GK and Current Affairs Updates

Socialist leader Nihal Ahmed Maulavi Mohammed Usman died on 29 February 2016 in Nashik. He was 90.
•    Nihal Ahmed was also known as Nihalbhai
•    He was the first mayor of the Malegaon Municipal Corporation.
•    He was the state president of Janata Dal (Secular). 
•    He was also a former Minister of technical and higher education of Maharastra.
•    He was elected as legislator in the state Assembly for nearly three decades.
•    Nihal Ahmed contested in State assembly elections for 10 times from 1960 to 1995 and was elected all the times.
•    In 1999, he contested for Loksabha and lost.
He was associated with veteran socialist leaders like SM Joshi, NG Gore, former prime ministers VP Singh, Deve Gowda, veterans like MadhuDandavate, BapusahebKaldate and George Fernandes.

On 29 February 2016 union govt. constituted a committee to consider Scheduled Tribe status to six Communities of Assam. 
•    The committee is headed by Mahesh Kumar Singla, Special Secretary (Internal Security) Ministry of Home Affairs.
•    The committee will recommend the modalities for granting of Scheduled Tribe status to six Communities.
•    These six communities are Koch Rajbongshi, Moran, Matak, Tai Ahom, Chutia and Adivasi (Tea Tribes) in Assam.
•    The Committee will submit its report by 31 May 2016.
•    The committee will consult with the Government of Assam and suggest the modalities for shifting the existing reservation for these communities from OBC to ST.
 

 
On 29 February 2016 Senior IPS officer Alok Kumar Verma took charge as the Delhi Police Commissioner. 
•    He will be at this post till July 2017.
•    He succeeded B.S. Bassi, who retired on 29th Feb 2016.
•    Previously he was Director General (Prisons) of Tihar jail.
•    He is an IPS officer of the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre,1979-batch 
•    He served Delhi Police as Deputy Commissioner of Police, South District.
•    He also served Delhi Police as Joint Commissioner of the Crime Branch, 
•    He was also the Joint Commissioner of Police, New Delhi Range, as well as Special CP (Intelligence) and Special CP, Vigilance.
•    He has also served as the Inspector General of Police in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Director General of Police (DGP) of Puducherry.
   

The finance minister announced nine pillars of the budget Agriculture and farmers' welfare, rural sector, social sector including healthcare, education, skills and job creation, infrastructure, financial sector reforms, ease of doing business, fiscal discipline, tax reforms.
•    Agricultural policy will be reorganised to double farmer income in five years. For gas connections, new scheme to be launched for BPL families.
•    A long term irrigation fund will be created in NABARD with 20000 crore rupees. 35984 crore rupees allocated for the farm sector
•    300 rurban clusters to be set up under Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission. 38500 crore rupees allocated to MNREGA.
•    87765 crores rupees for rural development. 100 % village electrification to be achieved by 1 May 2018
•    5500 crore rupees allocated for crop insurance scheme. Health insurance of up to 1 lakh rupees per family, top up of Rs 35,000 for people above 60 years.
•    500 crore rupees allocated for Start Up India scheme.62 new Navodaya Vidyalayas to be opened in next two years.160 airports and airstrips to be revived at a cost of 50-100 crore rupees each
•    Fiscal deficit at 3.5% of GDP in 2016-17. 1% service charge on purchase of luxury cars over 10 lakh rupees and in-cash purchase of goods and services over 2 lakh rupees.
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National Science Day was celebrated across India on 28 February 2016. Theme for this day was Scientific Issues for Development of the Nation.
•    This day is celebrated annually to remember the discovery of the Raman Effect by Indian Physicist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman on 28 February 1928.
•    He was awarded with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 
•    This was the first Nobel Prize for India in the field of Science.
•    The first National Science Day was celebrated on 28 February 1987.
•    Raman Effect is a phenomenon in which light changes its wavelength when a light beam is deflected by molecules. 
•    This was discovered by CV Raman while working in a laboratory of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of science, Kolkata.
•    World Science Day for Peace and Development is annually celebrated worldwide on 10 November. 
•    The day was established by UNESCO in 2001.
 

 
On 28 February 2016Stanislas Wawrinka won his ninth straight final to clinch the Dubai ATP Tennis title. 
•    In the final played in Dubai, Wawrinka defeated Marcos Baghdatis in straight sets with a 6-4, 7-6(13).
•    This was the third time that Wawrinka has played in Dubai. 
•    The French Open champion claimed the 13th title of his career and second of the season after Chennai, improving to 13-2 in 2016. 
•    This was his second title of the year. 
•    In 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007,2012, 2014 and 2015 Roger Federer won this title
•    In 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 Novak Djokovic won this title.
  

On 17 February and 18 February 2016 in Rome, Dinesh Sharma, got elected as the Chairperson of the Governing Council of IFAD.
•    He will serve for a period of two years.
•    Currently he is serving as Additional Finance Secretary and India’s Governor to the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD)
•    The International Fund for Agriculture Development was set-up in 1977 as the 13th Specialised Agency of the United Nations.
•    It works towards removing poverty and hunger in rural areas all over the world.
•    India is a founder member of IFAD.
•    It is managed by the two main governing bodies: the Governing Council and the Executive Board. 
•    The President of the IFAD is Kanayo F. Nwanze from Nigeria, who was elected for a second four-year term in 2013.
  

88^th Oscar Awards, were given on 29 February 2016. The award ceremony was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

The list of winners of 88th Academy Awards
•    Best Picture: Spotlight
•    Best Director:  Alejandro González Iñárritu for The Revenant
•    Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant
•    Best Actress: Brie Larson for Room
•    Best Supporting Actor:  Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies
•    Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl
•    Best Foreign Language Film:  Son of Saul
•    Best Live Action Short Film:  Stutterer
•    Best Documentary Short Subject:  A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness
•    Original Screenplay:  Spotlight
•    Achievement in Sound Mixing: 
Mad Max: Fury Road
•    Achievement in Sound Editing: 
Mad Max: Fury Road
•    Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling:
Mad Max: Fury Road 
•    Achievement in Costume Design:  
Mad Max: Fury Road
•    Achievement in Visual Effects:  Ex Machina
•    Best Animated Short Film:  Bear Story
•    Best Animated Feature Film: Inside Out
 

On 26 February 2016, Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci got elected as president of Kosovo.
•    He will replace Atifete Jahjaga as head of state after getting simple majority in voting held in Pristina.
•    Hashim Thaciwas a guerrilla leader during a conflict that led to Kosovo.
•    He also served as prime minister that gave more autonomy to minority Serbs of Kosovo.
•    Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008.
•    It got recognised by the US and many EU countries.
•    This self-declared independence was not recognized by Serbia and many other countries around the world.
•    Kosovo and Serbia reached did an agreement to normalise their relations in April 2013.
•    Nato peacekeepers have been there in Kosovo since 1999
 

Tamil Comedian actor Kumarimuthu died on 28 February 2016 in Chennai. 
•    He was 77.
•    He was in politics as the celebrity faces of Karunanidhi.
•    He headed Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Party.
•    He made his acting debut in Ival Oru Seethai in 1978.
•    He acted in more than 500 films in Kollywood and did a variety of roles.
•    His Last Movie was Villu in 2009.
•    Villu had Vijay and Nayantara as star cast.
•    Few of his popular films are Oomai Vizhigal, Idhu Namma Aalu, Pudhu Vasantham, Idhayam, Sahadevan Mahadevan and Aanazhagan.
•    He has been known for is remarkable funny faces that he used to make in his films.
•    He has been politically not much active but was very much known face among its followers.