Current Affairs Today 01st & 02nd March 2020| Current Affairs News

Dear Readers, Daily Current Affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Read Current Affairs here and stay updated with current news. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this and try Current Affairs Quiz to test your knowledge level.

Daily Current Affairs PDF of 01st & 02nd March 2020

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

World Rare Disease Day

• Every Year, last date of February is observed as World Rare Disease Day. It was first launched by Eurordis in 2008. It aims to create awareness about the impacts of the disease.
• Theme: Reframe Rare for Rare Disease Day
• The rare diseases include Thalassemia, Haemophilia, Sickle Cell Anaemia and primary immune deficiency according to WHO.

Zero Discrimination Day

• Zero Discrimination Dayis observed each year on 1 March.
• Zero Discrimination Day highlights how people can become informed about and promote inclusion, compassion, peace and, above all, a movement for change.
• The Day was launched by UNAIDS in 2014. Theme: Zero Discrimination Against Women And Girls.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

President Kovind gives nod for resuming delimitation exercise in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland

• President Ram Nath Kovind  gave his nod for resuming delimitation exercise in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland.
• A Delimitation Commission was set up under the Delimitation Act, 2002 to readjust the division of each state and union territory into territorial constituencies for the purpose of Lok Sabha and state assembly elections on the basis of census figures of 2001.
• Adding further the order stated, “The Delimitation Commission completed the delimitation exercise and the Delimitation Order, 2008 in respect of all the states, except in these four northeastern states.”
• Delimitation, according to the Election Commission website, means the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province having a legislative body.
• Delimitation Commissions in India have been constituted four times in the past in 1952 under the Delimitation Commission Act, 1952, in 1963 under Delimitation Commission Act, 1962, in 1973 under Delimitation Act, 1972 and in 2002 under Delimitation Act, 2002.

Shri Amit Shah inaugurates the campus of NSG Regional Hub at Kolkata

• Presiding over the inauguration of the National Security Guard (NSG) Regional Hub campus at Kolkata Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah termed this as an important step in the direction of giving adequate facilities to the brave NSG jawans, which are important for them to function unhindered in ensuring the security of the Nation.
• The Home Minister presided over the inauguration and founding stone laying ceremony of various welfare projects for NSG, amounting to over 245 crores, across Kolkata, Manesar, Chennai and Mumbai. He stated that the various facilities and schemes being inaugurated , would go a long way in ensuring the boosting of capabilities of the force and raising the morale of the jawans.
• This state-of-the-art regional hub complex at Kolkata, worth over Rs.162 crores, will have Residential and Non Residential Complexes to house 460 persons and families, office accommodation and modern training facilities such as Baffle firing range, indoor shooting range, obstacles, swimming pool, sports complex and artificial rock craft wall etc.
• The area of responsibility of this Hub comprises of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand & the entire North East. The Kolkata hub, hitherto functioning from the Kolkata airport, is the fourth to have permanent infrastructure after Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Tourism Minister, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel to launch multilingual Incredible India website in New Delhi

• The Minister of State (IC) for Tourism & Culture, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel will launch the multilingual Incredible India website in New Delhi . The launch event will witness participation by key stakeholders of tourism industry, foreign ambassadors, foreign correspondents, major associations among others .
• Incredible India website, the flagship project launched by Ministry of Tourism, is a promotional website with an aim to project India as a ‘must-visit’ destination across the globe. Ministry of Tourism has revamped the multilingual Incredible India website design, with an aim to provide more information about India’s tourist destinations, attractions, experiences, and where out value lies.
• Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India 2.0 website aims towards showcasing the varied tourism products of India at a global arena by providing visitors with relevant, personalized and contextual digital experience escalating tourism awareness, attraction and opportunities.
• The website now comprises of a plethora of information around 165 destinations, 2700+ pages, 28 States + 9 UTs alongwith multiple attractions. The website which is currently hosted in English and Hindi is now being launched in Chinese, Arabic and Spanish with primary objective to effectively engage the visitors across web and social media platforms thereby providing an exciting experience to the travellers visiting the website from countries from where we witness major tourist footfall.
• The website will be dynamic and constantly evolving with new design and theme, periodically. Going forward, the website will be available in other major international languages.

