Daily GK Updates - 26th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. MP becomes first state in the country to launch the unified vehicle registration card: Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in India to launch unified vehicle registration card. Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath launched the unified vehicle registration card on February 25, 2020. He also launched the unified driving license at the same time. MP is the second state to launch unified driving license after Uttar Pradesh. These unified smart cards for driving license and vehicle registration will each have a QR code that will help in verifying authenticity of the data printed on the cards. The unified driving license card will also have information about the ability of the driver to drive in hilly and dangerous areas, and an emergency contact number.

Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Kamal Nath; Governor: Lal Ji Tandon.

2. Losar festival celebrated in Himachal Pradesh: 15 Day Long Losar Festival took place at Dharamshala with 3 important days from 24 to 26 February. It is celebrated on the first day of the luni-solar Tibeten calendar also called Tibetan New Year. Losar is a festival in Tibetan Buddhism. Prayers were offered at Dorje Drak Monastery in Shimla. Cultural events were held in different parts of the state as the Tibetan community celebrated the festival.

Note: Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh: Jai Ram Thakur; Governor: Bandaru Dattatraya.

3. Annual Cultural Fair ‘Vasantotsav’ begins in Gandhinagar: The Eight-day annual cultural fair called “Vasantotsav” was inaugurated on 25 February at Sanskruti Kunj in Gandhinagar by Maharaja Ranjitsinh Gaekwad Institute of Design (MRID). This festival is organized by the Department of Youth and Cultural Affairs to celebrate the rich diverse heritage of the country. The cultural festival “Vasantotsav” was held with the theme of “Ek Bhaart Shreshth Bharat”.

Note: CM of Gujarat: Vijay Rupani; Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat; Capital: Gandhinagar.

4. ISRO to launch Geo Imaging Satellite “GISAT-1”: The Indian Space Research Organisation is all set to launch Geo Imaging Satellite (GISAT-1) from the Second Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota. Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F10) will be launching GISAT-1 at 17:43 hrs IST on March 05, 2020. GISAT-1 has a weight of 2,275 kg and is a state-of-the-art agile Earth observation satellite that will be placed in a 'geosynchronous transfer orbit'

Note: ISRO Director: K. Sivan, Headquarters: Bengaluru; Established: 1969.

5. National Conference on Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience held in New Delhi: The National Conference on Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience (CDRR&R) 2020 was held in New Delhi. The national conference was organised by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM). The aim of the conference is to enhance human capacity in terms of better understanding about coastal disaster risks and effective collaborative actions, by implementing Prime Minister’s 10-point agenda and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

6. Union HRD Minister launches UKIERI-UGC Programme: Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal launched ‘Higher Education Leadership Development Programme for Administrator’. The programme is a joint initiative of UGC and British Council under the auspices of UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) to deliver a leadership development programme for middle and senior level administrative functionaries in Indian Universities.

7. Two new bird species found during Great Backyard Bird count in Ladakh: Two new bird species namely Red Throated Thrush and Plumbeous Water Redstart have been found during the Great Backyard Bird count in Union Territory of Ladakh. Great Backyard Bird count is a three-day exercise undertaken by the Wildlife Conservation and Birds Club of Ladakh. A record of 87 total species of birds in Ladakh has been found. The details will be recorded in the eBird India website for further studies.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India and United States Inks Over USD 3 billion Defence Deal: India and the United States finalized Defence deals worth three billion dollars including three other agreements of health and oil sectors on 25 February 2020. Under the deal, India will procure: 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters from the US at a cost of $2.6 billion and 6 AH-64E Apache helicopters for $800 million The deal was sealed during the two-day official visit of US President Donald Trump to India from February 24-25, 2020 to India.

Note: Union Minister of Defence: Raj Nath Singh.

2. BIMSTEC to connect 3000 km long power grid from Myanmar-Thailand to India: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is working on a project of connecting about 3,000 kilometre-long power grid from Myanmar-Thailand to India. This was announced by Bangladesh PM’s Energy Advisor Dr Tawfiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury during the energy conference of BIMSTEC in Dhaka. BIMSTEC is a regional grouping with seven countries from South and Southeast Asia including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

Note: Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina; Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka.

