Focus Merit

Date	Day	Theme 2020
04 January	World Braille Day
06 January	Journalist day (in Maharashtra)
09 January	Pravasi Bhartiya Divas
10 January	World Hindi Day
11-17 January	National Road Safety Week	Sadak Suraksha - Jeevan Suraksha.
12 January	National Youth Day
14 January	Armed Forces Veterans Day
15 January	Indian Army Day
18 January	15th Raising day of NDRF
19 January	National Immunization day
24 January	National Girl Child Day
24 January	International day of education	Learning for people, planet, prosperity and peace.
25 January	National Voters' Day	Electoral Literacy for a Stronger Democracy
25 January	National Tourism Day
26 January	International Customs Day	Customs fostering Sustainability for people, prosperity and the planet.
26 January	World Leprosy Day	Leprosy isn't what you think
27 January	International day of the commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust	“75 years after Auschwitz – Holocaust Education and Remembrance for Global Justice”
30 January	World Neglected Tropical diseases day

Andhra Pradesh govt inks Rs 711 cr loan pact with German bank

January 10, 2020

KfW, a German development bank, will assist the Andhra Pradesh government with a Rs 711 crore loan for expanding the climate-resilient Zero-Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) in the state over the next five years. The state government will spend another Rs 304 crore on the project under which 2.39 lakh farmers in 591 village panchayats will be encouraged to take up ZBNF.

The ZBNF project is being undertaken by the state government, dovetailing the Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) of the Centre, with the Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives extending technical support. It has already launched ZBNF is over 3,011 villages covering an extent of 1.28 lakh hectares.

Agriculture Minister Kanna Babu also launched a toll-free number, 1800 599 3366, for enquiries related to the insurance scheme launched by the YSRCP government. The helpline will be functional from 10 am to 10 pm. YSR Rythu Bharosa for financial assistance to farmers, interest-free loans, free insurance for farmers, free borewell and free power supply to farmlands are among the schemes announced for farmers.

Prof. MS Swaminathan & Dr. G Muniratnam to get Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu National Award

January 10, 2020

Eminent Agricultural Scientist Dr M S Swaminathan and well-known social worker Dr. Gutta Muniratnam, were respectively chosen as the first recipients of ‘Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu National Award for Excellence’ and ‘Muppavarapu National Award for Social Service’’.

Dr. Swaminathan was awarded for his distinguished contributions to the field of agriculture while Dr G Muniratnam, was awarded for his extraordinary contribution in improving quality of people’s lives through social service.

The National Award for Excellence was instituted by the Muppavarapu Foundation, while the one for Social Service was launched by the Swarna Bharat Trust, in Hyderabad. Each award carries a cash prize of Rupees Five Lakh and citation.

Dept. of Biotechnology funds a ‘KISAN hub’ at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

January 10, 2020

The Department of Biotechnology in the Union Ministry of Science and Technology has provided funds to Coimbatore-based Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to set up a biotechnology ‘KISAN hub’ under its farmers-centric mission Biotech-Krishi Innovation Science Application Network (Biotech-KISAN) programe to link India’s farmers with Indian and global best in science.

The hub has a low cost hydrponic demonstration unit, silage making facility, moisture meter, a nutritional forage cafeteria and a power back up facility to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the demonstration unit. The hub has been established at a cost of Rs. 11.14 lakhs at the Department of Forage Crops in the Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics at the University. Six scientists from the partnering institutes were selected and trained on improved fodder varieties and its cultivation and preservation.

Folk singer and sarangi maestro Sharif Idu passes away

January 10, 2020

Legendary balladeer and sarangi maestro from Punjab, Sharif Idu passes away at age 80. He was conferred with the country’s highest honour for performing arts — the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2006 in dhadi folk music category — by then President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

Screenwriter Buck Henry passes away

January 10, 2020

Veteran screenwriter Buck Henry, credited for penning Hollywood classics such as The Graduate and Heaven Can Wait, passes away at the age of 89. According to Deadline, Henry died after suffering a heart attack at Cedars-Sinai Health Center in Los Angeles. Born Henry Zuckerman in 1930 in New York City, the writer was the son of silent film star Ruth Taylor. He was known as Buck Hendry

Indian Navy to continue with ‘Operation Sankalp’ in Gulf region

January 11, 2020

Indian Navy launched Operation Sankalp in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to reassure Indian flagged vessels transiting through the area following the recent maritime incidents in the region.

