Daily Current Affairs and GK | 27 February 2020

1. Cabinet approves application of Central Acts in Concurrent List to UT of J& K

• Cabinet has approved the application of Central Acts in Concurrent List to Union Territory of J& K.
• Cabinet has also accepted all recommendations given by Rajya Sabha Select Committee on Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019.
• As per the committee, surrogate motherhood should not be limited to close relatives only. Any willing woman should be allowed to go for surrogacy. 
• The committee has also recommended to remove five-year requirement from the definition of surrogacy and increase insurance for surrogate mothers from 16 months to 36 months.
• The amendments to the National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill 2019 have also been approved by the cabinet.
• The bill will give Institution of National Importance status to the National Institutes of Food Technology located at Kundli in Haryana and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu.
• Cabinet has approved amendments to Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands Land Revenue and Tenancy Regulation, 1965. The amendments will give occupancy rights to the Scheduled Tribe population in Lakshadweep.
• Cabinet has also approved three MoUs that are aimed at cooperation between India and Myanmar.
• Setting up of National Technical Textiles Mission has been approved by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). 

2. Third phase of PMKVY will be launched soon

• The government has announced to soon launch the 3^rd phase of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).
• In its third phase, the scheme will be joined with school education.
• PMKVY was started in 2015. In 2016, PMKVY-2 was launched. It aimed to train one crore youth by 2020.
• It is a scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
• National Skill Development Corporation is implementing PMKVY.

3. Sri Lanka officially withdraws from co-sponsoring of UNHRC resolution on war crimes

• At the UNHRC session in Geneva, Sri Lanka has officially withdrawn from co-sponsoring of UNHRC resolution on war crimes.
• Earlier, the US has put a ban on Sri Lankan army Chief over human rights violations in 2009.
• In 2015, the Sri Lankan government had co-sponsored resolution 30/1 after the UNHRC report on human rights violations by the Sri Lankan army.
• Resolution 30/1 is aimed at the promotion of reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka.
• Sri Lanka:
  • Sri Lanka is an island country located in South Asia.
  • It located in southwest of the Bay of Bengal. It lies to the southeast of Arabian Sea.
  • Its capital is Colombo, and its currency is Sri Lankan rupee.
  • Gotabaya Rajapaksa is its President.

4. US NSA says thank you to people of India

• US NSA has said thank you to people of India for welcoming POTUS and FLOTUS.
• POTUS is a short form used to talk about President of The United States, and FLOTUS is used to talk about First Lady of The United States.
• US President Donald John Trump has visited India on 24^th and 25^th February.
• US:
  • The US consists of 50 states.
  • Its capital is Washington, D.C.
  • It is separated from Canada by the 49^th parallel line.

5. Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova announces retirement

• Five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova has announced her retirement from tennis due to a shoulder injury.
• She has won her first Grand Slam at the age of 17 in Wimbledon in 2004 and won the French Open in 2012 to complete a career slam in all four major titles.
• In 2016, a 15-month ban was imposed on her after she tested positive for meldonium.
• She also holds a record of occupying the first rank in world rankings for 21 weeks.

6. Supreme Court gives instructions to protesters in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh for the second time

• The Supreme Court has once again said that protesters in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh have the right to protest, but they cannot block the roads.
• The apex court's comment came in response to a petition made by Shashank Dev Sudhi on behalf of BJP leader, Nandkishore Garg.
• In the petition, petitioners have requested the Supreme Court to instruct Center and others for removing protesters from Shaheen Bagh, near Kalindi Kunj.
• The Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh and Okhla underpasses were closed on 15 December last year due to protests against the CAA and NRC.
• The Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 has amended the Citizenship Act, 1955 to declare six communities from three countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh) as legal migrants eligible for Indian citizenship.

7. Upper House of Maharashtra has passed a resolution to make Marathi a compulsory subject in all schools in the state

• The Upper House of Maharashtra has unanimously passed a resolution to make Marathi a compulsory subject in all schools in the state.
• The Bill covers all schools, irrespective of their affiliation with any of the board.
• According to the law, schools not complying with the provisions of the bill will face a fine up to Rs 1 lakh.
• The Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and School Bill will now be introduced in the state legislative assembly.
• State education minister, Varsha Gaikwad, has also announced the closure of the Maharashtra International Board of Education.

8. Eight-day cultural fair Vasantotsav, inaugurated in Gujarat

• An eight-day cultural fair, Vasantotsav has been inaugurated at Sanskriti Kunj in Gandhinagar.
• This annual festival is organized by the Department of Youth and Cultural Affairs to celebrate the rich and diverse heritage of the country.
• The theme of this year’s festival is ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’.
• The festival was started with Panthi dance, which is a folk dance of Chhattisgarh.
• Under the Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat scheme, the government has paired Chhattisgarh with Gujarat.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. The government has approved the amendment in the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2019. Which state's National Institute of Food Technology will be given the status of an institute of national importance through this bill?

A. Haryana

B. Tamil Nadu

C. Kerala

D. Both A and B

2. When was the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana launched?

A. 2013

B. 2014

C. 2015

D. 2016

3. Recently, which country's government has decided to withdraw from co-sponsorship of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on war crimes?

A. Bangladesh

B. Myanmar

C. Sri Lanka

D. India

4. The 49 degrees parallel line forms the border between which of the following countries?

A. US and Canada

B. North Korea and South Korea

C. Spain and France

D. India and China

5. A tennis player, Maria Sharapova, has recently announced her retirement. She is the tennis player of which country?

A. USA

B. Russia

C. Spain

D. Brazil

6. Under the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019, people belonging to six communities of which of the following countries are not eligible for citizenship?

A. Pakistan

B. Bangladesh

C. Myanmar

D. Afghanistan

7. Recently a resolution has been passed to make Marathi a compulsory subject in all schools of the Upper House of Maharashtra. According to the law, how much penalty can be imposed on schools which do not follow the provisions of the bill?

A. 5 lakhs

B. 2 lakhs

C. 1 Lakhs

D. 4 Lakhs

8. Panthi is a folk dance of which of the following states?

A. Gujarat

B. Chhattisgarh

C. Rajasthan

D. Uttar Pradesh

Solution:

1. D

2. C

3. C

4. A

5. B

6. C

7. C

8. B