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Important News – World 1. The world's highest bridge has opened in south-west China. The Beipanjiang Bridge is raised 564 metres (1,854 feet) above the Beipan River in mountainous south-west China.

2. India and Singapore have signed the 3rd protocol for amending Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) in New Delhi. 3. China's State Council has announced a ban on all ivory trade and processing activities by the end of 2017.

4. Scotland has launched a baby box scheme, providing parents of newborn babies with maternity kits containing digital thermometers, blankets and baby clothes. 5. India's largest LNG importer Petronet has signed an agreement to set up a $950 million liquefied natural gas import project in Bangladesh.

6. An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 has occurred off Fiji Islands at a depth of around 15 kilometers. 7. The European Union (EU) has lifted its three-year ban on import of some vegetables (bitter gourd, snake gourd and aubergines) from India. 8. Finland (5.5 million- people) has become the first country in Europe to pay its unemployed citizens a basic monthly income, amounting to 560 euros (USD 587). 9. The Textile Minister Smriti Irani has launched a Bunkar Mitra-Handloom Helpline Centre where professional queries of weavers will be answered by the experts in the field.

The toll-free helpline number is 1800-208-9988 and will function from 10.00 AM to 6:00 PM in 7 languages (Hindi, English, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada Bengali and Assamese). 10. The United Nations (UN) has declared 2017 as a year to recognize that tourism is important in fostering better understanding among people. 11. Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu has said Japan has decided to be associated with the development of Chennai, Ahmedabad and Varanasi as smart cities in the country. 12. Norway is set to become the first nation to switch off its FM radio network, with the parliament approving a proposal to shift to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB). 13. Aviation safety website Airline Ratings has named Australian carrier Qantas Airways the world's safest airline for the fourth consecutive year. 14. China has launched its longest high-speed train service from Kunming capital of south-west China's Yunnan Province to Beijing. 15. India and Kazakhstan signed in the national capital a Protocol to amend the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) between the two countries which was earlier signed on 9th December, 1996 for the avoidance of double taxation and for the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. 16. Morocco has banned the burqa, the full-body veil worn by some conservative Muslim women, according to local media reports. 17. India and Kenya has signed agreements in the area of agriculture which were inked after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in New Delhi. 18. Daniel Ortega (71-year) has sworn in for a third consecutive term as President and his wife Rosario Murillo as the new Vice President in Nicaragua.


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19. India and Sri Lanka has signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) to construct 3000 rain water harvesting systems at a cost of 30 crore Sri Lankan Rupees in northern Jaffna District. 20. Ecuador has taken over from Thailand as chair of the Group of 77 which promotes the interests of the 134 developing countries it represents at the United Nations, including China. 21. The United States has announced the end of a 20-year economic embargo on Sudan, lifting trade and financial sanctions in an effort to foster ties with the Sudanese government.

22. India has slipped 3 places to 92nd rank on the global index of talent competitiveness that measures how countries grow, attract and retain talent, a list topped by Switzerland. 23. India and Mauritius has signed n Memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of Agriculture and cooperatives.

24. The Passport Index 2017, ranks countries based on the number of nations their citizens can visit without a visa or on arrival. India ranks a low 78th position. Germany stands at the top with a visa-free score of 157 while Singapore (topped in Asia) and Sweden are on second and third place respectively.

25. Bengaluru has emerged as the most dynamic city in Jones Lang LaSalle's fourth annual City Momentum Index of cities around the world, followed by Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam and Silicon Valley in the U.S. 26. Businessman-turned-politician Donald Trump was sworn-in as the 45th President of the United States at the Inauguration Day ceremony in Washington DC. 27. The World Bank has sanctioned Rs 1,376 crore for complete upgradation and improvement of the power system network in Tripura, Power Minister Manik Dey said. 28. 2016 has been declared the world's warmest year since reliable record keeping began in 1880, according to US scientists.

29. Adama Barrow, the man who won The Gambia's disputed election, has been sworn in as president. 30. Mobile users in India downloaded the most number of apps from Google Play app store in 2016. 31. In a setback to Indian travellers, Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, has withdrawn the visa-free facility for Indians who will have to complete a pre-arrival registration. 32. The United Arab Emirates'' Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation has announced that they will donate an Elekta Synergy Digital Accelerator worth US$2 million to the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)'s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College. 33. Over 3.5 lakh people has set a new world record by singing the national anthem at an event at Kagvad in Rajkot district of Gujarat.

34. The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017 was held in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. The theme of 47th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017 is Responsive and Responsible Leadership.The inaugural had musical concert by violinist Anne- Sophie Mutter.

35. New Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth who assumed office after his father Anerood Jugnauth, 86, stepped down from the post. 36. China has finished building the Longyangxia Dam Solar Park in the western province of Qinghai, China.


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37. The Senate of USA has confirmed South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (44-year) as the next Ambassador to the United Nations. 38. Nepal government has launched a 10-year-plan to cut dependence on vegetable imports from India and make the land-locked country self-reliant in food. 39. President Donald Trump has signed directives to build a wall along the US border with Mexico and crack down on US cities that shield illegal immigrants, proceeding quickly on sweeping and divisive plans to kerb immigration and boost national security.

40. Burj Khalifa tower, the world's tallest building located in Dubai, has lit up in the colours of the Indian National flag on 25th January 2017 and 26th January 2017 to celebrate India's 68th Republic Day. 41. The U.S. healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson buys Switzerland based bio-pharmaceutical firm, Actelion, for $30billion (27.9 billion euros). 42. Eleven months after all Central university vice-chancellors resolved to install the national flag "prominently and proudly" on their campuses, Delhi University has hoisted its first monumental flag. 43. 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.

