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International Affairs
National Affairs
New Appointments
Business & Economy
Science & Technology
Books & Authors
Sports
- Singapore was ranked the world's most expensive city by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
- It has held this title for the last three years.
- World's 10 most expensive cities in which to live in 2016
- The Haj quota for India for this year has been fixed at 1,36,020 pilgrims, following an agreement signed with Saudi Arabia.
- Of the quota, 1,00,020 pilgrims will come through the Haj Committee of India and the rest through private tour operators.
- Note : Due to the expansion of Mecca's Grand Mosque, Saudi has reduced the quota for all countries by 20%.
- The Indian government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are organising a three-day conference on 'Advancing Asia: Investing for the Future' at New Delhi from tomorrow.
National Affairs
- Railway Ministry launched Clean My Coach Service to ensure cleanliness in trains.
- This service allows travellers to get their compartments cleaned by sending an SMS or by using an app or a designated website.
- As per the scheme, for any cleaning requirement in the coach, the passengers will have to send an SMS on mobile number 58888.
- Passenger can also use android appCleanmycoach Indian Railways’ or webpage ‘cleanmycoach.com’ for logging the request.
- The first ever pollution-free, fully electricity-operated bus was launched in New Delhi.
- The Lok Sabha today passed the Aadhaar Bill 2016as a 'money bill' to give legal sanction to the unique identification number programme for single-window transfer of welfare benefits.
- The second tranche of 25 secret files on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be released after the conclusion of Budget session of the Parliament, announced Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma today.
- National Archives of India Deputy Director Sanjay Garg said that the organisation is converting the second set of files into digital form for the public.
- A five-day-old girl from Bihar, named Aashi, has become the youngest permanent account number (PAN) card holder in the country.
- Note : Earlier, Rajasthan's Aryan Choudhary was the youngest PAN card holder, who received it when he was a seven-day-old.
New Appointments
- The government today appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan as Chairman of the 21st Law Commission.
- Veteran Egyptian diplomat Ahmed Abul Gheit has been selected as Secretary General of the Arab League.
- He will succeed Nabil El-Araby, Egyptian diplomat whose term ends in July 2016 after he had rejected second five-year term.
- Actress Kangana Ranaut has become the brand ambassador for the sports brandReebok in India.
Business & Economy
- India's largest private sector lender ICICI Bank today launched a credit-linked subsidy scheme for home loans under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana ( PMAY).
- Under this scheme, individuals including women borrowers from the economically weaker section and low income group will be able to acquire and construct the first brick-and-mortar house of the family by paying significantly lower equated monthly installments ( EMIs).
- Note : ICICI Bank has signed an MoU with National Housing Bank ( NHB) to facilitate the credit-linked subsidy to eligible borrowers.
- The Cabinet has approved the signing of an MoU with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for it to set up the South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) in India.
- Note : The SARTTAC will be a collaborative venture among the IMF, and member countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and several development partners.
- Yahoo has announced an update that lets users sign up for its services without having to specially create a new Yahoo e-mail address.
- Users can now access Yahoo platforms through their existing e-mail addresses including Gmail and Outlook.
- Note : The feature is currently operational for Yahoo Fantasy Sports and will soon roll out for Yahoo Finance, Yahoo News and Yahoo Messenger.
Science & Technology
- Scientists from Japan have discovered a new species of bacteria, called Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6, that can eat plastic.
- This is the first known organism that can completely degrade PET.
Books & Authors
- West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle today revealed the first look of his upcoming book ‘Chris Gayle…Six Machine – I don’t like cricket…I love it’.
- Written by sports writer Tom Fordyce the book will feature Gayle's journey from his childhood in Kingston to international cricket.
- The book, which is available for pre-order, is scheduled to release on June 2, 2016.
Sports
- The schedule for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016 (9 April 2016 – 29 May 2016) was announced with the defending champions Mumbai Indians to play the opener against the Rising Pune Supergiants in Mumbai on April 9.
- The tournament will feature a total of 60 matches with the final to be played on May 29 at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
- Rest of India has won the Irani Cup Cricket title by beating Mumbai by four wickets.
- For the first time India's all-women frisbee team could participate in the upcomingUltimate Frisbee World Championship to be held in June in London.
NATIONAL:
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar launches Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariats interactive Web Portal:
· Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today launched an interactive web portal of Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat in New Delhi today. The interactive portal facilitates Ex-Servicemen and dependents to submit online applications under various welfare schemes.
· The portal developed by National Informatics Centre at a cost of 58.93 lakhs rupees. It will later contain workflow software for all the schemes of the Secretariat which will provide complete information about Kendriya Sainik Board secretariat, its welfare schemes and allied activities.
· Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh, Secretary Department of ESW Prabhu Dayal Meena, Secretary Kendriya Sainik Board Commodore Rohtas Singh and other senior officials of the Ministry of Defence were present at the event.
IMF Conference in National Capital:
· The Centre and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are organising a three-day conference on the theme of 'Advancing Asia: Investing for the Future' starting in New Delhi
· Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address in the opening session of the conference, the Finance Ministry said in a statement yesterday.
· IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde would also be a keynote speaker at the conference.
CCEA approved revised policy on gas production from Deep Waters & HPHT areas:
· The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved revised policy ongas production from deep water, ultra deep water and high pressure-high temperature (HPHT) areas.
· The revised policy seeks to grant marketing and pricing freedom for new gas production from these areas so that domestic gas production is improved and dependence on imports is reduced.
Rajya Sabha passed Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2015:
· Rajya Sabha passed the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2015. The bill among other provisions seeks to set up a Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) for the orderly growth of the real state sector.
· The bill also aims at protecting the interests of the large number of aspiring house buyers. It also wants to enhance the credibility of construction industry by promoting transparency, accountability and efficiency in execution of projects.
· The bill was approved by legislators across the political spectrum, a rare sight as the last two parliamentary sessions had ended in a whitewash.
Union Cabinet gave green signal for amendment to Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925:
· The Union Cabinet approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs to amend the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 through the Parliament retrospectively with effect from 8 October 2013.
· The proposal and gave green signal to remove the exception given to Sehajdhari Sikhs in 1944 to vote in the elections for selecting members of the board and the committees constituted under the Act.
Union Cabinet approved creation of Nominated Authority in Ministry of Coal:
· The Union Cabinet approved creation of a post of Nominated Authority in the Ministry of Coal.
· The post will be of Joint Secretary level and was created as per the Section 6 of Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015.
· The Union Government shall act through the Nominated Authority.
NITI Aayog launched Women Transforming India campaign in partnership with UN and MyGov:
· The NITI Aayog, celebrated as International Women’s Day, launched the Women Transforming India initiative in partnership with the UN in India and MyGov.
· Through the initiative, NITI Aayog seeks for entries in the form of written essays/stories, preferably accompanied by photographs that set a context to the narrative. These stories should reflect new ground broken by women in empowering themselves/others, or of challenging stereotypes.
Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Ujjwal Yojana:
· The cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwal Yojana– a scheme for providing LPG to households Below Poverty Line.
· Pradhan Mantri Ujjwal Yojana – a scheme to provide LPG to women of all households below poverty line is approved by the CCEA
· The scheme is estimated at the cost of 8000 crores.
Punjab Government Starts New Scheme for Professional Training of Prisoners:
· Punjab Government is going to start a new scheme for the professional training of prisoners so that they can be educated and become professional worker after completing their punishment.
· Punjab technical education and industrial training board chairman s. Sewa singh Sekhwan gave this Information at Batala .
· Punjab Govt. will spend 46 crores on this project. In first phase of the scheme teams of experts will visit the jails to mentally prepare the prisoners for this training.
Project ‘Mausam’ of M/O Culture aims to explore Multi-Faceted Indian Ocean ‘World’:
· Ministry of Culture has initiated Project “Mausam” which is to be implemented by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as the nodal agency with research support of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and National Museum as associate bodies.
· This initiative is to explore the multi-faceted Indian Ocean ‘world’ – collating archaeological and historical research in order to document the diversity of cultural, in Indian Ocean– extending from East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian Subcontinent and Sri Lanka to the Southeast Asian archipelago.
Honey Festival in Mangaluru from March 12:
· The Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, in association with the Karnataka Horticulture Department, will conduct a ‘honey festival’ in Mangaluru on March 12 and 13.
· PI Sreevidya, Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat, said – . The festival is aimed at encouraging apiculture among farmers in the district. Apart from increasing the productivity of horticulture crops, apiculture also provides a source of income to farmers.
5-fold hike in government budget for funding start-ups:
· A five-fold hike has been made by the Government in its budget for funding start-ups in the next fiscal. Move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious‘Start-Up India’ initiative.
· According to Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), in the 2016-17 financial year, it will provide seed capital to 50 to 80 new ventures with funding ranging from 50 lakh to one crore rupees per company.
SC asks telecoms to assure call drops don’t exceed 2% limit:
· The Supreme court has asked telecom operators to give an undertaking that they have not exceeded the two per cent threshold limit of call drops as mandated in the regulations.
· A bench headed by Justice Kurian Joseph also asked the cellular operator associations to inform the court whether any penalty was ever levied on them for call drops.
· The TRAI made it mandatory for cellular operators to pay consumers one rupee per call drop experienced on their networks, subject to a cap of Rs 3 a day.
Rs 8,000 crore for free LPG set-up for poor women:
· The government approved a Rs 8,000-crore scheme to provide free cooking gas connections in the name of women members from poor households, reinforcing the idea of LPG emerging as the new vehicle for political outreach ahead of state polls.
· Finance minister Arun Jaitley had announced the scheme in the budget, allocating Rs 2,000 crore for providing 1.5 crore connections in 2016-17.
· The scheme will be continued for at least two more years to cover a total of 5 crore BPL (below poverty line) households.
