General Awareness Updates -January, 2013

31st January:

30th January:

• World anti Leprosy Day is observed to create awareness about the air-borne disease.
• Social Activist Anna Hazare declares his party name as Jantantra Morcha which will not participate in election.

29th January:

• Tiger Woods win his 75th PGA Tour title in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced repo rate by 25 points.
• World Winter games, 2013 started in PyeongChang, South Korea.

28th January:

• Mumbai win Ranji trophy final at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai defeating  Saurashtra.
• World No. 1 Novak Djokovic defeated Andy Murray to win Australian Open, 2013 final.

27th January:

• England defeat India in the fifth and final ODI in Dharamshala .

26th January:

• India celebrated its 64th Republic Day.
• King of Bhutan participates as Chief Guest for the Republic Day Parade.
• 4 Padma Vibhushan, 24 Padma Bhushan and 80 Padma Shri awards has been declared on the occasion of Republic Day of India by Govt. of India.
• Sreeramamurthy Janaki, the renowned playback singer refused to accept the Padma Bhushan.
• Victoria Azarenka of Belarus wins Australian Open Women’s Singles by defiting Li Na of China.
• Centre Constituted New High Court for Manipur, Meghalaya And Tripura.

25th January:

• Milos Zeman elected as Czech Republic President, first person to be directly elected .
• 3rd National Voters’ Day observe in India.

24th January:

23rd January:

• Uddhav Thackeray elected as Shiv Sena President.

22th January:

• Olympic medalists Saina Nehwal and Meri Kom will be the Election Commission's (EC) national icons.
• Rajnath Singh was elected as BJP President.

21st January:

20th January:

19th January:

• Rahul Gandhi elected as vice-president of Indian National Congress.
• Prof. Ved Praksah appointed as Chairman of the University Grants Commission on (UGC).
• Snapdeal.com tied with Mahindra for sale Two-Wheelers
• Supreme Court of India Bans Construction of religious structures and statues on Public Land

18th January:

• Jharkhand was brought under President's rule.
• Congress party’s 3-day Chintan Shivir started at Jaipur.
• Chinese Author Zhao Jiang to launch her First Book in Tamil, China’s Travel Attractions
• Black Holes growing faster than expected: astronomers

17th January:

• Gun control: Obama signs 23 executive actions
• Patiala House Became First District Court to Use Complete E-Stamping Facility

16th January:                                                

• Om Prakash Chautala, Ajay Chautala and two IAS officers were arrested for Trained teachers hiring case of 1999.
• Scientists Discover Gene That Restricts Tumours
• Kamal Nath Chosen as leader of the Indian Delegation to World Economic Forum 2013

15th January:

• Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in a corruption case.
• To open mid-2013 First Space Weather Reading Centre India Scheduled
• Halimah Yacob was first female President of the Singapore Parliament

14th January:

• Mahakumbh Mela started on the occasion of Makar Sankranti at Allahabad on the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati.
• 2013 Golden Globe Awards: Argo has won the best director and best Best Picture
• Sri Lankan President Impeached First Woman Chief Justice of the Country over Graft

13th January:

• Koto Okubo, world's oldest living female died at 115
• Astronomers discovered Largest Cosmic Structure in the Universe

12th January:

• Commemorative Postage Stamp on Silk Letter Movement released by President
• Simon Taufel to be the First Umpire to deliver the MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture 2013

11th January:

• 37-year old female was First Complete Body Donor AIIMS
• Five years and more than 31,000 deaths in Punjab due to cancer
• Renault Duster Awarded Car of the Year Award 2013
• Close to Microsoft Windows Live Messenger service from March 15, 2013

10th January:

• Rajiv Takru appointed Secretary of Financial Services in the Finance Ministry
• Cochin Shipyard launched Aadesh, the First Fast Patrol Vessel for Coast Guard
• PR Fonroche inaugurated First Solar Plant under National Solar Mission Batch II

9th January:

• ·         Aadhaar card to be accepted as proof to get passport: Ministry of external Affairs
• ·        India Successfully test-fired manoeuvrable version of BrahMos Supersonic Missile

8th January:

• Akbaruddin Owaisi, MIM Party MLA arrested for making hate speech.
• Haryana Chief Minister inugrated National Data Centre of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) data center at Maneshar, Gurgaon. The data centre will be ready by June 2014.

7th January:

• Lionel Messi wins fourth consecutive Fifa Ballon d'Or in Zurich.
• 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) start in Kochi.

6th January:

• National Aluminium Co Ltd (Nalco) Commissioned its First Wind Power Project
• 18th National Level Meeting between Myanmar and India held in New Delhi

5th January:

• Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde launched Pilot Project of Crime and Criminal Tracking System
• Researchers: Siachen Glacier Shrinking Due to Increasing Temperatures
• India’s First Successful Intestinal Transplant Performed on a Software Engineer
• US President Barack Obama re nominated Indian American Srikanth Srinivasan as Federal Judge

4th January:

• Virat Kohli named as the International Cricketer of the Year at the CEAT Cricket Awards. Pakistan named as best International Cricket Team.
• Violin Maestro M.S. Gopalakrishnan died at the age of 82
• Nestle won its Trademark Battle over KitKat Bar from Cadbury
• Mukesh Ambani Declared 18th Richest Man in the World; Retains Position as Richest Indian
• First Earthquake-Proof Hindu Temple of the World Opened Near Hollywood
• Two New-Born Giant Planets Observed Around the Star
• Ireland’s prestigious Tipperary International Peace Prize for 2012 awarded to Malala

3rd January:

• Oldest Fossil of the Earth from 3.5 Billion Years Ago Discovered in Australia
• Manufacturing Sector Displayed Six-Month Highest Growth in December 2012: Survey
• Chief Justice of India Inaugurated First Fast-Track Court in Delhi for Hearing Rape Cases
• Union Government constituted the 14th Finance Commission under Former RBI Governor YV Reddy
• Urjit Patel Was Appointed As the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India
• Foreign Tourists Not Allowed To Work as Journalists on Tourist Visa: MHA
• Switzerland Best Place to be Born in the World, India Ranked 66th: Survey
• Government of Odisha launched Public Service Delivery System
• Justice Amitava Roy Sworn in as Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court
• Masaki Asano appointed Deputy Managing Director of India Yamaha Motor
• US President Barack Obama signed Annual Defence Policy Bill
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved New Tuberculosis Drug

2nd January:

• S. Ramakrishnan took over as Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
• UN Human Rights Chief Termed Rape as National Problem in India
• India and Pakistan Exchanged Nuclear Units List as a Part of the Agreement
• Syed Asif Ibrahim Took Over as the Director of Intelligence Bureau
• Israel’s Jewish Population Passed Crucial 6 Million Mark: Central Bureau of Statistics
• Godrej UK-Based Subsidiary Acquired Colgate-Palmolive Brand, Soft and Gentle in UK
• Domestic Automobile Sales Decreased in December 2012 despite Heavy Discounts

1st January:

• Astronautical Society of India (ASI) selected Dr. A.E. Muthunayagam, for 2011 and Dr. V.K. Saraswat for Aryabhatta Award, for 2011.
• Rollout of Direct Benefits Transfers started on 1 January 2013
• Muthunayagam and Saraswat to be awarded with Aryabhatta Award by the ASI
• Suven Life Sciences won Patents on three Products for CNS Molecules
• Scientist Venkatesh Mannar honoured with Order of Canada Award