February 2015 Current Affairs Gr8AmbitionZ (1)

February 2015 Current Affairs

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FEBRUARY 2015 CURRENT AFFAIRS www.Gr8AmbitionZ.com

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1st February - National Freedom Day (US) 2nd February - World Wetlands Day 4th February - World Cancer Day 4th February - Sri Lanka's Independence Day

(67th) 5th February - Kashmir Solidarity Day 10th February - National Deworming Day 13th February - World Radio Day 19th February - 1st Day of Chinese New Year (year

of the Goat) 19th February - 65th Democracy Day of Nepal 21st February - International Mother Language

Day 22nd February - Twins day 22nd February - World Thinking Day 28th February - National Science Day

Ajaypal Singh Banga - Member, Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations

Amitava Roy - Judge, Supreme Court Anish Aggarwal - Director (Pipelines), Indian Oil

Corp Arvind Kejriwal - Chief Minister, Delhi Ashish Agrawal - Chief Technology officer (CTO),

Micromax Ashish Agrawal - Chief Technology Officer (CTO),

Micromax Ashok K Agarwal - GM, Southern Railway Ashton Carter - US Defence Secretary Balasubramaniam Venkataramani - MD & CEO,

MCX (Multi Commodity Exchange) Chrishantha de Silva - Chief, Sri Lankan Army Damyant Singh - Brand Director (India), Adidas

Group Dr MO Garg - Director General, CSIR Dr.Nandita Chatterjee - Secretary, Housing &

Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) Faisal Siddiqui - President (South Asia), HTC

Gauri Shankar - MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank

Jawed Usmani - Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), Uttar Pradesh

Kanagasabapathy J Sripavan - Chief Justice, Sri Lanka

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic - 1st Woman President, Croatia

Kshatrapati Shivaji - CMD, SIDBI L.C Goyal - Home Secretary M Ravindran - Chairman, Indraprastha Gas Ltd MO Garg - Director General, Council of Scientific

& Industrial Research (CSIR) Naveen Chopra - COO (Chief Operating Officer),

Vodafone India Nickolay Mladenov - U.N. envoy, Middle East Prasanth Kumar - CEO, MindShare APAC South

Asia Punit Renjen - CEO, Deloittes global operations Ram Niwas Goel - Speaker, Delhi Assembly Rashad Hussain - US envoy and coordinator,

Strategic Counter-Terrorism Communications Ravi Chaudhary - Executive Director, Federal

Aviation Administration (FAA) Roopa Kudva - Independent Member, Infosys Shubhajit Sen - Chief Marketing Officer (CMO),

Micromax T. Suvarna Raju - Chairman, Hindustan

Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Takahiro Hachigo - President & CEO, Honda

Motor Tapan Misra - Head, ISRO's Space Applications

Centre (SAC) Zoe Konstantopoulou - Youngest President, Greek

Parliament

A Vincent - Ace cinematographer Anil Sarkar - CPI(M) leader Ashraful Haque - Bollywood Actor Atmaram Bhende - Marathi Actor Avijit Roy - Bangladeshi Author (hacked to death)



Bob Simon - CBS 60 Minutes Correspondent (car crash)

Carl Djerassi - Creator of Birth Control Pill D Rama Naidu - Guinness Book record holding

Producer David Carr - Media columnist, New York Times Kassasbeh - Jordanian pilot (burned alive by ISIS) Kayla Mueller - U.S. aid worker Kenji Goto - Japanese Reporter (beheaded by ISIS) Kesava Reddy - Telugu novelist Leonard Nimoy - Star Treck Actor Louis Jourdan - French Actor Louis Jourdan - French actor Mrinalini Mukherjee - Sculptor and Artist Nirad Naraya Mahapatra - Odia film director R R Patil - Former Home Minister, Maharashtra R.C Sakthi - Tamil director Rajinder Puri - Veteran Journalist & Cartoonist Richard von Weizsaecker - Former German

President

Amartya Sen - Charleston-EFG John Maynard Keynes Prize

Ammu (mascot of 35th National Games) - Limca Book of Records

Anil Kumble - 77th member, ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

Bhalchandra Nemade - 50th Jnanpith Award for 2014

Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU) - Mahindra Samridhi India Agri Award 2015

Deepika Misra - 1st Woman, IAF Formation Display Team

Dr. Tessy Thomas - Nayudamma Award 2014 Dr. Zakir A. Naik - King Faisal International Prize

(KFIP) 2015 Geeta Varadan - Nayudamma Award 2014 Gurpreet Singh - National Science Foundation

Career award ($5,00,000) Hindol Sengupta - Hayek Prize (shortlisted)

Indira Gandhi International Airport - Annual Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award

Madhya Pradesh - 10th National Award for excellent work in MGNREGA

Masih Alinejad - Human Rights Award (Geneva) Mithileshwar - Shrilal Shukla Sahitya IFFCO Award

2014 Purnendu Dasgupta - J. Calvin Giddings Award

2015 Ratan Tata - Honorary Doctorate from Clemson

University Vinod Mehta - Yash Bharti Samman

60th Filmfare Awards Winners List

Best Actor (Male) : Shahid Kapoor for Haider. Best Actor (Female) : Kangana Ranaut for Queen. Best Film : Queen. Best Director: Vikas Bahl for Queen. Best Film (Critics): Ankhon Dekhi. Best Actor (Critics): Sanjay Mishra for Ankhon

Dekhi. Best Actress (Critics): Alia Bhatt for Highway. Best Supporting Actor (Male): Kay Kay Menon for

Haider. Best Supporting Actor (Female): Tabu for Haider. Best Story: Rajat Kapoor for Ankhon Dekhi. Best Dialogue: Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi

for PK. Best Screenplay: Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat

Joshi for PK. Best Debutant (Female): Kriti Sanon for

Heropanti. Best Debutant (Male): Fawad Khan for

Khoobsurat. Best Music Director: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy for 2

States. Best Lyrics: Rashmi Singh for Muskurane Ki Wajah

(CityLights). Best Playback Singer (Male): Ankit Tiwari for

Galliyan (Ek Villain). Best Playback Singer (Female): Kanika Kapoor for

Baby Doll(Ragini MMS 2).



Best Choreography: Ahmed Khan for Jumme Ki Raat for Kick.

Best Action: Sham Kaushal for Gunday. Best Cinematography: Bobby Singh and Siddharth

Diwan for Queen. Best Background Score: Amit Trivedi for Queen. Best Editing: Abhijit Kokate and Anurag Kashyap

for Queen. Best Production Design: Subrata Chakraborty and

Amit Ray for Haider. Best Sound Design: Anilkumar Konakandla and

Prabal Pradhan for Mardaani. Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award: Kamini

Kaushal.

Yash Bharti Awards Winners List (important names to remember)

Cricketer Suresh Raina. Classical singer Shubha Mudgal. Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Journalist Vinod Mehta. Sufi singer Rahat Ali Khan Sabri. Wrestler Alka Tomar. Playback singer Kailash Kher. Urdu poet Bekal Utsahi. Music director Ravindra Jain. Bhajan singer Anup Jalota

List of 65th Berlin Int'l Film Festival Winners

Golden Bear for best film : Taxi, Jafar Panahi, Iran Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear : El Club (The Club),

Pablo Larrain, Chile Silver Bear for best director : Radu Jude for

Aferim!, Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Malgorzata Szumowska for Body, Poland

Silver Bear for best actress : Charlotte Rampling in 45 Years, Britain

Silver Bear for best actor : Tom Courtenay in 45 Years, Britain

Silver Bear for outstanding artistic contribution (camera) : Sturla Brandth Grovlen for Victoria,

Germany; and Evgeniy Privin and Sergei Mikhalchuk for Pod electricheskimi oblakami (Under Electric Clouds), Russia, Ukraine, Poland

Silver Bear for best script : Patricio Guzman for El Boton de Nacar (The Pearl Button), France, Chile, Spain

Alfred Bauer Prize for work of particular innovation : Ixcanul (Ixcanul Volcano) by Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala

Best first feature film : 600 Millas (600 Miles) by Gabriel Ripstein, Mexico

Golden Bear for best short film : Hosanna by Na Young-kil, South Korea

Teddy for best feature film with gay or lesbian context: Nasty Baby by Sebastian Silva, United States

Teddy for best documentary film with gay or lesbian context : El hombre nuevo (The New Man) by Aldo Garay, Uruguay, Chile

57th Grammy Award Winners List 2015

Record of the Year - "Stay with Me," Sam Smith Song of the Year - "Stay with Me" (Darkchild

Version) Album of the Year - Morning Phase, Beck Best Country Album - Platinum, Miranda Lambert Best R&B Performance - "Drunk in Love," Beyonc Best Rock Album - Morning Phase, Beck Best Pop Vocal Album - In the Lonely Hour, Sam

Smith Best Pop Solo Performance - "Happy," Pharrell

Williams Best New Artist - Sam Smith Best Rap/Sung Collaboration - "Monster," by

Rihanna and Eminem Best Rap Album - The Marshall Mathers LP2,

Eminem Best Urban Contemporary Album - Girl, Pharrell Best R&B Album - Love, Marriage & Divorce, Toni

Braxton and Babyface Best R&B Song - "Drunk in Love," Beyonc, and

Jay-Z



Best Rock Song - "Ain't It Fun," Paramore Best Alternative Music Album - St. Vincent, St.

