Current Affairs Daily Updates: 20th February 2017

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Current Affairs Daily Updates: 20th February 2017

APPOINTMENTS / RESIGNATIONS
Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang resigns
  • Embattled Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang announced his resignation from the top post, days after party legislators withdrew their support to break the deadlock between agitating tribal groups and the government.
  • Nagaland has been in a state of turmoil ever since the Nagaland Tribal Action Committee began their agitation demanding the resignation of Zeliang over his decision to conduct civic bodies' elections with 33 per cent reservation for women.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
Indian Movie Newton Wins top Honour at Berlin Film Festival:
  • Indian Cinema movie Newton directed by Amit Masurkar was honored with the Art Cinema Award in the Forum Segment at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival held from February 9-18, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. 
  • Over 43 films were screened in the Forum segment out of which 29 had their world premiere.The film is produced by Manish Mundra of Drishyam Films, company best known for bankrolling critically-acclaimed projects such as Masaan, Ankhon Dekhi and Umrika.
South Indian Bank wins Award for Tech Security Practices:
  • The South Indian Bank (SIB) has awarded with ISO 27001: 2013 certification for its Information Security Management System (ISMS).
  • The certification process involved an extensive audit, conducted by British Standards Institution (BSI) against the criteria set out by the ISO 27001:2013 standards on various domains of IT functions.
  • Earlier, SIB has received ISO 9001 Quality Management certification for its Credit Department, Personnel Department and Data Centre.
BANKING AFFAIRS
Oriental Bank launches mobile wallet ‘Batuaa’:
  • On the occasion of the 75th Foundation Day, Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) has come up with several digital offerings including launch of mobile wallet ‘Oriental Batuaa’.
  • Besides introducing a new version of mobile banking, OBC has also launched two new cards.While the Oriental Premium card is a RuPay based Platinum international debit card with airport lounge access, the other card-Oriental Prepaid Card is a RuPay card for individuals and corporates. 
  • Besides it has also launched two MSME schemes The two MSME schemes that have been launched are ‘Oriental Sanjeevani’ and ‘Oriental Budget Hotels and Restaurants’.
Cash withdrawal limit for savings account increases to Rs 50,000 per week
  • Savings accounts holders will now be able to withdraw up to Rs 50,000 per week. An RBI notification, issued on January 30, 2017 announced that from February 20, 2017 the cash withdrawal limit for savings accounts will be raised to Rs 50,000 from Rs 24,000 a week.
  • The limits on cash withdrawals from savings bank account will be withdrawn completely from March 13, 2017. Till now, there is no limit on current account and there is a cap of Rs 50,000 for farmers a week and Rs 2.5 lakh for marriage.
IRB InvIT Fund gets SEBI approval to launch IPO
  • IRB InvIT Fund, an investment trust sponsored by IRB Infrastructure Developers, has received markets regulator SEBI’s approval to raise Rs. 4,300 crore through initial public offering.
  • However, the Securities and Exchange Board of India has asked for clarification from India Grid Trust and Reliance Infra InvIT Fund regarding their proposed IPOs
BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
Microsoft, Flipkart announce strategic cloud partnership:
  • Information technology giant Microsoft announced a strategic partnership with Flipkart, wherein as a first step, the online retailer will adopt Microsoft Azure as its exclusive public cloud platform.
  • The strategic partnership was aimed at providing consumers in the country the best online shopping service.
  • Microsoft chief executive officer (CEO) Satya Nadella and Flipkart Group CEO Binny Bansal announced the partnership at an event in Bengaluru.
Apple acquires Israeli start-up RealFace:
  • In a bid to boost its prospects in the world of artificial intelligence (AI), Apple has acquired Israel-based start-up RealFace that develops deep learning-based face authentication technology.
  • The terms of the deal are not public, but it is estimated at several million dollars. Apple would mainly be interested in the promise of the technology than pure resources.
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Book to chronicle Dream Girl Hema Malini's journey
  • Dream Girl Hema Malini's incredible journey from an actor, a danseuse and filmmaker to a politician is being chronicled in a new book which will hit stores on her 69th birthday this October.
  • Billed as an authorised biography, 'Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl' is penned by author-columnist Ram Kamal Mukherjee.
IMPORTANT DAYS OBSERVED
World Day of Social Justice: 20 February
  • The United Nations' (UN) World Day of Social Justice is annually observed on 20th February to encourage people to look at how social justice affects poverty eradication.
  • It also focuses on the goal of achieving full employment and support for social integration.
  • The theme for 2017 is "Preventing conflict and sustaining peace through decent work”.
31st state hood day of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram: 20 February
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted people of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram on their 31st statehood day (20 February 2017) Conveying his best wishes to people of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. 
  • Prime Minister prayed for the state's progresses immensely in the years to come. Union Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh also greeted both the states. 
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India sanctions soft loan USD 340 million to Nepal:
  • India has sanctioned a soft loan of 340 million US dollar to Nepal for various infrastructure development programmes.
  • Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae handed over the approval papers to Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister of Nepal Ramesh Lekhak in the presence of Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu.
  • Under this programme Mahalaki bridge and 15 roads will be constructed in various parts of Nepal.
Saudi stock exchange appoints its first female head
  • The Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) has appointed Sarah Al-Suhaimi as its first female chairperson.
  • Al-Suhaimi, the CEO of NCB Capital, was elected by the exchange’s board, which includes representatives from the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA), the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Commerce and Investment.
  • She has now become the first woman in the kingdom to chair a major governmental financial institution.
  • One of the few women leaders working in Saudi’s finance sector, Al-Suhaimi became the first female CEO of a Saudi investment bank when she was appointed to lead NCB Capital in 2014.
  • Prior to joining NCB Capital, Al-Suhaimi worked as chief investment officer at Jadwa Investment and senior portfolio manager at Samba Financial Group.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
India Vetiver Network (INVN) has been launched at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
  • About 250 delegates are participating in this conference.
