Saturday, 6 February 2016

Current Affairs Recap of the Week: 31 January - 6 February 2016

The 9th Indo-Nepal Combined Battalion level Military Training Exercise Surya Kiran will commence from 8 February 2017 at -Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand
•    4-day National Arogya Fair-2016 began on 5 February 2016 at –Dehradun, Uttarakhand
•    Urban Development Ministry on 5 February 2016 approved projects worth over twelve crore rupees for improving tourist infrastructure in heritage places of - Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh and Warangal in Telangana
•    Mahindra Asset Management Company (AMC) received Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI’s) approval to manage - Mahindra Mutual Fund
•    The Union Government of India on 5 February 2016 announced the repurchase of 1.44 per cent Inflation Indexed Government Stock-2023 through reverse auction for an aggregate amount of - 6500 crore rupees
•    NASA Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, - the sixth man to walk on the Moon, died on 4 February 2016 in West Palm Beach, Florida was - Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 14
•    Union Labour Ministry on 5 February 2016 signed agreements with leading organizations engaged in employment and career related activities to exploit the potential of - National Career Service (NCS) project
•    The Brazilians Club Atletico Paranaense on 5 February 2016 won the inaugural match of the Sait Nagjee International Club Football Tournament drubbing Englands Watford FC 2-0 at – Kozhikode, Kerala
•    Allahabad High Court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to release 4000 cusec of water for Sangam for every bathing festival during - Magh Mela
•    Andhra Pradesh Home Minister N China Rajappa on 5 February 2016 said that the State government has constituted a Commission to provide reservation for - Kapu community
•    Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) will allow online exit of subscribers from National Pension System from – 1 April 2016
•    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 February 2016 inaugurated the Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) at - Lepetkata, Assam
•    In Tamil Nadu, lsland Express train from Kanyakumari to Bangalore derailed on 5 February 2016 at - Natrampalli, Vellore District
•    The 12th South Asian Games began on 5 February 2016 in –Guwahati, Assam 
•    External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on 5 February 2016 went on a two day visit to Sri Lanka today to co-chair - the 9th session of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission meeting 
•    The World Health Organisation advised countries against accepting blood donations from people who have travelled to regions affected by - the Zika virus
•    Vice-President Hamid Ansari on 5 February 2016 left for home after concluding a five-day tour of - Thailand and Brunei
•    The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 February 2016 dedicated India's highest wax producing unit using indigenous technology to the nation in - Numaligarh Refinery Limited
•    US Senate committee on 4 February 2016 confirmed nomination of Army Lieutenant General as the commander of the NATO forces in Afghanistan - John Nicholson
•    The State government that on 4 February 2016 lifted the restrictions on visit of foreign tourists to certain tribal areas in the State after three years - Odisha
•    India on 4 February 2016 submitted its Instrument of Ratification of the Convention of Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC), 1997 to - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at Vienna, Austria
•    The Tea Board of India (TBI) in January 2016 issued Version 5.0 of the Plant Protection Code (PPC) by adding two new chemicals in the list of pesticides and chemicals that is permitted for use by Indian tea industry, and they are - Emamectin Benzoate 5 SG and Flubendiamide 20 WG
•    India on 4 February 2016 granted special concession to Pakistani athletes taking part in the 12th South Asian Games by declaring Guwahati and Kolkata as - designated entry points for them
•    The Union Government decided to set up the National Organic Farming Research Institute in this State – Sikkim
•    This company announced acquisition of cement business of Reliance Infrastructure for 4800 crore rupees – Birla Corp
•    This city hosted the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference 2016 to mobilise funds for reconstruction of conflict-hit Syria – London
•    He was appointed as a member of newly constituted Anti-Corruption Unit Oversight Group by the ICC – Rahul Dravid
•    The amount pledged by the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference 2016 towards reconstruction of conflict-hit Syria between 2016 and 2020 – 10.7 billion US dollars
•    The Indian writer who won Sundance Institute Global Filmmaking Award 2016 on 30 January 2016 - Geetu Mohandas
•    As per the NASA’s publication on 4 February 2016, The dwarf planet on which NASA’s New Horizons mission spotted the nitrogen ice glaciers - Pluto
•    World Cancer Day (WCD) 2016 was observed across the world on 4 February 2016. The day was observed with year’s theme – We can. I can.
