GK & Current Affairs: February, 2016

1.      The Indian government has approved setting up of India's first Defence Industrial Park at Ottappalam in Palakkad district of Kerala. The Rs. 231 crore park will be established with the help of Central and State governments. The Union government will invest Rs. 50 crore while the rest of the amount would be met by the State government. The defence park will help to bridge the gap of 15 % between demand and supply.

 

2.      The 30th Surajkund International Crafts Mela-2016 has started at Faridabad, Haryana. It is celebrated during 1-15 February. The state of Telangana has been chosen as the theme state at the mela. The mela is organized by the Surajkund Mela Authority and Haryana Tourism in collaboration with Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs.

 

3.      Novak Djokovic of Serbia has won the 2016 Australian Open men's singles title in Melbourne by defeating Andy Murray in the final match. With this win, he claimed his 11th grand slam title and also equalled the record of Roy Emerson's record of six Australian Open singles titles.

 

4.      The Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to celebrate its "State Tourism day" annually on February 14 to highlight its tourism potential. The first "State Tourism Day" will be celebrated in Lucknow but the venue will change to other cities in coming years.

 

5.      Software giant Infosys has set to build the world's tallest free-standing clock tower at its global education centre in Mysuru. The proposed 135-metres tall will be taller than Big Ben (96 m) in London, Hoover Tower (87 m) in California and McGraw Tower (53 m) in Cornell.

 

6.      Ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has won the 2016 Syed Modi International Grand prix Gold Championship title of Badminton in men's singles category at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He defeated China's Huang Yuxiang to win his fifth title overall.

 

7.      After launching the first Transgender Policy in the country, the Kerala government is now getting ready to launch 'Gender Taxi', owned and operated by transgenders. The state- run Gender Park, under the Department of Social Justice, has drawn up a programme to roll out G-Taxi on the model of its successful all-women cab network She-Taxi.

 

8.      The senior IPS officer Archana Ramasundram has been appointed Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), that guards India's frontiers with Nepal and Bhutan. With this, she became the first woman to head a paramilitary force. At present, she is the special director of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Besides her, IPS officer K Durga Prasad has been appointed Director Generals of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and IPS officer K K Sharma will be new Chief of the Border Security Force (BSF).

 

9.      The Japanese city of Fukuoka will host the 2021 World Aquatics Championships and the Qatari capital Doha has been chosen to host the event in 2023. It has been announced by the International Swimming Federation (FINA).

 

10.  A Japanese company announced that it would open world's first 'robot-run' farm. The farm, measuring about 4,400 square metres, will have floor-to-ceiling shelves where the produce is grown. Seed planting will still be done by people, but the rest of the process, including harvesting, will be done by industrial robots.

 

11.  Saroj Kumar Jha has been appointed as the Senior Director for the Fragility, Conflict and Violence Group in the World Bank group. He has to provide strategic leadership to address the challenge of fragility, conflict and violence, working across the Bank Group and in close collaboration with partners. Jha is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. He joined the World Bank in 2005 as a Senior Infrastructure Specialist in the Sustainable Development Network, after significant experience with the Indian Government and the United Nation's Development Program (UNDP). Earlier, he worked as the World Bank's Global Manager for Disaster Risk Management Practice. 

 

12.  The Rajasthan government has launched an initiative 'Ashray' to save girl child. Under the scheme, the government will place specifically designed cradles in 65 state hospitals. The cradles has an automatic system of alarm, which will become active after two minutes of placing the child in the cradle. In it, the identity of the person, who places the baby in the cradle, will remain secret.

 

13.  India's first underwater restaurant 'Real Poseidon' has been opened in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It is built 20 feet below ground level, spreads across 3000 square feet and offers a view of around 4000 fish and marine species. It is opened by Ahmedabad-based businessman, Bharat Bhatt.

 

14.  India's first railway university will come up in Vadodara, Gujarat. Initially, the present campus for National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR), Vadodara, (at Pratap Vilas Palace) will be used to start the railway university. After land acquisition, a full-fledged university will be started.

 

15.  Recently, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) celebrated its 39th raising day on February 1. The ICG was raised on February 1 1977, with the enactment of Coast Guard Act 1978, as a full-fledged independent Armed Force of the Union under the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Its primary task is to protect the country's vast maritime zones.

 

16.  The noted Malayalam actor G Krishna Pillai (82), popularly known as Kollam G K Pillai, passed away. He was a theatre-turned cinema-television actor, who was known for his character and comedy roles in dramas, movies and TV serials. He also acted in over 70 Malayalam films including "Chula", "My Dear Kuttichathan", "Mucheettu Kalikkarente Makal", etc.

 

17.  Ace quarter miler MR Poovamma and Asian champion shot putter Inderjeet Singh will spearhead a 68-member Indian athletics team at the 12th SAF Games to be held in Guwahati from February 5-16.

 

18.  Indian filmmaker Kanu Behl directorial film 'Titli' has bagged the Best First Foreign Film Award conferred by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics 2016 (FSCC). The film captures the volatility of a society where violence lies uneasily just below the surface.

 

19.  Kerala has won the 61st National School Athletics championship at Olympian Rahman Stadium in Kozhikode, Kerala. This is for the 19th consecutive time Kerala becomes the champions in the event. Tamil Nadu stood at second position and Maharashtra was at third position.

 

20.  Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL.O), Google's parent company, has become the most valued publicly-traded company in the world. Alphabet's market cap rose to around $570 billion as against Apple $534 billion. This is reportedly the first time google's value has exceeded that of Apple's since 2009.

 

21.  The World Wetlands Day is observed annually on February 2 to mark the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in the city of Ramsar in Iran in 1971. The 2016 theme is " Wetlands for our Future – Sustainable Livelihoods". It highlights the value of wetlands in securing local livelihoods through activities as fishing, rice farming, tourism and water provision. The day is observed to promote, create awareness and ensure positive and affirmative action for conservation of wetlands.

 

22.  Rewati Chetri from India has been crowned Miss Asia (Best in Asia Continent) at the 2016 World Miss University pageant, held in Beijing, China. Miss Rewati is a student of Guwahati Law College and had won Miss Popular and Miss Multimedia titles in Femina Miss India 2015. The World Miss University is an international beauty contest held annually since 1986. Beside her, Miss Kelly Poldy Rivera Kroll from Peru has been crowned Miss World University (WMU) 2016. 

 

23.  Major General Jai Shanker Menon of India has been appointed as the Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. He will succeed Lt Gen Purna Chandra Thapa of Nepal, who will complete his assignment on February 7, 2016. Till now, Jai Shanker Menon was Additional Director General Equipment Management in the Indian Army.