3. New Delhi hosts Joint Ministerial Commission between India and Australia: The Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) between India and Australia was held in New Delhi. This was the 16th edition of the session. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Government of India and honourable Senator Simon Birmingham, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Government of Australia co-chaired the joint ministerial commission held between two countries.

Note: Australia Capital: Canberra; Currency: Australian Dollar; Prime Minister: Scott Morrison.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Kiren Rijiju inaugurates 1st Khelo India Winter Games in UT Ladakh: The Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the first-ever Khelo India Winter Games in the Union Territory of Ladakh. It is being organized to promote winters sports as well as to harness youth’s talent of India. Open Ice Hockey Championship, Figure Skating, Speed Skating will be the three winter sports held during the Khelo India winter games.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Microsoft partners with SBI to train differently-abled people to find jobs: Microsoft and State Bank of India have partnered to train differently-abled people to find jobs in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector. In the first year of the partnership, more than 500 differently-abled youths will be upskilled.

Note: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microsoft: Satya Nadella; Microsoft Founded: April 4, 1975; Headquarters of Microsoft: Washington, United States (US).

Chairperson of SBI: Rajnish Kumar; Headquarters of SBI: Mumbai; SBI Founded: 1 July 1955.

OBITUARIES

1. Famous NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson passes away:  Famous NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) mathematician Katherine Johnson passed away at the age of 101. Johnson’s calculations helped put the first man on the Moon in 1969, but she was little known until the Oscar-nominated 2016 movie that told the stories of three black women who worked at NASA.

Note: Headquarters of NASA: Washington, D.C.; NASA Established: July 29, 1958.

2. Former President of Egypt Mohammed Hosni Mubarak passes away: Egypt’s former President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak (91-years) passed away. He ruled the country for 30 years. After almost three decades in power, Mubarak was forced to resign on February 11, 2011, following 18 days of protests around the country.

Note: Egypt President: Abdel Fattah El-Sissi; Egypt Currency: Egyptian pound; Egypt Capital: Cairo.

 

Daily GK Updates - 25th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Polls to 55 Rajya Sabha seats on March 26: The Election Commission of India (ECI) announcing the schedule of polling for 55 Rajya Sabha seats spread over 17 States set to be vacated in April will be conducted on March 26. According to the schedule for the elections, the notification would be issued on March 6, the last date of filing of nominations would be March 13 and polling would be on March 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The votes would be counted at 5 p.m. on the same day.

Note: The Vice President of India: Venkaiah Naidu is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

2. Ministry of Corporate Affairs launches SPICe+ web form: ‘SPICe+’ Web Form (pronounced ‘SPICe Plus’) has been launched by Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MCA) to offer 10 services by 3 Central Government Ministries/ Departments and of State Government of Maharashtra in a single web form. The three department/govt ministries are- Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Labour & Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance. Apart from this, the forms of Maharashtra State Government would also be available on the SPICe+ web form. Registration for EPFO and ESIC shall be mandatory for all new companies to be incorporated through SPICe+ and no EPFO & ESIC registration nos. shall be separately issued by the respective agencies.

3. Andhra Pradesh govt launched ‘Jagananna Vasthi Deevena’ scheme: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched a scheme named ‘Jagananna Vasthi Deevena’ for students pursuing various post-Intermediate courses to meet hostel and mess expenses.  The scheme would provide financial assistance of Rs 2,300 crore in total. In total, 11,87,904 students pursuing ITI, polytechnic, under-graduate and post-graduate education would benefit from the scheme.  ITI students would get Rs 10,000 each, polytechnic students would get Rs 15,000 and under-graduates and post-graduates Rs 20,000 each.  The students would get the amount in two installments directly in their bank accounts. They will get in February and July every year.

