• The world`s largest religious and cultural human congregation -Kumbh 2019 has begun with the holy dip at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati at Prayagraj.

• The first bathing was taken by saints and seers of different Akharas. According to Kumbh Mela administration around one crore 25 lakh devotees area expected on this Royal bathing Makar Sankranti.

• Twenty-one Snan Ghats have been set up for bathing. Special arrangements have been made for women devotees and for the first time three women police units have been pressed into service. More than one lakh twenty thousand toilets have been erected for making Clean Kumbh.

• Kumbh Mela or Kumbha Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which Hindus gather to bathe in a sacred or holy river. Traditionally, four fairs are widely recognized as the Kumbh Melas: the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela, Haridwar Kumbh Mela, the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha, and Ujjain Simhastha.

 

 

• India has signed a long-term contract with Uzbekistan for supply of uranium ore concentrates to widen its source base for the nuclear fuel.

• The contract was exchanged in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is attending the Vibrant Gujarat summit in Gandhinagar. 

• The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said that the Department of Atomic Energy (DEA) and Novoi Minerals & Metallurgical Company of Uzbekistan exchanged the contract. 

• Uzbekistan is the seventh largest exporter of uranium in the world. 

• The Exim Bank signed an agreement with Uzbekistan to extend a 200-million US dollar line of credit for financing housing and social infrastructure projects. 

• The credit line was announced by Mr Modi during the official visit of Mirziyoyev last October to New Delhi. Mr Modi held talks with Mr Mirziyoyev.

• They also agreed to enhance mutual cooperation in sectors such as renewable energy, pharma and healthcare, air connectivity and tourism.

• Prime Minister Modi in his interaction with Czech leader discussed trade, technology and investment, cooperation in defence, high-tech manufacturing, heavy engineering automobiles and civil aviation. 

• He also discussed bilateral relationship with Danish counterpart the trade and investment in renewable energy, waste management, agriculture and food processing. 

 

 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Mumbai, Hazira in Gujarat and Silvassa, the capital of union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli .

• In Mumbai, he will inaugurate the new building for National Museum of Indian Cinema and address the gathering. 

• The Museum has been set up to showcase the rich cinematic history of India as well as to encapsulate the socio-cultural history of India as revealed through evolution of Cinema.

• It will take the visitors through an absorbing journey of more than a century of Indian Cinema in a story telling mode with the help of visuals and graphics, film clippings,  publicity materials and interactive exhibits.

• In Hazira, Mr Modi will dedicate to the nation L&T Armoured Systems Complex. Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of Nirali Cancer hospital at Navsari. 

• The ultra-modern Nirali Cancer Hospital will be the first comprehensive cancer hospital of Navsari. It will benefit cancer patients of South Gujarat and neighbouring states.

• In Silvassa, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of Medical College in Sayli.

• Prime Minister will also launch the m-Arogya app and door to door waste collection, segregation and processing of Solid Waste in Dadra and Nagar Haveli digitally. 

 

 

• In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President has appointed Shri Justice Sanjiv Khanna, judge of the Delhi high court and Shri Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, chief justice of the Karnataka high court, to be a judge of the Supreme Court of India. Their names had been recommended by the collegium.

• The collegium system was commissioned by two judgments of the Supreme Court in 1990s. 

• It has no mention in the original Constitution of India or its successive amendments.

• To become a judge of the Supreme court, an individual should be an Indian citizen. The norms relating to the eligibility has been envisaged in the Article 124 of the Indian Constitution. In terms of age, a person should not exceed 65 years of age. 

• The person should serve as a judge of one high court or more (continuously), for at least five years or the person should be an advocate in the High court for at least 10 years or a distinguished jurist.

 

 

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has drafted National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (2018-2023) for addressing the problem of drug and substance abuse in the country, dumping a long-pending draft policy on the matter.

• Aim: employ a multi-pronged strategy involving education, de-addiction and rehabilitation of affected individuals and their families to address the issue.

• Focus on preventive education, awareness generation, counselling, treatment and rehabilitation of drug-dependent people, besides training and capacity-building of service providers through the collaborative efforts of the Centre, state and NGOs.