Vincent Best Music Video - "Happy", Pharrell Williams Best New Age Album - Winds Of Samsara, Ricky

Kej & Wouter Kellerman Best Children's Album - I Am Malala: How One

Girl Stood Up For Education And Changed The World (Malala Yousafzai) [narrated by Neela Vaswani]

Bafta Film Awards 2015 Winners List

Best Film : Boyhood Leading Actor : Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of

Everything Leading Actress : Julianne Moore, Still Alice Director : Richard Linklater, Boyhood Supporting Actor : J.K. Simmons, Whiplash Supporting Actress : Patricia Arquette, Boyhood Outstanding British Film : The Theory of

Everything Original Music : The Grand Budapest Hotel British Short Animation : The Bigger Picture British Short Film : ?Boogaloo And Graham Documentary : ?Citizenfour Editing : Whiplash Production Design : ?The Grand Budapest Hotel Makeup & Hair : ?The Grand Budapest Hotel Sound : Whiplash Best Animated Film : The Lego Movie Special Visual Effects : Interstellar Cinematography : Birdman Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director

or Producer : Stephen Beresford and David Livingstone, Pride

Original Screenplay : The Grand Budapest Hotel Film Not in the English Language : Ida Adapted Screenplay : The Theory of Everything? Costume Design : The Grand Budapest Hotel? The EE Rising Star Award : Jack O'Connell Original Music : The Grand Budapest Hotel

Complete Winners List of 87th Academy Awards / Oscars 2015

Best Picture - Birdman Best Actress in a Leading Role - Julianne Moore

for Still Alice Best Actor in a Leading Role - Eddie Redmayne for

The Theory of Everything. Best Director - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for

Birdman Best Adapted Screenplay - Graham Moore for

'The Imitation Game' Best original screenplay - Alejandro G. Irritu,

Nicols Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo for Birdman

Best original score - Alexandre Desplat - The Grand Budapest Hotel

Documentary Feature - CitizenFour by Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky

Film Editing - Tom Cross - Whiplash Best Cinematography - Emmanuel Lubezki for

Birdman Best Production Design - The Grand Budapest

Hotel Animated Feature Film - Big Hero 6 Best Animated Short film - Feast Special Effects - Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley,

Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher for Interstellar Best Sound Editing - American Sniper - Alan

Robert Murray, Bub Asman Sound mixing and Sound Editing Oscar - Whiplash

- Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, Thomas Curley Best documentary short film - Crisis Hotline:

Veterans Press 1 - Ellen Goosenberg Kent, Dana Perry

Best live-action short film - The Phone Call Mat Kirkby, James Lucas

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling - The Grand Budapest Hotel Frances Hannon, Mark Coulier

Best Foreign Film - Ida by Pawel Pawlikowski Best costume design - The Grand Budapest Hotel

Milena Canonero Best Supporting Actor - JK Simmons for Whiplash



Best Supporting Actress - Patricia Arquette - Boyhood

Forbes magazine's Top 50 'Powerful Businesswomen' from Asia

1. Arundhati Bhattacharya - Head, State Bank of India

2. Chanda Kochchar - CEO, ICICI 3. Akhila Srinivasan - MD/Non-Executive Director of

Shriram Life Insurance/Shriram Capital 4. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw - Founding Chairman and

MD of Biocon 5. Shikha Sharma - CEO and MD of Axis Bank 6. Usha Sangwan - MD of LIC

Winners List of Australian Open 2015

Men's Singles - Novak Djokovic (Serbia) by beating Andy Murray

Women's Singles - Serena Williams (US) by beating Maria Sharapova

Men's Doubles - Simone Bolelli (Italy) and Fabio Fognini (Italy) by beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut

Women's Doubles - Bethanie Mattek-Sands (US) and Lucie afov (Czech Republic) by beating

Chan Yung-jan and Zheng Jie Mixed Doubles - Leander Paes (India) and Martina

Hingis (Switzerland) by beating French-Canadian pair of Kristina Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor

Dubai ATP Tennis Championship 2015 Winners List

Men's Singles : Roger Federer (Switzerland) Women's Singles : Simona Halep (Romania) Men's Doubles : Rohan Bopanna (India) / Daniel

Nestor (Canada) Women's Doubles : Tmea Babos (Hungary) /

Kristina Mladenovic (France)

February 1

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is in China on a four-day visit and is accompanied by the new foreign secretary S Jaishankar. o Mrs. Sushma Swaraj inaugurated 2nd meeting of the India- China Media Forum in Beijing. The day-long

meeting will deliberate on medias role in promoting bilateral strategic partnership, boosting economic cooperation and opportunities and challenges for India-China media cooperation.

o India and China exchanged notes on modalities for opening the second route for pilgrims undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar yatra.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China in May this year, ahead of the meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. o Modi's visit to China is a reciprocal one by President Xi Jinping to India in September last year.

Nepal committee passes guidelines for Constitution. o The Proposal Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly (CA) passed its working guidelines, declaring

that principles like democracy, federalism, republicanism, secularism, and inclusiveness would be an integral part of the new Constitution.



o In its second meeting, the Proposal Drafting Committee (PDC), which has been tasked to study the report submitted by the Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee on agreements and disputes over the new Constitution, said no questions would be prepared on it for voting.

February 2

Russia, India and China have called for an early conclusion of negotiations on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. o In a joint communique issued after the 13th meeting of foreign ministers of the three countries, under the

RIC Forum in Beijing, they strongly condemned terrorism in all forms and said there can be no ideological, political, racial, ethnic or any other justification for acts of terrorism.

o The Ministers affirmed the need for all countries to join efforts in combating terrorism under the auspices of United Nations.

o Indian External Affairs Minister - Sushma Swaraj o Chinese foreign Minister - Wang Yi o Russian foreign Minister - Sergey Levrov

India and China jointly launched the Visit India Year in China (Beijing) during the visit of Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to China. o The initiative is aimed at enhancing the flow of tourists from China to India and to strengthen the people to

people bond. China will support the promotion of Indian tourist resources in its country. Myanmar Suu Kyis front gate to be auctioned.

o The iron gate that stood in front of the home of Myanmars formerly imprisoned democracy icon, Aung San Suu Kyi, separating her from throngs of cheering supporters as she made speeches challenging the countrys then-military rulers, is going on the auction block.

o About: The 69-year old Nobel laureate and daughter of Myanmars countrys famous independence leader,

Gen. Aung San became an international symbol of peaceful resistance in the face of oppression during her 15 years of on-again-off again house arrest.

Egypt court confirms death sentences of 183 Muslim Brotherhood supporters. o An Egyptian court upheld the death sentences of 183 Muslim Brotherhood supporters convicted of killing 13

people during violence in 2013 after the ouster of the countrys first Islamist President Mohamed Morsy. o The court found the defendants accused of attacking the Kerdasa police station on August 14, 2013, the

same day when security forces dispersed two Brotherhood protest sit-in camps in Cairo and Giza, killing hundreds of people.

National ICT Draft Policy 2015 approved. o Bangladesh Cabinet approved the draft of National Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Policy, 2015. o The draft seeks establishment of a transparent and accountable government through ICT expansion to

enhance the standards of citizen service. o The policy carries a specific vision of multifaceted use like ensuring skilled human resource development,

rendering public service through public-private-partnership. o It also envisions to Help Bangladesh to be into a mid-income country by 2021 and a developed country by

2041.

