World Meteorological Day 2016 observed with the theme Hotter, Drier, Wetter. Face the Future:
· 23 March: World Meteorological Day
· The World Meteorological Day (WMD) 2016 was observed across the world on 23 March 2016. The theme for the WMD 2016 was Hotter, Drier, Wetter. Face the Future
· 23 March is celebrated as World Meteorological Day to commemorate the entry into force of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Convention in 1950 aimed at creating the organisation.
FM Jaitley launches Fasal Bima Yojana:
· Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Unified Package Insurance Scheme in Mumbai.
· Terming agriculture as "absolutely critical to the country's economy", Jaitley said the revamped insurance schemes would be rolled out from April 1 to cover Kharif crops.
· Earlier, the Union Cabinet had in January approved the launch of PMFBY.
Government amends Atal Pension Yojana:
· The government has amended the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) to give an option to a subscriber’s spouse to continue to contribute to the account till the time the subscriber would have turned 60, in case of his/her premature death.
· Further, the spouse shall be entitled to receive the same pension amount as the subscriber until the death of the spouse.
9.39 cr Jan Dhan accounts seeded with Aadhar:
· Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said that 9.39 crore Jan Dhan accounts have been seeded with Aadhaar.
· His statement comes after the Parliament last week passed the Aadhaar Bill that aims at better targeting of subsidies through the Aadhaar unique identity number.
Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana launched in UP’s Pratapgarh district:
· Union Power, Coal and New Energy Minister Piyush Goyal launched Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana in Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh.
· New projects worth 48 crore rupees under the Gram Jyoti Yojana will be implemented in different parts of the district.
Centre launches study to assess health needs of elderly people:
· Government has launched a study to assess the health needs and issues of elderly people in the country.
· Launching the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) in New Delhi, Health secretary BP Sharma said, the study is important due to the increasing population of elderly people in the country.
· He stated that this is the largest survey of its kind and will survey more than 60,000 elderly people and provide data on their health needs.
· He also informed about the Health Protection Scheme announced in the recent Budget, which has a special component of 30,000 rupees for the elderly in the family.
· LASI is the largest study on the elderly population in the country. The International Institute for Population Sciences in Mumbai in collaboration with Harvard School of Public Health and University of Southern California in the USA is undertaking it under the aegis of the Health Ministry.
Government to buy back inflation-indexed bonds:
· The government said it will buy back inflation-indexed bonds worth 3,298.72 crore on March 28, a move aimed at infusing liquidity into the markets.
· Inflation-indexed bond is a type of bond in which the principal is indexed to official inflation or deflation data on a daily basis (Wholesale Price Index for India).
1.28 Lakh Crore invested in Electronic Manufacturing:
· IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that India has attracted investments over 1.28 lakh crore in Electronics Manufacturing sector.
· He further said the government is working towards making India a hub for electronics manufacturing.
Union Government released Detailed Project Report on Forestry Interventions for Ganga:
· Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti released the Detailed Project Report (DPR) on Forestry Intervention for Ganga.
· The DPR envisioned policy and law interventions, concurrent research, monitoring and evaluation, and mass awareness campaigns to rejuvenate and develop forests in the Ganga River basin.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified environment standards for Gensets:
· The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change notified new environment standards for Gensets running on Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG)/Natural Gas (NG), Diesel with LPG/NG and Petrol with LPG/NG operated in various cities/towns in India.
· The standards for Gensets running on LPG/NG, or in combination with diesel/petrol have been notified for the first time.
· The primary aim of the new standards for Gensets is to control air and noise pollution emanating from the operation of Gensets. These standards were recommended by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) after consultations with industries and other stakeholders.
· In all, the three fuel modes of operation, a three-tier classification have been adopted.
Delhi public transport 4th worst for women: Poll
· New Delhi has the fourth most unsafe public transport system for women in the world, according to a Thomson Reuters Foundation poll.
· Sixteen cities were surveyed, and New Delhi came after Bogota (Colombia), Mexico City (Mexico) and Lima (Peru). The top three cities with the safest public transport system were found to be New York, Tokyo and Beijing.
Bihar releases 1,137 cr for teachers' salaries:
· A Cabinet meeting chaired by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar approved the release of 1,137.25 crore, towards the payment of salaries of 2.66 lakh contractual teachers.
