The Learner's way

1. Anuradha Roy Indian writer Anuradha Roy has won the prestigious 2016 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for her novel ‘Sleeping on Jupiter’ at the Galle Literary Festival in Sri Lanka. Ms. Roy was awarded the $50,000 prize and a unique trophy by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in the ceremony.

2. Tsai Ing-wen Tsai Ing-wen (59) has been elected as the first female President of Taiwan. She is the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which favours independence from China. Her victory is the biggest mandate ever won by a DPP president and is only the second-ever victory for the DPP since Taiwan split with China in 1949.

3. Andhra Pradesh The Nandi Natakotsavam’, the prestigious state-organised theater festival, has begin at Mahati auditorium in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh from January 18, 2016. The 12-day event will have 43 plays and play lets will be performed in social and mythological themes.

4. Andhra Pradesh The Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) is located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. To reconstruct the park as it got heavily damaged during cyclone Hudhud 2014, World Bank in- principle has sanctioned $250 million. The fund is used for its restoration and development as a world-class international ecological park. This is for the first time that the World Bank is funding a zoo.

5. 7.5% As per the report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), India’s GDP growth forecast for 2016 has been downgraded to 7.5 % from 8.2 % estimated earlier, due to slow progress in implementing reform policies. In ESCAP report, China is expected to grow at 6.5 % in 2016, lower from 6.8 % estimated earlier.

6. Easterine Kire A poet, novelist and children’s writer, Easterine Kire from Nagaland has won The Hindu Literary Prize 2015 for her novel ‘When the River Sleeps’. The book is about a lone hunter seeking a heart stone in a faraway sleeping river and fighting all odds to get it.

7. Dinesh Sharma Dinesh Sharma, Additional Secretary of Union Ministry of Finance, has been elected to the 12-member board of the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). This is the first board of directors of AIIB in which 57 nations are founding members including India. The inaugural meeting of the board of the governors of the AIIB also held in Beijing after its formal launch by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is the designated governor of the AIIB from India.

8. IDFC Bank The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog has collaborated with the IDFC Bank Ltd to conduct an enterprise survey of manufacturing firms including start-ups, across India to assess the ease of doing business. The primary objective of this survey is to assess the business regulatory environment in each State and Union Territories (Uts) and identify policy and regulatory hurdles faced by businesses in the States/Uts.

9. World Economic Forum (WEF) The World Economic Forum says large-scale involuntary migration and extreme weather events are top two risks for world in 2016. The Global Risks Report 2016 has been published ahead of its major annual meeting between January 20 and January 23 this year in Davos, Switzerland.

10. Madhya Pradesh IFC, a member of the World Bank Group has announced a tie-up with the Madhya Pradesh government to set up a 750-Mw Rewa ultra-mega solar power project. This will be the largest single-site solar power project in the world.

11. 89 India has been ranked 89 out of 109 countries in the 2015-16 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI). The list is topped by Switzerland i.e. followed by Singapore, Luxembourg, the United States and Denmark . The other countries in the list are China (48), South Africa (57), Sri Lanka (83), Iran (98), Pakistan (103), etc. The theme ‘Talent Attraction and International Mobility’ has focused on the significant correlation between movement of talent and economic prosperity. The GTCI is released by INSEAD business school in partnership with Adecco Group and the Human Capital Leadership Institute of Singapore.

12. France The French President Francois Hollande has recently declared a state of economic and social emergency to redefine country’s economic and social model. To tackle the emergency, he has set out a €2bn (£1.5bn) job creation plan. France’s unemployment rate is 10.6%, against a European Union average of 9.8% and 4.2% in Germany. To revive long-stagnant economic growth and reduce chronic unemployment, the government has proposed series of economic measures. Under a two-year scheme, firms with fewer than 250 staff will get subsidies if they take on a young or unemployed person for six months or more. Additionally, approx. 500,000 vocational training schemes will be created.

13. Raj Kamal Jha The book titled ” She Will Build Him A City” has been authored by Raj Kamal Jha, who is the Chief Editor of the daily newspaper The Indian Express and an internationally acclaimed novelist. The book is concerned with the metropolitan coexistence of health and sickness, poverty and wealth.

14. Journalist The noted journalist, author and historian, Dr. Aroon Tikekar (72) passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He authored over 20 books in Marathi and English. He is the recipient of several literary and journalism awards, and was a adjunct professor in the Department of Journalism and Communications, University of Pune.

15. Western Africa In a recent terrorist attack at a Burkina Faso hotel, several people are killed. Burkina Faso is a Western Africa nation. Its capital city is Ouagadougou.

16. Uttar Pradesh Recently, state- run BHEL has commissioned the second 660 MW supercritical unit of Lalitpur Super Thermal Power Project (STPP) in Uttar Pradesh. The main plant of the 3×660 MW Lalitpur STPP is being executed by BHEL. Located in Lalitpur in Bundelkhand district of Uttar Pradesh, Lalitpur STPP is being developed by Lalitpur Power Generation Company Limited (LPGCL)- promoted by the Bajaj Hindustan group.

17. Karnataka The veteran Kannada filmmaker and lyricist, Lakshman Rao Mohite, was better known by his pen-name ‘Geethapriya’ (84) passed away in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He has penned lyrics for over 250 songs and directed 40 films including one in Hindi movie ‘Anmol Sitaare’.

