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Current Affairs Today – 20th February 2020
NEWS AT A GLANCE
- The World Day of Social Justice is celebrated annually all over the world on 20 February.
- Union Cabinet approved the constitution of the 22nd Law Commission of India.
- Union Cabinet has approved the 2nd Phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen till 2024-25.
- GoI will be set up Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) by the first week of April 2020.
- National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) has organized a meeting on Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients (API) Industry.
- Symposium on Emerging Opportunities for Indian Textiles and Crafts was held in New Delhi.
- Union Cabinet approved the Twenty-second Law Commission of India for a period of three years.
- The Union Cabinet led by the PM Narendra Modi approved the Constitution of an empowered Technology Group on 19 February.
- The National Museum is to host a unique exhibition on India’s ancient food history “Historical Gastronomica-The Indus Dining Experience” that dates back to more than 5000 years ago.
- RailMadad was awarded Silver under Category II of National e-Governance Awards-“Excellence in providing Citizen-centric Delivery”.
- Indian states of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh celebrated the Statehood Day on 20 February.
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Conclave 2020: Partnerships, Cooperation and Development of North Eastern States has been scheduled to be held from 24-26 February at Assam Administrative Staff College, Guwahati, Assam.
- Titabor has become Assam’s first “zero waste town” by setting high standards in effective integrated waste management.
- The government of Nepal has observed the 70th National Democracy Day on 19th February.
- Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has announced the launch of “Bezos Earth Fund” to combat Climate Change.
- NITI Aayog under the chairmanship of CEO Amitabh Kant organized a meeting to charge the API Industry on 19 February.
- The Gujarat government signed an MoU with State Bank of India (SBI) to facilitate approval of loans to entrepreneurs in the MSME sector with ease and within a short time-frame.
- Mahant Nritya Gopal Das was elected as the president of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust. Champat Rai would be the general secretary of the trust.
- The Secretary to the President Sanjay Kothari has been chosen as the new Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) by a high-powered 6-member committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Seminar on Indian Defence Equipment was organized in Dhaka by the High Commission of India in Bangladesh.
- Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar released the Reference Annual Bharat 2020 & India 2020 in New Delhi.
- British racing driver Lewis Hamilton and footballer Lionel Messi were declared the joint winners of the Laureus World Sportsman of the year award.
NEWS IN DETAILS
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
World Day of Social Justice observed globally on 20th February
- The World Day of Social Justice is celebrated annually all over the world on 20 February.
- The International Labour Organization unanimously adopted the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization on 10 June 2008.
- 2020 Theme: “Closing the Inequalities Gap to Achieve Social Justice”
- Social justice is an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations.
- We advance social justice when we remove barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability.
Extra Shots:
ILO: The International Labour Organization is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social justice and promote decent work by setting international labour standards. It was the first specialised agency of the UN.
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
- Head: Guy Ryder
- Founder: Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1920
- Founded: 1919
- Formation: 29 October 1919
- Parent organizations: United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Economic and Social Council
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Cabinet approves constitution of 22nd Law Commission of India
- Union Cabinet approved the constitution of the 22nd Law Commission of India.
- The commission will function for a period of three years from its date of official constitution.
- The Commission will give recommendations on different aspects of law which are entrusted to it.
- The 21st Law Commission headed by Justice BS Chauhan (retd).
- The commission shall also undertake studies and research for bringing reforms in the justice delivery systems for elimination of delay in procedures and speedy disposal of cases among others.
- Law Commission of India is a non-statutory body constituted by the Government from time to time.
- The term of the previous law panel had ended on August 31 last year.
Cabinet approves 2nd phase of Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen
- Union Cabinet has approved the 2nd Phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen till 2024-25.
- The program will work towards ensuring that no one is left behind and everyone uses a toilet.
- The 2nd phase of the mission will be implemented in a mission mode with a total estimated budgeted financial implication of 52 thousand 497 crore rupees.
- The 2nd phase of the mission will focus on Open Defecation Free Plus (ODF Plus), which includes ODF sustainability and Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM).
GoI to set up Central Consumer Protection Authority
- GoI will be set up Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) by the first week of April 2020.
- The CCPA to be set up under the Consumer Protection Act 2019, will address issues related to consumer rights, unfair trade practices, misleading advertisements and impose penalties for selling spurious and adulterated products.
- CCPA will be formed under the aegis of the authority and it will carry out inquiries in matters related to unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements.
NITI Aayog organizes meeting on Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients Industry
- National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) has organized a meeting on Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients (API) Industry.