February 3

Britain becomes the first country to allow a ''three-parent'' IVF technique. o The treatment is known as three-parent in vitro fertilisation (IVF) because the babies, born from

genetically modified embryos, would have DNA from a mother, a father and from a female donor.



o It is designed to help couples with mitochondrial diseases, incurable conditions passed down the maternal line that affect around one in 6,500 children worldwide.

o It would be a medical world first for Britain to allow the mitochondrial donation. o About:

The process involves intervening in the fertilisation process to remove mitochondria, which act as tiny energy-generating batteries inside cells, and which, if faulty, can cause inherited conditions such as fatal heart problems, liver failure, brain disorders, blindness and muscular dystrophy.

This technique will lead to the creation of genetically modified designer babies.

February 4

International Court of Justice ruled Neither Croatia nor Serbia committed genocide during Balkan War. o The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that neither Croatia nor Serbia had committed genocide against

each other's populations during the 1990s Balkan Wars sparked by the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. o The 17-judge panel headed by Judge Peter Tomka ruled that a 1995 Croat offensive to win back the territory

from rebel Serbs featured serious crimes, but did not reach the level of genocide. o About 1948 Genocide: o The convention entered into force in 1951 and defined genocide as any of the following acts committed

with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group: o Killing members of the group. o Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group. o Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in

whole or in part. o Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group. o Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

February 6

Tunisia Parliament approves first coalition government after Arab Spring. o Tunisia Parliament has approved the first historic coalition government after the Arab spring. o In this regard, 166 out of 204 Members of Parliament (MPs) voted in favor of the new cabinet proposed by

the Prime Minister Habib Essid. The new coalition Government comprised of liberal Nida Tounes party, moderate Islamist Ennahda party and the Free Patriotic party.

o In the coalition government, Nidaa Tounes party holds 6 portfolios, including the foreign ministry. While, the interior, defence and justice portfolios have been given to independents. Ennahda party holds labour ministry and three secretary of state posts.

February 9

China launched first Maritime Silk Road cruise liner from Beihai port. o China launched its first cruise liner to sail via its ambitious transcontinental initiative Maritime Silk Road

(MSR). o The sail was launched from the Beihai port located in southwest Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous

Region. o The cruise liner is a 135-meter-long and 20-meter-wide that can accommodate 400 people and is equipped

with wireless internet access. o About: o The 21st century Maritime Silk Road project is an initiative of President of China Xi Jingping who in 2013

proposed the rejuvenation of the MSR and revival of the ancient Silk Road to establish close relation between the China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) communities.



o The MSR seeks to string together partnerships with countries in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean, including India.

o This maritime route entails expanding ports and industrial parks in Asia, the Mideast, Africa and Europe. For development of the MSR, China had announced a 40 billion US dollar Silk Road fund which became operational from February 2015.

Australia's prime minister survives confidence vote. o Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has survived a spill vote of confidence on his leadership in the Liberal

Party. o In a Liberal party room voting, the ruling Liberal Party voted to defeat the leadership spill motion by 61 to

39 votes. The party decided to not open up the top positions to contenders. o Tony Abbott was elected as the Prime Minister of Australia in September 2013. o Background o Earlier in first week of February, some MPs from Abbotts Liberal Party openly had called a spill vote of

confidence after his decline in popularity and poor ratings due to series of policy backflips. o The main aim of motion was to declare vacant the positions of party leader and deputy leader- currently

occupied by Abbott and Deputy Prime Minister Julie Bishop.

February 11

US closed its embassy in Yemen. o The State Department of the United States confirmed its closing of Embassy in Yemen and removed its staff

due to the current political turmoil. o About o The embassy closure comes as the leader of the Houthi rebel movement denounced foreign governments

plans to withdraw their diplomats and declared that the group would not be deterred from expanding its authority over the fractured country.

Israel to provide assistance in cleaning up Ganga. o Israel has offered its expertise to India to clean up the Ganga. o Amit Lang, Director-General of the Ministry of Economy, Israel suggested to continue on the Free Trade

Agreement (FTA), initiated in 2007, as well as enhance mutual coordination in the field of water management, waste water treatment.

o Israel uses 90% of de-salinated water for its agriculture.

February 13

Nawaz Sharif tells Barack Obama, Indias permanent UNSC seat unacceptable. o Indias permanent membership in the reformed UN Security Council is unacceptable to Pakistan as it has

not complied with UN resolutions on Kashmir, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has told US President Barack Obama.

o Sharif told Obama that India cannot become a UNSC permanent member due to its non-compliance of all the resolutions passed by the UN on Kashmir and had not fulfilled the commitment to give the right of self-determination to people of Kashmir.

Ukraine gets new bailout deal from IMF. o Facing bankruptcy, Ukraine asked the IMF to replace its programme with a new one to restore confidence in

its finances. o The International Monetary Fund has agreed with Ukraine on a new bailout deal worth 15.5 billion euro

($17.5 billion) that could climb to around $40 billion over the next four years with help from other lenders like Europe and the U.S.

February 14



President of Singapore Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam was on a State visit of India. o He visited India at the invitation of the President Pranab Mukherjee. o His visit highlighted the celebrations on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic

relations between India and Singapore. o President Tan inaugurated the Singapore Festival in India tomorrow, launched the commemorative book

titled Singapore and India: Towards A Shared Future, opened the Peranakan Exhibition at National Museum and hosted a Food Festival themed Flavours Of Singapore.

February 15

China has opened a new embassy in Pakistan. o China has opened a new embassy in Pakistan, its "largest overseas" diplomatic mission, which foreign

minister Wang Yi described as a symbol of friendship between the "all weather" allies. o China maintains large diplomatic missions abroad including Washington, New York and New Delhi. Its

mission in New Delhi has over 300 personnel. o The opening of the new Islamabad embassy came as China and Pakistan deepen their all weather relations

with the construction of the multi-billion Economic Corridor through the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). o The Corridor, which is part of the Silk Road projects proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping aims to

connect China's Xinjiang with Pakistan Gwadar Port in Balochistan province neighbouring Iran. Maldivian Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon visited India.

o Maldivian Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi. Maumoon was in India to boost ties between the two countries.

o During the meet, the two leaders reviewed the developmental projects in Maldives and also the possible agenda for visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Maldives.

February 16

UNSC OKs resolution against Yemen. o The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution demanding that Shiite rebels

immediately relinquish control of Yemens government in a crisis that has pushed the Arab worlds poorest country near collapse.

o UNSC in its adopted resolution has asked for immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Shia Houthi rebel forces from Yemens government institutions in its capital Sanaa.

o It also has sought the release of President Mansour Hadi and his Cabinet from house arrest, and urged Houthi rebels to engage in good faith in U.N.- led peace talks.

o About: The UN resolution comes a day after foreign ministers of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) had urged the

U.N. to intervene in order to maintain regional security. The security situation in Yemen deteriorated after the Shia Houthis rebels had seized power by

dissolving Yemens government and parliament in January 2015 after taking control of key government buildings in capital Sanaa including Presidential Palace.

Pakistan releases 172 Indian fishermen. o Pakistan released 172 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture, two days after the Prime Ministers of the two

countries decided to resume high-level contacts. o The fishermen had been held at the Malir and Landhi district jail in Karachi for allegedly violating territorial

waters in the Arabian Sea.

February 17

India handed over a four decade old vintage Dakota-3 aircraft to Bangladesh.



o India handed over a four decade old vintage Dakota-3 aircraft to Bangladesh, which played an important role in Bangladeshs 1971 war of liberation and helped in formation of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF).

o Dakota-3 was a passenger plane till it was used for air dropping troops in Bangladeshs Tangail during the 1971 war, which is 96 kms from Dhaka on December 11, 1971.

o Dakota-3 was gifted to the Bangladesh Liberation Fighters by Maharaja of Jodhpur.

February 18

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdus Subhan sentenced to death. o Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdus Subhan has been sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal. o He had been charged with nine counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, abductions, detention,

torture and loot. o The International Crimes Tribunal-2 Chariman Justice Obaidul Hassan.

Nepal Celebrated 65th National Democracy Day. o The 65th National Democracy Day has been celebrated amidst a grand function at the Nepalese Army

pavilion, commemorating the establishment of democracy on February 18, 1951. o President of Nepal was presented with a guard of honour by a contingent of the Nepalese Army. o About Nepal:

Capital: Katmandu. Currency: Nepalese rupee (NPR). President: Dr. Ram Braan Yadav. Prime Minister: Sushil Koirala.

February 19

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met Prime Minister of Bangladesh. o Mamata Banerjee has arrived in Dhaka on her first visit since she became chief minister of West Bengal. o State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Md Shahriar Alam received her. o President of Bangladesh: Mr. Abdul Hamid. o Currency: Taka. o Capital: Dhaka. o Official language: Bengali.

