i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana under which a group of Indian diaspora will be taken on a government-sponsored tour of religious places in India twice a year.
ii. The first batch of 40 Indian-origin people are at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and from here they will begin their tour.
i. The final planning conference to work out the modalities for Indian Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX)-2019 was conducted at Pune, Maharashtra.
ii. The joint training exercise is being conducted with more than a dozen African countries & India. It aims at synergysing humanitarian mine action and joint peace operations.
4. Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba Commissioned New Naval Air Base ‘INS Kohassa’
i. Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba commissioned the new Naval Air Base ‘INS Kohassa’ at Diglipur in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
ii. The airbase will be used to handle operations of helicopters and small aircraft like the Dornier. The new airbase in the northernmost part of the Andaman Nicobar Islands will be used for both Defence and civil aircraft.
5. 2nd World Integrated Medicine Forum 2019 Held In Goa
i. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, inaugurated the 2nd World Integrated Medicine Forum 2019 on the ‘Regulation of Homeopathic Medical Products; Advancing global collaboration’ in Goa.
ii. The organizers of the forum are the Central Council for Research in Homeopathy, under the Ministry of AYUSH.
International News
6. Venezuela Breaks Off Diplomatic Ties With The US
i. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced that he is breaking off diplomatic ties with the United States after his American counterpart Donald Trump recognized Opposition leader Juan Guaido as the South American country’s interim President.
ii. Nicolas Maduro gave all US diplomatic staff in Venezuela 72 hours to leave the country. The Venezuelan President accused the US government of attempting a coup d’etat.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NIACL AO Mains 2018-
- Venezuela Capital- Caracas, Currency- Venezuelan bolívar.
Appointments
7. Ravneet Gill To Replace Rana Kapoor as Yes Bank MD and CEO
i. Yes Bank has appointed veteran banker Ravneet Singh Gill as its new MD & CEO and the lender has also received the RBI’s approval for the same.He will join the bank on or before March 1, 2019.
ii. Mr Gill is currently the chief Deutsche Bank’s India operations. Gill joined Deutsche Bank in 1991 and has worked across different businesses including corporate banking, capital markets and wealth management.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For NIACL AO Mains Exam:
- Yes Bank Headquarters in Mumbai.
8. Piyush Goyal Named Interim Finance Minister
i. Piyush Goyal has been named the interim Finance Minister and interim Minister of Corporate Affairs during Arun Jaitley’s indisposition. Goyal will retain his existing portfolios of coal and railways.
ii. Union Minister Arun Jaitley, 66, had left for the United States for a regular medical check-up. Jaitley will be designated as a minister without a portfolio during his period of indisposition.
Ranks and Reports
9. India’s Growth to Accelerate From 7.4% to 7.6% in FY20: UN Report
i. With robust private consumption and 7.4% GDP growth rate in the current fiscal, the Indian economy is expected to accelerate at a rate of 7.6% in 2019-20, according to a report by the United Nations titled United Nations’ World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2019.
Awards
10. 3 Indian expats From UAE Win Prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award
i. Three Indian expats from the UAE are amongst those who won the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award the highest honor conferred on Indian diaspora. President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the award on Girish Pant, Surender Singh Kandhari and Dr. Zulekha Daud and other awardees at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention in Varanasi.
ii. Girish Pant is a social worker, Surender Singh Kandhari is chairman of the Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh Temple and a philanthropist, businessman, Dr Zulekha is founder and chairperson of Zulekha Healthcare Group.
Important Days
11. National Girl Child Day: 24 January
i. National Girl Child Day is celebrated in India on 24 January. Women and Child Development Ministry celebrated the National Girl Child Day 2019 at Pravasi Bharti Kendra, New Delhi. The programme also observed the anniversary of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme.
ii. The theme of National Girl Child Day 2019 was “Empowering Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow” and celebrating with objectives of generating awareness on the issue of declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR).
Static/Current Takeaways Important For NIACL AO Mains Exam:
- Maneka Sanjay Gandhi is the Union Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development.
12. International Day of Education: 24 January
i. Today (24th January) is International Day of Education.
ii. On 3 December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted with consensus a resolution proclaiming 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.