Weekly BeePedia 16th Feb To 22nd Feb 2020

Weekly BeePedia
16th Feb to 22nd Feb 2019
Finance and Banking
SEBI constitutes municipal bonds development committee

Markets regulator SEBI has constituted a committee which will suggest on policy matters pertaining to
development of municipal debt securities and facilitate municipalities for issuance of such
bonds.
• The regulator has constituted a municipal bonds development committee headed by its
Executive Director Sujit Prasad and comprises representatives from municipal corporations,
lawyers, professionals and market practitioners.
• The panel will advise SEBI on issues related to regulation and development of primary and
secondary market of municipal debt securities.
• It will suggest the regulator on matters required to be taken up for changes in legal framework to
introduce simplification and transparency in systems and procedures in the primary and
secondary market.
About SEBI:
The Securities and Exchange Board of India is the regulator for the securities market in India owned
by the Government of India. It was established in 1988 and given Statutory Powers on 30 January
1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992.
Founded: 12 April 1992 ; Headquarters: Mumbai ; Chairperson: Ajay Tyagi
RBI approves Sunil Gurbaxani's appointment as Dhanlaxmi Bank MD and CEO

Gurbaxani is working with Axis Bank at present.
Dhanlaxmi Bank was removed from the RBI PCA framework, subject to certain conditions and
continuous monitoring, as the bank is found to be not breaching any of the risk thresholds of the
framework.
• During the third quarter ended December, the bank reported a 26 per cent rise in net profit to Rs
21.28 crore for the third quarter ended December.
• Total income rose to Rs 285.85 crore from Rs 272.16 crore in October-December 2018-19.
National Payments Corporation of India launches ‘UPI Chalega’ campaign

The aim of the campaign to guide users towards the right usage of UPI and help create a
habitual change, use of UPI in their daily life.
• The campaign also focuses on safety aspects while transacting on UPI enabled apps.
Kotak Mahindra Bank gets RBI nod on promoters' stake dilution plan
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Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted its final approval regarding the dilution of promoters'
shareholding in the bank.
• On January 30, Kotak Mahindra Bank said that the bank decided to cap the promoters' voting
rights to 15% from April 1 onwards. The RBI gave its in-principle acceptance for reducing
promoters' shareholding to 26% of the paid-up voting equity share capital of the bank
within six months from the date of final approval of the regulator.
• The regulator earlier insisted the Kotak Mahindra Bank promoters to cap their voting rights at 20%
by March 2020. Challenging the RBI directive, the private sector lender had filed a writ against the
central bank on December 10, 2018 in the Bombay High Court. In an interim order, the RBI had
fined the Kotak Mahindra Bank ₹2 crore for violation of its norms.
• Kotak will now sell 4% of his stake worth ₹12,500 crore over the next six months.
Gujarat government partners with SBI to facilitate MSME loans

To facilitate approval of loans to entrepreneurs in the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise
(MSME), the Gujarat government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with State
Bank of India (SBI).
• SBI will provide working capital to entrepreneurs seeking to start new MSME within a short time -
frame after providing theoretical approval within 15 days of making an application.
• Start-ups can submit an application on either the MSME portal or to the local nodal agencies.

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Economy
Moody's Investors Service slashes India's growth forecast to 5.4 per cent for 2020
Moody's Investors Service slashed India's growth forecast to 5.4 per cent for 2020 from 6.6 per
cent projected earlier.
• In its report Global Macro Outlook, Moody's said India's economy has decelerated rapidly over
the last two years.
• The growth projections are based on calendar year.
• Global GDP growth forecast has been revised down, and Moody's now expect G-20 economies
to collectively grow 2.4 per cent in 2020 and 2.8 per cent in 2021.
About Moody’s:
Moody's Corporation, often referred to as Moody's, is an American business and financial services
company. It is the holding company for Moody's Investors Service, an American credit rating agency,
and Moody's Analytics, an American provider of financial analysis software and services.
Headquarters: New York ; CEO: Raymond W. McDaniel Jr.
India ranks 77th in terms of sustainability & 131st in flourishing index - UN report
As per the report, “A future for the world’s children?” commissioned by the World Health
Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and The Lancet medical
journal, India ranks 77th in terms of Sustainability Index and 131st in the Flourishing Index of
Children’s Survival, health, education and Well-being.
• Norway tops the list of Child Flourishing Index followed by Republic of Korea and the
Netherlands.
• Sustainability index is associated with per capita carbon emissions and ability of children in a
nation to live healthy lives.
• In Sustainability Index, Burundi secures top spot followed by Chad and Somalia as these are
lowest emitters. While United States of America (USA), Australia and Saudi Arabia are among the
10 worst emitters of CO2.
• A commission of more than 40 child and adolescent health experts funded by the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) from around the world has released the report ,where
the capacity of 180 countries has been assessed for the ability to ensure their children grow and
prosper.
• As per the report, due to the problem of stunting (low height for age) and poverty, about 250
million children under five years old in low- and middle-income nations are at risk of not
reaching their developmental potential.

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• The index shows that children in Norway, the Republic of Korea, and the Netherlands have the
best chance at survival, but children in Central African Republic, Chad, Somalia, Niger and Mali
face the worst chance of survival rate.
• The number of obese children and adolescents increased to 124 million in 2016 from 11
million in 1975 , an 11-fold increment, with serious social costs.
CSIR tops scientific research institutional ranking - Nature Ranking Index-2020

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has been ranked first in the Nature
Ranking Index-2020. The rankings are based on total research output which the institutions
have carried out from December 01, 2018 to 30th November, 2019. Indian Institute of Science
(IISc), Bangalore, has been ranked second.
• CSIR-New Delhi has achieved the top position with 142 counts (C) and a share percentage (SP)
of 87.74 while IISC-Bengaluru stands second with 211 counts and 83.61 in share percentage.
The top subjects so associated with the research work includes: Earth and Environmental
Sciences, Physical Science, Chemistry and Life Sciences.
• The third place in India is secured by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR-
Mumbai) with a research count of 232 and share percentage of 62.18.
• Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay),
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), Indian Association for the Cultivation of
Science (IACS), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata (IISER Kolkata),
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati), Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research Pune (IISER Pune) are among other institutions that have been ranked in the list.
• CSIR on average files about 200 Indian patents and 250 foreign patents annually.
Centre Changes Pension Rules Of Government Employees

The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare has taken out an order through which all
Central Government employees whose selection for appointment was finalized before January
1, 2004 but who joined service on or after 01.01.2004, can now opt to be covered under the
Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 instead of the NPS (National Pension System).
• The order effectively gives those employees of the Government of India who were recruited
before 2004 the option of either switch over to the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 or
continue to be covered under the National Pension System.
• The last date to exercise this option would be May 31, 2020, and those who fail to exercise the
option by this stipulated date would continue to be covered by the National Pension System.
• This order is expected to give relief to several Central Government employees, some of whom
were knocking the doors of the Courts in order to get covered under the CCS (Pension) Rules,
1972 and will also substantially bring down the litigation on this subject matter.

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• The employees who exercise option to switch over to the pension scheme under CCS (Pension)
Rules, 1972, will be required to subscribe to the General Provident Fund (GPF).
Women entrepreneurs can create 170 million jobs in India by 2030

Women-owned enterprises have the potential to create 150-170 million jobs in India, which is more
than 25 per cent of the new jobs required for the entire working age population, by 2030, indicates a
Bain & Company and Google report titled ‘Powering The Economy With Her-Women
Entrepreneurship in India.’
• There is an urgent need to unlock the economic potential of up to 400 million women before the
decade ends and overall unemployment in India is 7 per cent, but unemployment among women
is 18 per cent.
• India has 13.5–15.7 million women-owned enterprises, representing 20 per cent of all enterprises.
To further this growth, the following needs to be done:
o Level the playing field for the high-impact, employment-creating entrepreneurs
o Enable the willing middle—the ambitious solopreneurs and small business owners—to
scale and become high-impact entrepreneurs
o Expand the funnel to get more women to start enterprises
o Build, strengthen and scale productive rural agripreneurs
• The report also points out that entrepreneurship among women has the power to create positive
outcomes for individuals, societies and economies — women-owned enterprises are said to
produce equally strong economic outcomes when compared with enterprises led by men.
DMart’s Noronha wealthiest CEO in India

Ignatius Navil Noronha, CEO of Avenue Supermarts that runs D-Mart stores, has emerged as the
richest CEO in the country.
• He has more than Rs 3,100 crore of net worth,
• His boss Radhakishan Damani, the reclusive founder of Avenue Supermarts, is now India’s
second richest person, with a net worth of $17.8 billion, next only to Mukesh Ambani.
India becomes 5th largest economy, overtakes UK and France

India emerged as the world's fifth largest economy by overtaking the UK and France in 2019, says
a report of US-based think tank World Population Review.
• India's economy is the fifth largest in the world with a GDP of $ 2.94 trillion, overtaking the UK and
France in 2019 to take the fifth spot.
• The size of the UK economy is $ 2.83 trillion and that of France is $ 2.71 trillion.
• The US-based World Population Review is an independent organisation without any political
affiliations.

