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Category: All Current Affairs

Reliance Jio – 1st Telecom to launch UPI Payments

January 24, 2020

Mukesh Ambani-led telecom major Reliance Jio has launched UPI-powered payments service and has started offering the feature to its subscribers. The company has become the first telecom operator to enter the UPI payments space.

Currently, Reliance Jio is India’s largest telecom operator with over 370 million subscribers. Jio’s UPI payments feature, which is only available for select users now, will soon be made available to others.

Jio’s UPI payments/ money transfer feature has not been directly linked to the Jio Money wallet but is available on the LTE network provider’s My Jio app. This app acts as a portal to other Jio apps like — JioCinema, JioTV and JioCloud.

Russia to be focal theme of 44th Kolkata book fair

January 24, 2020

The 44th International Kolkata Book Fair will begin and Russia will be the focal country. Around 22 countries from Asia, Europe and Latin America would take part in the 12-day mega event, known over the decades for its huge footfall. It will be inaugurated by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The fair would be held at the Central Park in Salt Lake and stalls of approximately 600 publishers and 200 small magazines will be set up. Publishers from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other states would be among the participants.

‘Women with Wheels’ launched at Indira Gandhi International Airport

January 24, 2020

A unique taxi service ‘Women with wheels‘ which will be only available for the female commuters and will be driven by women drivers only, has been launched at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. It is an initiative by ‘Sakha cabs‘.

All the women drivers have been trained by Azad foundation in driving, self-defence, personality development and English speaking for eight months. 30 to 40 rides are being given by them on a daily basis.

‘International Day of Education’ celebrated globally

January 24, 2020

24th January is celebrated globally as International Day of Education with the theme ‘Learning for people, planet, prosperity and peace’. The day is dedicated to education. It was celebrated for the first time on 24 January 2019.

On December 3, 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming January 24 as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for bringing global peace and sustainable development.

India celebrates ‘National Girl Child Day’

January 24, 2020

National Girl Child Day is being celebrated on 24 January in Madhya Pradesh on the theme of “Aware girl child-able Madhya Pradesh” (Jagruk Balika-Samarth Madhya Pradesh) under the “Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao” scheme. Women and Child Development Department will also celebrate National Girl Child Week from January 24 to 30.

National Girl Child Day is celebrated by India every year on 24th January with an aim to focus on the inequalities faced by girls, to promote the education, health and nutrition of the girl child, and to spread awareness about the rights of a girl child.

RBI ups investment limit for FPIs in govt and corporate bonds

January 24, 2020

The Reserve Bank of India on Thursday raised the investment limit for FPIs in government and corporate bonds to bring in more foreign funds into the market. Currently, short-term investments by a foreign portfolio investors (FPI) should not exceed 20 per cent of the total investment of that FPI in either central government securities (including treasury bills) or state development loans or corporate bonds. The short-term investment limit has now been increased from 20 per cent to 30 per cent in both cases.

The central bank has also made a relaxation in the voluntary retention route (VRR) for FPI investments in debt. The investment cap through VRR has been doubled to ₹1.5 lakh crore. FPIs are also allowed to invest in exchange-traded funds that invest only in debt instruments, it added. The RBI had introduced VRR in March 2019. This helped FPIs to invest in debt markets in India.

Maharashtra tops in Khelo India Youth Games 2020

January 24, 2020

Maharashtra has topped the medal tally of the 3rd season of the Khelo India Youth Games concluded in Guwahati. The state clinched 256 medals including 78 gold comprising 78 gold, 77 silver and 101 bronze.

Haryana stood at 2nd position with a total of 200 medals while Delhi secured 3rd position with 122 medals. Assam’s swimmer Shivangi Sharma won five gold and two silver medals and became the most successful female player of the tournament.

The winning trophy was given by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in the presence of Union Minister of State for Food Processing, Rameshwar Teli and Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju in a glittering closing ceremony.

India’s 1st Mahatma Gandhi convention centre inaugurated in Niger

January 24, 2020

Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou have inaugurated India’s first Mahatma Gandhi convention centre in Niger. It is the first convention centre established in Africa by India to honour the memory of Mahatma Gandhi. The centre will be landmark for India-Niger friendship, and also a symbol of India’s firm commitment towards Africa.

The convention centre has been designed as a spacious, modern and eco-friendly facility, including a 2,000 capacity Plenary Hall, to witness high-level and wide-ranging participation from African Union member states and other high-level conventions. The bilateral relations have expanded significantly in recent years. India has provided Lines of Credit to Niger for projects in transport, electrification, solar energy and potable drinking water.

Terry Jones, ‘Monty Python’ star Passes Away at 77

January 24, 2020

Terry Jones, a star of the seminal comedy group ‘Monty Python‘ who delivered some of the most famous lines in comedic history, passes away at age 77. In 2016 it was announced that Jones had been diagnosed with dementia.

Jones was a major creative force behind the surrealist troupe’s pioneering works, which flitted between styles and tones and cemented the six-man group as one of the most influential acts in the British cultural canon.

Alistair Shearer’s “The Story of Yoga: From Ancient India to the Modern West” launched

January 24, 2020

Book titled ‘first definitive history’ of Yoga, “The Story of Yoga: From India to the Contemporary World” has been written by Scottish cultural historian Alistair Shearer, published by Penguin Random House.

The book reveals history boasting a colourful cast of characters past and present, in an engaging tale of scholars and scandal, science and spirit, wisdom and waywardness. The book is divided into 2 parts – Today and Yesterday, with 9 chapters, including “The Age of invasions”, “Female fitness” and “Yoga Goes West”.