VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE

Current Affairs
TNPSC
(FEBRUARY - 2017)

Main Office at

Vetrii IAS Study Circle

New No : 1, 9th Street, F Block 1st Avenue,
Anna Nagar (E), Chennai – 102

Phone: 044 – 26265326 / 9600124042 / 9840097666

Branch Office at: Branch Office at: Branch Office at:

Vetrii IAS Study Circle, Vetrii IAS Study Circle, Vetrii IAS Study Circle,
15/1, Kahiresan Kovil road, 243 Cauvery Nagar,
No:189/1, Meyanoor Road,
AEO office upstairs, Opp. New Housing Unit,
Near ARRS Multiplex, Thanjavur- 05.
Kovilaptti - 628502
Opp.Venkateshwara Complex, Cell: 7871169099.
Cell: 9003790335.
Salem – 4

Phone: 0427 – 2330307 / 9442740307

www.vetriias.com
 © VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE
First Edition - 2015

Second Edition - 2016

Third Edition - 2017

Pages : 53

Size : (210 x 297) cms

Published by

VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE

F Block New No. 1, 9th Street,

1st Avenue main Road, Chinthamani,

Anna Nagar (E), Chennai – 102.

Phone: 044 – 26265326 / 9600124042 / 9840097666

www.vetriias.com

E-mail: vetriiias@gmail.com, vetriiias2011@gmail.com

© All rights reserved with the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the
publisher, will be responsible for the loss and may be punished for compensation under
copyright act.
My Dear Aspirants,

Greetings to all of you! “What we think we become” said Gautama Buddha. We all have dreams. To turn
dreams into reality it takes a lot of determination, dedication, self discipline and hard work.

We at VETRII IAS Study Circle are committed to provide the right guidance, quality coaching and help
every aspirant to achieve his or her life’s cherished goal of becoming a civil servant.

The class room coaching at VETRII IAS Study Circle is meticulously planned to equip the aspirants with
all the relevant facts and fundamentals of the subjects. Further the VETRII IAS Study Circle Study
material aim to support the candidate by providing the most relevant study material in a
comprehensive manner.

Wishing You All The Very Best !!

M. SHUNMUGAM
DIRECTOR
Vetrii IAS Study Circle.
 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IRCL February 2017

CONTENT

SL. NO TITLE PAGE NO

1. Important Days 1- 4

2. International 5-9

3. National Affairs 10 - 12

4. State Affairs 13 - 14

5. Schemes 15

6. Economy 16 - 19

7. Awards & Honours 20 - 22

8. Science & Technology 23 - 26

9. Sports 27 - 30

10. Personalities 31 - 33

11. Miscellaneous 34 - 39

12. General Knowledge 40 - 43

13. TamilNadu 44

14. Committee 45

15. Important Index 46

9600124042/ 9840097666 
 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

FEBRUARY MONTH

IMPORTANT DAYS

Feb 1 2017

Remember Day 40th Indian Coast Guard Day

Purpose To protects India‘s maritime interests and enforces maritime law, with
jurisdiction over the territorial waters of India, including its contiguous
zone and exclusive economic zone.
Organization GOI
Feb 2 2017
Remember Day World Wetland Day
Purpose To marks the date of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands, called
the Ramsar Convention, on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city
of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Theme Wetlands for disaster risk reduction
Feb 4 2017
Remember Day World Cancer Day
Purpose To raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and
treatment.
Organization WHO
Theme We can I can
Feb 6 2017
Remember Day International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation.
Purpose To raise awareness about the female genital mutilation (FGM) and to
promote its eradication
Organization UNICEF
Theme Building a solid and interactive bridge between Africa and the world to
accelerate ending FGM by 2030
Feb 10 2017
Remember Day National Deworming Day
Purpose To deworm children between the ages of (1-19) at schools and anganwadi
centres.
Organization GOI

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 1

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

Feb 11 2017
Remember Day International Day Women and Girls in Science
Purpose To highlight female achievement, equal access and participation in the
science field
Organization UN
Theme Gender, Science and Sustainable Development: The Impact of Media
Feb 12 2017
Remember Day National Productivity Day
Purpose To encourage all stakeholders to implement productivity tools &
techniques with contemporary relevant themes
Organization National Productivity Council
Theme From Waste to Profits through Reduce, Recycle, Reuse
Feb 13 2017
Remember Day World Radio Day
Purpose To remember the contribution of radio in our life.
Organization UNESCO
Theme Radio is You
Feb 20 2017
Remember Day World Day of Social Justice
Purpose To promote efforts to tackle issues such
as poverty, exclusion and unemployment
Organization UN
Theme Preventing conflict and sustaining peace through decent work
Feb 21 2017
Remember Day International Mother Language day
Purpose To promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity
and multilingualism
Organization UN, UNESCO
Theme Towards Sustainable Futures through Multilingual Education
Feb 22 2017
Remember Day World thinking day
Purpose A day when they think about their ―sisters‖ (and ―brothers‖) in all the
countries of the world, the meaning of Guiding, and its global impact.
Organization WAGGGS(World Association For Girl Guides and Girl Scouts).

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 2

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

Theme Connect Activity Pack

Feb 24 2017
Remember Day 74th Central Excise Day
Purpose To encourage the employees of excise department to carry out the central
excise duty all over the India in better way in order to prevent the
corruption
Organization GOI
Feb 27 2017
Remember Day Chandra Shekhar Azad‗s 86th death anniversary or Martyrdom Day
Organization GOI
Feb 28 2017
Remember Day National Science day
Purpose To commemorate the discovery of Raman Effect by Sir C.V.Raman in 1928
Organization GOI
Theme Science and Technology for Specially Abled Persons

WORLD WETLANDS DAY

 Every year World Wetlands Day is observed on 2nd February to marking the date of the adoption of
the Convention on Wetlands or Ramsar Convention on 2 February 1971.

 2017 Theme: Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction. This year motto is to raise awareness and to highlight the
vital role of healthy wetlands in reducing the impacts of extreme events such as floods, droughts and cyclones
on communities, and in helping to build resilience.

THE WORLD CANCER DAY 2017

 The World Cancer Day is celebrated annually on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its
prevention, detection and treatment.

 The theme of 2017 World Cancer Day is We Can, I Can. A special three year campaign has been designed from
2016-2018 to explore ways how everyone collectively or as individuals can do their part to reduce the global
burden of cancer.

 The day was started by Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support the goals of the World
Cancer Declaration, written in 2008.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 3

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

ZERO TOLERANCE

 The International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation is a United Nations (UN) campaign held
on February 6

 2017 Theme: ―Building a solid and interactive bridge between Africa and the world to accelerate ending FGM by
2030.‖

NATONAL DEWORMING DAY (NDD)

 The Natonal Deworming Day (NDD), a School and Anganwadi based Mass Deworming Programme was
observed in all the states and Union Territories of India on February 10, 2017.

 The day is celebrated annually on February 10 since 2015 in all the schools across India to stop the infections due
to Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH) or worms infections among the children.

INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY

 The United Nations‘ (UN) International Mother Language Day annually celebrated on February 21 to promote
awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

 International Mother Language Day was announced by UNESCO on 17 November 1999 and it was formally
recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution establishing 2008 as the International Year
of Languages.

 Promotional activities of mother language and multilingual education should be undertaken at country level.
UNESCO will celebrate IMLD 2017 on the theme: ‖Towards Sustainable Futures through Multilingual
Education.‖ in Paris, France.

 74th Central Excise Day is observed on 24th February, 2017

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 4

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

INTERNATIONAL
KATHMANDU MEET TO FINALISE SAARC BUDGET, AGENDA

 Indian and Pakistani officials will meet to finalise the budget and agenda of the SAARC during the February 1-2
meeting in Kathmandu.
 The meeting will mark the beginning of the annual calendar of events of the organisation which failed to meet
in Islamabad for a summit and is in focus as it is the first time high officials of member-countries will meet since
the cancellation of the summit.
 ―Joint Secretaries in charge of SAARC affairs from member-states will hold the annual programming committee
meeting in Kathmandu to finalise budget for the SAARC secretariat and the regional centres.
 The meeting is likely to take stock of the present agenda and development projects,‖ said Pavan Kumar Dubey,
official at the SAARC Secretariat.

RUSSIA IS SET TO LAUNCH WORLD‘S FIRST AND LARGEST NUCLEAR ICEBREAKER FLEET
FOR A VAST ARCTIC ARMY

 Russia is set to launch the world‘s first and largest nuclear icebreaker fleet in a bid to re-establish an immense
arctic army, larger than the Soviet Union‘s, it has been revealed.

 A nuclear-powered icebreaker is a nuclear-powered ship purpose-built for use in waters covered with ice. The
only country constructing nuclear-powered icebreakers is Russia.

 Nuclear-powered icebreakers havebeen constructed to aid shipping along the Northern Sea Route in the
frozen Arctic waterways north of Siberia. Nuclear-powered icebreakers are much more powerful than
their diesel-powered counterparts.

THE 53rd SAARC PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE MEETING HELD IN KATHMANDU

 The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation‘s (SAARCs) 53rd Programming Committee
Meeting began on February 1, 2017 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

 The two day meeting was attended by joint secretary/director general of the eight member nations.

 The meeting that concluded on February 2, 2017 was organized as a part of the annual activities of the group
that mandates to have at-least two meeting of the committee in a year.

 The main area of discussion revolved around Budget allocation for the management of SAARC.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 5

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

KUWAIT HAS BANNED THE VISAS FOR FIVE MUSLIM MAJORITY COUNTRIES ON
FEBRUARY 1, 2017 OVER SECURITY ISSUES.

