current affairs weekly capsule i current affairs weekly ...€¦ · in dhule district, he...

11
Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 27 th January to 2 nd February 2019 1 | Page Table of Contents Awards & Honours ............................................................................................................................................................................ 2 Days & Events ................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 International Affairs .......................................................................................................................................................................... 4 National Affairs ................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Personalities in News ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Government Policies & Schemes ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 Science & Technology ....................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Committees & Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 Business & Economy ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Sports ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10 Defence .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Polity……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...................................... 11

Upload: others

Post on 30-Apr-2020

2 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly ...€¦ · In Dhule district, he inaugurated the Lower Panazara Yojana (PMKSY). Government liberalised the e-Visa regime The

Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I

27th January to 2nd February 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 9thto 15th

September 2018

1 | P a g e

Table of Contents Awards & Honours ............................................................................................................................................................................ 2

Days & Events ................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

International Affairs .......................................................................................................................................................................... 4

National Affairs ................................................................................................................................................................................. 4

Personalities in News ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7

Government Policies & Schemes ....................................................................................................................................................... 8

Science & Technology ....................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Committees & Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 9

Business & Economy ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Sports ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Defence .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Polity……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......................................11

Page 2: Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly ...€¦ · In Dhule district, he inaugurated the Lower Panazara Yojana (PMKSY). Government liberalised the e-Visa regime The

Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I

10th to 16th February 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 16thto 22nd

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 19th to 25th

August 2018

2 | P a g e

Awards &Honours

Binish won the Entrepreneur of the Year award

Binish Chudgar was awarded the prestigious Ernst & Young 'Entrepreneur of the Year 2018' Award in the Life Sciences & Healthcare category.

He is the Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

EY Entrepreneur of the Year award is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs.

President of India to present Tagore Award

The President of India will present the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony on 18 February 2019.

The award will be presented to Rajkumar Singhajit Singh; Chhayanaut (a cultural organisation of Bangladesh); and Shri Ram Sutar Vanji for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016.

The award was instituted by the Government of India in 2012.

It is awarded annually and carries an amount of Rs. 1 Crore.

Swachhata Excellence Awards announced

Municipal Corporations of Raigarh, Ambikapur and Kumbakonam won the first, second and third prizes respectively of 'Swachhata Excellence' Awards 2019.

A total of 40 awards were distributed to the Area Level Federations (ALFs), City Livelihoods Federations (CLFs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

28 ALFs received Swachhata Excellence Awards for 2019.

Bradley Cooper won the best director from PETA

Bradley Cooper was awarded the ‘Oscat’ by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

The animal rights organisation awarded the best director award to Cooper for his enlightened decision to cast his own canine companion in ‘A Star Is Born’.

PETA is an American animal rights organisation based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president.

Siddhartha Lal: Entrepreneur of the Year

Siddhartha Lal, MD & CEO, Eicher Motors, was awarded the 'EY Entrepreneur of the Year' for 2018.

He will now represent India at the 'EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award' in Monte Carlo from 6-8 June 2019.

Azim Premji, Chairman of Wipro was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The WEOY award programme is celebrated across 60 countries.

BAFTA Awards 2019 held

The British Academy Film Awards 2019 were held on 10 Feb 2019 at Royal Albert Hall, London, UK.

'Roma' won the Best Film and Best Director was won by Alfonso Cuarón for Roma.

Best Leading Actor was won by Rami Malek for "Bohemian Rhapsody".

Best Leading Actress was won by Olivia Colman for "The Favourite".

Sanjay Subrahmanyam won Dan David Prize 2019

Noted Indian historian, Sanjay Subrahmanyam won Israel's prestigious Dan David Prize for 2019.

He was awarded for his work on inter-cultural encounters between Asians, Europeans, and people of North and South America during the early modern era.

He won it under the category 'past time dimension' and shared his $1 million award with Prof Kenneth Pomeranz of the University of Chicago.

Pat Cummins won Allan Border medal

Pat Cummins won the coveted Allan Border Medal at the Australian Cricket Awards on 11 Feb 2019.

Nathan Lyon became the first specialist finger spinner to win the Test Player of the Year award.

Glenn Maxwell took the T20I award and Matthew Wade bagged the Domestic Player of the Year award.

Jimmy carter won Grammy award 2019

Former US President Jimmy Carter won his second Grammy Award for spoken word album for his biography "Faith A Journey For All".

The 39th president of the US won his first Grammy award in 2016 for one of his works, "A Full Life: Reflections at 90".

He is not the only US President to win a Grammy, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have also won Grammy's in 2005 and 2008 respectively.

John Morris Ajax Fire Engine won trophy

John Morris Ajax Fire Engine, a proud possession of Indian Railways was awarded the Statesmen Challenger Trophy 2019.

It is preserved at the National Rail Museum, New Delhi and regularly bags trophies every year in various categories.

