Current Affairs Today 06th February 2020| Current Affairs News

By Ameena Ameena - Feb 06 2020

Dear Readers, Daily Current Affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Read Current Affairs here and stay updated with current news. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this and try Current Affairs Quiz to test your knowledge level.

Daily Current Affairs PDF of 06th February 2020

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

PM Modi sets target of 5 billion dollars for defence exports in next five years

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that his government has set a defence export target of 5 billion dollars in the next five years.
  • Inaugurating the DefExpo, Mr Modi stated, in 2014, the export of defence equipment from India was about 2,000 crore rupees. In the last 2 years, it has gone up to 17,000 crore rupees. In the next five years, our target is export of 5 billion US dollars, which is about 35,000 crore rupees.
  • The eleventh edition of the mega defence event is being held in Lucknow with the theme “India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub”.
  • The five-day DefExpo – India’s biennial exhibition of military platforms and weapons – is being attended by 38

defence ministers and top executives of 172 foreign defence majors and 856 Indian companies.

Cabinet Approvals

Cabinet approves to confer the status of Institution of National Importance to five IIITs

  • The Union Cabinet gave its approval to confer the status of Institution of National Importance to five Indian Institutes of Information Technology, IIITs.
  • Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting in New Delhi ,Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar stated, the Five IIITs in PPP mode at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur will now be able to use the nomenclature of Bachelor of Technology, BTech or Master of Technology or PhD degree.
  • The cabinet has approved introduction of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
  • The bill will declare the remaining five IIITs along with the existing 15 IIITs in PPP mode as Institutions of National Importance with powers to award degrees.
  • It will also enable the institutes to attract enough students required to develop a strong research base in the country in the field of information technology.

Cabinet gives in principle approval to set up a new major port in Maharashtra

  • Union Cabinet has given in principle approval to set up a new major port at Vadhavan near Dahanu in Maharashtra. The total cost of the project is likely to be over 65 thousand crore rupees. Vadhavan port will be developed on land lord model.
  • A Special Purpose Vehicle, SPV will be formed with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust as the lead partner with equity participation equal to or more than 50 per cent to implement the project.
  • The SPV will develop the port infrastructure including reclamation, construction of breakwater, besides establishing connectivity to the hinterland. All the business activities will be undertaken under public private partnership mode by private developers.
  • The position of Jawaharlal Nehru Port is the biggest container port in the country and with the development of Vadhavan port, India will break into the countries with top 10 container ports in the world.

Cabinet approves amendment to bring cooperative banks under regulatory control of RBI

  • Union Cabinet has decided to bring Cooperative banks under the regulatory mechanism of Reserve Bank of India.
  • Briefing media persons after the Cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadkar stated the move will ensure greater accountability and transparency in the functioning of Cooperative Banks.
  • Mr Javedkar stated Cooperative Banks need to fulfill regulatory requirements set for scheduled commercial banks.

Cabinet approves India-Sri Lanka Alliance Air flights

  • The Union Cabinet has granted ex-post facto dispensation to Alliance Air, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Air India, to fly on international sectors between India and Sri Lanka.
  • A special dispensation is allowed for the interim period till Alliance Air deploys minimum of 20 aircraft or 20 per cent of total capacity, whichever is higher for domestic operations.
  • India has close bilateral ties with Sri Lanka and our interest is to increase connectivity and to expand people to people contacts between the two countries.
  • Prior to this approval, there was no commercial operation scheduled from Palaly and Batticaloa airports.

MSME implemented new scheme SFURTI to set up traditional industries clusters

  • Ministry of MSME is implementing a ‘Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries’ (SFURTI) Scheme under which financial support is being provided for setting up of traditional industries clusters viz. Khadi, Coir & Village industries clusters.
  • The objectives of the SFURTI Scheme are:
  • To develop clusters of traditional industries in the country over a period of five years.
  • To make traditional industries more competitive, market-driven, productive and profitable.
  • To strengthen the local governance system of industry clusters, with active participation of the local stakeholders, so that they are enabled to development initiatives.
  • To build up innovated and traditional skills, improved technologies, advanced processes, market intelligence and new models of public-private partnerships, so as to gradually replicate similar models of cluster-based regenerated traditional industries.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

