Current Affairs - 19 January 2021
1.Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurates Road Safety Month 2021
- Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, inaugurated Road Safety Month where he highlighted the central Government's commitment towards safety.
- "Till now, we have been observing National Road Safety Week. But from today, we will observe National Road Safety Month. 70% of deaths are in the age group of 18-45 years," Nitin Gadkari said.
- Gadkari also said that there is a need to save lives in the country where 415 people are dying every day due to road accidents.
- "If we wait till 2030, 6-7 lakhs more people will die. So, we've made a commitment that before 2025, road accidents and deaths due to it will be brought down by 50% with help of people's participation," Gadkari added.
2.Yoweri Museveni wins sixth term as Uganda’s President
- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has scored a decisive election victory to win a sixth term, the country’s election commission said on Saturday, but his main rival Bobi Wine denounced the results as fraudulent and urged citizens to reject them.
- The 76-year-old Museveni, in power since 1986 and one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, dismissed the allegations of fraud in an evening address to the nation, saying Thursday’s election may turn out to be the “most cheating free” in Uganda’s history.
- The Electoral Commission said final counts showed Museveni won 5.85 million votes, or 58.6%, while Wine had 3.48 million votes (34.8%).
Foot Notes:
About Uganda:
Capital: Kampala
Currency: Ugandan shilling
President: Yoweri Museveni
About Uganda:
Capital: Kampala
Currency: Ugandan shilling
President: Yoweri Museveni
3.U.S. to sanction Russian vessel building Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline In Baltic Sea
- A Russian ship tasked with laying pipes to complete construction of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will be placed under sanctions by the US, German officials said.
- "This is the announcement of a sanction of a Russian ship. We take note of the announcement with regret," a ministry spokesman told AFP, confirming a report in the Handelsblatt newspaper that Washington would make the decision official.
- Work on the 10-billion-euro ($11 billion) pipeline resumed in German waters in December after being suspended for nearly a year because of the threat of US sanctions.
- Signed off by US President Donald Trump in late 2019, the measures threatened asset freezes and visa restrictions for companies involved in the construction.
Foot Notes:
About US:
Capital: Washington, D.C.
President: Donald Trump
Currency: United States Dollar
About US:
Capital: Washington, D.C.
President: Donald Trump
Currency: United States Dollar
About Russia:
President: Vladimir Putin
Capital: Moscow
Currency: Russian ruble
4.Central Govt announced decision to celebrate Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Birthday as 'Parakram Diwas'
- The Government of India (GOI) decided to celebrate the birthday of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose as "Prakram Diwas" to honour the great freedom fighter and founder of Azad Hind Fauj. The government will now celebrate Netaji's birthday on January 23 as a day of valor. The Union Ministry of Culture announced the decision in a release.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit West Bengal on January 23 on the occasion of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary celebrations which will held at Victoria Memorial.
Foot Notes:
About West Bengal:
Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar
Capital: Kolkata
Chief Minister: Mamata Banerjee
About West Bengal:
Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar
Capital: Kolkata
Chief Minister: Mamata Banerjee
5.Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan digitally chairs 148th session of Executive Board of WHO
- Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan digitally chaired the 148th session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization through video conference. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that COVID-19 vaccines are being successfully produced across many countries and digital technologies are being adopted.
- He said, while the year 2020 is described as the year of science, the Year 2021 shall be the year of global solidarity and survival and it will be the harbinger of a Decade of Action. He said, this year, we will see intensified international cooperation to contain, mitigate and defeat the pandemic, using enhanced scientific knowledge and best practices.
- The Health Minister said, the recent breakthroughs on COVID-19 vaccines offer a ray of hope and it should reach everyone.
Foot Notes:
About WHO:
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Founded: 7 April 1948
Director-General: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
About WHO:
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Founded: 7 April 1948
Director-General: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
6.TRIFED and IFFDC ink MoU to work together for tribal livelihood generation
- The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Farm Forestry Development Co-operative Ltd (IFFDC) to promote livelihood generation of tribal people.