February 20

Parliament of Thailand bans commercial surrogacy. o Parliament of Thailand (National Legislative Assembly) passed a law banning commercial surrogacy, putting

a halt on foreign couples seeking to have children through Thai surrogate mothers. o The legislation is aimed at ending rent-a-womb industry that made the Southeast Asian country a top

destination for fertility tourism. o Provisions of the law: o Only married Thai couples or couples with one Thai partner who have been married at least three years can

seek surrogacy. o It allows a Thai couple to seek a surrogate to carry the fetus only if they are able to prove that they and

their relatives are infertile. o It also says that anyone violating this law will face a maximum jail sentence of 10 years and a maximum. o About: o Earlier in November 2014, Thailands Parliament voted a draft bill to ban commercial surrogacy. This draft

bill was formulated to regulate the illegal commercial surrogacy after outrage erupted over this unregulated industry.



o This industry came under intense scrutiny after a series of surrogacy scandals broke in the country involving foreigners.

India and the US held first-ever bilateral dialogue on United Nations. o India and the US held their first-ever bilateral dialogue on the United Nations (UN) and other multilateral

issues in Washington. o The dialogue was held in the spirit of the Delhi Declaration of Friendship which was released during the visit

of US President Barack Obama to India in January 2015.

February 21

China protests against PM Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh. o PM Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh for the Statehood Day celebrations has faced opposition

from China. o The Chinese side is opposed to Indian leaders' activities in the disputed area, and has lodged solemn

representations with the Indian side. It also asked India to avoid making any move that complicates the boundary question.

o About India - China dispute over Arunachal Pradesh: o Sovereignty over two large and various smaller separated pieces of territory have been contested between

China and India. o The large disputed territory, the easternmost, lies south of the McMahon Line. o It was formerly referred to as the North East Frontier Agency, and is now called Arunachal Pradesh. The

1962 Sino-Indian War was fought in both of these areas. o An agreement to resolve the dispute was concluded in 1996, including "confidence-building measures" and

a mutually agreed Line of Actual Control. o In 2006, the Chinese ambassador to India claimed that all of Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory amidst a

military buildup.At the time, both countries claimed incursions as much as a kilometre at the northern tip of Sikkim.

February 22

Sri Lanka Parliament enacts witness protection law. o Sri Lankan Parliament has passed the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Bill. o This bill aims at protecting the rights of criminal victims and witnesses especially in human rights

accountability. o Compensation to witnesses who cooperate with investigations. Strict punitive action against those who

harass victims or witnesses. Stringent punishment of prison sentence from three to 10 years to the culprits. o About: o Since 2012, for consecutive three years Sri Lanka had faced US-backed UN Human Rights Council (UN-HRC)

resolutions on Human rights accountability. o UN-HRC 2014 resolution also had mandated Sri Lanka to set up of an international investigation into alleged

human rights abuses during the 3 decade-long civil war that wiped out the LTTE.

February 23

Maldives arrests ex-president Mohamed Nasheed under anti-terrorism laws. o A document signed by the prosecutor general said that Nasheed was arrested to stand trial for his 2012

order as president to arrest a senior judge. It said he was being charged under anti-terrorism laws, but did not specify why.

o Nasheed resigned as president in February 2012 following weeks of public protests against his order to arrest Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed.



o Modi is scheduled to visit Male around March 15 from Sri Lanka as the final destination of his trip to four Indian Ocean nations.

o The Prime Minister's visit is being viewed as key to India's push in the region where China is trying to expand its presence.

February 24

Spouses of H-1B visa holders to get work permits in US. o The USA announced that it will provide work permits to spouses of H-1B visa holders beginning May 26, a

move that is expected to benefit thousands of talented and professional Indian spouses who come to America but are unable to work.

o Under existing laws, spouses of H-1B visa holders, many of whom are Indians, are not eligible to work. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting applications for work visas from H-1B spouses on May 26.

o About: o The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting applications for work visas from H-

1B spouses on May 26. o Once USCIS approves the 'Form I-765' and the H-4 dependent spouse receives an Employment

Authorisation Card, he or she may begin working in the United States. o USCIS estimates the number of individuals eligible to apply for employment authorisation under this rule

could be as high as 179,600 in the first year and 55,000 annually in subsequent year.

February 25

Abdul Jabbar sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes in Bangladesh. o Former Jatiya Party lawmaker Abdul Jabbar was sentenced to life imprisonment by the International Crimes

Tribunal-1 in Bangladesh. He was also fined 10 lakh taka in absentia. Jabbar has been absconding since the trial started.

o He was sentenced for crimes committed during the Liberation War in 1971. o Jabbar was sentenced for several charges apart from genocide. The tribunal sentenced him on charges of

killing 36 people, forced conversion of 200 Hindus at Phuljhuri, looting 557 houses and arson during the 1971 Liberation War.

February 26

Parliament of Jamaica passed a law to decriminalise marijuana for personal use. o Jamaicas Parliament has passed a law to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of marijuana up to

57 grams for personal use. o Jamaicas decision to legalise marijuana comes in line with global trend which include several Latin

American countries and US states that have decriminalised marijuana possession. o Marijuana is widely grown in Jamaica and has cultural roots there. It is also the biggest exporter of

marijuana to the United States among Caribbean countries. o About: o Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of Cannabis

sativa the hemp plant. o Most people smoke marijuana, though it can also be used in other forms such as edibles, powders and oils.

Medicinal values of marijuana is used as a drug for controlling pain for medical issues, like cancer, nervous system diseases, glaucoma, migraines, etc.

February 27



Former Pop Star Gary Glitter jailed for 16 years. o Former pop star Gary Glitter has been jailed for a total of 16 years for sexually abusing three young girls

between 1975 and 1980. o Glitter was sentenced for attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one of having sex with a girl

under 13. o About: o Paul Francis Gadd known by the stage name Gary Glitter, is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter

and musician. o His long and highly successful career was ended in the late 1990s by criminal convictions for possession of

child pornography and, in the 2000s and 2010s, for child sexual abuse; he was imprisoned in 2015.

February 28

Jaishankar begins SAARC yatra with Bhutan. o Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar begins his 'yatra' of four SAARC countries with Bhutan as the first

stop. o Jaishankar, who took over January 28, travels to Bangladesh March 2, Pakistan March 3 and Afghanistan the

following day. o His visit to the region comes even as India is pushing ahead with a sub-regional connectivity project with

Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan to provide seamless transit of passenger. o Pakistan visit would see Jaishankar hold talks with his counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry in a major move

seeking to normalise bilateral ties. o India and Bangladesh have also inched closer to inking the Land Boundary Agreement for swap of enclaves

within each other's territory. Sri Lanka to bar Chinese submarines from docking in its waters.

o Sri Lanka declared that it will not allow Chinese submarines to dock in its waters as part of a new policy barring hosting of foreign submarines.

o The Minister stressed that the new government had adopted a centrist foreign policy based on engagement of the entire world, without identifying with any camp, for the benefit of the Sri Lankan people.

February 1

Railway Minister launched Wi-Fi broadband services at Ahmedabad station o Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the Wi-Fi facility at Ahmedabad Railway Station. With this,

Ahmedabad Railway station joined the Wi-Fi enabled Railway stations like Bangalore, New Delhi and CST-Mumbai.

o Railway Ministry has set a target to provide Wi-Fi facility at 400 A-one and A category Railway Stations at the earliest.

o Steps to use Wi-Fi o First switch On Wi-Fi on your mobile. o Choose Wi-Fi network- RailWire which is free. o Open browser. o Enter mobile number to register.



o After registration, you will get one time password (OTP) via SMS. o Users are now ready to log in for surfing. The RailWire powered Wi-Fi will give maximum speed of 1 mbps. o Wi-Fi facility shall be available to the users free of cost initially for a period of 30 minutes by registering on

the Wi-Fi network through their mobile. o For usage beyond 30 minutes, the user may purchase scratch cards. o These cards are priced at Rs. 25 for 30 minutes and Rs. 35 for 1 Hour and are valid through 24 hours.

Committee on Infrastructure Development approved development of no-frill airports at Ajmer, Belgaum. o The expert appraisal committee for projects related to Infrastructure Development, however, did not

express a lenient view towards Airport Authority of India's proposal to have a greenfield airport at Holongi river plain in Arunachal Pradesh.

o The AAI approached the environment ministry to upgrade and modernise the existing Belgaum airport to facilitate operations of four flights of A-321 aircrafts per day.

