Daily Current affairs - February 20, 2018 for all competitive exams
Social Equality Justice Day is a day recognizing
the need to promote efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion and
unemployment.
- Many organizations, including the UN and the
International Labour Office, make statements on the importance of social
justice for people.
- Theme: Workers on the Move: the Quest for Social
Justice
The United Nations General Assembly has decided to observe
20 February annually, approved on 26 November 2007 and starting in 2009, as
the World Day of Social Justice.
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PM Modi to inaugurate first ever TB India
summit next month
The government of India is all set to organise a
mega India TB summit from March 13-16.
- All chief ministers will be invited and Prime
Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first of its kind
event.
- The event is aimed at generating sufficient momentum
for his vision of a TB free India by 2025. During the summit, PM Modi is
also expected to formally launch the National Strategic Plan for TB
Elimination 2017-25.
Centre constitutes committee to study
Brahmaputra and flood control measures in Assam
The Centre has constituted a committee headed
by the Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog, Rajiv Kumar to study the Brahmaputra
and flood control measures in Assam and neighbouring states.
- The Assam government has submitted required report on
flood control measures to the committee.
- Measures are being taken by the Water Resource
department to repair the damaged river embankment due to flood.
Cabinet approves proposal for Mahanadi Water
Disputes
The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for
adjudication of dispute on Mahanadi River Waters.
- The Tribunal shall determine water sharing among basin
States on the basis of the overall availability of water in the complete
Mahanadi basin, contribution of each State, the present utilization of
water resources in each State and the potential for future development.
As per provisions of the Inter-State River Water Disputes
(ISRWD) Act, 1956, the Tribunal shall consist of a Chairman and two other
Members nominated by the Chief Justice of India from amongst the Judges of
the Supreme Court or High Court. Further, services of two Assessors who are
water resources experts having experience in handling sensitive water-related
issues will be provided to advise the Tribunal in its proceedings.
As per provisions of the ISRWD Act, 1956 the Tribunal is
required to submit its report and decision within a period of 3 years which
can be extended to a further period not exceeding 2 years due to unavoidable
reasons.
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Cabinet Approves New Bill to ban Unregulated
Deposit Schemes and Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill
In a major policy initiative to protect the
savings of the investors, the Union Cabinet has given its approval to introduce
the following bills in the Parliament:-
Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill,
2018:
The bill is aimed at tackling the menace of
illicit deposit taking activities in the country. Companies/ institutions
running such schemes exploit existing regulatory gaps and lack of strict
administrative measures to dupe poor and gullible people of their hard-earned
savings.
Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2018:
In order to facilitate orderly growth of the Chit
Funds sector and remove bottlenecks being faced by the Chit Funds industry,
thereby enabling greater financial access of people to other financial products
Union Cabinet Approves Creation of National
Urban Housing Fund
The Union Cabinet has given approval for creation
of National Urban Housing Fund (NUHF) for Rs.60,000
crores.
- This fund will be situated in Building Materials
and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), an autonomous body under
the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
- NUHF will facilitate raising requisite funds in
next four years so that flow of Central Assistance under different
verticals i.e. Beneficiary Linked Construction (BLC), Affordable
Housing in Partnership(AHP), In-Situ Slum Redevelopment
(ISSR) and Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS).
More than 40 Indian languages will soon be extinct
As per the
Census Directorate, 42 Indian languages are said to be endangered. Due to the
small number who speak the languages are expected to soon be extinct. The
languages include dialects as well.
- The 42 languages are considered
endangered because they are spoken by less than 10,000 people.
- The endangered languages include,
11 from Andaman and Nicobar Islands- Andamanese, Jarawa, Lamongse, Luro,
Muot, Onge, Pu, Sanenyo, Sentilese, Shompen and Takahanyilang, 7 from
Manipur- Aimol, Aka, Koiren, Lamgang, Langrong, Purum, and Tarao, and 4
from Himachal Pradesh- Baghati, Handuri, Pangvali, Sirmaudi. Mandi, Parji
and Pengo from Orissa, Koraga and Kuruba from Karnataka, Gadaba and Naiki
from Andhra Pradesh, Mra and Na from Arunachal Pradesh, Tai Nora and Tai
Rong from Assam, Bangani from Uttarakhand, Kota and Toda from Tamil Nadu,
Birhor from Jharkhand, Nihali from Maharashtra, Ruga from Meghalaya and
Toto from West Bengal.
A central
scheme is in place to protect these languages. The Central Institute of
Indian Languages has been working on the conservation of these languages.
Under the programme, grammatical descriptions, monolingual and bilingual
dictionaries, language primers, anthologies of folklore, encyclopedias of all
languages or dialects that are endangered are being prepared. There are
currently 31 languages in India that have been given the status of official
languages by state governments and union territories.
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Telangana government appoints task force on
urban mobility
The Telangana government issued orders to
constitute a task force on urban mobility to study the monorail model in the IT
corridor of the city.
