current affairs : february 16 2017 indian affairs cabinet ... affairs feb 16.pdf · pdf...

SADHANA ACADEMY PH:9290699996

www.sadhanaedu.co.in Dilsukh nagar Page 1

Current Affairs : February 16 2017

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Cabinet Approvals on February 15, 2017

i. The Union Government chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra

Modi on February 15, 2017 approved setting up of Food

Legumes Research Platform (FLRP) at Amlaha, Sehore

inMadhya Pradesh for meeting the emerging food security

challenges.

ii. The Cabinet approved the signing of Air Services

Agreement between India and Rwanda which will enable the

airlines of the two countries to operate services in each others

territory.

iii. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval

to award contract in 31 contract areas under Discovered

Small Fields Policy 2016 undertaken last year

iv. The Union Cabinet approved the merger of the State Bank

of India with its 5 subsidiary banks namely State Bank of

Bikaner and Jaipur; State Bank of Hyderabad; State Bank of

Mysore; State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Travancore.

Indian Panaroma Film Festival Begins in Port Blair

i. The Indian Panorama Film Festival kicked off in Port

Blair on February 15, 2017.

ii. The five day film festival has been organized by the

Directorate of Information, Publicity & Tourism, Andaman &

http://www.affairscloud.com/current-affairs-quiz-february-16-2017/http://www.affairscloud.com/cabinet-approvals-february-15-2017/

SADHANA ACADEMY PH:9290699996

www.sadhanaedu.co.in Dilsukh nagar Page 2

Nicobar Administrationin association with the Ministry of

Information & Broadcasting and Directorate of Film

Festivals/IFFI, New Delhi, Govt of India.

iii .The festival was inaugurated by the Chief Secretary, Andaman

& Nicobar Administration,Shri Anindo Majumdar at DBRAIT

Auditorium, Dollygunj, Port Blair.

iv. The inauguration was followed by screening of the film

Bahubali (Telegu) directed by SS. Rajamauli.

v. About 15 films of different languages and different genre will

be screened at two different venues including PBMC Auditorium

and ITF Ground during the festival.

vi. The event will conclude on February 19, 2017.

Himachal Pradesh Governor Inaugurates Campaign against

Drug Addiction

i. The Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat inaugurated

a Campaign againstDrug Addiction on February 15, 2017

organized by Shimla Press Club in Shimla.

ii. The campaign aims to make the state drug free.

iii .The Governor has announced to grant Rs 1 lakh to the Press

Club Shimla for organising the campaign against drugs

iv. Through the campaign, the state will make effort to eradicate

drugs that not only affect the physical and mental health of the

addict but also lead them towards increase in crime.

Hill stations in Himachal Pradesh

Manali, Shimla, Kufri & Chail, Kasauli, Kaso

SADHANA ACADEMY PH:9290699996

www.sadhanaedu.co.in Dilsukh nagar Page 3

Kerala cabinet Gives In-Principle Approval for Greenfield

Airport at Sabarimala

i. The Kerala cabinet gave its in-principle approval on February

15, 2017 for setting up aGreenfield Airport at pilgrim centre

Sabarimala located at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Western

Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta District, Kerala.

ii. The state government has also directed Kerala State

Industrial Development Corp (KSIDC) to conduct a study on

the proposed airport.

iii. Lakhs of devotees visits the Sabarimala hill shrine each year

and in recent years the number of pilgrims visiting the temple

had gone up especially during November-JanuaryMandala-

Makaravilakku pilgrim festival season.

iv. Thus the airport will cater to the needs of lakhs of devotees

who visit the famous Lord Ayyappa hill shrine every year

by reducing the traffic congestion. Currently, only road ways

medium is available to reach the hill shrine.