February 2

One-rank one-pension scheme announced. o Stating that Defence Ministry has fast-tracked work on one-rank one-pension scheme, Defence Minister

Manohar Parrikar assured ex-servicemen of early implementation of the scheme. o About the Scheme: o One Rank, One Pension is an old demand of Indian military personnel. The term means armed forces

personnel holding the same rank will get the same pension, regardless of the last drawn pay, years of service and the years served in a particular rank.

o In its July 2014 Budget, Government of India allocated INR1000 crore for this scheme. o Due to some technical calculations and interpretations to be concluded by the related ministry there was a

delay in the implementation of the scheme in 2014. o Recent meetings have been on the positive note indicating that the scheme will be implemented before the

approval of budget of India 2015-16. Funds for Krishi Bhagya scheme to be doubled from next year.

o Minister of State for Agriculture Krishna Byre Gowda has sentenced the government would double the funds for the Krishi Bhagya scheme from next year.

o The Minister informed that for constructing storage tanks under the scheme, 90 per cent subsidy was given to SCs/ STs beneficiaries and 80 per cent to the general category.

o The scheme granted funds to conserve rain water for utilization during scanty monsoon. o The total amount allotted for the Scheme in 2014-15 was 50,000 lakhs rupees.

New plate mill at RSP. o Union Minister of Mines, Steel and Labour and Employment Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the rolling

facilities of the new plate mill at SAILs Rourkela plant. o The new plate mill is one of the widest plate mills in the country. o The mill includes advanced features like computerized control system for plan view rolling process and has a

capacity of one million tonne per annum with provision for expanding it to 1.8 million tonne per annum.

February 4

Govt panel to suggest ways to monitor CSR works. o The government has set up a high level panel to suggest a framework to assess Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR) activities done by corporate companies under the companies law. o The panel, headed by former Home Secretary Anil Baijal, would have members from industry and academia. o Corporate Affairs Ministry is implementing the Companies Act, 2013 and CSR norms were introduced for the

first time under this legislation.



o Going by estimates, about Rs. 14,000 crore is expected to be spent towards CSR activities by companies in the current fiscal.

February 5

PM to inaugurate Science Congress next year. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 103rd edition of Indian Science Congress (ISC), which will

be hosted by the University of Mysore from January 3 next year. o This is the second time the university is hosting the meet. It had hosted it in 1982 earlier, and it was

attended by then PM Indira Gandhi. India agreed to share nuclear data for breakthrough in talks.

o India has accepted that it will share data on nuclear material and equipment in order to secure the U.S. agreement to waive its tracking requirements on that material.

o Indias concession on the issue was the reason for the breakthrough in agreement on the administrative arrangements for the Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear deal during President Barack Obamas visit.

o The data collected would be shared during annual consultations between U.S. & Indian groups to be specially set up to implement the administrative arrangements that will guide the nuclear deal.

February 6

Modi chairs first NITI Aayog meet. o Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has constituted three sub-groups of Chief Ministers within National

Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog. o It was announced by PM while he was chairing the first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog in

New Delhi. o First sub-group: It will study the 66 centrally-sponsored schemes and recommend which schemes should

continue, which should be transferred to states, and which to discontinue. o Second sub-group: It will focus on skill development and creation of skilled manpower within states. o Third sub-group: It will decide on the institutional mechanisms to be evolved for Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan,

so that cleanliness becomes a part of life in perpetuity. o Key highlights of first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog

In this meeting, Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and Lt Governors of Andaman and Nicobar and Delhi, and the Chief Ministers of the rest of the states participated.

PM has asked all the states to create two task forces under the aegis of the NITI Aayog, one to focus on poverty alleviation, and the other to focus on future development of agriculture in the states.

First meeting also focused on issues related to growth, investment, decentralisation and poverty alleviation.

PM also stressed on the role of the states and emphasised how Jan Dhan Yojana and Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan had become successful with cooperation of the states.

February 7

Centre to amend Child Labour, EPF Acts. o Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya explained the Union Government will

introduce two Bills in the budget session of Parliament to amend the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act and Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act.

o Stating that there were 42 crore workers in the unorganized sector across the country, the Union Minister focus of reforms would be improving social security and providing skill development training to them under the national vocation training scheme.



February 9

World Ocean Science Congress Ends in Kochi. o The four-day-long World Ocean Science Congress (WOSC) witnessed presentation of 450 technical papers in

13 sessions by 86 Indian institutions and 14 foreign institutions. o At the WOSC, scientists, oceanographers and marine experts urged the Central Government to form a

separate ministry to bring all the agencies and institutions working in the fields of ocean research and fisheries.

o Government agencies and institutions participated in the congress Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL). National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR). Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS). Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT). Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI). National Institute of Oceanography (NIO). Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE). National Institute of Ocean Technology.

Indian Navy conducted HADR drill to test its readiness for handling tsunamis. o A large scale exercise was conducted in Lakshadweep Islands (Kavaratti, Aggatti, Kalpeni and Androth) by

the Indian Navy to test its readiness for handling a tsunami like disasters. o The Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster relief (HADR) exercise involved various aircrafts and over 20 ships

from the Western and Eastern Fleets of the aircraft of Indian Navy. o About the drill: o The objective of the drill was to test the Navy's capability for providing immediate assistance and relief to

the affected people. o The drill involved the Navy personnel to set up medical camps and make provisions for food, shelter,

storage of basic facilities and limited restoration work till the situations stabilize. o It also provided support in Bangladesh during Cyclone Sidr which took place in 2007 and Cyclone Nargis in

Myanmar in 2008. o Also the Navy participated in the efforts to locate the missing Malaysian airliner MH-370.

Union Governments Sukanya Samridhi Yojna begins in Uttar Pradesh. o Union Governments Sukanya Samridhi Yojna under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) campaign has begun in

Jaunpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh. o The first account under the scheme was opened in the name of a three-year old girl Vedika Tiwari in this

district by her parents. o About: o Sukanya Samridhi Yojna under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) campaign was launched by Prime Minister

Narendra Modi on 22 January 2015 in Haryana to enhance the strength and honour of the girl children across the country.

o This scheme encompasses all the girls of every economic strata under 10 years of age to open Sukanya Samridhi Account in Post offices and in the Banks. This account will be opened by girls parents or legal guardians.

o In the account, a minimum of one thousand Rupees and maximum of One lakh fifty thousand Rupees can be deposited annually, upon which interest of 9.1% will be accrued.

o When the girl child attains the age of 18 years, she herself would become eligible to operate the account. o Under the scheme, the girl child can withdraw 50 per cent of the money after reaching age of 18 for higher

education. The 18 years deadline will also help preventing child-marriages.

February 10



AAP ki sarkar: Kejriwal rules Delhi o The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party swept to power with 67 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly. o This is the first electoral setback for Narendra Modi since he became the Prime Minister in May last year. o Mr. Kejriwal will be sworn in as the Chief Minister on February 14, exactly a year after he quit the post after

49 days in power in February 2014. o About Aravind Kejriwal:

Arvind Kejriwal is an Indian politician, social activist and former civil servant who served as the 7th Chief Minister of Delhi.

Kejriwal is a Mechanical Engineering graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, and worked for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) as a Joint Commissioner in the Income Tax Department.

In 2006, Kejriwal was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership. He resigned to his post because of his minority government's inability to pass his proposed anti-

corruption legislation due to a lack of support from other political parties. Government committed to improving health indicators.

o Announcing the launch of National Deworming Day to be observed on 10th February the government was committed to improving the health indicators in the country.

o Under the National Deworming Day, tablets and syrup will be administered to children in the age group of 1-19 years in 10 states and one Union Territory.

o In the first phase of the programme, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Tripura will be covered.

February 11

Alcohol not under GST for now. o A session on Goods and Services Tax (GST) was organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in

association with the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. o The GST regime will be similar to the dual model in Canada and pointed out that alcohol and petroleum etc

wouldnt come under GST at least for the next few years. o Types of Tax o The session elaborated on the tax on supply of goods or services or both. o Destination-based consumption tax. o Shift of focus from manufacture. o Sale and service to supply. o Integration of Central levies at both the State and local levels. o About GST: o The Goods and Service Tax (GST) is a Value (VAT) to be implement India. o It will replace all indirect taxes levied on goods and services by the Indian Central and State governments. It

is aimed at being comprehensive for most goods and services. o India is a federal republic, and the GST will thus be implemented concurrently by the central and state

governments as the Central GST and the State GST respectively. Prioritize needs of State in implementation of SAGY. The Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY), the central project meant for the comprehensive development of

panchayats, should be implemented according to the specific needs of the State. Modifications in SAGY: The project has been designed to suit the needs of the panchayats in the North Indian States. The Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana will be implemented in selected pachayats in Lok Sabha constituencies. In the first stage, issues of each panchayat will be studied after conducting a socio-economic survey.



