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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I

February 2019 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 9thto 15th

September 2018

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Table of Contents

Awards & Honours.................................................................................................................................................. 3

Days & Events ......................................................................................................................................................... 6

International Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 7

National Affairs ....................................................................................................................................................... 9

Personalities in News ........................................................................................................................................... 22 Books & Authors ................................................................................................................................................... 23

Government Policies & Schemes .......................................................................................................................... 23

Science & Technology ........................................................................................................................................... 29

Committees & Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 31

Business & Economy ............................................................................................................................................. 31

Sport ..................................................................................................................................................................... 35

Defence ................................................................................................................................................................. 36

Polity .................................................................................................................................................................... 40

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Awards &Honours

Nuvoco won FICCI CSR Award 2017-18

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. (formerly Lafarge India Limited) bagged the FICCI CSR Award for 2017-18 in the Women Empowerment category in New Delhi.

They were awarded for their project 'Aakriti'.

The project has been implemented in the Nimbaheda block of Chittorgarh, where, 400 women from neighbouring villages have been trained in tailoring and associated skills.

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes conferred

PM Narendra Modi attended the award ceremony for the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 28 February 2019.

He conferred the prizes for 2016, 2017 and 2018 to the awardees.

The prize, named after Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, is given each year to recognize outstanding Indian work in various disciplines of Science and Technology.

Alastair Cook recieved knighthood

Alastair Cook received the knighthood in the New Year’s Honours.

He received the honour at a ceremony in the Buckingham Palace and has become the 11th Englishman to be knighted for services to cricket.

Enid Bakewell, a legend of the women’s game received an MBE, while Alvin Kallicharran and Peter Wynne-Thomas were both recognised with a British Empire Medal.

Indore and Bhopal won Saubhagya award

The Central Zone Power Distribution Company, Bhopal and West Zone Power Distribution Company, Indore were awarded the Saubhagya award on 26 February 2019.

It was presented under Pradhanmantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana at the National Conference of Energy Ministers.

The award carries a cash prize of 100 crore rupees each.

IRCTC Rail Connect won National Award

Railway's ticket booking mobile application, IRCTC Rail Connect, has been chosen for National e-Governance Awards 2019.

The app was launched in January 2017 to facilitate the booking of train tickets in a faster and easier way.

Chhattisgarh government's 'Khanij online' and 14 such IT projects will also receive the award.

Karthikeyan received Lifetime Achievement

G.R. Karthikeyan was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award at the FMSCI annual awards function on 25 February 2019.

He is the father of India’s first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan.

Raghul Rangasamy received the Upcoming Motorsport Person of the Year award for the Raymond Gautam Singhania Trophy.

Gandhi Peace Prize presented

President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presented the Gandhi Peace Prize on 26 February 2019.

It was presented for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018 at Darbar Hall, Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. The awardees were:

Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari - 2015

Akshaya Patra Foundation and Sulabh International - 2016 (Jointly)

Ekal Abhiyan Trust - 2017

Sh Yohei Sasakawa - 2018.

Mahesh to be honoured with META lifetime award

Eminent Indian playwright, Mahesh Elkunchwar has been chosen for the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) Lifetime Achievement Award 2019.

The award will be given on 12 March 2019.

He is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship and has over 30 plays and essays to his credit including works like 'Sultan', 'Holi', 'Garbo', 'Yatanaghar', and 'Atmakatha'.

PM Modi to confer Youth Parliament Awards 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will confer the 'National Youth Parliament Festival 2019' awards to the winners on 27 February 2019.

The National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 was launched on 12th January 2019.

The aim of the festival was to encourage the youth in the age group of 18-25 years to engage with public issues and understand the common man’s point of view.

‘Period. End of Sentence’ won Oscar

A film on menstruation, set in rural India, titled ‘Period. End of Sentence’, has won the Oscar in the Documentary Short Subject category at the 91st Academy Awards.

Rayka Zehtabchi directed the short film and Guneet Monga’s Sikhya Entertainment produced it.

The film is a part of ‘The Pad Project’, started by students at the Oakwood School in Los Angeles and their teacher, Melissa Berton.

Oscars 2019: Part 2

Best Supporting Actress - Regina King for If Beale Street Could Talk.

Best Original Song - Lady Gaga, Mike Ronson, Anthony Rossomondo and Andrew Wyatt for A Star Is Born.

Best Animated Feature - Spiderman: Into the Spider Verse.

Best Foreign Language - Roma.

Best Animated Short - Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb for Bao.

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Oscars 2019: Part 1

The 91st Academy Awards were presented at the Dolby Theatre, in Los Angeles, California.

Best Picture - Green Book.

Best Actor in a Leading Role - Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody.

Best Actress in a Leading Role - Olivia Colman for The Favourite.

Best Directing - Alfonso Cuarón for Roma.

Best Supporting Actor - Mahershala Ali for Green Book.

Divya Karnad won the Future For Nature Award

Dr Divya Karnad won the prestigious Global Future For Nature Award 2019 for her work on marine conservation.

She is the first woman and the second Indian to won the award.

The first Indian who won the award is Dr Charudutt Mishra.

The Future For Nature Award is a an international award that celebrates tangible achievements in protecting wild animal and plant species.

PM Modi recieved Seoul Peace Prize 2018

PM Narendra Modi received the prestigious Seoul Peace Prize for 2018 for his contribution to international cooperation and fostering global economic growth.

The award was presented to him by the Seoul Peace Prize Foundation at a grand ceremony.

A short film on the life and achievements of Prime Minister Modi was also screened at the event.

He is the 14th recipient of the award.

Deshpande won Shiv Chhatrapati awards

Noted Mallakhamb coach, Uday Deshpande and aggressive opening batswoman Smriti Mandhana were conferred with Shiv Chhatrapati awards on 17 February 2019.

The awards were presented by Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao.

Among the other award recipients are Suraj Karkera, Sanil Shetty, and Siddhant Thingaliya.

NGO Yuwa won Laureus Sport

Yuwa, a Jharkhand-based NGO won the Laureus Sport for Good award.

The NGO works for the girl empowerment.

The NGO, founded by Americans Franz Gastler and Rose Thomson Gastler in 2009, runs a football program in rural Jharkhand covering 450 girls.

4 girls out of the 450 will receive the award on behalf of Yuwa at The Laureus World Sports Awards.

Sunil Chhetri got Football Ratna

Sunil Chhetri was conferred the first ever Football Ratna honour by Football Delhi.

The award was presented by Football Delhi President Shaji Prabhakaran, a former player, and administrator at the All India Football Federation and FIFA.

Football Delhi also honoured Shubham Sarangi, youth player from Delhi, currently the player of Delhi Dynamos squad for ISL.

Abdul Aziz won major human rights award

Abdul Aziz Muhamat, a Sudanese refugee won the prestigious Martin Ennals human rights prize.

He has been held in Australia’s notorious offshore Manus Island processing centre for over 5 years.

Muhamat, from the Zaghawa ethnic group of Darfur, in north-western Sudan, was granted refugee status in early 2015.

President presented Tagore Award

The President of India presented the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony on 18 Feb 2019 at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra, New Delhi.

The award was presented to Shri Rajkumar Singhajit Singh; Chhayanaut, and Shri Ram Sutar Vanji for the years 2014, 2015 & 2016 respectively.

The award was instituted from 2012.

It is awarded annually and carries an amount of Rs.1 crore, citation, and Plaque.

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.

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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.

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.

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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'.

Francois conferred with Légion d'Honneur

Father Francois Laborde, a 92-year-old priest from West Bengal, was conferred the Légion d'Honneur (Legion of Honour).

The award was given to him for his work for specially-abled children.

Father Laborde had set up Howrah South Point, an organisation working for the development of specially-abled children.

Légion d'Honneur is the highest civilian award of France.

PMAY (U) awards instituted for Implementation

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has instituted the ‘PMAY (U) awards for Implementation and Innovation’.

The Awards will identify and reward the 'Top Performers' in different categories and will encourage others to compete and attain the goal of ‘Housing for All’.

A few Special Category awards to give special recognition to States / UTs have also been instituted.

Yes Bank won Data Science Innovation Award

Yes Bank was announced as the winner of the 9th edition of Aegis Graham Bell Award 2018 for its ‘Yes Engage Enrich Excel (EEE)’ project in data science.

Its EEE program is an industry-first analytics tool that aids the Bank’s relationship managers with top 3 talking points to engage with their customers.

Aegis Graham Bell Award promotes innovations and entrepreneurship in the ICT domain.

Sanjiv Chadha awarded in UK

The State Bank of India’s UK Chief Mr. Sanjiv Chadha has been honored with the ‘Freedom of the City Of London’.

The award was given by the city of London Corporation in recognition of his contribution to promoting bilateral relations.

The previous Indian recipient of the honour is Jawaharlal Nehru, the first PM of India. Other recipients include author J K Rowling and actor Dame Judi Dench.

CPSEs felicitated by Ministry of MSME

Some Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) were felicitated by the Minister of State (I/C) for MSME, Giriraj Singh on 5th Feb 2019.

They were recognised for their exemplary work under the Public Procurement Policy for the promotion of SC/ST entrepreneurs.

14 CPSEs were felicitated under various categories and around 70 participated in the event.

NFDC won award

The National Film Development Corporation of India has been declared winner under the Mini ratna category by the Ministry of MSME.

This was done as a part of the Ministry to felicitate CPSEs to recognise their exemplary work towards promotion of SC/ST entrepreneurs.

NFDC was incorporated in the year 1975 and was formed for the integrated development of the Indian Film Industry.

Uniphore won Aegis Graham Bell Award 2019

Uniphore was announced the winner of the Aegis Graham Bell Award 2019 in 'Innovations and Data Science' category for innovating 'auMina'.

It was the 9th edition of the award ceremony and was hosted in Panaji, Goa on 4th February, 2019.

The Aegis Graham Bell Award has been promoting entrepreneurship and innovations since 2010 in Information and Communication Technology field.

Aribam Shyam returns Padma award in protest

Noted Manipuri filmmaker Aribam Shyam Sharma returned his Padma Shri Award on February 3, 2019.

He received the award in 2006 and returned it to mark a protest against the Citizen (Amendment) Bill.

Sharma is a recipient of several national awards for his films Sangai, Ishanou, Imagi Ningthe, etc.

Tamil Nadu won the Swasth Bharat Yatra award

Tamil Nadu won the 'Swasth Bharat Yatra' award under ‘The Best Performing State’ category on 29 January 2019.

Madurai and Sivakasi were also recognised as the ‘Best Performing Cities’.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) organised the Swasth Bharat Yatra to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi from October 2018 to January 2019.

Days & Events

28 February: National Science Day

National Science Day is celebrated across India on February 28 every year.

Famous Indian scientist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman or CV Raman discovered the Raman Effect on this day in 1928.

The theme for this year is Science for people and people for science.

Sir CV Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for his discovery.

International Mother Language Day: 21 Feb

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The International Mother Language Day is observed every year on 21 February.

The aim of the day to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and promote multilingualism.

The day is known as Bhasha Dibas or Shahid Dibas in West Bengal and Bangladesh.

The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was an initiative of Bangladesh.

20 Feb: World Day of Social Justice

20 February is observed annually as the World Day of Social Justice to promote equal rights and opportunities among people within a country and between nations.

The day was approved on 26 November 2007 by the UN General Assembly.

The theme of 2019 World Day of Social Justice is ‘If You Want Peace & Development, Work for Social Justice’.

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.

Deworming day observed on February 8

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare conducted its eighth round of National Deworming Day (NDD) across the country on 8 February 2019.

The aim of the NDD was to reduce the prevalence of parasitic intestinal worms among children.

During the programme, Albendazole tablets were orally administered to pre-school and school-going children in the age group of 1 to 19 years.

Mega Silk Event held in New Delhi

Ministry of Textiles in association with Central Silk Board, organised an event, 'Surging Silk - Accomplishment and way forward', in New Delhi on 9 February 2019.

The event is being organised to highlight the growth of the silk industry in India over the past 4 years.

It focusses on the distribution of Buniyaad Tasar Silk Reeling Machines to women reelers from tribal areas.

National Road Safety Week launched

The National Road Safety Week was launched on February 4, 2019 by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The aim is to generate awareness and sensitize people about safe road usage.

A motor car rally covering a distance of 7250 km will also be flagged off to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

4th February: World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day is observed every year on 4th February to raise awareness and encourage prevention and treatment of cancer.

It was founded by UICC with an aim to significantly reduce deaths and illness caused by cancer.

Nearly 9.6 million people die every year because of cancer.

Theme for 2019 - 'I Am and I Will'.

UN declares 2019 as Year of the Periodic Table

The United Nations announced 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT) of the Chemical Elements.