About Ministry of Tourism:

• The Ministry of Tourism, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to the development and promotion of tourism in India.
• Officeholder: Prahlad Singh Patel (MOS independent charge)
• Founded: 1967
• Headquarters: New Delhi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING  AND FINANCE

GST collection crosses Rs one lakh crore mark in February

• Government has collected over one lakh five thousand crore rupees as Goods and Services Tax in February this year which is eight percent more than the GST collected in the same month of last year.
• Out of the total revenue, Central Goods and Service Tax (CGST) is over 20 thousand crore rupees, State Goods and Service Tax (SGST) is over 27 thousand crore and Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST) is over 48 thousand crore rupees.
• Finance Ministry stated, during the month of February, the GST revenue from domestic transactions has shown a growth of 12 percent over the revenue during the month of February last year.

• GST is an Indirect Tax for the whole Nation imposed on the Supply of Goods & Service.
• GST is based on VAT Principle.
• GST is a Destination Based Tax

Govt to infuse Rs.200 crore in IFCI next fiscal

• The government has decided to pump ₹200 crore into Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI), the country’s oldest term lending institution, through the preferential allotment route next fiscal to shore up its capital and enhance operations.
• The Government of India holding in the non-banking finance company, which stood at 42 per cent at the end of December 2019, would increase after the capital infusion.
• The (Rs 200 crore) provision is for equity support to IFCI keeping in view the business programme and capital requirement,” as per the Budget documents presented in Parliament last month.
• For the current fiscal as well, the government has earmarked ₹200 crore capital infusion for IFCI, as per the Revised Estimate.
• For the third quarter ended December 2019, IFCI reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 335.38 crore as against a net loss of Rs 31.66 crore in October-December period of the previous fiscal. Established in 1948 as a statutory corporation, IFCI currently has subsidiaries and one associate under its fold.

About IFCI:

• IFCI, previously Industrial Finance Corporation of India, is a Non-Banking Finance Company in the public sector. Established in 1948 as a statutory corporation, IFCI is currently a company listed on BSE and NSE. IFCI has seven subsidiaries and one associate.
• CEO: Emandi Sankara Rao
• Founded: 1 July 1948

Bank credit growth dips to 8.5 per cent in January: RBI data

• Bank loan growth to NBFCs slowed to 32.2 per cent in the reporting month from a growth of 3 per cent a year-ago
• Bank credit growth declined to 5 per cent in January from 13.5 per cent in the year-ago period led by a sharp slowdown in loans to the services sector, according to the data compiled by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
• Growth in advances to the services sector decelerated to 9 per cent from 23.9 per cent in January 2019.
• During the month, personal loans segment grew by 16.9 per cent.
• Within personal loans, credit to housing segment grew by 17.5 per cent from 18.4 per cent, while education loan showed a negative growth of 3.1 per cent as against a negative growth of 2.3 per cent in January 2019, RBI data showed.
• Advances growth to agriculture and allied activities contracted to 6.5 per cent from 7.6 per cent rise last year.Credit growth to industry decelerated to 5 per cent from 5.2 per cent.
• The country’s GDP grew at 7 per cent in the December quarter, its slowest rate in more than six years.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Kerala High Court bans all forms of agitations in schools, colleges

• The Kerala High Court banned all forms of agitations by student groups in school and college campuses in the state that disrupt the functioning of educational institutions.
• Banning various forms agitations like gherao and sit-in in the campuses, the High Court also stated no one can be persuaded to participate in such protests.
• The court had earlier voiced its disapproval to political activities like dharna and strikes in educational institutions.

Recent news related to kerala:

• India International Seafood Show held in Kochi
• India’s first Super Fab Lab inaugurated in Kerala
• The Kerala Government on December 31, 2019, passed a resolution to rollback the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that was passed during this winter session
• World Design Organization to launch World Design Protopolis in Bengaluru

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla launches ‘Suposhit Maa Abhiyaan’ in Kota

• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has stated that society should also come forward to remove malnutrition problems in the country. Mr. Birla was addressing the program after launching the ‘Suposhit Maa Abhiyaan’  in his constituency Kota
• Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani was also present in the program. Mr. Birla appealed to every section of the society to cooperate in the malnutrition-free India campaign.
• Smriti Irani stated that for the first time more than 9 thousand crores have been allocated for the nutrition campaign in the country. She stated that Poshan Abhiyaan needs to be made a mass movement.

