daily news 20-2-2019

National News

1. PM Modi Flagged Off 1st Ever Diesel To Electric Conversion Locomotive
i. Under ‘Make in India’ initiative, Indian Railways has created history by converting a diesel locomotive into electric locomotive for the first time in the world. This all new converted energy-efficient electric locomotive has been flagged off by PM Narendra Modi in Varanasi.
ii. In a first of its kind notable initiative, the diesel locomotive which has been converted to electric locomotive by the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) in Varanasi. The entire project is an Indian R&D innovation for the entire world, says Indian Railways.

2. Saudi Becomes 73rd Nation To Sign International Solar Alliance
i. Saudi Arabia became the 73rd nation to sign the International Solar Alliance. ISA was unveiled by PM Narendra Modi and former French President Francois Hollande in 2015. 
ii. The move came at Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visit to India.

3. Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons Inaugurated ‘Eco Circuit’ Project in Kerala 
i. K.J. Alphons, Union Minister for Tourism inaugurated the project ‘Development of Eco Circuit: Pathanamthitta – Gavi – Vagamon – Thekkady’ under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of Ministry of Tourism at Vagamon, Kerala.
ii. This Eco Circuit project was sanctioned in December 2015 for Rs. 76.55 crores. Major works carried out under the project includes Eco Adventure Tourism Park at Vagamon, Cultural Centre at Kadamanitta.
4. Textiles Minister Launched 4 Projects in North-East For Development Of Silk Sector
i. Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani, launched four projects in North East for the development of silk sector through video conference in New Delhi. 
ii. Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated Muga silk seed production centre in Tura, Meghalaya, silk printing and processing unit in Agartala, Tripura, Eri spun silk mill in Sangaipat, Imphal and development of sericulture in Mamit, Mizoram.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For NIACL AO Mains Exam:

Assam is the 1st state nationalized (1950) in India among North-East states.

5. Commerce Minister Launched ‘SWAYATT’ on GeM
i. Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, launched SWAYATT in New Delhi. SWAYATT is an initiative to promote Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage Through eTransactions on Government e Marketplace (GeM). 
ii. On this occasion, Commerce Minister also dedicated GeM Start-up Runway-an initiative of GeM in association with Start-up India to facilitate Start-ups registered with Start-up India to access the public procurement market and sell innovative products and services to government buyers.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For NIACL AO Mains Exam:

Radha Chauhan is the CEO of Government e Marketplace (GeM).

6. Development Projects Worth Rs. 3350 crores Unveiled by PM in Varanasi
i. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi unveiled development projects worth Rs. 3350 crores for Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. These projects pertain to various sectors of Health, Sanitation, Smart City, Connectivity, Power, Housing and others.
ii. He released commemorative postage stamp on completion of 100 Years of IIT BHU. He also inaugurated BHU Cancer Centre and Bhabha Cancer Hospital, Lahartara.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For NIACL AO Mains Exam:

Governor of UP: Ram Naik, CM of UP: Yogi Adityanath.

7. Important Cabinet Approvals: 19th February 2019
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The important Cabinet Approvals are given as follows:
ii. The Cabinet has approved- 
1. Promulgation of the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019.
2. The release of an additional instalment of DA to Central Government employees and DR to Pensioners, due from 1.1.2019.
Find The Complete Set of Approvals Here

Sci-Tech News

8. India’s First Hi-Tech Forensic Lab NCFL and CyPAD Inaugurated In New Delhi
i. Cyber Prevention Awareness and Detection (CyPAD) Centre and the National Cyber Forensic Lab (NCFL) were inaugurated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and LG Anil Baijal in Dwarka, New Delhi.
ii. To spread awareness among school students and teachers, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has started a popular Twitter handle @CyberDost.
9. Bandicoot-A Drainage-Cleaning Robot Introduced In Chennai
i. Bandicoot, a drainage-cleaning robot, has been introduced for the first time in India at the Kumbakonam city corporation as part of efforts to rid of manual scavenging at the cost of Rs 18 lakh in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
ii. It is a semi-automatic robot can enter manholes for cleaning sewage lines with its robotic arm and is equipped with 5 night-vision cameras to relay the scenario underneath. 

Business/Banking News

10. HDFC ERGO Launched 1st-of-its-kind Trip Protector' Policy
i. HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, India's third-largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector, announced the launch of ‘Trip Protector' insurance policy, a pioneering policy in the non-life insurance segment in India.
ii. In the event of a cancellation, either a flight or hotel booking, Trip Protector insurance policy will safeguard travelers financially against the cost of cancellation levied by Hotels or Airlines. 
Static/Current Takeaways Important For NIACL AO Mains Exam:

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company is a 51:49 joint venture between the Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (HDFC) and ERGO International AG.