INS Chennai and INS Sunayna have been deployed in the region to undertake maritime security operations. In addition, aerial surveillance in the area is also being done by IN aircraft. The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region of the Indian Navy is also keeping a close watch on the movement of ships in the Gulf region.

The operation has been launched in the wake of escalating tension in the Gulf of Oman, where two oil tankers were attacked last week. The incident has since heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington. It remains unclear who was responsible for the attacks but the United States has put the blame on Iran, which, in turn, has denied the allegations.

FIH nominates Rani Rampal for ‘World Games Athlete of the Year’

January 11, 2020

India women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal has been nominated for the World Games Athlete of the Year 2019 award. Rani was instrumental in India qualifying for the first time in back-to-back Olympic Games.

The 25 athletes nominated for this award from 25 sports have been recommended by their international federations and in Rani’s case, the FIH has recommended her name for the award for her outstanding performance and her ability to lead by example.

This will be the 6th edition of the WGA initiative that recognises and honours an athlete or a team for their outstanding performance or for their social commitment or particularly fair behaviour.

Indian scientists receive ‘Merck Young Scientist Award 2019’

January 11, 2020

Indian researchers have received first Merck Young Scientist Award 2019 in Chemical Sciences recently at Bangalore instituted by Merck, a science and technology company operating worldwide. Merck Young Scientist Award is given to researchers with less than ten years of experience with expertise in solving some of the toughest problems in chemical sciences. The winners received cash award of INR 2,00,000 and Travel Award of INR 1,50,000

Dr. Sakya Singha Sen, a senior scientist from National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune has been awarded for doing remarkable research in chemical science. Sen and his research team specializes in main group chemistry and involves in the synthesis of compounds with main group element and their catalytic application.

The other recipient of the award are Dr Debojyoti Chakraborty, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi (IGIB); Dr Dipyaman Ganguly, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata (CSIR-IICB); Dr Siddhesh S Kamat, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune; Dr Mahendran K .R, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram (RGCB) and; Dr Basker Sundararaju, Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Kanpur.

Former MP Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo dies at 76

January 11, 2020

The titular head of Odisha’s Gajapati dynasty and former parliamentarian, Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo passes away at age 76, following prolonged illness. Gopinath Gajapati was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar due to heart-related. He was under medication for over three years.

Born in 1943, Deo had represented the Berhampur parliamentary constituency for two terms as a Congress member in 1989 and 1991. He switched over to the BJP in 1998 and joined the ruling BJD a decade later, in 2009.

23rd National Youth Festival 2020 begins in Lucknow

January 11, 2020

On the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, 23rd National Youth Festival 2020 started with a grand inauguration ceremony in Lucknow, Uttar. The festival will take place between from 12th to 16th January.

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the State Government of Uttar Pradesh are jointly organising the national youth festival. The objective of NYF is to provide a platform to bring the youth of the country together in an attempt to provide them opportunity to showcase their talents in various activities.

The theme of the 23rd National Youth Festival 2020 is ‘FIT YOUTH FIT INDIA’ in pursuance of the goal of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi for New India to be a fit India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed youth of country to try only to purchase local products By 2020 which will help our countrymen.

January 2020 Current Affairs

Andhra Pradesh govt inks Rs 711 cr loan pact with German bank

Prof. MS Swaminathan & Dr. G Muniratnam to get Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu National Award

Dept. of Biotechnology funds a ‘KISAN hub’ at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

Folk singer and sarangi maestro Sharif Idu passes away

Screenwriter Buck Henry passes away

Indian Navy to continue with ‘Operation Sankalp’ in Gulf region

FIH nominates Rani Rampal for ‘World Games Athlete of the Year’

Indian scientists receive ‘Merck Young Scientist Award 2019’

Former MP Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo dies at 76

23rd National Youth Festival 2020 begins in Lucknow

All In One Current Affairs

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