Current Affairs: January 31st, 2018

January 31st, 2018

1. Prime Minister Modi officially flagged off the Khelo India School Games at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

• The Khelo India programme has been introduced to revive the sports culture in India at the grass-root level by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country and establishing India as a great sporting nation.
• Talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels by a High-Powered Committee will be provided annual financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.
• The Khelo India School Games are being held from 31st January to 8th February 2018 in New Delhi. Under-17 athletes have been invited to participate across 16 disciplines.
• Static Part: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports:- Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

2. Indian Navy launches 3rd Scorpene class submarine Karanj constructed by shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.

• The submarine will undergo rigorous tests for the next one year before it is commissioned.
• Total six submarines are being built at the MDL in collaboration with French shipbuilding major Naval Group.
• The submarines have the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons.
• Static Part: Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS)- Admiral Sunil Lanba|Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS)- Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar.

3. The Government of India and World Bank signed $100 Million Project for Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project.

• The Agreement is expected to promote rural enterprises, facilitate their access to finance, and create employment opportunities for youth, particularly women, in selected blocks of Tamil Nadu across 26 districts, directly benefitting over 400,000 people.
• The Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project will create an enabling environment for producer organizations and enterprises to promote businesses across select value chains.
• Static Part: National parks in Tamil Nadu:- Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Indira Gandhi National Park, Annamalai National Park, Guindy National Park, Gulf Of Mannar Marine National Park.

4. Union minister of Earth sciences, Environment, Forest & climate change, Dr. Harshvardhan launches PetaFlop supercomputer named ‘Mihir’ at Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

• The Union Environment Minister Harshvardhan has launched a 2.8 PetaFlops capacity high-performance computer system ‘Mihir’ in Noida.
• The system will be able to predict weather and climate accurately which helps to forecast severe climate-related calamities and warnings for fishermen.
• India has now joined the elite 30 members group of countries which have this advanced technology.
• Static Part: Uttar Pradesh:- CM- Yogi Adityanath|Governor- Ram Naik.

5.  NITI Aayog member Dr. Vinod Paul wins global award conferred by WHO.

• Dr. Vinod Paul was awarded the Ihsan Dogramaci Family Health Foundation Prize by the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) at its session in Geneva.
• He is the first Indian to receive this global honour, which is conferred in recognition to his services in the field of family health.
• The award will be presented to Dr Paul formally at the World Health Assembly to be held in Geneva, Switzerland in May 2018.
• He was chosen unanimously from six other shortlisted candidates from Algeria, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Russian Federation, Uzbekistan.

6. Sunil Chhetri’s birthday to be celebrated as Delhi’s Football Day.

• Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri will be bestowed with an honor as Football Delhi announced that the governing body will celebrate the striker’s birthday on August 3rd as Delhi’s Football Day.
• The 33-year-old Sunil has appeared in 97 International matches for India and scored 56 goals for the national team since his first appearance in 2005.
• Football Delhi also decided to celebrated Coach Santosh Kashyap’s birthday on June 12th as Football Delhi’s Coach Education Day.
• Static Part: 1. Indian Football Association(IFA):- President- Subrata Datta|Headquarters- Kolkata.
  2. National and International Cups related to Football:- Durand Cup, Nehru Gold cup, Nijam Gold cup, Santosh trophy, Rovers cup, FIFA cup, Colombo cup, Merdeka cup.

7. The Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) sign $250 Million Loan to Improve Rural Connectivity.

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $250 million loan to finance the construction of 6,254 kilometers all-weather rural roads in the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal under the Prime Minister’s Rural Roads Program (PMGSY).
• The First Tranche Loan is part of the $500 million Second Rural Connectivity Investment Program for India approved by the ADB Board in December 2017.
• The program is aimed at improving rural connectivity, facilitating safer and more efficient access to livelihood and socio-economic opportunities for rural communities through improvements to about 12,000 kilometers Rural Roads across the 5 States.
• Static Part: Asian Development Bank (ADB):-Headquarters- Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines|President- Takehiko Nakao.

8.  Sharath Kamal lifts National Men’s singles table tennis title for the eighth time equalling feat of Kamlesh Mehta in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

• Indian table tennis player ‘Achanta Sharath Kamal’ (Tamil Nadu) has lifted the National men’s singles title (8th time) by defeating top-seed Anthony Amalraj and received two lakh rupees as prize money.
• Suthirta Mukherjee (West Bengal) emerged the new women’s champion, beating Manika Batra (New Delhi). Her maiden effort fetched Rs. 1.5 lakh, while Manika received 50% less in prize money.
• Static Part: National and International Cups related to Table Tennis:- Rajkumari cup(women), Rajkumar cup(men), Corbitton Cup(women), Swaythling cup(men), Barna-Bellack Cup, Ramanujan Trophy.