VINTAGE

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF FEBRUARY 8^th, 2019

              IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF FEBRUARY 8^th, 2019

1.     The Foreign Affairs Minister of Bangladesh Dr Abdul Momenarrived in New Delhi on a 4 day visit to India.

a.      It is the first high-level visit from Bangladesh since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's victory in the parliamentary elections in December last year.  

2.     The 5th India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Committee Meeting was held in New Delhi today.

a.      External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Affairs Minister of Bangladesh Dr Abdul Momen co-chaired the meeting.

b.      Mrs Swaraj and Mr Momen took stock of progress in security, defence, trade and connectivity, development partnership, water, power and energy sectors and consular and cultural cooperation. 

c.      Note : The last Joint Consultative Committee Meeting between the two countries was held in October 2017 at Dhaka. 

3.     The 69th Berlin International Film Festival was started in Berlin, Germany.

a.      Opening Film of the Festival : The Kindness of Strangers

b.      The India Pavilion at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) 2019 was inaugurated by Matthijis Wouter Knol, Director European Film Market (EFM).

4.     The Andhra Pradesh Assembly has passed a bill to provide 5% reservation to the Kapu community and another 5% reservation to economically weaker sections. 

a.      The bill will provide reservation in education and employment to Kapus, Ontari, Balija and Telaga sub-castes.

5.     The Cabinet has approved Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's proposal to introduce the Cinematograph Amendment Bill, 2019. 

a.      This Bill aims to tackle film piracy by making unauthorised camcording and duplication of films a legal offence and punishing the offender with a three-year jail term and a fine of ₹10 lakh. 

6.     To ensure timely health assistance in congested areas, te Delhi government today launched Bike Ambulance services. 

a.      The bikes will have a portable oxygen cylinder, first aid kit and dressing materials, air-splints, GPS and communication device, among others. 

7.     Housing and Urban Affairs Minister  Hardeep Singh Puri  inaugurated the National Workshop on Street Vendors in New Delhi today.

a.      The workshop has been organised as a part of the Shehri Samridhi Utsav.

b.      About Shehri Samridhi Utsav :

c.      The Shehri Samridhi Utsav, is an initiative which aims to extend the outreach of Deendayal Antyodaya Mission - National Urban Livelihoods Mission, DAY-NULM to the most vulnerable. 

d.      It will facilitate access of Self-Help Group members to government schemes.

8.     The United States has agreed to sell 2 state-of-the-art missile defence systems to Air India One for an estimated cost of $190 million.

a.      This move will enhance the security of planes flying the prime minister and the president. 

9.     Reliance Industries (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani today announced ₹10,000-crore investment in West Bengal, over and above current investments worth ₹28,000 crore RIL has in the state.

10.Finance Minister of Odisha Sashi Bhusan Behera has presented the interim budget for 2019-20 financial year amounting to 1 lakh,  32 thousand, 660 crore rupees in Assembly today.

11.Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel today presented his government's maiden budget for the financial year 2019-2020.

a.      With an outlay of about Rs. 91 thousand crore rupees, the budget focuses on farmers, agriculture and rural development.

12.Uttar Pradesh finance minister Rajesh Agrawal presented a budget of Rs. 4.79 lakh crore rupees in the state assembly for the year 2019-20. 

a.      The focus of the budget is on farmers, youth and women along with improving the infrastructure in the state.

13.In Udhampur, 92 army men were awarded Sena medals at an investiture ceremony for their gallantary and distinguised services.

a.      Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, GOC-in-C of Northern Command presented 76 medals for gallatry services, 7 medals for distinguised services and 8 for Vishist Seva.

b.      Lance Naik Nazir Ahmed Wani, a recepient of Ashok Chakra was also awarded Bar to Sena Medal poshthumously which was received by his wife.

c.      Twenty units of the army were also awarded appreciation for their outstanding performance in the Command Theatre in 2018.

14.Asia's oldest elephant in captivity 'Gaja Muthassi' Dakshayani (88) passed awa.

a.      Also known as 'granny elephant', Dakshayani had been living in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala for the last 70 years. 

15.John Dingell (92), a Michigan Democrat who entered the US House of Representatives in 1955 to finish his late father's term and became the longest-serving member of Congress, passed away.

16.Bengaluru-based ride-hailing startup Ola has appointed Puneet Bhirani as its Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ola Fleet Technologies. 

17.Fortis Healthcare appointed Ashutosh Raghuvanshi as the hospital chain's Chief Executive Officer (CEO). 

18.Team India stand-in captain Rohit Sharma has become the highest run-getter in T20I cricket history, achieving the feat in the second T20I against New Zealand at Auckland today. 

a.      With this Rohit overtook New Zealand's Martin Guptill, who has scored 2,272 runs in 74 T20I innings. 

b.      Note : Rohit also became the first Indian batsman to slam 100 sixes in T20I cricket.