Daily Current Affairs February 17 & 18

Dear Champions, as you all know that a lot of competitive exams have been notified consequently. Candidates have to prepare themselves according to the level of competition and expectation of the Recruitment board. Regarding that one of the most important topic is Daily Current Affairs February 17 & 18. Current Affairs in the form of contemporary events of national & international play a crucial role in almost every competitive exams like Banking, Insurance, SSC, UPSC, TNPSC, Railway etc.

Current affairs are the most dynamic yet scoring among all sections and need to be prepared from the right source. Here, we cafunsta team, providing  Daily GK Updates, Current Affairs Questions, and Monthly  current affairs pdf.

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February 17 & 18| Daily Current Affairs 2024

Important Days – Daily Current Affairs February 17 & 18

1. When was World Human Spirit Day established?
A) January 1, 2000
B) February 17, 2003
C) March 15, 2005
D) April 22, 2008
E) May 5, 2010
Answer: B) February 17, 2003

• Michael Levy, a musician, author of the book called What is the Point? and motivational speaker, founded World Human Spirit Day on February 17, 2003 to celebrate the human spirit and promote positivity, resilience and empowerment.
• The foundation of the book is from the Kabbalah school of religious thought that has its roots in Jewish mysticism and offers a perspective on mind, body and soul that allows the reader to contemplate the simplest answers to the meaning of life on topics such as health, wealth, happiness etc.
• The objective of World Human Spirit Day is to remind us of the enduring power of the human spirit to overcome adversity, find hope in difficult times and inspire a positive change in the world.

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Banking and Finance – Daily Current Affairs February 17 & 18

2. Which bank has launched a self-subscribing journey for enrolment under PMJJBY and PMSBY schemes?
A) HDFC Bank
B) ICICI Bank
C) State Bank of India (SBI)
D) Axis Bank
E) Punjab National Bank
Answer: C) State Bank of India (SBI)

• State Bank of India (SBI) has launched a self-subscribing journey for enrolment under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) schemes for its customers.
• The functionality enables customers to enrol under the schemes as per their convenience without visiting the branch or Customer Service Point.
• The customer needs to key in the account number, date of birth on Jan Suraksha portal and to select the Bank.
• The Certificate of Insurance is generated instantly on payment of premium.

Keyperson:

• Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman, SBI

Note:

• PMJJBY is a one-year cover term life insurance scheme, renewable from year to year, offering life insurance cover for death due to any cause.
• PMSBY is an accident insurance scheme offering accidental death and disability cover for death or disability on account of an accident.

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3. Who unveiled the impact assessment report of the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS)?
A) Ministry of Finance
B) Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
C) CRISIL
D) Government of India
E) Startup India Initiative
Answer: B) Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

• The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has unveiled the report of the impact assessment of the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), a key component of the startups.
• The third-party assessment of the scheme was undertaken by CRISIL, India’s premier analytics company and pioneer of AIF benchmarking in the country.
• CRISIL’s impact assessment report viz. Prabhaav, was unveiled by SIDBI.
• The report reveals heartening all-round outcomes of this initiative of the Government of India on aspects encompassing multiplied flow of capital, innovative solutions, inclusiveness and diversity in coverage of startups, deepening of startup funding ecosystem in the hinterlands of the country, strengthening of governance as well as wealth creation.
• The scheme has also channelised investments in startups in emerging sectors such as deep tech, agri and agri solutions, health tech, financial services, and sustainability.

Keyperson:

• S. Ramann, Chairman & Managing Director, SIDBI
• S P Singh, CGM Venture Finance
• Dr Vivek Joshi, Secretary, Dept. of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance
• Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, DPIIT
• Sanjiv, IRS, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry

Note:

• Funds of Fund for Start Ups (FFS) under the Startup India Action Plan, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016, is one of the flagship programmes of DPIIT, Government of India.
• The scheme is being managed by SIDBI on behalf of, and under the overall guidance and direction of DPIIT.
• Apart from FFS, it also manages ASPIRE Fund of Funds of Ministry of MSME with focus on Agro and Rural enterprises, and state focussed Fund of Funds for Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.