4. ‘Death: An Inside Story’ book released by Venkaiah Naidu: The Vice President of India Shri M Venkaiah Naidu released the book titled ‘Death- An Inside Story: A book for all those who shall’ authored by Jaggi Vasudev, but famously known as Sadhguru, Founder of Isha Foundation. The book was released on the occasion of Mahashivaratri celebrations at the Isha Yoga Center, Tamil Nadu, where Vice-President Naidu was the Chief Guest.

5. Mumbai Airport Launches World's Largest Temp-Controlled Facility: The Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) has announced the launch of the world’s largest airport-based temperature-controlled facility known as the ‘Export Cold Zone’ for processing and storage of agro and pharma products. The exclusive terminal can hold over 700 tonnes of such cargo at one time with a combined annual capacity of 5.25 lakh tonnes. MIAL a joint venture between the GVK led consortium (74%) and Airports Authority of India (26%).

6. Abhay Kumar Singh appointed CMD of NHPC: Abhay Kumar Singh has been appointed as the Chairman & Managing Director of NHPC Limited. NHPC is an Indian Hydropower generation company headquartered in Faridabad and was established in the year 1975. It is a Mini Ratna company. Singh took charge in place of Ratish Kumar who was holding additional charge of the post of CMD in addition to Director (Projects) in NHPC.

7. First anniversary of National War Memorial being observed on 25 Feb: The first anniversary of the iconic National War Memorial is being observed on 25 February by paying tribute to those fallen soldiers who made supreme sacrifices in the line of duty during various wars and internal security challenges since Independence. The monument was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25th February 2019. It is situated in the India Gate region of New Delhi.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad resigns: Mahathir Mohamad (94-year) has announced his resignation from the Malaysia's Prime Minister designation. He was the oldest serving Prime Minister in the world. He will work as an interim PM of Malaysia. It is not clear who will be the next prime minister. He has submitted his resignation to the king. He has also resigned from Bersatu, the political party of which he was chairman. Mahathir’s decision follows a weekend of political wrangling, after it was reported on Sunday night that his party was planning to form a new government that would exclude his successor, Anwar Ibrahim.

Note: Capital of Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur; Currency of Malaysia: Malaysian Ringgit.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. India will host Commonwealth Shooting and Archery Championships in 2022: India will host the Commonwealth Shooting and Archery Championships in January 2022. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) announced this decision after the Executive Board meeting in London. The two events will be held in Chandigarh in January 2022, while the Birmingham Commonwealth Games is scheduled from 27th of July to 7th of August, 2022.

2. ICC bans Oman cricketer Yousuf Abdulrahim Al Balushi for 7 years: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned Oman cricketer Yousuf Abdulrahim Al Balushi from all forms of cricket for seven years. He was involved in match-fixing. Al Balushi accepted four charges of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. The charges are all related to the ICC men’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers 2019 held in the United Arab Emirates. Yousuf has not been an active Oman player for a few years after being named among the reserves for the 2016 T20 World Cup.

Note: Chairman of ICC: Shashank Manohar; Chief Executive: Manu Sahney; Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

3. 11-year-old Jiya Rai creates world record in open water swimming: Jiya Rai, the 11-year-old girl created a world record by becoming the youngest and the fastest specially-abled girl to swim 14 kilometres in open water in 3 hours 27 minutes and 30 seconds. This record creates under the supervision of the Swimming Association of Maharashtra.

Note: Chairman of Swimming Federation of India: Glenn Saldanha; Swimming Federation of India Headquarters: Ahmedabad, Gujarat; Swimming Federation of India established: 1948.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. NABARD Sanctions Rs 400.64 cr to Boost Infrastructure in J&K: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned an amount of Rs 400.64 crore to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir for 2019-20 to give boost to the infrastructure in the rural areas. The funding is a part of the NABARD’s ‘Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) XXV’ which aims at enhancing rural infrastructure. The fund sanctioned includes:

