IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS FEBRUARY 16th, 2020

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF FEBRUARY 16th, 2020

India to host 13th COP on Conservation of Migratory Species of wild animals
The 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals (CMS) is going to be hosted by India from 17th to 22nd February 2020 at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

1)     The theme of CMS COP13 in India is, “Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome them home”.

2)     In the logo of CMS COP-13, Kolam art form is used to depict key migratory species in India like Amur falcon, humpback whale and marine turtles.

3)     The mascot for CMS COP13, “Gibi - The Great Indian Bustard” is a critically endangered species that has been accorded the highest protection status under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

4)     India has been a Party to the CMS since 1983. 

SAMPRITI-IX: Indo-Bangladesh joint military exercise concludes in Meghalaya
Over the past two weeks, Armies of India and Bangladesh participated in joint military exercise SAMPRITI-IX at Umroi, Meghalaya.

1)     As the 9th edition of the Joint Exercise SAMPRITI reached its culmination day on 16 February 2020.

2)     The exercise was aimed at strengthening the military relations between the two countries.

3)     The exercise provided an ideal platform for the personnel of the two countries to share their experiences on counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism operations.

Manipur: Seed sowing festival 'Lui-Ngai-Ni' celebrated at Ukhrul
The Naga tribes of Manipur celebrated it's seed sowing festival 'Lui-Ngai-Ni', under the theme "Oneness through Culture”.

1)     Manipur's Minister of Tribal Development N. Kayisii graced the festival as inaugural Chief Guest and Tamei MLA Awangbou Newmai as Guest of Honour.

2)     Leaders from other communities of the State, mainly Meitei, Kuki and Zomi also participated at Lui-Ngai-Ni Festival to show mutual solidarity for peaceful co-existence.

Mizoram, Bihar paired under EK Bharat Shrestha Bharat programme
Mizoram is paired with the State of Bihar for the year 2019-2020 under the EK Bharat -Shrestha Bharat campaign.

1)     The central government’s Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat programme aims to establish cultural exchanges between people of different regions.

2)     Both states are organizing various programmes like students’ exchange, cultural exchange between both sides people to know each other’s cultural varieties and promote national integrity.

3)     About 30 people including students in two batches from Mizoram will travel to Bihar in the last week of this month under cultural exchange and students exchange categories in line of Ek Bharat -Shrestha Bharat ideal.

PM Modi launches 50 development projects worth over Rs 1,200 crore at Varanasi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 50 development projects worth more than rupees 1200 crore.

1)     He also flagged off the Kashi Mahakaal Express to link Varanasi, Ujjain and Omkareshwar, and dedicated to the nation the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Memorial Centre.

2)     At Padav area of Chandauli district, Prime Minister also unveiled the 63 feet Statue of Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya.

3)     This is the largest statue of the leader in the country.

4)     The projects which PM launch includes a 430-bed super speciality Government hospital, a 74-bed psychiatry hospital and Centre for Vedic Research at Kashi Hindu Vishwavidyalaya (BHU).

5)     ANNASHETRA, the community kitchen of Kashi Vishwanath Temple was also inaugurated by the Prime Minister.

Arvind Kejriwal sworn in as Chief Minister of Delhi for third time
Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal took oath as Chief Minister of Delhi for the third consecutive time.

1)     Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Kejriwal and six Cabinet Ministers at Ramlila Maidan in the national capital.

2)     Mr. Kejriwal has retained all the Cabinet Ministers who were part of his last government.

3)     They are Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gehlot, Imran Hussain and Rajendra Gautam. 

4)     Mr. Kejriwal's first term lasted only for 49 days and completed the full tenure in the second term.

5)     The Aam Aadmi Party swept the Delhi assembly polls held last week, bagging 62 out of 70 seats. 

D-Mart’s owner Radhakishan Damani becomes second richest man in India after Mukesh Ambani
Avenue Supermarts, which is doing business as D-Mart, founder Radhakishan Damani has now become the second richest Indian after Reliance Industries ltd chairman Mukesh Ambani.

1)     He has left behind many heavyweights to acquire the coveted spot including the likes of philanthropist Shiv Nadar, banker Uday Kotak, and industrialists Gautam Adani and Lakshmi Mittal.

2)     As per the Forbes’ Real Time Billionaires’ Index, Damani en-masses a total wealth of $17.9 billion, and is just behind RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani who is not only India’s but Asia’s richest man having a total net worth of $57.9 billion.

65th Amazon Filmfare Awards 2020
The 65th Amazon Filmfare Awards 2020 were held on February 15 in ‘Awesome’ Assam in Guwahati.

1)     This was the first edition of the award show which was held outside Mumbai.

2)     Best Film- ‘Gully Boy’

3)     Best Director Zoya Akhtar for ‘Gully Boy’

4)     Best Film (Critics)- ‘Article 15’ (Anubhav Sinha) and ‘Sonchiriya’ (Abhishek Chaubey)

5)     Best Actor In A Leading Role (Male)- Ranveer Singh for ‘Gully Boy’

6)     Best Actor (Critics)- Ayushmann Khurrana for ‘Article 15’

7)     Best Actor In A Leading Role (Female)- Alia Bhatt for ‘Gully Boy’

8)     Best Actress (Critics): Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu for ‘Saand Ki Aankh’

9)     Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Female)- Amruta Subhash for ‘Gully Boy’

10)  Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Male)- Siddhant Chaturvedi for ‘Gully Boy’

11)  Best Music Album- ‘Gully Boy’: Zoya Akhtar-Ankur Tewari and ‘Kabir Singh’: Mithoon, Amaal Mallik, Vishal Mishra, Sachet–Parampara and Akhil Sachdeva

12)  Best Lyrics- Divine and Ankur Tewari for “Apna Time Aayega” (Gully Boy)

13)  Best Playback Singer (Male)- Arijit Singh for “Kalank Nahi Ishq Hai Kajal Piya” (Kalank)

14)  Best Playback Singer (Female)- Shilpa Rao for Ke Ghungroo Toot Gaye (War)

15)  Best Debut Director- Aditya Dhar for ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’

16)  Best Debut Actor- Abhimanyu Dassani for ‘Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota’

17)  Best Debut Actress- Ananya Pandey for ‘Student Of The Year 2’ and ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’

18)  Best Original Story- ‘Article 15’ (Anubhav Sinha and Gaurav Solanki)

19)  Best Screenplay- ‘Gully Boy’ (Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar)

20)  Best Dialogue- ‘Gully Boy’ (Vijay Maurya)

21)  Lifetime Achievement Award- Ramesh Sippy

22)  Excellence In Cinema- Govinda

Indian feminist Scholar Gita Sen wins prestigious Dan David Prize
Feminist scholar and activist Gita Sen has won the prestigious Dan David Prize for her expansive work in the fields of population policies, reproductive and sexual health, women’s rights, poverty, labour markets and global governance.

1)     The Dan David Prize annually awards three prizes of $1 million each to globally inspiring individuals and organisations.

2)     It is endowed by the Dan David Foundation and headquartered at Tel Aviv University.

3)     It recognises and encourages innovative and interdisciplinary research that cuts across traditional boundaries and paradigms.

4)     Sen is the director of the Ramalingaswami Centre on Equity and Social Determinants of Health at the Public Health Foundation of India.