785compendium February2019 PDF

Compendium- February, 2019
National
International
Economics & Financial Awareness
Defence & Security - National/International
Appointments-National/International
Person Resigned/Retired
Sports
Honours / Awards
Obituaries
Important Days
Foreign Visits / Foreign Visitors
Interim Union Budget 2019-20
Current Affairs MCQs
National
Indian Air Force Strikes against Jaish-e-Mohammed camps in Pakistan

 The Indian Air Force (IAF) has struck against Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Balakot of
Pakistan occupied Kashmir in the pre-dawn hours of 26th February
2019. The Mirage-2000 fighter jets were used to drop explosives on
these training camps. A dozen Mirage-2000 fighter jets used to carry
out the attack were escorted by four Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft.
 Phalcon Airborne Warning and Control System of Israel and the
indigenous Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control System Aircraft
(AEW&C) aircraft were deployed to monitor the mission.
 Highlights of the statement by the Ministry of External Affairs
 A suicide terror attack was conducted by a Pakistan-based terrorist organization Jaish-e-
Mohammad (JeM) lead to the martyrdom of 40 brave jawans of the CRPF.
 The terrorist organisation JeM has been active in Pakistan for the last two decades and is
led by Masood Azhar with its headquarters in Bahawalpur.
 JeM has been proscribed by the UN, has been responsible for a series of terrorist attacks
including on the Indian Parliament in December 2001 and the Pathankot airbase in January
2016.
 Even though India provided the location of training camps in Pakistan from time to time,
Pakistan continued to deny their existence and Pakistan has taken no concrete actions to
dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism on its soil.
 The existence of such massive training facilities capable of training hundreds of jihadis
could not have functioned without the knowledge of Pakistan authorities.
 India has struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. A large number of JeM
terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for
fidayeen action were eliminated. This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yousuf
Azhar (alias Ustad Ghouri), the brother-in-law of Masood Azhar, chief of JeM.
 Committed to taking all necessary measures to fight the menace of terrorism, India
undertook this non-military pre-emptive action was specifically targeted at the JeM camp.
 India has remained Pakistan of its commitment in January 2004 not to allow its soil or
territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India and has urged Pakistan to
live up to its public commitment by taking the follow-up actions to dismantle all JeM and
other camps and hold the terrorists accountable for the actions.
Railways start displaying vacant seats online

 The Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal has launched the ‘Online Platform for
Display and Booking’ of vacant berths after chart
preparation in New Delhi.
 It will enhance travel experience and bring greater
transparency for Indian Railway passengers.
 The user-friendly interface will give a graphical
representation of the train coaches and berth-wise
accommodation status on www.irctc.co.in.
 The new feature in the ticketing system is a dynamic system which will keep upgrading
itself as the train proceeds for the destination and passengers can see the real-time
availability of berths.
 Soon, IRCTC will add 30 kitchen base and all kitchen bases will be equipped with cameras
for public viewing.
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 Biodegradable packing of food prepared in these kitchen bases is also being planned so the
quality of food is not lost during the transit.
Rail Minister announces “South Coast Railway (SCoR)” a new Zone of Indian Railways
 According to Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, Southern Coast Railway ((SCoR)will be a new
zone of the Indian Railways.
 This new 18th railway zone of the country will be
headquartered at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
 The new zone will comprise the existing Guntakal, Guntur
and Vijayawada divisions that currently fall under the South-
Central Railway.
 The South-Central Railway will then consist of the
Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Nanded divisions.
 The cost of creating infrastructure for a new zone, according to an internal assessment of
the Railways, is more than 205 crore rupees.
 Note:
 The Indian Railways' operations are currently divided into 17 zones, which are further sub-
divided into divisions (73 divisions), each having a divisional headquarter.
 In 2002-2003, seven new zones and eight new divisions were created.
Fire at Bandipur Tiger Reserve

 A major fire has broken out in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and National Park
in Chamarajanagar District of Karnataka. Hundreds of acres of forest
area have been destroyed in the fire and the fire has even spread to the
core area.
 Due to the fire at the core area, huge damage and loss to the wildlife are
expected. The strong winds are further causing a hindrance in
controlling the fire.
 Bandipur Tiger Reserve and National Park
 Bandipur Tiger Reserve and National Park spread over an area of about 874.2 sq km is
situated in the Chamarajanagar District of Karnataka. The National Park forms part of
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
 Originally the Maharaja of Mysore created a sanctuary of 90 km2 (35 sq mi) in 1931 and
named it the Venugopala Wildlife Park. Later in the year 1973 Came into existence with an
addition of nearly 800 km2 (310 sq mi) to the Venugopala Wildlife Park.
 The Bandipur National Park is surrounded by the river Kabini in the north, River Moyar in
the south and the River Nugu runs through the park. The Gopalaswamy Betta which is a
Hindu pilgrimage centre and it also forms part of the National Park. the park has a variety
of biomes including dry deciduous forests, moist deciduous forests and shrublands.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal launches 'Rail Drishti Dashboard'

 Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has launched a dashboard for passengers to keep track
of train punctuality as well as other such information from anywhere in the country.
 The 'eDrishti' dashboard has been developed by the Centre for Railway Information
System (CRIS) and can be accessed at ‘www.raildrishti.cris.org.in’.
 Now, people can now track any information related to Indian Railways in a swipe-even
while on the move.
 The dashboard has been linked to the base kitchens of the Indian Rail Catering and
Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to allow monitoring of the goings-on in IRCTC kitchens
through live video.
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 The dashboard will also provide the live status of reserved and unreserved passengers
travelling on trains besides providing the exact location of trains at any point of time.
Health Minister inaugurates 4th Global Digital Health Partnership Summit

 Union Minister of Health Minister J P Nadda along with Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar
Prasad jointly inaugurated the 4th Global Digital Health
Partnership Summit in New Delhi.
 According to Mr. Nadda, nearly 13 lakh poor people have
availed the benefits of ‘Ayushman Bharat scheme’.
 The scheme is completely digital where all the processes
from beneficiary identification to hospital empanelment and
settlement of claims are done electronically.
 The objective of the summit is to provide an opportunity to support governments and
health system reformers to improve the health and well-being of their citizens through
digital technologies.
 Note:
 The Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP) is a collaboration of governments and
territories, government agencies and the World Health Organization, formed to support the
effective implementation of digital health services.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends Gita Aradhana Mahotsav at ISKCON in Delhi
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Gita Aradhana
Mahotsav at ISKCON, East of Kailash in New Delhi.
 At the event, Mr. Modi turns a page of the Bhagwad
Gita which has been prepared by the International Society
for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) devotees.
 It is measuring over 2.8 meters and over 800 kilograms the
Bhagwad Gita is one of this kind in the world.
 It will have the original verses of Bhagwad Gita along with commentary.
 Note:
 The Bhagavad Gita is a 700-verse Sanskrit scripture that is part of the Hindu epic
Mahabharata.
 The Gita is set in a narrative framework of a dialogue between Pandava prince (Arjuna) and
his charioteer Krishna.
Skill Development Minister inaugurates Skill Saathi Youth Conclave in Odisha

 The Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated a “Skill Saathi Youth
Conclave” to create awareness about various programmes
under Skill India Mission in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.
 The Skill Saathi model was created to impart information on
vocational education and available market opportunities to
the youth.
 Currently, Ten Counselling Implementing Organisations
(CIO) are empanelled under the 'Skill Saathi' initiative in Odisha, who mobilise candidates
and provide career counselling to them.
 All blocks and urban local bodies in Odisha have been divided among these empanelled
CIOs.
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Madhya Pradesh Government launched ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Swabhiman Yojana’

 Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath has launched the state Government’s flagship scheme
‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Swabhiman Yojana’ to urban youths
(21-30 years) from economically weaker sections.
 Under the scheme, Rs 4,000 stipend per month will be given
for 100 days of employment every year.
 They will also be given skill development training in order to
become independent.
 Only those youths, whose family’s annual income is less than
Rs 2 lakh are eligible for the scheme.
Ashwini Kumar Choubey launches a national programme to eliminate viral hepatitis

 The Minister of state for health Ashwini Kumar
Choubey has launched a national action plan ‘Viral
Hepatitis’ aimed at eliminating viral hepatitis at Mumbai.
 The programme is also in line with the country's global
commitment towards achieving Sustainable Development
Goal (SDG) 3.3.
 The objective of the programme is to combat hepatitis and achieve countrywide
elimination of Hepatitis C by 2030.
 Amitabh Bachchan is the goodwill ambassador for hepatitis, WHO South-East Asia Region.
 Note:
 India is one of the few countries to roll out management of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in a
public health approach and offer free diagnostics and drugs lifelong to its beneficiaries.
PM Modi launches PM-KISAN scheme by transferring 1st instalment of Rs 2,000 to

farmers
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the ‘PM-KISAN
scheme’ (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana) at
Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
 Through press of the button, electronically transfer the
first instalment of 2 thousand rupees to selected farmers.
 The amount will be transferred directly to the bank account
of beneficiaries through Direct Benefits Transfer.
 The amount will be given in three instalments of 2 thousand rupees each, which will benefit
more than 12 crore farmers of the country.
 Note:
 The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana was announced in the interim Budget
2019-20.
 Under the Scheme, Rs 6,000 will be given per year to small and marginal farmer families
having a combined land holding of up to 2 hectares.
 The Scheme becomes effective from 1.12.2018 for transfer of benefit to eligible
beneficiaries.
CCEA approves KUSUM Scheme for farmers’ welfare

 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by PM Narendra Modi
approved the launch of ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan’ (KUSUM Yojana).
 The objective of the KUSUM Yojana is to provide financial and water security to farmers.
 The scheme aims to add a solar capacity of 25,750 MW by 2022.
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 The Central Government will provide total financial support of Rs 34,422 crore for the
scheme.
Monkey Declared Vermin in Himachal Pradesh

 The government of Himachal Pradesh has made an announcement
regarding the announcement of Monkey as Vermin for the period of
one year in 11 districts of the state.
 Monkeys were declared as vermin in 38 tehsils and sub-tehsils of 10
districts in Himachal Pradesh. The period of this notification was
extended for one year on December 20, 2017.
 The state government had urged the centre to declare Monkeys as
vermin because the animals have been adversely affecting crops and causing harm to
humans.
Operation Digital Board launched to provide better digital education

 The Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar has launched
‘Operation Digital Board’ on the lines of Operation
Blackboard to provide better digital education in schools.
 Under the initiative, seven lakh classrooms of 9th, 10th and
11th standards and two lakh classrooms of colleges and
Universities will be equipped with digital boards in the next
three years.
 It will improve the quality of education and offer new opportunities and new ways of
teaching and learning.
 It will revolutionize the education system in the country with different kinds of digital
teaching materials, quality lectures and other facilities.
Asia's premier Air show 'Aero-India' begins in Bengaluru

 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has inaugurated the five-daylong biennial 'Aero-
India-2019' (12th edition) at Yelahanka air force station in Bengaluru.
 61 aircraft, including HAL's indigenous products LCA Tejas are all set to roar in the city
skies.
 The tagline for Aero India 2019 is “The Runway to a Billion Opportunities”.
 Aero India 2019 will provide a significant platform in bolstering business opportunities
in the International aviation sector.
 The event will see participation from countries like Israel, US, UK, Germany,
Russia and France to name a few.
Telangana gets two new districts

 The Telangana state government has announced to
create twomore districts (Narayanpet and Mulugu) in the state.
 Now the number of districts in the State is 33.
 Narayanpet has been carved out of Mahbubnagar district and
Mulugu from Jayashankar Bhupalpally.
 When Telangana was carved out of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh (on
June 2, 2014), it had just 10 districts.
Himachal Assembly passes Bill to make Sanskrit the 2nd official language
 Himachal Pradesh states assembly passed Official Language (Amendment) Bill 2019 to
make Sanskrit as the second official language of the state (first - Hindi).
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 The state assembly also passed the Himachal Pradesh University of Health Sciences
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 to rename as ‘Atal Medical and Research University, Himachal
Pradesh’.
International annual desert festival held in Jaisalmer

 The three-day International Annual Desert Festival (40th) held in Jaisalmer with
thousands of tourists participating in the colourful event.
 The festival exhibits the rich cultural heritage of the desert
state, commenced with a colourful procession from Gadsisar
lake fort.
 It had interesting events like Mr Desert and Ms Moomal competitions, mustache
competitions, turban tying, musical and cultural performances, among others.
PM Narendra Modi flags-off Vande Bharat Express

 PM Narendra Modi flags off India's first semi-high-speed train‘Vande Bharat Express’
(codenamed Train 18) without any flower decorations.
 A two-minute silence observed before the launch in memory
of at least 37 CRPF soldiers who lost their lives in one of the
deadliest attacks in J&K.
 The Vande Bharat Express will run between Delhi and
Varanasi at a maximum speed of 130 km/hr and is expected
to cover a distance of 750 kilometres in eight hours.
 The fares of Vande Bharat Express have been kept higher than the Shatabdi Express.
 Vande Bharat Express runs between the aforesaid destination for five days in a week
except for Monday and Thursday.
 Note:
 The Vande Bharat Express (Train 18) has been manufactured in ICF, Chennai at a reported
cost of Rs 97 crore.
 The train is equipped with all modern facilities like infotainment systems, Wi-Fi, modern
toilets and better seating arrangements.
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan pension scheme

 The Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan scheme(announced in the interim Budget)
has been implemented.
 Under the scheme, workers of the unorganised sector will
receive a minimum assured pension of three thousand
rupees per month after attaining the age of 60 years.
 The workers whose monthly income is 15 thousand rupees
per month or less and belong to the entry age group of 18 to
40 years are eligible for the scheme.
 During the receipt of the pension (if the subscriber dies) the
spouse of the beneficiary will be entitled to receive 50%of the pension.
 Note:
 The subscriber will be required to have a mobile phone, savings bank account and Aadhaar
number.
 All the branch offices of LIC, ESIC and EPFO and all Labour offices of Central and State
Governments will guide the unorganised workers about the Scheme.
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Cabinet approves Patna Metro Rail project

 The Union Cabinet approved the Patna Metro Rail Project to boost transport facilities in
the capital city of Bihar.
 The Cabinet has also hiked the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Raw Jute by Rs 250 to Rs
3950 per quintal for 2019 -20 season.
 The MSP is expected to ensure appropriate minimum prices
to the farmers and step up investments in jute cultivation.
 Cabinet also approved the continuation of Credit Linked
Capital Subsidy and Technology Up-gradation Scheme
beyond 12th Plan for three years from 2017-18 to 2019-20 with a total outlay of two
thousand 900 crore rupees.
 Note:
 Patna Metro will be constructed on a Public Private Partnership(PPP) mode, estimated
to cost Rs 17,887.56 crore.
 The Metro rail is expected to run on two corridors by 2024.
 For First Phase: Danapur to Mithapur bus stand and Patna Railway Station to Proposed
ISBT.
 Second phase: Bypass Chowk Mithapur to Deedarganj via Transport Nagar along NH 30
Bypass (13 km) Elevated along Bypass Road.
Cabinet approves the proposal for extension of tenure of NCSK beyond March 2019
 The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for Extension
of tenure of the National Commission for Safai
Karmacharis (NCSK) beyond 31st of March 2019 for three
years.
 The Union Cabinet approved the signing of Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between India and Saudi Arabia on
cooperation and mutual assistance in Customs Matters.
 It also approved the signing of MoU between the two countries in the field of tourism and
establishing a mechanism for Investment Infrastructure in India.
Rajasthan passes 5% quota bill for Gujjars, four other communities

 Rajasthan government has passed a Backward
Classes,Amendment Bill, 2019 to provide 5% quota in jobs
and educational institutions to ‘Gurjars’ and four other
communities.
 The state government has also decided to increase the ceiling
of creamy layer from Rs. 2.5 lacks to Rs. 8 lacks.
 The Gurjar community has been holding agitations since Friday across the state demanding
five per cent separate quota for them.
Dera Baba Nanak land check post designated as an immigration centre

 As per Home ministry notification, The Union Government designated Dera Baba Nanak
land Check post in Gurdaspur districtof Punjab as an
authorised immigration checkpoint to exit and entry for
visiting Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan.
 All classes of passengers with valid travel documents can
exit or enter through the post.
 The government also appointed the Chief Immigration
Officer as the Civil Authority for the purpose.
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 Earlier (On 26th November 2018), Vice President M Venkaiah Naidulaid the foundation
stone of the Dera Baba Nanak-Kartarpur Sahib Corridor at an event at Mann village in
Gurdaspur district.
 On November 28, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the
four-km corridor on the Pakistan side, which is expected to be completed by 2019.
Meghalaya Govt. to rename Dikkibandi stadium after P A Sangma

 The Meghalaya state Cabinet presided over by Chief Minister
Conrad K Sangma has decided to rename the Dikkibandi
Stadium in Tura town after P. A. Sangma (former Lok Sabha
Speaker & CM Meghalaya).
 The Dikkibandi Stadium was formerly known as MP stadium.
 Earlier, the recommendations received from the state
naming authority tasked with the job to name roads and institutions after personalities.
Himachal’s first mega food park inaugurated in Una