The comprehensive project will be implemented using State and Central funds, MLA-MP funds, and panchayat plan funds.

February 12

Government warns states to complete caste census before March 15. o Rural Development Ministry officials warn all states and Union Territories are once again instructed to give

top priority to complete all tasks related to Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) by next month. o This SECC data will be the base on which the beneficiaries for the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) and the National

Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) will be selected. o The Rural Development Ministry is concerned and those states who failed in selecting the beneficiaries from

this data base would not receive financial assistance. o About SECC: o The SECC was started in June 2011 through a comprehensive door-to-door enumeration across the country. o SECC is to generate information on a large number of social and economic indicators relating to households

across the country. o India presses for auto info exchange on black money. o India has asked G20 countries for fast implementation of the automatic exchange of tax information which

would help in tracking illegal money kept in foreign banks. o This would help India to trace transactions of money illegally earned or stashed in foreign banks without

paying appropriate taxes in the countries where those transactions took place. o India called for strengthening the IMF through implementing the 2010 quota and governance reforms and

creating an environment for multilateral swaps to overcome such negative impact.

February 13

Several schemes have been tweaked and repackaged with new names. o The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry may have backed off on Sanskrit Week

celebrations in all CBSE schools last August after Tamil Nadus objections. o The official push for a Sanskritised Hindi is becoming increasingly evident in the manner in which some

schemes are being named. o Ishan Vikas, Ishan Uday, SWAYAM, SAMVAY, Saksham, GIAN and Udaan are the new words in the

Ministrys lexicon. o Where Ishan Vikas and Saksham are the names given to schemes, Study Webs of Active-learning for

Young Aspiring Minds is SWAYAM and Skills Assessment Matrix for Vocational Advancement of Youth is SAMVAY.

o SWAYAM is, in effect, what is internationally known as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). India protests US police atrocity.

o The government has expressed serious concern over the manhandling of a 57-year-old Indian, Suresh Patel, who was paralysed after being pushed to the ground by the police at Madison in Alabama.

o The External Affairs Ministry took up the issue with officials of the U.S. Embassy in Delhi and the Indian Consul-General in Atlanta, Ajit Kumar, has been in touch with the police chief in the city of Madison.

February 14

EC drive to link electoral rolls with Aadhaar. o The Election Commission of India will conduct Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Drive (ERPAD)

by linking electoral rolls with Aadhaar cards. o The linking of electoral rolls with Aadhaar would, however, be voluntary and it had nothing do with ones

right of voting.



o It will also help prevent impersonation during elections as only the right person will be using his/her right of franchise with the purified electoral rolls.

o About EC: o The Election Commission of India is an autonomous, constitutionally established federal authority. o The Election Commission has the power of superintendence, direction and control of all elections to the

Parliament of India and the state legislatures and of elections to the office of the President of India and the Vice-President of India.

o Formed: 25 January 1950 (Later celebrated as National Voters Day). o Head Quarters: New Delhi. o Chief Election Commissioner: Harishankar Brahma.

Coal block auction begins: Ambanis, Adanis in the race. o Auction of coal blocks began for the first time with corporate honchos Ambanis, Adanis and Birlas queuing

up for the two mines being offered on day one. o The technical bidding stage, entities from Reliance, Adani, Essar, GMR, Vedanta and Aditya Birla groups

became eligible to bid these blocks. o About Coal Blocks: o The Supreme Court had in September last year cancelled the allocation of 204 mines.

February 15

P.M. Narendra Modi called to Make renewable energy affordable. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for innovation and research to develop renewable energy to provide

affordable electricity to every household. o As many as 293 companies have committed to generate 266 GW of renewable energy in the next five years

under the governments ambitious RE-Invest programme unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. o Inaugurating the first Renewable Energy Global Investors Meet (RE-Invest), Mr. Modi called for

collaboration between the 50 nations with abundant solar power to develop technological solutions. o Hybrid power generation involving solar and wind energy should be encouraged as it will help save on

transmission and power evacuation infrastructure cost. o The cost of electricity from solar photovoltaic cells has come down from Rs. 20 per unit to Rs. 7.50 and

research and innovation can help bring it down further. National Lok Adalat disposes 56,000 cases, disburses Rs. 265 crore.

o Over 56,000 cases across the country were disposed of by the third National Lok Adalat which also saw disbursal of Rs. 265 crore as claims towards final settlement in bank recovery and cheques bounce cases.

o According to National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), several banks, financial institutions and others participated in the Lok Adalat which was organised nationwide and arrived at final settlements of over Rs. 265 crore.

o The Lok Adalat was organized under the patronage of Chief Justice of India HL Dattu and the leadership of Supreme Court Judge Justice TS Thakur throughout the country except in Assam and Uttar Pradesh.

February 16

Modi assures global investors reforms push will continue. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi, assured global investors that the governments reforms push would

continue and there would be predictability in policies. o The first manufacturing plant of American multinational General Electric inaugurated in India. o The new facility will manufacture a range of diversified products for sectors such as energy, aviation, oil as

well as gas transportation. o Multi-model facility



o The multi-modal facility will support GEs global operations as well as cater to the growing domestic demand.

o To support the Prime Ministers Make in India initiative, GE Vice Chairman John Rice announced the second phase expansion of Chakan unit a testimony to GEs commitment to the Indian market.

o The Prime Minister also urged GE to participate in the defence production programmes of the government as well as that of modernisation of the Indian Railways.

o Including phase II, GE will have a total investment of $200 million in India, and it will also explore possibility to invest in the railway sector.

PM Modi opens judicial museum that houses certificates of Mahatma Gandhi, Jinnah. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 'Permanent Judicial Museum' at Bombay High Court, which

has on display the Barrister Certificates of Mahatma Gandhi and Mohammed Ali Jinnah. o The museum has been set up as a part of the court's sesquicentennial (150th year) celebration. o The museum also boasts of Barrister Certificates of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, K.M.

Munshi and the first Chief Justice of India, M.C. Chhagla. o The Supreme Court of Bombay, between 1824 and 1862, which became the Bombay High Court in 1862.

February 17

AAP to launch 'Jai Kisan Abhiyan' in Haryana. o With the aim of strengthening itself in Haryana, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would launch 'Jai Kisan Abhiyan'

across the state. o The party leaders and workers will make representations before district officials and present a salt bag to all

the Members of Parliament to remind them of their responsibility towards the people. o The party leaders and workers will make representations before district officials and present a salt bag to all

the Members of Parliament to remind them of their responsibility towards the people. Union Ministry of Finance imposed Anti-dumping duty on imports of graphite electrodes.

o Union Ministry of Finance imposed the anti-dumping duty on imports of graphite electrodes for five years. o The duty ranges between USD 278.19 and USD 922.03. o The main use of graphite electrodes is in melting of steel. The DGAD had initiated and conducted

investigation into dumping, injury and causal links between dumping and injury to the domestic industry. o The DGAD had carried out the probe into the dumping on complaints of domestic manufacturers like HEG

and Graphite India.

February 18

Aero India 2015 opened in Yelahanka. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened The 10th edition of the Aero India 2015 air show and exhibition at

the Air Force Station Yelahanka. o Defence Ministers or officials of equivalent ranks of six countries the USA, Russia, Israel and Germany

among them were present. o The Indian military planes and helicopters include, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, the Advanced Light

Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, the Sukhoi-30 MkI medium fighter and the newly-purchased Pilatus basic trainer from the IAF and HAL stables.

U.S.-based news portal Mashable to foray into Indian market. o U.S.-headquartered news portal Mashable announced its foray into the Indian market in partnership with

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltds JV firm India.com. o Web portal India.com is a joint-venture between Penske Media Corporation (PMC) and Zee Entertainment

Enterprises Ltd. o Mashable India will have an editorial team based in India for localized content.



February 19

Shri Bandaru Dattatreya Launches Online Helpdesk for Settlement of Inoperative Accounts. o In accordance with the Prime Ministers directions on the occasion of the Shrameva Jayate programme

regarding the settlement of EPF Inoperative Accounts having Rs. 27,000 crores as balance, EPFO has launched an action program.

o The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour and Employment inaugurated an EPFO Inoperative Account online helpdesk to assist the holders of Inoperative Accounts to trace out their accounts and effect settlement or transfer of the same to their present account.

o The introduction of Universal Account Number (UAN) is expected to greatly facilitate as UAN would enable consolidation of multiple previous PF account numbers with the present one.

