NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. IGI Airport, Delhi becomes India’s first
single-use plastic-free airport: GMR-led Delhi
International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has announced that the Indira Gandhi International
Airport in Delhi has become free of single-use plastic usage, becoming the
first airport in India to achieve the milestone. The initiative is in line with
the Indian PM’s vision to abolish all single-use plastic from India by 2022.
The Confederation of Indian Industry-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable
Development (CII-ITC CESD), known for supporting business communities toward
achieving sustainability, certified DIAL for its voluntary and successful
implementation of single-use plastic-free airport measures within IGI Airport’s
operations.
2. Ministry of Textile Organises KALA KUMBH
–Handicrafts Exhibitions: The Ministry of Textiles
is organising Kala Kumbh – Handicrafts Thematic Exhibition in various parts of
the country from 14 to 23 February 2020 to promote Geographical Indication (GI)
crafts and heritage of India. The exhibition is being sponsored by Export
Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH). It will be held in Bengaluru and
Mumbai from 14 Feb to 23 Feb while, it will also be organized in Kolkata and
Chennai in March 2020.
Note: Union
Minister of Textiles: Smriti Zubin Irani.
3. Delhi Police integrates “Himmat Plus app” with
Uber for passenger’s safety: The Delhi
Police has integrated its “Himmat Plus App” with the app of ride hailing
company “Uber” to ensure safety and security of people travelling in cabs. The
Himmat Plus App was launched at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport.
This app will give the real-time location of a driver or a rider during
emergency. In response to it, Police Control Room (PCR) van will be assigned to
provide assistance to the rider.
The
integration of the App will enhance the location services and travel
information to save the lives of people travelling in cabs. The initiative will
also improve the efficiency of the Delhi Police to overcome the emergency
situations. When a rider scans the QR card, rider can access a driver’s details
and vehicle information on the Himmat App. With the help of the app, rider can
directly report their journey to the police.
4. Soil Health Card Day: 19 February 2020: Every year India observes the Soil Health Card Day on 19 February to
commemorate the launch of the Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme, and create
awareness about the benefits of the scheme. 2020 marks the fifth year of the
launch of the SHC Scheme. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Soil Health
Card (SHC) Scheme on 19th February, 2015 at Suratgarh in Rajasthan. The scheme
aims at issuing soil health cards to farmers every two years so as to provide a
basis to address nutritional deficiencies in soil. The scheme ensures
additional income to farmers by an increase in yields and it also promotes
sustainable farming.
Note: Union
Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: Narendra Singh Tomar.
5. Two new bird species found during Great
Backyard Bird count in Ladakh: In Union
Territory of Ladakh, two new bird species (Red-throated Thrush and Plumbeous
Water Redstart) have been found during the Great Backyard Bird count. Common
Rose Finch and Grey Haron species have arrived in Ladakh region early than
usual. Three-Group birders and wildlife experts have counted and recorded a
total of 87 various species of birds in Ladakh. The details will be recorded in
the eBird India website for further studies.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Ashraf Ghani Wins Afghanistan Presidential
Elections: The independent Election Commission of
Afghanistan has announced Ashraf Ghani as the winner of the Presidential
elections of Afghanistan. He has won the Presidential elections of Afghanistan
for the 2nd time. Mr. Ghani won 9,23,592 votes (50.64%), compared to his main
challenger and the country’s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah who received
7,20,841 votes (39.52%).
Note: Capital
of Afghanistan: Kabul; Currency: Afghan Afghani.
2. Bangladesh to sign Free Trade Agreement with
Nepal: Bangladesh and Nepal have agreed to sign a Free
Trade Agreement to enhance trade between the two countries. Bangladesh has also
agreed to allow Nepal to use it Saidpur airport located in its northernmost
district of Nilphamari close to Nepal. Bangladesh exports commodities worth $38
million to Nepal and imports goods worth around 18 million dollars. Nepal will
be able to provide 500 MW of hydroelectric power to Bangladesh once the Indian
Company GMR completes its project in Nepal.
Note: Prime
Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina; Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka.
Prime minister
of Nepal: KP Sharma Oli; President of Nepal: Bidhya Devi Bhandari; Capital of
Nepal: Kathmandu; Currency of Nepal: Nepalese rupee.
3. UK announces new points-based visa system: UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel has announced the launch of Britain's
new points-based visa system. It aims at attracting the "brightest and the
best" from the world, including from India. Ms Patel, the senior-most
Indian-origin Cabinet minister said, the new system will cut down numbers of
cheap, low-skilled migrating workers coming to the country. The new system will
come into force from January 1, 2021, at the end of the transition period after
UK's exit from the European Union (EU) last month.
The new
post-Brexit system, which will apply equally to the EU and non-EU countries
like India, is based on assigning points for specific skills, qualifications,
salaries and professions, with visas only awarded to those who gain enough
points.
4. EAM to inaugurate Indian Pavilion at 70th Berlin
International Film Festival: External
Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will inaugurate Indian Pavilion at 70th Berlin
International Film Festival in Germany on 20th February. It aims to establish
multiple international collaborations in the space of distribution, production,
filming in India and development technology through its participation at
Berlinale-2020. India Pavilion will provide a platform to popularize Indian
cinema in the overseas market and facilitate new business opportunities.