The fire engine was built by famous fire engineers M/s. John Morris and Sons Ltd., of Salford, Manchester, in 1914.

Grammy Awards 2019 - II

'Masseduction', by Jack Antonoff & Annie Clark won the Best Rock Song at the 61st Grammy Awards 2019.

Page 3: Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly ...€¦ · In Dhule district, he inaugurated the Lower Panazara Yojana (PMKSY). Government liberalised the e-Visa regime The

Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I

10th to 16th February 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 16thto 22nd

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 19th to 25th

August 2018

3 | P a g e

Best Rock Album was won by 'From the Fires' of Greta Van Fleet.

Chris Cornell won Best Rock Performance for 'When Bad Does Good'.

Kacey Musgraves won album of the year and Cardi B became the first woman to win best rap album as a solo artist.

Grammy Awards 2019 - I

The 61st Grammy Awards were held on 10th Feb 2019 at Staples Centre in LA.

The Song of the year was won by 'This is America' by Donald Glover and Ludwig Göransson.

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper won the Best Pop Duo for 'Shallow'.

Ariana Grande won the Best Pop Vocal Album for 'Sweetener', while Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album was won by Willie Nelson for 'My Way'.

Days & Events

Feb 13: World Radio Day

World Radio Day is observed every year on the 13th of February to celebrate radio as a forum for information and entertainment.

The theme of this year is Dialogue, Tolerance, and Peace Broadcasts.

The day was proclaimed on 3rd November 2011 by UNESCO's 36th General Conference.

International Affairs

Japan to recognise indigenous Ainu people

Japan's government introduced a bill on 15 February 2019 to recognise the country's ethnic Ainu minority as an 'indigenous' people for the first time.

The Japanese government in the late 19th century banned them from practising their customs and using their language.

The government will also allow the Ainu to cut down trees in nationally-owned forests for use in traditional rituals.

'AMAN-19' kicks off

Multinational Maritime Exercise AMAN-19 formally commenced on Feb 11, 2019, at Pakistan Navy Dockyard.

AMAN-19 is a multinational Naval Exercise conducted biennially by Pakistan Navy since 2007.

The current one is the 6th in the series having 45 nations as participants.

Commander Pakistan Fleet, Vice Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi graced was the Chief Guest.

Egypt's President: New Chairman-African Union

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has been elected as the chairman of the African Union at the continental body's summit in Ethiopia.

African Union chairman sets agendas of issues to be addressed during their one-year tenure.

It is a continental union consisting of 55 countries of the continent of Africa and was founded on 26 May 2001.

National Affairs

PM launched projects worth 20000 cr in Jhansi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched various development projects worth over Rs 20000 crore at Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh on 15 January 2019.

He laid the foundation stone of the Defence Corridor.

Jhansi is one of the six nodal points of the UP defence corridor.

He also inaugurated the Pahari dam modernisation project.

Pahari dam is a water storage dam on the Dhasan river in Jhansi district.

Income norm relaxed for judge posts

The Supreme Court Collegium removed the need for lawyers to have a minimum income limit of Rs. 7 lakh in order to be considered for appointment as High Court judges.

The threshold has been relaxed for government lawyers and judicial officers who belong to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Communities.

The collegium took the decision on 12 February 2019.

PM inaugurated several projects in Maharashtra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Maharashtra on 16 February 2019.

At Yavatmal in Vidarbha, he inaugurated the Eklavya Model Residential School for tribal students.

He also inaugurated Ajni (Nagpur)-Pune Train service.

In Dhule district, he inaugurated the Lower Panazara medium project under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchan Yojana (PMKSY).

Government liberalised the e-Visa regime

The e-Tourist Visa which was introduced in September 2014 with 46 countries has now been made applicable to 166 countries.

E-Visa is valid for entry through two more designated Airports (Bhubaneswar and Port Blair) raising the total number of such airports to 28.

Duration of stay in India of e-Visas is maximum up to 1 Year with multiple entries subject to the stay stipulations.

IWAI launched a new portal- 'LADIS'

The Inland Waterways Authority of India launched a new portal named 'Least Available Depth Information System' (LADIS) on 15 February 2019.

Page 4: Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly ...€¦ · In Dhule district, he inaugurated the Lower Panazara Yojana (PMKSY). Government liberalised the e-Visa regime The

Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I

10th to 16th February 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 16thto 22nd

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 19th to 25th

August 2018

4 | P a g e

LADIS will ensure that real-time data on least available depths is disseminated for ship/barge and cargo owners.

This will help in better planning for the movement of ships.

It will be available for NW-1, NW-2, Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route, and NW-3.

Rajasthan forms committees to review textbooks

The Rajasthan government has set up two committees of experts and educationists to review the syllabus of school textbooks from class 1 to 8 and from class 9 to 12.

The committee to review the syllabus of class 1 to 8 will be coordinated by I V Trivedi.

