Current Affairs February, 2020
National
1. The Ministry of Health has constituted teams to
examine for Corona Virus in villages that are
bordering Nepal. The spread of Corona Virus is
increasing with number of people infected in China
touching 70,000 as of February 17, 2020.
2. The Convention on the Conservation on
Migratory birds Conference of Parties (CMS COP
13) is being held in Gandhinagar. Proposals were
presented to conserve Sperm Whales and
Chimpanzees based on their culture. This is the first
time such proposal is being made in the world.
3. Every year the third Saturday of February month
is celebrated as World Pangolin Day. The ninth
World Pangolin Day is being celebrated on
February 15, 2020. The numbers of Pangolin is
rapidly declining in Asia and Africa. This is mainly
because Pangolin scales are rich in medicinal
properties. Recently, China had found that Pangolin
scales can be used to treat Corona Virus infections.
4. On February 18, 2020, the Ministry of Textiles
organized “Kala Kumbh”. It is an exhibition to
promote GI (Geographical Indication) crafts and
heritage of India. These exhibitions are sponsored
by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts.
5. The Economic Intelligence Unit recently
published the Worldwide Education for the Future
Index for the year 2019. India has jumped by five
ranks and currently holds rank 35.
6. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
recently approved its revision of interest subvention
rates from 2% to 2.5% per annum. This is being
done under Diary Processing and Infrastructure
Development Fund (DIDF).
7. The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL)
has become the first airport in India to become free
of single-use plastics. The airport committed itself
to become single-use plastics free on the World
Environment Day in 2018.
8. On February 25, 2020, the first lady of the United
States Melania Trump attended Happiness Classes
at the Delhi Government Schools. She accompanied
President Trump in their visit to India.
9. The Ministry of coal launched web portal in New
Delhi to provide star rating of coal mines. Based on
the star rating the highest scoring mines are to be
awarded.
10. On February 14, 2020, the first inter-city
electric bus was launched. The bus will transit
between Mumbai and Pune twice every day. It was
launched by the Union Transport Minister Nithin
Gadkari.
11. From April 1, 2020, India will shift to Euro-VI
emission compliant from Euro-IV grades that is
being followed now. This means that India will shift
towards more clean form of fuel.
12. The Reserve Bank of India announced that it
will create a Digital Payment Index by July 2020.
The main aim of the index creation is to capture the
extent of digitization of monetary payments in the
country.
13. On February 5, 2020, the Pink City of
Rajasthan, Jaipur, received World Heritage
Certificate from the UNESCO. The UNESCO
Director General Audrey Azoulay visited India to
present the certificate.
14. On February 13, 2020, the first Consignment of
Nagpur Oranges were sent to Dubai from Navi
Mumbai. The oranges were sent in refrigerated
containers.
15. The Budget 2020-21 that was presented by the
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman increased the
National Calamity Contingent Duty. The imposed
duty is expected to witness price rise of 7% in the
sales of cigarettes.
16. The International Judicial Conference was held
in New Delhi recently. The Conference was
addressed by PM Modi. The following theme was
introduced at the conference Theme: Gender Just
World
17. The birth anniversary of the 14th century saint
Ravidas was celebrated all over India on Febraury
9th. PM Modi and President Kovind and other
leaders paid tribute to Guru Ravidas.
18. On February 4, 2020, President Ram Nath
Kovind inaugurated Udyanotsav at Rashtrapati
Bhavan. The Mughal Gardens will be opened to the
public between February 5, 2020 and March 8,
2020.
19. On February 16, 2020, at the CMS COP-13, the
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory
Species Conference of Parties-13, was marked by
India. The Convention is to be held in Gandhinagar,
Gujarat between February 17, 2020 and February
22, 2020.
20. The Eastern Zonal Council meeting for the
states of Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand
is to be chaired by home Minister Amit Shah. The
meeting is to discuss cases of rape against women,
sexual offences, prevention of cattle smuggling in
the India-Bangladesh Border, etc.
21. Ministry of Food Processing and Ministry of
Women and Child Development jointly inaugurated
the National Organic Food Festival in New Delhi.
The festival aimed at strengthening organic food
produce in the country. It also aimed at encouraging
women entrepreneurs in manufacturing organic
produce.
22. The Government of India has been renaming the
national institutes after late ministers. The leaders
passed away in 2019 due to health issues. They
were Manohar Parrikar, Arun Jaitley and Sushma
Swaraj.
23. Ahead of the Conservation of Migratory Species
Conference of Parties-13 (CMS COP-13), the
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change has introduced a draft Visionary
Perspective Plan (2020-2030) to conserve
ecosystems, habitats, avian diversity and landscapes
in the country.
24. On February 20, 2020, WHO, Lancet and
UNICEF together released a report titled “A Future
for the World’s Children”. According to the report,
a new Global index has been included in comparing
performance of child nutrition, education and
sustainability.
25. On February 13, 2020, foreign envoys from
Gulf countries and European Union visited Jammu
and Kashmir for the second time after Abrogation
of Article 370.
26. On February 26, 2020, the largest ever
conference on traditional medicine was held in New
Delhi. The ICoSDiTAUS-2020 called the
International Conference on Standardisation of
Diagnosis and Terminologies of AYUSH was
attended by 16 countries. It included Serbia, Sri
Lanka, Curacao, Mauritius, Iran, Japan, Qatar,
Uzbekistan, Bhutan, Switzerland, Myanmar, Cuba,
Ghana, Jamaica, Equatorial Guinea and India. The
Conference was organized by the Ministry of
AYUSH.
27. On February 20, 2020, Asian Elephant, Indian
Bustard and Bengal Florican were declared as
“Endangered Migratory Species” at the CMS COP
13. The proposal was accepted by 130 countries.
28. The Portal Santusht is an Implementation
Monitoring Cell that was launched by the Ministry
of Lobour and Employment in January 2020. The
portal addresses delivery of public services, their
transparency, accountability, schemes and policies
at grass root level.
