January 2017 Current Affairs Highlights (One-Liners)

10th National Girl Child Day was observed on 24th January 2017 with the Theme “Empowerment of Girl Child”
14th annual overseas Indians' gathering called "Pravasi Bharatiya Divas" was held in Bengaluru from January 7-9. Chief Guest of the event : Dr Antonio Costa (Prime Minister of Portugal). Theme of 2017 : “Redefining Engagement with the Indian Diaspora”
16th meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) was held in New Delhi. This meeting was chaired by Arun Jaitley (Union Finance Minister).
1st Braille library in Guwahati opened at the Blind High School on the occasion of World Braille Day (4th January).
1st edition of ABU (Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union) International Television Dance Festival was held in Hyderabad (Telangana).
20th Edition of the National Conference for e-Governance 2016-17 was recently held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Theme of this year’s conference : ‘Internet of Things and e-Governance’
2nd edition of Ministry of External Affairs’ annual Raisina Dialogue was held in New Delhi. This year's Theme : “The New Normal: Multilateralism in a multipolar world”.
5 government-owned insurance companies - New India Assurance, United India Insurance, Oriental Insurance, National Insurance and General Insurance, have been cleared by the Cabinet for listing in stock exchanges.
50th World Day of Peace was observed on 1st January 2017. Theme - ‘Nonviolence: a Style of Politics for Peace’
7th National Voters’ Day was observed on 25th January 2017 with the Theme 'Empowering Young and Future Voters'
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked banks to priorities lending towards poor and lower middle class, country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has cut benchmark interest rate across various maturities by 0.9 per cent, effective from January 1, a move that is expected to be shortly followed by other banks.
Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the chief guest of this year's Republic Day parade. In a first, a military contingent of the United Arab Emirates participated in the parade.
According to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the country plans to conduct around 30 space launch missions in 2017, a record-breaking number in the country's space history.
Activist Irom Sharmila has formally announced that she will be contesting the 2017 Manipur Assembly election from Thoubal which is the constituency of Manipur CM Okram Ibobi Singh. Her political party Peoples' Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) is Manipur's first crowd-funded party.
African Union has re-admitted Morocco "back into the family" after a 33-year absence as 39 out of 54 member states voted in favour of its return at the 28th African leader's summit in Ethiopia.
After selling its core internet business to Verizon for $4.8 billion, search engine Yahoo will rename its remaining business to 'Altaba'.
All India Football Federation (AIFF) has launched India's first ever women's professional football league titled the Indian Women's League.
American technology company IBM has become the first company to receive more than 8,000 US patents in one year in 2016.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu has launched a new scheme titled "NTR Arogya Raksha Scheme" to provide the medical treatment to the people below Above Poverty Line (APL) at Rs. 1200 premium per annum.
Anime series Dragon Ball Z's character Goku has been selected as the Ambassador of the 2020 Olympics to be held in Tokyo.
As a part of its crackdown on black money, the government has directed all Banks and Post Offices to obtain PAN cards or Form 60 from all account holders by February 28 this year.
Beijing Olympics gold-medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra was appointed as the Chairman of the reconstituted Target Olympic Podium (TOP) committee. Objective of this Committee : to identify and support potential medal prospects for the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games.
Bengaluru-based 'TeamIndus' is among the 5 international finalists for a $20-million award (approximately ₹136 crore) by Google Lunar XPRIZE.
Bharti Airtel has launched Airtel Payments Bank across India. This is India's first payments bank. MD & CEO : Shashi Arora
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has received approval from markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for its Initial Public Offering (IPO).
British snooker professional Ronnie O'Sullivan sealed a world record seventh Masters title after registering a comeback victory over compatriot Joe Perry in London .
China faces a one-year ban from international weightlifting competitions after three of its weightlifters failed doping retests and were stripped of their Olympic 2008 gold medals.
China has built Longyangxia Dam Solar Park, the world's largest solar park which can produce about 850 MW of power in Qinghai province.
China has handed over two ships Hingol and Basol, to the Pakistan to safeguard the strategic Gwadar port and trade routes under the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
China has set up a 100 billion yuan (approximately ₹1 lakh crore) fund to support investment in the internet sector.
China has unveiled 'The Sharp Sword UAV', a drone capable of carrying 2000 kilograms of bombs.
