Factsheet February Career Anna 2018

National

 Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the general budget 2018-19 in Parliament on 1st February,2018.  Union Budget was guided by mission to strengthen agriculture, rural development, health, education, employment, MSME and infrastructure sectors.  India has slipped to 42nd place on an annual Global Democracy Index amid “rise of conservative religious ideologies”, While Norway has again topped the list, followed by Iceland and Sweden, compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), India has moved down from 32nd place last year and remains classified among “flawed democracies”.  The Central Statistics Office (CSO) revised the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate for 2015-16 to 8.2% from the earlier estimates of 8% and kept the 2016-17 growth unchanged at 7.1%.  The 7th India Energy Congress was held in New Delhi. The theme of the 7th edition of India Energy Congress is 'Energy 4.0: Energy Transition Towards 2030'.  The First ever International Kala Mela was inaugurated by the Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi.  Maharashtra Government has approved Ghodazari in Chandrapur district as new wildlife sanctuary in the state.  Inland Waterways Authority of India(IWAI) Signs Project Agreement with World Bank for Jal Marg Vikas Project  India successfully test-fired the indigenously developed short-range nuclear capable Agni-I ballistic missile. The missile was fired from the Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast.  Uttar Pradesh State government in association with UNICEF has launched massive door to door campaign DASTAK to eradicate deadly Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanise Encephalitis (JE) disease in the state.  India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile as part of a user trial by the Army from Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, in Odisha.  The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has been ranked the top environment policy think tanks in India while it has secured the 16th position in global rankings, climbing up two positions from the last year  External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended the opening ceremony of the 32nd Al Jana-driyah festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  The Fifth edition of South Asia Region Public Procurement Conference was held in New Delhi.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for his three-nation visit to Palestine, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.  India has increased “substantially” its score in the International Intellectual Property (IP) Index, ranking 44th among 50 nations, according to the US Chambers of Commerce report  Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri R.K Singh, launched a Web-based monitoring System and a Fly Ash mobile application named ASH TRACK.  NHAI to Launch Pilot Project for Implementation of “Pay as You Use” Tolling on Delhi- Mumbai Highway Paving the way for the implementation of the Budget announcement regarding “Pay as you use” tolling in India, the National Highways Authority of India is executing a pilot project to study the implement ability of the system in the country.  National Informatics Centre (NIC) has organized a three-day National Meet on Grassroot Informatics- VIVID 2018 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The Theme for VIVID 2018 is “Cyber Security and Innovation”.  NITI Aayog has released the ‘Healthy States, Progressive India Report’. Kerala, Punjab and Tamil Nadu have ranked top among the larger states in terms of overall performance. The report was released by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant. States and Union territories have been ranked in three categories namely larger states, smaller states and Union territories. Among smaller states, Mizoram ranked first followed by Manipur and Goa in terms of annual incremental performance. Among Union territories, Lakshadweep showed best, overall performance as well as highest annual incremental performance.  India and Palestine have signed six Memorandums of Understanding (MoU)s worth USD 40 million.  India and Oman have signed eight MoUs in different areas during PM Narendra Modi’s maiden visit to the Gulf nation.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed al Nahyan held bilateral talks at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi, the UAE. PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. The two sides inked 5 agreements related to energy & railway sectors, manpower and financial services.  Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched the Gujarat University, Ahmedabad Centre for Spoken Sanskrit which will offer a six-month course for people on how to speak the language  Shri Nitin Gadkari releases India’s first ever Highway Capacity Manual  The Institute Of Directors organised it’s 12th International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility in Bengaluru, Karnataka.  Claiming that the Bengal government had already enrolled 50 lakh people under its own Swasthya Sathi programme, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced the decision to opt out of Centre’s ‘Modicare’ scheme. This makes West Bengal the first state to withdraw from the ambitious programme. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had