· Education Minister Ashok Choudhary said the funds had to be taken from the state's treasury as the Centre refused to provide its share and the payment was being held for the same reason.
Punjab passes Bills to settle farm dues and Protect cows:
· Punjab government passed a Bill with a framework to regulate and settle agriculture debts.
· The House also passed the Punjab Gau Sewa Commission Bill to protect cows. Neighbouring Haryana had passed a cow protection Bill earlier, after the BJP government had come to power.
· The government would establish a District Agriculture Debt Settlement Forum at every district of the state to implement the Act.
· The chairman of the forum would be a retired district and sessions judge or a retired additional district and sessions judge.
Uma Bharti releases DPR on forestry intervention for Clean Ganga in New Delhi:
· Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti has released detailed project report (DPR) on forestry intervention for a Clean Ganga in New Delhi.
· The DPR envisages extensive plantations in natural, agricultural, and urban landscapes. Speaking on the occasion, Ms Bharti said more than four crore trees will be planted in the next five years in the 1.13 lakh hectare land.
PM Modi to inaugurate broadband connectivity to North-East states:
· Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate broadband connectivity to North-East states via Bangladesh to strengthen telecom services in the region.
· Under the project, an international gateway for broadband connectivity will be set up at Agartala in which connectivity will be provided through Bangladesh under an agreement between state-run BSNL and Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company limited.
· The agreement was signed between India and Bangladesh for this project at Dhaka on June last year in the presence of Prime Ministers of both the countries.
Bombay HC directs Maha govt to set up trauma centres across state:
· Bombay High Court has directed Maharashtra government to set up trauma centres across the state to ensure that rape victims are taken there for treatment, counselling and rehabilitation immediately after the FIR is registered in a police station in such cases.
· A bench headed by Justice Naresh Patil gave the direction.
Delhi govt to provide free travel facilities to person suffering from any disability in DTC, Cluster scheme:
· Delhi government has decided to provide free travel facilities to person suffering from any disability in AC and non-AC buses of DTC and Cluster scheme.
· The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
· A senior government official said, Cabinet approved the extension of free travel facility in accordance with the Disabilities Act to persons.
Akhilesh Ranjan committee submits recommendations on Taxation of e-commerce:
· A committee was constituted by the Central Board of Direct Taxes to examine the business models for e-commerce, identify the direct tax issues in relation to e-commerce transactions and provide suggestions.
· This committee was headed by Akhilesh Ranjan, Joint Secretary (CBDT) and it includes officers of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, representatives from the industry, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and tax experts.
INTERNATIONAL:
Pakistan pulls out of SAARC Satellite plan:
· India's External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup revealed that Pakistan has pulled out of the satellite project proposed during the 2014 SAARC Summit.
· Pakistan reportedly had reservations about the safety of the data on its space programme.
· PM Narendra Modi had earlier proposed the satellite plan to help all SAARC members in fields like telecommunication and telemedicine.
Bangladesh confirms first case of Zika virus:
· Bangladesh confirmed its first case of the Zika virus in an old blood sample from a man who has never gone out of the country.
· Officials said the virus was found in a blood sample collected between 2014 and 2015 from a 67-year-old. However, none of the man's relatives tested positive for the virus, officials added.
Issoufou re-elected for second term as Niger’s President
· In Nigeria, President Mahamadou Issoufou has been re-elected for a second term by a landslide in a controversial run-off vote, official results show.
· The electoral commission says he received more than 90 per cent of the vote in Sunday's polls, which the opposition had boycotted.
· Opposition challenger Hama Amadou, who was flown to France last week for emergency medical treatment, took 8 per cent.
President Pranab, PM Modi greet people of Pakistan on their National Day:
· President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have greeted the people of Pakistan on their National Day today.
· In his message, Mr Mukherjee said, India is committed to peaceful, friendly relations with Pakistan and cooperation between the two countries will lead to progress and prosperity in the region.
APPOINTMENTS:
HL Dattu appointed to International Human Rights Body:
· HL Dattu, the Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and former Chief Justice of India was appointed as a member of the International Coordinating Committee of NHRIs (ICC) Bureau in Geneva.
