february current affairs 2018 english...

No: 646, 2nd

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FEBRUARY CURRENT AFFAIRS – 2018

ENGLISH VERSION

FEBRUARY CURRENT AFFAIRS-2018

No: 646, 2nd

floor, K.K. Nagar, Madurai – 625020 | 7397150273, 8489228855 No: 81, 2

nd floor, South Veli Street, Madurai – 6250019751999264, 0452-4951150/4217492


1

Union Budget 2018:

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on , February 1, 2018 presented the 2018 – 2019

Budget in parliament.

This is the NDA government’s last full budget.

It is also the first annual Budget since the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax.

Union Budget of India is referred to as the Annual Financial Statement in the Article 112 of

the Constitution of India.

Till 2016, it was presented on the last working day of February. In 2017, it was presented

on February 1, so that it could be materialized before the commencement of new financial

year in April.

First Union budget of independent India was presented by K. Shanmugam Chetty on

November 26, 1947.

Till Date, Morarji Desai has presented Union Budget for highest number of times (10 times).

Till now, Indira Gandhi is the only and first women who presented Union budget (during

1970-71).

Then in 2017, On the basis of recommendation of Bibek Debroy Committee Railway

Budget was merged with General Budget.

E-way bill is a document required to be carried by a person in charge of the conveyance

carrying any consignment of goods of value exceeding fifty thousand rupees as mandated

by the Government.

Indian Navy has launched its third Scorpene class submarine INS Karanj at the Mazagon

Dock Shipbuilders Ltd), Mumbai. Previously INS Kalvaari was included in Indian navy at

December. Another submarine INS Gaandhaari was in trial.

Neelam Kapoor was appointed as Director General of Sports Authority of India (SAI). She

is an Indian Information Service officer (IIS) of 1982 batch. She is currently the Principal

Director General of the Directorate of Field Publicity (DFP).


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The first edition of Khelo India School Games (KISG) was held from from 31st January to

8th February, 2018 at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister

Narendra Modi. Haryana had emerged as overall champions, finishing with 102 medals,

which included 38 gold, 26 silver and 38 bronze medals. Maharashtra and Delhi was in the

second and third places resoectively. Tamilnadu at the 9th place by securing 6 gold, 11

silver, and 11 bronze medals.

India has been admitted into Agreement on the Establishment of an International Transport

and Transit Corridor”. This agreement is also known as Ashgabat Agreement. The

Ashgabat Agreement has Oman, Iran, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as founding

members. Subsequently Kazakhstan and Pakistan also formally joined the Ashgabat

Agreement.

Prime Minister of India has inaugurated the Assam’s first Global Investors' Summit -

'Advantage Assam’ in Guwhathi.

“Exam Warriors” - a book authored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for students facing

exams.

The Uttar Pradesh government has inaugurated the state's first ever butterfly park in

Kanpur to preserve the ecosystem.

The Indian Olympic Association appointed its joint secretary Vikram Singh Sisodia as the

Chef-de-Mission for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh released a book titled “Mere Sapno Ka Bharat”. It is a

compilation of interviews of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee by Tarun Vijay, an

ex-MP, at a function in New Delhi.

India won U-19 World Cup defeating Australia in finals held at Mount Maunganui, New

Zealand. With this victory, India became first nation to win the trophy four times.

The ‘Pelican Bird Festival-2018’ was held for first in Atapaka Bird Sanctuary at Kolleru lake

in Andhra Pradesh.


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TIMES Higher Education World University Ranking has released the rankings for

educational institutes in Asia and only two Indian institutes have made their way to the top

50 Asian institutes. The two institutes that have made their way to the top 50 are Indian

Institute of Science(IISc) at 29th place and Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Bombay at

44th rank. IIT Madras has witnessed biggest decline this year and has fallen from last

year’s 41 places to 103 this year. Singapore’s National university topped the list.

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) named Vikram Singh Sisodia as the Chef-de-Mission for

Commonwealth Games (CWG) that will be held in Gold Coast, Australia from April, 2018.

India has successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II

missile as part of a user trial by the Army from a test range in Odisha. It can carry 500 to

1000 kgs of nuclear weapons and travel a range of 350 kms.

Elon Musk-led SpaceX has successfully launched the world's most powerful operational

rocket Falcon Heavy towards Mars at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket has

taken a Tesla Roadster car along with its flight.

9-member committee constituted by Karnataka govt. has recommended separate state flag

with state logo having the colours of yellow, white and red.

India’s veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami became the first female cricketer to take 200 ODI

wickets.