About Rajasthan:

• Governor: Kalraj Mishra
• Capital: Jaipur
• Chief minister: Ashok Gehlot

Bihar government raises India’s first tribal women battalion

• The Bihar government raised the country’s first tribal women police battalion named the ‘Bihar Police Swabhiman Vahini‘ with a strength of 675 constables.
• Lauding the Bihar police, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar , stated that the empowerment of women in all walks of life is one of the top priorities for the state government “and the country’s first ‘Bihar Police Swabhiman Vahini’ is a living example of our dedication and commitment to uplift the lives of ST women.”
• The passing out parade of this battalion was held at Patna’s Mithilesh stadium.The parade was headed by a woman constable Karuna Hansdah belonging to the Tharu tribe.

About Bihar:

• Governor: Phagu Chauhan
• Capital : patna
• Chief minister: Nitish Kumar
• Formation: 22 March 1912; (Bihar Diwas)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Indian Railways turns old coaches to restaurant on wheels

• Indian Railways launched its first ‘Restaurant on Wheels’ at the circulating area of Asansol railway station for the use of passengers as well as the general public of Asansol.
• The Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Babul Supriyo, inaugurated this first of its kind restaurant at a program held in Asansol, West Bengal.
• The ‘Restaurant on Wheels’ at Asansol station circulating area was developed by refurbishing two, over-aged Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) coaches. This unique effort will not only improve the facilities at Asansol station but also generate non-fare revenue earnings of approximately Rs 50 lakh in the next five years. The restaurant is called ‘Wow Bhojan’, while the tea boutique is called ‘Chai-Chun’.
• Supriyo also inaugurated two new air-conditioned retiring rooms and Electronic Reservation Chart Display System and a battery-operated car at Asansol station.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU

India keen to partner with Japan in Mission Purvodaya

• Union Minister for Steel and Petroleum & Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, met the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, along with the Ambassador of Japan to India, Satoshi Suzuki, in
• With the abundance of raw materials, strategic geographical location and strong and developing connectivity, Odisha is well poised to be the heart of this eastern steel hub.
• In Odisha, Kalinganagar will be developed as the epicentre of Mission Purvodaya.
• Mission Purvodaya in steel sector envisions to create an integrated steel hub in Eastern India. More than 75% of India’s envisioned incremental steel capacity will come from eastern India, with Odisha alone crossing 100 MTPA.
• The Ministry of Steel in association with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Government of Japan and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) is organizing a workshop on ‘Enabling Procedures for Increase of Steel usage for the Growth of Economy’ in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

National Parks in Odisha

• Chilika WLS
• Kotagarh WLS
• Hadahgarh WLS
• Simlipal NP
• Nandankanan NP

Memorandum of Understanding Between Indian Air Force and Savitribai Phule Pune University

• As a unique initiative of Indian Air Force, the IAF and Savitribai Phule Pune University entered into an academic collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a ‘Chair of Excellence’ at Department of Defence & Strategic Studies on 29 Feb 20.
• To pay tribute to the legend and commemorate the centenary birth year of the MIAF, the IAF has named it as “Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Chair of Excellence“. The Chair will enable IAF officers to pursue Doctoral Research and higher studies in Defence & Strategic Studies and allied fields.
• The chair will facilitate research and higher studies in the area of National Defence and allied fields of Air Force officers. The chair would facilitate inculcating astrategic outlook and building a pool of strategic thinkers.

Tripura Govt and AAI sign MoU for construction of 6 equipment hiring centers

• Tripura State Government and Airport Authority of India has signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of six equipment hiring centers in Manu Block under the Dhalai District of Tripura.
• Airport Authority official stated the project has been taken as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility scheme. He stated in the equipment hiring centers, equipment related to agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries will be kept. He further stated the types of equipment will be rented out to the needy farmers, Self Help Groups and to any other needy at a minimal cost.
• Additional CEO of Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission, Manu Block, Amarto Barman receiving the first installment of the project amount told media that Manu Block is a tribal populated remote area. He stated with the project as much as 6000 families will be benefited.