· No other National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) from the Asia-Pacific region nominated a candidate against him to fill the position vacated by an NHRI representative of South Korea.
Kangana replaces Deepika as the face of Melange:
· Actress Kangana Ranaut has replaced Deepika Padukone as the brand ambassador of Lifestyle International's contemporary ethnic wear brand 'Melange by Lifestyle'.
· Kangana features in the brand's 'Rethink Ethnic' campaign for its latest Spring Summer collection.
UN appoints ‘Red’-the leader of angry birds as the Ambassador to Climate change:
· The popular mobile game figure Angry bird-‘Red’ is now to become the honorary ambassador of Climate change announced by the UN.
· The announcement was made as a part of the campaign launched to create awareness among the people regarding climate changes through the renown characters.
· It was declared on the International day of happiness by the UN that ‘red’ the head of angry birds will be the honorary ambassador of climate change.
HSBC’s Hitendra Dave to take charge of corporate banking along with Markets:
· Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp (HSBC) has elevated Hitendra Dave to head of global banking and markets in India in charge of trading in debt markets, equity capital markets, debt capital markets and corporate banking including financial institutions (FIs).
BANKING :
IDBI Bank to raise 20k crore from bonds in 2016-17:
· State-owned IDBI Bank said it plans to raise 20,000 crore through the issuance of rupee bonds in the next fiscal to fund business growth.
· The amount would be raised in one or more tranches comprising senior or infrastructure bonds, Basel-III compliant tier-II or additional tier-I bonds by way of private placement or public issue, IDBI Bank said.
RBI spotted intervening after rupee fall: Report
· According to currency traders cited by Reuters, the RBI likely sold dollars through state-owned banks in a bid to prevent sharper falls in the rupee after reports of explosions at the Brussels airport hit global markets.
· The traders said the intervention started when the rupee fell to around 66.83 per dollar levels, down from 66.5250/66.5350 close on Monday.
IRDA approved LIC’s idea to invest in PSB’s:
· The regulatory authority of Insurance sector has given its nod to the Biggest life insurance company of India- LIC to invest in the Public Sector Banks.
· IRDA after complete scrutiny of the investments of LIC in PSU’s have agreed to the proposal of increasing its investments in Public sector banks.
· RBI had expressed concern over LIC making huge investments in PSU banks, saying it can affect the financial stability.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
Edelweiss to buy JP Morgan's India MF business:
· Edelweiss Asset Management announced the acquisition of JP Morgan's mutual fund business in India that has assets worth over 7,000 crore.
· Under the deal, Edelweiss will acquire all onshore fund schemes managed by JP Morgan Asset Management India, subject to regulatory approvals. Post acquisition, the assets under management (AUMs) of the combined entity would be 8,757 crore.
Bajaj Finance enters life care Financing Segment:
· Bajaj Finance is entering the Rs 20,000-crore life care segment under which it will finance expenses for stem cells storage units, cosmetics-based hair treatment, dental and eye care, IVF & maternity care, laproscopic cure for a dozen ailments, and elective medical/paramedical care for many other issues.
· The Pune-based company, which claims to be the first to enter this segment in the country, expects to net around Rs 1,000 crore in sales over the next five years from this business hoping to an encore of the massive demand for such segmental funding in the Western markets where life care segment is a booming business.
Centre releases self-regulation Code of ethical business conduct for industry:
· The Consumer Affairs Ministry today released a self-regulation Code of ethical business conduct to be adopted by the Industry on providing best products and services.
· The code contains provision of trustworthy products and services for the consumers, comply with the competition and anti-trust laws and respond to consumer complaints promptly.
· Memoranda of Understanding between Department of Consumer Affairs and the industry bodies related to self-regulated code of fair business and partnering with the National Consumer helpline and State Consumer Helplines on grievance redressal were also launched on the occasion.
Cargo exports surge to 6075 MT from Tiruchirapalli Intl airport:
· In Tamil Nadu, Cargo exports have increased to 6075 Metric Tonnes from Tiruchirapalli International airport in this fiscal according to its director K Gunasekaran.
· Perishable items like vegetables, fruits, textiles are being exported as cargo to middle-east countries including Gulf nations, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
· Expansion and modernization works for the Trichy international airport worth Rs 862 crore is going on smoothly.
