Current affair for NTPC

• Secunderabad Railway Station: the first Railway station to 
hoist Tricolour National flag on a 100 feet tall pole under 
Railway’s order.
• Lunar rover Yutu-2 or Jade Rabbit-2 of the Chang’e-
4 spacecraft made the first-ever soft landing on the far side of 
the moon.
• Roger Federer & Belinda Bencic retain title for Switzerland.
• 24th Edition of ATP World Tour Tennis 
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tournament, Maharashtra Open – 2019 also known as Tata 
Open Maharashtra organized by Association of Tennis 
Professionals (ATP) was held in Pune, Maharashtra. The event 
concludes on 5
th January 2019.

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi approved 10 pc quota in jobs and educational 
institutions for economically weaker sections in general 
category.
i. For the implementation of the quota, Articles 15 and 16 of 
the Constitution will have to be amended.
• The Group of States’ Finance Ministers (GoFM) led by Deputy 
Chief Minister of Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi approved levy 
of 1%‘calamity cess’ by Kerala for a period of two years to 
fund rehabilitation work in the state of Kerala. It will 
recommend the same to the GST council meeting which will 
be held in January 10, 2019.


the Reserve Bank of India constituted a 5-member high-level 
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committee under Aadhaar architect Nandan Nilekani to 
suggest measures to strengthen the safety and security of 
digital payments in the country.
• Former Indian envoy to Myanmar, Vikram Misri, took charge 
as India’s new envoy to China
• Solar Man of India, Pranav R Mehta, became the first Indian 
to Head Global Solar Council, USA
• The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) proposed 
renaming of the Indian Forest Service as Indian Forest and 
Tribal Service.

• Andaman to be First Island to operate seaplanes under 
UDAN-3.
• India’s GDP expected to grow at 7.3% in 2018-19: World Bank
• India is set to become world’s third largest consumer market 
after US and China in 2030
• Egypt to host 2019 Africa Cup of Nations
• USA Cricket announced as ICC’s 105th member,


• Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated 
India’s longest 300-meter single- lane steel cable suspension 
bridge over Siang River in Upper Siang district of state 
bordering China.
• India Ranks 79th, Japan Tops List Of Most Powerful Passports: 
Henley Passport Index.
• 36 years old boxer, M C Mary Kom attained the first position in 
the latest women ranking released by the International Boxing 
Association (AIBA) in the Light Fly 45-48 kilograms category 
with 1700 points.

 Malala Pens New Book “We Are Displaced” On Refugee Girls
• Bharatiya Pravasi Day or Non Resident Day: 9
th January
• World Hindi Day: 10th January

• The Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate 
Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched a nationwide strategy, to 
tackle implementation of air pollution, under the National 
Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in New Delhi.
• It will be a mid-term, five-year action plan with 2019 as the 
first year.
• National level target of 20%–30% reduction of PM2.5 and 
PM10 concentration by 2024 taking 2017 as the base year for 
the comparison of concentration,

• 6 states, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, 
Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, in the presence of Union Minister for 
Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, 
Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Shri Nitin
Gadkari, signed an agreement for Renukaji Multipurpose Dam 
Project in New Delhi.
• Under Renukaji Dam Multipurpose Project:
i. 3 storage projects are proposed to be constructed on the river 
Yamuna and two of its tributaries – Tons and Giri in the hilly 
regions of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh of Upper Yamuna 
Basin. These include:
• Lakhwar project on river Yamuna in Uttarakhand,
• Kishau on river Tons in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and
• Renukaji on river Giri in Himachal Pradesh.

• Sikkim will become first state to roll out Universal Basic 
Income
• Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced exit of 
West Bengal from the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan 
Arogya Yojna due to the use of PM’s picture in the official 
poster of the centre-state joint scheme.
• 1st Health centre launched at Bijapur, Chhattishgarh in April 
14, 2018.
♦ CEO: Dr. Indu Bhushan.
♦ Implementing authority: National Health Authority (NHA).

