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Current Affairs at a Glance – 21st and 22nd
February, 2016
February, 2016
- Aditya Birla Group’s two companies Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd (ABNL) and
Idea Cellular Limited on 19 February
2016 announced that they formed a joint
venture company. The joint venture will be known as Aditya Birla Idea Payment Banks Limited and was set up under the
Guidelines for Licensing of Payment Banks issued by the Reserve Bank of India
on 27 November 2014. - Software major Wipro has tied up with Verveba, a telecom network
engineering company, for providing advanced mobile radio network optimisation
solutions. - Aiming to strengthen India-UAE economic ties, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has signed an MoU with Dubai Exports to boost trade and explore business opportunities.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
21 February 2016 launched Shyama Prasad
Mukherjee National Rurban Mission. The mission was launched from Kurubhat
village in Dongargarh block of Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh. - The Centre has launched a mobile
app ‘Swachh Paryatan’ in order to facilitate general public to communicate
their complaints about any unclean area/garbage piles in and around tourist
destinations. - The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 19 February 2016
successfully tested high-thrust cryogenic
engine CE-20 at its Propulsion
Research Centre in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. - Kalikho Pul on 19 February 2016 was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.
- President Pranab Mukherjee on 22
February 2016 appointed Justice Vineet Saran as the new Chief
Justice of Orissa (Odisha) High Court. He will take oath on 26 February
2016. - Former Prime Minister of the
Central African Republic, Faustin–Archange Touadera on 20 February 2016 was declared winner in the second
round of presidential elections. - India has yet again emerged as the world’s largest importer of arms,
with Russia being the top supplier garnering 70% of the Indian market, a
Stockholm-based think-tank said today. India was the largest importer of major
arms in 2011-15, accounting for 14% of the global total, the report titled
‘Trends in International Arms Transfers’ said. - International Mother Language Day 2016 was celebrated across the
world on 21 February 2016. The theme
for the year 2016 is Quality education, language(s) of instruction and learning
outcomes. - World Day of Social Justice was observed on 20 February 2016 with the theme A Just Transition – environmentally
sustainable economies and societies. - The Jaypee Punjab Warriors on 21 February 2016 defeated Kalinga
Lancers 6-1 to clinch Hockey India
League (HIL) title in the fourth edition of the six-team tournament at the
Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand. - New Zealand cricket team captain Brendon McCullum on 20 February 2016 scored fastest test century. McCullum scored the century in record 54 balls against Australia on the first day
of the 2nd match that was played for Trans-Tasman Trophy in Christchurch, New
Zealand. - Malayalam film “Ottal”
was named the Best Children’s Film at
the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival in Germany. It was honoured
with the Crystal Bear Award in the ‘Generation K-Plus’ section. - Harper Lee, the author
of To Kill a Mockingbird, passed away on 19 February 2016 in Monroeville, Alabama, U.S. She was 89.
Finance/Banking –
Aditya Birla Nuvo, Idea Cellular formed joint venture for setting up
Payments Bank
Payments Bank
- Aditya Birla Group’s two
companies Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd (ABNL) and Idea Cellular Limited on 19 February
2016 announced that they formed a joint venture company. - The joint venture will be known
as Aditya Birla Idea Payment Banks Limited and was set up under the Guidelines
for Licensing of Payment Banks issued by the Reserve Bank of India on 27
November 2014. - In the payments bank, while
Aditya Birla Nuvo will be holding up to 51 percent shares, balance 49 percent
shares will be held by the Idea Cellular. - While ABNL is a 4.4 billion US
dollar premium conglomerate and active in textiles and apparel, carbon black,
fertilizers, insulators, mobile telephony and financial services; Idea Cellular
is India’s third largest mobile operator by subscriber base.
Wipro ties up with Verveba Telecom
- Software major Wipro has tied up
with Verveba, a telecom network engineering company, for providing advanced
mobile radio network optimisation solutions. - The companies will jointly offer
solutions to address industry challenges in generating measurable economic
value from fast growing, mobile network technology deployments and
optimisation, especially in 4G and single RAN technologies. - The companies will work together
on business development activities and expanding solutions to the telecom
service providers globally.
CII signs MoU with Dubai exports to boost trade
- Aiming to strengthen India-UAE
economic ties, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has signed an MoU with
Dubai Exports to boost trade and explore business opportunities. - CII, a non-government
organisation, has signed an memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai
Exports, which works with other Dubai Government Departments to simplify the
export process. - It develops long-term growth
strategies to expand businesses and maximise the opportunities given by Dubai’s
unique position as a natural trade gateway between the East and West.