IYPT commemorates the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements,

The periodic table was first published in 1869.

It was first designed by the Russian scientist Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev.

World Wetlands Day: 2 February

World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2 February.

It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971.

The international theme for World Wetlands Day 2019 is 'Wetlands and climate change'

World Wetlands Day was first celebrated in 1997.

International Affairs

Alastair Cook recieved knighthood

Alastair Cook received the knighthood in the New Year’s Honours.

He received the honour at a ceremony in the Buckingham Palace and has become the 11th Englishman to be knighted for services to cricket.

Enid Bakewell, a legend of the women’s game received an MBE, while Alvin Kallicharran and Peter Wynne-Thomas were both recognised with a British Empire Medal.

Zimbabwe started trading new currency

Zimbabwe began formal trading of a new currency as it tries to ease a shortage of dollars that’s crushed the economy.

The initial rate for the southern African nation’s currency, known as RTGS dollars, will be 2.5 per US dollar.

The official inflation rate has soared to 57% from less than 4% a year ago.

Princess Reema appointed as Ambassador to U.S

Saudi Arabia appointed Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan as its new Ambassador to the United States on 23 February 2019.

It is the first time that Saudi Arabia named a woman to such a post.

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Princess Reema will replace Prince Khalid bin Salman who took the post in 2017.

Israel's first lunar lander launched

Israel's first lunar lander, Beresheet, was launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on 21 February 2019.

If successful, Israel will be the fourth country to achieve a controlled touchdown on the moon's surface.

Beresheet will reach its destination on the near-side of the moon in mid-April following a two-month journey through 4 million miles (6.5 million km) of space.

Year-long state of emergency decalred in Sudan

On 23 February 2019, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has declared a year-long state of emergency.

He also dissolved his cabinet and local governments throughout the country.

President Omar al-Bashir's term ends in 2020.

The capital of Sudan is Khartoum and its currency is Sudanese pound.

Australian rat becomes extinct

The Australian government officially listed the Bramble Cay melomys as extinct.

The small brown rat has not been seen since 2009.

It was thought to be the only mammal native to the Great Barrier Reef.

It was found only on a small sand island near the coast of Papua New Guinea.

China unveiled first female AI news anchor

China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, unveiled the world's first female AI news anchor to read alongside its male AI news presenters on Feb 21, 2019.

It was developed jointly by Xinhua and search engine company Sogou and was shown off in a video on social media.

It is remarkably lifelike, complete with hand adjustments while on camera, and just enough on-cue blinking.

World's largest bee rediscovered in Indonesia

The world’s largest bee, Flying Bulldog, was rediscovered in a remote part of Indonesia in its first sighting in nearly 40 years on 21 February 2019.

It was discovered in the 19th century by British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and nicknamed the 'flying bulldog'.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has listed the bee as vulnerable.

Iran launched a submarine

Iran launched a new locally-made submarine capable of firing cruise missiles on 17 Feb 2019.

Named the Fateh, the new submarine is Iran's first in the semi-heavy category.

The near 600-tonne underwater vessel is equipped with torpedoes and naval mines in addition to cruise missiles.

It can operate more than 200 metres below sea level for up to 35 days.

JP Morgan: first to create cryptocurrency

US investment bank, JP Morgan Chase became the first US bank to offer its own cryptocurrency.

The cryptocurrency, called 'JPM Coin' will always have a value equivalent to one US dollar.

It will be initially used internally between JPMorgan Chase's wholesale business clients.

The bank had also built an Ethereum-based blockchain platform for business customers in 2018.

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.

Macedonia joined NATO

Macedonia signed an accord to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

By this, it became the 30th member of NATO.

The Macedonia-NATO accord followed a deal with Greece, which ended a 27-year-old dispute over Macedonia’s name.

NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance between North American and European countries.

Macedonia Capital: Skopje.

Currency: Macedonian Denar.

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Pope and Grand Imam sign historic pledge

Pope and Grand Imam of al-Azhar have signed a historic declaration of fraternity, calling for peace between races, religions, and nations.

Sheikh Ahmed al Tayeb is the head of Sunni Muslim's most prestigious seat of learning and Pope Francis is the leader of the world's Catholics.

The document pledges that Vatican and al-Azhar will work together to fight extremism.

Pope Francis visits UAE

Pope Francis made his historic visit to UAE on 4th February 2019.

Francis attended an inter-religious meeting and held Mass at Zayed Sports City.

Pope Francis becomes first pontiff to visit Arabian Gulf.

His visit to UAE has highlighted religious freedom.

Iran successfully tests a new cruise missile

Iran has announced a successful test of a new cruise missile having a range of 1,350 km.

The Hoveizeh cruise missile was successfully tested at a range of 1,200 km. It also accurately hit the set target.

It flies at a very low altitude and can be ready in the shortest possible time.

The test coincided with the celebrations of the 1979 Islamic revolution of the country.

'Africa Centre for Climate' launched in Rome

The 'Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable Development' was launched in Rome on 29 January 2019.

The centre has been set by the government of Italy and the United Nations.

The centre will develop innovative solutions for sustainable development, implement the goals of the UN's 2030 Agenda.

It is located near the headquarters of the Food & Agriculture Organisation in Rome.

UNSC extends sanctions against CAR

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted a resolution to extend sanctions against the Central African Republic (CAR) for another year.

The resolution was adopted unanimously by the 15-member council on Jan 31, 2019.

These sanctions include an arms embargo, a travel ban and an asset freeze till January 31, 2020.

Germany, France, UK set up INSTEX

Germany, France and the UK have set up a payment channel with Iran called INSTEX.

This was done to help continue trade with Iran and overcome US sanctions.

This special payment system will help save the Iran nuclear deal by allowing Tehran to keep trading with EU companies.

US had reimposed sanctions on Iran after US President Donald Trump abruptly quit the nuclear accord in 2018.

National Affairs

42 cancer drugs under price control

The government brought 42 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs under price control, capping trade margin at 30%, on 27 February 2019.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has invoked extraordinary powers under Para 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 to control prices.

As NPPA, the MRP for 105 brands will be reduced up to 85%, entailing minimum savings of Rs. 105 crore.

Anthem on plastic-free India launched

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan launched an anthem as a part of a campaign to make India plastic-free by 2022 on 28 February 2019.

'Plastic Waste-Free India' is prepared and produced by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Smriti Manch (PDUSM).

It has been launched in seven languages -- Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu, Malyalam and Kannada.

India's 1st indigenous chip unveiled

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India’s 1st Indigenous Semiconductor Chip was unveiled by semiconductor company, “SIGNALCHIP” for 4G/LTE and 5G NR MODEMs in New Delhi.

4 chips were unveiled at the event, which are- SCBM3412, SCBM3404, SCRF3402, and SCRF4502.

The RF sections cover all LTE/5G-NR bands up to 6GHz and these chips also support positioning using India’s own satellite navigation system, NAVIC.

15,000 acres forest under fire in Bandipur

A fire has ravaged Bandipur, Karnataka, which burnt over 15,000 acres of forest.

Bandipur National Park is a 874-sq.-km forested reserve in the Karnataka.

It is known for its small population of tigers.

The 14th-century Himavad Gopalaswamy Temple offers views from the park's highest peak.

10% quota for weaker sections in Bihar

Bihar government issued a notification to provide 10% quota for weaker sections in general category in jobs and educational institutions.

The reservation is meant for individuals whose annual earning is below 8 lakh rupees and who possess less than 5 acres of agriculture land.

Quota allocation for weaker sections in general category would help in providing more employment.

Bhagavad Gita at ISCKON unveiled

PM Narendra Modi unveiled the Bhagavad Gita prepared by ISKCON Temple devotees in New Delhi on the occasion of Gita Aradhana Mahotsav on 26 February 2019.

It measures over 2.8 meters and weighs more than 800 kg.

It is one of its kind in the world and has the original verses of the Bhagavad Gita along with commentary.

Web Portal launched in Kolkata

West Bengal Education Minister, Partha Chatterjee inaugurated a web portal, 'Banglar Shiksha'.

The portal will provide real-time data on state-run and aided schools.

It will be up and running in two months and is probably the first-of-its-kind online initiative in the state as well as in the country.

Delhi Declaration on digital health adopted

The Delhi Declaration on digital health was adopted at the concluding session of the ‘4th Global Digital Health Partnership Summit'.

The summit was hosted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and WHO.

The declaration will engage citizens in partnering with the government for planning and management of digital health interventions in health services delivery and improving governance.

India Smart Utility Week 2019 begins March 12

Upcoming Conference and Exhibition on Smart Energy, Smart Grid and Smart Cities India Smart Utility Week (ISUW 2019) will be held from 12-16 March 2019, New Delhi.

ISUW 2019 will be inaugurated by Shri AK Bhalla, Secretary, Ministry of Power.

More than 40 International Organisations and experts from more than 55 countries and 300+ utility officials will participate in the event.

Bihar: 1st state to have special dog squad

Bihar has become the first state in India to have a special dog squad for detecting liquor consignment.

The state also imposed a complete ban on liquor 2 years ago.

20 trained dogs are a part of the squad at present and were provided 9 months of intense training in Hyderabad.

The dog squads are handled by Crime Investigation Department (CID).

6 bronze murals created by Ram Sutar

The 6 bronze murals located in the Veerta Chakra zone at the National War Memorial, have been created by Ram Sutar, credited with designing the Statue of Unity.

Its design draws inspiration from the ''Chakravyuh'' formation.

The Noida-based sculptor, a Padma Bhushan-recipient also created the busts of 21 awardees of the Param Veer Chakra (PVC).

Smriti Irani inaugurated Titanwala Museum

Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the ‘Titanwala Museum’ in Bagru, Rajasthan on 25 February 2019.

The museum showcases the Chhipa community’s hand-block printing.

It will be open from Monday to Sunday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

NID inaugurated at Bhopal and Jorhat

National Institutes of Design (NID) at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Jorhat in Assam was inaugurated.

Both institutes are autonomous under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

NID Bhopal will begin its academic journey from July 2019 with 60 students in 4-year undergraduate courses.

Rail Drishti Dashboard launched

Minister of Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal launched 'Rail Drishti Dashboard' on 25 February 2019.

The url of the dashboard is 'raildrishti.cris.org.in'.

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The Dashboard has been launched to keep people informed about the work going on in the Railways across the country.

It can be accessed using a desktop/laptop or mobile devices.

National War Memorial inaugurated

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National War Memorial in Delhi on 25 February 2019.

It will thereafter become the place for wreath-laying of all designated events such as Republic Day.

The National War Memorial will commemorate the soldiers who died in wars and operations, including counter-terrorism, since Independence.

MSME Ministry's conclave on Women Entrepreneur

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises organised a conclave on 'Empowering Women Entrepreneurs 2019, Financing and Enabling Women from Marginalised Sections' in Mumbai on 25 February 2019.

It was organised under the National SC-ST initiative of the MSME Ministry.

Entrepreneurs and inspirational women achievers were awarded with 'Enterprising Women of the Year 2018 Awards'.

EVMs are 'information' under RTI Act

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has ruled that an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is 'information' under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

This implies the Election Commission has to respond to an RTI application seeking the EVM either by providing it or refusing it under exemption clauses in the Act.

The CIC is the highest adjudicating authority in RTI matters.

Government of India to host construction expo

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry will hold a two-day construction expo and conference - 'Construction Technology India' (CTI) in New Delhi from 2 March 2019.

The expo will be organised under its Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC) initiative.

Stakeholders across the world will showcase their best technologies to build houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U).

Rapid transit system approved

On 19 February 2019, the government of India approved the construction of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit system (RRTS).

The corridor is expected to connect the cities to the centre with a high-speed dedicated rail connector.

The proposed RRTS will be implemented as a joint venture by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) and the state governments.

KP-BOT launched in Kerala

Kerala police has become first police department in the country to use a humanoid 'robocop' for police work.

The name of the robot is KP-BOT and it has been given a Sub Inspector or SI ranking.

It was developed by Kerala Police Cyberdome.

It will be stationed to perform front office duties at the police headquarters.

OMCs to appoint women as 'Ujjwala Didis'

Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) will appoint more than 10,000 rural women as 'Ujjwala Didis' in Odisha.

'Ujjwala Didis' will act as grassroot energy ambassadors across Odisha to ensure sustainability of LPG use.

They will act as a bridge between existing and prospective LPG consumers and the distributors in the state of Odisha.

Aero India 2019 celebrates Women’s Day

Highlighting the achievements of Women in Aviation, ‘Women’s Day’ was celebrated on 23 February 2019 at the biennial Aero India 2019 expo.

It was held at the Yelahanka base of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Women achievers in the aviation sector were felicitated on the occasion and a book and film on 'Women in Aviation' was also released.

