Current Affairs January 29 2019

We are here for you to provide the important Current Affairs January 29 2019, which have unique updates of all daily events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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INDIAN AFFAIRS

Overview of P.M’s Visit to TamilNadu & Kerala

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, laid the foundation stone for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Thoppur near Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, dedicated to the nation an Integrated Refinery Expansion Project Complex (IREP) of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and laid the foundation stone for a petrochemical complex in Kochi, Kerala……………………Click here to Read more

66.6 lakh homes have been completed under PMAY-G
The Ministry of Rural Development in partnership with states has completed 1.37 crore rural homes under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY –G)and Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) since April 2014.
The Table Below shows the number of Houses completed till now

Key Points
i. There is a quantum jump in provision for rural housing, In 2014-15 only 12 lakh houses were made but in 2018-19 65 lakh houses are expected to be made.
ii. PMAY-G was launched by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on November 20, 2016 and till now around 66.6 lakh homes are made under this scheme.
Ministry of Rural Development
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Union Ministers: Narendra Singh Tomar
♦ Minister of State: Ram Kripal Yadav

Election Commission of India hosts International Conference on ‘Making our Elections Inclusive and Accessible”
on  24 Jan 2019,The Chief Election Commissioner of India, Sunil Arora and Election Commissioner Shri Ashok Lavasa inaugurated an International Conference on ‘Making our Elections Inclusive and Accessible “on the occasion of 9th National Voters Day held ’in New Delhi.

i. This conference held with a motive to enhance transparency in the upcoming election.
ii.National Voters Day is  observed on 25th January every year. 
iii. Theme of  2019 voters day is ‘No Voter to be Left Behind’  and a magazine My Vote Matters,was launched on the occasion.

Expert Panel Recommends Increasing Number Of Institutions Of Eminence To 30
On January 27, 2019 , Empowered Expert Committee (EEC) set by the HRD Ministry for selecting Institutions of Eminence (IOEs) has recommended to increase the number of such institutes to 30 from the current 20 institutions.
Last year,19 institution got the title of eminent institution and the selected government institutions were granted upto Rs. 1,000 crore provided and the private institutions were given the freedom to decide their fee structure and courses.

Train 18 named Vande Bharat Express: Piyush Goyal
On 27^th January 2019, Union Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal announced that Train 18 which is India’s first indigenously developed engineless semi high speed train has been named as Vande Bharat Express.

Key Points
i. The Train will run between Delhi and Varanasi at the maximum speed of 160 kmph and it will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon.
ii. The Train has 16 coach and it is built in 18 months with a cost of Rs 97 Crore at Integral Coach Factory (ICF),Chennai.
iii. Train 18, the fully air-conditioned train is expected to replace 30 years old Shatabdi Express. It got a regular clearance of Electrical Inspector to the Government (EIG) on 25^th January 2019.
iv. Vande Bharat Express which will run between Delhi and Varanasi, will stop at Kanpur and Allahabad in the route.
Ministry of Railway
♦ Union Minister: Piyush Goyal
♦ Minister of State: Manoj Sinha and Rajen Gohain
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi

Third Bridge inaugurated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari  Named ‘Atal Setu’ in Goa
On January 27, 2019,The Third bridge was inaugurated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar .The bridge has been named as ‘Atal Setu’ after former prime minister of India late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Key points:
i. It is  four-lane, 5.1-kilometer long and the third Cable bridge across river Mandovi in Panaji, Goa.
ii. The bridge weighs  2.5 lakh tonnes which is equivalent to the weight of aircraft  570 Boeing.
iii. The bridge is constructed by the GIDC (Goa Infrastructure Development Corporation)and engineering and construction major Larsen and Toubro.
iv. The bridge is built at a cost of Rs 850 crore.
v. The two bridges already present in Goa are Mandovi Bridge and Zurai Bridge.
vi. The bridge will be open for four wheeler vehicles from Jan 29 but two and three wheelers will not be allowed on the bridge.
Important facts about Goa:
♦ Capital:Panaji
♦ Districts: 2
♦ Governor:Mridula Sinha
♦ Chief Minister:Manohar Parrikar

Patnaik launched Rs 1,100 crore Infra projects in Ganjam district
On 27 January 2019, Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik launched various development and welfare projects worth Rs 1100 crore during his one day visit to Ganjam district.