Empowered Group of State Transport Ministers formed to suggest measures
on transport sector
on transport sector
- Union Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways on 22 February 2016 formed an Empowered Group of State Transport
Ministers. - An announcement in this regard
was made at the 16th Meeting of National Road Safety Council by the Union Road
Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi. - The group, chaired by the
Rajasthan Transport Minister Yunus Khan, will suggest measures to boost the
transport sector, improve the public transport system and minimise road
accidents in the country. - The formation of the group is in
tune with the Union Government’s concerted action plan to reduce road accidents
by half by 2019.
India –
PM Narendra Modi launched Rurban Mission in Chhattisgarh
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
21 February 2016 launched Shyama Prasad Mukherjee National Rurban Mission. The
mission was launched from Kurubhat village in Dongargarh block of Rajnandgaon
district in Chhattisgarh. - The Rurban Mission seeks to
develop smart village on the line of smart cities and reduce the burden of
migration to the cities through adopting ‘cluster approach’. - Under the Mission, Murmunda
village cluster in Rajnandgaon will cater 16 village panchayats – Kurrubhat,
Bhagwantola, Bhandarpur, Haransinghi, Jamri, Jatkanhar, Khallari, Matketa,
Medha, Mudhpar, Murmunda, Nagtarai, Pinkapar, Pipariya, Rajkatta and Raka.
Swachh Paryatan mobile app launched
- The Centre has launched a mobile
app ‘Swachh Paryatan’ in order to facilitate general public to communicate
their complaints about any unclean area/garbage piles in and around tourist
destinations. - The app, which is available on
Android Phones, will also be soon available on Apple and Microsoft as well, the
Ministry of Tourism said in a statement on Monday. - It shall be monitored by the
Project Monitoring Unit of Swachh Bharat Mission in Ministry of Tourism. - Initially, 25 Adarsh Smarak
Monuments such as Red Fort, Taj Mahal, Elephanta Caves, Qutub Minar Complex,
among others, have been identified for inclusion in the app, but it would be
scaled up to include more monuments as the campaign expands, the statement
said.
ISRO successfully tested high-thrust Cryogenic Engine CE-20
- The Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) on 19 February 2016 successfully tested high-thrust
cryogenic engine CE-20 at its Propulsion Research Centre in Mahendragiri, Tamil
Nadu. - The successful hotbed test lasted
640 seconds and paved the way for the first developmental flight of the GSLV
Mark 3 in December 2016. - The GSLV Mark 3, the biggest
rocket made in India, will be capable of launching 4-tonne satellites into
geosynchronous orbit. - So far India’s GSLVs were being
powered by cryogenic engines given by Russia. But this development marks a
milestone in the country’s effort to develop a big cryogenic engine to fly
satellites of up to five tonnes.
Appointments –
Kalikho Pul sworn in as Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh
- Kalikho Pul on 19 February 2016
was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. - Pul was sworn in as the CM with
the support of 18 rebel Congress MLAs, and two Independents and 11 BJP MLAs who
gave outside support. - State Governor J P Rajkhowa
administered the oath of office to Pul around 9.30 in the night. - On 26 January 2016, President
Pranab Mukherjee approved the Union Cabinet’s recommendation for the imposition
of President’s rule on Arunachal Pradesh. - The President’s Rule was lifted
after the Supreme Court vacated its interim order to maintain status quo in the
Arunachal Pradesh assembly, paving the way for government formation.
Justice Vineet Saran appointed as the new Chief Justice of Orissa High
Court
Court
- President Pranab Mukherjee on 22
February 2016 appointed Justice Vineet Saran as the new Chief Justice of Orissa
(Odisha) High Court. He will take oath on 26 February 2016. - Prior to this appointment,
Justice Saran was working as a senior judge of Karnataka High Court. - The post of Orissa (Odisha) Chief
Justice was vacant since 15 February 2016 as Justice D H Waghela was
transferred be the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court.
Faustin-Archange Touadera elected President of Central African Republic
- Former Prime Minister of the
Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadera on 20 February 2016 was
declared winner in the second round of presidential elections. - As per the initial results
announced by National Elections Authority (ANE) president Marie-Madeleine
Nkouet, Touadera, who campaigned against corruption, won 62.71 percent of votes
cast in the 14 February 2016 election. On the other hand, his contender
Anicet-Georges Dologuele managed to poll 37.29 percent of the votes.
List/Reports –
India again world’s biggest arms importer: Swedish think-tank
- India has yet again emerged as
the world’s largest importer of arms, with Russia being the top supplier
garnering 70% of the Indian market, a Stockholm-based think-tank said today. - India’s imports, accounting for
14% of global arms imports, were three times greater than those of China and
Pakistan, it said. - Interestingly, six of the top 10
largest arms importers in the period 2011-15 are in Asia and Oceania. - India tops the list with 14% of
global arms imports. China ranks second with 4.7%, Australia (3.6%), Pakistan
(3.3%), Vietnam (2.9%) and South Korea (2.6%). - The emergence of the US as a
major supplier to India is a recent development. The US imports are also
growing. They were 11 times higher in 2011-15 than in 2006-10, the Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a report. - India was the largest importer of
major arms in 2011-15, accounting for 14% of the global total, the report
titled ‘Trends in International Arms Transfers’ said. - Between 2006-10 and 2011-15
imports increased by 90%. - India was the world’s largest
importer of weapons and military equipment in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Days –
International Mother Language Day observed on February 21
- International Mother Language Day
2016 was celebrated across the world on 21 February 2016. The theme for the
year 2016 is Quality education, language(s) of instruction and learning
outcomes. - The theme emphasizes the
importance of appropriate languages of instruction, usually mother tongues, in
the early years of schooling.
