Current Affairs Weekly Bullets (22nd to 29th February, 2016)

National

In a bid to attract more international talent, the prestigious IITs for the first time are planning to hold their entrance tests in Singapore, UAE, Ethiopia and SAARC nations next year to select foreign students for undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

The Railways deciding to introduce train hostesses on soon to be launched Delhi-Agra Gatiman Express, the first train in India to run at a speed of 160 kmph.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Rurban Mission (NRM) from Kurubhat in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh.

West Bengal government is planning to get Geographical Indication (GI) tag for four traditional sweet delicacies of the state.These four traditional sweet delicacies are Moa of Jainagar, Sarpuria of Krishnagar, and Mihidana and Sitabhog of Burdwan.

Union Government has launched ‘Swachh Parayatan’ mobile application to keep tourist places clean.

The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDT) has issued an order excluding software patents in its revised guidelines for Computer Related Inventions (CRIs).

Haryana is set become the first state in the country to complete aquifer mapping for its groundwater resources by May 2016.

India continues to remain the world’s largest arms importer, accounting for 14% of the global arms imports in the 2011-2015 time-frame.

Bihar became the sixth state to join Union Government’s UDAY (Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana) Scheme for financial restructuring of debt of power distribution companies.

India is going to host Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation from 12 April 2016 to save tigers.

India’s first indigenously built nuclear armed submarine INS Arihant has successfully passed several deep sea diving drills as well as weapons launch tests.

The fifth edition of IBSAMAR 2016 trilateral naval exercise between Brazil, India and South Africa kicked off in Goa.

The 42nd edition of world famous Khajuraho Dance Festival began at Khajuraho in Chhatrapur District in Madhya Pradesh.

The Union Government has extended e-Tourist Visa Scheme to 37 more countries. With this, the total count of countries under the scheme will become 150.

Lok Sabha has passed Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to grant voting rights to people who became citizens of India following the exchange of enclaves between India and Bangladesh.

The Union Cabinet as given its approval for establishment of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Self Employment and Talent Utilisation (SETU) in NITI Aayog.

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of an Agreement between India and Maldives for the avoidance of double taxation of income from international air transport.

Government’s plan to change 77 crore conventional bulbs and 3.5 crore conventional streetlights with LED range would save Rs 45,500 crore by reducing 21,500 MW electricity demand.

Government-constituted expert committee to examine the Possibility of Replacing Multiple Prior Permissions with Pre-Existing Regulatory Mechanism has submitted its recommendations.

President Pranab Mukherjee has formally declared Kerala as the country’s first digital state.

President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated India’s first Gender Park at Kozhikode district of Kerala.

President Pranab Mukherjee dedicated India’s first co-operative society in Information Technology (IT) sector UL CyberPark in Kozhikode, Kerala.

International

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai Exports to boost trade and explore business opportunities.

Pakistan’s Parliament building located in national capital Islamabad became the first in the world to completely run on solar power.

World’s first fast-acting anti-rabies drug Rabies Human Monoclonal Antibody (RMAb) will be launched in India.

Business and Economy

India added 27 new billionaires with Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries (RIL), emerging at the top with a personal wealth of $26 billion, according to Hurun Global Rich List 2016.

The Union Cabinet has approved 150 million dollars credit for Development of the strategically important Chabahar Port in Iran.

India has lost solar case against United States at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for in breaching of international trade rules.

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for introduction of steps for promotion of cashless payments (transactions) through cards and digital means.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended currency swap arrangement to South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations till mid-November 2017.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has hiked Minimum Support Price (MSP) of raw jute from 2,700 to 3,200 rupees per quintal.

The New Development Bank (NDB) â a multilateral lender with a focus on the Global South of the of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa(BRICS) grouping â is all set to fund more than a dozen projects this year, which will focus on renewable energy.

India’s rich feed off subsidies worth over Rs. 1 lakh crore a year that are meant for the poor, according to the Economic Survey titled Bounties for the Well-off.

Sports

New Zealand Skipper Brendon McCullum has smashed the fastest ever Test century off only 54 balls.

The Jaypee Punjab Warriors has won the fourth edition of Coal India Hockey India League (HIL) title 2016. It was their maiden title.

