Monthly Current Affairs February 2024

International Internet Affairs February 2024

• NASA launches "PACE" mission to study atmosphere and oceans
• NIMHANS was awarded the WHO Nelson Mandela Mandela Award for health benefits.
• India's golden boy Neeraj Chopra was photographed in the "Ice Palace" of Switzerland.
• The world's third-largest mosque "Jamaa Al-Jazair" was built in Algeria.
• Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney passed away on February 29, 2024.
• Romain Rolland Book Award 2024 awarded to the Bengali translation of 'Stalin's Couch'.
• Iran successfully launched the "Pars-I" remote sensing and imaging satellite with the help of the Russian Soyuz-2.1B launcher.
• Hungarian President Katalin Novak resigns over child abuse scandal.
• Indian community event in UAE was organised at “Ahlan Modi”.
• Qatar's court pardoned the death sentence of 8 Indian sailors and released them.
• The first meeting of the Global Biodiversity Framework was held in the USA.
• Modi launches UPI RUPAY card in UAE.
• Alexander Stubb becomes the new President of Finland.
• Saudi Arabia will launch the luxury train "Dream of the Desert" for the first time in the Middle East.
• The 45th Chess Olympiad will be held in Hungary in September 2024.
• India ranked 41st in the EIU Democracy Index 2023.
• UK-based club cricketer Rizwan Javed has been banned from all cricket for 17-and-a-half years for match-fixing.
• Germany became the third-largest economy by surpassing Japan.
• Recently, North Korea tested a new type of surface-to-sea missile named Padasuri-6.
• The world's first air taxi service started in Dubai.
• Nawaf Salam (Lebanon) becomes the new President of the International Court of Justice.
• Japan ends the 1,000-year-old Sominsai festival.
• African country Cameroon started the first malaria vaccine program for children.
• NATO held "Steadfast Defender 24", the largest military exercise in Europe since the end of the Cold War.
• Japan's Toyota company became the largest car-selling company in 2023.
• Microsoft has become a company with a market value of 3 trillion dollars.
• Nitrogen gas was used for capital punishment for the first time in the USA.
• Iran successfully launched three satellites namely Mahda, Kayhan-2 and Hatef-1.
• Sehwaz Sharif becomes the 23rd PM of Pakistan.
• The "Dosti" exercise started between Sri Lanka, India and Maldives.
• The remains of Lord Buddha and his two disciples were sent to Thailand.
• Dubai issues multiple entry visas for 5 years for Indian tourists.
• India ranks 93rd out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perception Index 2023.
• Johor Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar was sworn in as Malaysia's new king.
• Elon Musk's company Neuralink did wonders for the first time by implanting a chip in the human brain.
• Microsoft and iCrypt launched the iMPEL-AI program to empower Indian startups.
• Turkey successfully conducts a pre-test of fifth generation fighter aircraft "KAAN".
• Ilham Aliyev was elected the new President of Azerbaijan.
• Multinational civilized peace effort IV started in Nepal.
• Malta becomes the 119th member of the International Solar Alliance.
• China became the world's top exporter by defeating Japan.
• The US Space Agency (NASA) has launched Moon lander Odysseus into space using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.
• The world's tallest 721-foot Ram temple will be built in Perth, Australia.
• The first death from the rare disease Alaskapox virus was seen on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.

