Current affairs : January 29, 2017 for all competitive exams
Today
i.e., 29th January 2017 is National Immunization Day.
President
Pranab Mukherjee has launched the countrywide programme for 2017 by
administering polio drops to children aged below five years at a function in
Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- The programme will cover around 17 crore children
aged under five years in an effort to maintain the country's polio-free
status.
EC gives
clearance to Mann ki Baat
The
Election Commission (EC) on Saturday gave clearance to the broadcast of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s Man Ki Baat on the condition that it should not have an impact on
the elections in the five poll-bound States.
- The EC, in its letter to the Information &
Broadcasting Ministry, said there should be nothing in the address — to be
aired on Sunday — that might act as inducement to voters. The government
had written to the EC on January 20, seeking clearance in view of the
Model Code of Conduct in the five States.
Awards for R-day
contingents
The
Defence Ministry on Saturday announced the results of different competitive
presentations at the Republic Day Parade.
- The Army’s Madras Engineer Group has been adjudged
the best marching contingent among the Services, while Central Industrial
Security Force (CISF) has been adjudged the best among the paramilitary
forces and other auxiliary marching contingents that took part in this
year’s Republic Day parade.
- Among the 23 tableau, the first slot went to
Arunachal Pradesh which depicted the Yak dance.
- Tripura’s tableau based on ‘Hojagiri’ dance was the
second best. The third position was shared by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
- In the category of tableau representing Union
Ministries/Departments, the first prize went to the Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship, which depicted the theme ‘Transforming
India through Skill Development.’
- The tableau by the Central Public Works Department
(CPWD) which presented the concept of ‘Green India-Clean India’ was
selected for a special prize by the jury.
Trump restricts
entry from 7 Muslim nations
U.S.
President Donald Trump has banned people from seven Muslim-majority countries
from entering the nation for 90 days and suspended admission of refugees for
120 days through an executive order on Friday. The order has also indefinitely
barred refugees from Syria.
- U.S. immigration authorities have started detaining
travellers from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia, and
all refugees, though the order allowed exemption for those who were
already in transit.
Denmark to
appoint world’s first ‘digital ambassador’
Denmark
has announced it will appoint a 'digital ambassador' to manage its relationship
with technology giants like Google and Apple, becoming the first country to do
so.
- "Such companies have become a type of new
nations and we need to confront that," said Denmark's Foreign
Minister Anders Samuelsen. The companies' market values are large enough
to enter G20.
IndiaPost
becomes 3rd entity to receive licence to start payment bank operations
IndiaPost
has become the third entity to receive a final license last week from the
Central Bank to start its payment bank operations.
- Country’s largest telecom service provider
Bharti Airtel and digital payments firm Paytm are the other two to have
received the license while only Airtel has started operations so
far.
- The government has also appointed AP Singh has
interim MD and CEO of the India Post Payment Bank.
Alibaba’s
financial arm acquires MoneyGram
Ant
Financial, e-commerce giant Alibaba’s financial arm, has reached an agreement
to acquire American money-transfer major MoneyGram for $880 million, in a deal
that will expand the firm’s business in the US after India and Thailand.
- The transaction will connect MoneyGram’s money
transfer network of 2.4 billion bank and mobile accounts and 350,000
physical locations with Ant Financial’s users.
New Governor
takes charge in Meghalaya
Assam
Governor Banwarilal Purohit, who was yesterday (Friday) given the additional
charge of Meghalaya after V. Shanmuganathan resigned from the post, was on
Saturday sworn in as its Governor in-charge at a function in the Raj Bhavan
here.
- Mr. Purohit was given the additional charge of Meghalaya soon after President Pranab Mukherjee accepted Mr. Shanmuganathan’s resignation.
Vishwanatha
Shetty takes charge as Karnataka’s Lokayukta
Justice
P. Vishwanatha Shetty turned teary-eyed as he defended himself against
allegations that his family owns multiple properties, in his maiden press
conference after taking charge as the new Lokayukta on Saturday evening.
- Mr. Shetty said that his prime focus would be to
redress the problems of the common people with respect to
mal-administration.
Veteran British
actor John Hurt no more
British
actor John Hurt, known for his roles in Elephant Man and Harry
Potter , has died aged 77 after a
battle with pancreatic cancer.
- He was twice nominated for an Oscar, in the best
supporting actor category for his performance in the 1978 film Midnight
Express as Max, a British man
imprisoned in Turkey, and for his starring role inElephant Man two years later.
2017
Australian Open: Roger Federer wins men's title
For the
first time since 2010, Roger Federer has won the Australian Open, beating
long-time rival Rafael Nadal in the finals in Melbourne, Australia on 29th
January 2017. Federer won a closely contested five-set showdown, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1,
3-6, 6-3.
- For Federer, it’s his fifth Australian Open title
and his 18th Grand Slam singles title in total. At 35 years old, it’s the
first Grand Slam title for him since he won Wimbledon in 2012, and getting
the win over a rival like Nadal is huge.
Australian
Open: Serena beats sister Venus for record 23rd slam title
In
Australian Open tennis, Serena Williams beat her sister Venus Williams in the
final today to win her 23rd Grand Slam singles title.
- The dominant American swept past her rival 6-4, 6-4
on Rod Laver Arena to finally clinch the record for Open-era major titles,
nearly 18 years after winning her first.
- This is also her a seventh Australian Open win and her 23rd Grand Slam victory since the game turned professional in 1968.