Rs 209.87 crore – for construction of 82 rural roads and 03 bridges

Rs 143.66 crore – for implementation of 38 water supply schemes

Rs 47.11 crore – towards improving the Animal and Sheep Husbandry sectors

Note: Chairman of NABARD: Harsh Kumar Bhanwala; Headquarters of NABARD: Mumbai.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. United States Surpasses China to Become India’s top trading partner: According to the data by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, United States has surpassed China to become India’s top trading partner. The data showed that China was India’s top trading partner since 2013-14 till 2017-18. But in 2018-19, the bilateral trade between the US and India stood at nearly 88 billion dollars, while during the same period, India’s trade with China was at 87.1 billion dollars. Similarly, during April-December 2019-20, the bilateral trade between the US and India was 68 billion dollars against a nearly 65 billion dollars trade with China in the same period. Also, in 2018-19, India has a trade surplus of 16.9 billion dollars with America, while it has a deficit of 53.6 billion dollars with China.

Note: President of United States: Donald Trump; Capital: Washington, D.C.

AWARDS AND REWARDS

1. Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2020 announced: Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2020 announced in Mumbai, Maharashtra to Honour and appreciate the creativity & talent of Indian Film and Television Industry. Actor Ravi Dubey served as the host of the event. Hrithik Roshan bagged the Best Actor award for film “Super 30”. List of Winners:

Sr. No.	Award	Award Winner
1	Best Film	Super 30
2	Best Actor	Hrithik Roshan (Super 30)
3	Most Promising Actor	Kiccha Sudeep
4	Best Actor in Television SeriesBest Actor in Television Series	Dheeraj Dhoopar
5	Best Actress in Television	Divyanka Tripathi
6	Most Favourite Television Actor	Harshad Chopda
7	Most Favourite Jodi in Television Series	Sriti Jha and Shabbir Ahluwalia (Kumkum Bhagya)
8	Best Television Series	Kumkum Bhagya
9	Best Playback Singer Male	Armaan Malik
10	Best Reality Show	Bigg Boss 13

2. Adline Castelino wins Miss Diva Universe 2020: Adline Castelino has been crowned as the winner of LIVA Miss Diva Universe 2020 competition at an event held in Yash Raj Films Studios, Mumbai, Maharashtra. She hails from Mangalore and will be representing the country at Miss Universe later this year. Aavriti Choudhary (Jabalpur) crowned as LIVA Miss Diva Supranational 2020 and Neha Jaiswal was selected as the Runner-up for LIVA Miss Diva 2020.

OBITUARIES

1. Former Lok Sabha MP Krishna Bose passes away: Former Lok Sabha MP Krishna Bose passed away. Krishna Bose was the wife of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s nephew Sisir Kumar Bose was serving as the chairperson of Netaji Research Bureau. She was a revered social reformer, renowned poet & a courageous educationalist. Krishna Bose was also elected as MP for 3 times from the Jadavpur Lok Sabha seat in 1998 and 1999 on TMC ticket and on congress ticket in 1996.

Daily GK Updates - 24th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt launches PM-KISAN Mobile App: The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) was launched on February 24, 2019 to provide annually Rs 6,000 to each eligible farmer. The first anniversary of the scheme was observed on Feb 24, 2020. On this occasion, a mobile app named PM-KISAN Mobile App was launched by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to broaden the reach of this programme. Using the app, farmers can view the status of their application, update or carry out corrections of their Aadhaar cards and also check history of credits to their bank accounts. All the states except West Bengal have implemented this scheme. The total number of beneficiaries to be covered under the scheme is about 14 crore.

2. US President Donald Trump arrives on a Historic Maiden Visit to India: US President Donald Trump arrived at Ahmedabad today on his maiden two-day visit to India. He is also accompanied by his daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and top brass of his administration. Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally welcomed him and US first lady Melania Trump at the airport. Both the leaders then proceeded to Motera stadium to participate in Namaste Trump event. More than lakh people cheered and greeted President Trump during the roadshow.

3. NCMRWF organizes international conference on “EMMDA” in Noida: National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has organized a 3-day international conference on Ensemble Methods in Modelling and Data Assimilation (EMMDA) in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The conference was organized to have a concrete discussions and deliberations on the present status, future prospects as well as optimum use of Ensemble Prediction System (EPS). The Ensemble Prediction System has been developed by leading weather forecasting centres of the world to quantify the forecast uncertainty and to probabilistic forecasting of weather.