29. On February 25, 2020, a high-level committee
submitted its report to the Assam Chief Minister
Sarbananda Sonowal over the implementation of
Clause 6 of Assam Accord.
30. The Indian Council of Medical Research
conducted study on the food habits of the citizens of
the country. The study said that vegetarians
consume more fat than that of non-vegetarians.
Also, among the metropolitan cities of India, Delhi
and Ahmedabad topped the list in average
consumption of added fat.
31. The World Cancer Day is being marked
annually on February 4 by the Union for
International Cancer Control. The day is being
marked from 2008. The day is observed by the
United Nations as well. The theme of this year’s
World Cancer Day is Theme: I am I will
32. On February 18, 2020, the Ministry of Shipping
and Chemical Fertilizers held the fifth meeting of
Task Force. The Task Force discussed small,
medium and large API units.
33. On February 12, 2020, the Union Cabinet
approved on capital infusion in three Public Sector
Units namely United India Insurance Company
(UIICL), Oriental Insurance Company Limited
(OICL) and National Insurance Company Limited
(NICL).
34. Every year on February 28, India celebrates
National Science Day to mark the discovery of
Raman Effect by Sir C V Raman. Raman Effect was
discovered by the professor on February 28, 1928.
This year, the National Science Day is celebrated
under the Theme: Women in Science
35. On February 5, 2020, the Union Cabinet
approved to confer the status of Institution of
National Importance to 5 IIITs (Indian Institute of
Information Tecnology). All the 5 IIITs are to
operate in PPP mode.
36. The United Nations Conference of Parties to the
Convention on Migratory Species (CMS COP-13) is
to discuss the effects of insects decline on migratory
species for the first time.
37. The seventh Economic Census was flagged off
at the National Capital by the Ministry of Statistics
and Programme Implementation. This is the first
time the Census is being carried out in Digital
Platform. The Ministry has tied up with Common
Service Centres Network (CSCN) for the digital
implementation of the census.
38. n 2011, the Supreme Court had constituted a
panel to submit its report on children and women
trafficking. The panel submitted its report in 2019.
It had recommended NCRB (National Crime
Records Bureau) to compile data on missing
children and women trafficking.
39. The Government of India (GoI) is to organize an
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit called RAISE
2020. RAISE stands for Responsible AI for Social
Empowerment. The Summit is to be held in New
Delhi between April 11 and 12, 2020.
40. On February 25, 2020, five judges of Supreme
Court were infected from Swine Flu. Though the
disease caused by H1N1 virus is seasonal, the
Ministry of Health took several preventive measures
in order to prevent further spread of the disease.
41. The Government of Telangana is hosting Bio-
Asia Summit 2020 in Hyderabad between February
17, 2020 and February 19, 2020. The main
objective of the summit is to explore the capabilities
of Life Science Companies and their investments.
42. The researchers at the India’s Atomic Energy
Commission have found Lithium Reserves of
14,100 tonnes in Mandya. Mandya is 100 km away
from Bengaluru, Karnataka. Being a very rare metal
Lithium is mainly used in manufacturing batteries
for electric vehicles.
43. On February 26, 2020, the Minister of Food
Processing Industry launched Market Intelligence
and Early Warning System (MIEWS) Web Portal in
New Delhi. The MIEWS is first of its kind.
44. On February 11, 2020, Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare announced that medical devices are
to be brought under Drugs and Cosmetics act
(DCA). This is to come into effect from April 1,
2020.
45. The Budget 2020-21 has been framed on the
basis that Governance and Finances are the two
major hands in achieving the three themes of the
budget. The three themes include aspirational India,
Economic Development and Caring India. The
Budget has allocated funds for the following in the
efforts of achieving 5 trillion USD economy.
46. With 615 million speakers all over the world,
Hindi is the third most spoken language in the
world. English is at the top with 1,132 million
speakers followed by Mandarin with 1,117 million
speakers.
47. The 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the
Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species
of Wild Animals is to be held in India between
February 17, 2020 and February 22, 2020. The
Conference is called the CMS-COP-13 in short. The
Conference is to be hosted by the Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change on behalf
of India.
48. PM Modi is to inaugurate the Conference of
Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species
(CMS COP 13) on February 17, 2020 in
GandhiNagar, Gujarat. The 13th conference of
Migratory Species is the first meet on bio diversity.
It is conducted under the Theme: Migratory Species
connect the planet and together we welcome them
home.
49. The Economic Survey was tabled by the
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the
Parliament on January 31, 2019. The Survey says
that the subsidies under National Food Security Act
(NFSA) should be sharply reduced.
50. The ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural
Research)’s Indian Veterinary Research Institute
(IVRI) has developed cell culture Classical Swine
Fever vaccine.
51. On February 3, 2020, APEDA (Agricultural and
Processed Food Products Export Development
Authority) signed MoU with CSIR-CFTRI (Council
of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Food
Technological Research Institute). According to the
agreement, the CSIR-CFTRI will provide technical
support to the food industries in the North East
Region.
52. India is all set to host the fist Biodiversity
Summit of the United Nations. It is to be
inaugurated by PM Modi in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat
on February 17, 2020. The CMS COP-13,
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory
Species Conference of Parties-13 is the only
convention on migratory species.
53. The GoI think tank NITI Aayog joined hands
with the National Association of Software and
Services (NASSCOM) and launched the Artificial
Intelligence module for school students. The NITI
Aayog is to be represented by Atal Innovation
Mission of the think tank.
54. On February 8, 2020, Andhra Pradesh Chief
Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated the first
Disha Police Station. The police stations are first of
their kind in the state and will deal with crimes
against women.
55. The CSIR of Delhi topped the National Ranking
Index 2020 that ranks the scientific research
institutes. CSIR was followed by IISc Bangalore.
56. On February 25, 2020, the Agriculture Ministry
held a high-level meeting on Desert Locust Control.
The meeting was chaired by Secretary of Ministry
of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare.