The coordinator for the four-member committee for class 9-12 is the former Chairman of Rajasthan State Public Service Commission BM Sharma.

CRPF men attacked in Pulwana, J&K

At least 37 CRPF personnel were martyred on 14 February 2019, when a convoy in which they were traveling was attacked by a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) suicide bomber.

Bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into one of the convoy’s buses in Pulwama district on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

It was the deadliest attack in terms of casualties in the last three decades of militancy in the State.

India's 1st Aqua Mega Food Park commissioned

Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park was commissioned at Tundurru Village in Andhra Pradesh.

It is promoted by Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park Pvt. Ltd.

It is the 1st Mega Aqua Food Park operationalised exclusively for fish and marine products processing.

It has been set up in 57.81 acres of land at a cost of Rs. 122.60 crores.

NKAFC inaugurated at Dharwad

"North Karnataka Agromet Forecasting and Research Centre (NKAFC)”, Dharwad was inaugurated on 14 Feb 2019.

It will act as a center of excellence having multi-functions like observations, forecast, and research in Agro-Meteorological services in Karnataka.

12 District Agro-meteorological Units (DAMUs) will be established in Karnataka by March 2019.

Environment Minister released publication

Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan released a publication titled 'India - Spearheading Climate Solutions' on 12 Feb 2019.

This coffee table book highlights actions taken by the country to combat climate change.

It was unveiled at the Indira Paryavaran Bhawan.

Tenure of NCSK extended

The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for extension of the tenure of the National Commission for Safai Karmacharis (NCSK) beyond 31-3-2019 for 3 years.

The NCSK was established in the year 1993 as per the provisions of the NCSK Act 1993.

The major beneficiaries would be the SafaiKaramcharis & persons engaged in manual scavenging.

UNICEF join hands with Goa WCD

The UNICEF in Maharashtra joined hands with Goa Women and Child Development (WCD) to focus on and support in the area of child protection in the State.

A training programme on Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), was organised by WCD on Feb 12, 2019.

The government of India and UNICEF have worked on a 5-year Action Plan.

Conference on Unani Medicine concluded

The 2-day National Conference on Unani Medicine organized by the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) in New Delhi concluded on 12 Feb 2019.

It witnessed the exchange of MoU for scientific collaboration in Unani Medicine between the CCRUM and Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi.

AYUSH Awards for Unani Medicine were also conferred on the occasion.

1st LAWASIA Human Rights Conference 2019 held

Page 5: Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly ...€¦ · In Dhule district, he inaugurated the Lower Panazara Yojana (PMKSY). Government liberalised the e-Visa regime The

Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I

10th to 16th February 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 16thto 22nd

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 19th to 25th

August 2018

5 | P a g e

LAWASIA, in association with the Bar Association of India, hosted its 1st LAWASIA Human Rights Conference in New Delhi.

The theme of the conference was “State Power, Business and Human Rights: Contemporary Challenges”.

The President of LAWASIA is Mr. Christopher Leong, while the President of Bar Association of India is Dr. Lalit Bhasin.

Government takes steps to revive Maithili

The HRD Ministry asked to apply the recommendations of a committee constituted in 2018 for the promotion and protection of Maithili language and its scripts.

Establishment of a Script and Manuscript Centre at Darbhanga has been recommended.

Mithilakshar or Tirhuta is the script of broader cultural Mithila. It is an ancient script and is one of the scripts of the broader North Eastern India.

National Cancer Institute inaugurated

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 6 projects in Haryana on 12 Feb 2019.

He inaugurated National Cancer Institute (NIC) at Badhsa in Jhajjar district, Haryana.

He also laid foundation stones for National Institute of Ayurveda, Sri Krishna Ayush University, Battles of Panipat Museum, and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay University of Health Sciences in Karnal.

2-day EarlyEd Asia 2019 held in Jaipur

The two-day ‘EarlyEd Asia 2019’ conference began on 12 Feb 2019 at City Palace, Jaipur.

It is aimed at providing a platform for learning, networking and sharing the best practices of early childhood education in Asia.

This is Asia's biggest conference on early education being conducted in India.

Special National Standard Conclave held

A Special National Standards Conclave was organised by the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India in Mumbai.

It also saw the launch of voluntary certification and rating scheme for private security services developed by QCI.

Separation of roles for the avoidance of conflict of interest in regulatory framework was one of the recommendations.

I&B Ministry organised 1st Annual Conference

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting organised the First Annual Conference of Media Units on 13th Feb 2019 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

The opening session was chaired by Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore, Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports.

The Conference aims to strengthen synergy between the Media Units in order to ensure last mile delivery.

5th Dam Safety Conference being held

The 5th International Dam Safety Conference–2019 is being held from 13-14 February 2019 in Bhubaneswar.

It is a joint initiative of the Government of India, Government of Odisha and the World Bank.

India ranks 3rd after China and the USA globally in terms of the number of large dams with 5264 large dams in operation and 437 large dams under construction.

