Daily GK Updates - 9th February, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Coast Guard signs MoU with Airport Authority of India : Indian Coast Guard and the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for coordination in the aeronautical and maritime search and rescue operations.The objective of the MoU to strengthening mutual interactions, interoperability and validating procedures during the conduct of search and rescue operations.Now, the operations will be conducted jointly by the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) Kolkata, Airport Authority of India (AAI) and Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Port Blair.

2. 3-day Krishi Kumbh begins at Motihari in Bihar : The Bihar Governor Lalji Tandon and Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh jointly inaugurated three-day Krishi Kumbh in Motihari.This is the largest Krishi Kumbh of Eastern India.The objective of Krishi Kumbh is to promote modern techniques and diversification in agriculture that could help in doubling farmers income.About two hundred different stalls in the fair will inform farmers about modern agricultural technologies.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India Pavilion inaugurated at 69th Berlin International Film Festival : Director European Film Market (EFM) Matthijis Wouter Knol has inaugurated the Indian Pavilion at 69th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) 2019 at Berlin, Germany (7th – 17th February). The stakeholders of EFM will actively consider participating in the Golden Jubilee year of IFFI.India Pavilion is being acted as a platform to popularize Indian Cinema in the overseas market and facilitate new business opportunities.Indian Mission in Berlin would undertake constant engagement in future with Indian and German stakeholders at the European Film Market.

2. 2018 fourth warmest year on record : An independent analysis by NASA & the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have found that earth's global surface temperatures in 2018 were the fourth warmest since 1880. Globally, 2018's temperatures rank behind those of 2016, 2017 and 2015. The past five years are collectively the warmest years in the modern record. It found that 2018 global temperatures were 0.79 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century average.

3.  India Jumps eight places to 36th on International IP index 2019 : India has jumped eight places to 36th position on the International Intellectual Property (IP) Index, which analyses the IP climate in 50 global economies, this year.India’s eight-point jump in 2019 from 44th position in 2018 is the highest increase among 50 nations mapped by the index.The US, the UK, Sweden, France and Germany remained the top five economies on the intellectual property index in 2019 retaining their spots from the last year.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. India's Rohit Sharma becomes highest run-scorer in T20 cricket : India's Rohit Sharma (31-year) has become the highest run scorerin the Twenty20 International history while playing against New Zealand in Auckland.Sharma overtook New Zealand's Martin Guptill, who has scored 2,272 runs in 74 innings in T20I.He also became first India and the third overall player to smash 100 sixes in T20 cricket.

2. Ramit Tandon wins Seattle Open : The top-seeded Indian squash player Ramit Tandon defeated Egyptian Mohamed El Sherbini in the finals to win PSA challenger squash Tour event ‘Seattle Open’.He rose to his career high ranking of 58 in the latest February list.Mr. Tandan won his first PSA title in the new year and fourth title overall in his career.

3. IPC lifts Russia's doping ban : According to the International Paralympics Committee (IPC), it will conditionally readmit Russia by next month. The ban will be lifted by 15th, providing the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) adhere to strict criteria.In August 2016 the IPC suspended the RPC because it was necessary and proportionate to the situation,they faced and essential to ensure a clean sport