 The Union Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal has inaugurated the mega
food park at Village Singha in Una District, Himachal
Pradesh.
 This is the first Mega Food Park operationalized in the State
of Himachal Pradesh at a cost of Rs 107.34 crore.
 It will boost to the food processing sector by adding value
and reducing food wastage at each stage of the supply chain
with a particular focus on perishables
 These mega food parks create modern infrastructure facilities for food processing along the
value chain from farm to market along with strong forward and backward linkages through
a cluster-based approach.
Great Indian Bustard announced as the New Mascot for COP-13

 The Union Environment Minister Dr. Harsh Vardha has announced the Great Indian
Bustard (GIB) as the mascot for the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the UN
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS).
 The 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the UN Convention on
the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) will be held
in Gujarat in 2020.
 He also revealed that the bird has been fondly named by the
ministry as ‘Gibi‘.
 Note:
 CMS-COP 13 is a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory
species and their habitats.
 It has over 120 participating countries.
Himalayan Cloud Observatory has been set up in Tehri district, Uttarakhand

 The Observatory has been established in the SRT
campus Badshahithaul and is currently in the testing period.
 The observatory will receive forecast and monitor cloudburst
incidents in the Himalayan region and help minimise the damage.
 Cloudburst incidents are very frequent in the hilly areas of
Uttarakhand, resulting in a huge loss of life.
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PM Narendra Modi inaugurates PETROTECH-2019

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has formally inaugurated the three-day International Oil
and Gas Conference ‘PETROTECH-2019’ (13th) at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida,
Uttar Pradesh.
 The ‘PETROTECH-2019’ is being organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum
& Natural Gas, Government of India.
 India is the 3rd largest consumer of crude oil and petroleum products.
 Note:
 The PETROTECH series of International Oil & Gas Conference is a biennial platform for
national and international experts in the oil & gas industry to exchange views and share
knowledge, expertise, and experiences.
 12 the edition of PETROTECH-2016 on 5th December 2016.
PM Narendra Modi lays the foundation for Sela Tunnel

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for
the strategically important Sela Tunnel Project (costing -
Rs 687 crore) in Arunachal Pradesh.
 It will give a fillip to the overall development of the area as it
will provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang and other
areas.
 This tunnel will cut across and reduce the distance between Dirang and Tawang by 10 km.
 The project is being constructed by the Border Roads Organisation(BRO) in the next
three years.
K J Alphons lays foundation stone for Sree Narayana Guru spiritual pilgrimage circuit
 Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons has laid the foundation stone for the Sree Narayana
Guru spiritual pilgrimage circuit at the spiritual abode of
the renowned social reformer in Varkala, Kerala.
 This project covers all the places
in Thiruvananthapuram district where the Guru spent most
of his life.
 This project which was sanctioned last month will help
improve the infrastructure and facilities at these centres.
Cabinet approves the establishment of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog

 The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for the
establishment of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog for
conservation, protection and development of cows and their
progeny.
 It will lead to the development of the cattle population in the
country including the development and conservation of
indigenous breeds.
 Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog was announced in the budget on
the 1st of this month.
 Note:
 The Aayog will work in collaboration with Veterinary, Animal Sciences or Agriculture
University or departments or organizations of the Central or State Government engaged in
the task of research in the field of breeding and rearing of the cow, organic manure, biogas
etc.
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ISRO launches GSAT31 from French Guiana

 India’s communication satellite GSAT-31 has been launched successfully from Kourou
Launch Base, French Guiana (at Indian time- 2:31 am).
 The Ariane-5 (VA 247) rocket placed it in the intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit in
42-minutes.
 It was immediately taken control by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
scientists from its Hassan facility in Karnataka.
 GSAT-31 (India’s 40th communication satellite) will provide transponder capacity
for DTH television and connectivity to services like VSATs for ATMs, stock-exchanges,
Digital Satellite News Gathering DSNG and e-governance applications.
 GSAT-31 had a lift-off mass of 2536 kg and operational life of over fifteen years.
 The satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for a host of emerging
telecommunication applications.
Indus River dolphin declared as state aquatic animal of Punjab

 Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has declared the
endangered Indus River dolphin as the state aquatic animal.
 Dolphin mostly found in the lower parts of the Indus
River in Pakistan between Chashma and Kotri barrages in the
Indus River.
 As per the WWF report, the number of dolphins presently
is 1816.
 Punjab has Black Buck as its state animal and Baaj as the official state bird.
Special postage stamp on Kumbh Mela released

 Union Minister of state for Communications Mr Manoj
Sinha has released a special postage stamp of the Indian
Postal Departmenton Kumbh Mela.
 It is a commemorative postal stamp (cost-5 rupees) on
Second Shahi Snan holy bath of Mauni Amavasya.
 Mr Sinha said the target to set up Passport Seva Kendra in
all Lok Sabha constituencies will be achieved by end of this
month.
Kala Ghoda Arts festival inaugurated in Mumbai

 India’s largest multi-cultural street festival ‘Kala Ghoda Arts
Festival’(KGAF) begins in South Mumbai, Maharashtra.
 The theme of KGAF 2019 is retrospection.
 KGAF 2019 has been celebrated in two glorious decades of art and
culture through cinema, theatre, dance, literature and sculpture.
 The festival will end on 10th February 2019.
 Note:
 The Festival is organised by the Kala Ghoda Association and curated by teams handling
each of the 12 sections of the festival.
 Kala Ghoda Association is a non-profit organisation that states its objectives as physically
upgrading the Kala Ghoda sub-precinct and making it the Art District of Mumbai.
CJI Ranjan Gogoi inaugurates Andhra Pradesh High Court

 The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogai has inaugurated the new two-storied building
of Andhra Pradesh High Court at Nelapadu in Amaravathy.
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 Amaravati region has 16 court halls and the building costing Rs 150 Crore houses a 2.70
lakh square feet office space.
 Now, Andhra Pradesh is getting its own court four and half years after the state bifurcation.
Rajnath Singh launches Single emergency helpline '112' for 16 states, UTs
 The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has launched single emergency helpline
number '112' in 16 States and UT (Union Territories).
 The 16 states and UTs are Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
Punjab, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,
Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Puducherry, Lakshadweep,
Andaman, Dadar Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Jammu and
Kashmir.
 People can also log onto the ERSS' website for the state and
lodge emergency Email or send SOS alert to state ERC.
 The ERSS is an integration of police (100), fire (101), health (108) and women (1090)
helpline numbers to provide emergency services through the single number '112'.
 Note:
 To access the emergency services, a person can dial 112 on a phone or press the power
button of a smartphone three times quickly to send a panic call to the Emergency Response
Centre (ERC).
 They can use '112' India mobile app, which is available free on Google Play store and Apple
store.
 In case of a normal phone, a long press of the '5' or '9' key will activate the panic call
function.
PM flags off 1st ever diesel to electric converted locomotive twin engine at Varanasi
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the world’s first
electric engine converted from diesel locomotive at
the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) in Varanasi, Uttar
Pradesh.
 Under Make in India initiative, The 10,000 HP freight
locomotive has been converted from two units of old diesel
locomotives of 2,600HP each with indigenous technology
 The converted locos will result in less greenhouse gas
emissions and better efficient locomotives for the Indian Railways.
 The feat was achieved with the help of engineers from Research Designs and Standards
Organisation (RDSO), Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), and Bharat Heavy Electricals
Ltd. (BHEL).
Pranab Mukherjee releases a book of Venkaiah Naidu's speeches

 Former President Pranab Mukherjee has released the book containing selected speeches
(92 speeches) of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu at a function in New Delhi.
 The book titled “Selected Speeches: Volume-1”.
 The book is categorised into six broad sections - ‘Functioning of Legislatures’, ‘Nation and
Nationalism’, ‘Polity and Governance’, ‘Economic Development’, ‘Media’ and ‘India and the
World’.
 The Publications Division of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has brought out
the compilation.
12 |
New book ‘What Marx Left Unsaid’ released by Manish Tewari

 Indian Politician Manish Tewari has released ‘What Marx
Left Unsaid’ ‘Production of Skills by Means of Skills’ at
Indian International Centre, New Delhi.
 The book has been authored jointly authors by 3
generations of the same family Dr. Malay Chaudhari, Dr.
Arindam Chaudhari and Che Kabir Chaudhari.
 The book speaks about why human beings must earn as per
their skills, which will in turn determine their ability to
contribute to society.
 The book is published by Times Group.
P Chidambaram’s Book “Undaunted: Saving the Idea of India” launched

 Former Vice President Hamid Ansari has launched the new
book of P Chidambaram (former Finance Minister) named
“Undaunted: Saving the Idea of India” at Nehru Memorial
Museum in New Delhi.
 The book is a collection of essays on the country’s
atmosphere of fear and how the constitutional values are
being threatened.
‘Let’s Talk On Air: Conversations with Radio Presenters’ released

 The book titled “Let’s Talk On Air: Conversations with Radio Presenters” has been
released on World Radio Day (WRD-2019) in Mumbai.
 The book has been authored by Rakesh Anand Bakshi.
 This book is depicted as a comprehensive guide on radio-presenting in India.
 This book explains the lives of 14 popular radio presenters in India from the legendary
Ameen Sayani to present-day RJs who have been entertaining us via the airwaves.
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated a new National War Memorial, situated in the
India Gate complex in New Delhi, to the nation. The National War Memorial, spread over 40
acres in the India Gate complex behind the canopy, is dedicated to soldiers killed during the
Indo-China War in 1962, Indo-Pak Wars in 1947, 1965 and 1971, Indian Peace Keeping
Force Operations in Sri Lanka and in the Kargil Conflict in 1999, and also those in the UN
peacekeeping missions.
 Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a new park which houses the replicas of
seven wonders of the world at South Delhi. The park, which is called the 'Waste to Wonder
Park', was built by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC).
 Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Environment, Forest and Climate
Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, inaugurated the North Karnataka Agromet Forecasting and
Research Centre (NKAFC), India’s first agromet forecast centre, at University of Agricultural
Sciences (UAS) in Dharwad, Karnataka.
 Following the attack in Jammu & Kashmir's Pulwama that left 44 CRPF personnel dead,
India has withdrawn the MFN (Most Favoured Nation) status that it had granted to
Pakistan.
 Indian Government has signed a deal with the US under Fast Track Procurement (FTP) to
avail the Indian Army with 72,400 new ‘Sig Sauer Assault Rifles’ which will overhaul the
army’s inventory of frontline rifles.
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 The last session of 16th Lok Sabha came to an end on 13th of February 2019. Giving the
details for the tenure of 16th Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh
Tomar informed that there were a total number of 331 sittings for Lok Sabha. 205 bills
were passed and the productivity was 85%. For Rajya Sabha, 154 bills were passed and the
productivity was 68%.
 PM Modi launched a dedicated 24x7 Satellite channel, ‘DD Arunprabha’ for Arunachal
Pradesh during his visit to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Tripura.
 PM Modi dedicated to the nation the 1.33 million metric ton capacity Visakhapatnam
Strategic Petroleum Reserve facility at Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. He also laid the
foundation stone for setting up of a new terminal of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited
(BPCL) at Krishnapatnam.
 India and Bangladesh signed an MOU for training 1800 Bangladesh Civil Servants at the
National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) an institute under the Department of
Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG), Ministry of Personnel, Public
Grievances & Pensions, Govt. of India, over the next 6 years.
 India and Germany joined hands for cooperation on Water and Waste Management.
 External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin
Gadkari flagged off Suraksha Yatra – a motor car rally from Rajghat in New Delhi to
commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
 PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various development projects,
worth nearly 12,000 crore rupees, at Leh. He laid the foundation stone for a 480 crore
rupee Terminal Building at Leh Airport. Mr Modi inaugurated the 9-megawatt Dah
hydroelectric project. He also dedicated to the nation the 220 KiloVolt Srinagar-Alusteng-
Drass-Kargil-Leh transmission system & also launched the University of Ladakh, the first-
ever in the state's region.
 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.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Which state is going to get a new Railway zone?

a) Andhra Pradesh b) Tamil Nadu c) Kerala d) Karnataka
2. Indian Railways on February 27, 2019 launched a new facility for rail passengers to view
which information online?
a) Train Charts b) Vacant Berths c) Both (a) & (b) d) None of the above
3. Which Ministry on February 27, 2019 launched the ‘Scheme for Higher Education Youth in
Apprenticeship and Skills’ (SHREYAS) for providing industry apprenticeship opportunities
to fresh graduates of 2019?
a) Ministry of Human Resources Development
b) Ministry of Commerce and Industry
c) Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises
d) Ministry of Youth Affairs
4. Which state recently declared Monkeys a Vermin species for next one year?
a) Uttar Pradesh b) Himachal Pradesh c) Haryana d) Delhi
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5. Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot on February 27,
2019 launched the ‘2nd Edition of ISL Dictionary for people with which impairment?
a) People with speech disability b) Visually impaired persons
c) Hearing impaired persons d) All of the above
6. How many judges constitute the Supreme Court bench that is hearing the Ram
Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case?
a) Five b) Three c) Four d) Six
7. Two new National Institutes of Design have been established in which two cities?
a) Dispur and Hyderabad b) Kochi and Jamshedpur
c) Bhagalpur and Ranchi d) Bhopal and Jorhat
8. Who has launched the Rail Drishti dashboard to bring transparency in Indian Railways?
a) Rajnath Singh b) Piyush Goyal c) Narendra Modi d) M Venkaiah Naidu
9. Which actress recently was named as the brand ambassador of the Swasth Immunised
India campaign?
a) Deepika Padukone b) Alia Bhatt c) Kareena Kapoor d) Sonam Kapoor
10. Which of the following Ordinance was not promulgated by President Ram Nath Kovind on
February 21, 2019?
a) Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Second Ordinance, 2019
b) National Policy on Electronics (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019
c) Companies (Amendment) Second Ordinance, 2019
d) Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019
11. Which Ministry recently announced to conduct All India Citizens Survey of Police Services’
to test public perception of police?
a) Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
b) Ministry of Defence
c) Ministry of Home Affairs
d) Ministry of Human Resource Development
12. The Union Cabinet approved creation of posts of Secretary and Joint Secretary in which
newly created department?
a) Department of Textiles b) Department of Fisheries
c) Department of Tribes d) Department of Animal Husbandry
13. The Union Cabinet approved the agreement between India and which organisation for its
participation in the Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA)?
a) United Nations
b) World Bank
c) Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
d) Organisation for Rural Economic Transformation
14. Government launched Operation Digital Board to boost which of the following?
a) Digital education b) E-Commerce
c) Ease of doing business d) Online transactions
15. Which city hosted the International Conference and Exhibition on Energy and Environment:
Challenges and Opportunities (ENCO 2019)?
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a) Mumbai b) Pune c) Varanasi d) New Delhi
16. The citizens in distress can dial which number to get immediate access to emergency
services?
a) 111 b) 112 c) 131 d) 123
17. Which state’s government has withdrawn security cover of separatist leaders?
a) Uttarakhand b) Jammu and Kashmir c) Punjab d) Uttar Pradesh
18. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 15, 2019 flagged off India's first Semi High
Speed Train. What is the name of train?
a) Ganga Sagar Express b) Azad Hind Express
c) Vande Bharat Express d) Atal Path Express
19. The Union Cabinet has approved extension of tenure of the National Commission for Safai
Karmacharis till which year?
a) 2021 b) 2022 c) 2023 d) 2020
20. The Supreme Court on February 12, 2019 referred the petition seeking withdrawal of
which status of the Aligarh Muslim University to a seven-judge bench?
a) Minority Status b) Special Status c) Eminence Status d) None of the above
21. The Indian Parliament has passed the Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019. The bill seeks
to remove which disease as a ground for divorce?
a) AIDS b) Schizophrenia c) Leprosy d) Dementia
22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 12, 2019 distributed the Swachh Shakti 2019
Awards. The Swachh Shakti 2019 event was held in which city?
a) Gandhinagar b) Lucknow c) Kurukshetra d) New Delhi
23. India’s premier institute of cancer, the ‘National Cancer Institute’ was dedicated to the
nation on February 12, 2019. The instituted is located in which state?
a) Haryana b) Delhi c) Mumbai d) Uttar Pradesh
24. The HRD Ministry has decided to implement recommendations of a committee for
promotion of which ancient language and scripts?
a) Odia b) Sanskrit c) Pali d) Maithili
25. A Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court will be established in which district of the West
Bengal?
a) Cooch Behar b) Darjeeling c) Jalpaiguri d) Kalimpong
26. A new channel DD Arun Prabha will be launched by PM Modi to cater mainly the
aspirations of people of North east region. The head office of the channel will be located in
which State?
a) Assam b) Tripura c) Sikkim d) Arunachal Pradesh
27. Which city hosted the 2nd National Conference of Micro Missions of National Police
Mission?
a) Bengaluru b) Chennai c) New Delhi d) Mumbai
28. The National Board of Wildlife recently accorded wildlife clearance for which train project
in India?
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a) Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Project

b) Vande Bharat Express – Train-18
c) Nadikudi - Srikalahasti Rail Line Project
d) Bilaspur-Manali-Leh Railway Line Project
29. ISRO has set up the Human Space Flight Centre for Gaganyaan mission in which city?
a) Bengaluru b) Hyderabad c) Pune d) New Delhi
30. The Indian Air Force in a recent retaliatory move destroyed the biggest JeM training camp
in Balakot. The town is located in which among the following Pakistani provinces?
a) Balochistan b) Punjab
c) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa d) Sindh
31. Under the provisions of the Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian Bill, 2019, a
marriage between NRI and Indian citizen will have to be registered within how many days?
a) 30 days b) 60 days c) 15 days d) 40 days
32. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 9, 2019 laid the foundation stone for the Sela
Tunnel Project in which state?
a) Jammu & Kashmir b) Arunachal Pradesh c) Tripura d) Assam
33. The Jammu and Kashmir Government on February 8, 2019 granted the Divisional Status to
which region?
a) Leh b) Kargil c) Kashmir d) Ladakh
34. Which among the following is India’s 40th communication satellite that was launched on
February 5 from French Guiana?
a) GSAT-31 b) GSAT-27A c) GSAT-19 d) GSAT-35
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International
World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2019: Key Facts

