Facts in News (FIN) : February 16 – February 29

• Prevents evergreening of drug Patent.
• Evergreening is done through minor modification of existing drug.
• In news because government is about to announce its National Intellectual Property Right (IPR) Policy.

• Application to keep tourist places clean.
• Launched by Tourism Ministry.

• Scientific mapping of aquifer to assess groundwater situation.
• Haryana would the first state to do this.

• Approval for establishment of AIM and (SETU) in NITI Aayog.
• Establishment of AIM and AIM Directorate would result in implementation of Mission activities in a focused manner.
• The headquarter of the Mission will be New Delhi.

• To grant voting rights to people who became citizens of India following the exchange of enclaves between India and Bangladesh.
• Passed by Lok Sabha.

• A rule in National Civil Aviation Policy made by Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, requires an airline to have 5 years of domestic flying experience and at least 20 aircrafts before it can fly to overseas destinations

• Mysuru retains the top position, Damoh (Madhya Pradesh) came at the bottom of 476
• List releases by Ministry of Urban Development.
• These rankings are based on the extent of open defecation and solid waste management practices in these cities

• ISRO will set up it in Vietnam.
• As part of Space Cooperation between India and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

• Trilateral naval exercise between India, Brazil and South Africa.
• First time it is being held in India.

• Will be hosted by India.
• It will be the 3rd such conference.

• Established in 1977 as the 13th Specialized Agency of the United Nations.
• India is a founder member.
• Dinesh Sharma has been unanimously elected as the Chairperson of the Governing Council of IFAD.

• India and Iran had agreed to develop it in 2003.
• Located in the Gulf of Oman.
• Will help India to expand maritime commerce in the region.
• Cabinet has approved credit for the development of it.
• Often seen as a Indian counter strategy aginst China’s “String of Pearls”

• 13th edition of it began in Ahmedabad
• Theme: Target 2020: Clean, Safe and   Sustainable Supply Chain’.
• Spices are the only Indian exports that control almost half of world trade in it kind

• US Military prison.
• Known for torture and detention.
• In news because Obama has proposed a roadmap to close it

• India’s first Gender Park at Kozhikode inaugurated.
• First of its kind gender equality convergence centre in Asia.
• Initiative of the Social Justice Department of the Kerala Government.
• Gender Park seeks to encourage women to take part in developmental and decision making process.

• Beijing led Belt and Road connectivity initiative along the new Silk Road.
• A 14 day, 10,399 Kms. of distance, train from trading hub of Yiwu arrived in Tehran.
• Drastically reduces the transit time from China to Iran (from Shanghai to port Bandar Abbas in Iran took 45 days).

• 12th edition at Japanese peace pagoda at Dhauli, Odisha.
• A confluence of Indian dance forms, classical, folk or martial

• BBB will be a super authority (Autonomous Body) of eminent professionals and officials for public sector banks (PSBs).
• It will replace the Appointments Board of Government.
• Former CAG Vinod Rai appointed as first chairman of it

• Theme of the Budget
• To Reorganise, Restructure and Rejuvenate Indian Railways.
• A new approach, a new way of working – “चलो, मिलकर कुछ नया करें”
• 3 pillars of the strategy :
• Nav Arjan or New revenues (focus on new sources of revenue),
• Nav Manak or New norms (optimising outgo on each activity), and
• Nav Sanrachna or New Structures (revisiting all processes, rules, and structures).

• Concept allows “government-supported” entity to buy bad loans from stressed banks at a fair price (discount price), such an entity will be responsible for the recovery of the debt.
• It will help banks clean up their books and use their capital resources for funding the growth in credit needs.

• Light Fidelity, a technology that uses light waves, instead of Radio Frequency, as medium to carry data.
• RF spectrum is getting overpopulated
• An improvised LED bulb functions as a router.
• Li-Flame, world’s first true Li-Fi system, high speed wireless solution

• World’s first fast acting anti rabies drug.
• To be launched in India.
• Developed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) and US-based MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

• Feb 28 is celebrated as National Science Day.
• Theme for year 2016 is “Scientific Issues for Development of the Nation”.
• Day marks the discovery of Raman Effect by Indian physicist CV Raman.

• India’s first indigenously built nuclear armed submarine.
• Passed deep sea test.

• Condition that affects the blood supply to the heart.
• Blood vessels are narrowed due to deposition of cholesterol.

