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• United Nations observed the first official World Braille Day remembering the birth anniversary of Louis Braille who was the inventor of Braille for the people with visual disabilities.


• World Braille day is observed annually on 4th January to raise awareness on the importance of Braille for approximately 1.3 billion people living with some form of distance or near vision impairment.


• Louis Braille was born on 4th January 1809 in France and he lost his vision at the age of 3.


• On the occasion of World Braille Day, half part of evening bulletin of All India Radio – Ahmedabad was read by a Visually challenged primary school teacher, Mr. Krishnabhai Thakar.

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• Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen vowed on 5th January 2019 to defend the self-ruled island's democracy and way of life, amid renewed tension with giant neighbour China, which threatens to bring Taiwan under its rule by force.


• Ms. Tsai's comments came days after Chinese President Xi Jinping said nobody could change the fact that Taiwan was part of China, and that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should seek “reunification”.

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• China’s government says American envoys will visit Beijing on 7th January 2019 for talks on resolving a tariff fight that threatens to hobble global economic growth.


• The two days of talks are aimed at carrying out last month’s agreement by Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to postpone new tariff hikes, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Friday. It said the American delegation will be led by a deputy U.S. trade representative, Jeffrey D. Gerrish, but gave no other details of the agenda or participants.

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• Xavier Becerra became perhaps the nation’s most influential attorney general when he was named California’s top lawyer two years ago, and he has since used his post atop what some call the “Resistance State” to pummel President Donald Trump’s administration with dozens of legal actions.


• Heading into 2019, he may turn up the heat even more, buoyed by his overwhelming endorsement from voters, a Democratic U.S. House and a more aggressive governor who takes office.

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• On the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s one day visit to Imphal, Manipur, he inaugurated 12 projects worth over Rs. 1500 crore.


• Addressing a public gathering, he inaugurated 12 projects consisting of eight key development projects related to water supply and tourism and four schemes in Manipur.


• These include an Integrated Check Post at Moreh, Imphal, at a cost of over Rs. 125 crore, that will facilitate custom clearance, foreign currency exchange, immigration clearance etc.


• The Dolaithabi Barrage Project which completed at a total cost of Rs. 500 crore.


• The FCI Food StorageGodown at Sawombung that had begun in December 2016.


• He dedicated to the nation the 400 kV Double Circuit Silchar-Imphal Line that was made at a cost of Rs. 700 crore.


• A buffer water reservoir at Ukhrul was mentioned which would be helping the citizens till 2035.


• He inaugurated improved and upgraded water supply for Churachandpur zone which will help the citizens till 2031.


• Eco-tourism complex at Thangapat in Kangpokpi district, Integrated tourist destination in Noney district and The water supply scheme at JNV, Lambui and its surrounding villages.


• Infrastructure development of Dhanamanjuri University in Imphal West district.


• Flood lighting of hockey stadium and the main stadium at the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex in Imphal East district and AstroTurf laying in Langjing Achouba of Imphal West district.


• He acknowledged the better road rail and air connectivity that is being provided to the North East, with the overall vision of “Transformation through Transportation.”


• He also acknowledged Manipur’s contribution in Swachh Bharat, sanitation, and development of the aspirational district of Chandel.


• Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed Vijay Samkalp Samavesh at Silchar in Southern Assam. This was his first visit to Barak Valley as Prime Minister.

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• The Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Shri Parshottam Rupala informed that the Government had launched a Global Environment Facility (GEF) assisted project namely, “Green – Ag: Transforming Indian Agriculture for global environment benefits and the conservation of critical biodiversity and forest landscapes” in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) during September, 2018.


• The project was launched in high-conservation-value landscapes of five States namely (i) Madhya Pradesh: Chambal Landscape, (ii) Mizoram: Dampa Landscape, (iii) Odisha: Similipal Landscape, (iv)Rajasthan: Desert National Park Landscape and v) Uttarakhand: Corbett-Rajaji Landscape.


• The project is aimed to mainstream biodiversity, climate change and sustainable land management objectives and practices into Indian agriculture.


• Besides this it is also supposed to catalyse transformative change of India’s agricultural sector to support achievement of national and global environmental benefits and conservation of critical biodiversity and forest landscapes.