Current Account Deficit fell to 1.3% of GDP:
· India’s current account deficit, the excess of imports over exports, fell further to 1.3% of the gross domestic product due to benefits of lower commodity prices.
· Reserve Bank of India data showed current account deficit (CAD) at $1 billion in the third quarter ending December, lower than $8.7 billion or 1.7% of GDP in the preceding quarter.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
Scientists use Fungi for Rechargeable Batteries:
· In a first, researchers at the University of Dundee have shown that the fungus Neurospora crassa found in a red bread mold could help in creating better electrochemical materials used in rechargeable batteries.
· In the study, researchers heated the fungi with manganese to form minerals used in lithium-ion batteries and capacitors, that store electric charge in a chemical form.
Chromecast app being renamed to Google Cast app:
· Google has announced that it is rebranding its Chromecast app to Google Cast app this week.
· The app allows video and audio streaming from Android devices to not just Google’s own thumb-sized Chromecast dongle, but also other third-party devices.
· The name change has occurred to better reflect this recent expansion of the platform, which also supports TVs, displays and speakers
Tech giants partner to make e-mails more secure:
· Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, LinkedIn and Comcast have partnered to propose a new e-mail mechanism, called SMTP Strict Transport Security (SMTP STS), that ensures encrypted e-mails.
· It checks if the domain a user is sending to supports SMTP STS and makes sure its encryption certificate is authentic and up-to-date. The current e-mail encryption system is susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks.
NASA captures shockwave for the first time:
· In a first, NASA’s Kepler space telescope has captured a shockwave, which is a bright flash of light sent out by an exploding star at the end of its life.
· The shockwave lasted for only about 20 minutes, making the event an investigative milestone for astronomers. Notably, the Kepler space telescope is used to hunt for alien planets.
Alibaba to unveil its 1st internet car in April:
· Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba will reportedly unveil its first internet-connected smart car, jointly developed with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, in April.
· According to the company's CTO, it's battery will retain 80% of its capacity after running 1,60,000 km. The car will adopt people-to-car, car-to-car, car-to-road and car-to-infrastructure communication technologies, he added
SPORTS:
Guptill-Williamson have most 50+ T20I stands:
· New Zealand's Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson became the pair with the highest number of '50+' partnerships in T20Is, after registering their 10th '50+' partnership against Pakistan in the WT20 Group game.
· The duo surpassed the Australian pair of David Warner and Shane Watson (9). Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli stand at joint-third with six '50+' T20I partnerships
Afridi becomes highest WT20 wicket-taker:
· Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi became the highest wicket-taker in World T20 tournaments, after picking up his 39th WT20 wicket in the WT20 Group game against New Zealand on Tuesday.
· Afridi surpassed Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga's record of 38 WT20 wickets. Notably, Afridi, with a total tally of 97 wickets, is also the highest wicket-taker in T20Is.
NZ beat Pak to seal World T20 semis spot:
· New Zealand won their third consecutive match to book a semi-final berth in the World T20 after defeating Pakistan by 22 runs at Mohali on Tuesday.
· Man-of-the-match, Martin Guptill's knock of 80(48) and Ross Taylor's 36*(23) helped New Zealand post 180/5 in the first innings. In response, Pakistan started well powered by Sharjeel Khan's 47(25) but were restricted to 158/5.
Abhinav Bindra sets up VC fund for startups:
· Olympic gold medalist and Indian ace shooter Abhinav Bindra has set up a venture capital fund named 'Shooting Star LLP'.
· The fund is created in an equal partnership with consulting firm Franchise India, and an initial investment of $2 million.
· It will invest in emerging sports academies, sports injury, rehab, equipment and training, health apps, child development and organic foods.
Rio 2016 will be my last Olympics: Usain Bolt
· Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt confirmed that this year's Rio Olympics will be his last Olympics.
· The sprinter, who won six Olympic gold medals for his performances in 2008 and 2012, claimed that sustaining the necessary motivation for another four years would be difficult.
· Bolt further said that he wishes to win three more Olympic gold medals this year.
England women beat India in World T20:
· Indian Women lost their second consecutive match of the Women's World T20 as they were defeated by England by two wickets at Dharamsala on Tuesday.