Key Points
i. Naveen Patnaik laid foundation stone for 231 projects worth Rs 715 crore and inaugurated 48 projects in the Ganjam District of Odisha.
ii. Some of the Major Projects inaugurated by Naveen Patnaik are 10-bedded geriatric ward (Rs 40 crore), bleaching store (Rs 29.64 crore), district vaccine store (Rs 79 crore) and Construction of OPD for eye department at the district headquarter hospital and city hospital.
iii. Foundation stone for various projects were laid during the visit of Naveen Patnaik including Railway over bridge at Jagannathpur and Ambapua with estimated cost of Rs 30 and Rs 35 crore respectively and 9 Major Rail project (Rs 113.51 crore).
iv. Foundation stone were also laid for the development of infrastructure of 11 tourism projects costing Rs. 4.78 crore in the district.
v. The Foundation for an additional project costing Rs 49 crore for double laning of a 15-km road from Karapalli to Loudigaon were also laid by Naveen Patnaik.
About Odisha
♦ Capital: Bhubaneswar
♦ Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
♦ Governor: Ganeshi Lal

Odisha launched Jiban Sampark project for the welfare of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups
On 26^th January 2019,Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik announced “Jiban Sampark” Project in partnership with UNICEF India (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) while inaugurating Tribal Fair also known as “Adivasi Mela” on Republic day.
Key Points
i. The Project was announced to spread awareness about the development and welfare initiatives of state government among the Particularly vulnerable Tribal Groups of the state.
ii. ’The Adivasi Mela’ is an annual event to showcase the lifestyle, artefacts, culture, tradition and music of the tribal people community of Odisha.
iii. Adivasi Mela was inaugurated on 26th January 2019. It concluded on 09th February 2019.
iv. The Focus Area of Jiban Sampark includes skill development, empowering communities, cooperation and innovation among the groups 13 particularly vulnerable tribal groups residing in the remote areas.
v.Besides this,CM of Odisha also dedicated a 500-seat hostel in the city to tribal students of the state. It boosts existing educational infrastructure.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Southern Railway entitled number one for cleanliness:IRCTC
On January 28, 2019,According to IRCTC’s Trains Cleanliness Survey,The Southern Railway bagged number one position for cleanliness in the country.
i.  Duronto trains are the least clean among premium trains, while Tejas and Shatabdi trains are the cleanest.
ii. To fulfill the demands of passengers,Southern Railway also introduced 54 trains in the past four years.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh reappointed as Regional Director WHO SOUTH EAST Asia
on January 28, 2019,Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh has been Reappointed as Regional Director for World Health Organization South-East Asia, for a second five-year term.Her second term of office will begin on 1 February 2019.

Important Facts:
i. she is the first woman to become Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region
ii. Thailand became the first in Asia-Pacific to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.Maldives and Srilanka were malaria free.
iii. India was declared yaws-free and Nepal declared as trachoma-free.
About WHO:
♦ Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
♦ Head: Tedros Adhanom
♦ Founded: 7 April 1948

SPORTS

Nepal batsman Rohit Paudel became the youngest cricketer to score a half-century in International cricket surpasses Tendulkar’s record
On January 23, 2019,Nepal’s Rohit Paudel became the youngest man to hit an International fifty,he scored 55 for Nepal in the 2nd ODI against UAE to become the youngest man to score a half-century at the age of 16 years and 146 days by surpassing Sachin’s record which is set at the age of 16 years and 213 days.
ii. He surpassed the score holded by Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi of being the youngest batsman to score a half-century in the one-day format.
iii. Rohit Paudel,is 16 years and 146 days old ,and became the youngest half-centurion in ODIs whereas the previous record was held by Shahid Afridi, who had scored 102 at the age of 16 years and 217 days

Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli pair reached Joint 3rd in list of most century stands in ODIs
On January 28 2019,Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli joint 3rd in list of most century stands in ODIs,they registered their 16th century stand,10 century stands behind Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly’s tally.
i. They reached this milestone,during a match against New Zealand.
ii. Virat Kohli is also entitled as the 5th Indian player to acquire the fame of hitting 100 50 plus score in List A Cricket.