• The project will be funded through 33.5 million dollar grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) implemented by the government of India and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

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• The Parliament following the approval from the Rajya-Sabha passed a bill to provide retrospective recognition to central and state government funded institutions offering B.Ed and related courses that are not recognized under the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act.


• The NCTE (Amendment) Bill which will be a one-time measure would help over 17,000 students who have obtained B.Ed degrees from those institutions which do not have NCTE approval for the course under the 1993 law.


• 23 state and central universities and colleges offering B.Ed courses were found not recognised by the Council.


• The government would ensure that the quality of institutes offering B.Ed courses is maintained and proposes to start integrated course in B.ED as in Law and other courses from 2020.


• Lok Sabha has already passed this bill on July 23, 2018.

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• In the latest ranking of Singapore’s Asia Competitiveness Institute’s (ACI), Ease of Doing Business (EDB) index 2018, Andhra Pradesh emerged on top of the 21 states of India that were considered for the ranking, while Maharashtra and Delhi came in second and third place, respectively.


• Andhra Pradesh rose from the 5th rank in 2016 to the top spot in 2018.


• The ACI’s EDB index is based upon three parameters called ABC -Attractiveness to Investors, Business Friendliness and Competitiveness Policies.


• The index captured the business environment at the sub-national level on the basis of 72 hard and soft indicators.


• The Ease of Doing Business (EDB) list is compiled by a team of researchers led by Tan Khee Giap, who is the co-director of Asia competitiveness institute (ACI), and associate professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore.


• Suggestions regarding areas where improvement was needed in the state of Andhra Pradesh include bridging numerous institutional and infrastructural gaps in order to sustain its position in the future and improvement in sub environments such as facilitating business operations, infrastructure resilience and market potential.

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• projects were approved to revive the Mythical Saraswati River at the meeting of Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board (HSHDB) headed Haryana Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.


• The construction of Somb Saraswati barrage and Saraswati reservoir would enable the storage of 1,000 hectare metres of water.


• The board also approved construction of bridges at different locations and a Saraswati ghat and interlinking of the Markanda River with that of Saraswati, through the Kainthla supply channel.


• He also launched a mobile App developed by the Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board.


• He also approved the logo of the Saraswati Heritage Development Board.

• Seven cities all in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have been certified ODF++, according to the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban.


• The certification, an extension of the ODF or Open Defecation Free protocol, means that all the faecal sludge and sewage in these cities is treated scientifically before discharge.


• “The seven cities are Indore, Khargone, Sahaganj, Ujjain, Bhilai, Rajnandgaon and Ambikapur,” said SBM-U mission director V.K. Jindal.

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• ICICI Bank, in a first-of-its-kind programme, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Small Business Fin Credit India Pvt. Ltd. (SBFC), a systemically important Non-Banking Finance Company for entrepreneurs, to jointly provide credit worth up to Rs 1 crore to MSMEs for a tenure of 15 years.


• This MOU was signed under RBI’s circular dated September 21, 2018, that permits banks to engage with a non-banking financial company (NBFC) to co-originate loans for the creation of priority sector assets.


• Under this arrangement, ICICI Bank will co-originate loan against property with SBFC at a mutually agreed ratio.

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• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the market regulator has allowed custodial services in the commodity derivatives market enabling participation of institutional investors, including mutual funds, in the segment.


• The new framework will allow the existing custodians to add commodities as an asset class and provide physical delivery of both the securities and commodities.


• Currently, the regulation on custodian of securities allows safekeeping of securities, gold or gold related instruments, title deeds of real estate and services incidental but doesn’t allows protection of goods, which are underlying assets of commodity derivatives.


• Under the new rules, the responsibility of custodians will not be limited to holding of securities but would also include holding of goods.


• The new regulations will enable participation of institutional investors such as mutual funds and portfolio managers in commodity derivatives market.

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• India’s Economy grew at a faster pace than most major nations in 2018, and this year, it’s poised to overtake the U.K. to become the world’s fifth-biggest. But that journey won’t be smooth.