57. On February 5, 2020, the Global Innovation
Policy Centre (GIPC) of the US Chamber of
Commerce released the International IP (Intellectual
Property) Index. According the ranking, India was
at position 40 of the 53 economies.
58. The Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de
Sousa is on a four-day visit to India. On February
14, 2020, he along with the Minister of Tourism,
India Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated a Cha-Chai
art-work installation at the National Museum.
59. The International Day of Women and Girls in
Science is being observed by the United Nations on
February 11 every year since 2015. The
Organization passed a resolution to observe the day
in order to recognize the role played by girls and
women in science and technology.
60. On February 12, 2020 the Union Cabinet
approved the Memorandum of Understanding
signed between India and Iceland in the field of
fisheries.
61. Every year, on February 11, the birth
Anniversary of Hakim Ajmal Khan is celebrated as
World Unani Day. He was an Indian Unani
Physician and a social reformer. The main aim of
the World Unani Day os to spread awareness about
Unani medical system, its preventive and curative
philosophies.
62. The Government of India is making preparation
in full swing for the Global Investors Summit to be
held in Jammu and Kashmir in April 2020.
63. The appointment of the CVC (Chief Vigilance
Commissioner) was criticized throughout India as
the new appointee was a part of the Search
Committee. After the wide criticization, President
Secretary Sanjay Kothari has now been
recommended by the PM led panel.
64. On February 17, the Minister of State in the
PMO (Prime Minister Office) announced that the
Union Territory of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir
are to be brought under the Central Administrative
Tribunal (CAT). The announcement was made by
the Minister at the annual Conference of the
tribunal.
65. On February 1, 2020, the Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget 2020 on
three main themes. The third theme of the budget is
Caring Society. Under this theme, the GoI allocated
budget to Women and Child, Social Welfare and
Tourism, Environment and Climate Change.
66. On February 3, 2020, the Western Railways
launched out branding of electric locomotives for
the first time. This will help the Railways earn
additional revenue of 1.05 crores of rupees.
67. Every year, on February 24, the Central Excise
Day is being celebrated by Central Board of Excise
and Customs all over India. The day is being
celebrated to honour the service of Central Board of
Excise and Custom (CBEC) to the country.
68. The 23rd National Conference on E-Governance
was held in Mumbai to transform governance using
digital technologies. The conference adopted
Mumbai Declaration.
69. India has been focusing on Act East Policy
lately with a strong motive of developing the North
East. Out of all the North Eastern States, Manipur
has evolved the major supporter of Act East Policy.
70. The World Productivity Congress has been
conducted by the World Confederation of
Productivity Science since 1969. It was last held in
India in 1974. The Congress is held under the
Theme: Industry 4.0-Innovation and Productivity.
71. On February 20, the states of Arunachal Pradesh
and Mizoram are celebrating their statehood day.
Statehood day marks the day of formation of the
states. Arunachal Pradesh became a state on 20th
February 1987. And Mizoram that was a part of
Assam was formed on 20th February 1987.
72. Every year National Deworming Day is
observed twice on February 10th and August 10th.
The event is observed by Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare. The implementing agency under
the ministry is National Health Mission. The worms
mainly spreads from the faeces of people who
defecate in open.
73. On February 11, 2020, the Uttar Pradesh
Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
approved Ground Water Act-2020. The act aims to
improve ground water level.
74. On February 5, 2020, the Union Cabinet
approved to set up the Vardhavan port in
Maharashtra. The port is to be developed in
“Landlord Model”. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port
Trust will act as the lead partner in developing the
port.
75. Every Year, last date of February is observed as
World Rare Disease Day. It was first launched by
Eurordis in 2008. It aims to create awareness about
the impacts of the disease. This year, it is observed
on the Theme: Reframe Rare for Rare Disease Day
76. There was a tussle between the
Telecommunication industries and the GoI over the
license fee settlement. The Union Budget waived
penalty for those who paid their interest charges
over the disputed tax liabilities before March 2020.
The case over the license fee settlement was
pronounced in favour of the GoI recently.
Following this, several companies like Airtel,
Vodafone, TATA have recently paid their dues.
77. On February 10, 2020, the Department of Public
Enterprises operating under Ministry of Heavy
Industries tabled the “Public Enterprises Survey” on
the parliament. The report says that the net profit
from the PSUs has increased by 15.5% as compared
to the previous year.
78. On February 14, the International Institute of
Strategic Studies released its report on Defence
Spending all over the world. The report was titled
“Military Balance”. According to the report, the
global spending rose by 4% in 2019. This is the
largest growth in 10 years.
79. On February 18, 2020, the State of India’s Birds
Report was released at the CMS COP 13. It
assessed the status of more than 867 birds. The
report says that more than 80% of Indian bird
species have declined in the last 5 years. More than
15,000 bird watchers participated in the survey.
80. The Forest Department of the Odisha State
Government conducted a census at Chilika lake to
count the number of dolphins at Gahirmatha Marine
Sanctuary in Odisha. The Sanctuary is a part of
Bhitarkanika National Park of Odisha. The report
was released in February 24, 2020.
81. On February 10, 2020, Chief Minister of Tamil
Nadu announced that Cauvery Delta is to be
declared as Protected Special Agricultural Zone. In
2019, the Central Government had awarded the oil
and gas exploration projects in the Cauvery basin.
This invoked large protests amid water crisis in the
state. Extraction of hydro carbon requires excess
amount of fresh water.
82. On February 26, 2020, the Union Cabinet
approved amendments to provide occupancy rights
to Scheduled Tribes of Lakshadweep. The approval
was provided to amend the Laccadive, Minicoy and
Amindivi Islands Land Revenue and Tenancy
Regulation, 1965.
83. On February 3, 2020, the Supreme Court of
India directed the states to establish “Gram
Nyayalayas” within four weeks’ time span. The
apex court has directed the corresponding state high
courts to expedite the process of consultation with
the state governments.
84. On February 10, 2020 the Union Minister of
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare inaugurated the
celebrations of World Pulses Day in New Delhi that
aims to increase the production of pulses.