PM addressed CREDAI YouthCon-19

PM Narendra Modi addressed CREDAI YouthCon-19 on 13th Feb 2019 at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi.

YouthCon is the annual Youth Conclave of CREDAI which is held to bring together the future of the real estate Industry in India.

CREDAI was established in 1999 and is the apex body representing real-estate developers from over 200 cities in India.

Outreach Programme to be organised

Ministry of Textiles will organise an outreach programme for Textiles Sector MSMEs on 13th February 2019 in New Delhi.

Smriti Irani, Minister of Textiles, will preside over the function and Dr. Thawar Chand Gehlot will be the Chief Guest.

The support and outreach 100 days programme for MSMEs was launched by PM Narendra Modi on 2nd November 2018.

8 new medical devices notified as drugs

The Centre notified eight new devices as “drugs”.

They include - all implantable medical devices, CT scan equipment, MRI equipment, defibrillators, dialysis machine, PET equipment, X-ray machine, and bone marrow cell separator.

Their import, manufacture, and distribution are now regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

27 types of devices were notified as drugs until last year.

IAV inaugurated in Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Institute of Advanced Virology (IAV) in Thiruvananthapuram.

It is first of its kind research institute linked to the Global Virus Network (GVN) and will operate from the Bio 360 Life Sciences Park at Thonnakkal in the capital city.

It can confirm the viruses causing infectious diseases and detect new ones without any delay.

Dera Baba Nanak land: Immigration check point

Page 6: Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly ...€¦ · In Dhule district, he inaugurated the Lower Panazara Yojana (PMKSY). Government liberalised the e-Visa regime The

Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I

10th to 16th February 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 16thto 22nd

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 19th to 25th

August 2018

6 | P a g e

The Centre designated Dera Baba Nanak land post in Gurdaspur district of Punjab as an immigration checkpost.

It is now an authorised immigration checkpoint for entry and exit of Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation stone of the Dera Baba Nanak-Kartarpur Sahib Corridor at an event at Mann village in Gurdaspur district on 26

November 2018.

Light House Projects challenge launched

The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs instituted a challenge for constructing the Lighthouse projects under GHTC-India on 11th Feb 2019.

The challenge is for states/UTs and 6 sites which score the highest will be selected from the challenge.

The MoHUA also already launched Global Housing Technology Challenge-India.

PM visited Kurukshetra

PM Narendra Modi visited Kurukshetra, Haryana on 12th Feb 2019 to participate in Swachh Shakti 2019 and distribute its awards.

Swachh Shakti is a national event which aims to bring in to focus the leadership role played by rural women in Swachh Bharat Mission.

The Swachh Shakti program was first launched in 2017 in Gandhinagar, 2nd in Lucknow, and 3rd edition in Kurukshetra.

KJ Alphons lays foundation stone

Union Tourism Minister, KJ Alphons laid the foundation stone for Sree Narayana Guru spiritual pilgrimage circuit in Varkala, Kerala on Feb 10, 2019.

The project covers all the places where the Guru spent most of his life.

The project, in Thiruvananthapuram district, was sanctioned last month and will help improve the infrastructure and facilities at these centers.

Great Indian Bustard chosen as mascot

The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) has been announced as the mascot for the 13th UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species.

It will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from 15-22 Feb 2020.

The mascot was launched by Union Minister Harsh Vardhan.

The CMS COP-13 is a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and has 120 countries as participants.

PM inaugurates PETROTECH 2019

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the PETROTECH-2019 on 11th Feb 2019 at Indian Expo Centre, Greater Noida, UP.

It is India’s flagship hydrocarbon conference, being organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

It will showcase the recent market and investor-friendly developments in India’s oil and gas sector.

Delegates from around 70 countries participated in the event.

PM visits Hubli in Karnataka

PM Narendra Modi visited Hubli, Karnataka on 10th Feb 2019 to unveil several development projects.

He laid the foundation stone for IIT-Dharwad and IIIT –Dharwad.

City Gas Distribution Project 1.5 MMT Mangalore Strategic Petroleum Reserve facility was dedicated to the nation.

He also witnessed the E-Griha Pravesh of 2350 housed constructed in Dharwad PMAY(U).

PM visits Tiruppur

PM Narendra Modi visited Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu to unveil several development projects on 10th Feb 2019.

He laid the foundation stone of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation’s (ESIC) multi speciality Hospital at Tiruppur.

He also laid the foundation stone for the new building of Trichy airport and also inaugurated the new Crude Oil Pipeline in Chennai.

1st Mega Food park of HP inaugurated

Page 7: Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly ...€¦ · In Dhule district, he inaugurated the Lower Panazara Yojana (PMKSY). Government liberalised the e-Visa regime The

Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I

10th to 16th February 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 16thto 22nd

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 19th to 25th

August 2018

7 | P a g e

Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated Cremica Mega Food Park through a video conference on 10 Feb 2019.