- TRIFED is focusing its efforts on finding new ways to improve the lives and the livelihoods of the tribal people. As a part of its continued efforts, TRIFED has been partnering with like-minded organisations to create synergies together.
Foot Notes:
About TRIFED:
Founded: 1987
Headquarters: New Delhi
About TRIFED:
Founded: 1987
Headquarters: New Delhi
7.Narendra Modi named Somnath Temple trust chairman, becomes second PM to hold post
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unanimously chosen as the new chairman of the trust which manages the world-famous Somnath Temple at Prabhas Patan town in Gujarat's Gir-Somnath district, becoming the second PM to hold the post.
- Modi, one of the trustees of the Shree Somnath Trust, was named to the top post unanimously during a meeting which he attended by via video conferencing.
- "The trustees unanimously chosse Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi as the next chairman of the Trust, to guide it in the times to come.
- "The Prime Minister accepted the responsibility and also appreciated the efforts of Team Somnath," said a PIB release in Delhi.
8.DRDO hands over Motor Bike Ambulance Rakshita to CRPF
- Defence Research and Development Organisation today handed over Motor Bike Ambulance Rakshita to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), Delhi-based DRDO laboratory, handed over Rakshita, a bike-based casualty transport emergency vehicle to CRPF today in a ceremony held at CRPF Head Office in New Delhi.
- Director-General of CRPF Dr. A P Maheshwari flagged off the contingent of 21 bikes on the occasion. The bike ambulance will help in overcoming the problems faced by Indian security forces and emergency health care providers. The bike ambulances will provide life-saving aid for evacuation of injured patients from low-intensity conflict areas.
- Rakshita is fitted with a customized reclining Casualty Evacuation Seat (CES), which can be fitted in and taken out as per requirement.
Foot Notes:
About DRDO:
Founded: 1958
Headquarters: New Delhi
Chairman: Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
About DRDO:
Founded: 1958
Headquarters: New Delhi
Chairman: Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
About CRPF:
Formed: 27 July 1939
Headquarters: New Delhi
Director-General: A P Maheshwari
9.Vishwavir Ahuja re-appointed as RBL Bank chief
- The board of directors of RBL Bank has approved the re-appointment of Vishwavir Ahuja as the Managing Director and CEO of the bank for three years.
- The re-appointment is with effect from June 30, 2021, to June 29, 2024, and the same is being recommended to the Reserve Bank of India and shall be subject to their approval, the bank said in a regulatory filing. He has been MD & CEO of RBL Bank since June 30, 2010.
- Prior to joining RBL Bank, he was the MD & CEO of Bank of America, India, from 2001 to 2009. As per the regulatory filing, under Ahuja’s leadership, the deposits of the bank have grown almost 40 times, while advances have grown more than 45 times since 2011.
Foot Notes:
About RBL Bank:
Founded: August 1943
Managing Director & CEO: Mr. Vishwavir Ahuja
About RBL Bank:
Founded: August 1943
Managing Director & CEO: Mr. Vishwavir Ahuja
10.Carolina Marin wins Yonex Thailand Open badminton tournament 2021
- Reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin bolstered her chances of defending in Tokyo later this year after claiming the Thailand Open in Bangkok Sunday over top seed Tai Tzu-ying.
- Despite having a cold, fourth seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark was electric in the men's final against Hong Kong's Angus Long, ranked eighth, claiming the title in straight sets.
- Spaniard Marin, 27, a former world number one, was an imposing force with razor-sharp smashes, clever network and an unmatched level of aggression and agility.
- She screamed in delight as she won match point in the second set after steam-rolling her 26-year-old opponent from Taiwan 21-9, 21-16 in 42 minutes.
Foot Notes:
About Thailand:
Capital: Bangkok
Currency: Thai baht
King: Maha Vajiralongkorn
About Thailand:
Capital: Bangkok
Currency: Thai baht
King: Maha Vajiralongkorn
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