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National News

1. Isro signs pact with astrophysics institute to set up optical Telescopes

The Indian Space Research Organization has signed a pact with Indian Institute of Astrophysics to establish an optical telescope under Project NETRA. Project NETRA is an early warning system in space to detect debris and other hazards to Indian satellites.
Under the project, the ISRO plans to put up many observational facilities: connected radars, telescopes; data processing units and a control centre.
They can spot, track and catalogue objects as small as 10 cm up to a range of 3,400 km and equal to a space orbit of around 2,000 km. India has 15 communication satellites active in the geostationary orbit, 13 remote-sensing satellites active in low-earth orbit (2,000 km radius) and eight navigation satellites in medium-earth orbit. NETRA would make India a part of international efforts towards tracking, warning about and mitigating space debris.
It will also give India its own capability in space situational awareness (SSA) like the other space powers.

2. ISRO’s astronaut training hub to be established in Challakere, Karnataka

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) proposed 2,700 crores of infrastructure plans to construct its first Human Space Flight Infrastructure Centre (HSFIC). This astronaut hub will be established in Challakere, Chitradurga district of Karnataka. It is expected that this center will start functioning in the next three years. Various activities related to the training of astronauts to manned missions will be conducted here. This pace is about 200 km from Bengaluru. Challakere is also known as Science City where various other scientific establishments are already working.
At present, the Human Spaceflight Program is being carried out in various centers like U.R. Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
However, the Institute of Aerospace Medicine of the Air Force (IAMAF) is working for astronauts' selection and training.

3. Government of India’s UJALA & Street Lighting National Programme Complete Five Successful years of Illuminating India

Launched by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on January 5th, 2015, the Government of India’s zero subsidy Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) and LED Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP), marked its five years in 2020. SLNP is the world’s largest streetlight replacement programme and UJALA is the world’s largest domestic lighting project. Both have been spearheaded and implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Ministry of Power, Government of India.
Under the SLNP programme, over 1.03 crore smart LED streetlights have been installed till date, enabling an estimated energy savings of 6.97 billion kWh per year with an avoided peak demand of 1,161 MW and an estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction of 4.80 million tCO2 annually. LED streetlights have been installed in various states across the country, helping generate approximately 13,000 jobs to support GoI's Make in India initiative.
Through the UJALA initiative, over 36.13 crore LED bulbs have been distributed across India. This has resulted in estimated energy savings of 46.92 billion kWh per year, avoided peak demand of 9,394 MW, and an estimated GHG emission reduction of 38 million t CO2 annually.

4. State can Regulate Minority Institutions: SC

Recently, the Supreme Court held that the state has the rights to introduce a regulatory regime in the national interest to provide minority educational institutions with well-qualified teachers so that they can achieve excellence in education. Minority institutions have the fundamental right under Article 30 of the Constitution to establish and administer their educational institutions according to their choice. However, they cannot ignore the regulations recommended by the state.
The judgment held that the regulatory law should be a balance of the dual objectives of ensuring the standard of excellence as well as preserving the right of minorities to establish and administer their educational institutions.
The judgment came after the validity of the West Bengal Madrasah Service Commission Act of 2008 was challenged.
This Act mandated that the process of appointment of teachers in aided madrasahs would be done by a Commission, whose decision would be binding.
Madrasahs are recognised as minority institutions.
The SC upheld the validity of the 2008 Act and said that the Commission is composed of people who have profound knowledge in Islamic Culture and Islamic Theology.
It added that the Act was not violative of the rights of the minority educational institutions on any count.

5. Centre approves Rs 5,908 crore to seven states for calamity damage relief

The Centre approved the release of Rs 5,908.56 crore to seven states, including Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Assam, as assistance for the damage caused due to various calamities last year.
The decision was taken at a meeting of a high-level committee (HLC), chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The HLC approved additional central assistance of Rs 5908.56 crore to seven states from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) of which Rs 616.63 crore will be given to Assam, Rs 284.93 crore to Himachal Pradesh, Rs 1869.85 crore to Karnataka, Rs 1749.73 crore to Madhya Pradesh, Rs 956.93 crore to Maharashtra, Rs 63.32 to Tripura and Rs 367.17 crore to Uttar Pradesh for floods or landslides or cloudburst during the 2019 southwest monsoon.
During 2019-20, the government has released Rs 8,068.33 crore to 27 states as central share from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

6. Mizoram govt to organise Zo Kutpui to unify Mizo tribes

As part of its endeavour to unify different tribes of Mizo, the Mizoram government will organise Zo Festival under the banner Zo Kutpui in at least 10 different cities across the globe starting from January 9. The first festival was held at Vanghmun, a hub town of Mizos in neighbouring Tripura from January 9 to 11.
Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga was the chief guest. The event saw the presence of many important dignitaries from various Mizoram tribes and also witnessed cultural programmes and traditional songs from various Mizo tribes from Mizoram and other northeastern states. Zo Kutpui will also be organised in Maryland in USA, Tahan in Myanmar, Churachandpur in Manipur and Bangladesh.

7. ‘Karmayodha Granth’: A book on the life of PM Narendra Modi launched

Union Home Minister released a book ‘Karmayoddha Granth’ on the life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A ‘Karmayodha’ is a man with a beating heart for people, a statesman, a hard taskmaster, an able administrator and an ideal leader who leads by example.

8. 2019 7th warmest year recorded in country since 1901: IMD

2019 was recorded as the seventh warmest year since 1901, but the heating was substantially lower than the highest warming observed in 2016, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. In its report for 2019, the IMD said 1,562 people died due to extreme weather events -- avalanches floods, heat wave and thunderstorms. The figure is based on media reports and government agencies.
Bihar was the most adversely affected state during the year, which reported about 650 lives due to heavy rain and floods, heat wave, lightning, thunderstorm and hailstorm, according to the IMD. The report said the year saw eight cyclonic storms formed over the Indian seas. Arabian Sea contributed five out of these eight cyclones against the normal of one per year, which equals the previous record of 1902 for the highest frequency of cyclones over the Arabian Sea.
This year also witnessed development of more intense cyclones over the Arabian Sea. The five warmest years on record are 2016 ( 0.71 degree Celsius), 2009 ( 0.541 degree Celsius), 2017 ( 0.539 degree Celsius), 2010 ( 0.54 degree Celsius) and 2015 ( 0.42 degree Celsius).
The IMD said 11 out of 15 warmest years were during the recent past fifteen years (2005-2019). The average temperature over India during the year 2019 was above normal. During the year, annual mean surface air temperature, averaged over the country, was 0.36 degree Celsius above (1981-2010 period) average. The year 2019 was the seventh warmest year on record since nation-wide records commenced in 1901. However, the warming during 2019 was substantially lower than the highest warming observed over India during 2016 ( 0.71 degree Celsius).
The annual rainfall in 2019 over the country as a whole was 109 percent of its long period average (LPA) value for the period 1961-2010.
Heavy rain and flood related incidents reportedly claimed over 850 lives from different parts of the country during the pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. Of these, 306 lives were reported from Bihar alone, 136 from Maharashtra, 107 from Uttar Pradesh, 88 from Kerala, 80 from Rajasthan and 43 from Karnataka.
Heat-wave conditions, which prevailed over the northeastern and central parts of the country during the period March-June, claimed about 350 lives.
Of these, 293 lives were reported from the worst affected state of Bihar alone during June and 44 lives were reported from Maharashtra.
Lightning and thunderstorm reportedly claimed over 380 lives from central, northeastern, northwestern and peninsular parts of the country during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons.
Of these, 125 lives were reported from Jharkhand,73 from Bihar, 51 from Maharashtra and 24 each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Snowfall and avalanche related incidents claimed 33 lives from Jammu and Kashmir and 18 from Leh.
Cold wave claimed 28 lives from different parts of Uttar Pradesh during the last week of December, it said.

9. Gujarat to set up Vikram Sarabhai Children Innovation Center

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced that the State is to set up the Vikram Sarabhai Children Innovation Center (VSCIC) in the state. The center will identify, nurture and promote children's ideas and innovation.