4. IRSDC installs squat machine at Delhi's Anand Vihar Railway Station: Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) has installed a squat machine at Anand Vihar Station, turning it into a health hub. Fit India Squat Machine is the first such machine at any railway station across the country to encourage the Fit India Program. The Railways will give free platform tickets to the person performing 30 squats in 180 seconds.

5. Central Excise Day: 24 February: The Central Excise Day is commemorated every year across India on 24th February to commemorate the Central Excise and Salt Act (enacted on 24 February 1944) by Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). It is celebrated in India to encourage the employees of excise department in carrying out the central excise duty in a better way. CBEC is the nodal national agency responsible for administering Customs, GST, Central Excise, Service Tax & Narcotics in India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Riek Machar swears in as first Vice President in South Sudan: South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar has been sworn in as first vice president. He is formally rejoining the government in the latest effort to bring peace to a nation ravaged by war. The rebel leader returns as first vice president in a transition government which will serve for 36 months. President Salva Kiir announced the official ending of the war and said peace is now irreversible as the new unity government was formed after more than a year of delays.

Note: South Sudan Capital: Juba; Currency: South Sudanese pound.

2. Sweden Creates Food Planet Prizes worth USD 1 Million for Sustainable Food Solutions: Sweden has created two new prizes named ‘Food Planet Prizes’, to be awarded for solutions to feed billions of people, as climate change threatens the world’s food supply and a growing population requires sustainable food systems. Food Planet Prizes will be worth USD 1 million each, and will encourage people to work towards sustainable food production. The prizes will be awarded annually in two categories: (1) An existing scalable solution for sustainable foods and (2) innovative initiatives that could transform the global food sector

3. France to Shut Down its Oldest Nuclear Complex Fessenheim Power Plant by June 2020: The 2X920 MW Fessenheim Nuclear Power Plant is the oldest operational nuclear power plant in France. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has announced that the entire complex will come to a halt on June 30, 2020. The Unit 1 of the plant will close on 22nd February 2020 while the Unit 2 on 30th June 2020. The plan to shut down the plant has been taken to balance nuclear produced energy and electricity with increased generation from renewable sources. The government has planned to close the coal-based plants by 2022 to reduce greenhouse gases. Currently, France receives more than 70% of its electricity from nuclear power; the new plan would cap the amount of electricity from nuclear power at 50% by 2035.

4. Indian Universities make it to top 100 THE Emerging Economies University Rankings, 2020: A record number of 11 Indian Universities have made it to the top 100 Times Higher Education’s (THE) Emerging Economies University Rankings 2020. Overall 56 Indian universities appear in the full ranking of a total of 533 universities from 47 emerging countries or regions of the world. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is India’s top-ranked institution in the index at 16th position. Mainland China is the most-represented nation overall, with 81 institutions, followed by India at 56 and Brazil at 46. China claimed 14 places in the top 30 of the Emerging Economies University Rankings 2020, including all of the top four places: (1) Tsinghua University: (2) Peking University; (3) Zhejiang University; (4) University of Science and Technology of China.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh wins 34th Cannes Open in France: In Chess, India’s 13-year old Grandmaster D Gukesh won the 34th Cannes Open in France. Gukesh defeated Harutyun Bargseghyan of France in the final round to end with 7.5 points in 50 moves to emerge clear winner. The Tamil Nadu player Gukesh became the world’s second youngest Grandmaster ever in 2019 at the age of 12 years, 7 months, and 17 days. As of 2019 he is the youngest grandmaster in the world and India’s youngest grandmaster.