•    One of the biggest trade deals of the history that was inked by all twelve Pacific Rim countries on 4 February 2016 in New Zealand is -Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement 
•    Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on 3 February 2016 launched the country's first anti-diabetic ayurvedic drug for Diabetes - BGR-34, BGR is acronym for blood glucose regulator
•    Former chief secretary of Gujarat who was appointed vice-president and chief investment officer of the newly-created Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is - DJ Pandian
•    The Budget Session of Parliament will commence on 23 February 2016 and Rail Budget will be presented on - 25 February 2016
•    The Budget Session of Parliament will commence on 23 February 2016 and Economic Survey will be presented on – 26 February 2016
•    The Budget Session of Parliament will commence on 23 February 2016 and General Budget will be presented on – 29 February 2016
•    This country will be receive 3.3 billion Euros in funding from the European Union to cope with Syrian migrants – Turkey
•    The high court bench which called on citizens to refuse to pay taxes if the government fails to curb corruption – Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court
•    This country will host the Cobra Gold 2016 multilateral military exercise in which India’s participation was confirmed – Thailand
•    The city that hosted the 2-day Counter Terrorism Conference 2016 –Jaipur
•    The city in which the 4-day International Fleet Review began on 4 February 2016 – Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh
•    The city in which the Dhirubhai Ambani Centre for Innovation and Research in Aerospace will be set up by the Reliance Defence Ltd –Bengaluru
•    The famous sarangi maestro selected for the prestigious Bhimsen Joshi Classical Music Award for 2015-2016 is - Pandit Ram Narayan
•    The Indian IT Services firm rated as the World’s Most Powerful Brand in IT Services by Brand Finance is - Tata Consultancy Services
•    The documentary film that won the Golden Conch Award for the best documentary film at the MIFF 2016 is - Phum-Shang
•    Name of the vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech to fight the mosquito-borne Zika virus is – ZikaVac
•    India signed a Cooperation Agreement to acquire the status of the Associate Member State of -  European Molecular Biology Organisation 
•    To face the challenges of both home-grown extremism and global Islamic State (IS) threat, a De-radicalisation programme for the minority community was rolled out by – Maharashtra Government 
•    The CPSE that received Miniratna status II on 1 February 2016 -Hospital Services Consultancy Corporation (I) Ltd (HSCC)
•    The organization recommended all governments to rate movies with smoking scenes to protect children and adolescents from tobacco addiction in Geneva on 1 February 2016 - World Health Organisation (WHO)
•    Indian Coast Guard Day was celebrated on February 1 under the auspices of the Coast Guard stations at - Vizhinjam and Fort Kochi
•    He will replace the longtime chief of Google's Internet search business Amit Singhal who is an India-origin on 26 February 2016 - John Giannandre
•    It is a British-based software keyboard maker which was acquired by Microsoft on 4 February 2016 - SwiftKey
•    Capital market regulator SEBI has set up a task force to review the risk management norms for national-level commodity bourses after -the suspension of futures trading for castor seed on NCDEX
•    An SIT was formed by Punjab police to look into allegations of sexual exploitation against Indian Hockey Captain - Sardar Singh
•    The Supreme Court on 3 February 2016 stayed a Bombay High Court order and allowed the Maharashtra government to hold an event at Girgaum Chowpatty beach in Mumbai to kickstart - the 'Make in India Week' programme
•    President Pranab Mukherjee conferred Honorary Rank of General of Indian Army on General Rajendra Chhetri. He is the Chief of the Army Staff of – Nepal
•    The country that saw nine suspected deaths due to Lassa fever –Benin in West Africa
•    The growth of eight core sectors of the Indian economy in December 2015 – 0.9 percent
•    Name of the agreement that was reached between the EU Commission and the USA for transatlantic data flows - The EU-US Privacy Shield
•    The State that extended the Aahar cheap meal scheme to all the districts beginning from March 2016 - Odisha
•    Major General of India who was appointed as the Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on 2 February 2016 is - Jai Shanker Menon 
•    The 61st National School Athletics championship held at Olympian Rahman Stadium in Kozhikode, Kerala from 29 January 2016 to 2 February 2016 was won by - Kerala
•    Supreme Court on 2 February 2016 appointed a committee to sell assets of Pearls Agrotech Corporation Ltd (PACL) and refund 49 thousand crore rupees to the investors under - former Chief Justice RM Lodha
•    Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Special Collective Incentive Scheme for the economically backward Dalit entrepreneurs was announced on 2 February 2016 in - Maharashtra
•    The former Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor who passed away on 2 February 2016 in Mumbai is – SS  Tarapore
•    The company that replaced Apple Inc. to become the world's most valuable public company is – Alphabet Inc.