Sports World Current Affairs February 2024

• Etihad Airways will be the new sponsor of Chennai Super King.
• Namibia's John Nicole Lofty-Eaton scored the fastest T20 century in a record 33 balls.
• Hockey India CEO Elena Norman resigns after 13 years due to disputes with the women's team.
• India won a total of 18 medals including nine gold, six silver and three bronze at the International Track Cycling Championship 2024 held in New Delhi.
• Sumit Nangal won the singles title of Geeta Chennai Challengers Title.
• The Indian women's team won a historic gold medal at the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 by defeating Thailand 3-2 in the final in Shah Alam, Malaysia.
• Ravichandran Ashwin has become the second Indian player to join the elite 500 Test club.
• West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph won the ICC January 2024 Best Men's Player award while Ireland's Amy Hunter also won the Best Women's Player award.
• Qatar won the AFC Asian Cup 2023 title by defeating Jordan.
• Australia won the Under-19 Cricket World Cup by defeating India.
• Dhoni became the captain of the all-time team of IPL.
• India won 8 medals in the Asian Shotgun Championship 2024.
• Suryakumar Yadav has won the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year award for the second consecutive year.
• Rohan Bopanna becomes the oldest player to win a Grand Slam at the age of 43 Australian Open Men's Doubles
• Netherlands crowned men's FIH Hockey5s World Champions for the first time
• Maharashtra topped the Khelo India Youth 2023 with a total of 158 medals (57 gold, 48 silver, 53 bronze).
• Vishnu Saravanan got India's first Olympic quota in sailing.
• Ravichandran Ashwin became the bowler taking the most wickets at home.
• The mascot of the Khelo India Winter Games 2024 is the snow leopard.

National Current News February 2024

• PhonePe launches indigenous Android marketplace Indus App Store.
• Southern states Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry have banned cotton candy after it was found to contain the cancer-causing substance Rhodamine-B.
• Arunachal Pradesh becomes the first North Eastern state to cover 100% of households under Har Ghar Jal Yojana.
• The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand launched the 'Himalayan Orchestra' scheme in which different products were prepared by purchasing products like milk, turmeric, mint under the Himalayan Orchestra.
• The first IIT satellite campus will be developed in Ujjain.
• North India's first DNA bank will open in Bhubaneswar.
• IIT Madras Incubator develops India's first septic tank cleaning robot.
• The total number of Ramsar sites in India now reaches 80.
• Tripura becomes the first northeastern state to launch universal health coverage.
• "Swag" is a bridge system launched by DRDO for the Indian Army.
• 'Road Safety Force' program launched for break-in road supermarkets in Punjab.
• A rare golden tiger is seen in Kaziranga, Assam.
• Dr. Nitya Anand, the inventor of India's first oral contraceptive pill "Saheli", passed away.
• North-East India's first 100-bed Yoga and Naturopathy Hospital was built in Dibrugarh, Assam.
• Bhavish Aggarwal's film CreedDream becomes India's first unicorn after raising $50 million.
• Most snow leopards are found in Ladakh.
• Champion trap shooter Havildar Preeti Rajak has become the first woman to attain the rank of Subedar in the Indian Army.
• Indian Army and Royal Saudi Land Forces conducted the first joint exercise 'Sada Tanseeq 2024' at Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.
• Tata Group and Airbus ink pact for India's first private helicopter assembly line.
• Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launches 100 Cube Startup initiative at IIT Bhubaneswar.
• Karnataka is the first state in India which aims to become the EV capital of India.
• Under the 'Asha Kirana' scheme of the Government of Karnataka, comprehensive eye check-ups of persons of all age groups will be done. Besides, free spectacles will be provided to visually impaired people and cataract surgery will also be done free of cost.
• Indian Navy to set up second VLF communication station in Telangana
• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced that the state will set up a melanistic tiger safari.
• India will export the BrahMos supersonic missile system to the Philippines.
• ISRO has developed advanced satellite communication and navigation capabilities 'Distress Alert Transmitter' (DAT-5G) for fishermen.
• Japan launched rocket H3 which has a payload capacity of 6.5 metric tons.
• NASA and Japan Aerospace Agency (JAXA) are considering launching the world's first wooden satellite, Lignosat, into space.
• BPCL became India's first company to set up a hydrogen plant at the airport (Kochi).
• India and Nepal signed an agreement to link central banks with UPI and NPI.
