Current Affairs Today 26th February 2020-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 26th February 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched an industry campaign named “UPI Chalega” to promote UPI as Easy, Safe, and Instant mode of payment.
• The first anniversary of the iconic National War Memorial is being observed on 25th February in New Delhi.
• The 16th Session of the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) was held between India and Australia in New Delhi on 24 February 2020.
• Centre of Excellence for Research on Clean Air (CERCA) organized an exhibition at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-Delhi).
• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched a scheme named ‘Jagananna Vasthi Deevena’.
• Losar festival was celebrated at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
• The department of Youth and cultural Affairs, Government of Gujarat has organised cultural festival called “Vasantotsav”.
• Indian-origin Suella Braverman has been appointed as the UK’s new Attorney General.
• Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is working on a project of connecting about 3,000 kilometre-long power grid from Myanmar-Thailand to India.
• The National Conference on Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience (CDRR&R) 2020 was held in New Delhi.
• Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda inaugurated the All India Tribal Workers Meet in Delhi on 25 February.
• US President Donald J. Trump along with the First Lady Melania Trump visited India on 24-25 February.
• Hydropower giant National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) announced the appointment of Abhay Kumar Singh as the company’s Chairman & Managing Director.
• Diplomat Jawed Ashraf has been appointed as India’s next Ambassador to France on 26 February.
• The 5th edition of joint military Exercise Ajeya Warrior 2020 concluded at West down Camp, Salisbury Plains Training Area, UK.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation will launch the Geo Imaging Satellite “GISAT-1”.
• Egypt’s former President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak passed away. He ruled the country for 30 years.
• Famous NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) mathematician Katherine Johnson passed away at the age of 101.

NEWS IN ADVANCE

BANKING AND FINANCE CURRENT AFFAIRS

NPCI launches UPI awareness campaign “UPI Chalega”

• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched an industry campaign named “UPI Chalega” to promote UPI as Easy, Safe, and Instant mode of payment.
• The “UPI Chalega” campaign is aimed to guide users towards the right usage of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and help create a habitual change, use of UPI in their daily life.
• NPCI has launched the campaign in association with the payment ecosystem players.
• The UPI, which is a real time fund transfer interface, has significantly scaled since its launch in August 2016 when 92,000 transactions worth Rs 3.1 crore were processed on the NPCI operated platform to over 1.3 billion transactions worth Rs 2.16 trillion in January 2020.

Extra Shots:

NPCI: The National Payments Corporation of India is an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India.

• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founded: 2008
• Number of employees: 1,000
• Type of business: Section 8 Company
• Founders: Reserve Bank of India, Indian Banks’ Association

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

1st anniversary of National War Memorial being observed

• The first anniversary of the iconic National War Memorial is being observed on 25th February in New Delhi.
• The memorial is a fitting tribute to those heroes who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty during various wars and internal security challenges since Independence.
• The monument was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25th February last year.
• Chief of the Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and veterans from the three services will lay wreaths and pay homage to the fallen soldiers.
• The National War Memorial commemorates the soldiers who made supreme sacrifice during the Counter Insurgency Operations and Peace Keeping Missions.

Extra Shots:

The National War Memorial is a monument built by the Government of India near India Gate, New Delhi, to honour the Indian Armed Forces. The memorial is spread over 40 acres of land and is built around the existing chhatri near India Gate.

New Delhi hosts Joint Ministerial Commission between India and Australia

• The 16th Session of the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) was held between India and Australia in New Delhi on 24 February 2020.
• The Session was co-chaired by Union Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal, Government of India and Senator Simon Birmingham, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Government of Australia.

Highlights:

♦ The countries acknowledged the considerable growth in the India-Australia economic relationship in strategic, trade and people-to-people links since the last JMC in June 2018.

♦ They agreed to elevate the bilateral economic relationship between the countries.

♦ Both sides agreed to revive the negotiations on the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

♦ They considered the issue of harmonizing standards and regulatory barriers for products of interest to both sides.

♦ They discussed the important role of the private sector in building the bilateral economic relationship.

♦ India sought an early resolution on the issue of taxing of off-shore income of Indian firms through the use of India-Australia Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) and sought early resolution of the issue.

♦ The countries agreed to work on market access issues in both directions to increase trade and on mutual recognition of educational qualifications

♦ The agreed to continue collaboration to encourage increased direct flights between Australia and India.

Participants:

From Indian side officials from Departments of Commerce, Revenue, Agriculture, Fisheries, Department of Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Ministry of External Affairs and from Australia side, officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Austrade, Export Finance Australia and Australian High Commission participated in the meeting.

Extra Shots:

Australia (Capital/Currency): Canberra/Australian Dollar (AUD).

• Prime Minister: Scott John Morrison.

