#everydayquiz
NATIONAL:
International Women's Day observed with campaign theme #PledgeForParity:
· 8 March: International Women's Day (IWD)
· International Women's Day was observed across the world on 8 March 2016. This year's theme for the Day is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”. The campaign theme for the day is #PledgeForParity.
· United Nations observance and the idea of this theme reflect on how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, building momentum for the effective implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals.
· The theme will also focus on new commitments under UN Women’s Step It Up initiative, and other existing commitments on gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s human rights.
Union Government announced to withdraw tax proposal on Employee Provident Fund:
· Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced to withdraw proposal to tax Employee Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawals. He announced to withdraw the proposal while clarifying NDA government’s stand on the issue in the Lok Sabha.
· He further stated that government would also like to comprehensively review EPF tax proposal. However, government retained the tax proposal for National Pension Scheme (NPS) withdrawals.
Union Government launched online marketing platform Mahila e-Haat:
· Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhilaunched Mahila e-Haat portal in New Delhi.
· The Mahila e-Haat portal, http://mahilaehaat-rmk.gov.in, is an online marketing platform. It will provide access to markets to thousands of women who make products and are spread all over the country.
Features of Mahila e-Haat:
· It is a unique initiative since this is the first time that the government will help women to sell products online.
New categorization of Industries based on Pollution Index released by Union Government:
· The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change released a newcategorization of industries based on their pollution load.
· The categorization shall help in determining the taxation, clearances and other restrictions/incentives to industries.
· The new categorization were Released by Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar. The exercise of Re-categorization was being carried out for last one year.
Solar Energy Policy for Haryana to be launched:
Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar said that Solar Energy Policy, 2016 would be launched which aims at installing 4,000 Mega Watt capacity in five years through numerous steps like grant of status of industry, exemption from Land ceiling laws and price preference of two per cent for one to two Mega Watt producers located in Haryana.
Fire accident on board INS Viraat:
· One sailor was killed and three others injured after a fire broke out onboard India’s soon to be decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Viraat in Goa.
· A navy spokesperson said in New Delhi that the fire incident happened yesterday afternoon when the ship had earthed the Goa harbour after the sortie. He said, the ship reported incident of steam leak and a minor fire on one of the ship’s boiler rooms.
Stone laid for Octomax Unit at Mathura Refinery:
· Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan laid the foundation stone of country’s first-of-its-kind Octomax unit at the Mathura refinery that will help in the production of high-octane gasoline.
· Octomax, a “novel technology” developed in-house by Research and Development Centre of Indian Oil, involves conversion of cracked C4 streams to high-octane gasoline blending stock for production of Euro-IV/V equivalent gasoline.
The Sex ratio has come down in Gujarat placing it at 22nd rank in the Nation:
· The Sex ratio in Gujarat has fallen significantly from 920 in 2001 to 919 in 2011.It is a fall against the overall 10 points increase in the average of sex ratio of the Nation.
· The socio-economic review presented in the state assembly revealed that the sex ratio of Gujarat was 919 against the National sex ratio which is 943
· With 919 females for every 1000 males, Gujarat ranked 22nd among 28 states as per the 2011 Census.
Mumbai to host BRICS Friendship Cities Conclave in April:
· The financial capital of India to host BRICS Friendship Cities Conclave in April involving top Urban Policy makers and Planners from BRICS Nations.
· A think- tank working to find the solutions for Mumbai Development to make a global financial centre and is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan to promote cooperation among BRICS Nations.
· The BRICS Friendship Conclave is a joint initiative of Ministry of External Affairs and Maharashtra Government to be held between April 14 and 16 this year.
· Top level dignitaries from the BRICS Nations and also from Indian Ministers and Chief Minister of the State will attend the Conclave to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
INTERNATIONAL:
South Korea and USA began Largest military exercise:
· South Korean and US troops began their largest ever military exercises in a test of their defences against North Korea.
· The bilateral exercises come just days after the UN passed new sanctions against Pyongyang following its recent nuclear test and rocket launch.
· The 8- week long drills will involve about 3,00,000 South Korean troops and 15,000 US personnel.
China revises growth target to 6.5-7%:
· China has set this year’s economic growth target at 6.5 to 7 percent. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told lawmakers at their annual meeting in Beijing on March 5, 2016 that stable growth is needed to advance structural reform and to help guide market expectations.
North Korea threatens nuke attacks on US, South Korea:
· North Korea has threatened to turn Washington and Seoul into “flames and ashes”, warning of an indiscriminate “pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice” in reaction to the start of US-South Korean military drills.
· Relations between North Korea and Seoul and Washington have worsened since North Korea’s nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket test last month, which outsiders said was a test of banned ballistic missile technology.
· The United Nations recently imposed strong new sanctions on North Korea , and South Korea has said it will announce new unilateral sanctions on Tuesday.
