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CurrentAffairsJanuary2015International

TwoYearsEightMonthsandTwentyEightNightsthenewnovelofBritishauthorSalmanRushdietobepublishedaftersevenyears,isbasedoncollectionoffolktalesknownastheArabianNights.

Kepler438BoneoftheeightnewplanetsfoundindistantsolarsystembyNASA'sKeplerspacetelescope,couldbetermedasEarth'stwin,is12%largerthanEarthandget40%morelight.

CharlieHebdotheFrenchsatiricalmagazinewhichrecentlyfacedaterroristattackatit'sheadquarterinPariskilling12persons.

MH370MetWithAccident,MalaysiaDeclaresOfficiallyTheMalaysiangovernmenthasofficiallydeclaredthatMalaysiaAirlinesflightMH370metwithanaccidentMarch8lastyear,andall239peopleonboardtheplanearepresumeddead.TheannouncementwasmadebyDirectorGeneralofMalaysianDepartmentofCivilAviationAzharuddinAbdulRahmanonJan29,2015.Neitherthewreckageoftheaircraftnorthebodiesofthoseonboardhavebeenfoundyet.

SaudiKingAbdullahDies:ModiCondolesKingAbdullahdiedonJan23,2015ofcomplicationsfrompneumoniaandhasbeensucceededbyhisbrotherSalman,theSaudiArabianroyalhouseholdsaidinastatement.PrimeMinisterNarendraModicondoledthedemiseofKingAbdullahofSaudiArabia."InKingAbdullah,wehavelostanimportantvoice,wholeftalastingimpactonhiscountry.Icondolehisdemise,"Modisaidinastatement

SriLankaPolls:SirisenawonPMModiCongratulatesSirisenaPrimeMinisterNarendraModicongratulatedMaithripalaSirisenaonhisvictoryintheSriLankanpollsandreaffirmedIndia'scontinuedsupportforthenation'speaceanddevelopment."IspoketoMaithripalaSirisenaandcongratulatedhim.IcongratulatethepeopleofSriLankaonthepeacefulanddemocraticpollprocess,"theprimeministersaidinastatement.Headded:"Asaclosefriendandneighbour,reaffirmedIndia'scontinuedsolidarityandsupportforSriLanka'speace,developmentandprosperity."

Colombia'sPaulinaVegaWinsMissUniverse2014TitleColombianbeautyPaulinaVegabeat87contestants,includingIndia'sNoyonitaLodh,towintheMissUniverse2014crownhereon25thJanuary,2015.BangaloregirlNoyonita,21,failedtoreachtheTop10,butshehadmanagedtopaveherwayintotheTop15atthe63rdeditionofthepageant.IndiahasnotwontheMissUniversecrownsince2000,whennowBollywoodactressLaraDuttahadwalkedawaywiththeaccolades.Atthe2014pageant,contestantsfrom88countrieswereparticipating.

National

Rs.2theamountofexcisedutywhichhasbeenleviedonpetrolanddieselrecentlytoraiseanannualrevenueofRs.10,000croretofundtheambitiousplanofgovernmenttobuiltanadditional15,000kmofNationalhighwaysoverthenextthreeyears.

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NitiAayogstandsforNationalInstitutionforTransformingIndiaAayogwhichwillnowreplacethe65yearoldPlanningCommissionandwillbeheadedbyPrimeMinister.

27.6%thepercentageofpeopleor104millionpeopleoutof377millionlivingintheurbanIndiahasbeenidentifiedaspoor,accordingtopreliminaryfiguresoftheSocioEconomicandCasteCensus(SECC).Thisisthefirsttimetheurbanpoorhavebeenidentified.

9thJanuaryonthisdayin1915MahatmaGandhisetfootonIndiansoilandsteppedontothepathofbeingtheMahatma

Reporatethisratewasrecentlycutfrom8%to7.75%byRaghuramRajan,RBIGovernor.

BiodieselbthecabinetrecentlyallowedprivatemanufacturersofthisalternativefueltosellitdirectlytoconsumerslikeIndianRailways.

TejasthefirstindigenouslybuiltlightcombataircraftwashandedovertotheIAFrecently,32yearsaftertheprojectwassanctioned.

AgniVthenuclearcapablemissilehavingastrikerangeof5,000kmwhichwassuccessfullytestfiredforthethirdtimebutfromthefirsttimefromacanistermountedonatruckratherthanaconcretelaunchpadfromWheelerislandofOdishacoastrecently.

2226thenumberoftigersinIndiain2014asreportedinThe2014StatusofTigersinIndiawhichis30%morethanthatof1706in2010.