• Involvement of stakeholders: Coordination with implementing agencies for controlling the sale of sedatives, painkillers and muscle relaxant drugs, holding awareness generation programmes and checking online sale of drugs by stringent monitoring by the cyber cell are proposed under the Action Plan.

• Awareness generation through social, print, digital and online media, and engagement of celebrities, besides strengthening the national toll-free helpline for drug prevention. The Action Plan calls for persuading principals, directors, vice chancellors of educational institutions to ensure that no drugs are sold within/nearby the campus.

• Increase community participation and public cooperation in the reduction of demand by involving Panchayati Raj institutions, Urban Local Bodies, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and other local groups like Mahila Mandals, self-help groups etc to tackle the menace of drugs.

• A steering committee would be constituted under the chairmanship of the secretary, Social Justice Ministry, and with representatives from several other Ministries to monitor the implementation of the Action Plan.

 

 

• The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Act, 2019 has received the assent of the President of India. The bill mainly seeks to do away with the no-detention policy in schools.

• The legislation is significant as it brings accountability in the elementary education system. The proposal received the support of a majority of state governments.

• The Bill seeks to amend the Right to Education (RTE) Act to abolish the “no-detention” policy in schools. Under the current provisions of the Act, no student can be detained up to class VIII.

• As per the amendment, it would be left to the states to decide whether to continue the no-detention policy.

• The bill provides for regular examination in classes V and VIII, and if a child fails, the amendment bill grants a provision to give her or him additional opportunity to take a re-examination within two months. Such children will be provided with two-month remedial teaching to perform better in the re-examinations. If the students still do not pass the exam, the state government may decide to detain them.

 

 

• Saksham (Sanrakshan Kshamta Mahotsav) is an annual flagship event of Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India.

• Saksham actively involves the Oil & Gas PSUs along with other stakeholders like State Governments,

• To create focused attention on fuel conservation through people centric activities and

• To sensitize the masses about the conservation and efficient use of petroleum products leading to better health and environment.

 

 

• Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama will launch the second phase of the Web Campaign ‘SANJHI-MUJH MEIN KALAKAR’.

• It is an initiative to document and promote the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) and diverse cultural traditions of the country by direct public-participation.

• The literal meaning of the term SANJHI is “to share” and “to partner”.

• The second phase of this campaign has its main focus area like the folk, traditional, customary, socially events and ritualistic art forms – woven as a cultural fabric around the harvest festival season of January.

• It is widely celebrated as various nomenclatures like Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Lohri, Bhogali Bihu, Torgya, Uttarayan, Attukkal Pongal, etc.

 

• The Odisha government is planning to move its district mineral foundations (DMF) to its steel and mines department from the planning and convergence department. The plan to move the DMFs aims to improve implementation and use of funds.

• DMFs were instituted under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Amendment Act 2015 as non-profit trusts to work for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining-related operations. 

• The objective of District Mineral Foundation is to work for the interest of the benefit of the persons and areas affected mining related operations in such manner as may be prescribed by the State Government.

• Jurisdiction: Its manner of operation comes under the jurisdiction of the relevant State Government.

• The various state DMF rules and the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Khestra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) guidelines stipulate some “high priority” issues for DMFs, including:

• Drinking water.

• Health

• Women and child welfare.

• Education

• Livelihood and skill development.

• Welfare of aged and disabled.

• Sanitation

 

 

• The Supreme Court set aside some provisions of a law imposing restrictions on the licensing and functioning of dance bars in Maharashtra. A bench headed by Justice A K Sikri quashed certain provisions of the 2016 Maharashtra law like the mandatory installation of CCTV and a partition between barrooms and the dance floor.

• The court allowed payment of tips to performers in Maharashtra dance bars but made it clear that showering of currency notes cannot be allowed. 

• The apex court also quashed provision mandating that Maharashtra dance bars should be 1 km away from religious places and educational institutions. It also upheld the condition fixing the timing of dance bars in Maharashtra from 6 pm to 11.30 pm. 

 

• First Odisha Turtle Festival was held recently in Puri to create awareness and promote ideas on conservation of olive ridley turtles.

• Cox & Kings Foundation in association with Humane Society International/India and Action for Protection of Wild Animals (APOWA).

• Odisha has half of the world’s Olive Ridley turtle population and 90% of India’s turtle population lives in the state. 