 The five countries include Syria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
 The suspension of the Visas was taken to stop illegal entry of Islamic terrorists in the country.
 The ban would apply on any reason of visit ranging from tourism, visit and trade visas as well as visas
sponsored by spouses.

THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION (RTI) ACT OF SRI LANKA CAME INTO FORCE ON FEBRUARY
3, 2017

 Right to Information (RTI) Act has come into effect in Sri Lanka from February 3, 2017.

 RTI was one of the major announcements made by the present Sri Lankan government ahead of the 2015
election.

SAMUDRA PAVAK

 In an effort to strengthen the bilateral relations between India and UAE, the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS)
Samudra Pavak made a goodwill visit at the Mina Al Rashid (Dubai Port) from February 4 to 7, 2017

AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION

 India and Austria signed a protocol on February 6, 2017 to amend the existing bilateral taxation treaty for
Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion.

THE 17th SESSION OF THE SENIOR OFFICIAL‘S MEETING OF THE BIMSTEC WAS HELD
ON FEBRUARY 7, 2017 IN KATHMANDU

 The delegates of the seven member nations attended the meeting to review the progress made by the Bay of
Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

 The session of the BIMSTEC-SOM was chaired by Shanker Das Bairagi, Foreign Secretary and Head of Nepali
Delegation. India was led by Secretary (East) Ms. Preeti Saran.

THE 23rd SESSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

 The 23rd Session Of The International Conference & Exhibition on Terrestrial & Satellite Broadcasting was
held at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, New Delhi from February 2- February 4, 2017. The event was
organized by the Broadcast Engineering Society (India). The theme of the event was Hybrid Technologies in
Broadcasting – New Opportunities.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 6

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

FORMER PRIME MINISTER MOHAMED ABDULLAHI FARMAAJO WAS DECLARED THE NEW
PRESIDENT OF SOMALIA ON FEBRUARY 8, 2017

 He won the seat after two rounds of voting and quickly took the oath of office. The dual Somali-US citizenship
holder Farmaajo defeated the incumbent President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud with 184 to 97 vote in the second
round.

BRICS SUMMIT

 2017 BRICS association of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to be held in Xiamen, China in
September 2017.

 The summit will be held under the theme ―BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future.

 The 5 key priorotiy area of the summit will be Deepening cooperation, Strengthening global governance,
Carrying out people-to-people exchanges, Making institutional improvements and Building broader
partnerships.

FIVE DAYS MULTINATIONAL AMAN-17 NAVAL EXERCISE

 The FIVE DAYS MULTINATIONAL AMAN-17 NAVAL EXERCISE kicked off in Karachi, Pakistan on
February 10, 2017 where 37 countries took part.

 The aim of this multi-national exercise is to display united resolve of the countries against terrorism and crimes
in maritime domain.

 The exercise will also help in enhancing Pakistan Navy‘s interoperability with regional and extra-regional
navies. Aman-17 was inaugurated by Commander of the Pakistani naval fleet Vice Admiral Arifullah Hussaini.

 Theme: Together for peace.

AMAN DRILLS

 Aman Drills are held every alternate year since 2007 by the Pakistan Navy to demonstrate united resolve in the
fight against terrorism and maritime threats. The theme for AMAN-17 is ‗together for peace‖. It will provide a
platform for the participating navies to polish their skill

 India has decided to conduct Conference with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to share
experiences and ideas from the member countries on preventing radicalization and promoting
deradicalisation. The Conference may be held in October 2017. The event will deal with the growing IS threat
and make effort to counter radicalization and misuse of religion by groups and countries for inciting hatred and
terrorism

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 7

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

THE 2017 COBRA GOLD MILITARY EXERCISE

 The 2017 Cobra Gold Military Exercise kicked off at the Sattahip Royal Thai Marine Corps Base in
Chonburi Province, Thailand on February 14, 2017.

 Cobra Gold 2017 is the 36th edition of the multinational drill and is co-organized by United States and Thailand.
It will expand regional cooperation and collaboration for disaster relief.

 The ten day exercise would continue till February 24, 2017 and the closing ceremony of the event will take place
in Phu Lamyai Training area in Nakhon Ratchasima Province.

JEAN-PIERRE LACROIX

 Jean-Pierre Lacroix from France has been appointed as the head of UN peacekeeping for a year pending a
review of the world body‘s functions and structure by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on February
14, 2017.

INDIA IS ON ITS WAY TO CATCH UP WITH CHINA IN TERMS AIR POLLUTION RELATED
DEATHS AND EVEN CAN SURPASS CHINA IF NECESSARY STEPS ARE NOT TAKEN.

 This was concluded by the 2017 State of Global Air report released on February 14, 2017 by the Health Effects
Institute (HEI) and Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at University of Washington and
University of British Columbia.

SOUTH ASIAN SPEAKERS‘ SUMMIT

 The two-day SOUTH ASIAN SPEAKERS‘ SUMMIT was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra
Mahajan in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on February 18, 2017.

 Speakers of six countries includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Nepal attended
the meeting to deliberate on ways to achieve sustainable development goals.

 The summit will have a plenary session on ‗Identifying Resources for SDGs Implementation in South Asia:
Opportunities for Parliamentary Cooperation‘

THE FIRST OFFICIAL BRICS SHERPAS MEETING

 China is hosting THE FIRST OFFICIAL BRICS SHERPAS MEETING in Nanjing -Jiangsu Province on
February 23 and 24 under its chairmanship.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 8

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

 The meeting is focusing on the theme of ―Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future‖ upon considering the
current international situation.

 This event will see a participation of 100 people, including Sherpas, diplomatic envoys in China and the New
Development Bank representatives.

 The Sherpas mechanism, as a main vehicle to coordinate and promote the BRICS cooperation, primarily serves
to make political preparations for the BRICS Summit.

MILITARY OPERATION ‗RADD-UL-FASAAD‘

 A nationwide MILITARY OPERATION ‗RADD-UL-FASAAD‘ was launched by Pakistan Army on

February 22, 2017 to eliminate terrorists and ensure security of Pakistan‘s borders.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 9

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

NATIONAL AFFAIRS
RS. 2,000 CEILING FOR CASH DONATION TO PARTIES

 Reining the Political Funding

 Cap on cash donations

 Maximum amount of cash donations for parties has been capped at ` 2000 from the earlier

`20,000

 Electorl bands

 In line with the recommedations of the Election Commission, an amendment was proposed to
the RBI Act to enable issuance of electoral bonds the government

 Other modes

 Political parites will be entitled to receive donations by cheque or digital mode from donors.

THE FINANCE MINISTER ARUN JAITLEY ANNOUNCED TEC INDIA AS THE AGENDA OF
THE UNION BUDGET 2017-18 ON FEBRUARY 1, 2017

 Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley presented the Union budget 2017-2018 in Lok Sabha on February 1,
2017. This is the fourth budget by the Narendra Modi government.

 It is the first budget after major changes in Indian economy like Goods and Services Tax and Demonetization in
2016.

 The agenda for the Union Budget 2017-18 is TEC India, where T stands for Transform, E stands for Energize and
C for Clean.

 The agenda seeks to transform the quality of governance and life of people; Energise various sections of society
especially the youth and the vulnerable to bring out the best in them and Clean the country from the evils of
corruption, black money and non-transparent political funding.

THE 21-DAYS BHARAT RANG MAHOTSAV 2017 BEGAN IN NEW DELHI ON FEBRUARY 1, 2017

 he 19th edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav or International Drama Festival of India kicked off on February 1, 2017
in New Delhi.

 The 21 days annual theatre festival will conclude on February 21, 2017 and would take place at five different
cities including New Delhi, Kurukshetra, Pune, Agartala, Hyderabad and Patna during the course of time.

 The festival would see 94 performances from 12 Countries & 16 Indian States. It is the Asia‘s biggest
International theatre festival conducted by the National School of Drama.

 The festival aims to develop theater across the country.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 10

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

SUPREME COURT HAS DIRECTED THE GOVERNMENT ON FEBRUARY 3, 2017 TO PREPARE A

POLICY FOR THE ERADICATION OF LEPROSY

 The Supreme Court bench consists of Chief Justice J S Khehar and justices N V Ramana and D Y
Chandrachud instruct the centre to prepare a policy for the eradication of leprosy within four weeks on
February 3, 2017.

 It has sought a direction to the governments that drugs be made available at primary health centres and health
scheme should be formulated to bring people suffering from leprosy into the national mainstream.

LOK SABHA PASSED THE PAYMENT OF WAGES (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2017

 The Lok Sabha passed the Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017 on February 7, 2017 which allows for
payment of wages digitally or through cheque directly into the account of workers.

 The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill is in line with the government‘s cash-less economy.

 The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017 seeks to amend the Payment of Wages Act 1936.

 Once the bill is passed by the Rajya Sabha, it will also replace the Payment of Wages (Amendment) Ordinance
2016 that was promulgated by the President on December 28, 2016.

THE INDIAN PANORAMA FILM FESTIVAL KICKED OFF IN PORT BLAIR ON FEBRUARY 15,
2017.

 The five day film festival has been organized by the Directorate of Information, Publicity & Tourism, Andaman
& Nicobar Administration in association with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Directorate of
Film Festivals/IFFI, New Delhi, Govt of India.

 About 15 films of different languages and different genre will be screened at two different venues including
PBMC Auditorium and ITF Ground during the festival. The event will conclude on February 19, 2017.

INDIAN NAVY ―TARINI‖

 The second ocean going sailboat of Indian Navy ―Tarini‖ was successfully inducted by the Navy on February
18, 2017 at a ceremony held at the INS Mandovi Boat Pool in presence of Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of Naval
Staff.

 It is the second sailboat after INS Mhadei of Indian Navy. INSV Tarini had been conceptualized to promote
ocean sailing activities and to encourage women empowerment.