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National News
Nitin Gadkari reaches Stockholm to represent India at 3rd High Level Global Conference on
Road Safety
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari reached Stockholm to represent India at the
3rd High Level Global Conference on Road Safety for Achieving Global Goals 2030.
• The objective of the two-day conference is to bring road safety on the global agenda and renew
the world community’s commitment to safer roads. Leaders from participating countries will draw
up a road-map for reaching the United Nation’s goal set under the UN Decade of Action of
reducing road crashes by 2030.
• The conference is being organised in active collaboration with World Bank, World Health
Organisation and other agencies.
PM inaugurates UN Summit at CMSCOP13 through video conferencing

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated through video conferencing the 13th COP of Convention
on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals being organised at Gandhinagar in
Gujarat.
• The theme of CMS COP13 in India is 'Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome
them home'.
• Key messages from the High-Level dialogue will be incorporated into the Gandhinagar
Declaration, which will be proposed by the Government of India for adoption during Conservation
of Migratory Species COP13.
Union Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar unveils India/Bharat 2020

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar unveiled Annual Reference India/Bharat 2020 in English and
Hindi.
• Shri Javadekar also released the e-version of the publication during the occasion. The e-INDIA
has a variety of reader friendly features for better communication like hyperlinks, highlighting,
book marking and interactivity.
About the Book

• The Reference Annual – India / Bharat -2020, carries exhaustive and comprehensive information
about India and the activities, progress and achievements of various Government Ministries /
Departments / Organisations during the year. It is the 64th edition of the compilation. Brought out
jointly by the Publications Division and New Media Wing of the Ministry of Information and

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Broadcasting India / Bharat 2020, is a much awaited annual publication especially for the
aspirants of competitive examinations.
• The Annual deals with all aspects of country’s development – from rural to urban; from industry to
science and technology to human resource development. The volumes give a glimpse of flagship
programmes of the Government; important events of the year.
• The Publications Division is a repository of books and journals highlighting subjects of national
importance, India’s rich cultural and literary heritage.
Supreme Court okays permanent commission for women

The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to grant permanent commission to all women
officers in the Army within three months and said there will not be any absolute bar on giving them
command postings.
• A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud rejected the Centre's argument of physiological
limitations and social norms for denying them permanent commission and command postings.
National Museum hosts 'Historical Gastronomica - The Indus Dining Experience' exhibition
The National Museum in New Delhi is hosting a unique exhibition on India’s ancient food history
called "Historical Gastronomica - The Indus Dining Experience till the 25th February that goes back
to over 5000 years ago.
• The event is curated jointly by the National Museum and One Station Million Stories (OSMS) - is
based on archaeological research, museum artifacts and their characteristics and demonstrates
the evolution of food habits, food processing techniques and related architecture of the
Harappans.
Union Ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Smriti Irani jointly inaugurate National Organic Food
Festival
Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Women and Child Development
Minister Smriti Irani jointly inaugurated National Organic Food Festival in New Delhi.
• The three-day festival aims at strengthening organic market and encouraging women
entrepreneurs engaged in manufacturing of organic produce.
• “Unleashing India’s Organic Market Potential” is the theme of the festival.
PM Narendra Modi addressed the International Judicial Conference in New Delhi

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the International Judicial Conference in New Delhi.
• Distinguished Judges of the Supreme Court as well as various High Courts, Eminent lawyers and
delegates from overseas also took part in the Conference.

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Ministry of Textile Organises KALA KUMBH –Handicrafts Exhibitions for promotion of GI

Crafts
The Ministry of Textiles is organising Kala Kumbh – Handicrafts Thematic Exhibition in various
parts of the country from 14 to 23 February 2020 to promote Geographical Indication (GI) crafts and
heritage of India.
• The exhibition is being sponsored by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH).
• It will be held in Bengaluru and Mumbai from 14 Feb to 23 Feb while, it will also be organized in
Kolkata and Chennai in March 2020.
Donald Trump set to inaugurate world's largest cricket stadium at Motera in Ahmedabad
during two-day visit to India
US President Donald Trump will inaugurate the world’s largest cricket stadium when he arrives
in Ahmedabad.
• With capacity for 110,000 spectators, the Motera Stadium will dislodge the Melbourne Cricket
Ground as the world’s largest cricket stadium.
• The US president is scheduled to visit India on 24-25 February 2020.
• Authorities in Ahmedabad expect to spend around 800 million to 850 million Indian rupees on
preparations for the visit by the American president that is likely to last around three hours.
Credai launched ‘Credai Awaas’ app to connect homebuyers with developers

CREDAI (The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India) launched an
‘Credai Awaas’ app to connect homebuyers with its member developers to purchase
properties.
• The app was launched by Mohammad Akbar, Minister of Transport, Housing & Environment,
Forest & Law, in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Vivek Dhand, Chhattisgarh RERA chief was also present
on the occasion.
• In January 2020, National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) had also launched its
e-commerce platform for marketing of completed residential units.
About Awaas Credai app

The application is an exclusive platform for its members, which will display projects from 220 cities &
will have participation from 20000 CREDAI developers nationwide. The app will facilitate ease of
purchase of residential properties by homebuyers.
Government to set up Central Consumer Protection Authority by first week of April

Government will set up Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) by the first week of April
2020.

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• The CCPA to be set up under Consumer Protection Act 2019, will address issues related to
consumer rights, unfair trade practices, misleading advertisements and impose penalties for
selling spurious and adulterated products.
Union Cabinet approves constitution of 22nd Law Commission of India

Union Cabinet approved the constitution of the Twenty-second Law Commission of India.
• The commission will function for a period of three years from its date of official
constitution and give recommendations on different aspects of law which are entrusted to
it along with studies and research for bringing reforms in the justice delivery systems for
elimination of delay in procedures and speedy disposal of cases among others.
About Law Commission

The Law Commission of India is a non-statutory body constituted by the Government of India from
time to time. The Commission was originally constituted in 1955 and is re-constituted every three
years. The tenure of twenty-first Law Commission of India was upto 31st August, 2018.
The Law Commission has so far submitted 277 reports.
Indian Railways South Central Railways (SCR) zone becomes 1st in India to have energy-
neutral stations
Indian Railways South Central Railways (SCR) zone becomes 1st in India to have energy-neutral
stations.
• The South Central Railways has converted a total of 13 railway stations into “energy neutral”
stations, which is the highest amongst all the zones across the Indian Railways network.
• The energy-neutral railway stations are capable of meeting 100 per cent energy requirements by
tapping into solar power through solar photovoltaic panels which have been commissioned at the
station buildings.
• The anticipated energy generation from these energy neutral stations is coming to be around 1.3
lakh units annually.
• The total capacity of all the solar panels installed at the 13 energy neutral stations is 99 kWp.
PM Modi unveils 63-ft tall Deendayal Upadhyaya statue in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the 63-ft tall statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya while
inaugurating the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Memorial Centre in Padao on the Varanasi-Chandauli
border.
• The ‘pancha loha’ statue is the tallest statue of the Deendayal Upadhyaya in the country.
• Over 200 artisans have worked for almost a year in order to complete the structure.

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• The Memorial Centre, spread over nine acres, will also have the engravings of the life and times
of Deendayal Upadhyaya.
India To Stop Import Of Thermal Coal From FY24

Coal India rises after Govt allows 100% FDI in coal mining
• India will stop importing thermal coal from Financial Year 2023-24, said Union Minister of Coal
and Mines Pralhad Joshi. Various ways and means were discussed with key stakeholders to
achieve 1 billion tonnes (BT) coal production target by Coal India Limited (CIL) by Financial Year
2023-24.
• It was also proposed that CIL could generate 5 GW of solar power by FY 2023-24 and could
diversify into coal gasification with a target of 50 Million Tonnes by 2030 enabling a sustainable
energy mix for the country.
D-Mart’s Radhakishan Damani now 2nd richest Indian after RIL’s Mukesh Ambani
Avenue Supermart founder Radhakishan Damani is now the second richest Indian.
• With a total wealth of $17.9 billion, according to Forbes’ Real Time Billionaires’ Index, investor
and retailer Radhakishan Damani is just behind Reliance Industries Ltd. chairman Mukesh
Ambani, who is not only India’s but Asia’s richest man.
• One of the most profitable grocery retail chains in India, Avenue Supermarts has 196 stores in the
country.
All India Conference of Central Administrative Tribunal 2020 held on 16th February at Vigyan
Bhawan, New Delhi
The annual All India Conference of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) was held in New
Delhi.
• The Conference was presided over by Union Minister for Law and Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar
Prasad.
• The Judicial and Administrative Members from all 17 Benches of CAT from across the country,
members of the CAT Bar Association and eminent Jurists attended the conference.
• It is a platform to discuss issues related to the work of CAT, including structural and institutional
issues, the functioning of administrative tribunals in other legal systems and methodology for the
functioning of the tribunal among others.
NF Railway builds India’s tallest pier bridge in Manipur

The Northeast Frontier Railway Construction Organisation has built India’s tallest railway pier
bridge — 100 m tall equivalent to a 33-storey building, across river Makru in the Tamenglong
district of Manipur.

