DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: FEBRUARY 8, 2019

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: FEBRUARY 8, 2019

Dear Aspirants,

Daily Current Affairs (February 8,2019) 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.

NATIONAL

Delhi Government Launches Zero Fatality Corridor, To Reduce Road Accidents :

• Delhi Government launched ‘Zero Fatality Corridor’ project under its annual road safety action plan to reduce the number of road accidents on the outer ring road stretch between Burari and Bhalaswa Chowk.
• This project is aimed at reducing deaths to near zero level on the Outer ring road stretch.After scientific investigation of high number of accidents on this stretch, Zero Fatality Corridor was launched.

Chennai Police Launches Mobile App ‘Digicop’ :

• Actor Vijay Sethupathi launched the mobile App ‘DigiCop’ of city police department at the Commissioner’s office.Using the App, people can track the status of stolen two-wheelers and cell phones.
• The details of 18,000 stolen mobile phones are stored in the App. So next time someone is buying a phone from a second hand shop they can verify if the phone is stolen or genuine.
• Using DigiCop App, people can verify IMEI, report lost two-wheelers and phones, know the nearest police station, police news and traffic alerts.

INTERNATONAL

I&B Ministry and CII to set up India Pavilion at Berlin International Film Festival :

• The I&B ministry has collaborated with CII is setting up an India Pavilion at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival is being held at Berlin, Germany.
• The India Pavilion at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) 2019 was inaugurated by Mr Matthijis Wouter Knol, Director European Film Market (EFM).
• An India Pavilion is being set-up at the Festival to act as a platform to popularize Indian Cinema in overseas market and facilitate new business opportunities.

American Members of US-India CEO Forum Announced :

• US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has announced the names of the American private sector members of the US-India CEO Forum.
• MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga and Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf were among the members of the forum. The first meeting of the forum will be held in New Delhi on February 14.
• The US CEOs serve two-year terms and are selected from respondents to a Federal Register Notice calling for CEO-level applicants to the US Section of the Forum.

5th India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Committee Meeting held in Delhi :

• The 5th India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Committee Meeting was held in New Delhi.External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Affairs Minister of Bangladesh Dr Abdul Momen co-chaired the meeting.
• The last Joint Consultative Committee Meeting between the two countries was held in October 2017 at Dhaka.

Parmanu Tech 2019-Nuclear Energy Conference in New Delhi :

• Ministry of External Affairs and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) organised Parmanu Tech 2019 in New Delhi to discuss the issues related to Nuclear Energy and Radiation Technologies.
• The main motive of this conference is to showcase India’s capabilities in Nuclear Energy with environmental responsibility .
• Food Preservation, Agricultural & Industrial Applications: From farms to factories – Serving the National Cause

UNESCO organised 2nd Edition of the India Heritage Walk in partnership with Sahapedia :

• Sahapedia in partnership with UNESCO organized the second edition of India Heritage Walk Festival (IHWF) 2019.It is also supported by the National Mineral Development Corporation.
• The first edition of the festival, went on to receive the PATA Gold Awards 2018 in Heritage and Culture.
• The heritage walk plans to introduce Sanjhi- a paper-cutting art by a stencil of Vrindavan and the lanes of Bandra in Mumbai.

India jumps eight places to 36th in US Chamber’s global IP index :

• In the latest edition of the International IP Index, India’s rank moved up to 36 among 50 economies – jumping eight places – as against 44 in 2018.
• The seventh edition of the index shows India jumping eight places in the ranking from 44th of 50 economies in 2018 to 36th in 2019.The US, the UK, Sweden, France and Germany are the top five in the Index.
• The report by the US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) ranks economies based on 45 unique indicators that are critical to an innovation-led economy supported by robust patent, trademark, copyright and trade secrets protection.

Siamese fighting fish set to become Thailand’s national emblem :

• Thailand named the tiny,eye-catching ,colourful fin plumaged Siamese fighting fish as its aquatic animal with a aim to boost the conservation and breeding of the same.Siamese fighting fish is the native of Mekong basin of Thailand and is mostly found in the Chao Phraya river in Thailand.

STATIC: Thailand

Currency: Thai baht

Capital: Bangkok

Seventh edition of Kolhapur International film festival inaugurated in Kolhapur,Maharashtra :

• The 7th edition of the film festival began on February 7 th of 2019 in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.It is an eight-day festival, in which Veteran actress Rohini Hattangadi is the chief guest at the inaugural function.
• Veteran filmmaker Govind Nihalani was honoured with the Kalamaharshi Baburao Painter Award for his contribution to the film industry.

BANKING & ECONOMY

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das released 6^th Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy :

• Reserve Bank of India’s six-member monetary policy committee chaired by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das released its 6^th Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy.
• On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation at its meeting , the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to reduce the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 6.5 per cent to 6.25 percent with immediate effect.

GeM and CCI sign MoU to facilitate fair & competitive environment in e-marketplace :

• The Government e Marketplace (GeM), the national public procurement platform of Ministry of Commerce and Industries, and Competition Commission of India (CCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enable a fair and competitive environment in the e-Marketplace.
• The MoU was signed during which both CCI and GeM appreciated the importance of advanced analytical tools and processes for identification of malpractices like cartelization.
• GeM is a state-of-the-art national public procurement platform of Ministry of Commerce and Industries, that has used technology to remove entry barriers for bonafide sellers and has created a vibrant e-marketplace with a wide range of goods and services.

AWARDS & HONOURS

92-year-old priest Francois Laborde Conferred France’s Highest Civilian Honour :

• Father Francois Laborde, a 92-year-old priest, was conferred the Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honour), the highest civilian award of France, in recognition of his work for specially-abled children.
• After film maestro Satyajit Ray and actor Soumitra Chatterjee, Francois Laborde is the third person from the state to have been awarded the Legion of Honor .He was entitled by the French Ambassador to India, Alexandre Ziegler.
• Father Laborde had set up Howrah South Point, an organisation working for the development of specially-abled children, the destitute and the most deprived sections of the society.

STATIC: France

Capital: Paris

Currency: CFP Franc, Euro.

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu Notched Up Gold At EGAT Cup in Thailand :

• World champion Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu notched up a gold medal at the EGAT Cup in Thailand.
• The 24-year-old Manipuri Chanu won the 48kg category gold with an effort of 192 kg in the silver level Olympic qualifying event.
• She lifted 82 kg in snatch and 110 kg in clean and jerk to finish on top of the podium.

STATIC: Bangladesh

Capital: Dhaka,

Currency- Bangladesh taka.

OBITUARIES

John Dingell, longest-serving U.S. Congressman, dies at 92 :

• John Dingell, the longest-serving member of Congress in American history, died of cancer at age 92.
• He was first elected in 1955, serving in the House of Representatives for the next 59 years. He retired in 2015.

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: FEBRUARY 7, 2019