DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS : JANUARY 23, 2018

NATIONAL

India’s 1st Garbage Festival Organised in Chhattisgarh:

 The Raipur Municipal Corporation in Chhattisgarh organised the three-day Kachra Mahotsav 2018, India’s first Garbage Festival. The festival aimed to increase awareness, use the waste generated in the city creatively, and to showcase multiple techniques for reusing things that are labelled as garbage.

Chhattisgarh

• Capital: Raipur
• Chief Minister: Raman Singh
• Governor: Balram Das Tandon

INTERNATIONAL

Valletta city is crowned Capital of Culture:

 Valletta, the capital of Malta, was officially named European Capital of Culture 2018. Valletta will share the title with Leeuwarden, a city in the Netherlands.

Malta

• Currency: Euro
• Capital: Valletta

Sri Lanka bans import of non-airbag equipped vehicles from July 1:

The government’s decision to ban the import of vehicles which are not equipped with air bags and seat belts and below the emission levels or its equivalent as prescribed by Euro IV, has been postponed to July 1.

This has decided to postpone the implementation of the budget proposal on introduction of emission standards and safety measures from July 01, 2018.”

It said the import of vehicles, which did not carry airbags and seat belts for the driver and the front passenger, Anti-Locking Breaking System (ABS) standards and three-point seat belts at the rear would not be allowed from July 1.

Srilanka

• Currency: Sri Lankan rupee
• Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
• Prime minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe
• President: Maithripala Sirisena

Trump administration to open US embassy in Jerusalem by end of 2019:

The Trump administration plans to open the US embassy in Jerusalem by the end of 2019.

Trump said that the US recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announced to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to the historic city.

USA

• President of the United States: Donald Trump
• Currency: United States Dollar
• Capital: Washington, D.C.

BANKING & BUSINESS

India to Grow at 7.4% in 2018: International Monetary Fund:

 India is projected to grow at 7.4% of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018 as against China’s 6.8%, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), making it the fastest growing economy among emerging economies following last year’s slowdown due to demonetisation and the implementation of goods and services tax (GST).

In its latest World Economic Outlook update released ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the IMF projected India’s GDP growth rate at 7.4% in 2018 and 7.8% in 2019.

Last date for filing GSTR-3B return for Dec extended to 22nd Jan:

 The revenue department said the last date for GSTR-3B return filing for December has been extended by two days to January 22.

GSTR-3B is a simple return form introduced by the CBEC after the roll out of the goods and services tax (GST) from July 1. It is meant to capture details of outward and inward supplies.

The deadline to file the return for December in Form GSTR-3B was January 20.

APPOINTMENTS

FICCI hires Dilip Chenoy as Director General:

Industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) said it had appointed Dilip Chenoy as its director general. “Chenoy had been the managing director and CEO of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), director general of Society of Indian Automobile Manufactures (Siam) as well as deputy director general of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Chenoy had resigned from NSDC in late 2015.

Srikumar Menon appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Angola:

Shri Srikumar Menon, presently Ambassador of India to South Sudan has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Angola.

 Angola

• Capital: Luanda
• Currency: Angolan kwanza

 AWARDS & HONOUR

Shah Rukh Khan receives Crystal Award in Davos:

Global icon Shah Rukh Khan received the 24th Crystal Award, here in Davos for “his leadership in championing children’s and women’s rights in India“.

English singer Sir Elton John and Australian actress Cate Blanchett were also honoured at the Summit.

Past winners of Crystal Award from India include Amitabh Bachchan, A R Rahman, Shabana Azmi, and Amjad Ali Khan among others.

Delhi LG felicitates National Bravery Award winners:

Lt Governor Anil Baijal felicitated children who have been conferred the National Bravery Award 2017 at a function held at the Raj Niwas.

Among the 18 brave hearts, including seven girls and 11 boys, two girls and one boy have been given the award posthumously.

SPORTS

Shuttler Siddharth Singh Wins Swedish Open Junior Badminton Title:

 Young Indian shuttler Siddharth Pratap Singh secured his maiden international title, bagging the Swedish Open Junior International Series with a straight-game victory over Denmark’s Mads Christophersen in the finals in Uppsala in Sweden.

OBITUARY

Longest living Indian Army veteran Major FKK Sircar passes away at 101:

Major FKK Sircar (Retd.), the longest living army veteran, at 101 years of age proceeded to his heavenly abode and breathed his last.

He was from 2nd battalion of the ASSAM Regiment and had the distinction of participating in three wars viz World War II, Indo-Pak War of 1947 -48 and Indo-China War of 1962.

HISTORIC EVENT OF THE DAY

Nation pays homage to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 121st birth anniversary:

The Nation pays homage to India’s great freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 121st birth anniversary. It was on this day in 1897, Netaji was born in Cuttack, Odisha.

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