Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I

24th February to 2nd March 2019

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 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I
24th February to 2nd March 2019

Table of Contents

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

Days & Events ................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
International Affairs .......................................................................................................................................................................... 4
National Affairs ................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Personalities in News ........................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Government Policies & Schemes ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
Science & Technology ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Books & Authors ............................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Committees & Recommendations ................................................................................................................................................... 11
Business & Economy ....................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Sports ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Defence .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 14

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Awards &Honours
OSDMA won the SKOCH Award
 The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority
(OSDMA) won the SKOCH Award 2018 for its
achievements in the field of disaster management.
 The award covers the areas of finance, governance,
banking, disaster management, technology,
economics, and inclusive growth.
 The OSDMA also received an Order-of-merit in the
Gold category for constructing 879 multipurpose
cyclone and flood shelters.
Thanga gets AB Vajpayee Life Time award
 Thanga Darlong was conferred Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Life Time Award by the Tripura government on 1
March 2019.
 He is a tribal musician, who plays Rosem, a flute like
tribal musical instrument made of bamboo.
 In January 2019, he was conferred the prestigious
Padma Shri award for his contribution to the field of
music.
25th Prime Minister's Trophy presented
 Rail Connect, has been chosen for National e-
Performance of Integrated Steel Plants for 2016-17
was presented in New Delhi on 1st March 2019.
 The objective of the award is to give recognition to
outstanding performance in integrated steel plant
sector of the national economy.
 The award is presented in 4 categories, of which the
best performance gets Rs.2 crore as prize money.
Nuvoco won FICCI CSR Award 2017-18
 Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. (formerly Lafarge India
Limited) bagged the FICCI CSR Award for 2017-18 in
the Women Empowerment category in New Delhi.
 They were awarded for their project 'Aakriti'.
 The project has been implemented in the Nimbaheda
block of Chittorgarh, where, 400 women from
neighbouring villages have been trained in tailoring
and associated skills.
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes conferred
 PM Narendra Modi attended the award ceremony for
the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and
Technology at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 28
February 2019.
 He conferred the prizes for 2016, 2017 and 2018 to
the awardees.
 The prize, named after Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar,
is given each year to recognize outstanding Indian
work in various disciplines of Science and
Technology.
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24th February to 2nd March 2019
Alastair Cook recieved knighthood
 Alastair Cook received the knighthood in the New
 He received the honour at a ceremony in the
Buckingham Palace and has become the 11th
Englishman to be knighted for services to cricket.

received an MBE, while Alvin Kallicharran and Peter
Wynne-Thomas were both recognised with a British
Empire Medal.
Indore and Bhopal won Saubhagya award
 The Central Zone Power Distribution Company,
Bhopal and West Zone Power Distribution Company,
Indore were awarded the Saubhagya award on 26
February 2019.
 It was presented under Pradhanmantri Sahaj Bijli Har
Ghar Yojana at the National Conference of Energy
Ministers.
 The award carries a cash prize of 100 crore rupees
each.
IRCTC Rail Connect won National Award
 Railway's ticket booking mobile application, IRCTC
Governance Awards 2019.
 The app was launched in January 2017 to facilitate
the booking of train tickets in a faster and easier way.
 Chhattisgarh government's 'Khanij online' and 14
such IT projects will also receive the award.
Karthikeyan received Lifetime Achievement
 G.R. Karthikeyan was honoured with the Lifetime
Achievement award at the FMSCI annual awards
function on 25 February 2019.
 He is the father of rst Formula One driver
Narain Karthikeyan.
 Raghul Rangasamy received the Upcoming
Motorsport Person of the Year award for the
Raymond Gautam Singhania Trophy.
Gandhi Peace Prize presented
 President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presented
the Gandhi Peace Prize on 26 February 2019.
 It was presented for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 &
2018 at Darbar Hall, Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.
The awardees were:
 Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari - 2015
 Akshaya Patra Foundation and Sulabh International -
2016 (Jointly)
 Ekal Abhiyan Trust - 2017
 Sh Yohei Sasakawa - 2018.
Mahesh to be honoured with META lifetime award

