TNPSC Daily Current Affairs - February 8 & 9, 2018 - TNPSC Current Affairs - www.TNPSCGURU.in 2018

TNPSC Current Affairs - February 2018 by TNPSC Guru

1.International Labour Organisation 

• Union Cabinet has given its nod for placing new instrument adopted by International Labour organisation (ILO) Recommendation concerning “The Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience (No.-205)”.
• It was adopted by ILO in its 106^th session held in Geneva in 2015. 

2.Minamata Convention on Mercury. 

• Union Cabinet has given its nod on proposal for ratification of Minamata Convention on Mercury.
• Apporval which entails the continued use of mercury and mercury based products upto 2025.
• Minamata convention aim to protect human health and environment from the anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and its compounds. 

3.Secondment Programme. 

• Union Cabinet has given its nod for signing Memorandum of Understanding for Secondment programme between India and Australia.
• The secondment programme is for 3 months between Department of Economic Affairs of India  and The Treasury, Government of Australia. 

4.‘Prime Minister Research Fellows (PMRF). 

• Union Cabinet given nod for implementing Prime Minister Research Fellows Scheme.
• The scheme will give direct admission in PhD programme in IITs/IISc  for the best student completing B. Tech or Integrated M.Tech or M.Sc. in Science and Technology from IISc/IITs/NITs/IISERs/IIITs.
• The cost of the PMRF scheme is Rs 1650 crore for 7 years. 

5.473 Village Resource Centres 

• ISRO established 473 Village Resource Centres to demonstrate the potential of satellite technology for development of rural areas.
• It has provided various space technology services like tele-healthcare, education, information about natural resources , agriculture related advices, and more. 

6. Eastern Naval Command Operational Readiness Exercise (ENCORE) 

• Indian Navy’s Month long exercise ENCORE  (Eastern Naval Command Operational Readiness )in Eastern Seaboard ,Vishakapatnam.
• The exercise involves more than 40 ships and submarines.
• The exercise aim to test the combat capability of Eastern Naval Command  and improve action plans and contingencies for operations during threats. 

7.Prithvi II. 

• India Sucessfully test fired nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile from Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.
• The surface to surface missile has the capacity to strike 350km.

8.Raksha Mantri Advisory Committee on Ministry of Defence Capital Projects (RMCOMP) 

• Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman has constituted 13 member Raksha Mantri Advisory Committee on Ministry of Defence Capital Projects (RMCOMP).
• The committee will expedite capital acquisitions in defence procurement. 

9.Repo rate

• Reserve Bank of India has kept unchanged its Repo Rate at 6% and Reverse Repo Rate at 5.75 %.

About Repo Rate and Reverse Repo Rate

10.Koonthankulam bird sanctuary 

• 2 day Bird Census Conducted at Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary at Tirunelveli , Tamil Nadu.
• 20,000 birds belonging to 45 species with various colours spotted

 11.“Project Loon”. 

• Tamil Nadu Government has requested Google to establish “Project Loon” high-altitude ‘balloon facility’ that provides internet connectivity in Chennai during natural calamities.
• Government also requested to set up Google Centre in Tamil Nadu. 

12.Chennai airport. 

• The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to conduct security check in Chennai Airport next month.
• It is an United nation body which will look whether all internationally prescribed norms are being followed. 

13.Goliath grouper fish. 

Critically endangered Goliath Grouper Fish found in shipwreck site off Bheemunipatnam near Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh by Scuba drivers.

14.Neelam Kapur 

• Neelam Kapur has taken incharge as Director General of Sports Authority of India.

15.Jhulan Goswami 

• Jhulan Goswami become the first women cricketer to pick 200 wicket One Day International Cricket.