Current Affairs – 06-02-2018

1. Maldives President declares state of emergency

Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen has declared a 15-day state of emergency. This is the second time Yameen has declared a state of emergency.

Reason: The president has refused to comply with a court order to release political prisoners, despite growing international pressure and concern.

2. When two people get into wedlock, no one should interfere – Supreme Court

The strong observation from the court came as counsel defending told the court that they were not opposed to inter-caste or inter-religious marriages and not to become self-appointed conscience-keepers.

3. PM to lay foundation stone of temple in UAE

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of a temple in Abu Dhabi during his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE),
• Starting in Palestine, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit and pay tributes at the memorial of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
• He will also address the World Government Summit in Dubai.

4. U.S Energy Secretary to visit India

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry will visit India this month to further enhance a recently added component in bilateral ties — energy trade.

Energy trade: India placed a series of orders for American crude in the following months. Public sector Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited are now continuously buying crude from America.

5. Services growth in Jan. fastest in three months

The Indian services sector remained in expansion mode in January, registering the fastest rise in activity in three months driven by a renewed increase in new business orders, says a survey.

Indian service providers addressed new business inflows and rising backlogs by expanding workforces for the fifth consecutive month in January. Moreover, the rate of job creation was the fastest since last September.

6. Govt starts consultations on new Industrial Policy

• Commerce and industry minister Suresh Prabhu set off a series of nation-wide consultations with the industry on the proposed new Industrial Policy by holding the first meeting in this regard at Guwahati on February 2.
• Ideas such as a single ID and digital platform for all G2B (government-to-business) services across the business life-cycle,play infrastructure for small and medium firms, privatising maintenance of industrial estates and creating a National research and development vision