Daily Current Affairs Updates: 7 February 2015

1) Delhi registered record voter turnout in assembly polls:

--> Delhi registered a record voter turnout in the assembly polls which closed at 6 PM, according to preliminary data received from Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi.

--> A record turnout of 67.14%, is the highest in an assembly poll here so far in Delhi.

--> Chief Election Commissioner H S Bramha said the election process has been peaceful.

2) Ghulam Nabi Azad elected to Rajya Sabha :

--> Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad was on 7 February 2015 re-elected as a Rajya Sabha member from Jammu and Kashmir while PDP bagged two seats and BJP one in the elections to the Upper House from the state.

3) Veteran theatre artist Atmaram Bhende passed away:

--> Veteran Marathi theatre artiste and film actor, Atmaram Bhende, considered the doyen of Marathi experimental theatre, passed away at the Ratna Memorial Hospital in Pune, aged 91.

--> Known for imbuing the traditional and often static Marathi theatre scene with a sense of innovation, Mr. Bhende, affectionately called ‘Bapu’ by colleagues and coworkers, was the first to introduce the revolving stage concept in Marathi theatre way back in the early 1960s.

4) Second prototype of naval version of LCA-Tejas tested successfully:

--> Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) on 7 February 2015 successfully tested the second prototype of naval variant of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Tejas in Bengaluru.

--> The naval version of the LCA has a complex landing gear design which is significantly different from its Air Force version.

--> HAL Chairman, T Suvarna Raju, attributed the success of the test to its complex landing gear design.

5) ICC cleared bowling action of Saeed Ajmal:

--> Star Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was cleared to resume international cricket after his bowling action was found to be legal during a retest at an ICC-accredited facility in Chennai, a development which may open up a chance for him to play in the upcoming World Cup.

--> The 37-year-old Ajmal was suspended from bowling in international cricket last September for illegal bowling action.

6) Nitish Kumar is back; Jitan Ram Manjhi sacked as Bihar CM:

--> Jitan Ram Manjhi has been sacked as the Chief Minister of Bihar, paving the way for Nitish Kumar to take the reins of the state again.

--> Nitish Kumar was unanimously voted as leader of the house, which effectively means that he is now the Chief Minister of Bihar again.

--> Kumar had resigned in the wake of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, taking 'moral responsibility' for the poor performance of the JD(U) in the state.

7) Chhattisgarh renamed V-Day as 'Matru-Pitru Diwas':

--> Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Chief Minister Raman Singh in Chhattisgarh has officially declared Valentine’s Day as Matru-Pitru Divas (Parents’ Day).

--> The state has been celebrating February 14 as Matru-Pitru Divas instead of Valentine’s Day since 2012 on the advice of the jailed Godman, Asaram Bapu.

--> Making it a permanent arrangement, the Directorate of Public Instructions (DPI) has issued standing orders to celebrate Matru-Pitru Divas every year on February 14.

8) Gauguin painting breaks sale record at USD 300 million:

--> An 1892 oil painting of two Tahitian girls by prominent French artist Paul Gauguin has been sold for nearly 300 million dollars, making it the most expensive work of art ever sold.

--> Nafea Faa Ipoipo, or When Will You Marry?, was owned by a Swiss collector.

--> The oil-on-canvas was produced in 1892 during Gauguin's first visit to French Polynesia. It features a pair of Tahitian girls seated next to a tree.

9) Tenth India Mongolia Joint Exercise Culminated:

--> The tenth India Mongolia Joint Training Exercise culminated on 06 February 2015 with a grand closing ceremony held at Gwalior Military Cantonment.

--> The exercise had commenced on 23 January 2015.

--> Brig SC Panwar of Indian Army stated that this exercise has enhanced mutual interoperability for counter terrorism/ insurgency assignments under the United Nations mandate, as required.

10) Injured Ishant Sharma ruled out of World Cup:

--> India's senior-most pacer Ishant Sharma was on 7 February 2015 ruled out of the Cricket World Cup owing to a knee injury.

--> Mohit Sharma as stand-by and will be inducted into the World Cup squad.

11) Govt to infuse Rs 6990 crore in 9 public sector banks:

--> Government will soon infuse Rs 6,990 crore in nine public sector banks including SBI, Bank of Baroda (BoB), Punjab National Bank (PNB) for enhancing their capital and meeting global risk norms.

--> Among the beneficiaries, largest public sector lender SBI leads the pack with a capitalization of Rs 2,970 crore, followed by BoB Rs 1,260 crore, PNB Rs 870 crore and Canara Bank Rs 570 crore.

12) Coast Guard Commissioned ICGS Amogh:

--> A fast patrol vessel (FPV), ICGS Amogh was commissioned by the Indian Coast Guard at Paradip Port on 7 February 2015 to enhance coastal security.

13) Modi unveiled “Transformation” memorial:

--> In an acknowledgement of the efforts of foreign service officers in cultivating and protecting Indian interests abroad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7 Feb 2015 unveiled “Transformation", a memorial in commemoration of those Indian government officers and personnel who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty while serving abroad.

--> The "Transformation” sculpture in Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan, the premises of External Affairs Ministry has been converted into a memorial