The land acquisition was one of the major hurdles the corporation had been facing
to implement Phase II of the Namma Metro project on Mysuru Road and Kanakapura Road.
The BMRCL will be acquiring 19,585.16 square meters of land. A majority of the land will be
used for the Nagasandra, BIEC line (extension of Namma Metro on Tumakuru Road). It has
set 2020 as the deadline to start commercial operations on the extended portions on
Mysuru Road and Kanakapura Road.
33. Rio named as World Capital of Architecture for 2020 by UNESCO.
:-The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro has been named as the World Capital of Architecture for
2020 by the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Rio will be the
first city to receive the title under a programme launched together by UNESCO and the
International Union of Architects (UIA) in November 2018. Earlier Paris and Melbourne
secured the position. According to UNESCO, the World Capital of Architecture is intended to
become an international forum for debates about pressing global challenges from the
perspectives of culture, cultural heritage, urban planning, and architecture. As one of the
oldest cities in Brazil, Rio has a mix of modern and colonial architecture, with the world-
renowned sites like the statue of Christ the Redeemer and contemporary constructions like
the Museum of Tomorrow.
34. Manipur CM N.Biren Singh to seek protection clause in Citizenship Bill.
:-Manipur Chief Minister N.Biren Singh assured the representatives of the North East
Students Organisation (NESO) that a clause will be inserted in the Citizenship (Amendment)
Bill, 2016, on the protection of the indigenous peoples. The State government objected the
proposed legislation. Mr. Singh also stressed that the State wants President's assent to
Manipur People's (Protection) Bill, 2018 before the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment)
Bill, 2016. The Manipur People's (Protection) Bill was passed unanimously by the State
Assembly in July 2018. The Bill aims to grant the status of "natives" to Meiteis, Pangal
Muslims, scheduled tribes and others who moved to the state before 1951. The rest,
categorized as non-Manipuri, will have to register them within one month of the notification
of the law.
35. Ankita Raina won the ITF women’s tennis tournament title.
: India's Ankita Raina defeated Arantxa Rus, the top seed and World No.122, of the
The Netherlands. She secured 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the $25,000 International Tennis Federation
(ITF) women’s tennis tournament in Singapore. Results: $25,000 ITF women, Singapore:
Final: Ankita Raina but Arantxa Rus (Ned) 6-3, 6-2.
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