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World
Cancer Day observed on 4th February, 2015
Days
> World
Cancer Day > Feb 5
The world observed World
Cancer Day (WCD) on 4th February 2015 with a view to tackle the
deadly disease with unity in order to reduce its affect globally. The
tagline for the WCD 2015 read “Not beyond us”, signifying that
there are possible solutions to the threat of cancer. It intends to
focus on areas such as prevention, early detection, treatment and
care so that an individual refrains from developing cancer by
observing these key areas. Around 8.2 million people die from cancer
worldwide every year, out of which, 4 million people die prematurely
(aged 30 to 69 years). The toll is believed to rise up to 9 million
in 2016. World Cancer Day initiative was taken up by the Union for
International Cancer Control (UICC) with an aim to create awareness
and educate people to take preventive measures against cancer.
Marathi
novelist Bhalchandra Nemade to receive 2014 Jnanpith award
Awards
> Jnanpith
Award > Feb 7
The Jnanpith Selection Board
has picked renowned Marathi litterateur Bhalchandra Nemade, who was
applauded for his 1963 novel Kosala(Cocoon), for the 2014 Jnanpith
award. The decision was made by a 10-member committee chaired by
noted scholar, writer, and critic Prof. Namwar Singh in New Delhi.
Nemade is known for his contributions to the literary form of novels.
His work Kosala had changed the dimensions of Marathi novel five
decades ago. His book Hindu leaps through space and time and exhibits
his creative abilities in new form.
2
Indians win at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards
Awards
> Grammy
Awards > Feb 9
The Staples Centre in Los
Angeles, California hosted the 57th Grammy Awards this year on the
8th of February. A total of 83 awards were given out during the
ceremony. Among the prominent awards, the best album award was won by
Beck Hansen for his album 'Morning Phase', best record of the year
and the best song of the year awards were clinched by Sam Smith for
his album 'Stay with me'. Sam Smith also won the award for the best
new artist'. Two Indians have won the awards this year, Neela Vaswani
won the award in the best Chidren's album category for her album 'I
Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education And Changed The World
(Malala Yousafzai) along with Ricky Kej who won the Best New Age
Album Trophy for his album 'Winds of Samsara'.
AAP
sweeps Delhi assembly elections
India
> Delhi
Elections > Feb 10
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
has won the Delhi assembly elections with a clear majority by leading
in 67 of the total 70 seats, a phenomenal win considering that it was
completely able to wipe out the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) riding
high on PM Narendra Modi’s charisma. It was a nightmarish result
for the BJP which managed to win just three seats, the first such
instance since Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the Prime
Minister. In another shocker, the Congress party failed to win even a
single seat.
Others
Karnataka
girl Saloni Dalal becomes youngest medal winner at the National Games
2015
India
> Sports > Feb 4
A 12-year old school girl
from Karnataka became the youngest girl to win a medal at the ongoing
National Games at Kerala. The girl, Saloni Dalal won a bronze medal
in the 200 metre swimming event. Besides the bronze medal, Saloni
also won silver in the 400 metre relay event.
First
'World Ocean Science Congress' to be held at Kochi
India
> Ocean
Science > Feb 6
Around 1,000 eminent
oceanographers, environmentalists, naval exponents and maritime
industrialists from India and across the world are set to assemble
for the first ever World Ocean Science Congress (WOSC), which is to
be held in Kochi on Thursday, 12th of February. The event is
organised with an aim to tap the potential of ocean resources to
their full utilisation without damaging oceans or their marine life.
SBI
to team up with RIL to apply for payment bank licence
India
> SBI
- RIL > Feb 7
The State Bank of India
(SBI) has decided to enter into a joint venture with Reliance
Industries Limited (RIL) to apply for a payments bank licence. This
move comes in the light of Reliance's bid to launch 4G and its mobile
technology platform, which according to bank officials will prove
beneficial to both parties.
The objectives of setting up
payment banks is to further financial inclusion by providing small
savings accounts and payments/remittance services to migrant labour
workforce, low income households, small businesses, and other
non-organised sector entities and other users.
SBI,
PNB among nine PSBs to get capital infusion of Rs 6,990 crore from
government
Bank
Specific >
Capital Infusion > Feb 7
In a bid to enhance capital
and meet the global risk norms, the government is set to infuse Rs
6,990 crore in nine public sector banks including SBI, Bank of Baroda
(BoB), Syndicate Bank, Allahabad Bank and Punjab National Bank (PNB).