UK Royal Navy to join NATO migrant patrols:
· The UK military is to join Nato forces intercepting and returning people trying to reach Europe from Turkey, as David Cameron prepares to meet European leaders to discuss the escalating migration crisis.
· The prime minister announced that the Royal Navy was deploying the amphibious landing ship RFA Mounts Bay as the first UK contribution to the Nato deployment in the Aegean Sea.
· The vessel, which carries a Wildcat helicopter, will join naval vessels from Germany, Canada, Turkey and Greece as part of Nato’s first intervention in the migration crisis.
BANKING:
ICICI Bank offers ‘work-from-home’ for women:
· ICICI Bank announced the launch of a work-from-home programme to prevent women employees from dropping out of its workforce.
· The company has deployed face recognition technology to facilitate women to work from home and provide access to the bank’s core banking servers under.
· The programme iWork@ home will enable almost every non-customer facing task to be done from home.
· The platform is designed not only to recognise the employees face; it also logs her out if she leaves her seat or if another face appears within range of the camera.
· The technology has been developed by ICICI Bank in collaboration with IIT Delhi.
· The bank has also announced another initiative for women managers with children up to 3 years of age as managerial responsibilities at times require them to travel outside city limits, for client interactions, business reviews or training
SoftBank splits into two subsidiaries:
· Japanese investment bank SoftBank Group Corp has announced a major reorganisation of its businesses.
· The firm has said that it would separate its profitable domestic mobile business from its global business, which includes a majority stake in US mobile operator Sprint Corp.
· SoftBank’s President Nikesh Arora will now head the overseas management company, whose holdings also include a 32 per cent share of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and a range of other Internet and technology firms
Axis bank better placed than ICICI and other PSU Banks:
· Nomura reports reveal that Axis bank is better placed than ICICI and other public sector bank in terms of corporate book profitability.
· Global financial services firm Nomura said that the third largest private sector bank in India-Axis bank is better placed than ICICI and other PSU’s in terms of corporate book profitability.
Thomas Cook India inks pact with Western Union, DCB Bank:
· Travel Solutions giant Thomas cook India has signed pact with Western Union Business Solutions and DCB bank to enable international trade payments by small and medium sized enterprises.
· This Pact by the Thomas cook to penetrate the high growth Indian SME sector for its international trade payment needs.
· This move by these companies aims to assist SME’s in India to enable trade payment across borders.
Fitch maintains India’s growth forecast at 7.5%:
· Global rating agency Fitch has maintained its growth forecast for India at 7.5 per cent this fiscal and sees higher growth over the next two financial years.
· However, 8 per cent growth will remain elusive in the short term. The forecast is largely in line with the Finance Ministry’s growth estimates.
· The Economic Survey had also said achieving 8 per cent growth may not be possible in the short run.
· Higher real disposable income, a normal monsoon and a substantial wage increase for central government employees will support economic recovery in the next two financial years, the ratings agency said, while underlining the need for structural reforms.
CBDT sets up dedicated structure for monitoring taxpayer services:
· The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has set up a dedicated structure for delivery and monitoring of tax payer services in the income tax department.
· Two separate directorates –
ü Directorate of Tax Payer Services I (‘TPS-I’) and
ü Directorate of Tax Payer Services II(‘TPS-II’)
Functioning:
· Member (Revenue and Tax payer services) in the CBDT will oversee the delivery and monitoring of taxpayer services under the new structure.
· Together, these Directorates will be responsible for delivery and monitoring of taxpayers services in the field offices and e-services deliverable through various electronic platforms of the Department.
· They will oversee and co-ordinate all matters relating to grievances of taxpayers and ensure their timely redressal.
· These Directorates will report to the Member (R and TPS), CBDT through the Principal Director General of Income Tax (Administration), an official release said.
· The Tax Administration Reforms Commission’s (TARC) Report had accorded considerable importance to redressal of grievances and a customer focussed approach in the Department through creation of a tax payer services vertical. The creation of this structure will fulfil some of the most significant recommendations of the TARC.
· With this initiative, the CBDT expects a noteworthy reduction in taxpayer grievances and enhanced taxpayer satisfaction
AWARDS AND HONOURS:
France awards highest honour to Saudi Prince:
· President Francois Hollande has awarded the Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest honour, to visiting Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef.
· The Crown Prince’s visit to the Elysee Palace actually took place, the same day as Mr Hollande held talks with Angela Merkel about how to cope with the refugee crisis.
· The French government was among the most vocal outside the Middle East in its condemnation of Saudi mass executions earlier this year, calling the kingdom’s killing of 47 people “deeply deplorable”
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
ISRO to launch its 6th Navigation Satellite:
· India is slated to put into orbit its sixth navigation satellite on Thursday evening, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced.
