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’s smallest gold coin minted by Switzerland’s Swissmint

January 25, 2020

World’s smallest gold coin has been minted by Switzerland state-owned Swissmint. The coin is of 2.96 millimeter (0.12 inches) and features face of scientist Albert Einstein sticking out his tongue. It weighs 0.063 grams and has a nominal value of 1/4 Swiss francs (USD United States Dollar- 0.26).

Swissmint said the coin, of which just 999 have been made, will be sold for 199 francs with a special magnifying glass so owners can see the famous physicist Einstein on its face.

Waste to energy plant commissioned in Bhubaneswar by East Coast Railway

January 25, 2020

Indian Railways has commissioned country’s first governmental waste to energy plant at Bhubaneswar. The national transporter has put in place the governmental Waste to Energy plant in Mancheswar Carriage Repair Workshop which falls under East Coast Railway. The waste to energy plant has been constructed in three months.

The new plant has been installed at a cost of ₹1.79 crore while the maintenance cost will be ₹10.4 lakhs per year and the estimated income from the byproducts will be ₹17.5 lakhs per year. The waste to energy plant uses a patented technology called POLYCRACK, is first-of-its-kind in Indian Railways and fourth in India.

It is world’s first patented heterogeneous catalytic process which converts multiple feed stocks into hydrocarbon liquid fuels, gas, carbon and water. The process is a closed-loop system and does not emit any hazardous pollutants into the atmosphere.

Meerut to have India’s first war memorial for animals

January 25, 2020

Meerut city in Uttar Pradesh will be host to India’s first war memorial for service animals including dogs, horses and mules. This place will dedicate itself to the contributions and heroics of animals who have helped the army in counter insurgency operations in Kashmir and in the battlefield during the Kargil War.

The memorial, claimed by officials to be similar to the National Warn Memorial in Delhi, will come up at the army’s specialized breeding, rearing and training centre for animals: the Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC) Centre and College in Meerut.

The preliminary design of the memorial and the land has already been identified. Granite tablets with names and service numbers of more than 300 dogs, 350 handlers and a few horses’ mules will be inscribed at the memorial. The army has more than 100 dogs, 5000 mules and 1500 horses.

Mansi, a Labrador, who was awarded army’s highest honour for dogs due to her role in the counter insurgency operations in Kashmir in 2016, tops the list of animals to be remembered. Her handler, Bashir Ahmed War, will also adorn the tablet.

Srinagar joins the list of ‘Open Defecation Free’ cities

January 25, 2020

Junaid Azim Mattu, Mayor of Srinagar announced Srinagar as ‘Open Defecation Free’. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Central Government presented the Swachhata Certificate to Srinagar making its place in the list of cities that are now ‘Open Defecation free’. It’s another achievement after Srinagar gets 45th Rank in Cleanest Cities in the country.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or the Clean India Mission was introduced as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on October 2 in 2014. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan meant to make India the Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2019. It ensures to provide sanitation facilities to all. The campaign was completed by 2 October 2019 to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

New India Co-op Bank to be converted into Small Finance Bank

January 25, 2020

New India Co-operative Bank (NICB) has been decided to be converted into a Small Finance Bank (SFB) after being agreed by its shareholders under Voluntary Transition of Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs) into SFB. NICB will now approach the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Registrar of Societies for further action. The bank currently has 31 branches across Maharashtra and Gujarat and has networth of Rs. 230 crores.

Recently, Uttar Pradesh-based Shivalik Mercantile Co-operative Bank has taken the lead among urban co-operative banks to convert into a Small Finance Bank. With two multi-state Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) initiating steps to convert into a SFB, larger UCBs such as Saraswat Co-operative Bank, SVC Co-operative Bank, Bharat Co-operative Bank, Abhyudaya Co-operative Bank and Thane Janata Sahakari Bank, are also expected to weigh the possibility of converting into an SFB.

Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2020

January 25, 2020

Government of India has instituted an annual award known as ‘Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar’ in order to recognise the excellent work done by individuals and institutions in India in the field of disaster management. The award is announced every year on 23rd January, to commemorate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

For the year 2020, Disaster Mitigation & Management Centre, Uttarakhand (in the institution category) and Kumar Munnan Singh (Individual category) have been selected for the award for their commendable work in Disaster Management.

The winner shall receive a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakhs, in case of individual and receive a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 51 lakhs, in case of an institution. The cash prize shall be utilized by the winning institution for Disaster Management related activities only.

Kerala’s Barrier-Free Tourism Project receives global recognition

January 25, 2020

Kerala Tourism’s Barrier-Free Tourism Project has won global recognition with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) making a special mention of the south Indian state as an “Emerging Global Destination” in the Accessible Destination Awards 2019. Kerala Tourism Director P Bala Kiran received the conferment from UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili at the awards ceremony in Madrid.

In an effort at making 120 destinations across the state disabled-friendly, Kerala Tourism had launched the barrier-free project in March 2019. The disabled friendly project work has already been completed in the beaches of Azhikode & Snehatheeram, the hill destination of Vilangankunnu and the dams in Poomala and Vazhani in Thrissur district of Kerala. Under the ongoing major development projects the work is also being implemented in Chavakkad Beach, Peechi and Thumboormoozhi in Kerala.

Indian Olympic Association appoints Prem Chand Verma as the Deputy Chef de Mission

January 25, 2020

Dr. Prem Chand Verma has been appointed as Chef de Mission by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Dr. Verma, is currently appointed as Commissioner, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Union Ministry of Finance.

Dr. Verma who also happens to be the Working President of Table Tennis Federation of India has replaced Rakesh Sharma for this coveted post and would be accompanying the Indian contingent to Japan by the end of July.

Ex-IOB Executive Director appointed as CVC panel member

January 25, 2020

The Central Vigilance Commission has appointed A.D.M. Chavali, retired Executive Director of the Indian Overseas Bank, as a member in the Advisory Board for Banking & Financial Frauds. The tenure of Chavali would be up to August 20, 2021. The board is headed by T.M. Bhasin, former Vigilance Commissioner and former Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the Indian Bank.

The board, which was constituted last year and renamed earlier this month, is empowered to conduct the first level of examination of the allegations against officials in the rank of general managers and above in public sector banks and other financial institutions, in fraud cases involving more than ₹50 crore.

Its other members of the board are former Urban Development Secretary Madhusudan Prasad, former Director General of the Border Security Force D. K. Pathak and former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Andhra Bank Suresh N. Patel.

Corruption Perception Index released: India ranks 80th

January 25, 2020

Transparency International has launched Corruption Perception Index on January 23, 2020, based on data collected in 2019. The was released during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Denmark and New Zealand topped the index as they are the most honest countries.

Other countries in the top level are Norway (7th), the Netherlands (8th), Germany and Luxembourg (9th). India slipped two positions to 80th in the index along with Benin, China, Morocco, and Ghana. India’s neighboring country Pakistan ranked 120 on the list. A total of 180 countries have been placed in public sector corruption cases in this index.

January 2020 Current Affairs

World’s smallest gold coin minted by Switzerland’s Swissmint

Waste to energy plant commissioned in Bhubaneswar by East Coast Railway

Meerut to have India’s first war memorial for animals

Srinagar joins the list of ‘Open Defecation Free’ cities

New India Co-op Bank to be converted into Small Finance Bank

Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2020

Kerala’s Barrier-Free Tourism Project receives global recognition

Indian Olympic Association appoints Prem Chand Verma as the Deputy Chef de Mission

Ex-IOB Executive Director appointed as CVC panel member

Corruption Perception Index released: India ranks 80th

All In One Current Affairs

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