Current Affairs - 2019-20

Notes:
The Infosys Prize 2019 for Engineering and Computer Science is awarded to Professor Sunita Sarawagi from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay for her research in databases, data mining, machine learning and natural language processing, and for important applications of these research techniques. The prize recognizes her pioneering work in developing information extraction techniques for unstructured data. Her work has practical applications in helping clean up unstructured data like addresses on the web and in repositories which then helps in more efficient handling of queries.

Notes:
The Indian Air Force on November 8, 2019 launched the multiplayer version of its interactive mobile game which lets users experience the thrill of flying a combat aircraft. The game, available for Android and iOS, is a combat simulator which lets the players choose from an array of fighter aircraft, including Tejas, Rafale Mirage-2000, Su-30 among others. The game was initially launched by the Indian Air Force to connect with the youth of the country and inspire them to join the Indian Air Force.
The first version of the mobile game was launched on 31 May 19. The mobile application has two modes named as “Team Battle” and “Death Match”. The user has option to choose from the diverse range of the aircraft in the inventory of the IAF, including Mig 21, Tejas and Mig 29 etc.

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The joint tri-service exercise between India and Russia named INDRA 2019 will be conducted from December 10-19, 2019. India will for the first time host a joint tri-service military exercise with Russia. ‘Indra-2019’ is expected to enhance inter-operability between both national armed forces to jointly undertake operations under the UN flag. Mechanized contingents, fighter and transport aircraft as well as ships of respective Armies, Air Forces and Navies will participate in this 10-days exercise.

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Uttar Pradesh government launched a dedicated web portal and e-Ganna App, a mobile application at a function in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The move is to provide support to the sugarcane farmers of the state. It was launched by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath. The move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to double the farmers’ income.The web portal and e-Ganna App aims to help in eradicating cane mafia and middleman. It will strengthen cane development societies. The Cane supply slip is now expected to be issued to the farmers by sugar mills online.

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TIME magazine has named Indian athlete Dutee Chand to its first-ever TIME 100 Next, a new expansion of the TIME 100 list of the most influential people in the world.The list highlights 100 rising stars who are shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, health, science and activism, and more. The striking feature about the recent editions is the growing number of individuals who did not need an establishment to command international attention–people like Parkland students (in 2018) and Greta Thunberg (in 2019).

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Acclaimed author and Infosys Foundation chairman Sudha Murty has launched her much awaited book The Daughter from a Wishing Tree Unusual Tales about Women in Mythology. The book was launched at the Crossword book store in Mantri Mall recently in the presence of Biocon MD Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and her husband John Shaw. In mythology there is always talk about Sita and Draupadi.

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Lenovo launched ThinkBook — a new sub-brand dedicated to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in India.The company has made two additions to the ThinkBook sub-brand with the ThinkBook 14 and ThinkBook 15 which will be available in the first week of December at a starting price of Rs 30,990. ThinkBook is specially designed for the SMBs, thus, providing a unique balance of premium metal design to appeal to the new workforce with business grade security and services.

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The Union cabinet on December 4, 2019 approved a proposal to extend reservation for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies for another 10 years, highly placed sources said. The reservation for these categories in the LS and the assemblies was to expire on January 25, 2020. The government will bring a bill to extend the reservation in this session. While reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the legislature is carried out through constitutional amendments, similar reservation in jobs for these categories is decided by respective state governments.

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The Indian government, on December 2019, had launched the Central Equipment Identity Register Portal to block and trace mobile phones. It has the database of the International Mobile Equipment Identity number of the blacklisted mobile phones.

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The retail inflation is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) tracks the change in retail prices of a basket of essential goods and services at rural, urban and at national level. This index is measured from the perspective of household consumption. Recently in the month of December 2019, the retail inflation touched 7.35%, against the RBI’s target of 2-6%.