Current Affairs - January 14, 2019 Current Affairs

Maharashtra topped the medal tally with 37 golds at the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune. Delhi was at second position with 35 gold and Haryana too maintains its third position with 29 gold. 10-year old Abhinav Shaw became the youngest gold medallist in the shooting. He teamed up with Mehuli Ghosh to help West Bengal win the 10m air rifle mixed team event.

The senior Indian Information Service officer Nitin Wakankar appointed the new Chief Information Officer and spokesperson of the CBI replacing Abhishek Dayal who has been transferred to the Publication Division. The decision was taken after the removal of Alok Verma from the post of the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation by a high powered selection committee. Nitin Wakankar has previously served in Rashtrapati Bhawan and Defense Ministry.

Gujarat has become the first state to implement the 10% reservation for economically weaker sections of the general category. This comes a day after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the bill. Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani stated that it will also be applicable to jobs for which announcement has been made but the procedure is yet to commence.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award, in New Delhi. The Award focuses on the triple-bottom-line of People, Profit, and Planet. It will be offered annually to the leader of a Nation. The Citation mentions initiatives such as Make in India, Startup India, Digital India, and Swachh Bharat.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 launched Iridium Communications satellite comprises of 10 voice and data satellites,which is an alternative for entire fleet with a new generation of orbiters from the Vandenberg Air Force station in California. The Iridium constellation was originally developed by Iridium SSC, with first-generation satellites deployed between 1997 to 2002. The constellation's name comes from the chemical element Iridium, which has atomic number 77.

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling launched the 'One Family One Job' scheme, under which for every family one government job has been allotted, in Gangtok. New recruits were taken for Group C and Group D posts in 12 departments. Thus, Sikkim became the first state in the country to carry out such a programme for the people entitling them to state government employee benefits. He also declared that all loan debts in the farming and agriculture sector would be revoked.

The Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) of United States Chamber of Commerce launched a new innovation strategy at Raisina Dialogue, 2019 in New Delhi. The Initiative is titled as "Fair Value for Innovation". The Initiative will examine economic underpinnings in order to enable breakthrough innovation and explore the opportunities to harness innovation capital in India and around the globe through research, advocacy, partnerships, and programs. India is the first market where GIPC is launching this new innovation initiative.

India's largest software exporter Tata Consultancy Services has appointed Don Callahan as an additional and independent director for a period of 5 years, based on the recommendations of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. He was the Chief Administrative Officer and Head of Operations and Technology at Citigroup and was a member of Citi's Operating Committee earlier.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi will head the 7-member committee to look into revenue shortfall being faced by the states after the GST roll-out and suggest steps for augmenting collections. The GST Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising state ministers, had on December 22, 2018, decided to set up a group of ministers (GoM) to analyze reasons for the shortfall in revenue collections by the states since July 2017. It would also look into structural patterns of major sectors of the economy impacting revenue collection, including the services sector.

Gurgaon's 8-year-old Kartik Singh won the under-8 category Junior world title at the Kids' Golf World Championship organised by US kids Golf in Malaysia to become the youngest Indian to win the title. Kartik is a member of the junior programme at the DLF Golf Academy. The DLF Golf Academy which was opened in 1999, is the first professional golf school in the country and Karan Bindra is the Director of Instruction.

Bengaluru Raptors have won their first ever Premier Badminton League, PBL title. In the title clash played at Bengaluru, Bengaluru edged out Mumbai Rockets, with a 4-3 win. Star player Kidambi Srikanth, Vu Ji Trang and the Men's Doubles pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Satiawan won their matches for Bengaluru guiding them to victory.

Yes Bank, India's fourth-largest private sector bank, announced the appointment of Brahm Dutt as non-executive part-time chairman up till July 4, 2020. He is currently also the chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Brahm Dutt has been on Yes Bank's board since July 2013 as an independent director, and contributed to almost all the sub-committees of the board over the past five and a half years.

Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Col Rajyavardhan Rathore launched the National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 at a function in New Delhi. The festival will continue till 24th of Feburary 2019.The theme of the festival is- "Be the Voice of New India" and "Find solutions and contribute to policy". Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports propose to take the Youth Festival to every nook and corner of the country and celebrate it as the "National Youth Parliament Festival". Organising District Youth Parliaments and taking the festival to the doorsteps of the youth would provide chance to youth of the country to participate and share their about how to make a New India.

Writer Namita Gokhale has won the Sushila Devi Literature Award for her novel "Things to Leave Behind". She was awarded in the 'Best Book of Fiction Written by a Woman Author' category at the inaugural edition of Bhopal Literature and Art Festival (BLF).

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), under the relevant provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, imposed a penalty of Rs 3 crore on Citibank India for non-compliance in criteria for directors of the bank. Citibank has been accused of deficiencies in regulatory compliance and of directions regarding the 'fit-and-proper criteria' for directors of the bank. The US-based Citibank has been operating in India for over 115 years.