- The need to integrate and synergise various modes of
mass transportation systems such as metro rail, buses, monorail, MMTS,
tram, e-vehicles and other models, keeping in view the present traffic
density and emerging traffic requirement for the next five decades.
- The minister also felt that Outer Ring Road (ORR),
national and state highways, and satellite towns as well as urban local
bodies within a radius of 100 kms from the city also need to be kept in
view while integrating and synergising various modes of transportation.
PM Narendra Modi to launch Amma scooters on
February 24
Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to
visit Chennai to launch the AIADMK government’s Amma scooter
scheme on February 24
- Modi’s visit assumes significance as the HC is expected
to come out with a ruling in the case of disqualification of 18 MLAs by
the Tamil Nadu assembly speaker.
- State government officially invited Modi a
few days ago for the event and the PMO confirmed participation.
President approves Bill allowing Kambala in Karnataka
President Ram
Nath Kovind has approved the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka
Amendment) Bill making Kambala a legal rural sport in Karnataka.
- With this, all apprehensions and
obstacles that were preventing kambala have been cleared.
- Karnataka government had
promulgated Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment)
Ordinance, 2017 on July 20 last year. The Bill seeks to exempt kambala and
bullock-cart racing from the ambit of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(PCA) Act, 1960.
Kambla in
its traditional form is non-competitive with buffalo pairs made to race one
after another in paddy fields, which is considered a thanksgiving to the Gods
for protecting the animals from diseases.
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Punjab to install micro ATMs in co-op
institutions across the State
To deliver effective core banking services at the
village level, the Punjab government plans to install micro ATMs in all its
3,535 primary agricultural cooperative societies and district central
cooperative banks under its rural financial inclusion plan.
- Punjab State Cooperative Bank was providing credit
services to all sections of society since its establishment in 1949 and
was now making great strides towards fulfilling the aspirations of its
stakeholders, especially tillers and helping hands in all areas such as
agriculture, housing, sugar production and dairy.
Rajasthan withdrawn Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill
The Rajasthan
government has withdrawn the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2017.
- The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan
Amendment) Bill seeks to protect serving and former judges, magistrates
and public servants in the State from being investigated for on-duty
action, without government sanction.
- It also bars the media from
reporting on such accusations till the sanction to proceed with the probe
is given by the government.
The
government said, with this bill, it aimed to protect honest officials from
frivolous allegations levelled by vested interests, and thus prevent a
situation of policy paralysis. It was felt that bar on reporting will deter
false cases brought with the intention of maligning public officials.
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UK, India Launched Joint Research Projects on
Clean Water & Energy
The UK- India Joint research projects
on Water Quality Research and Energy Demand Reduction in Built
Environment were launched in New Delhi.
- The Water Quality Research programme has eight projects
and Energy Demand Reduction in Built Environment programme has four
projects, with a total joint investment of up to 15 million British
Pound.
Singapore to pay bonus to all citizens after
surplus budget
All Singapore citizens aged 21 and above will get
a one-off “SG Bonus” of up to S$300 each as the 2017 budget came in with a
surplus of almost S$10 billion (US $7.6 billion).
- The “SG Bonus” will cost the government S$700 million
(US $533 million). The bonus will be paid according to people’s assessable
income. About 2.7 million people will get the payouts, which are due by
the end of 2018.
- Those with an income of S$28,000 or below will be
eligible to receive S$300, those whose incomes ranging from S$28,001 to
S$100,000 will receive S$200, and those with incomes in excess of
S$100,000 will receive S$100.
Singapore to Impose Carbon Tax From 2019
Singapore will impose a 'carbon tax' from
2019 to cut its greenhouse gas emissions and make companies more
competitive as global agreements on climate change take effect.
- Finance minister Heng Swee Keat stated that the
tax would be levied on all facilities producing 25,000 tonnes or more of
greenhouse gas emissions a year.
Gambia suspends death penalty in step towards
abolition
During a speech marking the country’s 53rd
independence anniversary, Gambian President Adama Barrow announced the
suspension of death penalty in the country “as a first step towards its
abolition”.
- Death penalty in Gambia was last used under the
authoritarian rule of Yahya Jammeh in 2012 when nine prisoners were
executed by a firing squad.
Gambia
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Capital
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Banjul
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Currency
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Gambian dalasi
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President
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Adama Barrow
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Sheep embryos with human cells grown
In a breakthrough, scientists have successfully
grown sheep embryos containing human cells, bringing the ability to grow human
organs inside other animals closer to reality.
- Growing human organs inside animals may not only
increase supply, but also offer the possibility of genetically tailoring
of the organs to be compatible with the immune system of receiver.
- Researchers had recently been able to introduce human
stem cells into early pig embryos, producing embryos for which about one
in every 1,00,000 cells were human.
- The team has now achieved a similar feat with sheep
embryos, with an even higher ratio of human to animal cells.