85. On February 24, 2020, the Ministry of Home
Affairs has issued notification under the Arms Act,
1959 and Arms Rules, 2016. The main aim of the
notice is to facilitate the shooting practices of Indian
Shooters.
86. NITI Aayog is to organize North East
Sustainable Development Goal Conclave 2020 in
Assam between February 24, 2020 and February 26,
2020. The Conclave is to be held in the state capital
Guwahati. Chief Ministers of all the north eastern
states namely Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur,
Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura
and Sikkim are to participate in the conclave.
87. The Government of India is to host National
Organic Food Festival at the National Capital
between February 21, 2020 and February 23, 2020.
The festival is first of its kind. Around 150 women
entrepreneurs are to participate in the festival.
88. The NITI Aayog has released a progress report
on National Nutrition Mission (Poshan Abhiyaan).
According to the report, one in three Aadhaar based
payments was credited to a wrong bank account,
especially in Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana
Yojana.
89. The Budget 2020-21 that was presented by the
finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the
Parliament increased the import duty of green
energy equipment like cells by 20%. This is being
implemented to drive local manufacturing of the
equipment and lowering the import of low-quality
Chinese equipment.
90. On February 16, 2020, PM Modi inaugurated
more than 50 projects that are worth 1000 crores in
Varanasi. It included 430 beds in a hospital at
Banaras Hindu University, flagging off of Maha
Kaal Express, 100 year celebration of Jagadguru
Vishwaradhya Gurukul and unveiling statue of
Deendayal Upadhyay.
91. On February 18, 2020, the Times Higher
Education Ranking was released in London. The
ranking was titled “The Emerging Economies
University Ranking 2020”.
92. Cheetah has become extinct in India for more
than 70 years now due to over hunting. Hence,
several steps are being taken for the reintroduction
of the cat in the country. It was brought up at CMS-
COP 13 as well.
93. Sweden has created 1 million USD worth prizes
to feed billion of people. The prize is named as the
“Food Planet Prize”. The main aim of the step is to
address the climate change threats towards food
supply all over the world.
94. The Jerusalem-Mumbai festival is to be held in
Mumbai on February 15, 2020 to promote artistic
and cultural ties between Israel and India. The
festival is first of its kind.
95. On February 21, UNESCO is celebrating
International Mother Language Day. It is important
to celebrate the day as globalization process has put
languages under threat and they are disappearing
altogether. When languages fade away, the cultural
diversity of the world fades away as well.
 International
1. On February 27, 2020, the Myanmar President U
Win Myint visited India. During his visit, India and
Myanmar signed 10 MoUs in different sectors.
2. On February 26, 2020, the Sri Lankan
Government formally notified the United Nations
that it will withdraw from the UNHRC (United
Nations Human Rights Council) resolution.
3. On February 24, 2020, the US President Donald
Trump visited India along with his wife Melania
Trump. On the sidelines of his visit, agreements
were signed in the field of health, oil and defence.
4. On February 24, 2020, the Malaysian Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohammad resigned over
political issues.
5. On February 24, 2020, the US President Donald
Trump visited India. He was accompanied by his
wife, the first lady, Melania Trump, daughter
Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Along side
his visit, India and US signed defence deals worth 3
billion USD.
6. The US President Donald Trump recently
announced that the United States of America will
sign a peace agreement with the Taliban forces on
February 29, 2020.
7. China has joined India and United States in
putting Pakistan on Grey list of the FATF (Financial
Action Task Force). Both China and Saudi Arabia
have joined US, India and other European countries
sending stern messages to Pakistan against its
actions of terror funding money laundering
8. In January 2019, India and Norway jointly
inaugurated a Task Force of Blue Economy for
Sustainable Development. The third meet of the
task force was held on February 18, 2020.
9. On February 17, 2020, the Minister of Road
Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari represented
India at the 3rd global Conference on Road Safety.
The Conference aimed at achieving Global Goals
2030. It was held in Stockholm, Sweden.
10. The Munich Security Conference is being held
in Germany between February 14, 2020 and
February 16, 2020. The Conference was attended by
External Affairs minister Jaishankar representing
India.
11. The Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de
Sousa is on a 4-day visit to India. During his visit,
he held talks with PM Modi. After their meeting 4
agreements were signed between the countries
12. The Governing Council of International Fund
for Agriculture let in Rome recently. The council
says that by 2030 around 100 million people will be
pushed to poverty. The council also said that this is
mainly due to climate change impact on agriculture.
13. Portugal President Rebelo de Sousa is to make a
four-day visit to India. The last visit by a Portugal
President to India was in 2007.
14. Ahead of President Trump’s visit by the end of
February 2020, GoI has announced that it is to
partially open the poultry and Diary market to
imports from US.
15. On February 13, 2020, Union Minister Amit
Shah launched the BIMSTEC Conference on
Combating Drug Trafficking in New Delhi. The
event was organized by the Narcotics Control
Bureau. The Conference was attended by other
BIMSTEC partners Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan,
Nepal, Thailand and Sri Lanka.
16. On February 12, 2020 the Union Cabinet
approved the protocol to amend the DTAA (Double
Taxation Avoidance Agreement) that was signed
between India and Sri Lanka. The DTAA with
respect to prevention of fiscal evasion is to be
amended.
17. The International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) of the United Nations works
to address hunger and poverty in developing
countries. The 43rd session of the governing council
of IFAD was held at Rome between February 11,
2020 and February 12, 2020. It was announced at
the council meet that with the current progress rate,
it is not possible to achieve United Nations
Sustainable Development Goal 2030.
18. The scientists in UK have tested a new Corona
Virus vaccine. The Shanghai University of China
has also extracted a vaccine to treat the virus and
has injected in to a mice recently.
19. On February 11, 2020, the World Health
Organization announced a new name for the Corona
Virus, “COVID-19”. Today more than 42,000 are
infected with the virus according to the
organization.
20. The National Disaster Response Force of
Government of India is to host the second
BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise-2020
(BIMSTEC DMEx-2020). The exercise is to be held
in Bhubaneswar, Odisha between February 11, 2020
and February 13, 2020.