AIDS control scheme gets Rs 300 crore boost, to offer relief to 21 lakh patients:
· In a move likely to bring relief to over 21 lakh HIV patients across the country, the health ministry has ramped up the national AIDS control programme with an additional investment of over Rs 300 crore.
· The new plan includes introduction of third-line treatment for over one lakh patients, increasing the benchmark for those eligible for free anti-retroviral therapy (ART) as well as ensuring more supplies of contraceptives.
DBT system in ten states including Odisha from April 1st:
· The Centre has decided to implement Direct Benefit Transfer system in ten states including Odisha from April 1st of this year.
· This will facilitate the beneficiaries of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme with the deposit of their wage amount in their bank account.
· Official sources said the new system will benefit about 20 lakh MGNERGA beneficiaries in Odisha.
MoU signed between India and UAE on Cyber Space:
· The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its ex-post approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Technical Cooperation in Cyber Space and Combating Cyber-Crime signed last month.
· The enhancement of technical cooperation between India and UAE in cyber space and combating cyber-crime comes in the wake of the serious threat of cyber-crime on the security, interest and safety of the people.
Mumbai and Bangalore among cheapest cities in world: EIU
· According to a top London-based forecast group, Mumbai and Bangalore are among the cheapest cities in the world.
· The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranked Singapore as the priciest ahead of Zurich, Hong Kong, Geneva and Paris.
· The EIU also said India and Pakistan accounted for five of the 10 least expensive cities in the world. London was sixth and New York seventh on the list that compares the cost of a basket of goods across 133 cities.
· The cheapest were Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, followed by Bangalore and Mumbai.
World Kidney Day – March 10 in 2016:
· World Kidney Day is observed annually on the Second Thursday in March.
· World Kidney Day is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).
· World Kidney Day is a global health awareness campaign focusing on the importance of the kidneys and reducing the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.
INTERNATIONAL:
India –Indonesia joint Military exercise- Shakti IV:
· India and Indonesia are set to begin their Joint Military Exercise Shakti IV from March 10-23 in Indonesia.
· The Joint Military Exercise between India and Indonesia Shakti was started in 2012 in India
· It is conducted on a reciprocal basis with first edition in India ,second edition in Indonesia and so on.
34 countries don’t have enough food for their people due to conflicts: UN
· UN report says 34 countries, nearly 80 percent of them in Africa, don’t have enough food for their people because of conflicts, drought and flooding.
· The Food and Agriculture Organization’s Crop Prospects and Food Situationreport said conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and the Central African Republic.
Pak launches probe into MQM’s alleged ties with RAW:
· Pakistan Government has initiated probe into Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement(MQM) party‘s Alleged ties with New Delhi based Research Analysis Wing (RAW) to destabilise the country.
· The Allegations levelled against India’s RAW gave money to the MQM party to destabilise Pakistan, India has dismissed the allegations levelled against it.
· Nisar Ali Khan a Pakistani conservative party who serves as the Interior Minister of Pakistan tasked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to probe various allegations of funding by Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
Obama welcomes Canadian PM to White House:
· United States President Barack Obama welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the White House for the first such state visit in nearly two decades.
· The two leaders focused on fighting climate change, boosting trade and fighting the Islamic State terror group during talks in the Oval Office, before holding a news conference in the Rose Garden that centered mostly on the state of US politics in this presidential election year.
Mexican FM to arrive in New Delhi on 2-day visit:
· Mexican Foreign Minister, Claudia Ruiz-Massieu Salinas is arriving in New Delhi on two-day visit. During the visit, she will hold discussion on various issues with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
· MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in New Delhi that the meeting will result in a comprehensive review of the entire gamut of bilateral relations. These include political ties, commercial and trade relations, and cooperation in financial, technical and other areas
APPOINTMENTS:
Egyptian diplomat Ahmed Abul Gheit named Secretary General of the Arab League:
· Egyptian diplomat and former Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit was named as Secretary General of the Arab League. The 22-member organization voted unanimously in favor of Aboul Gheit.
· This appointment was announced by Bahraini Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa at the end of 22-nation ministerial meeting in Cairo.
Kangana Ranaut becomes Reebok India’s brand ambassador:
· The “Queen” of Bollywood Kangana Ranaut was announced as the brand ambassador of Reebok India.
· The actress also launched the new campaign of the brand titled “Be More Human”.
· The new campaign featuring Kangana has been released on the occasion of“International Women’s Day”. It aims to inspire women to become better versions of themselves, not just physically but also mentally and socially.
· In the new campaign, Kangana will be seen challenging herself with various fitness activities including functional training, dance, yoga, kick-boxing and others, therebycommunicating the overarching brand message – ‘how fit you are defines how far you go’.
Justice Chauhan named Law Commission chairman:
· The government appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan as chairman of the 21st Law Commission, a post lying vacant since last September last year.
· Justice Chauhan (66), currently heading the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal, was a judge of the SC from May 2009 to July 2014. He also served as chief justice of Orissa high court from July 2008 to May 2009.
BANKING:
ICICI Bank launches credit-linked subsidy scheme under PMAY:
· India’s largest private Sector Lender launched a credit-linked subsidy scheme for home loans under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana'.