2. India Finishes Third with 20 Medals at 2020 Asian Wrestling Championships: The 2020 Asian Wrestling Championships was held at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium, Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi from February 18 to February 23. China was not allowed to participate in the competition due to coronavirus outbreak. India won total 20 medals including 5 Gold, 6 Silver and 9 Bronze to be placed at third spot in the medal table. Japan stood first with 16 medals (8-4-4) while Iran was second with 17 medals (7-3-7). The Championship was held in three categories: (1) Men’s freestyle: (2) Men’s Greco-Roman; (3) Women’s freestyle.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. NCAER Pegs India’s GDP Growth at 4.9% in 2019-20: Delhi-based think tank National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has pegged the economic growth of India for 2019-20 at 4.9 percent. For 2020-21, the Indian economy is expected to improve to 5.6 percent.

2. NPCI launches “UPI Chalega” Campaign to promote UPI: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched an industry campaign named “UPI Chalega” to promote UPI as Easy, Safe, and Instant mode of payment. NPCI has launched the campaign in association with the payment ecosystem players. The “UPI Chalega” campaign is aimed to guide users towards the right usage of UPI and help create a habitual change, use of UPI in their daily life.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Actor Manoj Kumar felicitated by World Book of Records, London: Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar has been felicitated by the World Book of Records, London with the WBR Golden Era of Bollywood honour for being a legendary actor and for his contribution to Indian cinema. The certificate of honour was presented to Manoj Kumar by Santosh Shukla, Supreme Court Advocate (President World Book of Records), Usman Khan (Vice President, World Book of Records, India) and Professor Rajeev Sharma. Before this, legendary actor Dilip Kumar has also been felicitated with the honour.

Note: Manoj Kumar was the winner of 47th Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2015 and also awarded Padma Shri award by the Government of India in 1992.

OBITUARIES

1. Creator of LEGO Minifigure, Jens Nygaard Knudsen Passes Away: Jens Nygaard Knudsen, the chief designer of the iconic Lego minifigure with interchangeable legs and torsos has passed away. He was 78-year old. Nygaard Knudsen was also responsible for developing some of Lego’s classic themes, such as Lego Space and Lego Pirates. The LEGO Group is a Danish toy production company located in Billund, Denmark.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Railway has launched AI based ‘ASKDISHA’ chatbot: The Indian Railways has launched the Hindi Version of Artificial Intelligence-based chatbot called “ASKDISHA”. The hindi version has been launched to further enhance the customer services rendered and to further strengthen the services of the chatbot. The Indian Railways is also planning to launch the chatbot in more languages in the near future. The chatbot is a special computer programme designed to simulate conversation with users, especially over the internet. The first-of-its-kind initiative by IRCTC is aimed at facilitating accessibility by answering users’ queries pertaining to various services offered to railway passengers.

Note: Union Minister of Ministry of Railways: Piyush Goyal.

2. International Judicial Conference 2020 held in New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a two-day International Judicial Conference 2020 organized by Supreme Court in New Delhi. The conference was held with the theme of “Gender Just World”. The topic of the one-day conference is “Judiciary and The Changing World”. The changes made by GoI to bring gender equality including recruitment of women in military service, changes in the selection process of fighter pilots, and the freedom to work at night in the mines were discussed during the conference. Ram Nath Kovind, delivered the valedictory address at the International Judicial Conference.

3. Madhya Pradesh CM Inaugurates Indian Forest Service Officers Meet in Bhopal: The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Kamal Nath inaugurated the Forestry Conference of Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers at Noronha Academy of Administration in Bhopal on 22 February 2020. The event is being held in Bhopal for the first time. The main purpose of the conference is to deliberate on the usage of forest produce and the role of forests in economic growth.

4. India’s first floating jetty inaugurated in Goa: Union Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya has inaugurated the India’s first floating jetty and an immigration facility at a cruise terminal in Vasco at Goa. This floating jetty is the first such facility in the country. It will boost inland waterways. They are environment-friendly and can be built in a short time.  The floating jetty is made of cement concrete and is expected to boost inland waterways. The immigration counter at the cruise terminal in Mormugao Port will help foreign nationals who arrive on cruise ships.