10. Maharashtra Assembly passes resolution seeking caste-based Census

The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre for a caste-based Census to find out the population of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) across the country. The resolution was moved suo moto ("on its own") by Speaker Nana Patole and unanimously adopted by the Lower House.

11. Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy set to launch Amma Vodi scheme

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched 'Jagananna Amma Vodi' programme in Chittoor which is to coincide with the completion of one year of his chief ministerial post. Under Jagananna Amma Vodi scheme, financial assistance of Rs 15,000 will be given to nearly 43 lakh mothers or guardians to send their children to school. With the announcement of the scheme, student enrolment surged by 30 per cent in the current academic year. line, irrespective of the number of children in that family studying in between class 1 and 12. The scheme is applicable from the academic year 2019-20 in all the government, private aided, private unaided schools/junior colleges. It will also include residential schools and colleges in the state. The scheme is not applicable to dropouts from school or colleges. Government employees and income taxpayers are also not eligible for the scheme. Earlier, it was stated that a student requires to put in a minimum attendance of 75 per cent to avail the benefits of the Amma Vodi scheme. However, the regulation was waived at a review meeting held on January 6 by the chief minister.
The government has included orphans and street children in this scheme, who are studying in schools through voluntary organisations. The financial assistance would be directly deposited in the beneficiaries' savings bank accounts in January every year until the child completes Class 12, said the government.
The data of the beneficiaries under this scheme would be available with the village volunteer of the respective villages in the state.

12. Zero Budget Natural Farming: Andhra Pradesh Government signs MoU with German firm KFW

Andhra Pradesh Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the representatives of a German firm, KFW, in Amaravati to undertake the
`Zero Budget Natural Farming’ (ZBNF). As part of the agreement that intends to scale up the ongoing project with the German firm, the government has taken a loan of Rs 711 crores out of the estimated amount of Rs 1015 crore earmarked to be spent towards the climate-resilient, ZBNF.
The YS Jaganmohan Reddy led-State government will spend Rs 304 crore on the project, which is aimed to cover 2.39 lakh farmers in around 600 village panchayats and promote natural farming, according to the State minister for Agriculture, Kurasala Kannababu.
The ZBNF has been under implementation with German Assistance covering over a lakh hectares in the past two years. It has been aligned with other schemes like the Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.

13. Access to Internet is a fundamental right, rules Supreme Court

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court said that access to the Internet is a fundamental right under Article 19 of the Constitution, and asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to review within a week all orders imposing curbs in the Union Territory. A five-judge bench headed by Justice NV Ramana also asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to restore Internet services in institutions providing essential services like hospitals and educational places.
The Supreme Court observed that the repetitive imposition of Section 144 in Jammu and Kashmir amounts to an “abuse of power” and needs to be justified. In a landmark judgement regarding restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year, the apex court said that all orders of suspension of telecom services and those related to Section 144 of CrPC must be reviewed by the concerned authority within seven days. The top court said Section 144 of CrPC is a remedial and preventive measure and must be subject to the test of proportionality and used only if there is a likelihood of violence and danger to public safety.
The verdict came on a batch of pleas which challenged curbs imposed in Jammu and Kashmir after the Centre’s abrogation of provisions of Article 370 on August 5 last year. These batches of pleas were different from another set of petitions which challenged the constitutional validity of abrogation of Article 370, being heard by a five-judge Constitution bench. The bench will resume its hearing on January 21.

14. Citizenship (Amendment) Act comes into effect from Jan 10

The Centre announced that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will come into force from January 10. The CAA was passed by Parliament on December 11. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.

15. Shri Amit Shah inaugurates Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) in New Delhi; dedicates National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to the Nation

Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah, inaugurated the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and also dedicated the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to the Nation today. This state-of-the-art Centre is located in New Delhi.
The scheme to set up I4C was approved in October 2018 at an estimated cost of Rs. 415.86 crore, to deal with all types of cybercrimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. It has seven components viz., National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit, National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, National Cyber Crime Training Centre, Cyber Crime Ecosystem Management Unit, National Cyber Crime Research and Innovation Centre, National Cyber Crime Forensic Laboratory Ecosystem and Platform for Joint Cyber Crime Investigation Team. At the initiative of the Union Ministry for Home Affairs (MHA), 15 States and UTs have given their consent to set up Regional Cyber Crime Coordination Centres at respective States/UTs.
National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) is a citizen-centric initiative that will enable citizens to report cyber crimes online through the portal. All the cyber crime related complaints will be accessed by the concerned law enforcement agencies in the States and Union Territories for taking action as per law. This portal was launched on pilot basis on 30th August, 2019 and it enables filing of all cyber crimes with specific focus on crimes against women, children, particularly child pornography, child sex abuse material, online content pertaining to rapes/gang rapes, etc.
So far, more than 700 police districts and more than 3,900 police stations have been connected with this Portal. After successful completion, this portal can improve the capacity of the law enforcement agencies to investigate the cases and will improve success in prosecution. This portal also focuses on specific crimes like financial crime and social media related crimes like stalking, cyber bullying, etc. This portal will improve coordination amongst the law enforcement agencies of different States, districts and police stations for dealing with cyber crimes in a coordinated and effective manner. MHA is committed to provide and create an ecosystem for dealing with cyber crimes in a comprehensive & coordinated manner.
In future, this portal will provide a chatbot for automated interactive assistance systems to the public for guidance on cybercrime prevention and how to report incidents on the portal.

16. SC issues notice to Centre on plea to curb population

The Supreme Court issued a notice to the central government seeking certain directions on population control after hearing a petition filed by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. Upadhyay moved the apex court contending that "population explosion is more dangerous than bomb explosion". The lawyer claimed that the plan for "healthy India, literate India, prosperous India and other such measures will not succeed if the population keeps on increasing.

17. J&K has registered highest IPD care in the country

Jammu and Kashmir has registered the highest Inpatient Department, IPD care in the country. According to the report released by the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC), New Delhi. As per the report, the 96% IPD care in rural areas of J&K is provided by Public Health Facilities. This facility is highest against the country’s average of 85%.

18. Centre notifies new wetland conservation rules

In order to conserve wetlands across the country, the Centre has notified new rules that prohibit setting up or expansion of industries, and disposal of construction and demolition waste within the wetlands. The rules provide for setting up an authority in each state and Union Territory. The authority will prepare a list of all wetlands of the state or UT within three months and make strategies for conservation and wise use of wetlands within their jurisdiction.
The authority shall recommend mechanisms for maintenance of ecological character through promotional activities for land within the boundary of notified wetlands. The authority will include one expert each in the fields of wetland ecology, hydrology, fisheries, landscape planning and socio-economics. The experts will be nominated by the state government.
The wetlands are land areas covered by water, either temporarily\seasonally or permanently. Marsh, fen and peatland come under this category. The wetlands play a key role in hydrological cycle and flood control, water supply and providing food, fibre and raw materials.
The Centre had in September 2019, identified 130 wetlands for priority restoration in the next five years and asked states to submit their respective integrated management plan. The highest number of such identified wetlands are in Uttar Pradesh (16) followed by Madhya Pradesh (13), Jammu & Kashmir (12), Gujarat (8), Karnataka (7) and West Bengal (6).

International News

1. Singular pronoun 'they' voted as word of the decade by linguists

The singular term "they" - used as a pronoun for those who identify as non-binary - has been voted word of the decade by US linguists. The American Dialect Society said the term embodied 2010 to 2020 and also won word of the year in 2015. Singer Sam Smith helped bring the term to the spotlight after asking fans to use the pronouns "they/them", not "he/him", after coming out as non-binary in September 2019.
The performer said they did not feel male or female, but "flows somewhere in between".
The society voted "(My) pronouns" - used as an introduction for sharing someone's personal pronouns as in she/her - as its word of the year for 2019.

