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Currentt Affairs February Monthly Capsule

The pdf consist of February month of current affairs.

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Currentt Affairs February Monthly Capsule

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  1. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 1 | P a g e

  2. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 Table of Contents Awards &Honours ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Summits & Conferences .................................................................................................................................... 8 Mergers & Events .............................................................................................................................................. 9 Days & Events ................................................................................................................................................. 10 MOU & Agreements ........................................................................................................................................ 13 Appointments ................................................................................................................................................. 17 Obituaries ....................................................................................................................................................... 24 International Affairs ........................................................................................................................................ 28 Personalities in News ...................................................................................................................................... 35 Government Policies & Schemes ..................................................................................................................... 39 Science & Technology ..................................................................................................................................... 43 Business & Economy ....................................................................................................................................... 47 Sports.............................................................................................................................................................. 53 Defence........................................................................................................................................................... 65 Committees & Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 68 National Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 68 2 | P a g e

  3. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 Awards &Honours Sreekar Prasad in the Limca book of records •Veteran editor Sreekar Prasad has entered the Limca Book of Records for ‘films edited in most number of languages’. •He has edited films in 17 languages, including Tamil, English, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Odia, Bengali, Assamese, Marathi, etc. •One of the most acclaimed editors of the country, Sreekar Prasad holds eight National Awards including a Special Jury Award. Jadav Payeng honoured with an award •Forest Man of India Jadav Payeng has been awarded Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award. •The ceremony organized by My Home India took place at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on February 29, 2020. •He was also honoured with a Padma Shri a few years ago. •He made his own identity by planting and tendering trees on a sandbar of the Brahmaputra River and turned it into a forest over the years. Gujarat Assembly to start ‘Best MLA’ award •Gujarat Assembly will start giving ‘Best MLA’ award for MLAs. •Speaker Rajendra Trivedi has made this announcement in the State Assembly on 28 Feb 2020. •The award will be in the lines of Outstanding Parliamentarian Award given to Members of Parliament and Best MLA awards being given in some other states. R Pokhriyal presents Chatra Vishwakarma Award •Union HRD Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank presents Vishwakarma Awards 2019 to the winners in New Delhi. •The valedictory function of Vishwakarma Awards 2019 was organised in All India Council for Technical Education. •A total of 23 teams under various subcategories were the recipient of the Chatra Vishwakarma Awards (CVA). Best marching contingent trophy to CISF •Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presented trophies of best marching contingents for Republic Day Parade- 2020. •The Indian Air Force contingent was adjudged the best among the three services. •The Central Industrial Security Force was named the best marching contingent among the Central Armed Police Forces. •The trophy was received by DG of CISF Rajesh Ranjan and Deputy Commandant PS Singh. Dr.Niti receives SERB Women Excellence Award •Dr.Niti Kumar receives the SERB Women Excellence Award-2020 and it will be presented by the President of India during National Science Day Celebrations on February 28, 2020. •She is a Senior Scientist from Division of Molecular Parasitology and Immunology, CSIR-CDRI. •This award is presented to women scientist below 40 years of age who have received recognition from national academies. 3 | P a g e

  4. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 ‘RailMadad’ won DARPG e-Governance Award •RailMadad, the grievance redressal portal of Indian Railways, has been awarded Silver under Category II of the National e-Governance Awards –‘Excellence in providing Citizen-centric Delivery.’ •This award was conferred during the 23rd National Conference on e-Governance which was held in Mumbai. •RailMadad is the single portal for grievance, inquiry, and assistance for all railway customers. Ahmer Khan won AFP’s Kate Webb Prize •Ahmer Khan was named the winner of the 2019 Agence France-Presse Kate Webb Prize on 20 Feb 2020. •He was awarded for his coverage on the ground in Kashmir during the lockdown of the region. •The award, named after one of AFP's finest correspondents, recognises journalism by locally hired reporters in Asia operating in risky or difficult conditions. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw won an award •Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson and MD, Biocon, was named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 at the 21st edition of the awards. •She will now represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY) in Monte Carlo between June 4-6, 2020. •Mazumdar-Shaw was named the winner by an eight-member jury panel, led by Kotak Mahindra Bank Managing Director and CEO Uday Kotak. Manoj Kumar felicitated •Veteran actor Manoj Kumar has been felicitated by the World Book of Records, London with the WBR Golden Era of Bollywood honour •He has been honoured for being a legendary actor and for his contribution to Indian cinema. •He was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1992. •He has been conferred the 63rd Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2015. BRICS CCI announced awards •BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRICS CCI), organised the second Annual Direct Tax Summit & Awards 2020 in association with Achromic Point. •Dharampal Satyapal Limited won the award for Best In-House Direct Tax Team of the Year. •The day-long summit saw an eminent list of delegates discussing recent trends and issues in the field of International Tax. P V Sindhu won Sportsperson of the Year award •World champion shuttler P V Sindhu on 20 Feb 2020 won the ESPN's Female Sportsperson of the Year award for a third consecutive time. •Young shooter Saurabh Chaudhary bagged the honour in the male category. •Sprinter Dutee Chand became the first winner of the Courage award for being inspirational both on and off the field. •Koneru Humpy won the award for the Comeback of the Year. 2011 world cup moment: Laureus best moment •Sachin Tendulkar being carried on the shoulders of his team mates following India's world cup triumph in 2011 was voted as the Laureus best sporting moment in the past 20 years. 4 | P a g e

  5. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Former Australian captain Steve Waugh presented the trophy to Tendulkar on 17 Feb 2020. •First held in 2000, the Annual Laureus Sports Awards honour the greatest and most inspirational sporting triumphs of the year. Filmfare Awards 2020- I •The 65th Filmfare Awards were held on 15 Feb 2020 at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati, Assam. •Gully Boy, directed by Zoya Akhtar, was awarded the Best Film. •Ranveer Singh recieved Best Actor in a Leading Role for Gully Boy. •Alia Bhatt was awarded Best Actress in a Leading Role for Gully Boy. •Zoya Akhtar was awarded Best Director for Gully Boy. Filmfare Awards 2020- II •Critics Best Film was awarded to Article 15 and Sonchiriya. •Critics Best Actor in a Leading Role was awarded to Ayushmann Khurrana for Article 15. •Critics Best Actress in a Leading Role was awarded to Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu for Saand Ki Aankh. •Best Playback Singer Male was awarded to Arijit Singh, while Best Playback Singer Female was awarded to Shilpa Rao. Indian Achievers Awards 2020 •Renowned astrologer Dr Sohini Sastri, has been graced with prestigious Indian Achievers Award, wherein she was adjudged the Best Astrologer of the Year. •The Indian Achievers Awards are aimed at identifying significant personalities for the year 2020. •The award was presented by Union HRD Minister, Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal, in a ceremony conducted at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Gita Sen won Dan David Prize 2020 •India's pioneering feminist scholar and activist Gita Sen, has won the Dan David Prize. •She won the award for her expansive work in the fields of population policies, reproductive and sexual health, women's rights, poverty, labour markets and global governance. •The award carries a prize of US$ 1 million for achievements having an outstanding scientific, technological, or social impact. Genome Valley Excellence Award announced •BioAsia has announced the Genome Valley Excellence Award. •It will be bestowed upon Dr Carl H June and Dr Vas Narasimhan for their contributions to life sciences. •Dr Carl H June will be awarded for his work in immunotherapy. •Dr Narasimhan has been selected for his new vision in the pharmaceutical business in digital technology and healthcare. President's Colour to INS Shivaji •President Ram Nath Kovind on 13 Feb 2020 presented 'President's Colour' to the INS Shivaji at a ceremony in Lonavala. •INS Shivaji was commissioned in 1945. •It is now the premier technical training establishment of the Indian Navy with the motto Kar-masu Kaushalam. 5 | P a g e

  6. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •It imparts training in engineering discipline to personnel of the Navy, Coast Guard, other sister services and allied countries. HP Governor decorated 58 personnel •Himachal Pradesh Governor Bandaru Dattatraya decorated 58 personnel with medals at the 'Investiture Ceremony' held in Shimla on 11 Feb 2020. •The Governor awarded President Police Medal for distinguished services to A.P. Siddique, Ram Dev, Parshotam Chand and Ashok Tiwari. •Three Correctional Service Medals were awarded for meritorious services to Sushil Kumar, Hari Dutt and Pankaj Sharma. Pullela Gopichand honoured with an award •Pullela Gopichand has been given an honourable mention at the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Coaches Lifetime Achievement Awards 2019. •He received the mention in the male category of the awards. •Gopichand has been previously honoured with the Dronacharya award for coaching and has also received Padma Bhushan - India's third-highest civilian award. Oscars 2020- I •The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony was held at Dolby Theatre in Los Angles, the United States on 9 Feb 2020. •Renee Zellweger won the best actress for “Judy”. •Joaquin Phoenix picked up the best actor trophy for his performance in "Joker". •Brad Pitt won the Best Supporting Actor for "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". •Laura Dern won the best-supporting actress for "Marriage Story". Oscars 2020 - II •'Parasite' was awarded the Best Picture. •Bong Joon-ho won the Best Director for the film Parasite. •"(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from Rocketman won in the Music category. •Film '1917' won in the visual effects category. •Roger Deakins won Best Cinematography for '1917'. •The Neighbors' Window won in the Live-action short film category. Veteran journalist Raikar awarded •Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray presented an award to senior journalist Dinkar Keshav Raikar for his contribution to journalism. •Raikar, currently consulting editor of Lokmat group, was conferred with the lifetime achievement award instituted by the Mantralaya and Vidhimandal Vartahar Sangh. • Raikar has completed 50 years in journalism. Assam district won an award •The district of South Salmara Mankachar of Assam has received a National Award for implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana scheme. •It was awarded in the category of State/UT having a population of more than one crore. •Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani gave away the award in a prize distribution meeting held in New Delhi. 6 | P a g e

  7. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 Manoj Das to receive Mystic Kalinga Award •Celebrated Odia and English writer Manoj Das will receive the Mystic Kalinga Literary Award (Indian and Global Languages). •He will also deliver the festival's keynote address on "Divine Madness: Knowledge, Ecstasy, and Transformation". •He was recently conferred Padma Bhushan, the country's third-highest civilian award for his contribution in the field of literature and education. Adi Godrej to be awarded •EY, the global professional services organisation, will felicitate Adi Godrej, chairman of the Godrej group, with the Lifetime Achievement Award at its 21st Entrepreneur of the Year - India (EOY) 2019 Awards. •The consulting firm has also shortlisted 17 entrepreneurs as finalists for the awards, from among 225 nominations. •Together, the 17 finalists have combined revenues of Rs 100,000 cr. International Gandhi Awards for Leprosy •The International Gandhi Awards for Leprosy was awarded to Dr N.S. Dharmashaktu and the Leprosy Mission Trust in New Delhi on 6 Feb 2020. •The award was presented by President Ram Nath Kovind. •The International Gandhi Awards for Leprosy commemorates the compassion that Mahatma Gandhi possessed and his services towards people with leprosy. Shaktikanta Das named best central banker •RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has been named the Central Banker of the Year, Asia-Pacific 2020, by the Banker magazine, a unit of Financial Times (FT). •The award is given to central bankers who have “best managed to stimulate growth and stabilise their economy.” •Jorgovanka Tabakovi, National Bank of Serbia, was adjudged the winner as the Global Central Banker of the Year. Waheeda Rehman honoured •Waheeda Rehman was conferred the Madhya Pradesh government's National Kishore Kumar Samman on 4 Feb 2020. •The award, for the year 2018, was given to Rehman at her Bandra residence in Mumbai by Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister Vijaylaxmi Sadho. •The award carries a Rs 2 lakh cash prize and citation. Vinod Shukla bagged an award •Noted Hindi poet-novelist Vinod Kumar Shukla has bagged the inaugural Mathrubhumi Book of the Year award for his translated book “Blue Is Like Blue“. •The stories in Blue Is Like Blue, translated into English by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra and Sara Rai, deal with common people and their daily struggles. •The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, a plaque, and a certificate. DTC awarded for lowest accident rate 7 | P a g e

  8. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Delhi's public transporter DTC has received the Transport Minister's Road Safety Award 2018-19 for the "lowest" accident rate. •A trophy and a cheque of ₹1 lakh was presented to Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) MD Manoj Kumar by Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari •The award was presented at the 3rd International Conference and Exhibition on Public Transport Innovation (ICEPTI) 2020. Vinesh, Mary Kom nominated for BBC awards •Vinesh Phogat, P.V. Sindhu and M.C. Mary Kom will compete for the inaugural BBC Indian sportswoman of the year award after being nominated for the honour. •Dutee Chand and Manasi Joshi are the other nominees for the award, the winner of which will be announced on the 8 March 2020. •The nominees were picked up by a panel of 40 eminent sports journalists. War drama ''1917'' dominated BAFTA 2020 •British filmmaker Sam Mendes' war drama "1917" ruled the 2020 edition of BAFTA awards with seven wins, including best film, best British film and best director. •South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" won two awards for original screenplay and best foreign language film. •The award for best adapted screenplay went to writer-director Taika Waititi for "Jojo Rabbit". Madhya Pradesh bagged first position •Madhya Pradesh has bagged the first position for the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. •Indore district has also bagged the first place for better performance of the scheme. •The main objective of the scheme is to provide incentives of Rs 5000 for the loss of wages of working women and to ensure their proper rest and nutrition during pregnancy. Yusuf Jameel won PEN Gauri Lankesh Award •Kashmiri reporter Yusuf Jameel has received the second edition of an award set up in the memory of journalist Gauri Lankesh. •The inaugural “PEN Gauri Lankesh Award for Democratic Idealism” was given to cartoonist P Mahamood in September 2018. •Jameel was given the 2019-2020 award for showing an “exemplary commitment to professional integrity and the ideals of democracy”. Summits & Conferences International Conf on Standardisation of AYUSH •The two-day International Conference on Standardisation of Diagnosis and Terminologies in Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha Systems of Medicine concluded in New Delhi. •The sixteen countries have been attended the conference. •ICoSDiTAUS-2020 is the biggest ever international event dedicated to standardisation of Diagnosis and Terminologies of Traditional Medicine. Parliamentary del from Sweden visits ECI •A ten-member delegation of MP of the Committee on the Constitution in Riksdag visited the ECI. 8 | P a g e