China is planning to build Beijing Light Source, the world's brightest light source facility in Beijing.
China launched its longest bullet train 'Shangri-la of the World' from Kunming, in Yunnan Province, to Beijing.
China successfully launched new-generation telecommunications satellite. The second Tongxin Jishu Shiyan satellite to help test multi-frequency high-speed data transmission.
China's capital Beijing is setting up an environmental police force to tackle its hazardous air pollution.
Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba became the major sponsor of Olympic Games, after signing a deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that runs until 2028.
Citibank has launched voice verification for its phone banking clients to replace the current authentication process of remembering PINs or answering verification questions.
Delhi government has approved the 'Good Samaritan Policy' under which monetary incentive of ₹2,000 and appreciation certificate will be given to people who help road accident victims in the city.
Denmark has announced it will appoint a 'Digital Ambassador' to manage its relationship with technology giants like Google and Apple.
Deutsche Bank has banned text messages and other communication apps like WhatsApp, Google Talk and iMessage on company-issued phones.
Donald J. Trump sworn-in as 45th President of United States.
E-commerce platform Flipkart has launched an SOS feature on the mobile app meant for its delivery staff which will alert the nearest field executives in case of an emergency.
Ecuador has taken over from Thailand as Chair of the Group of 77 (G77) countries of the United Nations for the year 2017.
English Premier League side Manchester United became the world's richest football club, with a record revenue of over ₹4,300 crore for the 2015-16 season.
European football's governing body UEFA has announced a new international tournament, the UEFA Nations League, which will see participation from 55 nations in a league-style format.
European Union lifts its 3-year ban on import of some vegetables including bittergourd, snakegourd & aubergines from India.
FIFA has unveiled Adidas Praia, the official match ball for the upcoming FIFA Beach Football World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in The Bahamas in April.
Finland became the first country in Europe to trial a project to pay unemployed citizens a basic monthly income of €560 (around ₹40,000), in a move to reduce poverty and boost employment.
For the first time in the country, the Electronic Voting Machines to be used in the upcoming Manipur and Uttarakhand Assembly elections will display photographs of candidates.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has been appointed as an assistant coach to the Australian T20I squad for next month’s series against Sri Lanka.
Former Australian cricketer Arthur Morris was inducted into the International Cricket Council's Hall of Fame by ex-Australian captain Steve Waugh. He was given the honour posthumously, and he became the 22nd Australian and 82nd player overall to feature in the list.
Former Australian cricketers Matthew Hayden and David Boon have been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
Former India opener and the current mentor of Kings XI Punjab, Virender Sehwag has been named as the Brand Ambassador of the franchise.
Former Indian captain Kapil Dev was inducted into the Legends Club 'Hall of Fame' at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai . Gavaskar was already inducted in the Hall of Fame in 2013.
Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has announced his retirement from football citing family reasons.
Former world champion Sarita Devi has became the first female professional boxer from India.
France has passed a law making every citizen an organ donor, unless they opt out by registering with a national refusal registry.
Goa will become the first state in India and across the globe to opt for electronic transmission of postal ballot to service voters in the upcoming elections.
Government has notified that Co-operative Banks are not authorised to accept deposits under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme (PMGKDS).
Government imposed anti-dumping duty ranging from USD 6.30 to USD 351.72 per tonne on imports of jute and its products from Bangladesh and Nepal to protect domestic industry.
Government's digital payments application BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) has crossed over 10 million downloads milestone in a span of 10 days.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has announced that the state has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the Railways to manufacture parts of a bullet train.
Gujarat government has launched a student startup fund under which it will provide ₹200 crore in grants to startups led by students.
Haryana Transport Department has issued a new notification stating that officials cannot check a vehicle if they are not wearing a uniform.
HDFC bank has launched a chatbot service called 'OnChat' to allow users to make payments through Facebook Messenger.
Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh declared Dharamshala as the 2nd capital of the state.
Iceland ended the year 2016 without a government for two months following the Panama Papers scandal and a snap election in which none of the parties got a majority.
IIM Calcutta conducted its international business summit Intaglio 2017 from January 6 to 8, 2017. Theme of the Summit 2017 : 'India towards Epitome of Excellence'
In an attempt to boost Paris' cycling infrastructure, the mayor Anne Hidalgo, has named 2017 as the "year of the bike".