2. First Lunar Eclipse of 2020 to Occur on January 10

Of the four penumbral lunar eclipses that are going to occur in 2020, the first one will take place on January 10. The lunar eclipse, which is expected to last for around 4 hours, will be visible from India.
Lunar eclipse, also known as the Wolf moon eclipse, is a celestial event that occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, which results in obstructing some or all of the Sun’s light from reaching the Moon.
The lunar eclipse is expected to take place from around 10.30 pm to 2.30 am Indian Standard Time (IST). During the eclipse, 90 per cent of the moon’s surface will be partially covered by the Earth with only the outer part of the shadow appearing. The US will not get to witness the January 10 eclipse as it will occur during its daylight hours. Countries across Asia, Europe and Africa will get to see it. Besides the aforementioned continents, Australia will be a witness to it. Such celestial events have always inspired awe or fear among the people. Unlike solar eclipse, the lunar eclipse can be viewed through naked eyes. Although it is just a celestial event, Indians have attached many beliefs to it. Some think of it as good for their business, career or health, while others consider it inauspicious for them. The other lunar eclipse this year will occur on June 5, July 5 and November 30.

3. Iran abandons nuclear limits after US killing of General Qassem Soleimani

The blowback over the US killing of a top Iranian general mounted as Iran announced it will no longer abide by the limits contained in the 2015 nuclear deal and Iraq's Parliament called for the expulsion of all American troops from Iraqi soil. The twin developments could bring Iran closer to building an atomic bomb and enable the Islamic State group to stage a comeback in Iraq, making the Middle East a far more dangerous and unstable place.

4. TESS Finds First Earth-Size Planet in the Habitable Zone

NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, has chalked up two firsts. The exoplanet-hunting spacecraft has spotted its first Earth-size planet orbiting in the host star’s habitable zone. It also has detected its first circumbinary planet, a world the size of Saturn that orbits two stars. Both discoveries were discussed during the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu.
About 100 light-years away, in our own Milky Way galaxy, in the constellation Dorado, sits a planetary system named TOI 700. It is home to TOI 700 d, the first Earth-size habitable-zone planet discovered by TESS, NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite.

5. Brexit: Britain formally leaves European Union after 47 years

The United Kingdom formally left the European Union on January 31, 2020, ending 47 years of membership and marking the beginning of an uncertain future. Britain's exit was celebrated as an independence day by Brexiteers with many toasting to the moment. The United Kingdom has become the first-ever nation to leave the European Union. This brings an end to the tumultuous three years over the Brexit deal, which had repeatedly failed to pass through the UK Parliament. Brexit was inevitable after the 2016 Brexit referendum when 51.9 percent votes were cast to leave the EU, while only 48.1 percent votes supported the referendum to stay in the European Union.
Britain's exit from the European Union has, however, just initiated the divorce proceedings between the two, as future terms of trade and exchange will need to be agreed upon. The United Kingdom will now be required to strike a new free-trade deal with the European Union to enable a smooth transition. The UK government has set an ambitious goal of reaching a new trade agreement by the end of 2020.
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
Queen Elizabeth II gave her royal assent to the Brexit bill on January 23, 2020, paving the way for Britain's smooth exit from the European Union. Her Majesty approved the European Union (withdrawal agreement) bill 2020 in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967, officially making it a law after months of blockade in the UK Parliament. The historic agreement set the terms of the UK's departure from the 28-member EU bloc. The European Parliament also approved the agreement during their vote.
The UK Parliament ratified the Brexit law on January 22, 2020, finally approving the terms of Britain's historic departure from the European Union on January 31. The House of Commons had already approved the EU withdrawal agreement earlier on January 9 by 330-231 votes. The move is historic, as the deal was stuck in the lower house for over a year.
The House of Lords had suggested a few changes in the bill, including the rights of EU citizens and child refugees after Britain's exit from the EU. However, the House of Commons rejected all five amendments proposed by the upper house and sent the bill back to it. The House of Lords then reluctantly agreed to back the framed exit agreement. The approved Brexit deal was struck by Prime Minister Boris Johnson with the EU in 2019.

Economy, Defence & Business News

1. CISF to observe 2020 as 'year of mobility' for troops' welfare, housing

The CISF will observe 2020 as the 'year of mobility' that will have a special focus on creation of more residential units and implementation of various welfare measures for the troops.
It will emphasise on taking all measures for welfare of troops and their families, creating infrastructure and logistics like housing, acquiring new land and procuring modern equipment, training with focus on physical fitness and sports and leveraging modern gadgetry and technology on duty.

The objective of the DG's address was to reach out and connect with the personnel deployed in far-flung areas of the country, the spokesperson said.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is mandated as the primary civil airports guarding force of the country apart from protecting some vital installations in the aerospace, nuclear, government and private domain.

2. RBI revises supervisory action framework for Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks

In order to better manage the stressed UCBs, India’s Central Bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released its final Supervisory Action Framework (SAF) tightening norms for Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs).
The revised rules include threshold limits for asset quality, profitability and Capital to Risk-weighted Assets ratio (CRAR).
All such actions are taken under section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (as applicable to co-operative societies). An UCB will be kept under supervisory action framework when its net non-performing assets (NPAs) exceed 6% of its net advances. As soon as this threshold is breached, RBI will take multiple actions, depending on severity of stress.
On December 31, 2019, RBI mandates UCBs, with deposits of Rs 100 crore and above, to constitute the Board of Management (BoM), which will be a mandatory requirement for opening new branches. The primary functions of BoM include recommending action for recovery of NPAs, One Time Settlement and assisting the board in monitoring the same.

3. Adani to buy 75% stake in Krishnapatnam Port

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India’s largest private sector port operator, has agreed to buy a 75% stake in Krishnapatnam Port Co. Ltd (KPCL) at an enterprise value of ₹13,500 crore. The Krishnapatnam Port is located in southern Andhra Pradesh and is a multi-cargo facility. It handled 54 million tonnes (mt) of cargo in the year ended 31 March 2019. The purchase will accelerate Adani Ports’ plan to expand its cargo-handling capacity to 400mt by 2025. The acquisition will be funded via internal accruals and existing cash balance, the company said. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and the transaction is expected to be completed within 120 days.
On 27 December, Adani Ports said it had acquired a majority stake in Snowman Logistics Ltd for ₹296 crore to foray into cold chain logistics.
Adani Logistics Ltd, a wholly-owned unit of Adani Ports, will buy a 40.25% stake in Snowman from Gateway Distriparks Ltd. Snowman is market leader in cold chain logistics with over 30% share among integrated organized cold chain service providers in India.

4. UPI clocks 1.3 billion transactions in December

The number of transactions via real-time payments system Unified Payments Interface (UPI) continued to rise, clocking 1.3 billion transactions in December, National Payments Corp. of India (NPCI) data showed. These transactions were 7% higher than in October, and 111% higher on a year-on-year basis, the data showed. The transactions were worth ₹2.02 trillion in December compared to ₹1.89 trillion a month ago. Currently, 143 banks are live on UPI.
UPI allows users to transfer money any time, on a real-time basis, across multiple bank accounts, without revealing details of one’s bank account to the other party. The simple, hassle-free three-year old payment system is popular among the masses.
Besides, the government has been introducing steps to popularise digital payments via UPI.
For instance, businesses with more than ₹50 crore sales will have to compulsorily offer electronic payment modes such as debit cards powered by RuPay and low cost digital payments options such as UPI from 1 January 2020. Penalty for defaults will kick in from 1 February, the finance ministry said earlier this week.

5. Niti Aayog moots ₹22,500-crore plan for private trains on 100 routes

Niti Aayog and Indian Railways have come out with a discussion paper for running 150 trains on 100 routes by private operators, envisaging an investment of ₹22,500 crore.
The discussion paper titled 'Private Participation: Passenger Trains' has identified 100 routes, including Mumbai Central-New Delhi, New Delhi- Patna, Allahabad-Pune and Dadar-Vadodara.
Other prominent routes include Howrah-Chennai, Howrah Patna, Indore-Okhla, Lucknow-Jammu Tawi, Chennai-Okhla, Anand Vihar-Bhagalpur, Secunderabad-Guwahati and Howrah-Anand Vihar.
The paper, prepared for discussions with stakeholders, has split the 100 routes into 10-12 clusters.
As per the paper, the private operator will have the right to collect market-linked fares and will be provided flexibility of class composition and halts.The privatisation of train operation, the paper said, will help in introducing modern technology and rolling stocks with reduced maintenance.
Besides, it would provide world-class service experience to passengers and also help in reducing the supply demand deficit. The operators could be domestic or international entities, the paper said.
Each bidder would be eligible for award of maximum three clusters, it added. The Tejas Express on the Lucknow-Delhi route, which was flagged off on October 4, is the railways' first experience of letting a non-railway operator run a train. The Tejas Express is run by railways' subsidiary IRCTC.
IRCTC has a slew of benefits worked out for its passengers -- combination meals, free insurance of up to ₹25 lakh and compensation in case of delays.
The Railway Board had in October last year formed an empowered group of secretaries, headed by Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, to chalk out the modalities of the bidding process and take other decisions to fast-track awarding of bids to private players.