  9. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •The delegation was led by Ms Karin Enstrom, MP and Chair of the Committee on the Constitution in Riksdag. •CEC Sunil Arora gave an overview of the last national elections held in India. •He also mentioned the use of modern tools of Information and Communication Tech and several innovative measures. NE Sustainable Development Goals Conclave 2020 •The North East Sustainable Development Goals Conclave 2020 is currently underway in Guwahati. •Four tech sessions were held from all 8 NE states. •The first session is Pathways for Localisation and Achievement. •The second is on Drivers of Economic Prosperity & Sustainable Livelihoods. •The Third is on Climate Adaptive Agri. •The final tech is on Nutri Security & Health and Wellbeing for All. NIC themed Ek Bharat-Shreshth Bharat in Sikkim •A National Integration Camp (NIC) themed Ek Bharat-Shreshth Bharat was inaugurated at the Indian Himalayan Centre for Adventure and Eco-tourism Institute at Chemchey, South Sikkim. •The camp is being organized by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, Sikkim inaugurated by Sikkim MP Indra Hang Subba •Around 250 participants from 16 states are participating in the four-day national integration camp. Three-day International Conference on EMMDA •MoES conducts International Conference on ‘Ensemble Methods in Modelling & Data Assimilation’ (EMMDA) at Noida •The latest techniques used in Data Assimilation, Ensemble Methods and use of Probabilistic Forecasts for developing new applications will be discussed. •It will be inaugurated by Dr.Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Science and Tech, Earth Sciences. Mergers & Events Morgan Stanley to acquire E*Trade for $13 bn •Morgan Stanley will buy online trading pioneer E*Trade in a deal valued at $13 billion. •It would be the largest acquisition by an American bank since the 2008 global financial crisis. •Founded in California, E*Trade helped revolutionise online trading in the 1980s, opening the door to individual investors to invest on Wall Street. JSW Steel to acquire Bhushan Power •The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal allowed JSW Steel to acquire of Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd for Rs 19,700 crore by providing it immunity from prosecution by Enforcement Directorate. •A two-member bench headed by Chairman Justice S J Mukhopadhaya said that JSW Steel will be immuned from the acts done by the former promoters of Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd (BPSL). CC approved JV between Ford and Mahindra •The Competition Commission has approved Mahindra & Mahindra's acquisition of majority stake in a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Co. 9 | P a g e

  10. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •The acquisition will create a joint venture in the country. •The new venture would acquire the automotive business of Ford India Pvt Ltd (FIPL). •The automotive business includes vehicle manufacturing plants of Ford India in Chennai and Sanand. Infosys to buy US firm Simplus •Infosys Ltd informed the stock exchanges it will acquire Simplus, one of the fastest growing Salesforce platinum partners in the US and Australia for up to $250 million. •The acquisition is expected to close during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. •The acquisition would help Infosys expand its geographic presence as Simplus has offices across North America, Sydney, Melbourne, and London. Bharti Airtel and Tata Teleservices to merge •The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has approved the merger of Tata Teleservices' consumer mobility business with Bharti Airtel. •The Tata group In October 2017 had announced to sell its consumer mobile business to Airtel on a debt- free, cash-free basis. •The merger will expand Airtel’s spectrum footprint and 4G(4th Generation) coverage and its ability. Total to acquire 50% stake in Adani •Adani Green Energy and Total Gas & Power Business Services SAS (Total) have entered into a binding arrangement for an investment of approximately $510 million for the acquisition of 50% stake and other instruments in a joint venture (JV). •The JV will house 2,148 MWac operating solar projects presently 100% owned by AGEL. •The solar portfolio is spread across 11 states in India. Days & Events India’s first ‘Protein Day’ observed on 27 Feb •Right To Protein, a national-level public health initiative, has launched India’s first ‘Protein Day’ to raise awareness about the health benefits of protein. •Many countries recognize 27 Feb as the Protein Day and from 2020, India has also joined this movement. •The theme of India Protein Day 2020 was #ProteinMeinKyaHai. National Science Day: 28 February •National Science Day is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the Raman Effect. •On this day, Sir CV Raman had announced the discovery of the Raman Effect for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. •'Women in Science' is the theme of National Science Day for the year 2020. World Thinking Day: February 22 •World Thinking Day is celebrated every year on 22 February. •The day is celebrated by Girl Scouts, Girl Guides and other girl groups to set aside a day for girls all over the world to think of each other, and to give thanks and appreciation to “sister” Girl Scouts and Girl Guides. •The theme for World Thinking Day 2020 was 'Diversity, Equity and Inclusion'. International Mother Language Day: 21 Feb 10 | P a g e

  11. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •International Mother Language Day is celebrated every year on 21st February. •The main purpose of celebrating this day is to promote the awareness of language and cultural diversity all across the world. •It was first announced by UNESCO on November 17, 1999. •UNESCO is celebrating International Mother Language Day 2020 under the theme “Languages without borders.” World Day of Social Justice: 20 February •The World Day of Social Justice is celebrated annually all over the world on 20 February. •The day recognizes the need to promote social justice, which includes efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion, gender equality, unemployment, human rights, and social protections. •The theme for the year 2020 is: “Closing the Inequalities Gap to Achieve Social Justice” 34th Statehood Day of Arunachal Pradesh •Arunachal Pradesh celebrated its 34th Statehood Day on 20 Feb 2020. •Arunachal Pradesh attained statehood on February 20, 1987. •Home Minister Amit Shah attended the celebrations at Itanagar. •He launched the Arunachal Pradesh Industrial and Investment Policy, 2020 and inaugurated the Joram- Koloriang Road constructed by BRO. Soil Health Card Day: 19 February •The Soil Health Card Day was observed on 19 Feb 2020. •Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme on 19th February 2015 at Suratgarh in Rajasthan. •The scheme aims at issuing soil health cards to farmers every two years so as to provide a basis to address nutritional deficiencies in soil. National Women's Day: 13 February •India celebrates Sarojini Naidu's birthday as National Women's Day of India every year on February 13. •Sarojini Naidu was India's first women governor and also famous as 'Bharat Kokila'. •She was born on February 13, 1879. •She actively participated in the Indian National Movement for the independence of the country. •International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8 March every year. World Radio Day: 13 February •World Radio Day is observed every year on 13 February. •It is observed to raise greater awareness among the public and the media of the importance of radio. •The theme for the year 2020 is World Radio Day is Radio and Diversity. •On 14th January 2013, the United Nations General Assembly formally endorsed UNESCO’s proclamation of World Radio Day. National Productivity Week: 12-18 February •The National Productivity Council (NPC) celebrates the National Productivity Week from 12 February to 18 Feb 2020. •The main objective of the celebration is to encourage stakeholders in implementing productivity tools and techniques. •NPC is a national-level organisation that promotes production in India. 11 | P a g e

  12. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •It was established in 1958 by the Ministry of Industry, Government of India. Int Day of Women and Girls in Science •International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed every year on 11 February. •On 22 December 2015, the UN General Assembly decided to establish an annual International Day to recognize the critical role women and girls play in science and technology, through a resolution. •The theme of 2020 is 'Investment in Women and Girls in Science for Inclusive Green Growth.' World Unani Day: 11 February •World Unani Day is celebrated every year on 11 Feb to mark the birth anniversary of great Unani scholar and social reformer Hakim Ajmal Khan. •He was one of the founders of the Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. •The main objective of World Unani Day is to spread awareness about health care delivery through Unani system of medicine through its preventive and curative philosophy. Guru Ravidas Jayanti: 9 February •The birth anniversary of the 14th century saint Ravidas was celebrated all over India on 9 Feb 2020. •Ravidas was an Indian mystic poet. •His teachings are highly popular in the states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. •The poet was a social reformer. •His teachings deal with Nirguna-Saguna theme. •Nirguna is knowledge-focused and Saguna is love-focused. World Pulses Day: 10 February •World Pulses Day is observed on February 10 every year. •It is a designated United Nations global event to recognize the importance of pulses (chickpeas, dry beans, lentils, dry peas and lupins among others) as a global food. •It was first observed in the year 2019. •The Day also seeks to maintain momentum gained during FAO’s announcement of 2016 as the International Year of Pulses. National Deworming Day: 10 Feb •The National Deworming Day (NDD) is being observed across the country on 10 Feb 2020. •Children and adolescents in the age group of 1-19 years will be administered a single dose of a safe medicine Albendazole in all states and Union Territories on the occasion. •The objective of the day is to deworm children and adolescents to reduce the prevalence of parasitic worms in the intestine. Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation •International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is observed on 6 February every year. •It is a United Nations-sponsored annual awareness day. •It was first introduced in 2003. •The theme for the year 2020 is Unleashing Youth Power. •Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons. 12 | P a g e

  13. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 World Wetlands Day: February 2nd •World Wetlands Day is celebrated internationally each 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 day was first celebrated in the year 1997. •The international theme for World Wetlands Day 2020 is 'Wetlands and Biodiversity’. World Cancer Day: 4 February •World Cancer Day is observed on the 4th of February every year to create awareness about cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. •Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. •The aim of the day is to significantly reduce illness and death caused by cancer. •WHO has warned that cancer cases will rise by 81% in low and middle-income countries by 2040. MOU & Agreements US to sign agreement with Taliban •US President Donald Trump has announced that the US will sign an agreement with the Taliban as part of its efforts to bring lasting peace in war-torn Afghanistan. •Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will witness the signing of an agreement with representatives of the Taliban. •Secretary of Defense Mark Esper will issue a joint declaration with the government of Afghanistan. India, Myanmar signed 10 agreements •India and Myanmar exchanged 10 MoUs in various fields including energy, infrastructure, health, and transport. •The MoUs were exchanged following detailed talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Myanmar President U Win Myint in New Delhi. •The Myanmar President arrived in New Delhi for a four-day visit along with First Lady Daw Cho Cho on February 26, 2020. NTPC signs MoU with CPCB •NTPC Ltd announced signing an agreement with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). •It would be signed to provide financial support for installation and commissioning of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS). •NTPC will provide financial support of Rs 80 crore for installation of 25 CAAQMS across six states and three Union Territories. India and Sri Lanka signed MoU •India and Sri Lanka signed a MoU for up-gradation of infrastructure in plantation schools for estate workers of Indian origin. •The project envisages up-gradation of infrastructure of 9 plantation schools as identified by Sri Lanka under Indian grant assistance of Rs 30 crore. •These projects are in continuation of Govt of India’s people-oriented development cooperation with Govt of Sri Lanka. 13 | P a g e

  14. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 Govt of Gujarat and SBI signed MoU •The Gujarat govt signed an MoU with SBI to facilitate approval of loans to entrepreneurs in the MSME sector with ease and within a short time-frame. •As per the MoU, SBI will provide working capital to entrepreneurs seeking to start new micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) within a short time -frame after providing theoretical approval within 15 days of making an application. India, World Bank signed a loan agreement •The India government and the World Bank on 17 Feb 2020 signed a USD 450 million loan agreement. •It has been signed to support the national programme to arrest the country's depleting groundwater levels and strengthen groundwater institutions. •The World Bank-supported Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY) - National Groundwater Management Improvement Programme will be implemented in various states. AAI signed agreements with Adani Group •The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has signed three concession agreements with Adani Enterprises. •The agreements were signed for operations, management and development of Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Mangaluru airports. •The agreements were signed with Adani Ahmedabad International Airport Ltd, Adani Lucknow International Airport Ltd, and Adani Mangaluru International Airport Ltd. Odisha MSME Dept signed MoU with HDFC Bank •The Odisha government has signed a MoU with HDFC Bank Ltd. •According to the agreement, the startup units will be able to showcase their products to stakeholders while the lender will extend incubation and acceleration support to the firms banking with them. •It will enable startups to list on 'Smart Buy' platform for growth and visibility. Gujarat Tourism- ITDC signed MoU •Gujarat Tourism Department and Indian Tourism Development Corporation signed a MoU in Kutch on 13 Feb 2020. •It was signed for consultancy service to develop innovative and decorative light and sound show at major tourist places in the state. •MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister of State for Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel and Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani. India and Portugal signed 14 agreements •India and Portugal signed 14 agreements to boost cooperation in a range of areas including defence, investment, transport, ports, culture, etc. •The agreements were signed after extensive talks between PM Narendra Modi and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in New Delhi on 15 Feb 2020. •Mr Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa arrived in New Delhi on 14 Feb 2020 on a four-day visit. India finalised defence deals with US •India has finalized 2 more mega defence deals with the US, together worth over $3.5 billion (Rs 25,000 crore) for 30 heavy-duty armed helicopters. 14 | P a g e

