Focus Merit

Category: All Current Affairs

Russia to deliver five S-400 air defence systems by 2025

January 18, 2020

Russia has started production of S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems for India. All five units will be delivered to India by 2025. The S-400 air defence missile systems are among the best in the world and it would serve well for Indian security.

India signed a USD 43-billion deal with Russia for the purchase of five S-400 systems during the 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit in New Delhi on October 5, 2018, for long-term security needs.

Sania Mirza wins WTA doubles title with partner Nadiia Kichenok

January 18, 2020

Sania Mirza lifted the WTA Hobart International trophy at Hobart, Australia with partner Nadiia Kichenok after edging out Shaui Peng and Shuai Zhang in the final. The unseeded Indo-Ukrainian pair pipped the second seed Chinese team 6-4 6-4 in one hour 21 minutes.

It is Sania’s 42nd WTA doubles title and first since Brisbane International trophy in 2007 with American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Sania did not compete on the WTA circuit in the entire 2018 and 2019 seasons to start a family with Pakistani cricketer husband Shoaib Malik.

NITI Aayog and Ladakh UT sign MoU to develop infrastructure projects

January 18, 2020

NITI Aayog entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Union Territory of Ladakh administration on 17 January 2020. The MoU NITI Aayog will be supporting the UT’s administration through its crucial initiative Development Support Services to States for Infrastructure Projects (D3S-i).

The MoU executed in the presence of NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and Joint Secretary MC Jauhari. It will be signed by NITI Aayog Senior Adviser Dr. Yogesh Suri and Adviser to the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Umang Narula.

NITI Aayog committed to assist the UT’s administration in creating a strategic plan for identifying prioritized infrastructure projects and by providing end-to-end transaction-management support for the identified projects.

Senior journalist and former parliamentarian Ashwini Chopra passes away

January 18, 2020

Senior journalist and former BJP MP Ashwini Kumar Chopra passed away at a hospital in Gurugram after a prolonged illness. He was 63. He was suffering from terminal cancer and had been admitted to Medanta Hospital about three weeks ago.

The media baron-turned journalist was elected as an MP from Karnal, Haryana, in 2014. He was the editor of Punjab Kesari, Delhi. Popularly known as ‘Minna’, he was a promising cricketer in his youth.

Kerala: Sports awards announced, Muhammad Anas wins GV Raja award

January 18, 2020

The sports awards was announced by Kerala Sports Minister E P Jayarajan. The award is instituted by Kerala State Sports Council with Indian sprinter Muhammad Anas winning GV Raja award (Male) for athletics. Anas had won silver for India in the 400-meter race at Jakarta Asian games.

P C Thulasi was announced the winner for GV Raja award in the female category which carries prize money of Rs 3 lakh and a citation. Athletics coach, T P Ouseph will be conferred with Olympian Suresh Babu lifetime achievement award which carries a prize of Rs 2 lakh and a citation. Football coach Satheevan Balan of the Kerala State Sports council clinched the award for the best sports trainer.

The Sports Minister also announced awards for meritorious sportspersons in different categories that included school and college level students. Singer Suman & Music Director Kuldeep to get MP’s Mangeshkar Award. They have been chosen for this award for their contribution in the field of music and will be awarded in February 2020 at an event in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

Piyush Goyal to lead Indian delegation to WEF 2020 in Davos

January 18, 2020

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will lead the Indian delegation to the 50th World Economic Forum at Davos from January 20 to 24. Goyal will also participate in an informal WTO Ministerial gathering being held in Davos during this period. The theme of the World Economic Forum’s meeting this year is ‘Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World’.

The union minister will hold bilateral meetings with ministers of Australia, South Africa, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Korea and Singapore. He will also meet Director General of World Trade Organization and Secretary General of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Apart from this, Goyal will hold bilateral meetings with CEOs of companies, attend WEF sessions and round tables on ‘Accelerating Investments in Indian Railways‘ and attracting Global Institutional Investments in India.

The minister will participate in the WEF along with Union Minister of State for Shipping and Chemical and Fertilizers, Mansukh L Mandaviya; and Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh; Finance Minister of Punjab and the IT Minister of Telangana.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharuk submits resignation

January 18, 2020

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk has submitted a letter of resignation and President Volodymur Zelenskiy will consider it, the presidential office said on Friday. Oleksiy Honcharuk has been the Prime Minister of Ukraine since 29 August 2019 becoming the youngest-ever head of government at the age of 35.

Microsoft promises to be ‘carbon negative’ by 2030

January 17, 2020

Microsoft announced ambitious new plans to become ‘carbon negative’ by 2030 and then go one step further and remove by 2050 all the carbon it has emitted since the company was founded in 1975. Microsoft has also announced its investment of $1 billion in a “climate innovation fund” for technology for carbon capture and removal.

The focus on taking the enormous step of clearing all the carbon it has contributed in the last 45 years sets the tech giant apart from other companies that have focused on reducing their current and future emissions. Ikea pledged to go carbon negative as well, but it did not commit to removing all the carbon it is responsible for in its history, according to NPR.

Microsoft created a detailed plan to take gradual steps over the next decade to reach net-zero emissions by overhauling its entire supply chain to reduce emissions. The company already asks employees to consider greenhouse gas emissions in all its business decision. Microsoft’s plan includes using 100 percent renewable energy and relying on electric vehicles.

1st edition of Krishi Manthan begins in Gujarat

January 17, 2020

The first edition of Krishi Manthan– the largest Food, Agri-business and Rural Development Summit of Asia begins in Gujarat. The summit is organized by Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

More than 1,500 delegates including students and academicians are participating in the two-day event organized by the Food and Agribusiness Committee of IIMA. It is an exclusive platform for industry, academia, and policymakers to share ideas, knowledge, and expertise to create solutions.

Eminent speakers like the founder of Honey Bee Network, SRISTI, NIF and GIAN Padma Prof. Anil Gupta, IIMA Professor in Production and Quantitative Methods Chetan Soman, Founder of 24 Mantra Organic Rajashekhar Reddy Seelam, former Executive Vice President of Mahindra Agri Solutions attended the summit.

India to host 19th SCO Heads of Government meeting 2020

January 17, 2020

The 19th council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will be hosted by India later this year. This would be the first high-level meeting of the SCO that would be organised here since India’s admission to the eight-member grouping. The SCO Heads of Government meeting will be held in India in the second half in autumn.

SCO General Secretary Vladimir Norov, who arrived on Sunday on a four-day trip, made the announcement on the sidelines of an event. India took over the presidency of the heads of government’ meeting last year and it was announced in the 18th meeting of the SCO’s Council of heads of government-held in Tashkent in 2019.