Current Affair of February 2020

National

1. The Ministry of Health has constituted teams to examine for Corona Virus in villages that are bordering Nepal. The spread of Corona Virus is increasing with number of people infected in China touching 70,000 as of February 17, 2020.

2. The Convention on the Conservation on Migratory birds Conference of Parties (CMS COP 13) is being held in Gandhinagar. Proposals were presented to conserve Sperm Whales and Chimpanzees based on their culture. This is the first time such proposal is being made in the world.

3. Every year the third Saturday of February month is celebrated as World Pangolin Day. The ninth World Pangolin Day is being celebrated on February 15, 2020. The numbers of Pangolin is rapidly declining in Asia and Africa. This is mainly because Pangolin scales are rich in medicinal properties. Recently, China had found that Pangolin scales can be used to treat Corona Virus infections.

4. On February 18, 2020, the Ministry of Textiles organized “Kala Kumbh”. It is an exhibition to promote GI (Geographical Indication) crafts and heritage of India. These exhibitions are sponsored by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts.

5. The Economic Intelligence Unit recently published the Worldwide Education for the Future Index for the year 2019. India has jumped by five ranks and currently holds rank 35.

6. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs recently approved its revision of interest subvention rates from 2% to 2.5% per annum. This is being done under Diary Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF).

7. The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has become the first airport in India to become free of single-use plastics. The airport committed itself to become single-use plastics free on the World Environment Day in 2018.

8. On February 25, 2020, the first lady of the United States Melania Trump attended Happiness Classes at the Delhi Government Schools. She accompanied President Trump in their visit to India.

9. The Ministry of coal launched web portal in New Delhi to provide star rating of coal mines. Based on the star rating the highest scoring mines are to be awarded.

10. On February 14, 2020, the first inter-city electric bus was launched. The bus will transit between Mumbai and Pune twice every day. It was launched by the Union Transport Minister Nithin Gadkari.

11. From April 1, 2020, India will shift to Euro-VI emission compliant from Euro-IV grades that is being followed now. This means that India will shift towards more clean form of fuel.

12. The Reserve Bank of India announced that it will create a Digital Payment Index by July 2020. The main aim of the index creation is to capture the extent of digitization of monetary payments in the country.

13. On February 5, 2020, the Pink City of Rajasthan, Jaipur, received World Heritage Certificate from the UNESCO. The UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay visited India to present the certificate.

14. On February 13, 2020, the first Consignment of Nagpur Oranges were sent to Dubai from Navi Mumbai. The oranges were sent in refrigerated containers.

15. The Budget 2020-21 that was presented by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman increased the National Calamity Contingent Duty. The imposed duty is expected to witness price rise of 7% in the sales of cigarettes.

16. The International Judicial Conference was held in New Delhi recently. The Conference was addressed by PM Modi. The following theme was introduced at the conference Theme: Gender Just World

17. The birth anniversary of the 14th century saint Ravidas was celebrated all over India on Febraury 9th. PM Modi and President Kovind and other leaders paid tribute to Guru Ravidas.

18. On February 4, 2020, President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated Udyanotsav at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Mughal Gardens will be opened to the public between February 5, 2020 and March 8, 2020.

19. On February 16, 2020, at the CMS COP-13, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species Conference of Parties-13, was marked by India. The Convention is to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between February 17, 2020 and February 22, 2020.

20. The Eastern Zonal Council meeting for the states of Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand is to be chaired by home Minister Amit Shah. The meeting is to discuss cases of rape against women, sexual offences, prevention of cattle smuggling in the India-Bangladesh Border, etc.

21. Ministry of Food Processing and Ministry of Women and Child Development jointly inaugurated the National Organic Food Festival in New Delhi. The festival aimed at strengthening organic food produce in the country. It also aimed at encouraging women entrepreneurs in manufacturing organic produce.

22. The Government of India has been renaming the national institutes after late ministers. The leaders passed away in 2019 due to health issues. They were Manohar Parrikar, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj.

23. Ahead of the Conservation of Migratory Species Conference of Parties-13 (CMS COP-13), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has introduced a draft Visionary Perspective Plan (2020-2030) to conserve ecosystems, habitats, avian diversity and landscapes in the country.

24. On February 20, 2020, WHO, Lancet and UNICEF together released a report titled “A Future for the World’s Children”. According to the report, a new Global index has been included in comparing performance of child nutrition, education and sustainability.

25. On February 13, 2020, foreign envoys from Gulf countries and European Union visited Jammu and Kashmir for the second time after Abrogation of Article 370.

26. On February 26, 2020, the largest ever conference on traditional medicine was held in New Delhi. The ICoSDiTAUS-2020 called the International Conference on Standardisation of Diagnosis and Terminologies of AYUSH was attended by 16 countries. It included Serbia, Sri Lanka, Curacao, Mauritius, Iran, Japan, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Bhutan, Switzerland, Myanmar, Cuba, Ghana, Jamaica, Equatorial Guinea and India. The Conference was organized by the Ministry of AYUSH.

27. On February 20, 2020, Asian Elephant, Indian Bustard and Bengal Florican were declared as “Endangered Migratory Species” at the CMS COP 13. The proposal was accepted by 130 countries.

28. The Portal Santusht is an Implementation Monitoring Cell that was launched by the Ministry of Lobour and Employment in January 2020. The portal addresses delivery of public services, their transparency, accountability, schemes and policies at grass root level.

