This change comes as a tribute to the former first-class cricketer and senior cricket administrator, Niranjan Shah, marking his immense contributions to the sport and the region.

• West Indies’ Joseph has become the first West Indian to win the Men’s ICC Player of the Month award for his heroics in the Australia Test series.
• While Ireland’s explosive young batter Amy Hunter claimed the honour in the women’s category after her dominance against Zimbabwe.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has suspended Indian hammer thrower Rachna Kumari for 12 years for a second anti-doping rule violation.

The Indian Air Force conducted Exercise Vayu Shakti-24 on 17 February 2024 at the Pokhran Air to Ground Range, near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

Three Indian scientists are also among the nine scientists selected for the prestigious ‘Blavatnik Award’ 2024 given to young scientists in Britain. This award will be given to them for their excellent work in chemistry, physics and life sciences.

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman, S Somanath has been awarded KPP Nambiar Award for 2024 by Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Kerala Section.

Shashi Tharoor, a prolific author and a diplomat-turned-politician, was conferred France’s highest civilian honour ‘Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur’.

• Indian Coast Guard Day is observed every year on February 1.
• The day aims to honour the contribution of the Coast Guard. The Indian Coast Guard Day is dedicated to the officers and personnel who look after maritime security.
• This year, the Indian Coast Guard Day will be commemorating its 48th Raising Day.

• India’s oldest Test cricketer and former captain Dattajirao Gaekwad passed away.
• He played 11 Tests for India between 1952 and 1961, captaining the national team in 1959 when it toured England.

• Tamil superstar Vijay has announced the name of his new political party “Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam”.
• The Tamil movie superstar is fondly called by his fans as Thalapathy, meaning General or Commander.

• MeitY to hold first-ever Future Skills Summit in Guwahati.
• The Summit aims to bring together young Indians, thought leaders, industry experts, policymakers, educators, and technology enthusiasts to discuss strategies for catalyzing future-ready talent for India and the world.
• The Summit will focus on the impact of rapid digitization globally, emphasizing new opportunities for young Indians in cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Semiconductors, Robotics, and Cybersecurity. These advancements offer significant prospects for the country’s youth.

The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature for Northern Ireland. It has the power to make laws in a wide range of areas, including housing, employment, education, health, agriculture, and the environment.

DRDO is preparing to test the DURGA-2 laser weapon prototype, a secretive project by the Indian defense establishment, marking a significant advancement in indigenous military technology.

Hanooman, an AI service similar to ChatGPT, was introduced by Seetha Mahalaxmi Healthcare (SML) in collaboration with the BharatGPT ecosystem led by IIT Bombay and supported by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries and other premier engineering institutions in India.

• The festival aims to showcase the works of Indian theatre practitioners and has grown over the years to attract international performers as well.
• BRM is the largest theatre festival in Asia.