 Eminent Indian playwright, Mahesh Elkunchwar has
been chosen for the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre
Awards (META) Lifetime Achievement Award 2019.
 The award will be given on 12 March 2019.
 He is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Fellowship and has over 30 plays and essays to his
credit including works like 'Sultan', 'Holi', 'Garbo',
'Yatanaghar', and 'Atmakatha'.
PM Modi to confer Youth Parliament Awards 2019
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will confer the
'National Youth Parliament Festival 2019' awards to
the winners on 27 February 2019.
 The National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 was
launched on 12th January 2019.
 The aim of the festival was to encourage the youth in
the age group of 18-25 years to engage with public
view.
 A film on menstruation, set in rural India, titled
Documentary Short Subject category at the 91st
Academy Awards.
 Rayka Zehtabchi directed the short film and Guneet
 The film
students at the Oakwood School in Los Angeles and
their teacher, Melissa Berton.
Oscars 2019: Part 1
 The 91st Academy Awards were presented at the
Dolby Theatre, in Los Angeles, California.
 Best Picture - Green Book.
 Best Actor in a Leading Role - Rami Malek for
Bohemian Rhapsody.
 Best Actress in a Leading Role - Olivia Colman for
The Favourite.
 Best Directing - Alfonso Cuarón for Roma.
 Best Supporting Actor - Mahershala Ali for Green
Book.
Oscars 2019: Part 2
 Best Supporting Actress - Regina King for If Beale
Street Could Talk.
 Best Original Song - Lady Gaga, Mike Ronson,
Anthony Rossomondo and Andrew Wyatt for A Star
Is Born.
 Best Animated Feature - Spiderman: Into the Spider
Verse.
 Best Foreign Language - Roma.
 Best Animated Short - Domee Shi and Becky
Neiman-Cobb for Bao.
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Divya Karnad won the Future For Nature Award
 Dr Divya Karnad won the prestigious Global Future
For Nature Award 2019 for her work on marine
conservation.
 She is the first woman and the second Indian to won
the award.
 The first Indian who won the award is Dr Charudutt
Mishra.
 The Future For Nature Award is a an international
award that celebrates tangible achievements in
protecting wild animal and plant species.
Days & Events
1 March: Zero Discrimination Day
 Zero Discrimination Day is observed on March 1 and
it aims to address the issue of discrimination faced
by people across the world.
 The theme for Zero Discrimination Day 2019 is 'Act to
change laws that Discriminate'.
 It was launched by UNAIDS Executive Director
Michel Sidibé on February 27, 2014, with a major
event in Beijing.
28 February: National Science Day
 National Science Day is celebrated across India on
February 28 every year.
 Famous Indian scientist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata
Raman or CV Raman discovered the Raman Effect on
this day in 1928.
 The theme for this year is Science for people and
people for science.
 Sir CV Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in
Physics in 1930 for his discovery.
International Affairs
United States slaps new sanctions on Venezuela
 The United States has imposed new sanctions on
Venezuela.
 The sanctions were imposed a day after Russia and
China vetoed a US and European resolution at the
UN Security Council.
 The US imposed sanctions on the members of
President Nicolas Maduro's security forces.
 The US also revoked the visas of 49 Venezuelan
officials and their family members.
UNSC designates Hamza under its sanctions list
 The United Nations Security Council has designated
Hamza bin Laden under its sanctions list.

 He is the son of Osama bin Laden and is now subject
to a travel ban, assets freeze, and an arms embargo.
 A reward of a US$ 1 million was announced for
information leading to his capture.
 Saudi Arabia revoked the citizenship of Hamza bin
Laden via a royal decree in November 2018.
7th RCEP ISSM was held in Cambodia
 The 7th Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Intersessional Ministerial Meeting (7th
RCEP ISSL MM) was held on 2 March 2019 in
Cambodia.
 The meeting was chaired by Chutima
Bunyapraphasara, Acting Minister of Commerce of
Thailand.
 RCEP is a proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
between 10 countries of ASEAN and their six FTA
partners.
 Cambodia's capital is Phnom Penh.
Alastair Cook recieved knighthood
 Alastair Cook received the knighthood in the New
 He received the honour at a ceremony in the
Buckingham Palace and has become the 11th
Englishman to be knighted for services to cricket.
 New Delhi.
received an MBE, while Alvin Kallicharran and Peter
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Wynne-Thomas were both recognised with a British
Empire Medal.
Zimbabwe started trading new currency
 Zimbabwe began formal trading of a new currency
the economy.

currency, known as RTGS dollars, will be 2.5 per US
dollar.
 The official inflation rate has soared to 57% from less
than 4% a year ago.
Princess Reema appointed as Ambassador to U.S
 Saudi Arabia appointed Princess Reema bint Bandar
bin Sultan as its new Ambassador to the United
States on 23 February 2019.
 It is the first time that Saudi Arabia named a woman
to such a post.
 Princess Reema will replace Prince Khalid bin Salman
who took the post in 2017.
Israel's first lunar lander launched
 Israel's first lunar lander, Beresheet, was launched by
a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on 21 February
2019.
 If successful, Israel will be the fourth country to
achieve a controlled touchdown on the moon's
surface.
 Beresheet will reach its destination on the near-side
of the moon in mid-April following a two-month
journey through 4 million miles (6.5 million km) of
space.
National Affairs
Guiness Book of World Record created by DEPwD

Gujarat on 1 March 2019.
 '7th Guinness Book of World Record' was created by
Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities (DEPwD) on 28 February 2019 at Bharuch,
Gujarat.
 The record was created for implanting 'Modern
Artificial Limbs (Legs)' on 260 Divyangjans within
eight hours.
Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue to be held
 The second edition of Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue
(IPRD) - 2019 will be held on 5 and 6 March 2019 in

