DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: JANUARY 13 & 14, 2019

Dear Aspirants,

Daily Current Affairs (January 13 & 14, 2019) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness , Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

NATIONAL

PM releases Commemorative Coin of Rs. 350 to mark birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative coin of Rs. 350 in the national capital to mark the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh jee.
• He lauded the lofty ideals and values of the Guru Gobind Singh jee – the selfless service to humanity, devotion, heroism and sacrifice and urged the people to follow his path.
• The Prime Minister was addressing a select gathering at his residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg after releasing the commemorative coin to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh jee.

US launches new innovation initiative at Raisina Dialogue 2019

• The United States Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Centre (GIPC) launched an innovation initiative at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.
• The initiative, titled “Fair Value for Innovation”, will examine economic underpinnings that would enable breakthrough innovation, and explore how policymakers can harness innovation capital in India and around the globe through research, advocacy, partnerships, and programs.
• “The promise of India’s innovation ecosystem is real, and the U.S. industry has a stake in it,” said Patrick Kilbride, Senior Vice President of GIPC.

Rajyavardhan Rathore launches National Youth Parliament Festival 2019

• Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Col Rajyavardhan Rathore today launched the National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 at a function in New Delhi. The festival will continue till 24th of next month.
• The theme of the festival is- Be the Voice of New India and Find solutions and contribute to policy. Addressing the media in New Delhi, Col Rathore said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Mann Ki Baat programme in December 2017, had shared the idea of organising Youth Parliaments for young people.

Important Takeaways

• Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports : Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
• Lok Sabha MP of Jaipur Rural Constituency

Gujarat becomes 1st state to implement 10% quota to EWS

• Gujarat Government has announced that the benefits of 10 per cent quota for Economically Weaker sections of general category in educational institutions and government jobs will be applicable from midnight tonight.
• Official release said that this 10 per cent quota for the economically weaker class from the general category will be over and above the existing 49 per cent quota for SC, ST and OBC. AIR Ahmedabad correspondent reports that Gujarat is the first state to implement Government’s historic and unprecedented decision to implement the 10 per cent reservation for general category poor candidates.
• The Centre had taken the decision under Article 46 of Guiding Principles of Constitution of India after Amendment of the Articles 15 and 16, incorporating 10 per cent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections.

Important Takeaways: Gujarat

• CM : Vijay Rupani
• Governor: Om Prakash Kohli
• Capital: Ahmedabad

Economic Quota Bill [103rd Constitution Amendment] Gets President’s Assent

• The President of India Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday gave his assent to The Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) which aims to provide reservation in public employment and higher education for economically weaker sections.
• On Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha had passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Fourth Amendment) Bill 2019, which envisages giving up to 10% quota to economically weaker section. The Lok Sabha had passed the bill, the previous day, with 323 out of 326 MPs present voting in its favor.

Important Takeaway

• Ram Nath Kovind is the 14 President of India.

Fifteenth Finance Commission to visit Tripura

Furthering its dialogues with the different states of the country, the 15th Finance Commission will be visiting Tripura from 16 – 18 January 2019.  The Commission led by the Chairman, Dr. N.K. Singh will include its Members and Senior Officials.  This will be the 17th State of India that the Commission will be visiting.

The Commission will also visit the Palatana Thermal Power Project in the State.

INTERNATIONAL

Macedonia to be renamed Republic of North Macedonia

Macedonia’s parliament on Friday passed an amendment to the constitution to rename the country Republic of North Macedonia, as agreed with Greece to put an end to a 27-year dispute.

The countries struck the deal on the new name in June, but Macedonia will start using it only after the parliament in Athens also ratifies the agreement.

After a lot of negotiations, an agreement was reached between Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev. The agreement the Republic of Macedonia would be renamed as the Republic of North Macedonia. The language of the country would be referred to as Macedonian and its people known as Macedonians (Citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia).

Appointments

Dr. T.C.A Anant takes Oath of Office and Secrecy as Member, UPSC

Dr. T.C.A Anant, former Chief Statistician of India & Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, took the Oath of Office and Secrecy as Member, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) here today. The Oath was administered by Shri Arvind Saxena, Chairman, UPSC.

