Current Affairs Today 19th February 2020-Download in PDF

Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Current Affairs Today 19th February 2020. These are important for the upcoming Exams. Candidates who were preparing for the examination can use these current affairs and also you can download the same as PDF.

Current Affairs Today – 19th February 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

1. The Soil Health Card Day is observed on 19 February.
2. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti is celebrated on 19 February.
3. The Ministry of Textiles organized “Kala Kumbh” exhibition in New Delhi
4. The Delhi International Airport Ltd has declared “Indira Gandhi International Airport” of Delhi as India’s first single-use plastic-free airport.
5. The Delhi Police has integrated its “Himmat Plus App” with the app of ride hailing company “Uber” to ensure safety and security of people travelling in cabs.
6. Union Minister of Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi chaired Chintan Shivir, a two-day brainstorming session at Kevadia in Gujarat on 17-18 February.
7. State of India’s Birds 2020 reported that 79% of the bird species are on a decline in the last five years.
8. Minister of State (independent charge) for shipping Mansukh Laxman Mandaviya laid the foundation stone for a 50-metre-high lighthouse at Dhanushkodi near Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu.
9. The Uttar Pradesh state government has allocated Rs.2,000 crore for the Noida international airport that is being set up at Jewar. The allocation was announced in the state budget.
10. In Tripura, Tea Board of India in collaboration with Tripura Tea Development Corporation (TTDC) organized “Run for India Tea”.
11. Ashraf Ghani has won the Presidential elections of Afghanistan and will become the President of Afghanistan for the 2nd time.
12. Pakistan successfully flight tested the air-launched nuclear-capable cruise missile Ra’ad-II.
13. A brainstorming session “Chintan Shivir” was held at Kevadia in Gujarat.
14. Bangladesh and Nepal have agreed to sign a Free Trade Agreement to enhance trade between the two countries.
15. Union Minister for Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Norway’s Minister for Climate and Environment Mr. Sveinung Rotevatn opened the India-Norway Task Force on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development on 18 February.
16. Sunil Kumar won India’s first Greco-Roman gold medal in Asian Wrestling Championships in 27 years on 18 February.
17. Navi Mumbai will be hosting the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on 21 November.
18. Researchers at the Atomic Minerals Directorate has estimated lithium reserves of 14,100 tonnes in a patch of land surveyed in Mandya, Bengaluru.
19. The former Manchester United goalkeeper Harry Gregg passed away.
20. Veteran Kannada actor Kishori Ballal passed away on 18 February 2020.
21. Former Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) President Dr. V L Dutt passed away on 18 February.

NEWS IN DETAILS

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

Soil Health Card Day to be observed on 19 February

• The Soil Health Card Day is observed on 19 February.
• The day commemorates the day Soil Health Card Scheme which was launched on 19 February 2015 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at Suratgarh, Rajasthan.

Soil health card scheme:

♦ The scheme aims to assess the nutrient status of every farm holding in India.

♦ The scheme was introduced to assist State Governments to issue Soil Health Card (SHC) to all farmers in the country.

♦ So far, a total of Rs.751.42 crore has been released under the scheme.

♦ The scheme aims to issue soil health cards to farmers every 2 years so as to provide a basis to address nutritional deficiencies in fertilization practices.

♦ The scheme will assist State Governments to issue soil health cards to all farmers in the country.

Note: The year 2015 was observed as the International Year of Soils.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti is celebrated on 19 February

• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti is celebrated on 19 February.
• He was an embodiment of courage, compassion and good governance.
• His life continues to motivate millions.
• The year 2020 marks the 390th birth anniversary of great Maratha warrior Shivaji. PM Narendra Modi paid his tribute to India’s great hero.

Events:

♦ Shivaji Jayanti is celebrated as a public holiday in Maharashtra.

♦ The day is celebrated on a grand scale in the state.

♦ The celebration was first started in 1870 in Pune by Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. He discovered the tomb of Shivaji Maharaj on Raigad.

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Ministry of Textiles organises Kala Kumbh exhibition in New Delhi

• The Ministry of Textiles organized “Kala Kumbh” exhibition in New Delhi.
• It is an exhibition to promote Geographical Indication (GI) craft and heritage of India.
• The exhibitions are planned in various major cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai.
• The exhibitions are sponsored by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH).
• The GI tag is used on handicrafts which correspond to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country).
• As of August 2019, 178 GI handicraft products were registered from all over India.

Delhi’s IGI Airport becomes India’s first single-use plastic-free airport

• The Delhi International Airport Ltd has declared “Indira Gandhi International Airport” of Delhi as India’s first single-use plastic-free airport.
• The CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development has certified Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) as single-use plastic-free airport.
• The CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development lauded DIAL for its successful voluntary implementation of measures to make IGI Airport’s as India’s first single-use plastic-free airport.