In an effort to provide their tax administrations with tools to combat corporate tax avoidance through transfer pricing, officials from 7 new countries (Lithuania, Gabon, Hungary, Indonesia, Malta, Mauritius and Russia) have signed Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement for Country-by-Country Reporting (CbC MCAA).
In order to check infiltration and terrorism, the Border Security Force (BSF) will be installing laser walls and smart sensors along the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal.
India and Kazakhstan have signed a Protocol to amend the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) between the two countrie.
India and Kenya have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of Agriculture and allied sectors.
India has announced a $100 million (₹683 crore) line of credit to Kenya for agricultural mechanisation after talks between PM Narendra Modi and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
India has been ranked 60th among 79 developing economies, below China (15), Nepal (27) and Pakistan (52), in World Economic Forum's Inclusive Development Index. Lithuania topped the list.
India has been ranked 79th out of 176 countries in the recently released Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2016. New Zealand and Denmark jointly topped the index.
India has featured among the top 6 most promising markets in terms of overall growth prospects over the next 12 months for global executives, according to consultancy giant PwC.
India has officially became an associate member of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), deemed as the world's largest nuclear and particle physics laboratory.
India has ranked third among the countries offering the highest average annual salary to expatriates, according to HSBC Holdings data. Switzerland topped the list with an average salary of $188,275 a year.
India has turned down United Arab Emirates' request to display its para-dropping skills at the Rajpath as part of the Republic Day parade, citing security reasons.
India Post Payment Bank (IPPB), a basic financial services facility, was launched simultaneously in Raipur and Ranchi as a pilot over a video conference by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely in presence of Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha with plans to scale it up to 650 branches by the end of September.
India successfully conducted the final test of the nuclear-capable Agni-IV missile from a road-mobile launcher on Odisha's Abdul Kalam Island.
India successfully test-fired guided rocket Pinaka Mark-II from a defence test facility off Odisha coast. The rocket was fired from a multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL).
India was ranked 92nd among 118 countries in the 2017 Global index of talent competitiveness (GTI) list. Switzerland topped the list.
Indian city Bengaluru has emerged as the most dynamic city in the world (according to recently released annual by Jones Lang LaSalle’s City Momentum Index). Another Indian city Hyderabad stood at 5th place in the index.
Indian cueist Pankaj Advani has won the 3rd Kolkata Open National Invitation Snooker Championship .
Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders appointed former Indian pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji as the team's bowling coach for the 2017 season.
Indian shuttler PV Sindhu has won the Syed Modi International Grand Prix Gold after beating Indonesia's Gregoria Mariska in the final .
Indian Squash player Velavan Senthilkumar won the British Junior Open after defeating compatriot Abhay Singh .
Indian tennis player Somdev Devvarman announced his retirement from professional tennis.
Indian-origin Mauritian Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth has announced that he is stepping down to hand over power to his son Pravind Jugnauth.
India's first bus to run on human and animal waste will debut on the Ultadanga to Garia route (17 km) in Kolkata in March, 2017.
India's first ever solar powered boat called 'Aditya' was launched at Kochi's Vembanad lake in Kerala .
India's largest warship INS Vikramaditya got an ATM onboard.
India's retail inflation eased to a three-year low of 3.41% in the month of December, as against 3.63% in November 2016.
India's women's football team defeated Bangladesh 3-1 in Siliguri to win the 2016 South Asian Football Federation Women's Championship for the 4th consecutive time.
Indonesia has suspended all military cooperation for an undisclosed time with Australia for "technical reasons".
INS Khanderi – the second of the Kalvari class submarines – was launched at the Mazagaon Dock Limited in Mumbai .
International Customs Day was observed on 26th January 2017 with the Theme 'Data Analysis for Effective Border Management'
International Holocaust Remembrance Day was obserevd on 27th January 2017 with the Theme “Educating for a Better Future: The Role of Historical Sites and Museums in Holocaust Education”
Irish professor J Calvin Coffey has identified a new organ called mesentery in the human body, connecting the abdomen to the intestine.
Israel recently announced a $6mn (around ₹40.9 crore) cut in its annual dues to the United Nations.
Japan launched Kirameki-2 (kee-RAH-meh-kee 2), its first military communications satellite that is designed to upgrade its network in the face of China's increasingly assertive maritime activity and North Korea's missile threat.
Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu announced that Japan has decided to be associated with the development of Chennai, Ahmedabad and Varanasi as smart cities in the country.
Jayesh Raimalani, a young Indian footballer, has joined Barcelona-based football team 'Club Esportiu Jupiter', which plays in the fourth division of Spanish football.
JetSynthesys, a digital technology company, in association with Sachin Tendulkar, launched 'Sachin Saga Warm Up', a batting game inspired by the former cricketer.
Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala has announced ₹1,188 crore in the 2017-18 fiscal for the smart city project.
Keeping young adolescent girls' health and hygiene in mind, the Haryana Government has decided to install automated sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerators in the state's all government colleges.
Kerala would be declared 100% Open Defecation Free state by the end of March this year.
Madhya Pradesh became the first State of the country to launch Aanandam programme to help the needy persons. Under it, government through volunteers will provide help to the needy and economically sound citizens can donate items for the needy persons.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced a total ban on polythene carry bags from May 1 across the state.
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that the state government's new department 'Ministry of Happiness' will begin its work on January 14.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepped down as the Captain of India's One Day International and T20 International cricket teams. He had earlier retired from Test cricket in December 2014.
Major General (Retd) GD Bakshi's book titled "Bose: An Indian Samurai : Netaji and the INA : a Military Assessment" is in news, because the author has claimed that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose didn't die in a plane crash, but was tortured to death by the British.
Mercedes has unveiled Finnish racing driver Valtteri Bottas as the replacement for recently retired Formula One world champion Nico Rosberg.
Modi has announced that the government is going to launch Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana targeted at Indian youth seeking employment overseas.
Mumbai Police has launched an 'Alert is Alive' campaign on Twitter to mark the Road Safety Week.
Muslim-majority nation Morocco has banned the production and sale of burqas for security reasons.
NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps is set to become the first African-American crew member to board the International Space Station (ISS) when she flies to the orbital post in May 2018.
National Youth Day was observed on 12th January 2017 with the Theme ‘Youth for Digital India’.
Nauru is the only country in the world without an official capital.
Norway is set to become the first nation to switch off its FM radio network, with the parliament approving a proposal to shift to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB).
Novak Djokovic has won the Qatar Open tennis title by beating Andy Murray.
Numeric combination '12345' has been named the most common password of 2016 by password managing application Keeper Security, which reviewed 10 million passwords that became public following data breaches.
Online real estate search portal Housing announced its merger with News Corp-backed PropTiger in an all-stock deal.
Over 3.5 lakh people set a new world record by singing the National Anthem at an event in Gujarat.
Pakistan's Punjab province has launched a smartphone application for women to report harassment to police in an effort to promote women's safety.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas along with Pope Francis inaugurated Palestine's embassy in Vatican City.
Pentagon had successfully tested a swarm of 103 Perdix micro-drones, one of the largest micro-drone swarms ever tested at a single instance.
President Pranab Mukherjee has approved changes in government rules to allow merger of the Rail Budget with the Union Budget 2017.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s first international exchange 'India INX' at the International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) of Gujarat.
Private sector Axis Bank became the third lender in the country to announce usage of block chain solutions for its operations. For this purpose, Axis Bank has tied up with fintech firm Ripple.
Qatar has pledged $12 million (over ₹81 crore) to solve Gaza's electricity crisis.
Rajasthan government has decided to distribute contraceptives and vanity kits to newly married couples in 14 districts where Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is high.
Representatives of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) will meet in Nepal on February 1-2 to attend a session of the Programming Committee.
Rio Olympics 800-metre gold medallist David Rudisha has been named as the International Event ambassador for the ₹2.6 crore 14th Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon to be held on January.
Rohan Bopanna and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan won the Chennai Open doubles title by defeating compatriots Purav Raja and Divij Sharan.
Russia's Health Ministry has unveiled a proposal to ban the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after 2015. The proposal, if approved, will take effect in 2033 when the affected Russian citizens (now babies) turn 18 years old.
Saina Nehwal beat Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong to win the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold tournament.
Sania Mirza has won the year-opening Brisbane International title with partner American Bethanie Mattek-Sands after defeating Russian pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina.
School teachers in Maharashtra are going to start marking students' attendance on an online application, called Upastithi, from the next academic year.