Aero India show will continue till 24 February 2019.

Suresh Prabhu inaugurates various projects

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu inaugurated projects worth Rs. 1000 crore on 22 February 2019.

He inaugurated skilling Common Facility Centre (CFC) in Udupi, Karnataka.

Two spices parks at Kota in Rajasthan and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh were also inaugurated.

He also inaugurated National Institute of Design campus in Assam and Madhya Pradesh.

Tamil Nadu gets 2 Coast Guard districts

Tamil Nadu became the first state in the country to get a second Coast Guard district headquarters in Thoothukudi.

The first district headquarters are in Chennai.

The Thoothukudi district headquarters were set up with an aim to augment security mechanism on the eastern coast.

It will function under the administrative and operational control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (East).

Medical Fair India 2019 began in New Delhi

A 3-day medical trade show, Medical Fair India (MFI) 2019, kickstarted on 21 February 2019.

It will see the participation of global medical device manufacturers, healthcare experts, industry bodies, think tanks and policymakers from over 25 countries.

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The MFI is being organised by Messe Dusseldorf India, the world's leading trade fair organiser and exhibitions service provider.

Home Ministry ordered pan-India survey

Ministry of Home Affairs commissioned the Bureau of Police Research and Development to conduct a pan-India survey called, All India Citizens Survey of Police Services.

The survey will be conducted through the National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi.

The 9-month survey will cover a representative sample of 1.2 lakh households spread over 173 districts across the country.

BEL unveiled its new product

Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) unveiled its new product, the Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) at Aero India 2019 on 21 Feb 2019.

It was inaugurated by the Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat.

The AWG can be used to generate water straight from the humidity present in the atmosphere.

It is configurable in static and mobile (vehicular) versions.

'Waste to Wonder' Park inaugurated

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the “Waste to Wonder” Park under the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) in New Delhi on 21 Feb,19.

He also lauded SDMC for improving its rank from 202 to 32 in Swachh Sarvekshan, 2018 ranking.

Some of the main attractions of the “Seven Wonders Park” are the different sized tall replicas of Taj Mahal, the Great Pyramid of Giza, etc.

Virtual Experiential Museum inaugurated

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Virtual Experiential Museum (VEM) in Man Mahal in Varanasi on 19 February 2019.

VEM will show a glimpse of various cultural aspects of Varanasi.

VEM was established by the National Council of Science Museum (NCSM) working under the Ministry of Culture.

Man Mahal is a Centrally Protected Monument under Archeological Survey of India.

Ranking on Startup initiatives launched

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) released second edition of 'Startup Ranking for 2019' on 20 February 2019.

The Startup Ranking framework aims to rank the States/UTs for establishing a robust ecosystem for supporting Startups.

The Ranking Framework 2019 comprises of 7 pillars and 30 action points.

12th edition of 'Aero India 2019' inaugurated

'Aero India 2019' was inaugurated by the Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at Yelahanka Air Force station in Bengaluru on 20 February 2019.

It showcased India’s air defence prowess and manufacturing capabilities.

It is organised by the Ministry of Defence.

This edition of Aero India, for the first time, combines the defence and civil aviation segments into a holistic event.

1st Mega Food Park of Tripura inaugurated

Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti inaugurated Sikaria Mega Food Park Pvt Ltd in Agartala on 20 February 2019.

This is the first Mega Food Park in the state of Tripura.

The food park is having facilities of fully operational Dry warehouse, Quality Control, Research and Development Centre etc.

The food park is the 18th of its kind in the country.

3-day International Conference inaugurated

An International Conference and Exhibition on Energy and Environment - Challenges and Opportunities (ENCO-2019), is being held from 20th to 22nd February 2019 in New Delhi.

It aims to deliberate and identify the R&D needs to innovate new techniques, technologies and applications.

The conference was inaugurated by the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind.

Dept of Fisheries: New posts approved

The Union Cabinet approved one post of Secretary and one post of Joint Secretary in the in the Department of Fisheries on a permanent basis.

Newly created posts would enable the Department of Fisheries to undertake/monitor number of projects/schemes for development of the sector.

The department of fisheries was recently introduced in the interim budget of 2019.

Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, inaugrated

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, visited BHU in Varanasi on 19 Feb 2019.

He inaugurated Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Cancer Hospital and Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, Lahartara.

PM also dedicated first New Bhabhatron with precision technology, to the nation.

4 projects launched by Textile Minister

Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Irani, launched 4 projects in North East for development of silk sector through video conference in New Delhi on 19 February 2019.

She inaugurated Muga silk seed production centre in Tura, Meghalaya and silk printing and processing unit in Agartala.

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New office buildings of Weavers Service Centres (WSC) in Indore, MP and Kannur, Kerala were also inaugurated.

Eco Circuit project inaugurated

K.J. Alphons, Union Minister for Tourism inaugurated the project ‘Development of Eco Circuit: Pathanamthitta – Gavi – Vagamon – Thekkady’ in Kerala.

This Eco Circuit project was sanctioned in December 2015.

Major works carried out under the project includes Eco-Adventure Tourism Park at Vagamon, Cultural Centre at Kadamanitta, and more.

Cyber crime fighting facility inaugurated

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a state-of-the-art national cyber forensic lab (NCFL) and the Delhi Police's cybercrime unit 'CyPAD' on 18 Feb 2019.

With this initiative, law enforcers will be able to proactively address cyber threats.

Both the cybercrime fighting units are based in a complex at Dwarka, Sector 16C.

Number 112 launched for women safety

Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched the Emergency Response Support System, ERSS, for women's safety in 16 states and Union territories.

Persons in distress can dial a pan-India number: 112.

The Home Minister also launched 2 portals - Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences and Safe City Implementation Monitoring Portal.

3 initiatives on women safety launched

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has conceptualised 3 initiatives to promote the safety of women in their living, working, and public spaces.

These were launched jointly by the Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh and WCD Minister, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi in New Delhi on 18 Feb 2019.

These 3 include Panic Button, SCIM portal, and DNA Analysis Facilities in States.

Steel Minister dedicates SPU to nation

Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender Singh dedicated SAIL’s Steel Processing Unit (SPU) at Bettiah in West Champaran, Bihar to the nation on 18 Feb 2019.

This unit will produce high-quality steel tubes and pipes.

With an installed capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year, this Unit will play an important role in the development of the predominantly agriculture intensive area.

International Vision Zero Conference held

A 3-day Conference on the VISION ZERO and its relevance to Occupational Safety and Health is being held from 18-20 Feb,19 in Mumbai.

The Conference is been organised by Directorate General Factory Advice and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI).

The Vision is based on principles of Controlling Risks, Ensuring Safety and Health in Machines, Equipment and Workplaces and Skill Upgradation of Workforce.

Conference on Pharma inaugurated

The 4th edition of India’s biggest Global Conference on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices was inaugurated in Bengaluru on 18 Feb 2019.

The theme of ‘India Pharma 2019’ is ‘Enabling Quality Affordable Healthcare & that of ‘India Medical Device 2019’ is ‘Accelerating Growth to Achieve Universal Healthcare’.

The event was organized by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) and FICCI.

Book dedicated to Swami Pragyanandji launched

A book dedicated to Late eminent Vedanti Swami Pragyanandji was launched by Governor of West Bengal H.E Keshari Nath Tripathi.

The book is written by Famous Industrialist and Philanthropist Mr. Dinesh Shahra.

It is primarily aimed at offering saintly wisdom and guidance to lead a content and happy life.

Drainage-cleaning robot introduced in Chennai

A drainage-cleaning robot has been introduced for the first time in Chennai as part of efforts to get rid of manual scavenging.

The robot named Bandicoot was introduced at a cost of 18 lakh rupees and was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Minister Kadambur Raju.

Drainage cleaning can be detected by viewing the blockages on the screen.

Tabreed to build cooling system

A UAE-based international cooling provider entered into a 30-year concession with Andhra Pradesh government to build India's first district cooling system in Amaravati.

The agreement was signed between the National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed) and Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA).

This will be the company's first plant outside its GCC market.

Banned Punjabi poem will be published

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A poem on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, 'Khooni Vaisakhi', by Punjabi writer Nanak Singh has now been translated into English.

It was banned by the British in 1920.

Singh was present at Jallianwala Bagh on April 13, 1919, and was 22 years old at the time.

It will be published by Harper Collins India in March to mark the centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Odisha CM inaugurated development projects

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects in Kalahandi district on 16 Feb 2019.

He inaugurated the Red Medium Irrigation Project which will benefit 79 villages and provide irrigation facility for 8500 hectares of agricultural land.

Apart from this, he laid foundation stones for 38 development projects and launched 23 projects.

DEPWD organised conference on DDRS scheme

A Regional Conference on Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) was held at Kolkata, West Bengal on 18 Feb 2019.

It was organised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD).

Under the scheme, every year more than 600 NGOs are provided with financial assistance for running their projects for the rehabilitation of persons with disability.

IBBI organised 2-day workshop

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), organised a 2-day workshop on “Committee of Creditors: An Institution of Public Faith” on 15-16 Feb,19 in Mumbai.

It was the first of its kind organised jointly with State Bank of India (SBI) & Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA).

Dr. MS Sahoo (Chairperson-IBBI) & Mr. Rajnish Kumar (Chairman-SBI) were some of the faculty members.

PM visited Dhule in Maharashtra

PM Modi visited Dhule in Maharashtra to unveil multiple projects in the state.

He inaugurated Lower Panazara medium Project under PMKSY, which will irrigate about 7585 hectares area of 21 villages of Dhule.

He also flagged off Bhusaval- Bandra Khandesh Express Train through a video link.

He laid the foundation stone of the Water Supply Scheme and Underground Sewer Project under AMRUT.

PM unveiled development projects in Bihar

PM Narendra Modi unveiled projects in Barauni on 17 Feb 2019 to boost development in various sectors.

He laid the foundation stone of Patna Metro Rail Project and inaugurated the Phulpur to Patna stretch of the Jagdishpur-Varanasi Natural Gas pipeline.

He also inaugurated the 1st phase of River Front Development at Patna and laid foundation Stone for the Karmalichak Sewerage Network.

PM visited Hazaribagh

PM Narendra Modi visited Hazaribagh in Jharkhand on 17 February 2019 to unveil several development projects.

He inaugurated the Medical Colleges at Hazaribagh, Dumka, and Palamu.

He also inaugurated 4 Rural Water Supply Schemes in Ramgarh and Hazaribagh districts.

He e-inaugurated the Only Women Engineering College at Ramgarh.

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.

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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.

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.

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

1st LAWASIA Human Rights Conference 2019 held

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.

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Dera Baba Nanak land: Immigration check point

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

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.

Ladakh became third administrative division

On 8 February 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir government approved the creation of a separate Administrative Revenue Division for Ladakh.

This division will comprise Leh and Kargil districts with its headquarters at Leh.

Two posts of Divisional Commissioner and Inspector General of Police (IGP) were created.

Now J&K will have three divisions - Jammu, Ladakh, and Kashmir.

IITM establishes new AI & data science centre

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has inaugurated the Robert Bosch Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.

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The mission of the new centre is to create a societal impact on core challenges in data science (DS) and artificial intelligence (AI).

It will be done through multidisciplinary interactions with government, academic, research and industrial collaborators.

ECI launched VVIP for General Elections 2019

The Election Commission of India has launched a Voter Verification and Information Programme (VVIP) on 8 February 2019.

The VVIP programme is for citizens for verifications of their names, new registrations, changes in the voter details and corrections in the Voter Id Cards for the upcoming General Elections 2019.

ECI has also set up Contact centres in all districts across India.

PM laid the foundation for NH Project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the four laning of the Falakata-Salsalabari section of NH-31 D in the northern part of West Bengal on 8 February 2019.

This 41.7 Km long section of the National Highway falls in the Jalpaiguri district.

It will have 3 railway over bridges, 3 underpasses, 2 flyovers, 17 minor bridges, and 8 bridges.

Chennai Police launches 'DigiCop' app

Chennai Police Commissioner launched 'DigiCop' mobile app on 6 February 2019.

The user can lodge mobile theft complaints using the app and can check if the user’s mobile is in the police list of retrieved mobiles.

Through the app, the user can also know the traffic condition in the city and also information about nearby police stations.

Nitin Gadkari laid foundation of NH project

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, laid the foundation for 5 National Highway projects of length 632 km in Ayodhya on 8 Feb 2019.

The estimated cost is Rs. 7195 crore and the project will establish direct connectivity from Ayodhya to Ambedkarnagar and Chitrakoot.

He will also visit Prayagraj to inaugurate Phase 2 of River Information System on National Waterway-1.

