Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of Feb 08th to 14th Feb 2024. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2024 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

Weekly Current Affairs February 08th to 14th PDF Download

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• National Deworming Day 2024 is observed on the 10th of February 2024.
• World Pulses Day 2024 is observed on the 10th of February 2024.
• World Day of the Sick is a Catholic Church awareness day, or observance, on February 11, aimed at praying and sharing, sacrificing one’s suffering for the welfare of the church, and urging everyone to see the face of Christ in his or her ailing brother or sister
• International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2024 is observed on 11th February
• National Productivity Day 2024 is observed on the 12th of February
• International Epilepsy Day 2024 is observed on the 12th of February 2024.
• Abraham Lincoln's birthday is celebrated every year on February 12th to honour the 16th president of the United States
• World Radio Day is celebrated on 13 February is a date proclaimed by UNESCO to celebrate radio broadcasts, improve international cooperation among radio broadcasters and encourage decision-makers to create and provide access to information through radio, including community radios.
• Sarojini Naidu’s birth anniversary, which falls on 13 February, is observed as National Women’s Day across the country

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• Minister of Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan launched the EdCIL Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme in New Delhi
• Union Minister of Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh today released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat" in New Delhi
• The government has allocated Rs 455 crore of Central Financial Assistance till the financial year 2029-30 (FY30) for the usage of green hydrogen in the steel industry sector
• The National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) and Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) launched a centre of excellence in Anand, Gujarat, for the growth of the commodity derivatives market.
• Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt, is currently on a five-day visit to Riyadh from February 4th for the World Defence Show 2024.
• Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Arjun Munda launched LMS, Krishi Rakshak Portal and helpline and SARTHI initiative under Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana, PMFBY in New Delhi.
• The government has approved a committed investment of 6 thousand 766 crore rupees to the 64 Applicants under the Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for White Goods containing Air Conditioners and LED lights.
• The Ministry of Road Transport has finalized a proposal to provide free cashless treatment to all victims of road crashes.
• India, Türkiye, and Qatar have been declared the guests of honour at the 2024 World Governments Summit which is set to take place in Dubai from February 12-14.
• The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs approved “Doubling of Motumari - Vishnupuram” and "Rail Over Rail at Motumari ”.
• Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the New Delhi World Book Fair at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• The Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, has initiated the weather information network and data system (WINDS) to generate long-term, hyper-local weather data.
• India's Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services have been rolled out in Sri Lanka and Mauritius.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate and lay the foundation of various developmental projects of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation worth over 1,500 crores in Ahmedabad.
• The Union Minister of Food Processing Shri Pashupati Kumar Paras emphasised  the pivotal role of startups in the food processing sector
• The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 30 National Highway projects worth Rs 4,755 crore in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
• The Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari sanctioned Rs. 1742.11 crore for the construction of the 4-lane N. Kawnpui (N.Mualvum) – Sairang section on NH-6, situated along the Silchar –Valrengte – Sairang road in the Aizawl and Kolasib districts in Mizoram.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

• The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Chhattisgarh will roll out the Mahatari Vandan Yojana - a monthly cash assistance scheme for married women - from March 1.
• Bihar State Disaster Management Authority has launched a device named after the Chief Minister (CM) to alert farmers and common people about natural disasters like lightning, floods, heatwaves, and cold waves.

• The Maharashtra Government has decided to introduce the 'Mukhyamantri Vayoshri Yojana' aimed at benefiting around 15 lakh senior citizens with physical or mental disabilities.
• The Uttarakhand state Assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, marking it as the first state in India post-independence to adopt a UCC.
• Tamil Nadu (TN) Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister TM Anbarasan launched the 'Smart Card' initiative for startups.
• Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has announced the restoration of the Old Pension System (OPS) for state government employees appointed on or after April 1, 2006.
• The Telangana State Board for Wildlife has approved the establishment of the Tadoba-Kawal conservation reserve.
• Karnataka Bank has launched its centenary campaign, ‘Bharat Ka Karnataka Bank’, to mark its 100 years of service in banking.
• Uttar Pradesh is on the verge of becoming the first state in India to boast 21 airports, highlighting the rapid development of the aviation sector within the state.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• The coal sector has showcased highest growth of 10.6 % (provisional) among the eight core industries for December 2023 as per the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI)) (Base Year 2011-12) released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industries
• Tata Group achieved a historic milestone as its combined market capitalization surpassed Rs 30 lakh crore on February 6, making it the first Indian business house to reach this valuation
• Public sector refiner and fuel retailer Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) plans to start commercial production of fuels at India’s newest refinery in Rajasthan’s Barmer city by January 2025.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled a White Paper in Parliament.
• The interest rate on Employees Provident Fund (EPF) deposits has been increased to 8.25% for 2023-24 by the retirement fund body EPFO, which is the highest level in three years