Important News – India 1. The union Government has extended the cut-off date for insuring 2016-17 rabi crops till 10th January next year to provide relief to farmers hit by demonetization. The deadline to take insurance policy for both loanee and non-loanee farmers from banks for "Rabi crops" under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) expired on 1st January, 2017. 2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the nation announced an assistance of Rs.6,000 for pregnant women for vaccination and other medical uses. 3. ‘Swachh Swasth Sarvatra’, an inter-ministerial joint initiative between the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was launched in New Delhi. 4. To promote cashless transactions, Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt. Ltd . introduced Aadhar-Enabled Payment System (AEPS) in more than 1,000 milk booths and ’Safal’ retail stores. 5. Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has launched mobile app 'Haj Committee of India', which will provide information and facilitate e-payments for Haj pilgrimage. “It is for the first time that Haj application process is going to be digital,” Naqvi said. 6. The 14th annual overseas Indians' gathering called "Pravasi Bharatiya Divas" will be held in Bengaluru from January 7-9 and will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 7. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy and Mines, Piyush Goyal will launch the web portal and a Mobile App for one of India’s most talked about scheme or the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) for operational and financial turnaround of state power distribution companies. 8. The Election Commission of India has announced the dates for the assembly elections in five states Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, and Goa.


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9. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is planning to launch two mobile apps – 'm-Parivahan' and 'e-challan' – to enhance road safety and facilitate citizen interaction. 10. The Union Government has imposed an anti-dumping duty ranging from 6.30 US dollars to 351.72 US dollars per ton on imports of jute and its products from Bangladesh and Nepal. 11. The Budget session of Parliament convened to start from January 31, a day before the Union Budget is likely to be presented. President Pranab Mukherjee has summoned the Rajya Sabha to meet on January 31, 2017

12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the government will launch the 'Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana', to help unskilled youth find jobs abroad. 13. The government has made Aadhaar mandatory to avail services under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme from April 1. 14. The Union Health Ministry has introduced Rubella vaccine as Measles-Rubella vaccine in its Universal Immunization Programme. 15. The union railway minister Suresh Prabhu has released an Android-based mobile application named "IRCTC Rail Connect app" to promote ease of ticketing through digital transactions. 16. BSNL plans to connect 1,518 gram panchayats with Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) this year in Assam to ensure rural connectivity. 17. Delhi Airport claimed it has become the first aerodrome in the world to adopt unique performance and benchmarking digital platform, Arc, which helps in tracking and monitoring building performance. 18. The first wax museum attraction Madame Tussauds will debut in Delhi this June with its operator Merlin Entertainments foraying into India with an investment plan of 50 million pounds over the next 10 years.

19. Taking note of grievances of soldiers who complained about alleged poor treatment and bad quality food being served to them, the Centre has reportedly decided to set-up a mechanism to address their problems. 20. The new Adoption Regulations have come into force on 16 January 2017, which have replaced the Adoption Guidelines, 2015, will further strengthen the adoption program in the country by streamlining the process. 21. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated a month-long awareness drive on fuel conservation "Saksham 2017" in New Delhi. 22. The first edition of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) International Television Dance Festival is scheduled to be held in Hyderabad the city with royal patronage for arts, literature, and architecture, on January 15, 2017.

23. Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu launching a post graduate course in Urdu journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi . 24. India has been ranked 60th among 79 developing economies, below neighbouring China and Pakistan, in the inclusive development index, according to a WEF report.

25. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi signed MoUs with NBCC (India) Limited, HSCC (India) Limited and with HITES HLL Life Care Ltd to expand infrastructure and other facilities.


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26. The Union Textiles Minister, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani has inaugurated the 58th IIGF and unveiled the Fair Guide as well in New Delhi which is to be held from January 18 - 20, 2017. The 58th IIGF caters primarily to Autumn-Winter 2017/18. 27. The Union HRD Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar launched a dedicated web portal ‘ShaGun’ for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan at New Delhi. 28. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to the proposal for India’s taking full membership of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) Governing Council. 29. The Law Ministry, Environment Ministry, and Culture Ministry gave their approval to an ordinance allowing the bull-taming sport, Jallikattu. 30. Political activist Irom Sharmila's political party Peoples' Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA), which was launched in October last year, is Manipur's first crowd-funded party. 31. Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the 2nd Raisina Dialogue's inaugural address in front of a global audience of over 250 international leaders, representatives and thinkers from 65 countries in the national capital. 32. Indian Railways has circulated a draft cabinet note for setting up a dedicated $5 billion Railways of India Development Fund (RIDF). 33. The government has signed an agreement with the National Yuva Cooperative Society to set up 1,000 'Janaushadhi Kendras' across the country and targets to open such medical stores in every block and gram panchayat to provide quality medicines at an affordable price. 34. The first flight is likely to take off next month under the government's ambitious regional connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh Ke Aam Naagrik). 35. According to Telecom Secretary J S Deepak, govt. will invest 5,500 crore rupees in North East in telecom infrastructure in the next two years. 36. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its post-facto approval for launching of Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana 2017 (VPBY 2017). 37. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bill, 2017, under which the IIM should be declared as Institutions of National Importance which will enable them to grant degrees to their students. 38. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju has laid the foundation stone of Meghalaya's first Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Dawki in West Jaintia Hills district near the Indo-Bangladesh border. 39. The External Affairs Ministry and the Department of Posts have agreed to utilize Head Post Offices in various states as the Post Office Passport Seva Kendra for delivering passport related services to the people. 40. India is ranked at the sixth spot, behind China and Japan, in a list of eight great powers for the year 2017 by a leading American foreign policy magazine. 41. India has been ranked 79th among 176 countries in the Corruption Perception Index 2016 released by the Berlin based Transparency International organisation.


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Banking, Economics & Financial News 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that all senior citizens will get an assured interest of 8% for 10 years on fixed deposits up to Rs.7.5 lakh. 2. PM Narendra Modi has said the government will waive off 3% interest on loans up to Rs.2 lakh taken for construction, repair, and renovation of houses in rural areas. 3. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the period of enhanced Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI) limit of Rs 20,000 as part of efforts to promote digital payments to meet the transactional needs of the public through digital means. 4. The Reserve Bank of India has allowed non-resident Indians to exchange scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes till June 30. 5. NRIs and Indian nationals abroad can deposit up to Rs.25,000 worth scrapped notes on showing these to Customs officials at airports and get a declaration form stamped. 6. The Finance Ministry granted approval to 12 proposals of PSBs to raise a sum of Rs 2,914.038 crore through preferential allotment and permission given to raise Rs 200 crore by United Bank of India through QIP mode.