 

24.  To bring consistency in taxation policy, Finance Ministry has set up two committees – one under Finance Minister and other under Revenue Secretary. While the Tax Policy Council (TPC) under the Finance Minister will take important policy decisions, the Tax Policy Research Unit (TPRU) under Revenue Secretary will be a multi disciplinary body. The two committees would start functioning from April 1, 2016.

 

25.  Two-time Olympian Sanjeev Rajput has recently secured India's 12th Olympic quota berth from shooting for the upcoming Rio Games by finishing fourth in men's 50m rifle 3 positions at the Asian Olympic Qualifying Competition in New Delhi.

 

26.  Sarangi maestro Pandit Ram Narayan has been chosen for the prestigious Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Classical Music Award for 2015-2016. The annual award, instituted by the Maharashtra government, is given to individuals who have excelled in classical vocal or instrumental music. The award comprises Rs. 5 lakh in cash, a citation and a memento.

 

27.  The World Cancer day is observed on February 4, 2016 with the theme "We can. I can." as a step to fight the deadly disease that is prominent these days. The day is observed worldwide in order to raise awareness about cancer and to apprise governments of the importance of taking action to prevent its rate of increase in the society.

 

28.  D J Pandian, a retired Gujarat cadre IAS officer, has been appointed as the vice-president and chief investment officer of the newly-created Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). He is the former chief secretary of Gujarat, who also worked on deputation with the World Bank in Washington. Beside this, he was the MD of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) when Narendra Modi was the state chief minister.

 

29.  Legendary Urdu fiction writer, novelist, columnist and poet Intizar Husain (93) passed away in Lahore, Pakistan. He was the first Pakistani and the first Urdu writer ever to be nominated for the prestigious literally award Man Booker International Prize for fiction. He was conferred the 'Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters' by France in 2014. He was born on December 7, 1923 at Dibai in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh in India and in 1947 he migrated to Lahore.

 

30.  The book titled "Nathuram Godse – The Story of an Assassin" authored by Anup Ashok Sardesai has been released on the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 2016. The book narrates the story of Nathuram Vinayakrao Godse who died an untimely death and his brother suffered a life of immense mental torture. It also speaks of the family of Godse who faced countless abuses and humiliations.

 

31.  Manipuri documentary film 'Phum Shang' has won the coveted Golden Conch Award for the best documentary at the 14th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2016. The 52-minute  documentary Phum Shang is directed by Hao Bam Pabankumar, which critically examines the serious environmental problems faced at the Loktak lake. The largest fresh water lake in North  East India, characterised by its unique floating biomass known as 'Phumdi', is today considered a dying lake due to unchecked human activity. Beside this film, the Swiss film 'My Name Is  Salt' and an Indian film 'Placebo' shared the Gold Conch Award for the best feature length documentary film.

 

32.  The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched India's first anti-diabetic ayurvedic drug "BGR-34" for Type-2 diabetes mellitus. BGR-34 stands for Blood Glucose Regulator and offers effective, safe, patient-friendly solution for managing type two Diabetes. The drug is jointly developed by National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), the Lucknow-based research units of CSIR.

 

33.  Aditya Mehta has won the 83rd National Snooker Championship 2016 by defeating Manan Chandra by 6-3 in the men's final round at Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

 

34.  Recently, India has officially become the associate member state of European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO). With this, after Singapore, India has become the second country outside the European region to sign the agreement with European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC). The headquarters of EMBO is at Heidelberg, Germany i.e. a professional organization of life scientists in Europe. Its goal is to promote research in life science and enable international exchange between scientists.

 

35.  Malayalam actress and film director, Geetu Mohandas from India has won the 2016 Global Filmmaking award at the Sundance Film Festival 2016 for the script of her upcoming film 'Insha Allah'. The film is about a boy from Lakshadweep searching for his brother, is an adventure drama. The award is a recognition and support from Sundance for independent filmmakers from across the globe.

 

36.  India's top multinational IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been rated as the world's most powerful brand in Information Technology Services by Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation firm. As per Brand Finance's 2016 survey, TCS has earned an impressive AA+ rating with a score of 78.3 points within the IT services niche, which makes them the most powerful and most valuable brand in this sector. Beside this, Disney has been rated as the most powerful brand and Apple as the most valuable brand for 2016.

 

37.  The International Fleet Review (IFR) 2016 is an International Military Exercise hosted and conducted by Indian Navy in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh from February 4 to 8, 2016 . On the theme "United through Oceans", the IFR's objective is to enhance mutual trust and confidence with neighbouring navies by inviting their ships to participate in the event. The last IFR was conducted in 2001 at Mumbai.

 

38.  Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has been honoured with the lifetime achievement at the NDTV Indian of the Year 2015 awards in New Delhi for defining and redefining superstardom.

 

39.  The Global Go to Think Tank Index Report (GGTTI) 2015 has been topped by United States of America (USA) followed by China, UK, India and Germany. The six Indian think tanks figured in the global top 175 list viz. Centre for Civil Society (CCS), Institute For Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and Development Alternatives.

 

40.  Cobra Gold is an annual Thai-U.S. co-sponsored joint and multinational military exercise. Recently, India confirmed its participation in the 2016 Cobra Gold exercise.

 

41.  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently dedicated the Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL), a petrochemical complex, at Lepetkata, near Dibrugarh, Assam. The BCPL is the first ever petro-chemical plant located in the entire North-Eastern region of India. It has been built at cost of Rs.10000-crore and shall be producing raw material for manufacturing plastic.

 

42.   The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has decided to establish the National Organic Farming Research Institute in Sikkim by upgrading the Regional Centre of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in Gangtok.

 

43.  Grandmaster Swapnil Dhopade from Maharashtra has won the IIFL Wealth Mumbai International Open Chess Tournament 2016.

 

44.  The International Cricket Council (ICC) has removed the national cricket boards of India (BCCI), England (ECB) and Australia (CA) as the permanent members of its decision-making executive committee. The decision in this regard has been taken due to the widespread criticism received by ICC suggesting that these countries would take over cricket at the expense of other member nations.

 

45.  The Sri Aurobindo International Centre for Education (SAICE), Puducherry has become India's first fully solar-powered educational institute. The institute generates 3 times the electricity it consumes through solar power plants installed on the roofs of the dining room, primary school, library and high school in the campus. The school has been using solar power to meet its energy needs since September 2014.