  15. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •India will pay an initial 15% instalment for the MH-60R helicopters under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) government-to-government deal. •Once the contract is inked, the first lot of the choppers will be delivered in two years. Cabinet okays India-Iceland MoU on fisheries •The Union Cabinet approved the MoU between India and Iceland in the field of sustainable fisheries development. •The MoU was signed between India and Iceland on September 10, 2019, in the field of fisheries. •As per the pact, there is a provision for training fisheries professionals from key institutions in various management aspects. Flipkart and Assam to sign MoU •Flipkart and Industries Department of Assam will soon ink a MoU for providing the local artisans, Assamese jewelry makers, small tea growers, organic cultivators a platform on online marketing. •Flipkart would conduct training and workshop for the people involved in these sectors so that they can access the global online market and sell their products through Flipkart’s online store. Andhra Pradesh govt inked MoU •The Andhra Pradesh govt signed a MoU with 11 premier agricultural institutions in the country on 10 Feb 2020. •The institutions will provide "holistic technical assistance", leading to sustainable increase in farmers income using organic and natural farming processes. •11,158 Rythu Bharosa Kendras would be set up across the state by June 2020. Emami Group signed pact with Nuvoco Vistas •Emami Group announced that it has entered into a binding agreement with Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Limited, part of Nirma Group. •It will sell its 100% equity stake in Emami Cement Limited for an enterprise value of Rs 5,500 crore. •Emami Cement operates one integrated cement plant and three grinding units with a total cement grinding capacity of around 8.3 million tonnes per annum. BEL and Tech Mahindra collaborated •Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Tech Mahindra announced a partnership to design and build digital solutions for aerospace and defense applications. •The companies signed a MoU at DefExpo India 2020, Lucknow on 7 Feb 2020. •Both will jointly develop solutions in the field of defence products and systems for the armed forces with the use of latest technologies. JJV and BDL signed MoU •Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) has signed an MoU with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) to explore co-production of Javelin anti-tank guided missile system. •Javelin is an anti-tank guided missile system that can be carried and launched by a single person. •Javelin is currently in service in 18 allied countries. •The JJV has produced more than 45,000 rounds for both US and foreign militaries. L&T signed MoU with ideaForge 15 | P a g e

  16. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Larsen and Toubro (L&T) signed a MoU with drone company ideaForge on 7 Feb 2020 to offer unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for defence usage. •Both the companies will combine their strengths to offer hi-tech, integrated drone solutions to enhance security and surveillance. •Both will also offer anti-drone solutions to counter the threat of "malicious or unintended" usage of drones. IOC signed pact to buy Russian crude oil •Indian Oil Corp has signed a deal with Russia’s Rosneft for the annual purchase of 2 million metric tonnes of crude oil. •This is the first ever annual oil purchase deal between the two countries. •The two sides agreed to take forward mutually aligned priorities discussed in September 2019, including exploring a roadmap for Indian investments in the Vostok (Eastern Cluster) project of Russia. DRDO inked deal with a Russian company •DRDO signed a technology development contract with a Russian company Rosoboronexport on 7 Feb 2020 at DefExpo2020. •DRDO's High Energy Materials Research Laboratory signed the contract for development of Advanced Pyrotechnic Ignition Systems. •This will enable advancement in the field of energetic materials and pyrotechnic technology leading to the development of advanced ignition systems. BHEL, BEL signed pact •BHEL has entered into a pact with Bharat Electronics Ltd to develop and market products, systems and sensors for defence and non-defence applications. •A MoU was signed between Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) during DEFEXPO 2020 at Lucknow. •It will enable both to make joint efforts to explore markets for products individually developed by both companies. India, Russia signed 14 MoUs •14 agreements were inked on 6 Feb 2020 between Russian defence majors and Indian military firms providing for joint production of spare parts of a number of military platforms and weapon systems. •The MoUs were signed under a framework of an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) sealed between India and Russia in September last year. •The agreements were signed on the second day of DefExpo. HAL signed MoU with Elbit Systems •Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed an MoU with Elbit Systems during the ongoing DefExpo 2020 for promoting and marketing the Digital Head Up Displays (HUD) units. •A head-up display (HUD) is a transparent display that gives a pilot a seamless view of critical information. •The MoU envisages extending cooperation for new HUD technologies and promote Digital HUD. CSIR-CFTRI and APEDA signed MoU •A MoU was signed by CSIR-CFTRI with APEDA to set up a Liaison Office in Guwahati to provide technical support to the food industries in the North East region. •APEDA stands for Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority 16 | P a g e

  17. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Central Food Technological Research Institute, CSIR−CFTRI, Mysuru, works in the area of Food Science and Technology. HAL to make advanced armed UAV •In a first, advanced Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) will be manufactured in India. •Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd is set to sign a partnership pact with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) at the upcoming DefExpo 2020 in Lucknow. •The advanced Heron TP will be manufactured to cater both to Indian requirements for a combat UAV and possibly exports to third nations in the future as well. India, Maldives signed 6 MoUs •India and Maldives signed five MoUs for establishing the Addu Tourism zone in five islands of Addu atoll at a cost of 2.49 million dollars, on 2 Feb 2020. •A 6th MoU to set up a bottled water plant in Hoarafushi was also signed on the same day. •All six projects are grant projects falling under India’s High Impact Community Development Scheme (HICDP). Bank of Baroda partnered with CARE Ratings •Bank of Baroda has signed a pact with Care Ratings to assess credit quality of its small and medium enterprises (SME) customers. •The rating agency will evaluate the credit quality of existing and prospective SME customers of the bank. •The tie-up with Care Ratings will strengthen the evaluation process and enable growth of the SME lending business. Appointments Param Bir Singh: Mumbai Police Commissioner •The Maharashtra government appointed Param Bir Singh as the new Mumbai Police Commissioner on 29 Feb 2020. •Singh, a 1988-batch IPS officer, was posted as the Director General (DG) of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) before his appointment as the Mumbai Police Commissioner. •Singh succeeds Sanjay Barve, who retired recently. Sumant Kathpalia: MD and CEO of Induslnd Bank •IndusInd Bank has elevated the bank's head for consumer banking Sumant Kathpalia as the new managing director and chief executive from March 2020. •Kathpalia succeeds Romesh Sobti as MD and CEO for three years. •Sobti was the bank"s CEO since 2008. •Kathpalia used to head the consumer loans vertical at ABN Amro Bank. •He has also worked in Citi and Bank of America. Abhishek Singh: Ambassador to Venezuela •Diplomat Abhishek Singh has been appointed India's next Ambassador to Venezuela. •Abhishek Singh, a 2003-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, is currently serving as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian embassy in Kabul. •He will succeed Rajiv Kumar Nagpal, who passed away a few months back. 17 | P a g e

  18. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 Former amb to China G Bambawale joins Ola •Former Indian ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale has joined Ola as senior adviser for corporate and international affairs. •He was also former high commissioner to Pakistan and ex-ambassador to Bhutan. •Bambawale has served in Hong Kong, Guangzhou besides Germany, has been in the Indian foreign service for more than 30 years. Sunil Gurbaxani: Dhanlaxmi Bank MD and CEO •Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 19 Feb 2020 approved appointment of Sunil Gurbaxani as managing director and CEO of Dhanlaxmi Bank. •Gurbaxani is working with Axis Bank at present. •The bank had registered a net profit of Rs 16.90 crore during the corresponding period in previous fiscal. •Total income rose to Rs 285.85 crore from Rs 272.16 crore in October-December 2018-19. USIBC appointed Vijay Advani as a New chairman •The US-India Business Council has appointed Vijay Advani as new Chair of its Global Board of Directors. •Advani has taken the charge as Board Chair at a time of significant growth in US-India bilateral trade, which reached USD 160 billion in 2019. •Earlier, he was also Co-President of Franklin Templeton Investments. PolicyBazaar named Sarbvir Singh as its CEO •PolicyBazaar has appointed former venture capital investor Sarbvir Singh as its new chief executive. •Cofounder Yashish Dahiya will take up a broader group CEO role at the company. •The company has also appointed Sharat Dhall, who was previously with online travel operator Yatra, as its new chief operating officer. •Dhall, who held a similar position at Yatra, replaces Dhruv Sarin. Amarjeet Sinha appointed as Adviser to PM •Retired IAS officers Amarjeet Sinha and Bhaskar Khulbe have been appointed as Advisers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. •The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointments in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in the rank and scale of Secretary. •The appointments have been made on contractual basis initially for a period of two years or until further orders. Sanjay J Singh took over as Commandant •Rear Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh AVSM, NM has assumed charge as the Commandant of the prestigious Naval War College, Goa. •He has held a wide range of operational, training and staff appointments over the past three decades. •Prior to this appointment, he was the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Fleet. Antony George: Took over as CSO •Rear Admiral Antony George assumed charge as the Chief Staff Officer (Training) on 20 Feb 20 at Headquarters, Southern Naval Command. •A graduate from St. Stephen’s College, the Flag Officer was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 July 1987. 18 | P a g e

  19. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •On promotion to Flag rank in October 17, he was appointed as the first Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Staff Requirements). Ralph Hamers to head UBS •UBS has named ING Group CEO Ralph Hamers to succeed Sergio Ermotti as head of the company. •The Dutchman will join UBS as a member of the bank's executive board on September 1, 2020, before taking over the reins as chief executive officer on November 1, 2020. •Ermotti took over the helm of UBS in late 2011 and oversaw a massive restructuring of the bank. Nritya Gopal: Chairman Ram Janmabhoomi Trust •Former principal secretary to PM, Nripendra Misra has been chosen as the chairman of the Ram Temple Complex Development Committee. •Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas chief Nritya Gopal Das has been named the chairman of the Sri Ram Janambhoomi Teerath Kshetra Trust. •The decisions were announced by Vishva Hindu Parishad’s vice-president Champat Rai, who was appointed the general secretary of the Trust. Sanjay Kothari to be the next CVC •Sanjay Kothari, the Secretary to the President, has been selected as the new Chief Vigilance Commissioner by a high-powered committee headed by PM Narendra Modi. •The committee has also chosen former Information and Broadcasting Secretary Bimal Julka as the new Chief Information Commissioner in the Central Information Commission. •Bimal Julka is currently serving as Information Commissioner. Three experts appointed members of NDMA •Lt General (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain has been appointed as a member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) along with two others. •Former Director-General of the Coast Guard Rajendra Singh and Krishna Vatsa have also been appointed as members of the NDMA. •Kamal Kishore, presently serving as member of the NDMA, has been given a fresh term of five years with effect from 16 Feb 2020. Barry O'Farrell: High commissioner to India •Australia has appointed former New South Wales premier Barry O'Farrell as the next high commissioner to India. •Mr O'Farrell will succeed Harinder Sidhu who has been in the office since 2016. •Mr O'Farrell served in the New South Wales Parliament from 1995-2015 and the 43rd Premier of the province. •He has also served as New South Wales' Special Envoy for India Vinay Chhabra: CEO of Real Time Data Services •Vinay Chhabra has been appointed the CEO of Real Time Data Services (RTDS), an IT solutions company. •He has previously held prestigious positions in the government such as chief commissioner of the Central Excise and Customs, and chief controller of Government Opium and Alkaloid Factories. •RTDS provides advanced IT solutions in the field of communication and cloud computing. G Narayanan to head space PSU NSIL 19 | P a g e

  20. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Veteran space scientist G Narayanan has been named the chairman of ISRO’s newly formed commercial entity New Space India Ltd (NSIL). •He was earlier working as deputy director at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). •He had earlier worked as first secretary (space) at the Indian embassy in Paris. •He joined ISRO in the year 1983. GoAir appointed Vinay Dube as CEO •GoAir has appointed former Jet Airways (India) Limited executive Vinay Dube as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the airline. •As the CEO, Vinay will report to the Chairman, Managing Director and the Board. •He will be responsible for the management of the airline and also for meeting the goals and long term growth objectives of the company. AICF elected Ajay patel as its new President •Ajay Patel will succeed P. R. Venketrama Raja as the new President of the All India Chess Federation (AICF). •He was elected unopposed along with incumbent Secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan. •In all, 5 office-bearers were declared winners by Returning Officer, former Supreme Court judge Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla. •The new set of office-bearers will hold their positions till 2023. Robin Singh: UAE's director of cricket •Former India all-rounder Robin Singh was appointed director of cricket of the United Arab Emirates. •He was appointed by Emirates Cricket Board after the dismissal of head coach Douglas Robert Brown. •Robin Singh represented India for 1 test and 136 ODIs (One Day International) between 1989 & 2001. •He was also associated with the IPL's highly successful Mumbai Indians franchise. Atul Kumar Gupta is the new ICAI President •Atul Kumar Gupta will be the new President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAI) for the year 2020-21. •Nihar Niranjan Jambusaria has been elected as the Vice President of the ICAI for 2020-21. •They were elected at a meeting of the central council in New Delhi on 12 Feb 2020. •Atul Gupta was the Vice President of ICAI for the term 2019-20. Alok Sharma to lead UN climate summit •Indian-origin Alok Sharma was named the new UK Minister in charge of the UN climate talks to be hosted by Britain. •Sharma has been promoted to the post of Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Cabinet reshuffle. •He will take charge of the crucial summit ‘COP26' as its former president was removed just weeks ago. Rishi Sunak: UK's new Finance Minister •Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy's son-in-law, Rishi Sunak has been appointed as UK's Finance Minister. •He replaced Pakistani Chancellor Sajid Javid. •Priti Patel has been appointed as the Home Minister. •Alok Sharma has been appointed as the Business Secretary in the British Cabinet. •Sharma was elevated to the role of the secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy. 20 | P a g e