 The aim of the IPRD is to focus attention on the Indo-
Pacific, as a maritime geographical-entity.
 It is organised by the Indian Navy and the National
Maritime Foundation.
 The IPRD 2019 is based on five themes would be
addressed in five sessions spread over two days.
IRCTC launches IRCTC iPay
 The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
Corporation (IRCTC) launched its own payment
aggregator system, iPay.
 It will provide an improved online digital payment
convenience and ease of doing business to
passengers availing online travel services through the
IRCTC website.
 This will help reduce the gap between IRCTC and
banks which will lead to a substantial reduction in
payment failures.
 The Government of India will celebrate the first
anniversary of 'POSHAN Abhiyaan' by organising
Poshan Pakhwada across the Country.
 The Pakhwada will be launched on International
 The Ministry of Women & Child Development is the
nodal ministry for coordinating activities during the
month.
Blast-proof LPG cylinders to be launched
 A new breed of blast-proof composite Liquified
Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders will soon be available
in India.
 Confidence Petroleum India Limited and Time
Technoplast Limited announced the launch of their
 The lightweight cylinders are manufactured using
composite material and are non-corrosive, UV-
protected &100% recyclable.
Foundation stone laid for NIUM
 AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik laid the
foundation stone of National Institute of Unani
Medicine, NIUM at Ghaziabad on March 1, 2019.
 Once established, the 200-bedded hospital will be
one of the largest institutes of Unani Medicine in
North India.
 The institute is an extension of the existing NIUM at
Bengaluru and will be developed on a 10-acre area,
costing about 300 crore rupees.
Aadhaar Amendment Bill cleared
 The Cabinet approved the promulgation of an
ordinance to allow voluntary use of Aadhaar as
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identity proof for opening bank account on 28
February 2019.
 It was necessitated as the Aadhaar Amendment bill,
passed by the Lok Sabha on January 4, 2019.
 It will give effect to changes in the Aadhaar Act such
as giving a child an option to exit from the biometric
ID programme after 18 years of age.
PM launched projects in Tamil Nadu
 PM Narendra Modi launched 5 National Highways
projects worth 3000 crore rupees in Kanyakumari,
Tamil Nadu on March 1, 2019.
 He also launched a Road Safety Park and Transport
Museum.
 He dedicated to the nation the 2 and 4 laning of the
Madurai-Ramanathapuram section of NH-87.
 In Visakhapatnam, he addressed a public meeting
"Praja Chaitanya Sabha" at the Railway grounds.
J&K approved 10% reservation for general sect
 The Union Cabinet has approved the Constitution
(Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Amendment
Order, 2019.
 It will serve the purpose of application of a relevant
provision of the constitution as amended through the
constitution (77th Amendment) act, 2019 for J&K.
 It will extend the reservation of up to 10% for the
economically weaker section.
4-lane bridge approved on Brahmaputra
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
approved construction of 4-lane bridge on South
Bank on NH-127 B in the State of Assam/Meghalaya.
 The total length of the bridge will be 19.282 km.
 The bridge will be built under the scheme of North-
East Road Network Connectivity Project Phase-03.
 Its construction over river Brahmaputra will save
huge travel distance from 205.3 km to only 19.282
km.
DDRS organised by DEPwD
 A National Conference on Deendayal Disabled
Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) was organized on 1
March 2019.
 It was organized by the Department of
Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry
of Social Justice and Empowerment at Dr. Ambedkar
International Centre, New Delhi.
 Its objective was to sensitize the stakeholders of the
scheme.
42 cancer drugs under price control