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4. What approval has the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) granted to Policybazaar Insurance Brokers Private Limited?
A) Approval to sell life insurance products
B) Approval to sell general insurance products
C) In-principle approval for upgradation of license from direct insurance broker (Life and General) to composite insurance broker
D) Approval to sell health insurance products
E) Approval to sell only reinsurance products
Answer: C) In-principle approval for upgradation of license from direct insurance broker (Life and General) to composite insurance broker

• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has granted In-principle approval to Policybazaar Insurance Brokers Private Limited (Policybazaar), a wholly owned subsidiary of the company for upgradation of license from direct insurance broker (Life and General) to composite insurance broker.
• This approval is expected to pave the way for Policybazaar to sell reinsurance products besides being a pure play platform focused on insurance buying.

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5. What is the primary aim of PayU’s partnership with NPCI?
A) To enable merchants to accept only cash payments
B) To enable merchants to accept only cryptocurrency payments
C) To enable merchants to accept digital payments via credit lines
D) To enable merchants to accept only offline payments
E) To enable merchants to accept only cheque payments
Answer: C) To enable merchants to accept digital payments via credit lines

• PayU, a payments service provider, has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to enable PayU merchants to accept digital payments via credit lines.
• PayU intends to provide merchants with important insights into consumers’ credit kinds, such as pay-later or personal loans, allowing them to adjust growth strategies and improve customer experiences.
• The credit line on UPI, like the Buy Now Pay Later services, is a pre-approved credit line or loan from the bank.
• Customers can use this credit line if they do not have enough funds in their linked accounts or wallets.

PayU:

• PayU is a Netherlands-based payment service provider to online merchants.
• The company was founded in 2002, and is headquartered in Hoofddorp.
• It allows online businesses to accept and process payments through payment methods that can be integrated with web and mobile applications.
• CEO: Anirban Mukherjee

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Appointments – Daily Current Affairs February 17 & 18

6. Who was elected as the new president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)?
A) Julia Sebutinde
B) Nawaf Salam
C) Kofi Annan
D) António Guterres
E) Ban Ki-moon
Answer: B) Nawaf Salam

• Lebanese Judge Nawaf Salam was elected as the new president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a three-year term.
• Ugandan Judge Julia Sebutinde, who voted against all measures sought by South Africa in its genocide case against Israel, was elected as vice president for the same term.
• ICJ, the UN’s top court, comprises 15 judges elected to nine-year terms by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.

International Court of Justice:

• The International Court of Justice also called the World Court, is the only international court that adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on international legal issues.
• It is one of the six organs of the United Nations (UN), and is located in The Hague, Netherlands.
• The ICJ consists of a panel of 15 judges elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council for nine-year terms.
• No more than one judge of each nationality may be represented on court at the same time, and judges collectively must reflect the principal civilizations and legal systems of the world.
• Its official working languages are English and French.
• President: Nawaf Salam

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Science and Technology – Daily Current Affairs February 17 & 18

7. From where was the INSAT-3DS satellite launched?
A) Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS)
B) Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota
C) Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)
D) Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST)
E) None of the above
Answer: B) Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched meteorological satellite INSAT-3DS with the GSLV-F14/INSAT-3DS mission from SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota.
• This will help in enhancing the weather forecast.
• This was ISRO’s second success in the current calendar after the launch of XPoSAT from Sriharikota on January 1 in PSLV’s 60th flight.
• This was the seventh operational flight of a GSLV with an indigenous cryogenic state.
• The 51.7 m tall rocket with a lift-off mass of 420 tonnes, with indigenous cryogenic stages, placed the INSAD-3DS satellite weighing 2,274 kg into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.
• The whole mission lasted 1123.06 seconds at an altitude of 253.53 km.
• INSAT-3DS will augment the capability of observation of various atmospheric parameters like information related to weather.
• The current mission is fully funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, says a release from ISRO.
• In its 16th mission, the GSLV deployed the INSAT-3DS meteorological satellite into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
• The mission’s primary objectives are to monitor Earth’s surface, carry out oceanic observations and its environment in various spectral channels of meteorological importance, provide the vertical profile of various meteorological parameters of the atmosphere to provide the data collection and data dissemination capabilities from the Data Collection Platforms and to provide satellite aided search and rescue services.

