04 February 2020 - Daily Current Affairs
1. World Cancer day being observed today
- The world cancer day is being observed on 4th February every year to raise awareness about cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.
- According to WHO, every year 8.8 million people die of cancer in low- and middle-income countries.
- Last year, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) launched a new three years (2019-2021) campaign with the theme: “I Am and I Will.”
Important Dates
2. Sri Lanka celebrates 72nd years of Independence in a gallant ceremony
- Sri Lanka is celebrating the 72nd Independence Day in a grand ceremony in Colombo.
- The theme of today's Independence Day ceremony is “A Secured Nation - A Prosperous Country”.
- Ending 134 years of colonial rule, Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, gained independence from Great Britain on 4th February 1948.
National Affairs
3. Union govt sets target of 30km of highways a day in current fiscal
- According to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Union Government has set the target for construction of highways about 30 kilometres per day in the current fiscal.
- The average construction of Highways is 25.23 kilometres per day till December in 2019-20.
- It was 24.37 kilometres per day during the corresponding period in 2018-19.
- Total 2155 kilometres length of roads has been built in the first three months of the current financial year.
International Affairs
4. UAE finds new natural gas field between Abu Dhabi, Dubai
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced the discovery of a natural gas field containing 80 trillion standard cubic feet of gas between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
- This new discovery reinforces the nation's goal of achieving gas self-sufficiency, enabling major development projects.
- The new Jebel Ali field would help the Emirates become more energy independent.
- Qatar is the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer.
National & International Appointments
5. Pramod Agrawal takes Charge as Chairman of Coal India Ltd.
- IAS officer Pramod Agrawal (A 1991 batch) assumed charge as the new Chairman and Managing Director of Coal India Ltd (CIL).
- He succeeds A K Jha.
- Coal India Limited (CIL) is an Indian state-owned coal mining and refinery company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, India
National & International Appointments
6. Gopal Baglay appointed Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka
- Senior Diplomat Gopal Baglay (Indian Foreign Service - 1992-batch) has been appointed India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.
- Mr. Baglay succeeds Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
- Baglay has held many key positions including spokesperson of the MEA and Deputy High Commissioner of India to Pakistan.
- He had also handled the sensitive PAI (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran) division in the MEA.
National Affairs
7. Five archaeological locations to be developed into 'Iconic Sites'
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned in her budget speech that five archaeological sites will be developed into iconic sites of India.
- These five archaeological locations are Sivasagar (Assam), Rakhigarhi (Haryana), Dholavira (Gujarat), Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh) and Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu).
- She also added that each site will have an on-site museum.
Defense
8. Indian Navy Conducts Coastal Security Exercise ‘Matla Abhiyan’
- The Indian Navy has launched a unique coastal security exercise named ‘Matla Abhiyan’ in Kolkata, West Bengal.
- Under the exercise, two naval boats were flagged off to move along the river Matla in the Sundarbans region up to Hemnagar.
- During the exercise, the Navy interacted with the local community to make them aware of the coastal security and also carried out activity to understand the navigational complexities in the Sundarbans Delta.
Obituaries
9. Former Assam Assembly Speaker Pranab Kumar Gogoi passes away
- Former Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly & Congress MLA of Sibsagar Pranab Kumar Gogoi (84-years) passed away at a private hospital in Guwahati.
- Mr. Pranab Gogoi served as a minister in Tarun Gogoi-led cabinet from 2006-2011.
- He was also elected as the Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly (in 2011).
Banking & Finance
10. Fitch predicts India''s FY21 GDP growth at 5.6%
- US-based rating agency Fitch Ratings Inc. has projected GDP growth of India for the next financial year 2020-21 at 5.6%
- For the current fiscal 2019-20, GDP is projected at 4.6 per cent.
- The Union Budget for 2020-21 had projected a GDP growth of 6-6.5 per cent.