NITI Aayog has released a comprehensive Health Index report titled, “Healthy States,

Progressive India”. Among the Larger States, Kerala has topped the list, followed by

Punjab and Tamil Nadu in terms of overall performance. Among Smaller States, Mizoram

ranked first followed by Manipur and Meghalaya. Among UTs, Lakshadweep has topped

the list followed by Chandigarh and Delhi.


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PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi has been appointed to the International Cricket

Council (ICC) Board as its first independent female director. The independent director is

appointed for a two-year term although she may be re-appointed for two further terms.

IREDA and Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited signed an agreement for financing the

infrastructure of two large Solar Parks (750mw) in Madhya Pradesh.

Recently New World Wealth has released world’s wealthiest Cities report. According to a

report Mumbai, the economic hub of India is the 12th wealthiest city. New York topped the

list. London and Tokyo are in the second and third places respectively.

A special task force (STF) of the Indian Army and the Indonesian Army began its sixth

Garuda Shakti exercise at Bandung in Indonesia.

MS Dhoni became the first Indian wicketkeeper and fourth in the world after Sri Lanka’s

Kumar Sangakkara, Australia’s Adam Gilchrist and South Africa’s Mark Boucher to effect

400 behind dismissals of Cricket players in ODI.

Gujarat University announced a course on spoken Sanskrit in order to popularise the

ancient language. It is the first Centre for Spoken Sanskrit in the country.

The South Central Railway (SCR) has become the 1st railway zone in the country to

complete 100% LED lighting at all the stations under its jurisdiction. This is expected to

save 32 lakh units of electrical energy worth Rs.2.7 crore per year.

Bihar Government has banned sale of loose cigarettes in the state. Bihar is the 12th state

in the country to bring such a ban into effect after Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh,

Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi and others.


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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved to enhance target base

of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana from 5 crores to 8 crores. The revised target of PMUY

will be achieved by 2020.

Aadhar registrations and amendments can be made in any banks Aadhar centers by

anyone, such as other bank customers, non-bankers who have no bank account.

The President of India has declared Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh as ‘Divyang

friendly district”.

Recently World's first robot ski competition held in South Korea.

Archaeologist and historian Arvind P. Jamkhedkar will be the next Chairman of the Indian

Council of Historical Research (ICHR).

The President of India has inaugurated the international conference ‘Agricon 2018’ and

‘Agri expo 2018’ at Chandrashekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology Kanpur in

Uttar Pradesh.

Tri-service maritime exercise ‘Paschim Lehar’ was held off India’s western coast with an

aim to build interoperability between Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast

Guard.

Bhalupani, a village in Balrampur district of Chhattisgarh got electricity for first time since

India got Independence.

Former Pakistan cricket team fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar, has been appointed as the

advisor to the chairman on cricket affairs and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) brand

ambassador.


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The Pakistani Senate has approved a motion to declare Mandarin as one of the official

languages of Pakistan.

Telecom Major Bharti Airtel and Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer Huawei

announced that they have successfully conducted India's first-ever 5G trial, achieving a

data speed of over 3 GB per second.

Tamilnadu State government has decided to observe the birth anniversary of Omandur P.

Ramaswami Reddiar as a government function for the first time. Omandur P. Ramaswami

Reddiar is the first Chief Minister of Madras state after Independence.

IAS officer Satyabrata Sahoo has been named the next Chief Electoral Officer for Tamil

Nadu. Satyabrata Sahoo is an IAS officer of the 1997 batch and a native of Odisha. Sahoo

is currently Managing Director of the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage

Board (CMWSSB).

According to a report by New World Wealth, India has been ranked in the sixth position in

the list of wealthiest countries. As per this wealthiest country list, United States is the

wealthiest country in the world. In this report China ranked at 2nd place. Japan ranked at

the 3rd place.

The Ministry of Commerce & Industry has launched third version of the Government e-

Marketplace (GeM 3.0).

India ranked at 42nd among 165 independent states on annual 2017 Global Democracy

Index (GDI) released by UK-based company, Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

7th India Energy Congress focusing on the theme ‘Energy 4.0: Energy Transition Towards

2030’ held in New Delhi on February 1, 2018.


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Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra has recommended the impeachment of Justice Shri

Narayan Shukla, judge of the Allahabad High Court, following an adverse investigation

report about him by an in-house panel set up by the CJI.

The First ever International Kala Mela Festival has been organised by the Lalit Kala

Akademi is held at New Delhi.

The Union Government has announced to launch Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan

Mahaabhiyan (KUSUM) Scheme to encourage farmers for solar farming.

India has been ranked 44 out of 50 nations in the latest international Intellectual Property

index released by the US Chambers of Commerce.