· The 1,425-kg IRNSS-1F – Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1F – would hurtle into space on board its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
· The rocket will blast off around 4 p.m. from the spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
Thousands of dead fish washed ashore Ulsoor lake:
· Thousands of dead fish have washed up on the banks of a polluted lake in India’s southern technology hub of Bangalore.
· It is suspected that sewage from many parts of the city has been flowing into the lake, depleting oxygen levels in the water.
· A tourism spot, Ulsoor lake had been choked with water hyacinth in recent years, with government launching clean-up efforts.
Indian scientists have developed Herbal drug to treat dengue:
· Indian scientists have developed a herbal medicine against dengue, which accounts for 50 per cent of the global population estimated to be at risk from the disease.
· Experts are now gearing for the next step, which is to hold clinical trials and toxicity studies before seeking permission from the Ministry of Ayush and the Drug Controller of India (DCI) for commercial production.
· The project was undertaken jointly by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and Ranbaxy Research Laboratory, and employed ayurveda in devising the drug.
AWARDS AND HONOURS:
Amrita Patel awarded with Mahindra Samriddhi Krishi Shiromani Samman:
· Amrita Patel, chairman of Charutar Arogya Mandal and former chairman of the National Dairy Development Board, was conferred with the prestigious Mahindra Samriddhi Krishi Shiromani Samman (Lifetime Achievement Award) in Delhi.
· Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister of Agriculture, presented the award to Patel for her contribution that made a difference in the field of agriculture to increase productivity and rural prosperity.
· Instituted in 2011, the Mahindra Samriddhi India Agri Awards are bestowed upon the farmers and institutions to recognize their noteworthy and purposeful contribution to the field of agriculture.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
FDI inflow in service sector surges 85.5%:
· Foreign Direct inflows into the services sector surged 85.5 percent to 4.25 billion dollars in the first nine months of this fiscal.
· The sector, which includes banking, insurance, outsourcing, R&D, courier and technology testing, had received foreign direct investment worth 2.29 billion dollars during this period, according to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.
India-USA to improve AYUSH products jointly:
· India and the US have agreed on a joint collaboration in standardisation and improving the quality of AYUSH products.
· At a two-day workshop on traditional medicine, the highlight of the discussions was the role of AYUSH in prevention, cure and management of cancer. An official release said, the workshop was organised under the auspices of the first US-India Health Dialogue held in September last year in Washington.
Women at Work: Trends 2016 report released by International Labour Organization
· International Labour Organization (ILO) released a report titled Women at Work: Trends 2016.
· The report which was released on International Women’s Day says that gender equality in the workplace remains elusive. It finds millions of women worldwide are not getting the same kind of quality, well-paying jobs as men.
· New data of 178 countries present a gloomy picture of the current state of working women. The report shows the gender gap in employment, wages and social protection has changed little in 20 years.
SPORTS:
National Special Olympic for Special Children being organised in Shimla:
· In Himachal Pradesh, the National Special Olympic for special children’s have been organized in Narkanda slopes in Shimla District.
· According to Mallika Nadda, the Chairperson of Special Olympic Bharat, the event will conclude on March 9, 2016.
India Men and Women win Gold medals in World TT Championship:
· Indian men’s and women’s teams scripted history by clinching the gold medals at the World Table Tennis Team Championship in Kuala Lumpur
· While Indian eves beat Luxemburg 3-1 in the event final of the Second Division, the Men overcame Brazil 3-2.
Golfer Adam Scott won 2016 WGC-Cadillac Championship:
· Australian golfer Adam Scott won the 2016 WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, Florida, U.S.
· Scott recovered from two double bogeys in his first five holes with six birdies the rest of the round to prevail by one stroke over United States’ Bubba Watson.
· The victory was Scott's second consecutive win on the PGA Tour, having won The Honda Classic in February 2016.
Maria Sharapova provisionally suspended after failing drug test at Australian Open:
· Former world number one Maria Sharapova in a press-conference at Los Angeles announced that she failed a drug test at the Australian Open. Due to this failure, she was provisionally suspended from Tennis.
· The International Tennis Federation said Sharapova, a five time Grand Slam champion, is provisionally suspended from 12 March 2016 pending further action. She was charged on 2 March 2016 with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation after testing positive for meldonium.
China qualifies for Rio Olympic women's soccer tournament:
· China fixed a berth for the Rio Olympic women's soccer tournament in Osaka, Japan with one game remaining in the six-team round-robin Asian Zone qualifications.
· After China beat South Korea 1-0 yesterday, collecting 10 points to stand second in the standings.
· Australia won 12 points from four matches, standing first with another ticket to Rio. The top two finishers of the six teams will represent Asia to attend the Rio Olympics this summer.
Sri Lanka fire cricket selectors ahead of World T20:
· Sri Lankan Cricket Board has sacked the cricket selectors and named a new selection panel.