· This Scheme will benefit the individuals including women borrowers from the economically weaker section low income grouped people.
· They will be able to acquire and construct the first brick-and-mortar (Pucca House) house of the family by paying significantly lower Equated Monthly Instalments (EMIs).
· The bank has inked a MoU with National Housing Bank (NHB) a central nodal agency for the scheme to enable beneficiaries to get credit-linked subsidy.
· All the eligible customers will get the subsidy at 5% per year on a maximum amount of Rs. 6 lakh or the loan amount, whichever is lower, for a maximum tenure of 15 years. The subsidy is calculated on the Net Present Value method.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
Mahindra Aerospace to set up operations in UAE:
· Mahindra Aerospace aims to set up operations in the UAE in the near future, Chairman of the company SP Shukla has said.
· Speaking at the Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi, Shukla said Mahindra is currently the only Indian company that produces aircraft and sell them in 30 countries, including in the US and in parts of Africa and Asia.
· Mahindra Aerospace currently produces the Airvan 8, a rugged and versatile utility aircraft in its class. It is also developing a 10-seat turboprop, the Airvan 10, which is on schedule for certification, the company had said last year.
· Shukla said India, currently the world’s largest importer of defence equipment, will become the third largest aerospace market by 2020.
BSNL in talks with Airtel for spectrum-sharing deal:
· State-run BSNL is in preliminary discussions with the country’s top operator Bharti Airtel for spectrum sharing in four circles and the deal is likely to be finalized by June.
· BSNL is looking at sharing spectrum in Rajasthan, UP (west), Bihar and Assam and has formed a committee to look into the feasibility aspect.
Uber opens Asia’s first engineering hub in India:
· Ridesharing services provider Uber has opened its first Asian engineering centre in Bengaluru.
· The centre will house software engineers, product developers and others working initially on problems specific to users in India.
· The centre will eventually play a role in improving Uber’s customer-facing technologies worldwide. Worldwide, Uber has about a 1,000 engineers spread over nine engineering centres.
AWARDS AND HONOURS:
Tezpur University and JNU won the annual Visitor’s Awards for Central Universities:
· Tezpur University won the annual Visitor’s Award for the Best University. Rakesh Bhatnagar and the Molecular Parasitology Group of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have also won the Visitor’s Awards for Research and Innovation respectively.
· President Pranab Mukherjee will present Visitor’s Awards for 2016 to the winners at a function to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 14 March 2016, as part of the Festival of Innovations.
· The Best University will receive a Citation and Trophy while winners of Visitor’s Award for Innovation and Research will receive a citation and cash award of one lakh rupees.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
NASA delays it next Mars mission to 2018:
· NASA announced that it has moved back it’s next unmanned mission to Mars to 2018, after a component of the Mars spacecraft was found to have a leak in its key science instrument.
· The InSight mission — which stands for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport — is scheduling a new expected launch window beginning May 5, 2018, with a Mars landing scheduled for Nov. 26, 2018, according to NASA.
· The goal of the mission is to analyze the deep interior of Mars to determine how “rocky planets planets — including Earth — formed and evolved.” The InSight mission aims to send a lander to Mars to study the planet’s interior and learn more about how the rocky world formed.
Blue Origin may test Human Space Flights by 2017:
· Private space travel company Blue Origin expects its first test flights with people in 2017.
· The announcement was made by Company founder Jeff Bezos, the man who founded Amazon.com.
· The company plans to keep testing until its usefulness is done then switch to other ships being built to test human flight.
Iran’s missile launches prompt sanctions push in US Congress:
· In United States, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Republican Senator Bob Corker said that Iran’s missile launches are sparking stronger resolve in Congress to renew and boost US sanctions on Tehran.
· According to Iranian state television, Revolutionary Guards Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh made his comments after a series of ballistic missile tests conducted by guard units that drew international concern.
CO2 levels increase more in past 12 months:
· Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere grew more in past 12 months than at any time in the past 56 years. Measurements at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, United States went up by more than three parts per million in 2015.
· Scientists say the spike is due to a combination of human activities and the El Niño weather pattern.
India to launch 25 Foreign satellites this year:
· India will launch 25 foreign satellites belonging to seven countries, with the USA topping the list in 2016-17.
· He said Antrix – the commercial arm of ISRO – has signed agreements with Algeria and Canada for launching three satellites each, four for Germany, one each for Japan and Malaysia and 12 for the USA in 2016-17.
· In the last three years, from January 2013 till December 2015, ISRO launched 28 foreign satellites belonging to 13 countries, with Singapore, the United Kingdom and the USA topping the list. ISRO earned 80 million euros for the launch.
SPORTS:
Rest of India lift Irani Cup Cricket Title:
· Rest of India defeated Mumbai by 4 wickets to lift the Irani Cup Cricket Title.
· The winners started the day at their overnight second innings score of 100 for one.