About Tripura:

• Capital: Agartala
• Governor: Ramesh Bais
• Chief minister: Biplab Kumar Deb

About AAI:

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founded: 1 April 1995
• Key people: Arvind Singh (Chairman), S. Bhullar, DGCA (Ex-Officio)

ICAR inks pact with Patanjali for farm research, training

• The country’s premier agri-research body ICAR signed an agreement with Hardiwar-based Patanjali Bio Research Institute (PBRI) to undertake research work as well as training and education.
• The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General Trilochan Mohapatra and PBRI CEO Acharya Balkrishna in the presence of Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, an official statement stated.
• As per the MoU, the specific plans will be developed to work on collaborative research programmes in areas of national interest related to sustainable agriculture development suitable to different agro-ecologies of the country.
• ICAR and PBRI will collaborate in mutually identified areas of training and education where the post graduate students of deemed universities and research institutes of ICAR may undertake internships in various areas of specialization with PBRI.
• ICAR stated it will assist PBRI in technology demonstration, capacity building, seed production for scaling up popular varieties developed by ICAR and transferring them among the farming community of the country.
• The MoU aims to foster close interaction in research, capacity building, seed production, entrepreneurship and skill development, the statement added.

About ICAR:

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous body responsible for co-ordinating agricultural education and research in India. The Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its president. It is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world.
• Location: New Delhi, India
• President: Narendra Singh Tomar
• Established: 16 July,1929
• Director: Trilochan Mohapatra

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

Sebi chief Ajay Tyagi gets 6 months extension

• Ajay Tyagi will continue to be the head of India’s capital and commodities markets regulator the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for another six months.
• Tyagi took over as Sebi chief in 2017 for a three-year term.
• His predecessor UK Sinha was also given multiple extensions & remained chairman for 6 years (2011-2017), even though his appointment period is for 3 years.

About SEBI

• Founded- 1992
• Headquarter– Mumbai,India
• Chairperson– Mr Ajay Tyagi

Muhyiddin Yassin sworn in as Malaysia’s new Prime Minister

• In Malaysia, newly appointed Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yasin took the oath of office. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the national palace in Kuala Lumpur.
• Muhyiddin Yasin heads a coalition dominated by the country’s ethnic Malay Muslim majority.
• Malaysia has plunged into turmoil as Mahathir Mohamad’s alliance collapsed after a bid to force out leader-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim.

About Malaysia:

• Prime minister: Muhyiddin Yassin
• Capital: Kuala Lumpur
• Currency: Malaysian ringgit

Nokia appoints Pekka Lundmark as CEO from September 1

• The Fortum CEO will replace Rajeev Suri. Nokia Chief Executive Rajeev Suri will step down in September and is to be replaced by Pekka Lundmark, until now the CEO of energy group Fortum . Suri steps down after more than a decade in charge of Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks, the company stated.
• Nokia faces intense competition from Sweden’s Ericsson and China’s Huawei in the race to deliver 5G telecoms networks to operators around the world.
• Lundmark, head of Fortum since 2015, held multiple executive positions at Nokia between 1990 and 2000, including vice president of strategy and business development at Nokia Networks.

About Nokia:

• Headquarters: Espoo, Finland
• CEO: Rajeev Suri (1 May 2014–)
• Founded: 12 May 1865
• Founders: Fredrik Idestam, Leo Mechelin

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

‘Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award’ Conferred upon Jadav Payeng

• Padma Shri Jadav Payeng, the Forest Man of India will be conferred with the prestigious Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award in New Delhi.
• The arward is instituted by My Home India for his consistent efforts in creating a real man-made forest through massive reforestation.
• Padma Shri Jadav ‘Molai’ Payeng is an environment activist and forest worker from Jorhat. Over the course of past several years, he planted and tended trees on a sandbar of the river Brahmaputra turning it into a forest reserve.

Captain Amarinder Singh honoured with ‘ideal’ CM award

• The Bhartiya Chhatra Sansad (BCS) conferred ‘Adarsh Mukhya Mantri Puraskar’ (Ideal Chief Minister Award) upon Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for his “path breaking initiatives to ensure good governance and holistic development in the state”.
• The award was presented to Capt Amarinder Singh by former President Pranab Mukherjee in Delhi at Vigyan Bhawan during the valedictory function of 10th edition of four-day national conclave of BCS.
• The BCS also acknowledged Amarinder’s profound vast experiences and the values he had practised, which had earned him recognition and eminence in the society.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE

19th World Productivity Congress to be held in Bangalore

• The 19th edition of World Productivity Congress (WPC) will be held on May 6 to May 8, 2020 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bangalore.
• World Productivity Congress, the world’s largest convention for productivity development, is back in India after a gap of 45 years.
• Theme of 19th Productivity Congress 2020: “Industry 4.0 – Innovation and Productivity”
• The foremost future-shaping productivity deliberation event will be a key platform to deliberate on innovation and world-class practices that shape future productivity growth.
• WPC brings together a distinguished group of leading businessmen, industrialists, scholars, politicians, administrators and productivity experts from around the globe and from all sectors of industry, commerce and public services.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

Bengaluru continues to record highest number of digital transactions

• Bengaluru accounted for the highest number of digital transactions in India in 2019, followed by Chennai, Mumbai and Pune, while United Payments Interface (UPI) was the most preferred mode of payment, by online payment processor Worldline India.
• Bengaluru was the leading city in digital transactions in 2018 as well.
• UPI was followed by debit cards, immediate payment service (IMPS), and credit cards, in terms of volume share of digital transactions.
• Even though Bengaluru topped the list in term of online payment volumes, the state of Maharashtra led the pack among the top 10 states with the highest number of digital transactions. States including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi held the next three positions in term of online payment volumes.
• National Payment Council of India (NPCI) operated UPI recorded around 10.8 billion transactions in 2019, a 188% year-on-year (YoY). In terms of value, UPI facilitated transactions worth Rs18.36 trillion in 2019, up 214% YoY compared to 2018.
• On the other hand, the transaction value of debit cards stood at Rs6.8 trillion in 2019 while transaction value of credit cards stood at Rs7.1 trillion in the same year, registering YoY growth of 21% and 33% respectively.
• Number of debit cards transactions at point-of-sale (PoS) terminals stood at 4.9 trillion in 2019, a 16% growth as compared with previous the year. While the number of credit card transactions at PoS machines stood at 2 trillion in 2019, achieving a 20% YoY growth.

Indian chess Grand Master Humpy ranked World No.2

• Women’s World Rapid Chess Champion and Indian chess Grand Master (GM) Koneru Humpy jumped to second spot leaving behind World Women’s Chess Champion Ju Wenjun in global chess body FIDE’s March month’s overall ranking. Humpy won the prestigious Cairns Cup last month.
• Meanwhile Indian female chess players are keeping the nation’s flag flying high with GM Harika Dronavalli maintaining her ninth rank and in the girl’s section R. Vaishali moving up to ninth place from 10th rank in February.
• In the juniors section, Indian GM Nihal Sarin was ranked 10th in the world.
• Incidentally, no Indian male figures in the top ten in the world’s open section. Former World Champion V. Anand was ranked 16th in the world, followed by Vidit Santosh Gujarati at 22nd rank. Gujarati the second top most ranked player in India moved up four places from the 26th rank last month.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

Scientists discover biggest explosion in universe since Big Bang

• Astronomers have discovered the biggest explosion in the universe since the Big Bang, in a galaxy far away.
• An explosion five times bigger than any explosion known so far has been discovered in the Ophiuchus galaxy cluster 390 million light-years from Earth. The scientists responsible for the discovery have published their findings in The Astrophysical Journal.
• The scientists first discovered a huge dent in the Ophiuchus cluster back in 2016 through X-Ray data. The possibility of the giant cavity in the cluster’s plasma, which is the layer of super-hot gas surrounding the galaxy’s black hole was dismissed as “unlikely” back in 2016. However, after gathering radio data from the galaxy and comparing it to the X-Ray data which concluded the existence of the dent, scientists have confirmed that it is indeed a result of a giant explosion in the galaxy.
• Scientists will further study the explosion, the findings of which could help them discover more explosions similar to this. The repercussions of the discovery for Earth is unclear.
• The discovery was made using X-Ray data gathered from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM-Newton. The radio telescopes used to collect radio data were from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in Australia and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in India.