· The Board has also announced that Angelo Mathews will be the captain and Dinesh Chandimal the Vice Captain of the team for the T-20 Cricket World Cup.
· The new selection committee that includes former greats Kumara Sangakkara and Arvinda de Silva will announce the team today as the team is scheduled to depart for India this evening.
Novak Djokovic’s first Davis Cup defeat in 5 years:
· Serbian Novak Djokovic ‘s suffered his first Davis Cup defeat in five years as he trailed Kazakhstan in their World Group first round match on Saturday.
· The Top seed teamed up with his Serbian teammate Nenad Zimonjic for the doubles match but suffered a tight 6-3, 7-6, 7-5 defeat to AndreyGolubev and Aleksandr.
Anirban Lahiri Finishes 28th at World Golf Championship:
· Indian Golfer Anirban Lahiri surprized to a poor seven-over 79 on a windy day as he dropped sharply from a likely to the top-10 finish to tied-28th at the World Golf Championships. Held at Doral in USA.
· Lahiri will now take a break and return to India to preserve his Hero Indian Open title.
· After which he would go back to USA for the PGA Tour and the Masters next month.
The Winner:
· Australian Golfer Adam Scott recovered from two double bogeys in his first five holes with six birdies the rest of the round to prevail by one stroke over Bubba Watson from the USA who finished second in the tour.
· The victory was Scott’s second successive win on the PGA Tour, having won The Honda Classicthe week before.
Jindal Panther beats Sona Polo to win Amity Polo Cup trophy:
· Jindal Panther defeated Sona Polo to lift the Amity Polo Cup trophy, Jindal Panther beats Sona Polo by 5/12 goals to 3 in the summit clash.
· Simran Shergill who secured three goals also secured 5 goals in the semifinal that made the team to win the final named as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
· The tournament was played on half league basis with seasoned polo players of handicap +5 and + 6, Amity Group has pledged more such events are in pipeline to help the underprivileged sections of the society.
· The Organisations flagship initiatives AMITASHA and ATULASHA were helping underprivileged children by providing free education.
1. Budget proposal to tax EPF withdrawn
1. Bowing to all round attack, especially from the salaried middle class, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday announced the withdrawal of Budget proposal on the controversial Employee Provident Fund (EPF) tax.
2. Jaitley however said that the 40 per cent exemption accorded to National Pension System (NPS) in this year's Budget at withdrawal stage would remain.
3. The 2016-17 Budget had proposed to bring 60 per cent of the EPF monies to tax at the withdrawal stage if the subscriber opts not to invest these monies in annuity plan.
4. This had stirred a controversy with many among the salaried class contending that such a proposal was a harsh one given that EPF monies were currently tax exempt at all three stages of contribution, accumulation and withdrawal..
2. South Korea, US began largest ever military exercises
1. The US and South Korean troops began their largest ever military exercises off the coast of the Korean peninsula. The bilateral exercises come just days after the UN passed new sanctions against Pyongyang, North Korea following its recent nuclear test and rocket launch.
2. The 8-week long drill will involve about 300000 South Korean troops and 15000 US personnel. These are being conducted near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas and off the eastern coast of South Korea.
3. Drills will include ground, air, naval and Special Operations components apart from the computer-simulated training.
3. Union Government launched online marketing platform Mahila e-Haat
1. Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi launched Mahila e-Haat portal in New Delhi.
2. The Mahila e-Haat portal, http://mahilaehaat-rmk.gov.in, is an online marketing platform. It will provide access to markets to thousands of women who make products and are spread all over the country.
3. Features of Mahila e-Haat
• It is a unique initiative since this is the first time that the government will help women to sell products online.
• It allows women entrepreneurs to leverage technology for showcasing products made or manufactured or sold by women entrepreneurs. This facility is also available to services, like tailoring, also.
• The product, along with photograph description, cost and mobile no./address of the participants will be displayed on the e-Haat enabling direct contact between sellers/service providers and buyers.
4. Sri Lanka Cricket Board constituted Arvinda de Silva-led National Cricket Selection Panel
1. Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLCB) constituted a new National Cricket Selection Panel headed by former cricketer Arvinda de Silva. Other members of the panel are Kumar Sangakkara (retired from international cricket recently), Romesh Kaluwitharana, Lalith Kaluperuma and Ranjith Madurasinghe.
2. The panel will succeed the Kapila Wijegunawardena-headed selection committee which was appointed in April 2015. Wijegunawardena selection panel was sacked by Sri Lankan board ahead of the 2016 ICC World T20, which will begin with the qualifiers on 8 March 2016 in India.
3. They were sacked in the wake of the national team’s poor performances in the just-concluded Asia Cup in Bangladesh and the preceding bilateral series in India. In January 2016, Sri Lanka had also lost its No 1 ICC Twenty20 ranking after they lost to New Zealand.