This is the first Mega Food Park of Himachal Pradesh located at Singhain village, Una district.

The park has been set up at a cost of Rs. 107.34 crores and will provide facilities such as frozen storage, dry warehouse, deep freeze, QC lab, etc.

Personalities in News

Vani becomes 1st Indian to get a LPGA card

On 1 February 2019, golfer Vani Kapoor became the first Indian to earn a card for the Australian Ladies PGA Tour (LPGA).

She earned the card in the Qualifying Tournament at the Ballarat Golf Club.

The top-20 from a field of 81 earned playing rights on the Australian LPGA.

Other Indian girls in the Australian LPGA Qualifying were Diksha Dagar, Astha and Ridhima.

IAF gets its first woman flight engineer

Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal became the first woman flight engineer.

She was commissioned in January 2015 to the IAF's engineering branch.

She created history when she was chosen as the first woman candidate to pursue the elite course.

A flight engineer is a member of an aircraft’s flight crew and requires special skills for constantly monitoring and operating its complex systems.

Manfred Eigen passed away

Manfred Eigen, who was awarded a one-half share of the 1967 chemistry Nobel prize died.

He developed techniques to determine the rates of reactions and processes and also pioneered a process called relaxation.

He founded the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry by merging the Max Planck Institute for Physical Chemistry in 1971.

Jamie Chadwick: First female to win MRF

Jamie Chadwick became the first female winner of the MRF Challenge Series at the final event of the season.

She won 3 of the 5 races in Chennai, India, to close an 18-point margin on Belgium's Max Defourny and take the title.

She became the first woman to win a British F3 race in August 2018.

The last woman to start Formula 1 Grand Prix was Lella Lombardi in 1976.

Egypt's President: New Chairman-African Union

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has been elected as the chairman of the African Union at the continental body's summit in Ethiopia.

African Union chairman sets agendas of issues to be addressed during their one-year tenure.

It is a continental union consisting of 55 countries of the continent of Africa and was founded on 26 May 2001.

Actor Mahesh Anand dies at 57

Noted Bollywood actor Mahesh Anand passed away at 57 in Andheri, Mumbai.

He is suspected to have died a few days ago and his decomposed body was sent for autopsy to ascertain the time and cause of his death.

He has been a part of major films like Majboor, Shahenshah, Thanedaar, Coolie No.1, Vijeta, Pyaar Kiya Nahin Jaata, and more.

Government Policies & Schemes

DIPP renamed by Government of India

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) was renamed as the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

It will look into matters related to promotion of internal trade, the welfare of traders and their employees, facilitating ease of doing business and start-ups.

The matters related to internal trade were earlier under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

Government increased MSP of Sugar by 2 Rs/Kg

The government of India increased the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar by two rupees per kilogram to 31 rupees a kilogram.

This move will help sugar mills, which will enable them to pay the sugarcane farmers on time.

MSP is the rate below which the mills cannot sell sugar in the open market to wholesalers and bulk consumers like beverage and biscuit makers.

Pension scheme announced by Bihar Government

Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar announced a Universal Old Age Pension scheme, named Mukhya Mantri Vriddha Pension Yojana.

It is available to all irrespective except for those who are retired from government organisations.

The scheme facilitates the amount of Rs. 400 monthly pension for all in the state above the age of 60.

He also launched Bihar Patrakar Samman Yojana for journalists.

PMAY(U) Mobile App launched

Hardeep S Puri, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs launched the PMAY (U) Mobile App on 14 Feb 2019.

Page 8: Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly ...€¦ · In Dhule district, he inaugurated the Lower Panazara Yojana (PMKSY). Government liberalised the e-Visa regime The

Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I

10th to 16th February 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 16thto 22nd

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 19th to 25th

August 2018

8 | P a g e

The app will allow beneficiaries to capture and upload high-resolution photographs of completed houses along with their families.

The PMAY (U) mission was launched on 25th June 2015 with an aim to provide houses to every eligible urban household in India by the year 2022.

PM-SYM scheme implemented

Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) Scheme was implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Employment on 15 Feb 2019.

The features of the scheme are family pension and minimum assured pension.

The unorganised workers whose monthly income is Rs 15,000/per month or less and belong to the entry age group of 18-40 years are eligible for the scheme.

Cabinet approved the continuation of CLCS-TUS

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and Technology Up-gradation Scheme (CLCS-TUS).

It will facilitate technology up-gradation to MSMEs.

The scheme through 'Zero Defect & Zero Effect' will promote the reduction in emission level of greenhouse gases.

e-AUSHADHI portal launched

Minister of State for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik launched the e-AUSHADHI portal, on 13 Feb 2019 at New Delhi.

It is launched for online licensing of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs and related matters.

AUSHADHI is an acronym for Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy Automated Drug Help Initiative.