 

46.  The International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a UN-sponsored awareness day that takes place February 6 each year. Under the 2016 theme "Mobilizing to Achieve the Global Goals through the Elimination of FGM by 2030", the day was observed to raise awareness of the practice and work towards its elimination.

 

47.  NASA Astronaut Edgar Mitchell (85), one of just 12 human beings who walked on the moon, passed away in West Palm Beach, Florida. As the Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 14, he spent 9- hours working on the lunar surface in the Fra Mauro Highlands region that made him the 6th person to walk on the Moon.

 

48.  The 9th Indo-Nepal Combined Battalion level Military Training Exercise 'Surya Kiran' will be conducted from February 8 to 21, 2016 at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. The aim of the exercise is to enhance inter-operability between Indian and the Nepalese Army units. The training will also focus on Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief including medical and aviation support. Both the Armies will stand to benefit mutually from shared experiences.

 

49.  Mysuru is known for conducting the traditional Nada Kusti (wrestling). It is organised as part of Dasara festivities. Recently, it has made it to the cover page of an international publication, 'Beyond the Body'.

 

50.  The former Lok Sabha Speaker and veteran Congress leader, Dr. Balram Jakhar (92) passed away recently. He served as Speaker of Lok Sabha from 1980 to 1989 during which he contributed to the establishment of Parliament Museum. He was also the Madhya Pradesh governor from June 30, 2004 to May 30, 2009 and also served as the union agriculture minister during former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao-led Congress government.

 

51.  The Union government has launched a new initiative "Project Sunrise" to tackle the increasing HIV prevalence in the North-Eastern states. The project is a five-year programme (2015-2020) aimed at complementing the ongoing National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) which is to primarily improve coverage, quality and scale of HIV interventions among People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) in the 8 North East (NE) States. The project has been sponsored by US based Centre for Disease Control and would be implemented by Family Health International 360.

 

52.  The well-known Indian political cartoonist Sudhir Tailang (55) passed away recently. He recently launched a book of cartoons titled "No, Prime Minister", a set of cartoons on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He worked with Hindustan Times, Times of India, Indian Express, Asian age, etc.

 

53.  Renana Jhabvala, an Ahmedabad-based social worker has been invited to serve as a panelist on a UN panel on women's economic empowerment. She is best known for her long association with the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), India, and for her writings on issues of women in the informal economy. The purpose of UN panel to provide recommendations on improving economic outcomes for women and promoting women's leadership in driving sustainable, inclusive and environmentally-sensitive economic growth in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The panel is sponsored by the United Kingdom, the World Bank Group and UN Women.

 

54.  The inaugural Kerala Literature Festival 2016 has been hosted by the Department of Culture and Kozhikode Corporation in alliance with D.C. Books at Kozhikode, Kerala from February 4, 2016. The festival had an array of contemporary topics set for discussion in its various sessions. Besides literature, spirituality, social media, women's issues, Dalit issues, freedom of expression, environment issues, and media activism were the key topics of discussion in the fest.

 

55.  India and China conducted their first joint tactical exercise in eastern Ladakh as part of the ongoing policy to ensure greater interaction between troops stationed along the Line of Actual Control and boost bilateral military CBMs. The exercise was held on February 6, 2016. 

 

56.  India will host the first-ever Global Maritime Summit in April 2016.

 

57.  The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently inaugurated the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) located at Jatani in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

 

58.  The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a multinational trade agreement among twelve Pacific Rim countries viz. Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States. The agreement entered into force after it was signed by 12 countries on 4 February 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand.

 

59.  Indian batting great Rahul Dravid has been named in ICC's newly appointed Anti-Corruption Oversight Group as part of the recommendation from its Integrity Working Party of the parent body. The oversight group will include legal expert Louis Weston and independent anti-corruption advisor John Abbott.

 

60.  Recently, North Korea has fired a long-range rocket defying international sanctions. The United States, Japan and South Korea condemned the launch, a move widely seen as step toward North Korea mastering the technology for making a missile capable of striking the mainland United States.

 

61.  A research team led by Deepak Pental at Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants of Delhi University have developed a GM Mustard known as DMH-11. Recently, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has asked for additional clarifications on various data related to GM mustard from its developers. The GEAC has not yet approved using GM Mustard in the country.

 

62.  The Indian government is easing rules for granting construction permits around airports and monuments by developing colour-coded maps in a bid to give fillip to urban growth. Jaipur International Airport is the first one to develop a colour-coded map. All the other civilian airports across India, including 28 defence airports that are being used for civilian purposes, will have their maps ready by December 2016. 

 

63.  Araku valley is a famous hill station located in Vishakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. The valley is also famous for its rich coffee plantations.

 

64.  The former Prime Minister of Nepal, Sushil Koirala (79) passed away in Kathmandu, Nepal. He spent his life in politics fighting for democracy in Nepal and led protests in 2006 that ended a centuries old monarchy system and turned Nepal into a republic country.

 

65.  Brij Bhushan Singh, who is the President of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), has been appointed as the President of South Asian Wrestling Federation (SAWF).

 

66.  The National Deworming Day is observed every year on February 10 to combat parasitic worm infections among preschool (anganwadi) and school-age children across India. The day was launched by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

 

67.  The Rajasthan state government has launched an initiative "School on Wheels" in Jaipur. Under the initiative, a van, which houses a library, has been set up by an NGO 'Taabar Society'. The initiative has been introduced for spreading awareness about education among the tribal and nomadic children. The mobile school will use audio/video mediums to teach children in Jaipur district.

 

68.  The Chhattisgarh government has launched Udyam Aakansha Scheme for promoting micro, small and medium enterprises in the state. The scheme would facilitate free online registration and self-certification to the investors interested in investment on micro, small and medium enterprises and service businesses.

 

69.  The Gujarat government has planned to set up the country's first-ever Aviation Park near Ahmedabad having a slew of facilities including an airstrip, training school, helipad and space for setting up small manufacturing units among others. There are hardly 3 or 4 such parks in the world.

 

70.  Indian-origin Singaporean, Vishal Mehta has been appointed as the President of the newly-formed International Grown Diamond Association (IGDA). He is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Iia Technologies, which grows diamonds at its state-of-the-art facility in Singapore. The purpose of IGDA to represent the grown diamond industry, to promote grown diamonds as a new choice in diamonds and to educate about various unique qualities and applications of grown diamonds.

 

71.  According to the recent data, India is the major producer of milk in the world, recorded a milk production figure of 146.31 million tonnes in 2014-15 as compared to 137.7 million tonnes a year ago. India is followed by USA, China, Pakistan and Brazil.

