Current Affairs 8th February 2020

1. RBI Announces the roll out of a New Digital Payment Index

• By July 2020.
• It will assess and capture the extent of digitalization of payments effectively.
• Fiscal deficit is budgeted to decline to 3.5% of GDP for 2020-21.
• MPEDA proposes Rs 2500 crore project to modernise fishing harbours.
• (MPEDA) : Marine Products Export Development Authority.
• Upgradation and modernisation 25 fishing harbours in the country.

2. Philip Barton appointed Britain’s new High Commissioner to India

• succeed Dominic Asquith.
• He joined the FCO in 1986 and is a career diplomat.
• He was Private Secretary to PMs John Major and Tony Blair.

3. Airbus signs aircraft services MoU with Adani Defence and Aerospace

• to leverage synergies in aerospace and aircraft services.
• Airbus India President and MD : Anand Stanley.

4. NASA astronaut Christina Koch returns to Earth after record-setting stay in space

• Koch returned after an 11-month mission.
• Spent 328 days on International Space Station (ISS).
• Breaks the world record for the most time spent by a woman in space
• She surpassed the record of American Peggy Whitson (289 days).

5. China starts clinical trial for remdesivir medicine in coronavirus treatment

• A 68-year-old male patient with serious symptoms was the first to be given the drug.
• Remdesivir, an antiviral drug, a novel nucleotide analog prodrug.

6. IIT-Hyderabad researchers make headway in potential treatment of ALS

• ALS is a rare & debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that affects the voluntary movement of the muscles.
• ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

7. Cooperative banks to come under RBI watch

• The Union Cabinet approved an amendment to the Banking Regulation Act.
• To prevent a repeat of Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank-like crisis.
• There are 1,540 cooperative banks with a depositor base of 8.6cr.

8. SAI (Sport Authority of India) & Hockey India launch High Performance Centres

• Centres in 7 places to provide state-of-the-art facilities to Junior & Sub-Junior players.
• aimed at grooming young talent in view of 2024 & 2028 Olympic Games.
• SAI HQ- New Delhi.
• Hockey India HQ- New Delhi.

9. Hollywood veteran actor Kirk Douglas passes away in US

• Kirk Douglas passed away at 103 in California
• He was prolific as a film actor, with more than 90 credits to his name – ranging over 6 decades from the 1940s to the 2000s.
• He is best-known for his role as Spartacus.
• He earned 1st Oscar nomination for 1949 boxing story-Champion.

10. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner steps down after 11-year stint

• Jeff Weiner announced that his 11-year stint as CEO of the company will end on May 31.
• He will join the LinkedIn board as its executive chairman.
• he will be replaced in the role by Ryan Roslansky, who is currently the vice president of products.
• Microsoft is LinkedIn’s parent company.