Suresh Prabhu addresses interactive session

An interactive session on the Indo-Africa Strategic Economic Co-operation was held in New Delhi on 6th Feb 2019.

It was organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The bilateral trade between Africa and India has increased from $7 billion in 2001 to $78 billion in 2014 and then $60 billion in 2017.

Suresh Prabhu is the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation.

India's oldest elephant died at 88

'Granny Dakshayani', India's oldest elephant in captivity died at 88 in Kerala.

She was awarded with the title 'Gaja Muthassi' and also took part in the temple processions and rituals for decades.

India has around 2,454 elephants in captivity as per a survey released last month.

Establishment of Circuit Bench approved

The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved the establishment of Circuit Bench of Calcutta High Court on 6th Feb 2019 at Jalpaiguri.

It will have jurisdiction over 4 courts, which are Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, and Darjeeling.

The decision came against the backdrop of the decision of the Calcutta High Court Full Court Meeting in 1988.

CCEA approves 12,000 MW power projects

The CCEA chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved the proposal for setting up 12,000 MW Solar PV Power Projects.

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The proposal was by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for the implementation of the CPSU scheme Phase-II for setting up these projects.

The power projects will be set up in 4 years at a cost of Rs. 48,000 crores.

4th conference of AYUSH inaugurated

The 4th conference of UTs / AYUSH / Health Ministers of States was inaugurated by Shripad Naik, Minister of State of AYUSH on 6th February 2019.

The conference was organised to provide an opportunity to UT/States to interact with each other for the development of AYUSH sector.

It also reviewed progress made by States and UTs in the implementation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the NAM.

Amitabh Bachchan stars in national campaign

The Swachh Bharat Mission launched the 'Darwaza Band- Part 2' campaign on 6th Feb 2019 in Mumbai.

The campaign was produced by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation was launched in the presence of iconic actor Amitabh Bachchan.

The campaign focuses on sustaining the open defecation free status of village across the country.

Swine flu claimed 226 lives across the country

Swine flu has claimed 226 lives across the country, with the worst hit in Rajasthan claiming 85 deaths.

2,263 patients have been found positive with influenza as per the NCDC report.

A meeting was held on 6th February 2019 by the Ministry of Health headed by Preeti Sudan to take action to deal with it.

Swine flu is caused by H1N1 virus and has symptoms similar to the regular flu.

PM to flag off Vande Bharat Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag-off Vande Bharat Express on 15th February, 2019 from the New Delhi Railway Station.

It is India's first engineless train.

The train has been manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai and has become India's fastest train.

It hit the speed of over 180 kmph during a trial run at the Delhi-Mumbai Rajdhani route.

Earlier, it was named Train 18.

Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen banned: MHA

J&K-based Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen has been banned by the Home Ministry.

The group that came into existence in 1990 has been fighting for the liberation of Kashmir, and was also involved in a series of terror acts.

A lot of cases have been registered by the J&K police in which TuM has played a major role in the commission of terror acts.

Bullet train to pass through Sanctuary

A committee chaired by Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan has accorded wildlife clearance to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train corridor.

The corridor encroaches upon the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and flamingo sanctuary, the home to leopards, in Mumbai.

The project for India's first bullet train was inaugurated in September 2017 by PM Narendra Modi.

Develop app to help the blind: Bombay HC

The Bombay High Court asked the RBI to develop a mobile app to help the blind identify the denomination of various currency notes of India.

Justice NM Jamdar and Justice Naresh patil also directed RBI to develop a hardware-driven device to help the blind identify Indian currency denominations.

RBI has been granted 4 weeks to look into the suggestions.

Bhoomipoojan of 3 National Highway Projects

Nitin Gadkari did Bhoomipoojan of 3 National Highway projects in Odisha.

132 km long Highways will be constructed with worth Rs. 2345 crores.

He also inaugurated port projects worth Rs. 431 crores.

The National Highway projects will ensure better connectivity of the mineral-rich Angul and Dhenkanal districts of Odisha.

Kerala:1st state to set price monitoring unit

Kerala has become the first state to set up a Price Monitoring and Research Unit to track the violation of prices of medical devices and essential drugs.

The move came more than 5 years after NPPA proposed such a system for the states and UTs.

Pinarayi Vijayan is the CM of Kerala and Palaniswamy Sathasivam is the Governor of Kerala.

New project approved by Union Government

A new project to control pollution in the river Sal in Goa was sanctioned by the Union government on 4th February 2019.

The project will have a cost of Rs, 61.74 crores and will be borne by the Centre and state on 60:40 basis.

It will significantly reduce the pollution in the river and improve its water quality.

Women allowed to work in underground mines

Women have been allowed to work in opencast and underground mines, as a part of the government's efforts to create more employment opportunities for women.

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New rules have been issued by the labour ministry allowing to work from 7 pm - 6 am in opencast mines.

The employment of women in underground mines was restricted earlier under the Mines Act, 1952.

Meeting of IORA in Delhi

A meeting of Indian Ocean Rim Association will be organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Disaster Management Authority in New Delhi on 5-6 February 2019.

The aim is to help strengthen cooperation in disaster response.

IORA is an inter governmental organisation which has 22 disaster-prone countries as its members.

Headquarters: Mauritius

Founded: 1995

Air India's first Flight Simulator ready

Air India's first ever Flight Simulator, Boeing-747-200 is ready for public view at Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai.

It was extensively used by the pilots and was manufactured and designed by CAE, Canada.

It was acquired by Air India in 1980 and was in service for about 21 years.

A Memorandum of Agreement was also signed between AAI and National Council of Science Museums for worth 2 crores.

Development of MSMEs

Giriraj Singh, Minister of State for MSME said that MSMEs have supported inclusive development and growth across the country.

It reduces the regional imbalance.

He said that 117 aspirational districts have been identified in the country by NITI Aayog and the Ministry has taken measures to accelerate MSME development efforts in these districts.

Foundation stone laid for new terminal in Leh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for construction of new terminal building of the KBR airport in Leh.

The new terminal will have all the modern amenities and will provide a seamless passenger movement.

Apart from this, he also inaugurated several other development projects including the University of Ladakh and hydroelectric projects.

Development projects unveiled by PM in J&K

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a series of development projects in Jammu and Kashmir in order to give a boost to the infrastructure in the state.

He also laid the foundation stone of AIIMS at Vijaypur in Samba and announced that 500 seats in the state medical colleges will be added soon.

Apart from these, he also laid the foundation stone for construction of 2 hydroelectric projects.

Centre to install 1500 manual stations by 2024

The Centre has aimed to install 300 real time air quality monitoring systems and 1500 manual stations by 2024 across the country.

Around 731 manual and 150 real time stations are currently installed in 70 cities, of which 48 are in the national capital.

A few of these installations will also be a part of the National Clean Air Programme recently launched to reduce 20-30% pollution by 2024.

Dolphin declared as state aquatic animal

On 1 February 2019, the endangered Indus River dolphin was declared as Punjab's State aquatic animal.

In Punjab, the Indus River Dolphins are found mainly in the Sutlej and Beas rivers.

The decision was taken in the Punjab State Wildlife Board presided over by the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

NAHEP launched by ICAR

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) to attract talent and strengthen higher agricultural education in the country.

This project will be funded by the World Bank and the Indian Government on a 50:50 basis.

The second Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) was established in Barahi, Jharkhand.

Two Railway projects launched in West Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the electrification project of 294 kilometres long 'Andal- Sainthia-Pakur-Malda' and 'Khana- Sainthia' railway sections in West Bengal on 2 February 2019.

Electrification of these sections will ease the transportation of coal, stone chips and ballast to North and North East India.

He also inaugurated the Hijli-Narayangarh railway line.

'Road Safety Week' will be launched on 4 Feb

The 30th 'National Road Safety Week 2019' will be inaugurated in New Delhi on 4 February 2019.

It will be attended by a host of school children, NGOs, and stakeholders in road safety from Government and industry.

A Motorcar Rally will also be flagged off on the occasion to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Interim Budget 2019-20: Allocation

The Railways has been allocated Rs.64,587 Cr in the Interim Budget 2019-20.

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Infrastructure allocation for north eastern areas was increased by 21% to Rs. 58,166 Cr in 2019-20.

Rs 1330 Cr was provided for the Mission for Protection and Empowerment for Women for 2019-20.

Defence budget was hiked to Rs 3,05,296 Cr

Interim Budget 2019-20:Rural development

Government has allocated Rs 60000 crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Rs 19000 crore has been allocated for Gram Sadak Yojana for construction of more rural roads.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and 2.5 crore rural households were electrified.

No Income Tax for incomes up to ₹5 lakh

Govt. announced that individual taxpayers with annual income up to ₹5 lakh will not have to pay any Income Tax.

Those with gross income of up to ₹6.5 lakh also won't have to pay any tax if they make investments in prescribed methods.

This will give ₹18,500 cr tax benefit to 3 cr middle class people.

He also said that Income Tax returns will be processed in 24 hours and refund initiated.

Bharat Parv concluded on Jan 31 in Delhi

The closing ceremony of ‘Bharat Parv’ took place in Delhi on 31st Jan, 2019 in the presence of Union Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons.

The Parv was organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India at the Red Fort, New Delhi from 26th to 31st January, 2019.

27 States participated in the event by setting up of Stalls, Showcasing their food, handicrafts and tourism products.

PETROTECH-2019 from 10-12 Feb, 2019

13th International Oil & Gas Conference & Exhibition 'PETROTECH-2019' will be organised from 10th to 12th February, 2019 in New Delhi.

It is being organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, GoI.

The PETROTECH-2019 Exhibition will see participation of over 13 country pavilions and about 750 exhibitors from over 40 countries

OPD Wing of ESIC Hospital inaugurated

Minister of State (I/C) for Labour & Employment S.K. Gangwar, inaugurated OPD Wing of ESIC AYUSH Hospital, Narela in Delhi.

This is the first dedicated Ayush Hospital of Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and is being constructed with a cost of Rs. 30 crores.

All the facilities under Ayush such as Ayurvedic, Homeopathic, Siddha, Unani and Yoga will be provided in this hospital.

DAC Approves 6 Project 75(I) Submarines

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved indigenous construction of six submarines for the Indian Navy on 31st January, 2019.

This is the second project under MoD’s Strategic Partnership (SP) model and will cost over Rs 40,000 crores.

The DAC also approved the acquisition of approximately 5000 Milan Anti Tank Guided Missiles for the Army.

Budget session of Parliament Begins

The budget session of Parliament started on 31st January, 2019 with President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint sitting of both the Houses.

The Budget will be presented on 1st February, 2019.

The session will conclude on the 13th February, 2019.

Books & Authors

Bhagavad Gita at ISCKON unveiled

PM Narendra Modi unveiled the Bhagavad Gita prepared by ISKCON Temple devotees in New Delhi on the occasion of Gita Aradhana Mahotsav on 26 February 2019.

It measures over 2.8 meters and weighs more than 800 kg.

It is one of its kind in the world and has the original verses of the Bhagavad Gita along with commentary.

Book launched by Venkaiah Naidu

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu launched a book titled 'Quality, Accreditation and Ranking - A Silent Revolution in the Offing in Indian Higher Education'.

The book is edited by (Education Promotion Society for India) EPSI's Alternate President, Dr. H Chaturvedi.

It consists of articles & essays authored by some of the prominent educationists and policymakers on Indian Higher Education.

Book dedicated to Swami Pragyanandji launched

A book dedicated to Late eminent Vedanti Swami Pragyanandji was launched by Governor of West Bengal H.E Keshari Nath Tripathi.

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The book is written by Famous Industrialist and Philanthropist Mr. Dinesh Shahra.

It is primarily aimed at offering saintly wisdom and guidance to lead a content and happy life.

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.

'Law, Justice & Judicial Power' book launched

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, received the first copy of the book 'Law, Justice and Judicial Power – Justice PN Bhagwati’s Approach' on 8 February 2019.

The book is written by Mool Chand Sharma.

Justice Bhagwati has been called the father of Public Interest Litigation in India.

Personalities in News

Sanath Jayasuriya banned for 2 years

Former Sri Lankan Cricket captain, Sanath Jayasuriya has been banned from cricket for two years.

He admitted breaching two counts of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

Sri Lankan cricket has been under investigation by ICC for last few years.

Apurvi Chandela won gold in 10m rifle

Apurvi Chandela has won the gold medal in the women's 10-meter air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup 2019 in New Delhi.

This is India's first medal of the ISSF World Cup 2019.

She set a new world record by registering a score of 252.9 points in the final match.

Zhao Ruozhu and Xu Hong of China won the silver and bronze medal respectively.

Hindi author Namvar Singh died

Celebrated Hindi author and literary critic, Namwar Singh died on 19 February 2019.