· Today’s successful chase was also the best-ever run-chase in the Irani history. It bettered Rest’s 424, chasing 421 set by Delhi at the Ferozshah Kotla in 1982-83.
Hyundai is now the official partner of BCCI:
· Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) has entered into a four-year partnership with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as an associate sponsor for all international matches at home.
· Besides title sponsor, BCCI has created space for three official associate sponsors from which the cricket body would get Rs 150 crore in the next four years.
ICC to conduct regular dope tests in World T20:
· The International Cricket Council will conduct random dope tests during the World Twenty20 Championship in India, which is a regular practice in all ICC events, Tournament Director M V Sridhar.
· The Tournament Director said the Indian team had undergone random dope tests during 2012 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.
Haryana to organise National Level Freestyle Wrestling Championships on March 23 in Gurgaon:
· Haryana Government is going to organise a national level freestyle wrestling championship titled "Bharat Kesri Dangal" on 23rd of March at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Gurgaon in the memory of martys Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru.
· The championship will start on 21 the of March and conclude on 23rd of March. Informing this in a press conference at Chandigarh Haryana Sports Minister Anil Vij said that the government has decided to organise this event every year on 23rd of March and winner will be given cash award of Rs one crore rupees
1. NITI Aayog Launches 'Women Transforming India' Campaign
i. The NITI Aayog (GOIs premier think tank) has launched the Women Transforming India initiative on 8th March the International Women's Day in partnership with the UN in India and MyGov.
ii. Through this initiative the NITI Aayog seeks entries in the form of written essays or stories, preferably accompanied by photographs that set a context to the narrative.
iii. These stories should reflect new ground broken by women in empowering themselves or others. It will also seeks to encourage and recognize women who have made a difference particularly by demonstrating leadership in the economic, socio-cultural and environmental front.
iv. Entries must be filled online (https://mygov.in/task/women-transforming-india womentransform/) on or before March 31st, 2016. A shortlist of 8-10 best entries by a jury will be put to poll on MyGov.in to determine the top three entries. The final winning entry will be determined by a jury constituted by NITI Aayog. Spread across a period of over one month, the initiative will also sensitize citizens to gender issues and seek to promote gender equity and equality through a variety of media.
v. Apart from that, Winner will receive a certificate of appreciation from NITI Aayog and the UN in India. Change makers may also have a chance to interact directly with policy makers in the Government of India to enable affect positive policy action.
2. India To Launch 25 Foreign Satellites This Year
i. India will launch 25 foreign satellites belonging to seven countries. The list is topped by the USA in 2016-17.
ii. In written response to a question, Jitendra Singh, minister of state in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) which looks after the department of space, said till date 57 foreign satellites from 21 countries have been launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
iii. Mr. Singh said that Antrix the commercial arm of ISRO has signed the agreements with Algeria and Canada for launching three satellites each, four for Germany, one each for Japan and Malaysia and 12 for the USA in 2016-17.
iv. In the last three years, from January 2013 till December 2015, ISRO launched 28 foreign satellites belonging to 13 countries, with Singapore, the United Kingdom and the USA topping the list.
v. ISRO earned 80 million euros for the launch.
3. Rajya Sabha Passes Long Awaited Bill To Protect Home Buyers
i. The Rajya Sabha passed a landmark Real Estate Bill with a promise to secure the interests of homebuyers and developers in equal measure and remove corruption and inefficiency from the sector.
ii. This bill, passed with all the new recommendations that were cleared by the Union cabinet in December, will regulate both commercial and residential projects and set up state-level regulatory authorities to monitor real estate activity.
iii. According Urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu told the upper house that real estate is the second largest employer in the country, after agriculture, and contributes 9% to the gross domestic product (GDP).
iv. Yet, the sector has been marked by a lack of trust and confidence between consumers and developers, which has had an adverse impact on investments in the sector.
4. Ex SC Judge Balbir Singh Chauhan Appointed As Chairman Of 21st Law Commission Of India
i. The Union Government has appointed the former Supreme Court Judge justice Balbir Singh Chauhan as the Chairman of 21st Law Commission of India (LCI).
ii. The announcement has made after six month of delay because The post has been lying vacant since last September when the commission was constituted.
iii. Currently he is Chairman of the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal.
iv. He was judge of the SC from May 2009 to July 2014. Apart from him, Union Government has appointed former judge of the Gujarat high court Justice Ravi R Tripathi as member of 21st Law Commission of India. He retired as judge last May.
v. The 21st LCI will give its major recommendations on a review of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the criminal justice system and the bail law in order to ensure uniformity in the procedure of granting the relief. While LCI is a non-statutory and non-constitutional body constituted by the Union Government from time to time.
5. Project Mausam Of M/O Culture Aims To Explore Multi-Faceted Indian Ocean World
i. Project Mausam is the initiative of Ministry of Culture which is to be implemented by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as the nodal agency with research support of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and National Museum as associate bodies.
ii. This project aims to explore the multi-faceted Indian Ocean world collating archaeological and historical research in order to document the diversity of cultural, commercial and religious interactions in the Indian Ocean extending from East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian Subcontinent and Sri Lanka to the Southeast Asian archipelago.
iii. Project mausam also aims to promote research on themes related to the study of Maritime Routes through international scientific seminars and meeting and by adopting a multidisciplinary approach.
iv. It aims to encourage the production of specialized works, as well as publications for the general public with an attempt at promoting a broader understanding of the concept of a common heritage and multiple identities.
