Current Affairs Today February 16 2018

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INDIAN AFFAIRS

Gopichand launches India’s largest ‘train the trainers’ programme
On February 15, 2018, former Indian Badminton player Pullela Gopichand initiated India’s largest ‘train the trainers’ programme by inducting 1500 Physical Education (PE) teachers from across Gujarat for advanced training.
Details about ‘train the trainers’ programme initiated by Pullela Gopichand:
i. This programme has been envisioned by the ELMS Sports Foundation.
ii. ELMS Sports Foundation is a not-for-profit initiative promoted by Vita and Jalaj Dani and mentored by Pullela Gopichand and Olympic gold medallist, shooter Abhinav Bindra.
iii. Aim of this programme is to develop the skills of PE teachers so that they can impart the right techniques to children aspiring to make a career in sports.
iv. Under this programme, Gopichand along with a team of experts will first select 150 PE teachers (out of 1500 inducted PE teachers) to become master trainers. The selected 150 PE teachers will attend a week-long workshop in which they will be familiarised with modern sports techniques. Thereafter, these teachers will impart the same to the other teachers across the state.
v. It will impact over 45000 children every year.

PM Modi inaugurates World Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi
On February 16, 2018, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the 2018 edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS 2018) at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.Highlights of World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS 2018):
i. This Summit has been organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
ii. The three-day Summit will serve as a common platform for global leaders and thinkers in the fields of sustainable development, energy and environment sectors to come together and deliberate on contemporary issues.
iii. Theme of World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS 2018) is ‘Partnerships for a Resilient Planet’.
iv. ‘Greenovation Exhibition’, showcasing the latest technological advancements to meet Sustainable Development Goals is also a part of WSDS 2018.
v. Over 2000 delegates including policy makers, think tanks, researchers, diplomats and corporates from 41 countries will be participating in this event.
Quick Facts about The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI):
♦ Established in – 1974
♦ Located in – New Delhi
♦ Current Director General – Ajay Mathur

DP World signs pact with J-K govt to develop trade infrastructure
Government of Dubai, global ports operator DP World and the State Government of Jammu and Kashmir have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore opportunities to develop trade infrastructure in the state.
i. Under this agreement, scope for setting up a multi-modal logistics park and hub in Jammu will be explored.
ii. This park would have warehouses and specialised storage solutions that will encourage inter-modal transfer of containers and bulk cargo.
iii. In 2016, 15 per cent of India’s total non-oil imports and exports took place through DP Worlds operations in India.
Quick Facts about Jammu & Kashmir:
♦ Capital – Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter)
♦ Current Governor – Narinder Nath Vohra
♦ Current Chief Minister – Mehbooba Mufti
♦ Important National Park – Dachigam National Park, Kishtwar National Park

Mumbai to have India’s first artificial intelligence centre
Maharashtra State government will be setting up India’s first institute for artificial intelligence (AI) in Mumbai.Details about India’s first artificial intelligence centre:
i. Plan for this institute of artificial intelligence (AI) will be unveiled by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during the Magnetic Maharashtra Summit, beginning on February 18, 2018.
ii. Setting up the AI institute will not only play a crucial role in ushering the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ but will also promote Mumbai as an investment destination in innovations and data analysis.
iii. Maharashtra State Government has already been experimenting with AI in the health sector.
iv. Besides, it has also set up a joint working group for AI cooperation with the government of Canada on February 13, 2018.

Madhya Pradesh’s first butterfly park comes up in Raisen
Madhya Pradesh’s first butterfly park, at Gopalpur in Raisen district opened for public on February 15, 2018.
Information about Madhya Pradesh’s first butterfly park:
i. The park is spread over three hectares of land.
ii. It houses 65 species of butterflies and nearly 137 plant varieties.
iii. Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Gaurishankar Shejwar expressed hope that this park will give a new identity to the state in the field of eco tourism.
iv. Butterfly parks are pollution-free spaces which do not have chemicals/pesticides and play an important role in conserving and breeding of butterfly species
Quick Facts about Madhya Pradesh:
♦ Capital – Bhopal
♦ Current Governor – Anandiben Patel
♦ Current Chief Minister – Shivraj Singh Chouhan
♦ Important National Park – Bandhavgarh National Park

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suspends Romanian drug-testing laboratory
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suspended Romania’s drug-testing laboratory for 6 months, quoting that the laboratory was not up to the required standards.WADA suspends Romanian laboratory:
i. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has said that, it has suspended the Romanian drug-testing laboratory in Bucharest for 6 months due to a lot of non-conformities. But it did not mention the problems in detail.
ii. The laboratory is now banned from testing samples. The laboratory has been urged to hand over its possessions to another laboratory.
iii. The ban on this laboratory is backdated to 29 November 2017. WADA has tightened laboratory check-ups after finding violations at the Moscow laboratory.
About World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA):
♦ President – Craig Reedie
♦ Headquarters – Montreal, Canada