The allocation of capital has been done as per the efficiency and
performance of each bank. Parameters like return on assets (ROA) and
return on equity (ROE) were used to do so. SBI, being the largest
public sector lender, leads the pack with a capitalisation of Rs
2,970 crore. The public sector banks are preparing to meet the norms
of global Basel III norms on capital adequacy by 2018, for which they
will need to gather Rs 2.4 lakh crore. Every year, the government
infuses capital in banks and also fetches additional resources, in
order to raise the capital of these banks to fulfill the obligation
of the norms.
Japan
to open world's first robot-staffed hotel
World
> Robots > Feb 8
A hotel staffed with
human-like robots will be opened at Japan with robots greeting and
serving the customers for the first time. The hotel called Henn-na
Hotel,meaning Strange Hotel, will have its customers treated with
robotic hospitality like greeting, carrying luggage to rooms, making
cups of coffee –and even smile. This modern hotel is set to open in
Huis Ten Bosch, a theme park in typical Dutch style in terms of its
architecture in Nagasaki Prefecture. Japan is looking forward to open
1000 more similar hotels fitted with technologies that will reduce
the overall operating costs in future. Technologies like facial
recognition system for unlocking the doors, radiation panels to
regulate temperatures of the rooms and other energy-saving features
will replace the conventional systems in hotels.
Lok
Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan named in Limca Book of Records
India
> Sumitra
Mahajan > Feb 9
Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra
Mahajan has been named in the Limca Book of Records for being the
first Indian woman to represent the same constituency on the same
party ticket for eight times in a row. The BJP leader was first voted
in the year 1989 after which she was re-elected in 1991, 1996, 1998,
1999, 2004, 2008 and 2014.
New
report reveals prominent Indian names amongst 1,195 names of Swiss
account holders; balance at Rs 25,420 crore
India
> Corruption > Feb 9
A joint investigation
carried out by The Indian Express, Washington-based International
Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and the Paris-based Le
Monde newspaper, has revealed a new list of 1,195 Indian Swiss bank
account holders. This controversial list, retrieved from a trove of
secret documents from HSBC’s Swiss private banking arm, includes
prominent Indian names from various backgrounds. Mukesh Ambani, Anil
Ambani, Anand Chand Burman, former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan
Rane — his wife Neelam Narayan Rane and son Nilesh Rane, Bal
Thackeray’s daughter-in-law Smita Thackeray, Swraj Paul and many
others are listed as account holders of the HSBC Swiss bank. Their
total account balance amounts up to Rs 25,420 crore for the year
2006-07. The new revelation— published as part of a global
agreement — is expected to significantly widen the scale and scope
of the ongoing probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT)
appointed by the Supreme Court of India.
Chief
Ministers to form 3 sub-groups under PM's NITI Aayog
Government
and Politics >
NITI Aayog > Feb 9
In an initiative towards
rationalisation of 66 centrally funded schemes, PM Narendra Modi is
set to form 3 sub-groups of chief ministers under NITI Aayog. The
three groups will be responsible for management of the
centrally-funded schemes and help decide whether they ought to be
continued or cut down, provision of skilled manpower and development
of institutional mechanisms and technical inputs to boost the Clean
India campaign. Besides the sub-groups, two task forces will be
assigned to each state for poverty alleviation and development of
agrarian sector. A financial aid of Rs 3.38 lakh crore was allocated
to the states by the government to focus on 66 schemes in 2014-15.
The sub-groups have been asked by the PM to submit their reports by
the end of 30-45 days.
The NITI - National
Institute for Transforming India - Aayog headed by PM Narendra Modi
had replaced the 65-year-old Planning Commission.
Winners
of 68th British Academy Film Awards announced
Awards
> BAFTA > Feb 9
On 8th February 2015, the
68th British Academy Films Awards (BAFTA) were announced to honour
the deserving British and International artists for their exceptional
performances in the year 2014. The BAFTA awards was held at the Royal
Opera House in London. The notable winners of the prestigious awards
were Julianne Moore who won the best actress award, Eddie Redmayne
who won the best actor award, Richard Linklater who won the best
director and the film Boyhood which won the best film award.
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