India’s Saina Nehwal Won Indonesia Masters Title 2019 against Spain’s Carolina Marin
2019 Indonesia Masters,officially known as DAIHATSU Indonesia Masters 2019, held in Istora Gelora Bung Karno,Indonesia
From 22^nd January 2019, the Indonesia Masters 2019 Title,a badminton tournament which is officially known as DAIHATSU Indonesia Masters 2019,took place at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia. The event concluded on 27^th January 2019.
Key Points:
i.  The Total prize money for the tournament was $350,000.
ii. The tournament was organized by the Badminton Association of Indonesia in recognition with Badminton World Federation (BWF).
iii. The Indonesia Masters 2019 Title is one of the World Tour Super 500 event conducted by BWF.
(Women’s single) India’s Saina Nehwal Wins Title After Spain’s Carolina Marin Retires
On 27^th January 2019,Indian ace Badminton player,Saina Nehwal won the Indonesia Masters women’s singles title after Carolina Marin of Spain pulled out in the final when she injured her right foot.

Key Points:
i. Carolina Marin was leading the game by 10-4 when she got injured and decided to retire hurt.
ii. Saina clinched her first-ever Indonesia masters title after Marin’s pullout from the game.She also became the first Indian women’s player to win the Indonesia Masters title.
iii. With the win, Nehwal earned $26,250 of rewards as the champion of the title.
iv. Recently Saina lost to Carolina in the semi-final of Malaysia Masters Tournament.
v. Besides this tournament,Saina had won a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games,a bronze at the Asian Games, and reached the finals at Denmark, Indonesia Masters and Syed Modi International tournament last year.
About Spain:
♦ Capital: Madrid
♦ Currency: Euro
♦ Prime minister: Pedro Sánchez
(Men’s Single) Danish player Anders Antonsen won his first ever Indonesia Masters after defeating world number one Kento Momota of Japan
On 27^th January 2019,Anders Antonsen of Denmark won his maiden Indonesia Masters title by defeating Japanese top-seeded Kento Momota in men’s single final in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Key Points:
i. Antonsen reached the finals of the championship for the first time.It is also the first time that Antonsen played in BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament.
ii. By winning the Indonesian championship, he earned prize money of $26,250.
About Denmark:
♦ Capital: Copenhagen
♦ Currency: Danish Krone
About Japan:
♦ Capital: Tokyo
♦ Currency: Japanese Yen
♦ Prime Minister: Shinzo Abe
(Men’s double), world number one doubles Indonesian pair Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo defeated Indonesian duo Muhammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan
On 26^th January 2019, the World number one doubles pair from Indonesia Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo won the finals of the Indonesia Masters 2019 Title after defeating fellow Indonesian duo Muhammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan by 21-17 and 21-11.
 i. Affectionately the world no 1 pair of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo is called “minions” by fans.
(Women’s Double) Ayaka Takahashi (L) and Misaki Matsutomo of Japan defeated Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong of South Korea
On 27^th January 2019, Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo of Japan won the women’s double’s final match of Indonesia Masters 2019 Title against Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong of South Korea by 21-19, 21-15 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
About South Korea:
♦ Capital: Seoul
♦ Currency: South Korean Won
(Mixed doubles), the first-seeded duo Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong of China defeated the Indonesia’s favourite team Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir
On 27^th January 2019, the Chinese mixed doubles pair of Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong won against the Indonesian opponents Tontowi Ahmad and Lilyana Natsir in the final of the mixed doubles tournament of Indonesian Masters 2019 with scores of 19-21, 21-19 and 21-16.
i. The winners earned $ 27650, while the losers pocketed $13,300 for their effort.
(Mixed Doubles) Highlight: This was Natsir’s last competition before she retires
Lilyana Natsir, the Indonesia Shuttler has decided to officially retire from the badminton. She lost her last mixed doubles match in the Indonesia Masters 2019.
i. The 33 year old Lilyana Natsir had formed pair for mixed doubles with her fellow country man Tontowi Ahmad and the duo had been the world’s top 10 pair for eight consecutive years.
About Indonesia:
♦ Capital: Jakarta
♦ Currency: Indonesian Rupiah
About Badminton World Federation (BWF):
♦ Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
♦ President: Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen

Australian Open 2019
From 14^th January 2019, 107th edition of Australian Open 2019 tennis tournament took place at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia. The event concluded on 27th January 2019.