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• The ₹283.5-crore bridge with a span of 555 m is part of the 111-km Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal new
broad gauge line. It has 47 tunnels, the longest being 10.28 km.
• The steel girders were pre-fabricated at a workshop in Kolkata, transported in segments and
erected at the site by cantilever launching that required meticulous planning and execution, NFR
Construction officials said.
Hyderabad all set to host 17th Edition of BioAsia 2020, Asia’s largest Bio-Business Forum
Telangana is all set to host the three-day Bio Asia 2020, Asia’s largest Biotechnology and Life
Sciences Forum with the theme of ‘Today for Tomorrow’ from February 17 in Hyderabad.
• About 2,000 delegates from 37 countries will be attending the annual flagship event of
Government of Telangana in the presence of most eminent personalities and industry stalwarts
from life sciences sectors across the globe.
• Switzerland will be the partner Country this year as part of the annual tradition. An eminent 40-
member team comprising industries, academia and start-ups from Switzerland will participate in
the event.
• BioAsia 2020 is being organized in partnership with Government of India, Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of MSME, Department of Biotechnology,
Department of Pharmaceuticals and it has state partners include Assam, Kerala, Odisha and
Gujarat.
India to switch over to world's cleanest petrol, diesel from April 1

India will switch to the world's cleanest petrol and diesel from April 1 as it leapfrogs straight to
Euro-VI emission compliant fuels from Euro-IV grades now - a feat achieved in just three years
and not seen in any of the large economies around the globe.
• India will join the select league of nations using petrol and diesel containing just 10 parts per
million of Sulphur and emission standards are as good as CNG.
• Almost all refineries began producing ultra-low sulphur BS-VI (equivalent to Euro-VI grade) petrol
and diesel by the end of 2019 and oil companies have now undertaken the tedious task of
replacing every drop of fuel in the country with the new one.
• Originally, Delhi and its adjoining towns were to have BS-VI fuel supplies by April 2019 and the
rest of the country was to get same supplies from April 2020. But oil marketing companies
switched over to supply of BS-VI grade fuels in the national capital territory of Delhi on April 1,
2018.
• The supply of BS-VI fuels was further extended to four contiguous districts of Rajasthan and eight
of Uttar Pradesh in the National Capital Region (NCR) on April 1, 2019, together with the city of
Agra.
• BS-VI grade fuels were made available in 7 districts of Haryana from October 1, 2019.

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EESL inks pact with BSNL for 1,000 EV charging stations across country
State-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) said it has signed an initial pact with BSNL
for installing charging stations for electric vehicles.
• As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), EESL will set up public EV charging
stations at 1,000 BSNL sites in a phased manner across the country.
• EESL will make the entire upfront investment on the services pertaining to the MoU, along with
the operation and maintenance of the charging infrastructure by using qualified personnel.
• Telecom PSU BSNL would be responsible for providing the requisite space and power
connections for installing the charging infrastructure.
• Taking forward the vision of National Electric Mobility Programme, EESL has commissioned 300
AC and 170 DC chargers across India. Till date, 66 public charging points are operational in
Delhi-NCR.
Popular Bengali film actor, former TMC MP Tapas Pal passes away in Mumbai
Popular Bengali film actor and former Trinamul Congress MP Tapas Pal died in Mumbai. He was 61.
• Tapas Pal acted in number of Bengali films besides two times elected in Lok Sabha from
Krishnanagar Constituency in Nadia District of West Bengal.
• Tapas Pal also elected in the State assembly.
IDSA to be renamed as Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
Union Government has decided to rename the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, IDSA
as Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
• The decision has been taken to honour the commitment and legacy of late Manohar Parrikar.
• It will align the vision and aspiration of the premier defence institute with the contribution of the
former Defence Minister and Padma Bhushan awardee.
About IDSA:
An autonomous body under Ministry of Defence, IDSA was established as a registered society in New
Delhi in 1965, dedicated to objective research and policy relevant studies on all aspects of defence
and security. Its aim is to promote national and international security through the generation and
dissemination of knowledge on defence and security-related issues. To achieve its goals, the institute
undertakes scholarly research, policy-oriented research, dissemination of research findings, training
and capacity building and public education.
Emergency Response Support System: 112 India Mobile App can be downloaded for free
Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) is one of the key projects of the Home Ministry to
provide one emergency number to provide timely assistance to a person in distress.

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• In the emergency situation, call can be made to the 112 number for help.
• This service is presently available in 28 States and Union Territories. The 112 India Mobile App
can be downloaded for free and the help is available with press of a button.
• ERSS is a pan-India single, internationally recognized 112 number based response system for all
emergencies. It is a computer aided dispatch of resources, accessible through call, SMS, e-mail,
112 India Mobile App along with shout facility for women and children.
India to switch to world's cleanest petrol, diesel from April 1

India will switch to the world's cleanest petrol and diesel from April 1 as it leapfrogs straight to
Euro-VI emission compliant fuels from Euro-IV grades now.
• India will join the select league of nations using petrol and diesel containing just 10 parts per
million of sulphur as it looks to cut vehicular emissions that are said to be one of the reasons for
the choking pollution in major cities.
• State-owned oil refineries spent about 35,000 crore rupees to upgrade plants that could produce
ultra-low sulphur fuel.
• BS-VI has a sulphur content of just 10 ppm and emission standards are as good as CNG.
India and Norway strengthen partnership on blue economy

India and Norway opened the India-Norway Task Force on Blue Economy for Sustainable
Development.
• The two countries also commenced a new collaboration on Integrated Ocean Management &
Research. As a part of the Joint Initiatives, several projects on combating Marine Litter are
already being implemented.
• The two Governments signed a Letter of Intent confirming that they will develop a new framework
for collaboration on Integrated Ocean Management and Research.
• The India-Norway Task Force on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development was launched
jointly by the Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi, and the Norwegian Prime Minister Ms Erna
Solberg, during her visit to India in January 2019.
Department of Telecommunications launches '5G Hackathon'

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has launched ‘5G Hackathon’ in association with
government, academia and industry stakeholders.
• The Hackathon will be spread across three phases. The event will culminate in a grand felicitation
ceremony at India Mobile Congress on the 16th of October this year. Winners of the various
phases will share a total prize pool of 2.5 crore rupees.
• The Hackathon will convert innovating ideas into products and solutions in different verticals and
develop India specific use cases around 5G.

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Delhi's IGI Airport becomes first single-use plastic-free airport of India

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport has become free of single-use plastic usage.
• The Confederation of Indian Industry-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CII-
ITC CESD) that supports the business community towards achieving sustainability has certified
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) for its successful voluntary implementation of single-use
plastic-free airport measures within IGI Airport's operations.
• The objective to make Delhi Airport free from single-use plastic is in line with the Prime Minister's
vision to abolish all single-use plastic from India by 2022.
EAM to inaugurate Indian Pavilion at 70th Berlin International Film Festival on Feb 20 in
Germany
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will inaugurate Indian Pavilion at 70th Berlin International
Film Festival in Germany. The festival will be held till 1st of March.
• India Pavilion will provide a platform to popularize Indian cinema in the overseas market and
facilitate new business opportunities.
• Information and Broadcasting Ministry in collaboration with Confederation of Indian
Industry, CII is participating in the event.
India, World Bank sign USD 450 million loan agreement to improve groundwater management
The India government and the World Bank signed a USD 450 million loan agreement 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 the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana,
Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh and cover 78 districts.
• They were selected based on several criteria, including the degree of groundwater exploitation
and degradation, established legal and regulatory instruments, institutional readiness, and
experience in implementing initiatives related to groundwater management.
• The USD 450 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(IBRD), has a 6-year grace period, and a maturity of 18 years.
Fifth year of launch of Soil Health Card being observed across the country
Fifth year of the launch of Soil Health Card being observed across the country to create awareness
about the benefits of the scheme.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme on 19th
February, 2015 at Suratgarh in Rajasthan.

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• 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. The scheme ensures additional income to farmers by an
increase in yields and it also promotes sustainable farming.
ISRO Set To Launch 10 Earth Observation Satellites in 2020-21 Including First Geo Imaging
Satellite
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to achieve a major feat as it is working towards
launching 10 earth observation satellites into space in 2020-21.
• The launches include the first ever Geo Imaging Satellite GISAT-1's launch into space which
would add to the capabilities of the nation.
• As of now, 10 national earth observation satellites, 18 communication satellites and eight
navigation satellites are actively serving the nation across a gamut of applications including
broadcasting, telephony, internet services, weather forecasting, security, disaster management
and more.

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International News
Financial Action Task Force meet begins in Paris

A meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) began in Paris.
• The plenary session of the FATF will take stock of Pakistan's role in terror financing. The session
will review progress made by Pakistan and some other countries that present a risk to the
financial system. India will keep up the pressure on Pakistan to cut finances to terrorist groups.
• During the six-day meeting, more than 800 representatives from 205 countries, IMF, United
Nations, World Bank and other organizations will focus on global action to follow the money that
fuels crime and terrorism.
About FATF:
The Financial Action Task Force, also known by its French name, Groupe d'action financière, is an
intergovernmental organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to
combat money laundering. In 2001 its mandate expanded to include terrorism financing.
Headquarters: Paris, France ; Founded: July 1989 ; Membership: 39 ; President: Xiangmin Liu
Jeff Bezos launches $10 billion fund to combat Climate Change

Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon and the world's richest man, has said he was committing
$10 billion to a new fund to tackle climate change.
• The e-commerce tycoon said the Bezos Earth Fund would "fund scientists, activists, NGOs - any
effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world."
• In September 2019, Bezos said Amazon would pledge to become carbon neutral by 2040 and
said the company would order one lakh electric delivery trucks.
43rd IFAD Governing Council Meet held in Rome

The 43rd session of the annual Governing Council meeting of the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD) was held on 11-12 February 2020.
• The two-day event was held at Rome, Italy.
• The theme for this meeting was “Investing in sustainable food systems to end hunger by
2030″.
• The purpose of the meeting was to highlight how IFAD’s role and experience in supporting
sustainable, inclusive, nutritious and efficient food systems place it in a unique position to
contribute to Sustainable Development Goals.