He received the Sahitya Akademi award for literary criticism in the year 1971 for `Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman'.

He was the first chairman of JNU’s Centre of Indian Languages.

He has authored over a dozen works including Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman, Chhayavaad, and Dusari Parampara Ki Khoj.

Mary Kom became women's training ambassador

World amateur boxing champion M.C. Mary Kom signed a 2-year deal with Puma to be their ambassador for women’s training in India.

She is a bronze medallist at the 2012 Olympics and won her record 6th gold medal at the World Amateur Boxing Championships in November 2018.

Puma India’s managing director is Abhishek Ganguly.

Saudi Prince in India

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in New Delhi on visit on 19 February 2019.

He is being closely watched after his 2-day stint in Pakistan, where he praised Islamabad's efforts for "regional peace and security" just days after Pulwama attack.

He announced investments worth 20 billion dollars at the end of his two-day visit to Islamabad on 18 February 2019.

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.

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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.

Sanjiv Chadha awarded in UK

The State Bank of India’s UK Chief Mr. Sanjiv Chadha has been honored with the ‘Freedom of the City Of London’.

The award was given by the city of London Corporation in recognition of his contribution to promoting bilateral relations.

The previous Indian recipient of the honour is Jawaharlal Nehru, the first PM of India. Other recipients include author J K Rowling and actor Dame Judi Dench.

Parmanu Tech 2019

Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of the DoNER, delivered a keynote address at the 'Parmanu Tech 2019' conference on 6th February 2019.

It was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and Department of Atomic Energy in Delhi.

The conference also discussed issues related to Radiation Technologies and Nuclear Energy.

Sana Mir: 1st woman cricketer to play 100 T20s

Sana Mir from Pakistan became the first Asian woman cricketer to play 100 T20 international matches.

She achieved the milestone during the final T20 against West Indies in Karachi.

Overall, she is the 6th woman cricketer to complete a century of T20 internationals. Daendra Dottin from West Indies ranks first with a total of 109 T20Is to her name.

Aribam Shyam returns Padma award in protest

Noted Manipuri filmmaker Aribam Shyam Sharma returned his Padma Shri Award on February 3, 2019.

He received the award in 2006 and returned it to mark a protest against the Citizen (Amendment) Bill.

Sharma is a recipient of several national awards for his films Sangai, Ishanou, Imagi Ningthe, etc.

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.

Books and Authors

Bhagavad Gita at ISCKON unveiled

PM Narendra Modi unveiled the Bhagavad Gita prepared by ISKCON Temple devotees in New Delhi on the occasion of Gita Aradhana Mahotsav on 26 February 2019.

It measures over 2.8 meters and weighs more than 800 kg.

It is one of its kind in the world and has the original verses of the Bhagavad Gita along with commentary.

Book launched by Venkaiah Naidu

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu launched a book titled 'Quality, Accreditation and Ranking - A Silent Revolution in the Offing in Indian Higher Education'.

The book is edited by (Education Promotion Society for India) EPSI's Alternate President, Dr. H Chaturvedi.

It consists of articles & essays authored by some of the prominent educationists and policymakers on Indian Higher Education.

Book dedicated to Swami Pragyanandji launched

A book dedicated to Late eminent Vedanti Swami Pragyanandji was launched by Governor of West Bengal H.E Keshari Nath Tripathi.

The book is written by Famous Industrialist and Philanthropist Mr. Dinesh Shahra.

It is primarily aimed at offering saintly wisdom and guidance to lead a content and happy life.

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.

'Law, Justice & Judicial Power' book launched

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, received the first copy of the book 'Law, Justice and Judicial Power – Justice PN Bhagwati’s Approach' on 8 February 2019.

The book is written by Mool Chand Sharma.

Justice Bhagwati has been called the father of Public Interest Litigation in India.

Government Policies & Schemes

Schemes - II

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Karnataka is set to launch a major water conservation scheme titled ‘Jalamrutha’, which focusses on drought-proofing measures, including protection and rejuvenation of water bodies.

Haryana CM, Manohar Lal Khattar announced the "Mukhyamantri Parivar Samman Nidhi" scheme for farmers of the state cultivating up to five acres of land and

families having income less than R 15,000 per month.

Schemes - I

Tamil Nadu CM, Edappadi K. Palaniswami launched the 'Athikadavu-Avinashi Groundwater Recharge Scheme' in Coimbatore, Tirupur, and Erode districts.

Odisha CM, Naveen Patnaik sanctioned an additional amount of Rs 1,000 crore for drinking water supply projects under the Basudha scheme.

Jammu and Kashmir government launched portal

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik launched an official portal, State Infrastructure Monitoring System (SIMS).

It will provide a single platform for all the state departments to upload the information of their respective languishing projects.

The portal will deal with the management, monitoring, information and payment system of infrastructure projects.

HRD ministry launched new scheme

The Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS) was launched on 27 February 2019.

It has been launched for providing industry apprenticeship opportunities to fresh graduates.

The scheme is a programme basket comprising the initiatives of 3 central ministries-HRD, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, and Labour & Employment.

MSP for minor forest produces launched

The Minimum Support Price for Minor Forest Produces and the Value Addition component of Van Dhan was launched on 28 February 2019 in New Delhi.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is now scaling up the 'Van Dhan Scheme' and is ready to extend it to all tribal Districts of the country.

Friends of Tribes Scheme for sourcing of CSR funds from Public Sector Organisations (PSUs) was also launched.

Assam launched PRANAM Commission

Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal launched the 'Parents Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring' (PRANAM) Commission in Guwahati on February 26, 2019.

It is a panel set up to look after the issues concerning a Bill, for protection of parents of state government employees.

It is an effort to protect elderly parents of government employees in their times of need.

Nua Odisha inaugurated

Nua Odisha - Dharmapada Samvaad-Skill Saathi Youth Conclave was inaugurated at Rail Auditorium in Bhubaneswar on 25 February 2019.

The first-ever Skill Saathi Youth Conclave was aired live across 427 locations in Odisha.

More than 2 lakh candidates were mobilized for career counseling under Skill Saathi initiative.

7-NH projects to come up in Kangra

Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for seven National Highway projects in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district on 24 February 2019.

The projects are likely to benefit the local people by way of increased tourism, safe journey, reduced travel time etc.

The projects include four-laning of Punjab-Himachal Pradesh Border to Sihuni.

Action plan for viral hepatitis launched

The government of India launched the 'National Action Plan - Viral Hepatitis' in Mumbai on 24 February 2019.

The aim of the programme is to combat hepatitis and achieve countrywide elimination of Hepatitis C by 2030.

The action plan takes forward the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program launched by the Union Health Minister in July 2018.

PM-KISAN scheme launched from Gorakhpur

Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh on 24 February 2019.

Under the Scheme, Rs 6,000 will be given per year to small and marginal farmer families having a combined land holding of up to 2 hectares.

The amount will be transferred directly to the bank account of beneficiaries through Direct Benefits Transfer.

Sweet Revolution scheme launched in Jharkhand

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das launched the first phase of the Rs 100-crore ‘Meethi Kranti’ or Sweet Revolution Scheme on 21 February 2019.

As per the scheme, 1,207 farmers will be given Rs 1 lakh for bee keeping.

Of the amount, Rs 80,000 grant will be given by the government of Jharkhand, while the payment of Rs 20,000 will be done by the beneficiary.

100-day job guarantee scheme launched in MP

Madhya Pradesh government launched its flagship ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Swabhiman Yojana’ on 22 February 2019.

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The scheme guarantees 100 days of employment every year to urban youth from economically weaker sections.

Under the new scheme, each youth will get Rs. 4,000 stipend per month during 100 days of period.

Two silk projects launched in Assam

Union Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated two silk projects under the Ministry of textiles at Udalguri district in Assam on 22 February 2019.

The two projects are: Integrated 'Soil to Silk' Project and Eri Spun Silk Mill.

The projects are aimed at the economic uplift of the people below the poverty line by Eri silk farming.

Odisha govt approves 'Khushi' scheme

Odisha government approved a Rs 466 crore 'Khusi' scheme on 22 February 2019.

The aim of the scheme is to improve menstrual hygiene among adolescent girl students in the state.

Under the scheme, free sanitary napkins will be provided to 17.25 lakh adolescent girl students of Class-VI to XII studying in government and non-government aided schools of the state.

Eri Farming project launched in Arunachal

The Integrated Large Scale Eri Silk Farming project under North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS) was launched in Arunachal Pradesh on 22 February 2019.

The Project will cover five districts: Papumpare, East Kameng, Siang, East Siang and West Siang.

The project is funded by the government of India.

Eri silk is derived from a silk worm which feeds mainly on castor plants.

Smart India Hackathon to be held in March

The Ministry of Human Resource Development will conduct the Grand Finale of third edition (Software) of Smart India Hackathon (SIH) - 2019 on 2 and 3 March 2019.

SIH is an initiative to identify new and disruptive digital technology innovations for solving the challenges faced by our country.

It is the largest ever Hackathon in the world and the only one to be held at the national level.

Scheme for adolescent girls launched in UP

UP CM, Yogi Adityanath launched a scheme for adolescent girls on 21 February 2019.

It will focus on girls aged between 11 to 14 years who have left studies and will take steps for proper nutrition and special care for them.

The state will also observe Adolescent girls day on 8th of every month at Anganwadi centers across the state.

Grid Connected Solar Programme-II approved

On 19 February 2019, the Union Cabinet gave its approval for the Phase-II of Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Programme.

Through this programme, a cumulative capacity of 40,000 MW from Rooftop Solar (RTS) Projects will be achieved by the year 2022.

The programme will be implemented with total central financial support of Rs.11,814 crore.

Cabinet approves new Electronics Policy

The Union Cabinet approved the new National Electronics Policy 2019 on 19 February 2019.

The aim of the policy is to achieve a turnover of $400 billion for the electronics system design and manufacturing (ESDM) sector by 2025.

The new policy proposes to provide interest subsidy of 4% on loans up to Rs. 1,000 crore for setting up plant and machinery.

Government relaxes norms for startups

The government of India raised the investment limit for angel tax exemption to Rs 25 crore and extended the period of availing benefits to 10 years for startups.

Earlier, the investment limit for a startup to seek exemption was Rs 10 crore.

An entity will be considered as a startup up to a turnover of Rs 100 crore as against the earlier limit of Rs 25 crore.

MHRD launches Operation Digital Board

On 20 February 2019, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) launched Operation Digital Board (ODB) to provide better digital education in schools.

The digital board will be introduced all over the country in government and government aided schools from class 9th onwards as well as in higher education institutions.

ODB aims at converting a class room into a digital class room.

‘SWAYATT’ launched on GeM

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu launched 'SWAYATT' on 19 February 2019.

SWAYATT is an initiative to promote Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage through e-Transactions on Government e Marketplace (GeM).

This will bring together the key stakeholders within the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem to Government e-

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Marketplace.

Nyaya Bandhu mobile app launched

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad launched Nyaya Bandhu mobile application and dashboard.

It will enable the para legal volunteers (PLV)’s to perform on field pre-registration of cases.

This is a pro bono app.

It is integrated with a dashboard to enable online interface between beneficiary and the panel lawyer through video conferencing and telephone facility.

Kalia scholarship for farmer's children

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik unveiled a scholarship programme for the children of the beneficiaries of the Kalia scheme on 19 February 2019.

Kalia scholarship or 'Kalia Chhatra Brutti' will ensure that not a single eligible child of Kalia beneficiaries be deprived of his/her dream.

The state government will bear all expenditure including course fees, hostel fees, and mess fees.

KUSUM approved for launch

The Cabinet approved the launch of Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM).

Its objective is to provide financial and water security to farmers.

The scheme would comprise of 3 components A, B, and C, which when combined aims to add a solar capacity of 25,750 MW by 2022.

The total central financial support provided under the scheme would be Rs. 34,422 crore.

Government launched NRETP project

The Union Cabinet approved the Implementation of National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP).

It is under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) through loan assistance (IBRD Credit) from World Bank.

DAY-NRLM lays special emphasis on targeting the poorest of the poor and the most vulnerable communities and their financial inclusion.

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.

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.

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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.

Assam government announces 'Arundhati' scheme

Assam government has announced a scheme named 'Arundhati' scheme on 6 February 2019.

Under the scheme, one 'tola' of gold will be presented to brides from communities where it is customary to provide gold at the time of the wedding.

The scheme will benefit poor families of the state who cannot afford to gift gold ornaments to their daughters at their wedding.

Delhi govt launched 'Zero Fatality Corridor'

Delhi government launched the 'Zero Fatality Corridor' to examine the cause for accidents and crashes on the

stretch between Burari Chowk and Bhalswa chowk in Delhi.

The initiative will be run in partnership with SaveLIFE Foundation, a leading road safety NGO.

