Current Affairs-GK February 28, 2016

28 February: National Science Day

National Science Day is celebrated on February 28, every year. This day is celebrated to mark the everlasting contributions of Indian physicist Sir CV Raman.
It was on this day Sir CV Raman discovered the phenomenon of scattering of light in 1928 and also won a Nobel Prize in 1930 for it.
He had worked from 1907 to 1933 at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata, West Bengal in India during which he had researched on many topics of the Physics from which the Raman Effect became his great success and discovery which has been marked in the Indian history.

Former CAG Vinod Rai to chair Banks Board Bureau

Moving ahead with banking sector reforms, the government has appointed former Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai as the Chairman of the Banks Board Bureau.
Function of Banks Board Bureau
To advise the government on top-level appointments at public sector lenders and ways to address the bad loans problem among other issues.
Besides, ICICI Bank’s former Joint Managing Director H N Sinor, Bank of Baroda’s former CMD Anil K Khandelwal and rating agency CRISIL’s former chief Rupa Kudwa have been appointed as members.

Government to mobilise Rs 10 lakh cr investment under Sagarmala

Under its ambitious Sagarmala project, the government is looking to mobilise at least Rs 10 lakh crore investment, including Rs 4 lakh crore in the infrastructure sector alone.
About Sagarmala Project
Sagarmala is a project unveiled by the Narendra Modi government that aims to accelerate economic development by harnessing the potential of India's 7,500 km coastline.
The project holds significance in the wake of maritime logistics being an important component of the Indian economy accounting for 90 per cent of EXIM trade by volume and 72 per cent of EXIM trade by value.

Ratan Tata invests in home rental startup NestAway

Top industrialist Ratan Tata has invested an undisclosed amount in home rental company NestAway Technologies .
This is Tata's eighth personal investment in a startup in 2016 so far. He has invested in over 20 startups.
NestAway turns unbranded, unfurnished houses into fully furnished and managed apartments and provides them at affordable prices to verified tenants, said the statement by IDG Ventures India, which is an investor in the company.
NestAway has provided quality rental homes to about 5,000 tenants across six cities.
The company has raised over USD 13 million in capital in two rounds from marquee investors, including IDG Ventures India, Tiger Global, Flipkart and entrepreneur Naveen Tewari.

Government comes out with draft norms for Euro VI emission standard

After having decided to move up directly to Euro VI emission norms for petrol and diesel from April 1, 2020, the government has come out with draft rules on emission standards for various categories of vehicles.
Specifying mass emission standards for Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) for various category vehicles including those with a gross vehicle weight not exceeding 3,500 kg, manufactured on or after April 1, 2020 for all models, the government has sought suggestions or objections, if any,within a month.
The draft of certain rules aims at amending the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, which the central government proposes to make in exercise with the powers conferred on it under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
The government in January has decided to leapfrog directly from Euro IV emission norms for petrol and diesel to Euro VI standards, and the oil PSUs will invest Rs 28,750 crore for the transition.

Kerala Muziris Heritag inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee

President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated Kerala Tourism’s Muziris Heritage Project (MHP) at Trissur in Kerala.
The project is India’s largest heritage conservation project and Kerala Government’s first green Project.
Muziris is the hub of the spice route and the bustling port of the first century BC that drew legions of Arab, Roman, Greek, Chinese and Jewish traders from across the seas. Its launch will unveil the history and heritage of Muziris described by Roman Naturalist Pliny the Elder as India’s first emporium
The project gains added significance due to its close link with the Spice Route initiative launched by Kerala Tourism with the support of UNESCO to revive Kerala’s age-old trade ties with 41 countries of the world.

BK Garudachar, India's oldest first-class cricketer, passed away

India's oldest first-class cricketer BK Garudachar, who represented Mysore (as Karnataka), United Province and Bombay, passed away on 26 February 2016 in Bangalore, at the age of 99.
Born on 13 January 1917 at Chikamagalur in Karnataka, Garudachar started playing for Mysore before representing United Province and Bombay in the 1940s. He graduated in engineering from the Benares University.

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