Venezuela, Libya lose UNGA Vote for third time in 3 Years
On February 13, 2018, United Nations (UN) General Assembly spokesman Brenden Varma stated that Venezuela and Libya have been suspended from voting in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly because of millions of dollars in unpaid dues.
i. This is for the third time in three years that Venezuela and Libya have been suspended from voting in the UN General Assembly.
ii. In order to restore their voting rights, Venezuela and Libya must pay at least $25200296  and $6594842 respectively.
iii. Central African Republic, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Surinam, Marshall Islands, Yemen and Equatorial Guinea are the other countries that have lost voting rights for the same reason.
Quick Facts about United Nations:
♦ Founded in – 1945
♦ Headquarters – New York, US
♦ Current Secretary General – Antonio Guterres

BANKING & FINANCE

Centre to change base year for GDP, IIP to 2017-18
Union Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Sadananda Gowda has stated that during 2018-19, his ministry is proposing to initiate steps to revise the base years of gross domestic product (GDP), Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Revising Base Years for GDP, IIP and CPI:
i. For the calculation of GDP and IIP numbers base year will be changed to 2017-18 while for CPI (retail inflation) it will be 2018.
ii. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has proposed these changes to accommodate and factor the changes that take place in Indian economy.
iii. Under Union Budget 2018 -19, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) has been allocated Rs 4859 crore.
iv. Mr. Gowda added that, from April 2018, his Ministry will undertake various steps to improve the statistical system which will help in meeting the data requirements for emerging socio-economic scenario.

NABARD launches Rs 1918 cr area development plan for Punjab
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has announced that is has prepared area development plans worth Rs 1918 crore for farmers of Punjab.Details about NABARD’s area development plan for Punjab:
i. Announcement in this regard was made by NABARD Chief General Manager (Punjab), Deepak Kumar at the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) meeting in Chandigarh.
ii. The plan envisages to promote activities like dairy, vegetable cultivation, mushroom growing and bee keeping to provide income to farmers on sustainable basis.
iii. Mr. Kumar has raised concerns over the shortage of investment credit in Punjab, and has urged banks to focus on the area.
Quick Facts about NABARD:
♦ Established in – 1982
♦ Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
♦ Current Chairman – Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala

BUSINESS

Wipro, Tata Steel among 135 most ethical companies
Tata Steel and IT services provider, Wipro Ltd. are the two Indian firms that have featured in the list of 135 most ethical companies of the world for 2018.
World’s Most Ethical Companies, 2018:
i. The list has been compiled by the US-based think tank Ethisphere Institute.
ii. It features 135 companies from 23 countries, across 57 industries.
iii. Companies are assessed as per Ethisphere Institute’s Ethics Quotient (EQ) framework and are assigned scores in five key categories viz. ethics and compliance program (35% weightage), corporate citizenship and responsibility (20% weightage), culture of ethics (20% weightage), governance (15% weightage) and leadership, innovation and reputation (10% weightage).
iv. Global tech giants including Microsoft, Dell, Salesforce and Adobe have also featured in this list.
v. Ethisphere Institute will organise an event in New York, US on March 13, 2018 to felicitate these 135 companies. PepsiCo Chairperson and CEO Indra Nooyi will be delivering the keynote address at this event.

PhonePe partners with IOCL for deployment of PoS terminals
Payments platform PhonePe has entered into a partnership with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to deploy its Point of Sale (POS) device at IOCL retail outlets.More information about Phone Pe-IOCL tie-up:
i. Under this partnership, Phone Pe has installed POS devices at 30 IOCL outlets in Bengaluru on pilot basis. It will be rolled out across India in a phased manner during 2018.
ii. Phone Pe had launched its Point of Sale (POS) device in October 2017. Since then, over 10000 POS units have been installed in Bengaluru.
iii. Phone Pe is following a twin strategy of deploying its own point-of-sales (PoS) payment terminals at small merchant locations as well as partnering with major merchant chains at the national level.
Quick Facts about Phone Pe:
♦ Founded in – 2015
♦ Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
♦ Parent Organisation – Flipkart

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Sanjiv Bajaj is 2017’s EY Entrepreneur of the Year
On 15^th February 2018, Sanjiv Bajaj was awarded the ‘EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2017’ award at a function in Mumbai.Sanjiv Bajaj is 2017’s EY Entrepreneur of the Year:
i. Sanjiv Bajaj is the Managing Director of Bajaj Finserv. Nearly 400 business leaders and special guests were present at the event.
ii. EY presented awards in nine other categories also for the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year Programme’.
iii. Bajaj will represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY) from 13^th to 17^th June 2018 in Monte Carlo.
iv. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to E Sreedharan. He played a key role in the Kolkata Metro, Delhi Metro, Kochi Metro and Lucknow Metro projects.
v. List of awardees in the nine categories:

About EY:
♦ EY Global Chairman and CEO – Mark Weinberger
♦ Chairman of EY India – Rajiv Memani

