Current Affairs February, 2017

The Union government has formed a six-member committee to study the ways to improve India̢۪s Haj policy and look into the issue of subsidy to the pilgrimage in light of a 2012 Supreme Court order on gradually reducing and abolishing it by 2022.

Scientists for the first time have successfully implanted world̢۪s smallest pacemaker dubbed as Micra Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS) in a patient in United States.

Indian Navy has launched an Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) in Mumbai, Maharashtra to enhance the security of valuable naval assets against asymmetric threats.

NASA solar-powered Juno spacecraft completed closest flyby of Jupiter mysterious cloud tops for the fourth time.

The Union Ministry of Railways and Italy̢۪s public sector rail company Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane Group (FS Group) has signed MoU for technical cooperation in rail sector especially in the area of safety and modernisation.

• Income Tax Department launches Operation Clean Money
• Government clarifies Beti Bachao Beti Padhao has no provision for cash transfer component
• SAARC programming committee meeting held in Kathmandu

The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) jointly launched India Innovation Index. Besides country̢۪s first innovation index portal was also launched.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget Speech 2017-18 announced corpus of Rs 500 crore for setting up Mahila Shakti Kendras in the 14 lakh ICDS Anganwadi Centres at village level.

The two-day meeting of SAARC Programming Committee was held in Kathmandu, capital of Nepal.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Union Budget 2017. It was fourth annual budget presented by Arun Jaitley as Finance Minister.

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for introduction of The Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Parliament.

The Union Ministry of Women & Child Development has clarified that Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (B3P) Scheme has no provision for individual cash transfer component.