We are here for you to provide the important current affairs February 4 2018 which have unique updates of all daily events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, India Today, Indian Express, Business Standard, all Government official websites. Our complete current affairs helps you to get more marks in Banking, insurance, UPSC, SSC, CLAT, Railway and all other competitive Exams.
- Daily Current Affairs
- Try our Current Affairs Quiz 2018
- Read Our 2018 Current Affairs
Click here to try Current Affairs Quiz : February 4 2018
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Centre Sanctions New Project to Control Pollution of River Sal at Navelin, Goa
Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has sanctioned a new project to control pollution in River Sal at Navelim town in Goa.
Details about Pollution Control Project in River Sal:
i. This project has been sanctioned under National River Conservation Plan.
ii. it envisages construction of 32 kms of sewers and sewage treatment plant of 3 million litres per day (MLD).
iii. Estimated cost for this project is Rs. 61.74 crore, which will be shared by Centre and State in 60:40 ratio.
iv. Post completion (by January 2021), this project will not only will help in reduction of pollution load in the river and improve its water quality, but will also improve environment and sanitation in the town.
Facts related to River Sal:
♦ it is a small river in Salcete, Goa.
♦ It opens near Margoa, passes through several villages and drains in to Arabian Sea at Betul
Maharashtra govt approves new wildlife sanctuary at Ghodazari
Maharashtra State Government has approved Ghodazari in Chandrapur district as a new wildlife sanctuary in the state.
Details about New Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra:
i. This decision was taken at the 13th meeting of the Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife, held on January 31, 2018.
ii. The meeting was chaired by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
iii. The new wildlife sanctuary will include 159 sq km of Brahmapuri forest. This decision will not only help in conserving the forest but will also benefit nearly 40 villages in the region on account of consequential increase of tourism related activities.
International Conference on ‘Demetrios Galanos and His Legacy’ begins in New Delhi
International Conference on ‘Demetrios Galanos and His Legacy’ was inaugurated at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi on February 3, 2018.
Details about International Conference on ‘Demetrios Galanos and His Legacy’:
i. Demetrios Galanos was a Greek scholar who came to India to study in the nineteenth century. He stayed in India for 47 years (for 40 years he lived in the city of Varanasi).
ii. During the course of his stay, Demetrios Galanos compiled a Sanskrit-English-Greek lexicon of about 9000 words. He also translated the Bhagvad Gita into Greek.
iii. 8-day International Conference on ‘Demetrios Galanos and His Legacy’ is being held in Delhi as well as Varanasi. It has been organised by IGNCA.
iv. IGNCA’s ‘Bharat Vidya Prayojana’ project, under which, attempts are being made to reconceive Indology from Bharat perspective is the principle host of this conference.
Quick Facts about IGNCA:
♦ Launched in – 1985
♦ Located in – New Delhi
♦ Functions under – Union Ministry of Culture
Environment Ministry launches ‘Green Good Deeds’ campaign for climate change and global warming
On February 3, 2018, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr Harsh Vardhan appealed to the teaching community to join the ‘Green Good Deeds’ campaign.
About ‘Green Good Deeds’ campaign:
i. This campaign has been launched by Environment Ministry to sensitise students about climate change and global warming.
ii. ’Gree Goof Deeds’ campaign is based on the premise that it is the moral responsibility of current generation to restore and return the clean and green environment to the next generation.
iii. A mobile application – ‘Dr Harsh Vardhan’ has also been launched to reach out to people across India and provide information about ‘Green Good Deeds’ campaign.
2018 Kala Ghoda Arts festival organised in Mumbai
Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is an annual multicultural festival held in the Kala Ghoda area of South Mumbai. Kala Ghoda Arts festival 2018, which is the 20th edition of this festival, began on February 3, 2018.
Highlights of Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2018:
i. This year’s theme is ‘Hara Ghoda’ (Green Horse) focusing on sustainability and environment-friendliness.Â
ii. Art enthusiasts can witness an amalgamation of contemporary art illustrations, dance, theatre, music, literature and food during the course of this 9-day art festival.
iii. This festival is organised by Kala Ghoda Association, which was formed in 1998 with an objective of maintaining and preserving the heritage and art district of South Mumbai.
Vice President Naidu Inaugurates First International Kala Mela in New Delhi
On February 4, 2018, Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the First International Kala Mela (Art Festival) at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi.
Highlights of First International Kala Mela:
i. This festival has been organised by Lalit Kala Akademi, India’s premier institution for the promotion of Art and Culture.
ii. During the course of this festival (4th – 18th February, 2018), around 800 artists will showcase their art works.
iii. Main objective of this festival is to facilitate direct interaction between artists and the experts of the art forms and also to raise awareness about the art.
iv. National and International experts will conduct various art workshops and activities including Visual Art Film Festival, Best from waste workshop, Musical performances, Violin making workshop, live performance and Dance Dramas during the festival.
v.Many Embassies and International Cultural Centres are also participating in this festival.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India contributes $1 mn to UN Development Partnership Fund
On February 1, 2018, India contributed an additional $1 million to the India-UN Development Partnership Fund earmarked for South-South cooperation.
i. This latest contribution of India is aimed at intensifying its partnerships with other developing countries.
ii. India-UN Development Partnership Fund was launched in June 2017 Â for supporting sustainable development projects in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.
iii. India has pledged a multi-year contribution of $100 million to this fund, out of which, it has already provided $6 million so far.
About United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC):
♦ UNOSSC was formed by the UN General Assembly to advocate for and coordinate South-South and triangular cooperation within the UN system.
♦ UNOSSC is hosted by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 1974.
♦ Director of UNOSSC is the Envoy of the Secretary-General on South-South Cooperation. The Director reports to UNDP Administrator.