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Indian-origin minister Alok Sharma to lead UN climate summit in UK

Indian-origin Alok Sharma was named the new UK minister in charge of the UN climate talks to be
hosted by Britain in November 2020.
• Agra-born Sharma, promoted to the post of Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy in UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Cabinet reshuffle, will take charge of the crucial
summit COP26'.
• The MP for Reading West was elevated to the Cabinet level as DfID minister by Johnson in July
last year and has reportedly been promoted further as business minister because the government
plans to modify DfID to work closer with the trade department.
Gulfood 2020
Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated India Pavilion at GulFood 2020, Dubai, and
held discussions with food companies over the potential of business opportunities in India.
• The Minister for Food Processing Industries held several meetings in Dubai, where she
inaugurated the India Pavilion being held from February 16-20.
• During the discussions with the India UAE Food security corridor project representative, Badal
proposed that existing Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) supported infra may be
utilised to give a head-start to the project.
Irish PM Leo Varadkar resigns, retains caretaker role

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar resigned but stayed 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 as Taoiseach, or prime
minister, to President Michael Higgins after the first sitting of Ireland's lower house of Parliament
since a February 8 election which radically recast the political landscape.
S Jaishankar inaugurates Indian pavilion at Berlin International Film Festival

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar inaugurated the Indian pavilion at the Berlin
International Film Festival for which three feature films and one documentary from the country
have been selected. Information and Broadcasting ministry in collaboration with the Confederation
of Indian Industry (CII) is participating in the 70th edition of the festival.
• Later, Jaishankar met German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in Berlin and
discussed Afghanistan and policies in the Indo-Pacific region.
Twitter Buys Chroma Labs, Startup Founded by Facebook Veterans

Twitter Inc. is acquiring Chroma Labs, a seven-person startup that was founded by former
Facebook and Instagram employees for building photo and video-editing features.

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• Chroma Labs was launched last fall with an app that lets people edit photos and videos before
sharing them on the Stories features inside other apps, like Instagram or Snap Inc.’s Snapchat.
• The company is joining Twitter to “give people more creative ways to express themselves in
conversations”.
Netherlands Scientists discovered new snail species - named after climate activist Greta
Thunberg
A group of scientists with Naturalis Biodiversity Center,a research center on biodiversity
based in Leiden, the Netherlands, have discovered a new species of land snail and named it
“Craspedotropis gretathunbergae” in honour of the young Swedish climate activist Greta
Thunberg for her efforts to raise awareness about climate change.
• The snails have been found near the research center at Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre in
Brunei.
Munich Security Conference held in Germany between February 14, 2020 and February 16,
2020
The Conference was attended by External Affairs minister Jaishankar representing India.
The Minister met his counterparts of Georgia, Portugal and Lithuania on the sidelines of the
conference.
• The minister his Portugal Counterpart as a backdrop of its President visiting India. With Portugal
to preside over the leadership of the European Union council, there are good opportunities for
India to extend its relations with European Union.
About Munich Security Conference

The Conference is one of the world’s leading forum that debates on international security policy.
Every year more than 350 officials from 70 countries attend the conference. It includes heads of the
states, members of parliaments, representatives of armed forces, business, media. etc. It was
founded in 1963. The other events conducted on the sidelines of the summit include Cyber Security
Summit and Energy Security Summit. The cyber Security Summit was first launched in 2012. The
Energy security summit was first started in 2013.
Pakistan to remain on FATF grey list till June 2020

Pakistan will remain on the grey list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) till June 2020 as it
failed to comply with the 27-point action plan to control funding to terrorist groups.
• The decision was taken after the conclusion of the February 16-21 group meetings and the
plenary session of the FATF where another deadline of four months has been given to Pakistan to
act against organisations involved in terror financing.

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• The FATF noted that Pakistan addressed only 14 of 27 action items given to it for controlling
funding to terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, responsible for series
of attacks in India.
Pakistan successfully tests air launched cruise missile 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, significantly boosting the military's "deterrence capability" on land
and at sea.
• The Ra'ad-II weapon system is equipped with state-of-the-art guidance and navigation systems
ensuring engagement of targets with high precision.
Ground-breaking solar powered unmanned aircraft makes first flight

PHASA-35, a 35m wingspan solar-electric aircraft, has successfully completed its maiden
flight. The landmark flight paves the way to this new aircraft becoming a game changer in the
air and space market, plugging the gap between aircraft and satellite technology.
• PHASA-35 has been designed, built and now flown in less than two years as part of a
collaboration between ourselves and Prismatic Ltd, which we agreed to acquire last year.
• Sponsored by the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and
Australian Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), the successful flight trials
took place at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Woomera Test Range in South
Australia.
Hindi is 3rd most spoken language in the world with 615 million speakers after English,
Mandarin
Hindi is the 3rd most spoken language of the world in 2019 with 615 million speakers.
• The 22nd edition of the world language database Ethnologue stated English at the top of the list
with 1,132 million speakers. Chines Mandarin is at the second position with 1,117 million
speakers.
• Bangla has been ranked as the 7th most spoken language of the world. Bangla has 228 million
native speakers.
• Ethnologue brings out an yearly database of living languages of the world since its establishment
in 1951.

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India, Sri Lanka sign MoU for up-gradation of infrastructure in plantation schools for estate
workers of Indian origin
India and Sri Lanka have signed a memorandum of understanding (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 an Indian grant assistance of 30 crore rupees.
• India’s overall commitment of development assistance to Sri Lanka stands at a total of around 3.5
billion US dollars and among these, 560 million US dollars under grants.
Afghanistan: Ashraf Ghani secures 2nd term as President

In Afghanistan, independent Election Commission announced that Ashraf Ghani has won a second
term as President of the country.
• He defeated his closest opponent Abdullah Abdullah.
• Ghani garnered 50.64 per cent of votes. The country's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah
received 39.52 per cent of votes.
Sri Lanka to withdraw from co-sponsorship of UNHRC resolution 30/1

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said that his government has decided to withdraw
from the co-sponsorship of UNHRC resolution 30/1 which called for addressing war crimes and
reconciliation efforts with minorities.
• He stated this in a statement issued to condemn the travel ban imposed by the US government
on army commander Shavendra Silva and his family.
• PM Rajapaksa said the previous government ended up accepting all the unfounded allegations
made against armed forces by various interested parties. He said that even though the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights says that a person be deemed innocent until
proved guilty, this principle does not seem to apply to Sri Lanka’s army commander or even to
members of his family.

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Important National and International Days
International Mother Language Day 2020 - Matribhasha Diwas 2020 - 21st February
International Mother Language Day (IMLD) has been celebrated as a worldwide annual observance
of UNESCO. MHRD will also observe Matribhasha Diwas on 21st Feb to highlight the linguistic
diversity of our country.
• UNESCO has identified over 7000 languages that are used (read, written and spoken) in different
countries across the world and 21st February has been marked to celebrate this ‘Multilinguism’.
• The central theme for International Mother Language Day 2020 is ‘Languages without
borders’. According to UNESCO, ‘local, cross-border languages can promote peaceful dialogue
and help to preserve indigenous heritage’.
• The theme of the Matribhasha Diwas 2020 to be celebrated across India is ‘Celebrating our
Multilingual Heritage’ reflecting the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat.
World Day of Social Justice 2020 - 20 February

World Day of Social Justice is observed on 20 February to raise voice against social injustice and to
remove barriers regarding gender, race, inequality, religious discrimination, etc. It also highlights the
social injustice done throughout the world and to look into the solutions and improvements.
• The theme of World Day of Social Justice 2020 is "Closing the Inequalities Gap to Achieve
Social Justice”. It focuses on social justice as it is the global mission of the UN to promote the
development and human dignity.
• World Day of Social Justice is a global observance and is not a public holiday. In 1995, the World
Summit for Social Development was held in Copenhagen, Denmark and resulted in the
Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action.
• After 10 years, the members of UN states reviewed the Declaration of Copenhagen and
Programme of Action for Social Development in New York in February 2005. On 26 November,
2007, the UN General Assembly declared 20 February as the annual World Day of Social
Justice. In 2009, this day was first observed.