- The meeting was held under the chairmanship of NITI Aayog’s CEO Amitabh Kant to induce growth in the API industry.
- During the meeting, a detailed presentation on the history and status of the API industry and the challenges faced by it, was presented by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP).
- It also demonstrated the available options which can make India a powerhouse in Key Starting Materials, Intermediates and Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients (API).
- It also discussed the recent measures taken to promote the bulk drug parks in the country.
Extra Shots:
NITI Aayog: The NITI Aayog is a policy think tank of the Government of India, established with the aim to achieve sustainable development goals with cooperative federalism by fostering the involvement of State Governments of India in the economic policy-making process using a bottom-up approach.
- Website: niti.gov.in
- Formed: 1 January 2015
- Jurisdiction: Government of India
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Chairperson: Narendra Modi
New Delhi hosts Symposium on Emerging Opportunities for Indian Textiles and Crafts
- Symposium on Emerging Opportunities for Indian Textiles and Crafts was held in New Delhi.
- The symposium was chaired by Union Minister of Textiles and Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani.
- Senior officers of the Ministries of Commerce & Industry and Textiles, representatives of Export Promotion Council (EPCs), buying offices and buying agents participated in the symposium.
- They participated in the symposium to discuss the business opportunities emerging in view of the present scenario of ‘CORONA VIRUS” in China.
- The symposium was organized by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts under the aegis of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
Cabinet approved the 22nd Law Commission for 3 years
- Union Cabinet approved the Twenty-second Law Commission of India for a period of three years.
- The law commission will provide a recommendation on different aspects of law, to the government, which are entrusted to the Commission for its study and recommendations, as per its terms of reference.
Members of the Commission:
The 22nd Law Commission will consist of:
♦ a full-time Chairperson
♦ four full-time Members (including Member-Secretary)
♦ Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs as ex-officio Member
♦ Secretary, Legislative Department as ex officio Member
♦ part-time Members (not more than five)
Cabinet approves the Constitution of Technology Group
- The Union Cabinet led by the PM Narendra Modi approved the Constitution of an empowered Technology Group on 19 February.
- The group will provide Policy Support, Procurement Support, and Support on Research and Development proposals.
Highlights:
♦ Cabinet constituted a 12-Member Technology Group headed by Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India.
♦ The group will recommend new ideas on the mapping of technology and technology products, commercialization of dual-use technologies developed in national laboratories and government R&D organizations, selection of appropriate R&D programs for technology development and latest technologies.
♦ It will suggest the development needed in-house expertise in aspects of policy and use of emerging technologies
♦ It will also ensure the sustainability of public sector technology developed/being developed at PSUs, national labs and research organizations.
National Museum hosts Historical Gastronomica-The Indus Dining Experience in New Delhi
- The National Museum is to host a unique exhibition on India’s ancient food history “Historical Gastronomica-The Indus Dining Experience” that dates back to more than 5000 years ago.
- The exhibition will be held from 19-25 February 2020 in New Delhi.
- The event is organized by the National Museum, OSMS, and Fabrica by Chef Saby.
- It is truly a Made in India event with an international appeal.
Historical Gastronomica-The Indus Dining Experience:
♦ The Indus Dining Experience was curated jointly by the National Museum and One Station Million Stories (OSMS).
♦ The exhibition showcases an impressive collection of Indus valley Civilization artefacts.
♦ The Indus Valley Civilization gallery has one of the world’s most significant collections of Indian civilization.
♦ The gallery will display the famous Bronze Dancing Girl, which was excavated from Mohenjodaro, a Harappan site.
The Museum features:
(i) an illustrative story of man’s food history since his evolution and continues to conclude at the Indus-Saraswati Civilization
(ii) Gallery Walk-The Use of Harrapan pottery and artefacts
(iii) Food Tasting: finger-food samplers and dinners.
RailMadad was received National e-Governance Award
- RailMadad was awarded Silver under Category II of National e-Governance Awards-“Excellence in providing Citizen-centric Delivery”.
- The award was presented at the 23rd National Conference on e-Governance which was held in Mumbai on 7-8 February 2020.
RailMadad:
♦ RailMadad is the grievance redressal portal of Indian Railways.
♦ The portal can be accessed by Railways customers using RailMadad Helpline 139, website railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in and RailMadad App.
♦ It provides ease of access, convergence & Integration, fast forward redressal, accountability, and citizen empowerment.
