CURRENT AFFAIRS OF FEBURARY 2021

 1. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ZERO TOLERANCE FOR FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION, 6 FEBRUARY 

International Day of zero tolerance for female genital mutilation is observed on February 6, to spread awareness and educate people about the problems females faced due to genital Mutilation. The main aim of the day is to end female genital mutilation in one decade and it will require support from every quarter especially youth. 

«Therefore, the theme focuses on mobilising youth around the elimination of harmful practices, including female genital mutilation. 

The practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) violates the women and girls’ rights to health, security and physical integrity, their right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and their right to life when the procedure results in death. 

“THEME: The theme of International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2021 is “No Time for Global Inaction, Unite, Fund, and Act to End Female Genital Mutilation

2. DONALD TRUMP ACQUITTED BY U.S. SENATE IN SECOND IMPEACHMENT TRIAL 

Washington: Former U.S. President Donald Trump was acquitted Saturday on charges of inciting an insurrection at the US Capitol, after a majority of Senate Republicans closed ranks and refused to punish the former President in his historic second impeachment trial. 

"It concluded as expected with the majority of republicans declaring him not guilty, in a sign of the powerful grip the 74-year-old Trump continues to exert on his party. 

3. UP GOVT TO 'KEEP AN EYE’ ON INTERNET SEARCH DATA, SURFING PORN CAN LAND VIEWERS IN TROUBLE 

«The Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday said it has hired a company to “keep an eye” on people's internet search data to monitor those looking up pornographic content. Meant to curb crimes against women, a new team called the ‘UP Women Powerline 1090’ has been set up that will be alerted if a person searches for pornographic material on the internet. 

"ADG Neera Rawat said that ‘In view of the increasing use of internet’, the power line 1090 would also reach out to people to prevent crimes against women.

The project had previously been conducted in six districts of the state and had received good response from the public, Rawat said. The monitoring will now be carried out accross the state, which currently has about 11.6 million internet users as per estimates.

4.WOMEN IN NEPAL: GROWING VOICE, NOW AGAINST PROPOSED RESTRICTIONS 

Protesters, mostly social activists, writers and journalists, and a large number of them women, are out on the streets in Nepal against a proposed law that puts restrictions on foreign travel for women below age 40. 

«The proposed law requires that any women below 40, if travelling abroad, needs to presenta letter of consent from the guardian of her family implying a male member or from the ward office, specifying the reason of travel. The protestors cal their vegetation and assertion of their right to justice from “an establishment control by males and insensitive towards women rights and dignity” 

The placards they hold display slogans laced with sarcasm, such as “E Hajur, eita prashna sodhna painchha? Hami le sas Lina kasko anumati chahinchha?” ( DoI please have the right 

to ask a question? Why do I need to get permission to breathe from?) 

*Even beyond the current controversy, he has been described as an “anti-women” leader several times. 

«His government is under criticism for failing to bring to justice those guilty in a large number of rape cases (1,271 

rape cases in the last 10 months, the victims including 804 minors). 

’Besides rape cases, a largest number of Nepali women are trafficked to the middle East. Official records show that on an average, three to four of these  workers come back home dead everyday, while some others return penniless, sexually abuse " and physically tormented. “It was because of these complaints that

* Around half a million Nepalis, many of them women, leave the country each year for studies and better opportunities. Remittance contributes nearly one third of the GDP. 

5. FIRED TEAR GAS ON EMPLOYEES TO TEST IT IT AS IT HAD BEEN UNUSED FOR A LONG TIME: PAKISTAN MINISTER 

«Pakistani interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed is facing a lot of criticism for his statement on “test” of tear gas on protestors. Last week, police in Islamabad fire 1000 tear gas Shells on protesting government employees. Ahmed said that it was “necessary to test the tear gas as it had been Unused for a long time” as per Pakistani news outlet Dawn. He has also been quoted as saying that ‘‘only a little was tested, nota lot”. 

The Government employees were protesting as they demanded salary hike. Ahmed said that “real problem” was not the tear gas shelling but the pay raise that “amounts to billions of rupees in this time of inflation”. 

‘Sheikh Rashid Ahmed made these remarks as he addressed a ceremony in Rawalpindi. 

6. ISSUE DIGILOCKER TO POLICYHOLDERS TO PRESERVE DOCUMENTS : IRDAI TO INSURERS 

Issue Digilocker to policyholders to 

preserve documents: Irdai to insurers