7. Over 26 crore accounts have been opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana across the country now. 8. The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday announced that it has appointed Surekha Marandi as the new Executive Director (ED). She took charge on January 2, 2017, an RBI release said. 9. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi has partnered with digital payments firm MobiKwik. 10. Oil marketing companies has announced they will offer a discount of Rs.5 on every LPG refill to customers who book or pay for cylinders online. 11. The Reserve Bank of India has given permission to formally launch the Paytm Payments Bank, the m-commerce platform's official blog stated. 12. The government's online payments app Bharat Interface for Mobile (BHIM) has become the most popular Android app in the country.

13. In a bid to strengthen the capital base of public sector banks (PSBs), the Centre has allowed 12 lenders to raise close to Rs. 3,000 crore via preferential shares over and above the Rs. 22,915 crore capital support committed to them in July last year. 14. Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), a 3-month campaign has been launched beginning January 1 where employers will get amnesty and pay just Re 1 as damages for not registering their employees earlier. 15. India’s GDP is expected to grow by 7.1% in the fiscal year 2017, its slowest pace of expansion in three years.

16. The RBI has agreed to provide Rs.100 crore in Rs.100 currency notes to Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to ease the acute shortage of Rs.100 notes in the Himalayan nation, reports said. 17. The Centre has approved a grant of about Rs 1,782 crore to drought-affected Karnataka and Rs 209 crore to Uttarakhand which had been hit by floods in 2013 under the National Disaster Relief Fund. 18. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has tied up with Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for augmenting capital support to enterprises in the country.


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19. The RBI stated that foreign exchange reserves rose by $625.5 million to $360.296 billion in the week to December 30, 2016. In the previous week, the reserves had declined by $935.2 million to $359.671 billion. 20. The Odisha government has planned to issue 11 lakh 40 thousand RuPay cards to farmers of the state by March this year. 21. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s first international exchange 'India INX' at the International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) of Gujarat. 22. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has revised Indian Standard on gold hallmarking, which is effective from 1st January this year. 23. The Union Government has increased the minimum monthly pension to Rs. 9000 per person, besides a two-fold hike in ex-gratia amount for central government employees.

24. Airtel Payments Bank the first payments bank started its nationwide operations on January 12, 2017 with an initial investment of Rs 3,000 crore and offering an interest rate of 7.25 per cent for savings accounts. 25. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the umbrella organisation for all retail payment systems in the country has declared Rs. 54.90 crore worth of prize money to over 3.42 lakh winners of NITI Aayog’s Lucky Draw Schemes for consumers and merchants. 26. The limit on withdrawals from ATMs has been enhanced from the current limit of Rs.4,500 to Rs.10,000 per day per card (It will be operative within the existing overall weekly limit). 27. A wholesale inflation has broken a three-month declining trend and rose to 3.39% in December 2016. 28. The Commerce Ministry has launched a mobile app ‘SEZ India’ which provides detailed information related to special economic zones.

29. India will likely be able to roll out the goods and services tax (GST) from July 1 following a breakthrough over the seemingly intractable issue of tax administration after the Centre accommodated states' concerns. 30. Multilateral lending agency World Bank and India signed a financing agreement for IDA credit of USD 48 million (equivalent) for the 'Nagaland Health Project'. 31. The IMF cut India's growth rate for the current fiscal year to 6.6 per cent from its previous estimate of 7.6 per cent due to the "temporary negative consumption shock" of demonetisation, days after the World Bank also decelerated India's growth estimates.

32. Undisclosed income in assets such as jewellery, stock or immovable property or in foreign bank accounts will not be accepted under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY). 33. BSE has hitted the capital market with its much-awaited initial public offer, the first by a domestic stock exchange, to raise up to Rs 1,243 crore. 34. India made clear that the General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR) will come into effect on April 1 as previously announced but sought to alleviate concerns of foreign investors about the fairness of its implementation.

35. India Post has become the third entity to receive a final license last week from the Central Bank to start its payment bank operations.


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36. 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. 37. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has lifted cash withdrawal limits from ATMs with effect from 1st February. 38. India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), floated by the postal department, has received Reserve Bank of India’s final nod to commence commercial operations.

States News 1. The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Mehbooba Mufti has launched several e-learning modules developed by the State Education Department in collaboration with several agencies and organisations at the winter capital city of Jammu. 2. Haryana government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Andhra Pradesh to assist it compile a centralised database of its population to ensure efficient and effective implementation of welfare programmes.

3. The Bihar Cabinet has declared 50 per cent reservation in all judicial services for aspirants belonging to the Extremely Backward Classes, Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. 4. Sikkim has become the first state in India to go fully organic. Around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land were gradually converted to certified organic land in accordance with guidelines laid down in National Programme for Organic Production, as per reports. 5. Maharashtra government has reportedly set a target to plant 50 crore saplings in the state in next three years. Currently, around 20% of the state's land is under forest cover and the government is aiming to increase it to 33%.

6. Odisha's World famous 11-day gala festival Bargarh Dhanua Jatra is all set to begin on 2 January 2017.All rituals were performed before Goddess Samaleswari, the presiding deity of the event. 7. Mori , a tiny village under Sakhinetipalli mandal in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, sealed its place on India's digital map by transforming completely into a Smart Digital Village, in every sense of the term. 8. Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani dedicated India's first laser technology-based advanced AVMS RTO check-post at Shamlaji of Aravalli district.

9. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the five-day annual Indian Science Congress at the Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh). 10. For the benefit of voters, candidates, election staff as well as the Election Commission of India (ECI), the district administration of Ludhiana has developed a mobile application named "ECI360". Developed by Harpreet Singh Chandoke from a company named "01 Synergy" on behalf of the district administration. 11. Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has launched a new health scheme christened Arogya Raksha offering medical insurance to those who were not covered under any of the existing health schemes of the state government. 12. Lt. Governor Jagdish Mukhi has inaugurated 10-day Island Tourism Festival 2017 at Port Blair in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.