Extra Shots:
National e-Governance Awards:
National e-Governance Awards are presented every year by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG). The award aims to recognize and promote excellence in the implementation of e-Governance initiatives. More than 500 nominations were received. A total of 20 projects were selected for e-Governance Awards in six categories.
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh celebrated the Statehood Day on 20 February
- Indian states of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh celebrated the Statehood Day on 20 February.
- The culture of Arunachal Pradesh is special.
- The people are known for their wonderful nature and patriotic zeal. Similarly, the people of Mizoram are known for their valour and rich value systems.
- It holds the rich Mizo culture and the contribution of the state towards India’s progress.
Extra Shots:
Mizoram:
- Statehood day: 20 February 1987
- Governor: P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
- Chief Minister: Zoramthanga
- Capital: Aizawl
- Districts: 11
- Official language: Mizo, English, and Hindi
- Literacy: 91.58%
Arunachal Pradesh:
- Statehood day: 20 February 1987
- Governor: Brig. (Dr.) B.D. Mishra (Retd.)
- Chief Minister: Pema Khandu
- Capital: Itanagar
- Districts: 25
- Official languages: English
- Literacy: 66.95%
NITI Aayog to organize SDG Conclave 2020 in Assam
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Conclave 2020: Partnerships, Cooperation and Development of North Eastern States has been scheduled to be held from 24-26 February at Assam Administrative Staff College, Guwahati, Assam.
- The conclave will be a part of NITI Aayog’s continuous efforts towards fostering partnerships at the sub-national level.
- The conclave will be organized by NITI Aayog in association with North Eastern Council, Assam government, Tata Trusts, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS).
Extra Shots:
NITI Aayog: The NITI Aayog is a policy think tank of the Government of India, established with the aim to achieve sustainable development goals with cooperative federalism by fostering the involvement of State Governments of India in the economic policy-making process using a bottom-up approach.
- Website: niti.gov.in
- Formed: 1 January 2015
- Jurisdiction: Government of India
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Chairperson: Narendra Modi
Titabor became Assams first zero-waste town
- Titabor has become Assam’s first “zero waste town” by setting high standards in effective integrated waste management.
- Titabor has revolutionized municipal solid waste management than any other town in the state.
Zero waste town:
♦ Any town that has processed up to 80% of waste can be claimed to be a zero-waste town.
♦ Titabor has set up a material recovery facility where all organic waste is managed through aerobic composting.
♦ The door-to-door collection included some primary and some tertiary segregation. It has resulted in a reduction in the foul odour and greenhouse gas(GHG) emission from the dumpsite.
Extra Shots:
Assam:
- Capital: Dispur
- Chief Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal
- Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
- National Park: Dibru-Saikhowa NP, Kaziranga NP, Manas NP, Nameri NP, Rajiv Gandhi Orang NP
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Nepal celebrates its 70th National Democracy Day
- The government of Nepal has observed the 70th National Democracy Day on 19th February.
- Nepal celebrates the National Democracy Day every year on Falgun 7 to commemorate the attainment of democracy after the abolition of the 104-year long autocratic Rana Regime.
- In 2007 Bikram Sambat, on this day, democracy was established in the Himalayan nation ending over a century old autocratic Rana regime.
- Prime Minister Oli paid tribute to the martyrs who had sacrificed their lives in the struggle for democracy.
Extra Shots:
Nepal (Capital/Currency): Kathmandu/ Nepalese rupee
- President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari
- Vice President: Nanda Kishor Pun
- Prime Minister: Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli
Jeff Bezos launches “Bezos Earth Fund” to combat climate change
- Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has announced the launch of “Bezos Earth Fund” to combat Climate Change.
- Through this fund, Jeff Bezos has committed to contribute $10 billion to help preserve and protect the natural world against the climate change.
- The Bezos Earth Fund will fund the scientists, activists, NGOs to save Earth to tackle the issue of climate change.
Extra Shots:
Amazon: Amazon.com, Inc., is an American multinational technology company based in Seattle that focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It is considered one of the Big Four tech companies, along with Google, Apple, and Facebook.
- CEO: Jeff Bezos
- Founder: Jeff Bezos
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES
NITI Aayog organized a meeting on API Industry
- NITI Aayog under the chairmanship of CEO Amitabh Kant organized a meeting to charge the API Industry on 19 February.
Highlights:
♦ The Department of Pharmaceuticals made a detailed presentation on the history and status of the Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients (API) industry.
♦ The officials discussed the challenges faced by the industry and provided various options available to make India a powerhouse in Key Starting Materials, Intermediates and API.