21. The researchers of Robert Koch institute in
Germany and Humboldt University have founded
mathematical model to predict global spread of
novel corona virus cases. India was ranked 17th in
the ranking system. So far three cases have been
reported in Kerala. They are all from Kerala.
22. The African Union Summit was held in Addis
Ababa, capital of Ethiopia to tackle terrorism in the
continent. The Summit is important for India as
India has recently signed the defence agreement,
Lucknow Declaration with 50 African countries at
DefExpo 2020. India is planning considerable
investment in Defence sector in the regions of
African Union.
23. The African Union Summit was held in Addis
Ababa, capital of Ethiopia to tackle terrorism in the
continent. The Summit is important for India as
India has recently signed the defence agreement,
Lucknow Declaration with 50 African countries at
DefExpo 2020. India is planning considerable
investment in Defence sector in the regions of
African Union.
24. On February 8, 2020, the BBIN (Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India and Nepal) nations deliberated MoU
(Memorandum of Understanding) to implement the
Motor Vehicle Agreement to regulate personal,
passenger and cargo vehicular traffic.
25. The Ministry of External Affairs along with
FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce and Industry) recently launched the
India-Central Asia Business Council. They were
joined by 5 countries namely Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz
Republic. The Council will act as a common
platform for the businesses of Central Asia and
India.
26. The World Health Organization is to host
Global Research Forum between February 11, 2020
and February 12, 2020. The event is to be co-hosted
by Global Research Collaboration for Infectious
Disease Preparedness.
27. On February 7, 2020, the most trafficked
mammal of Asia, Pangolin was identified as the
host of the virus by the researchers of China.
According to them, the outbreak that killed around
636 people in China has started from a market in
Wuhan city through Pangolin.
28. The Marine Products Export Development
Authority (MPEDA) will modernize 25 fishing
harbours in India. The project is to begin in two
harbours namely Nizampatnam in Andhra Pradesh
and Thoppumpady in Kochi, Kerala.
29. On February 5, 2020, US President Donald
Trump who had been impeached by the House of
Representatives has been acquitted at the Senate
trial. He now becomes the third President in the US
history to be impeached by House of
Representatives and acquitted by the Senate. The
other two Presidents were Bill Clinton in 1999 and
Andrew Johnson in 1868.
30. On February 5, 2020, the Minister of Petroleum
and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and the
Chairman of Rosneft (Russia’s largest oil producing
company) signed the first ever term contract.
According to the contract India will import 2
million metric tonnes of Urals grade crude oil.
31. The Ministry of External Affairs is to organize
East Asia Summit in Chennai between February 6,
2020 and February 7, 2020. This is the fifth time the
conference is being held in India. The first
conference was organized in Delhi in 2015, second
in Goa in 2016, third in Bhubaneswar in 2018. In
2019, the fourth conference was held in Bangkok.
32. The World Health Organization on February 4,
2020 announced that the Corona virus disease has
not yet become pandemic. The disease has so far
killed 425 people and has infected more than
20,000. Hong Kong recently reported death due to
the virus. It is the first country outside China to
report death.
33. On February 2, 2020, the United Arab Emirates
discovered shallow natural gas reserves of about 80
trillion cubic feet. The reserve was discovered
between the Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
34. The Corona Virus death toll has increased to
360. The WHO has also declared International
Health Emergency over the outbreak of the virus.
The G7 countries are to conduct a Ministerial level
health meet to discuss measures to prevent the
further spread of the disease.
35. Pakistan which is facing the worst locust attacks
in decades has declared National Emergency. The
emergency was declared to tackle the insects that
are destroying crops in Punjab province, the main
region of agricultural production.
36. On February 2, 2020, India and Maldives signed
5 Memorandum of Understandings to establish
Addu Tourism in 5 islands of Addu atoll. The
tourism is to be developed at a cost of 2.49 million
USD. Addu is a city in Maldives that contains
several inhabited Islands.
37. On January 31, 2020, the Government of India
banned respiratory masks, clothing used to protect
from air borne particles and other personal
protection equipment. The move has been
implemented as a precautionary step assuming there
could be a spurt in demand of these products due to
Corona Virus.
 Business, Economy & Banking
1. On February 27, 2020, the Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the banking in
the North East Region is to be increased.
2. On February 26, 2020, the Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman launched Enhanced Access and
Service Excellence (EASE 3.0). It was launched
along with the annual report of EASE 2.0 at a
function organized by Indian Banks’ Association.
3. The Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade (DPIIT) operating under Ministry of
Commerce and Trade has amended the FDI
(Foreign Direct Policy) to allow 100% foreign
investment for insurance intermediaries. This
includes insurance companies, third party
administrators, insurance brooking, loss assessors
and surveyors.
4. The Government of India has adopted “Counter
Cyclical Fiscal Policy” in order to decrease the
Economic Slow Down in the country. The
Economic Chief Advisor Subramanian at the
Express Adda event in Mumbai highlighted that
Counter Cyclical Fiscal Policy is the only way
forward to create additional fiscal headroom.
5. The Indian Railways recently launched Artificial
Intelligence based chatbot called “ASKDISHA”.
The chatbot will interact with the Railway
customers in Hindi language resolving their queries.
6. The Mumbai airport has recently launched the
world largest temperature-controlled facility to store
agro and pharma products. The “Export Cold Zone”
launched is capable of holding more than 700
tonnes of cargo.
7. On February 21, 2020, the Maharashtra
Government ordered to destroy the Thai Mangur
fish breeding centres. This is mainly because the
fish is cultivated in unhygienic conditions.
8. The Reserve Bank of India has launched National
Strategy for Financial Inclusion (2019-24). The
main motive of the strategy is to provide access to
financial services in an affordable manner.
