Feb 01 - 05, 2016 Events
INDIA
·
Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) completes ten years of
implementation on Feb 02, 2016
ä Government is committed to strengthen MGNREGA: Union
Finance Minister, Mr. Arun Jaitley
ä Congress and BJP fight over the 'success' for MGNREGA
on its tenth anniversary
ä State Awards under MGNREGA for Effective Initiatives:
-
Sustainable
livelihoods through convergence: (i) Tamil Nadu (ii) West Bengal
-
Transparency and
Accountability: jointly by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
-
Social inclusion:
Telangana
·
President, Mr.
Pranab Mukherjee to inaugurate Counter-Terrorism Conference 2016 at Jaipur
[Counter-Terrorism Conference is being organized by India Foundation in
collaboration with Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal
Justice, Jodhpur; 1st Counter Terrorism Conference was held in Jaipur in 2015]
·
Supreme Court
verbally thrashed the Gujarat and the Centre for not implementing the National
Food Security Act passed by Parliament in 2013
·
Supreme Court
recalled its notice issued to Arunachal Pradesh Governor, Mr. J. P. Rajkhowa
[Attorney General (Mukul Rohatgi) pointed that, no Court can ask President or
Governor to answer it; after hearing AG's view, Supreme Court corrected itself
and recalled the notice given]
·
Let's register
the sex of foetus in public records and track the pregnancies are carried to
full term: Union Women and Child Development Minister, Ms. Maneka Gandhi
·
National Marine
Fisheries Census 2016 began (lastly held in 2010)
·
Supreme Court
quashed Tamil Nadu's GAIL notification; livelihood of farmers comes to a big
question now
·
Supreme Court
gives light of hope for LGBT communities by saying it will go through the
Section 377 of IPC; matter moved to five - judge Constitution Bench (to be set
up later)
·
Union Health
Ministry issued guidelines on Zika Virus
·
PMO plans to
merge RS TV channel with LS TV channel
·
10 soldiers
trapped in Siachen Avalance declared as dead; army released the dead soldiers
names; 9 of the 10 soldiers hail from Southern India (4 from Tamil Nadu, 3 from
Karnataka, 1 from Kerala and Andhra each)
·
International
Fleet Review 2016
- Venue: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
- Participating nations: 54
- Theme: "United through Oceans"
- Participated nations: 54
·
Scientists of
Bharat Biotech (at Hyderabad) have developed the world's first vaccine
(ZIKAVAC) to fight Zika Virus
·
Union Minister
for Science & Technology, Dr Harsh Vardhan, inaugurated a unique MAGIC
[Modular, Agile, Intensified & Continuous] Process Lab at CSIR-National
Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) Pune
·
Agricultural
growth is also necessary along with industrial development - Union Agriculture
and Farmers Welfare Minister, Mr. Radha Mohan Singh
·
Union Cabinet has
given its approval for allowing the Ministry of Railways to form Joint Venture
Companies with the State Governments to mobilize resources for undertaking
various rail infrastructure projects in States
·
Union Cabinet has
given its approval for delinking Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments
Limited (REIL), Jaipur, from its parent company Instrumentation Limited (IL)
and turn it into an independent Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under
Department of Heavy Industry
·
Maritime India
Summit 2016 at Mumbai (April 2016); South Korea to be partner country
·
WHO has accorded
PQP (Pre-qualification of Medicine Prohraame) certificate to Chennai based
GreenSignal Bio Pharma Pvt Ltd (a BCG vaccine making firm); second Indian
company to get PQP certification from WHO [GreenSignal is headed by former CEC,
Mr. N. Gopalaswamy]
·
Budget Session of
Parliament from Feb 23 - May 13
·
Union MoS for
Home Affairs, Mr. Kiren Rijiju chaired the 3rd meeting of the Committee of
Eminent Freedom Fighters
·
50% Indians to be
made digital literate (current rate is 15%) in three years: Union IT Minister,
Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad
·
Central
government is thinking to declare 50% reservation for women in panchayats
·
Major General Jai
Shanker Menon of India is appointed as the Head United Nations Disengagement Observer
Force (UNDOF) by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
·
India submitted
its Instrument of Ratification of the Convention of Supplementary Compensation
for Nuclear Damage (CSC), 1997 (signed the convention in 2010)
·
Ministry of Urban
Development approved projects worth over Rs.12 cr for improving tourist
infrastructure in heritage places of Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh and Warangal
in Telangana
·
As of now,
Government withholds its decision on GM mustard
·
Indian basmati
rice all set to get GI tag
·
Agricultural
education must conform to global standards: President, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee
·
Prisoner deserve
dignified treatment too: Supreme Court to Centre
BILATERAL ISSUES
·
Prime Minister,
Mr. Narendra Modi met the Chief Executive of Afghanistan, Dr Abdullah Abdullah
[Dr. Abdullah Abdullah to deliver a keynote address at the Conference on
Counter Terrorism 2016]
·
Vietnam has
formally lifted the ban on import of Indian Groundnut [temporarily suspended
import of groundnuts from India from April 06, 2015 due to interceptions of
quarantine pests living Caryedon serratus and Trogodrma granarium]
·
India likely to
sign defence pact with Brunei
·
National
Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) Ltd. has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with RUSNANO OJSC of Russia [agreed to set up the Russia -
India High Technology Private Equity Fund]
·
Anupam Kher
denied visa by Pakistan; he was to participate in Pakistan for a Literary
Festival
·
India - Thailand:
firm up maritime cooperation (COBRA GOLD 2016 - multilateral amphibious
exercise; OPERATION MAITRI 2016 - counter insurgency operations) [Vice
President, Mr. Hamid Ansari is on official visit to Thailand]
·
President, Mr.
Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Honorary Rank of General of the Indian Army on
Prakhyata Trisahkati-Patta General Rajendra Chhetri, Chief of the Army Staff,
Nepalese Army [for his commendable military prowess and immeasurable
contribution to fostering Nepal’s long and friendly association with India]
·
India signed a
Cooperation Agreement to acquire the status of the Associate Member State of
EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organisation) [Click for More Details]
·
India and Russia
have set up a working group to locally build components for nuclear power
plants of Russian design
·
Ninth Indo -
Nepal combined Battalion level Military Training Exercise SURYA KIRAN will be
conducted at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand (Feb 08)
·
India and Brunei
signed 3 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in the field of health, defence
and youth affairs and sports
STATES SCAN
·
Andhra Pradesh:
Kapu community leader to go on indefinite fast seeking reservation for them
·
Assam:
Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) at Lepetkata was dedicated to
the nation by Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi
·
Bihar: scraps the
mandatory toilet norms for local polls; it is the second U - turn by Bihar
government after total prohibition of liquor in the State
·
Chandigarh:
Canadian province of Prince Edward Island & Ontario signed MoUs in
Chandigarh
·
Goa: heli-tourism
project put on hold due to opposition
·
Gujarat: Justice
Ramayyahari Subash Reddy is appointed as the new Chief Justice of Gujarat High
Court
·
Gujarat: India's
first underwater restaurant was opened at Ahmedabad (called as “Real Poseidon”)
·
Gujarat: 37
killed after a bus falls into river
·
Haryana: 30th
edition of the Surajkund International Crafts Mela began at Surajkund in
Faridabad (Feb 01 - 15, 2016); Telangana was selected as the theme State; China
and Japan are focus countries
·
Jammu &
Kashmir: Governor Mr. N. N. Vohra appointed advisers (Mr. Parvez Dewan IAS and
Mr. Khusrshid Ahmed Gnani IAS); State has been under Governor's Rule since Jan
07, 2016
·
Karnataka:
Investors Meet at Bengaluru (Feb 03 - 05, 2016)
·
Karnataka: advanced
Polymer Design and Development Research Laboratory cum High Learning Centre at
Bengaluru
·
Karnataka should
be growing by 2 - 3 percent faster than the country's GDP. The state has
potential in better natural resources and quality human resources. - Union
Finance Minister, Mr. Arun Jaitley while inaugurating Invest Karnataka – 2016
·
Karnataka:
Reliance Defence to set up Dhirubhai Ambani Centre for Innovation &
Research in Aerospace in Bengaluru
·
Karnataka: it was
just a mob attack and not racism (on the attack of Tanzanian woman) - State
Home Minister, Mr. G. Parameshwara; Central team went to Bengaluru to probe the
incident
·
Karnataka: Union
Law Minister, Mr. Sadananda Gowda asked the Karnataka government to form a
special squad to keep a watch on foreign students
·
Kerala: Third
Global Ayurveda Festival at Kozhikode; Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi addressed
·
Kerala: Kerala
Literature Festival 2016 begins at Kozhikode
·
Kerala:
Government is firm on the restriction on women entering the famous Sabarimala
temple
·
Maharashtra:
Government announced a new scheme Bharatratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Special
Collective Incentive Scheme for the economically backward Dalit entrepreneurs.