About INSAT 3DS:

• INSAT-3DS Satellite is a follow-on mission of Third Generation Meteorological Satellite from geostationary orbit.
• It is designed for enhanced meteorological observations and monitoring of land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting and disaster warning.
• The satellite will augment the Meteorological services along with the presently operational INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR satellites.

About GSLV F14:

• GSLV is a three-stage 51.7 m long launch vehicle with a liftoff mass of 420 tonnes.
• The first stage (GS1) comprises a solid propellant (S139) motor having a 139-tonne propellant and four earth-storable propellant stages (L40) strapons, each carrying 40 tonnes of liquid propellant.
• The second stage (GS2) was also an earth-storable propellant stage loaded with 40-ton propellant.
• The third stage (GS3) was a cryogenic stage with a 15-ton propellant loading of liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2).
• GSLV can be used to launch a variety of spacecraft capable of performing communications, navigation, earth resource surveys, and any other proprietary mission

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International Affairs – Daily Current Affairs February 17 & 18

8. What type of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) did India and Colombia sign?
A) Economic cooperation
B) Cultural exchange
C) Digital transformation
D) Military alliance
E) Environmental conservation
Answer: C) Digital transformation

• India and Colombia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of sharing successful digital solutions implemented at population scale for digital transformation.
• The agreement was signed between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Information Technologies and Communications of Colombia.
• Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar exchanged the MoU with Mauricio Lizcano, Minister of Information Technologies and Communications of Colombia.

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9. Where will the International maritime event MILAN 2024 be hosted?
A) Chennai
B) Visakhapatnam
C) Mumbai
D) Kolkata
E) Kochi
Answer: B) Visakhapatnam

• Visakhapatnam is set to host the International maritime event — MILAN 2024.
• Delegations from nearly 50 countries will take part in the 12th edition of the MILAN exercise from February 19 to 27.
• Fifteen ships and one Maritime Patrol Aircraft from friendly foreign countries are going to participate in the sea exercise.
• From the Indian Navy, nearly 20 ships, including aircraft carriers Vikrant and Vikramaditya, and nearly 50 aircraft, including MiG 29K and P8I, will participate in the event.
• The Harbour Phase of the exercise will be held from February 19 to 23.
• This includes the International City Parade, International Maritime Seminar, MILAN Tech Expo, MILAN Village, Subject Matter Expert Exchange and Table Top Exercise.
• During the Sea phase (February 24 to 27), participating navies will conduct advanced Air Defence, Anti Submarine and Anti Surface Warfare drills on the Bay of Bengal.
• Gunnery shoots on aerial and surface targets, manoeuvres and underway replenishment would also be conducted.

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National Affairs – Daily Current Affairs February 17 & 18

10. What is the main objective of the INSPIRES program launched by the Sikkim government?
A) To promote tourism
B) To improve healthcare services
C) To enhance economic inclusion opportunities for women and youth
D) To strengthen infrastructure
E) None of the above
Answer: C) To enhance economic inclusion opportunities for women and youth

• Sikkim INSPIRES (Integrated Service Provision and Innovation for Revising Economics) under the aegis of the Planning and Development Department was launched at Chintan Bhavan.
• The programme was graced by the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Singh Tamang as the chief guest.
• Through INSPIRES, the State Government is adopting an evidence-based module to provide better economic inclusion opportunities for women and youth.
• The programme will create various training and employment opportunities as per the aspirations of the youth.