CERCA organized exhibition in IIT-Delhi

• Centre of Excellence for Research on Clean Air (CERCA) organized an exhibition at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-Delhi).
• The exhibition was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Sanjay Dhotre.

Highlights:

♦ IIT-Delhi showcased its work in the area of clean air through start-ups incubated at IIT-Delhi namely Aerogram and Kriya Labs.

♦ The exhibition showcased clean air technologies developed by IIT-Bombay, IIT-Ropar, IIT (ISM) Dhanbadand, IIT-Delhi.

♦ The exhibition emphasized the need to accord the highest priority to civic awareness regarding the clean environment, in the age of environmental concerns.

♦ The government is committed to the cause of fighting the rising air pollution levels in the country. GoI is taking all measures to spread awareness on clean air issues and providing all possible support for the development and promotion of clean air technologies in the country.

♦ Also, every organization has been urged to make concerted efforts by joining in the national effort to fight the rising air pollution in the country.

♦ The Government is also committed to technology development, global cooperation, technology industrialization, and investment in Research and Development.

Centre of Excellence for Research on Clean Air (CERCA):

Extra Shots:

The Center of Excellence for Research in Clean Air (CERCA) was inaugurated at IIT Delhi on 16 February 2018. CERCA aims to restore Blue Skies and improve Air Quality in Delhi/ NCR and other cities in India through scientific research. It is an effort to promote scientific research on clean air issues and provide sustainable solutions to the problem of air pollution. It focuses to study and resolve clear air issues in Delhi and NCR regions.

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Govt of Andhra Pradesh launched ‘Jagananna Vasthi Deevena’ scheme for students

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched a scheme named ‘Jagananna Vasthi Deevena’.
• This scheme is for students pursuing various post-Intermediate courses to meet hostel and mess expenses.

Highlights:

• AIM: The scheme would provide financial assistance of Rs 2,300 crore in total. In total, 11,87,904 students pursuing ITI, polytechnic, under-graduate and post-graduate education would benefit from the scheme.
• OFFER : ITI students would get Rs 10,000 each, polytechnic students would get Rs 15,000 and under-graduates and post-graduates Rs 20,000 each.
• The students would get the amount in two installments directly in their bank accounts. They will get in February and July every year.

Extra Shots:

Andhra Pradesh:

• Capital: Amravati
• Chief Minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
• Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
• State Formed in: 1 November 1956
• Literacy Rate: 67.4 %
• National Park: Sri Venkateswara National Park, Sri Venkateswara National Park, Papikonda National Park

Losar festival celebrated in Himachal Pradesh

• Losar festival was celebrated at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
• The festival is celebrated on the 1st day of the lunisolar Tibetan calendar also called Tibetan New Year. Losar is a festival in Tibetan Buddhism.
• Prayers were offered at Dorje Drak Monastery in Shimla. Cultural events were held in different parts of the state as the Tibetan community celebrated the festival.

Extra Shots:

Himachal Pradesh:

• State formed on: 25 January 1971
• Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
• Chief Justice: Lingappa Narayana Swamy
• Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur
• Official language: Hindi

Gandhinagar hosts cultural fair “Vasantotsav” at Sanskruti Kunj

• The department of Youth and cultural Affairs, Government of Gujarat has organised cultural festival called “Vasantotsav”.
• The annual festival was held at Sanskruti Kunj in Gandhinagar, Gujarat to celebrate the rich diverse heritage of the country.
• The cultural festival “Vasantotsav” was held with the theme of “Ek Bhaart Shreshth Bharat”.
• The festival also featured the participation of artists from across India and was inaugurated with a folk dance form of Chhattisgarh i.e. Panthi dance.
• Chhattisgarh has been paired with Gujarat under the Central Government’s scheme “Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat”.

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

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Suella Braverman appointed as the UKs new Attorney General

• Indian-origin Suella Braverman has been appointed as the UK’s new Attorney General.
• The appointment comes in British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s reshuffled Cabinet in February 2020. Suella Braverman sworn in for the post at a ceremony at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on 24 February.
• Braverman will involve reviewing the work of the law officers’ departments.
• She will oversee the independent prosecuting authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Serious Fraud Office.

Extra Shots:

Suella Braverman:

Suella Braverman, a 39-year-old minister, is a barrister and Cambridge University law graduate. She had specialized in public law and judicial review. Since 2015, she served as an MP for Fareham in south-east England. She served as a minister in the Department for Exiting the European Union. She served as a member of the Attorney General’s panel of treasury counsel.

She studied law at the University of Cambridge. She completed Masters in law from the University of Paris. Braverman was the first female Attorney General to be appointed by a Conservative Party government.