The stretch of road selected for the project is three kilometers long and is considered one of the most dangerous areas.

PMAY (U) awards instituted for Implementation

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has instituted the ‘PMAY (U) awards for Implementation and Innovation’.

The Awards will identify and reward the 'Top Performers' in different categories and will encourage others to compete and attain the goal of ‘Housing for All’.

A few Special Category awards to give special recognition to States / UTs have also been instituted.

Asiatic Lion Conservation Project launched

A dedicated 'Asiatic Lion Conservation Project' was launched on 8 February 2019.

The Asiatic Lion, endemic to Gir landscape of Gujarat, is one of the 21 critically endangered species identified by the Environment Ministry.

Asiatic Lion, being listed in Schedule-I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, has been accorded the highest degree of protection.

PM-KISAN scheme speedy implementation

Union Minister of Agriculture, Radha Mohan Singh asked all states to support the PM-KISAN scheme.

Under the scheme, all Small and Marginal farmers (SMF) families having cultivable land up to 2 hectares will be provided income support of Rs.6000 per year.

The amount will be provided in three equal instalments of Rs 2000 to farmers.

Ujjwala Utsav observed by Oil industry

Ujjwala Utsav was observed by the Oil industry in New Delhi on 7th Feb 2019.

It was observed to celebrate the stellar role played by all stakeholders in making PMUY scheme a success.

PMUY anthem - 'Ujjwala Bharat Ujjwala' composed by Kailash Kher was also launched on the occasion.

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana aims to provide free cooking gas connections to 80 million families by 2020.

Cabinet approved scheme for Prasar Bharti

The Cabinet gave its approval to the proposal to launch Prasar Bharati's 'Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development' scheme.

It will cost Rs 1,054.52 crore for 3 years from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

It will help in strengthening broadcast infrastructure and network development.

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The Cabinet also approved the launch of DD ArunPrabha Channel from Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana app launched

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) App is launched on Google play store.

Ayushman Bharat Yojana or PM-JAY is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2018.

It was launched under the Ayushman Bharat Mission of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

This scheme aims to provide health care facilities at primary, secondary and tertiary levels to address healthcare holistically.

Mobile app launched by NTA

The National Testing Agency has launched a mobile app with the help of which students can take or practice mock tests on their smartphones.

A network of more than 4000 Test Practice Centres has been established to help aspirants, especially from rural areas, with computer-based tests.

The students can register themselves online through the NTA website or app.

New pharma policy approved by Haryana

Haryana government approved the Haryana Pharmaceutical Policy 2019.

It envisages to establish a state-of-the-art pharma park at Karnal.

It aims to develop Haryana into a hub of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Haryana MSME policy 2019 has also been given a nod by the cabinet with an aim to create globally competitive MSMEs in Haryana.

Programme on Agri Export Policy held in Pune

The first state-level awareness programme on agriculture export policy held in Pune on 2nd February 2019.

The Agriculture Export Policy was recently released by the Government of India which aims to reinvigorate the entire value chain.

It is framed with a focus on export promotion and agriculture export-oriented production.

Development projects unveiled by PM in J&K

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a series of development projects in Jammu and Kashmir in order to give a boost to the infrastructure in the state.

He also laid the foundation stone of AIIMS at Vijaypur in Samba and announced that 500 seats in the state medical colleges will be added soon.

Apart from these, he also laid the foundation stone for construction of 2 hydroelectric projects.

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.

'Jiban Sampark' project launched in Odisha

Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the 'Jiban Sampark' project in partnership with UNICEF India on 27 January 2019.

The aim of the project is to generate awareness about the development and welfare initiatives of state government among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups of the state.

The project's focus areas will include skill development and empowering communities.

Interim Budget 2019-20: Allocation

The Railways has been allocated Rs.64,587 Cr in the Interim Budget 2019-20.

Infrastructure allocation for north eastern areas was increased by 21% to Rs. 58,166 Cr in 2019-20.

Rs 1330 Cr was provided for the Mission for Protection and Empowerment for Women for 2019-20.

Defence budget was hiked to Rs 3,05,296 Cr

Panel for Nomadic Communities

A Committee under NITI Aayog will be set-up to identify De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic communities not yet formally classified.

The Govt will set up a Welfare Development Board under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for implementing welfare programmes for these communities.

Govt also proposed increase in allocation for welfare of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

Interim Budget 2019-20: Initiatives

Govt announced to set up the ‘Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog’ for production and productivity of cows on Feb 1, 2019.

Rs 750 crore was allocated for Rashtriya Gokul Mission in the current year.

It also announced setting up a ‘Department of Fisheries’ to boost the fisheries sector.

The interim budget proposed to provide 2% interest subvention for farmers pursuing animal husbandry and fisheries.

Interim Budget 2019-20:Rural development

Government has allocated Rs 60000 crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

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Rs 19000 crore has been allocated for Gram Sadak Yojana for construction of more rural roads.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and 2.5 crore rural households were electrified.

No Income Tax for incomes up to ₹5 lakh

Govt. announced that individual taxpayers with annual income up to ₹5 lakh will not have to pay any Income Tax.

Those with gross income of up to ₹6.5 lakh also won't have to pay any tax if they make investments in prescribed methods.

This will give ₹18,500 cr tax benefit to 3 cr middle class people.

He also said that Income Tax returns will be processed in 24 hours and refund initiated.

Interim Budget 2019-20: Pension Scheme

Center has announced its proposal to launch a pension scheme for workers in the organised and unorganised sectors who have a monthly income below ₹15,000.

The scheme called Pradhan Mantri Shramyogi Maandhan Yojana will assure a monthly pension of ₹3000 on retirement.

It is expected to benefit 10 crore workers in the unorganized sector.

Interim Budget 2019-20: Agriculture

Union Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal presented the Interim Budget 2019-20 on Feb 1, 2019.

Govt. has introduced the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (KISAN) scheme to provide assured income to small and marginal farmers.

Under the scheme, vulnerable farmers with 2 hectares of land will get direct income support of ₹6000 per year.

It is expected to benefit 12 crore farmer families.

Science & Technology

New NASA mission selected

NASA has selected a $42 million mission, Atmospheric Waves Experiment, that will help scientists understand and, ultimately, forecast the vast space weather system around our planet.

It will be launched in August 2022, attached to the exterior of the Earth-orbiting International Space Station (ISS).

AWE will focus on colourful bands of light in Earth's atmosphere, called airglow.

Khelo India app launched by PM

PM Narendra Modi launched Sports Authority of India's (SAI) first-of-its-kind mobile application, 'Khelo India App' on February 27, 2019.

The app will create awareness about sports and fitness in the country.

The app has 3 unique features that will make it convenient for youngsters to take up a sport.

The app is available both in Hindi and English and can be used in the offline mode.

India's 1st indigenous chip unveiled

India’s 1st Indigenous Semiconductor Chip was unveiled by semiconductor company, “SIGNALCHIP” for 4G/LTE and 5G NR MODEMs in New Delhi.

4 chips were unveiled at the event, which are- SCBM3412, SCBM3404, SCRF3402, and SCRF4502.

The RF sections cover all LTE/5G-NR bands up to 6GHz and these chips also support positioning using India’s own satellite navigation system, NAVIC.

Andhra coast: New energy source discovered

Methane hydrate, a potential fuel of the future was discovered in the Krishna-Godavari basin off the coast of Andhra Pradesh in Bay of Bengal.

The discovery was reported by scientists from the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa and the National Geophysical Research Institute in Hyderabad.

Methane hydrate is a solid crystal structure of water which traps a large amount of methane gas.

China unveiled first female AI news anchor

China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, unveiled the world's first female AI news anchor to read alongside its male AI news presenters on Feb 21, 2019.

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It was developed jointly by Xinhua and search engine company Sogou and was shown off in a video on social media.

It is remarkably lifelike, complete with hand adjustments while on camera, and just enough on-cue blinking.

ATL Drone Module released

The ‘ATL Drone module: Get, Set, Go’ for Atal Tinkering Labs was launched at the ongoing Aero India 2019 in Bengaluru.

It was launched by NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Drona Aviation, an IIT Bombay start-up.

With the ATL Drone Module, young students of India will learn how to create their own drones and use them for solving community problems in India.

1st fulldome 3D digital theatre inaugurated

India's first fulldome 3D Digital Theatre was inaugurated at the Science City on 18 Feb 2019 in Kolkata.

It has a 23 meter titled dome to offer a fully immersive experience to the visitors.

It is capable of screening high resolution, full dome, and digital 2D/3D content by utilising 6, high-end projectors.

Anupama: Astronomical Society President

Dr.G C Anupama became the first woman of the country to be elected President of the Astronomical Society of India (ASI).

She is presently the Dean and Senior Professor at the Bengaluru based Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).

She is also a recipient of the Sir C V Raman award for young scientists in 2000.

AntBot: The First Walking Robot

AntBot is the first walking robot to have navigational capabilities without GPS or mapping.

It has been designed by Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Aix-Marseille University researchers at ISM.

It is designed on lines similar to desert ants who use polarised lights and UV radiation to navigate.

It consists of an optical compass which determines its movements.

Nitin Gadkari launched a portal

Shri Nitin Gadkari launched PCS1x at the Regional Maritime Safety Conference in Mumbai on 19 Feb 2019.

PCS1x is an upgraded version of the e-commerce portal Port Community System.

It has been developed in record time by the Indian Ports Association.

The platform allows improvement in payment cycle, transparency of transaction cycles, detailed tracking of vessels and berthing schedules.

Infosys launches app for engineering students

Infosys announced the launch of a digital platform, InfyTQ, offering learning and engagement experiences for engineering students.

It is a free platform open to all engineering students in their third and fourth year and encourages holistic development.

It will be available on both mobile and desktop and is equipped with a plethora of content, courses, and news.

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.

NASA's first mini-spacecraft goes silent

NASA has lost touch with the first mini-spacecraft named MarCO CubeSats that ventured into deep space.

The MarCO CubeSats, nicknamed EVE and WALL-E, were launched in 2018 to test if such low-cost technology can operate in deep space.

They served as communications relays during the InSight’s Mars landing and have travelled well past Mars.

NASA: 2018 4th warmest year on record

The global surface temperatures on the Earth in 2018 were the 4th warmest since 1880.

This was found in an independent analysis by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

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The global temperatures in 2018 were 0.83 degree Celsius warmer than the 1951 to 1980 mean.

2018’s temperatures rank behind those of 2016, 2017 and 2015.

India successfully launched GSAT-31

India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-31 was successfully launched.

It was launched by European launch services provider - Arianespace’s rocket from French Guiana.

The Ariane-5 vehicle injected GSAT-31 into the orbit.

It is a “high power” communication satellite with Ku-band.

Its weight is about 2,536 kg.

NGT panel: AI and drones to monitor pollution

A committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal has said that satellite imagery, AI, & drones can be used to monitor pollution level of Yamuna caused because of dumping debris.

These can also keep a track of location and quantum of debris being dumped, as said by the committee.

The committee was set up in July 2018 by NGT Chairperson Justice A.K. Goel to monitor the cleaning of river.

Arianespace to launch GSAT-31 on February 6

India will launch its communication satellite, GSAT-31, on 6 February 2019 from French Guiana.

The satellite will be launched by European launch services provider Arianespace's launch vehicle named Ariane-5.

GSAT-31 will be used for supporting VSAT networks, Television uplinks, Digital Satellite News Gathering, DTH-television services.

GSAT-31 is India’s 40th communication satellite.

Committees & Recommendations

Committee to help bring down tax litigation

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has formed a four-member committee to address taxation-related pain points and cut down the number of tax litigations.

It will be headed by Income Tax Commissioner Sanjeev Sharma.

It will also focus on some of the major issues that may lead to revenue generation.

It will submit its final report and recommendations by mid-March 2019.

Govt forms committee for sale of enemy shares

The government formed a committee for sale of 'enemy shares' worth Rs 3,000 crore.

The move came two years after Parliament amended the Enemy Property Act.

The 'enemy property' refers to any property belonging to, held or managed on behalf of an enemy, an enemy subject or an enemy firm.

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.

Punjab govt sets committee to boost dairy

The Punjab government announced setting up a high-powered committee to boost the dairy sector to supplement farmer's income in a result-oriented manner.

The committee will consist of the Directors of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development and Chairman of State Farmers Commission.

It will suggest measures to promote diversification of agriculture.

Panel to explore prepaid payments by discoms

The government of India has constituted a panel under the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) on 1 February 2019.

The panel will look into problems of delayed payments from distribution companies to power generators.

The committee constitutes Chairmen of distribution companies of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, representatives from Union Power Ministry and power associations.