Small watershed schemes announced by rural ministry. o The Minister for Rural Development Shri Birender Singh announced small watershed schemes across the

country to promote a variety of economic activities including agriculture. o The watershed schemes have the big potential to fight poverty and reduce the imbalances between the

poor and the rich. o Centre and States should join hands to promote water conservation programmes in an honest fashion and

address the credibility crisis. o About watershed Scheme: o Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Sudarshan Bhagat explained extensive community

participation particularly of Women and weaker sections should become an integral part of the water conservation schemes.

o During the function, jingle, Logo, Name and Tagline of Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) were launched for wider publicity. The selected unique name for the IWMP now is Jal Sadhana and the tagline is Conserve water, Conserve life.

Rs. 50k crore naval project gets Cabinet nod. o The Cabinet Committee on Security sanctioned the country's biggest naval project, the construction of

seven stealth frigates for Rs. 45,381 crore. o Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL), Mumbai , will build four of these, while Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers,

Kolkata (GRSE). o This project, dubbed Project 17A, follows on from the earlier Project 17, in which MDL built three 5,600-

tonne frigates: INS Shivalik, Satpura and Sahyadri. o Complete details of project 17A: o The first two frigates would be delivered by MDL and GRSE in 2022, with the rest coming in pairs at one-

year intervals. o The main advance in Project 17A will be the "modular" method with which the frigates will be constructed. o The new vessels will be fitted with BrahMos cruise missile for land attack, and the new Indo-Israeli Long

Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) that can shoot down incoming anti-ship missiles. o Project 17A is vital for executing the navy's Maritime Capability Perspective Plan (MCPP), which envisions a

160-ship navy, with 90 capital warships, i.e. aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates and corvettes.

February 20

Shripad Naik Emphasizes on Availability of Quality Raw Material for Production of Quality AYUSH Drugs. o Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH and Health and Family Welfare, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik

has underlined the importance of availability of quality raw material for production of quality drugs. o The Minister suggested that review meetings should be held from time to time with all stakeholders to

understand the bottlenecks they face in taking up large cultivation of medical plants. o About AYUSH:



o The National AYUSH Mission (NAM) is a turning point as it, inter-alia, envisages better access to AYUSH services through increase in number of AYUSH Hospitals and Dispensaries ensuring availability of AYUSH drugs and trained manpower.

o The Minister informed that the Ministry of AYUSH has decided to undertake a programme on Homeopathy for Healthy Child.

o The Ministry of AYUSH is also planning to organize a mega event on International Yoga Day falling on 21st June.

PM launches Soil Health Card scheme targeting 14 crore farmers. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a Soil Health Card scheme, under which the Centre plans to target

over 14 crore in the next three years to check the excess use of fertilizers. o The newly set up Niti Aayog and the states have been asked to constitute high-powered expert committees

on agriculture to boost farm growth. o Farmers need to do away with traditional farming techniques and adopt scientific methods of agriculture to

raise crop yields. o About Soil Health Card Scheme: o The card, to be issued after testing soil, would help them save up to Rs 50,000 in 3 acres of land. o The card, which will carry crop-wise recommendation of fertilizers required for farm lands, will help farmers

identify health of soil and judiciously use soil nutrients. o The scheme will be implemented in all states to promote soil testing services, issue of soil health cards and

development of nutrient management practices. o The union government is planning to distribute the cards to 3 crore farmers in this financial year.

Centre removes MEP on potato export. o The government removed restrictions on export of potato by doing away with the minimum export price. o With rise in food inflation, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in June last, had imposed a Minimum

Export Price (MEP) of $450 a tonne on potatoes to tame rising prices and augment domestic prices. o Keeping in view of the prevailing lower prices and higher domestic availability of potato, the government

has decided to remove the MEP on export of potato.

February 21

Government Launches Portal 'MADAD' to Redress Consular Grievances. o Indian citizens living abroad will now be able to file consular grievances online as the government launched

an e-portal to address such complaints promptly with a high degree of accountability. o The portal seeks to significantly reform the linear process adopted to post grievances from the originator of

the grievance to the concerned Embassy or Consulate of India abroad and cut down the time required for grievances to be sent from Delhi to our Missions abroad and to get them to take necessary action.

o Healthy intra-department competition would act as a deterrent for officials to not let work slide and they would therefore respond with greater accountability now.

The two-day national meet on Adoption concludes with consensus to protect interests of children. o The two-day National meet on adoption organized by Child Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) of the

Union Ministry of Women and Child Development concluded in New Delhi. o The meet concluded with the message that all stakeholders should make every possible effort to ensure

that the interests of the children are given utmost importance in the process of adoption. o During the sessions, various stakeholders including child care agencies, legal experts, representatives from

MEA and UIDAI discussed issues and processes related to the implementation of adoption guidelines. o Aadhar cards to be issued to all children in adoption agencies across India. o About CARA: o The meet was inaugurated by Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay

Gandhi.



o The Chairperson of CARA: Smt Deepak Sandhu. o The Secretary of CARA: Dr. Veerendra Mishra. o Aadhar cards will empower the children with a Unique identity of their own which can be verified and

authenticated online and thus it will eliminate false identities.

February 22

Aero India-2015 Draws to a Close. o Curtains on the five-day aerial extravaganza at Aero India 2015 came down at Air Force Station, Yelahanka,

in Bengaluru. o With Make in India being central to Aero India 2015 theme, defence manufacturing, airport infrastructure,

aerospace, defence and civil aviation sectors were among the focus at the event. o Barring a mid-air collision between Red Bull members, which was handled with a very high degree of

professionalism with no injury to anyone on ground or air, aerial displays continued to enthral audiences till the end.

February 23

New Website of National Pension System Trust Launched. o The National Pension System Trust has launched its new website www.npstrust.org.in. o The National Pension System Trust has been set-up and constituted by Pension Fund Regulatory

Development Authority (PFRDA) for taking care of the assets and funds under the National Pension System (NPS) in the interest of the beneficiaries.

o The website was launched by Shri G.N. Bajpai, Chairman & Trustee of the Board of NPS Trust. o The website is aimed to provide proper and effective information dissemination to the stakeholders and

provide ease of access to various beneficiaries under NPS. National Sports Awards Schemes Revamped.

o The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has revised the Schemes of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award, Dhyan Chand Award and Dronacharya Awards.

o Following major amendments have been made. o Selection Committee for Arjuna Award will be headed by Retired Judge of Supreme Court/ High Court. o A sportsperson of eminence/ sports administrator/ sports expert belonging to para sports will be member in

Selection Committee for Arjuna Awards. o Not more than one sportsperson of eminence/ coach from a particular sports discipline shall be a member

of the Selection Committee to avoid any bias in favour of a particular discipline. o Nomination agencies are expected to send nominations of most deserving sportsperson(s)/ coach(es)

irrespective of whether sportspersons/ coaches have applied to them for awards. o For Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Awards and Dronacharya Awards, the weightage for performance in

sports events has been reduced from 90% to 80%. o Weightage of marks to be given by the Selection Committee for factors like profile and standard of sports

events has been increased from 10% to 20%. The President of India addressed the Joint Session of both houses of Parliament.

o The fundamental tenet of the Government is Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas All Together, Development of All. o Schemes reiterated by president of India: o Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya had laid emphasis on holistic development of each and every human being -

Ekatm Manavata darshan (Integral Humanism). o Financial inclusion is critical to poverty elimination. Government launched an ambitious Pradhan Mantri Jan

Dhan Yojana to provide universal access to banking facilities a bank account, having in-built accidental insurance with a Rupay debit card.



o Swachh Bharat Mission has been launched to achieve a Clean and Open Defecation Free India by October, 2019. Government has rolled out 'Swachh Vidyalaya' programme and is committed to construct a toilet in every school before 15th August, 2015.

o Government is steadfast in fulfilling the aspirations of all households, particularly the poorest of the poor, to have a dwelling unit under the Mission ''Housing for All'' by 2022.

o The irrigation requirements of every village in an effective and sustainable manner, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, is being launched.

o Rashtriya Gokul Mission has been launched with the objective of conserving and developing indigenous cattle breeds.

o National AYUSH Mission has been launched to promote cost effective AYUSH services, strengthen the education system and facilitate availability of quality AYUSH drugs.