TwitterthemicrobloggingsitewhichmadeitsfirstacquisitioninIndiabybuyingBangalorebasedmobilemarketingplatformZipDialforanundisclosedamount.

PadmaVibhushanthecountry'ssecond'shighestcivilianhonourwasconferredto9peopleforthisyearDilipKumar,AmitabhBachan,LKAdvani,PrakashSinghBadal,Dr.VeerendraHeggade,Mr.Srinivasan,KKVenogopal,AgaKhanandSwamiRambhadracharya.ThePadmaBhusanwasconferredto20peopleandPadmaShrion75people.

MannKiBaatthemonthlyradiotalkwhereUSPresidentBarackObamaandPrimeMinisterNarendraModisharedsimilarbackstoriesofhumblebeginningsandhardwork.

CoalIndiaLimitedinthebiggesteverdisinvestmentexercise,thegovernmentmoppedupRs.22557crorefrom10%stakesaleinthiscompany.

JaishankarappointedasNewForeignSecretaryTheGovernmentappointedIndia'senvoyintheUS,S.Jaishankar,asthenewforeignsecretaryonJanuary28,2015,replacingincumbentSujathaSinghsixmonthsbeforehertermwastoend.ThesuddenappointmenthasechoesofthesuddenreplacementofIndia'sthenforeignsecretaryA.P.VenkateswaranbythenprimeministerRajivGandhiinJanuary1987.TheappointmentscommitteeoftheCabinet,inadecisiontakenWednesday,decidedto"curtail

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thetenure"oftheincumbentSujathaSingh,"withimmediateeffect".

PrimeMinisterNarendraModi'sassuranceof"consistentpolicies"and"welcomingenvironment"leadingtoUSPresidentBarackObamaannouncingstepstoleadto$4billiontradewithandinvestmentinIndia."Overthenexttwoyears,ourExportImportBank(EXIM)willsupport$1billionMadeInAmericagoodsexportstoIndia.OurOverseasPrivateInvestmentCorporationwillsupportlendingsmallandmediumbusinessesacrossIndiainmorethan$1billioninloans.AndourUSTradeandDevelopmentAgencywillinvestnearly$2billioninrenewableenergyinIndia,"ObamasaidinhisaddressattheUSIndiaBusinessSummithereMonday.

ModiLaunches'BetiBachaoBetiPadhao'CampaignFromHaryanaInadeterminedefforttocountertheadversesexratiointhecountry,PrimeMinisterNarendraModilaunchedthenationwide'BetiBachaoBetiPadhao'(savegirlchildandeducateher)campaignfromPanipat,inHaryanaonJan22,2015.Theprimeministerflaggedoff72campaignvehicles(raths)ontheoccasionthatwillmakepeopleawareabouttheneedtosavethegirlchildinareaswherethesexratioisadverse.ThecampaignhasbeenlaunchedfromHaryanaasthestatehastheworstsexratio(numberoffemalesper1,000males)andchildsexratiointhecountry.Outofthe100worstdistrictsinIndiaforsexratio,Haryanaaccountsfor12districts.

AshokaChakraForTwoFallenBraveheartsOnRepublicDayMajorMukundVaradarajanandNaikNeerajKumarSinghwereposthumouslyawardedthenation'shighestpeacetimegallantryaward,theAshokaChakra,attheRepublicDayparade.BothofthemlaiddowntheirliveswhilefightingheavilyarmedterroristsinseparategunbattlesinJammuandKashmirlastyear.TheirwidowsreceivedtheawardfromPresidentPranabMukherjee.

Sports

ViratKohliHerecentlybecamethefirstbatsmantoscorefourhundredinfourtestseriesagainstAustraliainAustralia.

AustraliatheywontheBorderGavaskarTrophy20defeatingIndiaintherecentlyplayedTestseries.

StanWawarinkatheSwissplayerwhowonthetennissinglescrownintheChennaiOpen.

TesfayeAberatheKenyanwhoclinchedthemen'stitleattheMumbaiMarathonrecently.

DinkneshMekashtheEthiopianwhoclinchedthewomen'stitleattheMumbaiMarathon

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recently.

NSrinivasantheBCCIchiefinexile,whohasbeenbarredfromcontestingtheboard'stoppostbySupremeCourt.

IndiathiscountrywillhosttheICCWorldTwenty20tournamentinMarchApril2016.

CristianoRonaldothePortugalplayerwhowontheFIFABallond'Orawardfor2014ataceremonyinZurichrecently,secondtimeinarowandthirdoverall.

