Daily Current Affairs and GK | 16 and 17 February 2020

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 50 projects worth more than Rs 1254 crore in Varanasi

• Recently Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 50 projects worth more than Rs 1254 crore in Varanasi.
• He flagged off the Kashi Mahakal Express Train connecting Varanasi, Ujjain and Omkareshwar and dedicated the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Memorial Center to the nation.
• The Prime Minister unveiled a 63-feet tall statue of Pandit Upadhyay in Chandauli district. This is his tallest statue in the country.
• Apart from this, the Prime Minister also participated in the closing session of the centenary celebrations of Shri Jagadguru Vishwaryadhya Gurukul. He released the translated version of the Sri Siddhanta Shikhamani Granth in 19 languages ​​and a mobile app for the Granth.

2. Ocean dialogue between India and Norway to strengthen bilateral co-operation in the field of marine pollution

• Ocean dialogue between India and Norway has been started to strengthen bilateral co-operation in the field of marine pollution.
• India has started ocean dialogue with Norway to tackle the problem of plastic waste in the sea.
• The two countries have decided to strengthen bilateral co-operation in the field of environment and climate change, particularly marine pollution.
• India and Norway have formed joint working groups on the Blue economy with sustainable development.
• India's Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar and Norwegian Environment Minister Svenang Rotevatan held a bilateral meeting at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• The meeting was organized as a part of the United Nations Convention on Migratory Species.

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3. Arvind Kejriwal sworn in as the Chief Minister of Delhi for the third time consecutively.

• Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Delhi for the third consecutive time.
• Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Kejriwal and six ministers of his cabinet.
• Kejriwal has included Manish Sisodia, Satyendra Jain, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gehlot, Imran Hussain and Rajendra Pal Gautam Koshamil in the cabinet.
• During the swearing-in ceremony, the Aam Aadmi Party had also invited 50 people from different sections who have given special support in the governance efforts of the Delhi government in the last five years.

4. India and Bangladesh, Joint Military Exercise Sampriti-9 concluded at Umroi, Meghalaya

• Sampriti-9, a joint military exercise between the armies of India and Bangladesh, concluded on 16 February 2020 in Umroi, Meghalaya.
• The objective of the exercise was to strengthen military relations between the two countries.
• The exercise provided an ideal platform for military personnel of both countries to share their experiences on counter-insurgency operations and to assist civilian authorities for disaster management, particularly in the jungle and semi-urban areas.
• This exercise is organized alternately by both countries.
• The 8^th version of the exercise was organized in Tangel, Bangladesh.

5. World Snowshoe Championship 2020 held in Miyoko, Japan.

• World Snowshoe Championship 2020 was held in Miyoko, Japan.
• Athletes from 17 countries including the USA, Canada, Australia, Italy, Germany, Spain, Sweden and France, participated in the championship.
• Indian athletes won three medals in different categories at the World Snowshoe Championship.
• Ayan bin Shahnaz won the silver medal, while Zain Ali and Muzammil Hussain Mir won bronze medals in their respective categories.
• The World Snowshoe Championship is an annual competition organized by the World Snowshoe Federation, which was held for the first time in 2006.

6. COP-13 Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals  inaugurated at Gandhinagar, Gujarat

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated COP-13, a conference on the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals inaugurated in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• The issue related to the conservation of migratory species was discussed during the conference.
• The theme of the conference is – “Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome them home”. The logo of COP-13 is inspired by the traditional art of South India, 'Kolam'.
• In the logo, kolam art has been used to depict the main migratory species such as the Amur falcon, humpback whale and sea turtles.
• The mascot of COP-13 is "Gibi - The Great Indian Bustard". It is a critically endangered species, which has been given the highest conservation status under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• India has been part of the Migratory Wildlife Conservation Treaty since 1983.

7. Thirumathikart, a mobile app developed for Self-Help Groups products in Tamil Nadu.

• National Institute of Technology (NIT), Trichy, Tamil Nadu has developed Thirumathikart - a mobile app for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) products.
• The app is developed in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology.
• The main objective of the app is to empower women and help them to access market opportunities in a seamless way.
• The platform will also enable Self-Help Groups to showcase their products to a wider audience.