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Awards and Rewards
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw wins EY Entrepreneur of the Year award for 2019

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson and managing director, 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 and 6.
Mazumdar-Shaw was named the winner by an eight-member jury panel, led by Kotak Mahindra Bank
Managing Director and CEO Uday Kotak. The award ceremony was attended by over 500 business
personalities in New Delhi.
Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Tuhin
Parikh, senior managing director (Real estate), Blackstone India, was the first recipient of the
Transformational Impact Person of the Year award.
Awards were announced in nine categories, with the winners coming from both mature industries and
unicorns.
Piyush Goyal, Union minister for railways and commerce & industry, and Anurag Thakur, minister of
state for finance and corporate affairs, were the chief guest and guest of honour, respectively, at the
event.
Here is the full list of winners across categories:
EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2019: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson and managing director,
Biocon
Lifetime Achievement: Adi Godrej, chairman, Godrej Group
Category Winners
Start-up: Falguni Nayar, founder and CEO, Nykaa E-Retail
Transformational Impact Person of the Year: Tuhin Parikh, senior managing director (Real estate),
Blackstone India
Manufacturing: Arun Bharat Ram, chairman, SRF
Services: Sridhar Vembu, founder and CEO, Zoho Corporation
Financial services: Yashish Dahiya, CEO and co-founder, PolicyBazaar
Consumer Products & Retail: Berger Paints Chairman Kuldip Singh Dhingra, and Vice-Chairman
Gurbachan Singh Dhingra
Life Sciences & Healthcare: Dr Lal PathLabs Chairman & Managing Director Arvind Lal and CEO
Om Manchanda
Entrepreneurial CEO: K B S Anand, managing director and CEO, Asian Paints
Energy, Real Estate & Infrastructure: Ravi Raheja and Neel Raheja, group presidents, K Raheja
Corp

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Ideal Legislative Assembly Speaker/ Ideal Legislative Council Chairman Award and Ideal Chief
Minister Award 2019
Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu presented the Ideal Legislative Assembly Speaker/
Ideal Legislative Council Chairman Award 2019 to the Speaker of the Kerala Legislative
Assembly Shri P. Ramakrishnan, during the inauguration of the 10th edition of the 4 day
function “Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad” (Indian Student Parliament),from february 20 to 23,2020,
held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, India, which recognises the significant contribution made by the
Hon’ble Speaker in strengthening & safeguarding best legislative practices in the state.
• The selection committee was chaired by Shri Shivraj Patil -Former Speaker of the Parliament and
the Governing Council of the Bhartiya Chhatra Sansad and honoured by MIT School of
Government.
• Also, Ideal Chief Minister Award 2019 will be awarded to Amrinder Singh, CM of Punjab during
the 4th day function on 23rd February 2020.
Indian freelance journalist wins AFP's Kate Webb Prize

Ahmer Khan, the 27-year-old Indian freelance reporter, was named the winner of the 2019
Agence France-Presse Kate Webb Prize on Thursday 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.
• Khan was honoured for a series of video and written reports that vividly illustrated the
impact on locals in the region following India's decision to abrogate article 370 that
granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir in August. The Indian government imposed
restrictions on movement and a communications blackout in the region. India insisted the move
was aimed at bringing prosperity and peace to the region.
About Kate Webb Prize

The Kate Webb Prize, with a 3,000 euro (USD 3,400) purse, honours journalists working in perilous or
difficult conditions in Asia, and is named after a crusading AFP reporter who died in 2007 at the age
of 64, after a career covering the world's troublespots and is administered by AFP and the Webb
family.
The prize will be formally presented at a ceremony in Hong Kong later this year.
The 23rd edition of the annual National Conference on e-Governance

The 23rd edition of the annual National Conference on e-Governance was organized at
National Sports Club of India (NSCI) Worli, Mumbai on (07 Feb, 2020).

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• The two-day conference on e-governance has been organized by Ministry of Electronics &
Information Technology (MeitY) and Department of Administrative Reforms & Public
Grievance (DARPG) in association with Department of Information & Technology,
Government of Maharashtra this year. Theme: “India 2020: Digital Transformation”
• Delhi, Chandigarh lead among UTs; Haryana and Rajasthan topped among state in national
e-governance service delivery assessment.
Awards were given under 6 categories, namely

• Excellence in Government Process Re-engineering for Digital Transformation – Gold prize
went to Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
• Excellence in providing Citizen-Centric delivery- Gold prize went to Antyodaya Saral of
Department of IT, Haryana ; RailMadad, the grievance redressal portal of Indian Railways, has
been awarded Silver award
• Excellence in District level Initiative in e-Governance (i) North-East States + Hilly States (ii)
UTs (including Delhi) (iii) Other States - Gold prize went to District Adhoc Wireless Surveillance
Communication System using Drone Technology, UK ; SAKOON, J&K ; WeDeserve – Right
assistance to the Right person at the Right Time, Kasargod, Kerala
• Outstanding research on Citizen Centric Services by Academic/Research Institutions -
Gold prize went to IIT(Indian Institute of Technology) Roorkee’s (Uttarakhand) Satellite-based
Agriculture Information System
• Innovative Use of ICT in e-Governance solutions by Start-ups - Gold prize went to Providing
farm scale data from multi-satellite by Karnataka – Satyukt Analytics Private Limited
• Excellence in Adopting Emerging Technologies - T-Chits by Telangana – Registration &
Stamps Department.
• The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has cliched a national award for e-
Governance 2019-20 for the Board’s Real-Time Pollution-Monitoring System (RTPMS) project –
Jury award.
Two new $1-million food prizes for innovation and sustainability announced in Stockholm
The world’s largest prize in the food arena has been established by the new Curt Bergfors
Foundation in Sweden. Curt Bergfors ,Swedish entrepreneur and philanthropist is a founder of
this foundation.
• The foundation will award two $1-million prizes – the Food Planet Prize awards – annually.
One prize will be awarded to an existing scalable solution for sustainable foods. The second
will be awarded for innovative initiatives that could transform the global food sector.
• Nominations for The Food Planet Prize are now open. The first prizes will be awarded later in
2020.

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• The Curt Bergfors Foundation was established in 2019 to highlight the challenges in today's food
system and find new ways to redesign it for the future.
• In addition to the Food Planet Prize, the foundation will also fund a professorship with a focus on
transformation to a sustainable food system, based at the Stockholm Resilience Centre,
Stockholm University.

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Sports
Koneru Humpy wins Cairns Cup Chess Tournament in US

World rapid champion Koneru Humpy won the Cairns Cup Chess Tournament at St Louis in USA.
• She drew with compatriot Dronavalli Harika in the ninth and final round. Humpy ended with six
points ahead of reigning champion Zu Wezun who finished with 5.5 points.
• With this win, Humpy would be gaining five ELO rating points, the basis for international rankings
and moving to no.2 in the world list.
• Humpy was crowned as the world champion in the last week of December 2019.
Pole vaulter Armand Duplantis sets new world record at Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix
20-year-old US born Swedish based Pole vaulter Armand Duplantis has broken his own pole vault
world record(6.17m) by clearing 6.18 m at the Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow, Scotland.
• Prior to that French vaulter Renaud Lavillenie (2014) has set a record of 6.16 m.
India’s female Race Walker Bhawna Jat qualifies for Tokyo Olympics 2020
Rajasthan based female race walker Bhawna Jat has earned a berth in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic
Games and also broken the national record of the 20 km race walk at the 7th National Race Walk
Championships in Ranchi.
Kick Off The Dream: Official Slogan, Match Schedule and Host Cities Announced for FIFA
Under-17 Women's World Cup
The official slogan along with the match schedule and host cities of the FIFA Under-17
Women's World Cup, which will be held in India later this year, was announced.
• The official slogan, match schedule and host cities for the FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup
India 2020 were unveiled by FIFA and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in the national
capital.
• Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Kolkata and Navi Mumbai were confirmed as the
five host cities for the FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup. 16 teams will compete across 32
matches to lift the trophy on 21 November in Navi Mumbai.
• After the launch of the official emblem in November last year, the official slogan for the FIFA
Under-17 Women's World Cup - Kick Off The Dream - was also unveiled at the press
conference in New Delhi.

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India to host 2020 junior men's Hockey World Cup

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that India will host next year's Junior Men's
World Cup.
• This is the second time that India will be hosting the prestigious tournament, having staged it in
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in 2016, where the hosts lifted the coveted trophy.
• The competition will be played towards the end of 2021 and the exact venue and dates for the
tournament will be announced at a later stage.
• In all, 16 teams will compete for the title in the Junior Men's World Cup, out of which six will be
from Europe, four from Asia, including hosts India, two from Africa, two from Oceania and two
from Pan America.
India won 11 medals at the Brazil Para Badminton International Championships

India finished Brazil Para Badminton International Championships with 11 medals in Sao
Paulo, Brazil. Among the total are 11 medals, 4 gold, 5 silver, and 2 bronze medals.
Brazil Para-Badminton International Championships was held at Sau Paulo, Brazil. It was held from
10-15 February 2020. The championship was organized by Badminton World Federation (BWF). The
games included events namely Men's Singles, Men's Doubles, Women's Singles, Women's Doubles
& Mixed Doubles.
Indian Winners
Men's singles
SL3: Pramod Bhagat (Gold)
SL4: Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj (Gold)
SL3: Manoj Sarkar (Silver)
SH6: Nagar Krishna (Silver)
SL4: Sukant Kadam (Bronze)
Men's Doubles
SL3-SL4: Pramod Bhagat & Manoj Sarkar (Gold)
SU5: Raj Kumar & Rakesh Pandey (Silver)
Women's singles
SL3: Parul Dalsukhbhai Parmar (Silver)
Mixed Doubles
SH6: Nagar Krishna (India) & Carmen Giuliana Poveda Flores (Canada)-(Gold)
WH1-WH2: Prem Kumar (from India) & Ale Tatiana Gureeva (from Russia) (Silver)
SL3–SU5: Raj Kumar & Parul Dalsukhbhai Parmar (Bronze)

