Current Affairs Updates - 23rd February 2018

Current Affairs Updates - 23rd February 2018

We, the AchieversRule team have brought to you the important Current Affairs Updates for 23rd February 2018. We have a new set of latest news from National Affairs, Appointments, Banking and Agreements. Each set has a detailed bullet point along with important Static points. Aspirants can also go through the Daily Current Affairs Quiz for better performance.

First in India 

Gandhi Nagar becomes country’s first all-women railway station on the main line

• Be it station master Angella Stella or ticket collector Vandana Sharma; everyone at the Gandhi Nagar station had smile on their faces.

New Appointments: National

IAF officer Avani Chaturvedi becomes first Indian woman to fly fighter aircraft solo 

• Scripting history, flying officer Avani Chaturvedi has become the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft 

Committees in News

Government to set up “NITI Forum” for Northeast to formulate roadmap for sustainable growth

• The forum will be co-chaired by the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog and Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER). 

Banking, Economic & Financial Affairs

EPFO Cuts Interest Rate on Employees Provident Fund to 8.55% for 2017-18.

• Gangwar, who also heads EPFO’s apex decision making body Central Board of Trustees (CBT), said he expects the finance ministry to give concurrence to the 8.55% rate of interest decided today at the CBT meeting.

Rankings & Indexes

India has been ranked 81st in the global corruption perception index for 2017, released by Transparency International, which named the country among the "worst offenders" in terms of graft and press freedom in the Asia Pacific region.

• The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, placed India at the 81st place. In the 2016 India was in the 79th place among 176 countries.

National Affairs

Kerala government makes vaccination compulsory for admissions to Class 1

• State Health Minister KK Shailaja said the administration would take strict action against those who spread misinformation about immunisation.

International Affairs

Venezuela become first sovereign country to officially launch its own cryptocurrency called Petro backed by oil, gas, gold and diamond reserves to circumvent US-led financial sanctions.

• The Petro aims to help Venezuela to advance in issues of monetary sovereignty, to make financial transactions and overcome financial blockade.

Science & Technology

Google launched a new product called Google Pay

• It's Google's version of Apple Pay and will soon include an answer to Apple Pay Cash.

Defence & Railway News

India successfully conducted a night trial of its indigenously developed surface-to-surface nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile with a strike range of 350 km, from a test range in Odisha. 

• The surface-to-surface missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near here around 8.30 pm 

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today approved capital acquisition proposals of the defence services, valued at Rs 15,935 crore. 

• These included the procurement of Light Machine Guns for the three services through the Fast Track Procedure at an estimated cost of over Rs 1819 crore. 

Application / Portal 

The agriculture ministry has added six new features in the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform to make it more user friendly. 

• This includes MIS dashboard for better analysis, BHIM payment facility by traders, mobile payment facility by traders, enhanced features on mobile app such as gate entry and payment through mobile, integration of farmer’s database and eLearning module in e-NAM website 

Agreements/ MoUs Signed

The Telangana Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taoyuan City of Taiwan for better technology partnership in the state.

• The World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2018, concluded earlier today with Telangana, India handing over the baton to Armenia for the 2019 edition.

Uttar Pradesh's Khadi and Village Industries Board today signed a pact with Amazon India to facilitate online selling of Khadi products.

• As part of an MoU, Amazon India will educate, train and enable rural khadi artisans to directly sell their products to Amazon.in customers across the country under the brand of UP Khadi'

Merger & Acquisitions

Capital First and regulator National Housing Bank (NHB) has approved the merger of the company along with Capital Home Finance and Capital First Securities Limited with IDFC Bank. 

• The amalgamation is subject to the receipt of approval from the Reserve Bank of India and other statutory and regulatory approvals, it added. 

Summit /Conference / Events

A three –day India International Textiles Expo (IITExpo) of India began in Sri Lankan capital of Colombo on Wednesday.

• It is being organized by Powerloom Development & Export Promotion Council (PDEXCIL) with the support of Union Ministry of Textiles & Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

India is going to host first International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit in March 2018 in New Delhi.

• It will be hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by leaders from over 50 member countries.
• Two new programmes — on scaling solar e-mobility and storage, and on rooftop solar will be inaugurated during the summit.