The sixth edition of 'Hunar Haat' was held at New Delhi. ‘Hunar Haat’ is a platform made

available by the government for artisans from minority communities to showcase and sell

their works. The theme of “Hunar Haat” organized by the Ministry of Minority Affairs was

“Development with Dignity”.

PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone-laying ceremony for construction of first

traditional Hindu temple in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, the capital city of United Arab Emirates

(UAE).

Stating that 25 CMs are crorepatis, the report reveals that Andhra Pradesh CM Chandra

babu Naidu is the richest CM, followed by Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu. The

three ‘poorest’ CMs are Tripura’s Manik Sarkar, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and

Mehbooba. Only three (10 per cent) CMs are women among the total 31 analysed.

India’s first online radio station “Radio Umang” was launched on World Radio Day (Feb 13)

2018 themed around peace, humanity and hope.


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8th Global Theatre Olympics is scheduled to organize in New Delhi. The theme of the 8th

Theatre Olympics is “Flag of Friendship”. The Theatre Olympics was established in 1993 at

Delphi, Greece.

India’s Aadhaar and Umang App have won awards at recently concluded 6th World

Government Summit 2018 in Dubai.

First Edition of World Sustainable Development Summit is scheduled to be conducted in

New Delhi. The theme of the 2018 Summit is ‘Partnerships for a Resilient Planet’.

The Centre has formulated an ambitious water conservation scheme named Atal Bhujal

Yojana (ABY) to tackle depletion groundwater level.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare organized a National Conference under the

title of “Agriculture 2022 – Doubling Farmers’ Income” at National Agriculture Science

Complex (NASC), New Delhi.

Prime Minister has inaugurated the World Conference on Information Technology (WCIT-

2018) in Hyderabad through video-conferencing. The theme of the conference is ‘Future

Enterprises.’ Sophia the humanoid, who is a Saudi citizen, is also attended this conference.

Flying officer Avani Chaturvedi created history by becoming the first Indian woman pilot of

the Indian Air Force to complete a solo flight in a MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft.

India has been ranked 81st in the global corruption perception index for 2017, which was

recently released by Transparency International.

The Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Vajra’, which rendered three decades of service in maritime

security, was decommissioned at a ceremony in Paradip, Odisha.

India successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable 'Dhanush' ballistic missile with a strike

range of 350 kms from a naval ship off Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal.


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According to a new UNICEF report, India’s neonatal mortality rate at 25.4 deaths per 1,000

live births makes it 12th worst among 52 “lower middle-income countries” that pose risk for

the newborns.

India will host the first International Solar Alliance (ISA) Summit on March 11, 2018 in New

Delhi.

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has now introduced a blue colored 'Baal

Aadhaar' card for children below the age of 5 years. It will be linked with one of parent’s

Aadhaar card in this No biometric details will be captured.

The Indian Navy is going to host 16 countries for multi-national 2018 MILAN exercise at

Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar islands from March 6 to 13, 2018.

The Union Government has issued order setting up the ‘Niti Forum for North-East’. The

forum will be co-chaired by the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog and Minister of State Ministry

of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).

The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of a tribunal to settle a row between Odisha

and Chhattisgarh on sharing the waters of the river Mahanadi.

The Union Cabinet has approved creation of Rs. 60,000 crores National Urban Housing

Fund (NUHF) to finance Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). Pradhan Mantri Awas

Yojana (Urban) which aims to build 1.2 crore affordable houses in urban areas by 2022.

Sweden and the United Nations World Food Programme has signed a Strategic

Partnership Agreement committing an 370 million dollars to WFP over the next four years.

India has contributed an additional $1 million to the India-UN Development Partnership

Fund earmarked for South-South cooperation.


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India’s Neighbour Sri Lanka has celebrated its 70th Independence Day on 4th February.

The theme of the ceremony was "One Nation".

Rwanda has become the first low-income country to provide universal eye care to its

Citizens.

Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen has declared a 15-day state of emergency in the

island nation.

Jerome H Powell sworn in as the 16th Chairman of the Federal Reserve for a four-year

term.

Tanzania has announced its withdrawal of United Nation’s “Comprehensive Refugee

Response Framework” citing security reasons and lack of funds.

China has commissioned its new generation J-20 fourth-generation stealth fighter into

combat service. The introduction of stealth fighter has made waves as China is the first in

the region to have the stealth bomber and 2nd country in the world to have commissioned

domestically developed stealth aircraft after US.

Tamil Nadu has won the 23rd Senior Women's National Football Championship for the first

time against the 18 times champion Manipur at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha.

China will host 2018 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit at Qingdao,

eastern Shandong Province in June 2018. The full members of the organization are China,

Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India and Pakistan.

