Daily Current affairs - February 7, 2018 for all competitive exams
The President of India Ram Nath
Kovind inaugurated the 88th Mahamastakabhisheka Utsav of Lord
Gomateshwara in Hassan district of Karnataka.
- Mahamastakabhisheka
of Gommateshwara, who is also known as Bahubali takes place once
in 12 years.
- It
is an important Jain pilgrimage centre and lakhs of tourists visit
Shravanbelagola to see 57 feet tall monolithic stone statue.
6th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement
Released by RBI
The Monetary Policy Committee
(MPC) decided to keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity
adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 6.0%.
- Consequently,
the Reverse Repo Rate (RRR) under the LAF remains at 5.75%, and the
Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 6.25%.
- CRR-4%
and SLR-19.5%
- GVA
growth for 2017-18 is projected at 6.6%. GVA growth for 2018-19 is
projected at 7.2% overall with risks evenly balanced.
MoNRE approved development of 60 Solar Cities scheme
The Ministry
of New and Renewable Energy under its scheme “Development of Solar Cities” has
approved/sanctioned 60 Cities including 13 Pilot and 5 Model Cities up to 12th
Five-year Plan period.
- The
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing a programme on
‘Development of Solar Cities’ which aims to reduce a minimum of 10% of the
projected demand of conventional energy of the city through renewable
energy installations and energy efficiency measures.
- Sixty
Cities are proposed to be developed as Solar Cities during the Eleventh
Plan period including four Model Solar Cities and 10 Pilot Solar Cities.
The Master plan for each Solar City is being prepared to assess and
utilize various renewable sources including Solar, Wind, and Municipal
Waste etc.
The
Solar City programme aims:
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Three new tools for states and UTs for ranking of startups
Three new
tools for States and Union Territories for ranking of startups in the country
have been launched. These will act as catalysts to help the Startup India
initiative to drive India’s economic growth.
- The
tools are State and Union Territory Startup
Ranking Framework, the Compendium of Good Practices for Promoting Startups
in India and the Startup India Kit.
The key
objective of the Startup States and UTs Ranking Framework is to encourage
States and UTs to take proactive steps towards strengthening the Startup
ecosystems at the local level. The Ranking Framework will measure the impact
of each step initiated at the local level for building a strong Startup
ecosystem. The Ranking Framework will also enable contnuous learning through
the dissemination of good practices.
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Haryana to set up ‘Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran’
Haryana government announced the setting up of
‘Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran’, an authority which will undertake measures
to make agriculture remunerative.
- The
Pradhikaran will undertake all possible measures to enhance farm
productivity and mitigate the physical, financial and psychological
distress of farm households and landless workers. It will also maintain
close liaison with line departments for implementation and monitoring of
schemes, programmes and projects thorough the Agriculture Advisory Council
and issue necessary guidelines from time to time
- The
Chief Minister will be the chairperson of the Pradhikaran and the
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister would be its ex-officio
vice-chairman.
Maharashtra becomes the first state to clear
policy to promote the use of technology in financial services
To make Mumbai and its adjoining areas as
“fintech capital of the world”, the cabinet passed a policy to help start-ups
in the sector a first in the country.
Fintech refers to the use of technology in
financial and banking services.
- Apart
from the fintech policy, the state government cleared policies for defence
and aerospace, electric vehicles, logistics, textile, garments, gems and
jewellery, and coir etc.
- To
promote defence and aerospace production, the government also plans to set
up units in Pune, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad and Nagpur.
‘Security Check Kiya’ campaign
To create
awareness around Internet safety, Google India has launched a public initiative
“#SecurityCheckKiya”.
- It
aims to protect young and first-time web users from account hijacking,
safeguard Android devices from malicious apps and secure all their personal
data if they lose their device.
- Under
the campaign, Google encouraged users to take the first step of Security
Check on Safer Internet Day which will be celebrated on February 6.
Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh to be part of India’s
tiger census
India’s tiger census, which began late last year,
will see coordination with Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh in estimating the
territorial spread of the animal in the subcontinent.
- While
India has engaged with Nepal and Bangladesh in previous tiger counts, this
is the first time all countries are uniting in arriving at tiger numbers,
particularly in regions with shared borders.
Since 2006, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) — a
Union Environment Ministry-funded body — has been tasked with coordinating
the tiger estimation exercise. The once-in-four-years exercise calculated, in
2006, that India had only 1,411 tigers. This rose to 1,706 in 2010 and 2,226
in 2014 in later editions on the back of improved conservation measures and
new estimation methods. The survey — divided into four phases — began last
winter and is expected to reveal its findings in early 2019.
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Sushma Swaraj Visit to Saudi Arabia: Attends
Opening Ceremony of Al-Janadriyah Fest
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended
the opening ceremony of the 32nd Al Jana-driyah festival in Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia. India has been invited as the Guest of Honour country for
the festival.
- Mrs
Swaraj in her first engagement addressed Indian community members at a
reception in Riyadh and spoke about the relations between the two
countries.
Poland President signs Holocaust Bill
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda signed into law a
controversial Holocaust Bill.
- The
law sets fines or a maximum three-year jail term for anyone ascribing
“responsibility or co-responsibility to the Polish nation or state for
crimes committed by the German Third Reich
SpaceX’s
Falcon Heavy successfully takes off, launches Elon Musk’s roadster in space
The world’s most powerful rocket, SpaceX’s Falcon
Heavy, roared into space through clear blue skies in its debut test flight from
a Florida.