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13. The World Book Fair which is being organised in the national capital from January 7-15 at Pragati Maidan, will have 'Manushi' as the theme of the year and will focus on writings on and by women. 14. Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao has announced plans to give Rs.1,000 every month to "distressed lonely women" in the state. 15. Power Minister Piyush Goyal unveiled world's largest street light replacement programme in South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) area . 16. The Maharashtra government has come up with an amendment in Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, following which non-agriculture certification will no longer be required for a land for which development plan is finalized. 17. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat from 9th January 2017, he will inaugurate the 8th edition of 'Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit 2017' along with series of other programs. 18. 11th Blind Challenge Car Rally was organised in Bhopal to create awareness among the masses regarding the issues concerning persons with visual impairment. 19. Magh Mela festival (month-long) has begun at Sangam in Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh). 20. The second international kite festival coinciding with the 'Makar Sankranti' fest would be held for six days from January 12, 2017 in Hyderabad and two other districts in Telangana. 21. The world’s first ‘Gender Literature Festival’ will be held in Patna during 7th to 9th April 2017. 22. Animal Husbandry Department of the Delhi government has declared the National Capital free from H5N8 avian influenza commonly known as Bird Flu. 23. The three-day International Kite Festival (fourth) has begun in New Delhi.

24. The Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan has inaugurated the first solar-powered boat of the state water transport department "Aditya" at a function held in Vaikom boat Jetty in Kerala. 25. In Madhya Pradesh Indore district witnessed inauguration of first of its kind scheme of the country. Digital Dakiya, which aims at encouraging cashless transactions. 26. For the benefit of both domestic and international tourists, Tamil Nadu Tourism Department has launched a mobile app ‘pinakin’ with information on tourism in Tamil Nadu with audio facilities. 27. Government owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned new 500 MW Thermal Unit in West Bengal. 28. The North-East Frontier (NF) Railways has announced the launch of Aastha Circuit Tourist Train from Guwahati (Assam).

29. Textiles Minister Smriti Zubin Irani has inaugurated three-days 58th edition of India International Garment Fair (IIGF) at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. 30. Madhya Pradesh became the first State of the country to launch Aanandam programme to help the needy persons.

31. Karang, a small lake island in Manipur , has become the country’s first cashless island. The Union ministry of electronics and information technology under its Digital India programme announced Karang as the first cashless island in India.


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32. Sitalpati or cool mat from Cooch Behar district of West Bengal has been recognised as an "intangible cultural heritage" by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

33. The Karnataka government has decided to allow the sale of white kerosene in open market. State Food and Civil Supplies Minister UT Khader said that the government has issued an order this effect. 34. Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh has declared Dharamshala as the second capital of the state. Adding that Dharamshala has a history of its own, the CM said it fully deserved to be the second capital after Shimla. 35. The Haryana government has approved the installation of solar energy devices at a cost of Rs 44 crore in all 25,962 Anganwadi centers in the State. 36. President Pranab Mukherjee is due to inaugurate the 28th Dantan Gramin Mela in West Midnapore district in West Bengal. 37. The Bihar government has launched "Nasha Mukt campaign" to make the state addiction-free. 38. Andhra Pradesh government have announced a compensation of 5 lakh rupees for the families of those who lost lives in the Hirakhand Express accident and belonging to the state. Odisha government has also declared a compensation of similar amount for those belonging to Odisha. 39. Goa will become the first state in the country to opt for electronic transmission of postal ballot to service voters in the upcoming Assembly polls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Syed Nasim Zaidi said. 40. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a total ban on polythene carry bags from May 1, 2017 across the state. 41. The Maharashtra school education department has asked schools to observe February 27 as 'Marathi Bhasha Gaurav Din' to pay a tribute to poet Kusumagraj, who helped develop the Marathi language.

42. Gujarat Ranks First Among States in Moving Towards Cashless Economy when it comes to moving towards a cashless economy after demonetisation, a latest analysis based on data from over 5 million users of a personal finance app shows that Gujarat takes the top spot among states. It is followed by Telangana and Haryana. 43. The Assam government has organized Farmer's Martyr day (two-day event) at Patharughat in Darrang district for the first time. 44. The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan launched the IT Project, e-Health Kerala which is named Jeevan Rekha , at Peroorkada Model Government Hospital.

45. The Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar inaugurated India’s first Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) at Metagalli post office in Mysuru. 46. Arunachal Pradesh launched ‘Dulari Kanya’ , a special scheme to check infant mortality in the state. 47. The first time women voters in Goa will be given pink teddy bears in the upcoming Assembly polls, aiming to boost their participation in the democratic exercise. 48. I&B Ministry Secretary Ajay Mittal have inaugurated North East Film Festival 'Fragrances from the North East' at National Film Archive of India in Pune, Maharashtra.


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New Appointments

1. Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took oath as the 25th Chief Justice of Pakistan. Justice Nisar has replaced Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali who retired after serving as Chief Justice for 15 months. 2. Samajwadi Party's National Executive has unanimously elected Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav as the party's National President

3. The President has appointed Prof. David R. Syiemlieh, Member, Union Public Service Commission, to perform the duties of the post of Chairman, Union Public Service Commission, with effect from the forenoon of January 4, 2017. 4. The Centre has appointed Archana Nigam as the next Controller General of Accounts in the Finance Ministry. 5. Air Marshal Anil Khosla took over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Air Command on 1 January 2017. 6. Republican Paul Ryan was formally re-elected Speaker of US House of Representatives on Tuesday, amid his efforts to resolve differences with President-elect Donald Trump after disagreements during the presidential campaign. 7. The Businessman Jovenel Moise ( 48-year)has officially been declared the winner of Presidential elections in Haiti.

8. DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) has elected party treasurer M K Stalin as its Working President. 9. Software major IBM India has announced the appointment of Karan Bajwa as Managing Director. Bajwa succeeds Vanitha Narayanan, who has been elevated as the Chairman of the company. 10. Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar has sworn in as 44th Chief Justice of India. Justice Khehar will be the first Chief Justice from the Sikh community. 11. Tata Power Co has appointed S Padmanabhan as its chairman, in place of Cyrus Mistry who resigned last month.

12. UK's government has appointed career diplomat Sir Tim Barrow as its ambassador to the EU. The office of Britain's PM Theresa May said that Barrow is a seasoned and tough negotiator who will bring energy to Brexit talks. 13. Chinese smartphone maker Gionee has appointed Indian captain Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador. 14. Flipkart has promoted former Tiger Global Management executive Kalyan Krishnamurthy as the new chief executive to run the operations of India's largest online retailer. 15. German sportswear company Adidas has decided not to renew its contract with Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli. Kohli had signed a Rs.30 crore endorsement contract with Adidas in early 2014 which was up for renewal last month. 16. Lieutenant General Sarath Chand, Army Commander of Jaipur-based South Western Command, was appointed as the new Vice Chief of Army Staff. 17. Tata Sons has appointed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Chief Executive Natarajan Chandrasekaran as its new chairman. He will take over as the executive chairman from Feb.


