NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Sanjay Kumar Jain assumes charge as IRCTC Chairman
& MD: Sanjay Kumar Jain, an IRTS Officer of 1990 batch,
took over the charge of Chairman & MD of Indian Railway Catering and
Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC).A qualified Chartered Accountant (CA), Jain’s
career is a blend of leadership roles in policy making, commercial ventures and
developmental ventures of the Government of India and PSUs. IRCTC is an Indian
PSU that provides ticketing, catering, and tourism services for the state-owned
Indian Railways.
2. Nand Kishore Yadav elected Speaker of Bihar Assembly: Senior BJP leader Nand Kishore
Yadav was unanimously elected Speaker of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha. Seven-time
MLA from Patna Sahib seat, Yadav was the minister in the Nitish cabinet from
2005-13 and later the leader of opposition. Yadav started his political journey
in 1978 when he became the councillor of the Patna Municipal Corporation and
deputy mayor of Patna in 1982.
3. Assam declares ‘Kaji Nemu’ as state fruit: The Assam government has announced that ‘Kaji Nemu’
(citrus lemon) has been recognized as the state fruit of Assam. With its unique
aroma and antioxidant properties, Assam lemon has enriched our local cuisines. Kaji
Nemu has already received a GI tag in 2016. Kaji Nemu is a highly prized fruit
for its culinary and medicinal properties. It has a distinctively strong and
sour flavour, which adds a zesty flavour to a variety of dishes. As per reports,
it is also known for its digestive and anti-inflammatory properties. Kaji Nemu
is a popular ingredient in traditional Assamese cuisine.
4. NTPC commissioned 14 MW unit of Ayodhya solar project: NTPC Green Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of
NTPC Limited, has commissioned 14 MW of capacity at its Ayodhya Solar
Photovoltaic Project. The project is part of a larger 40 MW solar project being
developed by NTPC Green Energy Ltd in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. With this
commissioning, the total installed and commercial capacity of the NTPC Group
now stands at 73,888 MW.
5. ICAI elects new President, Vice President: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of
India (ICAI) has elected Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal as its new
President. He has assumed charge as the 72nd President of ICAI. A graduate of
Calcutta University, Agarwal has been a practicing Chartered Accountant for
last 24 years. He is also a Company Secretary and DISA from ICAI. He was
elected to the 23rd, 24th and 25th Central Council of ICAI three times in a
row. Additionally, Charanjot Singh Nanda has been elected as Vice President for
the Year 2024-25.
Earlier,
Nanda was appointed as a Central Council Member of ICAI India.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. International Childhood Cancer Day observed on 15th
February: International Childhood Cancer Day is observed
on February 15 every year and all over the world. The day raises awareness of
childhood cancer and honors all the children and families experiencing the
effects of the disease. It acknowledges their pain and difficulties, giving
them space to process and grieve.
2. MeitY to hold first-ever Future Skills Summit in
Guwahati: The Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the
National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT), is set to host
the Future Skills Summit in Guwahati. The Summit aims to bring
together young Indians, thought leaders, industry experts, policymakers,
educators, and technology enthusiasts to discuss strategies for catalyzing
future-ready talent for India and the world.
3. Former PM Alexander Stubb wins Finland Presidential
election: Former Prime Minister Alexander
Stubb secured victory in Finland’s presidential runoff against
ex-Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto. Stubb of the National Coalition Party secured
51.6% of the votes, while independent candidate Haavisto received 48.4%. The
former leader of the National Conservative Party’s bid for the office was
prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
4. 15 February – World Hippo Day: World Hippo Day is celebrated on 15
February every year. Objective – To raise awareness about the plight of hippos,
which are one of the most endangered large mammals on the planet. Today, the
hippo population is estimated to be between 115,000 and 130,000, with the
decline being attributed to poaching, loss of access to fresh water, mechanised
farming, and urbanisation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) listed them as a vulnerable species in 2006 after establishing that the
hippo population had declined by as much as 20% within the previous two
decades.
5. 15 February – International Childhood Cancer Day: International Childhood Cancer Awareness
Day is observed every year on 15 February. It is a global campaign
aimed at raising awareness about childhood cancer and its difficulties. It also
serves as a reminder of the need for better support for children, adolescents,
and their families as they battle this devastating disease. This day was first
established by Childhood Cancer International in 2002.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Defence Ministry Signs Rs 2,269 Crore Contract with
BEL: The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Bharat
Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of 11 Shakti Electronic Warfare
Systems for the Indian Navy. The contract is worth 2,269 Crore
Rupees. The Shakti EW System will be installed on-board capital warships of the
Indian Navy. The project will generate employment of two and half lakh man-days
over a period of four years with the participation of more than 155 industry
partners including MSMEs, thus furthering the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
SPORTS
1. Shamar Joseph and Amy Hunter awarded ICC Players of
The Month for Jan 2024: International Cricket Council (ICC) has
announced the winners of the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month for
January 2024. West Indies’ Shamar Joseph has become the first West Indian
to win the Men’s ICC Player of the Month award for his heroics in the
Australia Test series. While, Ireland’s explosive young batter Amy Hunter
claimed the honour in the women’s category after her dominance against
Zimbabwe.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. India’s WPI inflation eases to three-month low of 0.27
per cent in January: India’s wholesale price index-based
inflation eased further to 0.27 per cent in January 2024 on an annual
basis, as against 0.73 per cent in December, stated provisional data from
the Commerce Ministry The month-on-month change in WPI index for January
witnessed a contraction of (-)0.33 per cent from a contraction of (-)1.12 per
cent in the preceding month. Positive rate of inflation in January 2024 is
primarily due to increase in prices of food articles, machinery &
equipment, other manufacturing, minerals, other transport equipment etc. Earlier
this week, India’s retail inflation data was released which showed that it has
eased to 5.10 per cent on an annual basis as against a four-month high of 5.69
per cent in December, data released by the Ministry of Statistics &
Programme Implementation showed.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. India wins 9th GovTech Prize for AI-Powered Government
Services at World Government Summit 2024: India has
secured the prestigious 9th GovTech Prize for its pioneering endeavors in
Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered government services, at the World Government
Summit 2024. The annual award is instituted by the government of the UAE and is
presented to government entities, central or local, worldwide, to recognize
creative and innovative solutions.
The accolade recognizes the remarkable efforts of the Ministry for Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, for its transformative project known as iRASTE. It is a collaborative initiative involving the government, industry, and academia, is revolutionizing road safety through the integration of AI technology.
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