  21. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 Rajiv Bansal became Air India's new CMD •The government appointed the 1988 batch IAS officer of Nagaland Cadre Rajiv Bansal as the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India. •Mr Bansal is presently serving as the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. •Debashis Panda has been appointed as the Secretary, Department of Financial Services. •Rajkumar has been appointed Secretary Defence Production. Sarthak Behuria joined RIL as an advisor •Former Indian Oil Corporation Chairman, Sarthak Behuria, has joined Reliance Industries as a senior advisor. •Behuria, who was the chairman of IOC between 2005-10, started his career with Burmah Shell in 1973. •Post his tenure as the chairman of IOC, he was associated with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone and KK Modi Group of Companies. Pramit Jhaveri to join Dorabji Trust •Tata Trusts made two significant appointments to its leadership team. •Pramit Jhaveri, the former Citi India boss, has been co-opted as a trustee in Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, one of the two main Tata trusts that holds a significant stake in Tata Sons. •The Trusts separately appointed N Srinath, a long-standing Tata group executive as the CEO of Tata Trusts. Sanjay Vatsyayan: Eastern Fleet Commander •The command of the Eastern Fleet was handed over to Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsyayan by Rear Admiral Suraj Berry in Visakhapatnam on 10 Feb 2020. •Prior to assuming Command of the Eastern Fleet, he was serving as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) at New Delhi. •The Eastern Fleet is deployed across the Indo-Pacific region to safeguard the nation’s maritime interest. CG Power inducted 3 independent directors •CG Power and Industrial Solutions has taken on board Pradeep Mathur, Ratin Roy and Aditi Raja as independent directors for the company's Indian operations. •Prior to this, Mathur was the managing director of Tupperware India and served as the senior vice president and global chief financial officer at Tupperware Asia Pacific. •He will be part of the audit committee for CG in India. SC appointed C N R Nair •The Supreme Court appointed retired Kerala High Court judge C N Ramachandaran Nair to prepare an inventory and valuation report of ornaments of Lord Ayyappa of Sabarimala temple. •He can take assistance of a jeweller for valuation of the sacred ornaments and should file its report in sealed cover. •The temple is situated inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala. SpiceJet appointed Shilpa Bhatia as CCO •Low-cost carrier SpiceJet has appointed Shilpa Bhatia as its new chief commercial officer. •Bhatia will report to Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director and will look after revenue management, sales and network planning. •Shilpa has worked with IndiGo, Sahara Airlines, Amadeus and GMG Airlines in leading roles in the past. Britain's New High Commissioner to India 21 | P a g e

  22. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Britain appointed career diplomat Philip Barton as its High Commissioner to India to succeed Dominic Asquith. •Barton will take up his appointment during Spring 2020. •Barton was the Director General, Consular and Security at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from April 2017 until January 2020. •Barton joined the FCO in 1986 and is a career diplomat. Rishabh Pant: Brand ambassador of JSW Steel •JSW Steel has roped in cricketer Rishabh Pant as the brand ambassador for the company for its JSW ColorOn and JSW NeoSteel products. •The partnership will increase the recall for the JSW NeoSteel and JSW Coloron+ brands. •Parth Jindal is the MD of JSW Cement and Director of JSW Sports. •JSW Energy reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 394 crore during the December 2019 quarter. Sourav Ganguly: Ambassador for Tokyo Olympics •The recently appointed BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly has been invited by the Indian Olympic Association to be the ‘Goodwill Ambassador’ of India in the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020. •It is only the second time that Team India will have a ‘Goodwill Ambassador’. •In the Rio Olympic Games 2016, Salman Khan was appointed in that role. Avishek became youngest CAB president •Former BCCI president late Jagmohan Dalmiya's son Avishek became the youngest president of Cricket Association Bengal after being elected unopposed. •Avishek was holding the post of joint secretary before his elevation. •BCCI president Sourav Ganguly's elder brother Snehasish Ganguly, a former Bengal left-hander, is the new joint secretary. •Avishek has become the 18th president of CAB. Pramod Agrawal: Coal India chairman •Pramod Agrawal has assumed charge as the new chairman and managing director of Coal India Ltd. •Agrawal, a 1991 batch IAS officer, was principal secretary for urban development and housing department in Madhya Pradesh. •He took over after A K Jha retired as the CIL chairman on January 31, 2020. •Coal India Ltd. is headquartered in Kolkata. Amitabh Bhatt: CEO (Bengaluru Complex) at HAL •Amitabh Bhatt has taken over as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HAL’s Bengaluru Complex. •Earlier, he was heading the LUH (light utility helicopter) project in HAL as Executive Director. •Bhatt earlier served in SKF India Ltd for 15 years before joining HAL. •He is a Director on the Board of HAL’s Joint Venture, ‘Indo Russian Helicopters Ltd'. Gopal Baglay: India’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka •The Ministry of External Affairs appointed Gopal Baglay as India's next High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. •Baglay, a 1992-batch officer of Indian Foreign Service, succeeds Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who was appointed as the Ambassador to the United States. •Baglay is currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office. 22 | P a g e

  23. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 Deepa Malik elected as President •Indian Paralympic medal-winner Deepa Malik has been elected president of the Paralympic Committee of India. •Malik, who won silver in shot putt F-53 at Rio 2016, was elected unopposed. •Also elected at the poll were Gursharan Singh as secretary general, Kavender Chaudhury and Shashi Ranjan Prasad Singh as Vice Presidents, and M Mahadeva as treasurer. New nominee director on Unitech's board •Unitech Ltd has appointed Prabhakar Singh as government's nominee director on the company's board. •Earlier, Singh was former director-general of CPWD. •Yudvir Singh Malik, a Haryana-cadre IAS officer, has been appointed as the chairman and managing director of the company as per the court order. •There are seven other members on the board. Ajit Kumar named Chairman of CBIC •M Ajit Kumar has been appointed as Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). •He was earlier a Member (Administration and Vigilance) in CBIC. •Ajit Kumar is a recipient of the World Customs Organisation certificate of merit for the year 2019. •He has worked in many capacities in the department including Directorate of Vigilance in New Delhi. WeWork names Sandeep Mathrani its new CEO •WeWork has named Sandeep Mathrani as its new CEO. •Mathrani was previously the chief executive of Brookfield Property Partners’ retail group. •Mathrani will replace Artie Minson and Sebastian Gunningham. •The duo has served as co-CEOs of WeWork parent We Co. since Neumann stepped down in September 2019. McDonald's appointed new partner •McDonald's has appointed Sanjeev Agrawal as the new developmental licensee for its outlets in north and eastern India. •He is group chairman, and one of the founder-promoters of MMG Group that has interests in bottling and marketing of soft drinks, oil and gas, and hospitality. •Agrawal-backed Moon Beverages is among the key bottlers for American beverage maker Coca-Cola in north India. B Murali Kumar: Special Expenditure Observer •Election Commission of India has appointed B Murli Kumar as Special Expenditure Observer. •Mrinal Kanti Das has been appointed as Special Police Observer for General Election to the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi. •As Special Expenditure Observer, Murali in consultation with the Chief Electoral Officer, will be supervising and monitoring the work being done by the electoral machinery. Mohammed Allawi named as Iraq Prime Minister •Iraq has named a new Prime Minister after four months of protests. •Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, a former communications minister, was appointed by President Barham Salih. 23 | P a g e

  24. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •His predecessor Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned in November 2019, amid mass anti-government demonstrations. •Mr Allawi now has a month to form a new government, which he will lead until early elections. Lt Gen Y K Joshi: GOC-in-C Northern Command •Lieutenant General YK Joshi took over as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command at Udhampur on 1 Feb 2020. •Before assuming the charge, he visited "Dhruva War Memorial". •Gen Joshi commanded 13 JAK RIF in Operation VIJAY and PARAKRAM. •Nicknamed 'Joe', he also displayed outstanding leadership during the Kargil war. Ajay Bisaria: High Commissioner to Canada •Ajay Bisaria was appointed High Commissioner to Canada on 31 Jan 2020. •Mr Bisaria was serving as India's High Commissioner to Pakistan but returned to India in August 2019 after Islamabad expelled him. •Mr Bisaria was private secretary to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee between 1999 to 2004. Arvind Krishna appointed CEO of IBM •Arvind Krishna has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IBM, succeeding Ginni Rometty. •He will take over on April 6, 2020. •Krishna is currently IBM Senior Vice President for Cloud and Cognitive Software. •Ginni Rometty will retire after almost 40 years with the company at the end of the year. Vinay Mohan: Ambassador of India to Nepal •The Ministry of External Affairs appointed Vinay Mohan Kwatra as India's next ambassador to Nepal. •The diplomat is presently serving as India's ambassador to France. •He will be replacing Manjeev Singh Puri, the current Indian ambassador to Nepal. •He has served as Third Secretary and then Second Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva until 1993. Hitesh Chandra Awasthi: Interim UP DGP •Hitesh Chandra Awasthi has taken charge as the interim Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh replacing OP Singh who retired on January 31. •Awasthi has served in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for 12 years. •He is presently posted as Director-General Vigilance. •He will retire in June 2021. Obituaries World’s oldest man passed away •The world’s oldest man has died at age 112, less than two weeks after being named the Guinness World Record holder. •Chitetsu Watanabe passed away in February 2020. •He officially became the world’s oldest man, receiving a certificate from Guinness World Records at a nursing home in his city on 12 Feb 2020. 24 | P a g e

  25. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •The previous record-holder was Japanese man Masazo Nonaka, who died in January 2020. Sudhakar Chaturvedi passed away •Renowned Vedic Scholar and Gandhian Sudhakar Chaturvedi passed away in Bengaluru in Feb 2020. •The centenarian was given the title Chaturvedi for his mastery over the four vedas. •Deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and Arya Samaj movement, he had authored over 50 spiritual books in four languages. •He had spent his last few years in the teaching of Vedas to young enthusiasts. Egypt's former Pres M H Mubarak passes away •Egypt's former President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak, who ruled the country for 30 years passes away at 91. •He was former air force chief and became Vice President of Egypt on 14 October 1981. •He was sworn in as the President after Islamist militants assassinated his predecessor Anwar Sadat during a military parade. •Mubarak was forced to resign on February 11, 2011. Computer scientist, Larry Tesler passed away •A pioneering US computer scientist Larry Teslar, whose accomplishments included inventing the widely relied on "cut, copy and paste" command, passed away in Feb 2020. •He joined Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center in 1973, where he developed 'cut, copy and paste'. •He started working in Silicon Valley in the early 1960s, at a time when computers were inaccessible to the vast majority of people. Former FICCI President V L Dutt passed away •Dr V L Dutt, leading industrialist and executive chairman of KCP Ltd, passed away in February 2020. •Dr Dutt was the president of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) during 1991-92 and was a widely respected industrialist. •He also served as the honorary consul general of the Republic of Turkey in Chennai. Harry Greg passed away •Former Manchester United and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Harry Gregg, passed away in Feb 2020. •He was also a survivor of the 1958 Munich air disaster. •He was known commonly as ‘the hero of Munich’ for his actions after the tragedy 62 years ago. •He was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in the 2019 New Year Honours. Mickey Wright passed away •Mickey Wright, often described as the greatest woman golfer of all times, passed away in Feb 2020. •Her haul of 13 major victories included four US Women's Open titles and four US Women's PGA Championships. •Wright had accumulated 82 titles of Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour titles during a professional career which stretched from 1954 to 1969. Popular Bengali actor Tapas Pal passed away •Popular Bengali film actor and former Trinamul Congress MP Tapas Pal passed away in Mumbai in Feb 2020. 25 | P a g e

  26. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Tapas Pal acted in a number of Bengali films besides being elected two times in Lok Sabha from Krishnanagar Constituency in Nadia District of West Bengal. •His acting in Dadar Kirti, Saheb, Parabat Priya and other films was highly appreciated. Parikrama lead guitarist Sonam Sherpa died •The founding member and lead guitarist of acclaimed band Parikrama, Sonam Sherpa passed away in Feb 2020. •Sherpa was known for giving music to the band's many hits including But It Rained, Tears of the Wizard and Am I Dreaming. •He even composed music for Bollywood films like Majunath. •He also owned and ran the Parikrama School of Music situated in Hauz Khas. RK Pachauri, former TERI chief, passed away •R K Pachauri, a former chief of The Energy and Resources Institute, passed away in February 2020. •This was informed by TERI Director General Ajay Mathur on 13 February 2020. •He played a pivotal role in making TERI a leading organisation in the sustainability space. •He had to step down from his position after he was accused of sexually harassing a former woman colleague. Wendell Rodricks passed away •Internationally-famed fashion designer Wendell Rodricks passed away in February 2020. •A Padma Shri award-winning designer and known for infusing modern aesthetics with traditional Goan influences, Rodricks was also an author, environmentalist and gay rights activist. •He is often credited for pioneering the concept of 'resort wear' when it was not a popular idea in India. Nandu R Kulkarni passed away •Veteran journalist Nandu R Kulkarni, the Bureau Chief of the Kolkata-based newspaper The Statesman passed away in Feb 2020. •Kulkarni started his career with The Indian Express Mumbai in 1976 and covered economic offences, moving on to cover banking and politics. •At The Statesman he reported on a wide range of subjects including politics, business and other fields. American Author Roger Kahn passed away •American Author Roger Kahn passed away in Feb 2020. •He has written at least 20 books in his lifetime. •He was best known for “The Boys of Summer,” a best-selling first-person account of his hometown of Brooklyn and the Dodger baseball team of the 1950s. •He was born in Brooklyn on 31 October 1927. Giriraj Kishore passed away •Well-known Hindi novelist and Padma Shri awardee Giriraj Kishore passed away in Feb 2020. •Giriraj Kishore was best known for his novel ''Pehla Girmitiya'' that was based on Mahatma Gandhi''s stay in South Africa. •He was awarded the Padma Shri by the President of India and was the recipient of the Sahitya Akademi award. •He was also conferred the Vyas Samman in 2000. 26 | P a g e