·
Maharashtra:
first state in the country to deny furlough (an entitled leave) to a prisoner
convicted of rape
·
Odisha: 143
villages electrified through DDUGJY (Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram JyotiYojna),
highest in the country
·
Odisha:
Government extended Aahar Cheap meal scheme to 29 districts
·
Odisha: lifted
the restrictions on visit of foreign tourists to certain tribal areas in the
State after three years
·
Telangana: TRS
wins Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls; for the first time
in the history, a single party secured majority
·
Uttarakhand: 4-day National Arogya Fair began at Dehradun
·
West Bengal:
Kolkata Literature Festival 2016 begins at Kolkata
TAMIL NADU
·
Prime Minister,
Mr. Narendra Modi inaugurated the building of the ESIC Medical College and
Hospital in Coimbatore [CAG report reveals colossal waste of public funds by
ESIC]
·
Chief Minister,
Ms. Jayalalithaa launched an e-governance project called e-CTAX (total solution
projection for the Commercial Taxes department)
·
Tamil Nadu win 2
awards for executing MGNREGS (MGNREGA SAMMELAN – 2016)
- An award for convergence of MGNREGS on the State's
Solid Waste Management Scheme in Villages
- 2 Districts (Pudukottai and Thiruvallur) from Tamil
Nadu has been chosen as 10 best districts across the country in implementing
the Scheme
·
Supreme Court
decision on GAIL shocks farmers; opposition parties criticized AIADMK
government
·
Government has
mandated the DVAC to forward all corruption complaints against government
officials (irrespective of their rank or grade) to Vigilance Commission, which
should order a probe only after getting the opinion of the State Government;
criticism against the government for doing such thing
·
1.30 lakh people
in the State are living with cancer; 3% are children and 12% are young adults
·
Madras High Court
issues notice to Government on appointment of 11 officers to TNPSC
·
Marakanam
Incident (2013): a trial court sentence 6 persons (cadres of VCK political
party) to life imprisonment
·
31, 76, 018
students got free laptops from the Government
AROUND THE WORLD
·
WHO declared Zika
Virus as an international emergency (Public Health Emergency of International
Concern (PHEIC)) [H1N1 or Swine Flu - in Apr 2009; Polio - May 2014; Ebola
Virus - Aug 2014; Zika Zirus - Feb 2016]
·
It's official:
Zika is a sexually transmitted disease too
·
68 newborn deaths
reported across the world due to Zika virus
·
UK scientists get
license to edit human embryos
·
Germany: opened
its first shelter for gay and lesbian refugees, as fears grew over threats to
them in overcrowded accommodations
·
Major General
Menon of India to head United Nations Disengagement Observer Force
·
Sri Lanka: 68th Independence
Day; National Anthem rendered in Tamil too
·
Julian Assange's
detention illegal: UN panel
·
EU approved 3.3
billion Euros funding to Turkey to cope with Syrian refugee crisis
·
U.S. asks Russia
to end strikes after Syria talks collapse
·
Space Launch
System (SLS) — NASA’s most powerful rocket ever that will launch an uncrewed
Orion spacecraft to a stable orbit beyond the Moon in 2018 — will also carry 13
tiny satellites to test innovative ideas (called as "CubeSats")
·
WHO recommended
all governments to rate movies with smoking scenes to protect children and
adolescents from tobacco addiction
·
US General John
Nicholson named NATO commander in Afghanistan
·
U.K., Sweden will
continue to press for Assange’s arrest
·
Panama: to
release GM mosquitoes to combat the spread of Zika virus
·
US Presidential
Election Race
- Iowa Province (Republican - won by Mr. Ted Cruz;
Democratic - won by Ms. Hilary Clinton)
ECONOMICS / BUSINESS WORLD
·
Companies Law
Committee (headed by Bharat Vasani) submitted its report; says that there is a
need of 100 amendments for doing ease of business
·
World Bank
approved $35 million to improve citizen access to public services in Madhya
Pradesh
·
Supreme Court
appointed an expert committee headed by former CJI R. Lodha to monitor the
sales of assets and refund of money to the investors of Pearls Agrotech
Corporation Limited (PACL)
·
RBI kept its key policy
rates unchanged (Repo - 6.75%; CRR - 4%)
·
Government sets
up Tax Policy Research Unit (TPRU) and Tax Policy Council to be chaired by Union Finance Minister
·
India has become
the second-biggest smartphone market in terms of active unique smartphone
users, crossing 220 million users, surpassing the US market
·
Alphabet Inc.
