Important Current Affairs 21st February 2018

Important Current Affairs 21st February 2018

Current Affairs 21st February 2018: NATIONAL NEWS

‘Uttar Pradesh Investor Conference'
 
●    The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today delivered the inaugural address at the Uttar Pradesh Investors’ Summit – 2018.
●    He said that when change happens, it becomes apparent for all to see. 
●    He added that the organization of such a big investors’ summit in Uttar Pradesh, with the participation of so many investors, is itself indicative of change. 
●    He congratulated the State for establishing itself on the path of development and prosperity in such a short time frame.

Six new features for the National Agricultural Markets 
 
●        The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh today launched its six new features today to make the use of the National Agricultural Market platform more easy.
●        On this occasion, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Kisan Kalyan, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was also present.
●        The scheme is one of the flagship and important flagship schemes of the Government of India.
 
 
The foundation stone of the integrated office premises of DGCA, BCAS, AERA, AAIB and AAI at Safdarjung Airport
 
●        The Union Civil Aviation Minister, Shri P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju has taken over the responsibility of Civil Aviation Directorate (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Indian Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA), Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have laid the foundation stone of the integrated office premises at Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi.
●        This unified office complex, constructed at an approximate cost of about 303 crores, will fulfill the long pending demand of the offices of aviation regulatory authorities at one place and near the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
●        This proposed integrated office complex, built in an area of 70,940 sq.m., will be three-storey and it employs 1500 workers.
 

Government establishes 'Policy Forum for the Northeast'

●        The Central Government has issued an order to establish 'Policy Forum for the North-East'.
●        Forum co-chaired by the Deputy Chairman of the Policy Commission and Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (Independent Charge). The forum's secretariat will be in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
●        Forum will identify bottlenecks in development work and recommend necessary steps for faster and sustainable development in the North-East.
●        He will also take note of the development situation in the North-Eastern region.
 

First regional agricultural center inaugurated in Mizoram on 7th March, with Israeli cooperation

●        A Delegation led by Israel's ambassador to India, Mr. Daniel Carman, met the Minister of State for North Eastern Region, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Minister of State, Personnel and Pension, Atomic Energy and Minister of State for Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh. 
●    During the meeting, various issues of mutual interest including start-up, food processing, innovation and technology were discussed.
●        Israel's Ambassador told that the first Regional Agriculture Center in the North-East with the help of Israel will be inaugurated on March 7 in Mizoram.
●        Established at a cost of Rs. 08-10 crore, this center will be specially for the processing of citrus fruits.
 

J P Nadda addressed Global Digital Health Partnership Seminar in Australia

●        Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Shri J. P. Nadda today addressed the Global Digital Health Partnership Seminar in Sydney, Australia.
●        The National Health Policy of India (2017) expressly expresses the aspirations of the people of India's health care as three distinct goals.
 
NDMA organizes workshop on Preparedness, Mitigation and Management of heat wave

●    In its continuous efforts towards reducing the adverse impact of the imminent heat wave across different parts of the country, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh is conducting a two-day national workshop on Preparedness, Mitigation and Management of Heat Wave in Vijaywada today.
●    The workshop is aimed at sensitising States to the need of preparing and implementing their Heat Wave Action Plans in line with NDMA’s ‘Guidelines for Preparation of Action Plan – Prevention and Management of Heat-Wave’, first prepared in 2016, updated in 2017 and shared with all heat wave-prone States and stakeholders for implementation.

 
India accounts for 25.4 deaths per 1,000 infant babies
 
●        A recent report titled 'Every Child Alive' was released by the United Nations Children's Fund.
●        According to this report, Japan is the safest country for newborns, while Pakistan is the most dangerous country.
●        In this report, Japan, Iceland and Singapore have been described as the safest country for birth, where only one case of death per thousand children occurs in the first 28 days of birth.

Kamal Haasan created 'Makkal Needhi Maiam'
 
●        Famous actor of South Indian films Kamal Haasan has announced the name of his political party.
●        Arvind Kejriwal CM of Delhi, was present at the launch program of 'Makkal Needhi Maiam', which was launched on Wednesday.
●        Describing former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam as his ideal, Kamal termed his party as a "party of people".

Current Affairs 21st February 2018: DEFENSE

Saras successfully completed the second test flight
 
●    India’s indigenous light transport aircraft SARAS has been successfully test flown for a second time today. 
●    The flight commanded by Wing Commander U.P. Singh, Group Captain R.V. Panicker and Group Captain K.P. Bhat of Indian Air Force- Aircraft and System Testing Establishment, took off from HAL’s airport in Bengaluru for a text book flight.
●    This was the second of the 20 test flights planned for SARAS PT1N, before freezing the production version.

Avani Chaturvedi flew fighter plane 
 
●        Flight officer of Indian Air Force Avani Chaturvedi has created history by flying the MiG-21 fighter plane alone.
●        On the morning of 19 February, Avani took off from Jamnagar air base of Gujarat and successfully completed his mission.
●        She became the first woman in India to fly fighter aircrafts alone.

Current Affairs 21st February 2018: SPORTS

Blind Cricket World Cup winning Indian team felicitated

●       Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot honored 17 members of the winning Indian team in the visually impaired Cricket World Cup.
●        He also presented a cash prize of Rs 34 lakhs to the winning team at a function here today.
●        Cash prize was given under Ministry's awareness generation and promotional scheme.

Current Affairs 21st February 2018: ECONOMY

20% increase in budget allocation for policy commission

●        The role of the policy commission has been strengthened by the finance minister as the carrier of change in the country from the budget presented for the new India.
●        The allocation for the Ministry of Planning, which is a part of the policy commission, has been increased from Rs. 279.79 crores of 2017-18 to Rs. 339.65 crores for 2018-19.

Current Affairs 21st February 2018: GLOBAL NEWS

Plan of America, Japan, Australia and India equivalent to China's OBOR
 
●        To challenge China's OBOR Project, Australia, America, Japan and India have jointly formed a joint project.
●        These four countries are jointly preparing for joint regional infrastructure scheme.
●        According to the Australian Financial Review, India has made this preparation to reduce the growing dominance of Beijing.
●        Under this important plan, high level infrastructure will be developed from Asia to Africa. For this, America, Japan, Australia and India will work together with their partner countries to improve trade routes from land and sea.

Misconception in Japanese exchange, people bought bitcoins for free
 
●        Due to the fault in Japan's cryptocurrency exchange, many investors managed to buy cryptocurrency bitcoin free, however no one could earn profits from this purchase.
●        Investors were able to purchase bitcoin for free for 20 minutes because of the mess in the system of registered Jeff in Japan.
●    Only 7 people have managed to buy bitcoin in this way.
●        The incident happened on February 16.

Current Affairs 21st February 2018: SCIENCE

Successful surgery done on a women at the age of 104

●        The story of a woman in Thane district of Maharashtra has become a precedent for the people of the state and the patients suffering from serious ailments.
●        Due to Vithabai strong will and strong intentions of Thane, her successful hip replacement surgery took place at 104 years of age.
●        Dr Milind Patil, of the hospital of Vithabai surgery said, "The maximum age of registered surgery for hip replacement in the Guinness Book of World Records is 102 years.