 Tarini provides a platform for the first Indian circumnavigation of the globe by all women team of the Indian
Navy.

 INSV Tarini has been built by M/s Aquarius Shipyard Pvt Ltd at Divar, Goa.The trials of the newly built INSV
Tarini were successfully completed on 30 January 2017.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 11

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

THIRD NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY CONGRESS (NBC) 2017

 The third National Biodiversity Congress (NBC) 2017 held Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on February 22,
2017.

 Aim: To identify practical evidence based case studies at regional level to support the plan of action.
Theme: ―Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development‖ with four sub-themes. This year event is
comprises of programmes including conference, exhibition, capacity building workshops and Childrens
Biodiversity Congress.

ANTYODAYA EXPRESS

 Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had unveiled the new Antyodaya Express, a fully unreserved train for
the common man with specially designed colourful coaches.

 The first Antyodaya Express will be plied between Mumbai and Tatanagar, and the second will be between
Ernakulam and Howrah shortly.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 12

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

STATE AFFAIRS
ARUNACHAL PRADESH BECAME THE FIRST STATE IN THE NORTHEAST TO IMPLEMENT
e - CABINET SOLUTION

 Arunachal Pradesh became the first state in the northeast to implement e-Cabinet solution for the state cabinet
members. Using this system, the cabinet members can access the cabinet notes before the meeting.
 The entire business of the Cabinet can be conducted using the e-Cabinet solution.
 ―e-Cabinet is a powerful tool that the Arunachal Pradesh government plans to use to streamline its decision-
making process‖.

NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT

 Gujarat has become the first state in India to establish Cashless system for distribution of food grain to the
beneficiaries under NFSA (National Food Security Act). The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and
Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan on February 8, 2017 appreciated the efforts of the state government which
has installed Aadhaar Enabled Payment System in 17,250 Fair Price Shops (FPS) much before the target of March
31 as decided by the state.

BIHAR CABINET UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP

 The Bihar Cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ruled out a new rule under
which the no officials of the state government would be allowed to consume liquor either in the state or
outside the state and not even abroad.
 This makes Bihar the first state to have such restrictions for officials and judges.

J & K CHIEF MINISTER MEHBOOBA MUFTI HAS DECLARED 2017 AS ‗YEAR OF APPLE‘

 J & K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has declared 2017 as ‗Year of Apple‘ to promote the famed Kashmiri
apples in domestic and foreign markets.
 She also launched the High Density Apple Plantation Scheme in Srinagar to provide 50% subsidy The high
density plants have a yield of 50-70 metric tonnes per hectare against 10-12 tonnes in case of conventional
plants.
 The government is setting up mega mandies and high-tech cold storage at Jablipora in Anantnag and Aglar in
Pulwama to promote apple industry.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 13

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

AADHAAR

 The Gujarat Assembly passed Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and
Services) Bill, 2017 to empower the state government to use Aadhaar number as the sole identifier for the
delivery of various subsidies and benefits in an effective and targeted manner.
 This bill will help the government create a credible system to authenticate the identity of actual beneficiaries.

FIRST SEX OFFENDERS REGISTRY

 The Kerala government has planned to launch the country‘s first sex offenders registry which will contain all
identification details of sex offenders and would be kept in public domain.
 A comprehensive victim relief fund will be set-up by the state government to provide interim relief for victims
of sex crimes, both children and adults.

RAJASTHAN HEART ATTACK TREATMENT PROGRAMME (RAHAT)

 Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje inaugurated a medical project Rajasthan Heart Attack Treatment
programme (RAHAT) on February 25, 2017 at the Eternal Heart Care Center Hospital in Jaipur.
 Raje also flagged off an ambulance fitted with equipment and trained paramedical staff required for treatment of
heart disease. RAHAT programme aims to provide people in remote and rural areas with timely treatment
during heart attacks.
 It has been launched by the private hospitals in the state.
 Under the programme, the patients facing heart attack would be provided with emergency ambulance service
and telemedicine service through Eternal Heart Care Centre Hospital.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 14

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

SCHEMES
NIRBHAYA SCHEME

 Union Women and Child Development Minister Sanjay Maneka Gandhi has unveiled the setting up of a
compensation fund under Nirbhaya scheme to make available financial help to children who are victims of
sexual crimes.

 The money for this fund will be drawn from Nirbhaya Scheme and will be watched directly by the Women and
Child Development Ministry

THE SOVEREIGN GOLD BONDS 2016-17–SERIES

 The Government of India launched the 7th tranche of the Sovereign Gold Bonds on February 27, 2017 and it will
be the last offering for 2016-17.

 The Sovereign Gold Bonds 2016-17–Series IV will be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on behalf
of Government of India.

 Applications for the bond will be accepted from February 27, 2017 to March 03, 2017 and the Bonds will be
issued on March 17, 2017.

 The Bonds will be sold through banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post
offices, National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 15

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

ECONOMY
CSO REVISES 2015-16 GDP GROWTH TO 7.9%

 The government has marginally revised upwards the GDP growth for 2015–16 to 7.9% from the earlier estimate
of 7.6% after factoring in the latest data on agriculture and industrial production.

 ―Real GDP or GDP at constant (2011–12) prices for 2015–16 and 2014–15 stands at Rs. 113.58 lakh crore and Rs.
105.23 lakh crore respectively, showing growth of 7.9% during 2015–16 and 7.2% during 2014–15,‖ stated the
Central Statistics Office (CSO) while released data

EIGHT CORE INDUSTRIES GROW 5.6% IN DECEMBER

 The eight core industries registered a growth of 5.6% in December 2016 on the back of healthy output recorded
by refinery products and steel.
 The growth rate of eight infrastructure sectors — coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel,
cement and electricity — was 2.9% in December 2015. It stood at 4.9% in November 2016.
 The core sectors, which contribute 38% to the total industrial production, expanded 5% in April – December
2016 compared with 2.6% growth in the same period in the last financial year, according to data released by the
commerce and industry ministry
 Refinery products and steel production jumped 6.4% and 14.9%, respectively, during the month under review.
 However, crude oil, fertiliser, natural gas and cement output reported contraction.
 Coal output declined by 4.4% in December 2016 from 5.3% in the same month previous year.
 Similarly, electricity generation, too, dipped by 6% as compared with 8.8% in December 2015

THE RESERVE BANK OF INDIA

 The Reserve Bank of India has directed banks on February 3, 2017 to waive off transaction charges and lower
interest rates on credit cards as a move to encourage digital transaction.

 RBI has decided that customers would not be levied any charges by banks and prepaid payment instrument
issuers for transactions up to Rs.1,000 settled on Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Unstructured
Supplementary Service Data (USSD) and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) till March 3, 2017.

THE UJJIVAN SMALL FINANCE BANK

 The Ujjivan Small Finance Bank officially started its operation on February 6, 2017 with 5 pilot branches in
Bengaluru. Samit Ghosh is the MD and CEO of the Ujjivan Small Finance Bank.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 16

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

BHARAT BILL PAYMENT SYSTEM (BBPS)

 The Private sector lenders HDFC Bank started operating its Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) on February 7,
2017 to ease the bill payment service for the customers.

 Along with HDFC, Kotak Mahindra Bank also went live with the BBPS service. BBPS was introduced by
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It is a centralized payment platform that offers speed and
convenience to pay all types of bills.

ROBERTO AZEVEDO, THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION (WTO)

 welcomed the initiative of India to present the paper for the proposed Trade Facilitation in Services (TFS)
Agreement on February 9, 2017 in an event organized by Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi.

 The WTO chief was on a two day visit to India from February 8-9, 2017. The global pact proposed by India
to boost services trade at the WTO-level aims to ease norms including those relating to movement of foreign
skilled workers and professionals across borders for short-term work.

A FLYING RED ELEPHANT WAS THE MASCOT FOR THE JHARKHAND‘S GLOBAL
INVESTORS SUMMIT (GIS) 2017.

 It was designed by AdFactor, a public relation and advertising company based in Mumbai.

 The elephant was chosen as the mascot since it was the state animal and also represents strength, youthfulness
and dreams to be fulfilled. The mascot has green wings and also Sohrai art work on the body.

 The red colour represents minerals, green wings symbolize forest cover while Sohrai art depicts the fact that
Jharkhand doesn‘t want to ignore its indigenous art forms and customs.

MASALA BONDS

 Masala bonds are the new type of rupee dominated bonds which are issued by Indian entities in offshore
market to raise funds in terms of Indian rupee only.

 The major benefit of this bond is that there is no currency risk.

 These bonds are traded on London Stock Exchange instead of being traded in India.

 International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank Group, issued the first masala bonds in London in
November 2014 to attract international investment for infrastructure in India.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 17

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

THE UNION GOVERNMENT ON FEBRUARY 17, 2017 REDUCED THE TENURE OF THE NEXT
CHAIRMAN OF SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA (SEBI)

 Ajay Tyagi by two years without giving any reason behind the decision. Now the 58-year-old Tyagi will join as
the SEBI Chairman for an initial period of three years instead of five years after the tenure of Sinha ends
on March 1, 2017.

 On February 10, 2017 Ajay Tyagi‘s name was approved by the government to be appointed as the next
Chairman of SEBI with a five-year term to succeed incumbent U K Sinha.

THE CENTRAL BOARD OF EXCISE AND CUSTOMS (CBEC) HAS LAUNCHED A MOBILE
APPLICATION FOR GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (GST)

 The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has launched a mobile application for Goods and Services
Tax (GST) to inform the taxpayers of the latest updates on GST among others.

 Taxpayers can also provide feedback and contact CBEC‘s 24×7 helpdesk ―CBEC Mitra‖ through a toll-free
number or email, at the touch of a button.