6. Indian Army to sign MoU for elite AK-203 assault rifles

The Indian Army is reportedly planning to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to procure more than 750,000 elite AK-203 assault rifles. The Indo-Russian Rifles (IRRPL), an India-Russia joint venture (JV) at Korwa, will manufacture the assault rifles in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP). Of the total order, 100,000 rifles will be manufactured in Russia. The JV based in Amethi will produce the remaining 650,000 units.
Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the rifle-manufacturing facility in Korwa. IRRPL is a JV between Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) on the Indian side, and Rosonboron Exports and Concern Kalashnikov on the Russian side. The Indian Army’s OFB owns a 50.5% stake in the JV and the remaining 49.5% is held by Russian partners. The JV was formed consequent to the inter-governmental agreement signed between the two countries in February last year.
After that, it secured all requisite licences for production and export. Following the conclusion of the board meeting of the JV, an initial set of officers from the army and OFB joined in it to start its operations. Later on, close coordination and regular interactions were held with Russian partners for smooth implementation of the project. In July last year, the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the operationalisation of the JV IRRPL to manufacture AK-203 assault rifles in UP.
Last month, the Indian Army reportedly received the first lot of Sig Sauer assault rifles to boost its counter-terrorism operations.

7. Simple ITR-1 form not for those paying Rs 1 lakh in electricity bill, owning house jointly

According to the notification, two major changes in the ITR forms have been affected. First, an individual taxpayer cannot file return either in ITR-1 or ITR4 if he is a joint-owner in house property.
Secondly, ITR-1 form is not valid for those individuals who have deposited more than Rs 1 crore in a bank account or have incurred Rs 2 lakh or Rs 1 lakh on foreign travel or electricity respectively.
Recently, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has notified two Income Tax Return (ITR) forms which shall be applicable for the assessment year 2020-21. Generally, as per the past experience, it is seen that the tax department issues the new ITR forms in the first week of April of the relevant assessment year. For example: In the case of FY 18-19, the ITR forms are issued in the first week of April of assessment year which is 19-20 i.e. 1st week of April 2019. However, as compared to an old tradition, the tax department has issued two ITR forms i.e. ITR-1 and ITR-4 for the assessment year 2020-21 in the first week of January 2020. These new forms have incorporated all the changes made in the last Finance Act i.e. finance act, 2018.
These new notified ITR forms shall be applicable for the previous year 2019-20 or Assessment year 2020-21. In other words, in this form, an assessee shall be required to file the return by entering the details of the income earned from 01.04.2019 to 31.03.2020.
It might be possible that this is the first time when the government has notified the ITR forms itself in the previous year i.e. before the beginning of the relevant assessment year.
Note: Although the government has notified the ITR-1 and ITR-4 for the AY 2020-21 however the ITR utility in respect of these forms is yet to be issued. As we already know that the structure of new ITR-1 and 4 in the ITR utility shall remain the same, the number of changes in these ITR forms are several.
We will discuss in the form of FAQ of all the relevant changes brought for the assessment year 2020-21. So, let’s begin:

Q. 1 For which assessee, these forms are relevant?
ITR-1 or Sahaj form is the return form which is to be filed by the ordinarily resident individual whose total income does not exceed Rs. 50 Lakhs. Generally, these forms are being used by the salaries employed person whose annual salary is up to Rs. 50 Lakhs.
On the other hand, ITR-4 or Sugam form is the return which is meant for the resident individuals or HUFs or firms (other than LLP) whose total income is up to Rs 50 lakh and have chosen to pay the tax on presumptive income from business and profession.
Note: Where the assessee could not manage the financial records and unable to correctly compute his net profit and loss then the income tax has given an option to such assessee under which he can pay the tax on the specified percentage of his total turnover.
A person who is earning the income from the business then he shall be required to pay the tax @ 6% of his total turnover where his all receipts come from the banking channel and if he also received some cash through business then the said percentage shall be increased from 6% to 8%. In simple words, if the person is in some business having the income through cash, then he can choose to give the tax @ 8%.

8. Piyush Goyal inaugurated NSE Knowledge Hub in New Delhi

Commerce and Industry & Railways Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Knowledge Hub in New Delhi. The hub will provide an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered learning ecosystem which will assist the Banking, Financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector. It will enhance skills and help academic institutions to prepare future-ready talent for the financial service industry.

9. ICAR to Set up Farmers’ Innovation Fund

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is all set to start a Farmers Innovation Fund. ICAR will bring a system to scientifically validate, scale-up and propagate the innovations of progressive farmers. As part of this system, an innovation centre will be established in New Delhi where the innovations will be scientifically validated and farmers will be allowed to pursue research work.
ICAR is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

10. Royal Navy of Oman Ships Arrive at Goa to Participate in Exercise Naseem-Al-Bahr

Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) ships RNOV Al Rasikh and RNOV Khassab arrived at Mormugao Port, Goa to participate in the 12th edition of the Indo-Oman bilateral naval exercise, Naseem-Al- Bahr. Naseem-Al-Bahr (or Sea Breeze) is a biennial naval exercise between the Indian Navy and the RNO, being conducted since 1993. The RNO ships were joined by IN Ships Beas and Subhadra, which arrived at Goa for the harbour phase of the exercise.

11. Uber, Hyundai Motor team up to develop electric flying taxi

US ride-hailing company Uber Technologies and South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor plan to jointly develop electric air taxis, joining the race for flying cars to ease urban congestion. Hyundai will unveil a concept electric aircraft developed with Uber at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which kicks off in Las Vegas later in the day, with the model designed to carry up to four passengers with a pilot and fly on trips of up to 60 miles (100 km).
Uber has pledged to begin demonstrator urban flights in 2020 and commercial operations in 2023 as part of its project, which also counts Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences as one of its partner firms. Hyundai is the first carmaker to team up with Uber on the project.

12. Indian Navy started 1st ‘Maha-Navy Connect 2020’

Indian Navy started the 1st Maha-Navy Connect 2020 Tri-Dimensional Expedition from Mumbai, Maharashtra. The aim of the expedition is to promote the maritime heritage of India and spread awareness about Coastal Security amongst the coastal communities in Maharashtra. The tri-dimensional expedition consisted of yachting, running and cycling teams of 50 naval personnel. This expedition will cover more than 555kms from Maharashtra’s northernmost fort Arnala to its southernmost Sindhudurg fort.

13. NPCI Vajra Platform blockchain-based platform launched for secure and fast payments

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has designed and adopted a blockchain-based system for automating payment clearing and settlement processes of NPCI products. Named as Vajra, the platform will be based on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), a new technology that promises to provide highly secure and tamper-evident transactions stored in a distributed and immutable database.
Additionally, NPCI said that Vajra will be a permissioned network that will be set up so that only the parties who have been approved by the Network Administrator can be a part of the network. Since Vajra is being developed for a payments-processing industry, permissionless blockchain systems were not considered. DLT will help the payment processing industry with minimal reconciliation of transactions, higher resilience, and efficiencies through automation and transparency. It will also help the industry in minimising operations and financial risks while making transactions economical, immutable, secure, and easily accessible by providing a legitimate audit trail.

