IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF FEBRUARY 4th, 2018

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF FEBRUARY 4th, 2018

1.   On 4rth  February  is World Cancer Day.

a.   This Day was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration, written in 2008.

b.   This day is dedicated to spread awareness about one of the deadliest diseases in the world, Cancer. 

  

c.   The primary goal of the World Cancer Day is to significantly reduce illness and death caused by cancer by 2020.

d.   Theme of World Cancer Day 2016-18 : 'We can. I can' 

2.   India has joined the Ashgabat Agreement which plans to facilitate trade between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf by creating a transport and transit corridor. 

a.   The agreement would positively influence India's trade with Central Asia and diversify its connectivity options with the region.

b.   Note : Turkmenistan, Iran, Oman and Uzbekistan had signed the pact in 2011.

3.   On 4rth  February   (4th February) is Independence Day of Sri Lanka.

a.   Important Points to Note

   i.        Official languages : Sinhalese / Tamil

 ii.        Currency : Sri Lankan rupee

iii.        Anthem: Sri Lanka Matha

iv.        Capitals :  v.   Administrative Capital : Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

vi.   Commercial Capital : Colombo

 vii.        President : Maithripala Sirisena

viii.        Prime Minister : Ranil Wickremesinghe

ix.        Speaker of the Parliament : Karu Jayasuriya

x.        Chief Justice : Priyasath Dep

4.   To preserve the ecosystem, the Uttar Pradesh government has inaugurated the state's1st ever Butterfly Park in Kanpur.

a.   A total of 100 species of flowers have been planted in order to attract the butterflies.

b.   By now, more than 50 species of butterflies have already been observed in the park.

5.   The Maharashtra government has decided to set up a Transgender Welfare Board to protect their Constitutional and human rights.

a.   This will make Maharashtra the first Indian state to have such a board. 

6.   The government is going to assign four crore milk-producing cows in the country anAadhaar-like cheap, Unique Identity Card (UID).

7.   To mark the end of the UK-India year of culture, a 23-foot-wide replica of the Moon has been put on display at the Gateway of India in Mumbai.

8.   Top US banks like JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup have announced that they are halting the purchases of cryptocurrencies on their credit cards.

9.   Bangladesh On 4rth  February   appointed Syed Mahmud Hossain as the new Chief Justice.

10. Indian Railways signed Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Department of Posts for setting up of Passenger Reservation System counters at Post Offices.

11. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is going to send the Chandrayaan-2 on the world's first-ever mission to soft-land near the Moon's south pole. 

a.   The mission could take place either in the first quarter or second half of 2018. 

b.   The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark II will carry the Chandrayaan-2.

12. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has claimed to set a new spaceflight record forlaunching the smallest rocket ever to carry a satellite into orbit.

a.   The SS-520 sounding rocket carried a three-unit micro-satellite measuring 13.6 inches in length and weighing 3 kgs. 

13. US Air Force Chief of Staff General David L Goldfein On 4rth  February   became the 1st foreign military chief to fly a sortie in the made-in-India Tejas light combat aircraft. 

a.   Note : Goldfein is on an official trip to India, aimed at strengthening the relationship between the two nations' air forces.

14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's book on Exam stress titled 'Exam Warriors' was launched by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar. 

a.   Modi has written the book with the aim of reaching out to students across India before their exams and inspiring them to face the difficult moments of examinations and life with fresh and new energy.

15. 'Historia del Huérfano' (The Orphan’s Story) , a novel on Spain's imperial age, which was written 400 years ago and rumoured to be cursed, has been published.  

a.   The story was written between 1608 and 1615 by Martín de León y Cárdenas.

16. World number four PV Sindhu entered the India Open final for the second straight year after defeating world number three Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in the semi-final.

17. 18 years and 86 days old Prithvi Shaw, has become the youngest-ever captain to win an ICC Under-19 World Cup final. 

a.   With 261 runs, Shaw also became the highest scoring Indian captain ever at the Under-19 World Cup.