Current Affairs - 2019-20

Notes:
Tapan Ray, the 1982 batch Gujarat cadre IAS officer and currently the corporate affairs secretary, has taken additional charge as the new Economic Affairs Secretary. He succeeded Shaktikanta Das, who retired on May 31, 2017 after serving the government for 37 years in various capacities.

Notes:
In September 2018, Senior IPS officer Arun Kumar was appointed as Director General of Railway Protection Force (RPF). Kumar, a 1985 batch officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, is serving as Special Director General of Border Security Force.

Notes:
India will host a meeting of WTO member countries in February 2018 to muster support for food security and other issues. This was stated by Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu while speaking at an event organised by Apparel Export Promotion Council, AEPC in New Delhi on December 18, 2017. He further stated that the government is trying to call a meeting of almost 30 to 40 countries in Delhi to help multi-lateral process. India has been keenly pushing agriculture issues at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It has also been raising its voice against bringing new issues, especially those which are not directly linked to trade, on the negotiating table.

Notes:
The American Cancer Society presents the Luther L. Terry Awards. The awards recognize individuals and organizations that continue the work of Dr. Luther Terry. Dr. Terry was the ninth Surgeon General of the United States from 1961 to 1965. He is known for his warnings against the dangers of tobacco use.  The Luther L. Terry Awards recognize those who carry on Dr. Terry’s legacy and the importance of continuing his work. For example, in 2018, Professor Elif Dagli and Dr. Constantine Vardavas were recognized for their work on tobacco control.  Dr. Terry released the Smoking and Health-Report, which became one of the most important and widely quoted documents in medicine.

Notes:
The four largest newspaper markets in the world are:

1. China, with 107 million copies sold daily
2. India, with 99 million copies sold daily
3. Japan, with 68 million copies sold daily
4. The United States, with nearly 51 million copies sold daily

The Asia-Pacific region is the largest newspaper market, accounting for over 30% of the market in 2018. The growth of print and digital media in India and China is a key factor in the growth of the Asia-Pacific market. The global print newspapers and magazines market size was estimated at USD 123.93 billion in 2021. Revenue is projected to reach US$165.80bn in 2023.

Notes:
Rajasthan has become the first Indian state to implement the National policy on bio fuels, which was launched by the Union Government in May 2018. The desert State will lay emphasis on increasing production of oilseeds and establish a Centre for Excellence in Udaipur to promote research in the fields of alternative fuels and energy resources. The policy on bio fuels seeks to help farmers dispose of their surplus stock in an economic manner and reduce the country’s oil import dependence. It has expanded the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of sugarcane juice, sugar containing materials, starch containing materials and damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice and rotten potatoes for ethanol production.

Notes:
The above given information is for Tiwa tribe of Assam which has been frequently in news for practising Jhum cultivation.

Notes:
All given features are of Indian roller

Notes:
Indore ranked first, Bhopal occupied the second spot  and Visakhapatnam the third spot as per the Swachh Survekshan 2017. 

Notes:
The sixth Ministerial Conference of Heart of Asia summit was held in Amritsar, from December 3 to December 4, 2016. The Key Features of the Conference are:

• The delegates from nearly 40 countries and leading groupings like EU participated in conference
• Indian delegation was led by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
• The theme of this edition of the conference was “Addressing Challenges, Achieving Prosperity”
• The three big issues of the conference were (i) countering terrorism to create stability in Afghanistan, (ii) Providing Afghanistan connectivity to strengthen economic activities and (iii) the development which is essential for its progress