announced the NHPS on February 1, making it the biggest global plan to provide quality health cover to a population larger than the combined citizenry of the US, UK, Germany and France.  The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, met today and accorded approval to Capital Acquisition Proposals of the Services valued at approximately Rs 15,935 crore.  In a bid to consolidate the legislations pertaining to small savings schemes, the government is proposing a merger of the various laws into a Government Savings Promotion Act.  The 'Assistance to States and UTs for Narcotics Control' scheme has been extended for a further period of 3 years--from 2017-18 to 2019-20--with an estimated budget of Rs 21 crore  Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau l arrived in India on a seven-day State visit.  Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Visits India  Government Inks $100 million Loan Agreement with NDB for Rajasthan Water Project  India and Iran signed an agreement for Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with regard to taxes on income.  The government of India and the UN jointly announced that India will host the global World Environment Day celebrations on 5 June 2018. The theme for World Environment 2018 is “Beat Plastic Pollution”.  PM Flags Off Palace Queen Hamsafar Express between Mysore and Udaipur in Karnataka  Spiritual leader Aga Khan came on the 11-day visit to India.  Mr. J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare has addressed the Global Digital Health Partnership Summit, at Canberra, Australia.  The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has organized a National Conference under the title of “Agriculture 2022 – Doubling Farmers’ Income” in New Delhi.  India and Iran have signed nine agreements in order to further the bilateral cooperation between the two sides.  The Union Cabinet has given approval for creation of National Urban Housing Fund (NUHF) for Rs.60,000 crores  The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday gave its ex-post facto approval to the cooperation agreement between India and the Moroccan National Railways Office (ONCF).  The cabinet approved amendments to the Chit Funds Act to facilitate orderly growth of the sector and provide more financial products to investors.  The Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh presented its 2018-19 budget with a spending target of Rs4.28 trillion, focusing mainly on improving energy access, rural housing and infrastructure.

 Assam is at the bottom of the list with regard to maternal mortality rate(MMR) with a figure of 300 against the national average of 167, while the fund spending under National Health Mission (NHM) is just 13.58 per cent for 2017-18.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 22nd edition of the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) in Hyderabad  The 26th edition of Nasscom India Leadership Forum (ILF) was also held in the same venue later on. Nasscom is the host of the of WCIT.  Maharashtra Government to Launch Asmita Yojana to Provide Cheap Sanitary Pads  Delhi Government To Launch 'Mission Buniyaad' To Fix Learning Crisis In Delhi Schools  In a major reform in the coal sector since its nationalisation in 1973, the governmenttoday allowed private companies to mine the fossil fuel for commercial use, ending the monopoly of state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL).  India has been ranked 12th-worst among 52 low-middle income countries based on the number of children dying within the first month of their birth, which is 25.4 per 1,000 live births according to UNICEF.  The Gandhi Nagar railway station in Jaipur, Rajasthan became railway station to be fully- managed by women.  The Indian and Indonesian armies began the sixth edition of their annual military exercise named 'Garuda Shakti' in Bandung, Indonesia.  The Centre has constitued a committee headed by the Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog to study the Brahmaputra and flood control measures in Assam and neighbouring states.  Government sets up the “NITI Forum for Northeast” Forum to identify constraints and recommend suitable interventions for speedy and sustainable growth in NER.  India's ranking in the annual corruption index, released by Berlin-based non-government organisation Transparency International (TI), slid to 81 among a group of 180 countries  Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh launched six new features in the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform to make it more user-friendly.  Flying officer Avani Chaturvedi scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo.  Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar presented in the state assembly Rs. 17,123- crore budget for 2018-19  The Telangana Government on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taoyuan City of Taiwan for better technology partnership in the state.  The Haryana government launched Parivartan, a scheme designed to address 10 issues, including cleanliness and pollution, in 46 developmental blocks of the state.  The 21st national conference on e-Governance will be held in Hyderabad.  The second week of March will witness Andaman & Nicobar Command hosting a multinational mega event MILAN 2018.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Amma Two Wheeler Scheme (in Chennai) of the state government coinciding with the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa.  Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) introduced a ‘Baal Aadhaar’ card for children below the age of five years. No biometric details will be required to get this blue- coloured Baal Aadhaar card.  India has been ranked 47th out of 86 countries on the Inclusive Internet Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which was commissioned by Facebook.  The government has announced a significant reduction in airfares for devotees travelling to Saudi Arabia, with the prices of round tickets being slashed by Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 97,000.  The Chilika lake in Odisha has emerged as the single largest habitat of Irrawaddy dolphins in the world with the spotting of 155 such animals, according to the Chilika Development Authority (CDA).  The King of Jordan Abdullah-II bin Al-Hussein arrived in New Delhi on a 3-day visit to India.