 

72.  According to the report titled "Index of Internet Readiness of Indian States", Maharashtra has topped the "2016 Internet Readiness Index" followed by Karnataka, Gujarat, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. The report has been released by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI)and Indicus Analytics. The 'Internet-readiness' is measured as internet penetration and usage in Indian states using four indicators: mobile and internet infrastructure, e-participation or use of online transactions and services by citizens, status of the IT service sector, and e-governance services offered by the states.

 

73.  India has been ranked 37th out of 38 countries for its intellectual property rights environment in the annual IP index released by the United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC). The index is based on six key parameters like rights and limitations of the patent, copyright and trademark regimes, trade secrets, enforcement and ratification of international treaties. The index is prepared by USCC's Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC). The index is topped by US followed by UK, Germany, France and Sweden.

 

74.  Bangladesh has recently declined China's proposal to build a sea port in the Sonadia island, which is situated in the Bay of Bengal. The cancellation has come from the side of Bangladesh as the development would have caused a threat to India's maritime. Now, Bangladesh is working with establishing Indo-Bangladesh ties as India is helping Bangladesh to develop its newest port at Payra. The Payra seaport, which is on the south-western corner of Bangladesh, close to Chittagong, is much closer to the Indian coastline. 

 

75.  The world's largest concentrated solar power plant "Noor Ouarzazate Solar Complex" has been opened in the Souss-Massa-Drâa area in Morocco, 10 km from Ouarzazate town. The plant holds the capacity to produce enough energy to power over one million homes by 2018 and reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 760000 tons per year.

 

76.  Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has been conferred with the first world Sanskrit Award.

 

77.  New Zealand captain Brendon Barrie McCullum has retired from all forms of international cricket in February 2016. He played 260 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 71 T20 Internationals. He is the first and so far only player to have scored two Twenty20 International centuries.

 

78.  The Maharashtra government will set up India's first international arbitration centre in Mumbai. The centre will prove to be a big step forward in realizing the transformation of Mumbai into an international financial centre. The Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration (MCIA) will help in attracting higher global investments to Maharashtra.

 

79.  The bollywood actress Kajol has been appointed as the part-time member of the Prasar Bharati board. Beside her, the committee headed by Vice President Hamid Ansari has also chosen Shashi Shekhar Vempati, who has previously worked with Infosys and now heads an online media company, for the post of part-time member on the public broadcaster's board.

 

80.  The Crime Mapping, Analytics and Predictive System (CMAPS) has been operationalised by Delhi Police in partnership with ISRO for effective use of space technology-based tools for ensuring internal security using a "predictive policing" and "live crime mapping" mechanism. The system will provide real-time information from crime spots and identify gang activities. Through this system, police will be able to identify areas which has mass gathering, chain snatching, etc, using coordinates and GPS information.

 

81.  India's first disable friendly beach will come up at the Tithal beach in Valsad district, Gujarat. It aims to provide better facilities to the disable peoples at the public places like hospitals, parks, movie theatres, etc. The facilities will be designed in such a way that disabled people can access them without any assistance. 

 

82.  A fiction book titled "A Kingdom For His Love" has been co-authored by Vani Mahesh and Shinie Antony, which is recently launched by Amar Chitra Katha (ACK). The book retell the Sanskrit play 'Swapnavasavadattam', by one of the earliest and most celebrated playwrights Bhasa. It is an immersive novel about two people coming together against all odds for the sake of true love.

 

83.  The UNESCO world heritage site Elephanta Island, also known as the 'City of Caves', will soon get completely electrified by Independence Day 2016. The island is famous for its Hindu cave sculptures depicting the cult of Shiva. It is located in Mumbai Harbour, east of Mumbai, Maharashtra. 

 

84.  Davinder Singh, a top Indian-origin lawyer in Singapore, has been named as Vice-Chairman of International Chamber of Commerce Commission (ICC) on Corporate Responsibility and Anti- corruption.

 

85.  Indian-origin Harinder Sidhu has been appointed as Australian High Commissioner to India. She replaces outgoing High Commissioner Patrick Suckling. She is the second envoy from Australia with Indian roots after Peter Varghese who had ancestral roots to southern Indian state of Kerala.

 

86.  The BCCI has banned Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf for five years on charges of corruption and misconduct. Asad Rauf was sought after by the Crime branch in connection with the spot- fixing scandal that rocked the Indian Premier League in 2013.

 

87.  The Indian government has launched the National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) 2016-2030, which outlines the country's strategy for elimination of the disease by 2030. The incidence of malaria in the country is at 0.08% in a population of nearly 1.25 billion.

 

88.  The RBI has signed a pact with the Central Bank of the UAE to enter into a Currency Swap Agreement, which is aimed at strengthening economic ties with the Gulf nation. The MoU was signed between RBI chief Raghuram Rajan and UAE's Central Bank Governor Mubarak Rashed Al Mansoori. 

 

89.  Scientists for the first time have observed ripples in the space-time called gravitational waves. This confirms a major prediction of Albert Einstein's 1915 general theory of relativity and opens an unprecedented new window onto the cosmos. The gravitational waves were detected by both of the twin Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors, located in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington, USA. 

 

90.  Vedanta Group's owner Anil Agarwal has announced that his firm Twinstar Display Technologies will set up India's first LCD manufacturing facility, known as Panel FAB, in Maharashtra with an investment of $10 billion. 

 

91.  The World Radio Day is observed every year on February 13 to educate people, to provide information and to promote freedom of expression across cultures. This year's theme of the day is "Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster".

 

92.  As per government estimates, there are around 40 crore unorganised workers in the country, which accounts for around 89 per cent of the total workforce. 

 

93.  The National award winning actress Vidya Balan, who hails from Kerala, has been honoured with the 'Pride of Kerala' award by the World Malayalee Council and Kairali TV.

 

94.  The West Indies has won the 2016 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup title by defeating three time champion India in Mirpur, Bangladesh. This is the first time West Indies won the title. The Man of the match award was presented to Keacy Carty (West Indies). Bangladesh's captain Mehedi Hasan has been named player of the tournament. England's Jack Burnham and Namibia's Fritz Coetzee led the tournament in runs and wickets, respectively.

 

95.  Dr. Vilas A. Tonapi has been appointed as the director of Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. Previously, he was the Principal Scientist at Seed Science and Technology of the IIMR.

