SH- Current Affairs Update 16th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister submits resignation after protests

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced that he has submitted a resignation letter after the worst anti-government protests in a quarter-century.

• Ethiopia has been rocked by months of protests demanding wider freedoms that have left hundreds dead and tens of thousands detained.
• The protests have disrupted life and business in one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies.

India’s 1st radio festival to be held in Delhi

India's first radio festival was held in Delhi on February 15, 2018.

• The festival was organised by the International of Women in Radio and Television, in collaboration with UNESCO.
• The radio festival was held to mark World Radio Day 2018, which was on February 13.

Mumbai to host TiE Global Summit

The TiE Global Summit (TGS) will be held in Mumbai on February 21 and 22.

• Helmed by TiE Mumbai, the second edition of the summit will have over 2000 participants, including successful entrepreneurs, industry leaders, leading investors, senior corporate professionals and academia in attendance at the J W Marriott Sahar.
• The summit is being held in association with leading government agencies and over 20 TiE chapters across India, USA, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and Dubai,with the aim of setting the tone for the next wave of business and innovation.

Prime Minister to inaugurate World Sustainable Development Summit 2018

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will inaugurate the 2018 edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS 2018) at VigyanBhawan in the capital on 16thFebruary.

• WSDS is the flagship forum of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and seeks to bring together on a common platform, global leaders and thinkers in the fields of sustainable development, energy and environment sectors.
• The theme of the Summit this year is ‘Partnerships for a Resilient Planet’.
• WSDS 2018 seeks to create action frameworks to resolve some of the most urgent challenges facing developing economies in the backdrop of climate change.
  

NDB to finance Rajasthan Water Sector Restructuring Project

The Loan Agreement for financing of Rajasthan Water Sector Restructuring Project for the Desert Areas was signed between Government of India and the New Development Bank (NDB) on 13th February 2018 at New Delhi.

• This is the first tranche loan of USD 100 million approved by the NDB under the Multi Tranche Financing Facility of USD 345 million for this project.
• The` objective of this Project is to rehabilitate the 678 km long Indira Gandhi Canal system built during 1958-63 to prevent seepage, conserve water, and enhance water use efficiency as mandated by both national and state level policies on water use.

Centre to change base year for GDP, IIP to 2017-18

The government will change the base year to 2017-18 for the calculation of GDP and IIP numbers while for retail inflation the year will be revised to 2018, Union minister D V Sadananda Gowda said.

• The statistics ministry has proposed the new base year for GDP and IIP as 2017-18 while for CPI it will be 2018.
• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) has been allocated Rs 4,859 crore in the Union Budget 2018-19.

K P Sharma Oli becomes Nepal PM for second time

CPN-UML chairperson K P Sharma Oli has become Nepal's Prime Minister for the second time.

• President Bidhya Devi Bhandari appointed 65-year-old Oli as the country's 41st prime minister.
• Oli, who is known for his pro-China stance, had served as the country's prime minister from October 11, 2015 to August 3, 2016.
• Earlier, former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had addressed the nation and submitted his resignation to the president.

Cyril Ramaphosa elected President of South Africa

Cyril Ramaphosa has been elected as South Africa’s new president by ruling party legislators after the resignation of Jacob Zuma.

• Mr. Ramaphosa was the only candidate nominated for election in the parliament after two opposition parties said they would not participate.
• Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng presided over the parliamentary election.

Archaeologist Arvind Jamkhedkar to head ICHR

Archaeologist and historian Arvind P. Jamkhedkar will be the next Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).

• He will replace Prof. K. Sudershan Rao, whose term as ICHR chief was mired in controversy.
• The post fell vacant after Prof. Rao’s retirement.  Prof. Jamkhedkar is at present Chancellor of Deccan College, Pune.

Tamil Nadu win maiden senior national football championship

Tamil Nadu beat Manipur 2-1 to lift their maiden title in the 23rd edition of the Senior Women's National Football Championship in Cuttack.

• Tamil Nadu created history by becoming champions in their first-ever final with Indumathi scoring the opener in the 3rd minute while Indrani made it 2-0 in the 40th minute.