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

BIMSTEC to connect 3000 km long power grid from Myanmar-Thailand to India

• Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is working on a project of connecting about 3,000 kilometre-long power grid from Myanmar-Thailand to India.
• The above announcement was made during the inauguration of the Conference on Enhancing Energy Cooperation in the BIMSTEC Region, which was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• The 3,000 kilometre-long BIMSTEC regional power grid will come up with various advantages.
• The member country’s demand of energy will be ensured with the introduction of power grid.
• It will also benefit consumers with uninterrupted power supply at economical prices.

Extra Shots:

BIMSTEC: The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation is an international organisation of seven nations of South Asia and South East Asia, housing 1.5 billion people and having a combined gross domestic product of $3.5 trillion.

• Headquarters location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
• Founded: 1997

National Conference on Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience 2020

• The National Conference on Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience (CDRR&R) 2020 was held in New Delhi.
• The national conference was organised by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM).
• The aim of the conference was to enhance human capacity in terms of better understanding about coastal disaster risks and effective collaborative actions with the implementation of Prime Minister’s 10-point agenda and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
• The national conference featured the participation of over 175 participants from various central and state organisation/departments.

Extra Shots:

NIDM: National Institute of Disaster Management abbr. NIDM, is a premier institute for training and capacity development programs for managing natural disasters in India, on a national as well as regional basis.

• Founded: 1995
• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• Location: New Delhi, India
• President: Union Home Minister of India
• Motto: Resilient India- Disaster free India; आपदा प्रतिरोधी भारत – आपदा मुक्त भारत
• Formerly called: National Centre for Disaster Management; (Upgraded to present status on 16 October 2003)

Arjun Munda inaugurated All India Tribal Workers Meet

• Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda inaugurated the All India Tribal Workers Meet in Delhi on 25 February.
• The meet was organized by Bharatiya Adim Jati Sevak Sangh (BAJSS).

Highlights:

♦ The meet highlighted the works that are to be carried out to the communities primarily tribals and nomadic, semi-nomadic and Vimukta Jati communities of India and weaker sections of the society.

♦ They aimed to promote the social, cultural educational and economic development and also to safeguard their constitutional rights with a view to enable them to their legitimate share in the national life of the country as equal citizens.

♦ The meeting focused on a national-level Tribal Museum exhibiting tribal articles, the tribal culture which is regularly visited by tourists, students, scholars and Anthropologists from all over the country.

Extra Shots:

BAJSS:

Bharatiya Adim Jati Seval Sangh was formed on 24 October 1948. It is is a National Level Voluntary Organisation instituted by Pujya Thakkar Bapa, well known dedicated social worker of the Servants of India Society. Pujya Thakkar Bapa was a close associate to Mahatma Gandhi. He was inspired by Gandhi to work for the removal of deep-rooted poverty of tribals while giving service to untouchables. He got active participation of other eminent national level social workers and leaders. The first President of the Sangh was Dr.Rajendra Prasad.

AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED

India, US signs 2 MoUs and 1 Letter of Cooperation during Trumps State visit to India

• US President Donald J. Trump along with the First Lady Melania Trump visited India on 24-25 February.
• During his visit, 3 MoUs and 1 Letter of Cooperation were signed.

Agreements:

♦ A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Mental Health between Department of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of the Republic of India and Department of Health and Human Services of the Government of the US.

♦ An MoU was signed on the Safety of Medical Products between Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) within the Directorate General of Health Services of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Republic of India and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States of America.

♦ An agreement to purchase more than $3 billion of American military equipment

♦ A Letter of Cooperation was signed between India’s Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and ExxonMobil India LNG Limited and America’s Chart Industries Inc.

Extra Shots:

USA (Capital/Currency): Washington, D.C./ United States Dollar

• President: Donald Trump
• Official languages: English

Microsoft & SBI join hands to train differently-abled

• Microsoft announced a partnership with State Bank of India to train differently-abled people to find jobs in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector.
• Over 500 differently-abled youths will be upskilled in the first year of the collaboration.
• As a part of this partnership, SBI Foundation and Microsoft will develop an artificial intelligence-powered market so that the BFSI industry can connect more easily with differently-abled people for employment opportunities.
• There are 26 million differently-abled people in India and it is essential to use newer ways to use technology to enable them to participate in the 21st-century economy.

Extra Shots:

SBI: The State Bank of India is an Indian multinational, public sector banking and financial services statutory body. It is a government corporation statutory body headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. SBI is ranked as 236th in the Fortune Global 500 list of the world’s biggest corporations of 2019.

• Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar
• Headquarters: Mumbai

Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond, Washington. It develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services.

APPOINTMENT

Abhay Kumar Singh becomes new CMD of NHPC

• Hydropower giant National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) announced the appointment of Abhay Kumar Singh as the company’s Chairman & Managing Director.
• He will replace Ratish Kumar. In 1983, he completed his Civil Engineering from NIT (National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, West Bengal).
• He joined NFPC at Tanakpur HE(Hydro-Electric) Project as a Probationary executive in 1985 & played a vital role in many hydroelectric projects for 35 years.