o To ensure survival, protection and education of the girl child, Government has launched Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Abhiyaan, which seeks to change mindsets to celebrate the girl child. A new small saving scheme 'Sukanya Samriddhi Account' has been notified for enabling the education of the girl child.

o Government is firmly committed to engage people in the process of Governance and policy-making. My Gov Online Platform, a path breaking initiative, has been launched.

o Digital India, to prepare India for technology based transformation and citizen centric transparent governance with service orientation.

o Aadhar based attendance system and Jeevan Praman, Aadhar based Digital Life Certificate Portal, have shown that innovative use of technology can make enormous difference.

o Government has launched the ''Make in India'' programme which aims to create a wholesome eco-system to transform India into a manufacturing hub. FDI in Railways has been opened up selectively to bring in much needed capital, state-of-the-art technology and global best practices.

o The National Urban Development Mission is being finalized, particularly focusing on water and solid waste management infrastructure. After extensive stakeholder consultations, the Smart City programme is close to finalization.

o National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited has been set up for creation of infrastructure in the North Eastern States and border regions of the country.

o An institutional arrangement for comprehensive development of National Waterways for transportation has been envisaged through the 'Jal Marg Vikas' Project.

o In order to provide 24x7 quality power in rural and urban areas, the Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana with an outlay of more than Rs. 43,000 crore and the Integrated Power Development Scheme with an outlay of more than Rs. 32,600 crore, have been launched.

February 24

Government accepts recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission (FCC). o Article 280 of the Constitution of India requires the Constitution of a Finance Commission every five years,

or earlier. For the period from 1st April, 2015 to 31st March, 2020. o The government has been working to strengthen our federal polity and promote cooperative federalism. o The government has replaced the Planning Commission with the NITI Aayog with the explicit intent of

ensuring that this becomes a common forum for forging a national vision on development. o Chairman of 14th finance commission: Y.V. Reddy. o Recommendations of 14th Finance Commission: o The 14th Finance Commission has recommended a record increase of 10% in the devolution of the divisible

pool of resources to states. There is a shift from scheme and grant based support from the Central Government to a devolution based support. Hence, the devolution of 42% of divisible resources.



o The Finance Commission is required to recommend the distribution of the net proceeds of taxes of the Union between the Union and the States (commonly referred to as vertical devolution); and the allocation between the States of the respective shares of such proceeds (commonly known as horizontal devolution).

o In recommending horizontal distribution, the FFC has used broad parameters of population (1971) and changes of population since, income distance, forest cover and area.

o FFC has recommended grants in two parts; a basic grant, and a performance grant, for duly constituted Gram Panchayats and municipalities. The ratio of basic to performance grant is 90:10 with respect to Panchayats and 80:20 with respect to Municipalities.

o FFC has recommended out a total grant of Rs. 2,87,436 crore for five year period from 1.4.2015 to 31.3.2020. Of this the grant recommended to Panchayatas is Rs. 2,00,292.20 crores and that to municipalities is Rs. 87,143.80 crores.

o Grants-in-Aid to States

Grants-in-Aid to States Rs in Crore Local Government (all States) 287436 Disaster Management (all States) 55097 Post-devolution Revenue Deficit (11 States) 194821 Total 537354

o In addition to the recommendations regarding Vertical, and Horizontal devolution and grants, the FFC has made certain other recommendations. These relate to cooperative federalism, Goods & Services Tax, Fiscal Consolidation Roadmap, Pricing of Public Utilities and Public Sector Enterprises.

Land Acquisition Bill introduced by the government in Lok Sabha. o The Union government used its majority in the Lok Sabha to introduce the controversial Land Acquisition

(Amendment) Bill and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill. o The Rajya Sabha, the Opposition unitedly opposed the governments efforts to withdraw the Insurance

Laws (Amendment) Bill, the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill and the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill. o About Land Acquisition:

Land Acquisition literally means the acquisition of land for some public purpose by a government agency from individual landowners, as authorised by the law, after paying a government-fixed compensation to cover losses incurred by landowners from surrendering their land to the concerned government agency.

Land acquisition in India is currently governed by The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, which came into force from 1 January 2014.

Till 2013, land acquisition in India was governed by Land Acquisition Act of 1894. The Land Acquisition Act, 1894 is a law in India and Pakistan that allows the government to acquire

private land in those countries.

February 25

TRAI issued the Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability. o The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued 6th Amendment to the Telecommunication

Mobile Number Portability Regulation. o Earlier TRAI made recommendations to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for implementation

of Full MNP/National MNP and suggested amendments in the licenses of MNP service providers and mobile service providers.

o As per the DoT, the Full MNP is to be implemented in the country within a period of 6 months from the date of amendment to the Licenses, i.e. 3rd May, 2015.

o A few changes have also been made in Pan-India Portability.



o In case a post-paid subscriber who has ported his number defaults in the payment of his previous bill which was due to the Donor Operator, the Donor Operator has to give a notice within a period of 30 days of due date of payment of its outstanding bill. After a lapse of 60 days from the due date of payment of the outstanding bill, the Donor Operator will not be entitled to raise non-payment disconnection requests with the Recipient Operator.

o The Recipient Operator in turn will give a notice of 15 days for making such payment, failing which the outgoing services of such subscriber will be debarred for a period of 15 days. In case the subscriber fails to make payment within these 15 days, his mobile number will be disconnected permanently by the Recipient Operator.

Centre sanctions Rs. 460 crore to 10 states under Swachh Bharat Mission. o The Ministry of Urban Development has so far sanctioned Rs. 459.93 crore to ten states as the first

installment under Swachh Bharat Mission for the year 2014-15. o This was stated by the Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation

Shri Babul Supriyo in the Lok Sabha. The details of the sanctions are as below

S. No State Sanctioned amount (Rs in Crore) 1 Maharashtra 135.00 2 Karnataka 80.01 3 West Bengal 64.01 4 Gujarat 40.95 5 Andhra Pradesh 40.00 6 Bihar 37.72 7 Chattisgarh 30.79 8 Madhya Pradesh 18.81 9 Manipur 11.21 10 Odisha 1.43

February 26

Renaming of schemes under MSME. o During the review of the progress of the Central Sector Schemes (CSS) being implemented by the Coir Board

namely Rejuvenation, Modernization and Technology Upgradation(REMOT) and Coir Plan (General) schemes have been re-named with the approval of the competent authority as Coir Udyami Yojana (CUY) and Coir Vikas Yojana (CVY) respectively.

o About MSME: o Minister of MSME: Kalraj Mishra. o Minister of State, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises: Shri Giriraj Singh. o Objective of REMOT: o To modernize Coir industry by adoption of modern technology in production and processing of Coir in the

spinning and weaving sectors. o Up gradation of the production and processing technology for improving the productivity and quality. o To increase the efficiency and productivity for enhancing the earnings of the workers and income of

spinners/ tiny household sectors. o To improve the utilization of coconut husk for increasing the production of Coir and Coir products. o To generate employment in the rural areas of the Coir producing states.

Objectives of formation of NITI Aayog are announced. o Members of NITI Aayog: o The Prime Minister is the Chairperson. o The Aayog has a Vice-chairperson and two full time Members. Besides, four Cabinet Ministers as ex-officio

Members and three Cabinet Ministers as Special Invitees have been notified.



o The Aayog has a Chief Executive Officer in the rank of Secretary to Government of India. o Objectives of NITI Aayog: o To evolve a shared vision of national development priorities, sectors and strategies with the active

involvement of States in the light of national objectives. o To foster cooperative federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with the States on

a continuous basis, recognizing that strong States make a strong nation. o To develop mechanisms to formulate credible plans at the village level and aggregate these progressively at

higher levels of government. o To ensure, on areas that are specifically referred to it, that the interests of national security are

incorporated in economic strategy and policy. o To pay special attention to the sections of our society that may be at risk of not benefitting adequately from

economic progress. o To design strategic and long term policy and programme frameworks and initiatives, and monitor their

progress and their efficacy. o To provide advice and encourage partnerships between key stakeholders and national and international

like-minded Think Tanks, as well as educational and policy research institutions. o To create a knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurial support system through a collaborative community

of national and international experts, practitioners and other partners. o To offer a platform for resolution of inter-sectoral and inter-departmental issues in order to accelerate the

implementation of the development agenda. o To maintain a state-of-the-art Resource Centre, be a repository of research on good governance and best

practices in sustainable and equitable development as well as help their dissemination to sta

Documents

February 2015 Current Affairs Gr8AmbitionZ (1)