14. Railways Plans Hydrogen-Powered Engine by 2021

During the 107th Indian Science Congress, the Indian Railways has announced that it will build a hydrogen-powered rail engine by the end of 2021. The Indian Railways Organisation for Alternate Fuels (IROAF) will be developing a hydrogen-powered rail engine — a technology that has been demonstrated successfully only in Germany so far.
The proposed train will have four passenger coaches operating at 75 km/hr speed.
One coach will carry the hydrogen gas cylinders, fuel cells, supercapacitors and DC converters.
Hydrogen will be the input to the fuel cell and the power output of the fuel cell will drive the train.
The next phase is to generate hydrogen on board the train from water. This means that water will be converted into hydrogen through water splitting technologies and hydrogen will then be used as the input for fuel cells.
Hydrogen-powered rail engines will help to reduce reliance on fossil fuel-based energy sources like diesel and electricity and to find alternative sources of fuel to power its trains.

15. Army gets working on Government Owned Contractor Operated model to improve efficiency

The Army has initiated the process of identifying potential industry partners to implement the Government Owned Contractor Operated (GOCO) model for its base workshops and ordnance depots intended to improve operational efficiency.
A Request For Information (RFI) was issued to shortlist service providers with experience in “warehousing, logistics and supply chain management” for Central Ordnance Depot (COD), Kanpur. Separately, the Army’s Master General of Ordnance (MGO) began evaluating the GOCO model for Army Base Workshops (ABWs) to drive “higher operational efficiencies” and PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt. Ltd. (PwC) hired as a consultant to run this engagement is scheduled to hold conferences and consultations with the industry.

16. SBI launches ‘guarantee’ plan for home buyers

State Bank of India (SBI) has launched Residential Builder Finance with Buyer Guarantee (RBBG) to safeguard home buyers financially by issuing guarantee for completion of projects to customers availing SBI Home Loans. With RBBG, customers will be able to secure their investment in the ongoing home projects financed by the bank. RBBG will focus on the affordable housing segment with home prices of up to ₹2.50 crore in seven cities initially. Under this product, reputed builders fulfilling the prescribed criteria, including Star rating and CIBIL score, can avail loan between ₹50 crore to ₹400 crore. Home buyers can choose their home from SBI-approved projects in seven cities with complete trust and transparency.

17. CCEA approves ₹5,559-cr VGF for North-East gas grid project

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved a Capital Grant as the Viability Gap Funding to Indradhanush Gas Grid Ltd for setting up the North East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid. This viability gap funding would be capped at 60 per cent of the estimated cost of ₹9,265 crore (including interest during construction) for the project. The quantum of VGF would be capped at 60 per cent of the estimated project cost and would not be linked with upward capital cost variation. A total of ₹5,559 crore has been earmarked as VGF. As per the plan, a 1,656-km gas pipeline grid would connect the eight states of the North-Eastern region, namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. Indradhanush Gas Grid Ltd (IGGL) is a joint venture company of five central public sector enterprises, namely IndianOil, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, GAIL, Oil India and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. The joint venture was incorporated in August 2018 to develop and operate a natural gas pipeline grid in the North-East.

18. Aircraft carrier Vikrant likely to be commissioned by 2021

The manufacturing of the country's first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant is currently under phase three which involves setting to work machinery and other equipment and it is likely to be commissioned by early 2021. This carrier is being built at the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi. Currently, phase three of the construction of Vikrant is under progress, which involves setting to work machinery and equipment, like power generation and propulsion machinery. The carrier is likely to be commissioned by early 2021. The third phase of construction will go on till acceptance of harbour and sea trials. Vikrant will be fully operational by 2022 and it will have a fleet of MiG-29K aircraft. The first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant complemented with MiG-29K aircraft will be showcased as part of the Navy's tableau during the ceremonial parade on Rajpath on the Republic Day, officials said.

19. Cabinet approves ordinance for coal mining

The Cabinet approved the promulgation of an ordinance for an amendment to the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (MMDR) Act. The move paves the way for the first phase of commercial coal auctions within this financial year. This will have an impact on the growth of ease of doing business and the democratisation of the sector by opening it up to any entity that was willing to invest. The amendment will also allow the entity mining the coal to use it for its operations or for any of its subsidiaries. Joshi also said that the amendment will allow for issuing unexplored prospective cum mining leases, which were available in other sectors. The demand for coal is increasing day by day. Though we have the fourth largest coal reserves, India imported 235 million tonnes of coal, of which 100 million tonnes is non-substitutable. It has cost Rs 1.37 lakh crore to exchequer. The Cabinet has provided a mobility pact with France for the exchange of students, teachers and skilled manpower. In the health sector, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been given a post-facto approval for measures to improve neonatal and maternal mortality rates, family planning, and better treatment of infectious diseases. The government has also entered an agreement with the UK to improve the energy efficiency of railway systems.

20. In rare visit, top Indian army commander in China’s Xinjiang that borders PoK

Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, the chief of the Indian Army’s Northern Command reached the northwestern frontier province of Xinjiang that borders Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during his ongoing China tour, a rare visit for a top Indian army general. Beijing usually refers to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region’s (XUAR) border with PoK as a border with Pakistan-administered Kashmir; it is the only so-called border it has with Pakistan. China strictly controls access to Xinjiang and it is rare for visiting foreign military officials to be taken to the region. Most of Aksai Chin, controlled by China but claimed by India, also lies in XUAR in the province’s Hotan prefecture. The remote province, which is also China’s largest, shares borders with eight countries including Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and India. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship corridor under President Xi Jinping’s intercontinental connectivity project Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), starts from the southwest part of Xinjiang. India has stayed away from the BRI as projects under the CPEC are being built in the PoK region.
China’s western theatre command (WTC) is the country’s largest theatre and its varied terrain includes desert and high mountains, long borders, and plateaus.
Singh’s visit comes close on the heels of the joint military exercise ‘Hand-in-Hand 2019’ held recently between the two countries in eastern theatre in Meghalaya. The visit also coincided with the PLA’s first major military exercise in the high-altitude border areas of Tibet in 2020.
The PLA deployed latest weapons including a new lightweight tank and anti-aircraft missiles to check combat readiness of its troops and the efficiency of its weaponry during the drill. The PLA’s Tibet military command has “deployed helicopters, armored vehicles, heavy artillery and anti-aircraft missiles across the region from Lhasa, capital of Tibet, with an elevation of 3,700 metres to border defense frontlines with elevations of more than 4,000 metres”.

21. BRO inducts hi-tech snow cutting machines in Kashmir Valley

With snowfall blocking important highways and roads in the Kashmir Valley every winter, the Border Roads Organisation has inducted hi-tech snow clearance and cutting machines that clear one kilometer of snow in just three hours. Snowfall in winter blocks important strategic roads including the Srinagar-Leh, Jammu-Srinagar, Gurez-Bandipora and Kupwara-Karnah highways which takes a lot of time for clearance. To deal with the problem, seven high-tech snow cutter FRESIA machines have been purchased from Italy for swift snow cutting and clearance of these important highways and passes.
BRO official said they have received four of the machines and the rest will be imported soon. New machines have been put to use at Jawahar tunnel on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, Tregbal in Bandipora-Gurez road,Nowgam in Handwara and Sadhna Pass in Tangdhar, Kupwara.
These machines are state-of-the-art snow clearance equipment which will make clearance of highways easier and swift. With tremendous speed, these new machines can operate at an altitude of even 18500 ft and above and have the capability of clearing5000 tons of snow per hour. The machines can clear 1.5 meter high accumulated snow and 300 meter long in an hour. About one kilometer of the snow covered road will be cleared by the equipment in just three to four hours.

22. Cabinet approves strategic sale of Neelachal Ispat; auction likely in FY21

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the strategic sale of Neelachal Ispat Nigam (NINL), in which multiple state-owned companies own a stake.
It is learnt that this strategic sale could be completed only after March 31, and hence, will be part of the 2020-21 divestment pipeline. NINL is a joint venture company, in which four central public sector undertakings — MMTC, National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL), and MECON — and two Odisha government companies, Industrial Promotion & Investment Corporation of Odisha (IPICOL) and Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), hold stake. MMTC holds 49.78 per cent share in NINL, followed by OMC (20.47 per cent), IPICOL (12 per cent), NMDC (10.10 per cent), while MECON and BHEL hold 0.68 per cent each. The strategic buyer for NINL will be identified through a two-stage auction procedure.
The request for proposals to hire transaction and legal advisors and asset valuers are already on the website of the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).