18. Jehan Daruvala The Sahara Force India Academy racer, Jehan Daruvala has won the 2016 Lady Wigram Trophy motor race, which is one of New Zealand’s most prestigious events. It is the Daruvala’s maiden victory in Formula cars since making the switch from karting in 2015.

19. Bihar The Government of India (GoI) has signed financing agreement with World Bank for US$ 250 million for Bihar Kosi Basin Development Project. The objective of the project is to enhance resilience to floods and increase agricultural production and productivity in the targeted districts in the Kosi River Basin and to enhance Bihar’s capacity to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or emergency.

20. Subhash Chandra The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently released a book named “The Z Factor: My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time”. The book is the autobiography of Essel Group Chairman Dr. Subhash Chandra. Dr Chandra is referred to as the Media Moghul of India, revolutionised the television industry by launching the country’s first satellite Hindi channel Zee TV in 1992 and later the first private news channel, Zee News.

21. India India will host a seven-day military exercise “Exercise Force Eighteen” that to be held on March 2 to 8, 2016 in Pune, Maharashtra. The focus of the exercise on humanitarian mine action and peace keeping operations and to allow the armies of these countries to develop a common understanding in handling any complex situation. The exercise is part of a concerted attempt by India towards constructive joint efforts of ASEAN Plus militaries to enhance the peace and security of the region. In the exercise, 18 ASEAN Plus countries, including Japan, China, South Korea and the US, will take part in the exercise.

22. H.R. Nagendra committee The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has set up a 12-member committee on Yoga Education in Universities, which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Yoga guru Prof. H.R. Nagendra. Prof. Nagendra is the Chancellor of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana, Samsthana, Bengaluru. The committee will identify Yoga courses to offer and the syllabus for conducting NET in Yogic Art and Science.

23. Ivan Popov The Russian chess grandmaster, Ivan Popov has recently won the 14th Parsvnath Delhi International Open Chess Title, after edging out on tiebreak Attila Czebe and Valeriy Neverov, after all three players finished on 8/10 points.

24. Davos The 2016 World Economic Forum (WEF)’s 46th annual conference has been started at the Swiss ski resort of Davos, Switzerland. The official theme is “Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution”. In this edition of WEF meeting, approx. 2,500 top business leaders, international political leaders, selected intellectuals and journalists would discuss the most pressing issues facing the world like outlook of the global economy, measures to fight terrorism, inequality, etc.

25. PSLV-31 On January 20, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) successfully put the IRNSS-1E in orbit using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-31. The 1,425 kg satellite was the fifth to be launched as part of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) which will consist of a constellation of seven satellites.

26. Cricket Recently, Uttar Pradesh team has clinched Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy with a thumping 38- run win over two-time champions Baroda in the final under lights at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

27. Maharashtra Maharashtra has become the first state in the country where women employees in government jobs can avail up to 180 days maternity leave, while having a baby through surrogacy.

28. Delhi Acers Delhi Acers team won against Mumbai Rockets in the summit clash to clinch the revamped Premier Badminton League (PBL) title. The season was held from 2–17 January 2016. This is second edition of the Premier Badminton League. The second edition was renamed from the Indian Badminton League to the Premier Badminton League.

29. Rahul Thakkar Rahul Thakkar, the Person of Indian Origin (PIO), has won the 2016 Scientific and Technical achievement award given by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, famously known as Oscar Awards. He will share the honour with Richard Chuang for “ground breaking design” of the DreamWorks Animation Media Review System. He will receive the award at the Academy’s annual Scientific and Technical awards presentation on February 13, 2016 in Beverly Hills. With this, he joined the club of other PIOs who have won Oscar Awards. They are Bhanu Athaiya, Satyajit Ray, Resul Pookutty, A.R. Rahman and Gulzar.

30. TranServ The leading digital payments company, TranServ has launched ‘Udio’ India’s first Social Mobile Wallet. The Udio Wallet integrates a social, community-driven aspect with anytime, anywhere accessibility to digital P2P (peer-to-peer) transactions via its secure and seamless payment structure, creating a ubiquitous ecosystem for both consumers and brands. It enables squaring of dues, sharing dinner bills or a cab ride a hassle free task.

31. Guenter Butschek Tata Motors has appointed Guenter Butschek as chief executive and managing director of all its operations in the country and international markets. Butschek, formerly with Airbus, the world’s second largest aircraft manufacturer, will succeed Karl Slym at Tata Motors, who passed away in January 2014. Butschek was chief operating officer at Airbus before he quit in December 2014.

32. Ravi Chellam The noted environmentalist Ravi Chellam has been appointed as the executive director of Green peace India. He has succeeded Samit Aich, who had resigned in June 2015 following an internal review of the organisation’s handling of two sexual harassment cases. Chellam is a wildlife biologist and conservation scientist by training.

33. 3 years To give boost to the start-up companies in India, the union government announced Start-up Action Plan. Under the plan, Start-up profits to be tax-free for 3 years and also no labour inspections for 3 years of launch of the venture. Tax exemption to be provided on capital gains if money is invested in another start up.