Important Current Affairs 22nd March 2017 with Free PDF

Important Current Affairs 22nd March 2017 with Free PDF

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We bring you Important Current Affairs 22nd 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.

Current Affairs February 2017 

Current Affairs March 2017

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 Current Affairs 22nd March 2017: DAYS AND DATES

March 22 : World Water Day

 The World Water Day (WWD) was observed globally on 22 March 2017 with theme Why Wastewater? 
●    The year’s theme for the world water day focuses on wastewater and ways to reduce and reuse as over 80 per cent of all the wastewater.
●    The theme highlights that wastewater flows from homes, cities, industry and agriculture to nature. 
●    This free or untreated flow helps in polluting the environment leading to loss of valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials.
●    The theme seeks to improve the collection and treatment of wastewater and safe usability of the same. 
●    At the same time, it wants to make us (people) learn the art of reducing the quantity and pollution load of wastewater that we produce. 
●    The effort will help us in protecting the environment and water resources that are available to us.
●    Save water is also a goal enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goal. 
●    The Sustainable Development Goal 6 – ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030 - includes a target to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase water recycling and safe reuse.

 Current Affairs 22nd March 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

The 3rd edition of State AYUSH/Health Ministers’ Conference held in New Delhi

 The 3rd Conference of Health/AYUSH Ministers of States/UTs was inaugurated by the Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge) Shri Shripad Yesso Naik in New Delhi today. 
●    The day long conference was organized by the Ministry of AYUSH to provide an opportunity to States/UT to interact with each other for the development of AYUSH sector. 
●    The conference was attended by AYUSH/Health Ministers/Secretaries and officials from 23 States/UTs; senior officials of AYUSH Ministry and representatives of AYUSH organizations. 
●    In his inaugural address, the AYUSH Minister said that the WHO advocates expanding the rational use of traditional medicine as one of the means to achieve Universal Health Coverage. 
●    The WHO also advocates harnessing the potential of traditional medicine, capacity building in traditional medicine practice and developing awareness among the public about the advantages of traditional medicines. 
●    Shri Naik appealed to all the State Governments to consider the WHO advisory on priority. 
●    Shri Shripad Naik urged all State Governments to consider amending their State Medical Practitioner Act to enable AYUSH system to deal with medical emergencies. 
●    He said that States like Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have already made such amendments in their State Medical Practitioner Acts. 

Rs.3.5 crore contributed by IIFCL for Cancer Treatment

 An appeal was made to PSUs to contribute funds under their CSR Scheme towards Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund-CSR for treatment of poor cancer patients. 
●    India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL) has taken lead in the matter and contributed an amount of Rs.3.5 crore in 2015-16.  
●    385 cancer patients have been benefitted from the CSR contribution received from IIFCL during 2016-17. 
●    The cheque of Rs.3.50 crore was presented to Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, ShriFaggan Singh Kulaste by Shri S.B.Nayar, CMD, IIFCL yesterday. 
●    Shri Arun Kumar Jha, Economic Adviser, Health Ministry and Shri P.R. Jaishankar, Chief General Manager, IIFCL were also present.

Bihar launches free WiFi for students

 The Bihar government on Wednesday launched an ambitious programme to provide free WiFi facilities in colleges and universities.
●    Chief Minister Nitish Kumar formally launched free WiFi facilities for students on the occasion of Bihar Divas celebrations here.
●    He said free Wi-Fi facility in college and university campuses was part of the seven decisions of the Grand Alliance government in Bihar to promote governance.
●    “The objective is to provide free Wi-Fi facility to help youths to move ahead in life and to become digital smart.”
●    He said Internet had become a part and part of daily life.
●    Earlier, Nitish Kumar said youths, particularly students, should use this facility to download books instead of films.
 

Medha - First fully India-made suburban train makes debut

 Commuters in Mumbai will get to travel on the first train that is wholly made in India, including the electronic control circuitry. 
●    It’s called the Medha system and is more than a crore cheaper than the Bombardier rakes that now run on the Western Railway that serves 35 lakh commuters daily on its suburban services.
●    Indian railways procures control circuit technology from foreign companies such as Siemens and Bombardier and this is the first time it has been is developed in India, which will bring down costs. 
●    A Medha rake costs Rs 43.23 crore now against a Bombardier’s Rs 44.36. The Medha will cost even less if more are ordered, said a Western Railway spokesperson.
●    The WR have received two Medha 12-car rakes of which one will be inducted in service on Saturday. 
●    However, this does not mean additional services to commuters as the train will be operated for existing services only.

Govt Proposes to make Aadhaar mandatory for I-T returns

 The Union Government on 21 March 2017 proposed to make the Aadhaar card mandatory to file Income Tax Return (ITR) and for applying Permanent Account Number (PAN) with effect from 1 July 2017.
●    With this, Aadhaar enrolment number while filing ITR could also be accepted. However, failing to declare Aadhaar may lead to PAN being deemed invalid.
●    PAN cards will also be linked with the 12-digit unique identification number or the Aadhar number before the 1 July 2017 deadline.
●    The amendment also proposes to lower the limit on cash transaction from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. 
●    The limit on cash transactions is in keeping with recommendations of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money.
●    The proposal was made through an amendment to the Finance Bill, 2017. The Union Government introduced as many as 40 amendments to the Finance Bill in an 'unprecedented move'. 
●    Until now, Aadhaar was mostly used for subsidy transfers. 
●    The Union Government also claimed that the subsidy transfers linked to Aadhaar has led the exchequer to save Rs 49000 crore during the last two-and-half years.

 Current Affairs 22nd March 2017: APPOINTMENTS

Ankur Khanna appointed as Chief Financial Officer of ICC

 Ankur Khanna was on 20 March 2017 appointed as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
●    Khanna will join the ICC by the end of March 2017. He will relocate to the ICC headquarters in Dubai. 
●    Presently, he is serving Airasia India as the CFO, the post he has held for the last twelve months.
●    Prior to Airasia India, Khanna worked in senior roles at Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and ITC, an associate company of British American Tobacco.
●    ICC is the global governing body for cricket. 
●    Representing 105 members, the ICC governs and administers the game and is responsible for the staging of major international tournaments including the ICC World Cup and Women’s World Cup.
●    The ICC also appoints the umpires and referees that officiate at all sanctioned Test matches, One Day International and Twenty20 Internationals.
 

 Current Affairs 22nd March 2017: MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Vodafone and Idea to merge

 
On Monday, Idea Cellular Ltd and Vodafone Group Plc. solemnized their three month-old engagement with details of the impending marriage. 
●    Elsewhere in Motown earlier this month, Tata Motors Ltd and Volkswagen AG, neither of which was setting Indian parking lots on fire, announced a memorandum of understanding for a long-term partnership.
●    In strict number terms, the Idea-Vodafone merger catapults the combined entity to pole position in India’s $27 billion telecom market but an inorganic leadership in a turbulent market may be a crown of thorns. 
●    Bragging rights aside, the merger leaves both companies with massive issues of integration and no real guarantee of success beyond the savings from synergy.
●    Statements by Vodafone Group chief executive Vittorio Colao, shortly after the announcement, spotlight why it is difficult to be buoyant about the marriage. 
●    Both brands, he stressed, will continue to be present in the market. 
●    The fate of many a corporate marriage between two strong brands warns us of how that might pan out. 
●    Publicis Groupe SA and Omnicom Group Inc., Compaq Computer Corp. and HP Inc., Daimler AG and Chrysler Corp., Time Warner Inc. and AOL Inc.—the mega failures just reel off the tongue.