Blog

Clat Possible > Blog > Current Affairs Capsule > Current Affairs Capsule – January 19, 2020

Current Affairs Capsule – January 19, 2020

January 19, 2020
Posted by: Team CP
Category: Current Affairs Capsule

No Comments

The World Gold Council (WGC) on 15th January, 2020 released its report “World Gold Outlook 2020”. Gold had its best performance since 2010, rising by 18.4% in terms of US dollar in 2019. According to the WGC, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) currently holds 625.2 tonnes of gold that is 6.6% of the country’s foreign exchange and ranks 6th in the world among other central banks. In 2019, the largest gold sellers were Uzbekistan and Venezuela. Founded in 1987, the WGC is the market development organisation for the gold industry with headquarters in London.
Myanmar and China signed 33 bilateral deals on 18th January, 2020 during the two day visit by the Chinese President Xi Jinping to Myanmar. Most of these deals are related to the implementation of the China Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) launched by China. The two countries signed a concession agreement and shareholders’ agreement for the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) deep seaport project. The port will link the land locked Yunnan province of China directly to the Indian Ocean allowing China to bypass the Strait of Malacca through which it imports a sizeable amount of oil and gas.
Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Prakash Javadekar inaugurated ELECRAMA 2020, at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh on 18th January, 2020. ELECRAMA is the flagship showcase of the Indian electrical industry and a platform to connect the world with the Indian industry in respect of technology, new trends and innovation for future energy transition. India is the third largest producer and consumer of electricity. The ELECRAMA is organized by Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA). The current president of IEEMA is R K Chugh.
Union Minister for Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Blockchain Technology in Bengaluru, Karnataka set up by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). It aims to provide Blockchain as a service and allowing all stakeholders to benefit from shared learning, experiences and resources. Founded in 1976, the National Informatics Centre has always been the premier technology advisor.
The Indian Army conducted its biggest airborne exercise, codenamed ”Winged Raider”, in the north-eastern theatre on 10th January 2020. The multidimensional exercise was preceded by a series of intense preparation involving the movement of special forces and rallying up of transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force starting from 6th January. The newly inducted aerial platforms and equipment were validated during the exercise, with clockwise precision and seamless integration between the Army and the Air Force.
Bangladesh Government has planned to relocate 100,000 Rohingya refugees in its Bhasan Char Island, which is regularly submerged by monsoon rains. The Bhashan Char, which was formed about two decades ago on the mouth of the river Meghna, is an uninhabited island around 30 kilometres east of Hatiya Island in South East Bangladesh. Flood protection embankments, houses, hospitals, and mosques have been built on Bhasan Char, or floating island, in the Bay of Bengal. About 700,000 Rohingya Muslims came after August 2017, when the military in the Buddhist-majority Myanmar began a harsh crackdown against Rohingyas in response to an attack by insurgents.
The 19th edition of Sahyog-Kaijin, a joint exercise between the Indian Coast Guard and the Japan Coast Guard was held off the Chennai coast on 16th January, 2020 to increase cooperation and boost ties between the two countries. In addition to the Japanese Coast Guard Patrol Ship Echigo, a total of four ICG ships, their aircraft and a vessel from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) will participate in the exercise. It is in line with a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed between the Indian Coast Guard and the Japan Coast Guard in 2006.