5. Indian Railways forms SPV to execute Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project
1. Indian Railways has formed a new Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to implement the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Bullet Train project. The entity has been named the National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRC) Limited.
2. The high speed bullet rain project aims to introduce trains running at operating speeds over 320 kilometers per hour and maximum speed of 350kmph.
3. The bullet train project is expected to cover the 5O8 kilometers between Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Ahmedabad (Gujarat). It will cover the journey distance in about two hours from current seven hours to cover the same distance.
6. Telangana, Maharashtra ink MoU for five irrigation projects
1. Telangana and Maharashtra Governments have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) to set up an inter-state water board construct 5 barrages across Godavari and Pen Ganga rivers.
2. The MoU was signed at a high level meeting held in Mumbai in which Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took part.
7. Maria Sharapova provisionally suspended after failing drugs test at Australian Open
1. Former world number one female tennis player Maria Sharapova (28) from Russia has revealed that she failed a drugs test at the Australian Open. Due to this failure the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has provisionally suspended her till further action from Tennis for violating Anti-Doping Rule.
2. She has been tested positive for meldonium, a substance that has been added in the forbidden list by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on 1 January 2016. The Russian star tested positive for meldonium, a substance, she has been taking since 2006 for health issues.
3. She had provided the anti-doping sample day after she had lost to Serena Williams (United States) in the Australian Open quarter finals.
8. MoEFCC releases Four Colour Classification Scheme for industries based on Pollution Index
1. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has released a new Four-colour Classification Scheme for industries based on their pollution potential.
2. The four-colour classification scheme of industrial sectors based on the Pollution Index (PI) which is a function of the (i) Emissions (air pollutants) (ii) Effluents (water pollutants) (iii) hazardous wastes generated and (iv) Consumption of resources.
Based on the on ‘Range of Pollution Index‘, industrial sectors have been categorised into four colours category.
Under the new categorisation system,
Red category: PI score of 60 and above. These are severe polluting industries. Total 60 industries including sugar, thermal power plants, paints and others are under in it.
Orange category: PI score of 41 to 59. They moderately polluting industries. Total 83 industries like coal, washeries and automobile servicing are placed under it.
Green category: PI score of 21 to 40. They are significantly low polluting industries. Total 63 industries are under in it.
White category: PI score below and upto 20. They are non-polluting industries. Total 30 industries are under in it. These industries are exempted from requirement of environmental clearance.
9. International Women's Day observed with campaign theme #PledgeForParity
1. International Women's Day was observed across the world on 8 March 2016. This year's theme for the Day is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”. The campaign theme for the day is #PledgeForParity.
2. United Nations observance and the idea of this theme reflect on how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, building momentum for the effective implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals.
3. The special focus is on Goal Number 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; and Goal Number 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.
1) Ray Tomlinson, who passed away on 5 March 2016, was the inventor of which important service associated with information technology? – Email
Explanation: Ray Tomlinson was the American programmer who was widely credited with inventing email. He had also chosen @ symbol for using in email addresses.
– He had invented direct electronic messages between users on different machines in 1971. He had implemented the first email program on the ARPANET system, the precursor to the Internet. It was the first program able to send mail between users on different hosts connected to ARPANET.
– Previously, mail could be sent only to others who used the same computer. To achieve this, he used the @ sign to separate the user name from the name of their machine, a scheme which has been used in email addresses ever since.
– Tomlinson’s work changed the way the world communicates and yet, for all his accomplishments he remained humble.
(Photo Courtesy: YouTube.com)
…………………………………………………….
2) What is the name of the pharma crusader who came to news recently as he filed public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court accusing Indian drug regulators of failing to enforce rules on drug safety? – Dinesh Thakur
Explanation: Dinesh Thakur is one of the best-known whistleblowers for the Indian drug industry. In 2013 he exposed how India’s then largest drug-maker and his former employer, Ranbaxy Laboratories, failed to conduct proper safety and quality tests on drugs and lied to regulators about its procedures.
– Thakur’s fresh case, a public interest litigation (PIL) suit, is listed in the Supreme Court website for hearing on 11 March 2016.
– The said PIL alleges that responses provided to him by government show how lax regulation can lead to potentially harmful medicines being sold in India without proper approvals.
– The Health Ministry, the Drugs Consultative Committee and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) have been made respondents in the case.
– Dinesh Thakur has alleged that an overwhelming number of non-standard-quality drugs are not prosecuted in criminal cases, since state drug controllers only impose minor administrative penalties on the offenders.
…………………………………………………….
3) Which Indian PSU bank is among the four new foreign banks that have been given preliminary approval to open 100%-owned branches in Myanmar as announced on 7 March 2016? – State Bank of India
Explanation: In the latest move by the Southeast Asian nation Myanmar to woo investment to the country long ruled by the military and hit by Western sanctions, its Govt. on 7 March allowed four foreign banks to operate in the country. These include India’s largest PSU bank SBI.
