Current Affairs 16 February 2018 1. BHEL bags Rs 560 cr order from NTPC ● Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) has bagged an order worth Rs 560 crore from NTPC for setting up a system for emission control. ● BHEL has secured the order for supply and installation of the flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) system from NTPC for 2×490 MW National Capital Power Station at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh. ● Previously, BHEL installed the FGD system at Tata Power’s Trombay Unit 8 in 2008, and is currently installing FGD systems at NTPC’s 3×250 MW Bongaigaon project. Important points: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited ➢ Founded: 1964 ➢ Headquarters: New Delhi ➢ Chairman: Atul Sobti NTPC – National Thermal Power Corporation Limited ➢ Founded: 1975 ➢ Headquarters: New Delhi, India ➢ Chairpersons: Gurdeep Singh
2. Cyril Ramaphosa becomes South Africa’s new President ● Cyril Ramaphosa, head of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), was sworn in as South Africa’s President in Cape Town. ● His inauguration came less than 24 hours after the country’s ex-leader, Jacob Zuma, resigned. ● Ramaphosa, 65, addressed the nation, declaring the government’s goal is “to continue to improve the lives of our people,” shortly after ANC politicians elected him. ●
In his speech, he pledged to work with other parties to serve the people and tackle corruption.
3. PM Modi launches three key projects in Arunachal Pradesh ● Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched several projects in Arunachal Pradesh. ● He inaugurated the Dorjee Khandu state convention centre at a function in Itanagar. The Centre has an auditorium, conference halls and an exhibition hall. ● Prime Minister’s focus was also on the information revolution and now, the newly erected Secretariat building in the state capital is a big step in that direction. ●
The building will have digital technology at its core and will have 2,500 officers and other employees. It will give a huge boost to the speed of administrative work in the state.
Important points: Arunachal Pradesh ➢ Capital: Itanagar ➢ Chief Minister: Pema Khandu ➢ Governor: B D Mishra
4. India’s first radio festival to be held in Delhi ● India’s first radio festival to be held in New Delhi to mark World Radio Day. ● The festival has been organised by the International Association of Women in Radio and Television, in partnership with UNESCO. The event to include expert panels discussions, an exhibition and live performances. ●
Apart from touching on the theme for World Radio Day 2018 – radio and sports – the festival will examine the potential of the medium as a platform for social change, ways to make it more creative and will trace the journey of music on the radio.
5. Haruhiko Kuroda reappointed as Bank of Japan chief ● Japan’s government reappointed Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda for another term and chose an advocate of bolder monetary easing as one of his deputies, a sign the central bank will be in no rush to dial back its massive stimulus programme.
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The government also submitted to parliament its nomination of Masazumi Wakatabe, a professor at Waseda University and an advocate of aggressive monetary easing, as deputy governor.
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The other deputy governor post went to BOJ Executive Director Masayoshi Amamiya, a veteran central banker known for masterminding various monetary policy steps.
6. K P Sharma Oli becomes Nepal PM for the second time CPN-UML chairperson Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli becomes Nepal Prime Minister for the second time, over two months after his Left alliance routed the ruling Nepali Congress in the country’s historic parliamentary and local polls. 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.
7. Ethiopia’s premier resigns for smoother path to political reform ● Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn suddenly resigned, in what he described as a bid to smooth reforms, following years of violent unrest that threatened the ruling party’s hold on Africa’s second most populous nation. ● The resignation – unprecedented in Ethiopia’s history – followed a wave of strikes this week in towns near the capital and demonstrations successfully demanding the release of more opposition leaders.
8. SCO summit in China’s Qingdao city in June ● China announced that 2018 summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will be held in the city of Qingdao in June. ● The SCO is comprised of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. ● China, which is one of the founders of the organisation, plays an influential role in it. The SCO
focuses on security-related issues of the region specially on counter terrorism cooperation. Important points: China ➢ Currency: Renminbi Trending ➢ Capital: Beijing ➢ President: Xi Jinping