India Successfully Test-Fires Agni-II Missile
India successfully test-fired Agni II
medium-range nuclear-capable missile from APJ Abdul Kalam island off the
Odisha coast. The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) fired Agni-II from a
mobile launcher at launch complex 4 of the Integrated Test Range.
- Agni-II, which has a length of 20 metres, weighs
17 tonnes and can carry a payload of 1000 kgs over a
distance of 2000 kms. It is a part of the Agni series of missiles
developed by the DRDO.
Agni-II
(fire), is a strategic ballistic missile. The Agni (missile) family is
envisaged to be the mainstay of the Indian missile-based strategic nuclear
deterrence. The Agni-II is a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) with two
solid fuel stages and a Post Boost Vehicle (PBV) integrated into the
missile's Re-entry Vehicle (RV).
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FICCI Called for Privatising public sector banks
Industry body
FICCI has called for privatisation of public sector banks (PSBs), saying that
the recapitalisation efforts by the government have had little effect on
improving their health.
- There is a continuous pressure on the government
finances on account of the weak performance of the banks. Privatisation
would reduce the drain on the exchequer and the money saved could be used
for developmental schemes and programmes of the government.
Private banks will bring innovations in products,
technology and customer servicing and a market-based discipline to lending.
Private banks, knowing that they cannot count on government’s protection, are
unlikely to engage in the sort of risky lending that characterised public
bank lending.
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Regional conference of southern states on water
resources to be held in Hyderabad
Union Water Resources ministry is holding a
regional conference of southern states in Hyderabad to resolve the pending
inter-state water issues.
- Issues such as the implementation of the latest orders
of the Supreme Court on sharing of Cauvery waters, interlinking of rivers
like Godavari-Cauvery, notification of jurisdiction of Krishna and
Godavari Water Management Boards, Polavaram Project are among issues
scheduled to come up for discussion during the meeting.
Ministers and Principal Secretaries of Water
Resources of Six southern states – Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry,
Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana are scheduled to take part in the meeting which
will be chaired by Minister of State for Water Resources Arjun Ram Meghwal.
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India to Host World Environment Day 2018
The government of India and the UN jointly
announced that India will host the global World Environment Day
celebrations on 5 June 2018.
- World Environment Day is celebrated globally
on June 5.
- The theme for World Environment 2018 is “Beat
Plastic Pollution”.
World Environment Day is a UN Environment-led global event,
the single largest celebration of our environment each year and is celebrated
by thousands of communities worldwide.
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Trump ranked as worst U.S. president according
to political scientist survey
Donald Trump ranks as the worst president in
United States history, according to a survey of political scientists.
All presidents were ranked in the 2018
Presidents and Executive Politics Presidential Greatness Survey.
- Trump earned the lowest average score – 12.34. Abraham
Lincoln finished in first place, with a score of 95.03. George Washington
was second, at 92.59. Franklin D. Roosevelt was third, Teddy Roosevelt was
fourth and Thomas Jefferson was fifth.
- As far as recent presidents, Barack Obama was No. 8,
George W. Bush was No. 30, Bill Clinton was No. 13, George H.W. Bush was
No. 17 and Ronald Reagan was No. 9.
Maharashtra
honours Ratan Tata with the top industrial award
Tata Group patriarch Ratan
Tata was felicitated by Maharashtra government with a special
award for his contribution to the development of the state.
- Tata was presented with the Mahaudyog Sanman
award.
- Other categories from where entrepreneurs were
felicitated included information technology, women, exporters and small
businesses.
Telugu film comedian Gundu Hanumantha Rao
passes away
Noted Telugu film comedian Gundu Hanumantha Rao
passed away.
- Gundu Hanumantha Rao, born in Vijayawada, started his
film career with “Aha Na Pellanta” in 1987 and acted in around 400 films
such as “Rajendrudu Gajendrudu” and “Yamaleela”.
Kvitova takes Qatar Open title
Petra Kvitova fought back from a set down against
Garbine Muguruza to win the Qatar Open, a victory which will take her back into
the world’s top 10.
- It is the first time Kvitova has been ranked among the
world’s elite since a horrific knife attack at her home in December 2016
left her with an injured hand.
The results (all finals):
- WTA Qatar Open: Petra Kvitova bt Garbine Muguruza 3-6,
6-3, 6-4.
- ATP New York Open: Kevin Anderson bt Sam Querrey 4-6,
6-3, 7-6(1).
- ATP Argentina Open: Dominic Thiem bt Aljaz Bedene 6-2,
6-4.
Star gets IPL production rights
Star India will not only broadcast the
forthcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) but it will also produce
the audio-visual feed for the Twenty20 league.
- The announcement was made when the BCCI opened the bids
for the audio-visual production rights for the IPL and the 2018-19
domestic cricket season.
- This would mean that for the first time, the IPL
broadcaster would also produce live content.