– The other three new banks that have been given initial approval by the Central Bank of Myanmar are Vietnam’s Bank for Investment and Development, Taiwan’s E.SUN Commercial Bank and South Korea’s Shinhan Bank.
– It is worth mentioning that in April 2016 Japan’s Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ became the first foreign bank in decades to open a branch in Myanmar.
…………………………………………………….
4) Which banking entity is poised to become India’s first small area finance bank (SFB) in April 2016, as announced by the bank on 7 March 2016? – Capital Local Area Bank (CLAB)
Explanation: Jalandhar-based Capital Local Area Bank (CLAB) is set to become India’s first small area finance bank (SFB) as it starts its operations from 13 April 2016.
– It will launch operations under a new name – Capital Small Finance Bank Limited and its launch will coincide with the auspicious festival of Baisakhi (the beginning of rabi harvest that gives a major boost to rural spending) in Punjab.
– CLAB is the first among the 10 applicants to get final licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It is currently active as local area bank.
…………………………………………………….
5) Which iconic hotel of New Delhi will be closed for around 2 years from 1 April 2016 for carrying out renovations? – The Oberoi
Explanation: The 283-room The Oberoi Hotel on Delhi’s Dr. Zakir Hussain Marg will be closed for a two-year period beginning 1 April 2016. It is an iconic hotel of capital Delhi and was the first hotel to be built by M S Oberoi, founder of The Oberoi Group, over 51 years ago.
– All guest rooms, public areas including the restaurants, bar, business centre, spa and shopping arcade, as well as all back-of-house areas of the hotel will be completely renovated.
– The hotel had contributed Rs. 187 crore or 14% to the company’s (Eastern India Hotels) annual revenue of Rs. 1,341 crore in the year ended 31 March 2015.
International Women's Day observed with campaign theme "PledgeForParity"
i. 8 March: International Women's Day (IWD) , International Women's Day was observed across the world on 8 March 2016.
ii. This year's theme for the Day is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”. The campaign theme for the day is #PledgeForParity.
iii. United Nations observance and the idea of this theme reflect on how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, building momentum for the effective implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals.
iv. The theme will also focus on new commitments under UN Women’s Step It Up initiative, and other existing commitments on gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s human rights.
v. 2016 International Women's Day (IWD) was observed in India by conferring the Nari Shakti Awards by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhawan. On the other hand, the day was observed in different states of India in different ways like around 40 acid attack survivors were felicitated with the Rani Laxmi Bai award and provided financial assistance in Uttar Pradesh.
Fitch Maintains India's Growth Forecast At 7.5 %
i. Fitch, the global rating agency has maintained India's growth forecast for India at 7.5 % for this fiscal ( 2015-2016 ) and also sees higher growth around 7.7 % & 7.9 % over the next two financial years. However, 8 per cent growth will remain elusive in the short term. The GDP growth in the first three quarters of this fiscal stands at 7.6%, 7.7% and 7.3%.
ii. The growth rate for the April-June quarter was revised sharply upward from a provisional 7% to to 7.7%, which has driven up the projections for the entire 2015-16 fiscal.
iii. Despite a slowdown in the third quarter, India's economic growth still outpaced China's 6.8% for the same period. Fitch also pitched for monetary policy easing.
iv. Fitch expects another 25 bps of monetary policy loosening, facilitated by the government’s recent announcement to maintain its fiscal targets for 2016-17 and 2017-18.
v. Fitch Ratings Inc. is one of the three nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSRO) designated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 1975, together with Moody's and Standard & Poor's, and the three are commonly known as the "Big Three credit rating agencies". Fitch Ratings is dual-headquartered in New York, USA, and London, UK.
E- Haat : A Online Marketing Platform Launched By Union Government
i. Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi launched Mahila e-Haat portal in New Delhi to facilitate women entrepreneurs to sell their products to buyers.
ii. It will provide access to markets to thousands of women who make products and are spread all over the country. The Mahila e-Haat portal, http://mahilaehaat-rmk.gov.in, is an online marketing platform.
iii. It is an initiative for women across the country as a part of ‘Digital India’ and ‘Stand Up India’ initiatives of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi.
iv. On the occasion of the launching Mrs. Menka Gandhi, the minister for Women & Child Development said that this empowerment of women will take place in three stages in which Mahila E-Haat is the first stage. In the second stage, it is planned to integrate it with e-commerce portals to provide a larger platform for selling and buying. Ultimately it will culminate into Women’s Entrepreneurs Council which will help to expand this initiative further and give it an institutional shape.
v. It is a Joint initiative of Union Women and Child Development Ministry and Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) for meeting the needs of women entrepreneurs. And the objective of this platform is to strengthen the financial inclusion of women entrepreneurs by providing continued support to their creativity.
