NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Former SC judge Khanwilkar is new Lokpal chairperson: The President of India has appointed former Supreme Court judge
Justice AM Khanwilkar as
the Chairperson of the Lok Pal. Justice Lingappa Swamy, Justice Sanjay Yadav
and Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi are the judicial members. The Lokpal has
jurisdiction over central government to inquire into allegations of corruption
against its public functionaries including the PM, cabinet ministers, members
of parliament, Group A officers of the CG and for matters connecting them.
2. PM Modi to unveil Deendayal Upadhyaya statue in
Maharashtra: PM Narendra Modi will visit
Maharashtra's Yavatmal district where he will address one lakh members of
women's self-help groups. He will disburse Rs 825 crore funds for women's
self-help groups in Maharashtra. He will also inaugurate a statue of Bharatiya
Jana Sangh co-founder Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. He will also launch the Modi
Awaas Gharkul Yojana for OBC category beneficiaries in Maharashtra.
3. Jaishankar
to confer Acharya Lokesh Muni as 'Global Jain Peace Ambassador': EAM Jaishankar will honour Acharya Lokesh Muni as the
'Global Jain Peace Ambassador' during an event in Karnataka Acharya Lokesh Muni
is the founder of Ahimsa Vishwa
Bharti and the World Peace Center The honour will be conferred in
recognition of Acharya Lokeshji's
contribution to promoting peace and harmony globally. Acharya
Lokesh Muni's multifaceted role as a writer, poet, thinker, and social reformer
has significantly contributed to his legacy as a peace advocate.
4. PM
Modi launches two major initiatives to uplift MSMEs in Indian automotive: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the TVS Open mobility platform at
Madurai. He also inaugurated the Centre of excellence on employment and
livelihood. The Prime Minister said that two crore two wheelers, ten lakh
commercial vehicles and lakhs of other vehicles are produced in the Country and
MSMEs played a major role in boosting the big industrial sector.
5. PM Modi laid foundation stone of Sikkim’s First
Railway Station: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has laid the foundation
stone for Sikkim’s first railway station at Rangpo. The design of the
Rangpo railway station will draw inspiration from the rich culture, heritage
and architecture of Sikkim. The station will be a part of the
under-construction 45-km rail line from Sevoke near Siliguri in West Bengal to
Rangpo in Sikkim. It will have 14 tunnels and 22 bridges. The track on the
Sevoke-Rangpo section of the Northeast Frontier Railway will have the capacity
to handle 25 ton and trains can run at a maximum speed of 110 kmph. There will
be three stations between Sevoke and Rangpo — Riyang, Teesta and Melli, all in
West Bengal.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Amazon Web Services Collaborates with T-Hub and Minfy:
Amazon Web Services (AWS) India announced its launch of an accelerator
programme for space startups called AWS Space Accelerator: India. It is a
technical, business, and mentorship opportunity designed to foster startups
focused on space technology, and accelerate their development, with support
from T-Hub and Minfy. This initiative follows a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) signed between AWS, ISRO, and IN-SPACe in September the previous year.
2. WTO
Implements New Regulations to Streamline Global Services Trade: The WTO has announced the
enforcement of new regulations to streamline international services trade Following
extensive negotiations, WTO members finalized the adoption of these rules on
December 2nd, 2021 Over the subsequent year, each participating member obtained
domestic approval, leading to the integration of these regulations into individual
member schedules By establishing common rules and best practices, the WTO seeks
to ensure that domestic policy objectives
3. Peru
declares health emergency amidst Dengue surge: In Peru, the government has declared a health
emergency due to the rapidly rising cases of dengue fever across the South
American country. The health emergency was declared in 20 of Peru's 25 regions. Peru's Health
Minister Cesar Vasquez said yesterday that more than 31,000 cases of dengue have been
recorded till date, including 32 deaths. The move will enable the government to
transfer funds more quickly to affected regions and more easily deploy doctors
and nurses.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Daljit Singh Chaudhary appointed as new director
general of NSG: Daljit Singh
Chaudhary (1990 batch IPS officer), who is currently the DG
of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), has been given the additional charge of heading
the NSG. NSG is India’s counter terrorism force,trained to deal with specific
situations and used only in exceptional circumstances as deemed by the
government. NSG was founded on 16 October 1984, following Operation Blue Star,
to combat terrorist activities and protect states against internal
disturbances.
SPORTS
1. Bangladesh
appoints new batting, bowling coach: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) appointed David Hemp as the
national men's team batting coach for two-years. Andre Adams joined the team as
the bowling coach. Hemp, who was the High-Performance Head Coach since May
2023, has already had a stint with the national side. Former New Zealand
all-rounder Andre Adams has been appointed as the national team's bowling
coach.
2. New
Zealand speedster Neil Wagner retires from international cricket: New Zealand fast bowler
Neil Wagner (37-years) has decided to bring the curtain down on his illustrious
64-Test career for the Black Caps, formally announcing his retirement from
international cricket. Wagner leaves the Test arena as the fifth-highest
wicket-taker in New Zealand's history. As the fifth-highest wicket-taker in New
Zealand Test history, Wagner concludes his career with 260 wickets at an
average of 27.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. National Science Day 2024: February 28: National Science Day is celebrated across
India on February 28 to honor the discovery of the Raman Effect by physicist
Sir CV Raman in 1928. This year's theme, "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat," highlights the
importance of homegrown innovations and scientific progress in India. The day
aims to promote scientific temper, inspire youth towards careers in science,
and celebrate India's rich scientific heritage.
2. PM Modi announces 4 astronauts for Gaganyaan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has revealed the name of
four astronauts who have been
selected for the Gaganyaan Mission. The four Indian Air Force Officers
will be the first Indians to go to space from Indian soil on an indigenous
space vehicle. The four astronauts are Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan,
Group Captain Ajith Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, Wing Commander
Shubhanshu Shukla. The four astronauts have undergone extensive training at
Russia and the program is now underway in India at ISRO training facility.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. HDFC Bank Raises $300 Million through Inaugural
Sustainable Finance Bond: HDFC Bank has raised $300
million in its maiden sustainable finance bond issue. The country's biggest
private lender by market capitalisation priced its three-year sustainability
bond at a yield of 5.196%. This is 95 basis points (bps) over the 3-year U.S.
Treasury yield, sharply lower than the initial guidance of a 125-bps spread. The
money raised is part of the $750 million bond-raise that will be listed on the
GIFT City.
2. EPFO organizing its monthly district outreach programme Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0: Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) is organising its monthly district outreach programme Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0 in over 670 districts of the country. For the ease of EPS’95 pensioners, a special dedicated Pension Helpdesk will be set up wherein various pensioners-centric services like submission of Digital Life Certificates, Enquiries, and Pension Payment Order (PPO) handover on the day of retirement will be provided. Besides, a service kiosk will also be set up with a special focus on on-the-spot grievance redressal for employees, employers and pensioners and to share information with stakeholders. The locations of camps can be accessed from the EPFO website under the What’s New section.
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