Business & Economy

3 banks out of RBIs weak-bank watch

The RBI lifted lending curbs from Allahabad Bank and Corporation Bank and removed them from its weak-bank watch list after the government infused capital in them.

Private sector Dhanlaxmi Bank too has been taken out of the Prompt Corrective Action Framework.

Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra and Oriental Bank of Commerce were also taken out of the PCA Framework, earlier on 31 January 2019.

Zimbabwe started trading new currency

Zimbabwe began formal trading of a new currency as it tries to ease a shortage of dollars that’s crushed the economy.

The initial rate for the southern African nation’s currency, known as RTGS dollars, will be 2.5 per US dollar.

The official inflation rate has soared to 57% from less than 4% a year ago.

ICICI Lombard ties up with AnyTimeLoan.in

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ICICI Lombard entered into a strategic tie-up with AnyTimeLoan.in (ATL), a peer-to-peer lending platform on 25 February 2019.

The partnership aims to de-risk exposure of its lenders and borrowers arising from uncertainties such as accidents, critical illness, death, disability, etc.

ATL facilitates loans as small as ₹ 1000 to ₹10 lakh for a minimum period of 1 day to a maximum of 3 years.

GST on under-construction homes slashed to 5%

On 24 February 2019, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council slashed tax rates on under-construction housing properties to 5% from the existing 12%.

It also cut GST rates on affordable housing to 1% from 8%.

The new tax rates will come into effect from 1 April 2019.

GST is not levied on real estate properties for which completion certificate has been issued at the time of sale.

Merger with BoB to be effective from April 1

Bank of Baroda's proposed merger with Dena and Vijaya Bank will be affected from 1 April 2019.

The scheme has been named as 'Amalgamation of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda'.

As per the Scheme, shareholders of Vijaya Bank will get 402 equity shares of BoB for every 1,000 shares held.

Dena Bank will receive 110 equity shares of BoB for every 1,000 equity shares held.

RBI merges NBFCs into one category

On 22 February 2019, the Reserve Bank of India created a single category of Non Banking Financial Company (NBFC) by merging their present three-tier structure.

Asset finance, loan, and investment companies have been merged into a new category called NBFC- Investment and Credit Companies.

This will provide greater operational flexibility to NBFCs.

EPFO hiked interest rate

Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, EPFO decided to provide 8.65% interest on Provident Fund deposits for 2018-19 against 8.55% in the last year.

Members of the Central Board of Trustees of EPFO agreed to give a higher interest for subscribers for the current fiscal.

The proposal will now go to the Finance Ministry for approval.

Govt to infuse Rs 48,239 crore in 12 PSU banks

On 20 February 2019, the Ministry of Finance announced the final recapitalisation tranche amount of Rs 48,239 crore for 12 public sector banks.

This will take the banks tout of Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) prompt corrective action framework.

Corporation Bank will get the highest infusion of Rs 9,086 crore while Bank of Maharashtra gets the lowest at Rs 205 crore.

FDI during Apr-Dec 2018-19 falls 7%

According to Ministry of Commerce and Industry's data, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India contracted by 7% to US$ 33.49 billion during April-December in the current fiscal.

The key sectors that received the maximum foreign investment were services, computer software and hardware, and telecommunications.

Singapore was the largest source of FDI during April-December 2018-19.

3% hike in DA approved

The Union Cabinet approved 3% hike in Dearness Allowance to central government employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners with effect from January 1, 2019.

The combined impact of the hike in dearness allowance and dearness relief will amount to Rs 9,168.12 crore per annum.

Dearness allowance is provided as an adjustment to compensate for the increase in the cost of living due to inflation.

RBI to pay Rs 28,000 cr as interim dividend

The Reserve Bank will pay an interim dividend of Rs 28,000 crore to the government.

This is the second successive year when the RBI will be transferring an interim surplus.

RBI had given Rs 30,663 crore as dividend to the government in 2017-18.

The central bank transfers its surplus amount to the government, under Section 47 of the RBI Act, 1934.

RBI to inject Rs 12,500 crores

The RBI would inject Rs 12,500 crore into the system through purchase of government securities on Feb 21, 2019, to increase liquidity.

The purchase will be made through open market operations (OMOs).

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The eligible participants should submit their offers in electronic format on the RBI core banking solution (E-Kuber) system on February 21.

RBI released a warning

RBI has released a warning regarding an app called AnyDesk.

You should not download this app through social media or any other channel, doing so might empty your bank account within minutes.

RBI alerted banks about potential fraudulent transactions on the unified payments interface (UPI) platform.

JP Morgan: first to create cryptocurrency

US investment bank, JP Morgan Chase became the first US bank to offer its own cryptocurrency.

The cryptocurrency, called 'JPM Coin' will always have a value equivalent to one US dollar.

It will be initially used internally between JPMorgan Chase's wholesale business clients.

The bank had also built an Ethereum-based blockchain platform for business customers in 2018.

BI lifts cap on FPI investments

The Reserve Bank of India withdrew the 20% limit on investments by FPIs in corporate bonds of an entity.

It was stipulated in April 2018 that no FPI should have an exposure of more than 20% of its corporate bond portfolio to a single corporate.

This has been done with a view to encourage more foreign investments.

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.

RBI raises collateral-free farm loan limit

The Reserve Bank of India raised the limit for collateral-free agriculture loans to ₹1.6 lakh from ₹1 lakh.

The increased limit will enhance coverage of small and marginal farmers in the formal credit system.

Presently, the banks are mandated to extend collateral-free agriculture loans up to ₹1 lakh.

This limit of ₹1 lakh was fixed in 2010.

IRDAI imposes fine on United India Insurance

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Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) imposed a fine of Rs 9 lakh on state-owned United India Insurance Co (UIIC) Ltd for violating certain procedures.

3 violations were found during the inspection, of which 2 attracted the fine.

UIIC is headquartered in Chennai, while IRDAI is in Hyderabad.

SBI fined by RBI

RBI slapped Rs 1 crore penalty on SBI, country's largest lender on 7th Feb 2019 for violating norms.

RBI levied the penalty in the exercise of powers conferred under Section 47 A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

SBI was charged for not monitoring the end use of funds in respect of one of its borrowers.

Indirect Tax Ombudsman abolished

The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for Abolition of Institution of Income-Tax Ombudsman and Indirect Tax Ombudsman on 6 Feb 2019.

The Cabinet was chaired by PM Narendra Modi.

The Institution of Income-Tax Ombudsman was created in the year 2003 in order to deal with the grievances of public related to the settlement of complaints relating to Income Tax.

RBI lowered repo rate to 6.25%

The Reserve Bank of India lowered the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25% on 7th February 2019.

This is the first time in 17 months that the central bank has cut the rate.

The reverse repo rate, too, was lowered to 6%, and the bank rate to 6.25%.

The repo rate is the interest rate at which RBI lends to commercial banks.

CCEA approves creation of Agri-Market Fund

The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved the creation of Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund (AMIF) on 6th Feb 2019.

It is being created for the up-gradation and development of agricultural marketing infrastructure in Regulated Wholesale Markets and Gramin Agricultural Markets.

A corpus of Rs. 2000 crore has been approved for the creation of the fund.

Axis, Syndicate, UCO Banks penalised by RBI

The RBI imposed monetary penalties on UCO, Axis, and Syndicate Banks over deficiencies in complying with different regulatory norms.

A penalty of Rs 2 crore each was imposed on Axis and UCO bank and an additional penalty of Rs 20 lakh was imposed on Axis Bank.

A penalty of Rs 1 crore was imposed on the Syndicate Bank.

Swiggy acquihires Kint

Swiggy has acquihired a Bangalore-based AI startup Kint.io for an undisclosed amount.

The founding members of Kint.io Jagannathan and Pavithra will join the Swiggy team as per the deal.

Kint.io was founded in 2014 and specializes in applying deep learning and computer vision for object recognition in videos.

Fitch Group projects fiscal deficit to slip

Fitch Solutions, an arm of the Fitch group has projected the government's fiscal deficit to slip to 3.6% of GDP in 2019-2020 fiscal.

It said that 2019-20 Budget will show a strong populist bent in the run-up to the General election due by May 2019.

The central government is planning to spend a total of Rs 27.8 lakh crore in fiscal 2019-20.

Fino Bank partners with Suryoday Bank

Fino Payments Bank partnered with Suryoday Small Finance Bank on 4th February to launch a sweep account facility.

The partnership will help FPB address the issue of deposit limit that the payment banks are facing at the moment.

This would also allow customers to seamlessly transfer excess amount from their account in FPB to SSFB.

Increase in steel export by 16.7% in 2017-18

The total steel export has seen an increase by 16.7% in 2017-18.

The export of the finished steel was 8.245 MT in 2016-17 and 9.620 MT in 2017-18.

The contribution of non-alloy steel segment was 8.727 MT.

19% growth in India's tourism sector

India's tourism sector has registered growth over 19% in 2018, as told by the Union Minister KJ Alphons.

India has been ranked third in the tourism sector as per the World Travel and Tourism Council report 2018.

The tourism sector fetched 234 billion US $ from both domestic and foreign tourists.

New FDI norms for E-commerce policy

India’s new e-commerce policy came into effect From February 1, 2019.

A new set of policy rules had been formed for the e-commerce companies.

It bars online retailers from selling products through vendors in which they have an equity interest.

It also bars them from entering into exclusive deals with brands for selling products only on their platforms.

Government revises FY18 GDP growth rate

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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।

BoM, BoI and OBC removed from PCA framework

The RBI removed Bank of India (BoI), Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) from Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) Framework.

BoI and BoM have met the regulatory norms including Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB) and have Net NPAs (non-performing assets) of less than 6%.

In case of OBC, the net NPA has come down to less than 6% after the government's capital infusion.

Manufacturing PMI rises to 53.9 in January

The Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) increased from 53.2 in December 2018 to 53.9 in January 2019.

This is the 18th consecutive month that the manufacturing PMI remained above the 50-point mark.

A mark above 50 means expansion, while a mark below 50 denotes contraction.

No Income Tax for incomes up to ₹5 lakh

Govt. announced that individual taxpayers with annual income up to ₹5 lakh will not have to pay any Income Tax.

Those with gross income of up to ₹6.5 lakh also won't have to pay any tax if they make investments in prescribed methods.

This will give ₹18,500 cr tax benefit to 3 cr middle class people.

He also said that Income Tax returns will be processed in 24 hours and refund initiated.

Fiscal Deficit will be 3.4% of GDP in 2019

Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said the fiscal deficit will be at 3.4 per cent of GDP in 2019 while presenting the interim budget on Feb 1, 2019.

He also said that current account deficit is likely to be 2.5 per cent of GDP this year.

He added that capital expenditure is pegged at 3.36,292 lakh crore.

FDI worth $ 239 bn in last 5 years

India has received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $ 239 billion in the last five years.

The main sectors that received the maximum foreign inflows were services, computer software and hardware, telecommunications, trading, automobile, construction, and power.

The top sources of FDI included Mauritius, Singapore, Netherlands, the US and Japan.

GST collections in Jan over ₹1 lakh cr

The GST collections in January 2019 have crossed one lakh crore rupees mark.

In January 2018, the GST collection was 89 thousand crore rupees.

Finance Ministry said that this is a significant improvement in comparison to GST collection over 94 thousand crore rupees during December 2018.

Sports

Khelo India app launched by PM

PM Narendra Modi launched Sports Authority of India's (SAI) first-of-its-kind mobile application, 'Khelo India App' on February 27, 2019.

The app will create awareness about sports and fitness in the country.

The app has 3 unique features that will make it convenient for youngsters to take up a sport.

The app is available both in Hindi and English and can be used in the offline mode.

Saurabh and Manu clinched Gold

Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker won the gold medal in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event of the ISSF World Cup 2019.

The Chinese duo of Ranxin Jiang and Bowen Zhang won silver with, while the bronze went to the Korean pair of Minjung Kim and Daehun Park.

Earlier, Saurabh Chaudhary won the gold medal in his first senior World Cup in the same event.

First Indian player to score 8000 runs - Raina

Suresh Raina became the first Indian player to score 8000 runs in T20.

He achieved this feat when he scored 12 runs for UP against Puducherry in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match in Delhi.

He also became the 2nd Indian player to have played 300 T20s after MS Dhoni.

Rohit Sharma is 3rd in the list with 299 matches.

Abhijeet Gupta won Cannes Trophy

Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta lifted the Cannes International Open trophy on 25 February 2019 for chess.

He won the tournament with 7.5 points over nearest rivals Nikita Maiorov of Belarus, Nasuta Grzegorz of Poland and Yuri Solodovnichecko of Ukraine.

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He took an easy draw with Pier Luigi Basso of Italy in the ninth and final round.