  • India Vetiver Network (INVN) a non-profit scientific network to promote vetiver in India, was launched as part of the conference.
  • Vetiver (Indian grass with fragrant root) has worldwide application to tackle many environmental issues like soil erosion, mitigation of soil and water pollution.
  • Emeritus professor of Banaras Hindu University, G P Dubey today emphasised the need for validation of traditional knowledge to keep pace with the growth of world market for medicinal plants.
  • Speaking at the two-day National Conference on Agrotechnology and Profitable marketing of Tropical Medicinal and Aromatic Plants here, Dubey pointed out that a few medicinal plants grown in Tamil Nadu were proven to be efficacious for the management of type 2 diabetes.
Khajuraho Dance Festival begins in Madhya Pradesh:
  • The world famous 43rd edition of Khajuraho Dance Festival has bugun at Khajuraho in Chhatrapur District in Madhya Pradesh.
  • It is a cultural festival that highlights the richness of the various Indian classical dance styles.
  • Live performances of classical dances like Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Bharatnatyam, and Mohniattam will be major attraction this time.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Site “Khajuraho Temple” is a group ofHindu and Jain Temples in Madhya Pradesh build by Chandela Dynasty between 950 and 1050 AD.
South Asian Speakers’ Summit 2017 concluded in Indore
  • The summit was organised for three days by the Parliament of India in association with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
  • The summit was held as a follow up to the conclusions of the South Asian Speakers’ Summit. The summit was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2016.
  • The focus of the summit was to evolve appropriate strategies to achieve goals set by the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (SDA) of the United Nations.
  • The summit deliberated on opportunities and challenges that parliaments in South Asia face in making their contribution to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • The agenda of the summit embedded the gender perspective to reflect growing inequalities between men and women.
  • Discussions also focussed on the impact of climate change on economic and social development in the region. The participants of the summit also discussed measures to strengthen cooperation among parliaments to address today's most pressing challenges.
Srinagar Airport Gets Its First Foreign Airline Service
  • AirAsia became the first foreign airline to begin its operations from Srinagar international airport in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • Srinagar has The Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport since last five years, but no  Air Asiaforeign airlines had yet operated services from there.The flight operation by AirAsia is expected to give a boost to tourism in the valley.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AFFAIRS
Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS AYUSH commissioned
  • Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS AYUSH was commissioned at Kochi, Kerala by Vice Admiral AR Karwe, Flag Officer Commanding-in- Chief, Southern Naval Command. ICGS AYUSH is the 20th and the last in the series of 20 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd.
  • ICGS AYUSH is fitted with state-of- the-art navigational and communication equipment including Integrated Bridge System (IBS) and Machinery Control System (MCS).
  • The ship is capable of undertaking multifarious tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue, anti-smuggling and medical evacuation. It will also play a secondary role of providing a communication link and escort coastal conveys in times of war.
NASA to create Space Technology Research Institutes for Deep Space Exploration
  • In order to focus on deep space missions, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has proposed to set up of two multi-disciplinary, university-led research institutes that will work to develop technologies having potential to extend human presence deeper into the solar system.
  • The Space Technology Research Institutes (STRIs) will be created in the two institutes namely Centre for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES) and Institute for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design (US-COMP) with expected outcome within 5 years.
  • The new STRIs created under the proposals will bring together researchers from various disciplines and organizations to collaborate on the advancement of cutting-edge technologies in bio-manufacturing and space infrastructure.
SPORTS AFFAIRS
Virat Kohli first Indian sportsperson to ink Rs 100-cr deal with Puma:
  • Virat Kohli became the first Indian sports personality to strike a Rs 100-crore endorsement deal with a single brand. Kohli signed an eight-year deal with sports apparel brand Puma worth Rs 110 crore. 
  • The Indian cricket captain is now set to join the likes of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Thierry Henry, among others, as a global ambassador for the brand.
Shahid Afridi announces retirement from international cricket:
  • Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi (36-year) has announced his retirement from international cricket.
  • He had already quit Test and ODI cricket but still captained the Pakistan Twenty 20 team at the 2016 world championships in India.
  • Afridi played played 27 -Test, 398-ODIs and 98- T20Is for Pakistan.
  • He holds a record of taking most wickets (97) and most player-of-the match awards in Twenty20 International cricket.
  • He also holds the distinction of having hit the most number of sixes in the history of ODI cricket.
India to Host Next Davis Cup tie in Bangalore in April, 2017:
  • Bangalore has been chosen to host the next Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone group-1 tie against Uzbekistan from April 7 to 9, 2017.
  • As per the announcement made by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) the tie clash will be held on the hard courts of Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) in Bangalore.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga wins 2017 Rotterdam Open
  • France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on 19 February 2017 defeated David Goffin 4-6 6-4 6-1 to win the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament final in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
  • With the title came an end to Tsonga’s two-year title drought. He had last won a title in the year 2015.
Akhil and Jitender Kumar Signs Deal to Turn Professional Boxers
  • Following the path of Indian boxing sensation Vijender Singh, Olympic quarterfinalists boxers Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar are also stepping up to enter professional boxing.
  • The former Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold medalist boxer Akhil Kumar and Asian medallist Jitender Kumar signed a multi-year deal with IOS Boxing Promotions confirming turning professional boxers.
Afghan players Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan create IPL history
  • Afghanistan cricket broke a new barrier when Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan became the first from the war-torn nation to be picked in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.
  • Both Nabi and Khan players were bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad, for Rs. 30 lakh and Rs. 4 crore respectively. Five cricketers from Afghanistan were included in the auction for the first time.

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