Note: CM of Goa: Pramod Sawant; Governor: Satya Pal Malik

5. Govt to Launch Tilhan Mission to Boost Oilseed Production: The Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Minister of Rural Development, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has announced that the government will launch Tilhan Mission to make the country self-reliant in oilseed production. Agriculture is the important pillar of the India’s economy and contributes 14 percent to the GDP. Apart from this, the government has also decided to create 10 thousand Farmers Producer Organisation (FPO) across the country. For this, assistance of over Rs 6,000 crore will be provided. Besides, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana will not be mandatory for farmers and it will be voluntary for them.

6. NITI Aayog organizes meeting on Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients Industry: National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) has organized a meeting on Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients (API) Industry. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of NITI Aayog’s CEO Amitabh Kant to induce growth in the API industry.  During the meeting, a detailed presentation on the history and status of the API industry and the challenges faced by it, was presented by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP). It also demonstrated the available options which can make India a powerhouse in Key Starting Materials, Intermediates and Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients (API). It also discussed the recent measures taken to promote the bulk drug parks in the country.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India, Sri Lanka signs MoU for up-gradation of infra in plantation school: India and Sri Lanka have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for up-gradation of infrastructure in plantation schools for estate workers of Indian origin. The MoU was signed by acting High Commissioner Mr Vinod. K. Jacob and Secretary, Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka Mr NHM Chithrananda in Colombo.  The project is implemented to upgrade the infrastructure of 9 plantation schools under Indian grant assistance of Rs 30 crores.

2. SCO’s Defence Experts Working Group meeting was held in Pakistan: The 9th Defence and Security Expert Working Group (EWG) meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held in Islamabad, Pakistan. The meeting was the part of the ‘Shanghai Cooperation Organization Defense & Security Cooperation Plan 2020’. China, Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and India including Pakistan participated in the event.

Note: Secretary-General of SCO: Vladimir Norov; SCO founded: 19 September 2003; Headquarters of SCO: Beijing, China.

3. US-India Business Council Appoints Vijay Advani as new Chairman of Global Board: The US-India Business Council (USIBC) has appointed Vijay Advani as new Chair of its Global Board of Directors. Prior to this, he served as Executive Chairman of the Board in January 2020. Apart from this, the council also announced two new members of the Global Board of Directors, which includes: Lockheed Martin International Senior Vice President Tim Cahill and GE South Asia President & CEO Mahesh Palashikar.

Note: Headquarters of US-India Business Council: Washington, D.C., United States; US-India Business Council founded: 1975.

4. India Ranks 35th in EIU’s Worldwide Education for the Future Index 2019: India has jumped five places to be ranked 35th in the Worldwide Educating for the Future Index (WEFFI) 2019, published by The Economist Intelligence Unit. India scored 53 points out of 100 in the overall index in 2019. It was ranked 40th with an overall score of 41.2 in 2018. The index has been topped by Finland (84.8), followed by Sweden (84.3) and New Zealand (79.9) at second and third respectively. Kenya (48), Nigeria (49) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (50) are the bottom three countries in the index.

5. India Ranks 77th on Sustainability Index and 131st in Child Flourishing Index rankings: UN report: India has been ranked at 77th position in the Sustainability Index 2020 and 131st on the Flourishing Index 2020, according to a UN-backed report.  The report commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and The Lancet medical journal.

Note: The Sustainability Index 2020 takes into account per capita carbon emissions and ability of children in a nation to live healthy lives. It ranks countries on excess carbon emissions compared with the 2030 target.

The Flourishing Index 2020 measures the best chance at survival and well-being for children. Flourishing is the geometric mean of Surviving and Thriving. For Surviving, the authors selected maternal survival, survival in children younger than 5 years old, suicide, access to maternal and child health services, basic hygiene and sanitation, and lack of extreme poverty.

Note: Director-General of UNESCO: Audrey Azoulay; Headquarters: Paris, France.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. FC Goa has become 1st club from India to qualify for AFC Champions League: FC Goa became the first Indian club to qualify for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions’ League group stage. FC Goa sealed the top spot in the Indian Super League (ISL 2019-20) standings, finishing as the league’s table-topper after beating Jamshedpur FC 5-0 in an Indian Super League match. Indian clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have played in the Asian Club Championships but no team from the country has ever played in the group stage of AFC Champions League since its introduction in 2002. Recently, ISL was recognised as the top-tier league in the country by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and as a result, its top team in the league phase will be representing India in the AFC Champions League.

