• National

‘Darwaza Band Part 2’ Campaign Launched by Swatch Bharat Mission Grameen

• ‘Darwaza Band- Part 2’ campaign launched by Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen focuses on sustaining the open defecation free status of villages across the country.
• Earlier Darwaza Band campaign was launched in 2017.
• The campaign launched by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in Mumbai in the presence of actor Amitabh Bachchan.

• National

Cabinet approves the establishment of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog

• The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for the establishment of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog for conservation, protection and development of cows and their progeny.
• It will lead to the development of the cattle population in the country including the development and conservation of indigenous breeds.
• Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog was announced in the budget on the 1st of this month.

• National

Smriti Irani launches India Size project in Mumbai

• The Textile Minister Smriti Irani has launched the India Size project (first-of-its-kind project in the history of the country) in Mumbai.
• The objective of the India Size to arrive at a standard Indian Size for the ready-to-wear clothing industry.
• India size project will benefit manufacturers, consumers and generate data which will help tap into the potential of the sector.
• The Minister also launched a Study of Apparel Consumption in India, study report will release by July 2019.

• International

American Members of US-India CEO Forum Announced

• US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has announced the names of the American private sector members of the US-India CEO Forum among who are MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga and Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf.
• The first meeting of the forum will be held in New Delhi on February 14.
• The US CEOs serve two-year terms and are selected from respondents to a Federal Register Notice calling for CEO-level applicants to the US Section of the Forum.

• International

Trump nominates US treasury diplomat David Malpass to head World Bank

• Donald Trump (US President) has nominated senior Treasury official ‘David Malpass’(62-years) as the chief of the World Bank for a five-year term.
• He would replace Jim Yong Kim, if voted by the Directors of the World Bank Group.
• Traditionally, the World Bank Group President has always been an American citizen nominated by the United States (the largest shareholder in the World Bank Group).
• At present, David Malpass is the Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs.
• The position of Managing Director of International Monetary Fund has gone to Europe.

• International

Macedonia signs accord to join NATO

• Macedonia formally signed an agreement to join NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) to become the 30th member of the US-led alliance.
• According to Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov, the country will never walk alone once in the alliance.
• The admittance of a new member highlighted that all European nations who meet the entrance criteria could join the regional alliance.
• The Macedonia-NATO accord follows a deal with Greece ending a 27-year-old dispute over Macedonia’s name.
• The most recent member state to be added to NATO is Montenegro on 5th June 2017.

• Economy and Business

RBI cuts repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25%

• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to reduce the key policy rate or the repo rate by 25 bps to 6.25% in bimonthly policy review of 2018-19.
• The three-day policy review meeting by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) began headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das in Mumbai.
• Reduce the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 6.5% to 6.25% with immediate effect.
• The reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 6.0 per cent.
• The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 6.5 per cent.

• Awards

SBI UK Chief Honoured ‘Freedom of the City of London’

• The State Bank of India’s Uk chief Mr. Sanjiv Chadha has been honored with the ‘Freedom of the City Of London’ by the city of London Corporation in recognition of his contribution to promoting the bilateral relations. Sanjiv Chadha was nominated for the honor by Lord Mayor of London Peter Estlin and Sheriff Vincent Keaveny.
• Sanjiv Chadha took up the position in 2014 and he will be succeeded by Sharad Chandak.
• Jawaharlal Nehru was the previous Indian recipient of this award and other recipient includes author JK Rowling and actor Dame Judi Dench.

• Appointments

Air India Chairperson Pradeep Singh Kharola Appointed Civil Aviation Secretary

• The government appointed Air India chief managing director and Chairperson Pradeep Singh Kharola the secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• Kharola will take over from Rajiv Nayan Choubey.
• Kharola, an Indian Administrative Services officer of Karnataka cadre from the 1985 batch, was named chairperson of Air India in November 2017.
• He presided over a turbulent period for the national carrier, which is not doing well financially.

• States

Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen banned: MHA

• J&K-based Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen has been banned by the Home Ministry.
• The group that came into existence in 1990 has been fighting for the liberation of Kashmir, and was also involved in a series of terror acts.
• A lot of cases have been registered by the J&K police in which TuM has played a major role in the commission of terror acts.

• States

Arunachal's Nyishi tribe celebrates Boori Boot Yollo festival

• The Nyishi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh is celebrating its Boori Boot Yollo festival (52nd) to welcome spring and a successful harvest.
• Boori Boot Yollo is observed every year in the month of February.
• The festival witnessed the grand display of Punu/Jajin and Boori Yapa dance.