 

96.  The renowned Malayalam poet-lyricist and Jnanpith winner Prof. O.N.V. Kurup (84) passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He began his career as a progressive writer and matured into a humanist though he never gave up his commitment to socialist ideology. His works are Swayamvaram, Kalpanikam, Valappottukal , Oyenviyude Ganangal, etc. Apart from his valuable contributions to Malayalam literature, he was one of the leading lyricists in Malayalam film, drama and album industry.

 

97.   The top seeded Indo-Swiss pair Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis has won the 2016 St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy. They defeated Russian-Czech team of Vera Dushevina and Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets to take their fourth title of the 2016 season at Saint Petersburg, Russia. 

 

98.  Jharkhand has become the first ever state to auction two limestone blocks through an electronic platform after the passage of the MMDR Act by Parliament.  

 

99.  At the 69th British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) 2016 awards,' The Revenant' has won the Best Film award along with Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Best Director (Alejandro Gonzalez) and Best Cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki). Brie Larson has won the best actress award for her role as a kidnapped mother in 'Room'. Steve Jobs biopic starring Kate Winslet has named as the best supporting actress while Mark Rylance won best supporting actor for his role as British-born Soviet agent in 'Bridge of Spies'. The ceremony was held at Royal Opera House, London. 

 

100. Virender Sehwag's Gemini Arabians has defeated Brian Lara's Leo Lions in the final to clinch the inaugural Masters Champions League title. The tournament was contested by six teams of fifteen players, all former international cricketers.

 

101. Under the Swachh Sarvekshan 2016, 73 cities has been surveyed by the Quality Council of India on the basis of cleanliness and sanitation. Mysuru city from Karnataka has topped the list followed by Chandigarh, Tiruchirapalli, New Delhi Municipal Council, Visakhapatnam, Surat, Rajkot, Gangtok, Pimpri-Chindwad and Greater Mumbai, etc., and Dhanbad from Bihar has ranked the lowest. The survey has been conducted to measure the impact of efforts under Swachh Bharat Mission for construction of toilets, solid waste management and service delivery level.

 

102. The 14-day joint military training exercise "LAMITYE 2016" has started between the Indian Army and the Seychelles People's Defence Forces (SPDF) at Seychelles Defence Academy (SDA), Victoria from February 15 that will be continue till February 28, 2016. The purpose of the exercise is to enhance military cooperation and interoperability between the two countries. This is the 7th edition in the series of bilateral exercises under this banner. The meaning of 'Exercise Lamitye' is friendship in Creole (local dialect). 

 

103. The subsidiary of Tata Teleservices "mRUPEE" has tied up with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to provide an additional payment gateway which will enable users to successfully complete ticket bookings through one-tap payments. 

 

104. The two day annual International Radio Fair 'Outreach International Radio Fair-2016' has been held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on February 13, 2016. The Radio Fair is an event which is first of its kind in India. The event had focussed on the role of radio in emergencies and disasters. The purpose of the fair was to sensitize station owners, executives and broadcasters about gender-related policies and strategies for radio.

 

105. The Mahamaham festival is celebrated once in twelve years is going to happen again on February 22, 2016 at Kumbakonam in Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu. Here, thousands of devotees take a holy dip at the Mahamaham tank on the day of Mahamaham as sacred. The festival that come once in 12 years is often termed as equivalent to the grand religious event in Allahabad. 

 

106. The State Bank of India (SBI) has launched 'Japan Desk', a first-of-its-kind initiative to facilitate Japanese corporates looking to invest in India with banking and advisory services. The Japan Desk, to be based in New Delhi, will serve as an one-point comprehensive and reliable information support source for India-bound investments of Japanese companies. With this launch, SBI aims to be the window for inbound Japanese investments in India and vice-versa.

 

107.  The South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a subsidiary of the Coal India Limited (CIL), will set up India's largest coal washery with a capacity of 25 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in Korba district of Chhattisgarh. The project will be known as Kusmunda coal washery. The washery would be built in 41.23 hectare area in villages Durpa and Jarhajel in Korba, about 250 km from Raipur. The existing largest coal washery is also located in Korba district. 

 

108. Dominic Thiem of Australia has won the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Argentina Open 2016 by defeating Nicolas Almagro in the final. Thiem reached the final after beating former No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals. With this win, he claimed his fourth ATP singles title.

 

109. Indo-British filmmaker Asif Kapadia has won Grammy Award for Best Music Film for his documentary 'Amy'. The award was presented at the 58th annual awards ceremony that was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the USA. His documentary 'Amy' is on the life of British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse who died in 2011 at a young age of 27. The film also won the award in Best Documentary category at the 69th British Academy Films Awards (BAFTAs) in London. It is also nominated for an Oscar in the Best Documentary Feature category which will be announced on February 28, 2016. 

 

110. Fashion designer Manish Arora has been conferred with the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) for recognition of his inspired creations and significant contribution to the fashion world as well as his longstanding ties with France. The Chevalier de laA Legion d'Honneur is France's premier award to recognize eminent accomplishments of service to France. It is bestowed on both citizens of France as well as foreigners. 

 

111. Recently, the United States has decided to sell eight nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. India expressed its disappointment with the US decision.

 

112.  UK Sinha will remain SEBI Chairman till March 1, 2017 with the government extending his term for the second time. Sinha was initially appointed for a three-year term during the UPA regime and was later given a two-year extension. While his current term was to end on February 17, he was eligible for a one-year extension as a person can hold the position of SEBI Chairman till the age of 65, which Sinha would reach next March.

 

113. In the recently concluded 12th South Asian games, India finished on top with 308 medals (188 gold, 90 silver and 30 bronze). Sri Lanka stood at second position with a haul of 186 medals (25 silver, 63 silver and 98 bronze). Pakistan held on to the third spot with a final count of 106 medals (12 gold, 37 silver and 57 bronze).

 

114. E-commerce giant Amazon has launched 'Amazon Tatkal', an initiative that enables small and medium businesses (SMBs) to go online and sell products on Amazon. 

 

115. Nepal will host the 13th South Asian Games (SAG) in 2018. Nepal, which had hosted the inaugural edition in 1984, also organized the eighth edition in 1999 and the 2018 SAG will be the third for Nepal.

116. Boutros Boutros-Ghali (93), former secretary-general of the United Nations, passed away in Egypt. Boutros-Ghali was the first Arab and first African to serve in the position of secretary- general of the UN.