 The International Labour Organisation has released the annual World Employment and
Social Outlook Trends for the year 2019. The important features of the
report are:
 Unemployment rates were anticipated to fall to 4.9% in 2019 and are
expected to hold steady into 2020.
 The number of jobless in real terms is estimated to rise from 172
million to 174 million in that time as the labour market expands.
 The unemployment rate increased from 5 to 5.6% between 2008-9, as
the fallout of the near total collapse of major markets took hold.
 The report lamented the fact that it had taken nine years to recover from the shock of the
2007/8 global financial crisis.
 The report presents concerns about the female workforce participation rate. The much
lower labour force participation of women at 48%, compared with 75% for men means that
around three in five of the 3.5 billion people in the global labour force were men.
 After a period of rapid improvement that lasted until 2003, subsequent progress on closing
the gender gap in participation rates had stalled.
 2 billion of the 3.3 billion people in the global labour market worked in informal
employment which put their economic security at risk.
 The poor quality of many jobs also resulted in the fact that in 2018 more than one-quarter
of workers in low and middle-income countries were living in extreme or moderate
poverty.
 The global unemployment among young people (between 15-24) stood at 11.8 per cent,
higher than other age brackets.
 The report notes that in line with a stable aggregate unemployment rate, the outlook for
men, women and young people with regard to opportunities on the job market is also very
stable and further adds that neither the gender disparities nor the labour market challenges
faced by young people are expected to abate in the coming year.
 Youth participation in the labour market had been declining steadily for the last 25 years
and one of the main causative factors for this was more young people were entering further
education.
 The report also notes that around 114 million children aged between 5-14 involved in the
global labour market and 73 million of them were working in hazardous conditions,
according to data from 2016.
ICJ advises Britain to return Diego Garcia to Mauritius

 International Court of Justice (ICJ) has advised the UK to return the Diego Garcia (Chagos
Islands) to Mauritius as rapidly as possible. The ICJ has said that Britain
must give Mauritius control of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian
Ocean. The advisory has been issued by the ICJ on the request of the
resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to
look into the issue.
 Observations made by ICJ
 In a majority opinion the court noted that the decolonisation of
Mauritius was not lawfully complete when it attained independence because Britain carved
away the Chagos Archipelago from it and retained control over it.
 Britain is under an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos
Archipelago as rapidly as possible.
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 Why the Chagos Islands had become the bone of contention?

 Mauritius was the colony of erstwhile of British Empire. With the calls of decolonisation
grew stronger, the British granted independence to the Island nation Mauritius.
 But the British cut off the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965 before granting it
independence in 1968.
 Also, the residents of the Chagos Archipelago were forcibly removed and the Chagos
Archipelago was handed over to the US.
 The US established its strategic Indian Ocean military base at the Chagos Archipelago.
 Both the UK and the US had vehemently opposed the UN resolution which referred the
matter to ICJ saying it was a bilateral matter with Mauritius. UK is not represented in the ICJ
Bench and the sole dissent judgement was by the American Judge. Hence it is unlikely that
the UK would accept the advisory. The possibility of any challenge to the US Diego Garcia
base from Mauritius is also unlikely. Hence by and large status quo would be maintained.
Israeli company sends world’s first Privately Funded Mission to Moon

 SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Israeli company SpaceIL’s lunar lander blasted off from
Florida. If successful Israel will join the club of countries which includes
Russia, the US and China who haa ve made successful controlled landing
on the surface of earth’s nearest neighbour.
 Israel’s Mission to Moon
 Funded almost entirely by donations, the project is the first privately
backed lunar lander mission. The project costed $100 million
 Named Beresheet the spacecraft weights 585kg.
 Beresheet will make a seven-week journey to the moon, from where it
will send back images of the rocky surface and conduct experiments on the lunar magnetic
field.
 The spacecraft is named Beresheet as a reference to the first words of the Bible in Hebrew:
“In the beginning”.
 Landings on Moon
 The first landing on the moon was made by Soviet Union with Luna 2 in 1959.
 Three years later, the United States landed Ranger 4 on the moon.
 Both Luna 2 and Ranger 4 were hard landings where the craft crashed into the moon.
 The first “soft landings” wherein the spacecraft made controlled descents to the lunar
surface for both US and Russia came in 1966.
 The third country to do a soft landing on the moon was China in the year 2013 with its
Chang’e 3.
 SpaceIL
 SpaceIL is a non-profit company founded eight years ago to compete in the Google Lunar X
Prize, an international competition to see whether a private enterprise could land a
spacecraft on the moon and move 500 meters in any direction, and transmit live, high-
definition video from the lunar surface.
 But the competition got cancelled in the year 2018 when none of the five teams left in the
competition was able to meet the March deadline for a launch.
EU agrees on Greenhouse Gas Emission cut for Trucks

 The European Parliament and the Council have struck a deal reduce average CO2 emissions
compared with 2019 levels. The features of the deal are:
 To reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from new trucks and buses by 30 per cent by
2030.
19 |
 The deal proposes a binding CO2-reduction target for trucks at the EU-level for the first
time and includes a clear stimulus for zero and low-emission trucks.
 Trucks account for almost one-quarter of the EU’s transport-related
emissions and the EU did not have limits on emissions from heavy-duty
vehicles till now.
 The EU has the ambition of being climate-neutral from 2050. EU had
agreed in December 2018 on targets for cutting emissions from cars
and vans. The curbs on the transportation sector are expected to help
the bloc meet its overall goal of reducing greenhouse gases by at least 40 per cent below
1990 levels by 2030 under the Paris climate accord.
NASA’s Mars Rover Opportunity Concludes a 15-Year Mission

 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that its Mars
Mission, Opportunity has come to an end. This marked the conclusion
of the 15-year saga. The decision to end the mission was made after all
the efforts to restore contact with the Opportunity Mars rover didn’t
yield desired results.
 Why the NASA lost the contact with Opportunity?
 A historic global dust storm reached the location of the Opportunity
rover on Mars. The storm darkened the skies and cut off of the rover’s
solar power. All the efforts of NASA to restore the rover did not yield positive results.
 Things worsened with the onset of the winter at the location of the Opportunity rover. The
reduced sunlight and colder temperatures during winter made it unlikely for the recovery
of the Opportunity rover.
 About the Mission
 Opportunity was the second of the twin Mars Exploration Rovers to land on Mars in January
2004. Opportunity landed 90 days after its twin rover Spirit landed. Spirit landed at Gusev
Crater and Opportunity landed on the opposite side of Mars at Meridiani Planum.
 NASA expected 90-day lifetimes for the rovers. Both Opportunity and Spirit far exceeded
their expected lifetime. Spirit’s mission ended in May 2011 after travelling eight kilometres
and Opportunity had logged 45 kilometres before losing contact in June 2018.
World Sustainable Development Summit 2019 held in New Delhi

 Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated the World Sustainable
Development Summit (WSDS) 2019 at Vigyan Bhawan,
New Delhi.
 The World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) is
The Energy and Resources Institute's (TERI) annual flagship
event.
 The theme of the 2019 edition of the Summit is 'Attaining
the 2030 Agenda: Delivering on Our Promise'.
 Frank Bainimarama (Prime Minister of Fiji) has been honoured with the Sustainable
Development Leadership Award 2019 for his outstanding contributions towards
sustainable development in Fiji.
First Indian-origin woman to get Blue Plaque in the UK

 Britain's World War II spy Noor Inayat Khan was confirmed as the first Indian-origin
woman to be honoured with a Blue Plaque at her former London home.
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 The Blue Plaque scheme run by English Heritage honours notable people who lived or
worked in particular building across London.
 Khan's plaque is set to go up at 4 Taviton Street in
Bloomsbury, where she lived as a secret agent during the
war.
 Khan was the daughter of Indian Sufi saint Hazrat Inayat
Khan.
 She was an agent for Britain's Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War
II and was captured and killed by the Nazis in 1944 at just 30 years of age.
World's largest bee spotted the first time since 1981

 A team of researchers spotted the world's giant bee which is
as big as a human thumb, in Indonesia.
 Wallace's giant bee (scientific name -Megachile pluto) is the
world's largest bee species.
 It was first discovered in 1859 by the prominent scientist
Alfred Russel Wallace and was presumed extinct.
India to attend OIC meet for the first time

 External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been invited to deliver an address at
the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Abu
Dhabi on the 1st - 2nd March 2019.
 This is the first time that a leader of the non-Muslim country
has been invited to the OIC conference.
 She will be the Guest of Honour and address the inaugural
plenary of the 46th Session of the Council of Foreign
Ministers of OIC.
 It is also a welcome recognition of the presence of 185 million Muslims in India and of
India’s contribution to the Islamic world.
 Note:
 The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is "the collective voice of the Muslim world"
and works to "safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of
promoting international peace and harmony".
 The OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union.
Sudan: President Bashir declares a year-long state of emergency

 Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has declared a year-
long state of emergency throughout the country.
 He also dissolved his cabinet and local governments
throughout the country.
 Omar al-Bashir's term ends in 2020 and he has repeatedly
promised over the years not to make new runs for the
presidency.
 Since December 2018, various areas in Sudan have been witnessing popular protests over
the deteriorating economic conditions and price hikes of basic commodities.
Climate change has officially led to the extinction of a mammal, the Australian rat
 According to the Australian government, a small brown rat is the world's first mammal
known to have become extinct due to ‘human-induced climate change’.
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 The mammal ‘Bramble Cay melomys’ which had not been seen for
almost 10 years was initially pronounced extinct after “exhaustive”
conservation efforts failed.
 It was found only on a small sand island near the coast of Papua New
Guinea.
 It was about five hectares (12 acres).
Women with four children to get life tax exemption in Hungary

 According to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, women in the country with four
children or more will be exempted for life from paying income
tax.
 The move aims at boosting the country’s population.
 For women who raise at least four children, a subsidy of USD
8,825 will be given for the purchase of a seven-seat vehicle.
 A low-interest loan of 35,300 US dollars for women under the
age of 40 who are marrying for the first time will be
introduced.
 Prime Minister Orban also announced a seven-point plan to increase the fertility rate in the
country.
Abu Dhabi declaring Hindi as an official language in courts

 Abu Dhabi (capital of the United Arab Emirates) declared Hindi as the third official
language (Arabic and English) in its courts to make the justice delivery system simple.
 It will help Hindi speakers to learn about litigation procedures, their rights and duties
without a language barrier.
 It will also make the justice delivery system simpler and more accessible to Indian
expatriates in that country.
2018 fourth warmest year on record

 An independent analysis by NASA & the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration have found that earth's global surface
temperatures in 2018 were the fourth warmest since 1880.
 Globally, 2018's temperatures rank behind those of 2016,
2017 and 2015.
 The past five years are collectively the warmest years in the
modern record.
 It found that 2018 global temperatures were 0.79 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century
average.
UAE to build church, mosque named after Saint Francis and Grand Imam
 UAE leaders have announced to the construction of the ‘Church of
Saint Francis’ and ‘Mosque of Grand Imam Ahmad AI- Tayyeb’ in
Abu Dhabi in honour of the two religious’ leaders.
 They will serve as beacons to uphold the values of tolerance, moral
integrity and human fraternity in the UAE.
 UAE had also granted 55000 squares meters of land for the construction of a Hindu Temple
in Abu Dhabi.
 The ground-breaking ceremony witnessed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February
2018.
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Dubai Airport retains the top position as World’s busiest airport

 Dubai International Airport (DXB) retained its position
as the world’s busiest airport for international customer
numbers for the fifth consecutive year with annual traffic
for 2018 with Indian travellers emerging as the largest
source of traffic for the airport which registered a record
footfall of over 89 million.
 It overtook the crown of the world’s busiest hub for
international travel from London’s Heathrow in 2014.
 The Dubai International Airport (DXB) was opened for civil aviation in July 1937.
The International Year of the Periodic Table

 The United Nations has announced 2019 as
the International Year of the Periodic Table of the
Chemical Elements to highlight its first publication in 1869.
 It will help to raise the profile of how chemistry can provide
solutions to global challenges in agriculture, education,
energy and health.
 The periodic table as we know it today was first designed by the Russian scientist Dmitri
Ivanovich Mendeleev.
4th Feb: Sri Lanka celebrates 71st Independence Day

 Sri Lanka celebrated the 71st Independence Day in a grand ceremony at the Galle Face
Green in Colombo.
 Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih attended the
function as the guest of honour.
 Note:
 Ending 133 years of colonial rule, Sri Lanka, then Ceylon,
gained independence from Great Britain on 4th February
1948.
 Sri Lanka (officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka) is an island country in
South Asia, located southeast of India and northeast of the Maldives.
 A month-long ‘Festival of India’ held in Kathmandu, Nepal to familiarise the new generation
of the country about the similarities between the two countries.
 Chinese news agency Xinhua unveiled the world’s first female AI news anchor Xin
Xiaomeng. She has been developed in collaboration with Sogou Inc, a search engine
company.
 Saudi Arabia became the 73rd nation to sign the International Solar Alliance. ISA was
unveiled by PM Modi and former French President Francois Hollande in 2015.
 The country, formerly known as the Republic of Macedonia officially changed its name to
the Republic of North Macedonia.
 Trump-Kim Vietnam Summit: President Donald Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong
Un in Vietnam. The first Trump-Kim Summit was held in Singapore on June 12, 2018.
During the first historic delegation level talks, Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un signed a
historic agreement.
 US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing federal agencies to
prioritise research and development in Artificial Intelligence. The order follows huge
23 |
investment pledges from China and other countries intended to advance and apply AI
technology in fields ranging from warfighting to health care.
 The United Kingdom along with other European nations such as Germany and France on
January 31, 2019 set up a new transaction channel called INSTEX that will allow companies
to continue trading with Iran despite US sanctions.
 Amnesty International has urged online travel sites to ban listings from Israeli settlements
in the occupied West Bank. The group’s report titled ‘Destination: Occupation’ stated that
rental are driving tourism to settlements that most of the world considers illegal.
1. How many countries have ratified the Geneva Convention?

a) 191 b) 191 c) 196 d) 168
2. Which among the following nations voted on February 25, 2019 for a new constitution?
a) Venezuela b) Egypt c) Denmark d) Cuba
3. Which nation has set up a committee to discuss reforming constitution?

a) Myanmar b) Sri Lanka c) United States d) Venezuela
4. India, in its recent liberalisation of e-visa regime, has extended visa-on-arrival facility to the
nationals of which country?
a) North Korea b) Israel c) South Korea d) Brazil
5. Afghanistan has lodged a complaint with UNSC against which nation for its engagement
with the Taliban?
a) China b) Pakistan c) US d) India
6. UAE would be funding the construction of a US military hospital in which city?

a) Abu Dhabi b) Kuwait c) Tehran d) Damascus
7. The President of which nation has declared a national emergency?

a) United Kingdom b) Australia c) New Zealand d) United States
8. The legislators of which nation passed a landmark bill making it easier for asylum seekers
to get medical treatment in the country?
a) Canada b) Spain c) Hungary d) Australia
9. Which nation’s government has fired its election commission?

a) Afghanistan b) Pakistan c) Bangladesh d) Sri Lanka
10. The European Union members of UN Security Council have asked for humanitarian access
to which nation?
a) Syria b) Iraq c) Ukraine d) Israel
11. Which among the following languages has been added by Abu Dhabi Judicial Department as
its third official court language?
a) Hindi b) Malayalam c) French d) Urdu
12. The ‘Church of Saint Francis’ and the ‘Mosque of Grand Imam Ahmad Al Tayeb’ will be
contructed in which country?
24 |
a) Saudi Arabia b) United Arab Emirates c) Qatar d) Dubai
13. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will hold the second
summit in which country?
a) Singapore b) South Korea c) Italy d) Vietnam
14. The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution to extend sanctions against
which nation?
a) Central African Republic (CAR) b) Democratic Republic of the Congo
c) Venezuela d) Syria
15. US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to prioritise research and
development in which area?
a) Artificial Intelligence b) Defence
c) Nuclear Weapons d) Space Missions
16. According to NASA and NOAA, which year has been recorded as the fourth warmest on
record?
a) 2019 b) 2017 c) 2018 d) 2016
17. Which country celebrated its 71st Independence Day on February 4, 2019?
a) Bangladesh b) Sri Lanka c) Myanmar d) Malaysia
18. Which nation has pardoned around 50,000 convicts on its 40th revolution anniversary?
a) Pakistan b) India c) Iran d) Bangladesh
19. Which nation has decided to give lifetime tax exemption to women having 4 or more
children?
a) Poland b) Romania c) Hungry d) Italy
25 |
Zimbabwe starts trading new currency RTGS dollar