Bhutan to charge Rs 1200 entry fee for Indian tourists

  • Entry into Bhutan will no longer be free for Indian tourists. The Bhutan government passed legislation imposing an entry fee on tourists from India, Bangladesh and Maldives, according to media reports.The fee will be charged from July 2020.
  • Tourists from India, Bangladesh ad Maldives will have to pay a ₹1,200 fee for entering the country. The fee is called a ‘Sustainable Development Fee’ (SDF).
  • The decision comes in light of the increasing number of ‘regional tourists’ to the region and its effect on Bhutan’s ecology. SDF goes directly to the Bhutan government and the government coffers as direct revenue. The fee is meant to help the government tackle the sharp rise in the number of tourists in terms of traffic control.
  • India is the main source of visitors to the country. India’s share in visitors to Bhutan is more than 69 per cent with more than 19 lakh tourists visiting the country.
  • SDF contributed more than $20 million to Bhutanese government’s direct revenue from tourism.
About Bhutan:
  • Capital: Thimphu
  • King: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
  • Currencies: Bhutanese ngultrum, Indian rupees

World Cancer Day 2020: 1 in 10 Indians Likely to Develop Cancer in Their Lifetime, Says Study

  • World Cancer Day is observed on February 4 and the World Health Organization (WHO) has released two global reports on this day. Organised by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the day is an opportunity to create awareness to end the injustice of preventable suffering from cancer.
  • The report reveals that one in 10 Indians will develop cancer during their lifetime and one in 15 will die from the disease. There is an estimated 16 million new cancer cases registered each year in India and around 7,84,800 people die from it each year.
  • According to the report, of 5.70 lakh new cancer cases in men, the most prevalent is oral cancer, followed by lung cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer and oesophageal cancer account for 45 percent of registered cases.
  • Of the 5.87 lakh new cancer cases in women, the highest numbers are of breast cancer, followed by cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, oral cancer and colorectal cancer, accounting for 60 per cent of all cancer case.
  • The WHO report also revealed that the six major types of cancer recorded in India were breast cancer, oral cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, and colorectal cancer.
  • The theme for this year’s World Cancer Day is ‘I can,I will.’ The theme highlights the idea that everyone has the capacity to address the cancer burden and that together one can work together to reduce cancer risk factors.

WHO calls for USD 675m in donations to fight novel coronavirus

  • The World Health Organization has called for 675 million US dollar in donations for a plan to fight the novel coronavirus, mainly through investment in countries considered particularly “at risk“.
  • WHO chief Tedros Adhanom stated at a news conference in Geneva that they are launching a strategic preparedness and response plan and requesting 675 million dollar to fund the plan for the next three months. The WHO’s message to the international community is invest .
  • Mr Tedros stated 60 million US dollar of the funds would be for WHO operations while the remainder would go to countries requiring assistance to guard against the deadly virus.
  • WHO was sending 500,000 masks and 40,000 respirators to 24 countries from its warehouses in Dubai and Accra. Tedros also hailed a 100 million dollar donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
About WHO:
  • Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
  • Head: Tedros Adhanom
  • Founded: 7 April 1948

India’s Ambassador to UAE assumes responsibility of India’s Co-Chair of Expo-2020 Dubai Committee

  • Navdeep Singh Suri, who was until very recently India’s Ambassador to the UAE, has assumed the responsibility of India’s Co-Chair of the Expo-2020 Dubai Committee. Mr Suri was also a recipient of the UAE’s Order of Zayed II honour.
  • FICCI is the industry partner of the Indian Government for its participation in Expo-2020 Dubai.
  • India is one of the few countries which have been awarded to create a permanent structure at the Expo-2020 and proposes to showcase the country’s strengths in innovation and start-ups in the hi-tech sector.
  • Expo-2020 is a World Expo to be hosted by Dubai. It is scheduled to open on 20th October this year.
  • The Bureau International des Expositions General Assembly in Paris awarded Dubai as the host on 27th November, 2013.
  • Through its theme, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” and its three sub-themes – Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability – Expo-2020 aims to unlock the potential of each visitor while encouraging collaboration and presenting opportunities for all to make a difference towards the future development of humanity.

Prince Charles unveils children’s protection fund for India

  • Britain’s Prince Charles has unveiled a new children’s protection fund for India as part of British Asian Trust, the charity founded by him in 2007 to fight poverty in South Asia.
  • The  heir to the British throne announced popular American singer Katy Perry as the ambassador of the new fund, which will be focussed on reducing the exploitation of children by 50 per cent in India over 10 years.
  • Indian philanthropist Natasha Poonawalla has made a multimillion-pound pledge in support of the fund, which she will chair, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIIF) is set to match fund everything raised upto GBP 25 million to develop the largest anti-trafficking fund in South Asia.
  • The main areas of focus for the British Asian Trust’s Children’s Protection Fund will cover child sexual abuse, child labour and trafficking, and its aim would be to develop school safety nets through child-friendly village models.
  • The British Asian Trust, chaired by Indian-origin businessman Manoj Badale, was founded 13 years ago by Prince Charles and a group of British Asian business leaders with a vision to transform lives across South Asia.