• Anti-Radiation Missile detects radiation or signal radars to destroy them.
• DRDO waiting to start trials, will be mounted on Sukhoi (SU-30) and Tejas LCA(Light Combat Aircraft).
• Range of the missile= 100-125 kilometers.

• Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, an anti missile system by the US.
• China says US using nuclear issue as an excuse in talks with South Korea to place THAAD on North Korea’s doorstep

• A drug used to treat Tuberculosis.
• Used in the multi drug resistant tuberculosis.
• On the WHO’s list of essential medicine.
• Pilot testing only on patients with resistance of Rifampicin and Isoniazid (first line TB medicines) to start in few hospitals in India to see feasibility.
• World TB day- 24 March.

• Cryogenic Engine developed by Liquid Propulsion System Centre(LPSC) of ISRO at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• ISRO chairman= A.S.Kiran Kumar
• (ISRO=Indian Space Research Organization)

• American scientists have developed mini-organs that produce Insulin to normalize blood sugar in patients having diabetes.

• A gene which causes pancreatitis in Indians and other developing countries when it gets mutated.
• Scientists from Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology(CCMB) analyzed various genes linked to pancreatitis.

• A rare vagrant species sighted in Goa.
• Classified as Near Threatened by IUCN.

• Appointed as MD and CEO of Metropolitan stock Exchange of India (MSEI).
• MSEI was formerly known as MCX-SX
• It is India’s youngest and three stock exchange recognized by SEBI.

• New Chairman of Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on Goods and Services Tax (GST).
• Economist and former Secretary General of FICCI (a business industry association).

• Newly appointed Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission (CIC).

• Appointed Director General of Coast Guard.
• Becomes first DG from its own internal cadre.
• Till now top post was only held by officers who were commissioned in the Indian Navy.

• In prison on the charge of having Maoist links.
• Suspended Delhi University Professor.

• Adivasi school teacher turned political leader from Bastar, Chhattisgarh.
• Attacked with a chemical substance by unidentified people in Dantewada district.

• Appointed as Chief Justice of Orissa High Court.

• Appointed as director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

• Indian origin person appointed as police commissioner of Malaysia’s  Kuala Lumpur.

• Elected as new president of FIFA
• Swiss national

• Former UN secretary General, died at 93.
• Egyptian born, served UN chief from 1992-1996.
• Nicknamed “The Pharaoh” for reorganizing bureaucracy in the UN
• Backed by 10 Security Council members in 1996 led by African nations for a second five year term, but was vetoed by the United States.

• Oldest performing musician of India, died at 107 from old age related ailments.
• Oldest Padma Bhushan recipient, awarded in 2013.
• Trained in Gwalior Gharana of Hindustani Classical music ( Khayal, Dhrupad, Dhamar, Thumri).
• Poet under name of “Rasan Piya”
• Descendant of Tansen (16th generation)

• Sworn in as new Arunachal Chief Minister after President’s rule was revoked.

• Appointed as part time member of Prasar Bharati Board.
• PBB runs public broadcasters Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR).
• She’ll serve the board till Nov 2021.

(1926-2016)

• An American writer, died at age 89
• Pulitzer prize the year after, for  ”To Kill A Mockingbird” in 1960.

• It is given by Astronautical Society of India.
• Awarded to Ex-DRDO DG  Avinash Chander.
• Award in recognition for his contribution to missile technology.
• Famously is known as Agni man of India.

• Hyderabad-based GVK Biosciences (GVK BIO).
• For its Go Green, Grow Green plantation drive under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.

• Malayalam film won Crystal Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival.
• Ottaal means “The Trap

• Island part of Parcels chain under Chinese control for 40 years.
• Also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

• India is at the top.
• Accounts for 14% of global arm import between 2011-15.
• Revealed by report of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

• First parliament building in world to run completely on solar power.
• Known as Majlis-e-shoora in Urdu.

• Kerala is declared as first digital state.
• Has achieved 100 percent mobile connectivity, 75 percent e-literacy, maximum digital banking, broadband connectivity upto the Panchayat level, linking bank accounts with Aadhar cards and e-district plan in all districts.

• 21st Feb, announced by UNESCO
• To promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
• “Ekushey” means 21st in Bengali.

• International Protection Marking.
• Classifies and rates the degree of protection provided against intrusion (body parts such as hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water by mechanical casings and electrical enclosures.