The ongoing 23rd Olympic Winter Games at the South Korean city of Pyeongchang, has

been hit by an extraordinary outbreak of disease caused by Norovirus. Noro virus is similar

to rota virus that induces diahorrea.


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KP Sharma Oli sworned as Nepal’s new prime minister for the second time. He is the 41st

prime minister of Nepal.

Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India have identified a new plant species from

Jaldapara National Park and Buxa National Parks National Parks in West Bengal. The

species Drypetes kalamii, named after former President Abdul Kalam.

Punjab government has issued the banning of the sale of 20 pesticides (insecticides) which

are harmful to health of humans and environment with immediate effect.

Odisha has bagged Geospatial World Excellence Award-2018 in the Geospatial World

Forum Meeting held at Hyderabad.

The Maharashtra government has decided to set up a Transgender Welfare Board to

protect their Constitutional and human rights. This will make Maharashtra the first Indian

state to have such a board.

The annual 32nd Surajkund International Crafts Mela held at Surajkund in Haryana. For

this year’s edition, Uttar Pradesh (UP) has been chosen as theme state for the first time.

88th Mahamastakabhisheka (head anointing ceremony) of the monolithic statue of Lord

Bahubali has begun at Shravanabelagola, Karnataka.

To connect with the youth on social media, the Maharashtra government launched an

initiative called ‘Social Media — Maha Mitra’.

The Tourism and Wildlife Society of India had organised the 21st Indian Birding Fair at the

Man Sagar Lake in Jiapur, Rajasthan.

Justice Abhilasha Kumari was sworn-in as new Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur.

An international exhibition and conference on Pharmaceutical & Medical Device sector

‘India Pharma & India Medical Device 2018’ held in Bengaluru.


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Recently “Friendship Gate" has been inaugurated at India- Bangladesh Border in

Meghalaya. It is constructed with an aim to have a Wagah-like beating retreat ceremony for

the Indian and Bangladesh border guards.

Madhya Pradesh’s first butterfly park has inaugurated at Gopalpur in Raisen district.

Maharashtra State government is planning set an India’s first institute for artificial

intelligence (AI) in Mumbai.

The National Banana Festival (NBF) 2018 from 17 to 21 February at Kalliyoor,

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

The Goa government has launched a motorcycle ambulance service to provide quick

medical help to patients in need in the coastal state.

The Haryana government has opened subsidized under the ‘AntyodayaAahaarYojana’ that

will offer a meal at Rs.10 to the poor.

The 44th Khajuraho Dance Festival 2018 has begun at the temple town in Chhatarpur

district at Madhya Pradesh.

The Assam government will be observing September 22 as Rhino Day to generate public

awareness for the protection of the one-horned pachyderm.

Rajendra Trivedi, was unanimously elected as Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative

Assembly.

The Haryana government has officially launched the Parivartan scheme, which is designed

to address 10 issues including cleanliness and pollution.

The 45th edition of Indian Handicrafts and Gift Fair (IHGF)-Delhi Fair at India Expo Centre

& Mart, Greater Noida.


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The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved 'one district, one product' scheme to promote

products indigenous to every district.

In a first for an Indian, NITI Aayog Member Vinod Paul has been chosen to receive WHO’s

(World Health Organization) prestigious Ihsan Dogramaci Family Health Foundation Prize

for his services in the field of family health.

Magahi writer Shesh Anand Madhukar was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi’s Bhasha

Samman Award 2018. With this, he became the second writer of Magahi language to be

given the award.

Jnanpith recipient and Kannada litterateur Chandra shekhar Kambar (81) was elected as

President of the Sahitya Akademi. He will serve as president of the Akademi for a period of

five years. Hindi poet Madhav Koushik has been elected as vice-president.

Ashok Das was named India’s new Ambassador to Brazil.

Grand Master Vidit Gujrathi has been appointed as the brand ambassador of All India

Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB). Vidit Gujrathi is the fourth Grand Master from

India.

Milkbasket, India's first and largest micro-delivery platform has been recognised as 'Startup

of the Year' 2017 at the 7th Small Business Awards.

Krishna Kumari Kohli will be the first-ever Dalit woman in Pakistan who becomes a

Senator. Krishna Kumari Kohli from Thar in Pakistan's Sindh province will become the

second Hindu woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country. The Pakistan Senate has

had only one female Hindu member, Ratna Bhagwandas Chawla from the PPP, until now.


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Veteran actress Sridevi passed away in Dubai. She made her debut as a child artist in in

Tamil film "Thunaivan" in 1969. Sridevi was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest

civilian honour, in 2013.

Kunwar Bai, who became the mascot of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, has passed away at the

age of 106.

