Current Affairs : January 9, 2010

Sixth International Children’s Film Festival, Bangalore
Sixth International Children’s Film Festival has started in Bangalore. The main theme is Environment and 13 movies on environment will be screened in this festival.

International Bhojpuri Conference
A 2 day International Bhojpuri conference starts in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Meira Kumar. Mrs Sarita Bhuddhu, wife of Prime Minister of Mauritius and the special guest of honour.
Gujarat Kite Festival
Uttarayan (known as Makar Sakranti in other parts of India) is the day when the sun starts to travel northwards marking the decline of winter. The days become longer, the skies clearer and the breeze cooler. A feeling of anticipation, joy and jubilation grips all who celebrate the occasion of thanksgiving and merry-making.

This marks Gujarat Kite festival which is celebrated all over Gujarat and some other parts of India. In Gujarat , the most exciting is in the capital city of Ahmedabad. The night before is electric with brisk business in buying and selling kites, in amazingly numerous bulk purchases. The Patang Bazaar (kite market), situated in the heart of Ahmedabad city, is open 24 hours a day during the Uttarayan week. A visit to the Bazaar in the middle of the night proves beyond all doubt that the entire population of the city is obsessed with kites and they crowd the streets and buy the stocks while negotiating and enjoying through the night.

People from far & wide inclding Japan, Australia, Malaysia, USA, Brazil, Canada and European Countries come to Gujarat to participate in the International Kite Festival. This year Kitists from 33 countries participated in the International Kite Festival.
This year Kite Festival assumes special significance this year since Gujarat celebrates its silver jubilee, (Gujarat was part of Bombay state till 1960). It continued for 5 days and was held at Ahmedabad, Surat and Porbandar.

Awards & Honors:
Economic Times “Business Reformer of the Year ” award – Nitish Kumar
ET has conferred ”Business Reformer of the Year-2009” award upon Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.He has been selected for the award for his efforts to put Bihar on fast track of development and prosperity.
Previous award winners are Union Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath(2008) and Union Finance Minister P Chidambram(2006).

5th Apsara Awards: Life Time achievement Award: Amitabh Bachchan
Big B has been conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Film & TV Producers Guild at the Fifth Chevorlet Apsara Awards 2009.

Appointments:
Tamil Nadu’s first woman police chief – Letika Saran
Letika Saran, a 57 year old IPS officer who was the first woman to serve as Chennai’s police commissioner has become now Tamil Nadu’s first woman Director General of Police (DGP). She is now second woman in the country to head a state police force. Kanchan Chaudhry Bhattacharya is the first woman in India to head the state police force (Uttarakhand)

Politics:
Sanjay Dutt resigns as Samajwadi Party General Secretary
After Amar Singh’s exit, Sanjay Datt , who is General Secretary of Samajwadi party has announced his resignation from the post.

National Updates:
National Immunisation Day
President inaugurated the National Immunisation Day on January 9, 201 by administering polio drops to a group of children at Rastrapati bhavan. read here

What is SMAC?
Chandigarh DIG Mahabir Singh while releasing an Annual Review of the Union Territory Police has announced setting up of a Subsidiary Multi-Agency Centre (SMAC). This will share intelligence with IB and state government agencies.

State Farmers’ Commission (SFC) -Orissa
Orissa has constituted a State Farmers’ Commission (SFC) under the chairmanship of SM Patnaik. Read the Full Article Here

Ban on River Mining – Himachal Pradesh.
The Himachal Pradesh government has banned mining of sand and stones on the Chakki, Neugal and Sheer rivers as it is causing huge damage to the local environment.

Business & Economy:
India’s first investment and manufacturing zone-Rajasthan
India’s first dedicated investment and manufacturing zone will be set up in Rajasthan along the upcoming Mumbai-Delhi national corridor.

China Biggest Consumer of Gold?
As per the latest stats from China Gold Association, the estimated demand for gold touched 450 tonnes in 2009, up from 395.6 tonnes in 2008. India’s net consumption in 2009 is forcast around 380 tonnes. Due to soaring prices the demand plummates in the coutry and thus China is poised to become World’s largest Consumer of Gold,leaving behind India. China is also largest producer of Gold.

For the year 2007, gold output rose 12% from 2006 to 276 tonnes to become the world’s largest for the first time — overtaking South Africa, which produced 272 tonnes. China has world’s sixth largest reserves of the world. Click Here to See the list.

Science & Technology:
World’s strongest Magnet:
Scientists at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at The Florida State University, US developed the world’s strongest magnet. It is a 36 tesla magnet.

What is Tesla?
Tesla (T) is the unit of magnetic field B or magnetic flux density or magnetic induction. One tesla is equal to one weber per square meter, and it was defined in 1960 in honor of the Yugoslavian-American inventor, physicist, and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla.

National High Magnetic Field Laboratory holds the earlier record a for the highest-field “resistive” magnet of 35 tesla, a type of electromagnet that uses electricity to generate high magnetic fields. This new one is an upgrade to the previous one.

Sports:
17th Sahara Senior Indian round National archery championship
Manipur has retained women team championship with 197 points in the 17th Sahara Senior Indian round National archery championship.
Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) men has emerged as new champions with 213 points. The Championship concluded in Goa.

How many Grandmasters in India ?

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