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Daily Current Affairs of 20th February 2019

International Current Affairs

Today (20th February) is World Day of Social Justice.

It is an awareness day which had been initiated by the United Nations (UN) in 2009 and it aims to bring back the approach of social justice to mind.

One of its basic principles is the fair dispersal of goods. Social Justice is the basic condition for peace and respect between the nations on a connected world.

Theme of World Day of Social Justice 2019 : If You Want Peace & Development, Work for Social Justice

Saudi Arabia became the 73rd nation to sign the International Solar Alliance.

Note : This alliance was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former French President Francois Hollande in 2015.

150 students from all 25 districts of Sri Lanka were awarded the prestigious Mahatma Gandhi scholarships for study in India.

Sri Lankan Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu gave the scholarships at a special ceremony in Colombo today.
Note : This is the 12th year in continuum that India has provided Mahatma Gandhi scholarships to bright students across Sri Lanka.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a 2-day visit to the Republic of Korea tonight.

During this visit, he will hold talks with the Korean leadership and other stakeholders.
Prime Minister will be conferred with the Seoul Peace Prize in recognition of his dedication to international cooperation, global growth and human development.

National Current Affairs

The Union Cabinet today approved the re-issuance of an ordinance making the practice of Instant Triple Talaq a punishable offence.

A bill to convert the ordinance into law is pending in Rajya Sabha after being passed in the Lok Sabha on December 27.
The bill will lapse on June 3 this year with the dissolution of the present Lok Sabha.

PM Narendra Modi flagged off the world's 1st electric train engine converted from a diesel engine in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi today.

In line with Indian Railways' Mission of 100% electrification, work on the project began in December 201.
It took 69 days to convert two diesel train engines into a twin electric engine of 10,000 HP.

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala's capital) is all set to host the Attaukal Ponkala festival which is considered as one of the world's largest religious gathering of women on a single day.

Lakhs of women will prepare 'Pongala'- the offering in makeshift brick stoves to worship the presiding deity of Attukal Bhagavathy temple.
Note : Attukal temple is also called 'women's Sabarimala' as only women perform the ritual.

Government has launched Operation Digital Board on the lines of Operation Blackboard to provide better digital education in schools.

Under the initiative, 7 lakh classrooms of 9th, 10th and 11th standards and two lakh classrooms of colleges and Universities will be equipped with digital boards in the next three years.
It will improve the quality of education and offer new opportunities and new ways of teaching and learning.

Union Cabinet has approved the implementation of Phase-2 of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana - Gramin beyond March, 2019.

Under this, government has set a target to construct one crore 95 lakh houses by 2022.

Deaths

Noted Hindi writer Namvar Singh (92) passed away in New Delhi last night.

Born on 28th July, 1926 in a village in Varanasi, Singh was the 1st chairman of JNU's Centre of Indian Languages.
He had authored over a dozen books including 'Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman', 'Chhayavad' and 'Dusri Parampara Ki Khoj' among others.
He received Sahitya Academy Award for literary criticism in 1971 for 'Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman'.

Bengali playback singer Pratik Choudhury (55) passed away at due to cardiac arrest.

He began his career in 1994 by singing jingles for commercials and went on to sing in Bengali films, including 'Patalghar' and 'Bidroho'.
Choudhury received the Lata Mangeshkar Award at Jaidev Film Sangeet Sammelan in 1992.

Columbia University professor Wallace Smith Broecker (87), who gave early warnings on climate change and popularised the term 'Global Warming' passed away.

Broecker's 1975 article correctly predicted rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere led to global warming.
He also coined the term 'Ocean Conveyor Belt', a global network of currents affecting air temperature and rain patterns.

Banking, Business & Economic Affairs

The government has approved Recapitalisation of Rs 48,239 crore in 12 public sector banks in this fiscal to help them maintain regulatory capital requirements and finance growth plans.

The government will also pump in 12,535 crore rupees in Central Bank of India, United Bank, UCO Bank and Indian Overseas Bank.

The Cabinet today approved a hike in Dearness Allowance to central government employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners from 9% to 12%, with effect from January 1, 2019.

The hike is expected to benefit 48.41 lakh central government employees and 62.03 lakh pensioners.

Government has cleared the National Policy on Electronics 2019.

This policy envisions positioning India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing.
This will also create an enabling environment for the industry to compete globally.

Science & Technology

Chinese state-owned Xinhua news agency today unveiled World's 1st female AI news anchor 'Xin Xiaomeng'.

Important Note : Last year, Xinhua unveiled the 1st ever AI-based anchor (Male) that can read the news in English and Chinese.

Australia on Monday officially declared a Great Barrier Reef Rodent extinct, making it the 1st mammal believed to have been killed off by human-induced climate change.

The rat-like Bramble Cay melomys, has not been spotted in a decade.

Awards & Honors

The Spain government today conferred External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with the 'Grand Cross of Order of Civil Merit' Award.

Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister Josep Borrell Fontelles honoured Sushma with the award in Madrid.
The award was in recognition of India's support in evacuating 71 Spanish nationals during April 2015 Nepal earthquake in which nearly 9,000 people were killed.

15th-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and Olympic champion Simone Biles won the Laureus Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards respectively today. Here is the Complete winners list :

2019 Laureus World Sports Awards Winners List

Sportsman of the Year - Novak Djokovic
Sportsmwoman of the Year - Simone Biles
Comeback of the Year - Tiger Woods
Breakthrough of the Year - Naomi Osaka
Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability - Henrieta Farkasova
Action Sportsperson of the Year - Chloe Kim
Team of the Year - France World Cup Team
Sporting Moment of the Year - Xia Boyu
Academy Exceptional Achievement Award - Eliud Kipchoge
Lifetime Achievement Award - Arsene Wenger
Spirit of Sport Award - Lindsey Vonn
Sport for Good Award - Yuwa

Sports Current Affairs

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the sport's global governing body International Basketball Federation (FIBA) today announced that they are set to launch the Basketball Africa League in the continent.

The initial plan is for the 12-team league to begin in January, and former US President Barack Obama is among those who are expected to have direct involvement with the league's operations.

Indonesia today submitted a bid to host the 2032 Olympics.

If Indonesia wins the opportunity to host the summer Olympics, it would become the 4th Asian country to do so, after Japan, South Korea and China.
Note : Indonesia successfully hosted the Asian Games last year.

Nikhat Zareen and Meena Kumari Devi became the 1st Indian women boxers to win Gold medals at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.