23. RBI allows banks to use V-CIP, amends KYC norms

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has amended the Know Your Customer (KYC) norms for banks and other financial institutions. The new norm, after amendment, allows these financial institutions to use video-based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP). This step will help banks and lending institutions to identify customers remotely.
The RBI released a notification for the same. RBI's notification said that it permits video-based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP) as an alternative method to recognize and identify a customer. RBI said that a decision has been taken to bring customers onboard with a view to leveraging the digital channels for customer Identification Process (CIP) by regulated entities (REs).
RBI’s new KYC norms. Digital KYC has been defined as an officially valid document or the proof of possession of Aadhaar under Section 3. It further said that such live photo or video will be taken by an authorized officer of the Reporting Entity (RE). The proof of possession of Aadhaar number, where offline verification is not possible, will be submitted through the V-CIP method. Customers need to submit PAN, Aadhaar, proof of possession of Aadhaar and such other documents including respect of the nature of business and the financial status of the client.
KYC means Know Your Customer. It is a process where a financial institution verifies and identifies its customers. The term KYC is used to refer to bank regulations and money-laundering (AML) regulations that regulate these activities.

24. India’s oil demand growth is set to overtake China by mid-2020s: IEA

India will become more exposed to risks of supply disruptions, geopolitical uncertainties and the volatility of oil prices, the IEA said in a report.
India's oil demand growth is set to overtake China by the mid-2020s, priming the country for more refinery investment but making it more vulnerable to supply disruption in West Asia, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said. India's oil demand is expected to reach 6 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2024 from 4.4 million bpd in 2017, but its domestic production is expected to rise only marginally, making the country more reliant on crude imports and more vulnerable to supply disruption in West Asia.
China’s demand is likely to be slightly lower than that of India by the mid-2020s, as per IEA’s China estimates given in November, but the gap would slowly become bigger thereafter.
Brent crude prices topped $70 a barrel on rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia, putting pressure on emerging markets such as India. Like the rest of Asia, India is highly dependent on oil supplies from West Asia, with Iraq being its largest crude supplier.
India, which ranks No. 3 in terms of global oil consumption after China and the United States, ships in over 80 per cent of its oil needs, of which 65 per cent is from West Asia through the Strait of Hormuz, the IEA said.
The IEA, which coordinates release of strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) among developed countries in times of emergency, said it is important for India to expand its reserves.
India is the world's fourth largest oil refiner and a net exporter of refined fuel, mainly petrol and diesel. The nation has drawn plans to lift its refining capacity to about 8 million bpd by 2025 from the current about 5 million bpd.
The IEA, however, forecasts India's refining capacity to rise to 5.7 million bpd by 2024. This would make “India a very attractive market for refinery investment,” IEA said.
Drawn to India's higher fuel demand potential, global oil majors like Saudi Aramco, BP, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co and Total are looking at investing in India's oil sector. Saudi Aramco and ADNOC aim to own a 50 per cent stake in a planned 1.2-million bpd refinery in Maharashtra, for which land is yet to be acquired.

25. 60 Firms Disclose Rs 75000 Cr Loan Default, Anil Ambani Group A Major Defaulter: SEBI

Close to 60 listed firms have disclosed a cumulative default amount of almost ₹75,000 crores as on December 31. As per stock exchange disclosures, Anil Ambani Group companies including Reliance Communications, Reliance Naval & Engineering, Reliance Infrastructure, and Reliance Power have defaulted on loans totalling more than ₹43,800 crores as on December 31, 2019. Reliance Communications, alone, accounts for a chunk of the portion at ₹32,575 crores.
Some of the other companies which disclosed default in their loans include Suzlon Energy, Jaypee Infratech Ltd, Ansal Housing, Aban Offshore, ISMT, Religare Enterprises, Bedmutha Industries, Hindustan Construction, and Bombay Rayon Fashions.
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), in November 2019, made it mandatory for companies to disclose any loan default from banks and financial institutions, at the end of every quarter, wherein the default continues beyond 30 days.
The Supreme Court rejected the Centre’s plea that Insolvency Woes For The Anil Ambani Group
challenged a telecom tribunal’s order instructing the government to refund ₹104.34 crores to the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications (RCom).
The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) had instructed the central government to pay back the remaining amount after liquidating a bank guarantee of ₹908 crores against spectrum charges of ₹774 crores with a direction to pay off the amount over an 18-year period.
The tribunal had also said that the excess amount cannot be used by the Department of Telecommunications(DoT) to pay for other liabilities.

26. Chenab bridge: World’s highest rail bridge by Indian Railways to connect Kashmir to rest of India by 2021

By December 2021, Kashmir will be connected to the rest of the country through the Indian Railways network as the government has set a new deadline for completion of the world’s highest railway bridge – Chenab bridge. The Chenab railway bridge will be 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. According to Konkan Railways, it is the most challenging project in the post-independent history of the national transporter.
The construction of the bridge is the most challenging task of the Kashmir railway link project, undertaken in the 150-year-long history of Indian Railways. Being constructed in hostile terrain, the massive arch-shaped structure has used over 5,462 tonnes of steel and will be 359 metres above the river bed. The bridge has been designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 260 kmph. The 1.315 km long “engineering marvel” will link Bakkal in Katra and Kauri in Srinagar.
The Chenab bridge forms an important link in the 111 km long stretch between Katra and Banihal, which is a part of Indian Railways’ Udhampur- Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project. Once the development work of the bridge is completed, it will surpass the record of China’s Beipan river Shuibai railway bridge (275 m).

27. Panel Approves Scheme to Trade in Forests

Recently, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has approved the Green Credit Scheme. It will allow the Forest Department to outsource the responsibility of reforesting to non-government agencies, if implemented.
Green Credit Scheme allows agencies (private companies, village forest communities etc.) to identify land and grow plantations. After three years, the land would be eligible to be considered as compensatory forest land if it meets the criteria set by the Forest Department. An industry needing forest land could then approach the agency and pay it for parcels of such forested land and this would then be transferred to the Forest Department and be recorded as forest land. In simpler words, it will allow forests to be traded as a commodity.
This scheme will encourage plantation by individuals outside the traditional forest area and will help in meeting international commitments such as Sustainable Development Goals and Nationally Determined Contributions.
It will also help in solving various industries’ complaints that they find it hard to acquire appropriate non-forest land, which has to be contiguous to existing forest.
The scheme will also supplement the Green India Mission, which is one of India’s initiatives to combat climate change.

28. Purvodaya: Accelerated development of Eastern India through an Integrated Steel Hub

The Ministry of steel in partnership with CII and JPC organised the launch of Purvodaya-Accelerated Development of Eastern Region through an Integrated Steel hub.
The Eastern region of India though extremely rich in resources lags behind other states in terms of development.
Hence, the Integrated Steel Hub was launched in Eastern states of India as it collectively holds ~80% of the country’s iron ore, ~100% of coking coal and significant portion of chromite, bauxite and dolomite reserves.
The proposed Integrated Steel Hub would encompass the states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Northern Andhra Pradesh.
The hub would enable swift capacity addition and improve overall competitiveness of steel producers both in terms of cost and quality.
In addition to increased steel capacity, this hub would also help enhance best-in-class value addition capabilities.

29. RBI chalks out financial inclusion strategy for 2024

The Reserve Bank of India has released the national strategy for financial inclusion.
It also aims to provide access to formal and affordable financial services; broaden and deepen financial inclusion and promote financial literacy and consumer protection.
The strategy aims to see that every adult had access to a financial service provider through a mobile device by March 2024.
It has called for increasing outreach of banking outlets of scheduled commercial banks among others to provide banking access to every village within a 5 km radius of 500 households in hilly areas by March 2020.
It has also set a target that every willing and eligible adult who has been enrolled under the Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana should be enrolled under an insurance scheme and a pension scheme by March 2020.
A strong regulatory and legal framework is also needed for protecting the interests of the customers, promoting fair practices and curbing market manipulations.
It has also suggested making the public credit registry fully operational by March 2022 so that authorised financial entities can leverage on the same for assessing credit proposals from all citizens.