 Zimbabwe started to trade its new currency ‘the RTGS
dollar’ after the central bank announced measures to try and
resolve a chronic monetary crisis.
 The bank unveiled a foreign exchange trading system that
effectively devalued its quasi-currency, the bond note, which
was officially pegged at parity with the US dollar.
 The new currency replaces electronic bank savings called
digital dollars and the bond notes and was named after the
real-time gross settlement system that banks use to transfer money between each other.
GST Council cuts tax on under construction residential houses to 5%

 The GST Council slashed tax rates on under-construction housing properties
to 5% (existing 12%).
 The Council also cut GST rates on affordable housing to 1%
(current 8%).
 The council altered the definition of affordable housing, any
house built on an area of 60 square metres or less in the
metro cities of India will be categorised as affordable
housing.
 The new tax rates will come into effect from 1st April 2019.
World Bank, UN, SIDBI launch Rs 300 crore Women’s Livelihood Bond
 World Bank, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
(UN Women), and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) jointly launched
new social impact bonds ‘Women’s Livelihood Bonds
(WLBs)’, with an initial corpus of Rs 300 crore.
 It will enable individual women entrepreneurs in sectors
like food processing, agriculture, services, and small units to
borrow around Rs 50,000 to Rs 3 lakh.
 It’s an annual interest rate of around 13% to 14% or less.
 They will be unsecured, unlisted bonds and offer a fixed coupon rate of 3% per annum to
bond investors.
 Note:
 The bonds (tenure of five years) will be launched by SIDBI with the support of the World
Bank and UN Women.
RBI to give Rs 28,000 cr to Centre as interim dividend

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBi) will transfer an interim surplus of 28,000 crore rupees to
the central government for the half-year (ended 31st
December 2018).
 The decision has been based on a limited audit review and
after applying the extent economic capital framework.
 This is the second straight year that the RBI has announced
an advance payment to the government.
 It will help the union government partly bridge a budget
gap and could be key to funding an income support
programme for farmers.
26 |
 Note:
 In the interim Budget 2019-20, the government has projected a fiscal deficit target of 3.4%
for the financial year 2019-20.
 Dividend payments from RBI will help the government in bridging some of the gaps to
boost the economy.
India raises customs duty to 200% on all goods imported from Pakistan
 According to the Finance minister Arun Jaitley, India has raised the basic customs duty
to 200% on all goods imported from Pakistan with
immediate effect.
 Earlier, India withdraws the Most Favoured Nation (MFN)
status in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack.
 The main items which Pakistan exports to India include
fresh fruits, cement, petroleum products, bulk minerals and
ores and finished leather.
 Note:
 Customs duty is a tariff or tax on the importation (usually) or exportation (unusually) of
goods.
 All authorized ports are recognized customs areas.
Saudi Arabia to invest 100 billion dollars in India

 Saudi Arabia will invest 100 billion dollars in India in
range of areas including energy, refining, petrochemicals,
infrastructure, agriculture and manufacturing.
 On the visit of Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the two sides
also expressed satisfaction at the positive trend in the
bilateral ties and stressed on the need to tap the untapped
potential in trade particularly in Non-Oil trade.
 A joint working group on counter-terrorism will also be set up.
India’s first Aqua Mega Food Park Commissioned in Andhra Pradesh

 Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat
Kaur Badalcommissioned the Godavari Mega Aqua Food
Park in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh (through
video conferencing).
 The mega park has been set up in 57.81 acres at a cost of Rs
122.60 crore
 It will be the first Mega Aqua Food Park operationalised
exclusively for fish and marine products processing in the
state of Andhra Pradesh.
RBI imposes Rs 3.5 cr penalty on 3 PSU banks

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed Rs 3.5 crore
penaltieson three public sector banks for violation of various
banking norms.
 Rs 1.5 crore penalty has been imposed on Oriental Bank of
Commerce (OBC) and Rs 1 crore each on Punjab National
Bank(PNB) and Bank of India.
27 |
 The monetary penalty on the banks has been imposed for non-compliance with various
directions issued by the RBI on monitoring of end-use of funds, exchange of information
with other banks, and on a restructuring of accounts.
33rd Surajkund International Crafts Mela begins

 The cultural extravaganza Surajkund International Crafts Mela (33rd) has been
inaugurated at Faridabad (Haryana).
 This year Maharashtra is the theme state and Thailand is
the Partner Nation.
 At least 20 countries and all the states of India will be
participating in the Mela.
 Artistes will showcase the art, culture, heritage, handicrafts,
and cuisine of the state.
 Mela will remain open for public from 10:00 AM to 07:00 PM till 17th February.
 Note:
 Surajkund is located near the Surajkund village between the villages of Baharpur and
Lakkarpur in Faridabad district of Haryana.
 Surajkund built in the backdrop of the Aravalli hills with an amphitheatre-
shaped embankment constructed in a semi-circular form.
Afghanistan begins export to India via Chabahar port

 Afghanistan has begun exports to India through Iran’s Chabahar port, as the landlocked
country turns to overseas markets to improve its economy.
 Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has inaugurated the new
export route ‘Chabahar route’ in Zaranj city, western Nimroz
province.
 According to Indian ambassador, ‘Vinay Kumar’
Afghanistan’s exports to India have increased by 40% after
the launch of air corridor between Kabul and New Delhi.
 Now, Afghanistan’s exports will increase to two billion dollars from the current one billion
dollars in the next year.
 Note:
 Chabahar port is the result of healthy cooperation between India, Iran and Afghanistan.
 The Iranian port provides easy access to the sea to Afghanistan and India has helped
developed this route to allow both countries to engage in trade bypassing Pakistan.
 ‘Chabahar Port’ is a seaport in Chabahar located in southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman.
India Jumps eight places to 36th on International IP index 2019

 India has jumped eight places to 36th position on the International Intellectual
Property (IP) Index, which analyses the IP climate in 50
global economies, this year.
 India’s eight-point jump in 2019 from 44th position in 2018
is the highest increase among 50 nations mapped by the
index.
 The US, the UK, Sweden, France and Germany remained the
top five economies on the intellectual property index in 2019
retaining their spots from the last year.
 The index brought out by the US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center
(GIPC) ranks countries based on 45 indicators that are critical to an innovation-led
economy supported by robust patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secrets protection.
28 |
India withdraws most favoured nation status to Pakistan

 India has announced withdrawal of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status for Pakistan,
following the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
 The decision was taken during the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting (CCS) in New
Delhi.
 India had granted the status to Pakistan in 1996, a year after
WTO’s formation.
 Note:
 In the World Trade Organization (WTO), this status means
non-discrimination treating virtually everyone equally.
Air India resumes its services from New Delhi to Najaf in Iraq
 Air India is resuming its services from New Delhi to the holy
city of Najaf in Iraq after 25 years.
 Indian Ambassador to Iraq Dr Pradeep Rajpurohit said, the
services will commence from the 14th of next month, and it is
initially being planned for twice a week.
 Najaf is a city some 160 kilometres from Baghdad. It is an
important pilgrimage place considered sacred by Shia
Muslims.
 Employees' Provident Fund Organisation has hiked interest rate on employees' provident
fund to 8.65% from 8.55% for the 2018-19 fiscal year.
 Ministry of Commerce and Industry in an attempt to provide relief to and boost
investments into start-ups in India decided to simplify the process for them to get
exemptions under the Income Tax Act, 1961. It will now recognize an entity as a start-up up
to 10 years from the date of its incorporation or registration instead of the existing
duration of 7 years. It will also recognize an entity as a start-up if its turnover for any of the
financial years since its incorporation or registration does not exceed Rs 100 crore unlike
the previous amount of Rs 25 crore.
 Govt. of India gets Rs.10000 crore from Bharat-22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) by
additional offering. The government has absorbed approximately Rs.46000 crore by way of
disinvestment with the successful offering of Bharat-22 ETF. Bharat-22 is an Exchange
Traded Fund (ETF) which will closely track the performance of Bharat-22 index.
 National Bulk Handling Corporation (NBHC) released Kharif Crop estimation for the year
2018- 2019. As per the report, the basmati rice production is expected to decline by 9.24%
to 5.18 million metric tonnes. The total oilseeds production is estimated to be 19.87 million
metric tonne which is 5.36 % lower as compared to the year 2018.
 HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, India's third-largest non-life insurance provider
in the private sector, announced the launch of ‘Trip Protector' insurance policy, a
pioneering policy in the non-life insurance segment in India. In the event of a cancellation,
either a flight or hotel booking, Trip Protector insurance policy will safeguard travelers
financially against the cost of cancellation levied by Hotels or Airlines.
 Infosys, the country’s 2nd largest IT firm launched a next-generation digital platform
‘InfyTQ’ to facilitate engineering students with best learning experiences by imparting
technical and professional skills.
29 |
 Amazon launched "Amazon Pay Unified Payments Interface (UPI)" for Android users in
partnership with Axis Bank to issue UPI IDs to its customers in India.
 State-owned power giant NTPC has announced that it has signed a term loan agreement for
Rs 5,000 crore with State Bank of India.
 Food delivery startup Swiggy acquihired Bengaluru- based AI startup Kint.io. As part of the
deal, Kint.io's founding members Pavithra Solai Jawahar and Jagannathan Veeraraghavan
will join the Swiggy team.
 Asian Development Bank (ADB) has bought a 14% stake in micro-financier Annapurna
Finance for Rs 137 crore, reinforcing the belief that India’s microfinance sector is on course
to attract long-term funds from global lenders and investors.
 Paytm launched hotel bookings on its platform and acquired Night Stay, which offers deals
on last- minute bookings at luxury hotels, as the Alibaba- backed payments and e-
commerce company expands its travel business.
 US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the names of the American private sector
members of the US-India CEO Forum among who are MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga and
Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf. The first meeting of the forum will be held in New Delhi.
 India-ASEAN trade and investment relations have been growing steadily, with ASEAN being
the second largest trading partner of India, after China, with a total bilateral merchandise
trade of USD 81.33 billion.
1. Which country began exporting goods to India for the first time through Chabahar port on
February 24, 2019?
a) Kazakhstan b) Afghanistan c) Iran d) Iraq
2. US President Donald Trump has decided to extend the March 1 deadline to escalate tariffs
on which country’s imports?
a) Iran b) China c) Russia d) UK
3. India’s 4th white cement plant will be established in which state?

a) Andhra Pradesh b) Himachal Pradesh c) Telangana d) Karnataka
4. The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) recently raised the interest rate on
Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) to what percent for 2018-19?
a) 8.35 percent b) 8.45 percent c) 8.55 percent d) 8.65 percent
5. Which country recently announced to invest USD 100 billion in India?

a) Morocco b) Argentina c) South Korea d) Saudi Arabia
6. Which city will host the 4TH India-Asean Expo Summit?

a) Mumbai b) Pune c) Kolkata d) New Delhi
7. Which insurance company launched a new micro insurance plan ‘Micro Bachat’?
a) Apollo Munich b) ICICI Prudential Life
c) Life Insurance Corporation d) Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance
8. Union Minister Suresh Prabhu on February 19, 2019 cleared proposals to encourage
investments in Start-Ups. Now, registered startups will be exempted from Angel Tax on
funding of up to what amount?
30 |
a) Rs 25 crore b) Rs 30 crore c) Rs 35 crore d) Rs 40 crore
9. The Cabinet approved the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin
(PMAY-G) beyond March 2019 to which year?
a) 2020 b) 2021 c) 2022 d) 2023
10. Union Minister Suresh Prabhu recently launched SWAYATT initiative on which platform?
a) NITI Aayog
b) Atal Tinkering Labs
c) Government e Marketplace
d) Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
11. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first-ever diesel to electric converted
locomotive twin engine in which city?
a) Varanasi b) Mumbai c) Ranchi d) Jamshedpur
12. India has raised customs duty to 200 per cent on all goods imported from which nation?
a) Pakistan b) China c) Myanmar d) Saudi Arabia
13. Which nation has signed agreements worth $20 billion with Pakistan?
a) UAE b) Saudi Arabia c) China d) Qatar
14. The Expert Committee led by Anoop Satpathy on February 14, 2019 submitted its report. It
recommended raising National Minimum Wage to how much amount per day?
a) Rs 375 b) Rs 450 c) Rs 500 d) Rs 525
15. India’s first Mega Aqua Food Park was commissioned recently in which state?
a) Odisha b) Andhra Pradesh c) Telangana d) Karnataka
16. What was India’s rank in the 2019 International Intellectual Property (IP) Index?
a) 36th b) 44th c) 51st d) 62nd
17. Which country tops the 2019 International Intellectual Property (IP) Index?
a) Germany b) United States c) Denmark d) United Kingdom
18. Which organisation recently issued advisory guidelines requesting banks to waive off the
processing, documentation, inspection, ledger folio charges for the Kisan Credit Card
Scheme?
a) Indian Banking Association
b) Reserve Bank of India
c) Securities and Exchange Board of India
d) Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
19. Which two companies together lost a market capitalisation of USD 50 billion on February 1,
2019 after the new FDI norms for the e-commerce sector came into effect in India?
a) Amazon and Walmart b) Walmart and Flipkart
c) Flipkart and Myntra d) Myntra and Jabong
20. What is the name of the payment channel that has been set up by the EU nations to
continue trade with Iran?
a) EU-XE b) SITE c) PAYT d) INSTEX
31 |
Macedonia signs accord to join NATO

 Macedonia formally signed an agreement to join NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization) to become the 30th member of the US-led
alliance.
 According to Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov,
the country will never walk alone once in the alliance.
 The admittance of a new member highlighted that all
European nations who meet the entrance criteria could join
the regional alliance.
 The Macedonia-NATO accord follows a deal with Greece
ending a 27-year-old dispute over Macedonia's name.
 The most recent member state to be added to NATO is Montenegroon 5th June 2017.
 Note:
 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance
between 29 North American and European countries.
 NATO constitutes a system of collective defence for its independent members' states agree
to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party.
 NATO’s Headquarters located in Haren, Brussels Belgium.
Multinational Maritime Exercise ‘Aman 19’ commenced in Karachi

 The five-day Multinational Maritime Exercise "AMAN-19"commenced in Karachi with the
slogan “Together for Peace”.
 The flag of 46 countries including Pakistan presented a
march-past.
 According to Pakistan Vice Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi, it is a
step to enhance cooperation, take benefit from mutual
advantage and understand each other.
 Ambassadors and delegates of various countries are also
present in the inauguration ceremony.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurates National War Memorial in New Delhi

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National War Memorial near India Gate,
New Delhi.
 The memorial is a commemoration of the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers since
Independence with the names of 25,942 martyrs (scope to add more names) etched in
stone forever.
 The main structure has been built in the form of four chakras with the eternal flame and
obelisk located in the inner-most chakra (Amar Chakra).
 The layout of the Memorial comprises four concentric circles, Amar Chakra Circle of
Immortality, the Veerta Chakra Circle of Bravery, the Tyag Chakra Circle of Sacrifice, and
the Rakshak Chakra or Circle of Protection.
 The obelisk stands at a height of 15.5 metres and is visible even from a distance as one
enters the complex.
 The final chakra ‘Rakshak Chakra’ surrounds the other three and consists of over 600 trees
that will act as a wall and represent the soldiers who protect the country.
 Note:
32 |
 The memorial will help strengthen the sense of belonging, high moral values, sacrifice and
national pride in the citizens.
Trump signs order to establish US space force

 US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order
to establish its Space Force as a new armed service within
the Department of Air Force.
 The Space Force will include both combat and combat
support functions to enable prompt and
sustained offensive and defensive space operations in all
domains.
 The force will be organized, trained, and equipped to meet and protect the US national
interests in the space, consistent with international laws.
 It will organize and train the next generation of warriors to deter aggression and defend
the United States.
Kerala police induct first ever robot ’KP-BOT’ into their force
 Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan has inaugurated India’s first Humanoid Police
Robot ‘KP-BOT’ at the Police Headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
 The robot’s gender is declared female (ranked as Sub-Inspector) keeping in mind women
empowerment and gender equality.
 The work on the project was started by state police Cyberdome and a Kochi based start-
up, Asimov.
 In 2018’s Cocoon Cyber Conference it was announced that robots will be included in the
police force.
OFB gets clearance for producing 114 long-range artillery gun ‘Dhanush’
 The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has received a bulk
production clearance from the Indian Army and the Defence
Ministry for production of 114 'Dhanush' artillery guns.
 'Dhanush' is the first long-range artillery gun to be produced
in India.
 It is the product of efforts by the OFB and the Army with
various contributions.
44 CRPF personnel martyred in a suicide attack in Kashmir