Extra Shots:

IGIA: Indira Gandhi International Airport serves as the major international aviation hub of the Indian capital city of New Delhi as well as India. The airport, spread over an area of 5,106 acres, is situated in Palam, 15 km south-west of the New Delhi railway station and 16 km from New Delhi city centre.

Delhi Police integrates “Himmat Plus app” with Uber for passenger’s safety

• The Delhi Police has integrated its “Himmat Plus App” with the app of ride hailing company “Uber” to ensure safety and security of people travelling in cabs.
• The Himmat Plus App was launched at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport.
• This app will give the real-time location of a driver or a rider during emergency.
• In response to it, Police Control Room (PCR) van will be assigned to provide assistance to the rider.
• When a rider scans the QR card, rider can access a driver’s details and vehicle information on the Himmat App. With the help of the app, rider can directly report their journey to the police.

Benefits of the “Himmat Plus app”:

• The integration of the App will enhance the location services and travel information to save the lives of people travelling in cabs. The initiative will also improve the efficiency of the Delhi Police to overcome the emergency situations.

Extra Shots:

Delhi:

• Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal.
• Deputy CM: Manish Sisodia.
• Governor: Anil Baijal.

India will stop the import of thermal coal from FY 2023-24 says, Pralhad Joshi

• Union Minister of Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi chaired Chintan Shivir, a two-day brainstorming session at Kevadia in Gujarat on 17-18 February.
• The Minister announced that India will stop importing thermal coal from Financial Year 2023-24.

Highlight:

♦ The workshop suggested ways to overcome various bottlenecks and provide innovative solutions to the Indian coal sector.

♦ It urged the key stakeholders to achieve 1 billion tonnes (BT) coal production target by Coal India Limited (CIL) by Financial Year 2023-24. The Ministry of Coal committed its effective coordination with Indian Railways and Shipping Ministry to enable CIL, Captive and Commercial Miners to evacuate more coal by 2030.

State of Indias Birds 2020 states 79 percent of the bird species are on a decline

• State of India’s Birds 2020 reported that 79% of the bird species are on a decline in the last five years.
• The report was released at the 13th Conference of Parties (COP-13) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) which is hosted in India.

Report Highlights:

♦ The report stated a dramatic rise in Peafowl/Peacock population calls for an assessment of crop damage caused by the bird.

♦ The report was based on data provided by citizen scientists and enthusiasts.

♦ The Indian bird species was compiled from the 10 million observations provided by birdwatchers on an online database known as eBird.

♦ It determined the population trends for only 261 species. Out of the total species, 52% of species showed a decline and 43% of bird species had a stable population.

♦ Vultures and bustards showed the biggest decline.

♦ 101 species were classified as high conservation concerns out of which 34 species are not considered to be threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Mansukh Mandaviya laid the foundation stone for a 50m lighthouse at Dhanushkodi

• Minister of State (independent charge) for shipping Mansukh Laxman Mandaviya laid the foundation stone for a 50-metre-high lighthouse at Dhanushkodi near Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu.

Lighthouse at Dhanushkodi:

♦ The new lighthouse at Dhanushkodi will be the 5th lighthouse in the district after Pasipattinam, Olakuda, Pamban, and Keelakarai.

♦ The lighthouse will guide fishermen and vessels and will be a tourist attraction place.

♦ A visitors’ gallery will be established at a height of 42 m and it will have a lift facility.

♦ Light equipment has been fixed with a range of 18 to 20 nautical miles (33 to 37 km) to facilitate navigation.

♦ The radar will be affixed on top of the tower for surveillance and security of local fishermen.

♦ The Coast Guard will monitor the data round-the-clock.

♦ The lighthouse will be fully operated using solar energy.

Extra Shots:

Tamilnadu

• Capital: Chennai
• Chief Minister: Edappadi K.Palanisamy
• Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
• Chief Justice of Madras High Court: Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani
• National Park: Guindy NP,Gulf of Mannar Marine NP, Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) NP,             Mudumalai NP, Mukurthi NP.

UP allocated Rs.2,000 crore for the Noida international airport

• The Uttar Pradesh state government has allocated Rs.2,000 crore for the Noida international airport that is being set up at Jewar. The allocation was announced in the state budget.

Noida international airport:

♦ The fund allocation will support the authorities of the Yamuna Expressway industrial development authority (Yeida), the Noida and the Greater Noida who are facing a financial crisis.

♦ The move aims to boost to expedite this project.

♦ The allocation of funds in the state budget for airport projects will ensure the project gets ample financial help.