'Sarthi Sandesh Vahini' vehicles flagged off

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off 33 'Sarthi Sandesh Vahini' vehicles in Gorakhpur.

It is a mission started by the State's Family Welfare department with an aim to spread awareness regarding family planning in urban and rural areas.

The campaign will have 3 phases, the 1st till 28 Feb, the 2nd from 15 May-15June 2019, and the 3rd from 1-30 June 2019.

Suresh Prabhu launches 2 schemes in Mumbai

Union Minister for Commerce & Industry Suresh Prabhu launched two schemes on 9 Feb 2019 in Mumbai.

Under the Hirkani Maharashtrachi, 10 groups will be selected from each taluka and Rs. 50,000 will be given to each to implement their idea.

Under the District Business Plan Competition, 5 ideas will be selected from different categories and Rs. 5 lakh will be given to them.

Science & Technology

NASA telescope to explore origins of universe

NASA will launch a new space telescope in 2023 that could provide a glimpse of the first moments in the history of the universe.

'The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx)' mission is a planned two-year mission.

Astronomers will use the mission to gather data on more than 300 million galaxies.

'Crying' snake discovered by zoologist

A new species of ‘crying’ snake was discovered in Lepa-Rada district of Arunachal Pradesh.

The discovery of the non-venomous crying keelback with zoological name Hebius lacrima, has been published in Zootaxa, a New Zealand-based mega-journal for animal taxonomy.

Globally there are 3,709 species of snakes.

The northeast is home to some 110 species, with Arunachal Pradesh having 55.

New observatory in Tehri

A Himalayan Cloud Observatory was set up in Tehri district of Uttarakhand on 8th Feb 2019.

It is set up to receive forecast and monitor cloud burst incidents in the Himalayan region.

It is established in the SRT campus Badshahithaul and is currently in the testing period.

This is the 2nd observatory in the country to monitor cloud activities.

Committees & Recommendations

Rajasthan forms committees to review textbooks

The Rajasthan government has set up two committees of experts and educationists to review the syllabus of school textbooks from class 1 to 8 and from class 9 to 12.

The committee to review the syllabus of class 1 to 8 will be coordinated by I V Trivedi.

The coordinator for the four-member committee for class 9-12 is the former Chairman of Rajasthan State Public Service Commission BM Sharma.

Business & Economy

Page 9: Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly ...€¦ · In Dhule district, he inaugurated the Lower Panazara Yojana (PMKSY). Government liberalised the e-Visa regime The

Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I

10th to 16th February 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 16thto 22nd

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 19th to 25th

August 2018

9 | P a g e

Government revises FY18 GDP growth rate

According to the first revised estimates of GDP, the Indian economy grew at 7.2% in 2017-18, as compared to earlier estimates of 6.7%.

The Nominal GDP or GDP at current prices for 2017-18 has been revised to 11.3% from 10.0%.

The real GDP growth rate has been revised to 8.2% from

7.1% for 2016-17।

Merchandise trade deficit widens

India’s merchandise trade deficit widened to $14.73 billion in January 2019.

The major commodity groups exhibiting growth in exports were engineering goods, gems and jewellry, organic and inorganic chemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, and ready-made garments of all textiles.

Silver imports grew by 104% in January 2019.

WPI inflation hits 10-month low

Inflation based on wholesale prices fell to a 10-month low of 2.76 percent in January 2019.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation stood at 3.8 percent in December 2018.

Inflation in kitchen essentials like potato, onion, fruits, and milk softened in January over the previous month.

The retail inflation released earlier this week too declined marginally to 2.05 percent in January.

RBI imposed penalty on 3 PSU banks

The RBI imposed Rs 3.5 crore penalties on 3 public sector banks, for violation of various banking norms.

A penalty of Rs 1.5 crore was imposed on Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) and Rs 1 crore each on Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Bank of India.

The monetary penalty was imposed for non-compliance on monitoring of end-use of funds and on the restructuring of accounts.

Retail inflation declined to 2.05% in January

Retail inflation declined marginally to 2.05% in January 2019 over the previous month on the continued decline in food prices, including vegetables and eggs.

The inflation was 5.07% in January 2018.

The inflation in the 'fuel and light' category also fell to 2.2% in January 2019 from 4.54% in December 2018.

Industrial growth remained subdued at 2.4%

Industrial output growth remained subdued at 2.4% in December 2018 on account of contraction in the mining segment and poor show by the manufacturing sector.

13 out of 23 industry groups in the manufacturing sector showed positive growth during December 2018.

The manufacturing sector constituting 77.63 % of the index, recorded a low growth of 2.7 % in December 2018.

RBI changes threshold for bulk deposit

RBI has decided to alter the definition of bulk deposits in the recent monetary policy review.

It has been revised as single deposits of Rs 2 crore and above.

Final guidelines regarding this will be issued by the end of Feb 2019. Banks have also been asked to maintain their bulk deposit card rates.