International

 India has joined the Ashgabat agreement which envisages setting up of an international transport and transit corridor linking central Asia with the Persian Gulf to significantly ramp up trade and investment.  Rwanda has become the world's first low-income country to provideuniversal eye care.  Sri Lanka celebrated the 70th Independence Day on 4th February in a grand ceremony at the Galle Face Green in Colombo. The theme of the ceremony was "One Nation".  Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has won re-election for a second term.  The Maldives president, Abdulla Yameen, has declared a state of emergency in the country as heavily armed troops stormed the country’s top court and a former president Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed was arrested in a deepening political crisis.  Sweden Commits Record $370m of Aid to UN World Food Programme  Bermuda has become the first country to legalise and then repeal same-sex marriage.  Business magazine Forbes has released its first-ever Crypto Rich List, comprising 20 wealthiest people in the cryptocurrency space. The list was topped by Ripple Co-founder Chris Larsen, who is estimated to have a crypto net worth of $7.5-8 billion.  Mumbai, India's financial capital is the 12th richest city in the world with a total wealth of $950 billion, according to a report by New World Wealth. The list was topped by New York as the richest city in the world.

 Gulf metropolis Dubai, on its never-ending quest to break records, announced the opening of the 'world's new tallest hotel'. The gleaming gold 75-storey Gevora Hotel stands 356 metres, or nearly a quarter of a mile, tall.  Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) launched the first tests of the world's first autonomous pods at the World Government Summit The autonomous pods – launched in cooperation with Next Future Transportation – are designed to travel short and medium distances in dedicated lanes.  Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa, has resigned after days of defying orders from the ruling African National Congress to leave office and on the eve of a no-confidence vote in parliament.  K.P. Sharma Oli Appointed as Nepal's New PM  Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn suddenly resigned in what he described as a bid to smooth reforms, following years of violent unrest that threatened the ruling party's hold on Africa's second most populous nation.  East China's Qingdao will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in June,2018.  Singapore to Impose Carbon Tax From 2019  US Marines in Thailand for the Cobra Gold training exercise took part in one of the wildest parts of the drills - drinking cobra blood. This was the 37th edition of the exercise.  India will host the first International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit on 11th March 2018. It will be attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and United Nations Secretary- General Antonio Guterres.

Business and economy

 Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) and Joint Stock Company United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), Russia have signed an MoU to collaborate and engage in Design, Development and Execution of contemporary, State-of-Art vessels for Inland and Coastal Waterways.  Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) received Rs173.06 crore as contribution of the central government in the preferential allotment of equity shares of the bank during the 2017-18 fiscal.  The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Mr Arun Jaitley launched CriSidEx, India’s first sentiment index for micro and small enterprises ( MSEs) developed jointly by CRISIL & SIDBI.  Cab-hailing startup Ola and the Government of Assam have signed an MoU to pilot an app-based river taxi service in Guwahati.  6th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement Released by RBI