 The government brought 42 non-scheduled anti-
cancer drugs under price control, capping trade
margin at 30%, on 27 February 2019.
 The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
(NPPA) has invoked extraordinary powers under Para
19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 to
control prices.
 As NPPA, the MRP for 105 brands will be reduced up
to 85%, entailing minimum savings of Rs. 105 crore.
Anthem on plastic-free India launched
 Union Minister Harsh Vardhan launched an anthem
as a part of a campaign to make India plastic-free by
2022 on 28 February 2019.
 'Plastic Waste-Free India' is prepared and produced
by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Smriti Manch
(PDUSM).
 It has been launched in seven languages -- Hindi,
Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu, Malyalam and
Kannada.
India's 1st indigenous chip unveiled
  The declaration will engage citizens in partnering
for 4G/LTE and 5G NR MODEMs in New Delhi.
 4 chips were unveiled at the event, which are-
SCBM3412, SCBM3404, SCRF3402, and SCRF4502.
 The RF sections cover all LTE/5G-NR bands up to
6GHz and these chips also support positioning using
15,000 acres forest under fire in Bandipur
 A fire has ravaged Bandipur, Karnataka, which burnt
over 15,000 acres of forest.
 Bandipur National Park is a 874-sq.-km forested
reserve in the Karnataka.
 It is known for its small population of tigers.
 The 14th-century Himavad Gopalaswamy Temple
offers views from the park's highest peak.
10% quota for weaker sections in Bihar
 Bihar government issued a notification to provide
10% quota for weaker sections in general category in
jobs and educational institutions.
 The reservation is meant for individuals whose
annual earning is below 8 lakh rupees and who
possess less than 5 acres of agriculture land.
 Quota allocation for weaker sections in general
category would help in providing more employment.
Bhagavad Gita at ISCKON unveiled
 PM Narendra Modi unveiled the Bhagavad Gita
prepared by ISKCON Temple devotees in New Delhi
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on the occasion of Gita Aradhana Mahotsav on 26
February 2019.
 It measures over 2.8 meters and weighs more than
800 kg.
 It is one of its kind in the world and has the original
verses of the Bhagavad Gita along with commentary.
Web Portal launched in Kolkata
 West Bengal Education Minister, Partha Chatterjee
inaugurated a web portal, 'Banglar Shiksha'.
 The portal will provide real-time data on state-run
and aided schools.
 It will be up and running in two months and is
probably the first-of-its-kind online initiative in the
state as well as in the country.
Delhi Declaration on digital health adopted
 The Delhi Declaration on digital health was adopted
at the concludi
Health Partnership Summit'.
 The summit was hosted by the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare and WHO.
with the government for planning and management
of digital health interventions in health services
delivery and improving governance.
India Smart Utility Week 2019 begins March 12
 Upcoming Conference and Exhibition on Smart
Energy, Smart Grid and Smart Cities India Smart
Utility Week (ISUW 2019) will be held from 12-16
March 2019, New Delhi.
 ISUW 2019 will be inaugurated by Shri AK Bhalla,
Secretary, Ministry of Power.
 More than 40 International Organisations and
experts from more than 55 countries and 300+ utility
officials will participate in the event.
Bihar: 1st state to have special dog squad
 Bihar has become the first state in India to have a
special dog squad for detecting liquor consignment.
 The state also imposed a complete ban on liquor 2
years ago.
 20 trained dogs are a part of the squad at present
and were provided 9 months of intense training in
Hyderabad.
 The dog squads are handled by Crime Investigation
Department (CID).
6 bronze murals created by Ram Sutar
 The 6 bronze murals located in the Veerta Chakra
zone at the National War Memorial, have been
created by Ram Sutar, credited with designing the
Statue of Unity.

 Its design draws inspiration from the ''Chakravyuh''
formation.
 The Noida-based sculptor, a Padma Bhushan-
recipient also created the busts of 21 awardees of the
Param Veer Chakra (PVC).
Smriti Irani inaugurated Titanwala Museum
 Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the
February 2019.
 providing it or refusing it under exemption clauses in
hand-block printing.
 It will be open from Monday to Sunday between 9
a.m. and 6 p.m.
NID inaugurated at Bhopal and Jorhat
 National Institutes of Design (NID) at Bhopal in
Madhya Pradesh and Jorhat in Assam was
inaugurated.
 Both institutes are autonomous under the
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
 NID Bhopal will begin its academic journey from July
2019 with 60 students in 4-year undergraduate
courses.
Rail Drishti Dashboard launched
 Minister of Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal
launched 'Rail Drishti Dashboard' on 25 February
2019.
 The url of the dashboard is 'raildrishti.cris.org.in'.
 The Dashboard has been launched to keep people
informed about the work going on in the Railways
across the country.
 It can be accessed using a desktop/laptop or mobile
devices.
National War Memorial inaugurated
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the
National War Memorial in Delhi on 25 February 2019.
 It will thereafter become the place for wreath-laying
of all designated events such as Republic Day.
 The National War Memorial will commemorate the
soldiers who died in wars and operations, including
counter-terrorism, since Independence.
MSME Ministry's conclave on Women Entrepreneur
 The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
organised a conclave on 'Empowering Women
Entrepreneurs 2019, Financing and Enabling Women
from Marginalised Sections' in Mumbai on 25
February 2019.
 It was organised under the National SC-ST initiative
of the MSME Ministry.
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 Entrepreneurs and inspirational women achievers
were awarded with 'Enterprising Women of the Year
2018 Awards'.
EVMs are 'information' under RTI Act
 The Central Information Commission (CIC) has ruled
that an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is
'information' under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
 This implies the Election Commission has to respond
to an RTI application seeking the EVM either by
the Act.
 The CIC is the highest adjudicating authority in RTI
matters.
Government of India to host construction expo
 The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry will
hold a two-day construction expo and conference -
'Construction Technology India' (CTI) in New Delhi
from 2 March 2019.
 The expo will be organised under its Global Housing
Technology Challenge (GHTC) initiative.
 Stakeholders across the world will showcase their
best technologies to build houses under Pradhan
Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U).
Rapid transit system approved
 On 19 February 2019, the government of India
approved the construction of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-
Meerut Regional Rapid Transit system (RRTS).
 The corridor is expected to connect the cities to the
centre with a high-speed dedicated rail connector.
 The proposed RRTS will be implemented as a joint
venture by the National Capital Region Transport
Corporation (NCRTC) and the state governments.
KP-BOT launched in Kerala
 Kerala police has become first police department in
the country to use a humanoid 'robocop' for police
work.
 The name of the robot is KP-BOT and it has been
given a Sub Inspector or SI ranking.
 It was developed by Kerala Police Cyberdome.
 It will be stationed to perform front office duties at
the police headquarters.
Personalities in News
Abhinandan Varthaman returns home
 Indian Air Force Wing Commander, Abhinandan
Varthman arrived in India on 1 March 2019.
 He was handed over to Indian authorities by Pakistan
at Attari-Wagah border.

