CURRENT AFFAIRS 24TH FEBRUARY

The Union Minister of Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, chaired the District Development Coordination & Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meetings of several districts in Jammu & Kashmir recently.
A key decision taken during the meeting was to designate Lavender as Doda brand product, to promote lavender under ‘One District, One Product’ initiative of the Modi Government.
Doda district in J&K is the birthplace of India’s Purple Revolution, or the cultivation of Lavender.
Though, Lavender cultivation is practiced in almost all the 20 districts of Jammu & Kashmir.

The Government of India has organised a week-long science exhibition titled ‘Vigyan SarvatraPujyate’ from February 22 to 28, 2022, as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commemoration. It will be conducted simultaneously at 75 locations across the country through a hybrid mode.
The festival will celebrate science and technology (S&T) and display the country’s scientific legacy and technology prowess.
The inaugural programme was held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on 22nd of February.
The festival will culminate on February 28, 2022, which coincide with the National Science Day, commemorated in remembrance of Nobel Laureate Sir C.V. Raman’s path-breaking discovery of the Raman Effect in 1930.

The United Kingdom has closed the UK’s Tier 1 investor visa, also known as the golden visa to all new applicants from all nationalities with immediate effect over security concerns.
The announcement was made by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel. The UK Investment Visa is a Tier 1 visa offered to wealthy individuals willing to invest a minimum of £2 million in the UK.
In another event, Bahrain has launched the creation of long-term visas for foreigners in an effort to “boost the economy”. It will be known as the “golden residence” Visa.

Israel successfully tested a new naval air defense system “C-Dome,” to be used on the Israeli Navy’s Sa’ar 6-class corvettes.
C-Dome is the naval version of the Iron Dome, an all-weather air defense system of Israel to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and missiles, from the Gaza Strip..
The successful test further strengthens the missile defense systems of the Israeli Navy to safeguard the maritime assets of the State of Israel.

India and France have inked a roadmap to enhance their bilateral exchanges on the blue economy and ocean governance.
The partnership will help to explore the potential for collaboration in marine science research for a better understanding of oceans, and ensure that the ocean remains a global common, a space of freedom and trade, based on the rule of law.
The agreement on ‘Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance’ was signed between India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar’s and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian
S Jaishankar is on three-day visit to France, from February 20 to 22, 2022, to attend EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific scheduled for February 22.

India’s teen chess Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa created history as he defeated world number one chess champion, Magnus Carlsen, of Norway in an online chess tournament on February 20, 2022.
The 16-year-old Pragg achieved the feat in the eighth round of the Airthings Masters, an online rapid chess tournament, in 39 moves with black pieces.
Pragg is also only the third Indian grandmaster to win against Magnus Carlsen apart from Viswanathan Anand and Pentala Harikrishna.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission (AC) has re-elected Emma Terho as the Chair of the commission.
Emma is a double Olympic bronze medallist and former captain of the Finland women’s ice hockey team.
She took the Chair of the Commission on August 06, 2021, during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Apart from this, Seung Min Ryu (Republic of Korea, table tennis) has been re-elected as first Vice-Chair of the Commission.
Sarah Walker (New Zealand, cycling) has been elected as IOC AC’s second Vice-Chair, a position created in December 2021.

Vipula Gunatilleka, the former Sri Lankan Airlines CEO, has been appointed as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Jet Airways, by its new promoters, Jalan Kalrock Consortium.
Gunatilleka was the CEO of SriLankan Airlines until January 2022.
He will join Jet Airways with effect from March 1, 2022.

Japanese auto major Honda has appointed Takuya Tsumura as the new President and CEO of Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL).
Tsumura, 54, will take over from Gaku Nakanishi, with effect from April 1, 2022.
Nakanishi has been appointed as General Manager, Automobile Business of Asian Honda (Regional office-Bangkok, Thailand), which coordinates Honda operations in Asia and Oceania region.

Award-winning US author and biographer Jimmy Soni released his new book titled “The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley”, on February 22, 2022.
The book explores the origin of PayPal and its founding team, including Elon Musk, Amy Rowe Klement, Peter Thiel, Julie Anderson, Max Levchin, Reid Hoffman, and many others whose stories have never been shared.
PayPal is a US-based multinational financial technology company, which operates an online payments system globally.