27 JANUARY CURRENT AFFAIRS

1. India ranks 177 out of 180 in Environmental Performance Index

India is among the bottom five countries on the Environmental Performance Index 2018, plummeting 36 points from 141 in 2016, according to a biennial report by Yale and Columbia Universities along with the World Economic Forum.

• Its overall low ranking — 177 among 180 countries — was linked to poor performance in the environment health policy and deaths due to air pollution categories.
• While India is at the bottom of the list in the environmental health category, it ranks 178 out of 180 as far as air quality is concerned.

2. India offers to create digital villages in ASEAN countries

India has offered to enhance rural connectivity in fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations during the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit.

• Prime Minister, Narendra Modi said, “India offers to undertake a pilot project on rural connectivity, which would create digital villages in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam.”
• PM Modi also proposed the ASEAN countries declare 2019 as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism.

3. Jammu & Kashmir Student Exchange Programme ‘Maitreyi Yatra’ concludes

The closing ceremony of Jammu & Kashmir Student Exchange programme ‘Maitreyi Yatra’ was held at National Bal Bhawan.

• The Student Exchange Programme organized by Ministry of Human Resource development provides a good opportunity for the youth of J&K to be acquainted with culture, language and development story of different parts of the country.
• Union Minister for Human Resource Development Shri Prakash Javadekar was the chief guest for the function.  

4. President of India Receives Asean Heads of State and Government

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, received the ASEAN Heads of State and Government at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 25, 2018 and hosted a lunch in their honour.

• Speaking on the occasion, the President said that India-ASEAN relations have come a long way since we established our Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN on January 28, 1992.
• Today, ASEAN is a Strategic Partner for India.
• We have 30 dialogue mechanisms between India and ASEAN, including Annual Summits and 7 Ministerial Meetings in a wide range of sectors.

5. Ministry of Highways signs MoU with IL&FS for construction of Zojila tunnel

An MoU was signed between National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, and M/S IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd for construction of the 14.150  km long,  2-lane bi-directional Zojila Tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir .

• This would be India’s longest road tunnel and the longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia.
• The construction of this tunnel will provide all weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh and will bring about all round economic and socio-cultural integration of these regions.

6. Kolkata becomes first Indian metro to get a floating market

Kolkata is now witness to a floating market, the first of its kind across any metro.

• The market, as the name suggests, will be located on a water-body with boats doubling up as shops.
• The market, located on the eastern fringes of the city, was inaugurated by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and it is now open to the public.

7. Small Finance Banks and Payment Banks to offer Atal Pension Yojana

To strengthen the existing channels of APY distribution, it is felt that these new Payments Banks and Small Finance Banks will provide a boost to the outreach of subscribers under APY .

• Participation in APY not only builds a pensioned society but also adds sustainable fee income to Banks by way of attractive incentive for mobilizing APY @ Rs 120-150 for each Account.

Points to Remember

• Atal Pension Yojana (APY) is a Government of India's Old Age Pension Scheme being implemented through all Banks across the country as per the mandate received from the Ministry of Finance and monitored periodically at PMO.
• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi had launched the Social Security Scheme on 9th May 2015 and dedicated the First Ever Guaranteed Pension Product to the people of the country.

8. Padma awards 2018 announced

This year 85 recipients have been selected for the prestigious Padma awards including two duo cases.

• This includes 3 Padma Vibhushan, 9 Padma Bhushan and 73 Padma Shri awards.
• Fourteen of the awardees are women, while 16 persons are foreigners and three are being awarded posthumous.
• Padma Vibhushan:
• Illaiyaraja
• Ghulam Mustafa Khan
• P. Parameswaran
• Padma Bhushan:
• Pankaj Advani
• Philipose Mar Chrysostom
• Mahendra Singh Dhoni
• Alexander Kadakin (Foreigner/Posthumous)
• R. Nagaswamy
• Ved Prakash Nanda (Overseas Citizen of India)
• Laxman Pai
• Arvind Parikh
• Sharda Sinha