Union Minister for Agriculture inaugurates the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela-2020.

NATIONAL NEWS

Union Minister for Agriculture inaugurates the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela-2020.

• The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar has launched the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela-2020 at the Mela Ground of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.
• An Agriculture Science Fair, Krishi Vigyan Mela was initiated in the year 1972 an annual event of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI, Pusa).
• The event focusses on the theme of agricultural research and technology transfer.

MoU signed between ICAR and PBRI to promote Organic farming.

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) signed an MoU with Patanjali Bio Research Institute (PBRI), Haridwar with a view of promoting Organic Farming acroos the country.
• The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Director General of ICAR, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra and the CEO of PBRI, Acharya Balkrishna.
• On signing the pact ICAR and PBRI mutually works on research programme and sustainable agriculture development.
• Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare: Narendra Singh Tomar.

Indian Railways launches its First "Restaurant on Wheels” at Asansol Station.

• Indian Railways launched its first ‘Restaurant on Wheels’ in the area of Asansol Station, in the district of Bardhaman, west Bengal.
• Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Babul Supriyo has inaugurated the India’s first ever this kind of restaurant on 26th February, 2020.
• In addition to the restaurant he also launched the two new air-conditioned Retiring Rooms and Electronic Reservation Chart Display System through MPLAD fund and a Battery operated Car at Asansol station.
• Union Minister for Railways: Piyush Goyal.

SPMCIL contributed ₹1 crore towards National Sports Development Fund

• Security Printing & Minting Corporation of India (SPMCIL) under its Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) initiative, contributed an amount of ₹1 Crore towards National Sports Development Fund under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
• It is to fund the top athletes of our country.
• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Youth Affairs & Sports: Kiren Rijiju.
• CMD of SPMCIL: Ms Tripti Patra Ghosh.

National Workshop on Explosive Detection (NWED-2020) was held at Pune.

• National Workshop on Explosive Detection (NWED-2020) was inaugurated by DRDO chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy and was organised by HEMRL Pune, a premier laboratory of DRDO.
• A new explosive detection device with the capability of detecting the explosives at a safe distance was unveiled at the NWED-2020, which was named as RaIDer-X.
• RaIDer-X was jointly developed by High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) Pune and Indian Institute of Science(IISc), Bangalore.

MoU signed between IAF and Savitribai Phule Pune University.

• The Indian Air Force(IAF) and the Savitribai Phule Pune University both signed MoU on an academic alliance in launching a 'Chair of Excellence' at Department of Defence & Strategic Studies.
• As a tribute to the Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh and honouring his centenary birth year the programme was named as "Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Chair of Excellence".

Forest Man of India honoured with Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award.

• Forest Man of India Padma shri Jadav Payeng an environmental activist from Jorhat in Assam was conferred with Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award.
• The award was instituted by My Home India for his continuous effort in creating a real man-made forest through massive reforestation.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

US - Taliban signs the peace deal.

• The historic event of the signing of peace deal between India and Taliban took place on 1^st march 2020 in Doha, Qatar.
• By this deal they both end the war started since the tragic 9/11 happening in America and the withdrawal of thousands of US soldiers from Afghanistan.

Ekushey book fair concluded in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

• The month long Ekushey Book Fair got concluded in Dhaka, Bangladesh which was inaugurated by Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina on February 2^nd.
• State minister for cultural affairs KM Khalid presided over the closing ceremony.
• Syed Waliullah Literature Award-2018 was awarded to the writers Salma Bani and Sagufta Sharmin Tania.
• Chittaranjan Saha Memorial Award was conferred to Kotha Prakash publications for publishing the highest number of books.

Muhyiddin Yassin affirmed as Malaysia's new Prime Minister.

• Muhyiddin Yassin was newly appointed as the Prime Minister of Malaysia by taking oath at the swearing-in ceremony held at the national palace in Kuala Lumpur.

ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

GST collection crosses ₹1 lakh crore.

The Goods & Services Tax(GST) collection of the Government had crossed ₹105000 crores in February this year which is eight percent more than the GST collected in the same month of last year.

Central Goods and Service Tax (CGST) is over ₹20 thousand crores.

State Goods and Service Tax (SGST) is over ₹27 thousand crores.

Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST) is over ₹48 thousand crores.

SPORTS NEWS

First Khelo India University Games concludes in Bhubaneswar.

• The first Khelo India University Games was concluded in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.
• Panjab University, won the overall champion with 46 medals and Savitribai Phule Pune University won 37 medals won the second position and Punjabi University, Patiala won 33 medals gained the third position.

Athletics coach Joginder Singh Saini passes away.

• Veteran athletics coach, Joginder Singh Saini passed away in Patiala.
• He was 90, and was remained as the chief national athletics coach for many years from the 1970s to 90s.
• He became the chief coach of the then Amateur Athletics Federation of India in 1970.
• For the contribution of him to the Indian athletics, he was given the Dronacharya Award in 1997.

Former India hockey player Balbir Singh Kullar passed away.

• Former India hockey player and the Olympic bronze medallist Balbir Singh Kullar died after suffering a heart attack in Punjab.
• He was also a part of the Indian team that won gold in the Asian Games, 1966 at Bangkok and the Olympic Bronze in 1968 in Mexico.