  27. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 P Parameswaran passed away •Renowned thinker, writer and the founder-director of Bharatiya Vichara Kendram P Parameswaran passed away in Feb 2020. •He was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2018 and Padma Shri in 2004. •P Parameswaran was one of the senior-most Pracharaks of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, RSS and former leader of the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Raju Bharatan passed away •Noted film historian and cricket journalist Raju Bharatan passed away in Feb 2020. •Bharatan was associated with the Illustrated Weekly of India for 42 years. •He retired as Assistant Editor, after having worked with stalwarts like Khushwant Singh, MV Kamat, Pritish Nandy and Anil Dharker. •His film books include the highly controversial “Lata Mangeshkar - A Biography” (1995), etc. Kirk Douglas passed away •Hollywood legend and veteran actor Kirk Douglas passed away in Feb 2020. •Douglas was prolific as a film actor, with more than 90 credits to his name - ranging over six decades from the 1940s to the 2000s. •Born in New York in 1916, he rose to prominence during Hollywood's golden age, earning his first Oscar nomination for the 1949 boxing story 'Champion'. Odia revolutionary poet Rabi Singh passed away •Odia poet Rabi Singh passed away in Feb 2020. •His poetry collections include ‘Patha Prantara Kabita’, ‘Charama Patra’, ‘Sithila Balga’, ‘Lal Pagoda Ra Preta O Anya Kabita’, ‘Bhrukuti’ ‘Bidirna’, ‘Padatika’, etc. •He received several awards, including the prestigious Atibadi Jagannath Das Samman instituted by Odisha Sahitya Akademi in 2017. Jaswant Singh Kanwal passed away •Eminent Punjabi writer, novelist and Sahitya Akademi Awardee Jaswant Singh Kanwal passed away in Feb 2020 in his native village in Moga district. •Kanwal was bestowed Sahitya Akademi Fellowship award for his book ‘Pakhi’ (Hand Fan) in 1996. •He also received the Sahitya Akademi award for Taushali Di Hanso in 1998. Sashi Sharma passed away •Noted Assamese litterateur and educationist Sashi Sharma passed away in Jan 2020. •He started his career in 1961 as a professor at the Nalbari College’s Assamese Department and retired in 1993. •In 1968, he was honoured with the “Soviet Nehru Award” and the Asam Sahitya Sabha also conferred him with the Sitanath Brahma Choudhury Award. Matthew Satya Babu passed away •Veteran basketball player P Mathew Satya Babu passed away in Jan 2020. •Mathew Satya Babu had represented India in the Asian Basketball Championship in Seoul in South Korea in 1967, Bangkok in 1969 and Manila in 1970. 27 | P a g e

  28. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •He led India in the Asian Games in Bangkok in 1970 and was a qualified NIS basketball coach and a B panel Basketball Federation of India referee. Noted Urdu poet Ajmal Sultanpuri passed away •Noted Urdu poet Ajmal Sultanpuri passed away in Jan 2020. •He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy in March 2016 for his contribution to Urdu poetry. •"Kahan Hai Mera Hindustan" and "Agar Main Tera Shahjahan" are two of his popular poems. •He was born in 1923 in Harakhpur in Sultanpur district, UP. Veteran social activist Vidya Bal passed away •Veteran social activist Vidya Bal passed away in Jan 2020. •In 2016, she had approached Bombay High Court to demand enforcement of a law that allowed temple entry for all, including women, in Hindu religious places. •Their Public Interest Litigation sought implementation of provisions of Maharashtra Hindu Place of Worship Act, 1956 related to the entry of women at Shani Shingnapur temple. International Affairs WHO raised global risk of coronavirus •WHO raised its global risk assessment for the new coronavirus to “very high” from “high”. •Over 8,000 people have been infected with coronavirus globally. •After it has reached more than 50 countries in about two months, some researchers and scientists are at the edge of calling the disease a pandemic, a global, potentially lethal outbreak. Sri Lanka withdraws from UN Rights Resolution •Sri Lanka has formally notified the UN Human Right Council that it is withdrawing from the UN resolution on post-war accountability and reconciliation. •In 2015, Sri Lanka co-sponsored a UNHRC resolution, 30/1, making commitments to promote reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. •It renewed these commitments in two further UNHRC resolutions in 2017 and 2019. Scotland makes sanitary pro free for all women •The Scottish parliament approved to make sanitary products freely available to all women. •It is the first nation in the world to make sanitary products free. •The legislation would make tampons and sanitary pads available at designated public places such as community centres, youth clubs and pharmacies. •It is estimated with an annual cost of 24.1 million pounds ($31.2 million). UNSC renews its sanctions regime on Yemen •The UN Security Council has renewed its sanctions regime on Yemen for another year, after tense negotiations between Britain and Russia. •Thirteen countries eventually adopted the London-drafted resolution on the sanctions, which now are in effect through February 2021. •The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations charged with ensuring international peace and security. 28 | P a g e

  29. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 Conservative party wins Iranian elections •In Iran, conservatives have claimed victory in a general election marked by the lowest turnout since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. •Interior Ministry announced results of 95 per cent of the 208 constituencies. •Conservative candidates have secured 219 seats in the 290-strong parliament, also known as the Majlis. 17 women were elected, the same number as in the outgoing 290-seat parliament. Bangladesh records sharp decline in Child Mal •The child malnutrition rate in Bangladesh has declined sharply over the last six years. •The survey has also recorded an improvement in many other areas related to health and nutrition, Child protection, hygiene and sanitation. •The rate of chronic malnutrition among children measured by the stunting level among them has come down from 42 percent in 2013 to 28 percent in 2019. Mauritius joins Pakistan on FATF's Grey list •Mauritius has joined Pakistan on the “grey list” of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an inter- governmental body which sets anti-money laundering standards. •Mauritius is the second-largest source of foreign portfolio investor (FPI) flows into India, after the US. •FATF grey lists a country which it considers as a safe haven for terror funding and money laundering. Trump to be sixth US President to visit India •Donald Trump will be the sixth US President ever to travel to India and the first one to land in Ahmedabad. •Dwight D Eisenhower was the first US President to visit India in 1959. •Richard Nixon travelled to India in 1969 and Jimmy Carter in 1978. Bill Clinton visited India in 2000 and George W Bush in 2006. •Obama visited India twice in 2010 and 2015. India to block EU’s WTO panel request •India will block the European Union’s request for a dispute settlement panel at the World Trade Organization. •It is against New Delhi’s customs duties on imports of certain information and communications technology (ICT) products. •The EU initiated dispute proceedings last year alleging India levied excess tariffs than what it had committed to in its tariff schedule at the WTO. Riksbank testing world’s 1st digital currency •Sweden's Riksbank has begun testing an e-krona in conjunction with Accenture, which could lead to the creation of world’s first central bank digital currency (CBDC). •The pilot will run until February 2021 and will use blockchain technology. •The aim of the testing is to show how an e-krona could be used by the general public. •Making payments in e-krona would be as easy as sending a text. FATF decides to retain Pakistan in 'Grey List' •Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has decided continuation of Pakistan in the 'Grey List'. •It warned the country that stern action will be taken if it fails to check the flow of money to terror groups. 29 | P a g e

  30. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Pakistan was placed on the 'Grey List' by the FATF in June 2018 and was given a plan of action to complete by October 2019 or face the risk of being placed on the 'Black List'. Pakistan successfully tested Ra'ad-II •Pakistan conducted a successful flight test of the air-launched nuclear-capable cruise missile Ra'ad-II with a range of 600 km. •The Ra'ad-II weapon system is equipped with state-of-the-art guidance and navigation systems ensuring engagement of targets with high precision. •It significantly enhances air delivered strategic standoff capability on land and at sea. Jeff Bezos launched “Bezos Earth Fund” •Jeff Bezos has announced that he will launch a $10 billion fund to fight climate change. •The Bezos Earth Fund will provide money to "any effort that offers a real possibility" to help preserve and protect the world. •The Bezos Earth Fund will fund the scientists, activists, NGOs to save Earth to tackle the issue of climate change. Afghanistan President secured 2nd term •In Afghanistan, independent Election Commission announced that Ashraf Ghani has won a second term as President of the country. •However, his closest opponent Abdullah Abdullah has refused to recognize the results and declared himself winner potentially endangering peace negotiations with the Taliban. •Ghani garnered 9,23,592 votes or 50.64% of votes that took place on 28 September 2019. Mobile World Congress 2020 cancelled •MWC 2020 –Mobile World Congress 2020, was set to run from February 24-27, 2020, but it has now been cancelled after health concerns in the wake of the coronavirus. •The GSM Association (GSMA) decided to cancel the whole event after a variety of companies including Sony, LG and HMD Global, pulled out of the show. •It was cancelled on 12 Feb 2020. 43rd IFAD Governing Council held in Rome •The IFAD’s (International Fund for Agricultural Development) 43rd Governing Council meeting was held in Rome, Italy on 11-12 February 2020. •The theme for it was “Investing in sustainable food systems to end hunger by 2030”. •During the meet, IFAD stated that the sequences of climate change and its impacts on agriculture will push around 100 million people to poverty by 2030. Facebook to allow paid political messages •Facebook has decided to allow a type of paid political message that had sidestepped many of the social network's rules governing political ads. •The rule change will now allow campaigns in the US to use this tool, provided they've been authorised by Facebook to run political ads and disclose who paid for the sponsored posts. Alok Sharma to lead UN climate summit •Indian-origin Alok Sharma was named the new UK Minister in charge of the UN climate talks to be hosted by Britain. 30 | P a g e

  31. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Sharma has been promoted to the post of Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Cabinet reshuffle. •He will take charge of the crucial summit ‘COP26' as its former president was removed just weeks ago. New Zealand unveiled first AI police officer •New Zealand Police unveiled its first Artificial intelligence (AI) officer Ella on 12 February 2020. •Ella is a digital person that is powered by AI and uses real-time animation to emulate face-to-face interactions. •Ella stands for Electronic Lifelike Assistant. •It is a part of two new digital kiosks that the New Zealand Police have designed. Facial recognition cameras in London •London police has started using facial recognition cameras from Feb 11, 2020 to automatically scan for wanted people. •It's the first time London's Metropolitan Police Service has used live facial recognition cameras after a series of trials. •Signs were put warning that police were using the technology to find people wanted for serious crimes. Coronavirus disease renamed as “Covid-19” •There is now an official name for the disease caused by the new coronavirus, which has killed more than 1000 people so far: Covid-19. •The World Health Organization (WHO) made the announcement on 11 February 2020. •The name is a shortened version of coronavirus disease 2019. •The virus was also designated as SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. ADB approved the funding of $2 million •The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $2 million in funding to support efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus. •The funds will supplement ongoing regional technical assistance and strengthen response capacity in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. •It will support the supply of diagnostic and laboratory equipment for rapid testing to help combat the outbreak. 33rd African Union (AU) summit held •The 33rd edition of the African Union (AU) summit was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 9 Feb 2020. •Its theme was “Silencing the Guns: Creating conducive conditions for Africa’s development“. •Heads of the states and the govt officials from across Africa gathered in Addis Ababa and focused on ways to end the regional violence, including the conflicts in South Sudan and Libya. Advance team of WHO arrived in China •An advance team of WHO medical experts has arrived in China to help investigate the Novel Coronavirus outbreak. •The advance team, led by Dr. Bruce Aylward, will be part of WHO-China joint investigation team. •Coronavirus Outbreak death toll has reached 1,018 globally with over 43,000 confirmed cases till now. •China reported 108 new deaths and 2,478 new cases on 10 Feb 2020. 5th Dhaka Art Summit inaugurated 31 | P a g e

  32. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •The fifth edition of the Dhaka Art Summit began on 9 Feb 2020. •It will continue upto 15th February 2020. •More than 500 artists, sculptors, architects and art professionals from various countries are participating in the Summit. •The Summit will also featuring live events, panel discussions and puppet shows among other things. •Dhaka Art Summit is the premier art festival of Bangladesh. Iran launched a satellite •Iran launched a satellite on 9 Feb 2020 but failed to put it into orbit in a blow to its space programme. •Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi admitted soon after that the launch has failed. •Iran also unveiled a new a short-range ballistic missile and its new generation of engines designed to put satellites into space. Himalayas broke 30-year record •Snow in the western Himalayas during the first half of the ongoing winter season has been about 20 per cent above the long period average. •This would favourably impact the water situation in the coming months. •The mid-winter assessment released this month reveals that the snowfall received from November 2019 to January 2020 has been the highest in the past 30 years. US announced launch of an alliance •The US has announced the launch of a 27-nation International Religious Freedom Alliance. •It will try to adopt a collective approach in protecting and preserving religious freedom across the world. •Among the prominent countries to join the alliance are Austria, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Israel, Ukraine, the Netherlands and Greece. Nepal to count LGBT people in next census •Nepal will count LGBT+ people for the first time in its next census, a move that could help sexual minorities gain better access to education and health schemes. •The census, scheduled for June 2021, will help end stigma and challenges that LGBT+ people face in accessing support. •There will be no follow-up options to choose which sexual orientation they identify with in the census. US killed top al-Qaeda leader Qasim al-Rimi •In a major counterterrorism operation in Yemen, the US forces have killed Qasim al-Rimi, a founder and leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. •Al-Qaeda is the jihadist group that claimed responsibility for a mass shooting at an American naval base. •Rimi, a deputy to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, was placed on the United States' most-wanted terrorist list. Donald Trump acquitted of all charges •The United States President Donald Trump has been acquitted of all impeachment charges. •The US Senate has acquitted President Trump on two articles of impeachment that are- abuse of power and obstruction to Congress. •The Republican-majority Senate voted 52-48 to acquit him of abuse of power and 53-47 to acquit him of obstruction of Congress. 32 | P a g e