Banking & Economy

IDFC Bank re-named IDFC First Bank

• Private sector lender IDFC Bank said its name has been changed to IDFC First Bank Ltd with effect from Saturday from 12^th January 2019.
• IDFC Bank and non-banking financial company Capital First had announced completion of their merger on December 18, creating a combined loan asset book of Rs 1.03 lakh crore for the merged entity.
• Following the merger, the board of IDFC Bank had approved the appointment of V Vaidyanathan, founder and chairman of Capital First Ltd, as managing director and chief executive officer of the merged entity.
• The combined entity will serve 7.2 million customers through 203 bank branches, 129 ATMs and 454 rural business correspondent centres.

AWARDS

First-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award presented to PM

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award, at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, in New Delhi.
• The Award focuses on the triple bottom-line of People, Profit and Planet. It will be offered annually to the leader of a Nation.
• Prof. Philip Kotler is a world-renowned Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management. Owing to his ill-health, he deputed Dr. Jagdish Sheth of EMORY University, Georgia, USA, to confer the award.

The Hindu Prize 2018: Fiction and Non-Fiction and The Hindu Young World Goodbooks Awards

The Hindu Prize 2018 was announced in the Hindu Litfest 2018 which is happening in Chennai.

• Neelum Saran Gour wins the The Hindu Prize 2018 – FICTION for the book ‘Requiem in Raga Janki’.
• Manoranjan Byapari wins The Hindu Prize 2018 – NON FICTION for the book ‘Interrogating My Chandal Life’.
• Vinayak Varma wins Best Picture Book: Story for ‘Angry Akku’
• Rajiv Eipe wins Best Picture Book: Illustration for ‘Ammachi’s Amazing Machines’
• Venita Coelho wins Best Picture Book: Fiction for ‘Boy No 32’
• Mamta Nainy wins Best Picture Book: Non-Fiction for ‘A Brush with Indian Art’.

SPORTS

Bengaluru Raptors win Premier Badminton League title

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• Bengaluru Raptors have won their first ever Premier Badminton League title. In the title clash played at Bengaluru last night, Bengaluru edged out Mumbai Rockets, with a 4-3 win.
• Star player Kidambi Srikanth, Vu Ji Trang and the Men’s Doubles pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Satiawan won their matches for Bengaluru guiding them to victory.

Award Winners:

• Best Comeback of the Tie – Sameer Verma
• Attacking Player of the Tie – Kidambi Srikanth
• Indian Oil Indian Player of the Tie – Kidambi Srikanth
• Smartest Player of the Tie – Sameer Verma
• Attacking Player of the League – Mathias Christiansen
• Emerging Player of the League – Anders Antonsen
• Indian Oil Indian Player of the League – Sameer Verma
• Vodafone Smartest Player of the League – Kidambi Srikanth

Abhinav Shaw becomes youngest gold medalist in shooting

• At the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune today, ten-year-old Abhinav Shaw became the youngest gold medalist in shooting.
• He teamed up with Mehuli Ghosh to help West Bengal win the 10m air rifle mixed team event. Delhi’s Devanshi Rana bagged gold in Under-21 girls 25m pistol event.
• With 18 medals comprising nine gold, six silver and three bronze in gymnastics, Maharashtra were also crowned champions.

Dhoni joins elite list of Indian cricketers to score ten thousand runs

• The seasoned Mahendra Singh Dhoni today became the fifth player to score ten thousand runs for India in One-day International Cricket, adding another feather to his illustrious cap.
• Dhoni thus joined an elite list of Indian cricketers who had previously achieved the feat, which include Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli.
• In 330 ODIs for India, the wicketkeeper-batsman has now over 10,050 runs at an average of 49.75, including nine centuries and 67 fifties. Overall, Dhoni is the 13th player in history to score 10,000 runs in the ODIs.

Important Days

National Youth Day: January 12

India celebrates National Youth Day on January 12 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

The National Youth Day is celebrated on birth anniversary of the Swami Vivekananda so that the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda and the ideals for which he lived and worked could be a great source of inspiration for the Indian youth.