CURRENT AFFAIRS 19-20th Feb., 2015

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1. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will invest Rs. 400 crore to set up a manufacturing plant to build a fully indigenous Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). Centre has approved the setting up of new manufacturing plant for LUH.

2. Defence public sector Bharat Electronics Limited is planning to set up Rs. 500 crore Greenfield weapon systems facility at Lepakshi in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh.

3. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will implement ‘unified payment interface’ to simplify and provide a single interface across all systems. This will enable all account holders to send and receive money from their smartphones with a single identifier Aadhaar number, mobile number, virtual payments address without entering any bank account information.

4. India successfully test-fired nuclear weapons capable, surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile from Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district, Odisha as part of a user trial by the army. The missile was tested for a shortened range of 250 km as against its full range of 350 km.

5. Chief Minister (CM) of Bihar Jitan Ram Manjhi resigned on 20 February 2015 and recommended the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly. Governor of Bihar KN Tripathi accepted his resignation.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 19th Feb., 2015

1. Union Commerce Ministry has forwarded a recommendation to the Finance Ministry for converting the All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF) into an apex trade body with government representatives. Once the Federation becomes a Council, the trade body will have a reasonable influence in policy-making.

2. Aditya Birla Group will host the world’s first solar-powered airplane, ‘Solar Impulse 2’, in India at Ahmedabad and Varanasi in March. The ‘Si2’ will be the first solar-powered airplane to fly around the world, powered only by the Sun’s rays.

3. Corporate Affairs Ministry has tightened the definition of a ‘small company’ in the new company law to prevent misuse of the privileges available to this category. A company will have to clear both the tests of paid-up capital as well as turnover norm to qualify as a ‘small company’.

4. The first National Tribal Festival Vanaj 2015 concluded on 18 February 2015. The festival was organised by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The festival showcased India’s unique tribal culture, art, painting, music, dance, tribal medicine, tribal food, and tribal cuisine.

5. Legendary Urdu poet Dr. Kalim Ahmed Ajiz died in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand at the age of 90. Ajiz was serving as the Chairman of the Urdu Advisory Committee, Government of Bihar.