Karthikeyan received Lifetime Achievement

G.R. Karthikeyan was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award at the FMSCI annual awards function on 25 February 2019.

He is the father of India’s first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan.

Raghul Rangasamy received the Upcoming Motorsport Person of the Year award for the Raymond Gautam Singhania Trophy.

Prajnesh Gunneswaran: 94th in Tennis

India's Prajnesh Gunneswaran achieved his career-best ranking, rising three places to 94th in the latest list on 25 February 2019.

Ramkumar Ramanathan dropped 9 spots to 137, while Yuki Bhambri further slipped to 171.

Ankita Raina continued to be the top-placed Indian at 164 in women's ranking, followed by Karman Thandi at 207 and Pranjala Yadlapalli at 293.

Apurvi Chandela won gold in 10m rifle

Apurvi Chandela has won the gold medal in the women's 10-meter air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup 2019 in New Delhi.

This is India's first medal of the ISSF World Cup 2019.

She set a new world record by registering a score of 252.9 points in the final match.

Zhao Ruozhu and Xu Hong of China won the silver and bronze medal respectively.

Manpreet Singh: Player of the Year

The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) has honoured Indian men's hockey team captain, Manpreet Singh with the '2018 Player of the Year Award'.

Women hockey team's striker, Lalremsiami bagged the '2018 Rising Player of The Year' award.

Manpreet led the Indian hockey team at the Asian Champions Trophy in Muscat where the team was declared joint winners with Pakistan.

Nikhat and Meena won gold medals

Nikhat Zareen and Meena Kumari Devi became the first Indian women boxers to win gold medals at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Zareen claimed a 5-0 win in the 51kg category finals against Filipino Irish Magno.

Meena defeated Filipino Aira Villegas 3-2, in the bantamweight (54kg) summit clash.

India won 11 medals including two gold at the 2018 edition.

ISSF Shooting World Cup held

The ISSF (International Shooting Sports Federation) World Cup 2019 began in New Delhi on February 21, 2019.

Various events in the World cup will start from February 23rd and end on 27th at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range.

Around 503 shooters from 58 countries will be competing for top honours with 8 of the 10 events offering Olympic quota places.

Mary Kom became women's training ambassador

World amateur boxing champion M.C. Mary Kom signed a 2-year deal with Puma to be their ambassador for women’s training in India.

She is a bronze medallist at the 2012 Olympics and won her record 6th gold medal at the World Amateur Boxing Championships in November 2018.

Puma India’s managing director is Abhishek Ganguly.

Jitendra Singh won 50km event

Jitendra Singh Rathore of Rajasthan won the 50 km event in the 6th Open National Race Walking Championship in Chennai on 17 Feb 2019.

He completed the race in a time of 4:23:23.00, pushing Joshi Sagar of Gujarat (4:24:21.00) to second place.

Boys 10 km was won by Suraj Panwar, while Rogi Patel won the Girls 10 km.

Sunil Chhetri got Football Ratna

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Sunil Chhetri was conferred the first ever Football Ratna honour by Football Delhi.

The award was presented by Football Delhi President Shaji Prabhakaran, a former player, and administrator at the All India Football Federation and FIFA.

Football Delhi also honoured Shubham Sarangi, youth player from Delhi, currently the player of Delhi Dynamos squad for ISL.

Saina Nehwal beats PV Sindhu

Saina Nehwal beat P V Sindhu to retain her women's singles crown at the 83rd Yonex Sunrise Senior Badminton Nationals on 16 Feb 2019.

She registered a 21-18 21-15 against P V Sindhu.

Saina Nehwal won her fourth Senior Nationals title.

It was held in Guwahati.

Vidarbha won Irani Cup

Vidarbha defended its Irani Cup title on 16 Feb 2019 at the Jamtha Stadium in Nagpur.

The Irani Cup tournament was conceived during the 1959-60 season to mark the completion of 25 years of the Ranji Trophy championship.

It is related to cricket.

Elise Mertens won Qatar open

Belgium's Elise Mertens claimed the Qatar Open by beating top seed Simona Halep by 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, in tennis.

This is her first-ever WTA Premier-level crown, and the fifth title of her career overall.

Mertens is world number 21.

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.

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.

Jeremy Lalrinnunga won silver medal

On 8 February 2019, Jeremy Lalrinnunga won the silver medal in men's 67- kilogram category at the EGAT's Cup International Weightlifting Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Ruben Katoatau of Kiribati took the bronze with a total lift of 285 kilograms.

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won gold in the women's 48-kilogram category with a total lift of 192 kilograms.

Mandhana scored India’s fastest T20I Fifty

Indian opener Smriti Mandhana made the fastest fifty for India in Women’s T20Is.

The left-handed batswoman struck a half-century in just 24 balls.

She made the history in the 1st T20I against New Zealand at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.

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New Zealand’s Sophie Devine holds the record of the quickest half-century in women’s T20Is. She set the record in 2005 against India in just 18-balls.

Ramit Tandon wins Seattle Open

Ramit Tandon won the final of the Seattle Open, a Squash event by defeating Egyptian Mohamed Al Sherbini on 2nd February, 2019.

This is his fourth overall title in his career and first PSA title in 2019.

He was ranked 58th in the world but was seeded for the Seattle Open.

Sana Mir: 1st woman cricketer to play 100 T20s

Sana Mir from Pakistan became the first Asian woman cricketer to play 100 T20 international matches.

She achieved the milestone during the final T20 against West Indies in Karachi.

Overall, she is the 6th woman cricketer to complete a century of T20 internationals. Daendra Dottin from West Indies ranks first with a total of 109 T20Is to her name.

Haryana Hammers won PWL

Haryana Hammers won the 4th edition of the Pro Wrestling League defeating Punjab Royals by 6-3 in the summit clash.

Padma Shri and Asian Games gold medalist Bajrang scored 11-0 win over Rajneesh.

Aleksander Khotsianivski of Ukraine put Haryana on the road of victory by winning the 125 kg super heavyweight bout against Korey Jarvis by 3-0.

World No. 1 ODI Batswoman: Smriti Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana has attained number one ranking in the ICC ODI batting rankings.

She is now above the Australians Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry after scoring an unbeaten 90 in 3 match series and her fourth ODI century.

Among the bowlers, Poonam Yadav and Deepti Sharma have secured 8th and 9th rankings respectively.

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.

Mithali is first woman to play 200 ODIs

Indian captain Mithali Raj has become the first female cricketer to play 200 ODIs on February 1, 2019.

The 36-year-old achieved this feat against New Zealand at Hamilton.

Mithali made her ODI debut in 1999 and has also played 10 Tests and 85 T20s.

Defence

DAC approved aquisition of defence equipment

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) gave approval for the acquisition of defence equipment for about Rs 2700 Crores on 27 February 2019.

The council was chaired by Defence Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman.

Approval was granted for procurement of 3 Cadet Training ships for the Indian Navy.

The ships would be capable of undertaking Hospital Ship duties, providing Humanitarian Assistance etc.

QRSAM missile successfully test fired

DRDO successfully test fired indigenously developed Quick Reach Surface-to-Air missiles (QRSAMs) from ITR Chandipur, off the Odisha Coast on 26 February 2019.

The two missiles were tested for different altitudes and conditions.

The missile has a strike range of 25-30 km.

QRSAM will significantly boost the defence capabilities of the armed forces.

India-Bangladesh Joint Exercise to be held

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A joint military exercise, Sampriti-2019 will be conducted between India and Bangladesh at Tangail, Bangladesh from 2 March to 15 March 2019.

This will be the eighth edition of the exercise which is hosted alternately by both countries.

The exercise is aimed to strengthen and broaden the aspects of interoperability and cooperation between both the Armies.

IAF commissions aerial surveillance

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has commissioned the 'Hyper-Spectral Imagery Programme' for the first time in the country.

The programme is an aerial surveillance system for monitoring suspicious moments under dense foliage cover along the international border and some parts within the country.

It is expected to be operational in the next two years.

HAL hands over three ALH to Indian Army

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) handed over first three ALHs as part of the 22 ALH MK III contract to the Indian Army on 22 February 2019.

HAL had entered into a contract with the Indian Army for 40 ALH in August 2017.

The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) is a multi-role, new generation helicopter in the 5.5-ton weight class, indigenously designed and developed by HAL.

Defence Ministry approves torpedo acquisition

On 22 February 2019, the Defence Ministry has approved the acquisition of more than 100 heavyweight torpedoes.

The torpedoes will be equipped on Indian Navy's six Scorpene-class submarines being built at Mazagon Dockyards in Mumbai.

Torpedo is a self-propelled weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface and propelled underwater towards a target.

Iran announced 3-day Navy Drill

Iran launched a 3-day annual navy drill, Velayat 97, in a vast area of the Gulf and the Indian Ocean on 22 Feb 2019.

The drill will be held in the waters of Strait of Hormuz, Makran coast, Oman Sea and the north of the Indian Ocean.

It aims to evaluate the navy's equipment, practice launching weapons and enable the troops to gain readiness for a real battle.

'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

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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.

Successful Flight Test of SFDR

Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully flight tested the second indigenously developed ‘Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR)’ propulsion based missile system from Chandipur, Odisha on 8 February 2019.

The missile accelerated to achieve ramjet Mach number successfully.

DRDO is responsible for the development and production of defence systems for the Indian military.

NWM to be inaugurated on Feb 25

The National War Museum will be inaugurated on 25th February 2019 at India Gate by PM Narendra Modi.

It is built in the memory of 26,000 war heroes of the Indian Forces and is built on the sprawling lawns of India Gate.

The NWM was first proposed by the armed forces in 1960.

'Exercise Rahat' to be conducted soon

Sapta Shakti Command will conduct 'Exercise Rahat' on 11-12th February 2019 on behalf of the Indian Army.

It is a Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Exercise.

Its curtain raiser was organised on 4th February 2019 at the Jaipur Military Station.

The exercise will be conducted in 3 places simultaneously, Jaipur, Alwar, and Kota.

Polity

Home Ministry ordered pan-India survey

Ministry of Home Affairs commissioned the Bureau of Police Research and Development to conduct a pan-India survey called, All India Citizens Survey of Police Services.

The survey will be conducted through the National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi.

The 9-month survey will cover a representative sample of 1.2 lakh households spread over 173 districts across the country.

President promulgated 4 Ordinances

President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated 4 Ordinances on 21 Feb 2019.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Second Ordinance is one of those, declares the practice of instant triple talaq to be void and illegal.

It will also make the offence punishable with imprisonment up to three years and fine.

Bhopal to host History Congress

After Pune University backed out, the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh has decided to host the 79th Indian History Congress (IHC) beginning on February 26, 2019, in Bhopal.

The 79th session was earlier supposed to be held at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) from December 28.

Over 1,000 delegates including prominent historians are expected to participate in the IHC in Bhopal.

Himachal Pradesh assembly passed Bill

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly passed a Bill to make Sanskrit the second official language of the state.

The Himachal Pradesh Official Language Bill, 2019 (Amendment) was introduced by Irrigation and Public Health Minister Mahender Singh Thakur.

It was passed without any discussion.

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.

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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.

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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.

Cabinet approves unified regulator for IFSCs

The Cabinet has approved the setting up of a unified authority that would regulate all the financial services in International Financial Services Centres (IFSC).

Currently, the banking, capital markets and insurance sectors in IFSCs are regulated by multiple regulators, i.e. RBI, SEBI and IRDAI.

This will be done through the International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019.

NIFTEM Bill, 2019 approved by the Cabinet

The Cabinet has approved the introduction of National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2019.

Its objective is to confer the status of institutions of national importance to the NIFTEM, Kundli, Haryana and IIFPT, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.

The Cabinet was chaired PM Narendra Modi and the bill was approved on 6th February 2019.

Develop app to help the blind: Bombay HC

The Bombay High Court asked the RBI to develop a mobile app to help the blind identify the denomination of various currency notes of India.

Justice NM Jamdar and Justice Naresh patil also directed RBI to develop a hardware-driven device to help the blind identify Indian currency denominations.

RBI has been granted 4 weeks to look into the suggestions.

Women allowed to work in underground mines

Women have been allowed to work in opencast and underground mines, as a part of the government's efforts to create more employment opportunities for women.

New rules have been issued by the labour ministry allowing to work from 7 pm - 6 am in opencast mines.

The employment of women in underground mines was restricted earlier under the Mines Act, 1952.

New Andhra Pradesh High Court inaugurated

New building of the Andhra Pradesh High Court was inaugurated by CJI Ranjan Gogoi at Amravathy on February 3, 2019.

The 2-storied building has a building cost of Rs. 150 crore, 16 court halls, and houses 2.70 lakh square feet office space.

Andhra Pradesh has finally got its own court after four and a half years of state bifurcation.


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