Union Home Minister Amit Shah lays foundation stone of ‘Delhi Cycle Walk’

NATIONAL NEWS

Union Home Minister Amit Shah lays foundation stone of ‘Delhi Cycle Walk’

• Union Home Minister and BJP National President Amit Shah stressed on the need for promoting cycling, which is a pollution-free mode of transport.
• Addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of Delhi Cycle Walk in New Delhi, Amit Shah riding a bicycle is a great way to contribute to the preservation of our eco system.

Piyush Goyal inaugurates NSE Knowledge Hub

• Union Minister for Commerce and Industries Piyush Goyal has said that Artificial Intelligence and machine learning will contribute one trillion dollars by the year 2035.
• Artificial intelligence-powered learning ecosystem will assist the banking, financial services and insurance sector.
• The Minister inaugurated the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Knowledge Hub in New Delhi.
• This is a good beginning by NSE to tap the potential of artificial intelligence and use it as a tool to create a workforce in the financial sector.

2nd round of Intensified Mission Indradhanush- 2 begins

• The second phase of Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 rolled out at block level in 35 districts of Uttar Pradesh. The aim of the program launched by central government in 2017 is to achieve 90 percent vaccination coverage in children of less than 2 years in state.
• under the program the immunization activity will be in four rounds over seven working days excluding the Regular immunisation days, Sundays and holidays.
•  First round was completed in December last year while present round started yesterday. Next rounds will be in February and March months and will cover 425 blocks of 73 districts of state.

STATE NEWS

J&K registers highest Inpatient Department care in country

• Jammu and Kashmir has registered the highest Inpatient Department, IPD care in the country. According to the state-wise fact sheets released by National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC), New Delhi, overall all women in J&K are availing Antenatal Care (ANC) services.
• As per the report, the 96 percent IPD care in rural areas of J&K is provided by Public Health Facilities which is highest against the country’s average of 85 percent.
• In 2016, Jammu and Kashmir had surpassed Kerala as the state with the highest life expectancy in India for all ages, barring life expectancy at birth.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Donald Trump officially launches US Space Force

• United States President Donald Trump has signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, authorising the establishment of Space Force which would become the sixth branch of the armed forces.
• Space Force would become the youngest US military branch, and the first new service since the establishment of the US Air Force back in 1947.

ECONOMIC NEWS

India's GDP growth rate for 2019-20 estimated at 5%, says NSO

• The Indian economy is estimated to grow at 5 per cent in 2019-20 as against 6.8 per cent in the previous fiscal.
• According to the first advanced estimates of the national income released by National Statistical Office (NSO), the decline has been mainly on account of deceleration in manufacturing sector growth, which is expected to come down to 2 per cent in 2019-20 from 6.2 per cent in the year-ago fiscal.
• The deceleration was also witnessed in sectors like agriculture, construction and electricity, gas and water supply.
• Whereas, some sector, including mining, public administration, and defence, showed minor improvement.

RBI revises supervisory framework for Urban Co-operative Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India has revised its supervisory framework for Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs). The revised framework aims to expedite resolution of UCBs experiencing financial stress.
• The revised framework stipulates the thresholds for various parameters that could trigger a corrective action by the UCBs or a supervisory action by the central bank.

      A UCB may be placed under supervisory action framework under the following conditions

• RBI could also undertake different actions like imposition of all-inclusive directions under section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 .
• Issue of show cause notice for cancellation of banking license may also be considered by the RBI if continued normal functioning of the UCB is no longer considered to be in the interest of its depositors.

APPOINTMENT

Ex-CRPF DG Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar Appointed Advisor to J&K Lt Governor

• IPS officer Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar, who recently retired as the CRPF DG, has been appointed as an advisor to the Lt Governor of Jammu-Kashmir, an official spokesperson for the Union Territory .
• Bhatnagar is a 1983-batch officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
• He superannuated as the CRPF Director General (DG) on December 31 last year after heading the 3.25 lakh personnel force for over two and a half years.
• G C Murmu, an IAS officer, is the LG of Jammu Kashmir UT since its creation on October 31 last year.

RESIGN

Italy World Cup Winner and Roma Legend Daniele De Rossi Retires Aged 36

• Italy World Cup winner Daniele De Rossi on Tuesday announced his retirement aged 36 ending an 18-year career. De Rossi has left Argentine side Boca Juniors before which he spent his entire career at Serie A club Roma, who he played for 616 times.

OBITUARY

Padma Bhushan artist Akbar Padamsee no more

• Celebrated painter and artist Akbar Padamsee died at the Isha Yoga Center near Coimbatore.
• One of the most versatile and prolific artists of the modern age, Akbar Padamsee, a long-time     resident of Isha, passed away at 91, owing to natural causes arising out of ageing.

SPORTS

India’s Magesh Chandran lifts Hastings International chess title

• India’s P. Magesh Chandran remained unbeaten in nine rounds to win the title in the 95th edition of the prestigious Hastings International Chess Congress in Hastings, England.
• The 36-year old Grand Master (GM) with a FIDE rating of 2479, remained unbeaten and finished in clear first place with 7.5 points from nine games after securing a 33-move draw in the final round against compatriot G.A. Stany.