 GST app will provide the information like: Migration to GST-Approach and guidelines for migration, Draft Law-
Model GST Law, IGST Law and GST Compensation Law, Draft Rules-Rules related to Registration, Returns,
Payment, Refund and Invoice, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on GST, Various resources on GST such a
videos, articles etc.,

NEW WORLD WEALTH REPORT RELEASED

 According to the New World Wealth report released on February 21, 2017, Mumbai, the financial capital of
India has been named as the Richest Indian city with a total wealth of $ 820 billion.

 The South Africa-based market research group, New World Wealth has reported that Mumbai is home to 46,000
millionaires and 28 billionaires.

 Mumbai is followed by Delhi at second place with a total wealth of $ 450 billion and having 23,000 millionaires
and 18 billionaires.

 Besides, Bengaluru stands at third place with a total wealth of $ 320 billion and houses 7,700 millionaires and 8
billionaires.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 18

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

THE ECONOMIC SURVEY REPORT BY ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION

AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD) HAS ESTIMATED THE INDIA‘S GDP GROWTH AT 7
PERCENT FOR 2016-2017 ON FEBRUARY 28, 2017.

 Besides, the global think tank has also estimated the growth rate of 7.3 percent for the 2017-18 and 7.7 percent for
2018-19.

 As per the report, though demonetisation may have impacted short term growth in 2016-17, but the long term
effects would see gains going upward.

 The forum emphasized the need to increase the revenue from income taxes to provide quality public services for
all, to reduce poverty and promote inclusive growth.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 19

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

AWARDS & HONOURS

AWARD FOR KIRAN BEDI

 Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the
Rotary Club of Madras.

 District governor of Rotary Club of Madras-3230, Natarajan Nagoji, said Ms. Bedi has been a path-breaker and
an inspiration for thousands across the nation.

INDIAN AIRLINE SERVICE SPICEJET HAS WON THE ―ASIA‘S GREATEST BRANDS
– 2016‖ AWARD AT THE ASIA ONE AWARDS HELD IN SINGAPORE

 Gurgaon based airline, SpiceJet made record by winning awards in three prime categories at the Asia One
Awards held in Singapore. The low-cost airline was honoured as the ‗Asia‘s Greatest Brands – 2016‘ at the
function.

GENESIS PRIZE

 Renowned Indian-origin British sculptor Anish Kapoor was honored with the prestigious $1 million 2017
Genesis Prize on February 6, 2017 by Israel for his utmost contribution for Jewish community.

DR B C ROY NATIONAL AWARD

 Hyderabad based Dr P Raghu Ram, President of Association of Breast Surgeons of India (ABSI) has been
honored with the prestigious Dr B C Roy National Award for ‗outstanding service in the field of socio medical
relief‘ for the year 2016.

 The award will be conferred upon Ram by President Pranab Mukherjee on July 1, 2017 which is also observed
as National Doctors Day.

 Dr Ram was honored for his significant contribution towards improving the delivery of breast health care in
India and creating the much needed awareness about importance of early detection of breast cancer in
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh through a number of initiatives.

THE BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR AWARD HAS BEEN WON BY ―25‖ — ADELE AT THE 59th
ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS ON FEBRUARY 12, 2017.

 The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 12, 2017 at the Staples Centre in Los
Angeles.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 20

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

BAFTA AWARDS

 The Movie La La Land won the most awards at the event by winning total five honors including Best Film, Best
Director– Damien Chazelle, Best Cinematography-Linus Sandgren, Best Original Music-Justin Hurwitz and Best
Actress in a Leading Role-Emma Stone.

 The 70th British Academy Film Awards commonly known as the BAFTA Awards was held on February 12, 2017
at the Royal Albert Hall in London to honour the best British and international contributions to film in the year
2016. The awards are presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

KAYAKALP AWARD

 India‘s premier health institute the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi was awarded
the first prize of the Government‘s Kayakalp Award under the Central Government Hospitals category on
February 15, 2017 in New Delhi for maintaining high standards of sanitation and hygiene.

VYAS SAMMAN

 Renowned Hindi litterateur and playwright Surendra Verma has been selected for 2016 Vyas Samman for his
novel Kaatna Shami Ka Vriksha Padma Pankhuri Ki Dhar Se. This novel was published in the year 2010. Mr
Verma would be presented a cash prize of Rs. 3.50 lakh a citation and a logo for the prestigious award instituted
by K K Birla Foundation. Surendra Verma will be the 26th recipient of the honor.

 The Vyas Samman is a literary award in India, first awarded in 1991 . It is awarded annually by the K.K. Birla
Foundation and includes a cash payout of Rs 250,000 (as of 2005)

LEGENDARY AWARD BY THE BRAND LAUREATE

 Melody Queen and Nightingale of India, has been conferred with the 2017 Legendary Award by the Brand
Laureate for giving a unlimited memorable hits and soulful melodies in Hindi film music.

 The Brand Laureate Awards recognize world-class achievement in branding amongst individuals and
companies. It is presented by the organization jointly with the Asia Pacific Brands Foundation.

INTERNATIONAL MERCURY AWARDS

 The Ahmedabad-based Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) has received the
prestigious International Mercury Awards for the year 2016-17 for the best overall presentation of its 2015-2016
annual report.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 21

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

DR STYA PAUL MEMORIAL AWARD

 Virendra Sharma, an Indian-origin British MP was conferred with the first Dr Stya Paul Memorial Award on
February 22, 2017 for his outstanding contribution to India-UK ties.

 The Labour party MP from Ealing Southall received the award at the third annual Indo-UK Thought Leadership
Awards in London from NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul, the younger brother of Indian educationist Dr Stya
Paul.

 Besides, Rajesh Agrawal, an Indian-origin Deputy Mayor for Business in London received the Global Icon
Award for 2017

BEST MALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD

 Belgium‘s Hockey Captain and Olympic silver medalist John-John Dohmen was awarded the Best Male Player
of the Year Award (2016) by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) at the gala FIH Hockey Stars
Awards Ceremony on February 23, 2017 in Chandigarh.

 John-John Dohmen is a Belgian international field hockey player and since 2013 he is the captain of the Belgian
national team (the ―Red Lions‖).

 He has won five national titles, one with Léopold and four with Waterloo. He was named Belgian hockey player
of the year for the season 2008-2009

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 22

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

SCIENCE & TECH

SCIENTISTS HAVE DEVELOPED A FIRST OF ITS KIND NEW BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS (TB)
- RESISTANT CLONE OF COW

 Scientists from China‘s Northwest A&F University have developed a genetically modified form of cows that are
more resistant to bovine tuberculosis (TB).

 The cloned cattle were created using a genome editing tool known as CRISPR. They inserted a new TB resistance
gene called NRAMP1 into 20 cows out of which 11 of survived past the age of 3 months.

THE SCIENTISTS HAVE FOUND LITCHI FRUIT TO BE HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH IF ITS

INTAKE IS FOLLOWED BY SKIPPING THE EVENING MEAL

 A team of Scientists from the United States and India in a study found that consuming litchi and then skipping
the dinner can cause a very low blood glucose level, lower than 70 mg/dL, which may eventually lead
to death especially in children.

 The study was published in the Journal Lancet Global Health. The group of scientist made the study after over
100 children from the northern India‘s Muzaffarpur, Bihar died mysteriously after eating litchi‘s and skipping
the evening meal.

JUNO SPACECRAFT SENT BY US SPACE AGENCY NASA

 Juno spacecraft sent by US space agency NASA , orbiting the planet Jupiter has completed a close flyby of
Jupiter for the fourth time on February 2, 2017.

 Juno is currently in a 53-day orbit and its next close flyby of Jupiter will occur on March 27, 2017.

 During this period, Juno is studying the gas giant‘s auroras to learn more about the planet‘s origins, structure,
atmosphere and magnetosphere.

SCIENCE EXPRESS CLIMATE ACTION SPECIAL‘

 A ‗Science Express‘ train named ‗Science Express Climate Action Special‘ was flagged off from Safderjung
Railway Station in New Delhi on February 17, 2017 on a seven-month journey to spread awareness
about climate change.

 The Science Express is on a seven-month journey and will cover 68 stations across the country, including
Agartala and Lumding in the northeast.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 23

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

 The journey will conclude at Gandhinagar station on September 8. The 16 coach express is a collaborative effort
of Ministries of Railways, Environment and Science and Technology and will travel to Tripura and to the north
bank of the Brahmaputra initially.

 Three coaches are fitted with solar panels on the roofs. The train will stop at each station for students and others
to visit the exhibitions in coaches.

THE INDIAN SPACE RESEARCH ORGANISATION (ISRO)

 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the final ground testing of its
indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage engine (C25) for GSLV Mark III rocket at ISRO‘s Liquid
Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu on February 17, 2017.

 The ISRO Chairman AS Kiran Kumar informed that the test was last in the series before going for an actual
rocket launch. The engine will be put into use in April 2017.

 The C25 stage is the most powerful upper stage developed by ISRO and uses Liquid Oxygen and Liquid
Hydrogen propellant combination.It will better serve the next generation GSLV rocket to launch 4-tonne class
satellite in the Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).

A LOST CONTINENT THAT SUNK ABOUT 100 MILLION YEARS AGO HAS BEEN
DISCOVERED UNDERNEATH NEW ZEALAND BY THE SCIENTISTS.

 Zealandia, a lost continent submerged in the southwest Pacific Ocean, is large enough to be recognized as a
separate continent.

 The report was published ―GSA Today‖, the journal of the Geological Society of America.

 Zealandia covers nearly 5 million sq. km (1.9 million sq miles) out of which 94 percent is under water and
surrounds New Zealand, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, the Lord Howe Island group and Elizabeth and
Middleton reefs.