BANKING & FINANCE
Government makes PAN mandatory for transactions over Rs. 2.5 lakh
As announced in Union Budget 2018, providing Permanent Account Number (PAN)Â will be mandatory for any entity entering into a financial transaction of Rs 2.5 lakh or more with effect from April 1, 2018.
i.As per Finance Bill 2018, through which the Budget is passed, Permanent Account Number (PAN) would be used as Unique Entity Number for non-individuals.
ii. Thus, every non-individual entity shall be required to apply to the Assessing Officer for allotment of PAN.
iii.It has also been proposed that managing director, director, CEO, partner , founder or any person competent to act on behalf of such entities shall also apply to the Assessing Officer for allotment of PAN.
iv.Objective behind bringing in this provision is to widen the tax base.
Quick Facts about Permanent Account Number (PAN):
♦ What is PAN? – A 10-character alpha-numeric identifier for individuals/entities who pay income tax
♦ First Issued in – 1964
♦ Issued by – Indian Income Tax Department functioning under Central Board of Direct taxes
APPOINTMENT & RESIGNS
Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain appointed new chief justice of Bangladesh
Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain has been appointed as Chief Justice of Bangladesh.
Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain – chief justice of Bangladesh:
i. Bangladesh President Md Abdul Hamid administered Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain’s oath as the 22nd chief justice of the Supreme Court in Dhaka.
ii. The previous Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha resigned in November 2017. Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah was appointed as the acting chief justice.
iii. Syed Mahmud Hossain was born on 31 December 1954. He started practicing as a lawyer in 1981.
About Supreme Court of India:
♦ Chief Justice of India – Justice Dipak Misra
♦ Location – New Delhi
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
MIFF 2018 honours Shyam Benegal with V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award
On 3rd February 2018, film maker Shyam Benegal was awarded the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award of the Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Shorts & Animation Films – MIFF 2018.
Shyam Benegal – V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award:
i. The V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Shyam Benegal by C Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra, at the MIFF 2018 Valedictory Function at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai.
ii. The award consisted of a Trophy, a shawl, citation and cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs. The award recognizes Shyam Benegal’s contribution to the documentary movements in India.
iii. He has made 28 feature films and 41 documentaries.  ‘Satyajit Ray’ and ‘Nehru’ are some of his award winning films. He has also received Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
About V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award:
♦ Awarded for – contribution to the documentary movement
♦ Awarded to – filmmakers
♦ Instituted in memory of – filmmaker V Shantaram
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Japan launches mini-rocket with microsatellite
On 3rd February 2018, Japan successfully launched a mini-rocket that sent a microsatellite into orbit.
Japan launches mini-rocket with microsatellite:
i. The No. 5 vehicle of the SS-520 series took off from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima prefecture, Japan.
ii. The rocket is 10 m long. It weighs 2.6 tons. It is claimed to be the smallest satellite-carrying rocket in the world.
iii. The rocket successfully put a microsatellite into its desired orbit. The microsatellite has a weight of 3 kg. This microsatellite was developed by the University of Tokyo.
iv. The microsatellite would collect images of the Earth’s surface. This is the first time the SS-520 series rocket has successfully put a microsatellite into orbit.
About Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA):
♦ Headquarters – Chofu, Tokyo
♦ Administrator – Naoki Okumura
SPORTS
Shubhankar Sharma clinches Maybank Championship
On 4th February 2018, Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma won the Maybank Championship, at the Saujana Golf and Country Club, in Malaysia.
Shubhankar Sharma wins Maybank Championship:
i. Shubhankar Sharma holed 10 birdies and finished 10-under-par 62 in the finals. He won the Maybank Championship. He was awarded USD 500,000.
ii. Jorge Campillo finished in the second position. Pablo Larrazabal and Ryan Fox finished in the third position.
About International Golf Federation (IGF):
♦ Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
♦ President – Peter Dawson
OBITUARY
BJP MP from Kairana Hukum Singh passes away
On 3rd February 2018, Hukum Singh, a BJP MP from Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, died at JP Hospital, in Noida.
Death of Hukum Singh:
i. Hukum Singh was 79 years old. He was suffering from breathing difficulties. He is survived by five daughters.
ii. Hukum Singh started his law practice in 1969. He entered politics around 1974. His followers fondly called him ‘Babu Sahab’. He was member of the Uttar Pradesh state assembly for 7 times.
Some wildlife sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh:
♦ Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary
♦ Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary
♦ Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
BOOKS & AUTHORS
PM Modi pens book ‘Exam Warriors’, a stress-buster for students
On 3rd February 2018, ‘Exam Warriors’, a book written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was launched.
Exam Warriors:
i. The book ‘Exam Warriors’ was released by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present during the release.
ii. This book has been published by Penguin India. It consists of 208 pages.
iii. This book has been written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in order to inspire youth and help them face difficult situations like examinations, with fresh and new energy.
About Penguin Books:
♦ CEO – Peter Field
♦ Headquarters – London, England
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Cancer Day – February 4
On 4th February 2018, World Cancer Day was observed all over the world.
World Cancer Day:
i. World Cancer Day is observed every year on 4th February. The World Cancer Day was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in the idea of supporting the goals of World Cancer Declaration that was written in 2008.
ii. World Cancer Day aims to spread awareness about cancer, its prevention, detection, and treatment. Its main aim is to reduce illness and death due to cancer by 2020.
iii. The theme for World Cancer Day for 2016-2018 period is: ‘We Can. I can.’ On the World Cancer Day people are expected to contribute towards reducing the impact of cancer worldwide.
About Union for International Cancer Control (UICC):
♦ President – Cary Adams
♦ Formed – 1933