Airports in Kerala

Cochin International Airport, Thiruvananthapuram International

Airport, Calicut International Airport, Kannur Airport, Kollam

Airport.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh Inaugurated 2017 Indian Seed

Congress in Kolkata

i. The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri

Radha Mohan Singh inaugurated the Indian Seed Congress

SADHANA ACADEMY PH:9290699996

www.sadhanaedu.co.in Dilsukh nagar Page 4

2017 in Kolkata on February 12, 2017.

ii. The theme of Seed Congress is Seed of Joy.

iii. The theme is in line with vision of PM Modi government to

bring happiness and prosperity in the lives of farmers by doubling

their farm income by 2022.

iv. The minister emphasized that to enhance the productivity of

good quality seeds the centre has directed the state governments

to prepare variety wise seed rolling plants to meet year wise,

season wise requirements of quality seeds.

v. These rolling plants would help in improving the Seed

replacement rate along with Variety replacement rate so that

sustainable agricultural production and productivity could be

ensured.

vi. Besides vegetable seeds, the conclave also stressed on the

production of hybrid seeds of maize, paddy, pearl millet and

cotton for export to African countries.

vii. Indian seed industry has the potential to become a major

industry to supply quality seeds in global markets.

International Conference on NexGen Technologies for

Mining and Fuel Industries-NxGnMiFu-2017 inaugurated in

New Delhi

i. Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Science Dr.

Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated the three day International

Conference on NexGen Technologies for Mining and Fuel

Industries (NxGnMiFu-2017) in New Delhi on February 15,

SADHANA ACADEMY PH:9290699996

www.sadhanaedu.co.in Dilsukh nagar Page 5

2017

ii. Aim : To innovate new techniques, technologies and

applications for clean, safe, symbiotic sustenance of society,

environment and industries in post-2020 era.

iii. The conference was organised by CSIR-Central Institute of

Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad as a part of CSIR-Platinum

Jubilee Celebration to commemorate 75th year of its

foundation.

iv. An industrial exhibition is also being organised in the Vigyan

Bhawan lawns and will run in parallel with the technical sessions.

v. Eight distinguished luminaries from the mining, fuel sectors,

800 delegates from India and 50 delegates from countries like,

UK, Australia, China, Republic of Korea, Czech Republic,

Germany, USA, Japan, Canada, South Africa, Nigeria etc. have

expected to participante in the event.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India Ranked 143 in the 2017 Index of Economic Freedom

Index

i. India has been ranked 143 out of 186 economies in the

annual Index of Economic Freedom 2017 released by top US

based Think Tank, The Heritage Foundation.The Index

measures the degree of economic freedom in the countries of the

world.

ii. Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand are the top three

http://www.affairscloud.com/india-ranked-143-2017-index-economic-freedom-index/http://www.affairscloud.com/india-ranked-143-2017-index-economic-freedom-index/

SADHANA ACADEMY PH:9290699996

www.sadhanaedu.co.in Dilsukh nagar Page 6

nations in the Index respectively.

iii. India has been placed in the category of Mostly Unfree

Economies in which the points ranges from 50.0-59.9.

iv. Among South Asian countries, only Afghanistan (163) and

Maldives (157) were ranked below India. Nepal (125), Sri Lanka

(112), Pakistan (141), Bhutan (107), and Bangladesh (128)

surpassed India in economic freedom

UNICEF Makes $110 Million Appeal for Sudan Children

i. The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) has launched

a $110 million appeal on February 15, 2017 to help two million

acutely malnourished children across Sudan including

hundreds of thousands living in conflict areas

ii. Sudan is home to around 13 percent of all children suffering

from acute malnutrition across Africa. Two million children under

five in Sudan are acutely malnourished.

iii .They have been displaced due to violence in Darfur, Regions

of South and North Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei while many

separated from their relatives and affected by grave violations.

iv. UNICEF has spent about $500 million in Sudan over the past

five years and increasingly aims to tap funds from inside Sudan.

United Nations International Childrens Fund

The United Nations International Childrens Fund is a United

Nations programme that provides humanitarian and

developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing

SADHANA ACADEMY PH:9290699996

www.sadhanaedu.co.in Dilsukh nagar Page 7

countries.

Headquarters: New York City, United States

CEO: Anthony Lake

Founded: 11 December 1946

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI will Reimburse Banks MDR Charges Effective January

1, 2017

i. The Reserve Bank of India has decided to

reimburse banks Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges on

debit cards used by citizens for payment with effect fr