29. On February 25, 2020, a high-level committee submitted its report to the Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal over the implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord.

30. The Indian Council of Medical Research conducted study on the food habits of the citizens of the country. The study said that vegetarians consume more fat than that of non-vegetarians. Also, among the metropolitan cities of India, Delhi and Ahmedabad topped the list in average consumption of added fat.

31. The World Cancer Day is being marked annually on February 4 by the Union for International Cancer Control. The day is being marked from 2008. The day is observed by the United Nations as well. The theme of this year’s World Cancer Day is Theme: I am I will

32. On February 18, 2020, the Ministry of Shipping and Chemical Fertilizers held the fifth meeting of Task Force. The Task Force discussed small, medium and large API units.

33. On February 12, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved on capital infusion in three Public Sector Units namely United India Insurance Company (UIICL), Oriental Insurance Company Limited (OICL) and National Insurance Company Limited (NICL).

34. Every year on February 28, India celebrates National Science Day to mark the discovery of Raman Effect by Sir C V Raman. Raman Effect was discovered by the professor on February 28, 1928. This year, the National Science Day is celebrated under the Theme: Women in Science

35. On February 5, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved to confer the status of Institution of National Importance to 5 IIITs (Indian Institute of Information Tecnology). All the 5 IIITs are to operate in PPP mode.

36. The United Nations Conference of Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS COP-13) is to discuss the effects of insects decline on migratory species for the first time.

37. The seventh Economic Census was flagged off at the National Capital by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. This is the first time the Census is being carried out in Digital Platform. The Ministry has tied up with Common Service Centres Network (CSCN) for the digital implementation of the census.

38. n 2011, the Supreme Court had constituted a panel to submit its report on children and women trafficking. The panel submitted its report in 2019. It had recommended NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) to compile data on missing children and women trafficking.

39. The Government of India (GoI) is to organize an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit called RAISE 2020. RAISE stands for Responsible AI for Social Empowerment. The Summit is to be held in New Delhi between April 11 and 12, 2020.

40. On February 25, 2020, five judges of Supreme Court were infected from Swine Flu. Though the disease caused by H1N1 virus is seasonal, the Ministry of Health took several preventive measures in order to prevent further spread of the disease.

41. The Government of Telangana is hosting Bio-Asia Summit 2020 in Hyderabad between February 17, 2020 and February 19, 2020. The main objective of the summit is to explore the capabilities of Life Science Companies and their investments.

42. The researchers at the India’s Atomic Energy Commission have found Lithium Reserves of 14,100 tonnes in Mandya. Mandya is 100 km away from Bengaluru, Karnataka. Being a very rare metal Lithium is mainly used in manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles.

43. On February 26, 2020, the Minister of Food Processing Industry launched Market Intelligence and Early Warning System (MIEWS) Web Portal in New Delhi. The MIEWS is first of its kind.

44. On February 11, 2020, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced that medical devices are to be brought under Drugs and Cosmetics act (DCA). This is to come into effect from April 1, 2020.

45. The Budget 2020-21 has been framed on the basis that Governance and Finances are the two major hands in achieving the three themes of the budget. The three themes include aspirational India, Economic Development and Caring India. The Budget has allocated funds for the following in the efforts of achieving 5 trillion USD economy.

46. With 615 million speakers all over the world, Hindi is the third most spoken language in the world. English is at the top with 1,132 million speakers followed by Mandarin with 1,117 million speakers.

47. The 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals is to be held in India between February 17, 2020 and February 22, 2020. The Conference is called the CMS-COP-13 in short. The Conference is to be hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on behalf of India.

48. PM Modi is to inaugurate the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS COP 13) on February 17, 2020 in GandhiNagar, Gujarat. The 13th conference of Migratory Species is the first meet on bio diversity. It is conducted under the Theme: Migratory Species connect the planet and together we welcome them home.

49. The Economic Survey was tabled by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament on January 31, 2019. The Survey says that the subsidies under National Food Security Act (NFSA) should be sharply reduced.

50. The ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)’s Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) has developed cell culture Classical Swine Fever vaccine.

51. On February 3, 2020, APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) signed MoU with CSIR-CFTRI (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Food Technological Research Institute). According to the agreement, the CSIR-CFTRI will provide technical support to the food industries in the North East Region.

52. India is all set to host the fist Biodiversity Summit of the United Nations. It is to be inaugurated by PM Modi in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat on February 17, 2020. The CMS COP-13, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species Conference of Parties-13 is the only convention on migratory species.

53. The GoI think tank NITI Aayog joined hands with the National Association of Software and Services (NASSCOM) and launched the Artificial Intelligence module for school students. The NITI Aayog is to be represented by Atal Innovation Mission of the think tank.

54. On February 8, 2020, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated the first Disha Police Station. The police stations are first of their kind in the state and will deal with crimes against women.

55. The CSIR of Delhi topped the National Ranking Index 2020 that ranks the scientific research institutes. CSIR was followed by IISc Bangalore.

56. On February 25, 2020, the Agriculture Ministry held a high-level meeting on Desert Locust Control. The meeting was chaired by Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare.

57. On February 5, 2020, the Global Innovation Policy Centre (GIPC) of the US Chamber of Commerce released the International IP (Intellectual Property) Index. According the ranking, India was at position 40 of the 53 economies.

