DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: FEBRUARY 29, 2020

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Daily Current Affairs (February 29, 2020) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness, Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

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Important day

Morarji Desai’s 124th Birth Anniversary

• Morarji Ranchhodji Desai was an Indian independence activist and served between 1977 and 1979 as the 4th Prime Minister of India and led the government formed by the Janata Party.

World Rare Disease Day observes on last day of February

• 29 February 2020 is the 13th international Rare Disease Day coordinated by EURORDIS. On this day many patient organisations all over the world will hold awareness-raising activities. 
• Rare Disease Day is held on the last day of February every year.

National News

Prime Minister to launch 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) all over the country:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 10 thousand Farmer Producer Organizations, FPOs all over the country from Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh.
• Nearly 86% of farmers are small and marginal with average land holdings in the country being less than 1.1 hectare. 
• FPOs will help in collectivization of small, marginal and landless farmers to give them strength to deal with issues like lack of access to technology, quality seed, fertilizers and pesticides including requisite finances.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the Bundelkhand Expressway at Chitrakoot. 
• The Uttar Pradesh Government is constructing 296-kilometre long Bundelkhand Expressway will pass through the districts of Chitrakoot, Banda, Hamirpur and Jalaun.

Uttar Pradesh

• Capital: Lucknow
• Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
• Governor: Anandiben Patel

Shri Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates the 11th National Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Conference:

• Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the 11th National Krishi Vigyan Kendra Conference in New Delhi. 
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi of doubling farmers income by 2022.

NITI Aayog selects J&K for the first pilot project among all States and UTs on SDGs

• NITI Aayog has selected UT of J&K for the first pilot project among all States and UTs on Sustainable Developmental Goals. 
• It would get a chance to work with UN Development Programme (UNDP). The programs would work like that of the district indicator framework.

Government announces amnesty scheme for power consumers across UT of J&K:

• The government has announced the amnesty scheme for power consumers across UT of Jammu & Kashmir. The Administrative Council headed by Lieutenant Governor G.C. Murmu approved the scheme for power consumers which will come into effect from March 1, 2020.
• Waiver of penalties & interests will cost 600 Cr to the govt.

Atal Innovation Mission partnered with Nasscom to launch AI-based module in 5000 ATLs:

• NITI (National Institution for Transforming India)) Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has collaborated with NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) to launch the artificial intelligence (AI) based module including AI kits across 5000 Atal Tinkering Labs in the country 2020.

Two-day unique Chilli Festival begins at Kasrawad in Madhya Pradesh:

• The two-day unique Chilli Festival begins at Kasrawad in in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh. It will help in fulfilling the Central Government’s goal of doubling the income of farmers. 
• Chilli Festival is a business opportunity for traders, investors & exporters.

Madhya Pradesh

• Capital: Bhopal
• Chief Minister: Kamal Nath

• Governor: Lal Ji Tandon

Gujarat Assembly to start ‘Best MLA’ award from year 2019:

• Speaker Rajendra Trivedi said that Gujarat Assembly will start giving ‘Best MLA’ award for MLAs starting from the year 2019. 
• The award will be in the lines of Outstanding Parliamentarian Award given to MPs & Best MLA awards given in some other states.

Gujarat

• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani
• Governor: Acharya Devvrat

Madhya Pradesh tops in land records digitisation: 

• 1st edition of NCAER Land Records and Services Index (N-LRSI 2019-20) released by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). 
• Madhya Pradesh (MP) emerged as the best performing state in terms of digitising land records with the score of 74.9. It was followed by Odisha (67.5points) and Maharashtra (65.3 points).
• While Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh ranked at bottom at 33rd position with a score of 2.0.

Defence Minister inaugurates new Light Combat Helicopter Production Hangar at HAL Complex in Bengaluru

• Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the new Light Combat Helicopter Production Hangar at Helicopter Division in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Complex at Bengaluru, Karnataka. 
• LCH is a 5.5-tonne class combat helicopter designed and developed by HAL.

Karnataka

• Capital: Bengaluru
• Chief Minister: B. S. Yeddyurappa
• Governor: Vajubhai Vala

Mansukh Mandaviya commissions Indian Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Vessel ICGS Varad

• Union Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) and Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya commissioned Indian Coast Guard’s OPV ICGS Varad in Chennai. 
• Varad will enhance Coast Guard’s capability to monitor & maintain vigil of Indian maritime borders.
• Varad is propelled by 2 diesel driven engines of 9000 KW each.