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18.Mexico has appointed Geronimo Gutierrez, head of the North American Development Bank, as the new ambassador to the US, according to reports. 19. Rajeev Singh, Member (Finance) in Prasar Bharati Board, will take charge as interim CEO of the public broadcaster after S C Panda retires in February. 20. Italian conservative Antonio Tajani has been elected as the new President of the European Parliament. 21. A three-member panel headed by PM Narendra Modi has appointed Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Verma as the new Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director for a two-year term. 22. Retired General James Mattis was sworn in as US Secretary of Defense, making him the first cabinet member of President Donald Trump to be cleared to take office.

23. Online cab Ola has appointed former PepsiCo executive Vishal Kaul as the new chief operating officer (COO). 24. Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has given the one-year extension to Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (1977 batch IFS officer) as Foreign Secretary (till January 28, 2018). 25. The President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Dr, Vijay Bhatkar as the chancellor of Nalanda University for three-year. 26. The President Pranab Mukherjee has given Banwarilal Purohit (Governor of Assam) to the additional charge of Meghalaya and PB Acharya (Governor of Nagaland) to the additional charge of Arunachal Pradesh. 27. Former Judge of Karnataka High Court Justice Vishwanath Shetty has sworn in as new Lokayukta of Karnataka by Governor Vajubhai R Vala. 28. Indian digital wallet startup MobiKwik has appointed former CRISIL executive Bikram Bir Singh as its Business Head. Singh has 15 years of experience in Business Development and Sales Management across CRISIL Ratings, Citibank and ICICI Bank. 29. Amulya Patnaik (1985 batch IPS officer of AGMUT cadre) has been appointed to be the next Police Commissioner of Delhi.

Resigns 1. Narinder Batra has resigned as the associate vice-president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). 2. Micro-blogging site Twitter's China Managing Director Kathy Chen has quit the company within seven months of taking over. Prior to Twitter, Chen spent seven years researching missile defence at the People’s Liberation Army. 3. Xiaomi's Global Vice President, Hugo Barra, today announced to quit the company. Barra, who served for 3.5 years. 4. Facing sexual harassment charges, Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan has resigned after a section of Raj Bhavan employees demanded his removal for “seriously compromising” the dignity of the gubernatorial office.


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Important Committees 1. The Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel has constituted a committee headed by Secretary (Sports) to suggest improvements in the National Sports Development Code and functioning of Sports Federations etc. 2. Former Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra and legendary Prakash Padukone are part of the nine-member government panel formed to make recommendations for bringing out a comprehensive National Sports Development Code across all disciplines. The committee will be headed by Sports Secretary Injeti Srinivas. 3. The N K Singh panel has submitted its report on changes in Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management, FRBM, Act to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The Committee was assigned to review the working of the FRBM Act over last 12 years to suggest the way forward.

Meets & Summits 1. 'World Bhojpuri Conference' will be held in Varanasi from 29 December to January 1, in which participants from over 18 countries are likely to be present. 2. The ninth edition of India Art Fair will begin on February 2 at NSIC grounds in Okhla, New Delhi. The four-day fair is considered to be among South Asia's biggest events for contemporary art.

3. The 13th edition of Nepal’s five-day Chitwan Elephant Festival kicked off in Kathmandu with the participation of over 50 elephants. 4. The three day International Conference on “Yoga for Diabetes” was inaugurated by Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge), Shri Shripad Yesso Naik in New Delhi. 5. Assam Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal has inaugurated fourth Assam International Agri- Horti show in Guwahati, Assam. 6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Dr Antonio Costa have inaugurated the main convention of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas on 08th January 2017 in Bengaluru. 7. Financial Stability Development Council holds its 16th meeting in New Delhi. Major issues and challenges facing the economy were reviewe at the council meeting which was headed by finance minister, Mr. Arun Jaitley. 8. The three-day National Conference for e-Governance 2016-17 (20th Edition) has begun in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh). 9. Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Vijay Goel, in a statement said that this year the 21st National Youth Festival is being organised in Rohtak, Haryana from 12th to 16th January, 2017.

10. The Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore has inaugurated the Indian Panorama Film Festival at Siri Fort auditorium in New Delhi. 11. The five-day Literature Festival has been inaugurated by the Chief minister 'Vasundhara Raje' with poet Gulzar in the pink city, Jaipur (Rajasthan). 12. Andhra Pradesh is hosting two- day 23rd edition of the Partnership Summit at Visakhapatnam for the second consecutive year. 13. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has inaugurated the three-day 29th "Kerala Science Congress" at Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala.


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14. The first three-day Brahmaputra Literary Festival has been inaugurated by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Guwahati.

Honours & Award 1. Two new Hindi writers Shraddha and Ghyansham Kumar Devansh have been chosen for Bharatiya Jnanpith 12th Navlekhan Award for the year 2016, the literary organisation announced. 2. World number one tennis player, Britain's Andy Murray , has been conferred the Knighthood in the New Year’s honours list in Britain. 2016 was Murray's most successful year after winning the Wimbledon title for the second time and defending his gold medal at the Rio Olympics. 3. Pakistan's President Mamnoon Hussain has conferred the country's highest civilian honour 'Nishan-e-Imtiaz' on Army chief Qamar Bajwa and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Zubair Hayat in recognition of their services. 4. Shankar Balasubramanian, an Indian-origin British professor of chemistry and DNA expert at Cambridge University, has received a Knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II. 5. State-run National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Chairman and Managing Director K M Singh has been conferred the 'Power & Energy Persona's Award for Individual Excellence' at the 10th ENERTIA Awards 2016.

6. Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio will be one of the presenters at the upcoming 74th Golden Globe Awards, to be held on January 8. Earlier, Priyanka Chopra was confirmed to be a presenter at the awards ceremony. 7. The Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony (74th ) has been organized at Beverly Hills, California, United States (US).