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11. Which institutions have collaborated to launch the MTech program in Dredging Engineering?
A) IIT Delhi, Indian Maritime University, and Shipping Corporation of India
B) IIT Bombay, Indian Maritime University, and Dredging Corporation of India
C) IIT Madras, Indian Maritime University, and Dredging Corporation of India
D) IIT Kharagpur, Indian Maritime University, and Shipping Corporation of India
E) IIT Kanpur, Indian Maritime University, and Dredging Corporation of India
Answer: C) IIT Madras, Indian Maritime University, and Dredging Corporation of India

• IIT Madras, the Indian Maritime University, and the Dredging Corporation of India have joined hands to launch an MTech program in Dredging Engineering.
• This is a collaborative exercise.
• The students who are registering for this program will be regular students.
• They will spend time at IIT Madras and IMU learning the relevant subjects.
• They will also be going to the DCI to take on-board training and on-board learning on dredging-related activities.
• The agreement for the development of this program was signed by all the stakeholders at IIT Madras, IMU and DCI today in Delhi.
• Ten students will be taken in the first batch.
• There will be BTech / BE in Civil, mechanical, and marine engineering.
• The graduates coming out of this program will be qualified to take dredging-related jobs overseas as well.

Note:

• In India, every year there is a need for dredging 120 million cubic metres.
• At any given point of time, there are around 20 dredging projects running across the country.

Dredging Corporation of India:

• Dredging Corporation of India Limited, or DCI, is an Indian dredging company which does dredging for Indian seaports exclusively.
• It occasionally dredges at foreign seaports in countries such as Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Dubai.
• It is mainly involved in maintenance dredging. Almost all the maintenance dredging in Indian seaports is carried out by DCI due to government regulations.
• DCI is also involved in capital dredging, beach nourishment, and land reclamation.
• The main seaports in which DCI does business are Visakhapatnam Port, Haldia, Kandla, Cochin Port and Ennore Port
• HQ: Visakhapatnam
• MD and CEO: Capt S Divakar

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12. Where is the imposing 125 feet statue of Bir Lachit Borphukan likely to be unveiled?
A) Guwahati
B) Jorhat
C) Sivasagar
D) Dibrugarh
E) Tezpur
Answer: B) Jorhat

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to unveil the imposing 125 feet statue of Bir Lachit Borphukan at Lahdoigarh, Holongapar in Jorhat in the first week of March this year.
• Prime Minister Modi during his proposed visit to Jorhat will also lay the foundation of Sivasagar Medical College and Hospital and ceremoniously initiate the Griha Pravesh ceremony for 5.5 lakh homes constructed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana scheme for the state of Assam.

About Bir Lachit Borphukan:

• Lachit Borphukan (24 November 1622 – 25 April 1672) was an Ahom Borphukan, primarily known for commanding the Ahom Army and the victory in the Battle of Saraighat (1671) that thwarted an invasion by the vastly superior Mughal Forces under the command of Ramsingh I.
• He died about a year later in April 1672.

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13. Who launched the special scheme for informal micro enterprises (IMEs) to access collateral-free loans?
A) Prime Minister Narendra Modi
B) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
C) MSME Minister Narayan Rane
D) RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das
E) Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal
Answer: C) MSME Minister Narayan Rane

• MSME Minister Narayan Rane launched a special scheme for informal micro enterprises (IMEs), which are exempted from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, to access collateral-free loans up to Rs 20 lakh under the government’s Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).
• The scheme ‘Special Provision for Informal Micro Enterprises under Credit Guarantee Scheme’ enables micro or nano enterprises with credit support from lenders and aims “at moderating the credit risk perception.

Note:

• According to the circular pertaining to the scheme issued by CGTMSE to all its member lending institutions (MLIs) on February 14, up to 85 per cent guarantee cover will be provided to lenders for unsecured loans up to Rs 20 lakh to IMEs registered on the Udyam portal.
• CGTMSE, which offers guarantees to lenders for collateral-free loans to micro and small enterprises (MSEs), had recently surpassed Rs 1.50 lakh crore worth of guaranteed amount in the current financial year in comparison to Rs 1.04 lakh crore in FY23, increasing sharply by 50 per cent.
• In 2023 budget, Rs 9,000 crore fund infusion in the CGTMSE corpus to enable additional collateral-free credit of Rs 2 lakh crore to MSMEs and to reduce the cost of credit by 1 per cent.

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Over All Review

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