Today's Current Affairs 28th February 2024

INTERNATIONAL

New Zealand to Repeal Anti-Tobacco Law

• New Zealand, under Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's coalition government, is repealing the law banning tobacco sales to future generations, originally enacted during Jacinda Arden's tenure. 

NATO Launches Steadfast Defender 2024 Military Exercise

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) launched its largest military exercise in Europe in decades, Steadfast Defender 2024, in late January 2024.
• This large-scale operation, conducted against the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

About NATO:

Secretary-General: Jens Stoltenberg;

Founded: 4 April 1949, Washington, D.C., United States;

Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium. 

NATIONAL

Uttarakhand to Become Third State Enacting Law Holding Rioters Liable For Damages

• The Uttarakhand government will introduce a bill to hold rioters responsible for damage to both government and private property. In the upcoming budget session, they intend to present the Uttarakhand Public and Private Property Damage Recovery Bill.
• Uttarakhand is poised to become the third state, after Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, to enact such a law. 

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates ISRO’s Second Spaceport in Tamil Nadu

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) second spaceport in Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu.
• Government Launches ‘Mera Pehla Vote Desh Ke Liye’ Campaign in Higher Educational Institutions
• The government has announced the initiation of the ‘Mera Pehla Vote Desh Ke Liye’ campaign in higher educational institutions nationwide starting from February 27, 2024. 

Government Forms Expert Committee, chaired by Finance Secretary T V Somanathan, for Uniform KYC Norms

• The Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) regarding the need for uniform Know Your Customer (KYC) norms, the government has taken action by establishing an expert committee. Headed by Finance Secretary T V Somanathan. 

SPORTS

Namibia’s Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton Smashes Fastest T20I Hundred

• Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, the dynamic Namibian batter, etched his name in cricketing history by scoring the fastest T20 International (T20I) century in a blistering innings against Nepal in 33 Deliveries.

About ICC:

Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates;

Founded: 15 June 1909;

CEO: Geoff Allardice;

Chairman: Greg Barclay. 

APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

World Gold Council appoints De Beers’ Sachin Jain as chief executive officer

• The World Gold Council (WGC), representing global gold miners, has named Sachin Jain as its new CEO for India, effective from March.

About World Gold Council:

CEO: David Tait;

President: Kelvin Dushnisky;

Founded: 1987;

Headquarters: London, United Kingdom. 

Justice A M Khanwilkar Appointed Lokpal Chairperson

• Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar has been appointed as the chairperson of the Lokpal, the anti-corruption ombudsman of India. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Science Day 2024:28^th February

• National Science Day is celebrated annually on 28th February in India to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’ by Indian physicist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman.
• The theme for National Science Day 2024 is ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’, emphasizing the importance of promoting scientific, technological, and innovation skills.
• National Science Day traces its origins to the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’ by Sir C.V. Raman on 28th February 1928.
• This groundbreaking discovery marked a significant contribution to the field of physics, earning Sir C.V. Raman the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.