Gates Foundation announces USD 100 million for coronavirus response

  • The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged to commit up to USD 100 million for the global response to the novel coronavirus epidemic that has claimed nearly 500 lives.
  • The funding will be used to strengthen detection, isolation and treatment efforts, including protecting at-risk populations and developing vaccines and diagnostics.
  • The amount includes USD 10 million previously pledged in late January.
  • The foundation stated it would direct USD 20 million to organizations like the World Health Organization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Protection, the National Health Commission of China and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • A further USD 20 million would be allocated to help public health authorities in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, regions which have been disproportionately affected by recent epidemics like the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic of 2009.
  • The foundation also pledged up to USD 60 million to accelerate the discovery, development and testing of vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for the virus.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 5.15%

  • The RBI pegs GDP growth for 2020-21 at 6 per cent
  • The Reserve Bank of India decided to maintain the status quo on rates and kept the repo rate unchanged at 15 per cent as inflation trajectory remained “uncertain” and economic growth remained subdued.
  • The decision was taken at the meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) led by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.
  • This was the sixth and last monetary policy review for the current financial year and comes just days after the Union Budget 2020-21, which had estimated a nominal GDP growth rate of 10 per cent next fiscal with fiscal deficit of 3.5 per cent.
  • The Economic Survey has pegged GDP growth to recover to about 6 per cent to 6.5 per cent next fiscal from about 5 per cent this fiscal.
  • The MPC had also kept the repo rate unchanged in the fifth bi-monthly monetary policy review in December. Previously, it had cut rate five times in eight months as it looked to bolster lagging growth by spurring demand.
  • The MPC has also projected GDP growth for 2020-21 at 0 per cent – in the range of 5.5-6.0 per cent in the first half and 6.2 per cent in the third quarter next fiscal.
  • It has revised upwards the the CPI inflation projection to 6.5 per cent for fourth quarter of the fiscal and 5.4-5.0 per cent for first half of 2020-21; and 3.2 per cent for third quarter next fiscal, with risks broadly balanced.

RBI announces external benchmarking of loans for medium enterprises from April 1

  • More measures to incentivise bank credit to productive sectors, extends one time restructuring scheme for MSMEs
  • Even as it has maintained the status quo on rates, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a slew of measures to ensure more liquidity to various sectors as part of the Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies that it released along with the sixth bi-monthly monetary policy statement.
  • The RBI announced that it has decided to link pricing of loans by scheduled commercial banks for the medium enterprises also to an external benchmark effective April 1, 2020.
  • It had mandated the external benchmarking of retail loans and those to micro and small enterprises from October 1, 2019.
  • The RBI also announced the extension of the restructuring scheme for MSMEs to December 31, 2020. “This will benefit the eligible MSME entities which could not be restructured under the provisions of the circular dated January 1, 2019, as also the MSME entities which have become stressed thereafter,” it said, stressing that this is a one-time regulatory dispensation. The restructuring of the borrower account was to be implemented by March 31, 2020.
  • The RBI announced a new liquidity management framework, and stated that the weighted average call rate (WACR) will continue to be its operating target and the liquidity management corridor is retained.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

All-in-One Android PoS device unveiled by Paytm

  • India’s largest pay ments platform Paytm (owned by One97 Communications) has announced the launch of an All-in-One Android PoS device for merchant partners across the country.
  • This device helps merchants to accept payments through Paytm Wallet, UPI-based apps, debit and credit cards and, most importantly, cash.
  • Besides accepting payments, merchants will also be able to generate GST-compliant bills and manage transactions and settlements through the Paytm for Business app.
  • Paytm All-in-One Android PoS is a fully-loaded payment acceptance device and is pre-bundled with cloud-based software for billing, payments and customer management.
  • The device can be used to accept payments, print bills, and scan items for faster checkout at the counter. The device works on Wi-Fi and also comes with a pre-installed SIM, which ensures round-the-clock connectivity with all of Paytm’s bouquet of services.
About Paytm
  • Founder: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
  • CEO: Renu Satti
  • Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh

Instamojo buys digital commerce platform GetMeAShop for $5 million

  • Fintech start-up Instamojo has acquired GetMeAShop, a digital commerce platform for MSMEs, for $5 million in an equity deal. This acquisition, which is its first since inception in 2012, will allow Instamojo to branch into software offerings as it aims to help small businesses adopt and leverage technology without any prior technical know-how.
  • Launched as a payment gateway for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), Instamojo later branched into an e-commerce platform for merchants to list and sell their products and services online. Over the past five quarters, Instamojo also introduced credit products and logistics services — mojoCapital and MojoXPress,
  • As part of the deal, the company aims to expand its digital solution offerings to empower its 2 million-strong merchant base.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Karnataka launches Janasevaka scheme for home delivery of govt services

  • The Karnataka government launched the Janasevaka scheme in a few municipal corporation wards to ensure home delivery of various services like ration cards, senior citizen identity and health cards.
  • Janasevaka under the Sakala scheme is a programme to avail the benefits of government schemes at the doorstep.
  • Sakala aims to ensure in-time delivery of government services to citizens by practising innovative and efficient management systems through capacity building in government and empowering citizens to exercise their right to service.
  • A toll-free helpline has been set up for this scheme which will work from 8 am to 8 pm. A sum of Rs 115 will be charged to provide the home delivery services. In addition to it, the Karnataka government has also decided to seek information under the RTI Act easy by making it online.
  • People can apply from home by paying the fee online. This will make the process hassle-free.
About Karnataka
  • Capital-Bengaluru
  • Chief Minister-B S Yediyurappa
  • Governor-Vajubhai Vala
  • National Parks(NP)-Kudremukh NP, Bannerghatta NP, Nagarhole NP, Bandipur NP.

Kumbhabhishekam of Brihadeeswarar temple in Tamil Nadu 

  • The ‘kumbhabhishekam‘ of the 1,000-year old Brihadeeswara temple in Thanjavur is being held with traditional rites and rituals.
  • Lakhs of pilgrims have flocked to the temple town of Thanjavur, on the banks of the river Cauvery, to witness the rare spectacle. The Tamil Nadu Government has made all necessary arrangements for the pilgrims.
  • The walls of the temple have been attractively painted, using natural colors, by the students of the Kumbhakonam Government Fine Arts College.
  • A mobile app Namma Thanjavoor has been developed for the use of devotees coming to view the rare spectacle.
Famous Temples in TN
  • Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai
  • Shore Temple, Mamallapuram
  • Annamalaiyar Temple, Tiruvannamalai
  • Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Thanjavur
  • Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam
  • Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU

Mangalore varsity pact on radioecology research

  • Mangalore University has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, for conducting joint research in the field of radioecology.
  • Under the MoU, the Centre for Advanced Research in Environmental Radioactivity (CARER) of Mangalore University will be conducting joint research with scientists of IGCAR.
  • The CARER has been established by the Mangalore University as a national facility through financial support from the Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences of the Department of Atomic Energy, and with scientific and technical support from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
  • This is an advanced centre for radioecological and radiation protection research in the country. The centre is serving to the research needs of various research groups from national laboratories, institutions and universities of the country

India-Norway sign MoUs in field of research and higher education

  • India and Norway signed a total of four memorandum of understanding (MoUs) in the field of research and higher education.A delegation of prominent education and research institutions from Norway led by Director-General, Anne Line Wold, Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research is in the capital
  • The MoUs signed between two countries include one between Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and UiT, The Arctic University of Norway for cooperation in fields such as bio-photonics, health and diagnostic tools, nanotechnology, water management and renewable energy.
  • The other MoU that has been signed is between Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology and UiT, The Arctic University of Norway to facilitate the exchange of students and staff and consolidate joint efforts towards project initiatives in national and EU arena.
  • MoUs have also been signed between IIT, Jammu and Norwegian University of Science and Technology and IIT Mandi and Norwegian University of Science and Technology with special focus of activities in Landslides, Tunnels, Water Management, Hydropower, Project-based learning, Student and researchers mobility and Cold region technologies.
  • Last month, India and Norway agreed that the dynamic nature of trade and investment between the two countries will result in an increasing number of companies interested in establishing and gaining access to the markets in both sides.
  • During the first session of India-Norway Dialogue on Trade and Investment (DTI), convened in the national capital on January 15-16, both sides exchanged views on investment opportunities available in the respective countries.
About Norway :
  • Capital: Oslo
  • Currency : Norwegian krone
  • Prime minister: Erna Solberg

APEDA-CFTRI Sign MoU for Liason Office in Guwahati :Will Promote Food Processing & Organic Agri Exports in North-East States

