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- India’s first Centre of Excellence in Automation Technology was inaugurated by the Gujarat Technological University at its campus at the Vishwakarma Government Engineering College in Ahmedabad on February 3, 2017.
- President Pranab Mukherjee opened the annual ‘Udyanotsav’ of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on February 4, 2017. Exhibition Stalls set up near the Spiritual Garden displaying produce of fresh vegetables and fruits grown in the President’s Estate Organic Farm. The two varieties of roses named ‘President Pranab’ and ‘Suvra Mukherjee’ were developed.
- Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs inaugurated the programme on ‘Inner Strength and Disaster Resilience’ on February 3, 2017 in New Delhi. The programme was organised by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
- A six-member committee has been formed by the government to look into the matter of how to improve the Haj Policy of India and also deal with the issue of reducing and abolishing the subsidy to the pilgrims. Former Consulate General of India (CGI), Jeddah, Afzal Amanullah will be the head of the committee. The committee will review the effectiveness of the management of pilgrims’ accommodation and air travel by the Haj Committee of India. Besides, the committee will figure out whether the pilgrims can travel to Saudi Arabia paying less in the absence of the subsidy.
- The Bihar government has introduced the transgender as a third category to opt for and appear in the Board exams conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB). It is for the first time that the Board will conduct the exams for the transgender category in 2017 after it was recognized by Supreme Court in 2014.
- The Supreme Court bench consists of Chief Justice J S Khehar and justices N V Ramana and D Y Chandrachud have instructed the centre to prepare a policy for the eradication of leprosy within four weeks on February 3, 2017. Leprosy or Hansen’s disease (HD) is an infectious disease that causes severe, disfiguring skin sores and nerve damage in the arms and legs. It is a long-term infection by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis.
- Iran government on February 3, 2017 banned the United States wrestlers from participating in the freestyle World Cup to be held in February 2017 as a counter-move against President Donald Trump’s executive order suspending visas for Iran. This decision is seen as the first step by Iranian government in response to Trump’s executive order banning visas for seven Muslim-majority countries.
- The United States President Donald Trump imposed a new sanction on February 3, 2017 on Iran in a move to punish Tehran for its latest ballistic missile test. US have imposed sanction on more than two dozen Iranian entities after Islamic republic dismissed President Donald Trump’s warnings over the missile test saying it as baseless and provocative.
- Automotive manufacturing company Tata Motors has come up with an innovative plan to strengthen its market share in the country. It is set to expand its passenger vehicle manufacturing segment by creating a new sub-brand under the name TAMO which will act as a start-up to develop new and innovative products.
- Managing Director of IDFC, Vikram Limaye has been named as the new Managing Director & CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on February 3, 2017.
- Top Indian diplomat, Achamkulangare Gopinathan has been re-appointed by the UN General Assembly to the Joint Inspection Unit for a five-year term beginning January 1, 2018. The Joint Inspection Unit is the only independent external oversight body of the United Nations system mandated to conduct evaluations, inspections and investigations system-wide. It aims to enhance the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations system.
- The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has dismissed 12 websites and 12 mobile applications available on Google Play store that were offering Aadhaar-related services illegally. The decision comes after some websites and app were providing unauthorised Aadhaar related services such as downloading online Aadhaar card, providing status of Aadhaar generation, PVC Aadhaar Card etc., to residents.
- Juno spacecraft sent by US space agency NASA, orbiting the planet Jupiter has completed a close flyby of Jupiter for the fourth time on February 2, 2017. Juno is currently in a 53-day orbit and its next close flyby of Jupiter will occur on March 27, 2017. During this period, Juno is studying the gas giant’s auroras to learn more about the planet’s origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere. Juno is a NASA space probe which was built by Lockheed Martin and is operated by NASA‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
- Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding- in-Chief, Western Naval Command inaugurated the Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) on February 3, 2017 in Mumbai. The system has been developed to strengthen Harbour Defence and Security at Mumbai. It will enhance the security of the valuable assets against surface and underwater threat.
- Former CBI Director, Joginder Singh, passed away on February 3, 2017 after a prolonged illness in New Delhi. He was 77. The 1961 batch IPS officer of Karnataka cadre served as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief between 1996 and 1997.
- World Cancer Day is celebrated annually on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment. The theme of 2017 World Cancer Day is ‘We Can, I Can’. A special three year campaign has been designed from 2016-2018 to explore ways how everyone collectively or as individuals can do their part to reduce the global burden of cancer.
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