PM selects another village in Varanasi for development under SAGY
i. Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) is a rural development programme broadly focusing upon the development in the villages which includes social development, cultural development and spread motivation among the people on social mobilization of the village community.
ii. Prime Minister Narendra modi is member of parliament from varanasi utter pardesh.
iii. PM has selected another village for adoption in his Varanasi Constituency of U.P. for development under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY).
iv. Nagepur, a village dominated by backward castes has been selected under the second phase of the Yojana.
v. Earlier, Prime Minister had adopted Jayapur village in the same Varanasi constituency in the first phase in 2014.
Govt to import 8,500 tonnes of pulses
i. Government has contracted import of Eight thousand Five Hundred tonnes of pulses and the shipments are on the way.
ii. The pulses procurement for buffer stock has also surpassed the target of 50 thousand tonnes set for this kharif season.
iii. Consumer Affairs Secretary C Viswanath today reviewed the prices and availability of essential commodities at an inter ministerial meeting in New Delhi.
iv. According to an official release, consumer affairs, agriculture and commerce ministries now have been asked to start procurement of masoor, gram dal and other rabi pulses.
v. During the meeting, the representative of the agriculture ministry said the area under oilseed production in 2015-16 rose by 2.1 per cent and mustard output is expected to be higher by 6 lakh tonnes. The meeting also reviewed production of tomato in the country and its price trends. Tomato output is also expected to increase by 11.6 per cent in 2015-16.
Union Government announced to withdraw tax proposal on Employee Provident Fund
i. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 8 March 2016 announced to withdraw proposal to tax Employee Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawals.
ii. He announced to withdraw the proposal while clarifying NDA government’s stand on the issue in the Lok Sabha.
iii. He further stated that government would also like to comprehensively review EPF tax proposal.
iv. However, government retained the tax proposal for National Pension Scheme (NPS) withdrawals.
v. The proposal was made by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley while presenting the Union Budget 2016-17 in the Lok Sabha on 29 February 2016. As per the proposal 60 percent of the amount deposited in the EPF account of the employee would be taxable at the time of withdrawal, and 40 percent would be tax free. This proposal would have become effective from 1 April 2016.
Indian Railways Signs Agreement With Bajaj Power
i. Bajaj Power Generation Company has signed an agreement with the Indian Railways for electrification of the Lalitpur-Udaipura rail section under the public private partnership (PPP).
ii. With the help of Bajaj the Railways would complete the electrification work in a year's time under its customer funding scheme.
iii. It would cost nearly around Rs 47 crore. The electrified rail section is expected to facilitate uninterrupted coal supply to its plant and also help running of fast passenger trains in the area.
iv. Bajaj Power Generation Company (BPGC) is setting up a 1,980 megawatt (mw) thermal power plant in Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh. While, two units of 660 mw each had already been commissioned in September and December 2015 respectively, the third unit of 660 mw is scheduled to start generating later this month.
v. The total investment in the plant is pegged at Rs 16,000 crore. BPGC President (commercial) Dwarikesh Sharma and North Central Railway (NCR) Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM) Jhansi Vinit Singh signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.
Banks disburse over Rs 1.15 lakh cr under PM Mudra Yojana
i. Banks have so far disbursed over Rs 1.15 lakh crore under Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY), Financial Services Secretary Anjuly Chib Duggal said today.
ii. Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd (MUDRA) focuses on 5.75 crore self-employed who use funds totalling Rs 11 lakh crore and provide jobs to 12 crore people. Under PMMY, loans between Rs 50,000 and Rs 10 lakh are provided to small entrepreneurs. "We have been working with MUDRA. It has been a runaway success.
iii. we are looking at Rs 1.15 lakh crore plus right now," she said at an event organised by MFIN here.
iv. The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April last year.
v. Three products available under the PMMY are Shishu, Kishor and Tarun, to signify the stage of growth and funding needs of the beneficiary micro unit or entrepreneur.
SoftBank Splits Into Two Subsidiaries
i. Japanese investment bank SoftBank Group Corporation has announced a major reorganization of its businesses.
ii. The firm has said that it is in planning to separate its profitable domestic mobile business from its international business, which includes a majority stake in US mobile operator Sprint Corp. Both the subsidiaries will be 100-percent owned by SoftBank.
iii. According to the company, the “strategic” move will shift SoftBank’s stakes in U.S. wireless carrier Sprint and Chinese Internet company Alibaba Group Holding to a new global operations management subsidiary.
iv. SoftBanks Japanese assets including Yahoo Japan Corporation will funnel into a separate domestic operations management company.