6. Rajya Sabha Passes National Waterways Bill
i. The Upper House of the Parliament passed The National Waterways Bill, 2015, which was tabled in Lok Sabha on May 5, 2015 by the Minister of Road Transport and Highways and Shipping, Mr. NitinGadkari.
ii. Having been passed in the Rajya Sabha, It would be kept before The President for his assent in the bill.
iii. The bill comes under Entry 24 of the Union List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
iv. Once it is a law, it can potentially provide an alternative form of transporting goods, which at present is dominated by road and rail, and open up economic opportunities to new regions.
7. India Signs Raptor MoU To Save Birds Of Prey
i. To conserve several species of birds Government has signed ‘Raptor MoU’ - a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on conservation of birds of prey in Africa and Eurasia.
ii. The ‘Raptor MoU’ extends its coverage to 76 species of birds of prey, out of which 46 species, including vultures, falcons, eagles, owls, hawks, kites, harriers, etc. also occur in India.
iii. India is 56th signatory State to sign the ‘Raptor MoU’ that was concluded on October 22, 2008 and came into effect on November 1, 2008.
iv. The Union Cabinet, in its meeting, held on December 30, 2015 had approved the proposal of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to sign the MoU, also called ‘Raptor MoU’, on Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia, with the Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), or Bonn Convention, under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
v. The Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species(CMS) aims to conserve migratory species throughout their range.
8. Country’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank today launched a credit-linked subsidy scheme for home loans under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)
i. Under the scheme, an eligible customer will get a subsidy at 6.5 per cent per annum on a maximum amount of Rs 6 lakh or the loan amount, whichever is lower, for a maximum tenure of 15 years.
ii. An individual including women borrowers from the economically weaker section and the low-income group will be able to acquire and construct the first brick-and-mortar house of the family by paying significantly lower equated monthly installments (EMIs).
iii. ICICI Bank has signed a MoU with National Housing Bank (NHB) to facilitate the credit-linked subsidy to eligible borrowers.
iv. From the scheme, ICICI Bank is committed to supporting Government’s vision to provide housing for all by 2022.
9. Tapan Chand Elected As AAI Chief
i. In the aftermath of National Governing Council meeting of Aluminium Association of India Tapan Chad elected as AAI chiefTapan Kumar Chand has been unanimously elected as the President of the metal governing body.
ii. Prior to his appointment he was serving chairman and Managing Director of National Aluminium Company.
iii. Aluminium Association of India, was founded in 1981 to cater the needs of Indian Aluminium Industry and to interface with various aluminium industries world over. iv. It is the head representing the entire spectrum of Indian Aluminium Industries
10. Egyptian Diplomat Ahmed Abul Gheit Named As Secretary General Of Arab League
i. Veteran Egyptian diplomat Ahmed Abul Gheit (73) has been selected as Secretary General of the Arab League.
ii. The 22-member league voted unanimously in favour of Aboul Gheit who was only contender for the post at its ministerial meeting held in Cairo, Egypt.
iii. He will succeed Nabil El-Araby, Egyptian diplomat whose term ends in July 2016 after he had rejected second five-year term.
iv. Abul Gheit is a former ambassador of Egypt to the United Nations. He had served as Egypt’s foreign minister from 2004 to 2011 during the final seven years of Hosni Mubarak’s rule. About Arab League The Arab League is a regional organization of Arab countries in and around North Africa, the Horn of Africa and Arabia.
11. Kangana Ranaut Has Become The Brand Ambassador Of Reebok India
i. The renowned Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has announced as the brand ambassador of Reebok India. On the occasion the actress has also launched the new campaign of the brand titled “Be More Human”.
ii. The new campaign featuring Kangana has been released on the “International Women’s Day”.
iii. This announcement aims to inspire women to become better versions of themselves not just physically but also mentally and socially.
iv. It is a tribute to the modern Indian woman, telling her that she is fit to rise above stereotypes and carve out her own destiny.
v. In the new campaign of Reebok India, Kangana will be seen challenging herself with various fitness activities including functional training, dance, yoga, kick-boxing and others. Thereby Reebok India communicating the overarching brand message ‘how fit you are defines how far you go’.
12. Brazilian Musician Nana Vasconcelos Passed Away
i. Renowned Brazil musician Nana Vasconcelos has passed away in the northeastern Brazilian city of Recife. He was suffering from lung cancer. He was 71.
ii. He was 8 time Grammy Award winning Brazilian percussionist known for his wide instrumental range and major role in free spirited jazz and world music of the 1970s and 1980s.
iii. He was a master of the single string percussion instrument known in Portuguese as the berimbao and worked over the decades with well known musicians such as Milton Nascimento.
iv. The American jazz magazine DownBeat named Vasconcelos percussionist of the year for seven consecutive year from 1983 to 1990.
v. He started learning music with his musician father and by the time he was 12 he was playing a drum kit, performing at bars with local groups.