Extra Shots:

NHPC: NHPC Limited is an Indian Hydropower generation company that was incorporated in the year 1975 with an authorised capital of Rs. 2000 million and with an objective to plan, promote and organise an integrated and efficient development of hydroelectric power in all aspects.

• Official website: nhpc.gov.in
• Founded: 1975
• Headquarters: Faridabad, India
• Organization type: Public limited company

Jawed Ashraf appointed as Indias next Ambassador to France

• Diplomat Jawed Ashraf has been appointed as India’s next Ambassador to France on 26 February.
• The announcement was made by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He will take up the assignment shortly.
• The appointment comes in view of rising strategic ties between India and France.

Extra Shots:

Jawed Ashraf:

Jawed Ashraf is a 1991-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer. He is currently serving as Indian High Commissioner to Singapore. He will replace Vinay Mohan Kwatra as India’s Ambassador to France. Kwatra, on the other hand, has been appointed as India’s Ambassador to Nepal.

DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Exercise Ajeya Warrior 2020 concluded

• The 5th edition of joint military Exercise Ajeya Warrior 2020 concluded at West down Camp, Salisbury Plains Training Area, UK.
• The exercise was held between India and the United Kingdom.
• Brigadier Tom Bewick, Commander of UK 7 Infantry Brigade and Brigadier Gavin, Defence Attache of the UK in India attended the closing ceremony of the event.
• Aim: The exercise was aimed to conduct company-level joint training with an emphasis on counter-terrorist operations in urban and semi-urban areas.

Highlights:

♦ The exercise included joint training in urban and semi-urban areas.

♦ Important lectures, demonstrations, and drills related to counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations were rehearsed and executed jointly.

♦ The exercise highlighted the Bonhomie and Camaraderie displayed by the troops. It ensured the integration and achievement of interoperability at all levels.

♦ The exercise promoted understanding and interoperability between the two armies, it further helped in cementing ties between both the nations.

♦ Both countries shared their experiences gained during various counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations in the past.

♦ The exercise is conducted alternatively in India and the UK.

♦ Over 120 soldiers each from the two armies participated in the exercise.

♦ The exercise displayed a bilateral willingness to work jointly and shared operating procedures to deal with a situation in a specified operational setting.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO to launch Geo Imaging Satellite “GISAT-1”

• The Indian Space Research Organisation will launch the Geo Imaging Satellite “GISAT-1”.
• GISAT-1 will be launched by Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F10) from the Second Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.
• The launch of GISAT-1 has been tentatively scheduled at 17:43 Hrs IST on March 05, 2020.

Extra Shots:

GISAT-1:

♦ The satellite has the capability to perform real-time and constant watch of the Indian subcontinent.

♦ The satellite weighs 2,275 kg.

♦ GISAT is an earth observation satellite that will be placed in a geosynchronous transfer orbit at 36,000km altitude.

♦ GISAT-1 will facilitate near real-time observation of the Indian subcontinent, under cloud-free conditions, at frequent intervals.

♦ The satellite will do the full rotation of the Earth and come to the same point after every 2 hours.

♦ It will fast image the Earth and can perform constant and rapid surveillance. The satellite can observe a point for a longer duration if needed.

ISRO: The Indian Space Research Organisation is the space agency of the Government of India and has its headquarters in the city of Bengaluru. Its vision is to “harness space technology for national development while pursuing space science research & planetary exploration”.

• Headquarters: Bengaluru
• Founder: Vikram Sarabhai
• Founded: 15 August 1969
• Parent organisation: Department of Space
• Director: Kailasavadivoo Sivan
• Subsidiary: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

OBITUARIES

Egypt former President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak passes away

• Egypt’s former President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak passed away. He ruled the country for 30 years.
• After almost three decades in power, Mubarak was forced to resign on February 11, 2011, following 18 days of protests around the country.
• Mubarak became Vice President of Egypt on 14 October 1981, and just eight days later, was sworn in as the President after Islamist militants assassinated his predecessor Anwar Sadat during a military parade.

Extra Shots:

Egypt Capital/Currency: Cairo/ Egyptian pound

• President: Abdel Fattah El-Sissi

Famous NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson passes away

• Famous NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) mathematician Katherine Johnson passed away at the age of 101.
• Johnson’s calculations helped put the first man on the Moon in 1969, but she was little known until the Oscar-nominated 2016 movie that told the stories of three black women who worked at NASA.
• Johnson and a colleague were the first to calculate the parameters of the suborbital 1961 flight of astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space.
• She was awarded a “Presidential Medal of freedom” by former President Barack Obama in 2015. Katherine retired from NASA in 1986.

Extra Shots:

NASA: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Preceding agency: NACA (1915–1958);
• Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Founded: 29 July 1958, United States
• Video games: Moonbase Alpha, NetworKing

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