The Weekly Update consisting of Important News, Events, Facts and Achievements. Browse Regularly for Strengthening your General Knowledge, and staying abreast with what is happening around you.
National Political News:
1. Tamils celebrate Pongal all over the country by worshiping the Sun God on this occasion. Festival of Makar Sankranti also falls on the same day 13-14 Jan.
2. Sensor board of India’s 13 members including its head Leela Samson have resigned. Accusation at Govt. of interference and corruption in its own affairs. Finance/Information and Broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley has indicated CBFC Chief as non functional with funds allocated to it not being spent and thus returned to the Govt.
3. Spice Jet ownership control is being given up by Marans associated with DMK of Chennai. Co-founder Ajay Singh with support from a consortium of investors including US based JP Morgan Chase is likely to take over and infuse over Rs.1500 crores to restore the airline back from the brink.
4. Delhi Polls. Former Anna Hazare associate and retired IPS officer KiranBedi joins BJP with tacit blessings of PM Modi. She may be projected as a Delhi CM candidate by BJP.
5. US President Barrack Obama’s forth coming Indian visit commencing on 24th Jan including being chief guest at Republic Day parade on 26th of Jan. Obama–Modi talks are likely to focus on four areas
(i) Nuclear co-operation (ii) Defence (iii) Climate change (iv) Economic partnership
Delhi has thus been put into unprecedented security cover because of the impending Obama visit. President Obama is to travel around Delhi in American Presidential Cadillac one nicknamed ‘the Beast’. The $1.5 Million vehicle has 6.5L diesel engine, top speed 100km/hrdefence accessories to make it a virtual shield, Kevlar reinforced tyres, short guns, and tear gas cannons etc.
The presidential jets are 2 number Boeing 747 –200B. One of the jets act as a decoy. The jets have a sitting capacity of 78 passengers, cruise speed of 925 km/hr., range of 13,000 kms, advanced defence systems DIRCM (Directed Infra Red Counter Measures) to direct Infra Red beam onto the attacking missiles, IR Seekers. It also has variety of jamming algorithms to divert attacking missiles.
6. Indian Air force receives 1st lot of light combat aircraft ‘TEJAS’ manufactured at HAL, Bangalore. TEJAS has a maximum speed of 1350 km/hr. and over 400 km radius of action without refueling.
International Political News:
1. Papal head Pope Francis, while speaking at Manila, Philippines decried the Paris terrorist attack and simultaneously stated it was wrong to insult other religions and provoke their believers.
2. Pakistan bans JUD (Jammatul Dawa) lead by 26/11 terror master mind Hafeez Saeed. JUD is a front for the already banned Lashkar-e-Taiba and Haqqani network. This appears to be a sequel to U.S Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Islamabad the other day and Peshawar school attack in which 150 people mostly children lost their lives.
3. Croatia gets its first women President in Kolinda Grabar – Kitarovic winning 50.54% of votes
against sitting President Ivo Josipovic’s 49.46% Croatia was a part of Yugoslavia before its split.
Business News:
1. RBI reduces repo rate by 0.25% to 7.5% on reduced inflation data in nearly 2 years. Stock markets salute the reduction in repo rate as BSE index Sensex goes up by 700 points and Nifty by over 200 points in a single day. This may start a downward cycle in interest rates, that is both deposit and lending rate.
2. Indian IIP number for Nov. 2014 is 3.8%. It was 0.1% in the same period last fiscal. Production of capital goods rose by 6.5% during the period because of increased demand. Retail inflation moved up to 5% in December 2014 from 4.38% in Nov. 2014.
3. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim says China’s loss in Manufacturing may be India’s gain at the Vibrant Gujarat meet in Gandhinagar. PM Modi’s make in India comes for cheer lead from World Bank President.
Science and Technology:
1. Science related news Flight data recorder of Air Asia QZ 8501 had been retrieved by Indonesian divers from sea. It was found under debris of A320-200’s wing. Cockpit voice recorder, a part of black box had also been located. Initial details wreckage indicate that the plane exploded on impact with water due to rapid change in pressure.
Sports:
1. India’s No.4 Tennis player Yuki Bhambri has qualified for the first round of Australian Open and shall clash with British heavy weight Andy Murray. Indians Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna have also won ATP titles on their way to Australian Open.
2. AB de Villiers has smashed world record of fastest ODI ton by doing so in 31 balls against West Indies in Johannesburg. He further reached 149 in just 44 balls.
3. Australia again beat India in a thrilling One Day International at MCG – Melbourne. India scored 267/8 in 50 overs, Rohit Sharma scored 138. Michael Starc took 6/43 in his 10 overs. Australia replied with 269/6 in 49 overs. A Finch scored 96 runs.