♦ The airport will be set up along the 165 km Yamuna Expressway.

♦ After the security clearance, the Jewar airport, Zurich Airport international AG, and newly formed special purpose vehicle, Yamuna International Airport private limited (YIAPL) will begin the project.

Extra Shots:

Uttar Pradesh:

• Capital: Lucknow
• Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
• Governor: Anandiben Patel
• State formed in: 24 January 1950
• Literacy Rate: 67.68%
• Nation Park: Dudhwa National Park

“Run for India Tea” event organised in Tripura

• In Tripura, Tea Board of India in collaboration with Tripura Tea Development Corporation (TTDC) organized “Run for India Tea”.
• Objective: to promote and popularise Tripura tea alongside India tea.
• The run event was followed by a colourful tableau procession. A large number of tea workers wearing traditional dresses along with students participated in the tableau procession

Extra Shots:

Tripura:

• Capital: Agartala
• Governor: Ramesh Bais
• Chief Minister: Biplab Kumar Deb
• Literacy: 87.75%

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Ashraf Ghani wins the Presidential elections of Afghanistan

• Ashraf Ghani has won the Presidential elections of Afghanistan and will become the President of Afghanistan for the 2nd time.
• The independent Election Commission announced the results of the Presidential elections of Afghanistan.
• Ashraf Ghani has won the Presidential elections by winning 9,23,592 votes or 50.64% of the total votes.
• He defeated his closest opponent Abdullah Abdullah who recieved 7,20,841 votes or 39.52% of votes.

Extra Shots:

Australia (Capital/Currency): Canberra/ Australian Dollar

• Prime Minister: Scott Morrison

Pakistan successfully tested Ra’ad-II cruise missile

• Pakistan successfully flight tested the air-launched nuclear-capable cruise missile Ra’ad-II.
• The test aimed to boost the military’s deterrence capability on land and at sea.
• The Ra’ad-II missile is an attempt to match India’s BrahMos cruise missile

Ra’ad-II missile:

♦ The range of Ra’ad-II missile is 600 km. This range can enhance air delivered strategic standoff capability on land and at sea.

♦ This missile will be attached to Mirage aircraft or F-16 fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force.

♦ In January 2020, Pakistan successfully conducted a training launch of surface-to-surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi. The missile was capable of delivering multiple types of warheads up to a range of 290 km.

Extra Shots:

Pakistan (Capital/Currency): Islamabad/Pakistani Rupees

• Prime Minister: Imran Khan
• President: Arif Alvi

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

Gujarat hosts brainstorming session “Chintan Shivir”

• A brainstorming session “Chintan Shivir” was held at Kevadia in Gujarat.
• The session aimed to focus on the future prospects of the coal sector.
• The session was chaired by Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri Pralhad Joshi and he stated that India will put an end on importing thermal coal by the Financial Year 2023-24.
• The session discussed the issues faced by the coal sector and deliberated on ways to resolve these issues with the help of innovative solutions.
• Participants also discussed on ways to achieve the coal production target of 1 billion tonnes (BT) by Coal India Limited (CIL) by Financial Year 2023-24.
• Shipping Ministry and Indian Railways will be helped by the Ministry of Coal to enable the Coal India Limited (CIL), Captive and Commercial Miners to evacuate more and more coal by 2030
• “Coal Minister’s Award” would also be constituted to appreciate the measures taken by the coal companies in coal production, productivity, safety, sustainability etc.

Extra Shots:

Gujarat:

• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani
• Governor: Acharya Devvrat
• State formed on: 1 May 1960
• Literacy Rate: 79.31%
• National Park: Vansda NP, Blackbuck NP, Gir Forest NP, Marine NP, Gulf of Kutch

AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED

Bangladesh will sign Free Trade Agreement with Nepal

• Bangladesh and Nepal have agreed to sign a Free Trade Agreement to enhance trade between the two countries.
• Bangladesh has also agreed to allow Nepal to use it Saidpur airport located in its northernmost district of Nilphamari close to Nepal.
• Bangladesh exports commodities worth $38 million to Nepal and imports goods worth around 18 million dollars.
• Nepal will be able to provide 500 MW of hydroelectric power to Bangladesh once the Indian Company GMR completes its project in Nepal.

Extra Shots:

Bangladesh (Capital/Currency): Dhaka/Taka

• Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina

India and Norway strengthen partnership on blue economy

• Union Minister for Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Norway’s Minister for Climate and Environment Mr. Sveinung Rotevatn opened the India-Norway Task Force on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development on 18 February.
• The aim is to make the Indo-Norwegian Ocean Cooperation a key pillar in the bilateral relationship.
• The meeting is the third meeting of the Task Force.