International News

India-Japan join hands to make Odisha a Steel Hub “Mission Purvodaya”

• Union Minister of Steel announced at a workshop organized by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) that GoI is to make Odisha the steel hub of India. This is to be achieved by the Government with the help of Japan.
• Odisha has been selected to establish steel hub due to its strategic location, availability of raw materials and strong connectivity. 
• The city of Kalinga Nagar is to be developed as the epicenter of Mission Purvodaya.

Banking and Finance

EPFO mulls rate cut on PF deposits to 8.5% for FY20

• EPFO is considering a cut of 15 basis points in the interest rate on PF deposits in FY20 to 8.5%. Provident fund deposits had fetched 8.65% in FY19.
• EPFO Headquarters: New Delhi.

HDFC Bank launches co-branded credit card with IndiGo

• The card is being launched in partnership with Mastercard, which is the largest issuer for HDFC Bank
• With over 14 million active cards, HDFC Bank is by far the largest credit card issuer in the country, and hopes to sell 1 million Ka-ching cards over the next three years
• HDFC Bank joined hands with the country’s largest airline IndiGo to launch a co-branded credit card, which will effectively work like a loyalty programme for the carrier.

HDFC:

• Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Managing Director– Aditya Puri
• Tagline– We understand your world.

Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2019-20 (Series X) – Issue Price:

• Sovereign Gold Bonds 2019-20 (Series X) will be opened for the period March 02-06, 2020. The issue price of the Bond during the subscription period shall be Rs 4,260 (Rupees Four Thousand Two Hundred Sixty only) – per gram with Settlement date March 11, 2020.
• Government of India in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India has decided to allow discount of Rs 50 (Rupees Fifty only) per gram from the issue price to those investors who apply online and the payment is made through digital mode.

Appointments

SEBI chief Ajay Tyagi gets 6-month extension

• The government has given a six-month extension to Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) chairman Ajay Tyagi whose term at the helm was ending on February 29.
• Mr.Ajay Tyagi is an Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) of the Himachal Pradesh cadre.

Awards and Recognition

Raja Ravi Varma Award 2020 conferred  

• Raja Ravi Varma State Award was conferred on a veteran painter from Kalaburagi, Prof. J.S. Khanderao (for the year 2019) and senior artist from Mumbai, Vasudev Kamath (2020). The award carries a cash prize of Rs.10,000 and a citation. 
• Raja Ravi Varma State Award was instituted by Karnataka’s Shri Ravivarma Art Institute.

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal received the prestigious Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee award

• Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal received the prestigious Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee award 2020 for Politics at the 6th India Ideas Conclave in Gujarat. 
• The award, instituted by India Foundation, was presented to Chief Minister Sonowal by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Speaker of People’s Majlis of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, which carries a citation, a specially designed trophy and a cheque worth Rs. one lakh.

Film editor Sreekar Prasad enters the limca book of records:

• Sreekar Prasad, a veteran editor has entered the Limca Book of Records for ‘films edited in the most number of languages’. 
• Sreekar Prasad has received the certification from the Limca Records for editing films in 17 languages. 
• The 17 languages include: English, Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Odia, Sinhalese, Bengali, Assamese, Nepali, Pangchenpa, Karbi, Mishing, Bodo, and Marathi.

Obituary News

Vamikinagar MP Baidyanath Prasad Mahto passes away

• Janata Dal (United)’s Lok Sabha Member Baidyanath Prasad Mahto from Vamikinagar Parliamentary Constituency passed away in Delhi.
• He was 72 and elected to Lok Sabha from Vamikinagar in 2009 and 2019 as Janata DaL(United) candidate.

Sports News

Bangalore Central University bags Men’s Hockey Gold In ongoing Khelo India University Games:

• Bangalore Central University beat Bangalore University 5-4 in a nail-biting shootout to take home the men’s hockey gold in Khelo India University Games, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
• Punjabi University, Patiala won two gold medals in weightlifting and run event. Harjinder Kaur of Punjabi University won the gold medal in women’s 71 Kg weightlifting, While Nikeeta of Savitribai Phule Pune University won silver and Sneha of the University of Calicut won bronze.

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Daily Current Affairs Quiz – February 29, 2020

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