Daily Current Affairs 11 January 2020: We have collected the latest current affairs for 11 January 2020 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. The GK current affairs will help you score more in these competitive exams. Improve your general knowledge with our daily online current affairs. You can also read the daily current affairs on our mobile app.

Current Affairs 11 January 2020

Haryana, Karnataka and Kerala Tops State Energy Efficiency Index 2019

• The State Energy Efficiency Index 2019 was released on 10 January 2020 in New Delhi by RK Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and New & Renewable Energy and Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
• The Index has been developed by Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) under the leadership and guidance of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to access the efforts and achievements of states and union territories towards energy efficiency implementation.
• The top performing states for State EE Index 2019, Haryana, Kerala and Karnataka

Basic Features of the Index

• The first such Index named the State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index, was launched on 01 August 2018.
• The State EE Index 2019 draws on the previous index and has enhanced the indicator framework, with this year’s Index based on 97 indicators.
• 36 states and union territories have been assessed in State EE Index 2019.
• The State EE Index 2019 has categorized states in 4 groups namely ‘FrontRunner’, ‘Achiever’, ‘Contender’ and ‘Aspirant’ based on their efforts and achievements towards energy efficiency implementation.
• Also, for a rational comparison, the States and Union Territories were grouped into four groups based on the aggregated Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) required to meet the state’s actual energy demand across sectors.

Key Findings of the Index

• None of the states were ranked as ‘front runner’ state which means that a lot more can be done at the state level to realise energy savings from energy efficiency.
• Haryana, Kerala and Karnataka topped the index and were the only three states to be ranked in the ‘Achiever’ category.
• Karnataka (Group 1), Haryana (Group 2), Himachal Pradesh (Group 3) and Puducherry (Group 4) led their groups.
• Rajasthan (Group 1), Jharkhand (Group 2), Jammu & Kashmir (Group 3) and Manipur (Group 4) performed the worst in their groups.

Home Minister Amit Shah Launches I4C in New Delhi & Dedicates National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to Nation

• The Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the state-of-the-art Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) in New Delhi on 11 January 2020.
• The minister also dedicated National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to the nation.

Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)

Government to Set up 1023 Fast Track Special Courts under National Mission for Safety of Women

• The Central Government has started a scheme to set up 1023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) across the country as a part of National Mission for Safety of Women (NMSW) amid the growing offences of rape and gang rape of minor girls below age of twelve years and similar heinous crimes against women.
• FTSCs will be set up in different states based on pendency of subject cases obtained from various High Courts for fast and time bound trial and disposal of pending cases related to rape and POCSO Act.
• Out of 1023 FTSCs, 389 Courts have been proposed to be set up exclusively for POCSO Act related cases in Districts where pendency of such cases is more than 100.
• 24 have joined this scheme so far and 216 numbers of POCSO courts have already been operationalized in 12 States under the scheme.

HM Amit Shah Inaugurates first-of-its-kind ‘CYBER AASHVAST’ and VISWAS projects in Gandhinagar

• The Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated various people centric projects at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on 11 January 2020.
• Some of the major projects inaugurated includes:

Video Integration and State Wide Advanced Security (VISWAS)

• VISWAS is a first of its kind project in the country launched for major e-governance initiative.
• It aims at improving Law and Order Management, Proactive traffic management and control, Crime detection through video analytics and Post incident Investigation and video forensics.

Cyber Crime Prevention Unit-AASHVAST

• Cyber AASHVAST Project is a first of its kind unit launched by Gujarat Police to make cyber-space safe for common man through a dedicated helpline service for victims of cyber crimes to provide cyber-security solution.

Andhra Pradesh Launches ‘Jagananna Amma Vodi Scheme’ to financially help mothers educate their children

• On 9th January 2020, the state government of Andhra Pradesh under Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy launched first-of-its-kind scheme for mothers in India named Jagananna Amma Vodi scheme.
• The ‘Amma Vodi’ scheme is AP government’s flagship programme to support mothers (or recognized guardian in the absence of mother), who is below poverty line household, irrespective of caste, creed, religion and region to enable her to educate her child/children from Class I to XII from the Academic year 2019-2020.
• The government has allocated Rs 6455.80 crore budget in the fiscal year 2019-20 for the scheme.
• The minister released Rs 6,318 crore on January 9 for the scheme under which Rs 15,000 each was credited into the accounts of around 43 lakh mothers as an annual financial assistance for the benefit of 82 lakh children in the state this year.
• For further details visit: http://jaganannaammavodi.ap.gov.in
  Click here to see the Beneficiaries of AMMAVODI SCHEME 

