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

Hello Everyone, Thank you all for your amazing response to our initiative named Facts in News (FIN). Your responses help us to perform better by everyday. As promised, we have compiled facts which were in news between February 16 – February 29. We have comprehensively covered the facts so that it would be beneficial to UPSC  IAS Civil Services exam as well as other exams like State PCS, SSC etc.

Write your views in comment section, and it will help us to prepare better with time.

[Facts in News]

Bills, Programs, Policies, Schemes, Orders, Judgements
Section 3(d) of India’s Patent Act
  • 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.
Swachh Paryatan Mobile App
  • Application to keep tourist places clean.
  • Launched by Tourism Ministry.
Aquifer Mapping
  • Scientific mapping of aquifer to assess groundwater situation.
  • Haryana would the first state to do this.
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Self Employment and Talent Utilisation (SETU)
  • 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.
Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016
  • To grant voting rights to people who became citizens of India following the exchange of enclaves between India and Bangladesh.
  • Passed by Lok Sabha.
5/20 RULE
  • 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
Swachh Bharat ranking 2015
  • 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

 

National & International Events
Satellite centre for ASEAN
  • ISRO will set up it in Vietnam.
  • As part of Space Cooperation between India and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
IBSAMAR (India Brazil South Africa Maritime) 2016
  • Trilateral naval exercise between India, Brazil and South Africa.
  • First time it is being held in India.
Asia Ministerial conference on Tiger Conservation
  • Will be hosted by India.
  • It will be the 3rd such conference.
International fund for agricultural development
  • 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.
Chabahar Port
  • 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”
World spice congress
  • 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
Guantanamo Bay
  • US Military prison.
  • Known for torture and detention.
  • In news because Obama has proposed a roadmap to close it
Gender park
  • 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.
Train from China to Iran
  • 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).
Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsav 2016
  • 12th edition at Japanese peace pagoda at Dhauli, Odisha.
  • A confluence of Indian dance forms, classical, folk or martial

 

Economy and banking
Bank Board Bureau(BBB)
  • 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
Railway Budget
  • 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).
“Bad Bank” concept
  • 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.

 

Science and Technology
Li-Fi
  • 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
RMAb (Rabies Human Monoclonal Antibody)
  • 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.
National Science Day
  • 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.
INS Arihant
  • India’s first indigenously built nuclear armed submarine.
  • Passed deep sea test.
Ischemic disease
  • Condition that affects the blood supply to the heart.
  • Blood vessels are narrowed due to deposition of cholesterol.
ARM missile
  • 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.
THAAD
  • 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
Bedaquiline
  • 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.
CE20
  • 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)
Mini-Organs
  • American scientists have developed mini-organs that produce Insulin to normalize blood sugar in patients having diabetes.
SPINK1 gene
  • 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.

 

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

 

Persons in News ( Appointments, Awards , Deaths )
Udai Kumar
  • 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.
Amit Mitra
  • 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).
Amitava Bhattacharya, Bimal Julka and Divya Prakash Sinha
  • Newly appointed Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission (CIC).
Rajendra Singh
  • 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.
Prof. Saibaba
  • In prison on the charge of having Maoist links.
  • Suspended Delhi University Professor.
Soni Sori
  • Adivasi school teacher turned political leader from Bastar, Chhattisgarh.
  • Attacked with a chemical substance by unidentified people in Dantewada district.
Justice Vineet Saran
  • Appointed as Chief Justice of Orissa High Court.
K N Vyas
  • Appointed as director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
Amar Singh
  • Indian origin person appointed as police commissioner of Malaysia’s  Kuala Lumpur.
Gianni Infantino
  • Elected as new president of FIFA
  • Swiss national
Boutros Boutros Ghali
  • 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.
Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan
  • 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)
Kalikho Pul
  • Sworn in as new Arunachal Chief Minister after President’s rule was revoked.
Kajol
  • 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.
Harper Lee

(1926-2016)

  • An American writer, died at age 89
  • Pulitzer prize the year after, for  ”To Kill A Mockingbird” in 1960.
Aryabhata Award
  • 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.
Global CSR Excellence & Leadership Award
  • Hyderabad-based GVK Biosciences (GVK BIO).
  • For its Go Green, Grow Green plantation drive under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
Ottaal
  • Malayalam film won Crystal Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival.
  • Ottaal means “The Trap

 

Places in News
Woody island
  • Island part of Parcels chain under Chinese control for 40 years.
  • Also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

 

Miscellaneous
Top Arms Importer
  • 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)
Pakistan’s Parliament
  • First parliament building in world to run completely on solar power.
  • Known as Majlis-e-shoora in Urdu.
Digital state
  • 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.
International Mother Language Day(IMLD)
  • 21st Feb, announced by UNESCO
  • To promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
  • “Ekushey” means 21st in Bengali.
IP Code
  • 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.

 


Comments

6 responses to “Facts in News (FIN) : February 16 – February 29”

  1. preeti Avatar
    preeti

    Thank you team !!!

  2. CA Aniket Gangwal Avatar
    CA Aniket Gangwal

    thank you so much Team ForumIAS…!

  3. Jitesh Darjee Avatar
    Jitesh Darjee

    Thanks.. Great wrk

  4. Gandhi Avatar
    Gandhi

    thanks..commendable effort.

  5. Snow white Avatar
    Snow white

    wow sir.. thanku so much.. plz continue this initiative.. very helpful…:)

  6. Eathan Avatar
    Eathan

    thanks a lot guys..

    Plz make it avl till April last… i hv NABARD pre on 15th may.. and MPPSC on 30th may…

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