  • A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by CSIR-CFTRI with APEDA to set up a Liaison Office in Guwahati, Assam to provide technical support to the food industries in the North East region. It will benefit the farmers, producers and entrepreneurs. Capacity building is another such area where APEDA is keenly focusing to hand-hold the new exporters from the North East region.
  • Central Food Technological Research Institute, (CSIR-CFTRI), Mysore, Karnataka, working in the area of Food and Science & Technology, Human Resource Development started during 1950.
  • They had brought many innovative efforts to the market.
  • Apeda has undertaken many promotional activities in the North-east states of India.
  • Apeda has organized 5 international buyer-seller meets in Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh & Sikkim to showcase the potential of agriculture/ horticulture and processed food products including organic produce to open the export window from the North Eastern States.
  • To create awareness on agriculture and exports in the North-East states, converting the large areas of land into organic certification training is provided based on requirements based on National Programme on Organic Production (NPOP).
About CSIR-CFTRI
  • CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI), is one of the constituent laboratory under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
  • It was opened on 21 October 1950 in Mysore, Karnataka.
  • F.T.R.I. also has its resource centers in Hyderabad, Lucknow and Mumbai, rendering technical assistance to numerous entrepreneurs.

HAL signs MoU with Israeli firm to make, sell drones

  • To manufacture and sell drones, Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bengaluru based Dynamatic Technologies Limited (DTL) and Israel Aerospace Industries Limited (IAI) at DefExpo 2020
  • In India drones are playing significant role in wars and other tactical missions such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
  • In the coming years, Indian defence forces are likely to induct a large number of drones to meet such requirements.HAL has the best capability and infrastructure available in India to manufacture world-class and battle-proven drones. HAL as a long-time partner of IAI is involved in the depot-level maintenance of all ranges of drones supplied by IAI to the Indian forces since 2004.
  • Taking the HAL-IAI collaboration a step ahead, under the scope of this MoU, the partnership would be the first in the country to manufacture IAI designed UAVs in India such as short-range tactical class having long endurance. This collaboration will enhance technology sharing and business partnership between India and Israel.
About HAL
  • Head quarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
  • Chairman and MD: R. Madhavan

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

World Bank chief economist announces resignation

  • World Bank chief economist Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg announced she will be leaving the institution, according to a letter sent to colleagues.
  • Calling it a “difficult decision,” Goldberg wrote that she will step down from her post on March 1 to return to teaching at Yale University.
  • A Greek-American national, Goldberg took up her post at the end of April 2018, after the resignation of Paul Romer following a controversy over the World Bank’s statistical methods.
  • A graduate of University of Freiburg in Germany and Stanford University in the United States, Goldberg was the first editor in chief of the American Economic Review and taught economics at Yale before joining the bank.
  • There, she studied global value chains, and in a report published last October showed how poor countries could transform their economies by specialising in the manufacture of a particular component rather than building entire industries from scratch.

JSW Steel signs cricketer Rishabh Pant as brand ambassador

  • JSW Steel stated it had signed cricketer Rishabh Pant as its brand ambassador to promote its steel products for three years.
  • JSW Steel, the flagship company of the JSW Group, has signed Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant as its brand ambassador to promote its steel products which include JSW Colouron+ color coated sheets and JSW Neosteel TMT bars, for a three year period.
About JSW Steel
  • Headquarters location: Mumbai
  • Founder: Sajjan Jindal
  • Founded: 1982

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Big Bang Boom Solutions Wins Prestigious SKOCH Award

  • India’s fastest growing startup in the defence sector, Big Bang Boom Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (BBBS) was accorded the prestigious SKOCH award.
  • At a recently held glittering ceremony at New Delhi, Big Bang Boom Solutions was conferred the highest individual honour for Boron Nitrate Based Personal Hybrid Combat Armor.
  • It bags two prestigious wins in Defence India Startup Challenge from the Ministry of Defence under the aegis of iDex
About Big Bang Boom Solutions (BBBM)
  • CEO -Praveen Dwarakanath.
About SKOCH Awards
  • SKOCH Award, instituted in 2003, is the highest civilian honour in the country conferred by an independent organisation. It recognises people, projects and institutions that go the extra mile to make India a better nation.
  • SKOCH Award covers the best of efforts in the area of digital, financial and social inclusion.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE

Prime Minister inaugurates DefExpo in Lucknow

  • Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, inaugurated the 11th edition of DefExpo in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
  • India’s biennial military exhibition seeks to showcase the potential of the country as a  global defence manufacturing hub.
  • The 11th edition of Def Expo promises to bring new technologies, technological solutions, where Defence manufacturing companies from India and abroad showcase their products and services in the Defence arena, on a single platform.
  • DefExpo 2020 has become one of India’s largest defence exhibition platform as well as one of the Top DefExpo in the world.
  • This time more than a thousand defence manufacturers and 150 companies from all over the world are part of this Expo.
  • The Theme of the Expo is ‘India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub’ with main focus on ‘Digital Transformation of Defence’.