Other initiatives:

♦ India and Norway also signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to confirm that they will develop a new framework for collaboration on Integrated Ocean Management and Research.

♦ Several projects on combating Marine Litter is being carried out as a part of the Joint Initiatives.

♦ Both countries aim to manage the resources in the oceans in a sustainable manner.

♦ The agreement will ensure integrated ocean management at the government level.

Extra Shots:

India-Norway Task Force on Blue Economy:

The India-Norway Task Force on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development was launched jointly by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Norwegian Prime Minister Ms. Erna Solberg. It was launched during her visit to India in January 2019. The task force aims to develop and follow up joint initiatives between the two countries. It mobilizes relevant stakeholders from both Norway and India at the highest level. It will also ensure continued commitment and progress across ministries and agencies.

SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS

India gets its first Greco-Roman gold medal after 27 years

• Sunil Kumar won India’s first Greco-Roman gold medal in Asian Wrestling Championships in 27 years on 18 February.
• He defeated Azat Salidinov of Kyrgyzstan under the 87kg category at the summit. He scored 5-0 in the event to claim the title.
• The previous gold was won by Pappu Yadav in 1993 for India under the 48 kg in the Greco-Roman category.
• Also, Arjun Halakurki won bronze at the championship under the 55 Kg category. He defeated Donghyeok Won of Korea to claim the medal.

Navi Mumbai to host final of FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup

• Navi Mumbai will be hosting the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on 21 November.
• The announcement was made by the organizing committee.

FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup:

♦ The committee stated that Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Kolkata, and Navi Mumbai will host the games.

♦ 16 teams will compete across 32 matches in Navi Mumbai.

♦ The official slogan of FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2020 is “Kick off the Dream”.

♦ The tournament will be held from 2-21 November 2020. India also seeks to host the U-20 World Cup and the Club World Cup.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Lithium reserve of 14,100 tonnes found in Mandya, Bengaluru

• Researchers at the Atomic Minerals Directorate has estimated lithium reserves of 14,100 tonnes in a patch of land surveyed in Mandya, Bengaluru.
• Lithium is a rare metal and is critical for manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles.

Highlights:

♦ The traces that were recently found in Mandya is a small amount when compared to major producers like Chile, Australia, Argentina, and Portugal.

♦ The data provided by the researchers include a total estimation of available Li2O as about 30,300 tonnes over an area of 0.5 km x 5 km. The area works out to about 14,100 tonnes of lithium metal.

♦ India’s need for Lithium:

♦ India requires lithium for its energy needs as the GoI is promoting clean-energy vehicles in India.

♦ India has imported lithium batteries worth $1.2 billion in fiscal 2019, against $384 million in FY17.

Extra Shots:

Karnataka:

• Capital: Bengaluru
• Chief Minister: B. S. Yediyurappa
• Governor: Vajubhai Vala
• National Park: Anshi NP, Bandipur NP, Bannerghatta NP, Kudremukh NP, Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) NP.

OBITUARIES

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Harry Greg passes away

• The former Manchester United goalkeeper Harry Gregg passed away. He played 247 times for the club, including in a victory in the FA (Football Association Challenge Cup) match against Sheffield after the air crash in February 1958.
• He was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in the 2019 New Year Honours.
• Harry Greg, was named as “Hero of Munich” for rescuing 2 teammates as well as a baby and her pregnant mother in the 1958 air disaster that killed 23 people.

Veteran Kannada actor Kishori Ballal passed away

• Veteran Kannada actor Kishori Ballal passed away on 18 February 2020.
• She was 82 years old.
• She passed away due to age-related ailments in Bengaluru.
• She has acted in around 75 movies including her role in Shah Rukh Khan starrer “Swades”.

Extra Shots:

Kishori Ballal:

Kishori Ballal was born in Dakshina Kannada district. She was married to Bharatanatyam dancer N. Sripathi Ballal.

Former FICCI president V L Dutt passed away

• Former Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) President Dr. V L Dutt passed away on 18 February.

Extra Shots:

V L Dutt:

V L Dutt headed FICCI in 1991-92. He was the chairman of the India Vietnam Joint Business Council of FICCI. He graduated from the Business Institute of Management, London. He served as the chairman of The K C P Group of companies. He was awarded an honorary degree of doctor of letters by the Nagarjuna University. The award recognized his outstanding contribution in the area of rural development, medical care, education, and industry. He also served as the honorary consul general of the Republic of Turkey in Chennai.

Download Daily Current Affairs 19th February 2020 – Click Here

For More Daily Current Affairs – Click Here

Click Here to Join Our What’s App Group & Get Instant Notification on Study Materials & PDFs

Click Here to Join Our Official Telegram Channel