v. SoftBank’s President Nikesh Arora will now head the overseas management company, whose holdings also include a 32 % share of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and a range of other Internet and technology firms. SoftBank’s Japanese telecom business and shares in domestic Internet firms such as Yahoo Japan will be managed by a separate company led by Ken Miyauchi, who now heads SoftBank’s Japanese mobile operations, the company said in a statement
Countdown for launch of India’s 6th navigational satellite IRNSS-1F begins in Sriharikota
i. Countdown for the launch of PSLV-C32 to place India's sixth navigational satellite IRNSS-1F in the orbit started at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota this morning.
ii. ISRO's workhorse PSLV-C32 will lift off at 4 PM on Thursday.
iii. ISRO sources said, Mission Readiness Review committee and the Launch Authorisation Board met at Sriharikota yesterday evening and cleared the 54 and half hour countdown which started at 9:30 AM today. The sources said, during the countdown, propellant filling operations would be taken up in the four stage vehicle.
South Korea, US began largest ever military exercises
i. The US and South Korean troops on 7 March 2016 began their largest ever military exercises off the coast of the Korean peninsula.
ii. The bilateral exercises come just days after the UN passed new sanctions against Pyongyang, North Korea following its recent nuclear test and rocket launch. The 8-week long drill will involve about 300000 South Korean troops and 15000 US personnel.
iii. These are being conducted near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas and off the eastern coast of South Korea. Drills will include ground, air, naval and Special Operations components apart from the computer-simulated training.
iv. Meanwhile, North Korea has warned South Korea and US of indiscriminate and pre-emptive nuclear strikes if the two allies go further with the drills. The threat from Pyongyang follows its leader Kim Jong-Un's order last week asking country's nuclear arsenal to be placed on standby for use at any moment against the South.
France Highest Honour "Legion d'Honneur" To Saudi Prince
i. President Francois Hollande has awarded the Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest honour, to visiting Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef. Nayef was cited for his “efforts in the fight against terrorism and extremism."
ii. But the France has been accused of devaluing its highest national honour after that the Legion of Honour was quietly awarded to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on a visit to Paris.
iii. Earlier this year, The French government was among the most vocal outside the Middle East in its condemnation of Saudi mass executions, calling the kingdom’s killing of 47 people “deeply deplorable”. Yet almost two months to the day after that statement was issued, President François Hollande awarded his nation’s most prestigious award to the heir to the Saudi throne, Prince Mohammed bin Naif.
iv. The Legion of Honour is regarded as among the first and most prestigious modern orders of merit in the world. In both France and the UK, there was anger at the decision to award the symbolically significant medal to the deputy leader of a country which has executed 70 people since the start of the year.
Dogri Poetess Padma Sachdev Awarded Krutitava Smagra Samman
i. Renowned Dogri poetess and writer Padma Sachdev has been awarded Krutitava Smagra Samman for 2015. The award was given by the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad in Kolkata, West Bengal. Sachdev received this award for her outstanding contribution in literature and great service to Dogri Language.
ii. West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi presented the award to the poetess. The award carries an amount of Rs. one lakh, a shawl and citation.
iii. Padma Sachdev is an Indian poet and novelist. Padma Sachdev is first modern woman poet of Dogri language.
iv. She also writes in Hindi. She has published her several poetry collection and some of them are Tavi Te Chanhan (Rivers Tavi and Chenab, 1976), Nheriyan Galiyan (Dark Lanes, 1982), Pota Pota Nimbal (Fingertipful Cloudless Sky, 1987), Uttar Vahini (1992) and Tainthian (1992).
v. She has won the Sahitya Akademi Award at the young age of thirty for her first collection of Dogri poetry title Mere Kavita. She has also received the Padma Shri, the Indian fourth highest civilian award in 2001 and the Kabir Samman for poetry for the year 2007-08, given by Government of Madhya Pradesh.
vi. She also has won Soviet Land Nehru Award, Hindi Academy Puraskar, U.P. Hindi Academy Pruaskar, Raja Ram Mohan Roy Puraskar, Joshua Poetry Award, and the Jammu & Kashmir Government’s Robe of Honour.
Maria Sharapova provisionally suspended after failing drugs test at Australian Open
i. Former world number one Maria Sharapova has revealed she failed a drugs test at the Australian Open. The 28 year old Russian star tested positive for meldonium, a substance, she has been taking since 2006 for health issues.
ii. The International Tennis Federation said, Sharapova, a five time Grand Slam champion, is provisionally suspended from March 12th pending further action.
iii. Meanwhile, sportswear maker Nike has suspended their relationship with Sharapova till the investigation continues. Sharapova, who lives in Florida, provided the anti-doping sample in question on January 26th, the day she lost to Serena Williams in the Australian Open quarter finals.
#SSC #IBPS #SBI #RBI #NABARD #NICL #NIACL #CAT #NMAT #everydayquiz
No comments:
Post a Comment