22nd India International Seafood Show

  • 22nd India International Seafood Show 2020 is one of the largest Seafood Fairs in Asia. It is a biennial show and a common forum for Seafood processors, Exporters, Importers, Aquaculturists, Processing Machinery manufacturers and allied industries to meet under one roof.
  • 22nd India International Seafood Show 2020 will be held on 07th-09th February 2020 ,
  • The theme of this year’s seafood show is “Blue Revolution- Beyond Production to Value Addition”.
  • The show attracts a large number of seafood trading people and enables them to find out suitable means of strengthening the seafood trade for mutual benefits.
  • The very objective of organizing the IISS is to highlight India’s immense fishery potential and the rapid progress made by the country in the fisheries sector.
  • 22nd India International Seafood Show 2020 offers immense opportunity to the participants to exchange ideas for mutual benefits and explore further possibility in strengthening the trade relation.

FADA to organise 11th Auto Summit 2020

  • The Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) is all set to organise the eleventh edition of the Auto Summit 2020, the biennial flagship convention for Indian automobile dealers.
  • The theme of this edition of the convention is ‘Thriving Amidst Disruption’ and is scheduled in New Delhi.
  • The summit is expected to bring together senior delegates from the government, leadership across OEMs and industry think tanks.
  • This summit will provide a common platform to deliberate on the changing dynamics of auto retail and services industry and identify the challenges and opportunities therein.
  • The summit with 14 sessions, over 50 speakers and attended by more than 1500 delegates will incorporate extensive discussion on destiny of future mobility in Indian market, government policies, future of dealership business in India, current scenario and future of Indian automotive industry.
  • The FADA Awards for Dealership excellence across 6 categories will be given by the skill development & entrepreneurship minister, MN Pandey, the Chief Guest, along with Kapil Dev who will be the Guest of Honour. EY is the ‘knowledge partner’ for the awards.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

Maharashtra tops list of States hit by global medical data leak

  • Medical details of over 120 million Indian patients have been leaked and made freely available on the Internet, according to a recent report published by Greenbone Sustainable Resilience, a German cybersecurity firm.
  • The updated report places Maharashtra at the top of the States affected by the leak, with 3,08,451 troves offering access to 6,97,89,685 images. The next is Karnataka, with 1,82,865 data troves giving access to 1,37,31,001 images.
  • Some of the widespread data leak include massive numbers of records, including images of CT (computerized tomography)scans, X-rays, MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) and also pictures of the patients.
  • India was ranked 2nd in the ugly category after the United States (US).
About Maharashtra
  • Capital- Mumbai.
  • Governor- Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
  • Chief minister- Uddhav Bal Thackeray.

India ranks 40 out of 53 countries on global intellectual property index

  • India has been ranked 40th out of 53 countries on a global intellectual property index, even as the country has shown improvement in terms of scores when it comes to the protection of IP and copyright issues, a top American industry body. India was placed at 36th position among 50 countries in
  • India’s score, however, increased from 36.04 per cent (16.22 out of 45) in 2019 to 38.46 per cent (19.23 out of 50) in 2020, a 2.42 per cent jump in absolute score.
  • However, India’s relative score increased by 6.71 per cent, according to the International IP Index released by Global Innovation Policy Center or GIPC of the US Chambers of Commerce.
  • This year, it finds itself on the 40th place among 53 countries.
  • Two new Index economies (Greece and the Dominican Republic) scored ahead of India.
  • The Philippines, and Ukraine leapfrogged India.

