IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF FEBRUARY 17th, 2020
Singapore
firm wins bid to buy India’s longest road tunnel
Singapore-based infrastructure investment platform Cube Highways has won the bid to acquire India’s longest road tunnel - the 9.2-km Chenani-Nashri project in Jammu & Kashmir - for Rs 3,929 crore.
Singapore-based infrastructure investment platform Cube Highways has won the bid to acquire India’s longest road tunnel - the 9.2-km Chenani-Nashri project in Jammu & Kashmir - for Rs 3,929 crore.
1) The IL&FS board has declared Cube as the
highest bidder (H1), and invited lenders to vote for the sale through the
e-voting process.
2) The tunnel project has a debt of around Rs
5,454 crore and a sale of the asset will help bring down the overall debt
position of the company.
3) Cube Highways, a platform floated by I Squared
Capital and backed by International Finance Corp and ADIA, operates 1,700 km of
highways in India.
PM
flags off Kashi Mahakal Express
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the latest religion-themed train, the Kashi Mahakal Express that connects, for the first time, places related to three jyotirlingas- Omkareshwar near Indore, Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain, and Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the latest religion-themed train, the Kashi Mahakal Express that connects, for the first time, places related to three jyotirlingas- Omkareshwar near Indore, Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain, and Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi.
1) Railway PSU Indian Railway Catering and
Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will be running this as the third “corporate” train
after two Tejas Express trains.
2) The train will cover 1131 km between Varanasi
and Indore via Lucknow and a distance of 1102 km between Varanasi and Indore
via Prayagraj (Allahabad) in approximately 19 hours.
3) The overnight train is also IRCTC’s first
overnight, long-distance train to run on a regular basis.
4) This Lord Shiva-themed train will be followed
by a Ramayan-themed train to be launched next month from across India.
5) The Ramayana Express will touch places related
to the mythology of Ram, including Ayodhya.
South
Central Railways (SCR) zone becomes 1st in India to have energy-neutral
stations
The Indian Railways South Central Railways (SCR) zone has become the first zonal railway in the country to have functional “energy neutral” railway stations on the network.
The Indian Railways South Central Railways (SCR) zone has become the first zonal railway in the country to have functional “energy neutral” railway stations on the network.
1) The South Central Railways has converted a
total of 13 railway stations into “energy neutral” stations, which is the
highest amongst all the zones across the Indian Railways network.
2) Energy-neutral railway stations are capable of
meeting 100 per cent energy requirements by tapping into solar power through
solar photovoltaic panels which have been commissioned at the station
buildings.
3) The SCR zone, the total capacity of all the
solar panels installed at the 13 energy neutral stations is 99 kWp.
Hyderabad
hosts 3-day ‘BioAsia 2020’
Hyderabad is hosting the three-day BioAsia 2020, Asia's largest biotechnology and life sciences forum.
Hyderabad is hosting the three-day BioAsia 2020, Asia's largest biotechnology and life sciences forum.
1) The event themed 'Today for Tomorrow' will
witness as many as 2,000 delegates from 37 countries.
2) Switzerland will be the partner country at the
event this year.
3) An eminent 40-member team consisting of
industries, academia and start-ups from Switzerland will participate in the
event.
4) As many as 800 companies are set to take part
in BioAisa 2020.
'Pyaar
ka Paudha' campaign launched by Bihar govt to encourage practice of planting
trees
'Pyaar ka Paudha' (a plant of love) campaign has been launched by the Bihar government's Department of Environment and Forest in Patna, to encourage the practice of planting trees in the state.
'Pyaar ka Paudha' (a plant of love) campaign has been launched by the Bihar government's Department of Environment and Forest in Patna, to encourage the practice of planting trees in the state.
1) Department of Environment, humbly request you
to gift one plant of love to your closed ones and provide good care.
2) The aim of this campaign is to promote the
practice of planting trees in the state.
HAL
to provide IAF with 83 Tejas fighters in Rs 39,000 crore deal
With the overall cost of IAF acquiring 83 single-engine Tejas fighters and their support package from defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) being slashed from the earlier around Rs 56,500 crore to Rs 39,000 crore.
With the overall cost of IAF acquiring 83 single-engine Tejas fighters and their support package from defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) being slashed from the earlier around Rs 56,500 crore to Rs 39,000 crore.
1) The over Rs 17,000 crore reduction in overall
cost has come after hard-nosed negotiations spread over a year.
2) The defence ministry and IAF were initially
shocked at the “exorbitant price” being demanded by HAL to produce the 83 Tejas
Mark-1A jets along with the maintenance and infrastructure package.
3) HAL promises to begin deliveries of the
Mark-1A jets in three years.
4) It was in November 2016 that the Defence
Acquisitions Council had first approved the procurement of 83 Tejas jets at a
cost of Rs 49,797 crore.
5) But HAL had responded with a quote of around
Rs 56,500 crore, which led to protracted cost negotiations.
Vinay
Dube appointed as GoAir CEO
GoAir has appointed Vinay Dube as the airline's Chief Executive Officer.
GoAir has appointed Vinay Dube as the airline's Chief Executive Officer.
1) Till now, Dube was serving as an advisor to
the carrier, a role which he took up after quitting the defunct Jet Airways in
May last year.
2) Dube would be responsible for the management
of the airline and also for meeting the goals and long-term growth objectives
of the company.
3) The budget airline did not have a CEO since
the departure of Cornelis Vrieswijk in March last year.
SEBI
constitutes municipal bonds development committee
SEBI has constituted a committee which will suggest on policy matters pertaining to development of municipal debt securities and facilitate municipalities for issuance of such bonds.
SEBI has constituted a committee which will suggest on policy matters pertaining to development of municipal debt securities and facilitate municipalities for issuance of such bonds.
1) The regulator has constituted a municipal
bonds development committee headed by its Executive Director Sujit Prasad.
2) The panel will advise Sebi on issues related
to regulation and development of primary and secondary market of municipal debt
securities.
3) It will suggest the regulator on matters
required to be taken up for changes in legal framework to introduce
simplification and transparency in systems and procedures in the primary and
secondary market.
Haryana
govt announces Rs six crore to those winning gold medals at Olympics
The Haryana government has decided to give 6 crore rupees to players of the state that bag gold medals at the Olympic Games.
The Haryana government has decided to give 6 crore rupees to players of the state that bag gold medals at the Olympic Games.
1) State Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said,
3 crore rupees will be given to those winning gold medals at Asian Games and
1.5 crore rupees to the winners of yellow metal at Commonwealth Games.
2) An amount of 15 lakh rupees will be given to
each player participating in the Olympic Games so that the players can make the
state, as well as the country, proud.
Indian
athletes clinch 3 medals in World SnowShoe Championship
Indian athletes finished with three medals in different categories in the World SnowShoe Championship at Myoko, Japan.
Indian athletes finished with three medals in different categories in the World SnowShoe Championship at Myoko, Japan.
1) Ayan Bin Shahnaz bagged silver, while Zain Ali
and Muzamil Hussain Mir, all are from Kashmir, bagged bronze medals in
their respective categories.
2) Athletes from 17 countries including the USA,
Canada, Australia, Italy, Germany, Spain, Sweden and France participated in the
championship.
3) The Indian contingent was fielded by the
SnowShoe Federation of India.
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