 India lost 44 of its bravest Jawans of CRPF (country's largest
paramilitary force) in an absolutely abhorrent, cowardly
attack in Awantipora, Pulwama in Kashmir.
 This after a Jaish dastard rammed a vehicle carrying
explosives weighing 350 kgs into a CRPF truck.
 Note
 Gradeup salutes our martyrs of Pulwama attack and stands
with the families of our martyr brothers.
1st of 15 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters arrived in India

 According to Boeing (the maker of Chinooks), the first of the fifteen Chinook heavy-lift
helicopter ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF) received at the Mundra Port in Gujarat.
33 |
 Now Chinooks (carry around 10 tonnes of load) will be transported to its home base at
Chandigarh.
 Chinooks have a unique twin-engine, tandem rotor design
which has become one of the most visibly recognised symbols
of the American armed forces.
 Note:
 In September 2015, India had signed a 3 billion-dollar
deal with the US for the purchase of 15 Chinook heavy lift and 22 AH-64E Apache attack
helicopters.
MHA bans J&K outfit Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen over terror

 The Union Home Ministry banned the Tehreek-ul-
Mujahideen (TuM) under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act (UAPA).
 The central government believes that TuM is involved in
terrorism as it has committed and participated in various
acts of terrorism in India.
 Its members are getting financial as well as logistic support
from their handlers based abroad.
 The TuM came into existence in 1990 with the objective of “liberation of Kashmir” and has
been actively pursuing it by way of acts of terror.
Govt increases Risk & Hardship allowance for CAPE personnel

 Union Home Ministry has announced the hike in Risk and Hardship allowance for
Central Armed Police Forces personnel deployed in Left
Wing Extremism states and Jammu and Kashmir.
 Now, Troops up to the rank of Inspector will get Rs. 17,300
(existing Rs. 9,700) while the officers will get Rs. 25,000
(existing Rs. 17,300) per month.
 This will be a huge morale booster for all CAPF deployed in
these areas.
 Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani unveiled the first Iranian made semi-heavy submarine
named 'Fateh' ('Conqueror' in Persian), capable of being fitted with missiles, as per the
reporting on Iran’s state TV.
 Indian Air Force conducted mega exercise ‘Vayu Shakti’ in Pokhran, Rajasthan. The exercise
was carried out day and night where the IAF showcased firepower capability of
indigenously developed platforms and efficacy of missiles.
 Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal from Chandigarh, became the First Indian Woman Flight
Engineer of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
 Indian Army showcased its artillery firepower by using ultralight Howitzers and indigenous
Swathi weapon-locating radar at the annual “Exercise Topchi”. The exercise was held at
Deolali Camp near Nashik.
 Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Exercise `Exercise Rahat´ concluded in
Jaipur, Rajasthan. It was demonstrated in Jaipur, Kota, and Alwar in Rajasthan.
 INS Trikand, the frontline warship of the Indian Navy, participated in a multi-national
training exercise ‘CUTCLASS EXPRESS 2019’. The annual Exercise Cutlass Express is
34 |
sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) and conducted by Naval Forces Africa
(NAVAF). It was held in the vicinity of Djibouti, Mozambique and Seychelles.
 Defence Acquisitions Council, DAC chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
approved indigenous construction of six submarines worth 40 thousand crore rupees. It
also approved the acquisition of about five thousand MILAN Anti-Tank Guided Missiles for
the Army.
 As part of the ongoing India Bangladesh defence cooperation, a joint military exercise
Sampriti-2019 will be conducted at Tangail, Bangladesh from 02 March to 15 March 2019.
 In a major boost for the Navy's firepower, the Defence Ministry has approved the
acquisition of more than 100 heavyweight torpedoes which will be equipped on the force's
six Scorpene-class submarines being built at Mazagon Dockyards in Mumbai.
 Thailand and the United States hosted the annual Cobra Gold military exercise, the biggest
activity of its type in the Asia-Pacific region with 29 nations taking part as participants or
observers.
1. India will be conducting a joint military exercise ‘Exercise Sampriti 2019’ with which
country?
a) Sri Lanka b) Bangladesh c) Indonesia d) Myanmar
2. ISRO would be launching which satellite for DRDO in March 2019?

a) KARSAT b) Emisat c) PSAT- V d) H-VXI
3. The 12th biennial edition of International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition ‘Aero India
2019’ culminated recently. The show was held at which station of India Air Force?
a) Air Force Station Yelahanka b) Air Force Station Palam
c) Air Force Station Hindon d) Air Force Station Lucknow
4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 25, 2019 dedicated the National War Memorial
to the nation. The Memorial is located in which city?
a) Mumbai b) New Delhi c) Amritsar d) Srinagar
5. Which international organisation recently urged the international community to co-operate

with India in dealing with terrorism?
a) Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation b) Nobel Foundation
c) United Nations Security Council d) World Trade Organisation
6. Which country recently signed an executive order to establish its Space Force as a new
armed service?
a) Russia b) United States c) North Korea d) China
7. India recently agreed to constitute a ‘Comprehensive Security Dialogue’ to enhance

cooperation in the Counter-terrorism with which country?
a) Saudi Arabia b) Israel c) United States d) Russia
8. Which aircraft recently received the Final Operational Clearance for induction into the
Indian Air Force (IAF) as a fully-weaponised fighter jet?
a) Mi-17 V-5 helicopter b) LCA Tejas c) F-16 Falcon d) Rafale
9. The National Cyber Forensic Lab has been inaugurated in which city?
35 |
a) Bengaluru b) Lucknow c) Hyderabad d) New Delhi
10. Which nation has launched a cruise missile capable submarine amidst heightening tension
with the United States?
a) North Korea b) Israel c) Iran d) China
11. Which terror group has claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack, one of the
deadliest terror attacks on the Indian Armed Forces after Uri?
a) Lashkar-E-Taiba b) Indian Mujahideen
c) Jaish-e-Mohammed d) Al-Umar-Mujahideen
12. Which Indian warship participated in a multi-national training exercise 'CUTCLASS

EXPRESS 2019'?
a) INS Airavat b) INS Satpura c) INS Trikand d) INS Sahyadri
13. The first of the 15 Chinook heavy lift helicopters arrived in India on February 10, 2019 from
which country?
a) Russia b) Japan c) US d) China
14. Which nation signed an accord to become the 30th member of the US-led NATO on
February 6, 2019?
a) Greece b) Macedonia c) Palestine d) Israel
15. Who among the following leaders has proposed a new missile treaty with potential to
include India?
a) Vladimir Putin b) Donald Trump c) Xi Jinping d) Emmanuel Macron
16. The United States has pulled of Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty with which
nation?
a) Russia b) NATO c) North Korea d) Japan
36 |
Trump nominates US treasury diplomat David Malpass to head World Bank

 Donald Trump (US President) has nominated senior
Treasury official ‘David Malpass’(62-years) as the chief of
the World Bank for a five-year term.
 He would replace Jim Yong Kim, if voted by the Directors of
the World Bank Group.
 Traditionally, the World Bank Group President has always
been an American citizen nominated by the United States
(the largest shareholder in the World Bank Group).
 At present, David Malpass is the Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs.
 The position of Managing Director of International Monetary Fund has gone to Europe.
 Bulgarian Kristalina Georgieva is the interim President of the World Bank Group since 1
February 2019.
 Note:
 The President of the World Bank Group is responsible for chairing the meeting of the
Boards of Directors and for overall management of the World Bank Group.
Egypt's President El-Sissi elected as chairman of the African Union

 Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi (65-years) has been elected as the chairman of
the African Union at the continental body's summit in
Ethiopia.
 El-Sisi's election brings an end the one-year chairmanship of
Rwanda's President Paul Kagame.
 Note:
 The Chairperson of the African Union is the ceremonial
head of the African Union elected by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government for a
one-year term.
 It rotates among the continent's five regions (Southern Africa, Central Africa, West Africa,
East Africa, and North Africa).
Muhammadu Buhari re-elected Nigerian President

 According to Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria's
President Muhammadu Buhari (76-years) has secured a
second four-year term in office.
 Buhari defeated his main challenger Atiku Abubakar by a
margin of nearly four million votes.
 Mr Buhari first came to power in 2015 after defeating then-
incumbent Goodluck Jonathan.
 Mr Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) won in 19 of the 36 states while the PDP was
victorious in 17 states.
 Note:
 The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the head of state and head of the
national executive of Nigeria.
Indra Nooyi joins Amazon’s Board of Directors

 India-born former PepsiCo’s CEO Indra Nooyi has joined the online retail giant Amazon’s
board of directors.
37 |
 She is the second woman of colour to be added on Amazon’s boardof Directors.

 Ms. Nooyi stepped down as CEO of Pepsico in October 2018.
 She was Pepsico CEO from October 2006 to October 2018, where she also served as the
Chairman of its board of directors from May 2007 to February 2019.
 Note:
 She was elected to PepsiCo’s board of directors and became its President and Chief
Financial Officer in 2001.
SC appoints former Judge Justice D.K. Jain as BCCI Ombudsman

 The Supreme Court (SC) has appointed Justice (retired) D K Jain as BCCI’s (Board of
Control for Cricket in India) first ombudsman.
 The Ombudsman is expected to resolve any issue that comes
with regards to the players as also financial issues.
 Supreme Court has appointed Lt General Ravi Thodge as a
third member of Committee of Administrators in Board of
Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
 Thodge will join Chairman Vinod Rai and former women’s
captain Diana Edulji in the panel entrusted with the job of running the BCCI by the apex
court.
Hina Jaiswal becomes India's first woman flight engineer

 Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal has become the first Indian women flight Engineer of
the Indian Air Force (IAF).
 She completed the 6 months flight engineer course from the 112 Helicopter
Unit attached to the Air Force station in Yelahanka in Bengaluru.
 The Flight Engineer branch was opened to women officers in 2018(earlier restricted to
men).
 Now, Hina will be posted to a helicopter squadron where she will monitor and operate
IAF’s complex aircraft in various conditions.
 Note:
 Hina was born in Chandigarh, completed her Bachelor of Engineering degree from
Punjab University, commissioned in the engineering batch of the IAF on 5th January 2015.
 Earlier, Jaiswal has served as the chief of firing team and the battery commander in a
frontline surface to Air Missile Squadron.
Pramod Chandra Mody appointed as New CBDT Chairman

 Shri Pramod Chandra Mody (Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax cadre)- 1982-batch)
has been appointed as the new chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes.
 Mr Mody succeeds Sushil Chandra, who was named as Election Commissioner of India.
 Mody has been working as the Member (Administration) in the CBDT.
 The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is the policy-making body of the Income Tax
Department.
 Note:
 The CBDT Chairperson is ex-officio special secretary and is under the direct charge of
the revenue secretary of India.
Ashwani Lohani appointed as Air India CMD

 Former Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani (1980-batch IRSME) has been
appointed as the Chairman and managing director (CMD) of Air India.
 Lohani will take over from Pradeep Singh Kharola.
38 |
 Earlier, Pradeep Singh Kharola (IAS officer -1985 batch- Karnataka cadre) has been
appointed as the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
 In December 2018, Mr Lohani retired as the Railway Board chairman.
 Note:
 Air India is the flag carrier airline of India, owned by Air India Limited and operates a fleet
of Airbus & Boeing aircraft serving 90 domestic and international destinations.
 Air India's mascot is the Maharajah (Emperor) and the logo consists of a flying swan with
the wheel of Konark inside it.
Sushil Chandra appointed new Election Commissioner

 President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)
Chairman Sushil Chandra (Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer-1980 batch) as an Election
Commissioner.
 Chandra's tenure as chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) was to expire in
May 2019.
 He will fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of O.P. Rawat.
 Mr. Chandra (61-years) completed his B. Tech from IIT Roorkee and LLB from Dehradun.
 Note:
 The Chief Election Commissioner heads the Election Commission of India, a body
constitutionally empowered to conduct free and fair elections to the national and state
legislatures.
 The Election Commission of India (ECI) was formed on 25 January 1950 is an autonomous
constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India.
 Chief Election Commissioner: Sunil Arora & Election Commissioner: Ashok Lavasa.
Rishi Kumar Shukla takes charge as CBI Director

 Senior IPS officer 58-year- old Rishi Kumar Shukla (1983 batch- Madhya Pradesh Cadre)
has been appointed as the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) Director for a period of two
years.
 Rishi Kumar Shukla has served as the DGP of Madhya Pradesh.
 Earlier, M Nageswara Rao was appointed as interim chief of the CBI (No. 3) after the
government stepped in between the fight of CBI Director Alok Verma and Special Director
Rakesh Asthana.
 Note:
 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigating agency of India,
headed by the Director.
 CBI Operating under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and
Pensions.
 The CBI headquarters are located at Lodhi Road in New Delhi.
LT Gen Rajeev Chopra takes over as Director-General of NCC

 Lieutenant General Rajeev Chopra took over the reins of National Cadet Corps (NCC) as
its Director General.
 Lt Gen Chopra (Commissioned in the Madras Regiment) is an alumnus of the National
Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.
 He has commanded a Brigade in Eastern Command and was Inspector General of HQ
IGAR (South) in the insurgency-torn state of Manipur.
 He has been awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for his distinguished service in January
2018.
 Note:
39 |
 The National Cadet Corps is the Indian military cadet corps with its Headquarters in New
Delhi, India.
 It is open to school and college students on a voluntary basis.
Suman Kumari becomes Pakistan’s first Hindu woman judge

 Justice Suman Kumari has become the first Hindu woman in
Pakistan to be appointed as a civil judge.
 Suman, who hails from Qambar-Shahdadkot.
 The first judge from the Hindu community was Justice
Rana Bhagwandas (the acting chief justice between 2005
and 2007)
 Hinduism remains the second (only 2%) largest religion in Pakistanafter Islam.
Sultan Abdullah sworn in as new Malaysian King

 Sultan Abdullah Ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah was sworn as the 16th
King of Malaysia.
 He was elected after Sultan Muhammad V abdicated the throne earlier
this month.
 Malaysia practices the system of a constitutional monarchy.
 According to its Constitution, the King is elected every five years from among the nine
Sultans on a rotational basis.
Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar assumes charge as Vice Chief of Naval Staff
 Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar assumed charge as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.
 He served as the Navigating Officer of Indian Naval Ships Beas, Nilgiri, Ranvir and Vikrant.
 An alumnus of Sainik School, Amaravathi Nagar and National Defence Academy,
Khadakvasla, Pune, he was commissioned into the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy on
01 Jul 1982.
 Arun Jaitley resumed charge as the finance minister after a gap of over a month, which was
the second break within a year that he had to take to undergo medical treatment.
 Chandramouli Ramanathan appointed as Controller, Assistant Secretary-General for
Programme Planning, Budget and Finance in the management strategy, policy and
compliance department. He succeeds Bettina Tucci Bartsiotas.
 Ruchira Kamboj was appointed as the Ambassador of India to Bhutan. She is serving as the
High Commissioner of India to South Africa since 2017.
 Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has been elected as the chairman of the African
Union at the continental body’s summit in Ethiopia.
 The government appointed Air India chief managing director and Chairperson Pradeep
Singh Kharola the secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Kharola will take over from
Rajiv Nayan Choubey.
 The government has appointed Dinesh Bhatia, the present Consul General, Consulate
General of India at Toronto as the next Ambassador of India to Argentina.
 Former Law Minister of Nepal Nilambar Acharya has been appointed as country's
ambassador to India.
 Ministry of External Affairs announced that Sanjiv Ranjan has been appointed as new
Ambassador to the Republic of Colombia.
40 |
 Yes bank Senior group President and head of retail and business banking, Pralay Mondal
resigned from his post.
1. Who was recently appointed as the first court-appointed ombudsman for the BCCI?
a) Justice DK Jain b) Justice SA Bobde c) Justice Ravi Thodge d) Justice Vinod Rai
2. Who has assumed charge as the new Election Commissioner of India on February 15, 2019?
a) Bipin Kumar Jha b) Sushil Chandra c) Vivek Dahiya d) Ranjan Misra
3. Who has been sworn in as the new Attorney General of the United States?
a) William Barr b) Robert Mueller c) Elizabeth Warren d) John Delaney
4. Which nation’s parliament is set to vote on extending president's term?

a) Malaysia b) Jordan c) Egypt d) Iran
5. Which nation’s President has taken over as the new chair of African Union?
a) Zambia b) Egypt c) Ethiopia d) Ghana
6. Donald Trump has nominated US treasury diplomat David Malpass to head which
international body?
a) United Nations b) World Bank c) IMF d) WHO
7. Nayib Bukele has claimed victory in the presidential election of which nation?
a) Mexico b) El Salvador c) Colombia d) Brazil
8. Who has been appointed as the new CBI director on February 2?

a) M Nageswara Rao b) Rakesh Asthana c) Rishi Kumar Shukla d) Alok Verma
9. Tahir Ayala has been appointed as the Prime Minister of which country?
a) Somalia b) Nigeria c) Sudan d) Kenya
10. Justice Uma Nath Singh has been appointed as the first Lokayukta of which state?
a) Assam b) Odisha c) Nagaland d) Tripura
41 |
Person Resigned/Retired
Iran Foreign Minister Zarif announces the resignation

 Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (59-years)
announced his resignation.
 His reputation in Iran's political establishment took a hit
when the US withdrew from the nuclear deal in May 2018.
 Zarif was blamed by ultra-conservatives for negotiating a bad
deal that had not gained anything meaningful for Iran.
 President Hassan Rouhani has not accepted the resignation so far.
Chris Gayle announces retirement from One-day Internationals