New explosive detection device, developed by DRDO & IISc Bangalore, unveiled in Pune

• RaIDer-X, a new explosive detection device, was unveiled at the National Workshop on Explosive Detection (NWED-2020) in Pune . RaIDer-X has the capability to detect explosives from a stand-off distance. The data library can be built in the system to expand its capability to detect a number of explosives in pure form as well as with the contaminants.
• Bulk explosive in concealed condition can also be detected by the device. RaIDer-X has been co-developed by High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) Pune and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.          
• The NWED-2020 was inaugurated by Secretary, Department of Defence Research &Developmentand Chairman Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) Dr G Satheesh Reddy. The two-day workshop has been organised by HEMRL Puneon its diamond jubilee celebration. HEMRL Pune is a premier laboratory of DRDO. It provides a platform to scientists, technocrats and users to share knowledge, experience and updated information on the technological advancements made in the recent past.
• The workshop will help in the further development of explosive detection devices and keep abreast on the recent development and advancements in the field of explosive detection.
• A total of 250 delegates from different DRDO laboratories, Army, CRPF, CISF, State Police, academic Institutes, industries and other security agencies are attending the workshop.

About DRDO:

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation is an agency of the Government of India, charged with the military’s research and development, headquartered in New Delhi, India.
• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• Motto: “Strength’s Origin is in Science”
• Founded: 1958
• Minister responsible: Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence
• Agency executive: Dr G. Satheesh Reddy, Chairman, DRDO;

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

Navy to buy 24 MH-60R multi-role helicopters from US

• New helicopters to replace Sea King 42/42A helicopters procured in the ’70
• Two days after signing a $3-billion defence deal related to the acquisition of Seahawk multi-role helicopters for the Indian Navy and Apache attack helicopters for the Army, the Indian Navy has announced that 24 MH-60R multi-role helicopters (MRH) will be procured under the Buy (Global) category through Foreign Military Sales. A contract for the MRH was signed on February 25.
• India and the US have concluded defence deals for 24 MH-60R MRH and six AH-64E Apache helicopters.
• The Indian Navy stated the MH-60R MRH are a replacement for the Sea King 42/42A helicopters, inducted in the 1970s and decommissioned in the 1990s. The Lockheed Martin-built helicopters are envisaged to operate from frontline ships and aircraft carriers providing them critical attributes of flexibility of operation, enhanced surveillance and attack capability.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

First Khelo India University Games concludes in Bhubaneswar; Panjab University, Chandigarh tops medals tally

• The Khelo India University Games concluded in Bhubaneswar, Odisha . Panjab University, Chandigarh took home the champions trophy-winning 46 medals including 17 gold, 19 silver, and 10 bronze.
• Savitribai Phule Pune University claimed the second position and Punjabi University, Patiala declared as the second runners up. Punjabi University, Patiala won 33 medals including 13 gold, 6 silver, and 14 bronze medals. A total of 113 universities took part in the games.
• It was a grand closing ceremony for first-ever Khelo India University Games in the Odisha capital, which was attended by a host of dignitaries including Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Dhruv Batra, Sports Minister of Odisha Tusharkanti Behera and Secretary-General of Association of Indian Universities Dr. Pankaj Mittal.

Rafael Nadal wins Mexican Open title after beating Taylor Fritz

• World Number 2 Rafael Nadal captured his first title of the year, defeating unseeded Taylor Fritz in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, in the final of the ATP Mexico Open.
• Nadal, playing in his first tournament since losing in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open , ousted Fritz in the first career meeting between the two. Nadal ceded the world number one ranking to Novak Djokovic after the Australian Open, where the Serb won a record eighth title.
• In the women’s final, seventh-seeded Heather Watson captured her first WTA title in three years by grinding out a 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 win over Canadian teen Leylah Fernandez.

Novak Djokovic bests Stefanos Tsitsipas to lift fifth Dubai Championships title

• After saving match points to reach the final, top-ranked Novak Djokovic was scarcely troubled as he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 to win the Dubai Championships for the fifth time.
• The 17-time Grand Slam champion maintained his unbeaten start to the year, having won the inaugural ATP Cup with Serbia and clinching a record-extending eighth Australian Open title. Djokovic’s 79th career title moves him five behind Rafael Nadal.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Former India hockey star and Olympic bronze medallist Balbir Singh Kullar passes away

• Former India hockey player Balbir Singh Kullar passed away.
• He was also a member of the Indian team that won the Asian Games gold in 1966 at Bangkok and the Olympic Bronze in 1968 in Mexico.

Dronacharya awardee and former India athletics coach Joginder Singh Saini

• Veteran athletics coach and Dronacharya awardee Joginder Singh Saini passed away.
• Saini received the Dronacharya Award in 1997 for his contribution to Indian athletics.
• He was the chief coach of the Indian athletics team which won 18 medals, including eight golds, at the 1978 Asian Games.