SerenaWilliamsshebeatMariaSharapovatowinhersixthAustralianOpenwomen'stennistitleandher19thGrandSlamtitle.

ABdeVillierstheSouthAfricancricketerwhostruckthefastestcenturyinonedayinternationalswhenhemade100in31ballswith16sixesand9foursagainstWestIndiesattheWanderers,Johannesburgrecently.

SuperOverICChasdecidedtousethisintheeventoftieintheupcomingcricketWorldCupfinal.

BangladeshthiscountrywillhosttheU19ICCcricketWorldcupinFebruary2016.

EnglandthiscountrywillhosttheICCWomen'sWorldcupinAugust2017.

BusinessandEconomy

Economicgrowth201314revisedto6.9percentbybaseyearchangeTheIndiangovernmentrevisedthebaseyearforcomputingnationalaccountsresultingintheupwardeconomicgrowthrateof6.9percentfor201314,accordingtoanofficialstatement.TheGDPestimatesundertheoldmethodwas4.7percent.Theministryofstatisticsandprogrammeimplementationhasreleasedthenewseriesofnationalaccounts,revisingthebaseyearfrom200405to201112.

IndiaRankedWorld's128thFreestEconomyWithaneconomicfreedomscoreof54.6outof100,Indiahasbeenranked128thfreesteconomyinthe2015IndexofEconomicFreedomevaluatingeconomicconditionsandgovernmentpoliciesin186countries.TheannualreportbyTheHeritageFoundation,aconservativeWashingtonthinktank,incollaborationwithTheWallStreetJournal,ranksIndia26thoutof41countriesintheAsiaPacificregion.India'stotalscoreisdownby1.1pointsfromlastyear,withmodestimprovementsinbusinessfreedom,propertyrights,andfreedomfromcorruptionoffsetbydeclinesinlaborfreedomandtradefreedom.

WorldBank:Indianeconomytogrowby7percentin2016Helpedalongbyfallingoilpricesandbylowerinterestratesindevelopedcountries,India'seconomyisexpectedtogrowbysevenpercentnextyearandthesetwofactorscanbeagame

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changerifthenationweretoseizetheopportunitytoimplementfiscalandstructuralreforms,WorldBankChiefEconomistKaushikBasusaid.Asforthisyear,Indianeconomyisexpectedtogrowby6.4,accordingtotwoseparateprojectionsreleasedhereTuesdaybytheBangkokbasedUNEconomicandSocialCommissionforAsiaandthePacific(ESCAP)andtheWashingtonbasedWorldBank,whichalsopredicteda7percentincreasein2017.

Defence

CanisterlaunchofncapableAgniVmissilesuccessfulIndiasuccessfullyconductedthefirstcanisterbasedtrialofitsnuclearcapableAgniVmissile,whichiscapableofhittingtargetsover5,000kmaway,fromamilitarybaseinOdisha,anofficialsaid.ThelongrangemissilewasfiredfromamobilevehicleattheInnerWheelerIsland,alaunchsiteinthedistrictofBhadrak,about200kmfromBhubaneswar.

IndiaToHardSellTejas,DhruvAtAirShowIndiawillshowcaseandtrytohardsellitsindigenousLightCombatAircraft(LCA)TejasandAdvancedLightHelicopter(ALH)DhruvattheairshowhereinFebruarytoprospectivebuyersfromabroad,anofficialsaid."TejaswillbeonflyingandstaticdisplayattheAeroIndiaShowhereFeb1822tosolicitforeignbuyers,aswehavestartedproducingthem(fighters)fortheIndianAirForce(IAF),"outgoingchairmanofstaterunHindustanAeronauticsLtd(HAL)R.K.Tyagitoldreportershere.ThedefencebehemothwillalsodisplaymilitaryandcivilvariantsofDhruvatthebiennialinternationaleventwhereproducers,buyers,usersandotherstakeholderstheworldoverwillparticipateinthousands.

IndiaInvitesRussiaForDefenceSectorMakeInIndiaIndiahasinvitedRussiatotakeadvantageoftheMakeinIndiainitiativeindefencemanufacturing,DefenceMinisterManoharParrikarsaid.InameetingbetweenRussia'sDefenceMinisterSergeiShoiguandParrikar,thetwocountriesalsodecidedtoholdregularreviewofongoingprojects.ThemeetingcamefollowingthemeetingbetweenPrimeMinisterNarendraModiandRussianPresidentVladimirPutinherelastmonth."WehavealsoinvitedthemtocometoIndiaandjoinventuresinmanufacturinghere,includingsparepartsforthevariousplatformsweareusing.