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

World Gold Outlook 2020: RBI at 6th position in buying gold abroad

January 22, 2020

“World Gold Outlook 2020” has been released by World Gold Council in which it placed Reserve Bank of India on 6th position in the largest buyer of sovereign gold abroad. RBI currently holds 625.2 tonnes of gold which is 6.6% of the country’s foreign exchange.

The other 5 countries that have bought more gold than India include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Poland. Higher taxes have exacerbated the local gold price consumption. The recently introduces new hallmarking reforms are expected to increase consumer trust, remove inefficiencies, promote growth and improve confidence.

Supreme Court forms committee to draft mediation law

January 22, 2020

The Supreme Court has set up a panel to firm up a draft legislation to give legal sanctity to disputes settled through mediation, which would then be sent to the government as a suggestion from the apex court. The panel, to be headed by mediator Niranjan Bhat, will recommend a code of conduct for mediators, who are legal experts.

On January 12, the committee met in Hyderabad to consider suggestions for a legislation put forth by mediators from all over India. The mediators emphasised on confidentiality, the voluntary nature of the process, neutrality, avoiding conflicts of interest, enforceability of settlement etc.

The other members of the panel, appointed by the Mediation and Project Conciliation Committee (MCPC) of the Supreme Court, included Justice K Kanan, former ASGs AS Chandok and PS Narsimha, senior advocates Sriram Panchu and JP Singh, and senior mediators Susheela S, Sadhna Ramchandran, Laila Ollapally, and Anil Xavier.

India starts thermal screening of passengers for Coronavirus

January 22, 2020

India on Tuesday expanded thermal screening of passengers arriving from China including Hong Kong to seven airports for preventing any entry of ‘Novel Corona Virus Disease (nCoV) in the country. Ministry of Civil Aviation has called for immediate implementation of the action plan and strict adherence by identified airports and all concerned airlines.

Following advisory from National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the Ministry of Civil Aviation directed for all logistics support and arrangements to be made immediately with regard to screening of passengers arriving in India from China including Hong Kong at the identified airports i.e. Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin along with three airports at Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata identified earlier.

Yogeshwar Dutt & Deepa Malik inducted in All India Council of Sports

January 22, 2020

Paralympian Deepa Malik and wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt have been inducted in the All India Council of Sports (AICS) along with shooter Anjali Bhagwat, footballer Renedy Singh, mountaineer Bachendri Pal and former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

AICS is an advisory body to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports which was formed in 2015 by the then Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Its term has also been extended by three years and veteran sports administrator K Malhotra will continue as President.

A legal framework to prevent sexual harassment at the workplace

January 22, 2020

The Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Home Minister Amit Shah, which was constituted to strengthen the legal framework to prevent sexual harassment at the workplace, has finalised its recommendations. The recommendations, includes addition of new provisions to the Indian Penal Code, which will be put up for comments from the public.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Human Resource and Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal and Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani are among the other members of GoM. The GoM was constituted first in October 2018 in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement when many women shared their ordeal on social media.

The Women and Child Development Ministry had steered the Sexual Harassment of Women and Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act in 2013, which was applicable to government offices, the private sector, NGOs and the unorganised sector.

Rs 5,000 cr approved to promote indigenization of defence equipment

January 22, 2020

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved procurement of equipment worth over Rs. 5000 crore from indigenous sources to promote indigenization. They include sophisticated Electronic Warfare Systems for the Army manufactured locally by the Indian industry and designed by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

The systems will provide comprehensive Electronic Support and Counter Measure capabilities to the field formations in both communication and other aspects of Electronic Warfare. The systems will be used in deserts and plains. The DAC headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met to consider a number of new and ongoing proposals for procuring critically needed platforms and equipment for the Armed Forces.

The council also approved prototype testing of trawl assemblies designed by DRDO for T-72 and T-90 tanks providing an important indigenous de-mining capability to the Army. The DAC also accorded approval for inclusion of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) in Defence Procurement Procedure.

UN report: Global unemployment to rise by 2.5 million in 2020

January 22, 2020

According to UN’s International Labour Organization report – Global unemployment is projected to increase by around 5 million in 2020. Almost half a billion people are working fewer paid hours than they would like or lack adequate access to paid work.

The World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2020 (WESO) report has been released and it states that global unemployment has been roughly stable for the last nine years but slowing global economic growth means that, as the global labour force increases, not enough new jobs are being generated to absorb new entrants to the labour market.

RBI cancels certificate of authorisation of Vodafone m-pesa

January 22, 2020

The Reserve Bank of India cancelled the Certificate of Authorisation (CoA) of Vodafone m-pesa after its voluntary surrender of authorisation. Hence, the company cannot transact business of issuance and operation of Prepaid payment Instruments.

However, the customers or merchants having a valid claim on the company as a PSO, can approach the company till September 30, 2022 for settlement of their claims within three years from the date of cancellation, as stated by The Central Bank.

Odisha’s 44 underprivileged children to get their 1st flight experience

January 22, 2020

44 Divyang children from Odisha will experience the joy of flying aboard in a special Alliance Air flight from Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar. The children includes 21 girls and 23 boys coming from poor families, who will get this opportunity. It will be a 40 minute tour and the special flight will take off at 9:30 am.

The initiative is a result of joint collaboration of Ministry of Civil Aviation, Airport Authority of India (AAI) and Alliance Air with Government of Odisha. The AAI has waived all the cost of flying and Odisha Government has extended full support to this initiative.

Bengaluru: Exclusive sports ground for visually impaired cricketers

January 22, 2020

Visually impaired cricketers are likely to get a dedicated sports training complex that will enable them to develop into professional players, as stated by the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI).

In an interview with the media persons in Bengaluru Mahantesh G K, President of CABI and head of Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, informed that CABI has approached the Karnataka government with a request to allot 25 acres of land to set up a sports complex with a training ground, gymnasium and swimming pool, and has received a positive response.

CABI has been striving to develop cricket on a large scale among visually impaired people by identifying and encouraging school students, and adults. The entire facility will be sensitive to the needs of people with visual and other disabilities so that everyone can come and practice their respective sports.

January 2020 Current Affairs

World Gold Outlook 2020: RBI at 6th position in buying gold abroad

Supreme Court forms committee to draft mediation law

India starts thermal screening of passengers for Coronavirus

Yogeshwar Dutt & Deepa Malik inducted in All India Council of Sports

A legal framework to prevent sexual harassment at the workplace

Rs 5,000 cr approved to promote indigenization of defence equipment

UN report: Global unemployment to rise by 2.5 million in 2020

RBI cancels certificate of authorisation of Vodafone m-pesa

Odisha’s 44 underprivileged children to get their 1st flight experience

Bengaluru: Exclusive sports ground for visually impaired cricketers

All In One Current Affairs

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