• India ranked at 41st at the 11th edition of EIU Democracy 
Index 2018, Norway topped the Index: EconomistIntelligent
Unit report.
• WEF recognises Tata Steel’s Netherlands plant 
as ‘Manufacturing Lighthouse’ of the 4
th Industrial Revolution
• Nicolas Maduro was sworn in as Venezuela’s President for the 
2nd term for a new 6-year term.
• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chairman K 
Sivan announced that the 1st Gaganyaan manned mission to 
outer space would be launched by December 2021.

• IWF president Birendra Prasad Baishya will be India’s Chef de 
Mission for Tokyo Olympics.
• The three-day 6th annual ‘Women of India Organic 
Festival’ commenced at Chandigarh.
• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a new scheme 
‘Ama Ghare LED’ to distribute free led bulbs
• Dhoni makes his place in the list 10000 runs club like Sachin
Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli had scored 
10,000 ODI runs for India.
• The nation celebrated the National Youth Day (also known as Yuva
Diwas) to honour the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, one of 
India’s greatest spiritual and social leaders who had strong faith in 
the power of youth.
• Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore launched National Youth 
Parliament Festival 2019 in New Delhi
• Sushil Modi to head committee on GST revenue shortfall 
faced by states
• Sikkim CM launched ‘One Family, One Job’ scheme in Rojgar
Mela 2019 to give one state government job to one family.
• IDFC Bank re-named IDFC First Bank.
• Gujarat becomes 1st state to implement 10% quota to 
EWS(Economically Weaker sections) 
• India’s largest startup ecosystem, measuring 1.8 lakh sq ft, 
inaugurated in Kerala by CM Pinarayi Vijayan.

• Swaraj on 2-day visit to Samarkand,Uzbekistan to attend first 
India Central Asia dialogue
• Macedonia renamed as the Republic of Northern Macedonia
• First-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award entitled to 
PM Narendra Modi
• ROADEO: robot inducted by Chennai Traffic Police for traffic 
management
• Bengaluru Raptors win Premier Badminton League title
• Bengaluru Raptors have become the fifth team after Chennai 
Smashers, Delhi Dashers, Hyderabad Hotshots and Hyderabad 
Hunters to win the title.

• Suresh Prabhu inaugurates Global Aviation Summit 2019 in 
Mumbai
• i. 
”Chalo Kumbh Chale” was the slogan used by the devotees 
commencing the mela.
ii. An area of 20 lakh sq.ft area, was designated for the street 
art projects under an initiative by Kumbh Mela Authority 
called ”Paint my city.”
iii. The whole kumbh area is divided into 20 sectors and 9 
zones for keen vigil by sector and zonal magistrates.

• iv. For the first time at the Kumbh Mela, a transgender 
ashram, known as the Kinnar Akhara, led by rights 
activist Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi from Mumbai, joined the 
first bathing day.
v. The Kumbh Mela is the largest human congregation in the 
world, with the participation of over 130 million pilgrims.

Contribution of the Ministries/state government:
i. 15 state government departments, 28 central government departments 
and six union ministries are managing the Kumbh Mela 2019.
ii. The UP government has allocated Rs.4,200 crore for the Ardh Kumbh
(twice in 12 years).
iii. Union minister Harsh Vardhan, launched a special weather service for 
the Kumbh Mela, which includes four automatic weather stations. It will 
provide information of the prevailing weather and forecasts for the 
next three days.
iv. Forty police stations, 58 police outposts including three women police 
station are erected where more than 20 thousand security personnel have 
been deployed.
v. A mobile app named ‘Kumbh Mela Weather Service’ has also been 
developed to disseminate the live weather information on temperature, 
humidity, rainfall and winds.
vi. Alongside 21 Snan Ghats set up for bathing, over 120000 toilets have 
been erected for making Clean Kumbh.

• According to the 6th City Momentum Index, released by property 
consultant JLL, Bengaluru has emerged as the world’s most 
dynamic city with a robust technology and innovation ecosystem in 
place.
• The London-based, Times Higher Education (THE) released 
the Emerging Economies University Rankings 2019 report which 
shows that India has improved its ranking and secured a higher 
position with 49 institutions making it to the list.
• ccording to this year’s report 25 Indian institutions figure in the top 
200 institutes, a rise from 17 last year.
ii. The report stated that the Indian Institute of Science 
(IISc),Bangaluru retains the highest spot for India (14th), followed 
by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (27th). Last year 
India had 42 institutions in the overall list.

