Current affairs 28 January 2018

1. India is the leading country in coconut production Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh s...

1. India is the leading country in coconut production

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that the Coconut Development Board’s (CDB) major schemes are focusing on coconut production, productivity, processing for coconut products, value addition, marketing, and export promotion in Bihar.

• The Minister said this on the occasion of the inauguration of the Farmers’ Training Centre cum Regional Office Building of Coconut Development Board in Patna.
• The Minister said that India is leading in the global coconut production and productivity.
• He said that the annual coconut production is 2395 crore from 20.82 lakh hectare and the productivity is 11505 coconuts/hectare.
• Coconut contributes to about Rs.27900 crore to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

2. Himachal CM launches women safety helpline and mobile app

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has launched 24X7 ‘Gudiya’ helpline, named after 16-year old rape and murder victim of Kotkhai.

• Chief Minister also launched ‘Shakti Button’- a mobile app linked to police control rooms for ensuring the safety of women in the state.
• Any women at the time of an untoward incident can press the red button on the mobile app and an alert will immediately reach the police response team. 
• Also, the Chief Minister also launched Hoshiyar Singh help line on toll free number 1090.

3. Delhi to host informal WTO Ministerial meet in March

India will host an informal WTO Ministerial meeting in March this year. The meeting will be held in Delhi on March 19 – 20.

• India’s offering to host the meeting was made after trade ministers from various countries including Australia, Japan and Switzerland met for an informal WTO ministerial gathering in Davos.
• Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO Deepak Jagdish Saksena attended the informal meeting held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual summit in Davos.

4. 21st edition of India International Seafood Show opens in Goa

The 21st edition of the biennial India International Seafood Show opened in Margao in South Goa.

• Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurated the three-day flagship trade event.
• It is being organized by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA and the Seafood Export Association of India (SEAI).

5. Wozniacki beats Simona Halep to win Australian Open women's title

Caroline Wozniacki has beaten Simona Halep in a classic Australian Open final 7-6(2) 3-6 6-4 to claim her first grand slam title.

• The result ensured Wozniacki swiped Halep’s world number one ranking, six years after losing it at the 2012 Australian Open.

6. Delhi wins Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2018

In the finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy final Delhi defeated Rajasthan by 41 runs to lift the title for the first time.

• Chasing a competitive total of 154, Rajasthan began well but folded up for just 112.

Points to Remember

• The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a Twenty20 cricket domestic championship in India, organized by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), among the teams from Ranji Trophy.
• The 2008-09 season was the inaugural season for this trophy.
• It is named after a famous Indian cricketer, Syed Mushtaq Ali.

7. Veteran Bengali actress Supriya Devi passes away

Veteran Bengali film actress and Padmashri awardee, Supriya Devi (Supriya Chowdhury), passed away at her residence in Kolkata. She was 83.

• Supriya Devi made her debut in the Uttam Kumar-starrer Basu Parivar in 1952.
• During her over five-decade career in the Bengali film industry she delivered many hit and classic films.

8. ‘Dilli Meri Dilli: Before and After 1998’- A book by Sheila Dikshit

Ex-CM Sheila Dikshit makes debut as author, in her first book Dilli Meri Dilli: Before and After 1998, looks at the Capital’s changing face.

• The pictorial book traces the evolution of the city of Delhi over the centuries, and puts in perspective its impressive transformation since the beginning of the new millennium.