● Best Motion (Picture Drama): Moonlight ● Best Motion (Picture Musical/Comedy): La La Land ● Best Director (Motion Picture-Drama): Damien Chazelle for La La Land ● Best Actor (Motion Picture-Drama): Casey Affleck for Manchester by the Sea ● Best Actress (Motion Picture-Drama): Isabelle Huppert for Elle ● Best Actor (Motion Picture or Musical or Comedy): Ryan Gosling for La La Land ● Best Actress (Motion Picture Musical or Comedy): Emma Stone for La La Land ● Best Actor (Supporting role in Motion Picture): Aaron Taylor-Johnson for Nocturnal

Animals ● Best Actress (Supporting role in Motion Picture): Viola Davis for Fences. ● Best Original Score-Motion Picture: Justin Hurwitz for the La La Land. ● Best Original Song: “City of Stars” (Justin Hurwitz, Pasek & Paul) for the La La

Land. ● Best Animated Feature Film: Zootopia. Best Foreign Language Film: Elle (France).

8. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was given an award by the US Embassy in appreciation for his invaluable contributions to the US-India partnership on tuberculosis.

9. Filmfare Short Films Awards 2017 People's Choice Award for Best Film – Khamakha Best Short Film in Fiction – Chutney Best Short Film in Non Fiction - Matitali Kusti


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Best Actor Female - Tisca Chopra For Chutney Best Actor Male - Manoj Bajpai for Taandav 10. Outgoing US President Barack Obama has awarded Vice President Joe Biden "Presidential Medal of Freedom" at a ceremony in his honor at the White House. 11. 62nd Filmfare Awards 2017 Announced The winners of 62nd Jio Filmfare Awards are following: ● Best Film: Dangal ● Best Director: Nitesh Tiwari (Dangal) ● Best Actor (Female): Alia Bhatt (Udta Punjab) ● Best Actor (Male): Aamir Khan (Dangal) ● Best Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya – Channa Mereya (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil) ● Best Playback (Male): Arijit Singh – Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil) ● Best Playback (Female): Neha Bhasin – Jag Ghoomeya (Sultan) ● Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female): Shabana Azmi (Neerja) ● Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male): Rishi Kapoor (Kapoor & Sons) ● Lifetime Achievement Award: Shatrughan Sinha

12. Twenty-five children (13-girls) have been selected for the national bravery awards 2016. The coveted Bharat award has been conferred on 8-year-old Late Kumari Tarh Peju (Arunachal Pradesh), who sacrificed her life while saving two of her friends from drowning. 13. Kiran Doshi won The Hindu Prize 2016 at the 7th edition of The Hindu Lit for Life festival 2017 held in Chennai from January 14-16, 2017. 14. For the first time, a film made in a Himachali dialect "Saanjh" gets international recognition by grabbing best feature film award at international Borrego Springs Film Festival held in California, US. 15. 65th Miss Universe Pageant will be conducted on 30th January 2017 in Philippines. Roshmitha Harimurthy will represent India at the pageant. 16. The Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) has received NTPC award 2015-16 from the Union Power Minister, Shri Piyush Gayal. 17. The Delhi International Airport (Private) Limited (DIAL ) has won the ‘Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) in the transportation sector under the Aviation category for the year 2016.

18. A scientist at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) Keshav Krishna has been selected for the National Geoscience Award, 2016. 19. Iris Mittenaere of France bags the Miss Universe 2016 pageant held in the Philippines. The finalists who advanced to top 3 hailed from Haiti, France, and Colombia.

Books & Authors 1. Vice President Hamid Ansari on 4 January 2017 released a book titled “The People's President: Dr APJ Abdul Kalam”. The book was released at a function in New Delhi which was attended by Union Finance. 2. The book titled "The Untold Vajpayee: Politician and Paradox" by journalist Ullekh NP is in news by making controversial statements about Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani.


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3. Major General (Retd) GD Bakshi's book titled "Bose: An Indian Samurai : Netaji and the INA : a Military Assessment" is in news, because the author has claimed that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose didn't die in a plane crash, but was tortured to death by the British.

4. Former Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Vijay has authored a book 'Cyber Pathshala', wherein the alphabets have been associated with popular terms related to demonetisation. 5. Former wrestler and Coach Mahavir Singh Phogat made his way to the launch of his authorized biography 'Akhada' in Chandigarh. 6. BSP president Mayawati releasing second edition of book 'A Travelogue of My Struggle-ridden Life and BSP Movement' during her 61st birthday function. 7. Shah Rukh Khan was present to launch the much talked about biography ‘An Unsuitable Boy’ on the filmmaker Karan Johar's life.

Defence & Science 1. An entrepreneur of Indian origin, Sheikh Rafik Mohammed, has assumed a top position in the defence department of Kyrgyzstan, as per a media report. Rafik, who also holds Kyrgyzstan nationality, had worked as an adviser to former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Saliyevich Bakiyev. 2. India has successfully conducted the final test of the nuclear-capable Agni-IV missile from a road-mobile launcher on Odisha's Abdul Kalam Island. 3. Indonesia has suspended all military cooperation for an undisclosed time with Australia for "technical reasons", according to reports. However, Indonesian military spokespersons said it is "highly likely" the cooperation will resume once the issues are resolved. 4. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch record 103 satellites in a single flight in February first week.

5. China has successfully launched a new-generation telecommunications satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center using the Chang Zheng 3B carrier rocket. 6. The outgoing Obama administration has approved the acquisition of a fleet of 12 Columbia-class nuclear submarines costing $128 billion (over Rs.8.7 lakh crore).

7. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and French Space agency (CNES) have signed a partnership agreement in satellite launch technology. 8. China has successfully sent three satellites into space in its first commercial mission using an updated version of the low-cost Kuaizhou-1A rocket, amidst the Communist giant's determined bid to expand its ambitious space program. 9. The second Scorpene class submarine Khanderi has been launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai (Maharastra). 10. Guided Pinaka, which has been upgraded from Pinaka Rocket, was successfully test fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur. 11. The American SpaceX rocket company has resumed flights, launching a Falcon 9 vehicle from the Vandenberg Air Force Base on the California coast. 12. Border Security Force (BSF) launched operation ‘Sard Hawa’ at the western international border of Rajasthan, under which vigil will be beefed-up to check the instances of infiltration due to the dense fog in the area.