 He was captured by Pakistani authorities on 27
February 2019 after an aerial engagement between
the 2 countries.
 A suicide bomb attack was carried in Pulwama, J&K
in February 2019 that killed approx 40 paramilitary
troops.
Naresh Goyal resigns as Chairman
 Jet Airways' founder Naresh Goyal has agreed to
step down as chairman of the airline's board.
 Mr. Goyal, who founded the full-service carrier 25
years ago, has also agreed to reduce his 51% stake.
 He would continue to be a part of the company in
some capacity even after stepping down as
chairman.
Sanath Jayasuriya banned for 2 years
 Former Sri Lankan Cricket captain, Sanath
Jayasuriya has been banned from cricket for two
years.
 He admitted breaching two counts of the ICC Anti-
Corruption Code.
 Sri Lankan cricket has been under investigation by
ICC for last few years.
Apurvi Chandela won gold in 10m rifle
 Apurvi Chandela has won the gold medal in the
women's 10-meter air rifle event at the ISSF World
Cup 2019 in New Delhi.
 This is India's first medal of the ISSF World Cup 2019.
 She set a new world record by registering a score of
252.9 points in the final match.
 Zhao Ruozhu and Xu Hong of China won the silver
and bronze medal respectively.
Government Policies & Schemes
Scheme for knitwear sector launched
 Textile Minister, Smriti Irani launched a scheme for
development of Knitting and Knitwear Sector under
PowerTex India in New Delhi on 28 February 2019.
 Yarn bank scheme, solar energy scheme, group work
shed scheme, and creation of new service centers
are few of its components.
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 Combined SFC of PowerTex India Scheme and
Knitwear Scheme were approved with an outlay of
Rs. 487.07 crores.
Schemes - II
 Karnataka is set to launch a major water
focusses on drought-proofing measures, including
protection and rejuvenation of water bodies.
 Haryana CM, Manohar Lal Khattar announced the
"Mukhyamantri Parivar Samman Nidhi" scheme for
farmers of the state cultivating up to five acres of
land and families having income less than R 15,000
per month.
Schemes - I
 Tamil Nadu CM, Edappadi K. Palaniswami launched
the 'Athikadavu-Avinashi Groundwater Recharge
Scheme' in Coimbatore, Tirupur, and Erode districts.
 Odisha CM, Naveen Patnaik sanctioned an additional
amount of Rs 1,000 crore for drinking water supply
projects under the Basudha scheme.
Jammu and Kashmir government launched portal
 Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal
Malik launched an official portal, State Infrastructure
Monitoring System (SIMS).
 It will provide a single platform for all the state
departments to upload the information of their
respective languishing projects.
 The portal will deal with the management,
monitoring, information and payment system of
infrastructure projects.
HRD ministry launched new scheme
 The Scheme for Higher Education Youth in
Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS) was launched
on 27 February 2019.
 It has been launched for providing industry
apprenticeship opportunities to fresh graduates.
 The scheme is a programme basket comprising the
initiatives of 3 central ministries-HRD, Skill
Development & Entrepreneurship, and Labour &
Employment.
MSP for minor forest produces launched
 The Minimum Support Price for Minor Forest
Produces and the Value Addition component of Van
Dhan was launched on 28 February 2019 in New
Delhi.
 The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is now scaling up the
'Van Dhan Scheme' and is ready to extend it to all
tribal Districts of the country.