•    The Indian film that won the Best First Foreign Film Award conferred by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics for the first time is – Titli
•    The former Lok Sabha Speaker and former Union Agriculture Minister in P. V. Narasimha Rao Ministry who died on 3 February 2016 is - Balram Jakhar
•    The Bollywood actor who was presented with the lifetime achievement award in New Delhi on 2 February 2016 - Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan
•    The veteran Urdu fiction writer and poet who died on 2 February 2016 in Lahore - Intizar Hussain
•    He was appointed as the chief Justice of Gujarat High Court on 3 February 2016 - Justice Ramayyagari Subhash Reddy
•    National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) Ltd. on 2 February 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with -RUSNANO OJSC of Russia
•    The theme of the World Wetlands Day that was observed on 2 February 2016 - Wetlands for our Future – Sustainable Livelihoods
•    India and Afghanistan on 1 February 2016 inked a pact for - Visa-free travel by their diplomats
•    Vietnam on 1 February 2016 formally lifted the ban on import of -Indian Groundnut
•    India’s first underwater restaurant was opened on 1 February 2016 in the city of – Ahmedabad
•    The Union Government appointed Jai Kumar Garg as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of - Corporation Bank
•    An Indian national was in news after being appointed as the Senior Director for the Fragility, Conflict and Violence Group at the World Bank on 1 February 2016 - Saroj Kumar Jha
•    The country that approved a draft Citizenship Law to expand scope for dual citizenship for its citizens on 1 February 2016 – Bangladesh
•    World Bank approved Million US dollars 35 to Improve Citizen Access to Public Services in - Madhya Pradesh, India
•    The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on 29 January 2016 signed two bilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) with - United Kingdom
•    Tamil Nadu Cadre IPS officer who was appointed as the Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) that guards India's frontiers with Nepal and Bhutan on 1 February 2016 is - Archana Ramasundram
•    World Health Organisation (WHO) on 1 February 2016 declared Public Health Emergency of International Concern over the explosive spread of - the mosquito-borne Zika virus
•    Dr Harsh Vardhan on 2 February 2016 inaugurated the construction work of Borehole Geophysics Research Laboratory (BGRL) at -Hazarmachi, Karad of Maharashtra
•    In a match against Nepal, he scored the fastest fifty in the U-19 ICC cricket world cup history - Rishabh Pant
•    1600 officials of this city will undergo lie-detector tests as part of fight against corruption – Moscow
•    This country will host the 1st ever Asia Cup in T-20 format starting from 24 Feb 2016 - Bangladesh
•    The country that granted licence to use gene editing techniques on human embryos – United Kingdom
•    The city that hosted the third Global Ayurveda Festival – Kozhikode, Kerala
•    The social legislation that completed ten years of implementation on 2 February 2016 – The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act, 2005
•    The 30th edition of the Surajkund International Crafts Mela began at Surajkund in Faridabad, Haryana on 1 February 2016 and will continue till - 15 February 2016
•    Vice President Mohd Hamid Ansari on 1 February 2016 went on a five-day tour for - Brunei Darussalam and Thailand 
•    India on 31 January 2016 won the three-match T-20 series against -Australia, 3-0
•    Novak Djokovic on 31 January 2016 won the Australian Open Men’s Singles title by defeating - Andy Murray, 6-1, 7-5, 7-6
•    Ace Indian shuttler on 31 January 2017 won the Men's Singles title of the Syed Modi International Badminton Championships 2016 - Kidambi Srikanth
•    Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on 1 February 2016 tabled interim budget of over 33 thousand 687 crore rupees for - the first six months of the financial year 2016-17
•    To promote 'ease of doing business', Maharashtra government on 31 January 2016 decided to do away with five operational approvals hotel owners currently need to obtain from - the state Home department
•    Myanmar began new Parliament session ending military rule with the first democratically elected government in more than - 50 years
•    The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) is observing National Pension System Service Week from 1 February 2016 to attract more subscribers towards - government pension plans
•    Former President APJ Abdul Kalam's book that was launched in Johannesburg on 31 January 2015 is - Transendence
•    Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on 29 January 2016 was selected for the - K Veeramani Award for Social Justice 2015
•    Kamlesh Kumar Pandey on 28 January 2016 was appointed as the -Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities 
•    Veteran wildlife filmmaker who was honoured with the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award at the 14th edition of the Mumbai International Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films is -Naresh Bedi
•    Brazilian racing driver who won the 2015-16 MRF Challenge Formula 2000 at Madras Motor Racing Track in Sriperumbudur is - Pietro Fittipaldi
•    India joined hands with NASA to explore its pristine environment as part of the Spaceward Bound programme – Ladakh
•    The national legislature of the country was opened for first democratically elected government in more than 50 years – Myanmar
•    He won the 83rd Senior National Snooker Championship title in Indore, Madhya Preadesh - Aditya Mehta
•    She won the National Snooker Championship in the women’s category in Indore, Madhya Pradesh - Vidya Pillai
•    The number of metro train coaches that the Union Ministry of Shipping exported to Australia on 29 January 2016 - Six 
•    The British television and radio personality, who died on 31 January 2016 in Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom - Terry Wogan
•    The former Indian cricketer, who was appointed as mentor of the Kings XI Punjab team for season 9 of Indian Premier League (IPL) on 1 February 2016 - Virender Sehwag
•    The country with which the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has entered into two bilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) on 29 January 2016 - United Kingdom

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