Virat Kohli retains top spot as the most valuable celebrity in 2019 : Duff & Phelps

  • Kholi’s brand value grew 39% to $237.5 million. New faces in the top 20 include Ayushmann Khurrana, Tiger Shroff and Rohit Sharma
  • Ace cricketer Virat Kohli retained the top spot in the celebrity brand valuation rankings released by Duff & Phelps, for the third year in a row. His brand value grew by nearly 39 per cent to $237.5 million in 2019.
  • Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar bagged the second spot with a brand value of $104.5 million up by nearly 55.3 per cent over last year.
  • Meanwhile, celebrity couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh held the third spot on the list with a brand value of $93.5 million each.
  • This is the fifth edition of the Duff & Phelps Celebrity Brand Valuation Study , which provides a ranking of India’s most powerful celebrity brands based on brand values derived from their endorsement contracts.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Molecule to treat ALS identified

  • IITH research team hopes ‘AIM4’ will help arrest the disorder, which is only managed .A drug molecule that promises to help in the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a rare disease of the nervous system, has been identified by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH).
  • With no known drugs to treat ALS, which is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease, the molecule code named ‘AIM4’ raises expectations. Treatment options are limited to two drugs available for management of the condition.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

Navy to get third Scorpene submarine in December

  • The third Scorpene submarine, Karanj, will be delivered to the Indian Navy by December and all six submarine deliveries would be completed by
  • Karanj was launched into water in January 2018 and is currently in advanced stages of sea trials.
  • The first Scorpene, Kulvari, was commissioned in 2018 and it would go for a normal refit after six years in 2023, during which time the AIP would be installed. Second Scorpene Khanderi was inducted in September last.

Russian S-400 missile delivery to India to begin by end-2021

  • Russia will begin delivering S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to India by the end of 2021.
  • India signed a $5 billion deal for S-400 missiles in 2018, drawing warnings from the United States that such an acquisition would trigger sanctions as part of a wider program against Russia.
  • The contract is being implemented on schedule. The first shipment is due by the end of

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

Jagmohan Dalmiya’s son Avishek becomes youngest CAB president

  • Former BCCI president late Jagmohan Dalmiya’s son Avishek became the youngest president of Cricket Association Bengal after being elected unopposed. Avishek, 38, was holding the post of joint secretary before his elevation.
  • BCCI president Sourav Ganguly’s elder brother Snehasish Ganguly, a former Bengal left-hander, is the new joint secretary. Avishek has become the 18th president of CAB.
  • The CAB president’s post was lying vacant after former India captain Sourav Ganguly took over the reins of BCCI. Avishek, however, will go for a cooling-off period from November 6, 2021 as per the Lodha recommended Constitution giving him a tenure of about 22 months.

Rakhi Halder bags gold at Senior Women’s National Weightlifting Championships

  • In Senior Women’s National Weightlifting Championships, Rakhi Halder of Bengal has bagged gold in the 64kg category of the 35th edition of the event in
  • Though way short of her personal best, Halder lifted 93 kg in snatch and 117 kg in clean and jerk to clinch the gold medal .She was 10kg ahead of her nearest rival Harjinder Kaur of Chandigarh.
  • Ranked 19th in the Olympic qualifiers list, Halder had produced a personal best of 218 kg at the Qatar International Cup last year to win the bronze medal.
  • At the Commonwealth Championship in June 2019, Halder who is also an Indian Railways employee had clinched the gold with a total lift of 214-kg.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Former Assam Assembly Speaker Pranab Kumar Gogoi passes away

  • Former Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly and sitting Congress MLA Pranab Kumar Gogoi passed away.
  • Pranab Gogoi was elected to the Assam Assembly from Sivasagar Assembly constituency for four consecutive terms.
  • Pranab Gogoi served as a minister in Tarun Gogoi-led cabinet from 2006-2011. He was elected as the Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly in 2011.

Former Karnataka Minister D. Manjunath passes away

  • Former Legislative Council Chairman D. Manjunath, 92, passed away.
  • Manjunath was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1967 from Hiriyur and became Deputy Speaker.
  • Manjunath had a long association with the Janata Parivar after his initial association with the Congress. His last stint as Minister came during the JD(S)-BJP coalition, when he became Minister for Forests and Higher Education in the Kumaraswamy Cabinet.

Alice Mayhew, celebrated book editor, passes away

  • Alice Mayhew, the celebrated and influential editor of political and historical works whose authors included Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Taylor Branch and Doris Kearns Goodwin, has passed away at age 87.
  • Mayhew edited some of the most notable nonfiction books of the last half century, including Woodward and Bernstein’s landmark Watergate bestseller “All the President’s Men,” Branch’s acclaimed civil rights trilogy and Goodwin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “No Ordinary Time.”