Note: President of Asian Football Confederation: Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa; Headquarters of Asian Football Confederation: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

2. AIBA World Cup 2020 to be held in Russia: Russia will be the first country to host the new format of the AIBA Team World Cup in 2020. The Boxing tournament will be coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the victory in World War II under the motto “Boxing for Peace”. This format is expected to make boxing more attractive to spectators and sponsors. The best national teams all over the world will take part in the tournament. The final match is scheduled in October 2020 in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.

Note: AIBA Founded: 1946; AIBA Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland; AIBA President: Dr Mohamed Moustahsane.

3. PM Modi Inaugurates first-ever Khelo India University Games at Cuttack: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first-ever Khelo India University Games at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha on 22nd February 2020 through video conferencing. About 3,400 athletes from 159 universities across the country will be participating across 17 disciplines.

Note: CM of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik; Governor of Odisha: Ganeshi Lal.

4. Rajalaxmi Deo elected as Rowing Federation of India President: Mrs Rajlaxmi Singh Deo has been re-elected as the president of the Rowing Federation of India (RFI) on 22nd February 2020. The presidential elections of the Rowing Federation of India were conducted under the observation of Indian Olympic Association (IOA)’s K Govindraj. Apart from this other RFI appointments include:

M V Sriram – Secretary General

Rajpal Singh, G Bhasker, Souvik Ghose and Sreekunara Kurup – Vice-presidents (4)

Nababudin Ahmed – Treasurer

Krishna Kumar Singh and Chirajit Phukan – Joint Secretaries (2)

Jasbir Singh, Venkateswara Rao, Ismail Baig, Jacob and Manjunatha – Executive Members (5).

All of the above will take the office from 1st April 2020 and remain at the post for a period of 4 years till 31st March 2024.

Note: Rowing Federation of India headquarter: Mumbai; Rowing Federation of India founded: 30 August 1976.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. SEBI allows the use of regulatory sandbox by market players: Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has allowed the use of regulatory sandbox by the market players on select customers. SEBI will also grant limited registration for such testing purposes. The decision is expected to facilitate the use of latest fintech innovations in capital markets. The decision was taken at the board meeting of the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India.

Note: Chairman of SEBI: Ajay Tyagi; Headquarter: Mumbai.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Birla Estates has introduced “LIDEA” on WhatsApp for its customers: An interactive AI Powered ChatBot solution “LIDEA” has been launched by Birla Estates for its customers. “LIDEA” will enable the users to access authentic information of the projects which can be used for the evaluation of the residential developments of Birla Estates. The artificial intelligence empowered Chatbot will also offer features like viewing location, configurations, amenities, virtual tours and accepting site visit requests.

AWARDS AND REWARDS

1. Dr. Niti Kumar to be honoured with SERB Women Excellence Award-2020: Dr Niti Kumar, a Senior Scientist from Division of Molecular Parasitology and Immunology, CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow will be honoured with the SERB Women Excellence Award-2020. Her research team is testing the protein quality control machinery in human malaria parasite for exploration of alternative drug targets for malaria intervention. Award will be conferred by the President of India during National Science Day Celebrations on February 28, 2020, in Vigyan Bhawan. This award is given to women scientist below 40 years of age.  The women researchers will be supported by the research grant of 5 lakhs per annum for 3 years.

OBITUARIES

1. Former Indian footballer Ashok Chatterjee passes away: Former India footballer Ashok Chatterjee, who played for the club Mohun Bagan, has passed away. He was 78. Chatterjee has made 30 appearances for the senior national team. He was part of the Indian team’s bronze-medal winning squad in the Merdeka Cup in 1965 and 1966. He was honoured with the Mohun Bagan Lifetime Achievement Award by the club in 2019.