GRAND PROPHET 11

 The Iran‘s elite Revolutionary Guard launched sophisticated rockets during a military exercise that started on
February 20, 2017 in Iran‘s central desert.

 The three day maneuvers called ‗Grand Prophet 11‘ will last on February 22, 2017. The model of the small and
advanced rockets or their capabilities has not been revealed.

 The launch comes despite warnings from the United States and the sanctions over the previous ballistic missile
test.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 24

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

CALIFORNIA-BASED SPACEX

 The California-based SpaceX onboard its Falcon 9 rocket launched a robotic Dragon cargo ship with about
5,500 pounds (2,500 kg) of supplies and science experiments toward the International Space Station on February
19, 2017 from Launch Complex 39A of NASA‘s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

 After the launch, the rocket‘s first stage separated and touched down on a landing pad at the nearby Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station. It marked the eighth successful landing for SpaceX Rocket Company.

 The company became the first private space firm to launch a rocket from a NASA facility.

FIRST STRETCHABLE INTEGRATED CIRCUIT USING AN INKJET PRINTER

 Researchers from Michigan State University announced the creation of the first stretchable integrated
circuit using an inkjet printer.

 The circuit was developed in the laboratory of Chuan Wang, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer
Engineering. This circuit will raising the possibility of the inexpensive production of ―smart fabric.‖

SOYUZ-U BOOSTER ROCKET

 Russia successfully launched an unmanned spacecraft taking food and equipment to the International Space
Station after the previous such ship crashed to Earth shortly after launch in December.

 A Soyuz-U booster rocket carrying the Progress cargo ship MS-05 spacecraft blasted off as scheduled from the
Russian-leased Baikonur launch complex in Kazakhstan.

 Russia‘s launch went ahead without a snag and the spacecraft go into a designated primary orbit en route to the
space outpost.

GUINNESS WORLD RECORD

 Japan has unveiled the world‘s first robot table tennis tutor FORPHEUS (Future Omron Robotics Technology for
Exploring Possibility of Harmonised aUtomation with Sinic Theoretics) which has the ability to play the game
better than humans.

 It has been listed in the Guinness World Record for being the First robot table tennis tutor for its unique
technological intelligence and educational capabilities. The robot has been developed by the team led by Taku
Oya from Omron Corporation.

 The FORPHEUS aims to create a harmonious environment between humans and robots through teaching the
game of table tennis to human players.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 25

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

FIRST ROBOTIC SPACECRAFT TO THE SUN IN 2018

 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has planned to send its first robotic spacecraft to
the Sun in 2018 which will get as close as within six million kilometers to investigate its atmosphere.

 With this mission, NASA aims to answer three important questions. First, the mission will unveil why the
surface of the Sun, called the photosphere, is not as hot as its atmosphere, called the corona.

 How solar wind gets its speed. Why the Sun occasionally emits high-energy particles that are a danger to
unprotected astronauts and spacecraft.

 For the mission, NASA has designed a 11.4 centimeter carbon-composite shield which can withstand
temperatures of 1,370 degrees Celsius outside the spacecraft.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 26

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

SPORTS
WEST INDIES CRICKETER ANDRE RUSSELL HAS BEEN BANNED FOR A YEAR BY THE
JAMAICAN ANTI-DOPING COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 1, 2017 FOR VIOLATING DOPING
CODE

 Jamaican cricketer Andre Russell (28) has been banned from all cricket for a year over a doping code violation by
the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission on February 1, 2017.

 Under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines, elite athletes must file his/her details of whereabouts.
Russell did not file his whereabouts on three occasions in 2015 as required, which constitutes a failed drugs test
under WADA‘s whereabouts rules.

FRENCH TENNIS

 Second-seeded French tennis player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated his fellow mate Lucas Pouille 6-4, 6-4 to win
the finals of Open 13 Marseille in France on February 26, 2017.

 This was his 14th career title at the indoor event and 2nd title of the year 2017.

 Earlier on February 20, 2017 he won the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam by defeating David
Goffin. With this win, the 11th-ranked Tsonga has climbed 4 spots in the ranking to be placed in the top 10 at
number 7.

THE 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES MEDALS WOULD BE MADE UP OF WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING
MATERIAL

 Olympic game medals will be made from recycled mobile phones for the year 2022 to promote sustainability
said by 2020 Olympic Games organizers, Japan.

 For this, the Japan government asked public to donate unwanted mobile phones and other electronic items to
help make 5,000 medals.

 The organizers are placed a collection boxes in local offices and telecoms stores from April 2017 to collect the
material.

FRANK LAMPARD

 English professional footballer Frank Lampard announced his retirement from professional soccer on February
2, 2017 ending his 21-year-old career.
 The 38-year old Chelsea midfielder has won major honor at club level to establish himself as the Premier
League‘s highest-scoring midfielder.
 The England soccer player has scored a record of 211 goals and made appearances in 649 games from 2001-14.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 27

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

THE LATEST ICC RANKING OF THE MEN‘S BATTING, VIRAT KOHLI IS STILL ON THE TOP
SPOT WITH 799 POINTS

 He is followed by Aaron Finch of Australia at second position with 771 points and Glenn Maxwell of Australia is
third.

 Virat is ranked Second in Tests and Third in ODIs. This makes him the only Indian batsman to be raked in top
five among all formats.

 Among the T20 Team Ranking, India stood at second spot with a rating of 124. New Zealand was first and West
Indies at third.

ENGLAND TEST CAPTAIN ALASTAIR COOK

 The England Test captain Alastair Cook was honored with the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the
British Empire (CBE) by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace, London on February 4, 2017.

INDIA‘S FIRST CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR PARA SPORTS

 Sports Minister Vijay Goel laid the foundation stone of the India‘s first Center of Excellence for Para Sports to
help para athletes in showcasing their skills and talent further both at the national and international level
in Gujarat on February 5, 2017.

ETHIOPIA‘S GENZEBE DIBABA CREATED THE WORLD‘S RECORD

 Ethiopia‘s Genzebe Dibaba created the world‘s record by becoming the fastest athlete to complete the women‘s
indoor 2,000 metres at the indoor Miting Internacional de Catalunya meeting in Sabadell, Spain on February 7,
2017. The 25-year-old Dibaba completed the race in 5:23:75 seconds.

 With this she not only broke the previous indoor world record of 5:30.53 set by Romania‘s Gabriela Szabo in
1998 but also surpassed the outdoor record of 5:25.36 set by Ireland‘s Sonia O‘Sullivan in 1994.

JEHAN DARUVALA BECAME THE FIRST EVER INDIAN TO CLAIM THE NEW ZEALAND
GRAND PRIX AT THE CHRIS AMON CIRCUIT IN MANFEILD, NEW ZEALAND ON FEBRUARY
12, 2017

 Jehan Daruvala became the first ever Indian to claim the New Zealand Grand Prix at the Chris Amon Circuit
in Manfeild, New Zealand on February 12, 2017.

 With this win, Jehan, a Force India F1 team racing driver, scored 781 points in the Toyota Racing Series having
15-race held in January-February and was placed in fifth position.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 28

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

JAMAICA‘S SPRINTER USAIN BOLT WON THE ‗SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR‘ AWARD AT
THE LAUREUS WORLD AWARDS OR THE ‗OSCAR OF SPORTS‘ HELD IN MONACO ON
FEBRUARY 14, 2017.

 Bolt received his award from legendary Michael Johnson. This is the fourth time that the world‘s greatest
sprinter has won the honor.

 Earlier in 2009, 2010 and 2013 too he won the award. Now he has joined the group of sports personalities like
tennis legends Roger Federer and Serena Williams, and surfer Kelly Slater, all of whom has also won the award
four times.

INDIA WON THE SILVER MEDAL

 India won the silver medal at the Women‘s Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy on February 18, 2017 held
at Vientiane, Laos. South Korea won gold medal by beating India 29-0 in the finals.

DAVIS CUP

 Bangalore has been chosen to host the next Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone group-1 tie against Uzbekistan from
April 7 to 9, 2017.

 As per the announcement made by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) on February 16, 2017

AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL GOLFER DUSTIN HUNTER JOHNSON HAS CLAIMED NO 1

POSITION IN OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS CAREER IN
THE WORLD

 This feat comes after he ended up with a world-class performance by winning Genesis Open 2017 at Riviera.

 Earlier the Golfer bagged the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, and finished in a tie for second at 2015
U.S. Open.

 Johnson became the 20th player to reach the top position since the world ranking began in 1986, culminating
Jason Day‘s 47-week stay at the top.

KHEL MAHOTSAV

 February 22, 2017 Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel announced that the first Gramin Khel Mahotsav will be held
from March 25-31, 2017 in New Delhi.

 The Khel Mahotsav will have 5 sports discipline comprising of Athletics, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Volley Ball and
Wrestling.

 The festival provide a platform to promote sports in rural areas across the country and encourage rural youths
to participate in sports and achieve excellence and adopt healthy life style.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 29

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

SIXTH ASIAN PARA-ROAD CYCLING

 India made historic start at the sixth Asian Para-Road Cycling Championship by winning all the three
medals in the 12.8 Km Individual Time Trial on the opening day of the tournament at Bahrain on February 25,
2017.

 Abhishek from Chandigarh won the gold medal, Divij Shah from West Bengal won silver and Harinder
Singh from BSF bagged the bronze medal.

ASHWIN

 Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin surpassed India‘s former legendary allrounder Kapil Dev to become
the highest wicket-taker in a home Test season.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 30

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

PERSONALITIES
NIRMAL SHEKAR PASSES AWAY

 Nirmal Shekar, former Sports Editor of The Hindu and former editor of Sportstar, passed away here on
01.02.2017 night. He was 60.