9. Recently, the United States of America removed
the “developing” tag for dozens of countries. India
is one amongst them. These countries are to be
classified as developed economies
10. On February 15, 2020, the board of Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) decided to sync the Financial
year of the bank with the Fiscal Year. The Fiscal
Year begins in April and ends in March and the
Financial year is between July and June
11. On February 12, 2020, Government of India
issued draft rules to set up International Arbitration
Centre. In order achieve institutionalized
arbitration, GoI has enacted the New Delhi
International Arbitration act, 2019.
12. The E-Commerce Giant Amazon Web Services
has planned to invest 1.5 billion USD to set up two
data centres in Hyderabad. The private firm will be
helped by the Telangana Government under its Data
Centre Policy
13. The Marine Products Export Development
Authority Organized International Sea Food Show
in Kochi. Around 5,000 delegates participated in the
show. The show will provide a platform for
overseas importers of Indian marine products and
also for Indian exporters.
14. On February 6, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India
released its bi-monthly monetary policy. The apex
bank has kept the policy repo rate unchanged. It
remains at 5.15%.
15. On February 5, 2020, the Union Cabinet
approved to bring regulation of cooperative banks
under Reserve Bank of India. In order to achieve
this, the Cabinet approved amendments to Banking
regulation act.
16. The Union Budget 2020 was presented by the
Finance Minister Shrimati Nirmala Sitharaman. The
budget was presented under three themes namely
Aspirational India, Economic Development and
Care Giving. The Economic Development includes
industries, commerce and manufacturing.
17. The Budget 2020 was presented at the
Parliament under three themes. One of the themes is
Aspirational India. The Education and Skills is a
Sub theme of Aspirational India. The other two sub
themes of Aspirational India are
i. Agriculture, Rural Development and Irrigation
ii. Health, Water and Sanitation
18. On February 1, 2020, the Finance Minister
presented the Budget for the financial year 2020-21.
The GoI gives utmost importance to health sector.
The GoI under the Budget 2020-21 aims to provide
wellness, water and sanitation by allocating funds
for following schemes.
19. The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
presented the Budget 2020-21 on February 1, 2020.
The Minister has allocated Rs 2.83 lakh crore
rupees for the agriculture and rural development
sector.
20. The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
presented the Budget 2020-21 on February 1, 2020.
The budget focused on enhancing purchasing power
of citizens and boosting their incomes. It has also
given importance to technology and innovation to
increase employment of the youths.
21. On January 31, 2020, the Controller General of
Accounts (CGA) released data on fiscal deficit of
Government of India. According to the report, the
fiscal deficit of India touched 132.4% of the full-
year target in December, 2019.
22. The Economic Survey 2019-20 suggests a new
idea of “Assemble in India” model to create 80
million jobs in the country. The model will also
help India achieve its 5 trillion USD economy
target.
 Science & Technology
1. The Hyderabad based INCOIS (Indian National
Centre for Ocean Information) launched a new alert
system that will help reduce damage and losses to
fishermen due to swell surges. The Swell Surges
splash strong waves in the coast damaging boats
and nets. The system will help fishermen to get
prior alerts about swell surges and safeguard their
boats.
2. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
is to launch GISAT 1 (Geo-Imaging Satellite) in
order to watch Indian sub-continent continuously.
3. The Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad is
to set uo a research centre in data science. The
centre being set up at Kanjikode aims at providing a
platform of research for artificial intelligence and
Data Science.
4. On February 19, 2020, the Union Cabinet
approved to set a technology group. The 12-member
group will provide scientific advice on mapping of
.
technologies, commercialization of dual use
technologies and develop a road map on selected
key technologies.
5. On February 15, 2020, ISRO published its annual
report 2019-20. According to the report, the Indian
Space Research Organization will launch 10 Earth
Observation Satellites in 2020-21. It includes the
first Geo Imaging Satellite, GISAT-1.
6. On February 13, 2020, the Ministry of MSME
(Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) launched
“Apiary on Wheels”. It is a unique concept framed
by KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries
Commission). The main aim of “Apiary on Wheels”
is to make migration easy.
7. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space
Administration) of the United States and the ESA
(European Space Agency) will send space probes to
the sun to map its poles. The solar orbiter was
launched on February 9, 2020
 Government Schemes
1. On March 1, 2020, the Lok Sabha speaker Shri
Om Birla launched Suposhit Maa Abhiyan in Kota,
Rajasthan. The Scheme aims to create malnutrition-
free India. It mainly supports pregnant women and
adolescent girls.
2. On February 29, 2020, PM Modi shall launch
10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations at
Chitrakoot. The event is being organized to
commemorate the successful completion of Pradhan
Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.
3. On February 28, 2020, the Union Minister of
Steel announced at a workshop organized by
Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) that GoI is
to make Odisha the steel hub of India. This is to be
achieved by the Government with the help of Japan.
4. On February 29, 2020, PM Modi is to distribute
assistive aids and devices to senior citizens and
Divyangjan. This is the biggest ever distribution
camp.
5. On February 27, 2020, the Inter-Ministerial
Approval Committee chaired by the Minister of
Food Processing sanctioned 32 projects under
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).
6. On February 26, 2020, the Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs approved the National Technical
Textiles Mission. The mission has been allocated Rs
1,480 crores. The aim of the mission is to make
India a global leader in Technical Textiles.
7. The EESL (Energy Efficiency Services Limited)
recently celebrated its 10 years of successful
operation. The Company adopted the policy of
making India Energy Efficiency a year back. It has
successfully completed its one year of energy
efficiency policy.
8. On February 24, 2020, the Union Minister Shri
Ramesh Pokhriyal chaired a high-level meeting to
review the progress of Institutes of Eminence.
9. On February 24, 2020, the Government of India
launched SPICe+, a web form that integrates 10
services of various ministries and departments. This
will help boost Ease of Doing Business in India. It
was launched by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
10. The successful completion of one year of
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi is being
celebrated on February 24, 2020. In order to
commemorate its success, PM Kisan Mobile app
was launched by the Minister of Agriculture and
Farmer Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar.
11. On February 24, 2020, the Pradhan Mantri
Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana completed one year of
its implementation. The scheme was launched to
increase the income of farmers. It aims to help
farmers by providing them income support of Rs
6,000 per year.