 

117. The Noida based handset maker Ringing Bells has launched India's cheapest smartphone "Freedom 251" for under Rs.500. The 3G enabled Android Lollipop-based handset has a 4-inch display, Qualcomm 1.3-GHz quad-core processor and 1 GB RAM. It will have an on-board storage of 8 GB with support for expandable memory of up to 32 GB. It features a 3.2-MP rear and a 0.3-MP front facing camera and a 1,450-mAh battery. It has been launched by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar. 

 

118. BAE Systems Plc has selected Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd, the defence production firm of the Mahindra Group, as its business partner for the proposed in-country assembly, integration and test (AIT) facility for the M777 Ultra Lightweight Howitzer. 

 

119. China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on Woody Island, part of the Paracel chain in the hotly disputed South China Sea. China controls the Paracel chain, but Taiwan and Vietnam also claim it; Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines are also embroiled in disputes with China over islands in the region and their surrounding waters. 

 

120. Taxi app Uber has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Maharashtra through the Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Department (SDED) to help create 75,000 entrepreneurship opportunities across the state. 

 

121. The Medaram Jatara is a sacred tribal festival is celebrated in honouring the goddesses in Medaram village in Tadvai Mandal in Warangal district, Telangana. The four day fair, also known as Sammakka Saralamma Jatara, is held in every two years to commemorate the fight of a mother and daughter, Sammakka and Saralamma, with the reigning rulers against an unjust law. Recently, the fest has started in the village on February 17, 2016 and it is estimated that millions of people from Telangana, AP, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, MP, Maharashtra, Karnataka etc. has participated in the event. 

 

122. The well-known Hindustani classical vocalist Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan (107), a descendant of Tansen, passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal. He belonged to the family of musicians of the "Gwalior Gharana" and as a poet, he has written around 2,000 compositions under the pseudonym 'Rasan Piya'.

 

123. The well-known Indologist Professor David Shulman has been honoured with the prestigious Israel Prize for his breakthrough studies on the religion, literature and culture of southern India and his command over Indian languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. The Israel Prize is given to those who have displayed excellence in their fields, or have contributed strongly to Israeli culture or the State. 

 

124. Japan has successfully launched the ASTRO-H X-ray astronomy satellite via its H-IIA rocket to study black holes. ASTRO-H is a high-energy astronomy mission led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The satellite is 14 meters long and weighs 2.7 tons, and is equipped with four X-ray telescopes and two gamma-ray detectors.

 

125. The noted Malayalam novelist and short story writer Akbar Kakkattil (62) passed away in Kozhikode, Kerala. He was well known for his short stories based on school experiences. His work, 'Sarga Sameeksha', a creative and critical interface of a young writer with the iconic writers of the old generation is perhaps the first of its kind among Indian languages.

 

126. Arunachal Pradesh is also known as the "land of the dawn-lit mountains". Arunachal Pradesh was granted statehood on 20th February, 1987. 

 

127. The West Bengal government has recently launched Utkarsh Bangla Scheme, a welfare scheme for school-dropouts. The scheme is aimed at giving vocational training to school dropouts who will be trained free of charge in tailoring, driving, repairing television and others. Each youth will get training ranging from 400 to 1200 hours.

 

128. West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra has been named as the new chairman of the empowered committee of state Finance ministers that is working out the details of the proposed goods and services tax (GST). He will succeed Kerala Finance Minister KM Mani, who resigned in November over corruption charges.

 

129. The first train connecting China to Iran through the ancient Silk Road has arrived in the Iranian capital after traveling over 10,000 kilometers. The train had started its journey from China's eastern Zhejiang province and it took 14 days to reach final destination. It had passed through two Central Asian countries Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

 

130. The Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) has been established at Visakhapatnam by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), Government of India. This institute has the mandate to lead the nation forward in education, research and training related to all areas of Petroleum and Energy. 

 

131. The well-known Indian lyricist Sameer Anjaan has been officially recognised by Guinness Books of World Records for composing the 3,524 songs for 650 Bollywood movies, as verified on December 15, 2015. He is included as a Guinness World Record holder under a new category titled 'Most prolific Bollywood lyricist'. With this, he become the first ever lyricist to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. 

 

132. The second edition of "Law and Sports in India-Development, Issues and Challenges" by Justice Mukul Mudgal and Vidushpat Singhania was launched recently.

 

133. Kalikho Pul has been sworn-in as the 9th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh by Governor JP Rajkhowa at Raj Bhawan in Itanagar. Now, he has to prove the majority in the 60 member state legislative assembly. He is being supported by 32 MLAs including the Congress rebels, BJP legislators and 2 independent legislators.

 

134. Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao's NGO Paani Foundation will work in association with the Maharashtra government towards solving the water crisis in the state. A competition will be organised where villages will be involved in water conservation activities, with the winning village bagging prize money of Rs.50 lakh. The contest will be held between April 15 and May 31.

 

135. Mayookha Johny has won a gold medal in long jump and a silver medal in triple jump at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.

 

136.  Touadera Faustin-Archange Touadera, a former prime minister, has been elected as president of the Central African Republic. 

 

137. The Odisha Government has launched the Pucca Ghar Yojana for construction workers. The pucca houses will be built for 50,000 construction workers during the current financial year with a cost of Rs. 500 crore. The state government has decided to provide an assistance of Rs.1 lakh to each registered construction worker of the state for construction of his/her house under the Yojana. A construction worker registered with the Odisha Buildings and Construction Workers' Welfare Board for the three years can avail the benefit.

 

138. The distinguished scientist KN Vyas has been appointed as the Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for a period of three years. He succeeded Shekar Basu, who was appointed as Atomic Energy Secretary and Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission in October 2015. The BARC is India's premier nuclear research facility based in Mumbai.

 

139. The American novelist Harper Lee (89) passed away in Monroeville, Alabama, United States. She was widely known for her novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird', published in 1960 which had become a classic of modern American literature. The book has a towering presence in American literature and tells the tale of a white lawyer defending a black man accused of rape in the Deep South. 

 

140. The former French finance minister Christine Lagarde has been reappointed as the Managing Director (MD) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a second five-year term starting on July 5, 2016. 

 

141. The Union Government has set up a committee headed by Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu to look into demand of Jats for reservation in central government jobs. The committee has to submit a comprehensive report to find a solution for this problem as soon as possible.

 

142. Malayalam film Ottal (The Trap) has won the Best Children's Film award at the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival. It has been honoured with the prestigious Crystal Bear award in the 'Generation K-Plus' section. The film, directed by Jayaraj Rajasekharan Nair, is about the story of an old fisherman and his grandson. The movie is an adaptation of Anton Chekhov's short story 'Vanaka'. This is the third year in a row that Indian films have triumphed. Earlier winners were "Killa" 2014 and "Dhanak" 2015.