People in News

1. Croatia elects centre-left challenger Zoran Milanovic as president

Croatia's presidential election has been won by centre-left challenger Zoran Milanovic, who defeated the nationalist incumbent.
Mr Milanovic beat Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic - a conservative who won the presidency in 2015 - by 53% to 47%. Croatia's president has a role in foreign policy and security matters but the prime minister runs the country.

2. Forbes India’s “20 people to watch in 2020” list: 7 Indians featured; Indian origin Hassan Minhaj from US tops

On January 7, 2020, According to the Forbes India’s prestigious list of ‘20 people to watch in the 2020s’, 7 Persons from India featured in the list. Two persons from Bihar namely Prashant Kishor-12th place (Poll strategist and JD(U) national vice-president ) & Kanhaiya Kumar –16th (former JNU Students’ Union president) were the biggest names in the list.
Other Indians in the list include, Aditya Mittal –2nd place (Group CFO and CEO, ArcelorMittal Europe), the Godrej family-6th (of Adi Godrej), Dushyant Chautala -7th (deputy chief minister,Haryana) , Mahua Moitra -9th (Lok Sabha member, Trinamool Congress), and Garima Arora -14th (Chef, the first Indian woman to receive a Michelin star).
A US (United States) based Indian origin -Hasan Minhaj, comedian & political commentator, is on the 1st position in the list, while Keyna’s Marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge is on the 20th place.

3. Samiya Naseem of Indian origin, a judge in America, belongs to Gorakhpur

MA– Attorney General William Barr has appointed Indian American Samia Naseem of Boylston, MA and Rantideva Singh of Connecticut as immigration judges. There are a total of 465 immigration judges on the bench across the United States today. While Ms. Naseem will serve in Chicago Immigration Court, Mr. Singh will begin hearing in New York.
Judge Naseem earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2001 from Simmons College and a Juris Doctor in 2004 from The George Washington University Law School. From 2010 to 2019, she served as an assistant chief counsel, Office of Chief Counsel, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in New York City and Chicago.
From 2007 to 2010, Judge Naseem served as a trial attorney with the Office of Immigration Litigation, Department of Justice, in the District of Columbia. From 2005 to 2007, she served as an attorney at the Law Offices of Khalid Naseem, in Boylston, Massachusetts. From 2004 to 2005, Judge Naseem served as a law clerk for the Honorable Judith N. Macaluso, in the District of Columbia. Judge Naseem is a member of the New York State Bar.
Judge Singh earned a Bachelor of Science in 2002 from John J. College of Criminal Justice and a Juris Doctor in 2005 from Boston University School of Law. From 2011 to 2019, he served as an administrative law judge with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, in New York City.

4. Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who modernized Oman, dies at 79

Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Mideast's longest-ruling monarch who seized power in a 1970 palace coup has died. He was 79. He pulled his Arabian sultanate into modernity while carefully balancing diplomatic ties between adversaries Iran and the US.
Under his reign, Oman became known as a welcoming tourist destination and a key Mideast interlocutor, helping the US free captives in Iran and Yemen and even hosting visits by Israeli officials while pushing back on their occupation of land Palestinians want for a future state.

5. Hudco appoints M Nagaraj as Chairman, Managing Director

State-owned Housing and Urban Development Corporation (Hudco) said that M Nagaraj has been appointed the company's Chairman and Managing Director.
Nagaraj is also Director (Corporate Planning) of the company
He has an experience of around 28 years in multitude of sectors such as housing, infrastructure finance, skill development and micro finance in social sector, and international trading.Hudco provides loans for housing and urban infrastructure projects.

Awards

1. Govt announces first ‘Antarrashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman’

The Government of India has announced the first ‘Antarrashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman’ for several media houses. This award was conferred on January 7, 2020, to 30 media houses. The objective behind this award is to bring positivity and acknowledge the role of media in the outreach of Yoga in the world.

This award was instituted in June 2019 to mark the role of the media in spreading the message among masses. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar will confer the first ‘Antarrashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman’. International Yoga Day is celebrated on 21 June because it is the longest day of the year and yoga gives long-life to a human being. It was recognized by the United Nations on December 11, 2014, when a proposal was approved by 177 member countries. First, International Yoga Day was celebrated on June 21, 2015. It was initiated by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.
The fifth International Yoga Day was observed on June 21, 2019, around the world with the aim of raising awareness about the many benefits of practicing yoga. This year's theme was "Yoga for Climate Action". Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a yoga program in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

Days and Events

1. Women Science Congress begins in Bengaluru

The Women Science Congress was inaugurated at the ongoing Indian Science Congress in Bengaluru. DRDO Aeronautical Systems Director-General Dr Tessy Thomas who is known as Missile Woman of India graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. The women’s science congress aims to provide a single platform for women working in different areas of science and technology to showcase their achievements and experiences.

2. Kochi to host global meet on marine ecosystem MECOS-3

Kochi will host the 3rd international symposium on marine ecosystems challenges and opportunities (MECOS-3) from January 7 to 10. This symposium will be organised by the Marine Biological Association of India. Eminent marine scientists, oceanographers, fisheries researchers and marine biotechnologists from across the globe are expected to participate in the third international symposium on (MECOS-3).
The symposium is aimed at reviewing the concerns involved in the marine ecosystem and formulating strategies for the better and sustainable utilisation of marine wealth by enhancing livelihood options.

3. The 31st International Kite Festival launched in Ahmedabad

The 31st International Kite Festival was launched at the Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It was inaugurated by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The festival was conducted from 7-14 January in different parts of the state. The festival became an identity of Gujarat.

4. Bhubaneswar to host first edition of Khelo India University Games in February

The inaugural edition of Khelo India University Games will be held in Bhubaneshwar from February 22 to March 1. The Games, to be held at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University, will witness over 4000 athletes from 100 Universities across India vying for top honours in 17 disciplines of archery, athletics, boxing, fencing, judo, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, badminton, basketball, football, hockey, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, rugby and kabaddi.
The third edition of Khelo India Youth Games was held in Guwahati this time.

5. Visakhapatnam to host MILAN 2020 naval exercise in March

Visakhapatnam is ready to host another International Naval event ‘MILAN‘ in March 2020. The theme of the exercise for the year 2020 is ‘Synergy Across the Seas’. MILAN 2020 is a multilateral naval exercise aimed to enhance professional interaction between foreign-friendly navies and learn from each other’s strengths and best practices in the maritime domain.

6. Famous chariot festival of Tamil Nadu Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple begins

The famous chariot festival of the Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple in Tamil Nadu begins. This 17th-century temple is famous for its architectural grandeur. The temple is especially significant because it is sacred to both the Shaivite as well as Vaishnavite sects. There is an Anjaneya statue, which is 22 feet tall is carved of a single granite block. It is one of the tallest statues of its type in India.

7. 11th World Hindi Day observed on 10 January

The 11th World Hindi Day was celebrated on 10 January 2016. To mark the occasion, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) through its missions/posts abroad and the Department of Official Language (Rajbhasha) conducted special events to spread the greatness of the language. The day was first observed on 10 January 2006. And, it is in addition to the National Hindi Divas that is being celebrated annually on 14 September. National Hindi Divas is celebrated to mark the day, 14 September 1949, on which the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the Official Language of the Union.
While the focus of the World Hindi Day is the promotion of the at the global stage, the National Hindi Divas is held across the country. Official Language policy of the Union has been explained in detail under Article 120 (Part-V), Article 210 (Part-VI) and, especially in Part XVII, Article 343, 344 and from 348 to 351.

