20th February 2015 - Important Current Affairs updates

sponsored links

International Affairs

• Thailand has passed a law banning foreigners from paying Thai women to be surrogates, after two high-profile cases sparked debate last year.
• The issue of surrogacy was in the spotlight last year after a Western Australian couple were accused of leaving a twin boy, known as Baby Gammy, with his surrogate mother after they discovered he had Down syndrome.
• A group of 158 women and children abducted by ‎BokoHaram‬ militants in December, have been reunited with their families today.
• They were kidnapped during a raid on Katarko village in Yobe state.
• Turkey and the United States signed an agreement to train and arm Syrian rebels fighting the Islamic State group.
• The deal was signed by U.S Ambassador John Bass and Turkish Foreign Ministry undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu.

National Affairs

• Facing apparent defeat, Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi resigned today.
• Hours ahead of the trust vote, Manjhi submitted his resignation to Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi. 
• Nitish Kumar to take oath as Bihar chief minister on Sunday (22nd February).
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monogrammed bandhgala suit that had kicked up a political storm was today sold off for Rs 4.31 crore at an auction in Surat.
• The pin-striped navy blue suit that Modi wore for his Summit meeting with the US President Barack Obama on January 25,  had the name "Narendra Damodardas Modi" repeatedly embroidered into the fabric and is believed to be Rs 10 lakh.
• The suit has been purchased for Rs 4.31 crore by Dharmananda Diamond Company's Lalji Patel and his son Hitesh Patel.
• The proceeds will go towards cleaning up the river Ganga. 
• An input on the National Gas Grid for the upcoming Finance Minister's budget speech is among the various "secret" documents Delhi Police has recovered from the accused in the corporate espionage case.
• Besides, police has also recovered a letter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra.
• Prime Mninister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar today to participate in the state's 29th foundation day has flagged off the first ever express train from Naharlagun to New Delhi. 
• The government has launched a single-window portal, 'e-biz', integrating 11 central government services, to facilitate faster clearances for businesses.
• Launched by - Finance minister Arun Jaitley
• Government has given its approval for over 8 thousand 6 hundred crore rupees of Highway projects in Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
• The world famous Khajuraho Dance Festival begins today's s evening at Madhya Pradesh.
• Eminent Indian classical dancers will perform during the seven day festival.
• Inaugurated by - Minister of State for Culture Surendra Patwa

New Appointments

• Eminent scientist Tapan Misra has been appointed the Chief of ISRO's Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad.
• Misra, Deputy Director, Microwave Remote Sensing Area in SAC, succeeds A S Kiran Kumar, who was appointed as the Chairman of the ISRO last month.
• Former top IAS officer from Gujarat, Maheshwar Sahu has been appointed as an independent director on the board of Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).

People in News

• Squadron Leader ‎Deepika Misra‬ has become the first IAF woman pilot ever to join a formation display team.
• The much heralded helicopter display team ‘Sarang’ of Indian Air Force, now boasts of a women pilot.
• Deepika Misra has notched up nearly 1,600 hours on Chetak and Cheetah helicopters after her two stints at ‎Bareilly‬ and Udhampur.
• She was inducted into the indigenously built Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv display team in June last year.

Sports

• World Cup 2015
• New Zealand crush England by eight wickets
• Skipper Brendon McCullum slams fastest half century (in 18 balls) ever in World Cup.

Read more Daily Current Affairs updates from here

sponsored links