 Nirmal, who was one of India‘s most widely read sportswriters in a career that spanned more than three
decades, joined The Hindu in 1980 and was with the institution till he retired on September 30, 2015.

INDIAN SINGER NEETI MOHAN

 Indian singer Neeti Mohan to collaborate with UN for women empowerment project titled ―Music To Inspire –
Artists UNited Against Human Trafficking‖ which is managed by the UNODC.

 Neeti is the first Indian female singer to collaborate with UN .She has joined the ranks of Ashton Kutcher,
Nicholas Cage, Demi Moore, Ashley Judd, Gillian Anderson .

SANJEEV SANYAL

 Economist Sanjeev Sanyal has been appointed as the Principal Economic Adviser in the Ministry of Finance by
the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on February 3, 2017.

 Sanjeev Sanyal, former Global Strategist and Managing Director of Deutsche Bank will serve as the Principal
Economic Adviser in the Department of Economic Affairs.

IDFC

 Managing Director of IDFC, Vikram Limaye has been named as the new Managing Director & CEO of the
National Stock Exchange (NSE) on February 3, 2017.

ACHAMKULANGARE GOPINATHAN

 Top Indian diplomat, Achamkulangare Gopinathan has been re-appointed by the UN General Assembly to
the Joint Inspection Unit for a five-year term beginning January 1, 2018.

NATIONAL THERMA POWER CORPORATION LIMITED

 Anand Kumar Gupta (56) has been appointed as director of National Therma Power Corporation Limited
(NTPC) for commerical operation on February 3, 2017.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 31

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

SHAWNA PANDYA AN INDIAN-ORIGIN WOMAN WILL BECOME THE THIRD WOMAN AFTER
KALPANA CHAWLA AND SUNITA WILLIAMS TO GO INTO SPACE IN 2018.

 A neurosurgeon by profession, 32-year-old Shawna Pandya is one of the only two candidates selected from 3200
brilliant people to fly into space through the Citizen Science Astronaut programme in Canada.

 She will fly with eight other astronauts in space missions slated to take off by 2018.

RAVI SHANKAR

 Former IFS officer Ravi Shankar has been concurrently accredited as the High Commissioner of India to the
Republic of Rwanda on February 14, 2017.

 Now he is working as the high Commissioner of India to the Republic of Uganda.

FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA (CJI) ALTAMAS KABIR PASSED AWAY ON FEBRUARY 19,
2017

 In Kolkata at Apollo Hospital after suffering from kidney ailment. He was 68. He was the 39th Chief Justice of
India who held office from September 29, 2012 to July 18, 2013.

 During his tenure as a Supreme Court judge, Justice Kabir delivered several important judgments, particularly
relating to human rights and election laws.

 Kabir had also been part of the bench hearing the case of the two Italian Marines who allegedly shot dead two
Kerala fishermen, taking them to be pirates.

NORWEGIAN NOBEL COMMITTEE

 Chair-woman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Kaci Kullmann Five, died on February 19, 2017. She was
65. Norwegian Nobel Committee is responsible to select the Peace Prize laureates.

 Former businesswoman of Norway, Kullmann served as trade and shipping minister from 1989-1990 and was
the leader of the Conservative Party from 1991-1994. In 2003, Kullmann became a member of the Norwegian
Nobel committee while was elected chair in 2015.

CAUVERY WATER DISPUTES TRIBUNAL

 Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre has been appointed as the chairman of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal
(CWDT) on February 22, 2017. Manohar is the succeedor of Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 32

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

 He was nominated by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar. Prior to this, he has served as chief justice of Gauhati High Court
and the High Court of Manipur.

 He also served as judge at Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan High Courts.

NOBEL-WINNING ECONOMIST, MATHEMATICIAN KENNETH J ARROW HAS DIED IN USA

ON FEBRUARY 23, 2017

 He was 95. Kenneth received the Nobel memorial prize in economic science for their pioneering mathematical
work on general equilibrium theory in 1972.

 He spent most of his career at Stanford University and Harvard University. He also was known as a mentor.
Five of his former students went on to become Nobel winners.

AMBASSADOR FOR CLEANLINESS INITIATIVE SWACHH BHARAT MISSION

 Indian film actress, producer, former model Shilpa Shetty was roped as the Brand Ambassador for cleanliness
initiative Swachh Bharat Mission by the central government.

 It was announced by Urban Development Ministry Joint Secretary and director of Swachh Bharat Mission
(Urban) Praveen Prakash.

 Aim : Swachh Bharat Mission is to make India open defecation free by 2019.

 Shilpa will feature in TV and radio campaigns aimed at discouraging people from littering on roads.

NEIL GAIMAN

 The author Neil Gaiman has been appointed as a global Goodwill Ambassador of the UN Refugee
Agency,UNHCR by Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

 Aim: To raise awareness about the plight of forcibly displaced people and to generate much needed funds.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 33

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

MISCELLANEOUS
MoU

 India and Sri Lanka has signed an MoU on February 2, 2017 for the construction of a multi-ethnic tri-lingual
school in a north central district of the island nation.

 The school would provide an opportunity to Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim students to learn in a multi-cultural
environment and thus promote reconciliation and unity in Sri Lanka.

SCIENTISTS FROM UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, SOUTH AFRICA HAVE FOUND

A SMALL CONTINENT SUBMERGED DEEP UNDER THE INDIAN OCEAN THAT WAS ONCE
LOCATED BETWEEN INDIA AND MADAGASCAR

 The team of scientist lead by Lewis Ashwal noticed strong gravitational fields in some parts of the Indian Ocean
than others due to thicker crusts in some areas of the ocean especially in Mauritius.

INTEGRATED UNDERWATER DEFENCE AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

 Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding- in-Chief, Western Naval Command inaugurated
Harbour The Integrated Underwater Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) on February 3, 2017 in
Mumbai.

 The system has been developed to strengthen Harbour Defence and Security at Mumbai. It will enhance the
security of the valuable assets against surface and underwater threat .

NATIONAL TESTING AGENCY (NTA)

 The Union Human Resource Development Ministry is set to constitute a National Testing Agency (NTA) which
will be responsible for conducting examinations for higher and secondary education.

WORLD‘S LARGEST PRODUCER OF SOLAR ENERGY

 China has surpassed Germany to become the world‘s largest producer of solar energy after nearly doubling its
installed photovoltaic capacity in 2016.

 With the increased capacity, China generated 66.2 billion kilowatt-hours of energy last year, which however
accounted for only 1% of its electrical output. The country further plans to double its current solar energy
capacity by 2020.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 34

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

JUDICIAL REFORMS – RECENT GLOBAL TRENDS

 Prime Minister, Narendra Modi was released the book titled ―Judicial Reforms – Recent Global
Trends‖ published by EBC in association with IIFL at Rashtrapati Bhawan on February 22, 2017.

 President Pranab Mukherjee received first copy of book from PM modi. The book is compilation of
essays written by eminent persons on Judicial Reforms.

 These were delivered at a conference on Judicial Reforms, which was inaugurated by the President of
India.

 This is compiled and edited under the stewardship of Justice Dalveer Bhandari, Judge of the
International Court of Justice and the President of the Indian International Law Foundation (IIFL).

CROSS-BORDER ZIP LINE IN THE WORLD

 In a first of its kind development of a cross-border zip line in the world, an international zip line
named as Limite Zero has been created to connect Spain and Portugal.

 The 2,362-foot-long zipline will connect Sanlucar de Guadiana, in Andalucia, Spain, to Alcoutim, in
Algarve, Portugal whose time zone is an hour behind than that of Spain. The zipline crosses Guadiana
River at 50 feet above sea level to connect the villages in two countries which are separated by the 150
metres wide river.

CINEMA IN NEW DELHI

 Minister for Information & Broadcasting M Venkaiah Naidu and Member of the Parliament of
Ukraine and Chairman of the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine Mr.
Iurii Artemenko have agreed to strengthen the bilateral cooperation between the two countries
through the medium of Cinema in New Delhi on February 27, 2017.

 The cooperation would be helpful to showcase films through the medium of Film Festivals and
utilizing the Film Facilitation Office platform established by India.

 The possibility of translating programs and content and providing subtitles in respective languages of
both the countries was also discussed with respect to the Public Broadcasters of both the countries.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 35

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

QATAR AIRWAYS

 The Qatar Airways has launched the World‘s longest scheduled commercial service to ply between Doha to
Auckland.

 The inaugural service of Flight QR920 took off on February 5, 2017 from Doha and will take 16 hours and 20
minutes to travel 14,535 kilometers to reach Auckland in New Zealand.

ASIAN JUNIOR SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP

 India‘s boy team defeated Malaysia 2-0 on February 5, 2017 in Hong Kong to clinch the gold medal at the Asian
Junior Squash championship.

MEASLES-RUBELLA

 The Union Health Ministry launched the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign on February 5, 2017 in
Bengaluru targeting 41 crore children across the country to eradicate Rubella and Measles from India.

 A single vaccine for dual protection against measles and rubella as part of Universal Immunization Programme
was launched.

 According to the ministry, after the campaign the MR vaccine will be introduced in routine immunisation,
replacing the two doses of measles vaccine given to children at 9-12 months and 16-24 months of age

FIRST SMART POLICE STATION

 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu inaugurates the State‘s First Smart Police Station at
Nagarampalem in Guntur city in Amaravati on February 6, 2017.

FIRST EVER RAILWAY LINE IN ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLAND

 The Railway Ministry is set to develop the first ever railway line in Andaman and Nicobar Island that
currently has no rail network.