58. The Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is on a four-day visit to India. On February 14, 2020, he along with the Minister of Tourism, India Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated a Cha-Chai art-work installation at the National Museum.

59. The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is being observed by the United Nations on February 11 every year since 2015. The Organization passed a resolution to observe the day in order to recognize the role played by girls and women in science and technology.

60. On February 12, 2020 the Union Cabinet approved the Memorandum of Understanding signed between India and Iceland in the field of fisheries.

61. Every year, on February 11, the birth Anniversary of Hakim Ajmal Khan is celebrated as World Unani Day. He was an Indian Unani Physician and a social reformer. The main aim of the World Unani Day os to spread awareness about Unani medical system, its preventive and curative philosophies.

62. The Government of India is making preparation in full swing for the Global Investors Summit to be held in Jammu and Kashmir in April 2020.

63. The appointment of the CVC (Chief Vigilance Commissioner) was criticized throughout India as the new appointee was a part of the Search Committee. After the wide criticization, President Secretary Sanjay Kothari has now been recommended by the PM led panel.

64. On February 17, the Minister of State in the PMO (Prime Minister Office) announced that the Union Territory of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir are to be brought under the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The announcement was made by the Minister at the annual Conference of the tribunal.

65. On February 1, 2020, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget 2020 on three main themes. The third theme of the budget is Caring Society. Under this theme, the GoI allocated budget to Women and Child, Social Welfare and Tourism, Environment and Climate Change.

66. On February 3, 2020, the Western Railways launched out branding of electric locomotives for the first time. This will help the Railways earn additional revenue of 1.05 crores of rupees.

67. Every year, on February 24, the Central Excise Day is being celebrated by Central Board of Excise and Customs all over India. The day is being celebrated to honour the service of Central Board of Excise and Custom (CBEC) to the country.

68. The 23rd National Conference on E-Governance was held in Mumbai to transform governance using digital technologies. The conference adopted Mumbai Declaration.

69. India has been focusing on Act East Policy lately with a strong motive of developing the North East. Out of all the North Eastern States, Manipur has evolved the major supporter of Act East Policy.

70. The World Productivity Congress has been conducted by the World Confederation of Productivity Science since 1969. It was last held in India in 1974. The Congress is held under the Theme: Industry 4.0-Innovation and Productivity.

71. On February 20, the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram are celebrating their statehood day. Statehood day marks the day of formation of the states. Arunachal Pradesh became a state on 20th February 1987. And Mizoram that was a part of Assam was formed on 20th February 1987.

72. Every year National Deworming Day is observed twice on February 10th and August 10th. The event is observed by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The implementing agency under the ministry is National Health Mission. The worms mainly spreads from the faeces of people who defecate in open.

73. On February 11, 2020, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved Ground Water Act-2020. The act aims to improve ground water level.

74. On February 5, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved to set up the Vardhavan port in Maharashtra. The port is to be developed in “Landlord Model”. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust will act as the lead partner in developing the port.

75. Every Year, last date of February is observed as World Rare Disease Day. It was first launched by Eurordis in 2008. It aims to create awareness about the impacts of the disease. This year, it is observed on the Theme: Reframe Rare for Rare Disease Day

76. There was a tussle between the Telecommunication industries and the GoI over the license fee settlement. The Union Budget waived penalty for those who paid their interest charges over the disputed tax liabilities before March 2020. The case over the license fee settlement was pronounced in favour of the GoI recently. Following this, several companies like Airtel, Vodafone, TATA have recently paid their dues.

77. On February 10, 2020, the Department of Public Enterprises operating under Ministry of Heavy Industries tabled the “Public Enterprises Survey” on the parliament. The report says that the net profit from the PSUs has increased by 15.5% as compared to the previous year.

78. On February 14, the International Institute of Strategic Studies released its report on Defence Spending all over the world. The report was titled “Military Balance”. According to the report, the global spending rose by 4% in 2019. This is the largest growth in 10 years.

79. On February 18, 2020, the State of India’s Birds Report was released at the CMS COP 13. It assessed the status of more than 867 birds. The report says that more than 80% of Indian bird species have declined in the last 5 years. More than 15,000 bird watchers participated in the survey.

80. The Forest Department of the Odisha State Government conducted a census at Chilika lake to count the number of dolphins at Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Odisha. The Sanctuary is a part of Bhitarkanika National Park of Odisha. The report was released in February 24, 2020.

81. On February 10, 2020, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu announced that Cauvery Delta is to be declared as Protected Special Agricultural Zone. In 2019, the Central Government had awarded the oil and gas exploration projects in the Cauvery basin. This invoked large protests amid water crisis in the state. Extraction of hydro carbon requires excess amount of fresh water.

82. On February 26, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved amendments to provide occupancy rights to Scheduled Tribes of Lakshadweep. The approval was provided to amend the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands Land Revenue and Tenancy Regulation, 1965.

83. On February 3, 2020, the Supreme Court of India directed the states to establish “Gram Nyayalayas” within four weeks’ time span. The apex court has directed the corresponding state high courts to expedite the process of consultation with the state governments.

84. On February 10, 2020 the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare inaugurated the celebrations of World Pulses Day in New Delhi that aims to increase the production of pulses.

85. On February 24, 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued notification under the Arms Act, 1959 and Arms Rules, 2016. The main aim of the notice is to facilitate the shooting practices of Indian Shooters.