11. Government Relaxes Angel Tax Norms For Start-ups From 7 Years To 10 Years
i. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry in an attempt to provide relief to and boost investments into start-ups in India has decided to simplify the process for them to get exemptions under the Income Tax Act, 1961.
ii. It will now recognize an entity as a start-up up to 10 years from the date of its incorporation or registration instead of the existing duration of 7 years. It will also recognize an entity as a start-up if its turnover for any of the financial years since its incorporation or registration does not exceed Rs 100 crore unlike the previous amount of Rs 25 crore.

Important Days

12. World Day of Social Justice: 20 February
i. The World Day of Social Justice is celebrated annually all over the world on 20 February. 
ii. The theme for WDSJ 2019 is "If You Want Peace & Development, Work for Social Justice".

Awards 

13. 7th National Photography Awards Announced: Complete List of Winners
i. Union Minister of State (IC) for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore presented the 7th National Photography Awards in a function organized at National Media Centre in New Delhi. 
ii. The theme for the Professional category was “Women led Development”, while the theme for Amateur category was “Fairs and Festivals of India”.
iii. The list of the Award winners is as under:

Lifetime Achievement Award – Shri Ashok Dilwali





Professional Photographer of the Year – Shri SL Shanth Kumar





Amateur Photographer of the Year – Shri Gurdeep Dhiman





Special Mention Awards (Professional) – Shri Arun Sreedhar, Shri P.V. Sunderrao, Shri Kailash Mittal, Shri Mihir Singh, Ms. Ranita Roy.





Special Mention Awards (Amateur) – Shri V. Ravi Kumar, Ms. S. Neelima, Shri Manish Jaisi, Shri Mahesh Balasaheb Lonkar, Shri Avijit Datta.

Sports News

14. Squash Great Nicol David Announces Retirement
i. Malaysia’s 8-time World Champion Nicol David has announced that she will call time on her record-breaking career at the end of the 2018/19 season. 
ii. The 35-year-old from Penang is one of the most successful squash players of all time and spent an unprecedented 9 years at World No.1 between 2006-2015.

Obituaries

15. Noted Hindi Writer Namvar Singh Passes Away
i. Noted Hindi writer Namvar Singh passed away in New Delhi. He was 92. Singh was the first chairman of JNU's Centre of Indian Languages.
ii. He has authored over dozen books including 'Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman', 'Chhayavad' and 'Dusri Parampara Ki Khoj' among others. He received Sahitya Academy Award for literary criticism in 1971 for 'Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman'.
16. ‘Badge of Honor’ Military Novelist, W.E.B. Griffin Passes Away
i. American military veteran and novelist, William E. Butterworth III, better known as W.E.B. Griffin (his pen name), passed away at the age of 89. He joined the army at the age of 17 and has served in the Korean War.
ii. He wrote more than 200 books under the pen name W.E.B. Griffin and various other names and sold millions of copies. 

Daily news 14-2-2019

National News

1. India’s 1st Aqua Mega Food Park Commissioned in Andhra Pradesh
i. Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal commissioned Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park at Tundurru Village in Bhimavaram Mandal, West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh through video conferencing.
ii. The park is promoted by Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park Pvt. Ltd. It will be the first Mega Aqua Food Park operationalised exclusively for fish and marine products processing in the state of Andhra Pradesh. 
Static/Current Takeaways Important For NIACL AO Mains Exam:

Andhra Pradesh CM: Chandrababu Naidu, Governor: ESL Narasimhan.

The Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park Pvt. Ltd has been set up in 57.81 acre of land at a cost of Rs. 122.60 crores.



2. Important Cabinet Approvals: 14th February 2019
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The important Cabinet Approvals are given as follows:
ii. The Cabinet has approved- 
1. MoU between India and Morocco for setting up of a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism.
2. Proposal for leasing out of 1.61 acres of land at Alipur, Delhi, owned by Delhi Milk Scheme to Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium for setting up of Kisan Mandi.
Find The Complete Agreements Here
3. 16th Lok Sabha Session Concludes
i. The last session of 16th Lok Sabha came to an end on 13th of February 2019. Giving the details for the tenure of 16th Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed that there were a total number of 331 sittings for Lok Sabha. 205 bills were passed and the productivity was 85%. 
ii. For Rajya Sabha, 154 bills were passed and the productivity was 68%. The just-concluded Parliament session provided 10 sittings spread just-concluded of 14 days. The productivity of Lok Sabha was 89% and that of Rajya Sabha was 8%. 
Static/Current Takeaways Important For NIACL AO Mains Exam:

Sumitra Mahajan is the present Speaker of Lok Sabha.