 

143. The Italian novelist and intellectual Umberto Eco (84) has recently passed away at Milan, Italy. He was best known for his 1980 novel titled "The Name of the Rose". 

 

144. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the National Rurban Mission (NRM) from Kurubhat in Rajnandgaon district, Chattisgarh. The mission is also known as Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban mission (SPMRM). The purpose of this mission is to spur social, economic and infrastructure development in rural areas by developing a cluster of 300 Smart Villages over the next 3 years across the country.

 

145. The United Nations' (UN) International Mother Language Day (Bhasha Divas) is observed every year on February 21 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The 2016 theme is "Quality education, language(s) of instruction and learning outcomes".

 

146. Brendon McCullum has scored the fastest century in Test cricket in 54 balls. He broke the previous record jointly held by Viv Richards and Misbah-ul-Haq. 

 

147. The Jaypee Punjab Warriors has won the 4th edition of 2016 Coal India Hockey India League (HIL) title at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand. It is their first title. They defeated Kalinga Lancers by 6-1 in the finals. In the league, Player of the Tournament (Rupinder Pal Singh of Delhi Waveriders), Man of the Match (Mark Knowles of the Punjab Warriors), Goal of the Match and Emerging Player of the Match (Armaan Qureshi of the Punjab Warriors), etc.

 

148.  The "Jal Manthan 2016" has been inaugurated by the Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti on February 22, 2016 in New Delhi. The main theme of two day event is 'Integrated Approach for Sustainable Water Management'. The event would have consultations and discussions on River Basin Approach for Sustainable development, Ground water, Water security, Principles of allocation of water, innovation in water governance, Water management, Coordination between centre and states, Water conservation and need for a National Legislation on water. The first Jal Manthan was organized in November 2014. 

 

149. China and Indonesia have won the Badminton Asia Team Championships in the women and men's categories respectively at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad. China defeated Japan 3-2 in the women's category and Indonesia beat Japan 3-2 in men's category in the two finals. 

 

150. The 2016 Sait Nagjee International Club Football tournament has been won by the Ukraine's FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk at Kozhikode, Kerala. The Ukrainian professional football club has defeated Brazilians Atletico Paranaense by 3-0 in the final.

 

151. Italian documentary film Fuocoammare ( Fire at Sea) has won the Golden Bear, the top award at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival 2016 held in Berlin, Germany. The film is a harrowing documentary about Europe's refugee crisis and is directed by Gianfranco Rosi. 

 

152. India's first ever Gender Park has been inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee at Kozhikode, Kerala. The park is set up to promote research and other initiatives to enable total gender equality. The Gender Institute at the park would focus on learning, research and capacity development, as part of supporting the efforts of the State and Central governments in ensuring an inclusive, discrimination free society.

 

153. The World Day of Social Justice is observed on February 20 to recognize the need to promote efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion and unemployment. The 2016 theme is "A Just Transition – environmentally sustainable economies and societies". 

 

154. India has again emerged as the world's largest buyer of weapons and military equipment, accounting for around 14% of all such international imports. The report titled 'Trends in international arms transfers-2015' has been released by the Sweden-based think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The assessment was done for a five-year period (2011- 2015). In the list of world's biggest arms importer, India followed by Saudi Arabia, China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Australia. The five biggest exporters in five year block period 2011-2015 are the United States followed by Russia, China, France and Germany.

 

155. Recently, India has extended $1 million immediate assistance to cyclone-hit Fiji. The island nation was hit by the severe tropical cyclone Winston which brought with it wind gusts of 325 km/hr and waves up to 12 metres high, flattened crops and decimated villages completely.

156. The Chennai-based techie Arun Chidambaram directorial Tamil film "Kanavu Variyam" has won the prestigious Remi Award which will be given at the 49th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival scheduled from April 8-17, 2016. The film is about the impact of power shortage crisis in the villages of Tamil Nadu. The WorldFest is the oldest Independent Film & Video Festival in the World and Remi award is given to independent films and filmmakers.

 

157. Udai Kumar has been appointed as full-time Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSEI) Ltd, formerly known as MCX Stock Exchange (MCX-SX). He succeeded Saurabh Sarkar.

 

158. Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) H L Dattu has been appointed as the next Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the President of India appoints the chairperson and members of the NHRC on the recommendation of the high-powered committee headed by the Prime Minister. .

 

159. The Parliament of Pakistan "Majlis-e-Shoora" has become the first in the world to completely run on solar power. The venture has been funded by the Chinese government as an act of friendship, with the solar power plant costing around $ 55 million. The Parliament is located in national capital Islamabad.

 

160. According to Mercer's18th annual Quality of Living survey, Vienna has topped the list followed by Zurich, Auckland and Munich. Singapore (26) is the highest ranking Asian city. In India, Hyderabad (139) is the best Indian city in terms of quality of living, followed by Pune (144), Mumbai (152) and New Delhi (161) . Baghdad (230) and Damascus (229) are the world's least safe cities. The study stated that despite recent security issues, social unrest, and concern about the region's economic outlook, European cities continue to offer some of the worlds' highest quality-of-living.

 

161. Ather Energy, a Bengaluru based hardware start up, has launched the India's first electric scooter "S340". The scooter covers the distance of 60 Km in one single charge and have Lithium Ion battery pack IP67. As claimed by company, the S340 offers an un-compromised ride for 50,000 km.

 

162. The Central Excise Day is observed every year in India on February 24 to encourage the employees of excise department to carry out the central excise duty all over the India in better way in order to prevent the corruption in goods manufacturing business as well as implement other rules to carry out best possible excise services.

 

163. The World's first fast-acting anti-rabies drug "Rabies Human Monoclonal Antibody (RMAb)" will be launched in India. The drug has been developed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) and US-based MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

 

164. Yes Bank has been awarded the prestigious Green Bond Pioneer Award for being the 'Pioneers in Emerging Markets-India' in an award ceremony at London Stock Exchange (LSE), London. Yes Bank is bestowed with this award in recognition for its pioneering efforts in the Green Bonds market including successful issuance of India's first ever Green Infrastructure Bonds. The Green Bond Pioneer Awards are organized by Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), an international investor-focused not-for-profit which focuses on mobilizing the $100 trillion bond market for climate change solutions.