· India posted 90/8 in 20 overs, with Harmanpreet Kaur top-scoring with 26(25). English spinner, Heather Knight, was named the player-of-the-match as she finished with bowling figures of 3/15.
9th International Abilympics starts today at Bordeaux in France:
· 9th International Abilympics starts today at Bordeaux in France.
· Abilympics is coined from 'Olympics of abilities' of persons with disabilities.
· It is a global work skills competition held every four years. The event aims to promote social awareness in the field of skills development and employment both locally and internationally, and foster friendship among the competing nations.
· A 19-member Indian team has left for France to compete in the event, which will be on till 27th.
Australian marathoner to run for education in India:
· An Australian marathon runner will embark on a 76-day-long-run from Jaisalmer to Meghalaya to raise funds for the education focused initiatives in India.
· Samantha Gash, a corporate lawyer by profession, said the objective to undertake the challenge of running almost 4,000 kms stretch covering several Indian cities from West to East was to raise funds which would go towards funding education focused initiatives through World Vision's programmes in India.
Virat Kohli scores another 100, this time in crores:
· Virat Kohli, India’s test cricket captain, is on his way to be the biggest sports celebrity in the country having already joined the Rs 100 crore club this year with 13 brands under his belt, say sports marketers.
· Kohli, 27, is a darling of the crowd and advertisers
Chennai girl wins at street Child Games in Rio:
· Hepziba, who won three medals, including a gold, at the Street Child Games in Rio She sprinted to win in the 100-metre dash at the Street Child Games held in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
· Hepsiba, now 16, earlier lived on Sydenhams Road in Chennai.
1. India’s Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve included in UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves
1. India’s Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve (ABR) was included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
2. It was included along with other 19 sites at the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (ICCMAB) programme of UNESCO that concluded recently in Lima, Peru. With the addition of the ABR, total 10 of the 18 biosphere reserves in the country have made it to the list of World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
2. March 23: World Meteorological Day
1. Every year 23rd March is being observed as World Meteorological Day (WMD).
2. The theme for 2016 year is “Hotter, Drier, Wetter. Face the Future”. The theme highlights the disruption caused by climate change on the natural pattern of the seasons and increasing frequency and intensity of certain extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts and heavy rainfall.
3. On the occasion of WMD, various meteorological research awards will be also given. These awards include International Meteorological Organization Prize, Professor Dr. Vilho Vaisaila Award and Norbert Gerbier-Mumm International Award.
3. Justice H L Dattu appointed as member of International Coordinating Committee Bureau of NHRI-ICC
1. The Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Justice HL Dattu has been appointed as member of the International Coordinating Committee Bureau (ICCB) of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI-ICC) Bureau in Geneva.
2. He has been selected from the Asia-Pacific region and shall represent India along with Mongolia, Qatar and Australia from this region. He was nominated unanimously after no other NHRI from the region nominated candidate against him to fill vacancy created after the representative of NHRI of South-Korea vacated it.
4. Ritu Beri appointed as advisor of KVIC
1. Noted fashion designer Ritu Beri has been appointed advisor to the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) for promotion of khadi in India and across the world.
2. She has been appointed for tenure of one year and shall advise KVIC on ways to promote khadi in India and across the world. Beri has 25 years of rich experience in the global fashion arena designing clothes for international and national celebrities.
5. Nepal became Dialogue Partner of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
1. Nepal became a dialogue partner of the Beijing-based regional security grouping, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
2. Nepal was officially made a dialogue partner after a memorandum was signed during the Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli visit to China.
3. As a dialogue partner, Nepal will be able to participate in the multi-field cooperation of the Organisation.
Beside Nepal, Azerbaijan also officially became a SCO dialogue partner on 21 March 2016 upon the signing of a similar memorandum.
6. Germany’s Nico Rosberg won 2016 Australian Grand Prix
1. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany won the 2016 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit at Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia.
2. Rosberg's 15th Formula One victory was also his fourth in succession after he won the final three races of last season.
Britain’s Lewis Hamilton, winner of 2015 Australian Grand Prix, secured the second place in the race.Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany came third for Ferrari after leading for much of the race.
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