Achanta Sharath Kamal from Tamil Nadu has won the 79th edition of the 11Even Sports

National Senior Table Tennis Championship 2018.

According to a 'Military Balance 2018' report by the International Institute for Strategic

Studies (IISS), India's defence budget is ranked world's fifth largest defence budget. For

the first time Indian defence budget has taken over the UK’s defence budget. China has

world’s second-largest defence budget after the US. Saudi Arabia and Russia are in the

third and fourth places respectively.

Cyril Ramaphosa, head of ruling African National Congress has sworn in as new President

of South Africa. After the resignation of scam-tainted Jacob Zuma, former president of

South Africa.

Cash-strapped Venezuela became the first country to launch its own version of bitcoin.

Venezuelan Government will accept Petro as a form of payment of national taxes, fees,

contributions and public services

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has launched the world’s smallest rocket

with the ability to put a tiny satellite into orbit. It carried placed a microsatellite TRICOM-1R

in orbit. TRICOM-1R is capable to capture images of the Earth’s surface.

India will be the Global Host for World Environment Day (WED) 2018 which is observed

annually on 5 June. Theme for this year’s World Environment Day edition is the world is

“Beat Plastic Pollution”.


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Northeast India’s first regional Centre for Agriculture with collaboration of Israel will be

inaugurated in Mizoram in March 2018. This centre will be exclusively for processing of

citrus fruits and will cater to the whole north east.

Singapore will impose a 'carbon tax' from 2019 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an

effort to fight climate change.

The Maharashtra government has approved Ghodazari in Chandrapur district as a new

wildlife sanctuary in the state.

The annual multi-national military exercise code named Cobra Gold was held in Thailand's

Chonburi province. This is the 37th edition of the exercise and is co-sponsored by the

Royal Thai Armed Forces and the U.S. Armed Forces.

Ministry of Earth Science has installed a High Performance Computer (HPC) System called

Mihir (meaning ‘Sun’), at the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting

(NCMRWF).

On the second and last day of the UP Investors Summit, a mobile application – ‘e-Saathi’

was launched. Through the app, people will be able to avail public services sitting at home.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has launched Green

Good Deeds campaign in New Delhi.

Aruna Budda Reddy created history by becoming the first Indian gymnast to clinch an

individual medal (BRONZE) at the Gymnastics World Cup 2018 in Melbourne.

Dubai International Airport has listed as a world’s busiest airport in terms of Passenger

handling. London Heathrow airport is ranked as a second busiest airport.

The Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport has become the world’s

busiest amongst the single-runway facilities by handling 837 flights a day


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The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, in collaboration with the Environmental

Sanitation Institute and Tata Trusts, has developed a Sanitation Park in New Delhi.

The Indian coast guard is celebrating its 41st anniversary today the February 1, 2018. To

commemorate the 41st anniversary, Tamilnadu governor Banwarilal Purohit will head the

Coast Guard raising day ceremony at its headquarters, Coast Guard Region (East),

Chennai. The present force level includes 42 stations, 134 ships & 62 aircraft in its

inventory. ICG is world’s fourth largest coast guard.

With the help of the best scientists in India a new research centre will be set up in

Bharathiyar University to study the impact of the climate said by Vice-chancellor Ganapathi.

Construction Industry Exhibition, 'Built Index-2018' on behalf of Coimbatore District Small

Industries Association. At this exhibition, there are modern technologies in construction.

Alternatives to items such as sand and brick are held at the exhibition.

The Tamil Nadu house and the additional guest house in New Delhi, have been renamed

as Vaigai Tamizh Illam and Pothigai Tamizh Illam by the Tamilnadu government.

The Indian government plans to spend Rs 50 crore to assign four crore milk-producing

cows a unique identity number. The programme called Pashu Sanjivini, was launched in

2016.

Assam will get its own version of the World Trade Centre as a commercial twin tower in

Guwahati will come up soon. The project, touted as the new Trade and Business

Gateway for South-East nations, will boost economic inter-linkages by facilitating global

trade and investment.

Defending champion PV Sindhu failed to retain the title as she lost against Beiwen Zhang

of USA in the summit clash of India Open Super 500 at Siri Fort Complex in Delhi.

K. Maheshwari, a female weavermarupihcnaK morf , has been announced rofNational

Award for Best Handloom weavers 2016, ybthe tnecral government. Similarly, the Best Silk


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s eerasales Awardot decnuonna Kanchipuram Anna Silk Co-operative Society, and osla

two srevaewhave been announced eht rofNational Quality Certificate for Best Weavers.

Tamil Nadu has the second highest GST tax base, according to the Economic Survey 2018

and forms 10% of the nation's base. TN trails Maharashtra (16%), but leads Karnataka

(9%). Lakshwadeep is at the last position.