 The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 6.0%.  The Reverse Repo Rate (RRR) under the LAF remains at 5.75%, and the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 6.25%.  The Reserve Bank of India announced setting up ombudsman for addressing customer grievances in the non-banking finance companies.  The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a fine of around Rs. 136 crores on search engine major Google for unfair business practices in the Indian market for online search.  IndusInd Bank launched its new Sonic Identity, which is essentially a musical logo called 'MOGO', as part of its branding initiatives.  Country's first ever chat-based job search mobile app 'Empzilla' has been launchedwhich will simplify the communication process between jobs seekers and recruiters. The app will do away with existing limitations of employers and job seekers making selection process quick and cost effective.  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it will link the base rate for loans with the marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) from 1 April to improve monetary policy transmission.  ONGC Videsh Ltd and its partners have acquired a 10 per cent in a large offshore oilfield in Abu Dhabi for $600 million, the first time any Indian company has set foot in oil-rich Emirates.OVL, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and a unit of Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL), paid a signing amount of $600 million for a 10 per cent stake in Abu Dhabi National Oil Co's (ADNOC) 40-year Lower Zakum Concession, Offshore Abu Dhabi..  Radio Umang: India's first online radio station launched  State-owned Bank of Baroda said it has decided to exit by March-end its South Africa operations after 21 years amid a probe into alleged compliance lapses by the bank there.  RBI relaxes priority sector lending rule for banks. Reserve Bank of India has made banks' need division standards indulgent by saying that all credits to Micro small and medium enterprises (MSME) will from this time forward qualify as need segment loaning.  Power equipment maker BHEL has bagged an order worth Rs 560 crore for supply and installation of the flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) system from NTPC for 2x490 MW National Capital Power Station (NCPS) at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.  Private sector lender, Yes Bank announced the listing of the Bank's debut US $600 million bond issue under its maiden US $1 billion medium-term note (MTN) bond on country's first international exchange BSE's IndiaINX at the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at GIFT City  The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) today announced area development plans worth Rs 1,918 crore for Punjab to supplement farmers' income.

 Going ahead on its strategy of deploying its own point-of-sales (PoS) payment terminals, PhonePe has now joined hands with Indian oil.  PNB Housing Finance Ltd has tied up with International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, to raise $800 million for green and affordable housing in India  Amazon has rolled out its own food retailing business in India with a pilot in Pune, becoming the first foreign ecommerce firm to stock and sell food items directly to consumers  Fitch placed Punjab National Bank on 'Rating Watch Negative' (RWN), reflecting a possibility of downgrade following the USD 1.77 billion fraud.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the two-day ‘UP Investors Summit’ in Lucknow.  Google launched a new product called Google Pay on Tuesday. It's Google's version of Apple Pay and will soon include an answer to Apple Pay Cash.  The Telangana Government signed an MOU with Taoyuan City of Taiwan for better technology partnership in the state.  Uttar Pradesh's Khadi and Village Industries Board has signed a pact with Amazon India to facilitate online selling of Khadi products.  Retirement fund body Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has reduced the interest rate on deposits to 8.55% for 2017-18 from 8.65% for 2016-17 following a general decline in interest rates.  Capital First announced that the regulator National Housing Bank (NHB) has approved the merger of the company along with Capital Home Finance and Capital First Securities Limited with IDFC Bank.  RBI Sets Up Committee Under YH Malegam to Monitor Bad Loans  On a rapid expansion mode mobile fintech major Paytm has launched two more firms with an aim to enter the insurance sector in the country. Vijay Shekhar Sharma-led firm has started Paytm Life Insurance Corporation Limited as well as Paytm General Insurance Corporation Limited.  Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank Ltd (ABIPBL) started operations, making it the fifth payments bank to roll out operations.  The Reserve Bank of India has launched Ombudsman Scheme for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) for redressal of complaints against them.  Tamil Nadu Govt, Microsoft tie-up to accelerate cloud technology adoption.  The Reserve Bank today raised the exposure limit under exchange traded currency derivatives (ETCD) trading for residents and foreign portfolio investors(FPIs) to USD 100 million across all currency pairs involving the Indian rupee  Catholic Syrian Bank Ties Up with Celebrus Capital for Online Trading Services