 West Indian left-hander batsman Chris Gayle (39-year) has announced that he will retire
from One-day Internationals after the forthcoming World
Cup.
 Gayle has scored 9,727 ODI runs, second only to the
legendary Brian Lara among West Indians in 284 matches.
 Gayle has scored a Windies record of 23 ODI hundreds,
including the first-ever World Cup double century against
Zimbabwe.
 The World Cup will be held in England and Wales from 30th May till 14th July 2019.
Squash Great Nicol David announces retirement

 Malaysia’s 8-time World Champion Nicol David (35-year)
has announced that she will call time on her record-breaking
career at the end of the 2018/19 season.
 She is one of the most successful squash players of all time
and spent an unprecedented 9 years at World No.1 (in 2006-
2015).
 David also lifted 5 British Open titles, 2 Commonwealth Games gold medals, 5 Asian Games
gold medals and 3 World Games gold medals.
42 |
Sports
Laureus World Sports Awards 2019
 The Laureus World Sports Awards 2019 were presented on 18 February 2019 to honour
the greatest sporting achievements of 2018 and celebrate the power of
sport to change the world.
Awardees of Laureus World Sports Awards 2019
 Sportsman of the Year: Novak Djokovic, (Serbia) Tennis.
 Sportswoman of the Year: Simone Biles (USA) Gymnastics.
 Comeback of the Year: Tiger Woods (USA) Golf.
 Breakthrough of the Year: Naomi Osaka (Japan) Tennis.
 Sportsperson of the Year With A Disability: Henrieta Farkkašová (Slovakia) Skiing.
 Action Sportsperson of the Year: Chloe Kim (USA) Snowboarding.
 Team of the Year: France World Cup Team (France) Football
 Laureus Sporting Moment of the Year: Xia Boyu, China (Climbing Mount Everest).
 Academy Exceptional Achievement Award: Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya.
 Lifetime Achievement Award: Arsène Wenger, France.
 Spirit for Sport Award: Lindsey Vonn, (USA).
 Sport For Good Award: Yuwa (India).
ISSF World Cup: Manu, Saurabh clinch 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team gold
 Indian duo Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker won the Gold medal in 10-metre air
pistol mixed team event at the ISSF world cup Shooting in
New Delhi.
 They shot a total of 483.5 points to finish on top of the
podium.
 The Chinese duo of Ranxin Jiang and Bowen Zhang won the
Silver with 477.7 points.
 While the bronze went to the Korean pair of Minjung Kim and Daehun Park who scored
418.8 points.
 The tournament offered 14 quota places for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
 India jointly topped the standings with Hungary in the ISSF World Cup claiming three gold
medals but managed to secure only one Olympic quota.
IOC Suspends India from Hosting Global Sporting Events

 The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suspended all
discussions with India regarding hosting of global sporting events in the
backdrop of denial of visas to the two Pakistani Shooters. The Pakistani
shooters were supposed to participate in the 25m rapid fire pistol event
in the ISSF World Cup.
 Contents of the IOC statement
 IOC notes that the Indian government authorities have failed to grant an
entry visa for the Pakistani delegation to participate in the ISSF World
Cup which was a qualification competition for the Tokyo Olympic Games to be held in 2020.
 Keeping in mind the interests of other 500 athletes from 61 countries participating in other
events of ISSF World Cup, the IOC has withdrawn the recognition of the 25m rapid fire
pistol event and not the whole World Cup.
 Denial of visa for Pakistani shooters is against the Fundamental Principles of the Olympic
Charter.
43 |
 As a result, IOC Executive Board has decided to suspend all discussions with India
regarding the potential applications for hosting future sports and Olympic-related events
until clear written guarantees are obtained from the Indian government to ensure the entry
of all participants in compliance with the rules of the Olympic Charte
Sanath Jayasuriya banned from cricket for two years

 Former Sri Lankan Cricket Captain Sanath Jayasuriya (49-years) has been banned from
Cricket for two years after he failed to co-operate in a
corruption investigation.
 According to the ICC statement, Jayasuriya admitted to
breaching two counts of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.
 He served as chair of the selection committee during 2016-
17during which team performance dipped and has remained
uneven since then.
 Sri Lankan cricket has been under investigation by ICC for last few years and Jayasurya was
served a notice a few months back.
Afghanistan Scores highest ever T20 International Score

 Afghanistan scored 278 for the loss of 3 wickets (in 20
overs) to register the highest-ever total in T20s at the Rajiv
Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun,
Uttarakhand.
 First player from Afghanistan Hazratullah Zazai scored 162
runs from just 62 balls.
 Earlier, in 2016 Australia’s record score of 263/3 which they achieved back against Sri
Lanka.
 Zazai’s 236-run opening stand with Usman Ghani became the highest partnership in T20Is.
 They beat 223-run stand between Australia’s Aaron Finch and Darcy Short.
 Highest innings totals:
S.No. Score Batting team Opposition Venue
1. 278/3 Afghanistan Ireland Rajiv Gandhi International

(20.0 overs) Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
2. 263/3 Australia Sri Lanka Pallekele Stadium, Pallekele

(20.0 overs)
3. 260/5 India Sri Lanka Holkar Stadium, Indore

(20.0 overs)
Saurabh Chaudhary clinches gold in 10m air rifle at Shooting World Cup
 Saurabh Chaudhary has won the gold medal in the 10m air
pistolevent at the ongoing ISSF World Cup at the Dr. Karni
Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi.
 Saurabh shot a total of 245 (World Record) to claim the top
spot.
 He has also booked a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
44 |
Apurvi Chandela wins gold in women's 10m air rifle

 Apurvi Chandela has won the gold medal in the women's 10-metre air rifle event at the
Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi.
 This is India's first medal of the ISSF World Cup 2019.
 She set a new world record by registering a score of 252.9 points in the final.
 Silver medallist Zhao Ruozhu (China) scored 251.8 points and Xu Hong (China) settled for
the bronze medal with 230.4 points.
Ajay Singh appointed as the Head of AIBA Elite foundation

 India's boxing chief Ajay Singh has been elected as the
president of the Foundation Board for Better Boxing of AIBA
(International Boxing Association) for a tenure of 4 years.
 Currently, Mr. Singh is the president of the Boxing
Federation of India.
 AIBA formed the Foundation Board for Better Boxing in the
last meeting of its Executive Committee to formulate an
action plan for global development of the sport in future.
ICC bans UAE Cricket coach Irfan Ansari for 10 years

 According to the International Cricket Council (ICC) statement,
United Arab Emirates (UAE) coach Irfan Ansari has been banned
from all forms of cricket for ten years.
 The Anti-Corruption Tribunal of ICC found him guilty of breaching
three counts of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.
 Ansari approached Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed during
Pakistan series with Sri Lanka in the UAE in October 2017.
Saina Nehwal wins women’s 83rd Singles Senior Badminton Title

 Saina Nehwal won her fourth title at the Yonex-Sunrise 83rd
Senior Nationals.
 She defended PV Sindhu in the finals in Guwahati by 21-18,
21-15.
 Sourabh Verma claiming the men’s singles crown after
defeating young Lakshya Sen in straight games of 21-18, 21-
13.
 Pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Chirag Shetty defeated Arjun M.R and Shlok
Ramachandran in straight games to clinch the Men’s Doubles title.
Vidarbha beat Rest of India to retain Irani Cup

 Vidarbha (Ranji Trophy champions) successfully defended
their title and defeated Rest of India on the first-innings
basis to win the tournament in Nagpur.
 Now, Vidarbha has become the third
team after Mumbai and Karnataka to clinch two Irani Cup
titles in a row.
 According to Vidarbha captain Faiz Fazal, the entire prize
money will be donated to the families of the CRPF personnel martyred in Pulwama terror
attack.
 Hanuma Vihari became the first player to score 3 consecutive centuries in Irani Cup.
 Final Score:
45 |
 Rest of India: 330 (89.4 overs) & 374/3d (107 overs)

 Vidarbha: 425 (142.1 overs) & 269/5 (103.1 overs)
 Player of the Match: Akshay Karnewar (Vidarbha).
Sportstar Aces Lifetime Achievement Award for Prakash Padukone

 Badminton legend Prakash Padukone has been honoured for the
Lifetime Achievement at the Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai.
 In the Sportsman of the Year (Cricket) category, India skipper Virat
Kohli and pacer Jasprit Bumrah were declared as joint winners.
 Indian women's cricket team opener Smriti Mandhana bagged the
Sportswoman of the Year (Cricket) award.
 Note:
o The awards jury consisted of Sunil Gavaskar, M M Somaiya, Anju Bobby George, Anjali
Bhagwat and journalist N Ram.
‘Clouded Leopard’ to be Mascot for National Games 2022

 Clouded Leopard (Meghalaya's state animal) will be the mascot for the National Games
2022, coinciding with the 50th year of the creation of the state.
 This decision was taken at the 1st National Games 2022 executive committee meeting
chaired by Meghalaya Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh.
 The clouded leopard is one of the wild cats that live throughout the forests of Garo, Khasi
and Jaintia Hills.
 An estimated 14,450 athletes and officials are expected to visitMeghalaya during the
Games.
 The Stadium will be constructed on government land of approximately 50 acres in
Mawdiangdiang at a cost of Rs. 300 crores.
 Meghalaya will be the third northeastern state after Manipur and Assam hosted
the National Games in 1999 and 2007, respectively.
 Note:
 The National Games comprises various disciplines in which sportsmen from the different
states of India participate against each other.
Jeremy Lalrinnunga clinches silver in men's 67-kg category

 Youth Olympics gold medallist Jeremy Lalrinnunga (16-years) has won the silver in men's
67-kilogram category in the EGAT's Cup International
Weightlifting Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
 Lalrinnunga lifted 131 kilograms in the snatch and 157
kilograms in clean and jerk for a total of 288 kilograms.
 The promising Mizoram weightlifter is, however, far behind
the gold winner,
 Deni (Indonesia) total lifted 303 kilograms and won the Gold medal.
 Ruben Katoatau (Kiribati) took the bronze with a total lift of 285 kilograms.
Spin legend Shane Warne named brand ambassador of Rajasthan Royals

 Australia spin legend Shane Warne has been named the
brand ambassador of Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the Indian
Premier League (IPL)-2019.
 Warne went on to captain Rajasthan Royals for four seasons
until 2011, after which he retired from all forms of cricket.
 Besides, the Rajasthan Royals has also decided to change its
46 |
jersey colour from blue to pink this year.
Railways lift Senior Men's National hockey title

 Railway Sports Promotion Board lifted the 9th Senior National Men's Hockey
Championship crown at Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
 They dished out a scintillating performance to stun defending champions Punjab 3-2 and
claim the gold medal.
 Petroleum Sports Promotion Board beat Punjab and Sind Bank, 4-1 to clinch the Bronze
medal.
India's young paddlers clinch four medals

 India's young paddlers clinching four medals (1-gold, 2-
silver and 1- bronze) at the Bahrain Junior and Cadet Open
Table Tennis tournament in Manama, Bahrain.
 In the final, The India-A team of Suhana Saini and Anargya
Manjunath proved too strong for India-B and clinched the
Gold.
 In the Junior girls' competition, the Indian team of
Manushree Patil and Swastika Ghosh beat three teams before losing to eventual champions
Russia to settle for a Silver.
India's Rohit Sharma becomes highest run-scorer in T20 cricket

 India's Rohit Sharma (31-year) has become the highest run scorerin the Twenty20
International history while playing against New Zealand in Auckland.
 Sharma overtook New Zealand's Martin Guptill, who has scored 2,272 runs in 74
innings in T20I.
 He also became first India and the third overall player to smash 100 sixes in T20 cricket.
 Rohit made his T20 debut against England in 2007 and has played 92 matches, averaging
33.15.
S. Player Matches Inns Runs 100 50
No
1. Rohit Sharma (India) 92 85 2288 4 16
2. Martin Guptill (NZ) 76 74 2272 2 14
3. Shoaib Malik ICC/PAK) 111 104 2263 0 7
4 Virat Kohli (India) 65 60 2167 0 19
5. Brendon McCullum (NZ) 71 70 2140 2 13
Ricky Ponting named Australia’s assistant coach for World Cup campaign
 According to Australia’s cricket board, Former captain Ricky
Ponting(44-year) has been appointed as an assistant coach
of Australia's men's team for the 50-over World Cup in England.
 Ponting will work with Australia's batsmen for the World Cup
campaign.
 Now, current batting coach Graeme Hick preparing the side for the
Ashes tour in England (held in August).
47 |
Vidarbha grab second successive Ranji Trophy Title 2018

 Vidarbha defeated Saurashtra by 78 runs to retain the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 edition (85th
season) at the Vidarbha Cricket Association in Nagpur.
 Left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate (Vidarbha), with eleven wickets in the match to steer
Vidarbha to domestic glory.
 The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between
teams representing regional and state cricket associations.
 Here are the details of the scores:
 Vidarbha: 312-10 (120.2) & 200-10 (92.5).
 Saurashtra: 307-10 (117) & 127-10 (58.4)
 Note:
 The competition currently consists of 37 teams, with all 29
states in India and two of the seven union territories having
at least one representation.
 The competition is named after first Indian cricketer who played international cricket,
Ranjitsinhji, who was also known as 'Ranji'.
Smriti Mandhana becomes world No.1 women’s ODI batter

 As per the latest rankings released by the ICC, Indian women’s cricket team left-handed
opener ‘Smriti Mandhana’ (22-years) has become the
number-1 batter in latest ICC ODI rankings.
 Earlier, she was named ICC Women’s Player of the Year 2018.
 Recently, she played a key role in India’s maiden ODI series on
New Zealand soil.
 In the 15 ODIs, Smriti has played since the beginning of 2018,
she has scored two centuries and eight half-centuries.
 Women's ODI Player Rankings:
 Smriti Mandhana (India) -- 751 (Rating).
 Ellyse Perry (Australia) -- 681 (Rating).
 Meg Lanning (Australia) – 675(Rating).
Haryana Hammers beats Punjab Royals to win PWL 4

 Haryana Hammers defeated two-time defending champion Punjab Royals 6-3 in the final to
lift the Pro Wrestling League season 4 title at the Gautam Buddha University indoor
stadium, Greater Noida.
 The Pro Wrestling League (PWL) is an Indian sports wrestling promotion that was
established in 2015.
 It was initiated by ProSportify and Wrestling Federation of
India.
 The Pro Wrestling League includes six franchises (Delhi
Sultans, UP Dangal, Haryana Hammers, MP Yodha, Mumbai
Maharathi and the NCR Punjab Royals) which represent cities
throughout India.
 Winners List:
S. No. Year Winners
1. 2019 Haryana Hammers
2. 2018 NCR Punjab Royals
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3. 2017 NCR Punjab Royals
4. 2015 Mumbai Garuda
Qatar wins Asian Football Champions 2019

