Current Affairs, GK Updates 19 February 2019

Government and Polity

India and Morocco signed four MoUs following the delegation-level talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita in Rabat.
The MoUs include setting up of Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism, Cooperation in Housing and Human Settlement, Reciprocal facilitation of procedures for issue of Business Visa and Cooperation in Youth Matters.
Both countries agreed to set up a Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism to develop a comprehensive approach to combat the menace, including cross- border terrorism, terrorist financing and recruitment of terrorists.

President Ram Nath Kovind presents Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony in New Delhi. Exponent of Manipuri dance Rajkumar Singhajit Singh was given the award for the year 2014. Chhayanaut, a cultural organization of Bangladesh was given the award for 2015 for its role in the promotion of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s works and Bangla arts. Renowned sculptor and scholar Ram Vanji Sutar was given the award for 2016.
Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony was instituted by the Government from 2012 recognizing the contributions made by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore to humanity. It is awarded annually and carries an amount of One Crore rupees, a citation in a Scroll, a Plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft or handloom item.
The awardees were selected by a jury headed by the Prime Minister. The jury included Chief Justice of India, Leader of the single largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha, former chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami and president of Indian Council for Cultural Relations Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.

G C Anupama has been elected president of the Astronomical Society of India (ASI), becoming the first woman to head the prime association of professional astronomers in the country.
ASI is the prime association of professional astronomers in India with close to 1,000 members. Its objectives include the promotion of Astronomy and related branches of science in India.

The Reserve Bank has announced that it will transfer an interim surplus of 28,000 crore rupees to the central government for the half-year ended 31st December 2018.
The RBI said the decision has been based on a limited audit review and after applying the extant economic capital framework.
The decision follows the RBI Board meeting held in New Delhi. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley addressed the board. Apart from RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, all the four deputy governors and others attended the meeting.

Andrea Levy, who is the author of books like 'Small Island' and 'The Long Song' died from cancer at the age of 62.
Known for writing about the Windrush generation, the wave of Caribbean migrants that came to Britain after World War II, Andrea Levy was born in London in 1956.
Her fourth novel 'Small Island', which told the story of Jamaican migrants in Britain, made Levy a famous name. Her other works include 'Never Far From Nowhere,' 'Fruit Of The Lemon' and 'Every Light In The House Burning’.

Climate scientist Wallace Smith Broecker, who popularised the term "global warming" has passed away in New York. Eighty-seven-year-old Columbia University professor breathed his last at a New York City hospital.
Broecker was also first to recognize what he called the Ocean Conveyor Belt, a global system of ocean currents circulating water and nutrients. He joined Columbia's faculty in 1959 and was known in science circles as the "Grandfather of Climate Science".

Six-time world women boxing champion MC Mary Kom was named as a brand ambassador for global sportswear giant PUMA for a two-year period. ‘Magnificent Mary’, as she is popularly known as, will be PUMA India’s new ambassador for the company’s women’s training category and shall represent the brand in marketing campaigns in the country.
A champion boxer and a super mom, Mary Kom is a role model to millions of women in India. She will lead PUMA’s #DoYou conversation that aims to motivate women across the nation to be strong and accomplish their goals.

Charismatic Indian striker Sunil Chhetri was awarded the first-ever ‘Football Ratna’ by Football Delhi, the State Association governing the sport in Delhi. Shaji Prabhakaran, President, Delhi Football presented the honour a function at the majestic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Sunil Chhetri was recently named as the 6th Indian Footballer in the elite Padma Shri list. Chhetri who stays second in the list of goal scorers among active players in World Football at the moment, had begun his football career in Delhi.