Important Current Affairs 20th March 2017 with free PDF

Important Current Affairs 20th March 2017 with Free PDF

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We bring you Important Current Affairs 20th March 2017 with Free PDF in English and Hindi, which will update you with latest headlines, news from various domains i.e: National News, Sports, Business, Awards & recognition. It will help you in preparation of competitive exams like: SSC, SBI, IBPS PO, Clerk, Railways & Various other Entrance examinations.

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 Current Affairs 20th March 2017: AWARDS

 President of India presents KCK International Award for excellence in print Journalism

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the KCK International Award for Excellence in Print Journalism organized by Rajasthan Patrika in New Delhi today (March 20, 2017).
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that journalism has had a long history in our country. 
●    It has been closely associated with our struggle for independence and social reforms. Journalists and journalism played an exemplary role in the social renaissance movement as well as the freedom struggle of the country. 
●    The history of Indian journalism has been that of progressive reform, social renaissance and anti-colonialism. 
●    Beginning with the ‘Samvad Kaumudi’ brought out by Raja Rammohun Roy in 1819 to ‘Samachar Chandrika’ and ‘Mirat-Ul-Akhbar’, the ‘Harijan and Young India edited by the Mahatma and later, through various other publications, the contribution of print journalism to an evolving Indian society and nationhood was immense.
●    The President said that print journalism has its own impact because journalists through their columns/ stories/ comments etc. find a permanent place in the minds of readers. 
●    He stated that media has expanded with increasing use of technology and the influence of social media has also increased over the years.
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 Current Affairs 20th March 2017: ECONOMY

 
Cabinet approves four GST Bills

●    The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the following four GST related bills.
●    The Central Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (The CGST Bill)
●    The Integrated Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (The IGST Bill)
●    The Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (The UTGST Bill)
●    The Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to the States) Bill 2017 (The Compensation Bill)
●    The above four Bills have been earlier approved by the GST Council after thorough, clause by clause, discussion over 12 meetings of the Council held in the last six months.
●    The CGST Bill makes provisions for levy and collection of tax on intra-state supply of goods or services for both by the Central Government. 
●    On the other hand, IGST Bill makes provisions for levy and collection of tax on inter-state supply of goods or services or both by the Central Government.
●    The UTGST Bill makes provisions for levy on collection of tax on intra-UT supply of goods and services in the Union Territories without legislature. 
●    Union Territory GST is akin to States Goods and Services Tax (SGST) which shall be levied and collected by the States/Union Territories on intra-state supply of goods or services or both.
●    The Compensation Bill provides for compensation to the states for loss of revenue arising on account of implementation of the goods and services tax for a period of five years as per section 18 of the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016.

 Current Affairs 20th March 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

 Government designates Olympians as National Observers

Government has designated the following Olympians as National Observers for the disciplines mentioned against each of them.
●    The National Observers will assist the Government, Sports Authority of India, and National Sports Federations (NSFs) concerned including Indian Olympic Association in the preparation and implementation of the long term development plan with respect to high priority and priority sports covering all aspects including selection policy, quality specifications for National Camps, long term athlete development plan, coaching development, development of technical officials and monitoring & evaluation of athlete performance.  
●    Apart from providing inputs for their respective disciplines, the National Observers would also to be consulted as a group on crosscutting issues impacting sports development in the country.
●    The National Observers would be playing a key role in implementation of action plans for Mission Olympics 2020, 2024 and 2028.

Faggan Singh Kulaste launches National Dental and Oral Health Information IVR Portal, toll free number

 “Oral health is integral to overall health of a person and will contribute to the all-round development of the nation.” 
●    This was stated by Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare. 
●    He was speaking at a function to mark the ‘World Oral Health Day’, here today. 
●    Shri C K Mishra, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) and Dr Jagdish Prasad, Director General of Health Services and other senior officers of the Ministry were also present at the event. 
●    Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste also launched the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material along with the National Dental and Oral Health Information IVR portal including a toll free number for addressing oral health queries. 
●    Speaking at the function, Shri Faggan Singh stated that India has taken huge strides in the healthcare sector by initiating new programmes to improve the health outcome of the country and it is now amongst those nations that have dedicated programme on oral health. 
●    Shri Faggan Singh further added that raising awareness about dental health is a need of the hour and these information initiatives will go a long way in encouraging people to adopt positive and healthy habits, Shri Faggan Singh said.

 Current Affairs 20th March 2017: DAYS AND DATES

World Sparrow Day 2017 observed

The World Sparrow Day was observed across the world on 20 March 2017. 
●    The day was created with an aim to raise awareness about the house sparrow and then other common birds to urban environments.
●    The World Sparrow Day also speaks of threats to their populations. 
●    The day also provides an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the common biodiversity which is taken so much for granted.
●    World Sparrow Day is an international initiative of the Nature Forever Society of India in collaboration with several national international organisations including the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France). 
●    The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated in 2010 across the world.
●    The House Sparrow was declared as State Bird of Delhi.
●    The society was created by an Indian conservationist Mohammed Dilawar, who was named as one of the Heroes of the Environment" for 2008 by Time for his efforts. 
●    He started his work by helping the house sparrow in Nashik.

 

 Current Affairs 20th March 2017: SPORTS

Roger Federer beats Stanislas Wawrinka for 5th title in the Californian desert

Roger Federer defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 7-5 to win a record-tying fifth BNP Paribas Open title in an all-Swiss final Sunday to go with his record 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January after missing most of last year with various injuries. 
●    “For me, the dream run continues,” he said. 
●    Federer kept reminding everyone during the ATP Masters 1000 event that he was “on the comeback” and, wanting to see how he felt, hadn’t planned beyond the first three months of year.
●    He might want to think bigger now. “This was not part of the plan, to win Australia and Indian Wells. 
●    The goal was to be top 8 by after Wimbledon, so I’m there much, much faster,” he said. 
●    “I will make the plan for the remainder of the season, especially for the clay, after Miami, and then see also what the goals are because the goals are clearly changing after this dream start.” 
●    Federer tied the tourney record of Novak Djokovic, who lost in the fourth round, while winning his 90th career title, keeping him third behind Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl on the all-time list in the Open era.

 Current Affairs 20th March 2017: OBITUARY

Dev Raj Sikka, India’s monsoon man, dies

Former Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) director Dev Raj Sikka, known as the ‘monsoon man’ for his role in helping scientists develop better prediction systems for India’s rainy season, died on Saturday after a heart attack. 
●    He was 85.
●    Sikka was honoured with the lifetime achievement award by the Indian Meteorological Society (IMD) in December 2016 in recognition of his contribution to Indian meteorology spanning over six decade.
●    Born in Jhang Maghiana (western Punjab) in Pakistan Sikka joined the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in 1954 before moving to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune, from where he retired as its director.
●    Over an illustrious career as a weather scientist, Sikka became known for his work on the prediction of monsoon—notoriously erratic in the subcontinent—and tropical meteorology, including extreme weather events.