 Qatar national football team beat Japan 3-1 to win the AFC Asian Cup 2019 crown in Abu
Dhabi.
 Ali Almoez, Abdel Aziz Hatim and Akram Afif scored to give Qatar national football team a
3-1 victory against Japan.
 Takumi Minamino scored for Japan.
 For the first time, the Asian Cup final tournament was
contested by 24 teams.
 Now, The winner of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup will participate
in the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup.
 Note:
 The 2019 AFC Asian Cup (17th edition) was the
quadrennial international men's football championship of
Asia organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
 It was held in the United Arab Emirates from 5 January to 1 February 2019.
Mithali raj becomes the first woman to play 200 ODI matches
 India’s women's cricket team Captain Mithali Raj (36-year) has become the first woman
to play 200 matches in the ODI (One-day Internationals) format when she played
against New Zealand in Hamilton.
 She already holds the record for being the most capped
woman in one-day internationals.
 Mithali's international career is fourth-highest behind
only Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Javed
Miandad.
 She earned her 192nd cap to beat Charlotte Edward’s, former England captain when she led
India against the English in the first match of their ICC Women’s Championship ODI
series in April 2018.
 Note:
 Mithali Raj made her ODI debut in June 1999 (against Ireland) in Milton Keynes.
 She is the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket and the only female cricketer
to surpass the 6,000 runs mark in WODIs.
 The Asian Hockey Federation has honored Indian skipper Manpreet Singh with the 2018
Player of the Year award. Women team’s striker Lalremsiami has bagged the Rising Player
of The Year prize.
 Sri Lanka cricket team became the first Asian side to win a Test series in South Africa after
winning the series by 2-0. Kusal Perera was given the Man of the Series award.
 Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta lifted the Cannes International Open trophy.
 Malaysia’s 8-time World Champion Nicol David announced that she will call time on her
record- breaking career at the end of the 2018/19 season.
 Elise Merten, world number 21 from Belgium beat world number 3, Simona Halep to win
the Qatar Open held in Doha, Qatar.
49 |
 Eva de Goede from Netherlands and Arthur van Doren of Belgium were titled the
International Hockey Federation’s Players of the Year for 2018. Eva de Goede named the
Female Player of the Year and Arthur van Doren won the Male Player of the Year award for
the second year in a row.
 Prajnesh Gunneswaran has made it to the top-100 of Men’s Singles Tennis rankings with a
jump of six places that took him to 97. Prajnesh is the third Indian player to break into the
top-100 barrier in the past decade after Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri.
 Jamie Chadwick from England made history by becoming the first female driver to win the
MRF challenge title after scoring a triple win in the final round in Chennai.
 In Tennis, France’s Corentin Moutet clinched the Chennai Open ATP Challenger tournament
title after beating Andrew Harris of Australia in the singles final.
 Cricket Australia appointed Ricky Ponting as the assistant coach for Australia’s cricket team
for 2019 World Cup.
 World champion Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu notched up a gold medal at the
EGAT Cup in Thailand. Chanu won the 48kg category gold with an effort of 192 kg in the
silver level Olympic qualifying event.
 Indian opener Smriti Mandhana hammered the fastest fifty for India in Women’s T20Is. The
left- handed batswoman struck a half-century in just 24 balls in the 1st T20I against New
Zealand at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.
 Indian squash player Ramit Tandon defeated Egyptian Mohamed El Sherbini in the finals to
win the Seattle Open, a PSA challenger squash Tour event.
 Former captain of the Pakistan women team Sana Mir has become the first Asian woman to
play hundred T20Is.
 Golfer Vani Kapoor has become the first Indian to grab Australian Ladies PGA Tour (LPGA)
after securing 12th Rank tied with three others in the first- ever qualifying tournament at
the Ballarat Golf Club in Australia.
 The INS Dronacharya team won the Regatta trophy in the Kochi Area Pulling Regatta 2019
of the Southern Naval Command (SNC) held in the Ernakulam Channel. Anti-Submarine
Warfare (ASW) School & Diving School secured the runners up position.
 Nikhat Zareen and Meena Kumari Devi have become the first Indian women boxers to
win gold medals at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.
 Brijbhushan Sharan Singh (62-years) has been elected unopposed as President of Wrestling
Federation of India (WFI). This marked the third time that Singh had assumed the post of
WFI’s president.
1. Which player was honoured with Asian Hockey Federation’s Player of the Year award?
a) Harmanpreet Singh b) Birendra Lakra c) Akashdeep Singh d) Manpreet Singh
2. Which former cricketer has been banned from cricket for a period of two years?
a) Sanath Jayasuriya b) Shane Warne c) Imran Khan d) Shahid Afridi
3. The International Cricket Council on February 19, 2019 banned UAE-based coach Irfan
Ansari for how many years?
a) 5 years b) 10 years c) 15 years d) Life ban
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4. Who won the women’s singles title at the Yonex-Sunrise 83rd Senior Nationals?
a) Ankita Raina b) Sania Mirza c) PV Sindhu d) Saina Nehwal
5. Which legendary cricketer has been named as the brand ambassador of Rajasthan Royals
for the 2019 Indian Premier League?
a) Rahul Dravid b) Shane Warne c) Ross Taylor d) Anil Kumble
6. Who has become the third Indian player to break into the top-100 of men's singles tennis
rankings in the past decade?
a) Rohan Bopanna b) Divij Sharan
c) Ankita Raina d) Prajnesh Gunneswaran
7. Who has been appointed as Australia's assistant coach for 2019 World Cup campaign?
a) Rocky Ponting b) Shane Warne c) Bret Lee d) Steve Waugh
51 |
Honours / Awards
91st Academy Awards (Oscars) 2019

 The 91st Academy Awards (Oscars) has been announced at the Dolby Theatre in
Hollywood, the USA.
 Rami Malek was named Best Actor in a Leading Role for
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, while Olivia Colman won Best
Actress Oscar for ‘The Favourite’ at the 91st Academy
Awards.
 India-based ‘Period. End of Sentence.’ has won the Oscar
for Best Documentary Short Subject. The film was directed
by 25-year-old Iranian-American filmmaker Rayka
Zehtabchi and co-produced by Guneet Monga, who is known for producing films like
‘Masaan’ and ‘The Lunchbox’.
List of important winners of Oscar Awards 2019:
S.No. Category Winner

1. Best Picture Green Book
2. Best Actress in a Olivia Colman for The Favourite
Leading Role
3. Best Actor in a Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody
Leading Role
4. Best Directing Alfonso Cuarón for Roma
5. Best Documentary Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton for Period. End of
Short Sentence
6. Best Animated Spiderman: Into the Spider Verse
BAFTA Awards 2019

 Netflix drama ‘Roma’ won the top prize at the 72nd edition of the British Academy of
Film and Television Arts or BAFTA awards. With seven
BAFTAs in its kitty, director Yorgos Lanthimos’s The
Favourite emerged top winner in 2019.
 Actress Olivia Colman picked best actress BAFTA for her
portrayal of Queen Anne in The Favourite. Roma, for which
director Alfonso Cuaron also picked a trophy, rounded off
with four BAFTAs while Bohemian Rhapsody – the Golden Globes favourite – went
home with just one BAFTA for lead actor Rami Malek.
List of important winners for the 72nd edition of the BAFTA Awards:
1. Best Director Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
2. Best Film Roma
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3. Best Actress Olivia Colman, The Favourite

4. Best Actor Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody
5. Best Animated Film Spider-Man Into the Spider- Verse
6. Best British Short Animation Roughhouse
7. Best British Short Film 73 Cows
Grammy Awards 2019

 The 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held at
Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was hosted by Singer-
songwriter Alicia Keys. The list of important winners of
Grammy Awards 2019 given below:

1. Album Of The Year Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves
2. Record Of The Year “This Is America,” Childish Gambino
3. Best New Artist Dua Lipa

4. Best Rap Album Invasion Of Privacy, Cardi B
National e-Governance Awards 2019 presented in Delhi

 Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office, Dr Jitendra Singhhas presented National e-
Governance Awards, 2019 in six categories at Dr.
Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
 The awards are given every year to recognise and
promote excellence in the implementation of e-
Governance initiatives.
 The initiative seeks to disseminate knowledge on
effective methods of designing and implementing
sustainable e-Governance initiatives.
 It also recognizes initiatives in Startups, Academic Research Institutions as well as
initiatives in adopting emerging technologies.
 Railway's ticket booking mobile application ‘Rail Connect mobile’ and the Chhattisgarh
government's 'Khanij online' are among 14 such IT projects that have been chosen for this
year's National e-Governance Awards.
PM Modi receives the Seoul Peace Prize in South Korea

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the prestigious Seoul Peace Prize - 2018 for his
contribution to international cooperation and fostering global economic growth.
 The award was presented to him by the Seoul Peace Prize Foundation at a grand
ceremony in Seoul.
 PM Modi gives the prize money of Seoul Peace Prize USD 200,000to Namami Gange fund.
 Earlier, PM Narendra Modi paid tributes to Korean soldiers at the National Cemetery.
 Seven documents signed between India and South Korea at the bilateral meeting including
on cooperation in media, start-ups and police among others.
 Note:
53 |
 The Seoul Peace Prize was established in 1990 to commemorate the success of the 24th
Olympic Games held in Seoul.
 The award was established to crystalise Korean people's yearning for peace on the Korean
peninsula and in the rest of the world.
7th National Photography awards announced

 Union Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore presented the 7th National Photography
Awards in New Delhi.
 The theme for the Professional category was “Women-led Development”, while the theme
for Amateur category was “Fairs and Festivals of India”.
 The list of the Award winners is as under:
S. No. Awards Names Prize Money
1. Lifetime Achievement Award Ashok Dilwali Rs.3,00,000
2. Professional Photographer of the Year S L Shanth Kumar Rs.1,00,000
3. Amateur Photographer of the Year Gurdeep Dhiman Rs.75,000
Abdul Aziz Muhamat wins International Human Rights Prize

 As per the UN refugee agency UNHCR, Abdul Aziz Muhamat
(Sudanese refugee) has won the Martin Ennals Award
2019 in Geneva (Switzerland) for exposing “the very cruel
asylum seeker policy of the Australian Government”.
 Mr. Muhamat spent five years in the Australian detention
centre on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.
 It is sometimes referred to as the ‘Nobel Prize for human rights’.
 Note:
 The annual Martin Ennals Awards are named after a Nobel Peace Prize-winning British
human rights activist.
Sunil Chhetri has given first ever Football Ratna Award

 Indian professional footballer Sunil Chhetri (34-year) has
been conferred the first ever Football Ratna honour at
Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
 He is popularly known as ‘Captain Fantastic’.
 He has scored the 2nd highest number of goals in
international matches among active players after Cristiano
Ronaldo.
 Chhetri has also been named AIFF Player of the Year five times in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014
and 2017.
Indian Historian Sanjay Subrahmanyam wins Israel’s Dan David Prize 2019
 Noted Indian historian Sanjay Subrahmanyam has won Israel's prestigious Dan David
Prize 2019 for his work on inter-cultural encounters between Asians, Europeans and
people of North and South America during the early modern era.
 He shares the USD 1 million award in this category with Prof Kenneth Pomeranz of
the University of Chicago.
 The award in the "Present" category was won jointly by Reporters without Borders and
Professor Michael Ignatieff for "Defending Democracy”.
54 |
 Sanjay Subrahmanyam is the son of strategic analyst K Subrahmanyam and brother of

former foreign secretary S Jaishankar.
 Note:
 The international Dan David Prize is awarded annually to those who have made
outstanding scientific, technological and humanistic accomplishments in fields representing
the past, present and future of human achievement.
 The Dan David Prize is a joint international enterprise endowed by the Dan David
Foundation headquartered at Tel Aviv University.
Deepa Mehta to receive Lifetime Achievement Award from Canadian Academy

 Indo-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta will be given the Lifetime Achievement Award
by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.
 Mehta was born in India, but she had moved to Canada (in 1973) after her marriage to
documentary filmmaker Paul Saltzman.
 Currently, Mehta is working on a Netflix series Leila.
 Mehta is best known for her Elements Trilogy – ‘Fire’, ‘Earth’ and ‘Water’.
 Mehta's 'Earth' was presented as an official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign
Language Film by India.
 Note:
 The Canadian Screen Awards are given annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and
Television recognising excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital
media productions.
Francois Laborde Conferred France’s Highest Civilian Honour

 Father Francois Laborde (92-year) was conferred
the Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honour), the highest
civilian award of France,in recognition of his work
for specially-abled children.
 He is the third person from the state to have been awarded
the Legion of Honor after Satyajit Ray (film maestro- in 1987)
and Soumitra Chatterjee(actor).
 Father Laborde had set up Howrah South Point, an organisation working for the
development of specially-abled children, the destitute and the most deprived sections of the
society.
 He was entitled by the Alexandre Ziegler (French Ambassador to India).
 33-year-old Ashoka University teacher and Wipro Sustainable Fellow, Divya Karnad
became the First Indian Woman to be honoured with the 'Future for Nature Award' for her
work on marine conservation. It was given to Oliver Nsengimana and Fernanda Abra along
with Divya Karnad.
 G.R. Karthikeyan, father of India’s first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan, was
honored with the Lifetime Achievement award at the FMSCI annual awards function.
 Eminent Indian playwright Mahesh Elkunchwar has been chosen for this year's META
Lifetime Achievement Award.
 Jharkhand based NGO Yuwa won the Laureus Sports for Good Award. Yuwa works for girl
empowerment and became the third Indian entry to receive this honour. Yuwa was
founded in 2009 by Americans Franz Gastler and Rose Thomson.
 Sudanese refugee, Abdul Aziz Muhamat, who spent 5 years in the Australian detention
centre on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, was given the Martin Ennals Award 2019 in
55 |
Geneva, Switzerland, for exposing “the very cruel asylum seeker policy of the Australian
Government”.
 Bradley Cooper has been awarded the ‘Oscat’ by People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA).
 Siddhartha Lal, managing director and chief executive officer, Eicher Motors, has been
awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year for 2018.
 National Film Development Corporation of India has been declared winner under the
Miniratna Category (Category II) by Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSME).
 Aegis Graham Bell Award 2018 announced Yes Bank as the winner in ‘Innovation in Data
Science’ category for their industry-first project ‘Yes EEE (Engage Enrich Excel)’ at Panaji,
Goa.
 Father Francois Laborde, a 92-year-old priest, was conferred the Légion d'Honneur (Legion
of Honour), the highest civilian award of France, in recognition of his work for specially-
abled children.
 State Bank of India’s Uk chief Mr. Sanjiv Chadha honored with the ‘Freedom of the City Of
London’ by the city of London Corporation in recognition of his contribution to promoting
the bilateral relations.
 National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) of India has been selected as Winner under
the Miniratna Category (Category II) by Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSME).
1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the years
2016, 2017 and 2018 in which field?
a) Science & Technology b) Sports
c) Education & Skill Development d) Literature
2. Which movie won the Oscars 2019 in Best Documentary – Short Subject category?
a) Bao b) Period. End Of Sentence
c) Skin d) Free Solo
3. Which movie won the ‘Best Picture’ award at the 91st Academy Awards (Oscars)?
a) Bohemian Rhapsody b) The Favourite
c) Roma d) Green Book
4. Which song won the Oscars 2019 in the Best Original Song category?
a) Shallow b) All The Stars
c) I'll Fight d) The Place Where Lost Things Go
5. Who became the 14th recipient of the 2018 Seoul Peace Prize?
a) Narendra Modi b) Vladimir Putin c) Donald Trump d) Ban-Ki-Moon
6. Who won the Israel's Dan David Prize 2019 in the ‘Past’ category?
a) Sanjay Subrahmanyam b) Michael Ignatieff
c) Christina Figueres d) Amitav Ghosh
7. Which film won the ‘best film’ award at the 2019 British Academy Film Awards?
56 |
a) Bohemian Rhapsody b) A Star is Born

c) The Favourite d) Roma
8. Which film won the maximum number of awards at the 2019 BAFTA awards?
a) The Favourite b) BlackKlansman c) Green Book d) A Star Is Born
9. How many awardees have been selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for the
year 2017 by the Council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi?
a) 28 b) 42 c) 56 d) 78
57 |
Obituaries
Noted Hindi writer Namvar Singh passes away

 Noted Hindi Writer Prof. Namvar Singh (92-years) passed away at All India Institute of
Medical Science in New Delhi.
 Mr. Singh was the first Chairman of JNU’s Centre of Indian
Languages.
 He has authored over dozen books including 'Kavita Ke
Naye Pratiman', 'Chhayavad' and 'Dusri Parampara Ki Khoj'
among others.
 He received Sahitya Academy Award for literary criticism in
1971 for 'Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman'.
Nepal’s Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari passes away

 Nepal’s Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Rabindra Adhikari and six others were killed
in helicopter crash in Taplejung district of Nepal.
 The team had gone for a feasibility study for an airstrip in
Chuhandanda in neighbouring Tehrathum.
 Nepal has some of the world's most remote and tricky runways,
flanked by snow-capped peaks with approaches that pose a
challenge for even accomplished pilots.
Iconic German Fashion Designer Karl Lagerfeld passes away

 Iconic German Fashion Designer Karl Lagerfeld (85-years)
passed away in Paris.
 Karl has recognized for his signature white hair, black
sunglasses, fingerless gloves, and high, starched detachable
collars.
 Karl Lagerfeld's fashion career in high fashion in the 1950s
as Pierre Balmain's assistant.
 In 1983, Lagerfeld began his most prominent role by taking over as Chanel's creative
director.
Climate scientist Wallace Smith Broecker passes away in New York

 Climate scientist Wallace Smith Broecker (87-years) passed away in New York City
hospital.
 Columbia University professor Broecker brought "global
warming" into common use with a 1975 paper that correctly
predicted rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere
would lead to pronounced warming.
 He was known in science circles as the "Grandfather of
Climate Science".
 Broecker was also first to recognize what he called the Ocean Conveyor Belt, a global
system of ocean currents circulating water and nutrients.
Veteran film producer Raj Kumar Barjatya passes away

 Veteran Bollywood producer Raj Kumar Barjatya (75-year) passed away at Reliance
Hurkissondas Hospital in Mumbai.
58 |
 He helmed several Bollywood hit films including ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’, ‘Hum Aapke
Hain Koun’, ‘Vivah’, ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’, ‘Main Prem Ki
Deewani Hoon’ among others.
 He worked in the industry as a producer and mostly backed
films that were directed by his son Sooraj.
 Note:
 Rajshri Productions Pvt. Ltd. (established in 1947) is a film
production and distribution company based in Mumbai,
India, and is primarily involved in producing Hindi films.
 The banner was founded by Raj Kumar Barjatya’s father Tarachand Barjatya.
Best-selling British Author ‘Andrea Levy’ passed away

 Bestselling British Author Andrea Levy (62-years) passed away due to cancer.
 She was known for penning books ‘The Long Song’ and
‘Small Island’(story of Jamaican migrants in Britain).
 ‘Small Island’ won the Whitbread prize, the Orange Prize for
Fiction and the Commonwealth Writers’ prize.
 Levy's last novel, "The Long Song," was published in 2010
and was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize.
Chemistry Nobel Prize winner Manfred Eigen passes away

 Nobel Prize winner German scientist Manfred Eigen (91-years) passed away.
 Mr. Eigen shared the 1967 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his
work on extremely fast chemical reactions.
 In 1971, he founded Max Planck Institute for Biophysical
Chemistry in Germany.
 He received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Institute
of Human Virology in the US in 2005.
Former Afghan interim President Mojaddedi passes away

