Daily Current Affairs Updates: 20 February 2015

1) Jitan Ram Manjhi resigned as CM of Bihar:

--> Jitan Ram Manjhi submitted his resignation as chief minister of Bihar without taking the trust vote on 20 February 2015.

--> Nitish Kumar will return as chief minister of Bihar for a fourth time on 22 Feb 2015.

--> Hours ahead of the trust vote, Manjhi submitted his resignation to Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi.

2) Rs. 1.11 crore for Modi's Bandhgala suit:

--> A whopping Rs 1.11 crore bid was made by a Gujrati NRI in an auction for the controversial pinstripe monogrammed bandhgala suit which Prime Minister Narendra Modi wore during United States President Barack Obama’s visit to India last month.

--> Viral Chowksi, the NRI made the offer at the three-day auction.

3) Scientist Tapan Misra to head ISRO's Space Application Centre:

--> Eminent scientist Tapan Misra has been appointed the Chief of ISRO's Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, the space agency on 20 February 2015.

--> Misra, Deputy Director, Microwave Remote Sensing Area in SAC, succeeds A S Kiran Kumar, who was appointed as the Chairman of the ISRO last month.

--> He is also heading the Office of Innovations Management of ISRO at ISRO Headquarters, Bengaluru. 

4) Brendon McCullum hits fastest World Cup half century:

--> New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum recorded the fastest-ever World Cup fifty when he reached the landmark off just 18 balls against England at Wellington on 20 Feb 2015.

--> The opener's whirlwind half-century featured seven fours and four sixes as New Zealand rapidly closed in on victory after skittling England out for just 123.

--> McCullum beat his own World Cup record when he carved fast bowler Steven Finn for four, having made a fifty off 20 balls against Canada in 2007.

5) PM Modi flagged off Arunachal-Delhi train:

--> Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 Feb 2015 flagged off the first express train from Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh to New Delhi by pressing a button at a function held in Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar.

--> He had arrived in Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar to participate in the state's 29th foundation day.

6) Prasar Bharti can share feed with private cable operators: SC

--> Public broadcaster Doordarshan (DD) can continue to share live feed of cricket World Cup matches with private cable operators as the Supreme Court on 20 Feb 2015 granted a stay on the Delhi High Court order in this regard.

--> The High Court had allowed the plea of Star India Ltd, which holds the exclusive telecast rights of the Cricket world cup, and had asked Prasar Bharati not to share the live feed of the matches with private cable operators.

7) EC presented 'India Votes' to President Pranab Mukhjerjee:

--> The Election Commission has come out with its latest publication on Indian polls, 'India Votes', encapsulating a comprehensive and fact-filled review of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

--> Chief election commissioner H S Brahma and election commissioner S Nasim Zaidi on 19 Feb 2015 presented the first copy of the book to President Pranab Mukhjerjee.