World Day of Social Justice observed on 20 February
- World Day of Social Justice was
observed on 20 February 2016 with the theme A Just Transition – environmentally
sustainable economies and societies. - To mark the occasion, various
activities were organised across the world to stress importance of the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development which laid special emphasis on achieving
social justice.
Sports –
Punjab Warriors defeated Kalinga Lancers to win 2016 Hockey India
League
League
- The Jaypee Punjab Warriors on 21
February 2016 defeated Kalinga Lancers 6-1 to clinch Hockey India League (HIL)
title in the fourth edition of the six-team tournament at the Birsa Munda Hockey
Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand. - The Punjab Warriors were third
time lucky as they had finished runners-up in the last two editions. They lost
to Delhi Waveriders in 2014 and to Ranchi Rays in 2015. - Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar
Das presented the winner’s trophy to Jaypee Punjab Warriors captain Sardar
Singh and Mark Knowles. - The Player of the Tournament
Award of 50 lakh rupees was awarded to Rupinder Pal Singh of Delhi Waveriders.
New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum scored fastest test century in
54 balls
54 balls
- New Zealand cricket team captain
Brendon McCullum on 20 February 2016 scored fastest test century. McCullum
scored the century in record 54 balls against Australia on the first day of the
2nd match that was played for Trans-Tasman Trophy in Christchurch, New Zealand. - To score the fastest and the 12th
test century, the 34-year old player took 2 balls less than West Indies’ Viv
Richards and Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq who jointly held the previous record. - While Viv Richards scored it
against England in Antigua in 1986, Misbah-ul-Haq’s century came against
Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014 in 56 balls.
Italy’s Sara Errani clinched Dubai Tennis Championships title
- Italy’s Sara Errani on 20
February 2016 defeated Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova to clinch the WTA
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships women’s singles title. - A former Top 10 fixture and
French Open finalist, Errani’s greater big-match experience shone through as
she emerged victorious by a 6-0, 6-2.
Triple jumper Renjith Maheswary won silver in Asian Indoor Athletics
Championships
Championships
- Triple jumper Renjith Maheswary
on 21 February 2016 won silver medal at the 7th Asian Indoor Athletics
Championships in Doha, Qatar. His silver helped India to increase its medal
tally to five in the championships. - Maheswary had a modest jump of
16.16 metres. Gold went to Kazakhstan’s Roman Valiyev with 16.69m and Rashid
Ahmed Al Mannai won the bronze with 15.97m.
Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated Neil Robertson to win 2016 Welsh Open
- Ronnie O’Sullivan on 21 February
2016 won seven frames in a row to beat Neil Robertson 9-5 and win 2016
BetVictor Welsh Open title held at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales. - O’Sullivan met Robertson in the
final. Despite trailing 3–5 after the afternoon session, O’Sullivan won all six
frames played in the evening session to defeat Robertson 9–5 and equal John
Higgins’ record of four Welsh Open titles. - It was O’Sullivan’s 28th ranking
title, which put him in joint second place with Higgins and Steve Davis for the
number of career ranking titles.
Awards & Honors –
Malayalam film Ottal named best children’s film at Berlin International
Film Festival
Film Festival
- Malayalam film “Ottal” was named
the Best Children’s Film at the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival in
Germany. It was honoured with the Crystal Bear Award in the ‘Generation K-Plus’
section. - The film, directed by Jayaraj
Rajasekharan Nair, is about the story of an old fisherman and his grandson. The
movie is an adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s short story ‘Vanaka’. - Jayaraj is known for adapting
literary classic into films. He has earlier made films based on Shakespeare’s
works such as “Othello” and “Antony and Cleopatra”. This is
the third year in a row that Indian films have triumphed.
Obituaries –
To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee died
- Harper Lee, the author of To Kill
a Mockingbird, passed away on 19 February 2016 in Monroeville, Alabama, U.S.
She was 89. - Lee was widely known for her
debut novel To Kill a Mockingbird, published in 1960. Immediately successful,
it won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and has become a classic of modern American
literature. - The author’s second novel, Go Set a Watchman, was written
in the mid-1950s and controversially published in July 2015 as a sequel, though
it was later confirmed to be To Kill a Mockingbird’s first draft.
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This post was last modified on July 20, 2019 10:16 am