 Former Afghan interim President Sibghatullah Mojaddedi (93-years) passed away
in Kabul hospital after a long illness.
 He played many roles in Afghan politics.
 Mojaddedi fought the Soviets and rose to become the country’s
interim President (for two months) after the collapse of the
Afghan communist regime in 1992.
 In 2003, he served as chairman of the Loya Jirga (or Grand
Assembly) that approved the Constitution for a post-Taliban era.
 American military veteran and novelist, William E. Butterworth III, better known as W.E.B.
Griffin (his pen name), passed away at the age of 89. He joined the army at the age of 17 and
has served in the Korean War.
 77 years old Swiss actor, Bruno Ganz who is famous for his role of German dictator, Adolf
Hitler in the Oscar-nominated film Downfall, passed away in Zurich, Switzerland due to
Colon Cancer.
 One of the world’s most famous goalkeeper Gordon Banks passed away at the age of 81 in
England.
 Noted actor Mahesh Anand, best known for playing the villain in several Bollywood films in
the late 1980s and 1990s has passed away at the age of 57.
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 Oscar-nominated British actor Albert Finney passed away peacefully after a short illness.
He aged 82.
 John Dingell, the longest-serving congressman in US history, has passed away aged 92. He
was first elected in 1955, serving in the House of Representatives for the next 59 years.
 Veteran Marathi actor Ramesh Bhatkar passed away aged 70 after battling cancer for over
one and a half years.
 Former Planning Commission member and ex- director of IIMC Hiten Bhaya passed away in
Delhi. Bhaya was 98.
1. Renowned climate scientist Wallace Smith Broecker passed away in New York on February
18, 2019. He had popularised which among the following terms?
a) Climate Change b) Wildfires c) Global Warming d) Ozone Layer
2. Asia's oldest captive elephant and Guinness record holder passed away on February 5,
2019. How old was she?
a) 77 b) 88 c) 92 d) 85
3. Swiss actor Bruno Ganz, who passed away at the age of 77, was famous for the playing the
role of which person?
A. Mussolini B. Napoleon C. Abraham Lincoln D. Hitler
4. In which country more than dozen illegal miners died in February 2019 in Kadoma Gold
mine?
A. Kenya B. South Africa C. Zimbabwe D. Senegal
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Important Days
 February 2 : World Wetlands Day

 Theme of 2019 : Wetlands and Climate Change
 February 4 : World Cancer Day

 Theme of 2019 : I am and I will
 February 4-10 : National Road Safety Week

 Theme of 2019 : Sadak Suraksha-Jeevan Raksha
 February 11 : International Day of Women and Girls in Science

 Theme of 2019 : Investment in Women and Girls in Science for Inclusive Green Growth
 February 13 : World Radio Day

 Theme of 2019 : Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace
 February 13 : Sarojini Naidu's Birth Anniversary / National Women's Day of India

 Theme of 2019 : No Theme
 February 20 : World Day of Social Justice

 Theme of 2019 : If You Want Peace & Development, Work for Social Justice
 February 21 : International Mother Language Day

 Theme of 2019 : Indigenous languages as a factor in development, peace and reconciliation
 February 24 : Central Excise Day

 Theme of 2019 : No Theme
 February 28 : National Science Day

 Theme of 2019 : Science for the People, and People for the Science
1. When the National Science Day is observed every year?

a) February 25 b) February 26 c) February 27 d) February 28
2. When is the World Radio Day observed every year?

a) February 13 b) February 14 c) February 15 d) February 16
3. When the World Cancer Day is celebrated every year?

a) 4 February b) 5 February c) 6 February d) 7 February
4. When is the International Mother Language Day observed every year?

a) 20 February b) 21 February c) 22 February d) 23 February
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Foreign Visits / Foreign Visitors
 Visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to the Republic of Korea in between February
21-22, 2019.
 State Visit of Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
to India in between February 19-20, 2019.
 State visit of President of Argentina Mr. Mauricio Macri to India in between February 17-19,
2019.
 Official Visit of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco to India in between
February 04-05, 2019.
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 The interim Union Budget for 2019-20 was announced by Mr Piyush Goyal, Union Minister
for Finance, Corporate Affairs, Railways and Coal, Government of India, in Parliament on
February 01, 2019. It focuses on supporting the needy farmers, economically less
privileged, workers in the unorganised sector and salaried employees, while continuing the
Government of India’s push towards better physical and social infrastructure.
 Total expenditure for 2019-20 is budgeted at Rs 2,784,200 crore (US$ 391.53 billion), an
increase of 13.30 per cent from 2018-19 (revised estimates).
Highlights of Interim Union Budget 2019-20
 Overview of the economy

 India is currently the fastest growing major economy in world and the sixth largest
economy, compared to 11th largest in 2013-14.
 India will be a US$ 5 trillion economy in the next five years and might become a US$ 10
trillion economy in the next eight years thereafter.
 Average inflation rate in the country has gone down drastically to 4.6 per cent in the
current government’s tenure, lower than inflation under any other past government.
 Fiscal deficit of the Government of India is expected to be 3.4 per cent of the GDP for 2019-
20 and 2018-19 (revised estimates).
 Major Expenditure Items
 Capital expenditure for 2019-20 is expected to be Rs 336,292 crore (US$ 47.29 billion).
 Centrally sponsored schemes have been allocated Rs 327,679 crore (US$ 46.08 billion) in
2019-20.
 Defence budget will surpass Rs 300,000 crore (US$ 42.19 billion) for the first time in 2019-
20.
 Allocation for North-East areas is pegged at Rs 58,166 crore (US$ 8.18 billion) in 2019-20,
an increase of 21 per cent over 2018-19 (budget estimates).
 Scheduled tribes have been allocated Rs 50,086 crore (US$ 7.04 billion) in 2019-20, an
increase of 28 per cent over 2018-19 (budget estimates).
 Poor and Backward Classes
 The government is working to reduce the rural-urban and class divide in the country.
 Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been
allocated Rs 60,000 crore (US$ 8.44 billion) for 2018-19.
 A new pension scheme named ‘Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Mandhan’ will be launched for
workers in the unorganised sector, with an outlay of Rs 500 crore (US$ 70.31 million) for
2019-20. This would provide them an assured monthly income of Rs 3,000 (US$ 42.19)
from 60 years of age.
 NITI Aayog will set up a committee to identify de-notified, nomadic and semi-nomadic
communities, which are not yet classified. A welfare development board will also be set up
for these communities’ empowerment.
63 |
 Support for Farmers

 A historic programme named ‘Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)’ is being
launched to provide assured income support to the vulnerable farmers in the country,
effective from December 02, 2018. Under the scheme, families with cultivable land of up to
two hectares will be given direct income support of Rs 6,000 (US$ 84.38) per year in three
equal instalments. Annual outlay for the programme is Rs 75,000 crore (US$ 10.55 billion).
Around 120 million small and marginal farmer families will benefit from this programme.
 Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog will be set up to enhance cow resources.
 A separate Department of Fisheries will be created.
 Farmers pursuing animal husbandry and fisheries activities, who avail credit under the
Kisan Credit Card scheme (KCC) will become eligible for 2 per cent interest subvention and
3 per cent subvention on timely repayment.
 Infrastructure
 Railways will get capital support of Rs 64,587 crore (US$ 9.08 billion) in 2019-20.
Operating ratio of the railways is expected to improve to 95 per cent in 2019-20.
 Container cargo movement will be introduced to North-East areas as well.
 Around 100,000 villages in the country will be made digital villages in the next five years.
 A National Centre on Artificial Intelligence will be created on lines with the Centres of
Excellence.
 Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has been allotted Rs 19,000 crore (US$ 2.67
billion) in 2019-20.
 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Traders
 The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is being extended to all Central Public Sector
Enterprises (CPSEs), providing more opportunities for MSMEs to sell their products.
 Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) will be renamed as the Department
for Promotion of Industries and Internal Trade.
 Over 90 per cent of businesses paying goods and services tax (GST) will soon be able to file
quarterly returns.
 Tax Proposals
 Individual taxpayers with annual income up to Rs 500,000 (US$ 7,031.34) will get full tax
rebate and hence will not be required to pay any tax. As a result people with gross income
up to Rs 650,000 (US$ 9,140.74) may get full tax exemption with specific investments. This
is expected to provide tax benefit of around Rs 18,500 crore (US$ 2.60 billion) to around 30
million middle class taxpayers in the country.
 Standard deduction for salaries persons is being increased from Rs 40,000 (US$ 562.51) to
Rs 50,000 (US$ 703.13).
 Income tax on notional rent for second self-occupied house will be exempted.
 Threshold for tax deducted at source (TDS) for interest on bank and post office deposits is
increased from Rs 10,000 (US$ 140.63) to Rs 40,000 (US$ 562.51).
 Benefit of rollover capital gains up to Rs 2 crore (US$ 0.28 million) will be increased from
investment in one residential house to two houses. This can be availed once in a lifetime.
 Vision for the Next Decade
 To build physical and social infrastructure for a US$ 10 trillion economy.
 To create a Digital India that impacts life of all Indians.
64 |
 Make India pollution free thrive on electric vehicles and renewable energy.
 Expand rural industrialisation using modern technology.
 To have clean rivers, safe drinking water and efficient use of water.
 Make our coastline and ocean waters power India’s growth.
 To send an Indian astronaut to space by 2022 and make India a lunch pad for satellites of
the world through our space programme – Gaganyaan.
 Make India self-sufficient in food export to meet the world’s needs.
 A distress free and healthcare and a functional and comprehensive wellness system.
 Make India a minimum government and maximum governance nation.
1. As announced in the Interim Budget 2019-20, the 22nd All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS) will be set up in which state?
a) Telangana b) Rajasthan c) Haryana d) Punjab
2. PM Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Yojana for the
farmers’ welfare recently. How much income support will be provided in a year to farmers
under the scheme?
a) Rs 9000 b) Rs 6000 c) Rs 4000 d) Rs 2000
3. The Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan scheme was launched on February 15, 2019.
Under the scheme, the workers will get what amount of pension after attaining the age of
60 years?
a) Rs 1500 b) Rs 3000 c) Rs 4500 d) Rs 6000
4. The government has decided to set up Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog for the welfare of which
animal?
a) Cow b) Tiger c) Rhino d) Goat
5. How much rent will now be exempted from the TDS as per the Interim Budget 2019?
a) Rs 2.4 lakh b) Rs 3.2 lakh c) Rs 4.0 lakh d) Rs 4.5 lakh
6. In the interim Budget 2019 speech given by interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal, which
north-eastern state came to the air map recently with the clearance of the Hollongi airport?
a) Meghalaya b) Sikkim c) Manipur d) Arunachal Pradesh
7. According to the Union Government, how many crore LPG connections have already been
distributed under PM Ujjwala Yojana?
a) 8 crore b) 5 crore c) 3 crore d) 6 crore
8. The Union Government is planning to introduce container cargo movement to the North
East through which river?
a) Ganga b) Brahmaputra c) Yamuna d) Godavari
9. As per the Interim Budget 2019-20, how much amount has been allocated for the Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MGNREGA)?
65 |
10. The 22nd All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be set up in which state, as per
the Interim Budget 2019-20?
a) Haryana b) Punjab c) Telangana d) Rajasthan
11. The Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan scheme was announced in the Interim Budget
2019-20. Under the scheme, the workers will get what amount of pension after attaining
the age of 60 years?
a) Rs 1500 b) Rs 3000 c) Rs 4500 d) Rs 6000
12. As per the Interim Budget 2019-20, Individual tax payers with taxable income of up to what
amount will get full tax rebate from now on?
a) Rs 3 lakh b) Rs 5 lakh c) Rs 7 lakh d) Rs 9 lakh
13. The Budget 2019 allocates how much amount of capital support for the Indian Railways in
2019-20?
a) Rs 36,292 crore b) Rs 58,166 crore c) Rs 64,587 crore d) Rs 1,58, 658 crore
14. As per the Interim Budget 2019, how much amount has been allocated for the Pradhan
Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana for construction of more rural roads?
15. The Interim Budget 2019 allocates how much amount for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan
Samman Nidhi Yojana?
66 |
Current Affairs MCQs
Answer Key
National
1-A 2-C 3-A 4-B 5-C 6-A 7-D 8-B 9-C 10-B
11-C 12-B 13-C 14-A 15-D 16-B 17-B 18-C 19-B 20-A
21-C 22-C 23-A 24-D 25-C 26-D 27-C 28-A 29-A 30-C
31-A 32-B 33-D 34-A
International
1-C 2-D 3-A 4-C 5-B 6-A 7-D 8-D 9-A 10-C
11-A 12-B 13-D 14-A 15-A 16-C 17-B 18-C 19-C

1-B 2-B 3-A 4-D 5-D 6-D 7-C 8-A 9-C 10-C
11-A 12-A 13-B 14-A 15-B 16-A 17-B 18-A 19-A 20-D

1-B 2-B 3-A 4-B 5-C 6-B 7-A 8-B 9-D 10-C
11-C 12-C 13-C 14-B 15-B 16-A
1-A 2-B 3-A 4-C 5-B 6-B 7-B 8-C 9-C 10-C
Sports
1-D 2-A 3-B 4-D 5-B 6-D 7-A
Honours / Awards
1-A 2-B 3-D 4-A 5-A 6-A 7-D 8-A 9-B
Obituaries
1-C 2-B 3-D 4-D
67 |
Important Days
1-D 2-A 3-A 4-B

1-C 2-B 3-B 4-A 5-A 6-D 7-D 8-B 9-D 10-A
11-B 12-B 13-C 14-D 15-B
Source of Information
 http://pib.nic.in
 http://india.gov.in
 http://www.ibef.org
 http://thehindu.com
 http://jagranjosh.com
 http://gktoday.in
68 |

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Compendium- February, 2019

Indian Air Force Strikes against Jaish-e-Mohammed camps in Pakistan

Railways start displaying vacant seats online

Fire at Bandipur Tiger Reserve

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal launches 'Rail Drishti Dashboard'

Health Minister inaugurates 4th Global Digital Health Partnership Summit

Skill Development Minister inaugurates Skill Saathi Youth Conclave in Odisha

Madhya Pradesh Government launched ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Swabhiman Yojana’

Ashwini Kumar Choubey launches a national programme to eliminate viral hepatitis

PM Modi launches PM-KISAN scheme by transferring 1st instalment of Rs 2,000 to

CCEA approves KUSUM Scheme for farmers’ welfare

Monkey Declared Vermin in Himachal Pradesh

Operation Digital Board launched to provide better digital education

Asia's premier Air show 'Aero-India' begins in Bengaluru

Telangana gets two new districts

International annual desert festival held in Jaisalmer

PM Narendra Modi flags-off Vande Bharat Express

Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan pension scheme

Cabinet approves Patna Metro Rail project

Rajasthan passes 5% quota bill for Gujjars, four other communities

Dera Baba Nanak land check post designated as an immigration centre

Meghalaya Govt. to rename Dikkibandi stadium after P A Sangma

Himachal’s first mega food park inaugurated in Una

Great Indian Bustard announced as the New Mascot for COP-13

Himalayan Cloud Observatory has been set up in Tehri district, Uttarakhand

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates PETROTECH-2019

PM Narendra Modi lays the foundation for Sela Tunnel

Cabinet approves the establishment of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog

ISRO launches GSAT31 from French Guiana

Indus River dolphin declared as state aquatic animal of Punjab

Special postage stamp on Kumbh Mela released

Kala Ghoda Arts festival inaugurated in Mumbai

CJI Ranjan Gogoi inaugurates Andhra Pradesh High Court

Pranab Mukherjee releases a book of Venkaiah Naidu's speeches

New book ‘What Marx Left Unsaid’ released by Manish Tewari

P Chidambaram’s Book “Undaunted: Saving the Idea of India” launched

‘Let’s Talk On Air: Conversations with Radio Presenters’ released

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Which state is going to get a new Railway zone?

a) Mumbai b) Pune c) Varanasi d) New Delhi

a) Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Project

World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2019: Key Facts

ICJ advises Britain to return Diego Garcia to Mauritius

 Why the Chagos Islands had become the bone of contention?

Israeli company sends world’s first Privately Funded Mission to Moon

EU agrees on Greenhouse Gas Emission cut for Trucks

NASA’s Mars Rover Opportunity Concludes a 15-Year Mission

World Sustainable Development Summit 2019 held in New Delhi

First Indian-origin woman to get Blue Plaque in the UK

World's largest bee spotted the first time since 1981

India to attend OIC meet for the first time

Sudan: President Bashir declares a year-long state of emergency

Women with four children to get life tax exemption in Hungary

Abu Dhabi declaring Hindi as an official language in courts

2018 fourth warmest year on record

Dubai Airport retains the top position as World’s busiest airport

The International Year of the Periodic Table

4th Feb: Sri Lanka celebrates 71st Independence Day

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. How many countries have ratified the Geneva Convention?

3. Which nation has set up a committee to discuss reforming constitution?

6. UAE would be funding the construction of a US military hospital in which city?

7. The President of which nation has declared a national emergency?