 Friends of Tribes Scheme for sourcing of CSR funds
from Public Sector Organisations (PSUs) was also
launched.
Assam launched PRANAM Commission
 Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal
launched the 'Parents Responsibility and Norms for
Accountability and Monitoring' (PRANAM)
Commission in Guwahati on February 26, 2019.
 It is a panel set up to look after the issues concerning
a Bill, for protection of parents of state government
employees.
 It is an effort to protect elderly parents of
government employees in their times of need.
Nua Odisha inaugurated
 Nua Odisha - Dharmapada Samvaad-Skill Saathi
Youth Conclave was inaugurated at Rail Auditorium
in Bhubaneswar on 25 February 2019.
 The first-ever Skill Saathi Youth Conclave was aired
live across 427 locations in Odisha.
 More than 2 lakh candidates were mobilized for
career counseling under Skill Saathi initiative.
7-NH projects to come up in Kangra
 Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for seven
National Highway projects in Himachal Pradesh's
Kangra district on 24 February 2019.
 The projects are likely to benefit the local people by
way of increased tourism, safe journey, reduced
travel time etc.
 The projects include four-laning of Punjab-Himachal
Pradesh Border to Sihuni.
Action plan for viral hepatitis launched
 The government of India launched the 'National
Action Plan - Viral Hepatitis' in Mumbai on 24
February 2019.
 The aim of the programme is to combat hepatitis and
achieve countrywide elimination of Hepatitis C by
2030.
 The action plan takes forward the National Viral
Hepatitis Control Program launched by the Union
Health Minister in July 2018.
PM-KISAN scheme launched from Gorakhpur
 Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan
Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) from Gorakhpur in Uttar
Pradesh on 24 February 2019.
 Under the Scheme, Rs 6,000 will be given per year to
small and marginal farmer families having a
combined land holding of up to 2 hectares.
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24th February to 2nd March 2019
 The amount will be transferred directly to the bank
account of beneficiaries through Direct Benefits
Transfer.
Sweet Revolution scheme launched in Jharkhand
 Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das launched
the first phase of the Rs 100-
Sweet Revolution Scheme on 21 February 2019.
 As per the scheme, 1,207 farmers will be given Rs 1
lakh for bee keeping.
 Of the amount, Rs 80,000 grant will be given by the
government of Jharkhand, while the payment of Rs
20,000 will be done by the beneficiary.
Science & Technology
New NASA mission selected
 NASA has selected a $42 million mission,
Atmospheric Waves Experiment, that will help
scientists understand and, ultimately, forecast the
vast space weather system around our planet.
 It will be launched in August 2022, attached to the
exterior of the Earth-orbiting International Space
Station (ISS).
 AWE will focus on colourful bands of light in Earth's
atmosphere, called airglow.
Khelo India app launched by PM
 PM Narendra Modi launched Sports Authority of
India's (SAI) first-of-its-kind mobile application,
'Khelo India App' on February 27, 2019.
 The app will create awareness about sports and
fitness in the country.
 The app has 3 unique features that will make it
convenient for youngsters to take up a sport.
 The app is available both in Hindi and English and
can be used in the offline mode.
India's 1st indigenous chip unveiled

for 4G/LTE and 5G NR MODEMs in New Delhi.
 4 chips were unveiled at the event, which are-
SCBM3412, SCBM3404, SCRF3402, and SCRF4502.
 The RF sections cover all LTE/5G-NR bands up to
6GHz and these chips also support positioning using
Andhra coast: New energy source discovered
 Methane hydrate, a potential fuel of the future was
discovered in the Krishna-Godavari basin off the
coast of Andhra Pradesh in Bay of Bengal.