• India’s Satyarup Siddhanta became World’s Youngest 
Mountaineer to climb 7 Peaks, 7 Volcano Summits.
• India’s 1st CWG Boxing Gold-Medallist Mohammed Ali Qamar
appointed as Women Team’s youngest Coach
• Death of George the tree snail marked the first extinction of 
2019.

• WHO Goodwill ambassador Yohei Sasakawa received Gandhi 
Peace Prize for 2018.
• The Japan Prize Foundation announced India born 
professor Dr. Rattan Lal as the recipient of the 2019 Japan 
Prize in the field of “Biological Production, Ecology”
.
• world’s first television channel dedicated to human rights was 
launched in London by the International Observatory of 
Human Rights (IOHR).
• The 4-day 2nd world Orange Festival commenced in Nagpur, 
the city of oranges, for the first time.

• Nashik in Maharashtra to be the site of the country’s second 
defence innovation hub after Coimatore.
• Uttar Pradesh became the third 
state after Jharkhand and Gujarat to approve the 10 per 
cent reservation for economically backward among upper 
castes in jobs and educational institutions.
• Vinesh Phogat became first Indian athlete to be nominated in 
Laureus World Comeback of Year Award
• Mary Kom named event ambassador of 16th Tata Mumbai 
Marathon.

• Shri Narendra Modi unveiled a statue of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, 
the father of Indian space programme in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• Government has taken decision to make Euro 6 Emission 
standards necessary for the initial launch of vehicles from 1 
April 2020. Union Minister for Transport Nitin Gadkari made 
the announcement while addressing Symposium of 
International Automotive Technology 2019 in Pune.

UNESCO names Rio de Janeiro as World Capital of 
Architecture for 2020.

• Aparna kumar First female IPS to reach the south pole.
• Saurashtra record highest successful chase in Ranji Trophy 
history
• Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a series of 
projects as a part of the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor 
in Tiruchirappalli.This is considered to be the second corridor 
succeeding the one launched in Aligarh,Uttar Pradesh.

• Bharat Ratna CNR Rao chosen for Sheikh Saud International Prize 
for Materials Research.
• BJP MP Anurag Thakur honoured with Sansad Ratna Award
• Khelo India Youth Games: Hosts Maharashtra finish top with 228 
medals
• Haryana, stood at second place with 62 gold, 56 silver and 60 
bronze for a total of 178 medals.
Delhi stood third with 48 gold, 37 silver and 51 bronze, a tally of 
136 medals.
Individually, Karnataka swimmer Srihari Nataraj became the most 
medals winner by competing in seven events in the U-21 category 
and winning all of them. The 16-year-old’s timing of 26.16 secs in 
50m backstroke was a senior national record.

• On January 21, 2019,Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura are 
celebrating their statehood day.It is their 47th statehood day

• Nitin Gadkari inaugurated first inter-state 1210-meter span-
bridge over Ravi River in Keerian Gandial in Kathua
district,jammu and kashmir.
• Arunachal Pradesh Chief 
Minister, Pema Khandu declared Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival 
(PPHF) as the “State Festival” during a valedictory ceremony of 
the fourth edition of the festival at Seijosa in East Kameng
district, Arunachal Pradesh.
• Three day Flamingo Festival,held in Pulicat Lake and 
Nellapattu in Sullurpet mandal, Andhra Pradesh.

• the Edelman which is an independent global communications 
firm released its 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer report which 
placed India at the second place in the informed public 
category and third place in the general population category in 
the Trust Index.
• India up one place on global talent competitiveness ranking 
at 80th
• 30-year-old Indian Cricket Team Captain, Virat Kohli became 
the first player to bag all top three ICC Awards in a single year. 
He won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the 
Year, the ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year and the ICC Men’s 
ODI Player of the year for his performance in 2018.