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) announced the launch of its new unit-linked life insurance product, LIC Index Plus.
• Loans extended through Exim Bank of India to certain countries, particularly African nations, have been classified as "doubtful debt" in the financial year 2023-24.
• The Finance Ministry amended the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) Rules, 2019, to introduce the 'Direct Listing of Equity Shares of Companies Incorporated in India on International Exchanges Scheme'.

• Two of India's biggest lenders HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank have invested in a company called RMBS Development Company Limited to promote the residential mortgage-backed securities market.
• India's largest private sector bank, HDFC Bank, launched 4 new small and medium enterprises (SME)-focused credit cards to cater to the specific needs of entrepreneurs, freelancers, and professionals.
• The State Bank of India (SBI) has issued Electoral Bonds totaling Rs 16,518 crore in 30 tranches since the inception of the scheme in 2018.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a fine of Rs 8.80 lakh on Power Finance Corporation Limited for violating norms pertaining to the 'Liquidity Risk Management Framework for Non-Banking Financial Companies and Core Investment Companies'.
• Fintech startup LeRemitt and Yes Bank have partnered to introduce a cross-border platform that enables micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to conduct international transactions in key currencies, including US dollars and euros.
• Max Financial Services has received approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) for a capital infusion of Rs 1,612 crore by Axis Bank into the company's material subsidiary, Max Life Insurance.
• SBI Mutual Fund announced the launch of the SBI Energy Opportunities Fund.
• Federal Bank launched National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) integrated debit cards.
• Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has recorded the highest growth rate in terms of deposit mobilisation among public sector lenders at a time when most lenders are facing difficulty in achieving double-digit growth.
• Fintech startups Juspay and Decentro have secured the final license to operate as payment aggregators, joining the ranks of established players like Razorpay, Cashfree, and Zomato.
• Tata Group has achieved a significant milestone by surpassing a combined market capitalization of Rs 30 lakh crore, becoming the first Indian conglomerate to achieve this valuation.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in the exercise of powers conferred on it under Section 45-IA (6) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, has cancelled the Certificate of Registration of 3 non-banking finance companies (NBFC) ie Bharathu Investment & Finance India, Cox & Kings Financial Service, PSPR Enterprises Private Limited.
• In a bid to enable banks to attract qualified competent individuals to their Boards sufficiently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised the ceiling upwards in respect of remuneration of Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), other than the Chair of the Board, to ₹30 lakhs per annum from ₹20 lakhs.
• Two additional Russian banks, Tinkoff Bank and CentroCredit Bank, have registered as foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), bringing the total number of FPI registrations from Russia to 10.
• The owner of fintech firm Paytm, One 97 Communications Limited, announced the formation of an advisory committee chaired by former Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) chairman M Damodaran.
• On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at its meeting (February 8, 2024) decided to:Keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 6.50 per cent.
• Indian banks operating in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City International Financial Services Centre (GIFT-IFSC) have been granted permission by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for bullion exchange trading and special category customer status.
• Infibeam Avenues Limited, a listed fintech company, announced a strategic alliance between its flagship payment brand, CCAvenue, and IDFC First Bank.
• The Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has raised the interest rate on EPF deposits to 8.25% for the financial year 2023-24, marking the highest level in three years.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is intensifying its efforts to launch its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and is introducing new features to enhance its functionality.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das emphasised the central bank is vigilant to enhance the security of Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) transactions.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council appointed its foreign minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak as the country's new prime minister.
• LIC Mutual Fund Asset Management announced the appointment of Ravi Kumar Jha as its Management Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) .