• Despite that no actions have been taken for their conservation. Therefore, the government should develop some infrastructure near the turtle nesting sites at Devi and Rusikulya rivers, the two major nesting grounds.

• There are five species in Indian waters — Leatherback (Vulnerable), Loggerhead (Endangered), Hawksbill (Critically Endangered), Green (Endangered) and Olive Ridley.

• In India, sea turtles are protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

• The Olive ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world, inhabiting warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.

• The Olive ridley is the most numerous among the sea turtles found in India and is well known for its arribadas, or annual mass nestings when thousands of turtles migrate to the breeding ground to nest simultaneously.

• Recognized as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red list.

• International trade in these turtles and their products is banned under CITES Appendix I.

• ‘Operation Kachhapa’: Conservation of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle was launched by the Wildlife Protection Society of India in collaboration with the Orissa State Forest Department and the Wildlife Society of Orissa and other local NGOs.

• To reduce accidental killing in India, the Orissa government has made it mandatory for trawls to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), a net specially designed with an exit cover which allows the turtles to escape while retaining the catch.

 

 

• The Department of Science and Technology (DST) along with Doordarshan (DD), Prasar Bharati launched two science communication initiatives, DD Science and India Science .

• While DD Science is an one-hour slot on Doordarshan National channel, which will be telecast Monday to Saturday from 5 pm to 6pm, India Science is a internet-based channel, which is available on any internet-enabled device, and will offer live, scheduled play and video-on-demand services.

• The two science communication platforms are National level initiatives to elevate science into a celebration and bring it close to everyday life.

• The channels have been conceived and supported by the DST and are being implemented and managed by Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous organisation of DST. The two science channels which are milestones in the history of science communication in India, are the first step in creating a national science channel for the country.

 

 

• A Committee constituted to review and suggest modifications and changes in the provisions of the Section 126 and other sections of the RP Act 1951 and provisions of Model Code of Conduct has submitted its report.

• The panel was headed by senior deputy election commissioner Umesh Sinha.

• Section 126 of the RP Act prohibits displaying any election matter by means, inter alia, of television or similar apparatus, during the period of 48 hours before the hour fixed for conclusion of poll in a constituency.

• “Election matter” has been defined in that Section as any matter intended or calculated to influence or affect the result of an election.

• The provision prohibits conduct of Exit poll and dissemination of their results during the period mentioned therein, in the hour fixed for commencement of polls in the first phase and half hour after the time fixed for close of poll for the last phase in all the States.

• Violation of the provisions of Section 126 is punishable with imprisonment upto a period of two years, or with fine or both.

• The recommendations made by the Committee, when implemented will help in minimizing the possible interference of activities which aim at indirectly influencing voters during the valuable silence period of 48 hours provided to them.

 

 

• INDUS FOOD-II will be held on 14th and 15th January, 2019, at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida.

• Theme: ‘World Food Supermarket’.

• INDUS FOOD is a platform of its kind exclusively devoted to enhancing Indian exports in F&B sector. The event is aimed at promoting India as a strong and reliable exporter of food and beverage products to the world.

• It enables B2B engagements of buyers and suppliers, after careful business matchmaking, which takes care of precise business requirements of each participant, and enables him to pick and choose whom to meet.

 

 

• The 25th edition of the Partnership Summit will be held in Mumbai.

• It is being organized by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, State Government of Maharashtra and Confederation of Indian Industry.

• The Partnership Summit provides for a global platform to dialogue, debate, deliberate and engage Indian and global leaders on economic policy and growth trends in India.

• It is expected to build new partnerships and explore investment opportunities through high level exchanges and B2B meetings.

• It will showcase India in the present landscape of an emerging “New India”, the “New Global Economic Address”.

 

 

• The Centre has signed an agreement with Chief Ministers of five States — Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh — to restart construction of the Renuka multipurpose dam project in the Upper Yamuna Basin.

• The Renuka dam project has been conceived as a storage project on the Giri river (a tributary of the Yamuna)in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh.

• The project envisages making a 148-metre-high dam for supplying water to Delhi and other basin States. It will also generate 40 MW of power.

• Funding: Around 90% of the cost of irrigation/drinking water component of the project i.e. ?3,892.83 crore will be provided by the Central government and the remaining ?432.54 crore by the rest of the basin States.