 The discovery was reported by scientists from the
National Institute of Oceanography in Goa and the
National Geophysical Research Institute in
Hyderabad.
 Methane hydrate is a solid crystal structure of
water which traps a large amount of methane gas.
Books & Authors
Book on 'Mann Ki Baat' released
 A book titled, 'Mann Ki Baat - A Social Revolution on
Radio' was released by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
in New Delhi on 2 March 2019.
 The book is a compendium encompassing 50
editions of the 'Mann Ki Baat' programme by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on All India Radio.
 The book is published by Rupa, in collaboration with
BlueKraft Digital Foundation, a not-for-profit
organisation.
Bhagavad Gita at ISCKON unveiled
 PM Narendra Modi unveiled the Bhagavad Gita
prepared by ISKCON Temple devotees in New Delhi
on the occasion of Gita Aradhana Mahotsav on 26
February 2019.
 It measures over 2.8 meters and weighs more than
800 kg.
 It is one of its kind in the world and has the original
verses of the Bhagavad Gita along with commentary.
Book launched by Venkaiah Naidu
 Vice President Venkaiah Naidu launched a book
titled 'Quality, Accreditation and Ranking - A Silent
Revolution in the Offing in Indian Higher Education'.
 The book is edited by (Education Promotion Society
for India) EPSI's Alternate President, Dr. H
Chaturvedi.
 It consists of articles & essays authored by some of
the prominent educationists and policymakers on
Indian Higher Education.
Book dedicated to Swami Pragyanandji launched
 A book dedicated to Late eminent Vedanti
Swami Pragyanandji was launched by Governor of
West Bengal H.E Keshari Nath Tripathi.
 The book is written by Famous Industrialist and
Philanthropist Mr. Dinesh Shahra.
 It is primarily aimed at offering saintly wisdom and
guidance to lead a content and happy life.
Committees & Recommendations
RBI constitutes task force under Usha Thorat
 The RBI announced a task force to examine issues
related to offshore rupee markets and recommend
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24th February to 2nd March 2019
policy measures to ensure the stability of the
external value of the domestic currency.
 It will be headed by its former deputy Governor Usha
Thorat.
 The eight-member task force will assess the causes
behind the development of the offshore rupee
market.
Business & Economy
Manufacturing PMI at a 14-month high in Feb
 According to the Nikkei India Manufacturing
activity expanded to a 14-month high of 54.3 in
February 2019.
 The rise is due to an increase in sales, output, and
employment, according to a private sector survey.
 A reading over 50 denotes an expansion in activity
and one below 50 shows a contraction.
SEBI slashes regulatory fee for brokers
 The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
has lowered the regulatory fee that it charges from
market intermediaries.
 The move is expected to bring down the overall
trading costs for investors.
 The fee that brokers have to pay to SEBI has been
reduced by 33.33%, while the fees levied on agri-
commodity brokers has been cut by 93.33%.
20,000 crore GST evasion detected
 The government detected ₹20,000 crore worth GST
evasion so far this fiscal.
 Between April-February 2018-19, GST evasion worth
₹20,000 crore had been detected, of which ₹10,000
crore was recovered.
 A fake invoice worth ₹1,500 crore was detected
which was used to claim illegal GST credit of ₹75
crore.
GDP growth at 6.6% in December
 India's GDP or gross domestic product growth stood
at 6.6% in the quarter ended December 31, 2018,
government data showed on 28 February 2019.
 This is the slowest rate of GDP expansion recorded
since the quarter ended September 2017, and lower
than economists' estimate.
 The growth in GDP during 2018-19 is estimated at
7.0% as compared to the growth rate of 7.2% in 2017-
18.
Amalgamation of DBS bank approved

 RBI approved the amalgamation of 'DBS Bank, India'
with 'DBS Bank India' on 28 February 2019.
 DBS used to operate in the 'branch model' and is
among the first foreign lenders to come forward and
operate as a WOS (wholly owned subsidiary).
 The scheme of amalgamation between the two
entities has been sanctioned under the provisions of
the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
2nd advance estimate released
 The Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the
Second Advance Estimates of National Income at
Constant (2011-12) and Current Prices for the
financial year 2018-19.
 Quarterly Estimates of GDP for the third quarter
October-December (Q3), 2018-19 was also released.
 The growth in GDP during 2018-19 is estimated at 7%
as compared to the growth rate of 7.2% in 2017-18.
3 banks out of RBIs weak-bank watch
 The RBI lifted lending curbs from Allahabad Bank and
Corporation Bank and removed them from its weak-
bank watch list after the government infused capital
in them.
 Private sector Dhanlaxmi Bank too has been taken
out of the Prompt Corrective Action Framework.
 Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra and Oriental Bank
of Commerce were also taken out of the PCA
Framework, earlier on 31 January 2019.
Zimbabwe started trading new currency
 Zimbabwe began formal trading of a new currency
the economy.
 India's (SAI) first-of-its-kind mobile application,
currency, known as RTGS dollars, will be 2.5 per US
dollar.
 The official inflation rate has soared to 57% from less
than 4% a year ago.
ICICI Lombard ties up with AnyTimeLoan.in
 ICICI Lombard entered into a strategic tie-up with
AnyTimeLoan.in (ATL), a peer-to-peer lending
platform on 25 February 2019.
 The partnership aims to de-risk exposure of its
lenders and borrowers arising from uncertainties
such as accidents, critical illness, death, disability,
etc.
 ATL facilitates loans as small as ₹ 1000 to ₹10 lakh for
a minimum period of 1 day to a maximum of 3 years.
GST on under-construction homes slashed to 5%
 On 24 February 2019, the Goods and Services Tax
(GST) Council slashed tax rates on under-
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construction housing properties to 5% from the
existing 12%.
 It also cut GST rates on affordable housing to 1%
from 8%.
 The new tax rates will come into effect from 1 April
2019.
 GST is not levied on real estate properties for which
completion certificate has been issued at the time of
sale.
Merger with BoB to be effective from April 1
 Bank of Baroda's proposed merger with Dena and
Vijaya Bank will be affected from 1 April 2019.
 The scheme has been named as 'Amalgamation of
Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda'.
 As per the Scheme, shareholders of Vijaya Bank will
get 402 equity shares of BoB for every 1,000 shares
held.
 Dena Bank will receive 110 equity shares of BoB for
every 1,000 equity shares held.
Sports
Khelo India app launched by PM
 PM Narendra Modi launched Sports Authority of
'Khelo India App' on February 27, 2019.
 The app will create awareness about sports and
fitness in the country.
 The app has 3 unique features that will make it
convenient for youngsters to take up a sport.
 The app is available both in Hindi and English and
can be used in the offline mode.
Saurabh and Manu clinched Gold
 Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker won the gold
medal in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event of
the ISSF World Cup 2019.
 The Chinese duo of Ranxin Jiang and Bowen Zhang
won silver with, while the bronze went to the Korean
pair of Minjung Kim and Daehun Park.
 Earlier, Saurabh Chaudhary won the gold medal in
his first senior World Cup in the same event.
First Indian player to score 8000 runs - Raina
 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I
24th February to 2nd March 2019