13. Hyundai Is Now The Official Partner Of BCCI
i. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has entered into a 4 year partnership with Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) as an associate sponsor for all international matches at home. Hyundai is a Korean car maker.
ii. As per the agreement, HMIL would be the official partner of BCCI for all formats like Test, One day & T20.
iii. Hyundai fleet of premium cars would be used for transporting various stakeholders of the game throughout the event and also promotional activities during tournaments, in-stadia car display and branding are some other key pointers of the deal.
iv. Besides title sponsor, BCCI has made 3 official associate sponsors and with the help of them the cricket body would get Rs 150 crore in the next 4 years.
v. Recently, BCCI announced its association with beverage major PepsiCo as its first official associate sponsor for around 80 matches which would be played in four years. Mobile commerce platform Paytm is the official title sponsor of BCCI.
1) Who was appointed as the new Chairman of the 21st Law Commission by the Union Govt. on 10 March 2016? – Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan
Explanation: Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan, a former judge of the Supreme Court was appointed Chairman of the 21st Law Commission on 10 March. This post was lying vacant since September 2015.
– 66-year old Justice Chauhan is currently heading the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal. One of the key issues pending before the Law Commission is a call on amending the Indian Penal Code (IPC) amid allegations of abuse and arbitrary use of the law.
– The term of the 20th Law Commission ended on 30 August 2015 and the Union Cabinet approved creation of the 21st Law Commission on 9 September 2015. The Law Ministry brought out a notification to create the 21st law panel on 14 September 2015.
– The Law Commission is reconstituted every three years and is usually headed by a retired Supreme Court judge or former Chief Justice of a high court.
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2) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its sixth navigational satellite under the ambitious IRNSS series the through the PSLV-32 rocket on 10 March 2016. What is the name of this satellite? – IRNSS-1F
Explanation: IRNSS-1F (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1F) is the sixth satellite of the seven satellite-Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) series. It is part of India’s plan to put in place an indigenous navigation system similar to US-based global positioning system (GPS) and the Russian GLONASS.
– The launch was done from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh).
– The final satellite, IRNSS-1G, which will complete the series of satellites, will be launched in April 2016, after which the navigation system will become operational.
– Once fully operational, the constellation of satellites will reduce India’s dependence on foreign navigational systems. The other five satellites, IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C,ID and 1E , were successfully launched by PSLV on 2 July 2013, 4 April 2014, 16 October 2014, 28 March 2015 and 20 January 2016, respectively. All the five satellites are functioning satisfactorily.
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3) After a long wait, the Union Govt. managed to get the important bill associated with real estate sector approved by the Rajya Sabha on 10 March 2016. What is the name of this legislation which is primarily designed to protect consumer interest, ensure efficiency in all property-related transactions, and improve accountability of developers? – The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013
Explanation: The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013will seek to regulate both commercial and residential projects and set up state-level regulatory authorities to monitor real estate activity.
– It provides for mandatory registration of all projects with the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) in each state. Real estate agents who intend to sell any plot, apartment or building should also register themselves with this authority.
– It makes mandatory the disclosure of all information for registered projects like details of promoters, layout plan, land status, schedule of execution and status of various approvals.
– Lack of transparency in India’s real estate sector has always been a grey area.
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4) Officers and employees of regional rural banks (RRBs) went on a 2-day strike from 10 March 2016 to press for a host of demands including dumping the move for nationalisation of RRBs. Which entity associated with rural bank employees gave call for this strike? – United Forum of Regional Rural Bank Unions (UFEEBU)
Explanation: UFRRBU is an umbrella body of seven unions. They are opposing the RRBs Amendment Act 2015, which paved the way for infusion of private capital in the banks and thus diluting the social objectives of the institutions. There are 56 RRBs with a network of over 20,500 branches across 635 districts in the country.
– The strike resulted in a four-day closure of the RRBs at a stretch with the subsequent two days (12 and 13 March) being public holidays.
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5) What is the name of the new Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that was formed on 8 March 2016 to implement the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Bullet Train project? –National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL)
Explanation: National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) is the name of the new Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will undertake the complete implementation of the ambitious High Speed Bullet Train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
– The bullet train is expected to cover the 508 km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in about two hours, running at a maximum speed of 350 kmph and operating speed of 320 kmph. Currently, Duronto takes about seven hours to cover the distance between the two financial centres of the country.
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6) Which global auto giant from 10 March 2016 began the sale of its new Clarity Fuel Cell, the world’s first five-passenger sedan-type fuel cell vehicle (FCV) with zero carbon emissions? – Honda Motor Co.
Explanation: Japanese auto giant Honda Motor Co. created history on 10 March as it started selling the new Clarity Fuel Cell, the world’s first five-passenger sedan-type fuel cell vehicle (FCV) which has zero carbon emissions as it runs on hydrogen.