Australian Open 2019 was a Grand Slam tennis tournament held in Melbourne Park, Australia
Australian Open 2019 was the 1st Grand Slam of the year and 51st in the Open Era. Junior and Wheelchair players compete in the singles and doubles tournament.
Key Points
i. The tournament consists of various events for professional tennis players in the single, double and Mixed Double Category.
ii. For the First time, a 10-minute break was allowed due to heat in Men’s Singles competition after the third set when the Australian Open Heat Stress Scale reaches 4.0 or higher.
iii. Final Set tie-breaker was featured for the first time in Australian Open across all formats which means if the match reaches 6-6 in the final set, the first player who scores 10 points and leads by at least 2 points will win the match.
Novak Djokovik Beats Rafael Nadal to win record seventh title
Spain’s Rafael Nadal was defeated by Serbia’s Novak Djokovik to win his magnificent seventh Australian Open title.
Key Points
i. Djokovik defeated Nadal by 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 with a display of flawless tennis.
ii. Djokovik won a record seventh Australian Open title and a third successive grand slam.
About Spain
♦ Capital: Madrid
♦ Currency: Euro
♦ Prime Minister: Pedro Sanchez
About Finland
♦ Capital: Helsinki
♦ Currency: Euro
♦ Prime Minister: Juha Sipila
Naomi Osaka beats Petra Kvitova to win Australian Opens womens singles.
Japan’s Naomi Osaka won the Australian Open women’s singles title by defeating Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova for 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 in the final.
Key Points
i. Japan’s Naomi Osaka became WTA no.1 in singles ranking replacing Romania’s Simona Halep and first ever Asian to become world No.1
ii. She became first player since Jennifer Capriatite win the 2 consecutive Grand Slam titles.
About Japan
♦ Capital: Tokyo
♦ Currency: Yen
♦ Prime Minister: Shinzo Abe
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut defeated Henri Kontinen and John Peers are in Men’s doubles
France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut defeated Finland’s Henri Kontinen and Australia’s John Peers by 6-4, 7-6 in Australian Open Men’s double Category.
Samatha Stosur and Shuai Zhang defeated Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic in women’s doubles
Timea Babos of Hungary and Kristina Mladenovic of France were defeated by Samantha Stosur of Australia and Shuai Zhang of China for 6-3, 6-4.
Key Points
i. This is Stosur’s third grand slam doubles title after winning 2005 US Open and 2006 French Open.
ii.  Shuai Zhang celebrated the first grand slam which made her best no 14 in ranking.
Barbora Krejcikova and Rajeev Ram defeated Astra Sharma and John – Patrick Smith in Mixed Doubles 
Australian Open 2019 Mixed Doubles category was won by Barbora Krejcikova of Czech Republic and Rajeev Ram of United States by defeating Australia’s Astra Sharma and Compatriot John Patrick Smith.
Key Points
i. In the finals Krejcikova and Rajeev Ram made 7-6, 6-1 win against Astra and John Patrick.
ii. Rajeev Ram and Barbora Krejcikova took a 3-1 lead in the Australian Open 2019 Mixed Doubles final.

Kartik Sharma wins New South Wales men’s Amateur Golf Championship
Indian Golfer, Kartik Sharma won the New South Wales Men’s Amateur Golf Championship held in Australia by defeating Australia’s Nathan Barberie in the scheduled 36-hole final.He hails from Gurgaon,India.
Key Points
i. Kartik Sharma is playing for India as a part of National Squad since the age of 10.
ii. Kartik Sharma who is selected to represent Indian Golf Union for the three events in Australia had also won the Indian Golf Union western India amateur golf championship 2018.
About Australia
♦ Capital: Canberra
♦ Currency: Australian Dollar
♦ Prime Minister: Scott Morrison

IMPORTANT DAYS

Data Protection Day-Jan 28
On 28^th January 2019, Data Protection Day also known as Data Privacy Day was observed in some parts of the world to raise awareness and promote privacy and data protection.

Key Points
i. It is an annual event which was observed for the first time on 28^th January 2007 by Council of Europe as European Data Protection Day.
ii. The Day is currently observed in the 47 European Countries, United States, Israel and Canada.

International Customs Day- January 26
International Customs Day (ICD) is celebrated on 26th January of every year by the Custom Organization, to commemorate the first Conference of World Customs Organizations.
This year international Customs day is celebrated with a slogan “SMART borders for seamless Trade, Travel and Transport.”