February 20: The reservation system in India came to the fore again with people from Jat community protesting to include their community in the OBC category.JATS constitute for 25% of the total population of Haryana & are agitating for the state government to bring an ordinance for giving reservation to Jats.Would be state government budge or not will be known in the coming days.For now, here is the latest current affairs for February 20, 2016
National News:
Shripad Naik, Minister for AYUSH said that Government of India will soon establish a National Board for Promotion of Yoga & Naturopathy.
In Jammu & Kashmir, encounter between militants and security forces is underway in Pulwama district; Two CRPF personnel killed and nine injured.
PM Narendra Modi and his Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli inaugurated a power transmission line connecting Nepal’s Dhalkebar & Muzaffarpur in Bihar. The line will allow nepal to import upto 80 Mega Watts of electricity from India at 3.45 per unit.
Delhi Court grants exemption to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi from personal appearance in National Herald case.
International News:
The Malaysian Government has decided to freeze hiring foreign workers, including those from Bangladesh.They have appealed all employers to hire domestic workers.
The Government of USA announced the names of the recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists & Engineers. It features 6 Indian-Americans among a group of 106 members who will be honoured by the President of United States of America (USA) Barack Obama with a prestigious award.
Vietnam lodges formal complaint to the UN over China’s deployment of missiles over a disputed South China Sea island.
New Appointments:
Amit Mitra, West Bengal Finance Minister has been appointed as the new chairman of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Kalikho Pul became the new Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. He was the Finance Minister of the state from 2003 – 2007.
Actress Kajol was appointed as a part-time member of the Prasar Bharati Board.She will serve in the board till November 2021.
Paytm has appointed Shinjini Kumar as its payments bank CEO.She is currently serving as Director at Pricewater House Coopers (Pwc), was also a former Executive of Reserve Bank of India .
Obituary:
Harper Lee, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ passed away at the age of 89 in US.
Awards & Honours:
The Best Service Hospital award was presented to The Command Hospital (Eastern Command), Kolkata.The trophy & citation were handed over to the hospital’s commandant Major General TS Ahluwalia by the Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar
Sports News:
New Zealand Captain Brendon McCullum scored the fastest century in Test History in 54 balls against Australia in Christchurch. He broke the record jointly held by Vivian Richards and Misbah Ul Haq for fastest hundered in 56 balls.
Brendon McCullum also overtook Adam Gilchrist for the record of Most Sixes in Test Matches.He had struck 106 sixers.
South Africa defeated England by 3 wickets in first T20 International with Man of the Match as Imran Tahir (South Africa)
Indonesia has won the Badminton Asia Team Championships semifinal against India in Hyderabad.
Banking & Economy:
Indian economy would continue to grow at 7.4 per cent in the next financial year, says the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has disallowed NBFC’s (Non-Banking Financial Companies) to sell National Pension Schemes.
Aditya Birla Nuvo announced a joint venure with Idea Cellular to form a Payments bank that would provide internet banking and collect deposits upto 1 lakh per person.