4. AYUSH Ministry Launched e-AUSHADHI Portal
i. Minister of State (IC) for AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Naik launched the e-AUSHADHI portal, for online licensing of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs and related matters at New Delhi.
ii. This e-AUSHADHI portal is intended for increased transparency, improved information management facility, improved data usability and increased accountability. 

5. Indian Army Carried Out The Annual Exercise Named ‘Exercise Topchi’
i. Indian Army showcased its artillery firepower by using ultralight Howitzers and indigenous Swathi weapon-locating radar at the annual “Exercise Topchi”. The exercise was held at Deolali Camp near Nashik. 
ii. There were a showcase of display of rockets, missiles, surveillance, and target acquisition radars, remotely piloted aircraft and hi-tech equipment in addition to gunfire.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NIACL AO Mains Exam:

Chief of the Army Staff – General Bipin Rawat.

International News

6. Macedonia Officially Changed Its Name to North Macedonia
i. The country, formerly known as the Republic of Macedonia officially changed its name to the Republic of North Macedonia, on paper ending a decades-long dispute that should pave the way for NATO membership. 
ii. The freshly named country celebrated the event with a flag-raising ceremony marking its prospective – and long-awaited – accession to NATO.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For NIACL AO Mains Exam:

North Macedonia Capital: Skopje, Currency: Macedonian denar.

Awards

7. Bradley Cooper Wins Best Director From PETA for ‘A Star Is Born’
i. Bradley Cooper has been awarded the ‘Oscat’ by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
ii. The animal rights organisation awarded Cooper "for his enlightened decision to cast his own canine companion in 'A Star Is Born' rather than using one supplied by a notorious animal exhibitor".
8. Siddhartha Lal Wins The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year For 2018 
i. Siddhartha Lal, managing director and chief executive officer, Eicher Motors, has been awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year for 2018. Lal will now represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY) in Monte Carlo from 6 – 8 June 2019.
ii. The other EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 winners are:
1. Lifetime Achievement Award: Azim Premji, Chairman of Wipro.
2. Start-up: Byju Raveendran, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Think & Learn (BYJU’S).
Find The Complete Awards List Here

Books and Authors

9. P Chidambaram’s Book “Undaunted: Saving the Idea of India” Launched
i. Former Vice President Hamid Ansari launched the new book of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram named “Undaunted: Saving the Idea of India” at Nehru Memorial Museum, New Delhi. 
ii. The book is a collection of essays on the country’s atmosphere of fear and how the constitutional values are being threatened.

Sports News

10. ‘Clouded Leopard’ To Be Mascot For National Games 2022
i. The Sports and Youth Ministry in the meeting of Executive Committee of the National Games 2022 has chosen the Smiling Clouded Leopard to be the Mascot for the National Games 2022.
ii. Meghalaya will host the 2022 National Games, which is coinciding with its 50 years of statehood. Clouded Leopard is among the wild cats that live throughout the forests of Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia Hills.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NIACL AO Mains Exam:

Meghalaya Capital: Shillong, Chief Minister: Conrad Sangma, Governor: Tathagata Roy.

Obituaries

11. Chemistry Nobel Prize Winner Manfred Eigen Passes Away 
i. German scientist Manfred Eigen, who jointly won the 1967 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, passed away aged 91. 
ii. Eigen had won the prize for working on a method to calculate speeds of extremely fast chemical reactions, effected by disturbing the equilibrium by means of short energy pulses. 
12. Legendary Goalkeeper Of England, Gardon Banks Passed Away
i. One of the world’s most famous goalkeeper Gordon Banks passed away at the age of 81 in England. Gordon Banks was named as FIFA (The Federation Internationale de Football) Goalkeeper of the year six times and earned 73 caps for England between 1963 and 1972.
ii. He won World Cup in 1966