ISRO plans to launch Chandraayan-II in June. In the next five months, the Indian Space

Research Organization (ISRO) plans to send five satellites, including Chandraayan-2

(Chandraayan-1 was launched in 22 October 2008 by PSLV-XL C11).

Amitabh Kant has been yraurbeF no detnioppa17 ,2016 saNiti Aayog CEO erunet sih won

,yraurbeF ni detelpmoc eb lliw sraey owt fo2018 . The Appointments Committee of the

Cabinet approved extension of Kant's tenure till June 30 ,2019.

The Fifth edition of South Asia Region Public Procurement Conference was held in New

Delhi. The theme of the Fifth Conference “Public Procurement and Service Delivery”.

Kerala will become the first state in India to issue the certificate of good conduct. for those

who are going to work in UAE.

Cristiana Ronaldo has made a history by becoming the first player ever to score 100 goals

in the Champions League for the Real Madrid’s club.

Tamil Nadu beat Manipur to lift their maiden title in the 23rd edition of the Senior Women's

National Football Championship, which was held in CUTTACK, Odisha. Tamil Nadu

created history by becoming champions in their first-ever final.

Atal Jan Aahaar Yojana – To provide food for poor people.

Tamilnadu government declared that the Global investors meet will be held in Chennai.


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SpaceX successfully launched the satellite Starling to get Internet access to the world at

low cost through the Falcon 9 rocket.

Union cultural minister Mahesh Sharma said that two museums will be formed and opened

for Nethaji Subash Chandra at Delhi and Kolkata

After assuming office in 2013, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited India for the first

time. He participated in a Islam conference which was held in Hyderabad.

Indian government said all the mobiles should have the inbuilt GPS to ensure the security

of women in the emergency period.

Indian Navy has launched Scorpene submarine INS Karanj at the Mazagon Dock

Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), Mumbai, Maharashtra. It the third ship in the Scorpene class.

Karnataka government declared to provide free education for women right primary

education to Postgraduate Study.

Two monkeys have been cloned using the technique that produced Dolly the sheep.

Identical Lion-tailed macaques Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua were born several weeks ago at

a laboratory in China.

World’s first bio-fuel flight Dream liner 787-9 flies between America to Australia.

Nearly 11.48 crore tonnes of gold deposits have been confirmed by scientists and

geologists in Rajasthan, with experts claiming that the deposits are mostly located in the

cities of Banswara and Udaipur.

23rd winter Olympic held in Pyeongchang(2018)

Marina Charlotte Kalla is a Swedish cross-country skier who won the first Olympic gold

medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in the Skiathlon event.

Only two Indian players have been participated in this Olympic, but no one won a single

medal.


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In the final medallist Norway on the top, second and third places were Germany and

Canada respectively.

Indian paddler Manav Thakkar settled for silver after losing in the final of the International

Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Junior Circuit Finals at Luxemburg.

Pune adventurist Shital Ranae Mahajan set a new record by becoming the first Indian to

skydive sporting a colourful 'Nav-wari saree' in Thailand recently.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) today introduced the concept of "Virtual

ID" and "limited KYC" to further strengthen the security of Aadhaar data. The Virtual ID is a

random 16-digit number.

Md Abdul Hamid has been re-elected to serve as the 21st president of Bangladesh. On

2013, Hamid was sworn in as the 20th president of Bangladesh. Since independence, 16

people have headed the state for 19 terms. Hamid is the 17th person to serve as

president.

PLASTINDIA 2018, the 10th edition of international plastics exhibition, conference and

convention to be held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded the Palatine's Grand Collar Award. The

Palestinian president Abbass gave this to him.

First time in India the Cooperative societies will be set up for the transgender community, in

Kerala. Kerala Minister for Cooperation Kadakampally Surendran has said this.

Gevora hotel will unseat the current title-holder with its 356-metre-high tower. The title of

world’s tallest hotel is currently held by the 355-metre-high JW Marriott Marquis Hotel in

Business Bay, which will be ousted into second place once the 356-metre-tall Gevora

opens.


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Instead of a lush green park, cricket will be played in freezing conditions on a frozen lake in

St. Moritz at Switzerland.

Operation Sajak was done in the coastal areas of Kanyakumari. It is a kind of rehearsal

done for protection from the terrorists from the coastal areas.

Justice Dinesh Maheshwari took oath as the 29th Chief Justice of the High Court of

Karnataka on Tuesday. Governor Vajubhai R. Vala administered the oath to Mr.

Maheshwari at the Raj Bhavan. He was serving as the Chief Justice of Meghalaya High

Court prior to this.