DAILY CA 29^TH FEB

• PM to launch 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations; also to lay foundation stone for Bundelkhand Expressway
• NITI Aayog selects J&K for first pilot project among all States and UTs on Sustainable Developmental Goals
• Minister Arjun Munda launched Programme for Capacity Building of ST Representatives in LSG in Odisha
• Government Approves Rs 162 crore under ‘Operation Greens’ Scheme
• India GDP grew 7 per cent in Q3
• Airtel Payments Bank rolls out Aadhaar enabled payment system
• US-based healthcare major Providence sets up Global Innovation Centre in Hyderabad
• Poonawalla Fin and Capital Float tie-up to provide loans to MSMEs
• Maharashtra government’s “Smart gram yojana” to be named after ex-minister R R Patil
• Haryana CM unveils Rs 1,42,343-crore budget for 2020-21
• Maharashtra Assembly passes law making Marathi language compulsory for all schools
• MP: Two-day unique Chilli Festival begins at Kasrawad in Khargone district
• Unique census of migratory birds underway in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu
• ONGC, HPCL buy 34.56% of bankers’ stake in Petronet MHB for Rs 371 cr
• Film editor Sreekar Prasad enters the limca book of records
• Travellers’ Choice Destination Awards 2020 goes to Kochi
• International Conference on Alternate Medicines Concludes at Delhi
• Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates the 11th National Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Conference
• MP, Odisha top performers in digitising land records: NCAER
• Seventeen new planets, including one Earth-sized habitable world discovered
• Scientists discover animal that doesn’t survive on oxygen
• KIUG 2020: Savitribai Phule Pune University consolidates its position at top; claims 3 gold medals in Weightlifting, Wrestling
• Larsen & Toubro built 5th offshore patrol vessel ICGS Varad commissioned into India Coast Guard
• Eminent historian Shadakshari Settar passes away
• JD(U)’s Vamikinagar MP Baidyanath Prasad Mahto passes away

DAILY CA 1^ST AND 2^ND  MAR

• World Rare Disease Day- 29^th Feb
• Zero Discrimination Day– 1^st March
• President Kovind gives nod for resuming delimitation exercise in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland
• Shri Amit Shah inaugurates the campus of NSG Regional Hub at Kolkata
• Tourism Minister, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel to launch multilingual Incredible India website in New Delhi
• GST collection crosses Rs one lakh crore mark in February
• Govt to infuse ₹200 crore in IFCI next fiscal
• Bank credit growth dips to 5 per cent in January: RBI data
• Kerala High Court bans all forms of agitations in schools, colleges
• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla launches ‘Suposhit Maa Abhiyaan’ in Kota
• Bihar government raises India’s first tribal women battalion
• Indian Railways turns old coaches to restaurant on wheels
• India keen to partner with Japan in Mission Purvodaya
• Memorandum of Understanding Between Indian Air Force and Savitribai Phule Pune University
• Tripura Govt and AAI sign MoU for construction of 6 equipment hiring centers
• ICAR inks pact with Patanjali for farm research, training
• Sebi chief Ajay Tyagi gets 6 months extension
• Muhyiddin Yassin sworn in as Malaysia’s new Prime Minister
• Nokia appoints Pekka Lundmark as CEO from September 1
• ‘Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award’ Conferred upon Jadav Payeng
• Captain Amarinder Singh honoured with ‘ideal’ CM award
• 19th World Productivity Congress to be held in Bangalore
• Bengaluru continues to record highest number of digital transactions
• Indian chess Grand Master Humpy ranked World No.2
• Scientists discover biggest explosion in universe since Big Bang
• New explosive detection device, developed by DRDO & IISc Bangalore, unveiled in Pune
• Navy to buy 24 MH-60R multi-role helicopters from US
• First Khelo India University Games concludes in Bhubaneswar; Panjab University, Chandigarh tops medals tally
• Rafael Nadal wins Mexican Open title after beating Taylor Fritz
• Novak Djokovic beats Stefanos Tsitsipas to lift fifth Dubai Championships title
• Former India hockey star and Olympic bronze medallist Balbir Singh Kullar passes away
• Dronacharya awardee and former India athletics coach Joginder Singh Saini