National News 

Shri Kalki Dham Temple

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Shri Kalki Dham Temple in Sambhal district, Uttar Pradesh on 19 February.

Electoral Bonds

• Chief Election Commissioner of India, Rajiv Kumar informed that the Election Commission (EC) will publish all the details of the donors and receivers of electoral bonds within the deadline as ordered by the Supreme Court.

EC

MOU between ONDC and Department of Fisheries

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and the Department of Fisheries in New Delhi, to strengthen direct access to consumers or markets for fishermen.

ONDC

Ramji Gond Memorial Freedom Fighters’ Museum

• Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy and State Panchayat Raj Minister D Anasuya-Sitakka laid the foundation stone for the Ramji Gond Memorial Freedom Fighters’ Museum in Hyderabad.

Telangana

National Workshop on Urban Livelihoods

• National workshop under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) was organised in Ranchi, Jharkhand, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

DAY-NULM

National Conference on JJM and SBM-(G)

• The National Conference on Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-(G))  was held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, presenting a unified approach towards Sustainable Solutions in the Rural WASH Sector. 

JJM and SBM-G

International News

 Capacity building programme

• The first batch of capacity building programme for Senior Civil Servants of the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, organised under the aegis of National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), concluded in New Delhi.

Sri Lanka

60th Munich Security Conference

• External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar attended the 60th Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Germany

Science and Tech

YUVIKA

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced a special programme for school children called ‘Young Scientist Programme- YUva VIgyani KAryakram (YUVIKA) from the 13th of May 2024.

ISRO

H3 Rocket

• Japan’s space agency has launched the next-generation H3 rocket as a rival to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, capable of delivering cargo to bases on the Moon.

Environment

CMS COP 14

• The Fourteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP 14) adopted the Initiative for the Central Asian Flyway introduced by India.

Defence

Ex- Vayu-Shakti 2024

• Indian Air Force demonstration exercise Vayu-Shakti 2024 was held at the Pokhran Range near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan

Indian Air Force

New Weaponry of Iran

• Iran unveiled new weaponry, including the Arman anti-ballistic missile system and the Azarakhsh low-altitude air defence system.

Iran

Sports

Bengaluru Open tennis

• In the Bengaluru Open tennis, India's Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan clinched the doubles title.

Grand Slams of Tennis

FIG Apparatus World Cup

• Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak clinched the bronze medal in the women’s vault event at the FIG Apparatus World Cup in Cairo, Egypt.

Winners

Asian Indoor Athletics Championship 2024

• India clinched three gold medals on the opening day as Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Harmilan Bains, and Jyothi Yarraji won gold in Tehran, Iran.

Asian Indoor Athletics Championship

Awards and Honours

58th Jnanpith Award

• Renowned Urdu poet Gulzar and Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya will receive the 58th Jnanpith Award.

Jnanpith Award

Person in News

Kyriakos Mitsotakis

• Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be on a two-day visit to India from the 21st of February.

Karpoori Thakur

• Union Minister Amit Shah paid tribute  to freedom fighter and leader of social change, Karpoori Thakur ji on his birth anniversary on 17 Feb.