CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JANUARY 2018

CURRENT AFFAIRS  W.E.F JANUARY 2018

Awards 

The veteran playback singer Yash Chopra National Memorial Award 2017 – Asha Bhosle

The member of NITI Aayog who has been awarded the prestigious IhsanDoğramacı Family Health Foundation Prize by WHO– Dr. Vinod Paul(first indian)

The Chief Minister who has been conferred the 1st Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Award for Probity in Politics and Public Life by the J & K Govt – Nitish Kumar

The Asian-American actor who has become the first person of Indian origin to win a Golden Globe Award for the best actor in a television series - musical or comedy – Aziz Ansari

Defence Exercise

The third state-of-art Scorpene class submarines launched by the Indian Navy at Mumbai is named – INS Karanj

The first ever joint military exercise by India and Vietnam at Jabalpur (M.P.) from 29 January to 03 February is named – VINBAX 2018

The joint military exercise by India and United States to be conducted at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Seattle in the 3rd week of January is named – Vajra Prahar

The Indian Army regiment which has been formally affiliated to Indian Naval ship INS Vikramaditya (along with No. 6 Squadron of the Indian Air Force) – Bihar Regiment

Persons in News

The new Chief Election Commissioner of India who has taken over from Shri Achal Kumar Jyoti – Om Prakash Rawat.

The former Chief Minister of Gujarat who has been appointed as the Governor of Madhya Pradesh – Smt Anandiben Patel.

The new Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation who has been chosen to take over from 15 Jan 18

– Shri Kailasavadivoo Sivan

The Oscar winning music director who has been chosen the brand ambassador of Sikkim by the State Govt – AR Rahman

The Indian powerlifter and world champion who passed away in a road accident on 07 Jan – Saksham Yadav

The American astronaut and the first person in the world to fly six space missions and the ninth person to walk on moon who passed away on 05 Jan – John Watts Young.

Sports

The host country of 2018 Women's World T20 cricket tournament as announced by ICC – West Indies

The Indian cricketer who has been banned by the BCCI for five months on the grounds of doping violation – Yusuf Pathan

The 21-year old sportsperson from Manali who has become the first Indian to win an international medal in skiing by winning a Bronze medal in the slalom race category at the Palandoken Ski Centre, in Erzurum in Turkey – Aanchal Thakur

The New Zealand cricketer who has become the first in the world to score 3 centuries in international T20 matches (He scored the centuries against India, Bangladesh and West Indies) – Colin Munro

The team which has won the Ranji Trophy 2017-18 season defeating Delhi in the finals at Holkar Stadium, Indore – Vidarbha

Miscellaneous

The indigenous aircraft designed and developed by CSIR - National Aeronautics Laboratories (NAL) which made its maiden flight in Bengaluru is named – SARAS PT1N

The private sector bank which has become the first Indian bank to cross Rs. 5 trillion in market capitalisation at BSE – HDFC Bank

The App launched by Ministry of Railways for monitoring and managing freight business using Geographic Information System Views and Dashboard is named – SFOORTI (Smart Freight Operation Optimisation and Real Time Information)

The online portal launched by Ministry of Women and Child Development intended to serve as a one-point platform where women can easily access details of over 350 central and state schemes is named – NARI (National Repository of Information for Women)

Crystal Awards by World Economic Forum

Cate Blanchett, for her leadership in raising awareness of the refugee crisis.

Sir Elton John, for his leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS

Shah Rukh Khan, for his leadership in championing children’s and women’s rights in India

2018 Blind Cricket World Cup

Held in - Pakistan and UAE

Held from - 08 to 20 Jan 18

Winners - India

Runners-up - Pakistan

Finals played at - Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Participants - India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Australia

ICC Awards 2017

Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year - Virat Kohli (India)

Men's Test Cricketer of the Year - Steve Smith (Australia)

Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year - Virat Kohli (India)

Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year - Hasan Ali (Pakistan)

Men's Associate Cricketer of the Year - Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

Men's T20 Performance of the Year - Yuzvendra Chahal (6-25 v England) (India)

David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year - Marais Erasmus

ICC Spirit of Cricket - Anya Shrubsole (England)

Women's Test Cricketer of the Year: Ellyse Perry (Australia)

Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year: Amy Satterthwaite (New Zealand)

Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year: Beth Mooney (Australia)

Women's Emerging Player of the Year: Beth Mooney (Australia)

 iCreate

iCreate: International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology

Inaugurated by - Indian PM Narendra Modi and Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu

Inaugurated at - Dev Dholera near Ahmedabad

Joint venture of - Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Limited (GMDC) and Gujarat Entrepreneurship and Venture Promotion Foundation (GEVPF)

Aim - To provide technology and assistance to the innovative and imaginative minds in their entrepreneurial journey.

Advisory board - Dilip Shanghvi, MD, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, Uday Kotak, Executive Vice Chairman and MD of Kotak Mahindra Bank, Narayan Murthy, Infosys co-founder and Professor Jagdish Bhagwati

Functioning - iCreate provides 13-week grooming program to equip an individual with the right skill and tools required in the entrepreneurial world. At the end of this, the participants have the option to pitch their idea for further development. The proposals are evaluated by an independent panel and selected subsequently. Financial assistance up to Rs 50,000 is provided by the venture for few deserving pitches.

Open to - Students, existing entrepreneurs, traders, small sized businessmen.

63rd Filmfare Awards 

  Best Actor (Male): Irrfan Khan for Hindi Medium

Best Actor (Female): Vidya Balan for Tumhari Sulu

Best Film: Hindi Medium

Best Director: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari for Bareilly ki Barfi

Filmfare Critics Award for Best Film: Newton

Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor (Male): Rajkummar Rao for Trapped

Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor (Female): Zaira Wasim for Secret Superstar

Best Debut Director: Konkona Sen Sharma for A Death in the Gunj

Best Dialogue: Hitesh Kewaliya for Shubh Mangal Saavdhan

Best Screenplay: Shubhashish Bhutiani for Mukti Bhawan

Best Story: Amit V Masurkar for Newton

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male): Rajkummar Rao for Bareilly ki Barfi

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female): Meher Vij for Secret Superstar

Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award: Mala Sinha and Bappi Lahiri

Best Music Director: Pritam for Jagga Jasoos

Best Lyricist: Amitabh Bhattacharya for Ullu ka Pattha from Jagga Jasoos

Best Playback Singer (Male): Arijit Singh for Roke na ruke naina from Badrinath ki Dulhania

Best Playback Singer (Female): Meghna Mishra for Nachdi Phira from Secret Superstar Jagga Jasoos and Secret Superstar received the most nominations :10.

Outstanding Parliamentarian Awards

Dr. Najma Heptullah for 2013

Shri Hukumdev Narayan Yadav for 2014

Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad for 2015

Shri Dinesh Trivedi for 2016

Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab for 2017