  33. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 Bhutan ends free entry for Indian tourists •Government of Bhutan has decided to levy a daily ₹1,200 ($17) fee for tourists from India,Bangladesh and Maldives,with effect from July 2020. •This fee is named as Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) for new tourism policy. •Children under the age of 5 will not have to pay any fee and those between 6 and 12 years will be required to pay only ₹600. New reserves of natural gas found in UAE •UAE has announced the discovery of a natural gas field containing 80 trillion standard cubic feet of gas between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. •The new Jebel Ali field would help the Emirates become more energy independent, as the UAE now imports natural gas from Qatar for electricity. •Qatar is the world's largest liquefied natural gas producer. •It supplies 42 million metric tonnes of LNG annually. G-7 agreed to work with WHO, EU, China •The Group of Seven leading industrialized democracies, G-7 have agreed to work with the WHO, EU and China seeking a unified procedure to tackle Novel Coronavirus. •They are likely to coordinate their approach on travel regulations and precautions as well as research into the virus. •Novel Coronavirus has till now infected close to 20,500 people in China and at least 192 outside China. Maldives: 54th member of the Commonwealth •The Commonwealth has welcomed its 54th family member after Maldives’ application for re-admission was approved. •Maldives officially rejoined the Commonwealth on 1 Feb 2020. •It had exited from the Commonwealth in 2016. •Maldives quit the Commonwealth citing their treatment “unjust and unfair” under the presidency of former president Abdulla Yameen. HCL Technologies to enter Sri Lanka •HCL Technologies has entered into a pact with Sri Lanka's Board of Investment for setting up of a global delivery Centre in Colombo. •It aims at boosting employment, providing resources and skilling the local talent to serve its global clients. •HCL's local entity – HCL Technologies Lanka (Private) Limited will implement its 'Work Integrated Education Program' to foster growth. World's 1st Transcatheter Mitral valve •The Abbott Tendyne Transcatheter Mitral Valve Implantation (TMVI) system has received European CE mark. •It is the first transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) technology to gain commercial clearance in the world. •It addresses a critical need to eliminate mitral regurgitation when surgery or mitral repair is not an option in high-risk surgical patients. Biggest book fair of Bangladesh inaugurated 33 | P a g e

  34. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •PM Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh inaugurated the month long Ekushey Book Fair in Dhaka on 2 Feb 2020. •It is the biggest and longest book fair of Bangladesh. •It is organised every year in February commemorating the martyrs of the language movement during which eight people laid down their lives on February 21, 1952, for establishing Bangla as the official language of the then East Pakistan. Somalia declared national emergency •Somalia has declared a national emergency following locust infestation sweeping the Horn of Africa. •Food sources for people and their livestock are at risk. •The locust swarms are the result of extreme weather swings. •Somalia's declaration, the first country in the region to do so, is aimed at boosting national efforts in tackling the hungry insects. First Coronavirus death outside China •The death toll of novel coronavirus in China has risen to 304. •Around 14,380 people have been infected with the virus in mainland China and 160 in other countries. •The Philippines has also confirmed its first novel coronavirus death, the first one outside China. •It was the second confirmed case in the country. •The patient, a 44-year-old Chinese citizen, died on 1 Feb 2020. Google launched SOS Alerts for coronavirus •Google would now be directing the users searching coronavirus to systematically arranged results about safety tips, situation updates, and resources from WHO. •Google announced this joint effort with WHO on 31 Jan 2020. •This new addition comes as a part of Google's SOS Alerts feature. •When you type coronavirus on Google, it will give you advisory and questions and answers related to it. 1st deaf person to row across Atlantic Ocean •A 60-year-old pharmacy worker has become the first deaf person to row an ocean by finishing a 3,000-mile journey across the Atlantic. •Mo O'Brien landed on the Caribbean island of Antigua 49 days after setting out from the Canary Island of La Gomera in Dec 2019. •Ms O'Brien rowed almost 3,000 miles (4,800km) of Atlantic Ocean with her daughter Bird Watts, and their friend Claire Allinson. Britain officially left European Union •The UK has officially left the European Union membership, more than three years after the referendum in favour of Brexit. •The historic moment happened on 31 Jan 2020. •Most EU laws will continue to be in force, including the free movement of people, until 31 Dec 2020. •The UK is aiming to sign a permanent free trade agreement with the EU, along the lines of the one the EU has with Canada. Books & Authors A book “Messages from Messengers” launched 34 | P a g e

  35. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •“Messages from Messengers”, a book written by Priti K Shroff was launched in Mumbai, Maharashtra on 12 Feb 2020. •The book deals with Indian culture and tradition and is suitable for everyone in all stages of life, as a tool for self-guidance. •MD (Managing Director) and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of the Bombay stock exchange, Ashish Chauhan was the chief guest of the function. Dharmendra Rai’s book launched •Dharmendra Rai, a mind mapping & brain literacy pioneer has just launched his book 'The Thin Mind Map Book'. •The book is designed to make anyone an expert in mind mapping by devoting 2 full days to reading and doing all the experiential exercises mentioned in the book. •He has conducted more than 380 mind mapping seminars in under 10 years, which is a world record. Vice President released a book •Vice President Venkaiah Naidu released a book titled 'A Child of Destiny' an autobiography penned by Prof. K. Ramakrishna Rao. •K. Ramakrishna Rao was an eminent scholar, author, researcher, scientist and Gandhian. •He was born in Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. •The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 2011. Personalities in News Harley-Davidson CEO stepped down •Harley-Davidson Inc.’s CEO Matt Levatich stepped down on 28 Feb 2020. •Levatich will be replaced on an interim basis by Jochen Zeitz, a board member credited with reviving the Puma sneaker brand. •Zeitz also was named chairman of the board and will remain chairman once a new CEO is appointed. •Current chairman, Michael Cave, is now presiding director. Alex Danson-Bennett announced her retirement •Great Britain women’s field hockey captain Alex Danson-Bennett announced her retirement from the sport on 20 Feb 2020 following an injury. •She was a member of the British team that won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics where she was the joint top- scorer. •Danson-Bennett is Great Britain and England women’s all-time joint leading scorer with 115 goals in 306 appearances. Prime Minister of Ireland resigned •Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar resigned on 20 Feb 2020. •He will stay on as interim leader while the country's three main parties battle out coalition talks after an inconclusive election. •Varadkar, Ireland's first openly gay leader, tendered his resignation to President Michael Higgins. •He will continue to carry on the duties until successors have been appointed. Ross Taylor: 1st player to play 100 matches 35 | P a g e

  36. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Veteran New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor on 21 Feb 2020 became the first player in the world to play 100 matches in all three formats of cricket. •The landmark achievement came as he took the field against India in the opening Test at Basin Reserve in Wellington. •The ongoing match is also his 100th Test. •Taylor was presented his 100th Test cap by former New Zealand wicket-keeper Ian Smith. Afghanistan President secured 2nd term •In Afghanistan, independent Election Commission announced that Ashraf Ghani has won a second term as President of the country. •However, his closest opponent Abdullah Abdullah has refused to recognize the results and declared himself winner potentially endangering peace negotiations with the Taliban. •Ghani garnered 9,23,592 votes or 50.64% of votes that took place on 28 September 2019. Virat: 1st with 50 mn Instagram followers •Virat Kohli has broken another record. •He has become the first Indian to garner 50 million followers on the popular social media platform Instagram. •He is also India's most valuable celebrity. •According to a study by Duff and Phelps, Kohli topped the brand valuation list for the third consecutive year as his value rose by an impressive 39% to $237.5 mn in 2019. NADA banned javelin thrower Amit Dahiya •National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) has banned javelin thrower Amit Dahiya for four years. •He has been banned for evading sample collection and trying to cheat officials during the 2nd National Javelin Throw Open Championship 2019 held at SAI Centre in Sonipat. •NADA had issued the charge of notice to Dahiya on July 16, 2019, for violating rule 2.3 of the NADA. CARE Ratings Chairman S B Mainak resigned •S.B. Mainak has resigned as chairman of CARE Ratings (Credit Analysis and Research Limited). •He resigned due to personal reasons. •He is a former managing director of Life Insurance Corporation of India. •He joined the board of CARE ratings in August 2015. •CARE Ratings was founded in the year 1993 and is headquartered in India. Arvind Kejriwal to take oath as CM on 16 Feb •Arvind Kejriwal is all set to take oath for the third time as CM of Delhi on 16 Feb 2020. •The AAP scored a landslide victory in the Delhi assembly elections 2020 as it swept aside both BJP and Congress. •AAP won 62 seats in the 70-member Delhi assembly while BJP managed eight seats. •Congress failed to win any seat in the recently held Delhi elections. Google HR chief stepping aside •Google confirmed that head of human resources Eileen Naughton was stepping away from her job as "vice president of people operations". •Google added more than 70,000 employees during Naughton's time as head of human resources. •Naughton would work with Sundar Pichai and chief financial officer Ruth Porat to find a successor. 36 | P a g e

  37. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 Kaamya: Youngest girl to summit Mt. Aconcagua •Kaamya Karthikeyan, a class seven student of Navy Children School (NCS) in Mumbai, became the youngest girl in the world to summit Mt Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America. •At 6962 metres, Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak outside Asia. •Kaamya Karthikeyan summited the mountain peak on February 1, 2020, and unfurled the tricolour. Prasar Bharati Chairman retired •Prasar Bharati chairman A Surya Prakash retired from his position, ending his two-term long journey that started in 2014. •Prakash was appointed as the chairman of Prasar Bharati for a second term in December 2017, after he had retired in October 2017. •He has previously served as chief of bureau at The Indian Express, executive editor of The Pioneer, and editor of Zee News. Tidjane Thiam resigned as Credit Suisse CEO •Tidjane Thiam has resigned chief executive officer (CEO) of Swiss bank Credit Suisse Group AG following a spying scandal. •The board of directors unanimously accepted Thiam's resignation at a meeting on 6 Feb 2020. •Credit Suisse (CS) veteran Thomas Gottstein has been appointed as the new CEO. •Credit Suisse was found in the year 1956 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Pinelopi Koujianou resigned •World Bank chief economist Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg announced she will be leaving the institution. •She will step down from her post on March 1, 2020 to return to teaching at Yale University. •Research director Aart Kraay would take over for Goldberg until a new permanent chief economist is hired. •Goldberg took up her post at the end of April 2018, after the resignation of Paul Romer. Astronaut Christina Koch returned to Earth •NASA's astronaut Christina Koch returned from space to Earth safely on 6 Feb 2020. •Koch returned after an 11-month mission, breaking the world record for the most time spent by a woman in space. •Koch has spent 328 days on International Space Station ISS, surpassing the previous record of 289 days held by fellow American Peggy Whitson. Cognizant's Vice Chairman stepped down •Cognizant co-founder Francisco D’Souza is stepping down from the board of the company. •D’Souza will leave the board effective March 31, 2020. •D’Souza was elected to Cognizant’s Board of Directors in January 2007 and has served as Vice Chairman since June 2018. •He co-founded Cognizant in 1994 and served as the company’s CEO from January 2007 through March 2019. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner stepped down •LinkedIn Corp. CEO Jeff Weiner is stepping down after 11 years in the role and will become executive chairman. •Ryan Roslansky, currently senior vice president of product, will become CEO effective June 1, 2020. 37 | P a g e

  38. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Tomer Cohen, currently vice president of marketing solutions, will replace Roslansky as head of product. NADA suspended weightlifter Ramshad •National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has suspended weightlifter Ramshad AR for 2 years. •Ramshad who has a silver medal to his credit in the National Weightlifting Championship was found guilty of inhaling a prohibited substance by the NADA. •His sample analysis revealed the presence of 2-Hydroxy-4-MethoxyTamoxifen, which is prohibited as per the WADA Prohibited List of 2019. Saima Khan: 1st to receive IADR Fellowship •Dr Saima Yunus Khan became the first Indian to be conferred with the prestigious IADR Fellowship in the field of dental research. •The International Association of Dental Research (IADR) John Clarkson Fellowship is awarded to obtain training and experience in dental public health at the Children's Hospital Research Institute of the University of Manitoba, Canada for a period of five months. Maharashtra women’s commission chief resigned •Maharashtra State Commission for Women Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has tendered her resignation from the post. •She submitted her resignation to CM Uddhav Thackeray on 4 Feb 2020. •The Maharashtra State Commission for Women was set up on 25 Jan 1993 and consists of the Chairperson, six non- official members, a Member-Secretary and the State Director General of Police as an ex-officio member. Sonal Dabral quit Ogilvy •Sonal Dabral, one of the Indian advertising’s most famous names, has quit Ogilvy. •Dabral has spent most of his years in advertising at the WPP-owned agency, most recently as chief creative officer for South East and South Asia. •Dabral also had a brief stint as a TV actor when he featured in the popular series ‘Fauji’ that starred Shah Rukh Khan. AirAsia's Tony Fernandes stepped aside •AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes and Chairman Kamarudin Meranun will step aside for at least two months. •Fernandes and Kamarudin will remain advisers, however, in view of the current difficult economic circumstances facing the airline industry. •Senior company executive Tharumalingam Kanagalingam will be the acting CEO, with the changes effective immediately. Chinmoy Biswal relieved from his post •The Election Commission has relieved Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-East) in Delhi, Chinmoy Biswal from his present post with immediate effect. •He has been asked to report to the Ministry of Home Affairs. •The Commission has directed Mr Kumar Gyanesh, Senior most Additional DCP (South-East) to take charge of the DCP (South-East) immediately from Mr Biswal. Abidali Neemuchwala quit as CEO from Wipro 38 | P a g e

