Current Affairs Daily Digest – February 12 2020
1. Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal elected as Aam Aadmi Party’s Legislative Party Leader
In Delhi, the newly-elected Aam Aadmi Party MLAs chose Party Convenor Arvind Kejriwal as the leader of the Legislative Party today. Mr Kejriwal met the MLAs at his official residence during which he was elected as the leader of the Legislative Party.
2. Cabinet clears Major Ports Authority Bill; approves Pesticide Management Bill
Union Cabinet cleared the Major Ports Authority Bill. The Bill will replace 1963 law governing the country’s 12 major ports.
The legislation will be introduced in the second part of the Budget session of Parliament. Briefing reporters in New Delhi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said, the proposed law is aimed at enhancing the overall efficiencies of the ports.
3. ONGC, Indian Oil, NTPC topped the 2018-19 Public Enterprises Survey
Public Enterprises Survey 2018-19 tabled at Parliament stated that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Indian Oil Corporation and NTPC Limited were the top three profitable PSUs in 2018-19. Also, BSNL, Air India and MTNL incurred the highest losses for a third consecutive year.
4. India’s Lalremsiami named as 2019 FIH Women’s Rising Star of Year
India forward Lalremsiami has been named as the 2019 FIH Women’s Rising Star of the Year by the International Hockey Federation. Announcing the awards the FIH said that 19-year-old Lalremsiami took the prize ahead of Argentina’s Julieta Jankunas and Frederique Matla of the Netherlands.
5. Bhabha Kavach: New bullet proof jacket developed by BARC-to be used by CISF
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre developed a new bullet proof jacket called Bhabha Kavach. The jackets are to be used by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Around 55 pieces of Bullet proof jackets were handed over to the CISF. The nominal weight of the jacket is 6.8kg. It is the lightest level-3 plus jacket. It has been produced based on carbon nanotube and hot- pressed boron carbide technologies.
6. WHO names the new Corona Virus: “COVID-19”
World Health Organization announced a new name for the Corona Virus, “COVID-19”. Today more than 42,000 are infected with the virus according to the organization.WHO has chosen the name with no reference to geographical location. According to WHO, the name was chosen in such away that it does not affect normal lives of a country.
7. UP government approves 2020 Ground Water Act
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath chaired a state cabinet approved the Ground Water Act, 2020. It aims to improve the falling groundwater level.
- Ground Water Act, 2020:
Under the Ground Water Act, 2020, registration is mandatory to install submersible pumps. - Online registration facility will also be available.
- The domestic users and farmers need not pay any fee.
- Rainwater harvesting system has been made mandatory in all private and government schools and colleges.
- In the urban areas, if a landlord installs a submersible pump to build a house larger than 300 sqm area, then it will be necessary to install the rainwater harvesting system.
- If someone pollutes groundwater through boring pipes, then there will be punishment and penalty against him.
- Boring companies must get their registration done. The companies should give all the information every three months.
- The map of government and private buildings will be cleared only when they have a provision to install a rainwater harvesting system.
8. Sanjay Vatsyayan took over as Eastern Fleet Commander
The command of the Eastern Fleet was handed over to Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsyayan by Rear Admiral Suraj Berry at a ceremony at Visakhapatnam on 11 February 2020. He previously served as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) at New Delhi. Rear Admiral Suraj Berry will take over as Chief of Staff of the tri-services Andaman and Nicobar Command shortly.
9. MoCA flagged off first Heli Services under UDAN in Uttarakhand
Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) operationalized the first-ever helicopter services from Dehradun’s Sahastradhara helipad to Gauchar and Chinyalisaur. It was flagged off under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) of Government of India.
10. US approves sale of Integrated Air Defence Weapon System to India
The US has approved the sale of an Integrated Air Defence Weapon System to India for an estimated cost of $1.9 billion to modernise its armed forces and to expand its existing air defence architecture to counter threats posed by air attacks.
The Trump Administration has notified to the US Congress of its determination to sell India the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS), the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said Monday.
11. Patnaik inaugurates BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise in Bhubaneswar
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday inaugurated Seven Nation BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise – 2020, which will take place from February 11 to 13. The exercise is being organised by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Odisha, on behalf of the Government of India.
12. Web Portal Launched for Star Rating of Mines in India
In order to promote green, safe and sustainable mining practices using technology as a tool, Ministry of Coal (MoC) has launched a web portal for star rating of coal mines. Union Minister for Coal & Mines Shri Pralhad Joshi launched this portal in New Delhi today which enables all operational coal mines across India for self-rating, their subsequent validation by Coal Controller’s Organization (CCO), further evaluation and finally award of star rating.
13. Ministry of Agriculture To Initiate Kisan Credit Card Saturation Drive For PM-KISAN Beneficiaries
To enable universal access to Concessional Institutional credit, Government of India has initiated a drive in Mission Mode for saturating all PM-KISAN beneficiaries with Kisan Credit Card (KCC). This will help all such farmers to get short term loan for crop & animal/fish rearing at a maximum interest of 4% on timely repayment.
14. SNA to compile National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage
Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) has collaborated with Zonal Cultural Centers of Ministry to prepare a list of ICH elements for the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). The information was shared by the Union Minister of State (I/c) of Culture and Tourism, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel.
- A list of ICH elements will be compiled and at least 100 elements will be documented by March 2020.
- The aim is to document at least 20 new elements in the ICH list every year.
- Along with this listing, the establishment of an ‘Indian Institute for Culture’ is at a conceptual stage.
- Apart from this, the National Culture Mapping portal is being conceptualized for aggregating art forms and artists. It is in the pilot phase.
15. Kerala to host global meet on climate change, ocean health
ClimFishCon 2020, a three-day international conference on the impact of climate change on ‘hydrological cycle, ecosystem, fisheries and food security’ will begin here on February 12 at the Le Meridian Convention Centre.
More than 300 delegates from 12 countries including scientists, researchers, administrators, policymakers, academicians, and entrepreneurs will deliberate on strategies to: deal with climate emergency and changing hydrological cycles; preserve the ocean and other aquatic biodiversity; and build a circular and blue economy. Fishers, aqua farmers, students and other stakeholders will also attend.
16. National Productivity Day observed on February 12
The National Productivity Council celebrates the National Productivity Week from 12 February to 18 February, 2020. The main objective of the celebration is to encourage stakeholders in implementing productivity tools and techniques.
17. Medical devices now under Drugs and Cosmetics Act
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has brought medical devices within the regulatory ambit, treating them as a category of ‘drugs’ for the purpose of regulating them under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act (DCA). Till date. A gazetted notification to this effect was issued on Tuesday and the notification will come into effect from April 1.
