NEWS 06-01-2019. NEWS FOR 7-JAN (MONDAY) December · PM Modi inaugurated the International Rice Research Institute South Asia Regional Centre (IRRI SARC) in Varanasi. It is the sixth campus of IRRI SARC. · The Union Cabinet has approved a budget of Rs 10,000 crore for India’s Gaganyaan project. The allocation of the budget comes after the announcement of the PM that, an Indian would travel to space in an Indian spacecraft by 2022. · Indian Railways is building the country’s first vertical-lift bridge to connect Rameswaram to mainland India. The bridge will allow ships and steamers to pass through without any hindrance. The new bridge would replace the existing 104-year-old Pamban bridge. · The Lok Sabha has passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, famously referred to as Triple Talaq Bill. The bill would replace the ordinance passed in the month of September. · India and United Arab Emirates have signed a currency swap agreement to boost investment and enable direct trade without using dollars or other international currencies. The move is expected to reduce dependencies on hard currencies like the U.S. dollar. · PM Modi inaugurated the Bogibeel Bridge on the birth anniversary of late Atal Bihari Vajpayee i.e. December 25, which is observed as “Good Governance Day”. This 4.9 km-long bridge is the nation’s only fully welded bridge.It has a life span of about 120 years. · The Indian firm, India Ports Global Limited Company has taken over operations at the Shaheed Behesti port at Chabahar. The port is of strategic and commercial importance. · India has successfully test-fired nuclear-capable long-range ballistic missile Agni-IV from the Dr Abdul Kalam Island in Odhisa. It was the 7th trial of Agni-IV missile. The strategic surface-to-surface missile has a strike range of 4,000 km. · The Union Cabinet has approved Agriculture Export Policy, 2018 with an aim to double farmer’s income by 2022. · ISRO has successfully launched India’s heaviest and most-advanced communications satellite GSAT-11 into space. Code-named the Big Bird, the 5854kg weighing satellite will provide high data rate connectivity. · Qatar has announced its withdrawal from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from Jan 2019 and will focus more on the production of natural gas. This makes Qatar, the first gulf country to leave the OPEC bloc of oil producing countries led by Saudi Arabia. · The 47th Navy Day was observed on 4th December to celebrate the valour and achievements of the naval force of India. It commemorates the launch of Indian Navy’s Operation Trident against Pakistan on 4th December 1971. · India will host the G20 Summit in 2022, when it celebrates its 75th year of Independence. It was announced by the Indian Prime Minister during the ongoing G20 meet in Argentina. · Sunil Arora has assumed charge as the 23rd Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India. He succeeded OP Rawat who retired on 1 December 2018. · Ace Indian shooter & Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra was awarded the coveted International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Blue Cross. This makes Abhinav Bindra, the first Indian to be awarded the Blue Cross which is conferred for outstanding contribution to the sport of shooting. < < Back