 The Ministry of Railway is set to approve the project that will construct 240-km broad gauge railway
line connecting Port Blair with Diglipur, the largest town on Andaman Island

SUPREME COURT

 The Supreme Court has directed the central government on February 6, 2017 to link the phone numbers of the
entire mobile users, with their Aadhaar Number within a period of one year.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 36

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

 The verification decision by bench of Judges including Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice NV
Ramana was needed as mobile phones are being used for banking purposes.

 The court has proposed the government to frame rules and regulations so that SIM cards, including pre-paid,
are not misused.

QATAR RECORD

 Qatar recorded the lowest ever temperature in the history of the country on February 5, 2017 with a temperature
of 1.5 degree Celsius (35 degree Fahrenheit).

VEERAPPAN, CHASING THE BRIGAND

 The book titled ―Veerappan, Chasing the Brigand‖, authored by Shri K. Vijay Kumar, Senior Security Adviser,
Ministry of Home Affairs, was released by the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on
February 8, 2017.

 The book is a source of inspiration to understand the tactics used for wiping out the most dreaded forest brigand
Veerappan on whom a prize money of Rupees 5 crores had been declared.

WORLD‘S FIRST COMPREHENSIVE BRAILLE ATLAS

 The Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan released the world‘s first
comprehensive Braille atlas for nearly 50 lakh visually challenged people in India on February 10, 2017 in New
Delhi.

BLUE HEART CAMPAIGN

 Folk singer from Punjab Satinder Sartaaj (34) has been selected for the awareness project against human
trafficking ―Blue Heart Campaign‖ by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

 Sartaaj will works with Indian musicians like AR Rahman and Sonu Nigam to spread awareness about the
illegal practice through Music to Inspire album.

RUFOUS-TAILED

 A Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush has been spotted in the high mountainous region of Nepal by Friends of
Nature (FoN) reasearchers and then confirmed by the bird experts Carol Inskipp and Hem Sagar Baral.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 37

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

WORLD‘S LONGEST ELEVATED CYCLE

 The world‘s longest elevated cycle path has been opened in Xiamen, China which can handle about 2,023
cyclists with a speed limit of 15 miles per hour.

INDIA‘S FIRST FLOATING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

 India‘s first floating elementary school particularly for drop outs has been inaugurated on Loktak lake at
Langolsabi Leikai of Champu Khangpok floating village in Manipur on the occasion of World Wetlands Day on
February 2, 2017.

 The school named as Loktak Elementary Floating School has been opened under an initiative of All Loktak
Lake Fishermen‘s Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM) with the support of NGO, People‘s Resources Development
Association (PRDA) under a programme of ActionAid India.

NATURE FEST AT THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE

 France based UNESCO organised the two-day Nature Fest at the World Heritage Site Great Himalayan
National Park (GNHP) at Sairopa in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh from February 11, 2017.

FIRST INDIGENOUSLY BUILT AIRBORNE

 The IAF has formally inducted the first indigenously built Airborne Early Warning and Control System named
as NETRA developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation at the Aero India exhibition on
February 14, 2017.

STOCKHOLM INTERNATIONAL PEACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

 According to a report released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on February 20,
2017, India emerged as the world‘s largest importer of major arms during 2012–16.

 As per the report, India accounted for 13 percent of the global total sales.The total volume of international
transfers of major weapons has grown continuously since 2004 and increased by 8.4 per cent between 2007–11
and 2012–16.

 According to the data, in Asia, India increased its arms imports by 43 percent between 2007–11 and 2012–16
which is far greater than the imports by its rivals China and Pakistan.

 Between 2007 and 2011, India accounted for 9.7% of global imports which is still more than any other country.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 38

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

INDIA‘S FIRST HILL STATION BICYCLE PATH WAS INAUGURATED IN DARJEELING ON

FEBRUARY 25, 2017.

 The 20 km long cycle route is developed at an altitude of over 2,000 metres and runs through thick pine
forest and Senchal wildlife sanctuary.

 The path also provides a view of the third-highest mountain in the world, Kanchenjunga. The route starts from
near Jorebunglow, south of Darjeeling and ends at a small local eco-village resort in Chatakpur.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 39

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
LIST OF COUNTRIES AND CURRENCIES

Country Currency
Afghanistan Afghani
Albania Lek
Algeria Dinar
Angola Kwanza
Argentina Peso
Australia Australian Dollar
Austria Euro
Bahamas Bahamian Dollar
Bahrain Bahraini Dinar
Barbados Barbadian Dollar
Belarus Belarusian Ruble
Belgium Euro
Bermuda Bermudian Dollar
Bhutan Bhutanese Ngultrum
Bolivia Boliviano
Brazil Real
Bulgaria Lev
Cambodia Riel
Cameroon Cfa Franc
Canada Canadian Dollar
Chile Peso
China Yuan
Colombia Peso
Croatia Kuna
Cuba Cuban Peso
Cyprus Euro
Czech Republic Czech Koruna
Denmark Danish Krone
Egypt Egyptian Pound
Ethiopia Birr
Fiji Dollar
Finland Euro
France Franc
Gambia Gambian Dalasi
Georgia Lari
Germany Euro
Ghana Ghana Cedi
Greece Euro
Hungary Forint
Iceland Krona

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 40

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

Indonesia Rupiah
Iran Rial
Iraq Iraqi Dinar
Ireland Euro
Israel New Shekel
Italy Euro
Jamaica Dollar
Japan Yen
Kazakhstan Tenge
Kenya Kenyan Shilling
Kyrgyzstan Som
Laos Kip
Latvia Euro
Lebanon Lebanese Pound
Liberia Liberian Dollar
Libya Dinar
Lithuania Euro
Luxembourg Euro
Madagascar Malagasy Ariary
Malaysia Ringgit
Maldives Maldivian Rufiyaa
Mali Cfa Franc
Malta Euro
Mauritius Mauritian Rupee
Mexico Peso
Monaco Euro
Mongolia Tögrög
Morocco Moroccan Dirham
Mozambique Mozambican Metical
Myanmar Kyat
Namibia Namibian Dollar
Nepal Nepalese Rupee
Netherlands Euro
Nigeria Naira
New Zealand Dollar
North Korea North Korean Won
Norway Krone
Oman Rial
Pakistan Pakistani Rupee
Philippines Peso
Poland Złoty
Portugal Euro
Qatar Riyal
Romania Leu
Russia Ruble
Rwanda Rwandan Franc

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 41

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

Saudi Arabia Saudi Riyal

Serbia Dinar
Seychelles Seychellois Rupee
Sierra Leone Leone
Somalia Somali Shilling
South Africa South African Rand
South Korea Won
South Sudan South Sudanese pound
Spain Euro
Sri Lanka Rupee
Sudan Sudanese Pound
Sweden Krona
Switzerland Franc
Syria Pound
Taiwan Taiwan Dollar
Tajikistan Somoni
Tanzania Tanzanian Shilling
Thailand Baht
Tunisia Tunisian Dinar
Turkey Lira
Turkmenistan Turkmen New Manat
Uganda Ugandan Shilling
United Arab Emirates UAE Dirham
United States of America Dollar
Uruguay Peso
Uzbekistan Som
Zambia Zambian Kwacha
Zimbabwe US Dollar

BELOW IS THE LIST OF NATIONAL EMBLEMS OF SOME OF THE COUNTRIES

Australia Kangaroo
Bangladesh Water Lily
Barbados Head of a Trident
Belgium Lion
Canada White Lily
Chile Candor and Huemul
Denmark Beach
Dominica Sisserou Parrot
France Lily
Germany Corn Flower
Guyana Canje Pheasant
Hong kong Bauhinia
India Sarnath Lion Capital

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 42

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

Iran Rose
Ireland Shamrock
Isarel Candelabrum
Italy White Lily
Ivory Coast Elephant
Japan Chrysanthemum
Lebanon Cedar tree
Luxembourg Lion with Crown
Mongolia The Soyombo
New Zealand Sothern Cross, Kiwi
Norway Lion
Pakistan Crescent
Papua New guinea Bird of paradise
Senegal Baobab Tree
Sierra leone Lion
Spain Eagle
Sri Lanka Lion
Sudan Secretary Bird
Syria Eagle
Turkey Crescent and Star
U.K. Rose
USA Golden Rod
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Bird

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 43

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

TAMIL NADU
TN TABLES BILLS FOR EXEMPTION FROM NEET

 Tamil Nadu on Tuesday became the first State to introduce Bills in the Legislative Assembly to exempt aspirants
from appearing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) to get admission into medical and dental
colleges.

 Many States, including Maharashtra and Karnataka, have opposed the NEET.

 The Tamil Nadu Admission to MBBS and BDS Courses Bill 2017, tabled by Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar,
seeks to admit students to undergraduate medical courses based on their scores in the Plus Two board
examinations.

 Separately, the Tamil Nadu Admission to Postgraduate Courses in Medicine and Dentistry Bill, 2017 seeks to
admit students for postgraduate medical/dental courses based on marks obtained in the qualifying
undergraduate examinations.

HOUSE 12 BILLS INCLUDING 2 ON NEET PASSED

 The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed 12 Bills including those seeking to exempt medical
aspirants from appearing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)

 The two NEET Bills, seeking to admit students to undergraduate medical courses based on their scores in Plus 2
exams, and another to post-graduate courses based on marks in the UG exams, were passed unanimously.

THE TAMILNADU GOVERNOR C VIDYASAGAR RAO APPOINTED

EDAPPADI K. PALANISWAMI AS 13th CHIEF MINISTER OF THE STATE ON FEBRUARY 16, 2017

 His appointment is in acceptance of the letter submitted by Palaniswami on February 14, 2017 that he
was elected as the leader of the AIADMK legislature party at a meeting of the party MLAs.

