Focus Merit

Category: National Current Affairs

Centre appoints Rohan Shah as Governor on ERIA Board

January 1, 2020

Ministry of Commerce and Industry has appointed Rohan Shah, a practicing counsel at the Supreme Court, as India’s Representative and Governor on the board of Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (“ERIA”), for a period of three years. The Board of ERIA meets once in every six months in Jakarta and then in Japan.

Shah had previously been associated with India’s WTO trade negotiations as an Industry Representative, including, with Arun Jaitley (the then Minister of Commerce) at Cancún in 2003. India’s previous nominees as Governor have included Ratan Tata, Rajiv Kumar (currently Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog) and economist Ajit Ranade.

Railway Board re-appoints Vinod Kumar Yadav as Chairman for one year

January 1, 2020

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved re-employment of Vinod Kumar Yadav as Chairman, Railway Board for a period of one year w.e.f January 1, 2020.

He has been reappointed as Chairman Railway Board, in the rank of Ex-Officio Principal Secretary to Government of India.

CRPF DG Bhatnagar retires, ITBP chief given additional charge

January 1, 2020

ITBP Director General S S Deswal has been given the “additional” charge to head country’s largest paramilitary force CRPF as its serving DG, R R Bhatnagar, retired on Tuesday.

An order issued by the Union home ministry said Deswal, a 1984-batch Haryana cadre IPS officer, will hold the CRPF charge, till the appointment and joining of the successor or until furtherorders, whichever is earlier.

Bhatnagar, is retiring after heading the Central Reserve Police Force for over 2.5 years. He was appointed CRPF Director General (DG) in April, 2017.

RBI launches ‘MANI’ app for visually challenged to identify denomination of currency notes

January 1, 2020

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched a mobile app ‘MANI’ (Mobile Aided Note Identifier) for the visually challenged to identify the denomination of a note by using the application, which can also work offline. Through the downloaded app, users can scan the notes using the camera, the audio output will give the result in Hindi and English.

The app, which is available both on Android and iOS operating systems, was launched by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and other officials on Wednesday, 1st Jan 2020.

India sets records for highest number of babies born globally on New Year’s Day: UNICEF

January 1, 2020

According to UNICEF, an estimated 392,078 babies were born around the world on New Year’s Day, with India recording the highest number of these births worldwide at 67,385. China comes in second with 46,299 births.

Globally, over half of these births were estimated to have taken place in eight countries – India (67,385), China (46,299), Nigeria (26,039), Pakistan (16,787), Indonesia (13,020), United States of America (10,452), Democratic Republic of Congo (10,247) and Ethiopia (8,493).

“The beginning of a new year and a new decade is an opportunity to reflect on our hopes and aspirations not only for our future, but the future of those who will come after us,” UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore stated

S. S. Deswal got additional charge of CRPF

January 1, 2020

S.S. DESWAL has got additional charge of the Central Reserve Police force.

Currently, as on 1 January 2020 he is serving as the Director-General of Indo Tibetan Border Police.

Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System launched by Election Commission

January 1, 2020

The Election Commission has launched a Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System to enable applicants to track the status of the applications. The Commission had amended the guidelines for registration last month.

Applicants, applying for the party registration from 1st of this month will be able to track the progress of applications and will get the status through SMS and e-mail. An association seeking registration has to submit an application to the Commission within a period of 30 days from the date of its formation.

Web portal to block stolen/ lost mobile phones launched by Government

January 1, 2020

Government launched a web portal, ‘Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR)’, in Delhi to facilitate blocking and tracing of stolen/ lost mobile phones. It has been undertaken by the Department of Telecom (DoT) for addressing security, theft and other concerns including reprogramming of mobile handsets.

It will facilitate – request for blocking of stolen/ lost mobile phone; blocking of such mobile phones across mobile networks; sharing of traceability data with the Police; and unblocking of recovered and found stolen/ lost mobile phones.