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Indian athletes clinch 3 medals in World SnowShoe Championship

Indian athletes finished with three medals in different categories in the World SnowShoe
Championship at Myoko, Japan.
• Ayan Bin Shahnaz bagged silver, while Zain Ali and Muzamil Hussain Mir, all are from Kashmir,
bagged bronze medals in their respective categories.
• Athletes from 17 countries including the USA, Canada, Australia, Italy, Germany, Spain, Sweden
and France participated in the championship.
• The Indian contingent was fielded by SnowShoe Federation of India.
AIFF receives 'Grassroots Charter Bronze Level' membership of AFC

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has received the "Grassroots Charter Bronze Level"
membership of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The Asian sports governing body has
confirmed this in a letter to the AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das.
• This declaration accords AIFF the right to promote its grassroots events and activities with the
support and recognition of the AFC in accordance with the applicable terms of the AFC
Grassroots Charter.
Veteran Left-Arm Spinner Pragyan Ojha Announces His Retirement From All Forms Of Cricket
Veteran Indian left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha has announced his retirement from international
and first-class cricket with immediate effect.
• The 33-year-old was last seeing donning the Indian colours in 2013 during Sachin Tendulkar's
farewell Test against the West Indies in Mumbai. Having since failed to convince selectors, Ojha
continued playing first-class cricket.
• Ojha represented his state side of Hyderabad, before his move to Bengal and this season, he had
featured for Bihar. In all, he played 24 Tests between 2009 and 2013 in which he took 113
wickets.
India to host AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2022

The Women’s Committee of the Asian Football Confederation awarded the hosting rights of
the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 to India with the aim of promoting women’s football.
• India also hosted the AFC U-16 Championships in 2016 and the FIFA U-17 World Cup in
2017, and the committee agreed the country could continue raising the standards of the AFC
Women’s Asian Cup.
• The tournament is likely to be held in late October and early November, 2022, and the match
schedule will be worked out keeping in mind the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
• The pilot programme will continue in 2020 with a maximum of six invited clubs.

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• In 2021 and 2022, there will be eight invited clubs and by 2023 and 2024, this will grow to a
minimum of 12 which will be open to all member associations. In 2025, it will be consolidated to
16 teams and by then an AFC women’s club competition ranking will have been devised.
NADA bans javelin thrower Amit Dahiya for four years

National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has banned javelin thrower Amit Dahiya for four years for
evading sample collection and trying to cheat officials during the 2nd National Javelin Throw Open
Championship 2019 held in Sonipat.
• NADA had issued the charge of notice to Dahiya on July 16 for violating rule 2.3 of the NADA.
• The doping agency presented the case to the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) on January
9 where the athlete's justification was found to be unsatisfactory.
Greatest woman golfer, Mickey Wright dies at 85

Mickey Wright, often described as the greatest woman golfer of all times, died at Florida in the
United States at the age of 85.
• 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.
AIFF receives 'Grassroots Charter Bronze Level' membership of AFC

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has received the "Grassroots Charter Bronze Level"
membership of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
• This declaration accords AIFF the right to promote its grassroots events and activities with the
support and recognition of the AFC in accordance with the applicable terms of the AFC
Grassroots Charter.
FIFA U-17 Women's Football World Cup to be hosted in 5 cities in November

Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju launched an event in New Delhi to unveil the five host cities for
the FIFA Under-17 Women's Football World Cup which kicks off on 2nd of November.
• The matches of the world cup will be held in five cities including Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar,
Guwahati, Kolkata and Navi Mumbai.
• The finals of the tournament will be played on 21st of November at Navi Mumbai.
• The cities will play host to 16 teams which will compete across 32 matches to lift the coveted title.
• The official slogan - Kick off the Dream - was also unveiled during the event.

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'United by Emotion' chosen as Tokyo 2020 Olympics motto

'United by Emotion' was revealed as the motto for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.
• The motto will be displayed on the iconic Tokyo Skytree, the Japanese capital's tallest landmark,
from 24 February until March 25, the day before the torch relay begins.
• Some 10,000 athletes from over 200 countries will gather in Tokyo for the Olympics, which run
from July 24 to Aug. 9.
20th Laureus Awards 2020 announced in Berlin

The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honouring individuals and teams
from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year. It was established in
1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation founding patrons Daimler and Richemont.
• This is the 20th anniversary of the prestigious Laureus Award which celebrates the best in the
world of sport. The event was held in Berlin, Germany.
• British F1 ace Lewis Hamilton and Lionel Messi were declared the joint winners of the
prestigious Laureus World Sportsman of the year award in Berlin. The duo received the same
number of votes.
• Indian cricketing great 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.
Delhi host Asian Wrestling Championship 2020

Asian Wrestling Championship 2020 starts in New Delhi. It will be held at the KD Jadhav Hall of
Indira Gandhi Stadium. The event will have a total of 30 weight classes, 10 each in Freestyle Men,
Women, and Greco Roman.
• India last hosted the championships in 2017.
• Asian Wrestling Championship organized by Asian Associated Wrestling Committee (AAWC).
• Greco Roman wrestler Sunil Kumar won gold medal in the Asian Wrestling Championships at
New Delhi. He beats Azat Salidinov from Kyrgyzstan in the final of the 87 kg category.
Drass Red lifts 2020 Ladakh Winter Sports Carnival

In Ladakh, Drass Red lifted 2020 Ladakh Winter Sports Carnival, Junior (Under-18) Ice Hockey
and Skating Championship by Defeating Drass Winter Games Association, by 4 -0.
• The Carnival was organized by Kargil Ice and Snow Sports Club in Collaboration with
Letsleh.com from 15th to 20th February at Ice Hockey Rink of Kiss Club at Biamathang, Kargil in
which six teams participated.

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P V Sindhu wins third successive ESPN's Female Sportsperson of the Year award
ESPN Multi-Sport Awards recognized achievements across 10 categories.
• World champion shuttler P V Sindhu won the ESPN's Female Sportsperson of the Year award
for a third consecutive time while 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.
• Ace chess player Koneru Humpy won the award for the Comeback of the Year.
• Wrestler Deepak Punia bagged coveted ESPN's Emerging Sports Person of the Year award.
• Chief National Badminton Coach Pullela Gopichand claimed the Coach of the Year award, for
nurturing two Olympic medalists in Saina Nehwal and Sindhu.
• Sindhu's World Championship win, the first by an Indian in badminton, has also been selected
as the Moment of the Year.
• Manu Bhaker-Saurabh Chaudhary grabbed the Team of the Year honour.
• Manasi Joshi won Differently-abled Athlete of the Year/Para-Athlete of the Year award.
• Hockey legend Balbir Singh Senior, one of independent India's most celebrated Olympians, has
been conferred with ESPN's Lifetime Achievement award.
Ross Taylor becomes first player in the world to play 100 matches in all three formats
Veteran New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor became the first player in the world to play 100
matches in all three formats of cricket.
• Taylor was presented his 100th Test cap by former New Zealand wicket-keeper Ian Smith.
• The 35-year-old played his 100th T20 International against India and 231 ODIs for New Zealand.
Divya Kakran wins a gold medal at Asian Wrestling Championships

Divya Kakran became only the second Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Asian Wrestling
Championships defeating junior world champion Naruha Matsuyuki in New Delhi.
• Divya won all four bouts in five-wrestler 68 kilogram category, as the competition was fought in
the round-robin format.
• Navjot Kaur had become the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Asian
Championships in 2018 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in 65 kilogram.

Weekly BeePedia
States
Haryana government announces Rs 6 crore to those winning gold medals at Olympics

Haryana government has decided to give 6 crore rupees to players of the state that bag gold
medals at the Olympic Games.
• State Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said, 3 crore rupees will be given to those winning gold
medals at Asian Games and 1.5 crore rupees to the winners of yellow metal at Commonwealth
Games.
• An amount of 15 lakh rupees will be given to each player participating in the Olympic Games so
that the players can make the state, as well as the country, proud.
• The move is aimed at promoting sports in the state and encouraging youths to excel in the field.
The state government will also provide employment to the sportspersons in addition to the cash
incentive.
TN govt announced 5 girl child welfare scheme & will celebrate former CM Jayalalitha’s birth
anniversary as ‘State Girl Child Protection Day’ on Feb 24
According to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister ,Karuppa Gounder Palanisamy, the state
government will celebrate the birth anniversary of former CM Jayaram Jayalalithaa on
February 24 as ‘State Girl Child Protection Day’ in honor of the passion with which she worked
for the well-being of children, especially girls. 5 schemes for children living in government-run
homes
• When the orphan girl residing in government-run homes complates 21 years of age, the state
government of Tamil Nadu will deposit ₹2 lakh in the bank in their name to help them get a better
life in society after they leave the government homes.
• The state Government also increased the monthly amount paid to the foster parents of the girls to
₹4,000 from ₹2,000.
• 50% subsidy for ‘Ulemas’ to buy two-wheelers, pension doubled
• A 50 % subsidy for ‘ulemas’(Muslim scholars who are recognized as having specialist knowledge
of Islamic sacred law) to purchase a new two-wheeler and increase their pension to Rs 3,000
from Rs 1500.
Haryana government to open Atal Kisan - Majdoor canteens to provide meals at concessional
rate
Haryana government will open Atal Kisan - Majdoor canteens in all mandis and sugar mills across
the state to provide affordable and cheap meals to farmers and labourers at a concessional rate of
10 rupees per plate.