became world’s most valuable company
·
Saroj Kumar Jha
(Indian) has been appointed to a key position in the World Bank [has been
tasked to provide strategic leadership to address the challenge of fragility,
conflict and violence, working across the Bank Group and in close collaboration
with partners]
·
DJ Pandian
appointed Vice President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
·
Union Finance
Minister, Mr. Arun Jaitley inaugurated India Investment summit 2016 in New
Delhi
·
Technology giant
Microsoft is all set to buy software keyboard and SDK application maker
SwiftKey [SwiftKey is a free keyboard application that powers more than 300
million Android and iOS devices]
·
IT services
exports to cross $100 billion
·
HSCC (Hospital
Services Consultancy Corporation) received Miniratna Status I category
·
Birla Corp
announced acquisition of cement business of Reliance Infrastructure for 4800
crore rupees
SPORTS CORNER
·
2021 World
Aquatics Championships will be held in Fukuoka (Japan); 2023 event will be held
in Doha (Qatar) [2015 - Kazan, Russia; 2017 - Budapest; 2019 - Gwangju, South
Korea]
·
Sanjeev Rajput
wins 12th quota for India (in Shooting) in 2016 Rio Olympics; 50 m rifle 3
positions event [Click for More Details]
·
Suresh Raina is named
as the captain of Rajkot - based IPL team (Gujarat Lions)
·
Kerala won 61st
National School Athletics championship; held at Kozhikode, Kerala; 19th
consecutive win for Kerala; Tamil Nadu @ Second and Maharashtra @ third
- Feb 05 - 16, 2016
- Venues: Guwahati and Shillong
- Opening Ceremony: Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium,
Guwahati
- Originally scheduled to be back in 2012
- 8 nations participating; 3325 athletes; 23
disciplines; 241 events
- Third time India hosts SAG (Kolkata - 1987 and
Chennai - 1995)
- Official mascot: TIKHOR
- Official anthem: "The World is a
playground" by Bhupen Hazarika
·
Accept Lodha
report: Supreme Court to BCCI
·
Rahul Dravid
appointed as a member of newly constituted Anti-Corruption Unit Oversight Group
by the ICC
MISCELLANEOUS
DAYS
·
Feb 02: World
Wetlands Day; theme: 'Wetlands for our
Future - Sustainable Livelihoods'
PERSONS
IN NEWS
·
Senior IPS
officer, Ms. Archana Ramasundaram was appointed as Director General of SSB
(Sashastra Seema Bal); the first woman to head a paramilitary force [SSB -
formed in 1963; guarding the frontiers of Nepal and Bhutan]
·
Former Lok Sabha
Speaker, Mr. Balram Jakhar passed away; was speaker of Lok Sabha for two
consecutive terms from 1980 to 1989
TERMS
·
Project Natick:
Microsoft tests underwater data centre in US (Leona Phlpot prototype)
·
VIRUS (Vertically
Integrated Seismic Analysis) - a new software which helps to detect illicit
nuclear weapon tests
SUMMITS
·
A two day Global
Biotechnology Summit on “Destination India”
at New Delhi from Feb 05 - 06, 2016
·
Supporting Syria
& the Region Conference 2016 held in London
OTHERS
·
WhatsApp has
crossed the one billion user milestone globally
·
Bengaluru is
ranked first in the Asia Pacific region in terms of city’s socio-economic
growth and momentum in the commercial real estate space (world wide @ 4th)
·
President, Mr.
Pranab Mukherjee ranked 12th among world leaders in popularity on Facebook;
'President of India' page was the second most visited in 2015 (first is Foreign
Ministry of Thailand)
·
BGR - 34: first
anti-diabetic ayurvedic drug for Diabetes that was launched by CSIR (BGR - Blood
Glucose Regulator)
·
TCS rated world’s
most powerful brand in IT services
·
Indian writer
Geetu Mohandas won Sundance Institute Global Filmmaking Award 2016 for her
script of yet-to-be shot film "Insha
Allah"
Feb
01 – 05 Feb 06 - 10 Feb 11 - 15
Feb 16 - 20 Feb 21 - 25 Feb 26 – 29