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13. India's largest warship INS Vikramaditya is going to get an ATM onboard tomorrow, making it the 2nd Indian warship to have an ATM. The ATM will belong to India's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI).

14. In a move to rapidly expand its naval fleet, China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy commissioned its 31st stealth warship with the commissioning of the 31st Type—056 class corvette warship, CNS Ezhou, China. 15. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully ground tested the Cryogenic Upper Stage engine meant for the rocket GSLV-Mark-III . 16. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been adjudged the best marching contingent for the fifth time among the different paramilitary forces that took part in the Republic Day parade. The force had earlier won the award in 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2015.

17. The Israeli Defence Ministry and the US have successfully tested an anti-ballistic missile system in central Israel, reports said. 18. After a jawan alleged in a video recently that poor quality food was being served at border posts, Army Chief Bipin Rawat has launched a WhatsApp helpline, 9643300008, for its personnel to register their complaints.

Obituaries 1. Tyrus Wong, the artist whose works inspired the visuals in the 1942 Disney film Bambi, passed away at his home at 106. 2. Pakistan cricket has lost its oldest living Test player Imtiaz Ahmed after he passed away in Lahore following a protracted illness. 3. Karnataka minister H S Mahadeva Prasad (58-year) has passed away in Bangalore (Karnataka). 4. British art critic and author John Berger (90-year) has passed away. 5. Veteran actor Om Puri passed away at the age of 66 after suffering a heart attack early on Friday. The two-time National Award winning actor was awarded the Padma Shri in 1990, the fourth highest civilian award of India.

6. Renowned sitar player Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan , - the last survivor of the 'Sitar Trinity' of India along with the late Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Vilayat Khan - died in Mumbai. He was 88. 7. Noted Manipur-based historian and scholar Gangmumei Kamei has passed away in Imphal (Manipur). 8. Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, 82, passed away on Sunday in a hospital in Tehran after suffering a heart attack 9. Portugal's former president Mario Soares, widely seen as the father of the country's modern day democracy, died aged 92. 10. Former German President Roman Herzog passed away in a hospital at the age of 82. 11. Veteran British war correspondent Clare Hollingworth (105-year) has passed away in Hong Kong. 12. A whole-time Director of MRF Ltd and Padmashree Awardee K.M. Philip (104-year) has passed away. 13. Freedom fighter Mohan Singh Josan passed away in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan at the age of 92.


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14. Senior Congress leader and former Tourism Minister of Maharashtra Chandrakant Chhajed (67-year) passed away in Pune due to prolonged illness. 15. The US author and filmmaker William Peter Blatty (89-year) has passed away at a hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. 16. Former Punjab Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala, who took over reins of the state in the difficult period when militancy was at its peak in the mid-80s, died in Chandigarh on 14th January 2017 at the age of 91.

17. Former Chief Minister of Punjab (1985 to 1987) and Governor (Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands) Surjit Singh Barnala (91-year) has passed away due to illness. 18. Professor C.V. Vishveshwara, a pioneer in research on black holes, passed away in Bengaluru after a period of illness. He was 78. 19. Deepak Roy (67-year) known for his movie "Limit to Freedom" has passed away. He started his career as a film critic in 1974 and ventured into the direction in 1982. 20. The Veteran film and stage actor Gita Sen (86-year) passed away, in Kolkata.

21. Senior Congress leader and former state minister of Chhattisgarh, Tarun Prasad Chatterjee (68-years) has passed away Raipur(Chhattisgarh). 22. Noted scientist P.K.K. Nair , often referred to as the `Father of Indian Palynology’ (study of pollen grains), passed away at his residence in Bengaluru. 23. Renowned Urdu poet Naqsh Lyallpuri died at his residence on the morning according to his family. 24. Russia's ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin passed away on Thursday in New Delhi after a brief illness, 25. Actor John Hurt , who played Mr Ollivander, the wandmaker in the first and final two 'Harry Potter' films, passed away at the age of 77.

Sports News 1. Kush Bhagat (7-year) has won all three gold medals in three categories (Rapid, Blitz and Standard) on offer in the 1st Western Asia Youth Chess Championships at Al Ain Chess Club in UAE (United Arab Emirates). 2. The Supreme Court has removed BJP MP Anurag Thakur from the post of BCCI President. The court also sacked BCCI Secretary Ajay Shirke. 3. Pakistan's Aleem Dar on Monday started officiating in the Sri Lanka-South Africa test match which is his 332nd international cricket match as an umpire, thereby surpassing South African Rudi Koertzen's record of 331 international matches as an umpire. 4. Lionel Messi has won the Best Playmaker of 2016 award for his overall contribution to club and country by the International Federation of Football, History and Statistics. 5. Indian tennis player Somdev Devvarman announced his retirement from professional tennis. 6. Rio Olympian Sathish Sivalingam from Railways won the gold, for the sixth consecutive year, in the men's 77 kg category in the 69th men's and 32nd women's Senior National Weightlifting Championship, at the Ponjesly College of Engineering. 7. Rafael Nadal defeated David Goffin to win in Abu Dhabi. Rafael Nadal defeated Belgian David Goffin 6-4, 7-6 to win the Mubadala World Tennis Championships.


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8. The India women’s team stormed into the final of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship beating Nepal 3-1 at the Kanchenjunga Stadium in Siliguri. 9. Table tennis Olympic champion from China Li Xiaoxia has announced her retirement through social media. 10. Seasoned player Mithali Raj will skipper the Indian women’s cricket team for the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup qualifiers to be played from February 3 to 21 in Colombo. 11. India's women's football team defeated Bangladesh 3-1 in Siliguri on Wednesday to win the 2016 South Asian Football Federation Women's Championship for the fourth consecutive time. 12. Former Australia cricketer Arthur Morris has become the 82nd player into the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame by Steve Waugh in Sydney (Australia). 13. A Frenchman Robert Marchand (105-year) has set a new world record for cycling the furthest distance in one hour for riders aged 105 or older. 14. Virat Kohli has been named India's limited-overs captain following a meeting of the selection committee on Friday to announce the squad for the England series beginning January 15. 15. Indian Squash player Velavan Senthilkumar won the British Junior Open after defeating compatriot Abhay Singh.