Sports

 The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on appointed its joint secretary Vikram Singh Sisodia as the Chef-de-Mission for the upcoming Commonwealth Games to be held in Gold Coast, Australia.  The five-time World Champion MC Mary Kom claimed the gold medal in the India OpenInternational Boxing tournament at Thyagraj Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.  India beat Australia by 8 wickets to lift U-19 cricket world cup.  India’s leading squash player, Saurav Ghosal jumped five places to No. 14 to become the highest ranked Indian in the latest Professional Squash Association (PSA) rankings.  In women's singles Defending champion P V Sindhu was defeated by American Beiwen Zhang to finish runner-up at the India Open Super 500 tournament.  Indian women's cricket team pacer Jhulan Goswami has become the first woman in the world to take 200 wickets in ODI cricket.  Sports powerhouse Haryana topped the overall medal tally after claiming 38 gold medals in the inaugural edition of the Khelo India School Games that concluded in New Delhi. Haryana won 102 medals, with 26 silver and 38 bronze. Maharashtra (110) finished second overall while Delhi (94) came third.  The 23rd Olympic Winter Games officially kicked off with a colourful ceremony at Pyeongchang in South Korea.  Ninety-two countries are participating in the event. There will be 102 medals up for grabs in Pyeongchang, covering seven sports and 15 disciplines. The ceremony was directed by Song Seung-whan, a South Korean actor.  Sharmila Nicollet has become the first Indian golfer to qualify for the China Ladies PGA Tour.  Pune-based swimmer, Rohan More became the first Asian as well as the first Indian to swim across the Ocean Seven.  Karnataka's Kishan Gangolli on Sunday won the National 'A' Chess Championship for Blind for the fifth consecutive time, while Ashvin Makwana of Gujarat and Odisha's Soundarya Kumar Pradhan finished second and third respectively.  Tamil Nadu's create history by winning their first senior women's national football championship.  Australia's most-capped female player and vice-captain Alex Blackwell was hailed as a "tremendous leader" in the women's game after announcing her retirement.  Roger Federer celebrated his return to the top of theworld rankings by winning the Rotterdam Open on Sunday, his 97th career title  The proliferation of T20 franchise leagues has spread further to North America with Cricket Canada's announcement on Thursday that they have signed a 25-year licensing agreement

to start their own three-week competition. Dubbed the Global T20 Canada, the tournament is tentatively scheduled to get underway in July 2018 after it was sanctioned by the ICC.  Reigning Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap overcame Malaysia's June Wei Cheam in straight games in the men's singles final to clinch the Austrian Open International Challenge  Aruna Budda Reddy created history becoming the first Indian gymnast to clinch an individual medal at the Gymnastics World Cup in Melbourne.  MC Mary Kom And Seema Poonia Bag Silver Medals In Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament  PyeongChang Winter Olympics 2018, officially known as the XXIII Olympic Winter Games were held in Pyeongchang, South Korea from February 9th to February 25th. The motto of Winter Olympics 2018 was “Passion.Connected”. Soohorang, a white tiger, and Bandabi, an Asiatic black bear were the official mascots for this event.  India have come up with best ever performance at the 69th Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament in Bulgaria. At Sofia, the country ended with a whopping 11 medals – five from men and six from women boxers.

Awards and honours

 Shabnam Asthana was awarded the 'Times Power Women of the Year 2017'- Pune for Global PR.  Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) committee has decided to bestow V. Shantaram lifetime achievement Award to veteran film producer and director Shyam Benegal.  Indian cricketers Jasprit Bumrah and Harmanpreet Kaur as well India women’s hockey team goalkeeper Savita Punia and shooter Heena Sidhu are among Forbes India 30 Under 30 list.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the 'Grand Collar of the State of Palestine' by President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, recognising his key contribution to promote relations between India and Palestine.  Vikas Sathaye, a Pune-born person has been honoured with the Scientific and Engineering Academy Award at the Oscars Scientific and Technical Awards2018  India's Umang App was named winner of the Best M-Government Service award in the Accessible Government category while Aadhar won the best emerging technology award at the recently concluded World Government Summit 2018 in Dubai  Milkbasket, India's first and largest micro-delivery platform has been recognised as 'Startup of the Year' 2017 at the 7th Small Business Awards held in New Delhi.

 Business consultancy firm EY has named Bajaj Finserv’s Sanjiv Bajaj as the entrepreneur for 2017.  Tennis legend Roger Federer became the most decorated winner in the history of Laureus World Sports Awards after he won twin honours at the 18th edition of the awards ceremony in Monaco.

