SH- Current Affairs Update 06th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

International

Maldives declares state of emergency

Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen has declared a 15-day state of Emergency, his aide Azima Shukoor announced on state television.

• The move gives sweeping powers to security forces to arrest and detain suspects as Yameen refuses to comply with a Supreme Court order to release political prisoners.
• The latest crisis was triggered when the Maldivian Supreme Court ordered the release of some opposition leaders, including former president Mohammed Nasheed, after overturning their "terrorism" convictions.

Points to Remember

• The Maldives is a South Asian island country, located in the Indian Ocean, situated in the Arabian Sea.
• Male is the capital of Maldives while Rufiyaa is its currency.

Dubai named the world's busiest International Airport

Dubai International Airport says it has held on to its No 1 ranking as the world's busiest airport for ‘international travel’, after seeing some 88.2 million passengers in 2017.

• Dubai International Airport first surpassed London Heathrow as the world's busiest airport for international traffic in 2014.
• It has maintained the title ever since, with some 90 airlines flying into skyscraper-studded Dubai.
• The airport is home to the long-haul carrier Emirates.
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia remains the world's busiest airport overall.

National 

Rs 51,600 crore released to states under MGNREGA in 2017-18: Government

The Centre has released more than Rs 51,600 crore to states under rural employment guarantee scheme MGNREGA till January 31 in financial year 2017-18, Rajya Sabha was informed.

• In written reply to a question, Minister of State for Rural Development Ram Kripal Yadav said that the release of funds to states for the implementation of various projects under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was a continuous process.
• The ministry has released Rs 51,616.99 crore as on January 31, 2018.

Centre clears Rs 62crore for cleaning Sal river

The central government has approved a project to abate pollution of river Sal at Navelim in Goa at an estimated cost of Rs 61.7 crore.

• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had in 2015 identified the river stretch at Navelim as one of the 302 polluted river stretches across the country based on bio-chemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels
• The project was approved by the Union environment ministry last week under its National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) which covers 31 rivers (other than Ganga and its tributaries) in 14 states.

UP government in association with UNICEF launches DASTAK campaign

In Uttar Pradesh, State government in association with UNICEF has launched massive door to door campaign DASTAK to eradicate deadly Acute Encephalitis Syndrome and Japanise Encephalitis disease in the state.

• In DASTAK campaign, whole state machinery with the help of UNICEF will now literally go door to door in 38 JES and AE affected districts.

Maharashtra govt approves new wildlife sanctuary at Ghodazari

The Maharashtra government has approved Ghodazari in Chandrapur district as a new wildlife sanctuary in the state.

• The decision was taken at the 13th meeting of the Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
• The sanctuary, in the North East of Tadoba, will include 159 sq km of Brahmapuri forest.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades re-elected

Cyprus' conservative incumbent Nicos Anastasiades was re-elected to another five-year term, defeating left-wing rival Stavros Malas.

• With almost all of the votes counted, Anastasiades held a 12-point lead over Malas. 
• Anastasiades defeated Malas in the 2013 presidential election too.

Points to Remember

• Cyprus, officially the Republic of Cyprus is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean and the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean.
• Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus while Euro is its currency.

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant gets extension till June 30, 2019

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant was given an extension till June 30 next year, according to an official order.

• He was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the government think tank on February 17, 2016 for a two-year term.
• Kant is a 1980 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre.

A.K Prasad Assumes Charge as Financial Commissioner, Railway Board

Shri A.K.Prasad has been appointed as new Financial Commissioner (Railways), Railway Board and ex-officio Secretary to Government of India vice Shri B.N.Mohapatra, who superannuated on 31st January, 2018. 

• Shri A.K.Prasad has since assumed charge as the new Financial Commissioner (Railways), with effect from 1st February 2018. 
• Shri Prasad is an officer of Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) of 1981 batch. He has done his Masters in Economics from Delhi School of Economics in the year 1980.

Atul Anand takes Over as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff – FCI

Rear Admiral Atul Anand, VSM has been appointed as the Assistant Chief of  Naval Staff – Foreign Cooperation and Intelligence {ACNS (FCI)} at IHQ MoD (Navy), New Delhi.

• He was commissioned in 1988, in the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy.
• An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, the Defence     Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur, Bangladesh and the National Defence College, New Delhi, the Admiral is a specialist in Navigation and Direction.
• He has also attended the prestigious Advance Security Cooperation Course at the Asia Pacific   Centre for Security Studies, Hawaii, USA.