Daily Current Affairs, 20th January 2018

1)  NDRF Celebrated its 13th Raising Day

•The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated its 13th Raising Day in New Delhi. The Director Intelligence Bureau, Rajiv Jain was the chief guest on this occasion.

•The meeting highlighted the disaster threat of country and important changes taken place in Disaster Management in India and across the world.

2)  President Kovind Unveils Book on Self-Development in Delhi

•President Ram Nath Kovind unveiled a book on heartfulness techniques and principles titled 'The Heartfulness Way'. Kamlesh D. Patel is the author of this book. It is the fourth Global Guide of Heartfulness.

•Joshua Pollock is the second author of this book. It was launched by Commerce and Industries Minister Suresh Prabhu.

3)  Arun Jaitley Launches National CSR Data Portal & Corporate Data Portal

•The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley launched the National CSR Data Portal & Corporate Data Portal in Delhi. This initiative is a significant step towards driving accountability and transparency for corporate India.

•The portals’ easy accessibility to the general public will ensure a high level of compliance and will also help in institutionalising and consolidating the CSR activities. The launch of the portals will bring 100 percent transparency in corporate governance by making public over 4-crore filings of nearly 1.2 million companies.

4)  4th India International Science Festival to be held in Lucknow

•The fourth edition of the India International Science Festival will be held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The decision to hold the Festival in Lucknow was taken at the first preparatory meeting for the 4th India International Science Festival (IISF).

•The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan. The 1st IISF was held at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) New Delhi. India had also set a Guinness Book of World Records, when 2000 school students performed two experiments at the Festival.

5)  India Becomes 43rd Member of Australia Group

•India has joined the Australia Group export control regime and has become the 43rd Member of that Group. It is an informal forum which seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or biological weapons.

•The inclusion will raise India’s stature in the field of non-proliferation and help in acquiring critical technologies. India has managed entry into Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group despite not being a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

6)  Mauritius Largest Source of FDI in India- RBI

•Mauritius was the largest source of foreign investment in India (21.8 per cent share at market value), followed by the US and the UK, according to a census by the Reserve Bank of India.

•Singapore and Japan were the next two sources of foreign direct investment (FDI), reported the Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Companies 2016-17, released by RBI.