86. NITI Aayog is to organize North East Sustainable Development Goal Conclave 2020 in Assam between February 24, 2020 and February 26, 2020. The Conclave is to be held in the state capital Guwahati. Chief Ministers of all the north eastern states namely Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura and Sikkim are to participate in the conclave.

87. The Government of India is to host National Organic Food Festival at the National Capital between February 21, 2020 and February 23, 2020. The festival is first of its kind. Around 150 women entrepreneurs are to participate in the festival.

88. The NITI Aayog has released a progress report on National Nutrition Mission (Poshan Abhiyaan). According to the report, one in three Aadhaar based payments was credited to a wrong bank account, especially in Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana.

89. The Budget 2020-21 that was presented by the finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament increased the import duty of green energy equipment like cells by 20%. This is being implemented to drive local manufacturing of the equipment and lowering the import of low-quality Chinese equipment.

90. On February 16, 2020, PM Modi inaugurated more than 50 projects that are worth 1000 crores in Varanasi. It included 430 beds in a hospital at Banaras Hindu University, flagging off of Maha Kaal Express, 100 year celebration of Jagadguru Vishwaradhya Gurukul and unveiling statue of Deendayal Upadhyay.

91. On February 18, 2020, the Times Higher Education Ranking was released in London. The ranking was titled “The Emerging Economies University Ranking 2020”.

92. Cheetah has become extinct in India for more than 70 years now due to over hunting. Hence, several steps are being taken for the reintroduction of the cat in the country. It was brought up at CMS-COP 13 as well.

93. Sweden has created 1 million USD worth prizes to feed billion of people. The prize is named as the “Food Planet Prize”. The main aim of the step is to address the climate change threats towards food supply all over the world.

94. The Jerusalem-Mumbai festival is to be held in Mumbai on February 15, 2020 to promote artistic and cultural ties between Israel and India. The festival is first of its kind.

95. On February 21, UNESCO is celebrating International Mother Language Day. It is important to celebrate the day as globalization process has put languages under threat and they are disappearing altogether. When languages fade away, the cultural diversity of the world fades away as well.

International

1. On February 27, 2020, the Myanmar President U Win Myint visited India. During his visit, India and Myanmar signed 10 MoUs in different sectors.

2. On February 26, 2020, the Sri Lankan Government formally notified the United Nations that it will withdraw from the UNHRC (United Nations Human Rights Council) resolution.

3. On February 24, 2020, the US President Donald Trump visited India along with his wife Melania Trump. On the sidelines of his visit, agreements were signed in the field of health, oil and defence.

4. On February 24, 2020, the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad resigned over political issues.

5. On February 24, 2020, the US President Donald Trump visited India. He was accompanied by his wife, the first lady, Melania Trump, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Along side his visit, India and US signed defence deals worth 3 billion USD.

6. The US President Donald Trump recently announced that the United States of America will sign a peace agreement with the Taliban forces on February 29, 2020.

7. China has joined India and United States in putting Pakistan on Grey list of the FATF (Financial Action Task Force). Both China and Saudi Arabia have joined US, India and other European countries sending stern messages to Pakistan against its actions of terror funding money laundering

8. In January 2019, India and Norway jointly inaugurated a Task Force of Blue Economy for Sustainable Development. The third meet of the task force was held on February 18, 2020.

9. On February 17, 2020, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari represented India at the 3rd global Conference on Road Safety. The Conference aimed at achieving Global Goals 2030. It was held in Stockholm, Sweden.

10. The Munich Security Conference is being held in Germany between February 14, 2020 and February 16, 2020. The Conference was attended by External Affairs minister Jaishankar representing India.

11. The Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is on a 4-day visit to India. During his visit, he held talks with PM Modi. After their meeting 4 agreements were signed between the countries

12. The Governing Council of International Fund for Agriculture let in Rome recently. The council says that by 2030 around 100 million people will be pushed to poverty. The council also said that this is mainly due to climate change impact on agriculture.

13. Portugal President Rebelo de Sousa is to make a four-day visit to India. The last visit by a Portugal President to India was in 2007.

14. Ahead of President Trump’s visit by the end of February 2020, GoI has announced that it is to partially open the poultry and Diary market to imports from US.

15. On February 13, 2020, Union Minister Amit Shah launched the BIMSTEC Conference on Combating Drug Trafficking in New Delhi. The event was organized by the Narcotics Control Bureau. The Conference was attended by other BIMSTEC partners Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

16. On February 12, 2020 the Union Cabinet approved the protocol to amend the DTAA (Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement) that was signed between India and Sri Lanka. The DTAA with respect to prevention of fiscal evasion is to be amended.

17. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) of the United Nations works to address hunger and poverty in developing countries. The 43rd session of the governing council of IFAD was held at Rome between February 11, 2020 and February 12, 2020. It was announced at the council meet that with the current progress rate, it is not possible to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2030.

18. The scientists in UK have tested a new Corona Virus vaccine. The Shanghai University of China has also extracted a vaccine to treat the virus and has injected in to a mice recently.

19. On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced a new name for the Corona Virus, “COVID-19”. Today more than 42,000 are infected with the virus according to the organization.

20. The National Disaster Response Force of Government of India is to host the second BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise-2020 (BIMSTEC DMEx-2020). The exercise is to be held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha between February 11, 2020 and February 13, 2020.

21. The researchers of Robert Koch institute in Germany and Humboldt University have founded mathematical model to predict global spread of novel corona virus cases. India was ranked 17th in the ranking system. So far three cases have been reported in Kerala. They are all from Kerala.

