Current Affairs (CONSOLIDATION) FEBRUARY 2020 (PART – I) Drishti, 641, First Floor, Dr. Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009 Phone: 87501 87501, WhatsApp: 92058 85200, IVR: 8010-440-440 Email: [email protected] Contents Polity and Governance ........................................................................... 1 z SC Upholds Changesto SC/ST Atrocities Law ............................................................................................................1 z Reservations in Promotion is Not a Fundamental Right: SC ......................................................................................2 z Reservation Issue in Andhra Pradesh ..........................................................................................................................2 z SC Panel Recommendations on Prison Reforms ........................................................................................................3 z Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka ....................................................................................................................................5 z SC Order on Criminalisation of Politics .......................................................................................................................5 z Motion of Thanks ..........................................................................................................................................................6 z Facial Recognition for Elections ...................................................................................................................................7 z Fundamental Rights and OCI Cardholders ..................................................................................................................7 z Lack of Anganwadis in Urban Areas ............................................................................................................................8 z Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana Awards.........................................................................................................9 z National Means Cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme .......................................................................................................9 z Foreign Ambassadors in Srinagar .............................................................................................................................10 z Soil Health Card Scheme ............................................................................................................................................10 z Pesticides Management Bill, 2020 .............................................................................................................................11 z Santusht Portal ...........................................................................................................................................................11 z Sophisticated Analytical & Technical Help Institutes ...............................................................................................12 z Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) ........................................................................................................12 z Judgement on Netherland’s Digital Identification Scheme ......................................................................................13 Economic Scenario ...............................................................................14 z Economic Survey 2019-20: Highlights ......................................................................................................................14 z Economic Survey 2019-20: Key Figures ....................................................................................................................15 z Economic Survey 2019-20: Banking Sector, Credit and Capital Market ..................................................................16 z Economic Survey 2019-20: Social Infrastructure, Employment and Human Development ...................................16 z Union Budget 2020-21: Highlights ............................................................................................................................17 z Union Budget 2020-21: Economy ..............................................................................................................................17 z Union Budget 2020-21: Social Sector and Infrastructure ........................................................................................18 z Union Budget 2020-21: Financial Sector and Governance ......................................................................................19 z Anti-Dumping Duty on PTA Abolished ......................................................................................................................20 z Repo Rate Unchanged ................................................................................................................................................21 z India International Seafood Show ..............................................................................................................................22 z International Intellectual Property Index: US Chamber of Commerce .....................................................................22 z National Organic Food Festival ..................................................................................................................................23 z Direct Tax Vivad Se Vishwas Bill, 2020 ......................................................................................................................23 International Relations .........................................................................25 z Blue Dot Network ........................................................................................................................................................25 z Anguilla: British Territory in Caribbean ......................................................................................................................25 z Agartala - Akhaura Rail Link .......................................................................................................................................26 z Brexit ............................................................................................................................................................................26 z USTR takes India off Developing Country List ..........................................................................................................27 z BIMSTEC Conference on ‘Combating Drug Trafficking' ............................................................................................28 z BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise – 2020 ....................................................................................................29 z Lucknow Declaration ..................................................................................................................................................29 z India – Sri Lanka .........................................................................................................................................................30 Science and Technology .......................................................................32 z Classical Swine Fever Vaccine ...................................................................................................................................32 z Medical Equipment Notified as ‘Drugs’ .....................................................................................................................32 z Genome India Project Approved ................................................................................................................................33 z Vikram Sarabhai Centenary Programme ...................................................................................................................34 z Medical Data Leaks .....................................................................................................................................................34 z Gaganyaan ..................................................................................................................................................................35 z Increasing Imports of Li-ion Batteries .......................................................................................................................36 z US Nod to Integrated Air Defence Weapon System ..................................................................................................37 z Solar Orbiter’s Mission ...............................................................................................................................................37 z The SuperCam on Mars 2020 Rover ..........................................................................................................................38 z Longest Spaceflight by a Woman: Christina Koch ....................................................................................................38 Environment and Ecology .....................................................................40 z Coral Restoration Through Biorock ...........................................................................................................................40 z Forest Fire Prevention and Management ..................................................................................................................41 z Crude Oil Spillage in Burhi Dihing River 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