• butterfly researchers of Sikkim rediscovered the Small 
Woodbrown butterfly species from Bakhim
in Khanchendzonga National Park after a span of 120 long 
years.The Small Woodbrown butterfly was first discovered in 
Sikkim in 1887 by a scientist named de Nicéville.

• Global Investor Summit 2019 in Chennai
• or the first time, India has been ranked in the Bloomberg 
Innovation Index. India is ranked at the 54th Position with a 
score of 47.93 out of 100 among the world’s most innovative 
countries according to the Bloomberg 2019 Innovative Index.
• South Korea has retained its top spot with a score of 
87.38, Germany ranked second with a score of 87.30 
whereas Finland has been ranked at the third spot with a score 
of 85.70.

• India became 4th most attractive investment market for 
global CEO’s as per PwC Survey conducted over more than 
1300 CEOs in 91 countries. The report was released on the first 
day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting held 
in Davos, Switzerland.
• TheJawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s container port 
got listed in the top 30 container ports .
i.It managed to place itself 28th in the list,5 place up from the 
previous position.
ii.JNPT also launched their App service to facilitate better 
tracking of consignment and ease the trade process for their 
EXIM partners.

• Gujarati poet Sitanshu Yashaschandra awarded Saraswati
Samman for the year 2017
• Mohammed Shami succeeded the indian record holded by 
Irfan Pathan to became the fastest Indian bowler to claim 100 
ODI wickets.Shami got this milestone at his 56th match where 
as Irfan got in his 59th match.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Subhas
Chandra Bose Museum to mark the 122nd Birth anniversary of 
freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose at Red Fort in Delhi.

• Govt renames DIPP as 
Department for Promotion of 
Industry and Internal Trade
• The Department of Industrial 
Policy and Promotion 
(DIPP) has 
been renamed as the 
Department for Promotion of 
Industry and Internal 
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Trade with a mandate to deal 
with matters related to start-
ups, facilitating ease of doing 
business among others

The International Year of the Periodic 
Table of Chemical Elements will be 
launched at UNESCO’s Headquarters, 
Paris.
According to a statement from 
the United Nations Educational, 
Scientific and Cultural Organization 
(UNESCO), events and activities will be 
held throughout the year to celebrate 
the 150th anniversary of the 
organisation of the periodic table 
by Russian scientist Dmitri 
Mendeleev, one of the fathers of 
modern chemistry

ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 
2023 to be played in India
• International Cricket Council 
CEO and former South Africa 
cricketer David 
Richardson announced that 
the 13th edition of Men’s 
Cricket World Cup will be 
played in India in 2023.
• Mithali Raj becomes first 
woman cricketer to play 200 
ODIs.

 Haryana beat defending champions 
Punjab Royals to lift PWL 4 title.
• Observer Research Foundation (ORF) has 
been named the “highest ranked” Indian 
think tank in the “2018 Global Go To 
Think Tank Index Report. Globally, ORF 
has been ranked as the top think tank in 
the “Best New Idea or Paradigm 
Developed by a Think Tank” category, said 
the report by the Think Tanks and Civil 
Societies Programme (TTCSP) of 
the Lauder Institute at the University of 
Pennsylvania.
• 2019 Kala Ghoda Arts Festival begins in 
Mumbai

 Govt revises GDP growth rate for 2017-18 
to 7.2% from 6.7%.
• Qatar beat Japan 3-1 to win their first 
Asian Cup Title
• Vani Kapoor becomes first Indian to grab 
Australian LPGA card
• World Wetlands Day is celebrated every 
year on 2 February. This day marks the 
date of the adoption of the Convention on 
Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the 
Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the 
Caspian Sea.
• This year’s World Wetlands Day under 
the theme of “Wetlands and Climate 
Change”

Indus River Dolphin declared 
Punjab’s State aquatic animal.
• International Spice Conference 
2019 held in Hyderabad
• Sikkim signs MoU with 
Microsoft for digital learning
• ‘Nasr’-short range surface-to-
surface ballistic missile test 
fired by Pakistan
• Sana Mir becomes first Asian 
woman cricketer to play 100 
T20Is

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