Current Affairs - February 16, 2020 Current Affairs

Rishi Sunak, the man who in a stunning turn of events was appointed United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer less than a month before the first budget of Boris Johnson's new government. His appointment, and the dramatic circumstance in which his predecessor quit, have created a stir and raise questions about the direction of economic policy on the heels of Brexit.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed five officials to the executive directors' post. The elevated officials will take charge in 2020. Currently, the RBI has 12 executive directors (ED). Out of 12, five of them are due to retire in 2020. The officials are: 1) Indrani Banerjee, Regional Director, Nagpur 2) Saurav Sinha, chief general manager-in-charge 3) Vivek Deep, CGM in-charge 4) J.K. Dash, CGM in-charge 5) P. Vijayakumar, the senior-most RBI ombudsman.

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has changed an administrative rule to impose countervailing duties (CVDs) on goods from India and certain other countries. Until 10 February 2020, India was on the developing country list and therefore eligible for the more relaxed standards. India has now been taken off of that list.

National Conference on Policy Framework for Skilling of Women and Children was held on 14 February in New Delhi. The Ministries of Women & Child Development (WCD) partnered with Skill Development & Entrepreneurship to enable and empower the women and youth of India with skilling in every segment where India is competent to make a mark. The announcement was made by the Union Minister of WCD and Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani.

Netherlands women's captain Eva de Goede has been named as the 2019 FIH Women's Player of the Year by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The midfielder took the prize ahead of Argentina's Carla Rebecchi and Janne Muller-Wieland of Germany, who finished second and third respectively.

Ahead of Valentine's day, 'Pyaar ka Paudha' (a plant of love) campaign has been launched by the Bihar government's Department of Environment and Forest in Patna, to encourage the practice of planting trees in the state.

Senior IAS officer Debasish Panda was appointed as the new financial services secretary, according to a Personnel Ministry order. Panda, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, is at present special secretary, department of financial services.

The second senior-most judge of the Bombay High Court (HC), Justice Satyaraujan Dharmadhikari, has bid his resignation. He did not mention the reason. Justice Dharmadhikari was born in 1960. He gained his LLB from Bombay University. He enrolled as an Advocate in June 1983.

Odisha State government has announced a hike in 5% for Dearness Allowance (DA) for the state government employees and pensioners. The announcement was made by the Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik on 14 February. The state also announced a hike of 10% arrears of 7th pay commission.

Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal inaugurated and flagged off the Phase I of East-West Metro corridor of Kolkata Metro on 13 February at a function in Kolkata. He also dedicated a project in Katwa-Azimganj and Monigram-Nalhati sections of Howrah and Malda Divisions.

Alexei Botyan, a veteran of Soviet intelligence hailed for saving the Polish city of Krakow from being blown up by the Nazis during World War II, has died at 103. Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed Botyan as a "legendary intelligence officer" and a "true patriot" in a telegram of condolences.

Former TERI chief RK Pachauri, 79, passed away on 13 February due to a prolonged battle against heart illness. RK Pachauri played a pivotal role in growing the New Delhi-based The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and making it a premier global organization in the sustainability space. He was the founder-director and former chairman of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Udayan Mane produced a flawless seven-under 65 on the final day to claim a thrilling one-shot win at the season-ending TATA Steel Tour Championship. Mane's determined final round effort of seven-under-65 saw him establish a new PGTI record for the lowest tournament total - 67-66-64-65 - as he closed the week with a jaw-dropping 26-under-262 at the Golmuri Golf Course.

Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is to organize a National Organic Festival with a special focus on women entrepreneurs. The festival will be jointly organized by the MoFPI and Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD). The festival will be held from 21-23 February 2020 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. The festival aims to empower women and promote organic produce.

Ministry of Steel along with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is to organize a workshop on 17 February 2020 in New Delhi. The workshop will focus on fostering steel usage in the Railways and Defence sectors. The aim of the workshop is to provide an in-depth discussion with the Railways and Defence sector to identify gaps and opportunities available in the supply of Steel and Steel Products.

A Cooperation Agreement was signed between India and the Republic of Portugal in the field of Maritime Transport and Ports on 14 February 2020. The objective of the agreement is to strengthen the coordination of Maritime transport between the two countries.

Rajiv Bansal, an IAS officer of 1988 batch, has been appointed the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Air India, an official order said on February 13. He will replace Ashwani Lohani, whose tenure has ended.

India's pioneering feminist scholar and activist Gita Sen, has won the prestigious Dan David Prize for her expansive work in the fields of population policies, reproductive and sexual health, women's rights, poverty, labour markets and global governance.

The government has renamed two prominent buildings after former foreign minister and BJP veteran Sushma Swaraj, a day before her 68th birth anniversary. The Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, a cultural centre reflecting India's connect with its diaspora, has been renamed Sushma Swaraj Bhavan, who was known for reaching out to distressed Indians globally. The Foreign Service Institute, a renowned institution where diplomats are trained, will now be called Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service.

Given by Dan David Foundation (headquartered at Tel Aviv University, Israel), this award carries prize of US$ 1 million for achievements having an outstanding scientific, technological, cultural or social impact on our world. Each year fields are chosen within the 3-time dimensions - Past, Present and Future. Lonnie G. Bunch III (US) & Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett (US) won for 'Past-Cultural Preservation & Revival'.