 The Governor has invited him to form the ministry at the earliest as well as requested him to seek the vote
confidence of the assembly within 15 days.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 44

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

COMMITTEE
HAJ COMMITTEE OF INDIA MOBILE APP

 An Android App available on Google Play store

 All modules already achivated. Enquiry module will be activated after registration of pilgrims with cover
numbers allotted.

 Application for Haj can be made directly from the App.

 Five adults plus Two infants can apply together

 Applicant‘s eligibility for reserved categories will be validated in real time

 If the applicant had applied in earlier years, his data will be auto fetched

 Payment can be made throght App

 A PDF copy of the from will go to applicant‘s email. After affixing photo

 The printout with documents is to be sent to the state Haj Committess (SHC)

AYUSH

 The Ministry of AYUSH has constituted a 16-member committee under the chairmanship of Dr. H.R.
Nagendra, Chancellor, S-Vyasa University, to prepare a Yoga Protocol for Diabetes Control

INSOLVENCY AND BANKRUPTCY BOARD OF INDIA

 Ms. Suman Saxena took charge as the Whole Time Member, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI)
on February 22, 2017.

 Ms Saxena will look after Research and Regulation Wing comprising Corporate Insolvency, Corporate
Liquidation, Individual Insolvency, Individual Bankruptcy, Research and Publications, Data Management and
Dissemination and Advocacy.

 She will also look after National Insolvency Programme, Continuing Professional Programme, and Knowledge
Management and Partnership.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 45

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

IMPORTANT INDEX

THE INDIA INNOVATION INDEX LAUNCHED BY NITI AAYOG ON FEBRUARY 2, 2017 HAS
BEEN DEVELOPED TO RANK THE STATES ON THE BASIS OF INNOVATION

 The Indian Policy Think Tank, NITI Aayog together with Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP)
and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has launched a first of its kind online portal, India Innovation Index
in India to rank the states on the basis of innovation.

 The Index has been developed by the Indian sides in consultation with the World Economic Forum, the World
Intellectual Property Organization, Cornell University, OECD, UNIDO, ILO, UNESCO, ITU and others.

INDIA HAS BEEN RANKED 143 OUT OF 186 ECONOMIES IN THE ANNUAL INDEX OF
ECONOMIC FREEDOM 2017 RELEASED BY TOP US BASED THINK TANK, THE HERITAGE
FOUNDATION.

 The Index measures the degree of economic freedom in the countries of the world. Hong Kong, Singapore and
New Zealand are the top three nations in the Index respectively.

 India has been placed in the category of ―Mostly Unfree‖ Economies in which the points ranges from 50.0-59.9.

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 46

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

QUESTIONS
1. The India Innovation Index launched by NITI Aayog on February 2, 2017 has been developed to rank which of
the following?
A.States B.Educational Institutions C.Entrepreneurs D.Financial Institutions

2. Which Country is set to launch World‘s first and largest nuclear icebreaker fleet for a vast arctic army?
A.FRANCE B.RUSSIA C.CHINA D.UNITED STATES

3. Where was the 53rd SAARC Programming Committee Meeting held?

A.New Delhi B.Kathmandu C.Islamabad D.Colombo

4. The 2020 Olympic Games medals would be made up of which of the following material?
A.Recycled Plastic Bottles B.Recycled Mobile Phones
C.Recycled Tin Boxes D.Recycled Ball Pens

5. The Right to Information (RTI) Act of which country came into force on February 3, 2017?
A.Iran B.Nepal C.Bangladesh D.Sri Lanka

6. The scientists have found which fruit to be hazardous to health if its intake is followed by skipping the evening
meal?
A.Litchi B.Strawberry C.Melon D.Guava

7. Which state has recently introduced transgender category in its Board Examination?
A.Punjab B.Haryana C.Bihar D.Uttar Pradesh

8. Which solar powered spacecraft of NASA completed a close flyby of Jupiter for the fourth time on February 2,
2017?
A.Orion B.Juno C.Dawn D.Skylab

9. The first smart police station of Andhra Pradesh has been launched in which city on February 6, 2017?
A.Visakhapatnam B.Tirupati C.Vijayawada D.Guntur

10. Where was the 17th session of the BIMSTEC senior officials‘ meeting held on February 7, 2017?
A.Colombo B.Dhaka C.New Delhi D.Kathmandu

11. A new bird species Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush has recently been discovered in which country?
A.Japan B.Nepal C.Bangladesh D.Sri Lanka

12. Which movie has won the Best Film award at the 2017 BAFTA awards?
A.Fences B.Lion C.La La Land D.Manchester by the Sea

13. The two day UNESCO Natural Heritage Festival 2017 was held in which state?
A.Assam B.Goa C.Himachal Pradesh D.Uttarakhand

14. Who won the 2017 New Zealand Grand Prix on February 12, 2017?
A.Jehan Daruvala B.Ajith Kumar C.Armaan Ebrahim D.Karun Chandhok

15. Which renowned Hindi scholar has been named for the 2016 Vyas Samman?
A.Surendra Verm B.Vishwanath Tripathi
C.Kamal Kishore Goyenka D.Sunita Jain

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 47

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

16. What are Masala Bonds?

A.Rupee dominated bonds traded oversees B.Oversees traded bond in oversees currency
C.Domestically traded bond in dollars D.Rupee dominated bonds traded domestically

17. Which space agency has proposed to set up Space Technology Research Institutes (STRIs) for deep space
explorations?
A.Indian Space Research Organisation B.National Aeronautics and Space Administration
C.Canadian Space Agency D.China National Space Administration

18. Who has won the 2017 Rotterdam Open?

A.Rafael Nadal B.Gaël Monfils C.David Goffin D.Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

19. The Grand Prophet 11 is a military exercise of which country‘s armed forces?
A.Pakistan B.Afghanistan C.Iran D.Russia

20. Who has won the Genesis Open 2017?

A.Scott Brown B.Dustin Johnson C.Thomas Pieters D.Justin Rose

21. The Government of Jammu & Kashmir has declared to observe the year 2017 dedicated to which fruit?
A.Apple B.Cherry C.Peach D.Strawberry

22. Which organization has won the 2017 International Mercury Awards for the year 2016-17?
A.National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development
B.Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India
C.Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, Management and Technology
D.National Small Industries Corporation Ltd (NSIC)

23. The First Sherpas Meeting of the 9th BRICS Summit was held in which country?
A.India B.Russia C.China D.Brazil

24. Who has been appointed as the Chairman of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on February 22,
2017?
A.RS Bachawat B.Abhay Manohar Sapre
C.Balbir Singh Chauhan D.N.P. Singh

25. Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad was launched by which country on February 22, 2017 to eliminate terrorism and
ensure security at national border?
A.Bangladesh B.Pakistan C.Saudi Arabia D.United Arab Emirates

26. Which state is the second largest producer of crude oil in India?
A.Madhya Pradesh B.Haryana C.Rajasthan D.Gujarat

27. Who has been conferred with the Dr Stya Paul Memorial Award on February 22, 2017 at the third annual Indo-
UK Thought Leadership Awards in London?
A.Aneesh Agrawal B.Virendra Sharma C.Chandana Mahajan D.Rajesh Agrawal

28. Which Indian state has on February 22, 2017 imposed ban on manufacturing, storage, sale or storage of gutkha
or pan masala?
A.Gujarat B.Bihar C.Punjab D.Madhya Pradesh

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 48

 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IR February 2017

29. Which Indian actress has been recently roped in by the government as the brand ambassador for the Swachh
Bharat Mission?
A.Shilpa Shetty B.Parineeti Chopra C.Kangana Ranaut D.Diya Mirza

30. The first Gramin Khel Mahotsav will be held in which city in March 2017?
A.Bangaluru B.Kolkata C.New Delhi D.Indore

31. The world‘s first international zip line has been created to connect which two countries?
A.India and Nepal B.Spain and Portugal
C.Rwanda and Uganda D.Pakistan and China

32. India has approved to expand the cooperation in the field of energy, space and atomic energy sector with which
country on February 22, 2017?
A.Uganda B.Kenya C.Tanzania D.Somalia

33. India‘s first hill station bicycle path has been inaugurated in which hill station on February 25, 2017?
A.Darjeeling B.Shimla C.Manali D.Nainital

34. Centre has decided to set up smart fencing at which of the following international borders to strengthen the
security system?
A.India – China International Borders B.India-Nepal International Borders
C.India-Pakistan International Borders D.India-Myanmar International Borders

35. What is the name of the medical project launched by the Rajasthan government on February 25, 2017 to provide
medical treatment for heart patients in rural area?
A.RAHAT B.SURAKSHA C.RELIEF D.COMFORT

36. Who has been conferred the first prize of the 2017 Vishakha Awards on February 26, 2017?
A.Dr Yogini Satarkar Pande B.Mohan Kumbhar
C.Vishnu Thore D.Dr. Sarman Singh

37. Name the fully unreserved train that as flagged off by the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on February 27, 2017
for common people?
A.Uday Express B.Antyodaya Express
C.Hamsafar Express D.Sankalp Express

38. Who has won the 2017 Open 13 Marseille on February 26, 2017?
A.Jo-Wilfried Tsonga B.Lucas Pouille
C.David Goffin D.Nicolas Mahut

39. February 27, 2017 was observed as the 86th Martyrdom Day of which freedom fighter?
A.Sardar Vallabhai Patel B.Bhagat Singh
C.Chandra Shekhar Azad D.Mangal Pandey

40. Who has recently been appointed as the global Goodwill Ambassador of the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR?
A.Danny Kaye B.John Doyle C.Neil Gaiman D.Novak Djokovic

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
A B B B D A C B D D B C C A A A B D C B
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
A B C B B C B C A C B A A C A A B A C C

9600124042/ 9840097666  Page 49