Current Affairs February 2024

Get the latest update on the current events in February 2024. This includes India's economic progress with an 8.4% increase in GDP in the third quarter, new government-approved rooftop solar schemes, and a rise in the country's leopard population. Also covered are major national events such as Prime Minister Modi's launch of significant infrastructure projects, Sunil Bharti Mittal receiving an honorary knighthood, and the introduction of UPI services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Stay informed about important legal, political, and scientific developments in India and around the world.

29th February 2024

• India's GDP Growth: India's gross domestic product (GDP) for the third quarter of the ongoing financial year accelerated to 8.4% year-on-year.
• Rooftop Solar Scheme: The Government has approved a scheme assisting up to ₹78,000 to 1 crore families to set up rooftop solar systems, enabling them to get free electricity up to 300 units per month.
• Leopard Population Increase: The number of leopards in India has increased by over 1,000 from 2018 to 2022. The total leopard population now stands at 13,874, up from 12,852 in 2018, according to a report released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.

28th February 2024

• Sunil Bharti Mittal Honoured: Bharti Enterprises founder and chairman, Sunil Bharti Mittal, has become the first Indian citizen to receive an Honorary Knighthood from King Charles III, earning the title of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE).
• National Science Day: National Science Day is celebrated across the country with the theme "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat," emphasizing the importance of home-grown technologies in shaping India's future.

27th February 2024

• Prime Minister Visits VSSC: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and inaugurated three major space infrastructure projects worth about ₹1,800 crore. He also revealed the names of four astronaut-designates for the Gaganyaan mission.
• Sikkim's First Railway Station: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Sikkim’s first railway station in Rangpo.

25th February 2024

• Sudarshan Setu Inauguration: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sudarshan Setu, a four-lane cable-stayed bridge connecting Okha to Beyt Dwarka island in Gujarat, which is India's longest cable-stayed bridge.
• Healthcare Infrastructure Projects: Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for and dedicated to the nation more than 200 healthcare infrastructure projects worth over ₹11,500 crore across 23 states/UTs, including five new AIIMS.

24th February 2024

• New Criminal Laws: The three new criminal laws—the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill—will come into effect from July 1, replacing the Indian Penal Code of 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973, and Indian Evidence Act of 1872.
• Private Lunar Landing: A spacecraft built and flown by Texas-based Intuitive Machines landed near the moon's south pole, marking the first U.S. touchdown on the lunar surface in over 50 years and the first ever by the private sector.

22nd February 2024

• 58th Jnanpith Award: Renowned Urdu poet, filmmaker, and lyricist Gulzar and Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya have been named recipients of the prestigious 58th Jnanpith Award.
• Shashi Tharoor Honoured: French authorities awarded Indian MP and author Shashi Tharoor the distinction of ‘Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur’ (Knight of the Legion of Honour), the highest French civilian honor.
• New Vice Chief of Army Staff: Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi assumed the appointment of the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.

19th February 2024

• World's Most Powerful Passports: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain have the world's most powerful passports, allowing visa-free entry to 194 global destinations. India ranks 85th on the Henley Passport Index.
• MILAN Exercise: The 12th edition of the MILAN exercise commenced in Visakhapatnam, with participation from over 50 nations.

18th February 2024

• INSAT-3DS Mission Launch: ISRO successfully launched the INSAT-3DS mission into space aboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-II (GSLV-MkII).
• India's Women's Badminton Victory: The Indian women's badminton team won the Badminton Asia Team Championships, defeating Thailand 3-2 in the final.
• Cricket Victory: India defeated England by 434 runs in the third Test, achieving their biggest win in terms of runs.
• Yashasvi Jaiswal's Record: Yashasvi Jaiswal became the third Indian to hit double hundreds in successive Tests, equaling the record for the most sixes in a Test innings.

16th February 2024

• Supreme Court Strikes Down Electoral Bonds: The Supreme Court struck down the electoral bonds scheme and related amendments, declaring them "unconstitutional and manifestly arbitrary."
• Ravichandran Ashwin's Milestone: Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin became the fastest Indian to claim 500 Test wickets, achieving the feat in his 98th Test.

14th February 2024

• First Hindu Temple in UAE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple, the first-ever Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• Vasant Panchami and Saraswati Puja: Celebrations of Vasant Panchami and Saraswati Puja took place across the country.
• Falcon Foundation Launched: The UAE launched the Falcon Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to advancing open-source generative AI models.
• Dubai's Air Taxi Service: Dubai inked agreements to launch the world's first air taxi service, pioneering the deployment of a city-wide electric aerial taxi service and vertiport network.

12th February 2024

• UPI in Sri Lanka and Mauritius: India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services were rolled out in Sri Lanka and Mauritius.
• Australia Wins Under 19 World Cup: Australia won the Under 19 Men's ODI World Cup, defeating India by 79 runs in the final.

9th February 2024

• Bharat Ratna Awards: The Union Government conferred Bharat Ratna posthumously on former Prime Ministers Chaudhary Charan Singh and PV Narasimha Rao, and agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan.
• Finance Bill Passed: The Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill, 2024 by voice vote.
• RBI Keeps Repo Rate Unchanged: The Reserve Bank of India kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.5% for the sixth time in a row.

7th February 2024

• Uttarakhand Passes UCC Bill: Uttarakhand became the first state to pass the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill, applicable to all citizens regardless of religion.
• Water Pollution Bill Passed: The Rajya Sabha passed the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024.

6th February 2024

• Public Examinations Bill Passed: The Lok Sabha cleared the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, imposing strict penalties for malpractices in government recruitment exams.

5th February 2024

• Indian-Origin Senator in Australia: Varun Ghosh became the first Indian-origin member of the Australian Senate, representing Western Australia for the Labor Party.
• Shakti Band Wins Grammy: Indian musicians Shankar Mahadevan and Zakir Hussain's fusion band Shakti won the Grammy for Best Global Music Album. Zakir Hussain also won the Grammy for Best Global Music Performance.

3rd February 2024

• LK Advani Honoured with Bharat Ratna: BJP leader LK Advani was honored with the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award.
• Yashasvi Jaiswal's Achievement: Yashasvi Jaiswal became the third youngest Indian to hit a double century in Test cricket.

2nd February 2024

• Champai Soren Sworn In as Jharkhand CM: Senior JMM leader Champai Soren was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Jharkhand.
• Indian Coast Guard's 48th Raising Day: The Indian Coast Guard celebrated its 48th Raising Day in New Delhi.

1st February 2024

• Interim Union Budget Presented: Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Interim Union Budget for 2024-2025. The fiscal deficit for 2024-25 is estimated at 5.1% of GDP.
• Hemant Soren Arrested: Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on money laundering charges.