  39. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Abidali Z Neemuchwala has quit as the chief executive officer and managing director of Wipro. •He is leaving due to family commitments and will continue to hold office until a successor is appointed. •He joined Wipro in April 2015 as the president and chief operating officer, after having served at Tata Consultancy Services. 1st Indian woman professional footballer •Scottish team Rangers signed Bala Devi from Manipur Police on an 18-month-deal after a successful trial in November 2019. •She became the first Indian woman to become a professional footballer anywhere in the world. •She is currently the leading goal scorer for the Indian national women's team, which also makes her the top international goal scorer in the South Asian region. 1st deaf person to row across Atlantic Ocean •A 60-year-old pharmacy worker has become the first deaf person to row an ocean by finishing a 3,000-mile journey across the Atlantic. •Mo O'Brien landed on the Caribbean island of Antigua 49 days after setting out from the Canary Island of La Gomera in Dec 2019. •Ms O'Brien rowed almost 3,000 miles (4,800km) of Atlantic Ocean with her daughter Bird Watts, and their friend Claire Allinson. Government Policies & Schemes Govt approved Rs 162 cr under a scheme •The government has approved Rs 162 crore under Operation Green scheme which has an outlay of Rs 500 crore. •The scheme was announced in 2018-19 budget. 39 | P a g e

  40. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •It aims to enhance value realisation for farmers by targeted interventions to strengthen production clusters and the Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) and linking them with the market. Govt announces amnesty scheme •The Government has announced amnesty scheme for power consumers across UT of J&K. •The Administrative Council headed by the Lieutenant Governor G.C. Murmu approved it which will come into effect from March 1, 2020. •Failure to fully pay all three installments by May 31st 2020 will lead to immediate disconnection. Govt approved 32 projects under PMKSY •Government has sanctioned 32 projects in the food processing sector under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY). •The projects are spread across around 17 states leveraging an investment worth 406 Crore rupees. •They were cleared by the Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee chaired by Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal in New New Delhi on 27 Feb 2020. Union FPI Minister launches MIEWS Portal •Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal launched the Market Intelligence and Early Warning System Web Portal. •This portal is a novel initiative of MoFPI leveraging IT tools and furthering the goals of Digital India. •It helps in Monitoring prices of Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP crops). •MIEWS portal would help in planning and timely intervention for price stabilisation. Govt plans new IT Act to factor in cyber crime •The government plans a new Information Technology Act (IT Act) •The new Act will more robustly cover aspects like cybersecurity, hacking, spying, online bullying, phishing,and data privacy, keeping in mind the security of users and the advent of new technologies. •The proposed act for protecting data privacy is at the stage of a Bill called ‘The Personal Data Protection Bill’ Cabinet approves surrogacy bill •The Union Cabinet approved the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020, which allows any "willing" woman to be a surrogate mother. •It proposes that widows and divorced women can also benefit from its provisions, besides infertile Indian couples. •The bill also proposes to regulate surrogacy by establishing National Surrogacy Board at the central level and State Surrogacy Board. Govt soon to launch 3rd phase of PMKVY •The government to launch the third phase of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). •The scheme was launched in 2015 to mobilize youth to take up skill training with the aim of increasing productivity and aligning the training and certification to the needs of the country. •The scheme was revamped as PMKVY -2 in 2016 with an aim to train one crore youth by the year 2020. Minister Tomar launched GeoRurban mobile app •Minister for Rural Dev. Tomar after evaluating the success rate of Rurban Clusters scheme aiming to move ahead to construct 1000 more urbanized clusters in rural areas. 40 | P a g e

  41. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •The objective is to stimulate local economic dev, enhance basic services and create well planned Rurban clusters. •The Minister launched GeoRurban, a mobile app to be used for Geo-tagging for the assets in the rurban clusters. PM Kisan Samman Nidhi completes one year •The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme completes one year. •PM had launched the scheme on 24th Feb'19 at Gorakhpur in UP •Under the Scheme, an amount of 6000 rupees per year is transferred in three equal instalments of 2000 rupees in every four months directly into the bank accounts of the farmers. •As per reports that over 8.46 cr farmers have been benefited by this scheme. Maharashtra government to setup Disha Act •Maharashtra govt has constituted a five-member committee to study Andhra Pradesh Disha Act, which enables death penalty for rape & reduces the judgement period. •The government is also planning to enact the Disha Act which was implemented in Andhra Pradesh. •The Disha Act seeks to fast-track cases of offences against women and children and award the death penalty in certain cases. Schools in Bihar would soon have POCSO cells •Schools in Bihar would soon have special ''POCSO cells'' to hear complaints of sexual misconduct and exploitation. •There will be a committee headed by the headmaster in each school. •The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 aims to punish those engaging in sexual crimes against children while safeguarding their interests at every stage of the judicial process. Increase in legal age of tobacco consumption •The Union Health Ministry proposed to increase the legal age for tobacco consumption from 18 to 21 yrs. •Ministry to strengthen the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act(COTPA). •The committee also recommended increasing the fine amount for violation of rules and introducing a provision of tracking mechanism to check illicit trade of cigarette and tobacco products. Pension scheme for Central Govt employees •All Central Government employees can now opt to be covered under the old Pension scheme instead of National Pension System, NPS. •This is for those whose selection for the appointment was finalized before 1st of January 2004 but who joined service on or after this date. •Central Government employees will be given one time option to get coverage of Pension Rules, in place of the NPS. Soil health card Scheme completing 5 years •The Soil Health Card Scheme is completing five years on 19 Feb 2020. •The scheme was launched in 2015 to assess the nutrient status of every farm holding in the country. •The objectives of the scheme are to issue Soil Health Cards to farmers every two years so as to provide a basis to address nutritional deficiencies in fertilization practices. 'Anganphou Hunba' programme launched 41 | P a g e

  42. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Manipur CM N Biren Singh launched 'Anganphou Hunba' (Early Paddy Crop) programme in Imphal East on 13 Feb 2020. •The govt has planned to provide irrigation water by the Minor Irrigation Department to places having adequate arable land and large number of farmers. •Steps to produce sufficient quantity of fishes by providing loans to 800 selected fish farmers have also been taken. 2 teachers in a school to be Health ambassador •Two teachers in every school will be made Health and wellness ambassador to spread awareness about health issues. •These ambassadors will be supported by class monitors as Health and Wellness Messengers. •The School Health and Wellness Ambassador initiative under Ayushman Bharat was launched on 13 Feb 2020 in New Delhi. •Initially, the programme will be started in 200 districts. UP govt to launch internship scheme •Uttar Pradesh government will introduce an internship scheme for students of class 10 and 12 as well as those pursuing graduation to brighten their employment prospects. •Under the scheme, students will be linked to various technical institutes and industries. •Each youth who will do the internship for 6 months and one year will be given Rs 2,500 as honorarium every month. Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat Campaign •An 18 day long focused Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat Campaign began from 10 Feb 2020 across the country. •The campaign, being organised by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, will continue till 28 Feb 2020. •The broad objectives of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat include celebrating the Unity in Diversity of our nation and promoting the spirit of national integration. Government approved Atal Bhujal Yojana •Govt of India has approved Atal Bhujal Yojana for sustainable management of ground water resources with community participation in water stressed blocks of Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and UP. •It is being implemented with the financial assistance of World Bank. •It has two components- Institutional Strengthening & Capacity Building component and Incentive component. J&K govt to announce horticulture policy •Jammu and Kashmir government will soon announce a horticulture policy to tackle upcoming marketing challenges and increase the production manifold. •The Policy will focus to increase production and tackle climate change, given the unique temperature of this place. •It will help increase horticulture revenue in Jammu and Kashmir from current 8,000 crore rupees to 50,000 crore rupees per annum. Govt to sanction all 1.12 cr houses under PMAY •The govt will sanction the entire 1.12 crore houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) by March 2020. 42 | P a g e

  43. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •This was announced by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. •So far, 32 lakh houses have been handed over to beneficiaries. •Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) Mission launched on 25th June 2015, intends to provide housing for all in urban areas by year 2022. 22 crore Soil Health Cards distributed so far •More than 22 crore Soil Health Cards have been distributed to farmers till date. •The Soil Health Card scheme was launched by the government in 2015 with a view to address the decline of soil nutrients. •The scheme also provides for the analysis of soil composition by the State Governments once in every two years so that remedial steps can be taken to improve soil nutrients. Karnataka launched Janasevaka program •The Karnataka government launched the Janasevaka scheme in a few municipal corporation wards. •It will ensure home delivery of various services like ration cards, senior citizen identity and health cards. •A toll-free helpline has been set up for this scheme which will work from 8 am to 8 pm. •A sum of Rs 115 will be charged to provide the home delivery services. Andhra govt launched a scheme •Andhra Pradesh Govt has initiated a doorstep pension delivery scheme across. •Under this, various welfare pensions are being delivered at the doorstep of the pensioners. •The "YSR Pension Kanuka" initiative has been taken up to end the struggles of old people who find it difficult to go to the pension office. •Also, the age for old age pensioners has been reduced from 65 to 60 years. Tamil Nadu CM unveiled Direct CTO scheme •Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami announced a new initiative, 'Direct CTO' on 30 Jan 2020. •It will enable companies operating under 'green category industries' receive faster clearances from the govt to commence operations. •Companies are classified in red, orange, green and white categories based on the pollution index generated from them. Science & Technology Maharashtra to undertake a genetic study •With an aim to conserve the native species of cattle and domesticated animals in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, the state govt is planning to undertake their genetic study. •Under this project, the genetic traits of Osmanabadi goat, Red Kandhari cow, Deoni bull, Caravan or Pashmi dogs will be studied. •Their abilities and adaptation capabilities will also be analysed. GoI announces Maiden Summit on AI •The GoI announced the mega event RAISE 2020- Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020 to be held from April 11-12 in New Delhi. •It is India's first AI summit to be organized by the Government in partnership with Industry & Academia. 43 | P a g e

  44. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •The summit will be a charter a course to use AI for social empowerment, inclusion and transformation in Healthcare, Agri, Edu and other sectors. 34th DBT Foundation Day Celebrated •Dept of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, celebrated its 34th Foundation Day at the National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi. •Dr Harsh Vardhan Announces the launching of “M K Bhan Young Investigators’ Research Award” by DBT. •He also presented DBT BRITE Awards to 34 scientists. •India rated among top 12 BT destinations in the world. SpaceX rocket prod approved by Port of LA •Elon Musk got approval to build a research and manufacturing plant for its deep-space Starship project on a tract of vacant land at the Port of Los Angeles. •The LA City Council granted a permit for the facility to proceed with an accelerated development of a new spacecraft and rocket system designed to carry humans to the moon and Mars. •SpaceX is a private American aerospace manufacturer. Facebook has acquired Sanzaru Games •Facebook has acquired Sanzaru Games, the developer behind the best virtual reality (VR) game of 2019 titled "Asgard's Wrath" •Sanzaru Games would join Facebook's Oculus Studios as an "independently operated studio" •Facebook in November last year acquired Beat Games, the developer of popular Virtual Reality rhythm game called Beat Saber. S Dhotre inaugurates the clean air tech in IIT •Union Minister of State for HRD Sanjay Dhotre inaugurated the exhibition organised by CER on Clean Air technologies at the IIT Delhi. •The exhibition showcases clean air technologies developed by IIT Bombay, IIT Ropar, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and IIT Delhi. •IIT-D showcased the work it had carried out in the area of clean air through start-ups incubated at IIT Delhi namely Aerogram and Kriya Labs. ISRO to launch GISAT-1 on 05 March •Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F10) will launch Geo Imaging Satellite (GISAT-1) from the Second Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. •The launch is scheduled at 1743 Hrs IST on March 05, 2020. •It Weighs about 2275 kg, GISAT-1 is a state-of-the-art agile Earth observation satellite which will be placed in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit by GSLV-F10. India grants US Gilead patent for HIV drug •India's patent office granted an Indian patent to US biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. •Cobicistat, marketed under trade name Tybost, a licensed drug for use in the treatment of HIV and AIDS. •According to industry reports, Cobicistat is a component of three four-drug, a fixed-dose combination for HIV treatment and being marketed in the US. Microsoft launches ‘100x100x100’ programme •Microsoft announced the launch of a “100x100x100” programme aimed at the B2B startups in India. 44 | P a g e