 

165. Prof. Goverdhan Mehta has been conferred with the Federal Republic of Germany's prestigious "Bundesverdienstkreuz" (the Cross of the Order of Merit). He is a well-known researcher in Chemical Sciences & former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad (UoH). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and has been conferred with 'Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur' by the President of France.

 

166. The Hyderabad-based GVK Biosciences has received the Global CSR Excellence & Leadership Awards in the category of Best Environment-Friendly Project for its "Go Green, Grow Green" plantation drive. The global CSR awards are constituted by the World CSR Congress every year on the World CSR Day and are presented to companies who believe in the value of sustainable corporate social responsibility.

 

167. The Bangladesh national cricket team captain for ODI and T20, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has been appointed as the UNDP National Goodwill Ambassador For Youth in Bangladesh. With this, he became the 4th Bangladeshi cricketer as an UNICEF ambassador after Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful and Habibul Bashar Sumon.

 

168. New Zealand's Kathleen Cross and Clarie Polosak of Australia are the two women umpires included in the ICC World Twenty20 cricket. Cross will create history in Chennai on March 16 when she will become the first woman umpire to officiate in the ICC World Twenty20 by umpiring in the women's match featuring Pakistan and Bangladesh.

 

169. Nargol port is located in Gujarat. Indian Railways proposes to undertake implementation of rail connectivity for the ports of Nargol and Hazira under PPP.

 

170. Australia won the 2016 Trans-Tasman Trophy of Cricket by defeating New Zealand by 2-0 in two-Match test Series. With this win, Australia replaced India in the test rating and became World No. 1 in ICC Test ranking. 

 

171. The Swiss-Italian football administrator Gianni Infantino has become the new President of FIFA, the world football's governing body. He succeeded Sepp Blatter.

 

172. The well-known filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Ranveer Singh will be bestowed with the 2016 Dinanath Mangeshkar Award in April 2016. The award is annually conferred on artists on 24 April to commemorate Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar's death anniversary.

 

173. Mumbai team has won the Ranji Trophy for a record 41st time by winning over Saurashtra in the finals of the 2015–16 season at Gahunje Stadium of Maharashtra Cricket Association in Pune, Maharashtra. The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between teams representing regional cricket associations.

 

174. Former DRDO Director General Avinash Chander has been honoured with the prestigious Astronomical Society of India (ASI) Aryabhata award 2013 in Bangalore for his lifetime contribution to aeronautics and astronautics. He is the main architect of India's long range missile programme ranging from 300 km Agni-1 to the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, Agni-V.

 

175. The Ministry of Railways has announced to set up a R&D organization SRESTHA (Special Railway Establishment for Strategic Technology & Holistic Advancement). The SRESTHA would be headed by an eminent scientist reporting directly to Chairman of Railway Board and would be staffed with scientists and a limited number of Railway experts.

 

176. India's first rail-auto transportation and logistics hub will come up in Walajabad, near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The auto hub will help automobile manufacturers in the region transport vehicles to other parts of the country.

 

177. Ahmedabad is the host for the 13th World Spice Congress (WSC). The theme of the biennial event is "Target 2020: Clean, Safe and Sustainable Supply Chain". The event is jointly organized by the Spices Board, the Cochin Hill Produce Merchants' Association, and India Pepper and Spice Trade Association.

 

178. Under Niramaya Yojana, the Odisha government has recently introduced 50 vehicles equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) to transport medicines to State- run hospitals in remote areas. The Niramaya Yojana, launched in May 2015, is a scheme under which 570 different medicines are being provided to patients free of cost visiting government hospitals.

 

179. The NDDB foundation for Nutrition (NFN) has launched its novel 'Gift Milk' initiative to provide nutritional support for school children. NDDB's wholly owned subsidiary, Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) partnered with NFN and launched the initiative in the Z.P. School, Laxmapur village, Ranga Reddy District, Telangana. IIL has adopted this school as part of its CSR activity.

 

180. The Rail Budget 2016 has announced four new categories of trains. The Antyodaya Express, a long-distance, fully unreserved, superfast train service, for the common man, will be operated on dense routes. The other three train services include Humsafar, Tejas, and UDAY (Utkrisht DoubleDecker Air-conditioned Yatri).

 

181. The President of India Pranab Mukherjee has declared Kerala as India's first digital state during the launch of digital empowerment campaign at Kozhikode, Kerala. The campaign aims to develop better digital communication across the state by 2020. Kerala is the first Indian state to successfully link its villages with broadband connectivity under the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) programme

 

182. The National Science Day is celebrated in India on February 28 every year to mark the discovery of the Raman effect by Indian physicist C V Raman. The 2016 theme is "Scientific Issues for Development of the Nation" that aims at raising public appreciation.

 

183. Ex-CAG Vinod Rai has been appointed as the first Chairman of the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) that would advise the Government of India (GoI) on top-level appointments at public sector lenders and ways to address the bad loans problem among other issues. The bureau would also give recommendations on appointment of directors in public sector banks, advise on ways to raise funds and mergers and acquisitions to the lenders.

 

184. The Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty has bagged the best sound award for documentary "India's Daughter" at the Motion Picture Sound Editors' 63rd annual Golden Reel Awards. With this, he becomes the first Asian to win the coveted award from the Motion Picture Sound Editors' (MPSE) of United States for best sound. The BBC documentary is directed by Leslee Udwin, which is banned in India.

 

185. At the 88th annual Academy Awards 2016, "Spotlight" has won best picture award. The film, directed by Tom Maccarthy, is about the Boston Globe's investigation into priest abuse. Leonardo DiCaprio has bagged the best actor award for "The Revenant" and Brie Larson has bagged the best actress award for "Room".

 

186. Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland has won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis ATP Championships by defeating Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus in the final in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

 

187. The President of India Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated India's first IT co-operative UL CyberPark in Kozhikode, Kerala. The IT Park has been set up by a labour cooperative society, Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS). The Rs. 270-crore IT park is expected to provide direct employment to 4,500 people in the first phase and indirect employment to 20,000.

 

188. The legendary pre-independence cricketer and skipper of Mysore (now Karnataka) Bindiganavile Krishnaswamy Garudachar (99) passed away in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was the India's oldest living first-class cricketer.

 

189. Dinesh Sharma, India's governor to Rome-based IFAD, has been unanimously elected as the Chairperson of the Governing Council of International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) for a period of two years in its 39th Session held in Rome, Italy. IFAD was set-up in 1977 as the 13th Specialised Agency of the United Nations and work towards removing poverty and hunger in rural areas all over the world.

 

190. Captain Sunita Williams, the Indian-origin American astronaut, has visited India recently.