♦ Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) shared its vision and recent efforts to promote bulk drug parks in the country.
♦ Also, various issues related to environmental clearances were discussed.
♦ Leaders of the pharma industry shared their views and ideas on the situation and suggested various measures to be taken by the government.
Extra Shots:
NITI Aayog: The NITI Aayog is a policy think tank of the Government of India, established with the aim to achieve sustainable development goals with cooperative federalism by fostering the involvement of State Governments of India in the economic policy-making process using a bottom-up approach.
- Website: niti.gov.in
- Formed: 1 January 2015
- Jurisdiction: Government of India
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Chairperson: Narendra Modi
AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED
Govt of Gujarat & SBI sign MoU to facilitate MSME loans
- The Gujarat government signed an MoU with State Bank of India (SBI) to facilitate approval of loans to entrepreneurs in the MSME sector with ease and within a short time-frame.
- Within 15 days of making an application, the bank will provide theoretical approval to the project.
- Start-ups can submit an application on either the MSME portal or to the local nodal agencies.
- The SBI decided to help MSME entrepreneurs in Gujarat looking at their high recovery rate.
- The Gujarat state announced that MSME units exempted from taking approvals for the first three years can start operations after getting an acknowledgement certificate from the state nodal agency by submitting ‘declaration of intent.
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
APPOINTMENT
Ram Mandir Trust elects Nritya Gopal Das as president
- Mahant Nritya Gopal Das was elected as the president of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust. Champat Rai would be the general secretary of the trust.
- The first meeting of the Ram Mandir Trust to oversee the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya was held in New Delhi.
- The meeting also decided that Nripendra Mishra, former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will head a committee to make decisions regarding the actual construction of the temple.
- Swami Govind Dev Giriji Maharaj will be the treasurer of the trust. Delhi-based chartered accountancy firm, V. Shankar Aiyyar and Company will be the accountants for the trust.
- Senior Uttar Pradesh bureaucrat Awanish Awasthi and Ayodhya district magistrate Anuj Jha would be the State’s representatives in the trust.
Sanjay Kothari is appointed as the new Chief Vigilance Commissioner
- The Secretary to the President Sanjay Kothari has been chosen as the new Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) by a high-powered 6-member committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Other appointments:
- The former Information and Broadcasting Secretary Bimal Julka has been chosen as the new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) in the Central Information Commission.
- The retired Indian Administrative Service officer is currently serving as an Information Commissioner.
- Suresh Patel has been appointed as the Vigilance Commissioner and Anita Pandove as Information Commissioner.
Extra Shots:
Central Information Commission:
Central Information Commission was established on 12 October 2005. It was constituted under the Right to Information Act. It has jurisdiction over all central public authorities.
DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Seminar on Indian Defence Equipment organized in Dhaka
- Seminar on Indian Defence Equipment was organized in Dhaka by the High Commission of India in Bangladesh.
- 12 Indian firms participated in the Seminar on Indian Defence Equipment.
- Objective of the seminar was to pursue further cooperation between India and Bangladesh in the field of defence technologies.
- The seminar also provided a great opportunity to defence manufacturers from India in building partnerships with Bangladesh.
Extra Shots:
Bangladesh (Capital/Currency): Dhaka/Taka
- Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Reference annuals ‘Bharat 2020’, ‘India 2020’ released
- Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar released the Reference Annual Bharat 2020 & India 2020 in New Delhi.
- E-version of the yearbooks were also released on this occasion.
- The books carry exhaustive and comprehensive information about the country and the activities, progress and achievements of various Central Government Ministries, Departments and Organisations during the year.
- Publications Division of the Information and Broadcasting ministry compiles the Reference Annual every year.
AWARDS
Lewis Hamilton, Lionel Messi jointly won the Laureus World Sportsman of the year award
- British racing driver Lewis Hamilton and footballer Lionel Messi were declared the joint winners of the Laureus World Sportsman of the year award.
- The two received the same number of votes.
- For the first in the 20-year history, the award was split.
Other Awardees:
- American gymnast Simone Bile received the World Sportswoman of the year award. Chloe Kim won the World Action Sportsperson honour. It is her second straight in the same category.
- Oksana Masters won the Sportsperson of the year with a disability category.
- The World Team of the Year Award was clinched by the South Africa Rugby team.
- Egan Bernal won the World Breakthrough of the Year award. He became the youngest rider to win the Tour de France at 22.
- German basketball player Dirk Nowitzki won the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the sport of basketball.
- Spanish Basketball Federation got the Exceptional Achievement Award.