Government to award former DG of Kapurthala science city Raghbir Singh Khandpur
Raghbir Singh Khandpur will be awarded for his contribution to science and for transforming the Science City in Kapurthala, Punjab, to an international-level centre, on 28^th February 2018.
Government to award former DG of Kapurthala science city Raghbir Singh Khandpur:
i. Raghbir Singh Khandpur is a former Director General of the Centre for Electronics Design and Technology and the Pushpa Gujral Science City in Kapurthala.
ii. Also, he is the founder director of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) in Mohali.
iii. He has been selected by Department of Science and Technology for this award for his contribution to science, technology and communication.
iv. He will be presented with this award on 28^th February 2018 on the National Science Day, in New Delhi.
v. He had worked at the CSIO (Central Scientific Instruments Organisation) as head of Medical Instruments Division and head of Electronics Division.
About CSIO (Central Scientific Instruments Organisation):
♦ Director – Prof. Ravindra Kumar Sinha
♦ Location – Chandigarh

Milkbasket recognised as ‘Startup of the Year’ 2017
Milkbasket has been honoured with the ‘Startup of the Year’ 2017 award at the 7th Small Business Awards, in New Delhi.Milkbasket – Startup of the Year 2017:
i. The Small Business Awards 2018 was organised by Franchise India Group. It honours the best enterprises among SMEs (Small or Medium Enterprise), SMB (Small and Medium Business) and emerging small-scale ventures.
ii. The startup of the year award is presented to SMEs that are 7 years or lesser than 7 years old with potential to develop into a larger entity in local and international markets.
About Milkbasket:
♦ Co-founder and CEO – Anant Goel
♦ Purpose – delivers milk, bread, eggs, butter, juices and other daily need items every morning

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda reappointed for second term
On 16^th February 2018, Haruhiko Kuroda was reappointed as the Governor of Bank of Japan for a second term by Japan government.
Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda reappointed for second term:
i. Haruhiko Kuroda’s current term as Bank of Japan Governor ends in April 2018. He is the first person to get a second term as governor of Bank of Japan since 1961.
ii. The Japan government has also nominated Masazumi Wakatabe, professor at Waseda University, as deputy governor of Bank of Japan. Another deputy governor position went to Bank of Japan Executive Director Masayoshi Amamiya.
About Bank of Japan:
♦ Established – 1882
♦ Headquarters – Tokyo, Japan

Ethiopia Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigns
On 15^th February 2018, Ethiopia Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigned from his position unexpectedly.Resignation of Hailemariam Desalegn:
i. Hailemariam Desalegn has stated that, he has resigned in a move to end the unrest and political crisis prevailing in Ethiopia.
ii. It is not yet known who will succeed Hailemariam Desalegn. Hailemariam Desalegn has said that, he will remain as prime minister in a caretaker position, until the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the parliament accept his resignation and appoint a new prime minister.
iii. Hailemariam Desalegn became the Prime Minister of Ethiopia in 2012. He has also submitted his resignation from the chairman post of EPRDF.
About Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF):
♦ Headquarters – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
♦ Founded – 1988

Archaeologist Arvind Jamkhedkar to head ICHR
Arvind P. Jamkhedkar has been named the next Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
Arvind P. Jamkhedkar – next Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR):
i. Arvind P. Jamkhedkar is an archaeologist and historian. He will succeed Prof. K. Sudershan Rao.
ii. Prof. Arvind Jamkhedkar is currently the Chancellor of Deccan College in Pune. In 1960, he obtained master’s degree in Sanskrit from the University of Pune. In 1966, he finished doctorate in Ancient Indian Culture from Deccan College.
iii. He served as vice-president of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai during the 2007 to 2013 period. He also works as editor of the Journal of Asiatic Society of Mumbai.
About Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR):
♦ Autonomous body of the Ministry of Human Resource Development
♦ Based in – Delhi
♦ Regional centers in – Bengaluru and Guwahati

Cyril Ramaphosa sworn in as new President of South Africa
On 15^th February 2018, Cyril Ramaphosa was elected the new President of South Africa.Cyril Ramaphosa – President of South Africa:
i. Cyril Ramaphosa was elected the President of South Africa by a majority in the Parliament.
ii. He has been elected the President of South Africa following Jacob Zuma’s resignation from the position of South African President on 14^th February 2018.
iii. Cyril Ramaphosa is 65 years old. He is the President of ANC (African National Congress).
Some presidents of various countries:
♦ Serbia – Aleksandar Vucic
♦ Seychelles – Danny Faure
♦ Somalia – Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed
♦ South Korea – Moon Jae-in

OBITUARY

Ex-UP minister Khwaja Haleem passes away
On 15^th February 2018, Khwaja Haleem, former Uttar Pradesh minister died following a cardiac arrest, at a hospital in New Delhi.
Death of Khwaja Haleem:
i. Khwaja Haleem was 75 years old. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.
ii. He joined the Youth Congress in 1970s. Later, he joined the Lok Dal. In 1980, he was elected to the Vidhan Sabha from Aligarh Assembly constituency.
iii. In 1990, he became the chairman of Uttar Pradesh Minority Commission. He was a member of the Samajwadi Party Central Committee for nearly twenty years. He became advisor in tourism department in 2014.
About Samajwadi Party:
♦ Founded – 1992
♦ Founder – Mulayam Singh Yadav