The Indian Red Cross Society organized a three day National Youth Festival at Noida.

Indian Red Cross’s objective is to help the youth of the country understand their potential

and urge them to contribute to the society in a more effective manner.

The Chief Minister of Telangana, K Chandrashekar Rao, has ordered regional "Telugu"

language to be made a compulsory subject, from 1st to 12th standard, in all educational

institutions, private and public, in the state.

The sixth edition of World Government Summit (WGS) 2018 was held at Dubai, United

Arab Emirates. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance of Indonesia, is awarded the Best

Minister Award by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and

Ruler of Dubai.

A fully-refurbished World War II-era Dakota, belonging to the vintage of the iconic military

transport aircraft that played a crucial role in the 1947 Indo-Pak War, is all set to be flown to

India next month, to become a proud possession of the IAF. They were introduced in the

1930s... As part of the 12th Squadron of the then Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF), Dakotas

were the main workhorse in Ladakh and Northeast region. And, they intervened in time to


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save the Valley of Kashmir (in 1947).

Eastern Railway will run a special train from Budge Budge to Sealdah on February 19 to

mark the 122nd return day of Swami Vivekananda from Chicago where the monk had

delivered a historic lecture.

After Supreme Court and high court judges, the three election commissioners have

received a salary equal to the salary of a judge of the Supreme Court. Now, the three

commissioners will draw a monthly salary of Rs. 2.50 lakhs from the current Rs. 90, 000.

In the Ooty botanical park the tourists from Arunachal pradesh enjoyed by performing their

heritage dance “Ponam”.

President Ram Nath Kovind hosted an LPG Panchayat at the in Rashtrapati Bhawan. LPG

(Liquified Petroleum Gas) consumers and beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala

Yojana (PMUY) scheme from more than 20 states attended the Panchayat, and discussed

the benefits of using LPG and the shared their experiences in making sustainable use of it.

Ayushman Bharat is National Health Protection Scheme, which will cover over 10 crore

poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) providing coverage upto

5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. This will

be the world’s largest government funded health care programme. Adequate funds will be

provided for smooth implementation of this programme.

The Tamil Nadu government is planning to launch mobile libraries facility for schools in 12

districts of the state. The vehicles carrying books will visit two schools in a day for one-hour

reading session for students.

The Bandicoot Robot, developed by a start-up in Kerala, GenRobotics, is a semi-automatic

robotic system for manhole and sewer line cleaning. Bandicoot - a robot that can replace

humans involved in manual scavenging.


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A list prepared by UNESCO has also mentioned about the 42 languages or dialects in India

which are endangered and they may be heading towards extinction, the official said. The

languages or dialects which were considered endangered, in Tamilnadu are Kota and

Toda.

Industry Investors meet which held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. In this meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that a military logistics center will be formed

in Budlekhand at a cost of Rs.20,000 crore investment.

The World Health Organization conducted a survey on air pollution and published the list of

cities. In this list the Shabol city from Iran topped the list, India’s Gwaloir and Allahabad

placed second and third postions, Saudi arabia’s capital city Riyadh at the fouth place,

India’s capital city Delhi at the 12th place.

The department of posts is all set to recognize West Bengal sweetmeat maker Nobin

Chandra Das, who invented the rasagulla in 1868(150years completed), with a stamp and

a special cover after one of India’s most celebrated desserts was granted the geographical

indication status.

The 22nd edition of the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) is being

organised for the time in the country at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre and

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered inaugurate the summit through a video conference,

which will have the who's who of the global IT industry in attendance, according to a senior

official of the state IT department.

Under Saudi Arabia’s guardianship system, women are required to present proof of

permission from a male “guardian” — normally the husband, father or brother — to do any

government paperwork, travel or enroll in classes. Latest easing of restrictions on women

continues plan to expand private sector in post-oil era would allow Saudi women to start own

businesses without male permission.


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The parliament house will soon have a crèche on its premises for women employees who

may want to bring their small children to the day care facility. This is seen as an attempt to

make way for an “inclusive and supportive work environment” for women employees at

the parliament house.

The Maharashtra government is all set to roll out its “Asmita Yojana” on the International

Women’s Day(March 8) . Under the scheme, girls in Zilla Parishad schools will get a

sanitary napkin packet at a subsidised rate.

According to a new UNICEF report, India’s neonatal mortality rate at 25.4 deaths per

1,000 live births makes it 12th worst among 52 “lower middle-income countries” that

pose risk for newborns.

India Space Research Organization's Chairman, Dr. K. Sivan, has said that the GSAT-

11satellite will launch in either April or May. Dr. Sivan said that at 5.7 tons, this will be the

heaviest satellite made in India and will pave the way for providing high bandwidth

connectivity, especially in rural India. The satellite will be launched using French Ariane

rocket, as India does not have the current capability to launch satellites that are heavier

that four tons in weight.