• India's Defense Ministry has become the first ministry to make purchases worth Rs 1.50 lakh crore from the government e-marketplace.
• Haryana Government has launched the Van Mitra Scheme to expand forest area, conserve the environment, and reduce pollution and tackle climate change.
• India's first helicopter emergency medical service will start in Uttarakhand.
• PM Modi inaugurates the country's first Hindu temple in UAE.
• The famous sculptor of Ramlala's idol is Arun Yogiraj.
• India's UPI service started in Sri Lanka and Mauritius.
• CAR T-cell therapy has now been approved in India, it is used in the treatment of cancer.
• Music Academy will open its first South India Cultural Center in Hyderabad.
• Sikkim Government launches INSPIRES program through which, the State Government aims to create evidence-based modules to provide better economic inclusion opportunities for women and youth.
• The first French Film Festival 2024 started in West Bengal.
• Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Bill 2024 was passed to close all hookah parlours in Telangana.
• SWATI portal is to be created to represent Indian women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) fields.
• SC declares electoral bonds unconstitutional.
• India was honoured with the 9th Government Tech Award at the World Government Summit 2024.
• Kaji Nemu (Citrus Limon) has been declared as the state fruit by the Government of Assam.
• Rajasthan Government launched Mukhyamantri Vishwakarma Pension Scheme under which under this scheme, eligible workers aged 60 years or above will get a monthly pension of Rs 2000.
• ISRO launches new satellite INSAT-3DS third generation meteorological information from Sri Harikota.
• Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be the guest of the 9th Raisina Dialogue.
• Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and Urdu poet Gulzar will be honoured for the 58th Jnanpith Award 2023.
• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman S. Somnath was given the Nambiar Award.
• Central Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has launched the "Swayam Plus" platform for online courses.
• Tripura Chief Minister inaugurates Jagannath Dighi Waterfront Development Project in Udaipur to enhance infrastructure and promote tourism.
• Reliance launched an initiative for animal welfare named Vantara (Star of the Jungle).
• The target of Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme is to provide 300 units of free electricity to 1 crore people.
• Cabinet approved Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samriddhi Sa Yojana with a budget of Rs 6 crore for 4 years.
• Tata Motors becomes the first group in India to achieve a market cap of Rs 30 lakh crore.
• India's IFFCO got first place among the top 300 cooperative societies at the world level.
• The world's first Vedic clock will be organized in Ujjain.
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Ministry of AYUSH launched Mission Utkarsh to overcome anaemia among adolescent girls.
• Famous ghazal singer Pankaj Uddas passes away.
• Adani Group unveils South Asia's largest ammunition and missile complex in U.P.
• Sikkim's first station "Rangpo" was unveiled by PM Modi.
• Recently the Archaeological Department has discovered a closed Harappan era fort in Morodham, Gujarat.
• India has stopped the flow of Ravi water towards Pakistan through Shahpur Kandi Barrage Dam in Punjab.
• India's (DRDO) test-fired two of its very short-range air-defence system (VSHORADS) missiles from a ground-based portable launcher.
• US-India cyber security initiative launched for the first time in Pune to secure IT connections.

Awards & Appointments In February 2024

• India ranks 42nd in the Global Intellectual Property Index.
• Former Justice Ajay Manikrao will be the new Lokpal of the country.
• Oppenheimer became the best film at the BAFTA Awards 2024, and Cillian Murphy became the best actor.
• Prabowo Subianto became the newly elected President of Indonesia.
• Indian housing project launched for construction of 1300 new houses in Sri Lanka.
• SC declares AAP party candidate Kuldeep Kumar as the new Mayor of Chandigarh.
• Lawyer Ajit Mishra has been honoured with the "Freedom of the City of London" award at the Guildhall for his notable contributions to the legal and public sectors.
• The Ministry of Culture was given the Best Republic Day Parade 2024 award for the theme of “India, Mother of Democracy”.
• Manipur girl Roshibina Naorem was chosen as the Female Wushu Sanda Player of the Year 2023.
• "12th Fail" won the Best Film Award at the 69th Filmfare.
• Indian scientists Professor Rahul R. Nair, Professor Mehul Malik, and Dr Tanmay Bharat were honoured with Britain's 'Blavatnik Award'.
• Shahrukh Khan wins Best Actor award for Jawan at Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards (DPIFF) 2024. 
• Anil Lahoti becomes the new chairman of TRAI.