 Suresh Raina became the first Indian player to score  Women hockey team's striker, Lalremsiami bagged
8000 runs in T20. the '2018 Rising Player of The Year' award.
 He achieved this feat when he scored 12 runs for UP  Manpreet led the Indian hockey team at the Asian
against Puducherry in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Champions Trophy in Muscat where the team was
match in Delhi. declared joint winners with Pakistan.
 He also became the 2nd Indian player to have played
300 T20s after MS Dhoni.
 Rohit Sharma is 3rd in the list with 299 matches.
Abhijeet Gupta won Cannes Trophy
 Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta lifted the Cannes
International Open trophy on 25 February 2019 for
chess.
 He won the tournament with 7.5 points over nearest
rivals Nikita Maiorov of Belarus, Nasuta Grzegorz of
Poland and Yuri Solodovnichecko of Ukraine.
 He took an easy draw with Pier Luigi Basso of Italy in
the ninth and final round.
Karthikeyan received Lifetime Achievement
 G.R. Karthikeyan was honoured with the Lifetime
Achievement award at the FMSCI annual awards
function on 25 February 2019.
 He is the father of
Narain Karthikeyan.
 Raghul Rangasamy received the Upcoming
Motorsport Person of the Year award for the
Raymond Gautam Singhania Trophy.
Prajnesh Gunneswaran: 94th in Tennis
 India's Prajnesh Gunneswaran achieved his career-
best ranking, rising three places to 94th in the latest
list on 25 February 2019.
 Ramkumar Ramanathan dropped 9 spots to 137,
while Yuki Bhambri further slipped to 171.
 Ankita Raina continued to be the top-placed Indian at
164 in women's ranking, followed by Karman Thandi
at 207 and Pranjala Yadlapalli at 293.
Apurvi Chandela won gold in 10m rifle
 Apurvi Chandela has won the gold medal in the
women's 10-meter air rifle event at the ISSF World
Cup 2019 in New Delhi.
 This is India's first medal of the ISSF World Cup 2019.
 She set a new world record by registering a score of
252.9 points in the final match.
 Zhao Ruozhu and Xu Hong of China won the silver
and bronze medal respectively.
Manpreet Singh: Player of the Year
 The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) has honoured
Indian men's hockey team captain, Manpreet Singh
with the '2018 Player of the Year Award'.

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 Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I
24th February to 2nd March 2019

Defence
Defence Appointments
 Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar was appointed as
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Air
Command of the Indian Air Force on 1 March 2019.
 Rajiv Dayal Mathur was appointed as the Air Officer
Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Air Command
of the Indian Air Force on 1 March 2019.
DAC approved aquisition of defence equipment
 The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) gave
approval for the acquisition of defence equipment
for about Rs 2700 Crores on 27 February 2019.
 The council was chaired by Defence Minister Smt
Nirmala Sitharaman.
 Approval was granted for procurement of 3 Cadet
Training ships for the Indian Navy.
 The ships would be capable of undertaking Hospital
Ship duties, providing Humanitarian Assistance etc.
QRSAM missile successfully test fired
 DRDO successfully test fired indigenously developed
Quick Reach Surface-to-Air missiles (QRSAMs) from
ITR Chandipur, off the Odisha Coast on 26 February
2019.
 The two missiles were tested for different altitudes
and conditions.
 The missile has a strike range of 25-30 km.
 QRSAM will significantly boost the defence
capabilities of the armed forces.
India-Bangladesh Joint Exercise to be held
 A joint military exercise, Sampriti-2019 will be
conducted between India and Bangladesh at Tangail,
Bangladesh from 2 March to 15 March 2019.
 This will be the eighth edition of the exercise which is
hosted alternately by both countries.
 The exercise is aimed to strengthen and broaden the
aspects of interoperability and cooperation between
both the Armies.
IAF commissions aerial surveillance
 The Indian Air Force (IAF) has commissioned the
'Hyper-Spectral Imagery Programme' for the first
time in the country.
 The programme is an aerial surveillance system for
monitoring suspicious moments under dense foliage
cover along the international border and some parts
within the country.
 It is expected to be operational in the next two years.

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