22. The African Union Summit was held in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia to tackle terrorism in the continent. The Summit is important for India as India has recently signed the defence agreement, Lucknow Declaration with 50 African countries at DefExpo 2020. India is planning considerable investment in Defence sector in the regions of African Union.

23. The African Union Summit was held in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia to tackle terrorism in the continent. The Summit is important for India as India has recently signed the defence agreement, Lucknow Declaration with 50 African countries at DefExpo 2020. India is planning considerable investment in Defence sector in the regions of African Union.

24. On February 8, 2020, the BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) nations deliberated MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to implement the Motor Vehicle Agreement to regulate personal, passenger and cargo vehicular traffic.

25. The Ministry of External Affairs along with FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) recently launched the India-Central Asia Business Council. They were joined by 5 countries namely Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz Republic. The Council will act as a common platform for the businesses of Central Asia and India.

26. The World Health Organization is to host Global Research Forum between February 11, 2020 and February 12, 2020. The event is to be co-hosted by Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness.

27. On February 7, 2020, the most trafficked mammal of Asia, Pangolin was identified as the host of the virus by the researchers of China. According to them, the outbreak that killed around 636 people in China has started from a market in Wuhan city through Pangolin.

28. The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) will modernize 25 fishing harbours in India. The project is to begin in two harbours namely Nizampatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Thoppumpady in Kochi, Kerala.

29. On February 5, 2020, US President Donald Trump who had been impeached by the House of Representatives has been acquitted at the Senate trial. He now becomes the third President in the US history to be impeached by House of Representatives and acquitted by the Senate. The other two Presidents were Bill Clinton in 1999 and Andrew Johnson in 1868.

30. On February 5, 2020, the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and the Chairman of Rosneft (Russia’s largest oil producing company) signed the first ever term contract. According to the contract India will import 2 million metric tonnes of Urals grade crude oil.

31. The Ministry of External Affairs is to organize East Asia Summit in Chennai between February 6, 2020 and February 7, 2020. This is the fifth time the conference is being held in India. The first conference was organized in Delhi in 2015, second in Goa in 2016, third in Bhubaneswar in 2018. In 2019, the fourth conference was held in Bangkok.

32. The World Health Organization on February 4, 2020 announced that the Corona virus disease has not yet become pandemic. The disease has so far killed 425 people and has infected more than 20,000. Hong Kong recently reported death due to the virus. It is the first country outside China to report death.

33. On February 2, 2020, the United Arab Emirates discovered shallow natural gas reserves of about 80 trillion cubic feet. The reserve was discovered between the Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

34. The Corona Virus death toll has increased to 360. The WHO has also declared International Health Emergency over the outbreak of the virus. The G7 countries are to conduct a Ministerial level health meet to discuss measures to prevent the further spread of the disease.

35. Pakistan which is facing the worst locust attacks in decades has declared National Emergency. The emergency was declared to tackle the insects that are destroying crops in Punjab province, the main region of agricultural production.

36. On February 2, 2020, India and Maldives signed 5 Memorandum of Understandings to establish Addu Tourism in 5 islands of Addu atoll. The tourism is to be developed at a cost of 2.49 million USD. Addu is a city in Maldives that contains several inhabited Islands.

37. On January 31, 2020, the Government of India banned respiratory masks, clothing used to protect from air borne particles and other personal protection equipment. The move has been implemented as a precautionary step assuming there could be a spurt in demand of these products due to Corona Virus.

Business, Economy & Banking

1. On February 27, 2020, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the banking in the North East Region is to be increased.

2. On February 26, 2020, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched Enhanced Access and Service Excellence (EASE 3.0). It was launched along with the annual report of EASE 2.0 at a function organized by Indian Banks’ Association.

3. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) operating under Ministry of Commerce and Trade has amended the FDI (Foreign Direct Policy) to allow 100% foreign investment for insurance intermediaries. This includes insurance companies, third party administrators, insurance brooking, loss assessors and surveyors.

4. The Government of India has adopted “Counter Cyclical Fiscal Policy” in order to decrease the Economic Slow Down in the country. The Economic Chief Advisor Subramanian at the Express Adda event in Mumbai highlighted that Counter Cyclical Fiscal Policy is the only way forward to create additional fiscal headroom.

5. The Indian Railways recently launched Artificial Intelligence based chatbot called “ASKDISHA”. The chatbot will interact with the Railway customers in Hindi language resolving their queries.

6. The Mumbai airport has recently launched the world largest temperature-controlled facility to store agro and pharma products. The “Export Cold Zone” launched is capable of holding more than 700 tonnes of cargo.

7. On February 21, 2020, the Maharashtra Government ordered to destroy the Thai Mangur fish breeding centres. This is mainly because the fish is cultivated in unhygienic conditions.

8. The Reserve Bank of India has launched National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (2019-24). The main motive of the strategy is to provide access to financial services in an affordable manner.

9. Recently, the United States of America removed the “developing” tag for dozens of countries. India is one amongst them. These countries are to be classified as developed economies

10. On February 15, 2020, the board of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to sync the Financial year of the bank with the Fiscal Year. The Fiscal Year begins in April and ends in March and the Financial year is between July and June

11. On February 12, 2020, Government of India issued draft rules to set up International Arbitration Centre. In order achieve institutionalized arbitration, GoI has enacted the New Delhi International Arbitration act, 2019.