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Mio Oka as its new Country Director for India, succeeding Takeo Konishi, who has been promoted to the position of ADB Director General for South Asia at the Manila headquarters.
• Vivek Kumar Gupta, an officer of the Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) 1988 batch, assumed the position of Managing Director at the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL).
• Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra has been appointed as the Secretary, the Department of Health & Family Welfare.
• Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree appointing Olzhas Bektenov as the new Prime Minister (PM) of Kazakhstan.
• Naveen Tahilyani has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of Tata Sons' subsidiary Tata Digital.
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced the appointment of Ajay Kumar Choudhary as non-executive chairman of the Board and independent director for a period of 3 years starting February 8, 2024.
• Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Narendra Kumar Yadav, Additional Director of Goods and Service Tax (GST), has been appointed as the new brand ambassador of The Fit India movement, a flagship initiative by the Government of India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• ONGC and NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) have signed a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) to focus on offshore wind energy projects
• IIT Madras will develop it in partnership with Defense Public Sector Enterprise Munitions India Limited to achieve indigenization in the defence sector
• To facilitate farmers and traders in providing low-interest rate loans, the Warehousing Development Regulatory Authority (WDRA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Punjab & Sind Bank
• C-DOT, the premier Telecom R&D centre of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India and Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-K) signed an agreement for ‘Developing Prototypes for 10-Gigabit-capable symmetric Passive Optical Network (i.e., XGS-PON) Optical Line Terminal (OLT) and Optical Network Unit.
• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) has taken a significant step towards fostering innovation and research in the renewable energy sector, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX

• According to the World Bank's 'Logistics Performance Index Report (2023): Connecting to Compete 2023', India ranks 38 out of 139 countries.
• India will become the largest source of global oil demand growth between now and 2030, while growth in developed economies and China initially slows and then subsequently goes into reverse in our outlook, the latest report ‘Indian Oil Market Outlook to 2030’ released at the second edition of India Energy Week 2024 in Goa by International Energy Agency
• Mukesh Ambani has secured the top position among Indians and second globally in the Brand Guardianship Index 2024.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

• Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted four successful flight trials of the High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) - ABHYAS from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha, between January 30 to February 02, 2024.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• Chairman and CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella has announced that the company will train over 2 million people in India in generative Artificial Intelligence skills by 2025

• Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota - a place that marked the majority of golden moments in the Indian space sector — another history is set to be made.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) completes the first phase of its ambitious plan to deploy a nuclear fission reactor on the Moon.
• Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) is a NASA mission that took off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• India's biggest private sector bank, HDFC Bank, received the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approval to acquire aggregate holding of about 9.5% of the paid-up share capital or voting rights in six banks.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• In Tennis, India's Sumit Nagal jumped 23 ranks to enter the top 100 in the ATP singles rankings for the first time in his career.
• In the Li Ning Sri Lanka International Badminton Challenge 2024, Khelo India athletes have emerged as outperformers.
• Nagaland will be co-hosting wrestling as part of the Khelo India University Games scheduled to be held from 22nd to 26th February in Kohima.
• The Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 began in Shah Alam, Malaysia.
• India has secured the prestigious 9th GovTech Prize for its pioneering endeavours in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered government services, at the World Government Summit 2024
• The 2026 World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, U.S., on July 19
• The first-ever edition of the BIMSTEC aquatic championship is taking place in New Delhi
• The three-day Tawangchu Tides International Kayaking Championship-2024 kick-started in Tawang District, Arunachal Pradesh
• Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, has approved Judokas Himanshi Tokas, Shraddha Chopade and Asmita Dey for participation in multiple competitions
• Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma ceremonially launched the Logo, Anthem, Mascot, Jersey and Torch of Khelo India University Games - 2023, Ashtalakshmi in Guwahati in the presence of Nisith Pramanik, Union MoS for Youth Affairs & Sports and Home Affairs
• India has won the South Asian Football Federation's (SAFF) U-19 Women's Championship beating defending champion Bangladesh in the final of the four-nation tournament in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• The Centre has awarded over 30 crore rupees to athletes under the Khelo India scholarship scheme during the 2023-24 financial year
• In Ladakh, in a thrilling showdown at Khree Sultan Choo Ice Hockey Rink, Kargil, the Drass Warriors clinched victory in the 15th CEC Ice Hockey Cup Championship
• In Boxing, World Championship medallist Amit Panghal and Sachin Siwach won a gold each, while Nikhat Zareen and three other Indians signed off with silver medals at the 75th Strandja Memorial tournament in Bulgaria

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

• Kelvin Kiptum, the current marathon world record holder, and his coach Gervais Hakizimana died in a road accident.
• Sebastián Piñera, the two-time former President of Chile who faced social upheaval followed by a pandemic in his second term, died in a helicopter accident at the age of 74.