Scotland launched a Baby Box Scheme, providing parents of newborn babies with maternity kits containing digital thermometers, blankets and baby clothes.
Sikkim has become the first state in India to go fully organic.
Singapore's first satellite which was launched from the International Space Station (ISS), AOBA VELOX-III, is claimed to stay in orbit for twice as long as similar satellites.
South Korea has featured on top of the Innovation Index for 2017 as per media firm Bloomberg, which scores economies using factors including research and development spending and concentration of high-tech public companies.
Sumo wrestler Kisenosato became the first Japanese wrestler to be titled 'yokozuna', the sport's grand champion, in almost 18 years.
Swiss tennis player Roger Federer defeated Spain's Rafael Nadal in five sets in the Australian Open men's singles final , to win a record 18th Grand Slam title.
Tata Elxsi, a design firm part of the Tata group, will become the first company to test self-driving cars in India.
Technology giant Apple has emerged as the Most Innovative Company for 2016, according to Boston Consulting Group’s annual list which ranks world’s 50 most innovative firms.
Technology manufacturer Kingston has unveiled the world's highest capacity USB flash drive that offers 2 TB of storage space.
The 1st ever budget in India was introduced by the East-India Company and was presented by finance member of the Indian Council, James Wilson, on April 7, 1860.
The book titled "The Untold Vajpayee: Politician and Paradox" by journalist Ullekh NP is in news by making controversial statements about Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani.
The Centre, under its Digital India programme, has announced Karang in Manipur as the country's first cashless island.
The Chief Ministers' panel on Digital Payments has recommended levying a banking cash transaction tax on transactions of ₹50,000 and above. The panel was headed by : Chandrababu Naidu (Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh)
The Election Commission acknowledged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as the Samajwadi Party's national president and allotted the party's Cycle symbol to the Akhilesh-led SP faction.
The Expert Committee set up to prepare Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) has submitted its report to the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD). Head of this committee : Sumit Bose (Former Finance Secretary)
The FIH (International Hockey Federation) Executive Board has confirmed the nomination of Indian men's hockey team captain PR Sreejesh to the FIH Athletes’ Committee.
The foundation of the world's largest cricket stadium in terms of seating capacity has been laid in Ahmedabad.
The Gambia's new President, Adama Barrow, has removed 'Islamic' from the official name of the country pledging more reforms in the West African nation.
The government has announced it will finally implement the much awaited anti-tax avoidance reforms, General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR) from April 1 in 2017.
The Government has increased the minimum monthly pension to 9,000 per person, besides a two-fold hike in ex-gratia amount for central government employees.
The government is going to build a rail link connecting neighbouring nations Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
The Gurugram Police has been given body-worn cameras, which will be attached to a policeman's uniform, for better patrolling.
The Indian Air Force has placed orders with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for black boxes.
The Indian Army has successfully conducted ‘user-validation’ trials of indigenous Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) Dhanush in the Himalayas. It clears the way for the induction in the Army.
The Indian Navy’s Annual Theatre Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX) 2017 was recently held off the Western Seaboard.
The Indian passport has ranked 78th in a list of the world's strongest passports, as it offers visa-free or visa on arrival facilities to 46 countries, according to financial advisory firm Arton Capital. The German passport is the strongest in the world, offering visa-free or visa on arrival facilities to 157 countries.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch record 103 satellites in a single flight in February first week.
The I-T department has asked banks to report deposits in any account worth ₹10 lakh in a year. It also asked banks to report cash payments of ₹1 lakh or more on credit card bills.
The Madras High Court declared triple talaq certificate issued by the chief Kazi had "no legal authority" and must instead be seen as an opinion.
The Maharashtra school education department has asked schools to observe February 27 as 'Marathi Bhasha Gaurav Din' to pay a tribute to Jnanpith awardee poet Kusumagraj, who helped develop the Marathi language.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways launched two mobile apps – 'm-Parivahan' and 'e-challan' – to enhance road safety and facilitate citizen interaction.
The Museo Atlántico, which is known to be the first underwater museum in Europe, was inaugurated off the coast of Lanzarote, Spain.
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has held that death due to mosquito bite causing malaria is an accident and hence liable for the insurance claim.