daily news 6-2-2019

National 

1. Maharashtra Sets Up Panel To Review Welfare Schemes For Tribals
i. The Maharashtra government has set up a committee to review various schemes being implemented for the welfare of tribals in the state. 
ii. The 17-member committee, headed by former MLA and Shramjeevi Sanghatna president Vivek Pandit, will undertake the study of various works done for providing employment opportunities, minimum wages and proper livelihood to tribals.
2. Transport Minister Launches Highway Projects In Odisha
i. The Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone of three major highway projects with an investment worth Rs 2,345 crores in Odisha. The projects are aimed at ensuring speedy development in the state.
ii. The three highway projects are expected to considerably improve connectivity of mineral-rich Angul and Dhenkanal districts with the rest of Odisha. The three national highway projects will have a total length of 132 km.
3. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) App Launched
i. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) App has been launched on Google play store. Ayushman Bharat Yojana or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is a centrally sponsored scheme; which was launched in the year 2018, under the Ayushman Bharat Mission of MoHFW in the country.
ii. This scheme aims at making interventions in primary, secondary and tertiary care systems, covering both preventive and promotive health, to address healthcare holistically. Moving ahead to digitalisation this app is now available on Google Play store.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For NIACL AO Mains Exam:

Indu Bhushan is the CEO of PM-JAY.

4. Punjab Government Constitutes 5 Member Committee To Promote Dairy Farming
i. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced a high-powered 5-member committee to prepare a comprehensive action plan to boost the dairy sector with the aim of supplementing the income of farmers in a result-oriented manner.
ii. The committee would consist of Chairman State Farmers Commission, Director Animal Husbandry,  Director of Dairy Development, a representative of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU).
Static/Current Takeaways Important For NIACL AO Mains Exam:

V.P. Singh Badnore is the present Governor of Punjab.

Awards

5. President Presents Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards to 42 for the year 2017
i. President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for the year 2017 to 42 noted artists in five categories. 
ii. The awards were presented at a special function held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.
Find The Complete  award List here 
6. NFDC Declared Winner For Promotion of SC/ST Entrepreneurs
i. National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) of India has been selected as Winner under the Miniratna Category (Category II) by Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
ii. This has been done as part of an endeavour by Ministry of MSME to felicitate select CPSEs to recognize their exemplary work towards promotion of SC/ST entrepreneurs.

Banking News

7. RBI Slaps Penalty on Syndicate Bank and Axis Bank
i. The Reserve Bank of India has slapped an Rs1-crore penalty on Syndicate Bank and Rs20 lakh on Axis Bank for violating norms. The penalty on Syndicate Bank is due to non-compliance with the directions regarding frauds and risk management systems. 
ii. Axis Bank was fined for contravention of the directions on detection and impounding of counterfeit notes and installation of note sorting machines.

Appointments

8. Dinesh Bhatia Appointed As The Ambassador of India To The Republic Of Argentina
i. The government has appointed Dinesh Bhatia, the present Consul General, Consulate General of India at Toronto as the next Ambassador of India to Argentina. 
ii The MEA stated that present India's envoy to Argentina Sanjiv Ranjan has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Colombia.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NIACL AO Mains Exam-

Capital: Buenos Aires, Currency: Argentine peso.

Sports News

9. Ramit Tandon Wins Seattle Open
i. Indian squash player Ramit Tandon defeated Egyptian Mohamed El Sherbini in the finals to win the Seattle Open, a PSA challenger squash Tour event. 
ii. The top-seeded Indian, who rose to his career high ranking of 58 in the latest February list, won his first PSA title in the new year and fourth title overall in his career.

Science and Technology News

10. ISRO Launches GSAT 31 From French Guiana
i. India’s 40th communication satellite GSAT-31 has been launched successfully from French Guiana. The Ariane-5 rocket lifted off with it from Kourou Launch Base, and in 42-minutes, placed it in the intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.
ii. It was immediately taken control by Indian Space Research Organization ISRO scientists from its Hassan facility in Karnataka. GSAT-31 will provide transponder capacity for DTH television and connectivity to services like VSATs for ATMs, stock-exchanges, Digital Satellite News Gathering DSNG and e-governance applications.
Find More about GSAT-31
Static/Current Takeaways Important For NIACL AO Mains Exam:

ISRO Director: K. Sivan, Headquarters: Bengaluru, Established in: 1969.

Obituaries 

11. Veteran Marathi Actor Ramesh Bhatkar Passes Away
i. Veteran Marathi actor Ramesh Bhatkar passed away aged 70 after battling cancer for over one and a half years. 
ii. During his career, spanning over 30 years, the actor starred in several Marathi films and television series including 'Aai Pahije' and 'Commander'. The actor also featured in Hindi films like 'The Accidental Prime Minister' and 'Bhavesh Joshi Superhero