Ukraine’s Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Football Club (FC) has won the 2016 Sait Nagjee International Club Football Tournament. With this victory, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk became first European team to win this prestigious Football tournament held in India.

India’s Kumaravel Prem Kumar has won a silver medal in long jump event on the final day of Asian Indoor Athletics Championships held in Doha. To win the silver medal, Prem Kumar cleared a creditable 7.92 m in his final attempt.

Mumbai stamped its authority in the domestic cricket circuit yet again with an exceptional performance in two sessions that turned the Ranji Trophy final against Saurashtra on its head and handed it a deserving 41st title, with a victory by an innings and 21 runs on the third day itself.

Awards

Malayalam film Ottal (The Trap) has been named as best feature-length and best short films in the children’s category at the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival.

66th edition of Berlin International Film Festival was held in Berlin, Germany from 11 February to 21 February 2016.

An Indian-origin art lover and playwright Ismail Mahomed from South Africa has been knighted by the French government for his lifelong devotion to the promotion of arts.

Tamil film Kanavu Variyam has won the prestigious 2016 Remi Award in the United States.

Chemical scientist and well-known researcher Goverdhan Mehta has been conferred with Germany’s prestigious Cross of the Order of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz) Award.

Hyderabad-based GVK Biosciences (GVK BIO) has been awarded prestigious Global CSR Excellence & Leadership Award.

India’s leading private lender Yes Bank has been awarded inaugural Green Bond Pioneer Award at a ceremony held in London, United Kingdom.

Former DRDO Director-General (DG) Dr Avinash Chander has been awarded prestigious Aryabhata Award of Astronautical Society of India.

The Latest on Oscars 2016 (88th annual Academy Awards) being presented at the Dolby Theatre. Priyanka Chopra, who made her debut on the Oscars red carpet, presented the award. Alicia Vikander, Mark Rylance won Best Supporting Actor Oscars.

New Appointments

Senior IRS officer Jayant Misra has been appointed as Director General (DG) of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

Indian Railway Officer Vinay Kumar Singh has been appointed as Managing Director of National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).

Indian-origin Sikh Amar Singh has been appointed the Police Commissioner of Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur.

President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Justice Vineet Saran as the new Chief Justice (CJ) of Orissa High Court as per the provisions of Article 217 of Constitution.

Udai Kumar has been appointed as full-time Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSEI) Ltd.

Distinguished scientist KN Vyas has been appointed as Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for a term of three years His appointment was confirmed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Union Government has selected former Chief Justice of India (CJI) H L Dattu as new Chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The government has appointed Rajendra Singh as the Director General (DG) of Coast Guard, the country’s coastal protection force.

Amitava Bhattacharyya, 1980 batch IAS officer; Bimal Julka, 1979 batch IAS officer; and Divya Prakash Sinha, 1979 batch IPS officer, have been made Information Commissioners.

Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee has sworn-in as the 28th Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka.

Yoichiro Ueno has been appointed as new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Honda Cars India by its parent Honda Motor Company.

Michael Pesch has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Infosys Consulting Holding, a subsidiary of India’s second largest software company Infosys.

Gianni Infantino pulled off a stunning victory to take over as FIFA president.

Former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai has been appointed as the first Chairman of Banks Board Bureau (BBB).

Death

Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco passed away in Milan, Italy at the age of 84 years.

The famous Odissa singer Bhubaneshwari Mishra passed away following a sudden cardiac arrest in New Delhi. She was 67.

B.K. Garudachar, the legendary pre-independence cricketer and skipper of Mysore (as Karnataka was known then), passed away. He was 99.

Science and Technology

Birdwatchers for first time have sighted Falcated Duck in Goa which is considered as rare vagrant migrant bird species to the south of India.

Special Days

International Mother Language Day (Bhasha Divas) is being observed across the world on 21 February.

In India February 28 is celebrated as the National Science Day i.e. Rashtriya Vigyan Diwas (राषà¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥à¤¯ विà¤à¥à¤à¤¾à¤¨ दिवस) every year.

Current Affairs 1st March, 2016
Highlights of Union Budget 2016-17
Highlights of Railway Budget 2016

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