Science and technology

 The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the world’s smallest rocket with the ability to put a tiny satellite into orbit. The rocket lifted off from the Uchinoura Space Center.  Google and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) signed a pact to integrate a course on 'Digital Citizenship and Safety' in information and communication technology curriculum.  The US-based SpaceX has successfully launched the world's most powerful operational rocket Falcon Heavy towards Mars.  Defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), claimed to have successfully completed the first flight of Hawk-i with indigenous Real Time Operating System (RTOS) developed by it.  In a first in the country, the Maharashtra government will be setting up an institute for artificial intelligence (AI) in Mumbai.  The prestigious World Congress on Information Technology 2018 has began in Hyderabad.  India successfully test-fired Agni II medium-range nuclear-capable missile from APJ Abdul Kalam island off the Odisha coast  The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch Chandrayan-2 Mission, the country's second mission to moon, around April this year.  India has successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable surface-to-surface 'Dhanush' ballistic missile with a strike range of 350 km from a naval ship off Odisha coast.  Chinese technology giant Huawei and telecom services provider Bharti Airtel announced to have successfully conducted 5G network trial under a test set-up in India.  DRDO Successfully Carries Out Test flight of Rustom-2 Drone

Appointments

 Lt. Gen Anil Chauhan took charge as the new Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Indian Army.  Senior-most Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Neelam Kapur was appointed Director- General of Sports Authority of India (SAI).  Alphabet has appointed John L. Hennessy as the new board chairman of the company. Hennessy has been on the board since 2004 and Lead Independent Director since 2007.  Mahmud Hossain Appointed New Chief Justice of Bangladesh  Jerome H Powell was sworn in as the 16th Chairman of the Federal Reserve for a four-year term.  Rear Admiral Mukul Asthana Takes Over as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air).  PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi has been appointed as the International Cricket Council's (ICC) first-ever independent female director.  Hardayal Prasad Appointed SBI Card MD & CEO  National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) appointed Biswamohan Mahapatra as non- executive chairman for two years  Chandrashekhara Kambara Elected New President of Sahitya Akademi.  Cyril Ramaphosa Sworn In As New President Of South Africa  Haruhiko Kuroda Reappointed As Bank Of Japan Chief  Archaeologist and historian Arvind P. Jamkhedkar will be the next Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).  Television journalist Rahul Mahajan has been appointed as editor-in-chief of the television channel Rajya Sabha TV.  Michael McCormack has been elected new Deputy Prime Minister of Australia

Entertainment

 Delhi hosts India's first radio festival to mark world Radio day.  India to host 8th Edition of Theatre Olympics 'The Biggest Theatre Celebration of the World'  Crime drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri won maximum prizes at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards 2018.

S. No. Category Winners 1. Best Film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 2. Outstanding British Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Film 3. Best Director Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape of Water Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, 4. Best Actress Missouri 5. Best Actor Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

 Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the 8th edition of the Theatre Olympics at Lal Quila in New Delhi.  The 44th edition of Khajuraho Dance Festival 2018 was held at Khajuraho temple, a UNESCO world heritage site in Madhya Pradesh.

Books and authors

 Magahi writer Shesh Anand Madhukar, who has been working extensively for the development of the language, was honoured with this year's Sahitya Akademi Bhasha Samman award.  The book penned down by PM Narendra Modi named 'Exam Warriors' was launched to reach out to the students across the country ahead of their exams. The book was released by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.  Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani released 'India 2018' (English Version) and 'Bharat 2018' (Hindi Version). The books are published by the Publications Division. The book available in both print and online versions.

Obituaries

 Kathakali maestro Madavoor Vasudevan Nair collapsed on stage and died while performing at Agasthyacodu Mahadeva Temple, Kerala.  Eminent literateur Chandrasekhar Rath passed away at the age of 89. He died of old age ailments  Acclaimed Icelandic musician and Oscar-nominated composer Johann Johannsson has passed away aged 48.  Noted violinist M.S. Anantharaman, an exponent of Parur style of violin playing had passed away.  Veteran Bollywood actress and Padma Shri awardee Sridevi, who had an illustrious career spanning over four decades, passed away. She was 54.

 Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal, the senior seer of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt situated in Tamil Nadu, passed away.  Eminent Odia writer Kanakalata Mohanty passed away

Important Dates

4th February World Cancer Day

6th February International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation

7th February Safer Internet Day

10th February National De-worming Day

12th February National Productivity Day

13th February World Radio Day

14th February Valentine Day

20th February World Day of Social Justice

21st February International Mother Language Day

24th February Central Excise Day

28th February National Science Day