Latest Current Affairs – February 21 2018
- IITKGP student wins award at Clean Energy Conference in Paris
A fourth year undergraduate student of the IIT Kharagpur has won an award at an international conference on ‘Clean and Green Energy’ in Paris.
Ankur Mehta, a chemical engineering student, was awarded the ‘Best (Oral) Presentation Certificate’ in the seventh edition of the three-day International Conference on Clean and Green Energy (ICCGE-2018) in Paris from February seven.
The ICCGE is a premier forum for leading global scientists and engineers to present their new theoretical, experimental and applied research projects on clean and green energy.
- PM announces Rs 20K cr defence production corridor in Budelkhand
Prime Minister has announced a Rs 20,000-crore defence industrial corridor in Bundelkhand region to bring development in one of the most backward regions of Uttar Pradesh and said the Yogi government has pulled the state out of prevailing negativity.
Of one of the two defence industrial corridors mentioned in the budget, one is proposed in the Bundelkhand region of the state which will bring an investment of Rs 20,000 crore and generate employment avenues for 2.5 lakh people.
- ITC plans new integrated consumer goods plant in UP
Diversified firm ITC has plans to set up an integrated consumer goods manufacturing facility in Uttar Pradesh besides exploring investment possibilities in green energy and a logistics hub in the state in coming years.
The company has implemented significant interventions in agriculture sector in the state strengthening agri and food value chains making a meaningful contribution to the prime minister’s vision of doubling farmers’ income
ITC has a large footprint in the state which includes a modern unit in Saharanpur and 19 co-packaging units which support local entrepreneurship.
- Odisha to set up integrated unit for utilising DMF funds
With the collection of about Rs 4,000 crore under the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) Trusts till January this year, the Odisha government has decided to set up an Integrated Project Monitoring Unit for its proper utilisation.
The DMF was constituted to utilise the penalty collected from miners for excess mining on the improvement of social infrastructure in mineral-bearing districts of the state.
The GIS maps of the projects, being implemented utilising the DMF funds, would be placed on this website and extension and renewal of the website should be completed by March this year.
- Language Movement Day observed across West Bengal
A number of programmes were held in different parts of West Bengal on 21 February 2018, the Language Movement Day, which commemorates the beginning of a movement to protect Bengali language in erstwhile East Pakistan.
The day is termed simply as ‘Ekush-e’ (21st) in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, which share the same linguistic and cultural heritage.
- 21 February 2018: International Mother Language Day
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation). Keeping this in mind, the UN agency introduced International Mother Language Day in 1999, a world-wide annual observance held on February 21 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and promote multilingualism.
The theme of 2018’s International Mother Language Day is ‘linguistic diversity and multilingualism for sustainable development.’
- PM Modi inaugurates UP Investors’ Summit 2018
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the two-day Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit 2018 along with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow.
The Prime Minister visited an exhibition at UP Investors’ Summit in Lucknow. The Summit is being attended by at least 5,000 people including industry heads from India and abroad, Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, policy makers and academics.
- India gives $1 mn for rehabilitation work in cyclone-hit Tonga
India has contributed USD one million for the rehabilitation efforts in Tonga after the Tropical Cyclone Gita caused massive destruction in the Pacific island nation.
India has allocated USD 500,000 in the India-UN Development Partnership Fund for the rehabilitation efforts while USD 500,000 will be provided for immediate relief assistance.
The India-UN Development Partnership Fund is supported and led by the Government of India and managed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation.
- BSE gets Sebi nod to launch cross-currency derivatives
SEBI has given approval to the stock exchange to launch cross-currency derivatives and has also allowed trading in such contracts for a longer period between 9:00 AM and 7:30 PM.
The exchange will introduce cross-currency derivatives (future and options) on pairs such as Euro (EUR)-US Dollar (USD), Pound Sterling (GBP)-USD and USD-Japanese Yen (JPY).
In March 2016, Sebi had allowed stock exchanges to introduce cross-currency futures and exchange traded cross-currency option contracts in multiple currency pairs.
| BSE managing director and CEO | Ashishkumar Chauhan |
| Chairman of SEBI | Ajay Tyagi |
- Russia appoints honorary consul in Pak border province
Russia has named an honorary consul in a Pakistani province on the Afghan border, signalling closer ties with Islamabad at a time when US-Pakistani relations are spiralling downward.
The appointment of Arsala Khan as honorary consul general in the northwestern Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province was announced at a ceremony.
Russia is concerned about the rise of an Islamic State affiliate based in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, just across the border.
- Norway’s Bjoergen becomes most successful Winter Olympian
Norway’s Marit Bjoergen became the most successful athlete in Winter Olympics history as she took bronze behind a stunning win for USA in cross country skiing’s women’s team sprint free.
Bjoergen’s bronze with Maiken Caspersen Falla put her on 14 Olympic medals, outstripping fellow Norwegian Ole Einar Bjoerndalen who has 13 in biathlon.
- Srikanth, Sindhu to lead India’s badminton charge in CWG 2018
India’s highest ranked men’s singles player Kidambi Srikanth and Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal will spearhead the country’s challenge in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, which is slated to be held in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4.
In the women’s singles event, Sindhu and Nehwal will shuffle roles as the team will pin high hopes in the singles event.
Meanwhile, the mixed team event will see world number three Srikanth leading India’s challenge down under, with World No. 11 H.S Prannoy supporting his compatriot up in the men’s singles event.
- BJP MLA Kalyan Singh passes away
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kalyan Singh Chauhan passed away in Udaipur. Chauhan, who represented Nathdwara constituency (Udaipur district) in the assembly Singh, an MLA from Rajasthan’s Nathdwara, was suffering from cancer since last three years. He was 58.