- The
23-story-tall jumbo rocket, carrying a cherry red Tesla Roadster from the
assembly line of Musk’s electric car company
Google and NCERT Join Hands to Teach Students
Digital Safety
Google and NCERT signed a pact to integrate
a course on 'Digital Citizenship and Safety' in information and
communication technology curriculum. It was signed on the occasion
of Safer Internet Day.
- The
curriculum developed by NCERT in collaboration with Google will be used to
train students from class I - class XII across 1.4 million
schools in India. The curriculum is spread into four themes -
being smart, being safe, being a digital citizen and being future ready.
Nuclear-Capable Prithvi-II Missile Successfully
Test-Fired
India successfully test-fired
its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile as part
of a user trial by the Army from Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, in Odisha.
- Prithvi-II
is capable of carrying 500-1,000 kilogram of warheads and
is thrusted by liquid propulsion twin engines.
- It
is a surface-to-surface missile and has a strike range
of 350 km.
Uber, transport ministry partner to push road
safety awareness
As part of its ongoing efforts to encourage road
safety awareness, ride-sharing company Uber has joined hands with union
ministry of road transport and highways to push for the cause in the country
which witnesses around five lakh accidents every year.
- Uber
will jointly promote road safety messaging on its mobile application and
the social media through co-branded materials and mediums.
- The
ministry and Uber will jointly be preparing the learning materials which
will be shared and utilised by over 200 driving schools.
World Government Summit 2018 held in UAE
The sixth
Edition of World Government Summit will be held on February 11-13, 2018 in
Dubai, UAE.
- The
World Government Summit is a global platform dedicated to shaping the
future of government worldwide. Each year, the Summit sets the agenda for
the next generation of governments with a focus on how they can harness
innovation and technology to solve universal challenges facing humanity.
- The
World Government Summit is a knowledge exchange center at the intersection
between government, futurism, technology, and innovation. It functions as
a thought leadership platform and networking hub for policymakers,
experts, and pioneers in human development.
Hardayal Prasad appointed as SBI Card MD &
CEO
Hardayal Prasad is appointed as New MD & CEO
of SBI Card the country’s second largest credit card issuer
- Prasad
has taken over from Vijay Jasuja, who superannuated on January 31.
- Prior
to this appointment, Prasad was with State Bank of India, holding multiple
leadership positions in the bank. He had joined SBI as a probationary
officer in 1983.
Ritu Sarin wins International Press Institute’s
award for excellence in journalism
The International Press Institute’s Indian
National Committee has named Ritu Sarin, Executive Editor- Investigations, The
Indian Express as the recipient of the IPI India Award for Excellence in
Journalism.
- She
has been awarded for her sustained work in the investigation of crimes,
political assassinations, terrorism cases frauds and economic offences
throughout her career.
- This
is the fourth IPI India award for The Indian Express or its journalists.
CJs appointed for five States
The Centre appointed five new chief justices for
High Courts in Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya and poll-bound Tripura.
- Justice
Dinesh Maheshwari, Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court, will take over
as Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court.
- Justice
Antony Dominic, the present Acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court,
has been confirmed as the Chief Justice of the court.
- Justice
Ajay Rastogi, a judge with the Rajasthan High Court, has been appointed
Tripura High Court Chief Justice.
- Justice
Tarun Agarwala, the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, has been
appointed Meghalaya High Court Chief Justice
- Justice
Abhilasha Kumari, Gujarat High Court judge was appointed Manipur High
Court Chief Justice.
- The
appointments have come on the recommendations made by the Supreme Court
Collegium in January this year. This batch of recommendations was made by
the Supreme Court Collegium led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra,
along with those of senior advocate Indu Malhotra and Justice K.M. Joseph
to the Supreme Court.
Kathakali Maestro Madavoor Vasudevan Nair
Passes Away
Kathakali maestro Madavoor Vasudevan
Nair collapsed on stage and died while performing at Agasthyacodu Mahadeva
Temple, Kerala. He was 89.
- He was
the Padma Bhushan award recipient.
No Indian in Hockey Star Awards
The winners, the sport’s top performers from last
year, were revealed by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) at a glitzy
event at Stilwerk Berlin last night.
- Belgium’s
Arthur Van Doren after he was named as Male Player of the Year as well as
Rising Star of the Year at the FIH’s 2017 Hockey Star Awards
- Argentina’s
Delfina Merino was voted as 2017 Female Player of the Year.
- Argentina’s
Maria Jose Granatto won the Female Rising Star of the Year for the second
consecutive year
- England
and Great Britain’s Maddie Hinch was another to secure back-to-back
success as she was named Female Goalkeeper of the Year while Vincent
Vanasch added to Belgium’s awards after he was voted as Male Goalkeeper of
the Year.
Jhulan Goswami 1st Woman in the World to Take
200 ODI Wickets
Indian women's cricket team pacer Jhulan
Goswami has become the first woman in the world to take 200 wickets
in ODI cricket.
- Goswami
achieved the feat playing in her 166th ODI against South Africa.
Goswami had become the leading wicket-taker in women's ODI in May 2017,
overtaking former Australian pacer Cathryn Fitzpatrick's record of
180 wickets.