Sri Lanka national television Rupavahini Corporation's new Tamil channel Nethra, aimed at

fostering national unity and reconciliation, was declared open by President Maithripala

Sirisena today at the Rupavahini Complex in Colombo.

The Telangana Government signed an MOU with Taoyuan City of Taiwan for better

technology partnership in the state. The agreement was signed after the World Congress

on Information Technology (WCIT) 2018 in Hyderabad.

The Haryana government launched Parivartan, a scheme designed to address 10 issues,

including cleanliness and pollution, facilitation of financing, making agriculture profitable

and sustainable, improving health services, implementing Swachh Bharat, decongesting

market areas, engaging the youth, checking air pollution, ensuring availability of identity-

related services, effective policing, and ensuring road order and conduct.


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For the first time in the world, the nuclear plant in Russia has secured a International

secure nuclear reactor award (1200mW).

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has now introduced a blue coloured 'Baal

Aadhaar' card for children below the age of 5 years. To recall all children below the age of 5

don't need to give biometric details for getting an Aadhaar card.

Australia will get a new deputy prime minister, with Michael McCormack expected to be

appointed the new leader of the Nationals.

Vikas Krishan and Amit Panghal claimed gold medals but the celebrated M C Mary Kom,

Gaurav Solanki and Seema Poonia had to be content with silver in the 69th Strandja

Memorial boxing tournament for men and women.

Former Cabinet Secretary T.S.R. Subramanian passed away. He was 79. Mr. Subramanian

was a 1961 batch officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre. He served as Cabinet Secretary from

August 1996 to March 1998.

The government approved enhancing the number of beneficiaries from 5 crore to 8

crore under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana for receiving deposit-free new cooking gas

connection. (PMUY- MAY 2016)

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is going to launch pilot project of Pay as

you use tolling on the Delhi Mumbai national highway to to study implement ability of

system in the country.

India has "increased substantially" its score in the latest international Intellectual Property

(IP) index released by the US Chambers of Commerce today, ranking 44th out of 50

countries(2017- 45th rank).

A Century is Not Enough: My Roller-coaster Ride to Success (2018) is an English

autobiographical book written by Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly with Gutam

Bhattacharya.


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The Ministry of Panchayat Raj has selected Pudumadam, a coastal village panchayat in the

district, as one of the best panchayats in the State and for the prestigious ‘Deen Dayal

Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar (DDUPSP) – 2018’.

City of Hyderabad made history, when as many as 15,320 students from various

educational institutions are aiming to hit a new Guinness record under the Swachh

Hyderabad initiative to spread the message on the need to keep the city clean. The

students, armed with broomsticks assembled at BR Ambedkar College in Ramnagar

division of GHMC and swept the roads.

China is developing a new surveillance plane KJ-600 designed to be launched from its

aircraft carrier and fitted with a radar system to spot enemy stealth jets which are entering

into the country.

World's second solar photovoltic Highway was successfully tested at Shantong in China.

World’s first solar photovoltic Highway was introduced in France.

Australian research group CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research

Organization) will be using aquatic drones propelled by the wind, and their electronics are

powered by the sun – this allows them to remain at sea for up to 12 months at a time,

uploading collected data along the way named “SAIL DRONE”to explore Antartica.

A U.S. space startup has become the first ever private company to successfully send three

small satellites into orbit without the help of a government agency, paving the way for a

“new era” of commercial access to space.

Researchers in Australia have found a way to increase wheat production by up to three

times through their "speed breeding" procedures inspired by NASA experiments to grow

the crop in space. The scientists have used the technique to develop the new ‘DS Faraday’

wheat variety due for release to industry this year. DS Faraday is a high protein, milling

wheat with tolerance to pre-harvest sprouting.

India's Elakiya Dasan has won a bronze in the men's 60m sprint event with a national

record time in the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships held in Tehran, Iran.


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IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

World Wetlands Day - 2nd February

The 2018 theme ‘Wetlands for a sustainable urban future

World Cancer Day – 04 February

The theme for the year 2018 is “We can. I can”.

World Radio Day - 13 February

The Theme of the world radio day for the year 2018 is ‘Radio and Sports’.

World Day of Social Justice - 20 February

India’s first radio festival was held at New Delhi to mark World Radio Day.

The theme for the year 2018 is “Workers on the Move: The Quest for Social Justice”.

International Mother Language Day - 21 February

The theme of 2018 International Mother Language Day is ‘Linguistic diversity and

multilingualism count for sustainable development’.


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