• The Dutch real-time traffic information and services company, TomTom has released its annual TomTom Traffic Index 2019.
• As per the report, Indian city Bengaluru has emerged as the worst traffic congested city in the world.
• The report reveals that drivers in Bengaluru spend an average of 71 percent extra travel time stuck in traffic.
• Apart from this three other Indian city have also made in to the top 10 of the index. These include Mumbai (4th- 65%), Pune (5th-59%) and New Delhi (8th- 56%).
• The report presents the detail of the traffic situation in 416 cities in 57 countries.
• The other global cities amongst the top 10 include Manila from the Philippines, Bogota from Colombia, Moscow from Russia; Lima from Peru, Istanbul from Turkey, and Jakarta from Indonesia.

India-Bangladesh Joint Exercise ‘SAMPRITI-IX’ to Begin in Meghalaya from February 3

• The ninth edition of the bilateral joint military training exercise between India-Bangladesh named SAMPRITI-IX will be held at Umroi, Meghalaya from February 3 to February 16, 2020.
• The annual exercise is hosted alternately by both countries to get familiar with each other’s organizational structure and tactical drills, besides strengthening military trust and cooperation between two nations.

Trump Signs new North American trade deal with Canada & Mexico

• US President Donald Trump signed the new North American trade pact with Canada and Mexico, known as “U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)” on 29 January 2020.
• The USMCA will replace the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), that was entered into in 1994 between the three countries.
• The new pact is an updated version of NAFTA to include the rise of e-commerce and other aspects of the digital economy that didn’t existed when NAFTA was negotiated.

ICICI Bank Launches a unique self-service delivery facility ‘iBox’ for customers

• The private lender ICICI Bank has launched a first-of-its-kind, unique self-service delivery facility, called ‘iBox’, that will enable its customers to collect their deliverables such as debit card, credit card, cheque book and returned-cheques, in a hassle free manner, anytime any day.
• This facility is especially useful for customers who are not available at home to receive their package during working hours.
• The Bank has introduced the iBox facility at over 50 branches in 17 cities in the country.
• The ‘iBox’ terminals have been stationed outside the premises of the Bank’s branches and are accessible beyond the official hours.

What is iBox?

• The unique facility is equipped with an OTP based authentication system and can be accessed by customers using their registered mobile number 24X7.
• The customer needs to visit the ‘iBox’, enter his/her registered mobile number and submit the OTP or show the QR code to open the box and access the package.
• The deliverable stays in the ‘iBox’ for seven days during which the customer can collect at any time of the day.

Tata AIG Collaborates with Drone Federation of India to launch insurance products for Drone Industry

• Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited (Tata AIG) has partnered with Drone Federation of India (DFI) to create world-class insurance products and services for the Drone Industry.
• The DFI recently organised the Drone Festival of India on 6 – 7 January 2020 at New Delhi.
• Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited (Tata AIG) was the insurance presenter at the festival.
• The collaboration of Tata AIG with DFI will help to launch tailor-made insurance products for drone operators and thereby create a better tomorrow for the customers by delivering innovative risk solutions.

Bengali Novel “Calcutta Nights” (Raater Kolkata) by Hemendrakumar Roy Translated into English

• Rajat Chaudhuri, an Indian novelist and short story writer, has written the book named Calcutta Nights.
• The book is an English translation of Bengali fiction, ‘Raater Kolkata’, originally written by writer Hemendra Kumar Roy in 1923.
• Calcutta Nights is the real-life story of the enigmatic `Meghnad Gupta’, pen name of Hemendrakumar Roy revealing the darkest secrets of an earlier Calcutta.

Indian Women Hockey Captain Rani Rampal wins the World Games Athlete of the Year 2019

• The Indian women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal has won the ‘World Games Athlete of the Year’ 2019, for her outstanding performances and her ability to lead by example.
• She is the first-ever hockey player to win the prestigious ‘World Games Athlete (WGA) of the Year’ award.
• The 25-year-old beat all the 25 athletes in the queue with a massive 199,477 votes to win the sixth edition of the WGA title.
• The World Games presents the award to recognise and honour an athlete or a team for their outstanding performance or for their social commitment or particularly, fair behaviour.

World Leprosy Day 2020: 26 January

• World Leprosy Day is observed around the world on the last Sunday of January every year to raise global awareness of this deadly ancient disease and call attention to the fact that it can be prevented, treated and cured.
• World Leprosy Day 2020: 26 January 2020.
• Theme 2020: “Leprosy isn’t what you think”
• The day was initiated in 1954 by French philanthropist and writer, Raoul Follereau, as a tribute to the life of the Mahatma Gandhi who had compassion for people afflicted with leprosy.

World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2020: 30 January

• The first-ever World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day (World NTD Day) took place on January 30, 2020 to celebrate the achievements made towards control of the world’s NTDs.
• Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) include a range of conditions that can blind, disfigure, or even disable people.
• Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) identifies 20 major conditions as NTDs.

Kolkata-based Eminent social worker Tushar Kanjilal Passes Away

• Eminent social worker, environmentalist, educationist and writer Tushar Kanjilal passed  away. He was 85.
• Kanjilal is known for his contribution to education in remote Rangabelia in the Sundarbans region in West Bengal in the 1970s and his work for the uplift of the people in the area.
• Kanjilal was awarded the Padma Shri in 1996.
• He was born in Noakhali, in the present day Bangladesh, and migrated to West Bengal before the Indian independence

Former India Basketball Captain Matthew Satya Babu Passes Away

• Noted Indian basketball player P Mathew Satya Babu has passed away after a brief illness.
• He was 79.
• He led the country in the 6th Asian Games in Bangkok in 1970.