12. The Fourth Anniversary of Shyama Mukherji
Rurban Mission is being celebrated all over India on
February 21, 2020. It was launched on February 21,
2016. The mission aims at stimulating local
economic development and create well planned
Rurban Regions.
13. On February 19, 2020, the Union Cabinet
approved revamping of challenges in insurance
schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
(PMFBY) and Restructured Weather Based Crop
Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS).
14. On February 19, 2020, the Union Cabinet
approved on implementing the phase II of Swachh
Bharat Mission. The phase II of the mission will
focus on Open Defecation Free Plus.
15. On February 19, 2020, the Agricultural Minister
Narendra Singh Tomar announced that Government
of India is to launch “TILHAN MISSION” to boost
the oil seed production. The announcement was
made at an occasion of Soil Health Card Day. Soil
Health Card Day was celebrated all over India on
February 19, 2020.
16. In order to commemorate the launch of Soil
Health Card Scheme, the GoI is marking Soil
Health Card Day on February 19, 2020. The Soil
Health Card Scheme was launched by PM Modi on
February 19, 2015.
17. On February 17, 2020, the fourth National
Conference of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima yojana
was held in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The Conference
was organized by Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare.
18. On February 17, 2020, the World Bank and the
Government of India signed a loan agreement to
support the national programme that aims on
strengthening ground water institutions and also
arrest the depletion of ground water resources.
19. Since the Abrogation of Article 370, the GoI has
been keenly focussing on improving the
infrastructure in the Kashmir region.
20. On February 12, 2020, the Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare introduced School Health
Ambassador initiative. Under the initiative, two
teachers in every school are to be made as Health
and Wellness ambassador.
21. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs has paired up 20 best performing smart
cities with least performing cities. They will work
as “sister cities”.
Awards & Honors
1. On February 24, 2020, the Union Minster
Ramesh Pokhriyal presented the Vishwakarma
awards for the year 2019. Around 23 groups were
awarded Chatra Vishwakarma Awards and 6
institutes were awarded with Utkrisht Santhan
Vishwakarma Award.
2. On February 25, 2020, the first anniversary of
National War Memorial was commemorated. The
22. On February 5, 2020, the Atal Innovation
Mission (AIM) joined hands with several ministries
such as MSME, agriculture, food processing and
also with NITI Aayog to stimulate innovation in
India. The mission aimed to showcase government
funded innovations.
23. The study conducted by the National
Productivity Council has reported that the use of
soil cards has reduced the fertilizer use by 10% in
the country. The study also reported that the
productivity has increased by 5-6% due to soil card.
This is mainly because the soil card scheme aims at
addressing the issue of declining soil nutrient.
24. On February 3, 2020, the Ministry of Women
and Child Development awarded Pradhan Mantri
Matru Vandhana Yojana (PMMVY) awards to
states and Union Territories and Districts. The
award function was organized to promote
competitive federalism among the states.
25. On February 3, 2020 the Minister of North
Eastern Development Dr Jitendra Singh chaired the
Ujh Multipurpose (National) Project, Jammu and
Kashmir. The meeting was attended by the Ministry
of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Power and other officers
from state government of Punjab
26. The Ministry of MSME (Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises) on February 3, 2020, provided
an update on the SFURTI scheme being
implemented.
CDS Bipin Rawat paid tribute to the memorial and
so did several other leaders of the country.
3. On February 13, 2020, President Ram Nath
Kovind presented the President’s Colours Awards
to INS Shivaji. The Indian Naval Station Shivaji has
completed 75 years of service. Last year, the award
was given to Indian Naval Academy.
 Defence
1. On February 28, 2020, the Indian Coast Guard’S
ICGS Varad, an Offshore Patrol Vessel was
commissioned at Chennai port. The vessel is to
operate under North Eastern Coast Guard Region.
2. On February 27, 2020, the Defence Minister Raj
Nath Singh inaugurated Light combat Helicopter
production at the HAL complex in Bengaluru. The
project is a part of the “Make in India” initiative.
th
3. On February 27, 2020, the 6 Coast Guard OPV-
6 (Offshore Patrol Vessel-6) called the “VAJRA”
was launched in Chennai.
4. The 5th edition of the Exercise Indra Dhanush
commenced on 24th February, 2020. It is a joint air
force exercise between the Indian Air Force and the
Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom.
5. The Defence Minister Rajanth Singh recently laid
foundation stone to construct a new Army
Headquarters in Delhi Cantontment. The building
has been named “Thal Sena Bhawan”.
6. On February 19, 2020, Pakistan test fired 600 km
range Ra’ad II missile successfully on land and at
sea. The missile range has been upgraded from
550km in 2017 to 600km. It is important for India
to closely monitor such advances as New Delhi is
roughly 430km from Lahore.
7. On February 18, 2020, foundation stone for a 50-
metre high foundation stone laid at Dhanushkodi in
Rameswaram. This is the fifth lighthouse in the
region.
8. India and Russia have signed 14 MoUs during the
DefExpo 2020. It included land, air, naval and other
hi-tech civilian products. With the agreements
signed the Defence trade between the countries is to
cross 16 billion USD.
9. The Chief of Indian Navy Admiral Karamvir
Singh is to visit Myanmar between February 17,
2020 and February 20, 2020. During his visit, he
will hold discussions with his Myanmar counterpart
to enhance bilateral maritime relations between the
countries.
10. On February 17, 2020, the Supreme Court of
India upheld the judgement of Delhi High Court
over the issue of commissioning of women officers
in Indian Army.
11. The Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat aims to
set up an integrated tri-service command for the
first time by June 2020. This command will be
headed by an Air Marshal.
12. Indian Navy is preparing itself for the biggest
multilateral naval exercise to be conducted in the
Indian Ocean Region. The Exercise is to be
conducted under the Theme: Synergy across the
Seas
13. On February 14, 2020, a memorial was
inaugurated at the Lethpora camp for the 40 CRPF
(Central Reserve Police Force) personnel who were
killed in Pulwama Attack.