DAILY CA 5th   FEB

  • 38 Cr bank accounts opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana till last month: MoS Anurag Thakur
  • DST launches SATHI Initiative for building shared, professionally managed strong S&T infrastructure
  • UK to ban new petrol car sales from 2035
  • PSUs owe telecom ministry ₹65 lakh crore: MoS Sanjay Dhotre
  • Amazon partners Eastern Railway to have pick-up kiosks at Sealdah
  • HCL to set up global delivery center in Colombo
  • Tech Mahindra launches Blockchain accelerator
  • Mughal Gardens to open for public
  • Maharashtra records highest number of missing women: NCRB
  • Maker Village to tie up with AICTE on entrepreneurship
  • Cognizant acquires Code Zero, a consultancy for Cloud-based CPQ & billing solutions
  • Madan Lal,RP Singh and Sulakshana Naik named in BCCI’s three-member Cricket Advisory Committee
  • Sourav Ganguly to accept India’s goodwill ambassador offer for Tokyo Olympics
  • Kosovo forms new government, Kurti elected for Prime Minister
  • Pramod Kumar Singh appointed wholetime member of pension fund regulator
  • RBI governor Shaktikanta Das is Asia Pacific central banker of the year
  • Babenco: Tell Me When I Die by Barbara Paz bags Golden Conch Award for Best Documentary Film at MIFF 2020
  • India to host EAS conference in Chennai
  • Country’s biggest horticultural fair begins in bengaluru
  • IIMB to host meet on future of aviation and aerospace
  • Natural disasters cost world $232 billion in 2019: Report
  • L&T MBDA Missile System sets up integration facility in Tamil Nadu
  • HAL to make advanced armed UAVs with Israeli Co
  • Weightlifting: Mirabai Chanu betters her own national record; wins gold with 203 kg lift
  • Wasim Jaffer becomes first player to score 12,000 runs in Ranji Trophy
  • Former Nizamabad MP Narayana Reddy passes away
  • Kenya’s longest serving President Daniel Arap Moi passes away

DAILY CA 6th   FEB

  • PM Modi sets target of 5 billion dollars for defence exports in next five years
  • Cabinet approves to confer the status of Institution of National Importance to five IIITs
  • Cabinet gives in principle approval to set up a new major port in Maharashtra
  • Cabinet approves amendment to bring cooperative banks under regulatory control of RBI
  • Cabinet approves India-Sri Lanka Alliance Air flights
  • MSME implemented new scheme SFURTI to set up traditional industries clusters
  • Bhutan to charge entry fee for Indian tourists
  • World Cancer Day 2020: 1 in 10 Indians Likely to Develop Cancer in Their Lifetime, Says Study
  • WHO calls for USD 675m in donations to fight novel coronavirus
  • India’s Ambassador to UAE assumes responsibility of India’s Co-Chair of Expo-2020 Dubai Committee
  • Prince Charles unveils children’s protection fund for India
  • Gates Foundation announces USD 100 million for coronavirus response
  • RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 15%
  • RBI announces external benchmarking of loans for medium enterprises from April 1
  • All-in-One Android PoS device unveiled by Paytm
  • Instamojo buys digital commerce platform GetMeAShop for $5 million
  • Karnataka launches Janasevaka scheme for home delivery of govt services
  • Kumbhabhishekam of Brihadeeswarar temple in Tamil Nadu
  • Mangalore varsity pact on radioecology research
  • India-Norway sign MoUs in field of research and higher education
  • APEDA-CFTRI Sign MoU for Liason Office in Guwahati :Will Promote Food Processing & Organic Agri Exports in North-East States
  • HAL signs MoU with Israeli firm to make, sell drones
  • World Bank chief economist announces resignation
  • JSW Steel signs cricketer Rishabh Pant as brand ambassador
  • Big Bang Boom Solutions Wins Prestigious SKOCH Award
  • Prime Minister inaugurates DefExpo in Lucknow
  • 22nd India International Seafood Show in Kochi
  • FADA to organise 11th Auto Summit 2020
  • Maharashtra tops list of States hit by global medical data leak
  • India ranks 40 out of 53 countries on global intellectual property index
  • Virat Kohli retains top spot as the most valuable celebrity in 2019 : Duff & Phelps
  • Molecule to treat ALS identified in IIT Hyderabad
  • Navy to get third Scorpene submarine in December
  • Russian S-400 missile delivery to India to begin by end-2021
  • Jagmohan Dalmiya’s son Avishek becomes youngest CAB president
  • Rakhi Halder bags gold at Senior Women’s National Weightlifting Championships
  • Former Assam Assembly Speaker Pranab Kumar Gogoi passes away
  • Alice Mayhew, celebrated book editor, passes away
  • Former Karnataka Minister D. Manjunath passes away

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