8. 23rd National Youth Festival-2020 to be organized from 12th to 16th January, 2020

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and State Government of Uttar Pradesh had jointly organized 23rd National Youth Festival (NYF) 2020 at Indira Pratishthan, Lucknow from 12th to 16th January, 2020. Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath and Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Kiren Rijiju will inaugurate the NYF 2020 on 12th January on the occasion of birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the great Youth icon. The inauguration will be followed by cultural/musical performance by local and renowned artists.
The Government has been organizing the National Youth Festival (NYF) since 1995. The objective of NYF is to provide a platform to bring the youth of the country together in an attempt to provide them an opportunity to showcase their talents in various activities. It also provides an arena, by creating a mini-India, where youth interact in formal and informal settings and exchange their social and cultural uniqueness. This blend of diverse socio-cultural milieu proves the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s commitment and belief in ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’.
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. NYF 2020 would leverage on the knowledge and ideas that Youth of today bring to the table where they are hugely connected and integrated through online and offline communication channels than ever before. The NYF 2020 intends to focus on bringing the attention of the Youth towards dialogue and discussions on selected thematic interfaces so that the outcome feeds into a National Level.
The National Youth Festival is like a mega National Integration Camp. NYF 2020 would have around 6000 participants (volunteers from NYKS, NSS and local youth) from each State of the country. As the theme of 2020 NYF suggests, the youth will inculcate physical activity and sports in their everyday lives which is essential to make new India a Fit India.

Sports News

1. Sadio Mane crowned African Player of the Year.

Sadio Mane was named African Footballer of the Year for 2019 to crown a year in which he won the Champions League with Liverpool and led Senegal to the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Mane, 27, wins the award for the first time after finishing runner-up to his Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah of Egypt in 2017 and 2018 and taking third place in 2016.
He is only the second Senegalese to win the award after El Hadji Diouf, who was the winner in 2001 and 2002.

2. Indian weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur banned for four years for doping

Indian weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur has been banned from the sport for four years by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) after being found guilty of a doping violation.
Sarbjeet Kaur was tested positive following the intake of a prohibited non-specified substance. Her dope test sample was collected by a NADA Dope Control Officer during the 34th Women Senior National Weightlifting Championship held at Vishakhapatnam. The analysis of the dope sample revealed the presence of prohibited substances - Di-hydroxy-LGD-4033, Ostarine (Enobosarm) and Selective Androgen Receptor Modulations (SARM). The final decision was announced after the completion of the entire inquiry procedure.

3. Govt gives green light to IOA for hosting Commonwealth shooting and archery events in India

The government approved "in principle" the Indian Olympic Association's proposal to host the Commonwealth shooting championships and archery events -- which are not part of the Commonwealth Games roster -- in March 2022. Earlier, the IOA had withdrawn its threat to boycott the Birmingham Commonwealth Games over shooting's omission and decided to submit a formal proposal to host a shooting championships, where the medals won will be counted in the tally of the 2022 edition.
India had hosted the 2010 edition in the national capital, the build-up to which was marred by one controversy after another.

Rankings and Indexes

1. 3 of world’s 10 fastest-growing urban areas are in Kerala: Economist ranking

Three cities in Kerala feature among the fastest-growing urban areas across the world, according to a ranking released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) survey. The three cities — Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kollam — are the only places from India to feature in the top 10 rankings.
While Malappuram is the fastest growing city over the past five years with a 44.1 percent change, Kozhikode occupies the fourth slot with a change percentage of 34.5 per cent. Kollam, the third city, has jumped 31.1 per cent, the ranking says.
Thrissur from Kerala also finds a mention in the list at 13th position. Thrissur’s ranking has seen a 30.2 percent jump between 2015 and 2020. Gujarat’s Surat comes in at 26th position with 26.7 percent change, while Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur is ranked the 30th fastest growing city in the world in the last five years.
Other than India, the top 10 ranking includes three cities from China and one from Nigeria, Oman, UAE and Vietnam each.
In another ranking released by EIU in September last year, Vienna grabbed the top spot on the Global Liveability Index for 2019. The Austrian capital, which attracts tourists for its classical music scene and imperial history but also has abundant green spaces and excellent public services, last year ended Melbourne’s seven-year run at the top of the survey of 140 cities, helped by an improved security outlook across Europe.
The EIU is part of The Economist magazine and provides forecasting and advisory services through research and analysis.

2. India emerges as the fifth biggest geopolitical risk of 2020:Eurasia Group Report

According to the world’s leading political risk consultancy, Eurasia Group.India has emerged under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged fifth biggest geopolitical risk of 2020.
The consultancy's annual top 10 geopolitical risks are:1 Rigged!: Who governs the US? 2 The Great Decoupling 3 US/China 4 MNCs not to the rescue 5 India gets Modi-fied 6 Geopolitical Europe 7 Politics vs. economics of climate change 8 Shia crescendo 9 Discontent in Latin America 10 Turkey
Authored by the Eurasia Group's president, Ian Bremmer and chairman. Cliff Kupchan. Eurasia's list of annual top 10 geopolitical risks is considered one of the foremost geopolitical indicators among global investors, multinational firms and various financial and business consultancies.
Titled as ``India gets Modi-fied'' the report's India chapter has explained that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spent much of his second term promoting controversial social policies at the expense of an economic agenda. The impacts will be felt in 2020, with intensified communal and sectarian instability, as well as foreign policy and economic setbacks.

3. Most Powerful Passports of 2020: India ranks 84th, Japan tops the list

Henley Passport Index 2020 recently released the rankings of the world’s most powerful passports. Indian passport has ranked 84th in the list while Japan’s passport ranked 1st in the index. The rankings of these passports are based on data collected from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The Henley and Partners said the list included passports of 199 countries and 227 tourist places. This list has been prepared based on new visa policies. The list included the most powerful and weakest passport of the world.
According to the Henley Passport Index, Japan has the most powerful passport in the world. Japan’s passport holders can visit 191 countries without any visa. Top 10 countries in the index are – Singapore, Germany, South Korea, Italy, Finland, Spain, Luxembourg, and Denmark. India is ranked 84th in this index. In 2006, India was ranked 71st in this index. Currently, Indian passport holders can go to 58 countries without obtaining a visa. UAE’s passport has witnessed the highest growth from 65th position in 2010 to 18th in 2020. Nigeria’s passport ranked 199th as the weakest passport in the world.

4. Annual Crimes in India Report 2018: NCRB

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) published the annual Crime in India Report 2018. It shows the crime statistics in the country between 2017 and 2018. NCRB has also released Accidental Death and Suicides in India 2018 report which outlines death and suicide statistics of the country.
The report shows an increase of 1.3% in the registration of cases.
The crime rate per lakh population has come down from 388.6 in 2017 to 383.5.
Uttar Pradesh topped the list followed by Maharashtra and West Bengal in Crime Against Women.
Delhi tops the list among the metropolitan cities.
The total number of people who committed suicide in 2018 has increased from 2017.
The highest number of suicide victims were daily wage earners comprising 22.4% of such deaths.
Maximum of the suicides were reported from Maharashtra followed by Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. Farm sector workers accounted for 7.7 % of the total number of suicides in the country.

5. Union Power Minister releases State Energy Efficiency Index 2019

Shri Raj Kumar Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and New & Renewable Energy and Honourable Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship released the ‘State Energy Efficiency Index 2019’, which tracks the progress of Energy Efficiency (EE) initiatives in 36 states and union territories based on 97 significant indicators. The index is developed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in association with Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE). It will help states contribute towards national goals on energy security and climate action by helping drive EE policies and program implementation at the state and local level, tracking progress in managing the states’ and India’s energy footprint and institutionalising the data capture and monitoring of EE activities by states. The first such Index, the “State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index 2018”, was launched on August 1, 2018. Taking forward the State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index 2018, the State Energy Efficiency Index 2019 incorporates qualitative, quantitative and outcome-based indicators to assess energy efficiency initiatives, programs and outcomes in five distinct sectors – buildings, industry, municipalities, transport, agriculture, and DISCOMs. New indicators for this year include adoption of Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017, energy efficiency in MSME clusters, etc.
For rational comparison, States/UTs are grouped into four groups based on aggregated Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) required to meet the state’s actual energy demand (electricity, coal, oil, gas, etc.) across sectors. TPES grouping shall help states compare performance and share best practices within their peer group. Under four categories based on TPES, Haryana, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Puducherry and Chandigarh have been evaluated as progressive states/UTs in the State Energy Efficiency Index 2019.
State EE Index 2019 shows that the majority of the initiatives taken by states are related to Policies and Regulations.