Latest Current Affairs January 2014 

Current Affairs 17th January 2014
*    IIFCL signed MoU with EXIM Bank of Korea
IIFCL signed an agreement with the K-EXIM for infrastructure finance and covers cooperation and investment financing related to infrastructure.

*    Abhijeet Gupta won the Parsvnath International Grandmasters chess tournament
Abhijeet Gupta won his second Parsvanth International Grandmasters chess tournament on 16 January 2014.

*    Level of greenhouse gases rising rapidly: Leaked UN report
Leaked draft IPCC UN report has warned about rise of the level of greenhouse gases and it calls for greater global efforts to tackle the issue.

*    EGoM approved the sale of 10% stake in IOC to ONGC and OIL
Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) approved on 16 January 2014, the sale of 10 percent stake in IOC to ONGC and OIL.

*    Garry Kenneth Toomey resigned from Jet Airways
Garry Kenneth Toomey, CEO of Jet Airways was resigned

*    Archaeologists discovered lost dynasty of Pharaonic Kings in Egypt
A team of archaeologist has discovered a tomb of the unknown Pharaonic king of dated back to about 1650 BC.

*    Jamila Bayaz, first women to be appointed police chief of Kabul province
Jamila Bayaz was appointed as the police chief of District One of Kabul province on 15 January 2014.

*    Qamar Ahmed, third cricket journalist, to cover 400 Test Matches
Qamar Ahmed, the Pakistani Cricket journalist became the only third man in history to cover 400 test matches while covering a match as Sharjah.

*    Bernie Ecclestone, the F1 boss to be tried on bribery charges
Bernie Ecclestone, the F1 boss will be tried on bribery charges. The rule was passed by a court in Munich.

*    Famous Bengali Actress Suchitra Sen died
Famous Bengali actress Suchitra Sen died in Kolkota on 17 January 2014. She was 82.

*    INS Vikrant has completed operational life and should be disposed
Defence Ministry has justified its decision to scrap INS Vikrant to High Court of Mumbai as it has completed its operational life.

*    India & UK Signed MOU to Enhance the Collaboration within the framework of UKIERI
BIS and Ministry of Labour and Employment signed an MoU to enhance the collaboration within the framework of UKIERI in New Delhi.

*    Yushi, Taiwanese poet awarded Thiruvalluvar award
Taiwanese poet Yushi was awarded the Thiruvalluvar award on Thiruvalluvar Day

*    Guidelines on New Land Policy for Major Ports of the Country Released

*    Union Shipping Ministry unveiled new policy guidelines for major ports aimed to leverage land resources for commercial advantage.

Current Affairs 16th January 2014 

*    RBI included Hong Kong and Macau in the sensitive list

*    Wholesale Inflation declined to five-month low of 6.16 percent in December 2013

The WPI declined to 6.16 percent in December 2013 as compare to 7.52 percent in November 2013.International Affairs

*    South Korea’s First women President Park Geun-hye, who is on a four-day state visit to India hold talks over global issues for boosting bilateral relations, received a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Delhi today.

*    In a bid to give new momentum to bilateral ties, India and South Korea on Thursday decided to intensify cooperation in a range of key sectors including trade, investment and defence even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced that the work on the long-delayed Posco steel plant will start in coming weeks.

*    Sri Lanka and India agreed to release all fishermen detained for poaching on Thursday following high level talks between the two governments, an official said.

*    American Hustle and Gravity lead 2014 Oscar nominations with 10 nods each, while 12 Years A Slave earns nine.

*    113th death anniversary of Indian scholar, social reformer and author Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade observed today.

*    76th death anniversary of the popular Bengali novelist and story-teller Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay observed today.

*    The Supreme Court on Thursday put the ball in Centre’s court to take a call on providing reservation in appointment for faculty posts in speciality and super speciality posts in medical colleges including the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

*    Union Minister for Commerce & Industry Anand Sharma inaugurated 5th SAARC Business Leaders Conclave at FICCI, Federation House, New Delhi.

*    The anti-talk faction of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) today claimed it had executed a senior leader Partha Asom alias Partha Gogoi after being convicted of some “serious charges”

*    Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar appealed to the central government to sanction adequate funds for the north eastern states to build up proper sports infrastructure.

*    Rahul Gandhi will lead the Congress campaign for the general election, but his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi has decided he will not be the party’s prime ministerial candidate. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today accused the BJP of scripting its rebel legislator Vinod Kumar Binny’s public accusations against the party. Mr Binny has accused his AAP of reneging on its promises to people after coming to power, and described party chief Arvind Kejriwal as a ‘dictator.’Business and Economy

*    Foodgrain production is likely to reach all-time high level this year as a bumper crop is expected in wheat, rice and pulses on the back of good rain, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar recently said

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*    An informal group of ministers (GoM),headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, on Thursday approved incentives to the beleaguered sugar industry for exports of up to 40 lakh tonnes of raw sugar for two years.

*    The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) headed by Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram on Thursday approved the sale of IOC’s 10 per cent government stake to state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Limited (OIL) which likely to garner Rs. 4800 to 5000 crore.

*    In the first disinvestment through block deal this fiscal, a ministerial panel today approved selling 10 per cent government stake in Indian Oil Corp ( IOC ) to ONGC and OIL to rake in Rs 4,800-5,000 crore.Three months after taking over as the CEO of Jet Airways, Gary Kenneth Toomey has resigned from the position. Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan, the chief financial officer of the airline, will officiate as the “acting chief executive officer” till the board appoints a new chief.