Vinod Rai becomes first chairman of Banks Board Bureau

Former Comptroller & Auditor General of India Vinod Rai has been named the first chairman of Banks Board Bureau (BBB), which will help the government appoint heads of public sector banks and advice on banking reforms.

Other members of BBB include Anil K Khandelwal, former CMD at Bank of Baroda; HN Sinor, former joint MD at ICICI Bank; and, Rupa Kudwa, former MD & CEO at CRISIL.

Note: Government wants BBB to restructure business strategy of PSBs and also suggest way forward for their consolidation and merger with other banks as they are grappling with a huge problem of bad loans and high collective gross NPAs (Non-Performing Assets).

National Science Day observed on 28 February

In India February 28 is celebrated as the National Science Day i.e. Rashtriya Vigyan Diwas every year.

  • Significance of Day: It aims to impart scientific temper in the minds of people of all age groups.
  • The theme for year 2016:  “Scientific Issues for Development of the Nation” that aims at raising public appreciation.

Mumbai win 41st Ranji Trophy title

Mumbai has won the Ranji Trophy for a season 2015-16 by defeating Saurashtra. With this victory, Mumbai clinched Ranji title for record 41st time (10 of them being won with innings wins) after playing in record 45 finals.

  • Shreyas Iyer of Mumbai was declared man of the match for his 117 runs in the match. He ended the season as the leading run-getter with 1321 runs at 73.38 including four centuries and seven fifties.

Gianni Infantino becomes new FIFA president

Gianni Infantino (45) of Switzerland has been elected as new President of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), a global governing body of football.

  • He was declared winner after winning a second-round vote by securing 115 of the 207 eligible votes in the 2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress held in Zurich, Switzerland.
  • He defeated Sheikh Salman of Bahrain who got 88 votes followed by Prince Ali of Jordan had four and Jerome Champagne of France got zero votes.
  • With this victory, Infantino becomes just the third President of FIFA after Sepp Blatter who headed it for 40 years from 1974 to 2015 and his predecessor João Havelange.

Current Affair One – Liner

  • President Pranab Mukherjee has formally declared Kerala as the country’s first digital state.
  • Former DRDO Director-General (DG) Dr Avinash Chander has been awarded prestigious Aryabhata Award of Astronautical Society of India.
  • The Union Government has appointed Rajendra Singh as the Director General (DG) of Indian Coast Guard (ICG), country’s coastal protection force.
  • Stanislas Wawrinka won his ninth straight final to clinch the Dubai ATP Tennis title. In the final played in Dubai, Wawrinka defeated Marcos Baghdatis in straight sets with a 6-4, 7-6(13).