• The outcome of a general election due by May is a potential pitfall for a nation already battered by emerging market turmoil and a currency rout last year. Also, any attempts by the government to undermine the central bank’s freedom and raid its surplus capital may spook investors and carry damaging consequences for the economy.

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• National Pension System or NPS is designed to save towards post retirement years by making contribution during the work life. Income tax benefits are one of the key advantages of investing in NPS, which is open for both salaried and self-employed.
  
• NPS offers two of accounts: Tier I and Tier II. Investment in Tier I account gets a number of income tax benefits but subscribers cannot withdraw till the person reaches the age of 60. Partial withdrawal and premature exit is allowed in specific cases.


• Recently, the government approved a proposal to make NPS more attractive for subscribers by making withdrawal from NPS completely tax-free. This additional benefit is expected to come into effect from April 1 once amendment to the Finance Bill is passed.

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• 30 years old Indian Batsman, Cheteshwar Pujara has faced 1258 balls in the ongoing test series so far against Australia to become the batsman who had faced highest deliveries in a test series in Australia beating India’s Former Captain, Rahul Dravid’s record of 1203 balls.


• He achieved the feat by scoring 193 runs of 373 deliveries on the 2nd day of 4th Test Match against Australia in Sydney.

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• The first-ever One Day International was an impromptu one, played between England and Australia in Melbourne on January 5, 1971. The 40-overs-per-side (eight balls per over) match was played on what would have been the fifth day of the washed-out third Ashes Test.


• It was played to appease the crowd and recover financial losses for the Don Bradman-led Australian board.

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• 30 years old former National level Volleyball player turned mountaineer, Arunima Sinha became the world’s first female amputee to climb Mount Vinson, the highest peak of Antarctica.


• The Padma Shree Awardee, Arunima Sinha became the first woman amputee to climb Mount Everest in 2013.


• She is from Uttar Pradesh and had lost one of her legs in a horrific incident in which she was thrown off the Padmawati Express train in 2011.


• Arunima Sinha’s aim is to summit seven peaks across seven continents. She had already scaled five peaks which are Mt Everest, Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt Ebrus. Mt Kosciuszko and Mt Aconcagua.

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• Manoj Das, an eminent English and Odia Litterateur received the “Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja National Award for Lifetime Achievement” in literature during 53rd Foundation day ceremony organized by the Berhampur University, Odisha.


• Noted Folk dance Guru Nabaghana Parida was awarded with Dakshin Odisha Loksanakruti Samman during the ceremony.


• Manoj Sinha has been already honoured with Sahitya Akademi Award, Orissa Sahitya Akademi award, Sarala Award, Sahitya Bharati Award and Padma Shri.

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• 15-year-old class IXth student, Wahengbam Lamnganba Singh, of Kumbi area in Manipur, has been selected by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) for receiving National Bravery Award.


• He will be honoured because he had saved his two and half year’s old cousin brother from drowning in a pond, on May 16, 2018.


• He would receive the award from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi.


• The National Bravery Awards are given under the aegis of the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) every Republic Day.


• These awards are broadly classified into five categories, including the Bharat Award, Sanjay Chopra Award, Geeta Chopra Award, Bapu Gaidhani Award and the General National Bravery Awards.

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• PayU India’s CEO Amrish Rau joined as the head of financial technology partnerships and investments for Naspers’ fintech business. Nasper is South African parent of PayU.


• Rau will continue to report to Laurent le Moal the chief executive of PayU, which is headquartered in the Netherlands.


• He joined PayU after Citrus Pay was acquired by PayU in 2016 for $130 million in cash.

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• Chhabilendra Roul has assumed the charge of Secretary, Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India.


• Shri Roul is an Indian Administrative Services Officer of 1985 batch, from Punjab Cadre.

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• US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering appointing former Secretary of the Navy, James Webb, as the next Secretary of Defence.


• Webb will be replacing James Mattis, who resigned from the post in December last year, citing differences with Trump on major Defence policies, reports Sputnik.

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• On the occasion of his 78th birthday, veteran actor-producer Sanjay Khan announced his second book, ‘Assalamalaikum Watan’.


• He is the recipient of the ‘National Citizen Award’ twice, the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Award for Excellence’ and the ‘Gem of India Award for Excellence’ among many other honours.