12. The E-Commerce Giant Amazon Web Services has planned to invest 1.5 billion USD to set up two data centres in Hyderabad. The private firm will be helped by the Telangana Government under its Data Centre Policy

13. The Marine Products Export Development Authority Organized International Sea Food Show in Kochi. Around 5,000 delegates participated in the show. The show will provide a platform for overseas importers of Indian marine products and also for Indian exporters.

14. On February 6, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India released its bi-monthly monetary policy. The apex bank has kept the policy repo rate unchanged. It remains at 5.15%.

15. On February 5, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved to bring regulation of cooperative banks under Reserve Bank of India. In order to achieve this, the Cabinet approved amendments to Banking regulation act.

16. The Union Budget 2020 was presented by the Finance Minister Shrimati Nirmala Sitharaman. The budget was presented under three themes namely Aspirational India, Economic Development and Care Giving. The Economic Development includes industries, commerce and manufacturing.

17. The Budget 2020 was presented at the Parliament under three themes. One of the themes is Aspirational India. The Education and Skills is a Sub theme of Aspirational India. The other two sub themes of Aspirational India are
i. Agriculture, Rural Development and Irrigation
ii. Health, Water and Sanitation

18. On February 1, 2020, the Finance Minister presented the Budget for the financial year 2020-21. The GoI gives utmost importance to health sector. The GoI under the Budget 2020-21 aims to provide wellness, water and sanitation by allocating funds for following schemes.

19. The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget 2020-21 on February 1, 2020. The Minister has allocated Rs 2.83 lakh crore rupees for the agriculture and rural development sector.

20. The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget 2020-21 on February 1, 2020. The budget focused on enhancing purchasing power of citizens and boosting their incomes. It has also given importance to technology and innovation to increase employment of the youths.

21. On January 31, 2020, the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) released data on fiscal deficit of Government of India. According to the report, the fiscal deficit of India touched 132.4% of the full-year target in December, 2019.

22. The Economic Survey 2019-20 suggests a new idea of “Assemble in India” model to create 80 million jobs in the country. The model will also help India achieve its 5 trillion USD economy target.

Science & Technology

1. The Hyderabad based INCOIS (Indian National Centre for Ocean Information) launched a new alert system that will help reduce damage and losses to fishermen due to swell surges. The Swell Surges splash strong waves in the coast damaging boats and nets. The system will help fishermen to get prior alerts about swell surges and safeguard their boats.

2. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is to launch GISAT 1 (Geo-Imaging Satellite) in order to watch Indian sub-continent continuously.

3. The Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad is to set uo a research centre in data science. The centre being set up at Kanjikode aims at providing a platform of research for artificial intelligence and Data Science.

4. On February 19, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved to set a technology group. The 12-member group will provide scientific advice on mapping of technologies, commercialization of dual use technologies and develop a road map on selected key technologies.

5. On February 15, 2020, ISRO published its annual report 2019-20. According to the report, the Indian Space Research Organization will launch 10 Earth Observation Satellites in 2020-21. It includes the first Geo Imaging Satellite, GISAT-1.

6. On February 13, 2020, the Ministry of MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) launched “Apiary on Wheels”. It is a unique concept framed by KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission). The main aim of “Apiary on Wheels” is to make migration easy.

7. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) of the United States and the ESA (European Space Agency) will send space probes to the sun to map its poles. The solar orbiter was launched on February 9, 2020.

Government Schemes

1. On March 1, 2020, the Lok Sabha speaker Shri Om Birla launched Suposhit Maa Abhiyan in Kota, Rajasthan. The Scheme aims to create malnutrition-free India. It mainly supports pregnant women and adolescent girls.

2. On February 29, 2020, PM Modi shall launch 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations at Chitrakoot. The event is being organized to commemorate the successful completion of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.

3. On February 28, 2020, the Union Minister of Steel announced at a workshop organized by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) that GoI is to make Odisha the steel hub of India. This is to be achieved by the Government with the help of Japan.

4. On February 29, 2020, PM Modi is to distribute assistive aids and devices to senior citizens and Divyangjan. This is the biggest ever distribution camp.

5. On February 27, 2020, the Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee chaired by the Minister of Food Processing sanctioned 32 projects under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).

6. On February 26, 2020, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the National Technical Textiles Mission. The mission has been allocated Rs 1,480 crores. The aim of the mission is to make India a global leader in Technical Textiles.

7. The EESL (Energy Efficiency Services Limited) recently celebrated its 10 years of successful operation. The Company adopted the policy of making India Energy Efficiency a year back. It has successfully completed its one year of energy efficiency policy.

8. On February 24, 2020, the Union Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal chaired a high-level meeting to review the progress of Institutes of Eminence.

9. On February 24, 2020, the Government of India launched SPICe+, a web form that integrates 10 services of various ministries and departments. This will help boost Ease of Doing Business in India. It was launched by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

10. The successful completion of one year of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi is being celebrated on February 24, 2020. In order to commemorate its success, PM Kisan Mobile app was launched by the Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar.

11. On February 24, 2020, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana completed one year of its implementation. The scheme was launched to increase the income of farmers. It aims to help farmers by providing them income support of Rs 6,000 per year.

12. The Fourth Anniversary of Shyama Mukherji Rurban Mission is being celebrated all over India on February 21, 2020. It was launched on February 21, 2016. The mission aims at stimulating local economic development and create well planned Rurban Regions.