This indicates that the interest rates are expected to go down.

Mukesh Ambani tops Hurun India list

Mukesh Ambani topped the Hurun India Philanthropy List 2018 on Feb 9, 2019, with the highest contribution of Rs 437 crore between October 2017 and September 2018.

He was followed by Piramal Group Chairman Ajay Piramal who made Rs 200 crore donations.

The list ranked individuals from India who donated Rs 10 crore and above between October 1, 2017, and September 30, 2018.

Sports

INS Dronacharya won the Regatta trophy

The INS Dronacharya team won the Regatta trophy in the 'Kochi Area Pulling Regatta 2019' of the Southern Naval Command (SNC) on 31 January 2019.

The Boat Pulling Regatta is one of the most prestigious and traditional naval sporting activities conducted by the Navy.

Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) School got second position & Diving School secured the third position.

Prajnesh Gunneswaran: Ranks 97 in ATP

Prajnesh Gunneswaran broke into men's singles top-100 for the first time in his career.

A jump of six places took him to 97th position.

He is only third Indian player to break into the top-100 barrier in the past decade after Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri.

Clouded Leopard: Mascot of National Games

Clouded Leopard, the state animal of Meghalaya, will be the mascot of the National Games, 2022.

This was finalised in a meeting chaired by Banteidor Lyndoh, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs on 11 Feb 2019.

The stadium for the event will be constructed on 50 acres of land at a cost of Rs 300 crore in Mawdiangdiang.

Pat Cummins won Allan Border medal

Pat Cummins won the coveted Allan Border Medal at the Australian Cricket Awards on 11 Feb 2019.

Nathan Lyon became the first specialist finger spinner to win the Test Player of the Year award.

Page 10: Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly ...€¦ · In Dhule district, he inaugurated the Lower Panazara Yojana (PMKSY). Government liberalised the e-Visa regime The

Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I

10th to 16th February 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 16thto 22nd

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 19th to 25th

August 2018

10 | P a g e

Glenn Maxwell took the T20I award and Matthew Wade bagged the Domestic Player of the Year award.

Jamie Chadwick: First female to win MRF

Jamie Chadwick became the first female winner of the MRF Challenge Series at the final event of the season.

She won 3 of the 5 races in Chennai, India, to close an 18-point margin on Belgium's Max Defourny and take the title.

She became the first woman to win a British F3 race in August 2018.

The last woman to start Formula 1 Grand Prix was Lella Lombardi in 1976.

Railways won Senior Men's Hockey Championship

Railway Sports Promotion Board lifted the 9th Senior National Men's Hockey Championship crown at Gwalior.

They claimed the gold medal by defeating Punjab by 3-2.

The bronze medal was clinched by Petroleum Sports Promotion Board, beating Punjab and Sind Bank, 4-1.

Shane Warne: Brand ambassador of RR

Shane Warne has been named as the brand ambassador of Rajasthan Royals for the upcoming IPL.

He captained RR for 4 seasons of IPL till 2011, after which he took retirement from all forms of cricket.

Rajasthan Royals has also decided to change its jersey color from blue to pink this year.

Corentin Moutet clinches Chennai Open

France’s Corentin Moutet clinched the Chennai Open ATP Challenger tournament title on 10th Feb 2019.

He beat Andrew Harris of Australia 6-3, 6-3 in the singles final.

This is the second Challenger title for Moutet, who received 80 ATP points, while Andrew got 48 ATP points.

Defence

Successfully testing of Anti-Radiation Missile

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the test of New Generation Anti-Radiation Missile (NGARM) on 24 January 2019.

The missile is capable of destroying the enemy radars, tracking system and communication facilities.

The NGARM has a strike range of over 100 km.

This missile is first of its kind in India and can be launched from a range of altitudes.

'Exercise Vayu Shakti' held in Rajasthan

Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted 'Exercise Vayu Shakti-2019' at Pokhran in Rajasthan on 16 February 2019.

The aim of the Exercise is to demonstrate the IAF's combat and fire capabilities.

Several indigenous aircraft weapons and types of equipment were showed at the Exercise.

Some of these are the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Akash missile etc.

PTT Operation performed by all women crew

The Indian Air Force's pilots, Sqn Ldr Kamaljeet Kaur and her co-pilot Sqn Ldr Rakhi Bhandari carried out successful Parallel Taxi Track (PTT) landing and take-off operations at Sirsa.

In a first, the 'OTTERS' squadron of Western Air Command undertook the PTT Operations with a full women crew in the Dornier 228 aircraft.

PTT Operations are carried out when the runway is not available.

Vice Admiral SN Ghormade: Takes over as COS

Vice Admiral SN Ghormade assumed the charge as Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam on 14 Feb 2019.

He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 Jan 1984 and is a graduate of National Defence Academy (NDA).