– The Clarity vehicle features a cruising range of around 750 km. This means a driver can drive for up to that distance on a full tank – marking an increase of about 30% compared to the previous FCV model.
– That range puts Clarity in the top class cruising range among zero-emissions vehicles, and its hydrogen tank takes about three minutes to refill
1. Egyptian diplomat Ahmed Abul Gheit named Secretary General of the Arab League
1. Egyptian diplomat and former Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit was named as Secretary General of the Arab League on 10 March 2016. The 22-member organization voted unanimously in favor of Aboul Gheit.
2. This appointment was announced by Bahraini Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa at the end of 22-nation ministerial meeting in Cairo.
3. 73-year-old Aboul Gheit, a former ambassador to the United Nations, will succeed Nabil El-Araby. Gheit served as Egypt's foreign minister during the final seven years of Hosni Mubarak's rule, leaving his post in 2011, following the mass protests that toppled the Mubarak.
4. Gheit’s name was proposed for the post by Cairo after the incumbent, Nabil al-Arabi, another Egyptian, declined a second five-year term as Secretary General.
2. Tezpur University and JNU won the annual Visitor’s Awards for Central Universities
1. Tezpur University on 10 March 2016 won the annual Visitor’s Award for the Best University. Rakesh Bhatnagar and the Molecular Parasitology Group of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have also won the Visitor’s Awards for Research and Innovation respectively.
2. President Pranab Mukherjee will present Visitor’s Awards for 2016 to the winners at a function to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 14 March 2016, as part of the Festival of Innovations.
The Visitor’s Award for Innovation will be given to Professor Rakesh Bhatnagar of Jawaharlal Nehru University for development of a genetically engineered vaccine and a therapeutic antibody against anthrax.
3. The Visitor’s Award for Research will be presented to the Molecular Parasitology Group of Jawaharlal Nehru University of pioneering work in the area of molecular parasitology, especially anti-malaria, leishmaniasis and amoebiasis.
3. Lok Sabha passed Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016
1. The Lok Sabha on 11 March 2016 passed the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016.
2. The bill seeks to provide for targeted delivery of subsidies and services to individuals residing in India by assigning them unique identity numbers, called Aadhaar numbers.Since it was introduced as a Money Bill, it requires only approval of the President to become an Act of the Parliament.
3. Features of the Aadhaar Bill, 2016
• Eligibility: Every resident shall be entitled to obtain an Aadhaar number. A resident is a person who has resided in India for 182 days, in the one year preceding the date of application for enrolment for Aadhaar.
• Information to be submitted: To obtain an Aadhaar number, an individual has to submit his (a) biometric (photograph, finger print, iris scan) and (b) demographic (name, date of birth, address) information. The Unique Identification Authority (UID) may specify other biometric and demographic information to be collected by regulations.
• Enrolment: At the time of enrolment, the individual will be informed of the manner in which the information will be used, the nature of recipients with whom the information will be shared and the right to access this information.
After verification of information provided by a person, an Aadhaar number will be issued to him.
4. Plastic degrading bacteria Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6 isolated
1. Japanese researchers have successfully isolated a bacterium species Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6 capable of breaking down plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyester. Their results were published in the journal Science.
2. Ideonella sakaiensis relies on PET film as a primary source of carbon for growth. It is capable of completely degrading a thin film of PET in a short span of six weeks at 30°C. The bacterium species uses two enzymes in sequence to break down the highly biodegradable-resistant polymer PET.
5. Project Mausam aims to explore Multi-Faceted Indian Ocean World
1. Project Mausam aims to explore the multi-faceted Indian Ocean world for collating archaeological and historical research and not to counter China’s Silk Route strategy. It was announced by Union Minister of State (MoS) for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) Dr. Mahesh Sharma in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
2. Project Mausam was launched in June 2014 in the 38th Session of World Heritage Committee (WHC) meeting which was held at Doha, Qatar. It is the initiative of Union Ministry of Culture which is to be implemented by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as the nodal agency.
6. Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan appointed as Chairman of 21st Law Commission of India
1. The Union Government has appointed former Supreme Court (SC) judge Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan (66) as Chairman of the 21st Law Commission of India (LCI).
2. Currently he is Chairman of the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal. He was judge of the SC from May 2009 to July 2014. He also had served as Chief Justice of Orissa high court from July 2008 to May 2009. Apart from him, Union Government has appointed former judge of the Gujarat high court Justice Ravi R Tripathi as member of 21st LCI.
7. Rest of India wins 2015-16 Irani Cup Cricket Title
1. Rest of India has won the Irani Cup Cricket Title 2015-16 by defeating Mumabi in the final match of the cup by four wickets.
2. In the final match played at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, Rest of India overhauled the record victory target of 480 by making 482 for 6 on the fifth and final day. This successful chase was also the best-ever run-chase in the Irani Cup history. It has bettered Rest of India’s previous 424, chasing target set by Delhi at the Ferozshah Kotla in 1982-83.
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