8. The Filmfare Awards 2020 announced.

• Recently Filmfare Awards 2020 were announced in Guwahati, Assam.
• The Hindi film Gully Boy has won several awards at the Filmfare Awards 2020.
• Ranbir Singh received the Best Actor award for the film and Alia Bhatt won the Best Actress Award at the ceremony held in Assam.
• The best director award was given to Zoya Akhtar, the director of Gully Boy
• Ayushman Khurana won the Best Actor Critics Award for the Film Article-15.
• Bhoomi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu won the Best Actress Critics Award for the film ‘Saand Ki Aankh’.

9. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meet began in Paris, France.

• The meeting of Financial Action Task Force started in Paris, France.
• In the six-days meeting, more than eight hundred delegates from two hundred and five countries, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other organizations will discuss global action against crime and terrorism promotion activities.
• The plenary session of the meeting will examine the role of Pakistan in providing funds for the incident.
• In June 2018, this Paris-based watchdog put Pakistan in the grey-list and was instructed to complete the action plan by October 2019, or face the action of being put in the blacklist.
• The Task Force noted in its October meeting that Pakistan acted on only five of the 27 obligations entrusted to curb funding of terrorism. The inter-governmental organization had asked Pakistan to implement the entire action plan by February 2020.
• Financial Action Task Force
  • An inter-governmental organization established in 1989 at the initiative of G-7, to develop policies to deal with money laundering.
  • Its headquarters is located in Paris, France.

10. The two-days Munich Conference started in Germany

• A two-day conference began in Munich, Germany for a comprehensive discussion on international security policy.
• Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar from India attended the conference.
• In the conference, he said that more global political efforts are necessary in this direction.
• Germany
  • Germany is a Western European country, with a landscape of forests, rivers, mountain ranges and northern beaches.
  • Its capital is Berlin and the currency is Euro.

11. The Manlui-Ngai-Ni Festival celebrated in Manipur.

• Naga tribe in Manipur celebrates Manlui-Ngai-Ni, the festival of seed sowing with a message of unity, at the fair held at Ukhrul.
• Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said in his message that the Manlui-Ngai-Ni festival is a symbol of the rich cultural heritage of the Naga tribe.
• Manipur is a state in North-East India, Imphal is its capital.
• It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland in the north, Mizoram in the south and Assam in the west; Myanmar is located east of it.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kashi Mahakal Express train. This train will connect the three Shiva temples, which one of the following is not included?

A. Varanasi

B. Ujjain

C. Omkareshwar

D. Somnath

2. India has started ocean dialogue with which country to tackle the problem of plastic waste in the sea?

A. Britain

B. Japan

C. Sri Lanka

D. Norway

3. Anil Baijal is the Lieutenant Governor of which union territory?

A. Chandigarh

B. Ladakh

C. Delhi

D. Lakshadweep

4. Recently joint military exercise Sampriti-9, between the armies of which two countries was completed in Umroi, Meghalaya?

A. India and Bangladesh

B. India and Sri Lanka

C. India and Vietnam

D. India and Russia

5. In which country was the World Snowshoe Championship 2020 organized?

A. Japan

B. India

C. Russia

D. Sweden

6. Convention on Conservation of Migratory Wildlife, COP-13’s mascot, Gibi is …………………….

A. The Great Indian Bustard

B. Sea Turtles

C. Humpback Whale

D. Amur Falcon

7. National Institute of Technology NIT, Trichy, Tamil Nadu has developed a mobile app namely Thirumathikart. What is the main purpose of this app?

A. Empowering women

B. Assistance to the handicapped

C. Helping children in education

D. Assisting the elderly in obtaining pension

8. Who among the following was awarded the Filmfare Award 2020 for Best Actor Critics?

A. Ranbir Singh

B. Ayushman Khurana

C. Vicky Kaushal

D. Akshay Kumar

9. In which year was the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) established?

A. 1999

B. 1989

C. 1979

D. 1969

10. Where was the two-day conference held for a comprehensive discussion on international security policy?

A. Poland

B. Spain

C. Britain

D. Germany

11. Seed sowing festival Louis-Ngai-Ni is celebrated by which tribe in India?

A. Garo

B. Bhutia

C. Naga

D. Lepcha

Solution

1. D

2. D

3. C

4. A

5. A

6. A

7. A

8. B

9. B

10. D

11. C