He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 Jan 2017 and Nau Sena Medal in 2007 by the President of India.

Cobra Gold military exercise in Thailand

One of the Asia-Pacific region's largest multinational military exercises, Cobra Gold began in Thailand with around10,000 personnel and 29 countries as participants.

It is aimed at enhancing interoperability, strengthening relationships among participating nations.

This year's exercise is the 38th of its kind.

Rocket dispaly at Army's Exercise Topchi

Indian Army demonstrated its artillery firepower at the annual ''Exercise Topchi'' held near Nashik using ultralight Howitzers and Swathi weapon-locating radar.

The event took place at the Deolali Camp.

The aviation assets included the advanced light helicopter, light combat helicopter, Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.

India signed 700 crore deal to buy rifles

The Indian government signed a contract to equip the Indian Army with new assault rifles.

As per the deal, India will buy 72,400 rifles costing Rs 700 crore.

The rifles will be supplied by US arms maker Sig Sauer.

They will be made in the US and will be supplied within a year.

These will replace the Indian-made 5.56x45mm Insas rifles.

INS Trikand participated in Cutlass Express

Page 11: Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly ...€¦ · In Dhule district, he inaugurated the Lower Panazara Yojana (PMKSY). Government liberalised the e-Visa regime The

Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I

10th to 16th February 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 16thto 22nd

September 2018 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 19th to 25th

August 2018

11 | P a g e

A front-line warship of the Indian Navy, INS Trikand participated in Cutlass Express 2019, a multinational training exercise held from 27 Jan-6 Feb 2019.

The exercise was conducted in 2 phases - CPX and FTX.

INS Trikand was commanded by Captain Srinivas Maddula.

'AMAN-19' kicks off

Multinational Maritime Exercise AMAN-19 formally commenced on Feb 11, 2019, at Pakistan Navy Dockyard.

AMAN-19 is a multinational Naval Exercise conducted biennially by Pakistan Navy since 2007.

The current one is the 6th in the series having 45 nations as participants.

Commander Pakistan Fleet, Vice Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi graced was the Chief Guest.

Chief of the Air Staff visits Bangladesh

Air Chief Marshal, Birendra Singh Dhanoa, Chief of the Indian Air Force, went on a 4-day official visit to Bangladesh from 11-14 Feb 2019.

He will visit operational and training units of Bangladesh Air Force. This is a bilateral goodwill visit to a SAARC nation.

He will also meet the PM and Chiefs of 3 defense services in Bangladesh. The visit will increase defence cooperation.

Polity

16th Lok Sabha session concluded

The last session of 16th Lok Sabha concluded on 14 Feb 2019.

There were a total number of 331 sittings for Lok Sabha. 205 bills were passed and the productivity was 85%.

For Rajya Sabha, 154 bills were passed and the productivity was 68%.

The Interim Budget for 2019-20 was presented on 1 Feb 2019.

LS passed the unregulated deposit Scheme Bill

The Lok Sabha passed the Unregulated Deposit Scheme Bill 2018 on 13 Feb 2019.

The Bill will protect the poor people who work in unorganised sector and invest small amounts of money in different schemes.

It provides for a comprehensive mechanism to ban the unregulated deposit scheme and to protect the interests of depositors.

Parliament passed Personal Laws Bill 2019

Parliament passed the Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 with Rajya Sabha's approval on 13 Feb 2019.

The Lok Sabha had passed the bill in the last session.

The Bill seeks to uphold the rights of people with leprosy, as the disease is curable.

The Rajya Sabha also passed the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill 2019.

Railway to release 1.3L vacancies in February

February 2019 is a month of opportunities.

The railway will be releasing 1.3L vacancies for NTPC & other posts.

The application starts from 28th February 2019.

If you want a secured Govt Job then starting your preparation with the best faculties from Testbook.com is crucial.

Practice with 1000s of questions for free.

Registration of marriage of NRI Bill approved

The Union Cabinet approved the introduction of Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian Bill, 2019.

It provides amendment of the legal framework to act as a deterrent to the erring NRI spouses and offers protection against exploitation of Indian Citizens married to NRIs.

Once it is passed, marriages performed by NRIs would be registered in India or Indian Missions & Posts abroad.

Revision in the list of ST of Chhattisgarh

The Union Cabinet approved official amendments in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

It will modify the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs) of Chhattisgarh.

Along with others, the following shall be inserted in the new act - Bhuinya, Dhanwar, Nagesia, Sawar, Binjhia.

Government introduced Bill in Rajya Sabha

The government introduced a bill in the Rajya Sabha on 12 Feb 2019 to amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and impose a strict penalty to combat the menace of film piracy.

The film piracy offense will have imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of ₹10 lakh.

The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore.

Bill on North East introduced

A Constitution Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha was introduced.

This was done to increase the financial and executive powers of the 10 Autonomous Councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the northeastern region.

It will impact one crore tribal people in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.