14. The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Jamuna has been
deployed in the shores of Sri Lanka to carry out a
joint Hydrographic survey. The survey is to be
conducted for 2 months time period.
15. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre developed
a new bullet proof jacket called Bhabha Kavach.
The jackets are to be used by the Central Industrial
Security Force (CISF).
16. On February 11, 2020, United States approved
sale of Integrated Air Defence Weapon System to
India. The cost of the system is estimated as 1.86
billion USD.
17. India-UK hold joint exercise called Ajeya
Warrior on February 13, 2020. The exercise is being
held from 2005.
18. The Indian Army’s College of Military
Engineering with a private firm developed the gun
shot locators called “Parth”. These are much
cheaper than the ones imported. The device was
showcased at DefExpo 2020.
19. The India-African Nations Defence Ministers’
Conclave was held at the side lines of DefExpo
India 2020. The Conclave adopted Lucknow
Declaration in the presence of Union Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh. The Declaration was signed
by 50 African Nations.
20. The Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers
(SIDM) and UK India Business Council (UKIBC)
signed Memorandum of Understanding to bring
upon closer defence ties between the countries. The
agreement was signed at DefExpo that is being held
in Lucknow.
21. On February 7, 2020, the transfer of technology
ceremony was held at DefExpo 2020. According to
the agreement, the organization transferred 15
licenses to 17 industries. The licenses transferred
were all on technologies developed by DRDO. The
ceremony was named Bandhan.
22. The Sharang Artillery Gun is to be inducted into
Indian Army on February 8, 2020. The artillery
guns are currently produced at the Kanpur ordnance
factory.
23. India and Russia signed 14 Memorandum of
Understandings at the India-Russia Industrial
Conference held at DefExpo 2020, Lucknow. The
Agreements were signed under Make in India
initiative.
24. On February 7, 2020, DRDO (Defence Research
Development Organization) signed an agreement
with Rosobornexport of Russia. According to the
agreement the defence organization will develop
Advanced Pyrotechnic Ignition Systems for missile
propulsion.
25. The DefExpo was inaugurated by PM Modi on
February 5, 2020. During the Defence Exhibition
the Uttar Pradesh Government is to sign 23 MoUs.
The agreements will bring in Rs 50,000 crores of
investment. This will bring in job opportunities to 3
lakh people.
26. The 11th edition of DefExpo (Defence
Exhibition) was inaugurated by PM Modi on
February 5, 2020. At the inaugural speech, PM
Modi announced that India will work towards
increasing its Defence economy to 5 billion USD.
27. On January 4, 2020, the defence ministers of
India and South Korea discussed ways to enhance
bilateral security cooperation in the field of defence
industries and research and development.
28. The Indian Navy recently launched a unique
coastal security exercise in Kolkata. The exercise
was conducted to create awareness about the coastal
security to the local community.
 Constitution & Law
1. The GoI recently decided to establish Central
Consumer Protection Authority under the Consumer
Protection act, 2019.
2. On February 26, 2020, the Union Cabinet
approved the changes introduced to the Surrogacy
(Regulation) bill, 2019. The changes were
introduced by the 23-member select committee of
Rajya Sabha.
3. The Government of India is to set up a Consumer
Protection Authority in order to implement the
Consumer Protection Act. The authority is to begin
working from April 2020.
4. On February 19, 2020, the Union Cabinet
approved the 22nd Law Commission of India. The
commission has been approved for a period of three
years.
5. On February 18, 2020, the Union Cabinet
approved the Assisted Reproductive Technology
(Regulation) bill. The bill proposes to establish a
national registry.
6. The Vivad se Vishwas Scheme was announced
by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the
Budget 2020-21. On February 12, 2020, the Union
Cabinet approved to make required changes in the
Vivad Se Vishwas Bill, 2020 in order to widen its
cover over litigation pending in debt recovery
tribunal.
7. On February 12, 2020 the Union Cabinet
approved to table the Pesticide Management Bill,
2020 in Parliament. The bill aims at making safe
and effective pesticides for farmers. The main aim
of the bill is to replace the Insecticides Act, 1968.
8. The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
proposed the scheme Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme in
the Union Budget 2020. In order to implement the
scheme, the minister introduced a bill in Lok Sabha
on February 5, 2020.
 Sports
1. The first Khelo India University Games is to be
held in Bhuwaneshwar, Odisha. The game is to be
launched by PM Modi through video conferencing.
2. On February 16, 2020, the State Government of
Haryana announced that it will provide Rs 6 crores
to gold medal winners at Olympic Games. The cash
money prize is only for players representing
Haryana.
3. On February 13, 2020, the International Hockey
Federation named the Indian Hockey captain
Manpreet Singh as Player of the Year, 2019.
4. The National Winter Games is to be held in
Gulmarg from March 7, 2020. The games are to be
held for five days in Gulmarg, the world-famous
Ski destination. It is being held under Khelo India.
5. On February 9, 2020, Bangladesh won Under 19
Cricket World Cup organized by International
Cricket Cup (ICC).
References:
gktoday.in
jagranjosh.com
usiness-standard.com
6. Aditya Mehta from Mumbai, Maharashtra won
the National Snooker championship held at Pune.
He defeated multiple time world champion Pankaj
Advani. In Women’s Snooker Finals, Vidya Pillai
from Madhya Pradesh won the title.
7. On February 9, 2020, Kaamya Karthikeyan
became the youngest girl to climb the highest peak
in South America, Mt Aconcagua.
8. On February 6, 2020, Rakhi Halder of West
Bengal won Senior Weightlifting Championship.
She bagged gold medal in the 64 kg category at the
35th National Weight lifting Championship held in
Kolkata.
9. The Serbian Player Novak Djokovic captured the
Australian Open Title of 2020 in Men’s single.
Sofia Kenin won Women’s singles at the
tournament. Rajeev Ram teamed up with Joe
Salisbury won the Men’s doubles.