Current Affairs, February 2019

28th February, Current Affairs:

• National Science Day is observed today.
• India's GDP or gross domestic product growth stood at 6.6 per cent in the quarter ended December 31, 2018.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi confers Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes for Science and Technology for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018 in New Delhi.
• Chris Gayle became the first batsman to hit 500 sixes in international cricket en route to his 162 off 97 balls at St George's.

26th February, Current Affairs:

• The Indian Air Force conducted airstrikes at the biggest terror camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Balakot at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan in the wee hours today and killed over 300 terrorists.
• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test fired indigenously developed Quick Reach Surface-to-Air missiles, QRSAMs, from ITR Chandipur, off the Odisha Coast.

25th February, Current Affairs:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the National War Memorial near India Gate in New Delhi. The memorial honours about 26 thousand soldiers, who have laid down their lives in the service of the nation since Independence.
• The 91st Academy Awards concluded in Los Angeles. Alfonso Cuaron won Best Director for Roma, which also won Best Foreign Film and Best Cinematography. Green Book wins the Best picture award. Olivia Colman won Best Actress for playing Queen Anne in The Favourite. Rami Malek won Best Actor for his performance as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.
• Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta wins the Cannes International Open Chess trophy.

24th February, Current Affairs:

• Saudi Arabia appointed its first female ambassador to United States. Saudi princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud appointed as ambassador to the US.
• Afghanistan set new record in T20 international total as they scores 278 for three in their allotted 20 overs against a Ireland team in the second T20I of the three-match series in Dehradun.
• India's Saurabh Chaudhary smashes new World record to win Gold in 10m Air Pistol event at the ongoing ISSF World Cup 2019 at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi.

23rd February, Current Affairs:

• More than 100 tea garden workers died after consuming spurious liquor in Assam.
• Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has declared a year-long state of emergency, dissolving his cabinet and local governments throughout the country.
• Apurvi Chandela set a new world record by registering a score of 252.9 points in the women's 10-metre air rifle final to win Gold medal at the ISSF World Cup 2019 event at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi.
• Sri Lanka becomes the first team from Asia to win a Test series in South Africa as Sri Lanka claimed a historic eight-wicket win over South Africa in the second and final test at St George's Park for a 2-0 series victory.

22nd February, Current Affairs:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the prestigious Seoul Peace Prize - 2018 for his contribution to international cooperation and fostering global economic growth.

21st February, Current Affairs:

• Retirement fund body EPFO or Employees' Provident Fund Organisation has increased the interest rate on employees' provident fund (EPF) to 8.65 per cent for the current financial year (2018-19).
• The ISSF (International Shooting Sports Federation) World Cup 2019 gets underway in New Delhi.
• International Mother Language Day is being celebrated today.

20th February, Current Affairs:

• Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in India on three day official visit.
• Kerala Police inducts robot in its Police Headquarters with Sub Inspector rank. The KP-Bot will be deployed to perform duties of the front office of the police headquarters. Kerala has become the first police department in the country to use a robot for police work.
• New Zealand Parliament unanimously passed a motion condemning the Pulwama terror attack that took place on February 14 in which 40 braveheart CRPF jawans were martyred. This makes New Zealand the first country to official pass a resolution condemning the Pulwama terror attack.

19th February, Current Affairs:

• The creative director of Chanel and Fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld died at the age of 85 in American Hospital located outside of Paris.

16th February, Current Affairs:

• Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha won the Irani Cup against Rest of India at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur.
• Sourabh Verma completed a hat-trick of titles at the Senior Badminton Nationals Men's Single after defeating Lakshya Sen by 21-18 21-13 in Guwahati.
• Saina Nehwal wins the 83rd Senior Badminton Nationals Women's Single after defeating P.V. Sindhu by 21-18, 21-15 in Guwahati.

15th February, Current Affairs:

• India's first semi-high speed train Vande Bharat Express flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the New Delhi railway station.
• India has withdrawn the Most Favoured Nation status granted to Pakistan following the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
• William Barr was sworn for second time as United States’s Attorney General.
• Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal becomes the first woman flight engineer after she completed the six-month IAF's engineering branch course at 112 Helicopter Unit, Air Force Station Yelahanka.

14th February, Current Affairs:

• 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and many others injured when terrorists targeted a convoy with a car bomb at Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
• Sushil Chandra, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman, appointed as an Election Commissioner by President Ram Nath Kovind.

13th February, Current Affairs:

• The CAG Report - Air Force, Performance Audit on Capital Expenditure in Indian Air Force was tabled in both the Houses of Parliament today. As per reported, the NDA government’s contract for procurement of 36 Rafale aircraft from France was cheaper by 2.86 per cent as compared to the previous UPA dispensation deal for the fighter jets.
• The last session of the sixteenth Lok Sabha came to an end today.
• World Radio Day is observed today.

12th February, Current Affairs:

• Seventeen people were killed and six injured in a fire at a central Delhi hotel.
• Indian historian Sanjay Subrahmanyam has won prestigious Dan David Prize of Israel for the year 2019.

11th February, Current Affairs:

• Abu Dhabi has included Hindi as the third official language used in its courts, alongside Arabic and English, as part of a move designed to improve access to justice.
• Lok Sabha passed the Interim Budget with voice vote.

8th February, Current Affairs:

• Indian batsman Rohit Sharma becomes the highest run-getter in T20 internationals. The 31-year-old went past New Zealand's Martin Guptill during the second T20I against New Zealand at the Eden Park in Auckland to go to the top of the list.

7th February, Current Affairs:

• The Monetary Policy Committee headed by Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das, today announced a reduction in policy repo rate by 25 basis points from 6.5 per cent to 6.25 per cent with immediate effect.
• Vidarbha lifted their second successive Ranji Trophy title after defeating Saurashtra by 78-run in the final.

6th February, Current Affairs:

• President Ram Nath Kovind gave away the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2017 at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Forty-two artists from the fields including Music, Dance, Theatre, Traditional, Folk, and Tribal music were awarded.
• India’s communication satellite GSAT-31 has been launched successfully from French Guiana. GSAT-31 will provide transponder capacity for DTH television and connectivity to services like VSATs for ATMs, stock-exchanges, Digital Satellite News Gathering DSNG and e-governance applications.

4th February, Current Affairs:

• World Cancer Day is being observed today.
• Pope Francis landed in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on a historic visit, becoming the first pontiff to visit the Arabian peninsula.

3rd February, Current Affairs:

• In Bihar, six people were killed and 36 injured three of them seriously, after eleven bogies of Seemanchal Express derailed at Hajipur.
• India defeated New Zealand by 35 runs in the fifth and final One Day International at the Westpac Stadium to clinch the five-match series 4-1.

2nd February, Current Affairs:

• Former Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police Rishi Kumar Shukla, a 1983-batch officer, has been appointed the new CBI Director.

1st February, Current Affairs:

• Union minister Piyush Goyal presented the Interim Budget in parliament today. The Budget provides relief to individuals in Income tax by doubling the threshold exemption limit to five lakh rupees. Standard deduction for exemption has been increased from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 50,000 for the salaried class. The limit for gratuity has been increased from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh. Farmers with less than 2 Hectare land will be given 6,000 rupees per year as direct transfer. The scheme will benefit 12 crore farmers and will be implemented from this fiscal itself.
• India's One-day International (ODI) captain Mithali Raj, became the first woman to play 200 50-over matches when she walked out for the toss against New Zealand Women in Hamilton.
• Qatar beat Japan 3-1 to win their maiden Asian Cup crown in Abu Dhabi.

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