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IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF FEBRUARY 1^st , 2019

              IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF FEBRUARY 1^st , 2019

1.     The 1st part of the Oxford English Dictionary was published on this day (1st February) in the year 1884.

a.      Published originally as 'A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles', it was called the 'Oxford English Dictionary' for the first time in 1895.

b.     Under the editorship of James Murray, the final and 126th part of the dictionary was published in 1928, 44 years after publication began.

2.     To celebrate 150 years of chemistry's periodic table, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has declared 2019 as the International Year of the Period Table of Chemical Elements.

a.      Russian scientist Dmitry Mendeleev first published the Periodic Table in 1869.

b.     Director-General of UNESCO : Audrey Azoulay

3.     Italy’s Prime Minister Giuiseppe Conte  inaugurated the new ‘Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable Development’ in Rome. 

a.      This Centre will provide a fast-track, demand-driven mechanism for African countries to access grant resources that support policies, initiatives, and best practices on climate change, food security, access to water, clean energy, and accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa. 

4.     The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted 'Resolution 2454', a resolution to extend sanctions against the Central African Republic (CAR) for another year.

a.      This resolution decides to renew the sanctions regime - an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze till January 31, 2020.

b.     It also decides to extend the mandate of the panel of experts, which helps the Security Council with the implementation of the sanctions, until Feb 29, 2020.

5.     (1st February) is 42nd Indian Coast Guard Day.

a.      The interim Indian Coast Guard came into being on 1 February 1977, equipped with two small corvettes and five patrol boats transferred from the Navy.

b.     The Indian Coast Guard's mission is to assist mariners and safeguard life and property at sea.

6.     16th Death anniversary of 1st Indian American woman in space Kalpana Chawla is being observed 1^st February.

a.      She died when the space shuttle of NASA disintegrated on re-entering Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003.

7.     The Goa Assembly passed a bill amending a state tourism law which will make drinking alcohol, cooking and littering in public places a criminal offence. 

a.      Under the new amendment, violators will be fined ₹2,000, however, a group would have to pay ₹10,000 for the same. The bill has been sent for Governor's approval to make it a law.

8.     Union Minister for Tourism K. J. Alphons inaugurated a project under North East India Circuit of  Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism.

9.     An International Conference on 8th century Himalayan sage Guru Padmasambhava was held in New Delhi. 

a.      The conference was organised as part of events to commemorate 50-years of formalization of diplomatic ties between India and Bhutan.

b.     Guru Padmasambhava (also known as 'Guru Rinpoche') was born in India and travelled all across Himalayan region in the 8th century to spread Buddhism and Buddhist teachings.

c.      He is highly revered in Bhutan. There is an image or painting of the Guru Padmasambhava in every Bhutanese home or temple.

d.     Guru Padmasambhava is considered to be the founder of Nyingma tradition, oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

10.   The government of Uttar Pradesh has approved the construction of the Ganga Expressway, the longest expressway in the world. 

a.      The expressway will provide for better connectivity of the Prayagraj (Allahabad) to Western Pradesh.

11.                       Finance minister Piyush Goyal presented the Interim Union Budget 2019 in Lok Sabha. Here are the major highlights.

a.      This is Modi government’s 6th union Budget and 1st Interim budget.

b.     No Income Tax for income up to ₹5 lakh

c.      Individuals with gross income of up to ₹6.5 lakh will not need to pay any tax if they make investments in provident funds and prescribed equities

d.     Standard tax deduction for salaried persons raised from ₹40,000 to ₹50,000

e.      TDS threshold on interest on bank and post office deposits raised from ₹10,000 to ₹40,000

f.       TDS threshold on rental income increased from ₹1.8 lakh to ₹2.4 lakh

g.      I-T processing of returns to be done in 24 hours

h.     Within next 2 years all verification of tax returns will be done electronically without any interface with the tax payer

i.        Package of ₹6000 per annum for farmers with less than 2 hectares of land. Scheme will be called Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi.

j.        Vande Bharat Express, an indigenously developed semi high speed train, to be launched

k.     One lakh digital villages planned in the next five years

l.        Fund allocation to Northeast region increased to ₹ 58,166 crore in this year, a 21% rise over last year for infrastructure development

m.  Anti-camcord regulations to be introduced in the Indian Cinematograph Act to prevent piracy and contact theft of Bollywood films.

n.     Single window clearance for Indian filmmakers will be introduced.

o.     25 per cent of sourcing for government projects will be from MSME, of which three per cent will be from women entrepreneurs.

p.     National Artificial Intelligence portal to be developed soon

q.     The ESI cover limit has been increased to ₹ 21,000. Minimum pension was also increased to ₹ 1000.

r.      Mega pension scheme for workers from the organised sector with income of less than ₹15,000. They will be able to earn ₹ 3000 after the age of 60 years. The scheme will be called PM Shramyogi Maan Dhan Yojana.

s.      2% interest subversion for farmers pursuing animal husbandry.

t.       All farmers affected by severe natural calamities will be given interest subversion for the entire period of three per cent of loans.

u.     The 22nd AIIMS will come up in Haryana.

v.     You can Download PDF Version of Union Budget 2019 from HERE

w.   Note : Piyush Goyal was appointed interim finance minister on January 23 with Arun Jaitley undergoing treatment in the United States.

12.   The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has been renamed as the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade with a mandate to deal with matters related to start-ups, facilitating ease of doing business among others.

a.      The newly-named department under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry will look into matters related to promotion of internal trade, including retail trade, welfare of traders and their employees, facilitating ease of doing business and start-ups, the order approved by President Ram Nath Kovind said.

13.   Top trade officials from the United States and China have begun talks in Washington for defusing the escalating tariff war. 

a.      The Chinese delegation is headed by Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, while the American side is led by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

b.     Note : US and China have just a month remaining in a 90-day truce declared in December. Should the talks fail, US import duties on 200 billion dollars  in Chinese imports are due to more than double on 2nd March.

14.     The Union Minister of Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal has been awarded the Carnot Prize 2018 for the transformational changes brought by him during his tenure as Union Minister of Power.

15.   Among all the states that participated in the Swasth Bharat Yatra organised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Tamil Nadu has received the Swasth Bharat Yatra Award under ‘The Best Performing State’ category.

a.      Other Awardees

i)      Best States with a population above 3 crore : Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

ii)    Best States having a population less than 3 crore : Punjab, Goa and Delhi

iii) Special awards : Meghalaya, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttrakhand were given special awards for their participation despite their hilly and difficult terrain.

16.                       To help continue trade and circumvent US sanctions, Germany, France and the UK have set up a payment channel with Iran called INSTEX.

a.      INSTEX is short for "Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges." 

b.     The payment channel allows for European countries to continue trade with Iran but could put them on a collision course with Washington.

c.      The three countries have launched the device at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Bucharest.

17.                       The European Parliament has recognised Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's Interim President and called upon European Union member states to do the same until there were "new free and credible elections". 

18.   The Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC India) has elected Punit Goenka as the new Chairman. 

a.      Punit is currently working as MD and CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL).

19.                       36-year-old India Women ODI captain Mithali Raj has become the 1st woman cricketer to feature in 200 ODIs, achieving the feat in the third ODI against New Zealand today.