Smriti Irani Launches Yashaswini Scheme for Women Entrepreneurship in Goa

• Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Textiles, Smriti Irani launched Yashaswini Scheme for Women entrepreneurship in Goa on 11 January 2020 at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium at Taleigao near Panaji.
• Under Yashaswini scheme, women self-help groups will get interest free loans of upto Rs 5 lakh for business.
• To begin with, Adarsha Satari Mahila Mandal Guleli -Sattari, Umang Self-Help Group, Salcete, Phoenix Womens Wing Self-Help Group Valpoi -Sattari were given loans under newly launched Yashaswini scheme.

India deploys INS Vikramaditya in Arabian Sea amid China-Pak naval drill ‘Sea Guardians’

• China and Pakistan are conducting their nine-day mega naval exercise ‘Sea Guardians’ in the North Arabian Sea from 06 January 2020 to increase inter-operability and strategic cooperation between their two navies.
• On the other hand, India Navy too deployed its aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in the Arabian Sea, to send a clear strategic signal to them about its operational readiness and combat capability in the maritime domain.
• Top officials of the Naval headquarters are personally keeping close watch on the ‘Sea Guardians’ from the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya deploying MiG29K fighters on board.

RBI releases National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI): 2019-2024

• Shri M K Jain, Deputy Governor, RBI released the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI): 2019-2024 at the High Level Meeting on Financial Inclusion for the North East region convened at Agartala on January 10, 2020.
• The NSFI sets forth the vision and key objectives of the Financial Inclusion policies in India to expand the reach and sustain the efforts through a broad convergence of action involving all the stakeholders in the financial sector.
• NSFI enlists 6 visions:
  • Universal Access to Financial Services
  • Providing Basic Bouquet of Financial Services
  • Access to Livelihood and Skill Development
  • Financial Literacy and Education
  • Customer Protection and Grievance Redressal
  • Effective Co-ordination
• The document highlights the major issues that act as impediments to financial inclusion and comes up with a set of recommendations and action plans to support sustainable financial inclusion over the next 5 years.

RBI allows e-mandate on UPI for recurring transactions

• Reserve Bank of India has allowed the Processing of e-mandate for recurring transactions for UPI transactions.
• The maximum permissible limit for a transaction under this arrangement shall be ₹ 2,000/-.
• No charges shall be levied or recovered from the UPI User for availing the e-mandate facility on UPI for recurring transactions.

RBI allows Video based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP) based KYC

• The Reserve Bank has permitted Video-based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP) as a consent-based alternate method of establishing the customer’s identity for purpose of Know Your Customer (KYC).
• Click Here to read the Changes made in the KYC guidelines due to introduction of Video based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP)

HDFC Bank Acquires majority stake in Apollo Munich Health Insurance for Rs 1,495.81 crore

• The mortgage lender Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) has announced the completion of the acquisition of majority stake (51.16%) in Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company for Rs. 1,495.81 crore.
• The acquisition was approved by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRADI) by 01 January 2020.
• Controlling Stake: HDFC has acquired 50.80% share of Apollo Hospital Group in Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company (Apollo Munich) for Rs 1485.14 crore.
  • It has also acquired 0.36% shareholding held by few employees for Rs 10.67 crore.
• Name of new Entity: Subsequently, the Apollo Munich has been renamed as HDFC ERGO Health Insurance and will operate as a subsidiary of HDFC.
• MD and CEO: Anuj Tyagi, Executive Director and Chief Business Officer at HDFC ERGO Health Insurance has been appointed as the new MD and CEO of the new entity HDFC ERGO Health Insurance. However, the appointment is subject to approval of IRDAI.
• Future plans: HDFC will merge HDFC ERGO General with ERGO Health and will soon apply to seek approval for the same to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT.
  • Post merger, the merged entity will be the second largest private insurer in accident and health segment in the country”.

Oman’s Longest Serving Sultan, Qaboos bin Said passes Away

• The Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said, has passed away at the age of 79 due to health issues.
• He was the longest serving Arab leader who ruled the Gulf Arab state for 50 years since overtaking in 1970.
• Meanwhile, Oman’s culture minister, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, has been named as the Arab country’s new ruling sultan.

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