This year for
the festival, three Indian feature films, as well as one short documentary
film, have been selected. These are Pushpendra Singh’s Laipla Aur Satt Geet,
Prateek Vats’ Eeb Allay Ooo!, Akshay Indikar’s – Sthalpuran and Ekta Mittal’s
short documentary – Gumnaam Din. Information and Broadcasting Ministry in
collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry, CII is participating in
the event.
Note: Capital
of Germany: Berlin; Currency of Germany: Euro; Chancellor of Germany: Angela
Merkel.
5. Australia appoints Barry O’Farrell as new high
commissioner to India: Australia has appointed
Barry O’Farrell as the next high commissioner to India. He will succeed
Harinder Sidhu who has been in the office since 2016. O’Farrell served in the
New South Wales Parliament from 1995-2015. He has served as NSW’s special envoy
for India and made a significant contribution as the deputy chair of the
Australia India Council Board. India is a significant trading partner of
Australia, with 2-way investment valued of 30.7 billion dollars & around
700,000 people of Indian Origin were living in Australia.
Note:
Australia Capital: Canberra; Currency: Australian Dollar; Prime Minister of
Australia: Scott Morrison.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. India to host FIFA U-17 Women’s Football World
Cup 2020: Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has launched
an event to unveil the five host cities for the FIFA Under-17 Women's Football
World Cup. The matches of the world cup will be held in five cities including
Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Kolkata and Navi Mumbai. These cities will
play host to 16 teams which will compete across 32 matches to lift the coveted
title. The official slogan - Kick off the Dream - was also unveiled during the
event.
Note: FIFA Women’s Chief Football Officer:
Sarai Bareman; President of All India Football Federation: Praful Patel;
Headquarters
of All India Football Federation: Dwarka, Delhi.
2. AIFF receives ‘Grassroots Charter Bronze
Level’ membership: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has
received the Asian Football Confederation’s “Grassroots Charter Bronze Level”
membership. This declaration accords AIFF the right to promote its basic-level
events and activities with the support and recognition of the AFC in accordance
with the applicable terms of the AFC Grassroots Charter.
Note: Asian
Football Confederation headquarter-Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
President of
AIFF: Praful Patel; AIFF founded: 23 June 1937; FIFA affiliation of AIFF: 1948;
Headquarters of AIFF: Dwarka, Delhi.
3. India to host the Junior Men’s Hockey World
Cup 2021: The Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup 2021 will be
held in India as per the announcement made by International Hockey Federation
(FIH) at Lausanne in Switzerland. This is the second time that India will be
hosting the prestigious tournament which was held in 2016.
Note: Chief
executive Officer of International Hockey Federation (FIH): Thierry Weil;
President of Hockey India: MohdMushtaque Ahmad.
4. Australia’s James Duckworth Clinches 2020
Bengaluru Open Tennis Tournament: The 2020
Bengaluru Open was the third edition of the professional tennis tournament and
part of the 2020 ATP Challenger Tour held in Bangalore, India.
Winners are as
follows:
Singles: James
Duckworth (Australia) defeated Benjamin Bonzi (France)
Doubles: Purav
Raja / Ramkumar Ramanathan defeated Matthew Ebden (Australia) / Leander Paes
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1. JSW Steel gets NCLAT's approval to acquire
Bhushan Power: The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal has
approved the Rs 19,700 crore resolution plan of JSW Steel to take over the
bankrupt Bhushan Power and Steel. The approval comes with the immunity sought
by the new owner against investigations being carried out against the erstwhile
promoters of Bhushan Power and Steel. This comes after the government recently
amended Section 32A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
Note: Chairman
of National Company Law Appellate Tribunal: Justice Sudhansu Jyoti
Mukhopadhaya; Headquarters of National Company Law Appellate Tribunal: New
Delhi.
JSW steel
Founded: 1982; JSW steel Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; JSW steel Founder:
Sajjan Jindal.
2. India becomes 5th largest economy: World
Population Review report: As per a report by a
US-based think tank World Population Review, India’s economy is the
fifth-largest in the world with a GDP of $2.94 trillion, overtaking the UK and
France in 2019 to take the fifth spot. The size of the UK economy is $2.83
trillion and that of France is $2.71 trillion. The report further said that in
purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, India’s GDP (PPP) is $10.51 trillion,
exceeding that of Japan and Germany. Due to India’s high population, India’s
GDP per capita is $2,170 (for comparison, the US is $62,794).
OBITUARIES
1. Manchester United and Northern Ireland great
Harry Gregg Passes Away: Northern Ireland
professional footballer former goalkeeper of Manchester United Harry Gregg died
at the age of 87. He is a widely famous as the hero of the Munich air crash, on
6 February 1958, in which 23 people died, including eight of Manchester
United’s teammate. He rescued a mother and her baby daughter, team-mates Bobby
Charlton and Jackie Blanchflower and manager Matt Busby from the wreckage of
the plane.
2. Women’s Golf Legend Mickey Wright Passes Away:
American professional golfer Mickey Wright often
described as the greatest woman golfer of all time, has passed away at Florida
in the United States. She was 85. Her haul of 13 major victories included four
US Women's Open titles and four US Women's PGA Championships. Wright had
accumulated 82 titles of Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour titles
during a professional career which stretched from 1954 to 1969.