Weekly BeePedia
• 25 such canteens will be established this year.

• Haryana government will also provide free and concessional travel facility to 41 different
categories of residents in the ordinary buses of Haryana Roadways.
• Under a new initiative, the women and girls belonging to 11 lakh BPL families will be given
sanitary napkins free of cost during the year 2020-2021.
Arunachal Pradesh celebrated 34th Statehood day of Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh attained statehood on February 20, 1987. This year Arunachal Pradesh is
celebrating 34th Statehood day.
• Union home minister Amit Shah will launch the Arunachal Pradesh Industrial and Investment
Policy, 2020, inaugurate the Joram Koloriang Road constructed by BRO, lay the foundation
stone of the new headquarters of the state police, flag-off sanitation vehicles for all the urban
towns of the state and others.
Tripura: Bharat-Bangla Tourism festival begans in Agartala

In Tripura, a two-day long first-ever Bharat-Bangla Paryatan Utsav-Tourism festival began with
spectacular cultural event in Agartala.
• The State Tourism Department has organized the festival in memories of the contribution of
Tripura in 1971 Bangladesh liberation war as well as giving a fillip to the Tripura tourism sector.
Chitra Bharati Film Festival to begin today at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad

The three day festival, known as the Chitra Bharati Film Festival (CBFF) will begin at Gujarat
University in Ahmedabad.
• This will be the third edition of the festival- the first was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in 2016,
and the second at Delhi’s Siri Fort Auditorium in 2018.
• Around 140 films falling under four categories are to be screened at the festival. The categories
are short film, documentary, animation and campus film.
PM Modi launches 50 development projects worth over Rs 1254 crore in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 50 development projects worth over 1,254 crore rupees
at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
• He also flagged off the Kashi Mahakaal Express to link Varanasi, Ujjain and Omkareshwar, and
dedicated to the nation the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Memorial Centre.
• At Padav area of Chandauli district,Prime Minister also unveiled the 63 feet Statue of Pt
Deendayal Upadhyaya. This is the largest statue of the leader in the country.
• He launched project of a 430-bed super speciality Government hospital, a 74-bed psychiatry
hospital and Centre for Vedic Research at Kashi Hindu Vishwavidyalaya (BHU), at BHU.

Weekly BeePedia
Arvind Kejriwal takes oath as Delhi chief minister for third time
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal took oath for the third time as the
chief minister of Delhi. AAP has won 62 of the 70 assembly seats.
• Apart from Kejriwal, six other members of his previous cabinet, including deputy chief minister
Manish Sisodia, and cabinet ministers Satyendra Jain, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Imran Hussain
and Rajendra Pal Gautam also took oath.
Uttarakhand CM launches web portal of Shri Badrinath and Shri Kedarnath temple committee
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat launched the web portal of Shri Badrinath and
Shri Kedarnath temple committee.
• The web portal has been developed by Uttarkhand state National Informatics Centre.
• Through this website it will be possible to easily access information regarding Chardhaam tour
from any part of the world.
Kerala CM launches ''Yodhavu'' mobile appl to combat drug menace

'Yodhavu' (Warrior), a mobile app through which the public can inform police about drug abuse
and its distribution, was launched by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala.
• A special feature of the application is that the informer's identity could be kept secret.
• The chief minister also inaugurated a most modern cyberdom cyber crime police station, new
building of the Infopark police station and regional forensic science laboratory's upper and lower
subordinate quarters at the TCS auditorium at Infopark.
‘Pyaar ka Paudha' campaign launched by Bihar government to encourage practice of planting

trees
'Pyaar ka Paudha' (a plant of love) campaign has been launched by the Bihar government's
Department of Environment and Forest in Patna, to encourage the practice of planting trees in the
state.
• The government have put a stall in several places in Patna and will slowly expand it to other
cities.
Nine medical colleges, two AIIMS sanctioned for Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir has been allocated two AIIMS - one in Jammu and other in Kashmir. Nine
medical colleges have also been sanctioned in Jammu and Kashmir in addition to the two AIIMS.
• Estimated to cost of ₹1661 crores, the project is being executed by CPWD.
• It is projected to be completed in 30 months by August 2022.

Weekly BeePedia
• Once completed, AIIMS Jammu would be a 750-bed hospital with super specialty departments. It
shall also have a medical college and a nursing college and will be a green building incorporating
the state of the art equipment and technology.
Four Railway Stations in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj will now sport new names, a move aimed at
reviving the identity of the ancient city
According to an official communication, Allahabad Junction will now be Prayagraj Junction,
Allahabad City will now be known as Prayagraj Rambag, Allahabad Chhioki has been changed
to Prayagraj Chheoki and the name of Prayagghat has been changed to Prayagraj Sangam.
• The names of the stations were changed by the central and the state government.
Ganga Kayak Festival organised in Uttarakhand

Gajendra Shekhawat announces the 'Ganga Calling' expedition from Devprayag to Ganga
Sagar
• The eighth edition of Ganga Kayak Festival was inaugurated by MLA Vinod Kandari in
Devprayag.
• The festival is jointly organized with Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council and The
Adventure Sports Society is witnessing participation of 45 male and 6 women athletes from
Russia, Australia and Nepal.
• In male sprint category, India's Ayodhya Prasad stood first followed by Nepal's Man Bahadur
Kandel with Rishi Rana of India coming in third.
• In the women's category, Elizabeth Heath of Australia came in first followed by Ekaterina of
Russia and Anna of Russia in the third position.
• Among the Indian kayakers, Ashu Rawat was presented the best peddler award. Jill of Australia
won the first place in women’s water cross while Rishi Rana was the best peddler in mass water
cross. Priyanka Rana and Vikas Rawat were presented the best debut award in the women’s and
men’s categories respectively.
India, Myanmar signed MoU for bus services from Mandalay-Imphal

India and Myanmar signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the commencement of
a bus service between the two countries from April 2020. The information was provided by
Chief Minister of Manipur N Biren Singh.
• The opening of bus service between India and Myanmar aims to promote tourism and visits
between people of the two cities.
• The MoU was signed between Shwe Mandalar Express Company Limited, Yangoon and
Seven Sisters Holiday, Imphal on 14 February. The MoU was signed under the Act East
Policy.

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• Under the MoU, the 14-hour inaugural trip is set for 7 April 2020.
• Shwe Mandalar Express will offer bus service from Mandalay to Tamu in Chin State. Seven Sister
Holidays will provide service from Tamu to Moreh and Imphal.
Tripura Tea Board organizes 'Run for India Tea' event

In Tripura, Tea Board of India in collaboration with Tripura Tea Development Corporation (TTDC)
organized "Run for India Tea" to promote and popularise Tripura tea alongside India tea.
• The run event was followed by a colourful tableau procession. A large number of tea workers
wearing traditional dresses along with students participated in the tableau procession.
Delhi Police collaborate with Uber for better protection of its riders through Himmat Plus app
Delhi Police has integrated its “Himmat Plus App” with the app of ride hailing company “Uber” to
ensure safety and security of people travelling in cabs.
• The app will give the real-time location of a driver or a rider during emergency. In response to it,
Police Control Room (PCR) van will be assigned to provide assistance to the rider.
• Through this integration, Delhi Police will receive the real-time locations of drivers and
passengers.
Ambala city bus stand renamed after late Sushma Swaraj

The Ambala city bus stand was renamed after late external affairs minister and BJP veteran
Sushma Swaraj.
• Swaraj was born in Ambala Cantt and was elected MLA twice from there.
• The veteran BJP leader, who brought a rare empathy and a human approach to India's foreign
diplomacy, passed away last year at the age of 67.
Punjab to honour cops under 'Appreciate and Commend' scheme

In a bid to keep the morale of cops high, the Punjab Police have launched 'Appreciate and
Commend' scheme. Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta, who launched the scheme at Phillaur, said the
move is aimed at boosting the morale of police officers who work exceptionally and diligently.
• Nominations will be sought from police chiefs of various districts by the 25th of every month, and
these will be screened by a committee comprising senior Police Officers from the headquarters
and the field. The names would be announced by the 5th of every month.
Uddhav Thackeray approves renaming of Latur Medical College after former CM Vilasrao
Deshmukh
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has approved the renaming of the Latur Medical
College as Vilasrao Deshmukh Institute of Medical Sciences.

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• The late Vilasrao Deshmukh had served as the former CM of Maharashtra.

