18th February Daily Current Affairs – English

Gyanesh Kumar appointed as new Chief Election Commissioner:

• The current Chief Election Commissioner of India, Rajiv Kumar, is retiring.
• Gyanesh Kumar has been appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner.
• The Election Commission of India consists of a Chief Election Commissioner and 2 Election Commissioners.
• The Election Commissioners were appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Central Government.
• The senior-most of the two Election Commissioners was appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner.
• In its judgment on March 2, 2023, the Supreme Court constituted a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court regarding the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and 2 Election Commissioners.

Chief Election Commissioner of India:

• The Chief Election Commissioner of India is the person who ensures that elections in India are conducted fairly, impartially and independently of any party.
• The Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners are appointed by the President of India.
• Their term of office is calculated from the date of their election until they reach the age of 65, whichever is earlier.
• They are considered to be in the hierarchy of the Chief Justices of India and receive a salary commensurate with their rank.
• The Chief Election Commissioner cannot be removed from office in any other way except if a resolution is passed in Parliament against him for violating the code of conduct.

Mudalvar Marunthagam (Chief Minister’s Pharmacy) Scheme:

• The Tamil Nadu government has announced that Chief Minister’s Pharmacies have been established and will be available for public use from February 24.
• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, during his Independence Day speech, announced that Chief Minister’s Pharmacies would be established to provide generic medicines at subsidized prices.
• In the first phase, 1000 Chief Minister’s Dispensaries are to be opened to make generic medicines and other medicines available to the public at low prices.

Important Facts:

1. The BBC’s ‘Best Indian Sportswoman Award’ for 2024 has been announced for shooter Manu Bhaker.
2. Manu Bhaker, who won 2 bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, is the first Indian to win two medals at a single Olympics since independence.
3. Indian company Reliance has been ranked as the second best company in the world in the World’s Best Brand Index.
4. South Korea’s ‘Samsung’ has topped the list of the World’s Best Brands.
5. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is on a state visit to India.
6. Vikas Swami, from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, created a Guinness World Record by lifting 125 kg with his teeth.
7. An inscription from the Vijayanagara era was found in Gingee taluk of Villupuram district.
8. The European Space Agency has approved British astronaut John McFaul to become the world’s first disabled astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS).
9. The ICC Champions Trophy is scheduled to be held from February 19 to March 9 in 2025, after a gap of 7 years.