16. Tamil Nadu Cricket Association has written to BCCI citing inability to host two U-19 Test matches between India and England in Chennai next month. 17. Novak Djokovic has won the Qatar Open tennis title. In an epic final in Doha, the Serbian defeated Andy Murray of UK by 6-3 5-7 6-4. 18. Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut won the men’s singles title of the Chennai Open 2017. 19. The South Eastern Railway (SER) has defeated Western Railway 2-1 in the final of the 38th All India Railways Women's Hockey Championship held at SAI Centre, Bhopal. 20. The Best FIFA Football Awards 2016, given by the world's football's governing body FIFA, were held on 9 January 2017 in Zurich, Switzerland. ● The Best Fifa Men's Player Award - Cristiano Ronaldo ● The Best Fifa Women's Player Award - Carli Lloyd ● The Fifa Puskas Award - Mohd Faiz Subri ● The Best Fifa Men's Coach Award - Claudio Ranieri ● The Best Fifa Women's Coach Award - Silvia Neid ● The Fifa Fair Play Award - Atletico Nacional ● The Fifa Fan Award - Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund supporters ● Fifa Award for an Outstanding Career – Falcao

21. Portugal and Real Madrid FC Captain Cristiano Ronaldo has won his fourth FIFA best player award. Ronaldo beat great rival Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann to complete a sweep of top individual awards. 22. Indian cueist Pankaj Advani won the 3rd Kolkata Open National Invitation Snooker Championship 23. World football's governing body, FIFA has approved plans to expand the World Cup from a 32-team tournament to a 48-team format from 2026 onwards.


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24. India U-13 squash player Shreyas Mehta has won the Scottish Junior Open title. He defeated Colombia's Juan Jose Torres Lara by 8-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-7. 25. Russian rhythmic gymnast Yana Kudryavtseva has retired from competition aged just 19, Kudryavtseva won 13 world championships from 2013 to 2015, making her the early favorite for the all-around gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but a foot fracture disrupted her preparations. 26. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has appointed 'Jimmy Adams' (49-year) as its new Director of cricket. 27. The Union Government has revoked the suspension of deemed recognition of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) with immediate effect. 28. Gujarat has won maiden "Ranji title 2016-17" by defeating Mumbai (defending champions) by five wickets at Holkar Stadium in Indore. 29. The BJP Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar has been appointed as Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president. 30. The Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Vijay Goel has inaugurated national level competitions under the "Khelo India" scheme at the S.P. Mukherjee Swimming Pool complex in the Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. 31. The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Mr. Vijay Goel has announced to launch "diploma course" for sports training in SAI center of Rohtak on the pattern of Patiala. 32. Top seeded Grandmaster Farrukh Amonatov has won the 15th edition of the Delhi International Chess tournament. 33. Cricket icon Kapil Dev was inducted into Legends Club 'Hall of Fame' in presence of former India captains Ajit Wadekar, Sunil Gavaskar and Nari Contractor at the Cricket Club of India. 34. The Punjab Royals have bagged the Pro Wrestling League Season 2 title in the summit clash in New Delhi. 35. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Alibaba Group (Chinese e-commerce firm) has entered into a long-term partnership through 2028 at the World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland). 36. Russia’s second largest city St Petersburg has launched an official emblem for the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup during a solemn ceremony.

37. Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal notched up her first title after a career-threatening injury by claiming the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold with a hard-fought victory in the summit clash. 38. Ex-BCCI president Anurag Thakur unanimously elected head of the Himachal Pradesh Olympic Association (HPOA) for a four-year term.Anurag Thakur. 39. Dhruv Sunish finally got the taste of ITF Juniors title when he won the boys singles crown downing Kazakhstan's Dostanbek Tashbulatov at the Dakshin Kalikata Sansad clay courts. 40. Wriddhiman Saha of Bengal scored an unbeaten 203 and his 316-run stand with Cheteshwar Pujara (116 not out) helped Rest of India clinch the Irani Trophy against Ranji Trophy champions Gujarat in Mumbai.


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41. David Warner, the Australia cricket team opener, has been named the country's best cricketer of the year, securing the Allan Border medal for the second year in succession. 42. All-rounder Shane Watson (35-year) has been adjusted Cricket Australia's T20 International Player of the Year at the Allan Border medal ceremony. 43. Former Snooker player and now Billiards player Pankaj Advani has won his seventh national title after beating Rupesh Shah 5-1 in the final. 44. Usain Bolt will have to hand back one of his nine Olympic gold medals after Jamaican teammate Nesta Carter tested positive for a banned substance. 45. The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Jamtha is all set to host its 10th Twenty20 International. 46. American professional tennis player Serena Jameka Williams (35- years) has won the 2017 Australian Open Women's Singles title. 47. The Union Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel has reconstituted TOP committee with the objective of identifying and supporting potential medal 48. Swiss tennis player Roger Federer defeated Spain's Rafael Nadal in five sets in the Australian Open men's singles final, to win a record 18th Grand Slam title. 49. Beijing Olympics gold-medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra was appointed as the chairman of the reconstituted Target Olympic Podium (TOP) committee, which also has former sprinter PT Usha and former badminton player Prakash Padukone among others. 50. The Supreme Court (SC) has appointed a four-member committee of administrators led by former Comptroller and Auditor General of India(CAG) Vinod Rai to run the affairs of the Board of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI). 51. PV Sindhu eased to her first title of 2017 at the Syed Modi International Grand Prix badminton championships, with Sameer Verma emerging victorious in the men’s section. 52. Former Team India cricket captains Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly has inaugurated India's first multi-sport museum. 53. The Indian men's hockey team captain PR Sreejesh has become a member of International Hockey Federation (FIH) Athletes' Committee.

Important Dates 1. 1st January: Global Family Day

2. 4th January : World Braille Day 3. 6th January : World Day for War Orphans 4. 9th January : Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (NRI Day) 5. 10th January : World Laughter Day

6. 10th January : World Hindi Day 7. 12th January : National Youth Day (Birthday of Swami Vivekananda) 8. 15th January : Army Day 9. 16th January : Religious Freedom Day

10. 18th January : National Immunization Day (Polio Day) 11. 23rd January : National Day of Patriotism 12. 24th January : National Girl Child Day 13. 25th January : National Voters Day

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