• His son, Amit V Deshmukh is serving in the Maharashtra Cabinet as the Minister for Medical
Education and Culture in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
• The younger son of Vilasrao, Dhiraj Deshmukh is the MLA from the Latur (Rural) constituency in
central Maharashtra.
Two new bird species found during Great Backyard Bird count in Ladakh
In Union Territory of Ladakh, two new bird species have been found during the Great Backyard Bird
count.
• Red Throated Thrush and Plumbeous Water Redstart have been found for the first time in
Ladakh Region.
• The three-day exercise was undertaken by the Wildlife Conservation and Birds Club of Ladakh.

Weekly BeePedia
Persons/events
Ram temple trust elects Nritya Gopal Das as president

Nripendra Misra, former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, elected head of the temple
construction committee.
• The Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust, set up to oversee the construction of the Ram
temple in Ayodhya, held its first meeting in New Delhi, and elected Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas’s
Mahant Nritya Gopal Das as chairman and Champat Rai, described as a social activist and
also associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, as general secretary.
• A State Bank of India account will be opened at the Ayodhya branch of the bank in the trust’s
name. Swami Govind Dev Giriji Maharaj will be the treasurer of the trust.
• Delhi-based chartered accountancy firm, V. Shankar Aiyyar and Company will be the accountants
for the trust.
Creator of copy and paste command, Larry Tesler, dies aged 74

Larry Tesler’s cut, copy and paste command was first incorporated on Apple’s software in
1983.
• The Stanford University graduate, who was a pioneer of early computing, died on Monday in San
Francisco.
• He worked for blue-chip firms including Apple, Amazon and Yahoo. Tesler appropriately began
his Silicon Valley career at photocopying company Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (Parc)
before being recruited by Apple’s founder, Steve Jobs.
• Tesler worked at Apple for 17 years and rose through the ranks to become chief scientist.
Three experts appointed members of NDMA

Lt General (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, who was GoC-in-C of the Army's Srinagar-based 15
Corps, was 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 policy advisor, disaster
recovery, climate change and disaster risk reduction, UNDP, 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 February 16.
• All the newly appointed members will serve for a tenure of five years from the date of assumption
of charge.

Weekly BeePedia
About NDMA
The NDMA is the apex body of the central government to formulate policies for disaster management.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the Chairman of the NDMA. The members enjoy the rank of
Secretary of the Union government. They draw a salary of Rs 80,000 besides other perks and
benefits.
V.L. Dutt, the executive chairman of KCP Group, passed away

He was 82. The KCP Group, which boasts of a turnover of $250 million and has interests in
cement, sugar and heavy industrial machinery, scaled new heights under his leadership.
• Dr. Dutt was the past president of FICCI, All India Organisation of Employers, ICC India, Indian
Sugar Mills Association, Cement Manufacturers Association and Andhra Chamber of Commerce.
He was also the past vice-chairman of ICC’s Commission on International Trade and Investment
Policy, Paris.
Disney’s ‘Queen of Katwe’ child actress Nikita Pearl Waligwa passed away at 15
Nikita Pearl Waligwa, a Ugandan student, who played a memorable role in 2016 Disney film
“Queen of Katwe” as a local chess prodigy, passed away at the age of 15 in Uganda, Kampala
due to brain tumour.
• She played the role of Gloria, a younger friend of the main character Phiona Mutesi and taught
her how to play chess.
PM-led panel names President's secretary Sanjay Kothari as next CVC, ex-IAS officer Bimal
Julka to be CIC
Sanjay Kothari, the Secretary to the President, has been selected as the new Central Vigilance
Commissioner by a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The committee has also chosen former Information and Broadcasting Secretary Bimal Julka,
currently serving as an Information Commissioner, as the new Chief Information Commissioner in
the Central Information Commission.
About CVC
Central Vigilance Commission is an apex Indian governmental body created in 1964 to address
governmental corruption. In 2003, the Parliament enacted a law conferring statutory status on the
CVC.
Formed: February 1964 ; Headquarters: New Delhi

Weekly BeePedia
Defence
Indian CCS clears 24 US MH-60R Seahawk helicopters procurement

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) of India has reportedly approved the procurement of
24 MH-60R multi-role helicopters from the US.
• The $2.6bn worth helicopter acquisition is for the Indian Navy and will be done through the US
foreign military sales (FMS) programme.
• In April 2018, the procurement was cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council, while the sale
was also approved by the US State Department in April last year.
• Lockheed Martin was selected to serve as the sale’s principal contractor. The helicopters
will replace the Sea King helicopters that were phased out in 2000.
India to have 1st "Integrated Tri-services Command" by year 2020

The Chief of the Defence staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat has announced the plan of establishing the
first Integrated Tri-Services Command.
• The Integrated Tri-Services Command will be responsible for handing the air defence of the entire
country.
• The command is expected to be established by June 2020.
• The planned Integrated Tri-Services command will be headed by an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer.
About Integrated Tri-Services Command:

The Integrated Tri-Services Command aims is to unite the resources of the three defence services of
India under one command to protect the air space of the country. The air defence set-up of the the
Army, Air Force and Navy would integrate to provide air defence cover to the country.
The Department of Military Affairs headed by General Bipin Rawat has been mandated to create joint
military commands along with theatre commands, joint peninsula command and a logistics command.
Defence Minister lays foundation stone of Thal Sena Bhawan in Delhi Cantt
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone of Thal Sena Bhawan in Delhi Cantt.
• The new Army headquarters will come up near the Manekshaw Centre and is spread over 39
acres. The multi-storeyed building will be able to accommodate around six thousand personnel
and will have all the offices of Army in the complex.

Weekly BeePedia
Agriculture
India to harvest record wheat production of 106.21 MT in 2019-20: Report

India is set to harvest a record wheat production of 106.21 million tonne in the 2019-20 crop
year on the back of good rains, according to latest government data.
• Wheat production has been rising year-on-year and the previous record of 103.60 million tonne
was achieved during the 2018-19 crop year (July-June). Wheat is the main rabi (winter) crop,
harvesting of which will begin from next month.
• Releasing the second estimate of foodgrain production, Agriculture Ministry said the
cumulative rainfall in the country during the monsoon season (June-September 2019) was 10 per
cent higher than the Long Period Average (LPA).
• As per the second estimate, total foodgrain production is pegged at a record 291.95 million
tonne for 2019-20 crop year, higher than 285.21 million tonne last year.
• Of the total production, foodgrain output is estimated to be 142.36 million tonne from the kharif
(summer) season and 149.60 million tonne from the rabi season of this year.
• Foodgrain basket comprises of wheat, rice, cereals and pulses.
Finance Commission expert group on agriculture exports to be headed by Sanjiv Puri

The 15th Finance Commission decided to set up an eight-member high level expert group
headed by ITC chairman Sanjiv Puri to recommend strategies and measures to increase farm
productivity and boost exports.
• The panel will recommend measurable performance incentives for States to encourage agri
exports as well as to promote crops to enable high import substitution, the Finance Commission
said in a statement.
• The committee will submit its recommendations within three months for further consideration of
the Commission.
• The committee will also suggest appropriate performance-based incentives to the state
governments for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26, to accelerate reforms in the agriculture sector as
well as implement other policy measures in this regard.
4th National Conference on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana inaugurated in Udaipur
The two-day long 4th National Conference on Review of Implementation of Pradhan Mantri
Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) began in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Weekly BeePedia
• Sanjay Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, inaugurated the
conference which saw participation of around 140 members representing different states, banks,
insurance companies, RBI, NABARD, among others.
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare had previously organised first three editions of
the National Conference in Lucknow, Bangalore, and Guwahati respectively.

Weekly BeePedia
Others
Book compiles well-known aphorisms of Chanakya

A new book takes a look at the Chanakya Niti corpus as a whole through some of well-known
aphorisms attributed to the ancient master of statecraft Kautilya.
• "Chanakya Niti: Verses on Life and Living" is translated from the original Sanskrit by long-time
career diplomat A N D Haksar and published by Penguin Random House India.
• Of the translated verses, about half is drawn from the 17 chapters of Chanakya Niti Darpana or
Vriddha Chanakya, the best known of all versions. The remaining verses are taken from the other
five compilations.


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16th Feb to 22nd Feb 2019

Finance and Banking

SEBI constitutes municipal bonds development committee

RBI approves Sunil Gurbaxani's appointment as Dhanlaxmi Bank MD and CEO

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CSIR tops scientific research institutional ranking - Nature Ranking Index-2020

Centre Changes Pension Rules Of Government Employees

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Union Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar unveils India/Bharat 2020

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Supreme Court okays permanent commission for women

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Ministry of Textile Organises KALA KUMBH –Handicrafts Exhibitions for promotion of GI

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Union Cabinet approves constitution of 22nd Law Commission of India

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PM Modi unveils 63-ft tall Deendayal Upadhyaya statue in Varanasi

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India To Stop Import Of Thermal Coal From FY24

NF Railway builds India’s tallest pier bridge in Manipur

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India to switch over to world's cleanest petrol, diesel from April 1

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Department of Telecommunications launches '5G Hackathon'

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Delhi's IGI Airport becomes first single-use plastic-free airport of India

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Financial Action Task Force meet begins in Paris

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Indian-origin minister Alok Sharma to lead UN climate summit in UK

Irish PM Leo Varadkar resigns, retains caretaker role

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Pakistan to remain on FATF grey list till June 2020

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Pakistan successfully tests air launched cruise missile Ra'ad-II

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