National Affairs
India’s first inter-city electric bus service inaugurated in Maharashtra
India’s first inter-city electric bus service was recently inaugurated in the state of Maharashtra between Mumbai and Pune by the Union Transport minister Nitin Gadkari.
The luxury electric bus with 43-seater capacity has been manufactured by a private firm and being operated by another Maharashtra-based mobility firm. The bus would be operated twice daily between the two cities.
Government of India hosts National Organic Food Festival in New Delhi
The Government of India is to host National Organic Food Festival at the National Capital February 21 to February 23, 2020. The Festival will be held at the theme of “Unleashing India’s Organic Market Potential”.
The festival will be jointly organized by the Ministry of `women and Child Development (MoWCD) and Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI). Around 150 women entrepreneurs are to participate in the festival.
The Main aim of the festival is to boost production of organic products.
About Delhi:
- Chief Minister – Aravind Kejriwal
“Operation Nakail” for Auto-rickshaws in Ghaziabad
The Ghaziabad police launched ‘Operation Nakail’ under which the identity of all auto-rickshaw drivers will be verified and a unique four-digit number will be allotted to them. The drivers will be required to get the unique number printed on the front, left, right and rear side of the auto-rickshaws. Customers can file complaints using the number if they face any harassment.
About Uttar Pradesh:
- Governor – Anadiben Patel
- Chief Minister – Yogi Adithyanath
- Capital – Lucknow
International Affairs
EIU lowers global growth forecast for 2020 to 2.2%
The Economist Intelligence Unit has revised downwards its global growth forecast for 2020 to 2.2%. It has lowered the forecast due to the new risks that have emerged following the novel coronovirus out break in china.
The Economist Intelligence Unit’s baseline scenario is that the public health emergency in China will be brought under control by end march.
43rd IFAD Governing Council in Rome, Italy: Climate Change to push 100 millions to poverty by 2030
The IFAD’s 43rd Governing Council meeting was held in Rome, Italy on 11-12 February 2020 on the theme “Investing in sustainable food systems to end hunger by 2030”. During the meet, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) stated that the sequences of climate change and it’s impacts on agriculture will push around 100 million people to poverty by 2030.
About IFAD:
- Establishment– 1977
- President– Gilbert F. Houngbo
- Headquarters– Rome, Italy
Economic Affairs
Sebi constitutes Municipal bonds development committee
Markets regulator Sebi has constituted a Municipal Bonds Development Committee headed by Sujit Prasad. This committee will suggest on policy matters pertaining to the development of municipal debt securities and facilitate municipalities for issuance of such bonds.
This committee comprises representatives from municipal corporations, lawyers, professionals and market practitioners. The panel will advise Sebi on issues related to regulation and development of the primary and secondary market of municipal debt securities.
About Sebi:
- SEBI Headquarter: Mumbai,
- Chairperson: Ajay Tyagi.
State Affairs
Bihar
Bihar govt launches `Pyaar ka Paudha` campaign to promote the practice of planting trees
The state Government of Bihar’s Department of Environment and Forest in Patna has launched `Pyaar ka Paudha` (a plant of love) drive under the Jal Jeevan Hariyali campaign with an aim to promote the practice of planting trees in the state.
As a part of this imitative, the environment department has appealed to the people to gift the plant of love to their close ones as it will be alive for years & also stalls of Patna plants have been planted for this purpose.
About Bihar:
- Capital– Patna
- Governor– Phagu Chauhan
- Chief minister– Nitish Kumar
Maharashtra:
Maharashtra govt announces five-day working week for its employees
The Maharashtra government has announced a five-day working week for its officers and employees.
The Maharashtra state cabinet also extended the current work hours by 45 minutes.The new routine would start from 29th February this year.
Currently, Maharashtra government officials work on the first and third Saturdays of the month and get an off on the second and fourth Saturdays.
About Maharashtra:
- Capital – Mumbai
- Chief Minister –Uddhav Thackarey
- Governor – Bhagat Singh Koshiyari
Awards & Recognitions
DMart’s Founder Radhakishan Damani becomes India’s 2nd richest person after Mukesh Ambani
Supermarket chain DMart’s Founder Radhakishan Damani becomes India’s 2nd richest person after Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited. According to Forbes ‘Real Time Billionaires’ Index, Damani has a net worth of $17.8 billion.
About DMart:
- Founded- 2000.
- Founder- Radhakishan Damani.
- Headquarters- Mumbai.
Appointments
Vinay Dube appointed as CEO of GoAir
Vinay Dube was appointed as the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of GoAir. He was the successor of Cornelis Vrieswijk who resigned in February 2019. GoAir MD (Managing Director), Jehangir Waldia was holding the additional charge of chief executive.
Important Points:
About Vinay Dube:Vinay Dube served as CEO of Jet Airways and joined GoAir in an advisory role in October 2019. He also served as a senior vice president (Asia Pacific) at Delta Airlines, CEO of Delta Technology, vice president at Sabre Airline Solutions and manager at American Airlines.
About GoAir:
- Founded- 2005.
- Founder- Jehangir Waldia.
- Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Robin Singh appointed UAE’s Director of Cricket
Former India all-rounder Robin Singh has been appointed director of cricket of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Singh, who had represented India in one Test and 136 ODIs between 1989 and 2001, has over the years made a name for himself in coaching.
He was associated with the Indian Premier League’s Mumbai Indians franchise, Caribbean Premier League’s Barbados Tridents since 2013 and T10 franchises in th T10 league here.
Sports Affairs
Kiren Rijiju announces Ladakh and J&K will host Khelo India Winter Games 2020
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has announced Khelo India winter games 2020 which will be held in the Union Territory of Ladakh later this month followed by a similar event in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in March.
ICC women’sT20I rankings 2020: Smriti mandhana reached 4th place
According to the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20I (Twenty-twenty International) rankings 2020 for Women players, Indian women’s cricket team’s star batsman Smriti Shriniwas Mandhana has moved up three places to 4th in the batsmen’s rankings with 732 points, while Jemimah Rodriques slipped to number 7. Harmanpreet Kaur holds the 9th position in this list of batsmen.
Batting ranking: New Zealand batsman Suzannah Wilson “Suzie” Bates is at the first place with a rating of 765.
Bowling: In the bowling rankings, Australia’s Megan Scutt ranks first & India’s Poonam Yadav slipped six places to drop out of the top 10 and now remains in the 12th position.
About ICC:
- Headquarters– Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Chairman– Shashank Manohar
- CEO– Manu Sawhney
Obituaries
Baseball legend Katsuya Nomura passes away
Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame catcher and renowned manager Katsuya Nomura (84-years) passed away due to heart failure.
Nomura was one of NPB’s greatest slugging catchers, amassing 657 home runs, 1,988 RBIs and 2,901 hits in 3,017 games over 26 seasons spent mostly with the Hawks.
In 1965, he became the first NPB batter to win the Triple Crown in the postwar era.
Important Days
National Women’s Day of India 2020
India celebrates Sarojini Naidu’s birthday as National Women’s Day every year on February 13. This year Nation celebrates its 141st Birth Anniversary. She was born on February 13, 1879. She was famous for her nickname ‘Nightingale of India’ or ‘Bharat Kokila’ because of her poems.
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