13. On February 19, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved revamping of challenges in insurance schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS).

14. On February 19, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved on implementing the phase II of Swachh Bharat Mission. The phase II of the mission will focus on Open Defecation Free Plus.

15. On February 19, 2020, the Agricultural Minister Narendra Singh Tomar announced that Government of India is to launch “TILHAN MISSION” to boost the oil seed production. The announcement was made at an occasion of Soil Health Card Day. Soil Health Card Day was celebrated all over India on February 19, 2020.

16. In order to commemorate the launch of Soil Health Card Scheme, the GoI is marking Soil Health Card Day on February 19, 2020. The Soil Health Card Scheme was launched by PM Modi on February 19, 2015.

17. On February 17, 2020, the fourth National Conference of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima yojana was held in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The Conference was organized by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

18. On February 17, 2020, the World Bank and the Government of India signed a loan agreement to support the national programme that aims on strengthening ground water institutions and also arrest the depletion of ground water resources.

19. Since the Abrogation of Article 370, the GoI has been keenly focussing on improving the infrastructure in the Kashmir region.

20. On February 12, 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare introduced School Health Ambassador initiative. Under the initiative, two teachers in every school are to be made as Health and Wellness ambassador.

21. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has paired up 20 best performing smart cities with least performing cities. They will work as “sister cities”.

22. On February 5, 2020, the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) joined hands with several ministries such as MSME, agriculture, food processing and also with NITI Aayog to stimulate innovation in India. The mission aimed to showcase government funded innovations.

23. The study conducted by the National Productivity Council has reported that the use of soil cards has reduced the fertilizer use by 10% in the country. The study also reported that the productivity has increased by 5-6% due to soil card. This is mainly because the soil card scheme aims at addressing the issue of declining soil nutrient.

24. On February 3, 2020, the Ministry of Women and Child Development awarded Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandhana Yojana (PMMVY) awards to states and Union Territories and Districts. The award function was organized to promote competitive federalism among the states.

25. On February 3, 2020 the Minister of North Eastern Development Dr Jitendra Singh chaired the Ujh Multipurpose (National) Project, Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was attended by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Power and other officers from state government of Punjab

26. The Ministry of MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) on February 3, 2020, provided an update on the SFURTI scheme being implemented.

Awards & Honours

1. On February 24, 2020, the Union Minster Ramesh Pokhriyal presented the Vishwakarma awards for the year 2019. Around 23 groups were awarded Chatra Vishwakarma Awards and 6 institutes were awarded with Utkrisht Santhan Vishwakarma Award.

2. On February 25, 2020, the first anniversary of National War Memorial was commemorated. The CDS Bipin Rawat paid tribute to the memorial and so did several other leaders of the country.

3. On February 13, 2020, President Ram Nath Kovind presented the President’s Colours Awards to INS Shivaji. The Indian Naval Station Shivaji has completed 75 years of service. Last year, the award was given to Indian Naval Academy.

Defence

1. On February 28, 2020, the Indian Coast Guard’S ICGS Varad, an Offshore Patrol Vessel was commissioned at Chennai port. The vessel is to operate under North Eastern Coast Guard Region.

2. On February 27, 2020, the Defence Minister Raj Nath Singh inaugurated Light combat Helicopter production at the HAL complex in Bengaluru. The project is a part of the “Make in India” initiative.

3. On February 27, 2020, the 6th Coast Guard OPV-6 (Offshore Patrol Vessel-6) called the “VAJRA” was launched in Chennai.

4. The 5th edition of the Exercise Indra Dhanush commenced on 24th February, 2020. It is a joint air force exercise between the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom.

5. The Defence Minister Rajanth Singh recently laid foundation stone to construct a new Army Headquarters in Delhi Cantontment. The building has been named “Thal Sena Bhawan”.

6. On February 19, 2020, Pakistan test fired 600 km range Ra’ad II missile successfully on land and at sea. The missile range has been upgraded from 550km in 2017 to 600km. It is important for India to closely monitor such advances as New Delhi is roughly 430km from Lahore.

7. On February 18, 2020, foundation stone for a 50-metre high foundation stone laid at Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram. This is the fifth lighthouse in the region.

8. India and Russia have signed 14 MoUs during the DefExpo 2020. It included land, air, naval and other hi-tech civilian products. With the agreements signed the Defence trade between the countries is to cross 16 billion USD.

9. The Chief of Indian Navy Admiral Karamvir Singh is to visit Myanmar between February 17, 2020 and February 20, 2020. During his visit, he will hold discussions with his Myanmar counterpart to enhance bilateral maritime relations between the countries.

10. On February 17, 2020, the Supreme Court of India upheld the judgement of Delhi High Court over the issue of commissioning of women officers in Indian Army.

11. The Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat aims to set up an integrated tri-service command for the first time by June 2020. This command will be headed by an Air Marshal.

12. Indian Navy is preparing itself for the biggest multilateral naval exercise to be conducted in the Indian Ocean Region. The Exercise is to be conducted under the Theme: Synergy across the Seas

13. On February 14, 2020, a memorial was inaugurated at the Lethpora camp for the 40 CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel who were killed in Pulwama Attack.

14. The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Jamuna has been deployed in the shores of Sri Lanka to carry out a joint Hydrographic survey. The survey is to be conducted for 2 months time period.

15. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre developed a new bullet proof jacket called Bhabha Kavach. The jackets are to be used by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

16. On February 11, 2020, United States approved sale of Integrated Air Defence Weapon System to India. The cost of the system is estimated as 1.86 billion USD.

17. India-UK hold joint exercise called Ajeya Warrior on February 13, 2020. The exercise is being held from 2005.

18. The Indian Army’s College of Military Engineering with a private firm developed the gun shot locators called “Parth”. These are much cheaper than the ones imported. The device was showcased at DefExpo 2020.

19. The India-African Nations Defence Ministers’ Conclave was held at the side lines of DefExpo India 2020. The Conclave adopted Lucknow Declaration in the presence of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Declaration was signed by 50 African Nations.

20. The Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and UK India Business Council (UKIBC) signed Memorandum of Understanding to bring upon closer defence ties between the countries. The agreement was signed at DefExpo that is being held in Lucknow.

21. On February 7, 2020, the transfer of technology ceremony was held at DefExpo 2020. According to the agreement, the organization transferred 15 licenses to 17 industries. The licenses transferred were all on technologies developed by DRDO. The ceremony was named Bandhan.

22. The Sharang Artillery Gun is to be inducted into Indian Army on February 8, 2020. The artillery guns are currently produced at the Kanpur ordnance factory.

23. India and Russia signed 14 Memorandum of Understandings at the India-Russia Industrial Conference held at DefExpo 2020, Lucknow. The Agreements were signed under Make in India initiative.

24. On February 7, 2020, DRDO (Defence Research Development Organization) signed an agreement with Rosobornexport of Russia. According to the agreement the defence organization will develop Advanced Pyrotechnic Ignition Systems for missile propulsion.

25. The DefExpo was inaugurated by PM Modi on February 5, 2020. During the Defence Exhibition the Uttar Pradesh Government is to sign 23 MoUs. The agreements will bring in Rs 50,000 crores of investment. This will bring in job opportunities to 3 lakh people.

26. The 11th edition of DefExpo (Defence Exhibition) was inaugurated by PM Modi on February 5, 2020. At the inaugural speech, PM Modi announced that India will work towards increasing its Defence economy to 5 billion USD.

27. On January 4, 2020, the defence ministers of India and South Korea discussed ways to enhance bilateral security cooperation in the field of defence industries and research and development.

28. The Indian Navy recently launched a unique coastal security exercise in Kolkata. The exercise was conducted to create awareness about the coastal security to the local community.

Constitution & Law

1. The GoI recently decided to establish Central Consumer Protection Authority under the Consumer Protection act, 2019.

2. On February 26, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the changes introduced to the Surrogacy (Regulation) bill, 2019. The changes were introduced by the 23-member select committee of Rajya Sabha.

3. The Government of India is to set up a Consumer Protection Authority in order to implement the Consumer Protection Act. The authority is to begin working from April 2020.

4. On February 19, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the 22nd Law Commission of India. The commission has been approved for a period of three years.

5. On February 18, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) bill. The bill proposes to establish a national registry.

6. The Vivad se Vishwas Scheme was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the Budget 2020-21. On February 12, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved to make required changes in the Vivad Se Vishwas Bill, 2020 in order to widen its cover over litigation pending in debt recovery tribunal.

7. On February 12, 2020 the Union Cabinet approved to table the Pesticide Management Bill, 2020 in Parliament. The bill aims at making safe and effective pesticides for farmers. The main aim of the bill is to replace the Insecticides Act, 1968.

8. The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed the scheme Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme in the Union Budget 2020. In order to implement the scheme, the minister introduced a bill in Lok Sabha on February 5, 2020.

Sports

1. The first Khelo India University Games is to be held in Bhuwaneshwar, Odisha. The game is to be launched by PM Modi through video conferencing.

2. On February 16, 2020, the State Government of Haryana announced that it will provide Rs 6 crores to gold medal winners at Olympic Games. The cash money prize is only for players representing Haryana.

3. On February 13, 2020, the International Hockey Federation named the Indian Hockey captain Manpreet Singh as Player of the Year, 2019.

4. The National Winter Games is to be held in Gulmarg from March 7, 2020. The games are to be held for five days in Gulmarg, the world-famous Ski destination. It is being held under Khelo India.

5. On February 9, 2020, Bangladesh won Under 19 Cricket World Cup organized by International Cricket Cup (ICC).

6. Aditya Mehta from Mumbai, Maharashtra won the National Snooker championship held at Pune. He defeated multiple time world champion Pankaj Advani. In Women’s Snooker Finals, Vidya Pillai from Madhya Pradesh won the title.

7. On February 9, 2020, Kaamya Karthikeyan became the youngest girl to climb the highest peak in South America, Mt Aconcagua.

8. On February 6, 2020, Rakhi Halder of West Bengal won Senior Weightlifting Championship. She bagged gold medal in the 64 kg category at the 35th National Weight lifting Championship held in Kolkata.

9. The Serbian Player Novak Djokovic captured the Australian Open Title of 2020 in Men’s single. Sofia Kenin won Women’s singles at the tournament. Rajeev Ram teamed up with Joe Salisbury won the Men’s doubles.

References:
gktoday.in
jagranjosh.com
business-standard.com

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Comments ( 1 )

  1. SADDAMHUSEN MULLA
    4 years ago
    Very useful information. Thank you 🤝 Examveda team.