The Nepal government has launched a 10-year-plan to reduce its dependence on vegetable imports from India and make itself self-reliant.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has agreed to provide ₹100 crore in ₹100 currency notes to Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to ease the acute shortage of ₹100 notes in the Himalayan nation.
The Reserve Bank of India gave permission to formally launch the Paytm Payments Bank. Paytm's CEO - Vijay Shekhar Sharma
The Rest of India beat Ranji Trophy champions Gujarat to win the Irani Trophy by six wickets.
The ruling AIADMK party in Tamil Nadu has announced that a bill to replace the ordinance lifting the Supreme Court-ordered ban on the traditional bull-taming sport, Jallikattu, was passed in the state assembly unanimously.
The Russian Air Force is going to add 5 new Sukhoi T-50 supersonic fighter jets to its fleet this year as part of plans to modernise its military.
The State Bank of India (SBI) has temporarily blocked major digital wallets including Paytm, MobiKwik and FreeCharge from its net banking service.
The sub-committee under chairmanship of professor Timothy Gonsalves has recommended reservation for girl students in IITs to address the issue of slump in number of female students entering the prestigious institutes.
The Supreme Court has ordered that no politician can seek votes in the name of caste, language or religion.
The Turkish city of Istanbul is located on two continents, Europe and Asia.
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for launching of Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana 2017 (VPBY 2017).
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the proposal for India’s taking full membership of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) Governing Council.
The Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched an Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Enforcement Toolkit for Police. This toolkit will be provided to all state police departments across the nation to assist them in dealing with the cases relating to Trademarks and Copyrights infringements.
The union government has released a special postage stamp on January 17 to mark the birth centenary of actor and former Tamil Nadu CM MG Ramachandran (MGR).
The Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar launched a dedicated web portal ‘ShaGun’ for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan at New Delhi. ‘ShaGun’ aims to capture and showcase innovations and progress in Elementary Education sector of India by continuous monitoring of the flagship scheme - Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) has launched a mobile application named “SEZ India”. This app will help the SEZ Units and Developers to find information easily and track their transactions on Online System.
The Union Ministry of Urban Development has launched a survey titled Swachh Survekshan 2017. The aim of Swachh Survekshan is to rank 500 cities/towns across the country on cleanliness with a population of 1 lakh and above.
The Union Sports Ministry has constituted committee to frame comprehensive National Sports Development Code across sports disciplines. Head of the committee : Injeti Srinivas (Sports Secretary)
The United Arab Emirates has banned private citizens from keeping exotic wild animals, like lions or tigers, as pets.
The United Kingdom has become the world's first country to officially recognise parkour as a sport.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has declared the year 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.
The US Army has revised its uniform policy for people seeking religious accommodations, making it easier for Sikhs and Muslims to obtain approval to dress and groom themselves according to their religious customs.
The US has announced the end of a 20-year economic embargo on Sudan by lifting trade and financial sanctions.
The Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, with a population of 842 and an area of 110 acres.
The World Bank has sanctioned ₹1,376 crore for the complete upgradation and improvement of the power system network in Tripura.
The World Book Fair was held from 7th to 15th January 2017 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Theme of the year 2017 : 'Manushi'
To remove dependency on banks, Paytm has added Unified Payment Interface (UPI) support to its app allowing users to transfer money to their digital wallet with their UPI id.
Turkey, Russia and Iran have reached agreement on forming a three-party mechanism to monitor ceasefire violations in Syria, concluding the talks held in Kazakhstan's capital Astana.
United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Boris Johnson is on a Two Day visit to India.
US based rocket manufacturing company SpaceX successfully launched constellation of 10 satellites into orbit on board of its two stage Falcon 9 Rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
US has issued a commemorative $100 gold coin depicting Lady Liberty, a national symbol generally portrayed as a white woman, as an African-American for the first time.
US President Barack Obama has declared January 16 as Religious Freedom Day in accordance with a yearly tradition.
US state of Kentucky passed the right-to-work legislation to remove union membership as a condition for securing employment, making it the 27th state to pass the legislation.
US tennis player Serena Williams went past Steffi Graf to become the player with the most Grand Slam singles titles in Open Era after claiming her 23rd title at the Australian Open against her sister Venus.

January 2017 Current Affairs Highlights (One-Liners)

January 2017 Current Affairs Highlights (One-Liners)

No comments:

Post a Comment