  45. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Under the new initiative, Microsoft will bring together 100 companies and 100 “early and growth” startups that have “enterprise-ready solutions” to offer. •Participating companies will commit to spend $100,000 in the next 18 months on solutions offered by the SaaS(Software as a Service) startups. Satya Nadella’s on a three-day visit to India •Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will be delivering a keynote in Mumbai on 24 February 2020 •Nadella’s “Future Decoded” keynote will focus on the technology, business and digital transformation. •The event will also include addresses by with Microsoft executives Jean Philippe Courtois, EVP and President, Global Sales - Marketing and Operations and Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India. 1st 3D atomic scale map of coronavirus's part •US scientists have created the first 3D atomic scale map of the part of the novel coronavirus that attaches to and infects human cells. •It is a critical step towards developing vaccine and treatments. •The model can also help scientists develop new proteins to bind to different parts of the spike and prevent it from functioning, to treat those already infected. These are known as antivirals. ISRO to launch 10 Satellites in 2020-21 •ISRO is set to achieve a major feat as it is working towards launching an unprecedented 10 earth observation satellites into space in 2020-21. •The launches include the first ever Geo Imaging Satellite GISAT-1's launch into space. •In the ongoing 2019-20 year, ISRO had planned to launch six earth observation satellites into space, of which two are still to be launched. Scientist found mysterious Yaravirus in Brazil •Another mysterious virus, after Coronavirus, named Yaravirus has been traced in Brazil. •Yaravirus has been found in the seminal research paper of Bernard LaScola and Jonatas S Abrahao in Brazil. •It possesses the ability to synthesise proteins, repair its DNA and multiply in numbers all outside a living body. Fossils of Tyrannosaur found in Canada •The discovery of a new species of tyrannosaur – the ferocious family of meat-eating dinosaurs that includes the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex – has been unearthed by an amateur fossil hunter in Alberta. •Thanatotheristes degrootorum, a 79.5 million-year-old tyrannosaur, was the apex predator of its time, a bipedal carnivore that was longer than a school bus. A study related to aircraft emisisons •Altering the altitude of less than 2% of flights may reduce aircraft-linked climate change by 59%, according to a study. •Aircraft contrails, the white streaks aircraft leave in the sky, could be as bad for the climate as their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. •The contrail fumes include black carbon particles, which provide surfaces on which moisture condenses to form ice particles. Scientists discovered the nearest known planet 45 | P a g e

  46. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Scientists from Rochester Institute of Technology recently discovered the nearest-known ‘baby giant planet’ called 2MASS 1155-7919 b. •This massive newborn planet is closer to Earth, located in the Epsilon Chamaeleontis Association, and lies only about 330 light-years from our solar system. •The discovery is published in the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society. New Zealand unveiled first AI police officer •New Zealand Police unveiled its first Artificial intelligence (AI) officer Ella on 12 February 2020. •Ella is a digital person that is powered by AI and uses real-time animation to emulate face-to-face interactions. •Ella stands for Electronic Lifelike Assistant. •It is a part of two new digital kiosks that the New Zealand Police have designed. US scientists developed an interactive map •Scientists in the US have developed an interactive map of the novel coronavirus spread. •It allows users to see the number of cases worldwide, recoveries and deaths, as well as trends in realtime. •By zooming in on various countries, such as China, users can see the number of cases, recoveries and deaths, as well as trends over time. Astronomers found ultramassive Galaxy •Astronomers have found a monster galaxy causing trouble in the early Universe. •Even before the Universe was 2 billion years old, XMM-2599 had already formed a mass of more than 300 billion suns, making it an ultramassive galaxy. •The International team of astronomers led by scientists at the University of California, United States have discovered the galaxy. IIT-H found a molecule to cure a rare disease •A team of researchers from IIT Hyderabad has found a molecule called 'AIM4' which shows promise in the treatment of a rare and debilitating neurodegenerative disease called 'Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis' (ALS). •It is also known as 'Lou Gehrig's disease.' •ALS is a neurodegenerative disorder that severely affects the voluntary movement of muscles and can lead to paralysis and death. Astronaut Christina Koch returned to Earth •NASA's astronaut Christina Koch returned from space to Earth safely on 6 Feb 2020. •Koch returned after an 11-month mission, breaking the world record for the most time spent by a woman in space. •Koch has spent 328 days on International Space Station ISS, surpassing the previous record of 289 days held by fellow American Peggy Whitson. In-line baggage screening at Goa airport •The Dabolim airport of Goa has got a state of art line baggage screening system. •Now passengers donot have to queue up near the X-ray machines to scan their baggage before check-in. •The in-line baggage screening system installed is in compliance with the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security norms for ensuring safe and secure in-line hold baggage screening system. Warm water found in Antarctica 46 | P a g e

  47. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •For the first time in history, scientists have discovered warm water beneath the ‘doomsday glacier’ by virtue of being one of Antarctica’s fastest melting glaciers. •This has led to concerns of glacier collapse that could result in nearly 3 feet of sea-level rise. •The point where the glacier meets the sea has been recorded as 2-degree celsius more than the normal freezing temperature. Detailed photo of the sun's surface •The never-before-seen images of the Sun's turbulent surface have been released by the National Science Foundation in the US. •The Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) on the summit of Haleakala, Maui in Hawaii, released the pictures that show details as small as 30 km across the sun. •The cell-like structures are roughly the size of the US state of Texas. Low-cost satellite launch vehicles by ISRO •ISRO has announced that it is preparing low-cost satellite launch vehicles costing around Rs 30-35 crores each, which can put into orbit satellites weighing 500 kgs. •The first such launch is expected to take place in the next four months from the country. •This capability will give ISRO a big commercial boost as it will be able to cater to micro, mini and medium segments of the market. Business & Economy Govt approved Rs 162 cr under a scheme •The government has approved Rs 162 crore under Operation Green scheme which has an outlay of Rs 500 crore. •The scheme was announced in 2018-19 budget. •It aims to enhance value realisation for farmers by targeted interventions to strengthen production clusters and the Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) and linking them with the market. Bengaluru records highest digital transactions •Bengaluru accounted for the highest number of digital transactions in India in 2019, followed by Chennai, Mumbai and Pune. •United Payments Interface (UPI) was the most preferred mode of payment, as per a new report by online payment processor Worldline India. •Bengaluru was the leading city in digital transactions in 2018 as well. •UPI was followed by debit cards. Aadhaar-enabled Payment System rolled out •Airtel Payments Bank has launched the Aadhaar enabled payment system (AePS). •It will help people to do transactions at over 2,50,000 of its banking points across India. •The system will enable customers, having Aadhaar- linked accounts of any bank, to do transactions at the designated points of the Airtel Payments Bank. HDFC Bank launched co-branded credit card •HDFC Bank has joined hands with IndiGo to launch a co-branded credit card, which will effectively work like a loyalty programme for the carrier. 47 | P a g e

  48. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Labelled Ka-ching, the card will offer many benefits like complimentary air tickets, lounge access, 5 per cent cashback, etc. •HDFC Bank is by far the largest credit card issuer in the country. Banks to link all the new floating rate loans •The RBI has directed banks to link all the new floating-rate loan to medium enterprises with external benchmark. •The direction will be effective from 1st April 2020. •The move is aimed at further strengthening monetary policy transmission so that benefits of reduction in key lending rate can be passed on to medium enterprises. SHM raises Rs12 cr from Adar Poonawalla •Mumbai-headquartered cookie brand Sweetish House Mafia has raised Rs 12 crore in pre-series A funding from investor Adar Poonawalla, CEO of vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India. •Sweetish House Mafia was founded in 2013, by Aakash Sethi and Neha Sethi, a former investment banker in New York. •The company has 12 stores at present, in Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Kolkata. India at second in cash withdrawals from ATM •The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reports that cash withdrawals from ATMs in India increased over the past five years •India is next only to China in terms of cash withdrawals from ATMs. •Digital transactions grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 61% by volumes and 19% by value, indicating a shift towards digitisation. •Shaktikanta Das is the governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Tech Mahindra to acquire Zen3 Infosolutions •IT company Tech Mahindra has signed an agreement to acquire 100 per cent stake in US-based Zen3 Infosolutions for $64 mn(Rs 460 cr) in an all-cash deal. •Out of which $42 mn will be paid at closing and the remaining is linked to the financial performance of the Microsoft customer account for the upcoming three years. •Zen3 Infosolutions has expertise in AI, ML, annotations, cloud engineering. NTPC to build a solar park in Rajasthan •NTPC signed an ‘implementation support agreement’ with Rajasthan Solarpark Development Company (RSDCL) to develop a 925-megawatt (MW) Nokh solar park in the state’s Jaisalmer district. •NTPC is expected to invest more than Rs 3,500 crore in building the project. •RSDCL will invest about Rs 450 crore in developing the ancillary infrastructure. JSW enters share purchase deal with GMR •JSW Energy has entered into a share purchase agreement with GMR Energy for acquiring 100 percent shares in its subsidiary GMR Kamalanga Energy. •JSW Energy will acquire GMR Kamalanga Energy’s Kamalanga power project with a capacity of 1,050 MW (three x 350 MW) entailing an investment of Rs 5,321 crore. •It is located at Kamalanga in Dhenkanal district of Odisha. Domestic air traffic rose 2.2% in January 48 | P a g e

  49. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •Domestic aviation traffic grew at 2.2% last month as compared to the same period last year, according to the DGCA’s monthly report. •Indian airlines ferried a total of 1.27 crore passengers in January 2020 as compared to 1.25 crore in January 2019. •SpiceJet maintained its lead in capacity utilisation with 91.5% of seats sold, followed by Go Air (88.7%), IndiGo (87.8%) and Vistara (83.5%). US becomes India's biggest trading partner •The US has surpassed China to become India's top trading partner. •According to the data of the commerce ministry, in 2018-19, the bilateral trade between the US and India stood at $87.95 bn. •India's two-way commerce with China aggregated at $87.07 bn. •During April-Dec 2019-20, the bilateral trade between the US and India stood at $68 bn. It stood at $64.96 bn with China in the same period. Rajasthan CM presented state budget •Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot presented the state budget for the financial year 2020-21 in the state assembly on 20 Feb 2020. •He announced that Rs 100 cr ' Nehru Baal Sanrakshan Kosh' will be established to prevent child labour and trafficking. •Tourism development board would be set up with an outlay of 100 cr rupees. •Rs 3 crore cash reward was announced for gold medalist in commonwealth games. Rs 19,950 cr released as GST compensation •The Central Govt has released Rs 19,950 crore as GST compensation to states. •With this release, the Central Govt has released a total of over Rs 1.20 lakh crore towards GST compensation to the states during current fiscal. •In the financial year 2018-19, an amount of over Rs 95,000 crore was collected as GST compensation cess. Mizoram CM presented annual state budget •In Mizoram, CM Zoramthanga, on 19 Feb 2020, presented the annual budget of the state with an outlay of Rs. 10,715 crore for 2020-21. •In the budget, there is no new proposal for levying new taxes or enhancing tax rates. •The budget proposal has fixed the revenue expenditure estimated at Rs 9,021.85 crore, which is 84.20 per cent of the total budget. Nelco launched in-flight communication service •Nelco, a Tata group company launched in-flight communication service in partnership with Panasonic for airlines in India, on 19 Feb 2020. •Vistara has become the first Indian flight carrier to sign up for the IFC service. •Users can use the Internet, and access applications and e-commerce sites while travelling. Odisha govt presented Rs 1.5 lakh crore budget •In Odisha, Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari presented the annual budget of the state for 2020-21 with an outlay of 1.5 lakh crore rupees, on 18 Feb 2020. •The Minister had presented a 1.39 lakh-crore rupees Budget in 2019. 49 | P a g e

  50. Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I February 2020 •The Odisha Government for the first time, switched to a digital method of budget presentation to reduce the printing of papers for the exercise. Hero to invest Rs 10,000 crore in 5-7 years •Hero MotoCorp will invest Rs 10,000 crore mid-term to develop alternate mobility solutions, sustainable manufacturing units, expand network and build its brand-building globally. •At present, Hero MotoCorp has seven manufacturing units across India, Bangladesh, South America. •It has invested $600 million in R&D since commencing its solo journey in April 2011. UP govt presented Rs 5.12 lakh cr budget •The Uttar Pradesh government on 18 Feb 2020 presented a Rs 5,12,860.72 crore budget for FY 2020-21 in the state assembly. •The budget, the size of which is Rs 33,159 crore more than the last year's budget, has provisions worth Rs 10,967.87 crore for new schemes. •Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna presented the budget in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. SEBI to permit the use of regulatory sandbox •SEBI has decided to permit the use of regulatory sandbox. •It is a system that will allow live testing of new products, services and business models by market players on select customers. •The proposed 'regulatory sandbox' is intended to serve as a testing ground for new business models and technologies that benefit investors, Indian markets and the economy at large. Simplified tax compliance regime from April 1 •Simplified tax compliance regime will be rolled out by April 1st, 2020. •This was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. •She also made it clear that the 5 per cent cess on imports of Medical equipment is applicable to only those equipment which are also produced in India. •The cess collected will be spent on creating medical infrastructure like hospitals in the country. Bajaj Fin. in top 10 most-valued firms on BSE •Bajaj Finance Ltd replaced SBI to become India's tenth most-valued firm by market capitalisation on the BSE. •Bajaj Finance's market capitalization stood at ₹2.87 trillion, with its shares trading at ₹4,773.85 on the BSE. •The finance company's shares have risen nearly 12% so far in the year 2020. •State Bank of India has a market cap of ₹2.81 trillion. Government cleared Rs 540 cr investments •Union Government has cleared investments of over Rs 540 crore in some stuck residential properties that will benefit 1,800 home buyers. •In November 2019, the government had announced a 25,000 crore rupees fund to help complete over 1,500 stalled housing projects. •A preliminary clearance has also been given for due diligence to 14 projects with a capital commitment of 2,500 crore rupees. Bank of Russia gives license to GIC Re 50 | P a g e

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