Defence Minister launches new Light Combat Helicopter Production Hangar

NATIONAL NEWS

Bundelkhand Expressway was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi

• PM Narendra Modi has laid the foundation for the Bundelkhand Expressway at Chitrakoot in Chhattisgarh on 29^th February.
• This is an addition in the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor by the government of India.
• The 269km long expressway links the districts of Chitrakoot, Hamidpur, Banda and Jalaun.
• Fact: Union Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh

CAPS – MC IAF Jointly organised seminar at Air Force Station Tughlakabad, New Delhi

• A joint seminar was organised by Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) and Maintenance Command, Indian Air Force (MC-IAF) on 25^th February.
• The theme of this seminar – “Challenges of the evolving threats facing India”
• The seminar was inaugurated by Air Marshal Shashiker Choudhray.

Defence Minister launches new Light Combat Helicopter Production Hangar

• A new production hangar of the 5.5 tonne Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Defence Mr. Rajnath Singh at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) at Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• LCH is well known for being the first attach helicopter to land in forward bases at Siachen with a load of 500 kg and 4700 m above mean sea level.

INCOIS launched 3 new products for marine based users

• The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), headquartered at Hyderabad has launched 3 new products for the betterment of the marine users on a wide range.
• The new products were inaugurated by Dr. M. Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences.  

The three products are: -

• Small Vessel Advisory and Forecast Services System (SVAS) – To enhance the operations on the small marine vessels particularly used in fishing.
• Swell Surge Forecast System (SSFS) – To alert the coastal population about the swell waves originates from the distant southern Indian ocean.
• Algal Bloom Information Service (ABIS) – For providing timely information on harmful algal bloom.
• Fact: Union Minister of Earth Sciences – Dr. Harsh Vardhan

6^th CG Offshore Patrol Vessel “VAJRA” was launched at Chennai

• The 6^th Coast Guard Offshore patrol vessel – VAJRA was launched at Chennai by Minister of State for Shipping and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Mr. Mansukh Mandaviya.
• It will enhance the efforts for the safeguard of over 7500 km vast coastline, an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of over 20 lakh sq. kms and more than one lakh merchant ships transiting in Indian Waters for Global Trade.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Sri Lanka withdraws from UN war investigation pact.

• Foreign minister Dinesh Gunawardena told the UNHRC session in Geneva that the country formally withdraws from co-sponsoring the resolution on addressing of war crimes and accountability issues.
• Fact: Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa.
•           President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The Bangladesh High Court Bans two books.

• The High Court of Bangladesh has banned the books Dia Arefin and Nanir Bani for hurting religious sentiment and breaching individual freedom.
• The two books were published by Srishtighar Prokashana in Bangladesh.

11 REMC centres to be flagged off from today.

• The Union Power Minister Mr. RK Singh inaugurated eleven “Renewable Energy Management Centres” for the enhancement in the industry of Renewable Energy.
• These REMC’s were built at a cost of ₹409 crores, and is supervised under the Public Sector Major Power Grid Corporation of India.

APPOINTMENTS

Subhrakant Panda was Appointed as the Chairman of FICCI.

• Subhrakant Panda has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Manufacturing Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
• He was the Managing Director of Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd.

Puneet Sharma was appointed as the CFO of Axis Bank.

• Axis Bank has approved the appointment of Puneet Sharma as its Chief Financial Officer(CFO).
• Previously he was the senior management functionary and the CFO of Tata Capital.